Since things have come to this, let’s first celebrate becoming someone with both cats and dogs.
After settling Dian Wei, Jia Xu decided to hold a celebration, which also served as a pre-battle mobilization meeting, preparing to face the challenges ahead with a fresh outlook.
“What?! Dian Wei and his men are coming to attack our Rangcheng?”
Listening to Jia Xu and Zhuge Xuan’s analysis at the table, Zhang Xiu felt as though he had died a little inside.
This… this can’t be right, can it?!
…
“What? General Dian Wei is missing?!” Cao Ang felt as though he had already died. Frowning, he looked at the person reporting to him—Dian Wei’s deputy, who had returned with the others.
“Weren’t you all together? How could General Dian be the only one left behind?”
Dian Wei was incredibly strong, but he was also rather simple-minded. Sometimes he couldn’t understand what others were saying, and he spoke very bluntly. Cao Ang couldn’t help but suspect a conspiracy—he wondered if these people had long held a grudge against Dian Wei and deliberately got rid of him.
But that shouldn’t be the case… Dian Wei was truly formidable. It wasn’t that Cao Ang looked down on the others, but even combined, they might not be a match for Dian Wei, let alone return unscathed without so much as a broken limb?
“At night, the general ordered us to rest while he kept watch. By daybreak, we couldn’t find him.” The deputy had a tough time. They searched the area for a long while but only found a large pit. There were no signs of a struggle, but there were traces of something climbing out from the bottom of the pit. Perhaps a bear had fallen in and managed to climb out on its own.
Aside from that, there was no other evidence to prove Dian Wei’s whereabouts!
The deputy and his men searched for an entire day. They did find a bear, but General Dian Wei was nowhere to be seen!
Now, they had no choice but to return and report to the eldest son, Cao Ang. Their vanguard unit had failed this mission, but Dian Wei couldn’t just disappear!
The deputy knew that Dian Wei was currently his lord’s favorite, cherished as much as his cousins Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan, or his younger cousins Cao Ren and Cao Hong. In other words, the entire vanguard unit could perish, but Dian Wei could not be lost.
“Eldest Son, what… what should we do now?”
The deputy’s tone was as frantic as ants on a hot pan. He lowered his head, waiting for the eldest son’s judgment. He hoped they would be allowed to search on their own or be sent away…
“Should I go look for him?” The deputy suddenly realized that there were others in the eldest son’s tent. He cautiously looked up and met the gaze of a pale, scholarly-looking man with a faint smile.
Hiss!
The one who had just spoken was General Xiahou Yuan. The deputy knew that General Xiahou had also accompanied their lord on this campaign. Xiahou Yuan excelled at swift raids, and he should have been the one to lead this mission, but their commander Dian Wei had insisted on taking the assignment.
But! But how was Guo Jia, the Chief Advisor, also here…
The deputy had returned first with his men, gambling on Cao Ang’s kindness, hoping he wouldn’t have them all executed.
Their mission didn’t actually require engaging Zhang Xiu in battle—they only needed to surround Rangcheng in advance.
But… the deputy hadn’t led his men to Rangcheng before returning.
They’re going to die, aren’t they? Guo Jia was definitely not the merciful type among their lord’s strategists. Ah, why couldn’t it have been Military Advisor Xun Yu instead?
The deputy commander’s heart was now utterly cold, his head bowed to his chest, waiting for General Xiahou Yuan and the eldest young master to finish discussing the search for Dian Wei, waiting for Guo Jia to pronounce his death sentence.
He hoped only he would die, that his wife and children would not be implicated, nor his other brothers…
“Alright, no need to search,” Guo Jia unexpectedly spoke up. “He’s probably already been discovered by Jia Xu. Tsk, this man is even more ruthless than I imagined. You were spotted over thirty li outside Rangcheng.”
“Yes, yes, about thirty-two li. But General Dian Wei said he saw signs of troop activity near Rangcheng, so he ordered us to rest and not act rashly.”
The deputy commander now answered whatever was asked, not daring to struggle desperately or plead for mercy. Guo Jia… those who had met him feared him, feeling his eyes could truly see through everything. The deputy commander was no exception; he felt that in that brief moment he met Guo Jia’s gaze, Guo Jia had already seen through all his selfish motives.
Hearing Guo Jia’s words, Cao Ang shifted from the angle of the deputy commander conspiring with soldiers to kill Dian Wei to Jia Xu being the one to do it… but both were absurd! That was Dian Wei, after all!
Jia Xu was a strategist. His most shocking stratagem to date was after Dong Zhuo’s death, when Wang Yun was about to purge the Xiliang army. Jia Xu directed the panicked Li Jue and Guo Si to counterattack Chang’an—bold and efficient. With their backs against the wall, the Xiliang army defeated the defending Lu Bu, allowing Li Jue and Guo Si to run amok in Chang’an for several months!
Yet Jia Xu vanished afterward, leaving no trace to be found.
A few months ago, Jia Xu suddenly appeared in Jing Province. Instead of joining Liu Biao, he chose Zhang Xiu, a minor Xiliang general under Liu Biao, and helped Zhang Xiu thrive in managing Rangcheng.
And he managed it exceptionally well! Zhang Xiu’s soldiers gained a reputation for being formidable fighters, and Rangcheng’s reputation for vigorous development spread far and wide.
Liu Biao and Cao Cao were practically neighbors. Cao Ang knew how Liu Biao had managed Jing Province—it was less Liu Biao managing it and more him allowing the powerful families to tear each other apart. Against this backdrop, Jia Xu’s management skills appeared remarkably impressive!
Cao Ang understood even better that his own father currently valued military commanders more than strategists. Logically, he would want Zhang Xiu more—the Xiliang army’s reputation for combat prowess was well-known. As for Jia Xu the strategist, his “counterattack on Chang’an plan” was efficient, but Li Jue and Guo Si’s wanton burning, killing, and looting in Chang’an also tarnished his reputation as a strategist. Many felt Jia Xu’s title of “Poisonous Strategist” was undeserved—what good was a brilliant stratagem if there was only one, and it was truly “poisonous”?
But, but!
Cao Ang’s own father, Cao Cao, had issued the order: “Capture Jia Xu alive.” It would be best to persuade him to surrender; if not, such talent must not be left for others! Imprison him until he is willing!
He wasn’t even willing to kill him, showing Cao Cao was truly determined to acquire a strategist capable of managing the rear.
Jia Xu was truly a talent!
Guo Jia understood all this perfectly, but he believed Jia Xu was better suited for the front lines than the rear. He was surely a battlefield type! It was just that Zhang Xiu could offer him too small a stage, which was why he chose to stabilize the rear.
Look, this time I anticipated their thoughts in advance, which can be considered a stroke of genius! Definitely a battlefield strategist, perfect for staying on the front lines and engaging in strategic battles with other strategists.
“Interesting.” Guo Jia’s desire to spar with Jia Xu reached its peak. He had a premonition that this man could pull off even more dazzling maneuvers.
Jia Xu lacked a stage, and now that our lord is fighting Zhang Xiu, isn’t this the perfect stage for him?
“General Xiahou, there’s no need to search for General Dian Wei—he should be within Rangcheng. Let’s prepare. I have a plan.” Guo Jia set down his wine cup and looked at Xiahou Yuan with a serious expression.
Someone was about to suffer a great misfortune.
Xiahou Yuan, who was well aware of Guo Jia’s ability to manipulate people, silently mourned for Rangcheng in advance.
“Alright!” Mourning aside, Xiahou Yuan agreed swiftly. His brother had said that Guo Jia was exceptionally clever but lazy, and moments when he took the initiative were rare. Xiahou Yuan quickly seized this opportunity.
“Achoo!” Jia Xu sneezed, unaware that someone was secretly talking about him. He simply thought the weather had turned cold. Wrapped in layer upon layer of clothing in an attempt to keep warm, he pondered whether it would be easier to find cotton or wool, hoping to produce thick cotton clothes by next year. Meanwhile, he expressed concern for the strategists he had brought home.
“The weather’s cold. Don’t catch a chill.”
Jia Xu’s nose was red. Just turned eighteen, he was a child raised in a modern family that wasn’t short of money, no different from the pampered youth of ancient times. With fair skin and handsome features, he looked every bit the noble son of a prominent family. Now, wrapped in thin clothing, it seemed he hadn’t taken good care of himself but was already looking out for others—truly pitiful.
“Mhm, we’re not cold. Do you want to add more layers?” The child, Zhuge Jun, turned the concern back on Jia Xu.
“I’m fine. Let’s… let’s disperse for now. Tomorrow, when Dian Wei wakes up, we’ll go see if we can get some information about Cao Cao from him.”
Jia Xu wanted to be more confident when facing Cao Cao. If he could obtain some information, that would be even better.
“Report, General! Military Advisor! Dian Wei has woken up, and now… now he’s tearing the place apart. We’re having trouble controlling him.” The reporting soldier frowned, looking anxious—less like he was reporting and more like he was pleading for help.
Tearing the place apart? What? Dian Wei, are you a beagle?! How are you tearing things apart?
Jia Xu immediately stood up. “Let’s go!”
Even faster than his words was Zhang Xiu’s figure darting out, which made Jia Xu suddenly realize that he, too, had raised a beagle.
A bitter smile crossed his face. He wasn’t even as well-off as Cao Cao! Cao Cao had plenty of money to let Dian Wei wreck things!
Upon seeing Dian Wei, Jia Xu gained a deeper understanding of why the soldier had described it as “tearing the place apart.” No one could control a scene like this!
Even though Dian Wei’s hands and feet were tied, he had used his head and body to smash a large hole in the door. Inside the hole, he was trying to use the sharp edges of the broken door planks to saw through the ropes binding him while cursing and growling at anyone he saw.
Jia Xu was growled at as soon as he arrived. When he was growled at, his own beagle took offense and immediately started barking back.
The two men were cursing at each other with little sophistication, exchanging insults like “You’re shameless!” and “You’re brainless!”—along with some vulgar remarks targeting each other’s families and ancestors, which Jia Xu pretended not to hear.
The “werwer” sounds pierced the air like a demonic noise, grating on Jia Xu’s ears.
“Stop!” Jia Xu couldn’t take it anymore. Under Zhuge Xuan’s astonished gaze, having missed Zhuge Jun’s small hand trying to tug at his clothes to restrain him, and ignoring Zhuge Liang’s bewildered look, he stepped forward and seized Dian Wei and Zhang Xiu, one on each side.
He used a rope he had casually taken from Huang Chengyan’s waist, tying it with practiced ease. With a single rope looped around both their necks, he pressed his hands against their heads to prevent the two, now forced close together, from escalating their verbal spat into a physical brawl.
The situation was utterly bizarre.
Not only did the two beagles stop barking, but the cats also fell silent.
Just as Dian Wei realized he shouldn’t have been subdued so easily, an earth-shattering exclamation suddenly echoed through the small courtyard.
“I was planning to tie someone up like that too!” It was Huang Chengyan.
You still haven’t forgotten your failed attempt at tying someone up!
Jia Xu had nowhere to vent his frustration.
————————!!————————
As for why Dian Wei was subdued, “The Ancient Evil” Dian Wei decided to hold a small press conference to clarify—
Ahem (clears throat) (adjusts suit) (steps up to speak)
It wasn’t because his hands and feet were tied, forcing him to wriggle on the ground like a grub and react slowly. The real reason was: “The Lord wants Jia Xu captured alive!” This person appeared to be Jia Xu, so he couldn’t bite him to death or bash his head in. Advisors were too fragile—if he died too easily, Dian Wei would have to kneel on the ground begging for his revival. That wouldn’t do!
Alright, speech concluded. Dian Wei exits the stage.