Chapter 41: That Damnable Cao Cao

Fei Qian finally completed the entire apprenticeship ceremony. It was truly no easy feat, especially at the very end when presenting the tuition gifts. To his absolute astonishment, both old scholars—Cai Yong and Liu Hong—stepped forward simultaneously, leaving Fei Qian holding the gifts with no idea what to do.

Fortunately, Liu Hong and Cai Yong had already quietly agreed on how to divide the items between themselves. Each reached out and took half, thus rescuing Fei Qian from his predicament and allowing the ceremony to conclude smoothly.

Even so, this spectacle left the surrounding onlookers with their jaws dropping to the floor, filled with envy, jealousy, and bitter resentment toward Fei Qian. Having Cai Yong, a giant in the literary world, as a master was jealousy-inducing enough, but adding Liu Hong, a grandmaster of mathematics, made it utterly unreasonable. While others struggled to secure even a single mentor, this fellow had somehow snatched two. What on earth was this guy's name? They would have to go back and carve a voodoo doll of him to stick with pins...

Truth be told, being Cai Yong's disciple was a rather wonderful thing. The tuition gifts hadn't cost much, but the return gifts formed a small mountain: Master Cai Yong bestowed a copy of the *Zuo Zhuan*, Master Liu Hong presented his *Annotations to the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art*, and his senior fellow apprentice, Cao Cao, gave him a piece of jade pendant. What excited Fei Qian the most, however, was that Cai Yan had actually given him a gift as well—those two rolls of sheepskin from Tianzhu and Daqin...

There was even a glass bead sent by Yuan Shu. Setting aside how Yuan Shu managed to send him something in the first place, that glass bead looked strangely similar to the trinkets he had crafted earlier...

Well, the gifts themselves didn't matter as much as who gave them. Putting everything else aside, simply considering the items presented by Cai Yan, Lady Zhaoji, even a sheet of scrap paper would have been treasured.

Cai Yong mentioned that he had three other senior apprentices who were currently away from Luoyang, so he would introduce them when the opportunity arose. Fei Qian made a mental note: *Ah, three more return gifts awaiting collection...*

Those three senior apprentices were Gu Yong, Ruan Yu, and Lu Cui. With Cao Cao as the fourth and Cai Yan included in the lineage, Fei Qian was actually Cai Yong's sixth disciple.

Senior apprentice Gu Yong, Fei Qian seemed to recall, originated from either Jingzhou or Yangzhou, and eventually served under Sun Quan in Eastern Wu. As for the other two, Ruan Yu and Lu Cui, Fei Qian had zero recollection of them and would simply have to inquire and learn about them over time.

Following the apprenticeship ceremony came the grand banquet—a tradition that seemed unchanged across ancient and modern times.

Led by Cai Yong and Liu Hong, Fei Qian navigated the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the largest restaurant in the city of Luoyang, raising a cup of wine to this high-ranking imperial official, then another to that renowned scholar. Even as a veteran of heavy drinking from later generations, he could not withstand the sheer volume of well-wishers. After making several rounds and downing cup after cup, Fei Qian finally reached his limit and passed out completely from the alcohol...

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Unlike Fei Qian's blissful state, Cao Cao was currently plagued by deep hesitation.

During Fei Qian's ceremony, Yuan Shu had approached him and revealed a plan to rescue the deposed Young Emperor, leaving Cao Cao utterly astonished.

He had never expected Yuan Gonglu to possess such audacity! To be frank, Cao Cao never even entertained the thought of reporting Yuan Shu to the authorities. Although the two had not been on the best of terms over the years, they had once been brothers-in-arms, and turning informant would simply be too base.

On the other hand, the plan held a fatal attraction for him.

Anyone else might hesitate out of caution and fear, but Cao Cao was different. The precedent set by his grandfather, Cao Teng, was a story he had known by heart and held in the utmost reverence since childhood.

In August of the first year of Jiankang, Emperor Shun of Han passed away, and his son, not yet two years old, succeeded him as Emperor Chong of Han. In January of the first year of Yongxi, less than half a year after taking the throne, Emperor Chong died suddenly in what was officially declared a illness-induced passing.

The death of two emperors within a single year boded ill for the state.

Consequently, the ministers at the time argued that an older, virtuous member of the imperial clan should be enthroned—someone at least less prone to sudden demise.

After much debate, the Qingliu faction favored Liu Suan, the Prince of Qinghe, while the consort-kin Grand General Liang Ji held differing views. Determined to maintain his grip on power, Liang Ji stubbornly insisted on enthroning Liu Zuan, the eight-year-old son of the Filial King Hong of Bohai, who became known as Emperor Zhi of Han.

Thus, consort-kin replacing emperors prior to Dong Zhuo was hardly without precedent.

Later, under the constant tutelage and instigation of the Qingliu faction, Emperor Zhi grew to find Grand General Liang Ji—the man who had placed him on the throne—increasingly repulsive. He turned hostile, going so far as to publicly denounce Liang Ji as the "Overbearing General" during a court assembly.

Naturally, Emperor Zhi’s fragile young limbs were no match for Grand General Liang Ji, and he was tragically poisoned to death by the latter...

Following Emperor Zhi's death, court officials went about their usual business, splitting once again into two factions: one led by the Qingliu minister Li Gu, advocating for the Prince of Qinghe; the other led by the consort-kin Grand General Liang Ji, supporting Liu Zhi's ascension.

As for how Emperor Zhi had died, no one bothered to investigate—he was dead anyway, so what use was pursuing the matter? It was far more practical to scramble for merit in the present...

And the greatest merit of all was the enthronement of a new emperor.

Just as the two factions wrangled endlessly, Cao Cao's grandfather, Cao Teng, recognized that the moment was ripe. He paid a personal visit to Liang Ji, declaring that the eunuch faction led by him supported Liang Ji, and pointed out that the Prince of Qinghe was severe by nature; enthroning him would offer little peace, whereas supporting Liu Zhi would ensure long-lasting wealth and honors.

With the consort-kin and eunuchs joining forces, the Qingliu faction had no choice but to retreat step by step. Subsequently, Liang Ji and Cao Teng elevated Liu Zhi to the throne, who became Emperor Huan of Han.

Following Emperor Huan's ascension, Cao Teng was ennobled as the Marquis of Feiting for his decisive counsel, promoted to Grand Administrator of the Palace, and granted the special privilege of a top-tier court rank.

Now, an identical opportunity seemed to be presenting itself to Cao Cao. If the new emperor installed by Dong Zhuo after the deposition of the Young Emperor could not hold the throne for long, the Young Emperor would have a chance to reclaim his crown. At that time, Cao Cao, having rescued the Young Emperor from the fires of crisis, would achieve peerless merit just like his grandfather Cao Teng, making titles and high office a certainty...

Naturally, this also carried immense risks. Yet, what path to wealth and honor required no risk at all? Was it worth trading momentary peril for lifelong prosperity?

Hesitant, Cao Cao did not wait for Fei Qian's banquet to conclude before hurrying home to consult his father, Cao Song. After all, an enterprise of this magnitude would inevitably implicate the entire family, regardless of success or failure.

Cao Song listened quietly as Cao Cao finished speaking, then asked, "What is my son's intent? Should the endeavor fail, where will you place the Cao family?" *You came to consult me, which shows you already harbor the desire to act. But if it fails, what becomes of this vast household?*

"This child has not yet decided. Yet, such an opportunity must not be missed..." Cao Cao lowered his head and said with palpable reluctance, "If Father forbids it... then I shall let it go..."

Looking at his son, Cao Song compressed a flood of words into a single sigh. What could he say? This son was willing to risk his life to grasp fortune and glory; could he really say, "For your old father's life and property, do not do it"? Even if he said it, would this ambitious son obey willingly?

"Go, then," Cao Song said after a long silence. "Your father... grants permission..."

"Understood!" Cao Cao dropped to his knees, kowtowed to his father, and turned to leave.

"Aman!" Cao Song called out as Cao Cao took two steps toward the door. His lips quivered slightly before he finally muttered, "...My son... take care of yourself..."

Cao Cao bowed once more, then strode resolutely out of the room, leaving Cao Song behind as shadows gradually swallowed him whole.

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That very day, Cao Song packed up their valuables and, before the city gates closed, departed Luoyang with Cao Cao's three younger brothers—Cao De, Cao Bin, and Cao Yu—to seek refuge with Prince Liu Rong of Langya in Xuzhou.