Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 47: Arriving at Chaohu, the Battle Between Cao and Sun’s Armies Begins!

In the days before the Battle of Red Cliffs, when Liu Bei was forced to flee to Xinye and then head south to seek refuge with Liu Qi in Jiangxia, Cao Cao’s forces may not have captured the likes of Zhao Yun, who had gone in and out of Liu Bei’s camp seven times, or Liu Bei’s only son, Adou. They also didn’t capture figures like Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, or Jian Yong.

However, this didn’t mean that they returned empty-handed. At the very least, Cao Cao’s forces managed to capture Liu Bei’s two daughters. The elder one, Liu Ying. The younger one, Liu Yu. Cao Cao didn’t subject them to any undue hardship when faced with the two daughters of Liu Bei as captives. Nor did he have any intention of taking them as concubines.

Instead…Cao Cao planned to wait until Liu Bei’s two daughters had grown up and then offer them as rewards, marrying them off to his generals and officers.

After all…Though Liu Bei’s two daughters were captives, given their father’s status as a nobleman, they could still be considered daughters of nobility.

As a result…After capturing the two daughters, Cao Cao ordered them to be sent to a place where female relatives of incarcerated officials were kept – a holding area. The term “holding area” didn’t mean it was a place of violence or abuse, as the name might suggest. The “holding area” was a place of confinement and punishment for guilty palace maids, empresses, and noblewomen. After their punishment, they made clothes for the royal family. Since dyed fabric needed to be sun-dried before it could be used for making clothes and bedding, over time, the term “holding area” emerged due to this practice.

In the present context, Emperor Liu Xie was entirely under the control of Cao Cao and had no intention of expanding his harem like previous Han emperors. As a result, while the “holding area” still existed, it was nearly defunct. In such circumstances, adhering to the principle of making the best of what was available, Cao Cao repurposed the “holding area” to house the female relatives of incarcerated government officials.

Liu Bei’s two daughters weren’t the only ones housed there. Many of the concubines who once served Yuan Shao were also there.

Of course, when discussing the “holding area,” it’s impossible not to mention another place that was even more notorious for confining criminal women – the “Yongxiang Yeting.”

In that place…Two of the most famous women from the Han Dynasty met their tragic ends. One was Qi, a favored consort of Emperor Liu Bang during his lifetime. She was brutally mutilated by Empress Lu Zhi in the “Yongxiang Yeting,” having her limbs chopped off, eyes gouged out, ears pierced to deafness, and throat silenced, ultimately turning into a human pig. The other was Lady Hook, a beloved concubine of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.

In his later years, Emperor Liu Che took measures to prevent Lady Hook, the mother of Crown Prince Liu Fuleng, from repeating the actions of Empress Lü Zhi by meddling in political affairs from the harem. Before his death, Emperor Liu Che directly ordered the secret execution of his concubine, Lady Hook, in the “Yongxiang Yeting.”

In the main tent of the central military camp, recalling the incidents of capturing Liu Bei’s daughters in his army, Cao Cao’s curiosity didn’t fade. Observing Cao Ju’s remarkable performance over the past few days, Cao Cao found it hard to believe that his son, who had suddenly shown his potential, would be a licentious person. Cao Cao was confident in his ability to judge people.

Continuing to read the accounts of Cao Ju’s actions, Cao Cao’s expression revealed an “I knew it” look.

“Hehe!”

“My son took Liu Bei’s daughters from the ‘holding area,’ intending to lay his hands on them is a ruse…”

“Perhaps his true intention is to reach Xu Yuanzhi (Xu Shu)!”

Thinking about Xu Shu’s silence after “abandoning” Liu Bei and “joining” Cao Cao, Cao Cao realized with delight that his son Cao Ju’s approach might have changed the mind of the talented and loyal Xu Yuanzhi.

“That’s right! That’s right!”

“Even if Zimou (Liu Bei) couldn’t get Jia Xu if he can recruit Xu Yuanzhi, he might be able to contend with Sima Yi and Chen Qun, who have sided with Zihuan (Cao Pi).”

Praising his son for a few more sentences, Cao Cao, who had lost his sleepiness, became increasingly interested in Cao Ju’s recent actions.

Unconsciously, the night grew darker…

On the other side…Cao Pi, who had returned from Sima Yi’s tent and had barely slept for half an hour, was again interrupted by a report from his trusted attendants. When he learned that Xu Chu, on Cao Cao’s orders, had taken the Heaven Sword to deliver it to his eighth younger brother, Cao Ju, the historical Emperor Wen of Wei, found himself suffering from insomnia once more!

The next day, before dawn, the army went about cooking meals. By the time the day had fully brightened, the soldiers had eaten their breakfast and were also prepared and ready. They only awaited Cao Cao’s command to continue their march.

As for Cao Cao… Though he had stayed up a bit later due to observing Cao Ju’s recent actions, he still carried an alert and spirited demeanor when he appeared before the soldiers.

“Set forth!”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“Continue heading south!”

In the following days of the march,

Cao Ju couldn’t help but wonder if it was his imagination, for his father Cao Cao’s gaze upon him always felt somewhat strange. And it wasn’t just that. Cao Cao seemed to have been struck by a whim. He had sent Cao Ju to Zhang Liao’s location to have him train in martial arts alongside Zhang Liao.

The result was…Cao Ju, who had no aptitude for martial arts and couldn’t bear the hardships of training, not only caused Zhang Liao, who had been entrusted by their lord to teach him martial skills, to feel very tired. Even Cao Ju himself…felt utterly exhausted. He had never aspired to become a formidable warrior on the battlefield!

The good news was that such days didn’t last long. Cao Ju’s martial skills, under Zhang Liao’s guidance, improved to a level that was no less than that of an… ordinary person! But when it came to opponents who were anything but ordinary…

In one-on-one combat, his chances of survival were slim!

On the eighth day of November, after nearly half a month of marching, the grand army finally reached the banks of Chao Lake. At that moment, warships covered the surface of Chao Lake. Cao Hong had arrived earlier and was now commanding the Wei navy at the confluence of Chao Lake and the Ruxu River, leading the vanguard army facing off against the Jiangdong navy.

On the masts of both navy’s ships, banners bearing the characters “Cao” and “Sun” fluttered in the strong winds, making a rustling sound. Although Sun Quan’s figure was not visible… Both Cao Cao and Cao Ju, father and son, were well aware:

Sun Quan was right there! Right before them!

The great battle between the two sides was about to erupt, just within reach.