Chapter 33

Hanzhong Army, Nanjing County.

He was there.

The man who seized the hegemony of this era.

The conqueror of the Central Plains, his name was Cao Cao.

Cao Cao looked down with boredom at the man bowing at his feet.

“Lord, please forgive this foolish one who dared to oppose you.”

The one begging for forgiveness was Elder Zhang, who once ruled Hanzhong. Contrary to his wishes, he failed to control his subordinates and chose to resist Cao Cao, resulting in failure.

What power does a defeated man have? Begging for the victor’s mercy was the only thing left for the defeated.

And Cao Cao willingly showed mercy to Elder Zhang.

“Elder Zhang, rise. I have seen your reports preserved intact. How could that be the action of one who sought a desperate fight? I know it was not your true intention, so lift your head.”

“Lord…”

Elder Zhang, moved to tears, looked up at Cao Cao.

Though taller than the average man of this era, he was not a giant. His body, even now in wealth and glory, remained sturdy but not massive.

Yet, to Elder Zhang, Cao Cao appeared larger than anyone else. A small giant. That was Cao Cao.

Long ago, Elder Zhang had seen the Emperor from a distance. Though he had only glimpsed him secretly, the Son of Heaven seemed no different from an ordinary man.

But the man before him now, Cao Cao, was different. His overwhelming presence was incomparable to the boastful rulers of the past.

“I appoint you as General of the South and enfeoff you as Marquis of Langzhong.”

“Such undeserved grace.”

Elder Zhang thanked Cao Cao with words fit for a king. Though his behavior was clearly improper, no one dared to criticize.

“Hanzhong will remain under your rule, but I will take control of the military.”

“Of course.”

Those in Hanzhong who might have opposed had long been killed or broken in battle against Cao Cao. At this moment, Cao Cao’s word was law in Hanzhong.

“Xiahou Yuan, Zhang He.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He stepped forward at Cao Cao’s call.

“I entrust Hanzhong to you.”

“Understood.”

Having placed his trusted relatives and capable generals in Hanzhong, Cao Cao now planned to withdraw and recover the strength depleted by the long war.

But his advisors, who had helped him conquer Hanzhong, thought differently.

“Lord, why do you plan to withdraw now?”

The one daring to question Cao Cao’s judgment.

Beneath his gentle gaze lay cold ruthlessness, and his calm voice carried strong determination. His name was Sima Yi, a man whose cunning even Cao Cao found unsettling.

As the Prime Minister’s advisor, Sima Yi’s words made Cao Cao hide his displeasure.

“What do you mean, Zhongda?”

“With Elder Zhang’s surrender and Hanzhong under your control, Yi Province trembles at your might. If we press this advantage and attack Shu, they will surely crumble like tiles.”

Cao Cao clicked his tongue at Sima Yi’s suggestion to push forward and attack Shu.

“Tsk. Zhongda, you are truly greedy. A man must know contentment. It is the lack of contentment that leads to ruin and suffering. I have already gained Nong; why would I covet Shu? That is overreaching.”

Cao Cao’s reference to the ancient tale of Guangwu Emperor made Sima Yi bow deeply and retreat, biting his lip in frustration.

Another who shared Sima Yi’s thoughts was Yu Ye, also an advisor.

“Lord, Liu Bei claims righteousness, drawing people to him and uniting them firmly. However, his actions contradict his proclaimed righteousness, so he has not gained the full trust of the Shu people. If left unchecked, Zhuge Liang inside and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei outside will support Liu Bei, completing an impregnable fortress. It is right to strike now and eliminate future troubles.”

“Ziyang (Yu Ye’s courtesy name), your argument sees only one side and misses the other.”

Cao Cao immediately countered Yu Ye’s words.

“Liu Bei has held Yi Province for over half a year. Even if he temporarily lost favor, he has surely regained it by now. And have you not heard? Zhang Fei’s daughter, Zhang Lan, has shown intent to submit to us, and the story of her pacifying the Ba tribes is spreading throughout Yi Province.”

At Cao Cao’s words, Xiahou Yuan, who had been standing like a statue, twitched. He too had been paying attention to Zhang Fei’s daughter, as she was his grandniece.

Unaware of Xiahou Yuan’s reaction, Yu Ye continued boldly.

“Though Zhang Fei’s daughter has shown some martial prowess, how can that be pure truth? It must be mixed with falsehoods to win public sentiment. Moreover, Liu Bei is in conflict with Sun Quan over Jing Province and is not in Yi Province. Even the fearsome Guan Yu is tied down in Jing Province. Is this not the perfect opportunity?”

In the original history, the time gap between Liu Bei’s conquest of Yi Province and Cao Cao’s conquest of Hanzhong was not great. And Elder Zhang’s surrender to Cao Cao was supposed to happen in November, not now.

But history had long been twisted by Zhang Lan.

Liu Bei had taken Yi Province half a year earlier, and Zhang Lan’s stabilization of the Ba Army led Elder Zhang to surrender to Cao Cao instead of fleeing to Bazhong. Thus, Cao Cao had fully secured Hanzhong months ahead of time.

Originally, upon hearing of Elder Zhang’s surrender in November, Liu Bei hastily negotiated with Sun Quan over Jing Province and returned. But with Elder Zhang’s early surrender, Liu Bei was now in a difficult position to return immediately.

As Yu Ye said, Yi Province was indeed more vulnerable than ever.

But this was not much different from the original history. And even then, Cao Cao had insisted on withdrawing. Even with the Ba tribes submitting to him, he had done so.

Fa Zheng, observing this, guessed that Cao Cao’s withdrawal was not due to lack of ambition but some internal reason.

Indeed, Cao Cao judged that he could not continue the war.

From 208 to the late summer of 215, Cao Cao had waged war almost continuously, except for recovering from the defeat at Red Cliffs.

The Battle of Red Cliffs, the Siege of Nanjun, the Siege of Hefei, the Battle of Daling, the Battle of Tong Pass, the Battle of Yushui, the Battle of Xingshui, the Western Liang Campaign, and the Hanzhong Campaign.

Cao Cao did not underestimate Liu Bei. Rather, he prided himself on being the only one in the world who fully understood Liu Bei’s true worth.

In the world, the only heroes were Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Sun Quan, who defeated him at Red Cliffs, and Zhou Yu, who defeated his trusted Zhao Yun, were insufficient in Cao Cao’s eyes.

‘Liu Bei, you too seek to grasp the pearl of power.’

Closing his eyes, Cao Cao vividly recalled the scene at the Hunting Banquet. Liu Bei, startled by thunder, dropping his chopsticks in fear—was that truly fear?

‘No. You may deceive the world, but you cannot deceive me, Cao Cao.’

Like a tiger hiding its claws, Liu Bei had crouched, waiting for the right moment. For a moment like this.

‘Xuande, you must be the destiny bestowed upon me, Cao Mengde.’

Heaven sends trials for heroes.

Cao Cao had overcome countless trials and hardships to reach this point.

For the great undertaking of unifying the land, Cao Cao had endured the bitterness of loss and defeat, walking steadfastly forward.

Even when he stumbled at the Battle of Red Cliffs, he rose again.

And he became certain. Liu Bei was the greatest, strongest, and final wall he faced.

“Zhang He.”

“Yes, Lord.”

When Cao Cao called Zhang He, Yu Ye’s anticipation turned to joy.

“I give you 20,000 troops.”

The reason for giving troops to Zhang He instead of Xiahou Yuan was clear. Entrust Hanzhong to Xiahou Yuan and use Zhang He to attack Shu.

“There is no need to go deep into Western Shu. Stirring up the three Ba regions is enough.”

If Liu Bei had not been so victorious without a single failure.

If, as in the original history, he had suffered defeat at Luocheng and failed to pacify the Ba tribes, Cao Cao might have withdrawn, waiting for the future.

But Liu Bei’s current momentum was too overwhelming, provoking Cao Cao’s sense of crisis.

The decisive moment would come someday, but before that, Cao Cao judged it necessary to break Liu Bei’s momentum, even at great cost.

“Ziyang. You stay in Hanzhong with Xiahou Yuan and support Zhang He.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Zhang He and Yu Ye. Talents who could deliver victories in any field. With 20,000 troops, guides could easily be found in Hanzhong.

“Zhang Fei and his daughter Zhang Lan remain in Ba, but be cautious.”

“I will remember, Lord.”

The storm was gathering again over the stabilized Bashu.

‘Xuande. I, Cao Mengde, will uncover the truth about your beloved niece.’

The wind blew from the north.