“Intention”: War for the Han Frontier sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne

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“Well,” Cao Xiu said, “the-”
“Who is A’Man?” Cao Chong asked.
“It is your father’s infant name, a name that he does not forget,” Cao Cao explained. “I am sometimes… well, I was going to say ‘as foolish as a child’, but I think that you might be smarter than I am now, Chong, never mind when I was your age.”
Cao Chong smiled and said, “That would be silly.”
“It would, and is, but might be true,” Cao Cao replied. “You have a statesman’s air about you… a future hero, perhaps.”
Cao Pi scowled as he started to suppose that Cao Cao might prefer to appoint one of his brothers as the Cao clan heir; Lady Bian guessed his thoughts and smiled sadly.
“We interrupted Wenlie!” Cao Cao recalled. “Speak, Cousin.”
“Yuanrang’s just had another ‘encounter’ with Jia Xu,” Cao Xiu said. “He threatened him again… and Xun Yu, he wondered if-”
Aiee… must I warn Yuanrang again?” Cao Cao complained.
“But Father,” Cao Pi began, “isn’t Jia Xu-?”
“He’s an adviser of mine that erred in the past, as have I,” Cao Cao insisted. “Such men are better used for good than made young bones of. Yuanrang is angry, I know, but… but he would be better placed by being angry at me than at Jia Xu.”
Most of the adults within the family assembly lowered their heads.
“I’ll talk to him,” Cao Cao continued. “Where is he?”
“I told him to come here,” Cao Xiu replied. “He really didn’t like me ordering him about, though.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Cao Cao chuckled. “Ah, Yuanrang… even after losing an eye, he can’t control his temper. He-”
STOP IT!
The ensemble turned to face the hall that led to the many sleeping quarters; a portly 10-year-old boy was running toward them.
“Cousin Zhen?” Cao Cao exclaimed. “What’s wrong?”
“Why can’t he leave me be?” Cao Zhen complained. “I didn’t ask to be fat! I just am!”

“…Cousin Zilian is being cruel again,” Cao Pi supposed.
“I didn’t do anything!” Cao Hong insisted as he ran after Cao Zhen and stopped dead; he noted the disapproving gazes and added, “Really, honestly, he needs to learn to have a sense of humour.”
“And you need to start acting like an adult with more regularity!” Cao Cao scolded. “Honestly, Zilian! You and Yuanrang embarrass me with your childish antics! You, a fully grown man with a general’s rank, picking fights with a boy, and Yuanrang is no better with all of his secretive attempts to drive Jia Xu from my court while I am elsewhere! Why can you not be more like Cousins Ren and Chun, who impress all with their wits and fists both? How can you stand there with any pride when my four-year-old son Chong has more mature credibility than you?”
Cao Hong eyed Cao Chong irritably.
“So now you want to pick a fight with my son?” Cao Cao asked.
“N-no, Mengde!” Cao Hong replied. “I-I was-!”
“Apologise to Zhen, and then go and make yourself useful, if that is at all possible,” Cao Cao ordered. “And I mean it: if I hear that you went and bought a woman to dance on drums for you, I’ll-!”
“I won’t, I won’t,” Cao Hong said as he tried to edge past Cao Cao’s silent bodyguard, Xu Chu. “Look, Zhen, sorry, okay…? Now can I get past this big- …I uh, hah-hah, I mean, you know, how Xu Chu is so tall…”

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