“Intention”: War for the Han Frontier sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
JavaScript is off/unavailable on your browser. You will not be able to experience this website as it was intended without JavaScript enabled.
Cao Cao laughed and said, “You do not like Xu Yòu, then?”
“The man is slimy, dishonest and self-serving, and he manages to be
nauseatingly obsequious and shamelessly arrogant at precisely the wrong moments
with uncanny timing,” Cheng Yu suggested. “He has served his one and only
purpose on this world under Heaven, Your Excellency, so be rid of him now.”
Cao Cao frowned and said, “You would have me earn a reputation for being
the death of all of my childhood
friends, Cheng Yu…?”
Cheng Yu’s expression betrayed nervousness.
“I watched helplessly as Xu Rong’s men robbed us of brave, trusting Wei
Zi at Xingyang, which was my fault entirely for being reckless,” Cao Cao
continued. “Confusion led me to harm Lü Boshe and rob the poor man of his
family, which was as bad as killing him; I was forced to order the death of
Zhang Miao for his betrayal; cruel circumstance led me to the home of Qin
Bonan, leading to the poor man giving his life in place of mine; and now I
fight Yuan Shao, ‘Benchu’, who was, perhaps, my dearest friend of all, and the
only survivable outcome that I can strive for is his clan’s total
extermination. I learned a year or so ago - or was it longer? - that Ying Shao,
a scholar that I have known since I was a child, hides in Ji Province, and that
man who once called me ‘friend’ now fears me and rejects my calls to come to
Xuchang; and Mister Tian Chou, who once came to me and pledged his service, has
now retreated to his home region of Wuzhong County and taken a up the position
as a Magistrate, which makes him a vassal of Yuan Shao, a man he once accused
of colluding with Gongsun Zan to ‘remove’ poor Liu Yu, and that is doubtless
because he felt I went too far in killing Consort Dong. Am I now to kill Xu Yòu
for the petty offence of being socially inept…?”
“…I shall make no more such statements, Excellency, for they are, as you
say, in poor taste,” Cheng Yu promised.
Guo Jia smiled fearlessly and said, “I wouldn’t fret, Elder Cheng; Lord
Cao failed to realise that it was a joke because he entertains the idea of
being rid of him as well: the tone and wording of his retort makes that clear
enough.”
Cao Cao exhaled fiercely and muttered, “I… I must be aware that he is
potentially dangerous, yes, once he no longer needs me to protect him from Yuan
Shao. But while that is the case, he will do anything to keep me alive and
thwart Yuan Shao, which could… might… be useful. After that…? …That’s
up to him.”
The advisers nodded silently.
“And… and Mister Tian has made it clear that he went back to Wuzhong to…
to be of service to his late lord and governor, Liu Yu, not Yuan Shao, and… and
I should trust him,” Cao Cao continued.
“He is a good man,” Guo Jia said. “You are right to trust him.”
“Yes… but enough of that,” Cao Cao continued. “Liu Bei, who is no friend, must be my focus now. Mister Yuan Huan:
as a former adviser to Yuan Shu, you are well acquainted with the various
factions in Yu Province, so you will accompany me. Xu Yòu will accompany me to
Yu Province, mainly because he will insist upon it. I want to march quickly,
and would like to know how quickly.”
“Immediately,” Guo Jia replied.
“The army is tired,” Xun Wenruo protested. “Guandu was costly.”
“It will be more costly if we let Liu Bei reach Jing,” Guo Jia
suggested. “I know that you want their last energies spent on Yuan, but we must
destroy Bei first, while Yuan still flounders.”
“I’m inclined to agree,” Cheng Yu said. “Sorry, Wenruo, but Bei is more
dangerous if left alive now: this could be our last chance to destroy him with
minimal effort.”
“I… I know that,” Xun Wenruo admitted. “Yes, Guo Fengxiao is right, we
can march immediately.”
“Tomorrow evening, then,” Cao Cao said.