Chapter 65: Liu Bei’s Undercover Agent

"Greetings, General!"

Dian Wei, Manager Gan, and the guards cupped their fists in salute before the carriage.

"No need for such formality!"

Cao Xin leapt down from the carriage and glanced at the dusty footprints on Dian Wei’s body. “Did you win?”

“Heh, I did. If you hadn’t ordered me to detain him, General, I’m confident I could have finished him off within fifty moves,” Dian Wei replied, clenching his iron fists.

Cao Xin laughed heartily. Over the past two years, Dian Wei had eaten well, grown even more robust, and trained daily—his strength and martial skills had only improved. In infantry combat, save for Cao Xin himself, none could rival him; dealing with Zhang Fei was no trouble at all. Yet, though Dian Wei excelled on foot, his mounted combat was mediocre—his frame was too heavy, and armored with weapon in hand, his horse could barely bear him. He was sluggish, no match for first-rate warriors like Zhang Fei.

“Cao Ziyu, why have you only just arrived?” Guo Jia shouted.

“There was a traffic jam on the road!” Cao Xin smiled lightly, exchanged greetings with Xun You, Zhong Yao, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Huang, and others, then approached Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.

“Haha, Lord Xuande, I trust you are well? General Guan, you look in fine spirits! And Zhang Yide, you rascal, you know full well the Taibai Tavern is my place, yet you came here to make trouble—are you deliberately seeking to cross me?”

“So what if I am?!” Zhang Fei glared, his voice booming. “Don’t think your title as ‘General Who Pacifies the South’ means anything to me. In my eyes, you’re still the rascal I once chased all over the field.”

“Yide, mind your manners!” Liu Bei rebuked softly.

“Haha, never mind, never mind. Zhang Yide, last time we fought to a draw—I didn’t lose to you.”

Cao Xin laughed.

“Hmph, if you hadn’t been so quick to run, I’d have skewered you long ago,” Zhang Fei grumbled.

“Zhang Yide, I won’t argue with you over who’s stronger, it’s pointless. My men report you drank five bottles of wine at the tavern, yet you refuse to admit it. When did Zhang Yide become such a shirker?”

“I drank only three!” Zhang Fei gritted his teeth, turning his head away.

“Haha, I have a way to check exactly how many you drank,” Cao Xin said, stroking his chin.

“What way?”

“It’s simple: we make a small cut in your belly, then use a bottle to collect what comes out. However many bottles we fill, that’s how many you drank. Want to try?”

“…” Zhang Fei’s eyes bulged; he clutched his stomach and took a big step back. This fellow Cao Xin was truly ruthless—if they really cut a hole in his belly to collect wine, could he still live?

“General Cao, Yide was drunk and confused. I am willing to repay the tavern’s losses on his behalf. Please forgive him this time,” Liu Bei said with a bow.

“Haha, it’s a jest! Lord Xuande, General Guan, please, let us return to the upper floor,” Cao Xin said with a wave, inviting Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhong Yao, and the others back inside the tavern.

—

“Cao Ziyu and Liu Xuande?”

By the roadside, Cao Hong snorted, lowered the carriage curtain, and ordered the driver toward the Chancellor’s residence.

“It’s over! Time to go!” The onlookers, seeing the main actors depart, began to disperse.

Only a scholar in a blue robe lingered, arms crossed, stroking his small mustache as he gazed curiously and doubtfully at the golden carriage in the distance.

“Heeey, are you thinking of stealing General Cao’s carriage?” two local bravos sidled up to ask.

“I’m just looking,” the scholar replied.

“Haha, afraid to steal it, right? Let me tell you, in all of the Central Plains, only our big brother dares to steal General Cao’s carriage.”

“Oh? Your big brother has stolen it?”

“That’s right! Not only did he snatch the general’s carriage, he also fought him.”

“And what was the outcome?” the scholar asked, intrigued.

“General Cao’s martial skill is unmatched—our big brother wasn’t his match. But the general appreciated his ability and invited him to join the Langya Army. You know the Langya Army? Two thousand men, each worth a hundred, who fought three battles in a single day in Nanyang, defeating thirty thousand Jingzhou troops, and then crushed fifty thousand more in Xinye—all thanks to the Langya men. Our big brother is a company commander there!”

The two bravos boasted.

“The Langya Army is indeed renowned for its prowess,” the scholar nodded. He’d heard of their feats and held them in high esteem.

“Alas,” the two bravos sighed.

“What’s the matter?” the scholar asked.

“It’s a pity—the standards are just too high. For archers, you need to hit seven out of ten arrows; for infantry, you have to lift a six-hundred-pound stone and walk three steps; and for couriers, you must run ten miles in the time it takes incense to burn. The requirements are too strict. We tried out a few days ago, but didn’t make the cut. If we could join, even as new recruits, we’d get a string of cash each month, plus fragrant steamed buns, big chunks of pork, roast chicken, and strong spirits—what a life!”

They wiped at their mouths as they spoke.

“You get roast chicken and strong spirits as a soldier?” the scholar asked in disbelief.

“Why would we lie? My big brother says only by eating meat in training can you build strength. He’s gotten stronger and stronger in the Langya Army these months. Of course, only General Cao, with his wealth, can provide such food and drink—no other army has such perks.”

“Langya Army…” The scholar stroked his mustache thoughtfully. Suddenly, a few constables passed along the street. He quickly turned his back, and when he looked again, the two bravos were eyeing him oddly.

“My name is Shan Fu. Farewell!” The scholar cupped his fists and quickly left the Taibai Tavern.

—

“General Cao, my funds are somewhat limited at the moment. I ask that you allow us a few more days’ grace for the tavern’s debt,” Liu Bei said, bowing in the hall.

“No need, Lord Xuande. We are old acquaintances—no need to worry over such a small sum,” Cao Xin replied, waving his hand.

“Thank you for your kindness, but the fault lies with my brother Yide. It is only right that we make amends,” Liu Bei insisted.

“Brother!” Zhang Fei grumbled, squinting. “Cao Xin says it’s fine—you keep on fussing. He’s got millions, rides a golden carriage, what’s a few strings of cash to him?”

“Enough, Yide!” Liu Bei shook his head.

Cao Xin smiled. “Lord Xuande, the Chancellor has recommended you as Governor of Yuzhou and asked you to return to Xiaopei to rally your old troops. Why are you still lingering in Xuchang?”

Liu Bei sighed. “Xiaopei was taken by Lü Bu. I’ve lost everything—no men, no money, no grain. How can I call back my old troops? I hear Xuchang’s reclamation fields have yielded a good harvest. I hoped to borrow some grain from the Chancellor.”

Cao Xin nodded. These days, war is all about provisions; before soldiers move, the grain must come first.

Feed your troops well and they’ll fight for you. Leave them hungry and even a million men are useless.

With all the chaos and famine in recent years, everyone was short of grain. Only thanks to Zao Zhi and Han Hao organizing reclamation fields around Xuchang, and building irrigation, had Cao Cao managed a harvest of thirty thousand shi. Though it was a good yield, after defeats at Wancheng and Huainan, much was lost, and with over a hundred thousand men to feed and pay, the harvest was far from enough for Cao Cao’s ambitions. This was one reason he delayed his campaign against Lü Bu.

So, even Cao Cao lacked grain; Liu Bei’s hopes here were likely in vain.

“Lord Xuande, the days are tight for Cao’s army too. If you wish to borrow grain, you may have to wait a while,” Cao Xin sighed.

Liu Bei smiled. “It’s not as hopeless as that—the Chancellor has generously agreed to lend me thirty thousand shi of grain to rally my troops.”

“The Chancellor agreed to thirty thousand shi? Ha! Congratulations, Lord Xuande! With such provisions, you will surely regroup and drive Lü Bu from Xuzhou.”

Cao Xin’s lips twitched. Chancellor Cao was beyond hope.

Within Cao’s camp, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, Dong Zhao, and others had all advised that Liu Bei should be executed—he was a hero, a potential sovereign, and should be eliminated to forestall future trouble. But Cao Cao steadfastly refused, unwilling to kill such a worthy rival.

There were many moments in his life when Cao Cao could have destroyed Liu Bei, yet he always let the chance slip. He not only treated Liu Bei well, but extended his kindness to Liu’s officers as well.

For example, during Guan Yu’s passage through five passes and the slaying of six generals, he opened the gates and let him go. At Changban, when Zhao Yun charged through with a child in arms, Cao Cao merely watched, forbidding his own generals from intervening, lest anyone spoil Zhao Yun’s moment of glory.

He even had a good opinion of Zhang Fei—when Zhang Fei shouted on the bridge, Cao Cao immediately ordered Xu Huang, Yu Jin, Xiahou Yuan to retreat ten miles.

For all these reasons, Cao Xin sometimes wondered if Cao Cao was in fact Liu Bei’s secret agent in the camp. With such a ‘spy’ in place, how could the Three Kingdoms not come to be?

Cao Xin sighed. If ever the chance arose, he must get to the bottom of Chancellor Cao’s psyche.