"Actually, my family's relationship with the Sima Family isn't bad."
"My clansman, the Marquis of Pingyuan De, married Sima Shi's daughter. He serves as Colonel of Archers and commands the palace guards."
"My clan uncle Zhi serves as an Attendant Cavalry and Colonel of the Changshui Cavalry, commanding the guards of the inner palace."
"My clansman, the Marquis of Linjin Jian, serves as a General Who Guards and Protects and commands the imperial guards."
Guo Ze slowly explained his family's circumstances. He came from the Xiping Guo Clan and was a relative of the current Empress Dowager Guo.
Years earlier, the Xiping Guo Clan had been implicated in a rebellion. The entire clan had been arrested and reduced to government slaves.
Later, Cao Rui had taken a liking to the Guo Family, made her a consort, and pardoned her relatives.
After that upheaval, the Xiping Guo Clan's numbers had dwindled. They were no longer the vast clan they had once been.
Precisely because of this, they had become more united. Even distant relatives like Guo Ze could receive advancement and regularly exchange letters with those clansmen serving at the heart of government.
Cao Mao glanced at him. "So that explains it. I've never met the empress dowager, yet she chose me, told Sima Shi she knew me well, and insisted on placing the imperial seal in my hands herself. It turns out I owe all that to you!"
Somewhat embarrassed, Guo Ze hastily explained, "I merely praised you a little while describing my own circumstances..."
"More than a little, surely?"
"I only spoke the truth."
"Very well. Go on."
Guo Ze continued, "My family got along well with the Sima Family in the past. Several of my clansmen serve under Sima Shi. I imagine it's because they haven't seen his true face!"
Cao Mao did not interrupt him, but inwardly, he understood.
Those relatives of Guo Ze saw perfectly clearly; they simply did not care. Following the Sima Family meant getting meat to eat. Why make enemies of them?
"But my aunt doesn't much like the Sima Family. It's just that she has no support..."
Guo Ze was describing their relationship from his own perspective.
From Cao Mao's position, however, the picture looked different.
It seemed the Guo family had long since forged a marriage alliance with the Sima Family. The two worked together, gnawing away at Cao Wei. The empress dowager was not opposed to the Sima Family; she was quite happy to share power with them. Still, the Guo family had a bottom line of their own.
That bottom line was the position of empress dowager.
The Guo family's present prominence came entirely from the position of Empress Dowager.
Looking at the offices held by their clansmen, they all relied on their kinship with the empress dowager to oversee affairs within the imperial palace.
That also explained why, when Sima Shi wanted to make the older Cao Ju emperor, Empress Dowager Guo had refused to yield at any cost and insisted on placing Cao Mao on the throne.
Even when the Sima Family deposed the emperor, she had never been so agitated. When Cao Mao was murdered, she had shown no reaction either, and had even helped the Sima Family fiercely denounce him.
But choosing an emperor was different. If Cao Ju became emperor, the Guo family would lose the position of empress dowager. That was their fundamental interest, something on which they could not compromise.
Cao Mao could not help narrowing his eyes as many thoughts passed through his mind.
Guo Ze went on, "But now things are different!"
"Once you ascend the throne, my lord, the empress dowager will no longer stand alone!"
"Great Wei's restoration is within sight!"
Guo Ze was excited and delighted.
None of this surprised Cao Mao. Guo Ze was suited to carrying out tasks, not devising strategies.
Of course, Cao Mao did not expect him to devise some earth-shaking scheme. He merely wanted a clearer understanding of the Guo family's circumstances.
That was all Guo Ze could tell him.
Then he looked eagerly at Cao Mao. "Shall I prepare to depart for Luoyang?"
"There's no hurry."
Cao Mao sank into thought.
Since he had decided to take the throne, he needed to make preparations. This was already his second playthrough; surely he ought to secure a better opening than he had in his first.
Now that he understood the Guo Family's position, he seemed to have found a thread to follow.
"Lord Guo, I would like you to write a letter now and have someone deliver it to the empress dowager."
"Certainly. What would you have me write, my lord?"
"Write that Cao Fang, King of Qi, lacked virtue and implicated many others. Today, the empress dowager wishes to make the Noble Rural Duke emperor, even at the cost of confronting the Grand General. The Duke of the Village feels deeply uneasy and fears causing discord between the empress dowager and the Grand General. He therefore asks the empress dowager not to place such importance on him, but to follow the Grand General's advice and make the Prince of Pengcheng emperor."
"What?!"
Guo Ze nearly jumped to his feet.
"My lord, didn't we agree to set the realm right together? Why are you going back on your word?"
"Zishou, I'm not going back on my word. Didn't you just say that only by standing united with the empress dowager could I confront Sima Shi? This letter is meant to express my respect for her."
"Besides, I cannot inherit the throne so easily. There is something else I must do."
"It will be dangerous, but I must do it."
"Those clansmen and clan uncles of yours are worthy men of virtue. If they see this letter, they will surely be moved. Perhaps they will even come to help me."
Naturally, this was the sort of talk needed to hoodwink a gentleman like Guo Ze.
Guo Ze considered it. His lord seemed to have a point. Though he had no idea what Lord Cao intended to do, he agreed nonetheless.
Cao Mao took his hand and said earnestly, "The worthy minister who helps me restore Great Wei and pacify the realm will surely be you! And this great undertaking begins with this letter!"
Stirred by Cao Mao's words, Guo Ze flushed with excitement. He asked nothing further and accepted the order on the spot.
Lord and retainer were both greatly heartened.
But once Cao Mao stepped out of Guo Ze's study, the excitement vanished from his face.
Different people required different approaches.
"Lu!"
Cao Mao called out loudly.
Liu Lu, who had been wrestling with a companion, abruptly pinned his opponent beneath him, then scrambled to his feet and looked toward Cao Mao.
Cao Mao gestured toward his own study. Liu Lu hurriedly put on his clothes and entered with him.
Cao Mao's study was simple, with books of many kinds lining two walls. Cao Mao found paper and a brush, lowered his head, and began writing.
Liu Lu sat before Cao Mao. He could not read, and as he watched Cao Mao bury himself in writing, he dared not speak for fear of disturbing him.
Once he finished, Cao Mao quickly put away his brush.
Looking at the black words on the white paper before him, Cao Mao drew a deep breath. His hands still trembled slightly, whether from nerves or fear, he could not tell.
"Lu... I have something extremely important to entrust to you."
Liu Lu paused, then his expression turned utterly solemn.
"Give me your orders, my lord. I am willing to die in your service!"
"Lu, of all the Wanderers who follow me, you are the one I trust most. That is why I am willing to entrust my life and fortune to you."
"I need you to deliver this letter into the hands of Mouqiu Dian, the Master of Documents and Palace Attendant Censor in the Capital. You must give it to him personally."
Liu Lu tucked away the letter. "I will not fail you!"
"Lu, you must be very careful. Wang Su has already arrived in Yuan City, and I am probably watched whenever I go out. But they have always looked down on men like you. That gives us an excellent opportunity."
"In another four hours, I will take everyone to Gao Family Restaurant to drink. That will be your chance to leave. You must slip away without being noticed."
"Be especially careful along the road. This letter must never fall into the Sima Family's hands. If it does, I will certainly die."
Liu Lu grinned. "Don't worry, my lord. I may not know how to do much else, but I'm very good at running for my life."
"Once, some powerful men from my hometown went hunting in the mountains and amused themselves by shooting mountain folk. In a rage, I killed them instead. I spent years on the run, and they never caught me..."
"But to accomplish this, I need to borrow something from you, my lord."
Cao Mao laughed. "As long as it isn't my head, you may borrow anything."
"Please give me money, my lord!"
"Done!"
Liu Lu, who had been about to explain, froze for a moment, then said, "You may not know this, but most of the officials along the way take bribes and twist the law, just like their masters. As long as they're bribed, they won't..."
Cao Mao interrupted him. "No need to explain! I trust you!"
Cao Mao rose and, before Liu Lu's eyes, opened the wooden box beside his bed. He took out something wrapped in cloth, returned to Liu Lu, and handed it to him.
"This is everything I own, all the gold I've saved over the past year. Take it all and use it."
Both of Liu Lu's hands began to tremble. "My lord, I..."
"Then I entrust this matter to you. Take care of yourself!"
Liu Lu sprang to his feet and bowed deeply to Cao Mao. "I will never betray your trust, my lord!!!"
That day, Cao Mao once again led the many gallant warriors in his household out of his residence in a great procession. The passersby were used to it and greeted them as warmly as ever.
They went to their usual Gao Family Restaurant.
The Wanderers drank in great gulps and freely struck up conversations with the other diners. A few men mingled among the customers without speaking, eating with their heads down while their eyes remained fixed on Cao Mao.
Whenever the Wanderers approached them for a drink, their expressions grew somewhat nervous.
At that moment, Cao Mao was speaking loudly with several merchants from Yuan City. It was all business talk, and those men could make little sense of it.
"Those are only the simplest methods. I have plenty of ways to make even more money!"
"You've earned a good deal over the years by following my advice. You mustn't spend it all on enjoying yourselves. You need to do more good deeds!"
Seemingly drunk, Cao Mao said, "I won't help selfish, self-serving scoundrels. From now on, wherever you travel, you must aid the poor along the road, do more good deeds, and build a reputation for virtue..."
"I have little ability myself and cannot relieve the suffering of all the people under heaven. I can only help them by persuading you!"
Shrewd as the merchants were, they exchanged a few looks and suddenly understood.
"Of course! Your teachings have moved us deeply. From now on, we will practice benevolence and spread charity. We will never fail your instruction!"
Cao Mao staggered out, leading his hangers-on back toward his residence.
The men watching him never noticed that one of Cao Mao's twenty-two retainers was missing.
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