Cao, the Thirty-Fifth

Seeing that Cai Yan had accepted his proposal, Luan Yi was overcome with excitement. In that moment, it was as if the surrounding noisy crowd had vanished. He hugged Cai Yan a little too tightly without realizing it.

Cai Yan wrinkled her nose. “Ziqi, you’re hurting me!”

Luan Yi laughed it off. “I’m just too excited, that’s all!”

Just as Luan Yi and the others were caught in this chaotic moment, the thunder of galloping hooves suddenly erupted from the direction of Luoyang. Dust billowed in the air, and in no time a troop of over a hundred cavalrymen appeared, instantly drawing everyone’s attention and bringing a hush over the scene.

The leader of the cavalry shouted, “Everyone, cease at once! The poetry gathering is over—if you linger, do you mean to disturb the order of the capital?”

Hearing this, the crowd realized things had gotten out of hand and quickly quieted down. They glanced at Luan Yi, hesitated, and began to disperse.

Luan Yi let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly looked around for Guo Jia and the others. Fortunately, the most zealous fans had targeted him, so Guo Jia’s group had suffered less in comparison—though they were still disheveled and covered in dust, looking utterly bedraggled, but at least none were injured.

Seeing his friends all safe, Luan Yi’s heart finally settled back into his chest. He quickly approached the cavalry and thanked the leader. “I am Luan Ziqi of Yingchuan. Thank you, General, for coming to my aid.”

The leader, a stalwart man clad in fine armor, swung down from his horse and laughed heartily. “I’m no general. I am Chunyu Qiong, Captain of the West Gate. A pleasure to meet you, Master Ziqi.”

“Oh? Might you be Chunyu Zhongjian?” Luan Yi was momentarily taken aback and realized it was him. During the time of the warlords, he had served under Yuan Shao, and later, during the Battle of Guandu, he guarded Wuchao. Yet, after getting drunk, he was caught off guard by Cao Cao’s surprise attack, which completely changed the course of the battle. With these thoughts, Luan Yi scrutinized Chunyu Qiong. The man stood well over seven feet, broad and muscular, with a square, chiseled face—by Eastern Han standards, he was certainly considered handsome.

“Oh? Master Ziqi knows my name as well?” Chunyu Qiong was surprised that a mere gate captain like himself was known by such a renowned scholar, and a surge of pride welled in his heart.

Luan Yi quietly chuckled to himself. He had never heard of Chunyu Qiong outside of the tales—he only knew the name thanks to Mr. Luo Guanzhong’s famous novel. Still, he put on a courteous front. “I have long admired your great name, General Chunyu. Were it not for your timely rescue today, who knows what trouble might have ensued? I shall remember this kindness and will surely find a way to repay it.” With that, he made a show of kneeling in thanks.

Chunyu Qiong hurried forward to stop him. “Please, sir, rise—please! I am not worthy of such an honor. Truthfully, I only came to your aid at another’s request. If you wish to thank someone, thank the one who sent me.”

“Oh?” Luan Yi’s curiosity was piqued. He thought to himself that apart from Cai Yong, he knew no one in Luoyang, and Cai Yong held no real power—how could he command gate soldiers? Unable to puzzle it out, he asked, “May I ask who it was that requested your help?”

Chunyu Qiong smiled and pointed toward the nearby hilltop where Luan Yi had just been, saying, “The one who sent me is right over there.”

Luan Yi looked up and saw a man rise from the tea stall atop the hill. The stranger bowed in greeting from afar. Judging by his appearance, he was not yet thirty, dark-skinned and short—just a little over six feet, and even shorter than the thirteen-year-old Luan Yi. His beard curled thickly over his cheeks and hung sloppily from his chin, giving him an unkempt look. Yet, on his neither handsome nor ugly face, his eyes stood out—a pair of hawk-like eyes, sharp as needles, seeming to pierce straight through to one’s heart.

Not recognizing this man, Luan Yi turned to Chunyu Qiong. “Who is he?”

Chunyu Qiong just smiled and said, “I must return to my duties. Farewell for now!” With that, he mounted his horse, waved his whip, and led his soldiers back to the city in a cloud of yellow dust.

Watching Chunyu Qiong’s retreating figure and then the stranger descending the slope toward him, Luan Yi waved and, together with his friends, climbed the hill.

From a distance, he bowed in thanks. “Sir, your great kindness I shall never forget.”

The man hurried over in quick steps and returned the bow. “I am Cao Cao, styled Mengde, at your service, Master Ziqi and the talented youth of Yingchuan. It was but a small effort—not worthy of such gratitude.”

“You?” Luan Yi’s heart skipped a beat. This was no ordinary figure of the Three Kingdoms—he was the one whom Xu Zijiang would later call “a capable minister in times of peace, a great hero in times of chaos,” the future overlord of a fractured world. “You are the very Cao Mengde who established the Five-Colored Staffs to maintain order in the capital and executed the eunuch Jian Shuo by law?”

“That is I,” Cao Cao replied with a nod.

“I have long admired your reputation! Truly…” Luan Yi was overcome with emotion—far more than when he had met Guo Jia and the others. After all, when he’d met Guo Jia’s group, they were just children barely grown, and the yawning gap between reality and history made it hard to feel much awe. But now, Cao Cao stood before him just as he was pictured in the illustrated storybooks. “Truly, I have long admired your great name.”

Cao Cao noticed Luan Yi’s excitement and found it a bit awkward, even puzzling. He wondered why Luan Yi was so thrilled to meet him!

With a laugh, he asked if Luan Yi was free that evening and invited him to dine and drink together.

With an invitation from Cao Cao, Luan Yi readily agreed. In truth, he was eager to converse with the future ruler of the largest power during the Three Kingdoms era, and to gauge Cao Cao’s character firsthand. If he found the man less suspicious than the history books claimed, perhaps it would be a wise choice to serve under him and safeguard his family’s lives. And, with his own skills and those of his friends, perhaps they could hasten the end of chaos and restore prosperity sooner.

These thoughts flashed through Luan Yi’s mind, and he nodded. “Since you invite me, Master Cao, I would be honored to accept.”

After the earlier chaos, the group’s clothes were filthy and tattered; Luan Yi’s robe had been ripped into strips, and even his right sleeve had been torn off. With no other choice, they returned to the Cai residence to change before heading to the banquet.

On the way back to the city, upon learning that the dinner would be held at the Plum Blossom Courtyard, Cai Yan’s expression toward Cao Cao became frosty. She immediately claimed she was too tired and did not wish to attend. Luan Yi was baffled, though Guo Jia seemed to understand and chuckled to himself.

Luan Yi asked Guo Jia what he was laughing about, but Guo Jia refused to answer. When Luan Yi turned to ask Cai Yan, she just kept her head down, walking in silence, only reminding him twice not to act rashly at the Plum Blossom Courtyard, lest there be serious consequences.

“What consequences could come of having a meal?” Luan Yi wondered, but could not figure it out. Only when they reached the entrance to the Plum Blossom Courtyard and saw its exterior—and the heavily made-up women at the door—did he finally understand. “Brother Mengde, are we really dining here tonight?”

“Indeed!” Cao Cao replied. “This is the finest establishment in Luoyang!”

Luan Yi pointed at the women by the door. “Are you sure this is a restaurant, and not something else?”

Cao Cao burst out laughing. “You mean a brothel? Well, the Plum Blossom Courtyard’s main business is fine food and wine; what they do is just a sideline!”

Luan Yi could only sigh. After all, the Luan family ran similar businesses. What’s more, most brothels in ancient China were much cleaner than their later counterparts. Most of the women inside sold their talents, not their bodies; only those with no other skills were forced into flesh trade. Thus, all the girls strove to master some art, even cooking a delicious meal could save them much grief, and perhaps attract the attention of a nobleman, securing their future as a concubine in a rich household.

For this reason, ancient Chinese brothels produced many talented women—like Li Shishi, Chen Yuanyuan, Su Xiaoxiao, Liu Rushi—all adept in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, true paragons of their time.

Thus, the atmosphere in such places was quite refined, not at all like the vulgar dens of later years, where a room divided by thin partitions with a bed in the middle would suffice to start business.

Just like the Plum Blossom Courtyard before him: a spacious hall, elegant décor, lush gardens, and fragrant flowers everywhere. Beyond the main hall, a small courtyard boasted rockeries and flowing water, with plum blossoms and roses vying for beauty and fragrance. It was truly like a place for immortals… Yet—“Eh? Why does this layout look so familiar?” Luan Yi glanced around in surprise.

“No wonder it looks familiar! This place is a mirror image of our very own Qifeng Pavilion,” Guo Jia said, pursing his lips.

“That explains it!” Luan Yi suddenly understood. He hadn’t expected his own design for Qifeng Pavilion to be copied here in the capital.

Cao Cao smiled. “Qifeng Pavilion’s reputation is well known throughout the capital—no surprise some would imitate it. But alas, while the scenery here matches Qifeng Pavilion, the dishes pale in comparison. You’ll have to make do tonight.”

“Not at all! Luoyang is the capital of the Han, the city of ten thousand cities—surely it boasts countless delicacies. I’m eager to taste the flavors of the capital.”

“No need for modesty,” Cao Cao waved his hand. “Qifeng Pavilion’s cuisine is the best in the world—everyone knows it. Compared to that, Luoyang’s fare suffers. Still, there is something here that Qifeng Pavilion lacks.”

“And what might that be?” Luan Yi wondered why everyone seemed so fond of keeping secrets today.

Cao Cao cast his gaze over the passing beauties, a sly smile on his lips. “A true wonder.”

“Them?” Luan Yi looked around. There were indeed many lovely faces, but none could compare to Cai Yan.

Cao Cao shook his head. “Not them. There is a woman here—a peerless beauty—who comes to sing at the Plum Blossom Courtyard on the tenth day of every month, performing only one song before leaving in haste. When she sings, she sits behind that beaded curtain over there, her face veiled by a silk scarf. After her song, she poses a riddle—only those who can solve it may see her face and dine with her. Yet to this day, no one has answered her questions, so no one knows her name or what she looks like. But through the hazy veil, her enchanting eyes can be seen, and all agree her beauty must be extraordinary. Some even compare her to a goddess descended to earth.”