Chapter Seventy-Two: The Great Families of Wu Commandery

After staying in Yangxian for two days, Cao Hong set out once more, accompanied by the remaining cavalry from Xiangyi County and Sheng Meizhen, heading toward Wu County. This time, Cao Hong did not travel by land; instead, he went to his own Taihu dock in Yangxian, requested a tall ship, and chose to journey by water to Wu County. Yangxian lies on the western shore of Taihu, while Wu County sits on the eastern shore. The water route was extraordinarily convenient, such that one could set out in the morning and arrive by evening.

Wu County is what we know today as Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. As the saying goes, “Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou.” The scenery of Wu County is indeed enchanting, lush hills, clear lake waters sparkling under the sun, and as the seat of the region’s government, it is surrounded by Taihu to the west and Yangcheng Lake to the east. The rivers crisscross its land, and the network of canals makes it a flourishing hub of commerce. Shops line the streets, and most of Cao Hong’s businesses were situated here in this bustling county seat. It was, too, the place where he had grown up amidst the southern waterways.

Before the ship had even docked, Sheng Meizhen walked onto the deck, gazing at Wu County’s city walls. She exclaimed delightedly, “At last, we’re home!”

Cao Hong stood beside her, smiling lightly. “I imagine the cooks at the dock have already seen the flag on our ship. Uncle Jingjie will surely send someone to greet us and invite us directly to the county office for a welcome banquet.”

Sheng Meizhen laughed. “Of course, I expect my father will be attending the banquet as well.”

Cao Hong replied, “Earlier, I sent Qingmang and Ziyang ahead to Wu County with letters. First, to ask Uncle Jingjie to help me organize the dispersal of wealth and recruitment of soldiers. Second, to pay respects to my father-in-law, who has extensive connections in Wu County. I expect Uncle Jingjie will have informed him about the recruitment, and now, two days have passed. No doubt the arrangements are already made. At tonight’s banquet, it’s likely some of Wu County’s prominent families will be present. They have the resources to acquire my businesses, and they possess the private soldiers and equipment I need. Perhaps the matter of dispersing wealth and recruiting soldiers will be settled today.”

At these words, Sheng Meizhen cast a glance at Cao Hong, laughing softly. “Then, husband, you may begin considering the matter of taking concubines.”

Cao Hong chuckled, “It seems you are more anxious about this than I am, Meizhen.”

Sheng Meizhen rolled her eyes at him. “How could I not be? Husband, you went off to campaign against Dong Zhuo in January, and now it’s already early February. My monthly cycle hasn’t come—I haven’t seen a physician yet, but there’s an eighty percent chance I’m with child. If so, we must abstain.”

Cao Hong was stunned. With child? How did this happen so quickly? Had her previous husband been unable to father children? At this moment, Cao Hong reacted as any man about to become a father would—his joy was written all over his face. “So, I’m about to be a father!”

Sheng Meizhen smiled, “Nine chances out of ten, I’d say.”

As they spoke, the ship docked. This dock, too, was part of Cao Hong’s holdings, located in the middle of a canal within Wu County. Exiting the dock led directly to the busiest marketplace, making it a prime location.

From the deck, Cao Hong could see Zhang Yun, the commander of Wu County’s soldiers. This was not the Zhang Yun of Jingzhou, but rather the current head of the prestigious Zhang family in Wu County, courtesy name Yuan’en. He wielded considerable influence in Wu County. Cao Ding had appointed him as commander largely to curry favor with the local gentry, signaling his willingness to cooperate and share benefits. Zhang Yun was also an old acquaintance of Cao Hong, who had many business dealings in Wu County, several in partnership with the Zhang family.

Besides the Zhangs, Wu County boasted three other major clans: the Lus, the Gus, and the Zhus. Together with the Zhangs, they were known as the Four Great Families of Wu County. The county’s wealth and peace owed much to these families, who played crucial roles in local affairs. All this was stored in Cao Hong’s memory; he understood the Four Great Families intimately, down to the old, the young, and the women, showing how closely he had studied them.

In business, too, Cao Hong had frequent dealings with these families. The moment he saw Zhang Yun, memories surged up, linking what he knew from history books in his previous life with the present situation. He was struck by the realization: these Four Great Families would form half the backbone of future Wu in the days of Sun Quan!

Consider the Zhangs. Zhang Yun before him had a son, Zhang Wen, who would become Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, counted among the imperial teachers. The head of the Lu family was Lu Qian, who had held the post of Gate Commander and was now retired. His son Lu Jun was currently commandant of Jiujang in Yangzhou, a rank comparable to Zhang Yun’s. Lu Jun’s son was none other than Lu Xun, the scholar-general who would shatter Liu Bei’s mighty forces at Yiling. This year, Lu Xun was only seven years old.

The Zhu family was led by Zhu Jun, the county’s assistant magistrate. His son, Zhu Huan, would become a leading general in Wu, holding the rank of General of the Front with honorary privileges. Cao Hong knew well that Zhu Huan’s military achievements were impressive; after the Battle of Yiling, when Cao Ren, now Grand Marshal of Wei, launched a surprise attack with tens of thousands of troops, Zhu Huan kept his composure, rallied his soldiers, split his forces, and soundly defeated Cao Ren, even capturing Wei’s fierce general Wang Shuang. This year, Zhu Huan was thirteen.

Then there was the Gu family, led by a young man only two years older than Cao Hong, Gu Yong, courtesy Yuan Tan. He would become Wu’s second prime minister, second only to the sovereign, respected by all. As prime minister, he governed with self-restraint and virtue, bringing order and prosperity to Wu. Among the four family heads, Cao Hong was closest to Gu Yong, their ages similar and their families intertwined. They had grown up together, their friendship deep.

Gu Yong’s teacher was the renowned Cai Yong of the Han, father of Cai Wenji. When Cai Yong took refuge in Wu County, he took Gu Yong as his student, praised his intelligence, and even lent him his own name—hence their names were homophonous. Gu Yong lived up to his teacher’s expectations, mastering Cai Yong’s teachings, writing famed essays, managing the family business expertly, and excelling in Cai Yong’s unique “Flying White Script,” whose brushwork was delicate and ethereal, evoking a sense of graceful desolation.

As Cao Hong reviewed the details of these families alongside his knowledge of history, he gained a deep respect for Cao Cao’s decision not to establish roots in Yangzhou. In Wu County alone, the Four Great Families were entrenched, their power formidable, and their talents abundant. These men could serve the state, but their loyalty to their clans would always surpass that to their lord. No matter how powerful an outsider, unless he destroyed the local gentry, compromise and concessions were inevitable—for such men could not be ignored.

Once the ship had docked, Zhang Yun stepped forward and said, “Zilian, I trust you have been well.”

Cao Hong clasped his hands and smiled, “All is well, thank you, Yuan’en, for your concern.”

Zhang Yun was just over thirty. His father and Cao Ding were contemporaries, so he and Cao Hong regarded each other as peers. He continued, “The governor has prepared a banquet at the county office to welcome Zilian and Meizhen, and your honored father and many friends will be there. They are all prominent figures in Wu County—the gathering will be illustrious indeed. It is a great event for the county, and they have all come for your sake.”

Cao Hong smiled and replied, “It is thanks to their kindness.” But he knew in his heart that they had come for his businesses, and perhaps for Cao Ding’s position as governor. Even before Cao Cao raised his army, when Cao Ding met Cao Hong in Qichun, he had already considered retirement. Now that Cao Hong had returned to liquidate his assets, Cao Ding would likely retire to the countryside, for he had said before that he would make his decision only after seeing how Cao Cao fared.

The group came ashore. Zhang Yun had his men arrange for the county soldiers Cao Hong brought, and personally invited Cao Hong and Sheng Meizhen to board a luxurious four-horse carriage bound for the Wu County office.