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“As someone that is indifferent to death’s release, I cannot answer the
last point,” Guo Jia chuckled. “What went wrong between you and Yuan Shao…?
Undoubtedly ‘ambition’, Lord Cao; it consumed the bond between you both long
ago.”
“…I want to be able to say that I am blameless, but I am not,” Cao Cao
said. “I took longer… am taking longer… to be fully consumed, but it was always
both of us. I just wish that our ambitions had somehow been compatible with
friendship.”
“Ridiculous,” Guo Jia said. “One can have total power or some friends;
it is only a madman that tries to have both. You’ve always known that.”
Cao Cao lowered his head, smiled and replied, “Yes, I have.”
“…You’ve been delaying the talks between Ma Teng and Han Sui,” Guo Jia
noted. “Why…?”
“I’m doubtful that they wouldn’t try to kidnap or assassinate me,” Cao
Cao admitted. “I’m the most powerful statesman in the country, Fengxiao: that
makes me a target for such things, and the Qiang are especially untrustworthy.”
“Inspector Wei has a competent army, the venue is well-chosen, and their
feud is no ruse,” Guo Jia replied. “You’ll have Xu Chu, Zhang Liao, Xiahou Dun,
Cao Xiu and Yue Jin with you, and Jia Xu and Cheng Yu for counsel…”
“Yes!” Cao Cao chuckled. “I’ll have Jia Xu at my side, and Zhang Xiu at
my rear for a discussion with the Qiang warlords in the middle of Liang
Province, surrounded by the remnants of Dong Zhuo’s old band… aren’t Duan Wei
and Wu Xi still around…?”
“That’s why you’ll have Zhang Liao and quite a few of the other men that
followed Lü Bu, all of whom betrayed Dong Zhuo and have no love for the men
that were loyal to Dong’s memory in the aftermath,” Guo Jia explained. “Jia Xu
is seen as a man that ultimately betrayed Li Jue and Guo Si, and might I remind
you that Duan and Wu were the ones that killed
Li and Guo…?”
“…It’s all so complicated,” Cao Cao sighed. “But yes, you’re right, Duan
and Wu are no threat, and regardless of later divisions, they all dislike the
Qiang.”
“R-right,” Guo Jia said as he winced from a pain in his stomach. “What
you… must do, my lord, is… is just go and get them to agree to your terms, as
we discussed.”
“…I’m losing you for a week again, I see,” Cao Cao lamented.
“You don’t need me!” Guo Jia said encouragingly. “You have… better men.”
“…Go and rest,” Cao Cao ordered. “I’ll see you when I return.”
Guo Jia got to his feet with great difficulty, bowed respectfully and
staggered out of the meeting room.
“…Aiee… what a waste,” Cao Cao
murmured as his heir Cao Pi passed Guo Jia and entered the room.
“Guo Jia is sick again,” Cao Pi noted.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Cao Cao replied.
“You are going to Liang Province to mediate peace between the Qiang, aren’t
you?” Cao Pi said. “I should like to accompany you.”
“I have to pass Wan City,” Cao Cao replied. “I don’t feel comfortable
travelling past that place with my heir, since I came back alone the last time
I did that.”
“But that’s partly why I’d like to go, to pay respects to my cousin and
brother, and to Mister Dian,” Cao Pi insisted.
“…Not this time,” Cao Cao retorted. “There will be safer opportunities
for that in the future, son… I doubt that I’ll feel safe doing so myself. But
it is a nice thought, son. As I said, perhaps we’ll go another time.”