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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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I returned to camp, still buzzing from Cao Cao’s enthusiastic praise and embrace. Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan walked beside me, each with a hand on my shoulder.
“You’re feeling quite exhilarated, aren’t you?”
“A little… yes.”
“It’s common after your first battle. You’re still hyped up from stabbing and slashing at the enemy, and you won’t be able to sleep.”
“Some even see the faces of those they’ve killed and start raving. I hope that doesn’t happen to you.”
It seemed Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan were looking after me, concerned about my mental state after my first battle.
“Let me give you some advice. Even though you’re still energized, get some sleep. And rest whenever you can.”
“You might experience pure hell tomorrow. You’ll be so stiff you won’t be able to move your neck, let alone hold chopsticks.”
I understood what they meant. I was still riding high from the battle, running on pure adrenaline.
But once that wore off, I would likely be incredibly sore. Both Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan were worried about that, offering me advice.
“Don’t get complacent. You’ll be fighting alongside Mengde for at least another ten years. Think of today as just the first step.”
Cao Ren’s words were sincere. Xiahou Yuan, however, had a different approach.
“Now, now, Zixiao, why so serious? He completed his mission safely. Just praise him.”
“And who was the Xiahou who scolded me for being slow and clumsy after my first battle, even though I barely survived?”
“You still remember that?”
Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan’s banter continued, and they both laughed heartily.
This lighthearted atmosphere was only possible because we had won. We had just survived a terrifying battle, and now, Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan were treating me like a nephew, offering comfort and advice.
“Anyway, good work. Get some rest.”
“If you can’t move tomorrow morning because you’re too sore, let me know. I’ll get you some new armor.”
“Thank you, Uncles.”
After Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan returned to their tents, I quietly walked around the camp. The soldiers now saluted me with their spears.
“Young Master Cao, what brings you here?”
“Ah, I was just looking around… uh, I mean, inspecting the camp.”
“Please, speak casually. We’ll be scolded by the lord if you address us so formally.”
I had been told about this before, so I switched to a more casual tone.
“So, any problems with the night watch?”
“No, the enemy seems to have learned their lesson after today’s defeat. They won’t risk a night attack.”
“Good.”
I told the soldier to stay alert and continued my rounds. I heard the groans of the wounded being treated, the laughter of soldiers recounting their exploits, and various other sounds.
I finished my inspection and headed back to my tent. Near my tent, a group was gathered around a fire, sharing drinks.
“Your spear skills are impressive. Let’s have a proper conversation sometime.”
“Your halberd skills are also quite something. You cut down the enemy like wheat.”
I recognized them. They were the two lieutenants who had fought alongside me against Yuan Shu’s army.
“You two!”
“!?”
“Young Master.”
I greeted them. They looked exhausted after the intense battle. But if it weren’t for them, I would have died several times today.
“Cao Xiu is deeply grateful to both of you.”
“Young Master, please speak casually. We’ve been officially assigned to your unit.”
“Ah, Uncle assigned you two to me!”
“The lord was very pleased with today’s battle and asked us to look after you tomorrow as well.”
So, Cao Cao had arranged this. He must have assigned his best men to protect his nephew.
“Now that I think about it, I never learned your names. Would you mind telling me?”
The officer who wielded the spear and had been providing me with tactical advice throughout the battle bowed and introduced himself.
“I am Li Zheng from Shanyang in Yan Province. My courtesy name is Baisheng.”
Li Zheng? Not Li Dian?
“If I may ask, what is your family…?”
“My father is Li Gan, the magistrate of Guye in Shanyang. I have a younger cousin who’s only interested in books. His name is Dian.”
Ah… Li Zheng, Li Dian’s older cousin. Now I understood. Li Gan’s family was a family of warriors, and while Li Dian would become a renowned general, he was known to have neglected martial arts in his youth, focusing solely on scholarship. Hearing about his older cousin, Li Zheng, confirmed this.
“I’ve heard of your father. He assisted Uncle during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, correct?”
“That’s correct. He gathered hundreds of warriors and assisted Lord Mengde, who was the magistrate at the time. He now serves as the magistrate of our hometown.”
“A man of such standing serving as my lieutenant…”
“Please, don’t say that. I’m just a cavalryman.”
I made a mental note to remember Li Zheng. If Li Dian also joined Cao Cao’s army in the future, the cousins would be a formidable duo, one excelling in martial arts, the other in strategy.
“And the skilled halberd wielder?”
“I am Yue Jin from Dong Commandery in Yan Province.”
Yue Jin! It was him!
Just as the records described, he was short but incredibly valiant, rising through the ranks from a common soldier to a general in Cao Cao’s army.
“I’m honored to meet two future generals. I’d like to offer you a drink.”
“We’ve already prepared some.”
Li Zheng brought out a new bottle of wine.
“The lord instructed us to provide you with wine if you couldn’t sleep and asked for it.”
Cao Cao knew me well.
Thanks to his foresight, I was able to share drinks with Li Zheng and Yue Jin, discussing the day’s battle. We talked late into the night before finally falling asleep.
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The next day,
As Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan had warned, I was incredibly sore, and my head throbbed, but I drank some water and joined the war council.
Cao Cao and the other generals, seemingly made of iron, were already awake and preparing for the meeting.
Cao Ren, in particular, looked at me knowingly, as if to say, “See? I told you you’d be sore.”
“My lord, the enemy general Young Master Cao engaged yesterday seems to have been a significant figure.”
“Cheng Yu, what do you mean? Did Wenlie almost kill Yuan Shu?”
“Not Yuan Shu, but he severely wounded his son.”
Wait, Yuan Shu’s son? Severely wounded?
I recalled the young general who had charged at me. I was about to strike him down when someone shot my horse, and I had retaliated by impaling his horse, causing him to fall.
“Come to think of it, some of them addressed him as ‘Young Master’…”
“So, the general Wenlie almost killed was Yuan Shu’s son? What a missed opportunity.”
Cao Hong clicked his tongue and shook his head, seemingly disappointed. Indeed, killing the son of the commanding general would have thrown the enemy into disarray.
It would have been a more significant blow than killing a renowned general.
“Yuan Shu’s son… Yuan Yao?”
So, Cao Cao knew his name. Cheng Yu, despite the unfavorable situation, reported with a cheerful expression,
“My lord, this might actually be a blessing in disguise.”
“We failed to kill the enemy general. How is that a good thing?”
“My lord, Yuan Shu, as a descendant of the prestigious Yuan family, is fiercely protective of his family. If Young Master Cao had killed his son, Yuan Yao, he would have been enraged and attacked us recklessly. But his son only suffered injuries.”
Cao Cao understood.
“So, you’re saying he’ll be hesitant to move his troops because his son is injured? He’ll just turtle up?”
“Knowing Yuan Shu’s personality, that’s highly likely.”
“Ha! What a fool, bringing his son to the battlefield and making such a spectacle. He can always have another son.”
…Coming from any other general, it might not have been so chilling, but Cao Cao saying “He can always have another son” was rather disturbing.
Cao Cao made up his mind.
“Good. We’ll give Gongsun Zan another beating, then return to Yan Province tonight.”
“What? Brother Mengde, even if that’s the case, do you think Yuan Shu will just stand by and watch?”
“Didn’t you hear Cheng Yu? That coward will likely assume we’re retreating and let us pass. And Tao Qian is hiding in Xiaopei, so we just need to deal with Gongsun Zan.”
Cao Cao was confident. As Cao Hong, Cao Ren, and Xiahou Yuan prepared to move, he said,
“I’ll lead the vanguard today.”
“My lord, you’ll personally lead the charge?”
“Gongsun Zan boasts of having the best cavalry in the Han Dynasty. That northern bumpkin is utterly clueless. He dares to underestimate my precious heavy cavalry.”
His competitive spirit had been ignited. Cao Cao was confident he could crush Gongsun Zan’s cavalry.
“Wenlie.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“You’re in charge of preparing for our return. Pack our bags with Cheng Yu. We’ll leave for Yan Province as soon as I’ve dealt with Gongsun Zan.”
“Uh… alright…”
“What’s with that look?”
Cao Cao looked at me strangely.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking, ‘What if he loses? Will we have to unpack our bags?’ Don’t you dare have such disrespectful thoughts.”
“N, no sir!”
I received Cao Cao’s next order. Our return to Yan Province tonight was certain.
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Battle high: 10/10. Next-day soreness: 100/10 🏇⚔️😵
