Chapter 78

“Was there any trouble? Did Cao Biao insult the Rear General or something…?”

As soon as I entered the residence provided within the palace of Ye, Zhao Yun was already worrying about my safety.

“Don’t worry. There were no issues at all.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Ah, and I’ve also arranged the schedule for the condolence visit. Tomorrow, we’ll rest to recover from fatigue, and the day after, we’ll proceed. After the condolence, there’s a banquet planned to welcome the envoy.”

The schedule was heavily influenced by Cao Biao’s eagerness to enjoy the banquet quickly. Hearing my words, Zhao Yun asked about another schedule I hadn’t mentioned.

“What about paying respects to His Majesty?”

“That’s…”

Cao Biao, being shrewd.

Knowing that our justification was to meet Emperor Xian, he kept his mouth shut about any schedule outside the condolence visit.

Even a rotten fish has its uses. Cao Biao had his own expertise in strategies to gain the upper hand in negotiations. He inherited Cao Cao’s talents one by one. Inheriting Cao Cao’s political skills, he was a figure fit to be a successor.

“It’s going to be difficult.”

Zhao Yun’s expression darkened, as if he had read Cao Biao’s intentions.

Cao Biao will use Emperor Xian as a hostage to make various demands on us.

“Isn’t this what we expected?”

But we didn’t come here without knowing this might happen.

If we can’t meet, we’ve prepared countermeasures. Meeting directly is the best, but if that’s not possible, we can use it to build justification.

For example, criticizing Cao Biao for arbitrarily controlling the Emperor’s audience as tyranny. Liu Bei is also excellent in such framing battles.

Perhaps because I’ve relaxed my mind, even though I only rested for a short day, I feel almost completely recovered from fatigue.

Cao Cao’s condolence was brief. Even though we’re a condolence delegation, it was impossible to open Cao Cao’s public tomb to officials from an enemy state, so we paid our respects at Cao Cao’s family tomb.

There were rumors that Cao Cao built 72 family tombs to hide his real grave, but all that was fictional. Family tombs were only temporary, not meant to hide the real tomb.

Anyway, once the condolence, our stated purpose, was over, Cao Biao immediately announced a banquet.

Before the grand banquet at Dongjagdai, people came to help our condolence delegation prepare for the banquet. It was just for guiding and seating, so only one or two people were needed to inform us.

But the people who visited me were as many as four. Moreover, their appearance and attire were too beautiful to be ordinary palace maids.

Among the four women, the one in the middle, seemingly the representative, approached me and introduced themselves.

“Greetings. I am Mokyungsoo, sent by the King of Wei to attend to you. And the women with me, from my left, are Seolyarae, Jeonsangui, and Dangyosoo.”

Hearing their names, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

§

There are many and famous expressions for beauty.

Previously mentioned, like ‘Fish sinking, geese falling, moon hiding, flowers shying,’ ‘Beauty under the moon,’ ‘Nation’s beauty,’ ‘Charming moon,’ etc.

Many people, upon hearing, go ‘Ah, that one-‘ knowing some words, while others are heard for the first time.

But perhaps few have heard about the ten idioms describing the conditions of a beauty.

Among them, there’s a term called ‘Obalseonbin’ (烏髮蟬殯). Here, ‘Obal’ refers to crow-black hair, and ‘Seonbin’ refers to a hairstyle resembling a cicada’s wings, parted in two.

The reason I’m rambling about such trivial stories is that the term ‘Obalseonbin’ originates from the woman before me, Mokyungsoo.

Not just Mokyungsoo. The women who introduced themselves as Seolyarae, Jeonsangui, and Dangyosoo were not ordinary maids.

They were concubines who received special favor from Cao Biao, and each was unrivaled in their respective fields. That was the true identity of the women who visited me.

As mentioned, Mokyungsoo had the skill to manage hair and create the unique ‘Seonbin’ hairstyle. Seolyarae was exceptionally skilled in making clothes, called ‘Chimshin’ (針神). Jeonsangui was unrivaled in dance, and Dangyosoo was unmatched in makeup.

The reason Cao Biao sent them instead of palace maids was as clear as day.

He wanted me to receive their help to dress more beautifully than anyone else at the banquet.

Cao Biao’s attitude, treating me not as an envoy but as a spectacle for the banquet, was extremely unpleasant. No, to put it bluntly, it was downright irritating.

But what fault do they have? As Cao Biao’s concubines and subordinates, they’re just following orders.

I hid my anger and spoke to them calmly.

“I appreciate the consideration, but it’s okay. I’ll prepare myself, so just one guide is enough.”

Even if it’s just for guiding, I need to know where my seat is. I could follow the group and find my seat, but just in case, it’s better to go safely.

But even after my refusal, they hesitated and kept glancing at me.

“Is there a problem?”

“Ah, well, it’s…”

“If the King of Wei has given separate orders, you can tell me.”

Mokyungsoo still couldn’t speak easily. Her reverence for Cao Biao kept her mouth shut. But her attitude gave me a rough idea of what he might have said.

And as if to confirm my thoughts, Jeonsangui parted her lips.

“The King of Wei is clear about rewards and punishments. He said if we don’t follow his orders, he will punish us, so we beg you to allow us to fulfill our duties.”

For concubines of their status to lower themselves so much, their fear of Cao Biao must be significant.

By now, is it time for Cao Biao to start dismissing his concubines? Having witnessed the favored consort being neglected and falling from grace, they must be weary of Cao Biao’s whims and cruelty.

I sighed deeply and let them into the room.

“Please, come in first.”

The room I was assigned wasn’t small, but with five people, it felt quite crowded. They cautiously looked around.

Then, from one side, the four showed a curious gaze. Their eyes towards the armor and weapons revealed incomprehension.

‘These are items that don’t belong in a woman’s room.’

But I’m different from ordinary women. In fact, these are more familiar to me.

The most active in looking around, a woman who seemed more like a girl than me, Seolyarae, spoke to me.

“Um…”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Do you have any other clothes?”

I did bring clothes, but they were mostly mourning attire for the condolence and some my mother packed. The clothes I chose myself were plain, focusing more on mobility than style.

‘I was planning to just wear mourning attire if there was a banquet.’

I didn’t come as a princess but as the Rear General and chief envoy of the condolence delegation. There’s no need to fuss over clothes.

But seeing my clothes, Seolyarae stared at me in disbelief, her mouth agape. Her eyes seemed to lose focus. Is she okay?

Unlike Seolyarae’s reaction, Mokyungsoo, who was closely observing my hair, smiled very contentedly.

“Huhu, but you’ve been thorough with hair care. What kind of hair oil do you use?”

“Huh? I don’t use any.”

“Really?”

“I wash my hair every other day.”

After arriving in Ye and undoing my disguise, the first thing I did was wash. Perhaps because of my modern sensibility, I couldn’t stand not washing.

Unlike the future, washing was a common habit in this era. Washing hair every three days and bathing every five days was typical, so officials were even given a five-day bathing holiday called ‘Hyumok’ (休沐).

If men were like that, imagine women. High-ranking women even washed their hair daily. I’d like to do the same, but the situation is difficult.

Moreover, whether it’s the grace of the mountain spirit or not, my hair remains smooth and shiny without meticulous care, never splitting.

Mokyungsoo, as if determined to analyze my hair thoroughly, suddenly grabbed my hair and brought her eyes close.

“…Do you comb your hair every day?”

Combing? Isn’t that just running fingers through it? I usually keep it tied up, so there’s no need, right?

At my answer, Mokyungsoo made an expression closer to anger than Seolyarae’s.

“From what I hear, you’ve never tried makeup.”

“Or dancing or the demeanor of a court lady.”

Dangyosoo and Jeonsangui chimed in. Before entering, they were intimidated by my natural aura as a warrior, but now their attitude was completely opposite.

Their determined eyes, like those of a suicide squad, made me feel overwhelmed. Me, who has been through countless battles and now rules the battlefield.

‘When a woman holds a grudge, frost falls even in May.’

While everything depends on one’s resolve, isn’t this level of change too much?

Was there something wrong with what I said? I just stated the facts. But somehow, I felt that if I said this, I’d be scolded, so I kept my mouth shut.

“This won’t do. Having such a good body and leaving it like this is almost a sin!”

Jeonsangui, who had been subtly touching my body over my clothes, clenched her fists and shouted with all her might. To me, who has heard countless battle cries and screams, it just seemed cute, but her determination was clear.

“Sigh… Alright. But I have conditions too.”

Makeup, hair care, attire, demeanor. Dressing and behaving femininely is still being an envoy. No matter how much they cry and beg, I won’t accept that.

Thinking of Cao Biao, it’s pitiful, but I have no moral obligation to protect them. And even if I completely ignored them, Cao Biao would have let it slide.

Would he have dismissed beauties with both looks and talent for such a thing? But considering Cao Biao, he would have punished them.

So my condition was simple.

“I set the terms. If you can’t follow this, then I have nothing more to say to you.”