Chapter Eighty-Two: Liu Ye’s Brilliance

Cao Hong was not deliberately making things difficult for Liu Ye; he simply wanted to see how extraordinary the intellect of this much-praised figure in history truly was. Aside from having witnessed the cunning of Cao Cao himself, Cao Hong had yet to truly experience the wits of the great men of this era. He had encountered the illustrious Xun You, but only briefly during the surprise attack on Hulao Pass—hardly enough to appreciate his strategic brilliance. In terms of martial prowess, however, he had already witnessed much in this age.

Now, Yuan Shu had presented him with a dilemma unrecorded in the annals of history. It was obvious that this stemmed from his own decision to sell off all his family property, amassing such military strength and resources that he had drawn Yuan Shu’s attention. He was certain that the historical Cao Hong, being so notoriously frugal, would never have surrendered all his assets. Thus, at this very moment, it was the perfect opportunity to test Liu Ye’s adaptability.

The reason for posing this challenge was to observe what solution Liu Ye might devise.

Liu Ye hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “General, it is not unreasonable to let Yuan Shu suffer a hidden loss. If we refuse his invitation here, we are still deep within Runan’s territory and must pass through many county seats. Should Yuan Shu give the order to hinder us, our journey would be fraught with difficulty. The best plan is to placate Yuan Shu while ensuring our safe departure from Runan.”

This young kinsman of the Han imperial family quickly found a solution. He said to Cao Hong, “General, I have a plan that can not only make Yuan Shu provide us with ample provisions but also secure his direct command that we move unimpeded through Runan.”

Cao Hong was overjoyed at these words. Truly, this was the mind of a strategist! In a single turn, he had found an excellent plan. He immediately asked, “What is your plan?”

Liu Ye replied, “To carry out this scheme is not difficult.” He then spurred his horse closer, leaned in, and whispered at length into Cao Hong’s ear. As he listened, Cao Hong’s eyes grew wide with astonishment.

“Ziyang, how did you discern his intentions?” The words Liu Ye spoke nearly scared Cao Hong out of his wits. Liu Ye claimed that Yuan Shu had long harbored imperial ambitions and aspired to proclaim himself emperor. Thus, as long as Cao Hong played to this desire, Yuan Shu would take the bait—no matter how many wise counselors he kept by his side, at the mere mention of “becoming emperor,” Yuan Shu would lose all self-restraint.

There were still several years left before Yuan Shu would actually declare himself emperor, yet Liu Ye had already detected this ambition. How could Cao Hong not be shocked? Was this the legendary foresight of strategists, able to divine what was yet to come? At the same time, he grew inwardly wary; if Liu Ye possessed such ability, then surely the likes of Sima Yi, Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Pang Tong were also exceptionally clever. Yuan Shu had been seen through at a glance by Liu Ye—what about himself? Would he, too, be seen through by others? If so, how could one hope to win at war? If your intentions were so easily read, your enemy need only set a trap for you, as Liu Ye was now doing to Yuan Shu.

“No wonder history describes Cao Cao as suspicious and unpredictable. It seems that, for those in power, their moods must be inscrutable. Otherwise, if one is so easily read, great undertakings become impossible.” Thus mused Cao Hong.

But Liu Ye replied, “Yuan Shu constantly claims that the Yuan clan descends from the Duke of Chen, who in turn is a descendant of Emperor Shun. Emperor Shun belongs to the element of earth, while the current dynasty is of fire; according to the theory of the five elements, fire gives birth to earth. Though Yuan Shu has never declared it explicitly, his frequent references to the Yuan clan’s connection with Emperor Shun imply that he sees himself as the one destined to inherit the mandate. His courtesy name is Gonglu—‘lu’ meaning earth—clearly showing that, deep down, he considers himself the true Son of Heaven and thus claims Shun as an ancestor.”

Good heavens, what a man! Cao Hong was speechless. Just from a single phrase of Yuan Shu’s, Liu Ye deduced his imperial aspirations—years before they would come to fruition. Such talent was truly prodigious, no wonder he could devise strategies to destroy Wu and Shu. That Cao Cao and Cao Pi did not employ his plans was a loss to the Wei dynasty.

“In that case, I shall rely on Ziyang’s advice.” Cao Hong made up his mind at once.

Two hundred li is neither near nor far, but with a large force and the need to replenish supplies and rest at various county towns, it took five days before Cao Hong’s troops reached the outskirts of Pingyu County. The city’s moat was five meters wide, and its walls rose to a height of nearly twenty-five meters—almost rivaling Hulao Pass. Within ten li outside the city, six military camps had been constructed, all built of earth and stone. According to Li Feng, each of these five forts was garrisoned with two thousand men under the command of Yuan Shu’s son-in-law, Huang Yi, reputedly his most elite warriors.

As they drew near the forts, a cavalry squad of fifty riders came galloping forth. All fifty were clad in lamellar armor identical to that worn by Yuan Shao’s famed troops, wielding iron-spined eight-foot spears—once treasures in Cao Hong’s eyes—and ring-handled sabers at their waists. Their mounts were even more imposing than the famous steeds Gu Yong had bestowed upon him from Xiliang. If not for their uniformly black coats, Cao Hong might have mistaken them for the legendary Red Hare horses.

At the head of the cavalry rode a striking figure, adorned in an exquisitely crafted suit of golden kylin armor and wielding a long-handled golden blade. Whatever the shaft was made of, it gleamed with a brilliant luster. Cao Hong couldn’t help but wonder: if it were pure gold, how many swings could the man possibly manage?

As Cao Hong approached Pingyu, Li Feng had already come to ride at his side. When Cao Hong’s gaze landed on the leading rider, Li Feng whispered, “That is the son-in-law of the General of the Rear, eldest son of the prominent Huang family of Nanyang—Huang Yi, courtesy name Boxun.”

Huang Yi appeared about twenty-five or twenty-six, with an extraordinarily handsome face, though his eyes were narrow and betraying a certain coldness. His broad shoulders and narrow waist gave him the archetypal V-shaped build of a warrior, and at roughly the same height as Cao Hong—taller than 185 but shorter than 190 centimeters—his martial cultivation had already reached the peak of Spirit Refinement, on par with Xu Chu.

Yet, to Cao Hong, who had already surpassed the Spirit Refinement stage, this man was nothing remarkable—at best, his equal to Shi A.

Yuan Shu’s favored son-in-law rode forward and saluted with a cupped fist. “You must be General Cao Zilian. I am Huang Yi, Boxun, commander of the General of the Rear’s personal guard.”

His words and gestures were polite, but his gaze was insufferably arrogant, as if he looked down upon all around him. This left Cao Hong inwardly irritated by this historically obscure fop. The prominent Huang family of Nanyang? Yuan Shu hadn’t held Nanyang long; clearly, this was nothing but a political marriage.

In ancient times, it was common for those in power to marry off sisters or daughters to men of influence for their own benefit.

Cao Hong returned the salute. “Commander, you are too kind. That the General of the Rear would send his esteemed son-in-law to welcome me is a great honor indeed!”

Huang Yi smiled with evident pride—the haughty smile of a scion from a local noble house. In Cao Hong’s memory, there was a time when the uncrowned king of Peiguo, Cao Ren, wore such a smile. But as he aged, that look vanished from his face. Yet this man, older even than Cao Ren had been at the time, still bore it, showing he was a pampered scion raised in comfort and luxury. In Cao Hong’s eyes, such a man was not worth fearing.

Huang Yi laughed, “The General of the Rear has been awaiting you at the prefectural office for some time. Please, General, accompany me to the banquet. The rest of your retinue will be taken care of by General Li.”

The scoundrel! Splitting me from my family and subordinates as soon as we arrive—how underhanded! Cao Hong cursed inwardly, though on the surface he chuckled and pointed to Sheng Meizhen’s carriage. “That contains my wife and concubines. My lady is already with child; I trust you will ensure they are well cared for.”

Huang Yi replied with a smile, “They will be treated as honored guests. General, this way, please!”

Cao Hong laughed, “After you!” and, together with Huang Yi’s cavalry, entered Pingyu.