Chapter Twenty-Four: My First Encounter with Cao Cao

Fei Qian dug up the bamboo slips he had buried two days prior in the courtyard. This was a precaution he had taken just in case.

"I hope this passes inspection..."

Fei Qian wiped the dirt from the slips, examined the degree of erosion, and mused to himself, "Does this make me the first person in history to forge an antique? I suppose there shouldn't be any fakes in this Three Kingdoms era yet, right?"

He gently picked up the bamboo strips—which had been polished, soaked in acidic water, subjected to scorching sun and smoke, and buried deep underground—and walked toward his room.

Today was one of the two monthly opportunities for Fei Qian, a nominal student, to visit the Cai residence. He intended to present these forged slips to Cai Yong. If he could get away with this, it would provide an origin story for the letters and numbers he had accidentally let slip earlier.

After giving the slips a final touch-up, Fei Qian felt satisfied; at least to his own eyes, there were no obvious flaws.

He mentally reviewed the process once more: the material itself was genuine ancient bamboo, salvaged from another fragmentary text. After a series of treatments, it now looked incredibly weathered. The only drawback was a faint, earthy smell, but that could be explained away by his planned excuse.

That would have to do. Just this once; it was too much trouble. They say that once you tell a lie, you need a thousand more to cover it—that was certainly true.

Fine. With that decided, Fei Qian carefully placed the bamboo slips into a brocade box and headed toward the Cai residence.

***

Inside the Cai residence, Cai Yong was having a pleasant conversation with Cao Cao.

Regarding Cao Cao, his formal apprentice, Cai Yong actually held a fairly high opinion. In his eyes, Cao Cao was a promising young man of the Eastern Han—one with ideals, ambitions, integrity, and learning.

Unlike the nominal student status of Fei Qian, Cao Cao was a true protégé of Cai Yong. Simply put, Cao Cao could use Cai Yong’s name to his advantage and call upon his teacher for help when in trouble, and Cai Yong was obligated to assist. Fei Qian, however, could only claim to "study under" Cai Yong, not that he was his "disciple." If Fei Qian had trouble, the teacher could choose whether or not to help based on the circumstances.

A formal disciple could inherit the master’s legacy, whereas a nominal student was merely a name on a list.

Close and distant relations have always been distinct.

***

After chatting for a while, Cai Yong noticed that Cao Cao seemed preoccupied and asked, "Mengde, do you have something troubling you? Why the furrowed brow?"

Cao Cao sighed, "The times are difficult, the court is in turmoil; I am merely worried." He meant that the power struggle at court was intense, he was in a bind, and he felt anxious.

Unfortunately, Cai Yong missed the subtext. He said earnestly, "Mengde, it is enough that you possess such a heart. Set your mind at ease; with Zishi and Wenxian holding the fort, although the Emperor is young, there should be no great cause for concern." Cai Yong was comforting Cao Cao, implying that as long as high-ranking officials like Wang Yun and Yang Biao were there to shoulder the burden, he shouldn't worry so much.

Cao Cao replied, "Yet, I eat the King’s salary and must remain loyal to the King’s affairs. Now that Dong Zhongying and Ding Jianyang are massing troops nearby and lingering for so long, I fear change is afoot." He was saying that he held a government post, and with the likes of Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan lurking outside the city, he didn't know how much longer he could serve.

Cai Yong, being an honest gentleman, found the logic sound. "Mengde’s words make sense. However, this is a military matter; I shall write a letter to Wenxian to offer a few words of guidance."

Cao Cao sighed inwardly. His teacher was fine in every way, except for being too rigid. If a few words to Yang Biao could make Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan retreat, why would he have come to ask for his help?

Unable to speak plainly, Cao Cao could only hint again, "Teacher’s reputation is renowned throughout the realm. At this time of upheaval, we desperately need you to step forward and anchor the state to stabilize the hearts of the people." He was essentially asking for Cai Yong’s public support.

Cai Yong shook his head. "I am old and my days are numbered. Why should I cling to rank and title and toil over official documents?" He didn't even want to be a Palace Attendant anymore, let alone hold a higher position.

Having reached an impasse, Cao Cao knew there was nothing he could do—he couldn't exactly force Cai Yong to take office. He changed the subject. "I recently acquired a scroll of ancient chapters. Knowing my junior fellow apprentice has been feeling down lately, I brought it to help ease her distress."

Just as Cai Yong was about to decline, a servant stood at the foot of the hall and presented a calling card, announcing that Fei Qian had arrived.

The conversation had ended, and the gift had been given. Even though he hadn't achieved his goal, this was all he could do for now. With someone else arriving, Cao Cao took the opportunity to take his leave.

As Cao Cao exited the Cai residence, he encountered Fei Qian waiting nearby. He suddenly remembered this was the newly accepted nominal student and stepped forward to greet him.

Fei Qian never expected to run into Cao Cao here, let alone be greeted with such a smile. He quickly bowed in respect.

This was the first time Fei Qian had seen Cao Cao at such close range. He was surprised to find that Cao Cao was quite short—perhaps around 1.6 meters. He had a square face and thin, long eyebrows; when he smiled, his eyes turned into mere slits, hiding his pupils. Fei Qian dared only a quick glance, as staring directly at someone was considered extremely rude in this era.

Cao Cao stepped forward, helped Fei Qian up, and held his hand, patting it gently. He smiled like a big, cunning wolf: "Are you the new student, Fei Qian, styled Ziyuan? I have heard of you for some time. I did not expect to meet you today—you are truly a man of great talent!"

If Fei Qian hadn't been tempered by the grueling modern workplace, he likely would have been moved to tears by Cao Cao’s display—the idea that a central power player would even know his name was an immense honor!

However, having been put through the wringer of modern corporate life, Fei Qian was largely immune to such flattery. Still, it would be foolish to call out a great man when he was putting on a performance.

Thus, Fei Qian put on a show of being overwhelmed and deeply grateful.

Cao Cao continued to hold his hand, asking a few eager questions—nothing more than "How is your life lately?", "What have you been working on?", and "Are there any problems?"

As Fei Qian answered respectfully, he thought to himself that Chinese culture was truly profound; these elites had mastered the art of "visiting the grassroots" so early on. Seeing how smoothly Cao Cao handled it, he suspected this wasn't the first time he’d done this—he was a seasoned professional.

Upon learning that Fei Qian was here to seek guidance on ancient texts from Cai Yong, Cao Cao nodded and said he wouldn't delay him further, letting Fei Qian enter the residence.

But just as Fei Qian took two steps, Cao Cao called him back, smiling: "I have had a fondness for ancient texts since childhood. I heard you mention a newly acquired fragment; I am quite intrigued. Might I be allowed to take a look?"

Such a request could not be refused. Fei Qian had the servant open the brocade box for Cao Cao to inspect.

Cao Cao gently picked up a strip, examined it from all angles, and even held it up to the sun.

Fei Qian kept his head down, his heart pounding. In history, Cao Cao was rumored to have been a tomb robber—would he be able to tell that something was wrong?