Chapter 101: The Battle Between Evil Incarnate and the Tiger Fool (Part I)

Xudu, Post House.

Chen Deng lay on his bed until the sun was high, yet he did not rise.

"Yuanlong, what are our plans for today?"

A man dressed as a scholar pushed the door open and walked straight into the room. Chen Deng, his back to the door, frowned slightly before slowly sitting up.

"Today we shall simply rest at the post house; there is nowhere else to go."

"Then what of the matter entrusted to us by the Marquis of Wen?" the man asked hurriedly. "You and I have been in Xudu for many days now, yet we have still not been granted an audience with Lord Cao. You told the Marquis of Wen that we would coordinate with Lord Cao to reject the marriage proposal from Yuan Shu. But now, Lord Cao has not summoned us. What is the meaning of this?"

Chen Deng stood up unhurriedly. As he turned, his lips curled into a fleeting, disdainful smirk. But by the time he faced the man, his smile had returned.

He said cheerfully, "Zhongjie, what use is there in being anxious? You should understand that what the Marquis of Wen seeks—the position of Governor of Xuzhou—is no ordinary request. The petitions have been delivered, and all the people who needed to be visited have been visited... You have been following me these past two days; you should have seen that clearly."

"But..."

"Zhongjie, some things cannot be rushed!" Chen Deng adopted a tone of earnest instruction, lecturing the man briefly. He then said softly, "Seeking official office is not like fighting a war. It relies on connections and requires patience. The people who needed to be visited have been visited these past few days. Xun Yu and Xun You go without saying. Even Zhong Yao, Kong Rong, and Liu Ye—you have already met them. What more can I do?"

The man looked somewhat ashamed and bowed, saying, "Yuanlong, Wei Xu is a blunt man. If my words just now were disrespectful, I hope you will forgive me. But how long must we wait like this?"

Wei Xu was a relative of Lü Bu and one of the eight commanders under his command.

Chen Deng smiled. "Zhongjie, do not worry. I expect it will be within these next few days. Lord Cao is about to mobilize his troops to punish Yuan Shu; he will surely give the Marquis of Wen a satisfactory answer. I hear that today, Dian Wei and Xu Chu, two of Lord Cao's tiger-like generals, are holding a martial contest. It is a pity we cannot attend, or we might have been able to gauge their strength."

The Western Garden, located on the side of the imperial city, was a restricted area. The Huben and Huwei armies were largely stationed there, responsible for the defense of the palace.

Wei Xu gave a cold laugh. "What is there to see? They are merely men who have been defeated by the Marquis of Wen... Since you say so, Yuanlong, I will wait two more days. I am going to find a place to drink. Are you interested in joining me?"

Chen Deng cupped his hands. "I appreciate your kind offer, Zhongjie, but I have an appointment with Zixu today to view the maple leaves at Long Mountain, so I fear I cannot accompany you. Zixu will be heading to Chang'an with Yuanchang in a few days, and I wish to take this opportunity to entrust him with a task."

Zixu was Du Xi.

Wei Xu had previously visited Du Xi with Chen Deng and knew that Du Zixu did not care for him. When they visited Du Xi's home, Du Xi had not even been willing to host them for a meal. Although he later arranged one at the Yuxiu Pavilion, Du Xi, as the host, did not show up. The reason was very simple: Du Xi looked down on Lü Bu and disdained to share a table with Wei Xu. If not for Chen Deng being present, Du Xi likely would not have allowed Wei Xu to step through his gates. Chen Deng had only eaten at the Yuxiu Pavilion that day to accompany Wei Xu; they had nearly come to blows, leaving Wei Xu seething with suppressed anger.

The mere thought of Du Xi's stony face ruined Wei Xu’s appetite. After exchanging a few polite words with Chen Deng, he left the post house alone.

Once Wei Xu was gone, Chen Deng began to wash and dress. He wore a short-sleeved tunic underneath and covered it with a moon-white robe, then departed with his attendants.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were strict rules for scholars regarding their attire. They dressed according to the five seasons: blue in spring, red in summer, yellow in late summer, white in autumn, and black in winter. Commoners were not so particular, often wearing the same set of clothes year-round, but scholars were required to follow these customs; wearing the wrong color could be seen as an act of rudeness.

At the city gate, Chen Deng saw Du Xi standing not far away.

"Zixu!"

He quickly dismounted and stepped forward to bow in greeting.

Du Xi smiled slightly. As they approached each other, he said in a low voice, "I have already made arrangements with Yuanchang; we shall meet at the Wind and Rain Pavilion at noon."

"Zixu, thank you!"

Du Xi waved his hand repeatedly. Then, he mounted his horse, and he and Chen Deng rode off side by side.

Not long after they left, Wei Xu emerged from the side of the city gate. He watched Chen Deng’s retreating back, nodded to himself, and turned to walk into the city.

Before they came, the strategist Chen Gong had warned Wei Xu not to trust Chen Deng too easily. Chen Deng was from Guangling; his family was not only a great local clan but also one of the most prestigious lineages in Xuzhou. Chen Deng’s great-grandfather, Chen Qiu, had been a Grand Master of Splendid Happiness in the late Eastern Han. Chen Deng’s father, Chen Gui (courtesy name Hanyu), had been well-acquainted with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu in his youth and enjoyed great fame. Chen Deng, twenty-eight, was quick-witted, erudite, and a man of great poise and learning. At twenty-five, he had been recommended as a Filial and Incorrupt official and served as the Prefect of Dongyang with outstanding administrative results.

Lü Bu was an outsider. Moreover, his occupation of Xuzhou was not legitimate. The former Governor of Xuzhou, Tao Qian, had entrusted the province to Liu Bei on his deathbed. Later, after being defeated by Cao Cao in Yanzhou, Lü Bu had fled to Liu Bei like a stray dog. Liu Bei took him in, but Lü Bu immediately seized Xuzhou from him. This was why Lü Bu was so desperate to obtain the official title of Governor of Xuzhou. He needed a legitimate status, and there was nothing more legitimate than a title bestowed by the Han Emperor.

This position was crucial to Lü Bu. He knew Chen Deng had many connections in the Cao camp, so he had entrusted him to come to Xudu to petition Cao Cao for the appointment. However, Lü Bu’s strategist, Chen Gong, was deeply suspicious of Chen Deng. He had ordered Wei Xu to secretly monitor Chen Deng’s every move. Since arriving in Xudu, Chen Deng’s behavior had been perfectly normal, gradually putting Wei Xu at ease.

"Maple leaves at Long Mountain? What is there to see?" Wei Xu muttered to himself as he walked.

Looking up, he saw a wine shop not far away with a flag fluttering in the wind. A wave of joy washed over him: rather than going to some desolate mountain to look at red leaves, it would be far more enjoyable to drink large bowls of wine and eat chunks of meat here!

Thinking this, Wei Xu strode into the wine shop.

...

*Woo-woo-woo...*

The sound of horns echoed over the parade grounds of the Western Garden. Banners snapped, and ribbons fluttered. The grounds were guarded by heavily armed elite soldiers. As carriages rolled into the arena, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

Cao Cao sat high atop a central watchtower. On either side were smaller towers where most of the Cao generals were seated. Starting from the east, the generals of the Cao clan—Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Chun, Xiahou Dun, and others—were all gathered together.

The Administrator of Chenliu, Xiahou Yuan, had not returned due to heavy official duties, but Cao Cao had still set up a watchtower for him. However, a curtain hung over the window of that tower. Outside, one could vaguely see shadows moving within, but could not see clearly. Xiahou Yuan’s family mostly remained in Xudu; could it be his family?

To the west of the main tower were mostly generals of other surnames. The core members of the Cao army who were not of the Cao clan were gathered there. Li Dian, who had returned to the capital to report and was set to replace his clansman as Administrator of Lihu, General of the Household Xiahou Yuan, Colonel Yu Jin, and others were seated there. Besides these martial generals, important figures like Xun You, Guo Jia, Zao Zhi, and Mao Jie were also gathered to watch.

However, several of Cao Cao’s most important strategists were absent. Xun Yu was occupied with official business; Cheng Yu was stationed in Dongjun; and Zhong Yao was preparing to leave for Chang'an. Zhong Yao himself was a master of military strategy, and perhaps in his eyes, the contest between Dian Wei and Xu Chu held no significance. In truth, among Cao Cao’s subordinates, very few were held in high regard by Zhong Yao.

Cao Cao, dressed in a black robe, sat in the main tower. By rights, he should have been wearing white, but because Cao Cao’s complexion was slightly dark, wearing white would have been very conspicuous. A black robe better highlighted his unique temperament and authority. At Cao Cao’s level, there were some things he no longer needed to worry about. It was the lower ranks who were more concerned with such details. Cao Cao valued majesty; scholars valued ritual. It was hard to say who was right or wrong. Cao Peng thought that if Cao Cao were to sit there in white, it would be truly incongruous.

Cao Peng sat behind a small desk below the main tower. His status had changed, too. He had been summoned by Cao Cao to the Western Garden to observe. Being placed in the guest seats below the main tower was enough to show the importance Cao Cao placed on him.

Cao Peng and Cao Zhen entered the grounds but did not go to sit with Cao Peng’s father, Cao Ji. They knew their place—Cao Cao valued Cao Ji, not Cao Peng. In other words, Cao Peng was not qualified to sit there. Look at Cao Zhen; even he could only watch from in front of the watchtower, not even qualified to sit on the tower itself. This was a parade ground, and everything followed military protocol. Without a title, a military rank, or prestige, one had to stay below. If not for his reputation as one of the "Little Eight Righteous," Cao Peng likely wouldn't have even been allowed through the gates.

*Boom-boom-boom-boom...*

The rapid beating of war drums made one’s blood boil.

"A-Fu!"

As Cao Peng was watching intently, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from above. Looking up, he saw the stern face of Cao Hong. He was waving at Cao Peng, signaling him to come up to the watchtower to watch with him.

Cao Zhen smiled. "A-Fu, go on up. I expect the Uncle has something he wishes to ask you."

Cao Peng nodded, dismounted, and handed his reins to Xiahou Lan. He then signaled to Wang Mai and Deng Fan to follow Cao Zhen and not wander off.

Cao Hong’s summons naturally attracted much attention. Cao Cao could not help but be curious. Everyone knew that Cao Hong was not particularly well-liked, especially due to his stingy nature, which even the generals of the Cao clan found difficult to overlook. Furthermore, Cao Hong never formed cliques and rarely interacted with others. His philosophy was: "I earn my own money; whoever tries to stop me, I won't be polite." Being greedy and stingy, his popularity was, predictably, low. However, despite his flaws, Cao Hong was fiercely loyal to Cao Cao. The greedier and stingier he was, the more it proved he had no ambition, and thus Cao Cao trusted him all the more.

But Cao Cao had never seen Cao Hong take such an initiative to greet a child. Even with Cao Ang or Cao Pi, Cao Hong never showed such enthusiasm. Now that he was warmly calling out to Cao Peng, how could Cao Cao not be curious?

"Gongren, whose child is that?" Cao Cao straightened up, craning his neck to look at Cao Peng. He was short; if he didn't sit straight, he couldn't see the situation outside.

Beside Cao Cao stood a man approaching fifty. He was tall, about 180 centimeters... at least, standing next to Cao Cao, he seemed very tall. He was handsome, with a long beard beneath his chin. Hearing Cao Cao’s question, the man glanced outside.

"My Lord, that child should be one of the 'Little Eight Righteous'."

"Oh?"

"Judging by his age, he appears to be the son of Master Cao. I have heard that Master Cao’s son is the youngest but very clever, and Zidan treats him very well."

The man was Dong Zhao. He had originally been a subordinate of Yuan Shao and had rendered much service. But because Yuan Shao was indecisive and his strategists were divided into cliques, Dong Zhao had been slandered and forced to leave, turning to Zhang Yang. Later, he followed Zhang Yang to welcome the Emperor and was appointed as a Gentleman Consultant. It was Dong Zhao who suggested that Cao Cao move the Han Emperor to Xu County. Afterward, Cao Cao appointed him as an Official of the Secretariat, and Dong Zhao became one of his trusted strategists.

The son of Master Cao?

Cao Cao’s gaze shifted to the guest seats in the side tower. Cao Ji looked nervous, staring in confusion as Cao Peng climbed up to Cao Hong’s tower. By his expression, it seemed he didn't even know who was sitting in that tower. In other words, Cao Ji didn't know why Cao Hong had summoned Cao Peng either. This only made Cao Cao more curious.

*Boom-boom-boom-boom...*

The drum beats grew louder and louder. Cao Cao turned his mind away from Cao Hong and walked to the window of the watchtower.

"Junming has newly established the Huben, and they are now contending with Zhongkang’s Huwei. This is a struggle for the Imperial Guard; the winner shall follow me to campaign against the rebel Yuan Shu, and the loser shall remain to guard Xudu. All generals may offer their judgments on the outcome. Now, the exercise begins!"

The winner campaigns against Yuan Shu, the loser stays in Xudu?

For Dian Wei and Xu Chu, this was a result they could not accept. For Dian Wei, Cao Cao had not brought him along when attacking Huyang; if he could not go this time, even as a Commander of the Huben, he would be too ashamed to continue competing with Xu Chu. And for Xu Chu, he could not accept failure. If he lost, it would be the first defeat in the struggle for the Huwei. It would be difficult to compete with Dian Wei in the future.

Xu Chu had not taken to heart what Cao Peng had said to Xu Yi at the Yuxiu Pavilion that day. In fact, Xu Chu didn't value Cao Peng; he valued Deng Ji. As for responsibilities or glory... Xu Chu hadn't listened to a word. To a general, if one could not lead the charge, what kind of general was he? If one could not slay the enemy, how could one build a career?

His situation was different from Dian Wei’s. Behind Xu Chu was a massive clan. Every one of his achievements related to the development of his clan. Had he not joined Cao Cao to strengthen his clan? If he shrank back in battle, how could he strengthen his clan? He might as well have stayed home. Dian Wei, on the other hand, had no such pressure.

Under the rumbling of the drums, the Huwei army charged into the Western Garden and quickly arrayed their formation. In comparison, the Huben army seemed somewhat slow. Troop by troop, they entered from the northern gate, moving to the beat of the drums, and quickly formed a square formation. Dian Wei sat astride a warhorse, slowly entering the arena with his troops. Behind him were two young men: one relatively tall and thin named Xiahou Heng (courtesy name Boquan), the eldest son of Xiahou Yuan; the other, shorter and sturdier, was Cao Cao’s kinsman, Cao Xiu.

The three stood at the rear of the formation, not immediately launching an attack.

From the tower, Cao Cao saw clearly: Xu Chu had deployed a cone formation, strong in attack; Dian Wei’s square formation was balanced between attack and defense. In the center were 800 spearmen; on both sides were 200 shield-bearers to protect the flanks. The rear was cavalry, ready to engage at any time. However, the cavalry's equipment seemed somewhat different from what Cao Cao had in mind.

"Gongren, why does the Huben cavalry look so strange?"

Dong Zhao squinted, focusing his gaze. He was not the only one to notice. Every general in the tower had keenly sensed the difference. Their saddles were peculiar—curved up at both ends, with the rider sitting in the middle, seemingly providing stability. Moreover, hanging from the saddles on either side were two triangular iron objects connected by ropes. The riders’ feet were tucked into these, rather than relying on their legs to grip the horse's belly as they had done in the past. Those with sharp eyes immediately realized the significance.

"A-Fu, what is that equipment Junming has provided for his men?"

Cao Hong, who had been discussing business with Cao Peng, also noticed this and asked in a low voice.

"Those are little gadgets my father designed earlier. That saddle is called a 'High-Bridge Saddle.' Look at the raised parts on both sides—don't they look like the railings of a bridge? A person sitting in such a saddle is more comfortable and stable. The two things underneath are called 'stirrups.' They allow the feet to leverage force and reduce the burden on the rider. In battlefield combat, this can significantly increase the combat power of the cavalry..."

"Your father designed these?"

Cao Peng said, "If not my father, then who?"

Cao Hong couldn't help but praise, "Master Cao is truly a marvel of the age... If he weren't a descendant of the Mohists, how could he have such ingenious ideas? Junming is truly lucky! Hehe, in this battle, I think Zhongkang is going to be in trouble! A-Fu, do you know who I bet on to win?"

Cao Peng shook his head.

"Ha! I bet on Junming to win! Do you know why?"

Cao Peng shook his head again.

Cao Hong grinned with pride. "After I went back that day, I carefully studied that manual of yours... A-Fu, how is your brain built? You can think of so many clever tricks! Hehe, I figured that if you are so formidable, your father cannot be an ordinary man. Since you and your father have such a good relationship with Junming, you wouldn't stand by and watch him lose; you must have given him advice. Zhongkang’s head isn't a match for yours... So, the next day, I had someone increase my stake, betting on Junming to win."

Cao Peng stared at Cao Hong, speechless for a long time. If this guy lived in the future, he would definitely be a master of making money.

Just then, the second roll of drums sounded in the arena, and the Huwei army suddenly moved!