“Can strategists really not ascend the throne?”
In chapter 463, things were getting a bit tense when Zhao Yun made his point, causing Cao Cao’s eyelids to twitch.
It wasn’t just Cao Ang’s return to the capital that was the emperor’s idea; it wasn’t like they were sending him back for a little security detail, or because something had changed in Hanzhong that required a quick response.
Cao Ang had been right in the thick of the fighting against Tang Miao alongside Cao Hong, so ideally, he should stick around to make sure those pesky Qiang didn’t have a change of heart and rebel after surrendering!
No, this was obviously about dragging him back for a royal reprimand!
Had Cao Ang done something wrong?
Not according to the father-son hierarchy code.
This precious family bonding actually eased his imaginary father’s eternal grief of losing a son in another world.
Since this world didn’t have the Wancheng Incident, Cao Ang got to live on peacefully and grow into his thirties without sacrificing himself to protect his dad in a chaotic showdown.
Even if Cao Cao hadn’t witnessed his grandson’s birth, just hearing his grown son talk about his kids was comforting enough.
But Cao Cao, being the mighty Wei Wang, knew all too well that Cao Ang’s protective behavior, which appeared to avoid stirring the pot, indeed went against the lord-vassal principles!
This wasn’t just a matter of a suspicious king; it was crucial for rulers to know how to keep the realm in line.
The verdict on this whole situation? Well, that depended on Qiao Yan’s mood.
When faced with Zhao Yun and Zhang He’s invitation to return to the capital together, Cao Cao briefly considered whether he should use the Qinghai troops to establish independence in the western frontier, just to avoid a messy reckoning upon their arrival in Chang’an.
But as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he remembered that he had another son and daughters chilling in Luoyang and Leping. He absolutely couldn’t take any action that would cement the fact that he was rebelling.
Plus, the strategists and generals in this world weren’t nearly as formidable as those in the other one he came from.
Rather than making a decision he would regret for the rest of his life, he thought it best to strategize how Cao Ang could present a convincing apology to minimize his punishment.
Just then, Zhao Yun handed him another envelope.
Zhao Yun said, “Your Majesty, there’s another secret letter for General Cao.”
Cao Cao took the letter, opened it, and saw five words scrawled inside: “Guo Fengxiao is here too.”
He sighed heavily, “Please lead the way.”
He was not of this place, and being able to witness the majesty that would rise after the storm was a rare chance for someone like him, so why bother trying to tout grand schemes that were simply pie-in-the-sky nonsense?
Maybe the trip to Chang’an would yield some unexpected treasures.
Outside of Cao Cao’s ruminations, it seemed only Cao Hong had a clearer view.
He noticed Cao Cao’s leadership skills seemed to have sharpened, and he had become a bit confused on a few common topics, but otherwise, he was still his usual self.
When he heard that both Cao Cao and Cao Ang were heading to Chang’an, he asked, “Why are we going to Chang’an? Your Majesty moved the capital to Luoyang years ago. Is there really going to be more fighting in the west that requires you to supervise from Chang’an?”
Cao Cao: “……”
Now he understood why Qiao Yan felt fine letting Cao Ang and Cao Hong assist him here.
These two guys—one had the calm demeanor of a regional governor yet lacked a bit of political awareness, while the other… well, let’s just say didn’t even register any significant wisdom.
Cao Cao replied, “Just think of it as the emperor wanting to go to Chang’an for a summer retreat.”
This explanation sounded pretty sketchy. Compared to rebuilding the Han-era Ganquan Palace as a summer getaway, Qiao Yan clearly preferred to spend that money on fixing underground drainage in Luoyang and Chang’an.
But Cao Hong didn’t dig too deep and just got Cao Cao and Cao Ang on their way back to the capital.
It wasn’t until they were on the road to Chang’an that Cao Cao realized how his identity had been exposed.
“Since Your Majesty met General Cao, it’s been twenty-three years. I recall during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, General Cao said one should give birth like Qiao Yan said, showing much admiration for your capabilities. Over these past twenty years, you’ve never been underestimated.”
“With the emergence of female officials and various achievements, General Cao should know quite well that they rose to prominence thanks to Your Majesty’s backing, not because they were overlooked before—thus the look in your eyes back then sold you out.”
Jiang Tang, riding his horse, explained this to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao felt a chill run down his spine, suddenly realizing that even a subordinate and translator like Jiang Tang couldn’t be treated as just some average Joe.
“General Cao shouldn’t underestimate anyone else’s smarts. Since Prefect Cao wants to be a good son, I guess I’ll reluctantly play the bad guy because of the emperor’s kindness. Besides, this isn’t just an issue for General Cao; how could anyone not keep their wits about them?”
Seeing Jiang Tang’s gaze shift toward Cai Zhaoji, Cao Cao started to understand.
Turns out there was someone else in a similar bind.
No wonder Jiang Tang was extra cautious about these unusual circumstances.
Unfortunately, recognizing him and actually being able to return him to his original place were two different matters. Even Zhang Qiying from Taishi Path, who was just a puppet in this scenario, couldn’t explain the crossing-over phenomenon; how could Jiang Tang?
Cao Cao couldn’t squeeze out any more information from her. The most he gleaned while passing through Liangzhou was that their meals now included some food delivered from overseas—not exactly ideal for military rations—through hints from Jiang Tang and Cao Ang, indicating that it likely wasn’t meant for a sudden execution.
From Qiao Yan’s instructions to Zhao Yun, allowing Cai Zhaoji to read more books along the way also sent out some other signals.
Cao Cao belatedly understood that after over ten years of wandering among the Xiongnu, Cai Zhaoji could transcribe all of Cai Yong’s hundreds of scrolls from memory. Surely her remarkable memory had something to do with her re-learning things through repetition. Anyway, they were in for quite the adventure ahead!
After years of reading about them, the words have become second nature, but this ability is definitely not something an ordinary person can compare to.
In this world where every aspect of development is different from what he previously experienced, if Cai Zhaoji could take note of more things, it would surely play an extraordinary role once everything returns to its original state!
This might just be the opportunity that heaven has opened for a breakthrough in this chaotic tripartite struggle!
Cao Cao’s mind was racing, setting aside some of his earlier concerns.
If he could handle the previously concealed matters properly, it might just turn into a chance for advancement here.
What he glimpsed of the Da Yong realm from Cao Ang made it easy for Cao Cao to guess that there are some special pathways still in the hands of that Da Yong Your Majesty, like papermaking, like printing, and even the ratios of gunpowder and the improvements of firearms.
What price would he have to pay to get his hands on these things?
Even though his world is a decade later than this time, the trajectory of history had already taken two sharp turns long ago, so what kind of practical experience could possibly be used for exchange?
While Cao Cao was pondering these thoughts, their caravan had already passed Han Yang, arriving at the Wei River Valley between Han Yang and Chang’an.
In this valley between two mountains, several artillery platforms were set up high, along with some long, narrow iron pipes that Cao Cao had never seen before—he wasn’t sure of their purpose.
Even Cao Ang only knew that these were weapons being tested by the Emperor.
It’s without a doubt that even if the Qiang people from Liangzhou were to rise up again like they did years ago, they would have no chance of breaking into this central area.
“Why does General Cao think this way?” Hearing his exclamation, Jiang Tang said, “What the Qiang seek is simply to avoid being used like slaves, not to be treated as expendable sacrifices, but to get the same fair treatment from the Son of Heaven as the Huaxia people, with opportunities to serve as officials, so they can stop huddling together in the Huan Valley just to survive the winter.”
“His Majesty has afforded us a way out, integrating the once uncompliant Qiang and Liangzhou citizens into the trade system, and with the grandeur of the Central Plains, why should we act rebelliously?”
“In the heyday of the Han, it was said that one Han is worth five Hu. But once the Central Plains changes, the Qiang and Hu will still have thoughts of rebellion for survival, yet what His Majesty can offer now far exceeds what we could plunder, and his authority surpasses that of the Han from years past; we all know if any side does something improper, the others will be itching to take their place.”
She pointed at the mountain ridge and said, “Are we afraid of the artillery and the long spear they are testing? No, we fear the rules His Majesty has established, which could lead us back to a more dire situation.”
“If it were truly fear of military force, how would the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions willingly become His Majesty’s subjects?”
The right approach of using foreigners to control foreigners and strengthening the country was the true means of stabilizing the border regions.
Cao Cao fell into deep thought.
In his world, in the ninth year of Jian’an, Gao Gan surrendered Bingzhou; however, just two years later, he allied with the northern Xianbei and Xiongnu to betray the government. Though Zhong Yao and Zhang Ji held Chang’an, it was still an unexpected battle.
In the twelfth year of Jian’an, to eliminate the remaining Yuan forces and deal with the Wuhuan, Cao Cao chose to personally march to Liaodong.
Yet, in just ten years, in the twentieth and twenty-first years of Jian’an, the Wuhuan stirred up trouble again in Liaodong.
In the thirteenth year of Jian’an, Ma Chao was appointed as a deputy general and stationed in Liangzhou. Three years later, in the sixteenth year of Jian’an, Ma Chao rebelled with the Qiang of Liangzhou. If it weren’t for Zhang Ji recruiting the settlers as the Governor of Jingzhao and later enticing the Di people to migrate northward with benefits, Liangzhou would surely be thrown into chaos.
If these rebellions could be handled like they did in Da Yong, keeping them in check against one another, wouldn’t that be better than the current situation of hitting one side and then the other?
Don’t be fooled by how every suppression of rebellion seems easy due to the superior military strength of the Central Plains over those barbarians—when it comes to efficiency, there’s no need to say more; yet any military expenditure at such a difficult time is still a burden.
He underestimated the potential of the Qiang and lacked the vision to see the world as one.
Realizing this at this point seems like it might not be too late!
Meanwhile, the caravan heading to Chang’an for an audience with the Emperor had already passed through most of the Guanzhong Plain, nearing the city of Chang’an.
It had been nearly ten years since that king of the Kushan Empire had come here for an audience.
In those ten years, even with the relocation of the capital to Luoyang, taking a good number of businesses from the gold and horse markets, the fertile fields of Guanzhong have flourished, gathering a population of millions.
Ten years of peace without war and the presence of academies and medical schools made this place appear more like a cultural center compared to Luoyang’s political and commercial hub.
When he was in Qinghai and Liangzhou, Cao Cao could only vaguely glimpse the scene of Da Yong from the developments in technology; now he truly felt the staggering strength.
After all, when he left his world, he had just happened to be in Chang’an.
And these two Chang’ans—one was merely a temporary command center against Hanzhong, having long been neglected after the chaos in Chang’an caused by Li Jue and Guo Si and the Emperor’s relocation to Xuchang. Only after tens of thousands from Hanzhong were moved to Chang’an and the Three Auxiliaries did it even slightly regain its bustling scene.
The other…
The other seemed to not even be referred to as a secondary capital.
It was a city truly worthy of the name of glorious capital under heaven!
When the newly renovated palaces of Chang’an opened their grand doors to him, Cao Cao could not help but temporarily cast aside all his complicated thoughts and focus entirely on his meeting with Qiao Yan.
As he crossed the threshold of the palace, he saw a map hanging in the hall. It depicted the vast territory of Da Yong, marked in three colors showing the states and regions controlled by him, Sun Quan, and Liu Bei.
The Da Yong Emperor stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the map before him. Though he hadn’t turned around, he emanated an overwhelming majesty of a long-residing sovereign.
Hearing the sound of the door closing behind him, Qiao Yan finally spoke slowly, “You’ve kept me waiting for a long time, please take a seat.”
Author’s note:
I’ll wrap up this side story tonight.
