Chapter 10: The Heart of a Youth

This time, as he returned triumphantly to the capital, Cao Cao was in remarkably high spirits. What delighted him was not that he had routed Liu Bei so thoroughly, but rather that, by a twist of fate, he once again found himself with the opportunity to win Guan Yu over to his side.

Cao Cao had no shortage of great generals under his command—his brothers in the Cao family were all capable, the Xiahou clan’s sons were equally reliable, and with the likes of Xu Chu and others, he could boast a wealth of talent for any kind of warfare.

Yet, as Cao Cao himself put it, though he had Guo Fengxiao (Guo Jia) for strategy, among his warriors there was no one who equaled Guo Jia’s brilliance among his counselors. He had many with the ability of a general, but none with the talent of a true commander. Otherwise, Cao Cao believed, he need not personally take the field as commander-in-chief in every major battle.

In Cao Cao’s mind, Guan Yu was precisely that rare commander. Back when Liu Bei first brought Guan Yu to Xuchang, Cao Cao had already tried to recruit him, but Guan Yu had not responded. Now, however, another chance had presented itself.

On the journey back to Xuchang, Cao Cao sat in his spacious carriage, drinking with Guo Jia.

“Fengxiao, Guan Yu is a man of unyielding character. I wish to bring him under my command. What wise counsel do you have?”

Cao Cao rarely concealed his thoughts from Guo Jia. If he was at a loss, he admitted it. Among men, he cared little for saving face; only in front of women did Cao Cao strive to maintain the reputation of being the foremost man in the Han. But that was little more than a pretense.

“Would the Minister like to hear the truth or a pleasing lie?” Guo Jia took a delicate sip of wine, brushed his sleeve, and asked with a half-smile.

Cao Cao understood that Guo Jia was not a man for idle banter; his own motives were transparent to Guo Jia. So, with a sigh, Cao Cao replied, “Naturally, I want the truth. You know my thoughts well.”

“If you truly wish to hear the truth, then after we return to the capital, you should have Guan Yu executed.”

A long silence followed. Cao Cao finally set down his cup and asked quietly, “And what would the lie be?”

“To keep Guan Yu at your side is, in fact, quite simple. He is a servant of the Han, as are you. He and those to whom he is loyal are all in the capital. That should suffice. But you must understand: if the man remains but his heart is absent, it may backfire. Guan Yu considers himself a servant of the Han, but his loyalty is neither to His Majesty nor to you.”

Clearly, in Guo Jia’s eyes, there was little about Guan Yu that remained hidden.

But Cao Cao was not one to admit defeat. Glancing at Guo Jia’s ever-impassive face, he laughed and said, “Fengxiao, I know you are uncanny in your foresight, but even the wisest can make mistakes. I still have some confidence that Guan Yu will serve me. Heroes always have their own obstacles to overcome, don’t they?”

Guo Jia merely smiled and said nothing.

Meanwhile, though Guan Yu was no longer bound and even rode a horse of his own, he showed no intention of leaving Cao Cao’s army. The reason was simple: Liu Bei’s two wives were traveling in a carriage nearby. Though Cao Cao had said nothing, Guan Yu knew well that escaping alone would be easy, but once gone, there was no telling what fate would befall his two sisters-in-law. If they were to be violated by Cao Cao or any other, how could he ever face Liu Bei again?

Thus, Guan Yu could only ride beside the carriage, guarding his sisters-in-law, deciding to take things one step at a time.

While Cao Cao was still on his way back, Fu Wan, for the first time, took the initiative to visit Lady Fu. In truth, his purpose was to see Emperor Xian.

“Your Majesty, tomorrow Cao Cao will reach the capital. His victory this time was decisive. That the Imperial Uncle is still alive is a stroke of luck…”

“He is no uncle of mine, but a traitor to the Han. Moreover, the Minister’s victory was entirely within my expectations.”

Emperor Xian was making it clear to Fu Wan not to panic; the time for action had not yet come. For now, everything remained within his control.

“Your Majesty, this time the Minister has captured Guan Yu, the renowned general under Liu Bei, as well as Liu Bei’s two wives. It is said the Minister is eager for talent and wishes to recruit Guan Yu.”

Guan Yu was, after all, the most famed of Liu Bei’s officers, his prowess witnessed by all. Now that Emperor Xian had resolved not to side with Cao Cao any longer, he was none too pleased to see him grow ever more powerful.

“As for Guan Yu, my wish is that he be executed, and those two women—if the Minister finds them pleasing, let him have them. Why all this fuss? My opinion must be made known to the Minister, General of Supporting the State!”

The well-known risk of eavesdroppers meant Emperor Xian did not state outright what Fu Wan wished to hear, but his intention—to urge Cao Cao to have Guan Yu executed—was clear enough.

The next day at noon, Cao Cao’s procession arrived outside Xuchang. All the officials, civil and military, came out to greet him. After all, those who had survived in the court were no fools; they knew which way the wind blew.

“Minister, two days ago I informed His Majesty of your victory. The Emperor was overjoyed and even wanted to go out to greet you himself, but I persuaded him otherwise,” Cheng Yu reported as soon as Cao Cao entered the city, giving a full account of events in Xuchang during his absence, with Emperor Xian naturally being a point of interest.

“Oh? Since when has he shown such enthusiasm for military affairs?”

Previously, when Cao Cao went to war, Emperor Xian always said the right things but remained emotionally detached, as if these matters had nothing to do with him. But this time, things were clearly different.

“In my view, Your Majesty still harbors resentment over the matter of the blood-stained decree. Had it not been for Wang Zifu’s inadvertent disclosure, once the affair was exposed, the Minister would likely have blamed the Emperor. His Majesty also said that the Minister should execute Guan Yu directly. As for Liu Bei’s wives, the Minister may do as he pleases—execute them or take them into his own household…”

“Hmph, our Emperor is still a youth at heart. He thinks that by executing Yun Chang, he’ll have his revenge, but does he realize that the Han would lose a great general? Let him have his little moment—those words are empty. And as for Liu Bei’s wives, they cannot be brought into my residence. They are far too useful for keeping Guan Yu in check! Is there anything else?”

Cheng Yu thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Zhang Hong slipped away toward Jiangdong not long ago. Whether he will return, I do not know.”

At this news, Cao Cao showed little reaction, but Guo Jia’s brow furrowed at once.