Chapter 4: The Cao Thief’s Business Principles

Cheng Yu only then noticed Chen Cong. He raised his hand in a leisurely, unhurried manner and said drily, "My direct counsel to our lord was somewhat unrefined, General Chen. I hope you will not take offense."

Chen Cong waved his hand dismissively. "No worries, no worries. Just try to be a bit more careful in your next life."

Cao Cao flared up at once. He slammed his hand onto the table, pointed at Chen Cong, and barked, "You scoundrel! What do you think you are doing?"

"Pah, pah, pah!" Chen Cong waved his hands frantically to clarify. "A slip of the tongue. I only meant to ask if Elder Zhongde is still in good health."

Cheng Yu felt a chill run down his spine. He was a man of fiery temper, and he didn't mind coming to blows when arguments grew heated. But that assumed the other party was a scholar! He would have to be kicked in the head by a donkey to want to trade blows with a ruffian like Chen Cong.

Fortunately, Cao Cao intervened to defuse the situation, pointing at Chen Cong and scolding, "Get outside and wait! I’ll deal with you later!"

"You got it!" Chen Cong patted his backside and rose. Before leaving the room, he didn't forget to turn back and ask, "Elder Zhongde, you rode here, right? Is that little date-red horse at the gate yours? It looks quite sturdy."

Cao Cao bellowed, "Get out!"

"Out I go."

Once outside the strategy hall, Chen Cong sauntered over to the hitching post. With one casual strike of his palm, he sent the date-red horse crashing to the ground, kicking its legs a few times before it went still. The remaining three horses were so startled they kept tugging at their halters. Only Jueying remained calm and composed, snorting as if asking Chen Cong, "Didn't you eat today?"

Outside the hall, Dian Wei, who had witnessed the incident, looked up at the sky, feigning deafness and blindness. He saw nothing and heard nothing. A duel? How could he have entertained such a dangerous thought? Why, a spar with someone like Xu Chu was more than enough. A brute like Chen Cong should be carrying the Great Banner in the main army; making him a cavalry general was a complete waste of talent.

Chen Cong dusted off his hands and sat down on the steps, using Dian Wei's massive frame to block the sun. The setting sun was shining directly into his eyes, and it was quite blinding.

In truth, Chen Cong did not dislike Cheng Yu. The old scoundrel had a fiery temper, but he was like a bamboo tube—everything he had to say poured right out. Unlike others, who smiled with gentle elegance while speaking in riddles, leaving one to figure things out for themselves.

Moreover, given that Cheng Yu stood on the lower end of the moral spectrum, being cursed at was actually a sign of courtesy. As long as he didn't "physically deal with" his relatives, Chen Cong was grateful for small mercies.

However, he couldn't slack off when it came to picking a fight with him. Otherwise, who would marry their daughter to him in the future? Not to mention, the "Old Cao Thief" was his father-in-law. If Chen Cong didn't care at all, what would Cao Cao think? *My daughter has married you, and when others badmouth your father-in-law behind his back, you don't even let out a fart?*

That would be a global joke, wouldn't it?

Therefore, it was just the old man's bad luck for sticking his face out to be slapped.

After the council meeting continued for a while longer, the four men dispersed. The other three offered respectful gestures to Chen Cong, but Cheng Yu, pretending to be deep in conversation with Xi Zhong, slipped away nimbly.

Cao Cao stretched his back and rolled his stiff neck, not a hint of anger left on his face. "Enough, get in here. It’s time to eat."

Once Chen Cong entered, Cao Cao took a look at him. Seeing his clothes free of dust and his hair neatly groomed—clearly the work of a woman—he asked offhandedly, "Did you not go to the cavalry camp to drill the troops this afternoon?"

Chen Cong exploded on the spot. "I say, Father-in-law, that’s quite enough. I have to intercept grain supplies every day, reorganize the brothels, manage all the intelligence from the Hero Tower, and drill the troops? What is there to drill with those three hundred cavalrymen? I can’t exactly teach them how to gallop off into the sunset, can I?"

Cao Cao laughed heartily. "Do not be annoyed. I have already sent word to Ziling; he should arrive in a few days."

Chen Cong breathed a sigh of relief. This business of running the brothels was not a job for a human; the daily accounting alone was enough to drive anyone mad. Especially since Ji Badou loved to freeload himself but hated it when others freeloaded off him. Chen Cong wasn't one for pride, but he couldn't exactly stop his old brothers from visiting, so he had been paying for all their expenses out of his own pocket. He had nearly spent a thousand pieces of gold...

"Old Two, come here. What about Rong'er?"

"Rong'er is pregnant, so naturally, she cannot endure the hardships of travel. Next time, perhaps. By the way, what about Wang Kuang?"

Chen Cong took out a letter. Cao Cao unfolded it and read it, feeling strangely noble for a moment. He keenly noticed the signature of Jia Xu and immediately became interested. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Who is this Jia Xu? Why have I never heard Zining mention him?"

"Heh, don't count on it, Father-in-law. This man and I are kindred spirits; we have sworn to live and die together. I have already appointed him as the strategist for the cavalry camp."

Cao Cao grew even more suspicious. "This man’s words are filled with killing intent; he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. How could he be a friend to Zining?"

"That’s where you don't understand. It’s called complementary personalities. It’s the same reason butchers are always friends with monks."

Cao Cao couldn't be bothered with his nonsense. He tapped the desk and said, "There is one more matter. Since Hua Xiong refuses to surrender even in death, keeping him is useless. Write a letter to your father-in-law, Dong Zhuo, and trade him for two thousand warhorses. With two horses per man, the cavalry camp can be expanded by exactly one thousand."

"Is one Hua Xiong worth two thousand warhorses?"

Cao Cao smiled. "Others certainly couldn't make that trade, but that’s why you’re here, isn't it? Besides, Grand Preceptor Dong has lost his ambition and no longer seeks to conquer the world—can he even afford to feed that many cavalrymen? With two thousand fewer horses, he can enjoy himself more. Why wouldn't he?"

What a shameless face!

Chen Cong was speechless. "By that logic, why don't you just ask for two thousand Flying Bear troops? That would save even more money. They can fight the moment they arrive, and they win whenever they fight. That would be much easier than me trying to build a cavalry camp from scratch."

Hm?

Cao Cao’s eyes lit up like the brightest stars in the night sky. He tapped the desk rhythmically, considering the feasibility of this idea, and didn't even notice when the servants brought in the meal.

By common reasoning, Dong Zhuo would never cut off his own arm. And the Flying Bear troops were proud and fierce; who would they easily submit to? But nothing was absolute! First, Chen Cong was Dong Zhuo’s grandson-in-law, and the Flying Bear troops knew his martial prowess well, so there was no risk of the troops refusing to serve under him. As for whether Dong Zhuo would cut off his own arm, that depended on the circumstances...

"Let’s do this. Two thousand is too many. Let’s ask for one thousand."

Chen Cong’s jaw dropped as he looked at Cao Cao like he was an idiot. "Father-in-law, are you insane? Trading one Hua Xiong for a thousand Flying Bear iron cavalry? You really have guts! Go look at the equipment of their warhorses—even if you sold Hua Xiong by the pound, you wouldn't get twenty Flying Bear horses."

Cao Cao smiled mysteriously and said, enunciating every word, "Dong Bai is pregnant."

Chen Cong was stunned. "How come I didn't know?"

"Your father-in-law doesn't know either."

Chen Cong fell silent. It was like watching an old woman climb the stairs—he had to admire the skill. When it came to shamelessness, none could surpass the "Cao Thief."

"But they’ll want to see the child..."

Cao Cao snorted coldly. "Then you had better work hard. Do I have to teach you how to handle that? By the way, name the child Dong Si. Ask the Grand Preceptor to critique it and offer his suggestions. And write a few more letters while you're at it—send the good news to your aunts and uncles. And the old woman of the Dong family; didn't you say she favored you as a grandson-in-law? It’s a good opportunity to make the old lady happy."

Very well, a flurry of "turtle-king-bitch" punches straight to the face.

While Chen Cong deeply despised Cao Cao’s character, he felt shamefully tempted. Damn it. That was a thousand elite Flying Bear cavalrymen! If he really could pull that off... as long as he didn't go wandering down to Hangu Pass looking for trouble, he could draw his blade against anyone he pleased throughout the Central Plains...