For Cao Cao, what he saw after entering the city unexpectedly lifted his spirits.
It was not that his situation had improved. He was still a defeated warlord, still a prisoner, still a man whose empire had collapsed in barely half a month. Yet the familiar streets of Xuchang stirred something in him. Memory, pride, bitterness, and a strange curiosity all mixed together.
At one point he even insisted on being taken to the courtyard where Liu Bei had once stayed when he lived under Cao Cao's protection.
The request was passed on.
Liu Bei's reply came back quickly:
> "When I was a guest in Xuchang, we rode in the same carriage and sat at the same table. Now, we should keep to the same old ways."
Only then did Cao Cao drop the idea.
In truth, it had only been a passing impulse. Even if Liu Bei had agreed, Cao Cao could hardly have gone himself. His legs were bound in splints, his sleeves rolled up to reveal bruises that had not yet faded. Of his whole body, only his two hands could move freely.
Fortunately, once he entered the city, several younger members of the Cao clan were assigned to care for his daily needs. Without them, even the simple matters of eating, washing, and turning in bed would have been difficult.
Still, when the sun sank in the west and dusk settled over the compound, Cao Cao lay on the barbarian-style couch, staring at the courtyard roofline, and sorrow crept in.
Thirty years of foundation, gone.
In thirteen days, heaven and earth overturned. A man who once stood at the peak of power now lay as a captive.
Worse still, the son who had cut off his last road of retreat was either dead or alive somewhere unknown.
At this hour, on any day before yesterday, he would probably have been seated beside a bowl of fish soup already gone cold, studying maps and searching for a way to break the stalemate.
Now there was no stalemate to break.
And that made the emptiness feel even sharper.
Fortunately, someone arrived unexpectedly and broke his spiral of thoughts.
"Gongda… are you well?"
Cao Cao reached out with both hands and grasped the visitor's arm, genuine delight lighting his face.
Since the start of the year, Xun You had been bedridden for long stretches, his illness waxing and waning so badly that Cao Cao had feared he might not survive the year. Yet here he was now, walking in person to pay a visit.
"I am ashamed," Xun You said softly. "If not for this weak body dragging me down, I could have remained by your side and perhaps…"
Cao Cao waved a hand, cutting him off.
Of all the excuses he heard these days, this was the one he believed the least. His own wounds reminded him constantly of the terrifying weapon Zhang Fei had described in exaggerated terms. Yet those exaggerations had proven mild compared to reality. That thunderous force truly seemed like the work of a banished immortal.
"The assaults came one after another," Cao Cao said. "Less than half a month from start to finish. Every direction collapsed. Forget victories. There were scarcely any who could hold even a single day."
He paused, then added with reluctant admiration,
"That Zhuge Kongming… truly worthy of being Liu Xuande's right arm. His temple calculations and strategic foresight are unmatched."
Xun You blinked in surprise.
"But during the Jing-Xiang campaign, you said the Zhuge fellow was probably overpraised…"
Cao Cao coughed loudly and forcibly skipped past that remark.
"Let us not speak of that. And do not call me 'My Lord' anymore. If you do not mind, call me Mengde. I know your talent. As for Liu Xuande's side…"
"My Lord!"
Xun You raised his voice and looked at him steadily.
After a long moment, Cao Cao laughed and sighed.
"With Gongda still alive, I could go to the underworld without worrying about offerings of blood and food."
"My Lord…"
This time the call carried a trace of grief.
Cao Cao smiled faintly and changed the subject.
He spoke of the brief defeat he had witnessed on the battlefield.
He spoke of Liu Bei's strange, almost delusional words.
He spoke of the scholars at the city gate being ignored.
He spoke of everything that had happened since yesterday.
When he finished, Xun You fell silent for a long while.
Then he said quietly,
"What you described may not be nonsense from the Five Pecks of Rice Sect."
Cao Cao's brow twitched.
Xun You continued,
"Some time ago, spies sent to Jiangdong reported that every three months, near the end of the month, there is a private gathering among Liu Bei's inner circle."
Cao Cao remembered it immediately.
Tracking the movements of important figures was never difficult, and the timing had been too regular to ignore. Jiangdong had tried to investigate but found nothing useful, so the intelligence was eventually shared as a bargaining chip.
Even with the information, Cao Cao had never found a way to exploit it.
After all, Liu Bei himself attended those meetings. And among those present… who could possibly bribe Guan Yu? Who could turn Zhang Fei?
"You think," Cao Cao said slowly, "that our defeat is connected to these quarterly meetings?"
Xun You nodded, then sighed.
"For the past half year, Wenruo often came to check on my illness. Because of that, we spoke frequently about affairs of the realm…"
He hesitated, then continued.
"Even without mentioning the thunderous weapon you saw on the battlefield, Liu Bei's speed in restoring the provinces alone is astonishing."
"Xiangfan was emptied by war. Yet last year, when our scouts approached from Biyang, they reported…"
"It was already showing signs of revival," Cao Cao finished.
He remembered the report clearly.
And suddenly he recalled Zhang Fei's three questions that had struck like thunder. Xun You's words were still being gentle, still leaving things unsaid. But how Xiangfan had become an empty city… Cao Cao knew that better than anyone.
"And not only there," Xun You went on. "Hanzhong, Guanzhong… even Luoyang…"
Cao Cao's expression lost interest, and he cut him off.
"I know this already. Tell me instead… Wenruo now…"
Xun You looked troubled, but eventually answered honestly.
"Someone saw Liu Bei visit Wenruo this evening."
For a moment, Cao Cao felt a chaotic swirl of emotions.
Then he remembered the cold look in Xun Yu's eyes when Cao Cao had once spoken of proclaiming kingship. In the end, Cao Cao forced out a smile.
"In that case… Wenruo will finally have the chance to display his learning. Fortunate indeed. We should drink to that."
There was no wine here. Only boiled water left to cool by Liu Bei's soldiers.
Yet when Cao Cao drank it, the plain water tasted bitter.
Seeing his mood sink, Xun You explained softly,
"If we count the months, tomorrow should be the next day of Liu Bei's gathering."
"The mystery here… may be revealed tomorrow."
"Tomorrow…"
Cao Cao murmured the word, then lifted the cup again.
Soon after, Xun You departed.
With nothing else to do, Cao Cao lay down and tried to sleep. He had assumed the bed would be too hard, and that the constant threat of execution would keep him restless.
Instead, he closed his eyes once and opened them again to find the sky already bright.
And a voice that could probably be heard ten li away.
"Prime Minister!"
"Still alive or not!?"
Before Cao Cao could even react, Zhang Fei burst in like a storm, scooped him up under one arm, and turned to leave without a word.
At last, Cao Cao's composure cracked.
"Outrageous! Put me down!"
Zhang Fei vaulted onto a horse with practiced ease and tilted his head.
"You sure?"
Of course he was not sure.
Cao Cao could accept being defeated and executed by Liu Bei. He could even accept being blown to pieces yesterday by that incomprehensible divine weapon.
But falling off a horse because Zhang Fei let go of him midway and dying like that… absolutely not.
So he pulled his sleeve over his face and changed the subject.
"Zhang Fei. Was humiliating me yesterday not enough for you?"
Despite the words, there was little anger in his tone. If anything, there was a faint anticipation.
Because at this time, in this direction, the defeat he had been pondering, the mystery Xun You mentioned, Liu Bei's transformation since leaving Xu Province… all of it seemed to be approaching an answer.
Yet before that answer appeared, someone unexpected stood in the way.
"Second Brother, you're here!"
Zhang Fei shouted loudly, sincerity overflowing.
Guan Yu, looking slightly weary, reined in his horse and turned back. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Yide."
After the Public Security campaign, the two brothers had parted ways. One went north to hold Jingbei and face Cao Cao through many seasons. The other entered Yi Province, crossed Hanzhong, intimidated Yong Province, and even marched far into Liang Province, traveling tens of thousands of li.
Now they met again.
There should have been countless things to say.
Yet in the end, Zhang Fei only urged,
"No need to remove your armor. Big Brother must be waiting. Go quickly."
Guan Yu nodded and rode off.
Only after he disappeared did Cao Cao lower the sleeve covering his face and say softly,
"Yunchang's bearing… surpasses even the past."
Zhang Fei grinned.
"Then why didn't you greet him just now?"