Chapter 99

Chapter 733: The Fox's Wiles (2)

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"Huh? What did you just say? General of the Right? Did I hear you wrong?"

The position of General of the Right did not exist.

However, a general with the characters for East, West, South, or North and the word "general" attached could be called a Grand General. For example, a general with the characters 征 (conquer) or 鎭 (pacify) followed by one of the four directions and the word "general" could be called a Grand General.

For instance, a 征西 (Conqueror of the West) or 鎭東 (Pacifier of the East) general could be called a Grand General, but someone who held the 安南 (Pacifier of the South) general position could not be called a Grand General.

In any case, a position that could be called a Grand General was one of the highest-ranking officials, comparable to the Three Excellencies.

"I did not hear wrong. I clearly said General of the Right."

The young emperor's reaction to the fox's words was one of bewilderment. He tilted his head.

"Didn't I clearly say I would appoint Old General Lü to the Pacifier of the East position?"

"Indeed, that is what you said."

"But how can it make sense to appoint this Yu Zisi to a Grand General position?"

"How can it not make sense, Your Majesty?"

The young emperor kept shaking his head.

"How can a wise person like you not understand such a simple thing? If you follow what you just said, you would be giving Yu Zisi a higher position than Old General Lü."

"Please enlighten me on why this cannot be done."

"Old General Lü repelled Huang Boshun's forces, not Yu Zisi. Moreover, it's clear that they are close friends, given that Yu Zisi moved his troops without orders to help Old General Lü."

"This is the perfect opportunity to use the good relationship between Lü Bu and Lü Shi."

The young emperor bit his lower lip, seemingly displeased with the fox's words.

"So, you're suggesting I create a rift between Old General Lü and Yu Zisi?"

"Your Majesty, wise indeed!"

* * *

"Why must this be done? Lü Shi is a loyal minister of the Han. Moreover, his popularity in the military is the highest among the three Commandants. Not to mention, even the Chancellor of the East fears him. There's no need to offend such a person, is there?"

If Lü Bu were given a higher position than Lü Shi, it could create a rift between them, which was the fox's wiles.

Jealousy and rivalry are important factors that move people's hearts. The fox intended to use this to create a rift between them, but the young emperor needed a reason to do so.

"By appointing Lü Bu as the General of the Right, Your Majesty will gain two advantages. The first is that you can prevent Dong Zhuo from sending troops."

"What does appointing Yu Zisi as the General of the Right have to do with Dong Zhuo sending troops?"

"Dong Zhuo boasts about his ability to suppress the Qiang tribes, but Lü Bu is the bravest in the land. If you entrust the pacification of Guanxi to Lü Bu instead of Dong Zhuo, you can not only prevent the Qiang tribes' troubles in advance but also reduce Dong Zhuo's influence in Guanxi."

"Brilliant...! Brilliant...!"

The young emperor felt as if the fog was lifting as he listened to the fox.

Dong Zhuo's base is in Liangzhou. His current haste to suppress the Qiang tribes is also to solidify his position in Liangzhou.

However, if Lü Bu were sent instead of Dong Zhuo, the suppression of the Qiang tribes would succeed, and the people of Guanxi would loudly praise Lü Bu's name instead of Dong Zhuo's.

The fox then discussed the second advantage.

"The second is that it can suppress the momentum of the Mingmen Society."

"Mingmen Society!"

The young emperor felt his anger rise just hearing the name. They did not recognize his legitimacy. The person they secretly supported was the Prince of Jiliu, Xie. The young emperor and the Prince of Jiliu were brothers born of the same father, but ultimately, one of them would not live to see their natural end.

"Lü Shi is old and a member of the Mingmen Society. He may appear loyal to Your Majesty now, but in the end, he will be one with those who seek to enthrone the Prince of Jiliu."

Thinking of the Prince of Jiliu made the young emperor grind his teeth. The fox continued, observing his expression.

"Give Lü Bu a higher position than Lü Shi to create a rift between them. Then the Mingmen Society and the Yu Gongtang will oppose each other within the court."

"The court will become noisy."

"They will clash over every issue. Eventually, one side will break, and the remaining side will weaken."

The fox said this and then bowed deeply, as if offering sincere advice.

"Ministers must never act in groups. The ruler must guard against this to preserve the state. How can you face your ancestors if the Han's realm is taken by someone with a different mandate?"

"Hmm...! Hearing your words, I feel as if my eyes have been opened. I will follow your advice. I will appoint Yu Zisi as the General of the Right and Lü Shi as the Pacifier of the East to create a rift between them."

"I am deeply grateful for your high regard for my humble strategy. Now, I will perform the secret ritual. Please sit properly."

From then on, the fox held a talisman and muttered incomprehensible incantations, making the young emperor feel bored. In the end, the fox burned the talisman and mixed the ashes with water, making the young emperor drink it.

Watching this, Cao Jian silently scoffed.

'How can someone be bewitched by such a lowly trick... If the country is entrusted to such a person, the realm will surely fall apart.'

It was absurd even by the simplest logic. The fox had clearly said that revealing the celestial secrets would require another period of purification and reading the Laozi's Five Thousand Characters, and then writing a new talisman.

Yet, as soon as the fox received promises of wealth and position from the emperor, he smoothly laid out his strategy and made the emperor drink the ashes of the burned talisman mixed with water.

However, the young emperor did not seem to think about this at all.

It was clear that the emperor, who should govern the realm, did not notice the absurdity of the situation. How could he be considered qualified?

Meanwhile, the fox's secret ritual was over.

The fox, looking exhausted, sprawled out in a chair before the emperor.

Yet, the young emperor said nothing about this. Instead, he praised the fox's efforts and offered him wine and food.

* * *

The fox even received wine from the young emperor.

The young emperor personally filled the fox's cup, a rare gesture.

The emperor usually only fills the cups of generals heading out on expeditions or repelling invaders, or of civil officials who have achieved significant policy or diplomatic successes.

Yet, the young emperor kept filling the fox's cup every time it was empty.

As the fox became tipsy, he chewed his food slowly and tapped his foot as if keeping time.

Cao Jian took something from his sleeve and threw it under the fox's foot. A square piece of cooked meat. The seasoning on the meat was flattened by the fox's shoe.

'Now that I know the entrance to the secret passage and have prepared to find out which route the fox takes, it's time for me to leave.'

Cao Jian had no intention of staying here any longer now that his immediate task was complete.

It might be good to follow the fox, but there was no need to repeat the mistake of Taichao Jingsi.

Cao Jian was not a eunuch loyal to the emperor, nor was he someone who would risk his life for Cao Cao. Eunuchs prioritized their own safety above all else.

Ignoring this and following the fox would bring at least two risks.

One, if he did not leave in time, he might never be able to return here, and there was a risk of being discovered by Hou Fen.

Outside the door, the chief lady-in-waiting of the Morantian Palace was waiting for the emperor to finish his meal. She would have to leave with her to avoid arousing Hou Fen's suspicion.

They entered as two people and must leave as two.

The other risk was that the secret passage was a dangerous place.

Even the eunuchs of the Cao Chong faction knew only part of the palace's secret passages. Even Cao Deng did not know all of them.

A place with many secrets is also a place with many dangers.

The fox patted his belly and disappeared into the secret passage again. The young emperor called the chief lady-in-waiting of the Morantian Palace.

"Are you there?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will enter."

The lady-in-waiting carefully opened the door and entered. As she moved cautiously past a pillar, Cao Jian followed closely behind.

"Clear this away. Tell the Empress that I enjoyed the meal."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will convey that to Her Majesty."

The lady-in-waiting and Cao Jian gathered the remaining food and left the sleeping chamber.

* * *

Zhongyan brought Cao Jian back to meet Cao Cao.

Cao Jian recounted everything he had seen in the sleeping chamber without missing a detail.

"Good work."

"Little Eunuch, we can sneak into the emperor's sleeping chamber tonight and confirm the route the fox took."

"There's no need for that."

"Shouldn't we capture the fox? With someone like him clouding the emperor's judgment, the country cannot function properly."

Cao Cao's lips curled into a smile.

"The Elder instructed us to act cautiously."

"The fragrance of Manshanxiang lasts at most three or four days. Once that time passes, we will have to start all over again to track the fox's movements."

Cao Jian did not want to lose the opportunity he had worked hard to create. Cao Cao felt the same way but was not in a hurry or excited.

"Cao Jian, even if you were a flying dragon, could you handle three Hou Fen?"

Cao Jian could not answer Cao Cao's question. He was proud of his sword skills, but he had no confidence in defeating three Hou Fen at once.

What if they were all skilled? Even two would be enough to make the outcome uncertain.

"Hou Fen guards the emperor day and night. Even if we gather all the eunuchs loyal to the Little Eunuch and storm in, we cannot defeat them. But sneaking in secretly is a different story."

Cao Jian showed confidence. His strength lay in stealth, but Cao Cao was cautious.

"Don't be overconfident. Unless you are meeting the fox, you cannot even step within thirty paces of the emperor. Do you think Hou Fen is just a dog's name?"

Cao Jian became irritated. He could not openly defy Cao Cao, but he could mock him.

"Then what is your plan, Little Eunuch? How do you plan to sneak into the emperor's sleeping chamber, guarded by the Hou Fen, to confirm the secret passage?"

"Hmph! It's not good to provoke my anger."

Cao Jian, whose intentions were immediately seen through, bowed his head.

"I misunderstood, Little Eunuch."

"You still have a long way to go."

Cao Cao then turned his gaze to Zhongyan.

"Have you arranged a meeting with the Chief of the Harem?"

The Chief of the Harem (掖廷令).

In the Warring States period, this position was called the Chief of the Eternal Corridor (永巷令). After Confucianism became the state philosophy, women had almost no way to obtain an official position except by becoming a concubine favored by the emperor.

However, there was one exception: the position of Chief of the Harem.

The Chief of the Harem manages the concubines' quarters.

This is not a position that deals with repairs and maintenance of the concubines' quarters. It is a crucial position that involves frequent communication between the Grand Historian and the Grand Physician, deciding which concubine the emperor will sleep with tonight.

The person who holds the position of Chief of the Harem can, in a sense, determine the next heir.

"Yang Hua, the Chief of the Harem, has long agreed to work with us. After the Elder put in so much effort, how could he change his mind?"

"That's fortunate to hear."

"But why did you ask me to arrange a meeting with the Chief of the Harem? Is it related to our plans?"

"Of course. Chief Eunuch, the emperor has no right to choose women."

Zhongyan tilted his head.

"None of the concubines are influenced by us. Remember, the Grand Historian and the Grand Physician are not on our side."

"All we need is the date. The emperor does not summon concubines to his sleeping chamber, does he?"

Zhongyan slapped his knee.

"Exactly! When the emperor stays in the concubines' quarters, his sleeping chamber is empty, right?"