Chapter 25: Picking Up a Guo Jia?

“Report!”
A scout galloped into the camp.
“General, yesterday at dusk, Zhang Xiu led two hundred cavalry to attack the enemy at Gong County, killed fifty-seven riders, and the two enemy leaders fled west.”
Lu Bu dismounted from his Red Hare and called for someone to bring him a map, asking Zhang Liao at his side as he did so.
“Who is Zhang Xiu?”
“He is the adopted son of Zhang Ji, a commander of the Northern Cavalry. He trained under the renowned spear master Tong Yuan and is known as the Spear King of the North.”
“The Spear King of the North?” Lu Bu sneered, mocking, “How skilled is he?”
“His spear technique is excellent, but his strength falls short,” Zhang Liao replied.
“Doesn't know his own limits.”
Lu Bu had once exchanged blows with Chen Cong and knew firsthand the man's formidable strength.
If Zhang Liao says Zhang Xiu is lacking in power, then facing such a fierce opponent, Lu Bu could guess the result without asking.
“Gong County, Mengjin...”
Lu Bu shifted his gaze back to the map, connecting the two locations with his fingers, estimating the distance to be just over thirty li.
“Just a bit closer and we would have intercepted those rogues.”
Lu Bu didn't mind.
In his calculations, it would be best if Chen Cong dealt with Li, Guo, Hua, and Zhang one after another, then he himself would step in to capture Chen Cong.
Chen Cong was certainly hateful, but Dong Zhuo was the real villain who had gone too far.
He wanted Dong Zhuo to see clearly who was the true warrior worthy of being his great general.
Of course,
Such outrageous thoughts remained only in Lu Bu's imagination.
The other three were manageable, but Li and Guo commanded three thousand Flying Bear troops. If Chen Cong encountered them, how could he possibly survive?
“Prepare the army to march west, send troops to Chenggao.”
Zhang Liao hesitated, pointed at Chenggao on the map, then at Guancheng.
“Yesterday, scouts confirmed that Cao Cao’s family slipped through Chenggao and escaped by water. With the enemy leaders fleeing west, the remaining generals will surely deploy heavy troops here. Instead, we could advance on Guancheng and cut off their land route.”
Lu Bu replied indifferently, “Let’s follow Wen Yuan’s plan.”
He knew his own strengths.
When it came to charging into battle and seizing banners, three Zhang Liaos together could not match him.
But for foresight and meticulous strategy, Lu Bu had nothing but headaches.
At the same time,
Li and Guo also received a scout’s report.
They split their forces.
Guo Si took a thousand Flying Bear troops to guard Ao Warehouse. Li Jue led two thousand Flying Bears into Chenggao.
Hua Xiong marched to Pinggao, Fan Chou occupied Ao Warehouse, and Zhang Ji patrolled the counties.
Yet the two enemy leaders seemed to vanish into thin air.
No matter how thoroughly they searched, they found not a trace.
...
...
Three days later, Gong County.
A man entered the city with a basket on his back. He wandered about and left carrying two conical hats. Who else could it be but Shi A?
Shi A was furious.
To this day, there was still no wanted poster of him in the county, Dong Zhuo hadn’t even considered him a threat!
“Lord Cao, I’ve scouted thoroughly. The city is as usual.”

Cao Cao squatted by the wall, hands tucked in his sleeves, and chuckled at the news.
He immediately donned a conical hat, waved grandly, “Let’s go, into the city.”
“Brilliant, father-in-law! Playing with darkness under the lamp—how clever. But I’m carrying weapons, how do I enter?”
Cao Cao waved his hand dismissively, “It’s fine, carrying them is just right.”
At the city gate,
Two guards yawned as they checked travelers.
Those arriving by horse or carriage were given a cursory inspection and waved through. Only those in ragged clothes were sharply questioned, and if they didn’t pay, they were chased off.
Suddenly, three men rode up brandishing blades, and the guards instantly straightened up.
Before they could react, Cao Cao pulled out Dong Zhuo’s command token and slapped it in one guard’s face.
He barked, “Move aside, quickly!”
The guard bowed, picked up the token, glanced at it, eyes wide in shock, then immediately donned a fawning expression, bowing and scraping as he respectfully handed it back to Cao Cao and opened the barrier at the gate.
“Safe travels, sir!”
“Hmph.” Cao Cao said coldly, “Check all travelers carefully. If there’s another mistake, I’ll have your hides!”
“Understood!” The guards snapped to attention.
“You there, the shifty-eyed one—yes, you—open your basket for inspection!”
Chen Cong found it all too real.
If Fat Dong knew Cao Cao wielded his token like thunder, what would he think...?
“Wang, I feel like that man...”
The older guard immediately scolded, “Do you want to die? What do you mean? Do you know what he just handed over?”
The younger one blinked, “What?”
“The Grand Tutor’s command token!”
The guard shivered and said no more.
In the region around the capital, Dong Zhuo’s name still carried considerable fear.
...
Once inside,
Cao Cao neither sought a tavern to rest nor a household to stay, but instead entered a nearby brothel.
Firstly, the women here rarely went out and would not have seen the portraits of the two fugitives.
Secondly, the brothel’s backing was complex, and trouble was unlikely from anyone foolish.
Most importantly,
In such inconspicuous establishments, news traveled fastest; one could learn all the changes without leaving the premises.
“Hey! Sirs, please, take seats upstairs.”
The madam cared not that the three wore hats and carried weapons.
She’d seen all sorts in her time—nothing was too strange.
To say nothing of carrying weapons; she’d seen even odder types who brought swords to bed with the girls.
Once inside her Hundred Flowers House, as long as you had money, you were a lord.
Cao Cao, acting the seasoned patron, pulled out a gold ingot and slipped it to the madam.
“A private room, three girls—one to play the zither, one to sing, one to dance. Arrange it. Serve us well and there’ll be more reward.”
“Right away, sir, please take a seat. I’ll arrange it at once.”
The madam’s face flushed, almost ready to throw herself at Cao Cao.
A young man who’d been standing nearby rolled his eyes.
Displeased, he complained, “You old woman, so clueless! I’ve been waiting here forever, and you ignore me, yet you fawn over that night watchman. Vulgar! Utterly vulgar!”
The madam eyed him top to bottom, sizing him up in an instant.

His white scholar’s robe, washed to a yellow hue, would fetch no more than ten coins at a pawnshop.
A poor-quality jade hung at his waist, worth at most a few coppers.
His cap and cloth shoes had lost their original color.
She immediately waved her hand, “Go away, pauper. Show off somewhere else!”
The youth was furious, flinging his sleeve as he cursed,
“Blind madam, mistaking a crow for a peacock. Little do you know, filthy gold shines before men, but true brilliance lies within.”
Chen Cong nearly burst out laughing.
Bold indeed!
How could he liken Cao Cao to a night watchman and even an old crow?
This was the future Emperor!
‘History of Wei, Volume One: Emperor Wu, Cao Cao. Get to know him!’
As Chen Cong made faces, Shi A’s sword was already at the youth’s shoulder.
After days of fleeing, the foolish boy had been thoroughly dazzled by Cao Cao, now transformed into a devoted fan.
To insult his idol before him—wasn’t that courting death?
“Hey now, sir, what are you doing? He’s just a pauper, not worth the trouble,” the madam hurried to stand between Shi A and the youth.
Not out of pity,
Business meant keeping the peace; blood spilled meant a day’s losses.
The youth’s legs trembled, but his mouth remained sharp.
Across the madam, he craned his neck and shouted at Shi A,
“A man of high ambition does not fear axe or sword! Ah! If you wish to kill me, do it!”
The madam stamped her foot, “Stop talking!”
“The narrow-minded cannot understand the worth of a lofty pine; I am ashamed to speak with you.”
Shi A: ...
Madam: ...
Cao Cao: ...
The three were speechless; with a blade at his throat, he kept mouthing off—it was hard to tell if he was brave or simply incapable of holding his tongue.
Chen Cong, however, already saw through it all.
He pushed aside Shi A’s sword, patted the youth’s shoulder, and smiled, “That’s enough, Guo Jia, you can stop now.”
To linger in a brothel, to flaunt talent in disregard for decorum—who else but Guo Jia?
Who could he be, if not Guo Jia?
At this time, he should have been traveling north to join Yuan Shao, passing through Gong County.
Most likely.
Since the opportunity was here, why not arrange for him to join Lord Cao in advance?
“Guo Jia?” The youth spat.
“A man of petty ambition and empty words—you dare speak of the nation? Rubbish! Rubbish! Rubbish!”
Chen Cong was stunned.
Was Guo Jia’s mouth always this foul? The histories never mentioned it...
How did this sort get along peacefully with Cao Cao?