The morning after Yuan Shao began gathering troops, I tried to leave Luoyang.
Not flee.
This was an important distinction because I was carrying Father’s registers.
Qiao’er noticed both facts.
“Where are you going?”
“West.”
She looked at the bundle under my arm.
Then at me.
“For work,” I said.
A pause.
“I apologize.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“For what?”
“I thought Young Master was running away.”
“I would take more clothes.”
That was apparently convincing.
She adjusted my collar instead.
“Chen Bo has already been told you are coming.”
“Good.”
“Lady Song wants the figures when you return.”
Less good.
“And His Excellency sent someone for you.”
I stopped.
Qiao’er stepped aside.
A household runner stood at the entrance to the courtyard.
He bowed.
“Young Master. His Excellency requests you in council.”
I looked at the registers.
Then at him.
“I am obeying his last order.”
“He said you were to come first.”
Of course he did.
I handed the registers to Qiao’er.
“Keep these.”
“You will need them.”
“I know. I was hoping Father had forgotten.”
“He sent for you himself.”
“Then hope was unreasonable.”
Council had gained two more officers overnight.
This was becoming crowded.
Father sat at the head of the table. Li Ru had three reports open beside him. Uncle Min and Niu Fu were already there. Lü Bu stood near the wall.
Another dusty messenger knelt in the center.
I sat near the tea.
Some things remained under my control.
Father said, “Start again.”
The messenger bowed.
“Yuan Shao is gathering forces in Henei. Administrator Wang Kuang has joined him.”
“How many men?”
“We do not have a reliable number.”
Father’s expression darkened.
The messenger continued quickly.
“Zhang Miao of Chenliu has declared against Your Excellency. Qiao Mao of Dong Commandery has done the same. Liu Dai of Yan Province is gathering troops. Yuan Yi of Shanyang and Bao Xin of Jibei have also answered.”
The clerk beside Father kept writing.
So did another clerk.
I stopped trying to remember every name.
Some I knew.
Some I almost knew.
A few meant absolutely nothing to me.
Unfortunately, all of them seemed to own soldiers.
Li Ru asked, “Han Fu?”
“Not openly marching yet. But men from Ji Province are supplying grain.”
“That is enough,” Li Ru said.
Father looked at him.
“He has not declared.”
“He is feeding men who have.”
Father grunted.
The messenger lowered his head again.
“There is also Yuan Shu.”
That name required no effort.
Father’s eyes narrowed.
“Where?”
“Luyang. Men are gathering around him as well.”
Uncle Min swore.
I understood the feeling.
One Yuan had already become several thousand men in Henei.
Now there were two.
Father looked toward Li Ru.
“Do they act together?”
“Not yet.”
“Yet?”
Li Ru touched the reports.
“They share a cause. They do not share one camp, one supply train or one commander.”
Uncle Min said, “Then they are divided.”
“Yes.”
That sounded good.
Li Ru continued.
“For now.”
There it was.
Father leaned back.
“Can they become one army?”
“Not easily.”
“Can they fight us without becoming one?”
“Yes.”
I drank tea.
Li Ru moved one report aside.
“Yuan Shao has the strongest name among them. If they need someone to stand above the others, many will accept him before they accept a local rival.”
Father’s mouth hardened.
“The Yuan name.”
“Four generations at the highest offices. Old students and clients across the empire.”
I had heard this before.
At breakfast.
When I had asked for an estate.
That request had aged terribly.
Father looked at me.
I lowered my cup.
“What?”
“You are quiet.”
“I am learning.”
That actually made Li Ru look at me.
I corrected myself.
“Against my will.”
Niu Fu’s mouth moved.
Father ignored him.
“You warned me about Yuan Shao.”
“I warned you that he could make revenge sound respectable.”
“And now half the east is answering him.”
“That part was not a recommendation.”
Father stared at me.
I looked toward the doorway.
“May I go count carts now?”
Silence.
Father’s eyebrows rose.
“You want to leave council to work?”
“Yes.”
He looked at Li Ru.
Li Ru said, perfectly seriously, “The situation is grave.”
Father laughed.
Even Uncle Min did.
I waited.
“I truly do have work.”
Father waved me away.
I stood before he could recover.
The western storehouse had not improved since my last visit.
It still contained grain.
Carts.
Oxen.
Records.
And Chen Lan.
One of these things made the journey worthwhile.
She bowed when I entered.
“Young Master.”
“Please tell me Father’s entire household fits into five carts.”
“No.”
“Six?”
“No.”
I looked at Chen Bo.
He shook his head.
Terrible service.
We sat with the new registers.
At least the numbers made sense now.
Registered grain.
Actual grain.
Movable grain.
Chen Lan pointed to one line.
“Twenty-three carts are listed across the western properties.”
“How many move?”
“Fourteen today.”
I looked at her.
“Better than six.”
“Yes.”
“Worse than twenty-three.”
“Yes.”
“And ox teams?”
“Enough for eleven immediately. More can be brought in.”
“So eleven carts actually leave.”
“Yes.”
There it was.
The real number.
I tapped the next slip.
“Mother.”
Chen Lan already had the figures.
Of course she did.
“Lady Song’s household can be moved with what is available now if baggage is limited.”
“How limited?”
“Clothing. Coin. Jewelry. Food. Personal chests.”
I nodded.
“That sounds reasonable.”
“No large furniture.”
I paused.
“Still reasonable.”
“Her carved cabinet would remain.”
I looked at her.
“The one in her inner room?”
“Yes.”
I had seen Mother order three servants to move that cabinet six feet because the light was wrong.
I pushed the slip toward Chen Lan.
“You tell her.”
For the first time that afternoon, Chen Lan laughed.
Not loudly.
Enough.
“Add one cart,” I said.
She was still smiling.
“Young Master.”
“One.”
“The cabinet may not fit.”
“Then we tried.”
Chen Bo looked down.
His shoulders moved once.
This entire property had become insolent.
I pointed at the main household list.
“And everyone else?”
The humor left Chen Lan’s face.
“Not yet.”
“How far short?”
“We need the full count from Luoyang before I can say.”
That was fair.
I disliked vague numbers, but invented numbers were worse.
“Keep Mother’s plan separate.”
Chen Lan looked at me.
“Even if the rest cannot move?”
“Yes.”
She did not ask why.
Good.
I did not want to explain it.
“Father can have both lists. I am not hiding anything.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
I leaned back.
“Anything else?”
“Cart hire has become more expensive.”
Of course it had.
“How much?”
“Some owners are asking twice the old rate.”
“Why?”
“Military buyers.”
I looked toward the yard.
There were only so many carts.
Armies wanted them.
Merchants wanted them.
Rich families thinking about leaving Luoyang wanted them.
And I wanted enough to take Mother west.
“Hire none yet.”
Chen Bo nodded.
“But find out who has them.”
Chen Lan’s eyes moved to me.
I pointed at her before she could make this sound clever.
“Lord Li asked about unusual purchases yesterday.”
“I said nothing.”
“Good.”
I stood.
“Keep doing that.”
When I returned to Luoyang, Qiao’er was waiting with a letter.
This improved the day immediately.
“Lady Wei?”
“Yes.”
I held out my hand.
Qiao’er gave it to me without argument.
Suspicious.
I opened it.
Young Master,
Father has heard that several men east of Luoyang are raising troops.
He asked whether I should remind you that he continues to command none.
I thought you would appreciate the news.
I read it again.
Then folded it.
Qiao’er watched me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You have Mother’s face when you say that.”
Her expression changed.
Barely.
Victory.
I held out the letter.
“Put this somewhere safe.”
“With the others?”
I looked at her.
“There are not enough to require a category.”
“There are six.”
I stopped.
“Six?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. With the others.”
The next morning, council began before I had finished my tea.
I considered this a violation.
Nobody cared.
A messenger from the east was reading from a fresh report.
The allied commanders had begun meeting.
Not all in one place.
Not all under one banner.
But enough of them were exchanging envoys, coordinating positions and calling themselves allies that even Father had stopped referring to them as separate disturbances.
Then the messenger said:
“They have chosen Yuan Shao as leader.”
The room went still.
Father’s face did not change.
Li Ru asked, “Chosen by whom?”
The messenger listed the principal commanders whose envoys had agreed.
Cao Cao supported him.
So did men around Chenliu and Henei.
Others had accepted the decision or, at least, had not rejected it.
Father gave a short laugh.
No amusement.
“Of course.”
Li Ru nodded.
“The name was useful.”
“And Yuan Shu?”
“He remains with the alliance.”
Father smiled.
That one did contain amusement.
“Happy about it?”
The messenger wisely said nothing.
Li Ru answered instead.
“Unlikely.”
Good.
At least the enemy had family problems too.
The messenger continued.
“Yuan Shu has been given responsibility for distributing provisions among several of the allied forces.”
I looked at Li Ru.
He noticed.
I looked away.
No.
Not my problem.
Let the other logistics man suffer.
Then came another name.
“Sun Jian has joined Yuan Shu’s side and is moving north.”
My attention returned.
Sun Jian.
That name I remembered without effort.
Father looked toward Niu Fu.
“He has fought before.”
Niu Fu nodded.
“A great deal.”
Li Ru asked, “Where is he now?”
The messenger gave the route.
North.
Toward us.
No rumor this time.
No proclamation.
No men quietly buying grain while everyone pretended nothing was happening.
An army was moving.
Father stood.
The room rose with him.
Orders came quickly.
Scouts.
Passes.
Garrisons.
Cavalry readiness.
Then Father looked toward one of the guards.
“Call Hua Xiong.”
The guard bowed and left at once.
I remained standing beside my untouched tea.
Yesterday Father had enemies.
Today they had chosen a leader.
And one of their armies was already coming west.