C Chapter 35

Chapter 35

 

Cao Cao asked with an amused voice.

“Did you really think I asked because I didn’t know?”

Dongbaek’s piercing gaze seemed to see right through his heart.

“Yilang Cao, you are truly quite greedy.”

“Oh?”

“To covet even the adopted child of your enemy—one cannot say you lack ambition.”

The corners of Dongbaek’s mouth curved upward subtly. Her knowing smile seemed to suggest she had figured everything out.

Among the people of the Central Plains, those who didn’t know about the animosity between Cao Cao and Zhang Rang were either deaf, ignorant of worldly affairs, or the Emperor himself. So, it wasn’t strange that Dongbaek knew about the entangled affairs between Cao Cao and Zhang Rang. However, Cao Cao was taken aback by her boldly referring to them as enemies.

But that wasn’t all. To call him greedy… While trying to uncover Dongbaek’s true intentions, he had instead exposed his own carefully hidden ambitions. It was absurd.

“Unfortunately, I’m not interested enough in Yilang Cao to bear the sin of betraying my family. Please give up.”

After saying this, Dongbaek gave a light bow and passed by Cao Cao to leave the palace. Cao Cao neither could nor wanted to stop her.

“Not interested enough to bear the sin of betraying family, he said…”

Cao Cao mulled over Dongbaek’s parting words. This implied that under the right conditions, she might be willing to bear such a sin. Cao Cao let out an exasperated breath.

“Ha!”

He clearly knew exactly how to make people desperate.

The reason he served Zhang Rang, the leader of the corrupt eunuchs, as her father was likely because he was currently a beneficial existence to her. If he were to become harmful to her, or if a more advantageous option appeared, she might ruthlessly cut him down…

Efficiency over rules. Rather than being bound by morality and social evaluation, he observed and judged through her own lens. This wasn’t about similarities in cunning intelligence or outstanding abilities at a young age. It was about their fundamentally selfish nature—one that, by society’s standards, leaned more toward evil than good.

“Ah, I really want him…”

Cao Cao clicked his tongue while stroking his chin. His gaze lingered on the path where Dongbaek had disappeared.

‘Xiahou Dun, you were right. Dongbaek resembles me far more than I had anticipated.’

A capable minister in times of peace, a crafty hero in times of chaos. This description didn’t apply to him alone.

Signs of turmoil were gathering. He had felt it keenly in his skin while away from Luoyang. Someday this imperial court would collapse and chaos would unfold… Roughly within ten years. Unfortunately, Dongbaek was too young. Even if she started an official position now, it wouldn’t make a difference. Unable to stand equally at the starting line, she would eventually have to serve under someone. And the only one capable of properly holding the reins of this fine steed named So Dongbaek was him, Cao Cao.

“So Dongbaek is still young. It would be perfect if he could grow up quickly and become my capable minister after I establish order…”

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

Zhang Rang, who returned home slightly later than Dongbaek, immediately called for her. He must be furious. Dongbaek walked anxiously to Zhang Rang’s room.

Contrary to Dongbaek’s expectations, Zhang Rang didn’t blame her. He just stared at her silently with eyes that seemed somewhat regretful and disappointed.

“Since His Majesty mentioned the position of General of the Guards, it would be impossible to change it to another position.”

“I didn’t want to go that far. It’s too much for me.”

Dongbaek shook her head. What she had wanted to gain was experience, not honor.

Zhang Rang couldn’t have missed her true intentions. He sighed. He was a greedy child. Not for material wealth or honor, but solely for developing his own talents. The only thing he cared about was nurturing his abilities.

‘He could have risen to a high position just by following the path I laid out for him.’

He felt both sorry for Dongbaek’s hasty actions and slightly displeased that she had gone against his words. But above all these feelings was a sense of pride.

After all, what Dongbaek wanted wasn’t something that others could hand over.

Even if Zhang Rang were to give her the world’s greatest wealth and power, Dongbaek wouldn’t be particularly pleased. Of course, she needed Zhang Rang’s wealth and prestige. Without them, there were many things she simply couldn’t learn in reality. But that was the extent of what Dongbaek wanted from Zhang Rang.

Everyone had their own way of being handled, and Dongbaek’s case was among the more difficult ones. Just because she acted like a gentle lamb in front of Zhang Rang didn’t mean her true nature was that of a lamb.

If he were an animal, he wouldn’t be a sheep but a wolf—or perhaps a tiger.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

That autumn, Dongbaek received the position of City Gate Commander, responsible for guarding Luoyang’s twelve gates.

Though it wasn’t as prestigious as the General of the Guard title, it was still an extraordinarily significant position for a twelve-year-old. Command authority over an entire unit. Even this was too much for Dongbaek, who had planned to start from the bottom.

‘Still, it seems the Emperor has compromised appropriately.’

Dongbaek thought this while receiving the imperial decree. This was clearly her misunderstanding.

The Emperor, having witnessed a sword dance perfectly tailored to his tastes, wouldn’t be satisfied with merely appointing Dongbaek as a commander. He had always been generous with those he favored—and now, desperate to reward her, he declared that she would be unconditionally pardoned for one crime she might commit in the future.

At this point, it might have been more reasonable to grant her the title of General of the Guard instead. A universal pardon for any crime? And with no limitations? That was absurd.

Zhang Rang knew better than anyone how enormous this privilege that the Emperor had given Dongbaek was.

Zhang Rang, Dongbaek’s adoptive father, was in the best position to take advantage of this power given to her. But even he wasn’t happy about the Emperor granting such authority. No, he was rather worried. The arrows of criticism could easily turn their way. Dongbaek was too young to become a public enemy.

When one person stands too far ahead of the crowd, the rest tend to pull them back down. The most common tactic? Public outcry, fueled by worst-case assumptions. Even the Emperor couldn’t remain unaffected by the chilling accusation of treason.

Zhang Rang’s prediction proved correct. The entire court rose up. Petitions poured in. Even those who normally wouldn’t budge began to speak up. The voices of countless scholars and officials united to shake Luoyang.

But those voices didn’t reach the Emperor.

“They must think little of me.”

Zhang Rang muttered, brushing aside a newly arrived petition. There was no need to read it. Like the many other scattered petitions on the floor, it would be identical. Zhang Rang’s face turned cold. Perhaps they needed to be taught a lesson? The attendants around him trembled at the cruel thought that crossed his lips.

Zhang Rang’s robe hem brushed the floor. His duty was to assist the Emperor. He walked to fulfill his duty. As always, his hands carried nothing—empty, yet never unprepared.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

There was a mansion located on the edge of the neighborhood where only Luoyang’s most prestigious residents lived—a neighborhood where every wall took thirty minutes to walk its length.

This mansion, notable for its small persimmon tree casting shadows on the wall, still vibrantly green, belonged to the Dan family.

In the household, only the person with true authority could raise their voice. Dan Liang, an archetype of the scholarly official, despised unruly behavior. His disdain for such conduct meant that loud voices were rarely heard within the estate.

But today, unlike usual, a deep male voice resonated loudly within the Dan residence.

“Today, Zhang Rang’s adopted son was appointed as City Gate Commander. What dark times these are! Not only do eunuchs run rampant, but they’re pushing their adopted child who hasn’t even reached the age of maturity into an official position. And how could His Majesty accept such a thing?”

Dan Liang spoke while draining the last drop of wine from his cup. His words expressed lament about the imperial court’s declining prestige and authority.

Dan Liang’s drinking companion was a large man, a span taller than him. While Dan Liang was a typical civil official, the man was a typical military official with an imposing build, wearing armor.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. To give the position of City Gate Commander to a mere youngster who’s barely sprouted his first whiskers!”

The man filled Dan Liang’s empty cup while expressing his own dissatisfaction. However, his words carried more jealousy towards Dongbaek than concern for the court.

“And what’s more, that absurd pardon!”

Dan Liang repeated the word pardon in his mouth. No matter how he thought about it, what would become of this court? The eunuch faction had grown too powerful. They were a boil, pus, the shame of this Han Dynasty.

The man drank straight from the bottle. After quickly consuming more wine than Dan Liang, he roughly set the bottle down on the table and said,

“We must drag that brat and those eunuchs down from their positions as soon as possible.”

“But what about the pardon?”

Dan Liang asked the man. No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t find an answer. But the man before him spoke confidently, his face full of assurance.

“That’s simple enough. If we kill that brat, the pardon can’t be used.”

“How do you propose to kill him? We can’t kill someone by simply framing him for any crime.”

“Hahaha! Like a true civil official, you only know about killing through criminal charges. Death isn’t something that happens through such academic discussion.”

The man responded to Dan Liang’s words with a hearty laugh. Dan Liang gulped at the man’s meaningful, glinting eyes. He was originally a butcher. The murderous intent in his eyes wasn’t something that could be easily erased, no matter how high an official position he attained.

“Well then, General He, I’ll put my trust in you.”

The man was He Jin—brother to the Empress. His bloodline wasn’t noble by birth, but it was tied to one who would become the most exalted. That connection alone was enough to elevate his butcher’s lineage into the ranks of nobility.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-