Taiheiki

Chapter 13 Exploring the Bottom
"From Yecheng, Hebei? Really impressive!" Cai Mao laughed. He pointed to his friend beside him and introduced him to Cai Buyi, "This is my good friend, Cao Cao of Pei. His grandfather was Cao Jixing, the Grand Chamberlain of the Empress' Palace!"

"Is this short dark-skinned man Cao Cao?" Wei Cong almost shouted out loud. He looked the other person up and down with suspicion. The second half of Cai Mao's sentence ruled out the possibility of homophony or homonym. After all, the history books recorded it very clearly: Cao Cao's father was the adopted son of a eunuch, and he himself had the notoriety of being a "eunuch with an ugly son". Later, almost every opponent who wanted to attack Cao Cao would mention it in the manifesto, so the authenticity of the sentence was confirmed.

"So you are the grandson of Cao Da Diao Dian. I am sorry for my impoliteness!" Cai Buyi hurriedly saluted.

"Brother Buyi! Lord Cao has been in the palace for over thirty years, serving four emperors. He is a cautious and kind person who often recommends talented people!" Cai Mao's words were full of meaning. "My uncle is able to take charge of the Shangshu Ling this time because of Lord Cao's influence!"

Cai Buyi showed surprise on his face, and he hurriedly smiled at Cao Cao and said, "I didn't expect that Lord Cao is also so kind to our Cai family. Please get in the car, sir, and let us serve you!" After that, he turned sideways and made a gesture for him to get in the car.

Cao Cao nodded nonchalantly. Born into a powerful family, he was already accustomed to the expressions of others upon learning his background. He walked up to Cai Buyi's carriage, looked it up and down, and frowned slightly. "This carriage is so big, can it be pulled by two horses?"

"That's all right!" Cai Buyi said with a smile, "Master Cao, please look, this carriage has four wheels. Although the carriage is large, it is not supported by the horses."

"Four wheels?" Cao Cao realized that the carriage had two pairs of wheels. He frowned and wanted to ask again, but Wei Cong said, "It's hard to explain the carriage thing right now. Why not get in and try it out?"

"That's right!" Cao Cao glanced at Wei Cong and laughed, "Alright, let's give it a try!"

The four of them filed onto the carriage. The carriage was nearly five meters long and two meters wide. They sat facing each other, not only feeling comfortable, but also with ample space for a table, a charcoal stove, and other supplies, as well as a maid to serve. Cao Cao and Cai Mao were still young men, and their eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.

After the four of them were seated, Wei Cong pulled the window cord. With the sound of a bell, the carriage began to move, and the maid began to pour wine and serve food. Cao Cao was surprised to find that this carriage was not only moving at a fast pace, but also much more stable than the one he and Cai Mao had ridden in before. The four of them could even drink and chat in the carriage.

"This carriage is truly exquisite!" Cai Mao laughed. "I've never seen one in Luoyang before. Where did you get it?"

"This car was made by Brother Wei himself, not bought!" Cai Buyi said.

"Oh?"

Two pairs of surprised eyes immediately focused on Wei Cong, but Wei Cong remained calm and composed. After a long moment, Cao Cao said with a smile, "Brother Wei, you are so handsome and impressive, but I didn't expect you to be so skilled in such ingenious techniques. Please enlighten me on the secrets behind it!"

By this time, Wei Cong had recovered from the shock of having just encountered a famous historical figure. Although historical records indicated that Cao Cao had been adept at political maneuvers and cunning from a young age, even citing an example of him using deception against his own uncle as evidence, as if he were a demon king descended from the earth, a born devil, he was ultimately only fourteen or fifteen years old. The cunning and murderous nature depicted in historical records was probably forced upon him by the harsh reality he had experienced. After all, Cao Cao also had a passionate and upright side, so he had simply been on guard.

"I dare not!" Wei Cong had the maid remove the food and wine from the table. He then pulled a scroll from his sleeve and unfolded it on the table. It turned out to be a bird's-eye view and side view of the four-wheeled carriage, with the dimensions and installation locations of each component marked one by one. With Cao Cao's intelligence, he immediately understood about 60% of the mystery. He was certainly aware of the benefits of the four-wheeled carriage, and he couldn't help but look at Wei Cong in surprise, wondering who this man was. He actually took out the diagram of such an important artifact and showed it to two strangers. It was truly extraordinary.

Compared to Cao Cao, Cai Mao was much less interested in the blueprint. He just glanced at it and turned his gaze to Cai Buyi: "Your carriage is much more comfortable than the one we took when we came from Luoyang. Could you lend it to us for a few days? I can send someone to return it after we reach Xiangyang!"

"It's just a carriage. If you like it, just take it. Why bother sending someone to deliver it?" Cai Buyi said with a smile.

"Thank you very much, brother!" Cai Mao nonchalantly bowed. He then noticed that his friend's eyes were almost glued to the map. He was about to say something to draw his friend's attention back, but he saw Cao Cao bowing to Wei Cong as a greeting: "Mr. Wei, could you lend me this map for two days? I will definitely repay you!"

"Cao Cao has a really good eye! Others ask for cars, but he asks for blueprints!" Wei Cong thought to himself. Cai Buyi, standing beside him, became anxious when Wei Cong didn't immediately agree, but he couldn't press him directly, so he reached under the table and tugged at Wei Cong's sleeve. Wei Cong noticed and couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Oh, this drawing is very crude. If Master Cao likes it, how about I draw a better one tonight and send it to you tomorrow morning?"

"Alright!" Cao Cao had already rolled up the picture and put it into his sleeve. "I'll take this picture and study it carefully tonight. I'll return it to Mr. Wei tomorrow!"

Wei Cong was stunned when he saw this, and then he understood. It turned out that Cao Cao was worried that he would not keep his promise and would not give him the drawings tomorrow or would give him a fake one. So he took the drawings in front of him in his hand. This suspicious and cautious nature was really brought from the womb.

Cai Mao was also a little embarrassed when he saw this, and quickly changed the subject: "Brother, how did you get to know Mr. Wei?"

"Oh! That's a long story! It's fate!" Cai Buyi recounted the story of how he ran into Wei Cong that day while chasing a murderer in the mountains, and how he managed to capture Zhao Yannian with his help. Finally, he said with a smile, "Brother Wei may have found Xinye's climate quite pleasant, so he's stayed here for a while. It's a blessing for me, as I can learn from him day and night!"

"So that's how it is! It's really fate!" Cao Cao laughed. "I didn't expect that Mr. Wei is not only well-versed in the art of tactical maneuvers, but also skilled in martial arts. How rare!"

"It's more than just these two!" Cai Buyi said with a smile, "Brother Wei's calligraphy is also extraordinary. At least I have never seen such beautiful calligraphy!" "Oh? Is there such a thing?" Cao Cao's eyes lit up. Being an excellent craftsman and martial artist was one thing, but beautiful calligraphy was the exclusive domain of the upper class of scholars and officials at that time. After all, although it was rare for people from humble backgrounds to master the classics through talent, hard work and luck and thus become successful, there were always a few. However, there were not many people from humble backgrounds who could write excellent calligraphy. First of all, pens, ink and paper were very expensive. People from poor families could learn classics and history by borrowing books or attending classes, but they could not borrow the pens, ink and paper consumed by practicing calligraphy.

Secondly, in the Han Dynasty, studying classics and history could lead to becoming an official. In other words, even if a child from a poor family showed good talent, his relatives and clansmen would probably pay for his studies in exchange for future rewards. However, just having good handwriting was not enough to lead to becoming an official. No one would pay for a poor child who only had good handwriting to practice calligraphy. Beautiful handwriting could only be the result of upper-class scholars and officials.

It's like the same expensive, prestigious university: programs like medicine and computer science offer promising career prospects and lucrative salaries, and many students from ordinary families will enroll. However, programs like philosophy and art, with less promising career prospects and modest salaries, will inevitably attract students from well-off families. Therefore, Wei Cong's excellent handwriting is a better indicator of his pedigree than his mastery of classics and history.

"Brother Cai, thank you for your compliment. What's the point of just drawing a few random pictures?" Wei Cong said with a smile.

"Brother Wei, you are too modest!" Cai Buyi casually pulled out a piece of letter paper from his sleeve. "This is the note you sent me the day before yesterday. You two gentlemen can take a look at it. You will know whether the handwriting is good or not at first sight!"

Cao Cao reached out to take the note, his eyes suddenly brightening. There were only a dozen characters on it, but the characters were square and rigorous, the strokes calm and composed, and the spirit and spirit were vivid. This kind of calligraphy was something he had never seen before, and it could definitely compete with the calligraphy masters of Luoyang. He subconsciously put the note into his sleeve, a smile spreading across his face. "Excuse me, sir, what are these characters?"

"What characters? Are you asking me what font this is? Of course it's Wei style!" Wei Cong answered casually.

"So it's a family heirloom!" Cao Cao's attitude became even more respectful: "I dare to ask your name!"

"This..." Wei Cong was stunned by the question. He didn't dare to make up a story. What if he was exposed? A look of embarrassment suddenly appeared on his face. Cao Cao saw it and was moved. He hurriedly said, "I have spoken out of turn. Please forgive me, sir!"

"No, no!" Wei Congqiang laughed.

Afterward, both Cao Cao and Cai Mao's attitudes toward Wei Cong underwent a subtle shift. While previously they had considered Wei Cong a mere guest of Cai Buyi's, possessing at best some special abilities, after seeing the note, they began to treat him as an equal, even as a fellow scholar-official. Cai Buyi also noticed this subtle change, which confirmed his earlier assumptions and only deepened his delight.

"We're here, please come in, gentlemen!" As soon as the carriage stopped, Cai Buyi stood up, pushed open the door, and made a respectful invitation gesture.

"I dare not. We are guests, and juniors. Brother Cai and Mr. Wei, please go first!" Cao Cao, in a reversal of his initial indolence, respectfully stood up to return the greeting, forcing Cai Mao to follow suit. After some shoving and pushing, Cai Buyi and Cai Mao finally got off the carriage first, followed by Wei Cong and Cao Cao, much to the dismay of the Cai family servants waiting to greet them.

----------------------

Inside the hall, the air was filled with the aroma of spices, fine wine, and delicious food. The walls depicted scenes of Hu concubines dancing and the noble master hunting. Oil lamps burned continuously on bronze lampstands, illuminating the hall. Beneath the nanmu-pillared corridor, seven or eight musicians played music to accompany the dancing girls.

"A few days ago, I heard from someone in Luoyang that the emperor intended to issue an imperial edict to the entire nation, arresting the fugitive traitors. Grand Marshal Chen Fan refused to sign the edict, so it could not be issued. The emperor, enraged, had the traitors imprisoned at the Huangmen Beisi Prison, where they were interrogated by eunuchs." Cai Buyi, still drunk, asked, "Master Cao, since you've come from Luoyang, I wonder what's happening in the capital right now?"

Cao Cao wiped his hands, glanced at Wei Cong from the corner of his eye, and said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to be so concerned about the affairs of the party members!"

Cai Buyi puffed out his chest and said in a deep voice, "As the ancients said, 'A country with loyal ministers will not perish, and a family with loyal sons will not be ruined!' Although I am just a local patrolman, I know the reputation of the party members and know that they are people of high moral character. Naturally, I care about them!"

"Yes!" Cao Cao nodded. "When I left Luoyang, this matter was still unresolved. However, I heard that the eunuch trying the conspirators in the Huangmen Beisi Prison is Wang Fu, the Changle Food Supervisor. He and Zhao Jin and Hou Lan are not on good terms in the palace, so you don't have to worry too much. Although the emperor uses eunuchs to interrogate the conspirators, he doesn't intend to put them to death. Besides, there are many eunuchs in the palace, some are treacherous and abuse their power, while others are honest and cautious. It's impossible to generalize."

"Mr. Cao is right! But this is not a long-term solution after all. The Huangmen Beisi Prison is not a place to detain people from outside the court!" Cai Buyi said with a wry smile.

"You worry too much!" Cao Cao laughed. "If the emperor really wanted the culprits dead, wouldn't he have just sent a eunuch who's friendly with Zhao Jin and Hou Lan to preside over the case? Under the three trees, what could he not ask for? Even if the culprits were made of iron, how many days could they endure? The emperor sent Wang Fu to interrogate the culprits in the Huangmen Beisi Prison. It's clear that he doesn't want to kill them. If my guess is correct, the court will issue a general amnesty soon, and then these culprits will naturally escape!"

"I see!" Cai Buyi nodded, but a cloud of doubt still hung in his heart. According to this Master Cao, the emperor clearly didn't want to deal with these partisans. But if that was the case, why bother with such a big fuss and bring up the issue of the Three Dukes not signing the imperial edict? He subconsciously turned his gaze to Wei Cong. After all, in his mind, Wei Cong was a member of the party and must know a lot about the inside story.

Wei Cong, happily enjoying his melon, saw Cai Buyi looking at him and thought to himself, "Oh no!" He was completely confused by what Cao Cao said and had no idea how to respond. He could only pretend he hadn't heard anything. Cao Cao, noticing the direction Cai Buyi's gaze took, had a thought: This man is unfathomable. Why not take this opportunity to find out more about him?

"Everyone!" Cao Cao smiled. "This music and dance is ordinary and not enough to cheer us up. How about something else?"

(End of this chapter)