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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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194 AD. The year the emperor in Chang’an would change the era name from Chuping 5 to Xingping 1.
Even in the cold New Year weather, training continued.
“Hiya!”
I gripped the reins and shattered the target banner with my spear. As the banner fell, other cavalrymen approached from the distance.
I raised my spear and shouted,
“Cao Xiu has claimed the commander’s banner!”
I had won again. The cavalrymen who arrived later, panting, looked at the fallen banner and shook their heads.
“Impressive, Young Master. You’ve taken the lead again.”
“Your horsemanship has truly improved. There’s no one in the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry who can match your skill on horseback.”
“Haha, you flatter me.”
“Flatter you? Wenlie, you’re too modest.”
Cao Ang emerged from among the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry officers. He was the one who had brought me to Qiao County to endure Cao Chun’s brutal training regime.
But thanks to him, he had matured considerably, shedding his image as a spoiled young master, and we had become close friends.
“Zishu, you’re also skilled enough to command a cavalry unit.”
“You always win.”
“Well, you’ve won a few times.”
Actually, those were the times I had let him win. In any case, the first day of the new year had begun with cavalry training, and I had taken first place.
Cao Ang and the other Tiger and Leopard Cavalry officers returned to camp, carrying the captured banner.
Inside the camp, numerous soldiers were training. Mounted archery, jumping over obstacles, breaking through shield formations…
The training of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, Cao Cao’s elite cavalry unit, was diverse and rigorous, producing formidable warriors.
These elite troops would be sent to Chenliu, and other cavalry units from Cao Cao’s army would come to Qiao County to undergo the same training. Cao Cao’s entire cavalry force was being transformed into the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.
And I, along with Cao Ang, had grown tremendously, training alongside these elite soldiers.
At first, I could barely keep up with the training, but through sheer effort, I had surpassed even the officers of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry in horsemanship. I could now perform feats like snatching banners at full gallop and shooting arrows while riding down steep slopes.
Status screen? Stat points? I didn’t need any of that. I had earned this through hard work and experience!
It felt like I had leveled up significantly through sheer practice and experience.
“Magistrate, we have returned.”
“Oh, welcome back.”
Cao Chun, the magistrate of Qiao County and our uncle, was a slender man, his appearance more like a scholar than a warrior.
But despite his appearance, he was a man of iron will, personally participating in training even in the winter cold, and his skill in training troops was unmatched.
He trained soldiers and sent them to Chenliu to fight under Cao Cao. Cao Chun specialized in recruitment and training, a crucial aspect of Cao Cao’s army.
Cao Chun recruited the soldiers, and Cao Ren led them in battle. I was beginning to understand why these two brothers were so essential to Cao Cao.
“Zishu, and Wenlie.”
“Yes, Magistrate.”
“Go home and change into fresh clothes. Prepare yourselves.”
“Right now?”
“It’s the new year. The elder of our family is coming here.”
“If Great Uncle is coming, we should prepare immediately.”
“Yes, so go on.”
Cao Chun relayed the message and then addressed his officers.
“Training ends at sunset today. You’ve all worked hard in this cold weather. Enjoy a hot meal with plenty of meat.”
“Yes, Magistrate!”
“We deserve a celebration. Prepare for the final training exercise.”
So, we were celebrating the new year after all.
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“Mother, this way.”
“Yes, we should greet the elder of our family.”
I went home, fetched my mother, and arrived at the Qiao County government office. She had welcomed me warmly when I first arrived and had been feeding me delicious home-cooked meals ever since.
She had taken care of me my entire life, so I treated her with utmost respect.
“Ah, Young Master Wenlie. Welcome. Please come in. The elder is already here.”
“He’s arrived already?”
As I entered with my mother, I was greeted by an astonishing sight.
“Wow, what’s all this?”
The training grounds next to the government office had been transformed into a slaughterhouse.
[Oink, squeal]
-Crack!
“Ugh…”
A man wielding an axe brought it down on the neck of a struggling pig, killing it instantly. Butchers with knives rushed forward, draining the blood and expertly butchering the still-twitching carcass.
“They’ve turned the training grounds into a butcher shop.”
“Wenlie!”
Cao Ang, dressed in fine silk robes, rushed over.
“Ah, Aunt is here as well.”
“Young Master Zishu, you look very handsome today. Very dignified.”
My mother always prepared a hearty meal whenever I brought Cao Ang home, and she mended his clothes whenever they tore during training. So, Cao Ang treated her with respect, calling her “Aunt.”
“Zishu, did you see that? What’s going on?”
“I just arrived and found out. Grandfather brought one hundred pigs from Chenliu and ordered them all butchered.”
“One hundred pigs? My goodness…”
“He also brought three thousand bushels of grain. He said to feed everyone in Qiao County, not just the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, until they’re full. And if that’s not enough, he said to buy and slaughter all the pigs in the area.”
Pigs in this era were small, barely enough to feed two hundred people, but one hundred pigs was still a massive amount.
“Xiu, this is no time for idle chatter. The elder of our family has arrived. We should greet him.”
“Ah, yes. Let’s go.”
I went inside and greeted Cao Song, whom I hadn’t seen in a while.
“Great Uncle, I’m here.”
“Oh, Wenlie! You’ve become quite the man.”
“I’m glad to see you’re well.”
Cao Song smiled warmly and instructed Cao Chun,
“Cao Chun, make sure the soldiers have plenty of meat today.”
“Yes, Great Uncle.”
And so, a grand New Year’s feast was held.
My mother joined the other women of the Cao family, and I joined Cao Ang at the main feast.
“Cao De, are you enjoying your time back home?”
“Yes, Father. I’m doing very well.”
“You rascal, enjoying yourself while your father and brother are away, are you?”
“Of course not. How is Brother Mengde doing?”
“Aman is always busy. Ah, your son is serving as his bodyguard now.”
“I wonder if that young boy is up to the task.”
Cao De’s son was Cao Anmin… So, Cao Cao was using Cao Anmin as his bodyguard after I left. He was giving his young nephews a chance to gain experience.
Well, when I returned, I would surely be given an important position under Cao Cao.
“Cao Chun, how are my grandsons doing?”
“Both Zishu and Wenlie are skilled warriors. Zishu is cautious, and Wenlie is courageous.”
“Oh? Aren’t you being a bit too generous, considering they’re family?”
“Not at all. They both possess great potential. They will become valiant generals, renowned throughout the land.”
“Oh? You, who are so stingy with praise, are saying that?”
Cao Ang spoke up.
“Grandfather, I’m still learning, but Wenlie is an exceptional horseman.”
“Is that so?”
Why was he talking about me?
“He’s the best horseman among all the elite cavalrymen here. Today, in a competition where the first to capture the banner wins, Wenlie was the clear victor.”
“HAHAHA! A celestial steed! A celestial steed is rising within our family!”
Cao Song, not Cao Cao, had said that…?
Cao Xiu, Wenlie. The assessment that would be etched in history, “a celestial steed of our family,” had been spoken not by Cao Cao, but by his father. Of course, when Cao Cao heard this, he would surely agree.
I still had much to prove, but I was on the right track.
“Well, it’s a joyous New Year’s celebration. I must have a drink with my grandsons.”
Cao Ang and I both stood up.
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Laughter and merrymaking filled the night. I stepped outside to enjoy the cool night air.
“Wenlie, have you had too much to drink?”
“No, just getting some fresh air.”
Just then,
“Are these the future pillars of the Cao family of Qiao County?”
“Hmm?”
“Oh.”
A refined female voice. I turned to see an unexpected guest.
“Lady…?”
“Guild Leader Wei. What brings you here?”
It was Wei Hong. The woman who ran the merchant guilds and brothels in Yan Province was here?
She bowed politely and said with a gentle smile,
“The Governor instructed our guild to escort the meat and grain to Qiao County. I was also tasked with escorting the Grand Commandant safely, along with some of Yan Province’s soldiers.”
Cao Cao had entrusted his father’s safety to Wei Hong’s guards. This showed how much he trusted her.
“Young Master Zishu, your mother sent you a letter and a gift.”
“From Mother?”
“Here it is.”
The letter from Lady Ding to her son wasn’t written on bamboo slips, but on fine paper, enclosed in an envelope. Cao Ang’s face lit up with joy as he excused himself to read it.
Wei Hong approached me, a smile on her face.
“The Lady of the House also sent a gift for Young Master Wenlie. I’ll have it delivered to your residence.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Of course, I also have gifts for you, Young Master.”
“Gifts for me…?”
“Information circulating in Yan Province, the current political climate, and… don’t you miss the young woman you left behind in Chenliu?”
“!”
Could she have brought the courtesan with her? I cautiously asked,
“Yan is here as well?”
Wei Hong’s smile deepened.
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