Chapter Eighty-six: Lord Yuan, I bid you farewell.

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As a mercenary who had traveled the world, Cao Hong had tasted the pleasures of women from many nations, but it was his first time indulging in the extreme novelty of a deaf-mute. This girl, barely in her teens, apart from the hoarse screams provoked by physical stimulation, wore a heavy, dull expression on her face—a dullness that didn’t dissipate even as she reached her peak. It was a look born of a complete isolation from the world, a separation both of the senses and the spirit.

In some ways, Yuan Shu’s mind was already twisted; otherwise, he would never have committed such acts. No wonder he dared even call himself emperor. The next day, as soon as Cao Hong rose, Yuan Shu summoned him to the study, presenting him with the official document for passage and handwritten letters addressed to the four great families of Wu Commandery. Yuan Shu instructed Cao Hong to handle these matters at once. After uttering some insincere words, Cao Hong smiled and said, “Then I shall await Your Majesty’s grand arrival at Wu Commandery.”

This pleased Yuan Shu considerably. After leaving the commandery office, Cao Hong first found Sheng Meizhen and the Qiao sisters at their villa, escorted them out of Pingyu County, then had Shi A mobilize his own men. Gathering all the money, supplies, troops, and the 1.2 million taels of horseshoe gold Yuan Shu had scraped together—along with five hundred carts loaded with gold and a thousand mules to pull them—he set out from Pingyu in grand procession, heading for Yangzhou.

But a hundred li out from Pingyu, Cao Hong abruptly turned north toward Xiang County—the border between Runan and Chen. Once past Xiang County, he would enter Chen, outside Yuan Shu’s sphere of influence. Between Pingyu and Xiang, there were no county seats, only scattered hamlets and villages. Moreover, the southern route to Yangzhou was much longer, so Yuan Shu would not be able to ascertain Cao Hong’s true path for some time.

At the very least, Yuan Shu would only realize what had happened once Cao Hong left Runan. Of course, though Chen was not Yuan Shu’s territory, if Yuan Shu sent an army in pursuit, the local authorities and gentry in Chen would not dare interfere. Yet Liu Ye had anticipated this response from Yuan Shu. When Cao Hong reached Xiang County and presented his passage document, he also penned a letter, sending the county magistrate’s fastest horse to deliver it to Yuan Shu.

Three days later, the letter reached Yuan Shu’s hands, right in his study where he had discussed “important matters” with Cao Hong. Yuan Shu’s hands trembled as he finished reading.

Every word of its contents made Yuan Shu shake with rage, his whole body turning cold.

“You, Gongwang, have neither the bearing nor the appearance of a true sovereign, yet your current arrogance is unbearable. I had no choice but to play the snake with you. Your wish to have me leave my elder brother is, in fact, a trap to ensnare me in unrighteousness! Therefore, I spoke falsely to you to serve as a warning. I beg you, do not pursue me further. If you act rashly, I will dispatch a swift horse carrying your letter of intent to proclaim yourself emperor to Sun Wentai of Yingchuan. Though Sun owes you favor, he will never tolerate your usurpation. If he learns of your ambition, he will surely turn against you. Consider this carefully. Your servant, Cao Hong.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” Yuan Shu roared, tearing the letter to shreds. “Cao Hong! Traitor! How dare you deceive me so! I am furious beyond words!”

“Ah—tchoo!” Marching through the lands of Chen, Cao Hong sneezed, rubbed his nose, and glanced at the glittering gold trailing behind him. A surge of satisfaction and delight filled his heart. Turning to Liu Ye beside him, he said, “Ziyang, truly a flawless strategy! Even managed to get hold of a handwritten confession. In the future, if we wish to deal with Yuan Shu, simply show this letter to the world, and he’ll become a stray dog overnight.”

Now, Cao Hong was wholeheartedly convinced by Liu Ye’s cunning. This man was truly formidable, toying with a powerful warlord like Yuan Shu as if he were nothing, even without ever having met him. What extraordinary intellect! What a masterful game of strategy! Compared to this, Liu Ye had outplayed Zheng Tai this round.

But Liu Ye replied modestly, “It was only because Yuan Shu is arrogant and harbors improper ambitions that he acted alone, without consulting his subordinates, thereby falling into our trap. Master Zheng is brilliant; had Yuan Shu conferred with his men, my plan might have been exposed.”

Cao Hong laughed. “You are too modest. The Yuan family has served as high ministers for four generations, always loyal to the court. For a scion like Yuan Shu to dream of becoming emperor—such treasonous thoughts, how could he dare share them with his men? You must have considered this already.”

Liu Ye smiled and said, “In truth, the success of this plan is owed to you, General. Had you not played your part with such sincerity, Yuan Shu would never have been deceived. All under heaven are subjects of the Son of Heaven; at the mere mention of the emperor, most would show signs of fear or hesitation. Though Yuan Shu is proud, he can recognize such subtleties. Clearly, you convinced him that you sincerely wished to support his claim and cared nothing for the reigning emperor. Only thus did you fool him.”

Cao Hong was momentarily stunned—wasn’t that just saying he had no regard for the emperor? Yet it was true. For someone who grew up two thousand years later in a society upholding democratic ideals, the emperor—so awe-inspiring to the ancients—meant little to him. But the people of Han, after four centuries of the divine right of kings, whether officials or commoners, were deeply influenced by this doctrine and harbored an instinctive reverence for the throne. Oddities like Dong Zhuo were rare exceptions.

Even Cao Cao, who would later dominate the court, only lost respect for the emperor after years of growing power and prestige. For now, at least, he still deferred to imperial authority.

Thus, it was clear that Cao Hong’s modern indifference to imperial power set him apart from his contemporaries and was the very reason he could easily gain Yuan Shu’s trust. But then another thought occurred to him: Had Liu Ye already discerned his lack of awe for royal power? Otherwise, how could he have been so confident in sending him to trick Yuan Shu?

Was this man gifted with supernatural insight? As Cao Hong’s mind raced, Liu Ye continued, “General, I believe it would be best to send three hundred thousand taels of horseshoe gold to Sun Wentai, stationed in Yingchuan, as a reward from Yuan Shu. Sun will surely send men to thank Yuan Shu, and when Yuan Shu learns we are in contact with Sun, he will be even more wary of making a move. Besides, by giving Sun Yuan Shu’s gold, we’ll enrage Yuan Shu all the more. If he cannot vent his anger on you, he’ll surely take it out on Sun. Should their fragile alliance break, all the better for us.”

This time, Cao Hong was genuinely moved. What a devious man! In a single stroke, he came up with a plan that not only deterred Yuan Shu but might also turn him against Sun Jian. Given the ambiguous relationship between the two, such a reaction was only natural. The best part was, Sun Jian would have no idea and might even send messengers to thank Yuan Shu—an immense irony for Yuan Shu, making it nearly impossible for him not to blame Sun.

Truly, this strategist was a force to be reckoned with! In the future, I, too, must keep a trusted adviser by my side. Otherwise, even if I had wings, I’d be no match for someone like Liu Ye. As Cao Hong pondered this, he laughed and said, “Brilliant! Let’s send three hundred thousand taels of horseshoe gold to Sun Wentai!”

With that, he gave the order, thinking to himself, “Sun Jian, don’t blame me. In times like these, it’s either you plotting against me, or me plotting against you!”