Seventy-seven: Only Two Concubines Accepted

Gu Yong was momentarily taken aback when he heard Cao Hong’s request for provisions but not soldiers, then quickly understood. “I see. Zilian, you must be concerned that these private troops, long accustomed to idleness, would be difficult to command.”

Cao Hong smiled. “The household soldiers of the great clans in Yang Province are indeed valiant and skilled, especially adept in mountain, hill, and river warfare. But these men are sons following fathers, grandsons following sons; to lead them far from their homeland is hardly realistic. The governor has already agreed to sell me two thousand of his camp’s soldiers. These are regular troops, unattached and living for the army, and thus easier to command.”

Gu Yong nodded, pondering for a while before saying, “Zilian, you and I have been friends since childhood, sharing all the innocent pleasures of youth. I will be honest with you: my Gu family cannot, at the moment, produce so much grain.”

Cao Hong laughed, “Then gold or silver would also suffice.”

Gu Yong shook his head with a smile. “Though I have some gold and silver, it is no small sum, and producing it now would be difficult. However, I do possess something I can give you in exchange, worth more than a thousand household soldiers.”

What could possibly be worth more than a thousand household soldiers? Cao Hong’s first thought was that it might be some rare weapon. But upon reflection, that seemed unlikely. The iron-spined spears he used, though rare, were plentiful in the Gu family’s stores—rarity determines value, and with a thousand, they were no longer precious. So if Gu Yong, like Liu Xun, tried to fob him off with some weapon, Cao Hong was prepared to refuse on the spot.

Gu Yong simply smiled. “Wait a moment, Zilian.” He turned to his bookshelf, searched for a time, and produced a lacquered box, which appeared to hold a book.

He set the box carefully on the table and, with great reverence, opened it to reveal a book bound in Caihou paper, its cover bearing two large characters: “Treatise of Formations.”

Cao Hong had resolved to refuse outright, even if the box had been filled with diamonds—nothing short of an overflowing box could equal the value of a thousand private troops. But when he saw this book, his heart pounded and his breath quickened.

“This is—the ‘Treatise of Formations’ authored by Bai Qi, the God of Slaughter of Qin!”

“Ah? This is the sole copy of my Gu family—how do you know its name?” Now it was Gu Yong’s turn to be surprised. This solitary copy had been transcribed onto paper by his ancestor, who had purchased it at great expense; the original had been on bamboo. He was certain that only the Gu family in the world possessed this military treatise, and yet Cao Hong had immediately recognized the author, which shocked him deeply.

Cao Hong’s knowledge of this obscure book was mere coincidence. In his previous life, he had once been assigned by his country’s military to steal this very treatise from a Chinese merchant. Now, he suddenly recalled that merchant’s surname had also been Gu. Instantly, Cao Hong gazed at the book with a very strange expression.

The copy he had stolen was written in pen; this one was obviously in brush. Cao Hong knew that many families with rare books would periodically copy them anew and burn the old, to prevent rot. That merchant in his past life must have been a descendant of Gu Yong. In that case, historically, Cao Hong had never sold off his canal business—otherwise, Gu Yong would not have offered this solitary treatise as payment for a thousand household soldiers.

“My family’s archives mention this book. We have copies of the well-known treatises: Sunzi’s Art of War, Lord Wei’s Military Methods, the Six Secret Teachings, Sima’s Laws, and even the rare Wei Liaozi, but never this Butcher’s Treatise of Formations. I always thought it had perished with Bai Qi himself. I never expected your family still possessed it.”

Gu Yong smiled. “The treatise is mainly about the principles of marching and deploying troops. But the Qin dynasty is over four hundred years past; armor and warfare have changed much since then. At best, it serves as a point of reference. To claim that possession of this book guarantees victory in every campaign is impossible. But it does contain the lifelong wisdom of Bai Qi. Since your brother, Lord Cao, has a passion for military theory and has written his own ‘Brief Explanation of Sunzi,’ I believe this treatise would suffice for you to bring back as tribute. Though it is a solitary copy, compared to the Yangzhou canal docks, I must choose.”

So he wants me to bring it to Cao Cao as a tribute, Cao Hong mused. Gu Yong, you are a scholar and a statesman, but alas, not a soldier. You cannot fathom the true profundity of the Treatise of Formations. If it were worthless, the military in my previous life would not have paid a fortune to have me steal it. The treatise’s greatest secret is not in its maneuvers, but in Bai Qi’s methods for governing an army. To bury four hundred thousand Zhao soldiers alive was not the work of one man. To turn his troops into such ruthless executioners—that is the ultimate goal of a battlefield commander!

If you do not want it, then I shall claim it for myself! Having made up his mind, Cao Hong said, “Excellent! My elder brother will be most pleased. Yuan Tan, let us conclude our bargain.”

“Agreed!” said Gu Yong, closing the box and handing it to Cao Hong.

After Cao Hong accepted it, Gu Yong asked, “Zilian, how long will you remain in Yangzhou?”

“Not long. I imagine I will depart for the north once the recruitment is finished. My elder brother waits for me there,” replied Cao Hong.

Gu Yong sighed. “So soon? Since you arrived in Qichun, we have not met. I often recall with fondness our days boating on the lakes together.”

Cao Hong’s mind instantly conjured up memories of boating with Gu Yong. Their friendship was indeed deep. With such ties, even if the Cao-Wei regime were to destroy Sun Wu, Cao Hong would do his utmost to protect Gu Yong, perhaps even recommend him for office. Likewise, Gu Yong would do the same. This reminded Cao Hong of the scene before the Battle of Red Cliffs, when many ministers urged Sun Quan to surrender—no doubt because many of them had personal bonds with the generals and strategists of the Cao clan, and thus felt emboldened.

He laughed and said, “When peace returns to the world, let us boat upon the lakes once more, Yuan Tan.”

Gu Yong burst out laughing. “Peace in the world? I fear we may not live to see it.”

Cao Hong smiled, knowing that Gu Yong spoke the truth—but in this moment, perhaps not, for he himself had arrived.

Not lingering, Cao Hong took the box containing the Treatise of Formations and bid farewell. Returning to the county office, intending to continue reviewing the various offers, he was informed by a servant that Sheng Meizhen was looking for him. He followed the servant to a courtyard in full bloom, where Sheng Meizhen lay upon a couch. Upon seeing Cao Hong, she smiled. “Husband, I am truly with child!”

Cao Hong beamed with delight. “Then I am to be a father! Well, this is... truly marvelous!” He meant it from the heart. In his previous life, he had lived almost thirty years without a child; he had not expected to plant the seed so soon upon arriving here.

Sheng Meizhen laughed, “Don’t be too happy yet, husband. Have you thought about the matter of taking a concubine?”

In his heart, Cao Hong thought, “Of course it will be the Qiao sisters!” Remembering that these two were from Wan County in Lujiang, Yangzhou, he pondered how to broach the topic with Sheng Meizhen. Inspired by his recent visit to Gu Yong, he said, “Yuan Tan told me that in Wan County of Lujiang, there are two sisters surnamed Qiao, as beautiful as flowers in full bloom, and they come from a modest family, not a great clan. Why not take them both as concubines?”