Chapter Eighty-Seven: Returning with Full Spoils

After assigning men to deliver the three hundred thousand taels of gold to Yingchuan, Cao Hong continued leading his army northward. Upon leaving the territory of Chen, he entered Zhang Miao’s domain—Chenliu Commandery. Once there, Cao Hong first led his troops to Xiangyi County, under the control of Wei Zi, intending to settle his household and retainers before pressing further north to join Cao Cao in Henei.

By this time, it was already mid-February. The round trip had consumed almost a month. Returning to old haunts, Cao Hong found Wei Zi’s son, Wei Zhen, as warm and hospitable as ever. Wei Zhen readily agreed to help Cao Hong arrange accommodations for his followers, and even offered the Wei family’s support should Cao Hong wish to do business in Xiangyi or nearby towns.

Cao Hong, of course, politely declined. Such ventures could only be considered once Cao Cao had secured a foothold. Seeing that Cao Hong had no intention to settle in, Wei Zhen did not press the matter, but instead hosted a lavish banquet in his honor. Shi A and Liu Ye also attended this welcoming feast.

During the banquet, Cao Hong inquired about movements of the coalition army and Dong Zhuo. Wei Zhen replied, “This past month, the traitor Dong still lingers in the capital region, encamped at Meiwu, sending his generals to pillage the countryside. He’s driving the people of Luoyang westward to Chang’an. Now the central regions are swarming with refugees, great estates and fertile fields put to the torch. Luoyang, they say, is a wasteland—only the White Horse Temple remains untouched.”

Cao Hong immediately thought of his wife’s master, Xu Deng, who had gone to White Horse Temple. He wondered what means Xu Deng had used to spare the temple from Dong Zhuo’s destruction. After all, Buddhism now had many male and female devotees, and the offerings were considerable. With Dong Zhuo’s current mindset—willing even to plunder royal tombs—it seemed impossible that he would leave the temple unscathed.

But these matters bore little relevance to his own. Cao Hong then asked, “Do you know how my elder brother fares?”

Wei Zhen replied, “Lord Cao sent several generals to recruit soldiers across the land. Now his strength is restored. General Cao and General Le each raised men in their home districts—three thousand in all, all equipped with armor and long spears. General Cao even brought four hundred fine Wuhuan horses from Peiguo, five hundred good bows, thirty thousand arrows, and twenty thousand able-bodied clansmen.”

The General Cao spoken of was Cao Ren, not the present Cao Hong. Hearing that Cao Ren had also brought horses and bows, Cao Hong realized his cousin had invested heavily, even bringing all his clansmen. In terms of family wealth, it seemed Cao Hong was the greater—no surprise, as Peiguo in Yuzhou had suffered terribly from the Yellow Turban rebellion, leaving many villages deserted and fields fallow, unlike the prosperous Wu Commandery of the south, far from banditry and famed for its bountiful harvests.

Cao Hong nodded, “Excellent. With the men I have brought, my elder brother now commands five thousand trained soldiers. With my thirteen thousand laborers, we have twenty-three thousand able-bodied men. With such strength, we can rise anew.”

Because the supply carts were covered with thatch and oilcloth, Wei Zhen saw only the six hundred fine horses and did not notice the many elite weapons and equipment. He was not particularly surprised, and simply nodded, “Lord Cao is now stationed at Wen County in Henei Commandery. Once you arrive, you will find him there.”

Cao Hong replied, “I will rest for one night, and set out at dawn.”

After the feast, Cao Hong returned to the separate residence arranged for him by Wei Zhen, and summoned Liu Ye to the study. Cao Hong asked, “Ziyang, we depart for Henei tomorrow. Should we not call at Suanzao Camp and inform our alliance leader, Yuan Benchu? After all, he is nominally our leader, and the coalition has not yet disbanded. Strictly speaking, my elder brother and I are still under his command.”

Liu Ye shook his head and smiled. “That is unnecessary. With so much military supply in your hands, going into camp with so many allied armies about would not be wise. Besides, Yuan Benchu refuses to advance, and the alliance is alliance in name only. You need not concern yourself with the so-called leader. In my view, this coalition will only intensify rivalries among the participants. Before long, the alliance will surely scatter, and infighting will become frequent.”

Cao Hong asked, “What makes you say so?”

Liu Ye explained, “Most of those assembled here are officials from Yuzhou, Yanzhou, and Hebei. Their jurisdictions are close together, so friction is common. Ordinarily, these lords keep their distance, but now, leading armies in the field, contact is unavoidable. Small matters become fuel for greater quarrels once the lords involve themselves.”

Cao Hong immediately recalled how, on the first day their forces entered Suanzao Camp, they had clashed with the troops of Qiao Mao, the Grand Administrator of Dong Commandery. He understood at once and said, “If that is so, I will march directly for Wen County.”

Liu Ye nodded, then hesitated and said, “General, there is one matter I wish to ask, if I may.”

Cao Hong was taken aback. “Speak freely, Ziyang.”

After a pause, Liu Ye asked, “Does Lord Cao have any advisors renowned for their wit and strategy at his side? If so, I would be grateful if you would tell me—in case I am tested by them, I will know how to respond.”

Cao Hong was puzzled. Would the earlier-arriving strategists test those who came later? He had no recollection of such a thing. He replied, “Forgive my ignorance, but what sort of test do you mean...?”

Liu Ye smiled, “You may not know, but among scholars, it is customary to study certain classics in depth. If Lord Cao has a man of strategy by his side, he will surely ask which texts I have mastered. But I only read broadly, without deep study in any one classic. Should I be questioned closely, I might be at a loss for words. If there is to be a test, I must choose a book and review it.”

Cao Hong suddenly understood. To claim one has read the classics meant specializing in a particular school of thought. Though the Han Dynasty honored Confucianism above all, there were many branches within it—some specialized in law, others in poetry or history, and each kind had many sub-schools. Take the Spring and Autumn Annals, for example—so many have annotated and commented upon it that later versions scarcely resemble the original, filled instead with the interpretations of later scholars, much like the “Commentaries on the Analects” of today.

Liu Ye’s “read the classics” meant he had studied many schools but not in depth, and so feared being embarrassed if questioned too closely.

Understanding Liu Ye’s concern, Cao Hong laughed heartily. With his knowledge of Cao Cao, he was certain that his cousin valued talent above all else. Even if you were a dung carrier, if you had ability, Cao Cao would employ you. He had even appointed grave robbers as officers—was there anyone he would not use?

Cao Hong reassured him, “Do not worry, Ziyang. My elder brother cares only for talent. No one will make things difficult for you.”

Relieved, Liu Ye took his leave, and Cao Hong soon retired to join Sheng Meizhen beneath the covers for a night’s rest.