Wei Ni

Youzhou, Tuyin County, Liaoxi Commandery.

Cao Zhao, who had just returned from Haidong, stood at the entrance of the post station and looked up at the gloomy evening sky.

It was already October of the third year of Jingchu. Nearly two years of conquering in the harsh and barren lands had transformed him from a handsome man with a talent for singing and dancing into a disheveled figure with piercing eyes, a slightly dark complexion, and a messy beard.

He also subtly exuded a masculine vigor.

Not far away, soldiers who were busy preparing food in their camp were joking and laughing with the joy of returning from a great victory. Every now and then, bursts of cheers and laughter could be heard, but they could not affect Cao Zhao's mood, which was as gloomy as the sky.

For him, returning to the capital and the imperial court meant throwing himself into a war that was more dangerous and difficult than the campaign against Haidong.

Or perhaps, the war in Luoyang, the capital, which was fought without the clash of swords, had already begun long ago.

He had already been forced into it back in the middle of this year.

He still remembered that he had just captured a small mountain city of Goguryeo with his army. He had just left the battlefield littered with corpses and had not yet sat down in the city to catch his breath when Bi Gui, who had come to Haidong with him, secretly handed him a letter.

It was written by Cao Shuang himself.

The content was nothing outrageous; it simply recounted past amicable events from their early years, wished him a swift victory, mentioned that Prefect Xu Yun of Anfeng had a good relationship with his younger brother Cao Zuan, and added a final statement that he strongly agreed with General Xiahou Hui's proposal to temporarily abolish the position of Central Protector of the Army and merge its duties into the position of Central Commander of the Army.

He knew that Cao Shuang was trying to curry favor.

He knew that, whether he wanted to or not, he had already become a bargaining chip.

Cao Shuang wanted to use this as leverage in his power struggle with Xiahou Hui.

After all, the fact that this letter was delivered by Bi Gui meant that Deng Yang and Li Sheng, who were also on the Haidong battlefield and were close to Cao Shuang, had already persuaded Bi Gui.

But he did not express his opinion at that time.

"When one is in the military, one should do one's best to fight for the country and eliminate traitors, and should not meddle in matters of the court."

Using this excuse, he brushed off Bi Gui, whose eyes were filled with anticipation as he awaited a reply.

But what's meant to happen will happen eventually.

The war in Haidong was over, and he was on his way back to the capital, Luoyang. It was time for him to make a statement.

This made him inexplicably irritable.

Even though Bi Gui didn't urge him, and obediently accepted his excuse that he wanted to be alone, he went to stay in another camp.

Yes, how could he not be annoyed?

The reasons behind Emperor Ming Cao Rui's alteration of his will and the change of his regent before his death were known to him, even though he was far away in the east of the sea.

He originally had the opportunity to become the regent.

Therefore, he often cursed Xiahou Xian, who had destroyed everything, in the dead of night.

After calming down a bit, he sighed at the unpredictable nature of life, how fortune and misfortune are intertwined. If he hadn't fought for this deputy position in the campaign against Haidong, he would be the General of Chariots and Cavalry entrusted with the care of the young emperor, not Cao Shuang.

Ugh!
This is fate.

As anger, frustration, and resentment faded with time, were scattered by the wind and snow of Haidong, and drowned out by the sounds of battle on the battlefield, he finally accepted his fate.

At least, he personally supervised the battle on the front lines this time and has made considerable contributions, hasn't he?

Even if he cannot become a regent, he is still a member of the royal family whom the state of Wei regards as the cornerstone of the state. He still has the opportunity to accumulate merits and experience like his late father Cao Xiu and become a commander-in-chief guarding the front line.

Unexpectedly, just when he had finally accepted his fate and stopped blaming others and lamenting the cruel twists of destiny, he received a letter from Cao Shuang.

Cao Zhaobo, you little brat, if you want to compete for power with Xiahou Hui, go ahead and compete!
Why do you still care about me, who is thousands of miles away?
With such pent-up frustration, Cao Zhao even disregarded Bi Gui's obstruction during a battle, drew his sword, rode his horse, and led more than a thousand Luoyang soldiers into battle. He personally cut down three Goguryeo soldiers, his face splattered with blood.

The stench and scalding hot blood brought him back to his senses, prompting him to confront the harsh realities of life.

After returning to the military camp, he took some time to write a letter to Qin Lang, who was far away in Wuyuan County, Bingzhou, without Bi Gui's knowledge.

In his early years, when he was still on duty in the capital, his relationship with Cao Shuang was merely friendly. The person he truly considered a close friend was Xiahou Xian, and the person he had shared joys and sorrows with was Qin Lang.

He wanted to hear how Qin Lang, who was also destined to be a regent without the opportunity to be entrusted with the care of the young emperor, viewed the current situation.

Perhaps it was because there had long been no war in Bingzhou and all the various Hu tribes were living peacefully, that Qin Lang's reply came so quickly.

However, the content didn't offer him much of a reference.

Qin Lang offered no insights or suggestions, but simply recounted his conversation with Prince Cao Yu of Yan and General Xiahou Hui on the night of the funeral at Gaoping Mausoleum.

At the end of the letter, he added a sentence: Neither Xiahou Hui nor Cao Shuang wrote a letter to win him over.

Okay, Cao Zhao understands now.

Qin Lang had already offered advice, stating that if he didn't want to be drawn into the power struggle between the two regents, he should request a posting to a remote region after returning to the capital, Luoyang. Cao Zhao responded to this suggestion with a wry smile as he burned the letter.

It wasn't that he thought Qin Lang's suggestion was bad, nor that he was unwilling to leave the capital Luoyang, but rather that he couldn't leave!

His younger brother Cao Zhao had been serving in Huainan for many years, and he had already been pre-appointed as the Commander of the Central Army. Would Xiahou Hui and Cao Shuang still allow him to request a transfer to another region?

Perhaps, the moment I mentioned wanting to be transferred to a remote region, they became wary, thinking I was unwilling to be without political power and therefore wanted to go out and seize military power to become a new faction within the court? Besides, the fact that I requested a transfer as soon as I returned to the capital Luoyang is clearly a sign that I didn't want to accept Xiahou Hui and Cao Shuang's goodwill.
Ugh!
If only I could be like Grand Tutor Sima, qualified to relinquish power and retire, free from all these disturbances.

With a quiet sigh, Cao Zhao turned his gaze from the darkening sky and, while twisting his aching neck, walked into the post station. He asked the guards following behind him, "Has dinner not been prepared yet? Also, have you asked the rear camp when General Guanqiu will return?"

"Reporting to the general, dinner is ready. Just now, we saw that the general seemed to be thinking, so the courier did not dare to disturb him."

The Imperial Guard Commander quickly replied loudly, "When we set up camp just now, I sent someone to inquire, and the officers in the rear camp said that General Guanqiu might arrive tonight."

With a slight frown, Cao Zhao, who had stopped, turned around, his voice carrying a hint of displeasure.

"perhaps?"

"Reporting to the general, even the officers in the rear camp dare not be certain. They only made a rough judgment based on the fact that some of General Guanqiu's subordinates had already arrived."

"Hmm. Let the others eat first. You choose two or three riders to come with me to the rear camp."

"However, should I send someone to summon Bi's staff?"

"He doesn't need to."

"only."

A short while later, they arrived at the rear camp, which was four miles away.

Cao Zhao, who was welcomed into the camp by the military officer, did not see Guanqiu Jian as he had hoped. However, he happened to run into Qian Hong, the Wuhuan cavalry commander under Guanqiu Jian and who had always served as Guanqiu Jian's personal guard, entering the camp. Therefore, he declined the military officer's offer of a meal and sat alone in the military tent waiting for Guanqiu Jian's arrival.

Well, because the troops belonged to different units, Cao Zhao, who commanded over a thousand infantry and cavalry in Luoyang, went ahead as the vanguard, while Guanqiu Jian, who commanded the border troops in Youzhou, followed behind. After arriving in Liaoxi Commandery, he would have to distribute the troops back to their respective garrisons according to their locations, and arrange the provisions, supplies, and imperial rewards before he could join Cao Zhao on their return journey to the capital, Luoyang.

As for Xiahou Ba's troops, Emperor Ming, Cao Rui, had already incorporated them into the newly established Pingzhou army. Apart from a few commoners who went to war and took the sea route through Qingzhou back to the capital, the others had long been given official positions as prefects or assistants of the Haidong Protectorate and were stationed there.

Although it was still far from snowfall in Liaoxi County after the onset of winter, the nights were already quite cold.

Cao Zhao, who had been sitting alone for more than an hour without a brazier and only by the dim light of a lamp, was completely unconcerned about the cold. He let the howling wind sneak in through the gaps in the tent flaps and tug at his beard and hair.

There was not a trace of impatience on his face as he waited for so long.

His anxieties about the future were enough to make him ignore these things.

His visit to Guanqiu Jian was a last-ditch effort to escape being drawn into the power struggle—he knew Guanqiu Jian and Xiahou Hui were close friends. Therefore, he wanted Guanqiu Jian to put in a good word for him with Xiahou Hui after returning to the capital, so that he could resign from his post as Commander of the Central Army and be transferred to a local post.

As for whether this action will anger Cao Shuang...
He doesn't care, and he doesn't need to care.

As long as he stays away from the capital and pretends to be wholeheartedly devoted to defending the country and having no interest in power, no matter how embarrassed or angry Cao Shuang is, he cannot make things difficult for him, who is also a member of the imperial clan!

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

The military officers must have informed him by now. When Guanqiu Jian, who arrived late, entered the tent, there were two minor officials behind him carrying food trays. "Some of the packhorses of a certain unit of the army were injured or damaged, and there were not enough supply wagons, so we were delayed for a while."

"It has indeed taken quite a while."

The two became very familiar with each other after working together for more than a year. Cao Zhao not only did not get up to be polite, but also joked, "If Brother Zhonggong returns any later, I am afraid I will freeze and starve to death."

Hehe~

Guanqiu Jian, looking exhausted, smiled and, without saying much, walked over, sat down, and gestured for them to join him for a meal.

The army's food was coarse, and Cao Zhao, who was already preoccupied, had no appetite. He ate a few bites and then took a sip of wine from the wine pouch at his waist.

"Changsi, you've come here on business, haven't you?"

Seeing this, Guanqiu Jian finished his meal in a few bites and asked directly, "Is there anything you need from me?"

“Alas, I do indeed have something to ask of my brother Zhonggong.”

Upon hearing the question, Cao Zhao let out a long sigh, and then, with a helpless expression, poured out his predicament, desires, and wants all at once.

Guanqiu Jian listened quietly, the frown lines between his brows growing deeper and deeper.

Moreover, Cao Zhao had finished speaking for quite some time, yet he remained silent, showing no sign of speaking.

Is it because you don't want to help, so you silently decline?

That's true. It's none of his business anyway, so why would he want to get involved?
Cao Zhao's eyes gradually dimmed with the passage of time. (End of Chapter)