Chapter Seventy-Five: Gu Yong Makes His Offer

Upon hearing Cao Hong’s agreement, Cao Ding nodded in satisfaction and said, “There are still some matters I need to discuss with Master Chen. Zilian, you may go about your business. Your subordinates, Shi Qingmang and Liu Ziyang, are staying in the commandery office. If you wish to find them, just notify the servants and someone will announce you.”

Cao Hong nodded in response and took his leave. After departing the Pavilion by the Lake, he immediately instructed the servants to bring Liu Ye to the study, and he himself made his way there as well. Upon entering, he found, as expected, a stack of papers covered with handwriting—the lists of desired properties and offered prices from the prominent families of Wu Commandery.

He leafed through them at random and saw that many properties had fetched prices above market value. Chuckling to himself, he murmured, “Truly, concern breeds confusion. No one is competing with them, yet they still bid high to secure their prize. This tactic is quite effective.”

Just then, a knock came at the door. Cao Hong opened it to find Liu Ye, who bowed and greeted him, “General.”

Cao Hong ushered Liu Ye inside. The latter’s eyes were drawn to the scattered papers on the table and he asked curiously, “Why are these documents in such disarray?”

“These are the prices offered for my properties by the buyers. Ziyang, why don’t you take a look?” Cao Hong replied with a smile.

Liu Ye stepped forward and skimmed through the lists. In surprise, he exclaimed, “A manor of six hundred mu, and the offer is ten million coins? At most it’s worth seven million! Is this person mad? Ah, it’s from the Zhang family of Wu Commandery—no wonder, with their vast wealth.”

Having grown up in Yangzhou, Liu Ye naturally knew of the four great families of Wu Commandery. Cao Hong smiled and said, “Ziyang, please find the papers with bids for my river transport business. I want to see what they’re offering.”

Liu Ye assented and began searching. Yet, this lucrative industry seemed to draw little interest; after searching through all the papers, only four bids had been submitted. Cao Hong laughed, “It seems many know their own limits. These four bids must be from the four great families of Wu Commandery.”

He stepped forward to inspect them, and sure enough, as he had expected, the four bids were from the Zhang, Zhu, Lu, and Gu families. The Zhangs offered five thousand taels of gold per dock, the Zhus seven thousand, and the Lus a staggering ten thousand. Liu Ye, standing by, was astounded, while Cao Hong could barely contain his joy. He owned sixty-three docks; at ten thousand taels each, that amounted to six hundred and thirty thousand taels—a sum that could buy up half of Yanzhou’s annual grain reserves. Indeed, the Lu family of Yangzhou was wealthy beyond compare.

But when he saw the offer from the Gu family, his expression changed at once. He muttered, “Yuantan truly is clever! This offer is almost irresistible!”

Liu Ye asked, “General, what did the Gu family offer?”

Cao Hong handed him the list. Liu Ye glanced at it and was shocked, “This! Six hundred fine horses from the west! A thousand refined ring-handled sabers! A thousand iron-spined eight-foot spears! A thousand elite soldiers! Six hundred suits of black-lacquered armor! A thousand one-handed crossbows and ninety thousand bolts! If the Gu family possesses such armaments, why aren’t they dominating Yangzhou? With these troops and a few more recruits, they could conquer the province and petition the court for the governorship, carving out their own territory!”

“Yuantan must have realized that the powerful clans of Yangzhou are deeply entrenched. No matter who takes charge, they will have to compromise with these great families, making it nearly impossible to seize full control,” Cao Hong replied.

Liu Ye nodded. “The general is right. The illustrious families of Yangzhou are full of talent and hold sway over countless tenant farmers. To truly govern Yangzhou, one must rely on these local clans to rule the populace and maintain peace.”

Staring at the list, Cao Hong sighed, “These arms must be the Gu family’s entire private arsenal. The great clans of Yangzhou maintain private soldiers to fight the Shanyue tribes and seize their people. If Yuantan trades all this for my docks, he’s essentially withdrawing from that struggle. Isn’t that a poor bargain?”

Liu Ye considered and said, “Perhaps not. The Gu family likely aims to acquire the docks and wait for a worthy leader to enter Yangzhou, then transfer them to win a high office and handsome reward. Gu Yuantan knows that after Master Chen and Lord Jingjie depart, other powers will inevitably covet Yangzhou. By handing over the docks to the new master, he’ll earn even greater favor. Furthermore, without private soldiers, and as a local magnate, his family is sure to be trusted and put to use first, since the newcomers will have no reason to fear them.”

Cao Hong was struck by the logic—Liu Ye had sharp insight. Clearly, Gu Yong intended to acquire the docks to await the best moment. In the meantime, he could profit from the docks. Even if he abandoned the interests gained from the Shanyue, it wouldn’t be a loss. More importantly, he could win the goodwill of Yangzhou’s future ruler. If the newcomer was weak, Gu could keep the docks and continue his business; if strong, he could offer them up as a show of friendship. A friendly, unarmed great clan would naturally be favored.

“What a shrewd mind—no wonder he became Prime Minister of Eastern Wu!” Cao Hong thought with admiration.

“The iron-spined eight-foot spear—I’ve barely had one in my hands, and Yuantan is offering a thousand at once. It takes years to forge these, and success is rare. Did he build up these armaments just to claim my docks? Could he have set his sights on them years ago?” Cao Hong asked Liu Ye.

Liu Ye replied, “That’s unlikely. After all, years ago you had shown no sign of raising an army. I imagine the Gu family intended these weapons for their own power, but with the state of the realm uncertain, Gu Yuantan dared not act rashly and kept them in reserve. Now, with warlords rising everywhere and Yuan Shu strong to the north, Yuantan, being no general, likely judged these arms insufficient to seize power. So, he waited for another opportunity, and your current sale of assets to raise troops was the perfect chance.”

Cao Hong nodded, “Wisdom lies in self-awareness. Gu Yuantan is learned and perhaps a skilled administrator, but no general. Yet, seeing how he prepared such a formidable arsenal and still kept his ambitions in check, it’s clear he is deeply calculating. His bid is one I cannot refuse—just as he must have foreseen. The Lu family’s offer, though richer on paper, can’t match the value of these weapons. The iron-spined spears cannot be forged quickly, and I am in urgent need of arms. How could I refuse? Ha! The Lu family loses out for reasons they’ll never grasp.”

Liu Ye remarked, “The refined ring-handled sabers, iron-spined spears, and fine horses from the west are all priceless, rare items. It’s clear the Gu family is determined to acquire the docks. Gu Yuantan is truly bold.”

Cao Hong smiled, “Indeed. That’s why I must call on the Gu family in person to negotiate with Yuantan.”

Liu Ye was surprised. “Is the general dissatisfied with their offer?”

Cao Hong laughed, “I am satisfied, but I want nothing to do with their private soldiers. After all, troops belonging to another family can never truly be trusted—better to ask for grain instead!” With that, he called out, “Someone, prepare the carriage!”