Seventy-six: The Nation and the World

Gu Yong’s residence was not far from the county office, occupying a corner of Lake Tai, where the scenery of shimmering waters and distant mountains lent the estate a tranquil beauty. The mansion itself was a stretch of pavilions and waterside stages, a testament to Gu Yong’s refined taste in living. This time, Cao Hong came alone, bringing neither attendants nor his usual companions, Shi A and Liu Ye.

As soon as Cao Hong’s carriage arrived at the gates of the Gu family estate, the gatekeeper immediately recognized its insignia. Without even announcing his arrival, he led Cao Hong straight to a study within a courtyard. The study was surrounded by artificial hills, a pond, elegant bamboo, and winding cloisters—a scene of exquisite beauty. Gu Yong, dressed in a simple azure robe, stood with a gentle smile before the study, looking at Cao Hong.

"You arrived faster than I expected, Zilian," Gu Yong greeted him.

"Once again, you’ve seen through me, Yuantan. I must seem desperate for those horses and armaments! I only hope, for the sake of old friendship, you won’t demand an outrageous price," Cao Hong replied with a smile.

They shared a knowing glance. With a wave, Gu Yong dismissed the servant who had led the way and invited Cao Hong into the study. After they were seated, Gu Yong asked with a chuckle, "So, did you come today to make a deal with me?"

Cao Hong looked at him and suddenly asked, "Yuantan, I originally thought you were hoarding fine horses and military equipment to build up your own power. But then I considered: in Wu Commandery, with its network of waterways, cavalry is of little use. Lake Tai encompasses several counties, but you can’t build walls on water. As soon as one lakeside county is taken, the rest can fall by waterway. There are no strongholds here, so this amount of troops isn’t enough to set yourself apart. What, then, do you intend to do with these troops? Are you just waiting to exchange them for the Yangzhou grain terminals should my elder brother suffer defeat?"

Gu Yong smiled at his words. "Southern boats, northern horses—these famed steeds from Xiliang are of little practical use here. As for the military equipment, I’ve no intent of keeping a private army. Among the aristocratic families of Yangzhou, none is without private soldiers; all are in contention with the hill-dwellers, and some coastal clans even build ships to fight pirates over the salt flats. To say that this small arsenal is enough to become independent is pure fantasy. The great families of Yangzhou are not united; each pursues its own interests. There is more than enough strength for self-preservation, but little hope of dominating the realm. What use, then, is there in keeping an armed force here?"

Gu Yong’s words were not unlike those of Cao Cao himself: the power of the great clans ran deep and could not be fully subdued; many decisions would always be checked by their influence. As a prime minister and scion of a great Yangzhou family, Gu Yong saw this clearly. Cao Hong pressed, "If that’s so, why do you stockpile these armaments?"

Gu Yong replied with a laugh, "If, one day, someone comes to rule Yangzhou, he will inevitably have to compromise with the great clans. Without their approval, even the frequent uprisings of the hill tribes—should the great clans stand aside—would make the new ruler’s seat as uncomfortable as a bed of thorns. This is to say nothing of collecting taxes, or when local peasants are incited to riot. Compromises must be made, but before that, there will surely be conflicts, for no one submits right away. During this time, my Gu family will remain aloof, watching from the sidelines. If the outsider is thrown into disarray, we remain silent; if the great clans falter, it means the new ruler is a warmonger who will find these armaments quite valuable. At that point, we can simply hand them over, secure a small official post for self-preservation, and be done with it."

At this, Cao Hong suddenly understood: his own grain terminals served the same purpose as Gu Yong’s stockpiled arms, except that the terminals could earn profit before being given away, whereas the armaments required constant expense to maintain. Gu Yong’s calculations were, indeed, precise.

"Yuantan, you truly are a talent for governing the world. Even when we were young, Master Cai never ceased to praise you. Today, I see your reputation is well deserved. It’s a pity you refuse to join me in the north; otherwise, my elder brother would still receive you with the greatest honor."

Hearing this, Cao Hong could not help but feel the urge to recruit him. After all, no one ever felt they had too many far-sighted strategists.

Gu Yong blinked slyly and smiled, looking less like the head of a great household and more like Cao Hong’s childhood friend. He said, "Did Lord Jingjie never mention this to you? When Lord Cao sent out his summons to the realm to campaign against Dong Zhuo, Lord Lu once represented the great clans of Yangzhou in asking Lord Jingjie to invite Lord Cao to govern Yangzhou as its governor. But Lord Jingjie politely declined. The reason for his refusal is the same as my reason for declining you today. Lord Cao’s ambition is to save the world, his heart set on restoring order; such aspirations are beyond my reach. In my humble opinion, when the world is in chaos, peace in one’s own corner is already a great blessing. If, in addition, one is spared oppressive taxes and levies, is that not all the better? Why risk one’s family and fortune amidst countless dangers for the sake of contention?"

Such was the mindset of most local great families! Removed from the fires of war, they controlled vast wealth and populations, caring little whether the world was in chaos or at peace. Indeed, they often preferred disorder, for the weakening of central authority meant fewer taxes to pay. With their own private soldiers, they had no need for the court’s protection. Lu Qian’s invitation to Cao Cao was, in truth, merely a hope for an external power who could defend against threats and safeguard their interests. If Cao Cao ever tried to suppress them, there would be fierce conflict all the same.

Truly, it was always “family and country, the world at large”—everyone looked first to their family’s safety. The Cao clan was no different from the great families of Yangzhou! The only difference was that the Cao family, being of high office, had been thrust to the very forefront in times of chaos: to stand still was to fall behind. Cao Cao’s summons to the realm must have been tinged with resignation and risk. Had the Cao family been but another regional clan like the Lus or the Gus, remote and powerful, would they ever have thought otherwise?

A chilling realization struck Cao Hong: not long after the Three Kingdoms were unified, the calamity of the Five Barbarians’ rebellion befell the land. History was never accidental. If even a far-sighted statesman like Gu Yong thought only of his family’s preservation, how many scholars of the world placed their clan’s interests above all else? If so, even if the empire were won, it would be governed by ministers who put their families first. Could such a nation ever last?

Cao Hong had often dreamed of marching to the ends of Eurasia, of expanding the realm, seizing people and resources to make the nation rich and strong, ensuring the Cao family’s enduring prosperity. But human desire is endless. If those in power were all men who thought only of their own clans, then as the nation grew wealthier, so too would their ambitions swell. The tragedy was that their desires lay not with the country, but with their own families. Was this something that could be solved merely by increasing productivity and wealth?

At this moment, Cao Hong found he had no answer. All the more, he was resolved in his purpose today.

"Every man has his own ambitions. Your reasoning is sound, Yuantan. In truth, this time I came to discuss something with you: could you perhaps convert one thousand of the Gu family’s private soldiers into military provisions instead? Quality matters more than quantity, after all, and private soldiers, long under Gu family command, would be difficult to manage if suddenly transferred to another master."

Soldiers who served one family and were sent far away to fight for another would have little effectiveness. If they defended their own homeland, it would be quite different. Private soldiers, like the families they served, existed for the sake of their own clan—such troops were not what Cao Hong wanted.