Chapter 158: The Difference Between A Broke Loser And A Rich Noble
“Shouldn’t stuffing people into an ox’s buttocks be something I do?”
“It has to be you who did it. I’m making a living north of the Great Wall now. What if those devils go on a desperate raid on the reclamation area? Do you think the slaves in my reclamation area can hold off the devils?”
“Of course not!”
“If the devils went to Qiuhe Prefecture to find you, what do you think would be their fate?”
Cao Kun’s face showed a trace of longing as he murmured to himself: “At that time, stuff them all into ox buttocks and parade them through the streets.”
Yun Ce nodded and said: “You see, that’s the logic. From now on, no matter who asks, it was you who did it, and it has nothing to do with me.”
“Even if someone asks me directly, I won’t admit it.”
Cao Kun waved his hand grandly and said: “This matter has nothing to do with you.”
Yun Ce deeply agreed.
It was late at night, but the old butler and warrior leader Cao Ling were still reviewing tonight’s battle, with the key focus being an evaluation of Yun Ce’s performance.
1 “Gold advances, drums stop, horns return. This young man did not overstep by even half a step. He advanced bravely, stopped with measure, and returned without panic. He is an outstanding person in the military.”
1 After hearing Cao Ling’s evaluation, the old butler smiled and pointed at Cao Ling’s nose: “Why don’t you mention now how his martial arts are superior?”
1 Cao Ling touched his nose and said with an embarrassed smile: “The previous evaluation was made by that brute Cao Ling. The current evaluation is made by warrior leader Cao Ling.”
1 The old butler laughed: “I’m very joyful that you have this insight now. Those who scheme like flies and dogs cannot be generals. Those who disregard the big picture cannot be generals. Those with thunderous resolve in their chest and a face calm as a lake can be supreme generals.”
1 Nowadays, with strife throughout the world, the dispute between the Grand Marshal and the Emperor has thoroughly entered its final stage. If the Grand Marshal wins, from then on, the Emperor can only be a clay statue. If the Emperor wins, the Grand Marshal’s entire clan will inevitably be executed.
1 At this moment, for the Cao Clan of Qiuhe Prefecture, no matter whom we side with or lean toward, it’s a huge gamble. So, we Cao Clan choose neither. We choose the hope of the world, Iron Enclosure Pass.
1 “You should understand the meaning of sending charcoal in the snowy weather.”
1 Cao Ling nodded: “You’re absolutely right, but this child Cao Kun… alas…”
1 The old butler chuckled: “What’s wrong with this child? Is he not good?”
1 Cao Ling said: “He’s far inferior to Yun Ce.”
2 The old butler laughed: “Do you think there are many young people in this world more excellent than Yun Ce?”
2 Cao Ling looked up: “Many.”
2 “Are there many nobles like Cao Kun who can bring us wealth and honor for life, die of old age, and leave virtue to his descendants?”
2 Cao Ling’s expression turned serious as he cupped his hands: “One in ten thousand!”
2 The old butler draped the fur coat Cao Kun had sent earlier over his legs, stroked the soft fur on the fur coat, and said softly: “This child isn’t highly skilled in martial arts—what does it matter? We can always find guards with exceptional martial arts for him. This child isn’t smart—what does it matter? We can always find scholars to help him plan and scheme.
2 The Cao Clan’s over thirteen hundred years of glory remains undimmed to this day—that is this child’s greatest asset. Plus, this child has a benevolent nature. Whether warriors or scholars, as long as they spend some time with him, they can detect his extraordinary qualities.
2 Ji City City Lord Fan Zheng is such a rampant, violent, sharp-toothed person. Our Cao Clan Patriarch tried to kill him multiple times, but he repelled each attempt. Not only that, he publicly listed eighty-seven major faults of the Cao Clan, causing us to lose all face. Only the Eldest Son stepped forward, and with Fan Zheng’s abilities, he couldn’t criticize the Eldest Son at all.
2 He could only attack the Eldest Son for lacking courage and wisdom. But when the Eldest Son told the people of Ji City that as long as they laid down their weapons and opened the city to surrender, he guaranteed not to kill anyone in the city indiscriminately.
2 In the end, the Eldest Son entered the city without bloodshed, quelled the chaos in Ji City, and after entering, killed only Fan Zheng. He didn’t even kill Fan Zheng’s family, including his son, and gave them gold to leave Ji City and seek a new path.
2 To this day, Fan Zheng’s family is still living well in Luoyang. Even if Fan Zheng had a spirit, he couldn’t say anything wrong about the Eldest Son’s handling.
3 Cao Ling gritted his teeth and listened to the old butler’s ramblings, then said with a bitter face: “It’s not as brilliant as you say. The Eldest Son just said that casually at the time.”
3 The old butler laughed heartily: “An unintentional act is a true act from the heart. Don’t worry about what state the Eldest Son was in at the time. Was it him who ordered the rioters in Ji City to surrender and guaranteed no indiscriminate killing?
3 Was it him who secretly let Fan Zheng’s family go afterward and didn’t pursue and kill them?”
3 Cao Ling took a sip of water, still somewhat unconvinced: “That was too playful.”
3 The old butler’s smile grew even brighter as he pointed at Cao Ling: “What do you know? In today’s Qiuhe Prefecture, which city is most loyal to the Eldest Son?”
3 Cao Ling said without hesitation: “Ji City!”
3 The old butler stroked the soft fur on his knee and murmured to himself: “Ji City is the second largest city in Qiuhe Prefecture, and now it’s almost become the Eldest Son’s private city. This is the achievement that so many heroes and those with exceptional intelligence dream of.”
3 Cao Ling raised his hand to scratch his itchy scalp and chimed in: “Yeah, how did he do it? Just because the Eldest Son is a fool?”
3 The old butler sighed: “Perhaps this is what people often call, the benevolent are invincible.”
3 Just as the two sat in silence, the flame in the lamp flickered, and Cao Kun hurried in. As soon as he entered, he grabbed the old butler’s hand and said joyfully: “Just now, Yun Ce said he can’t afford to provoke the Gui Fang people, so he’s deciding to take the fame for killing the Gui Fang ox cavalryman and stuffing the ox cavalryman into an ox’s buttocks and pin it on my head.
4 Uncle, do you think this is good or bad?”
4 The old butler’s gaze sharpened as he looked at Cao Kun: “Did Yun Ce really say that?”
4 “Yes, yes! Yun Ce just said it. He even felt a bit sorry for me, thinking that pushing me out to take the blame for him isn’t what a good friend should do.
4 He also said that if we get to Iron Enclosure Pass and someone questions it, just push him forward and declare that only those who defeat him are qualified to question my killing of three ox cavalrymen.
4 Uncle, should I admit it? It’s just a bit embarrassing.”
4 “Hahahaha—”
4 The old butler laughed so hard he nearly choked, pointing at Cao Kun for a long time. Once he caught his breath, he said to Cao Ling: “You see? This is what they mean by the truly skilled win without flashy achievements!
4 Admit it, why not? Yun Ce is absolutely right. His reclamation area is north of the Great Wall, mostly filled with the old, weak, women, and children. Even if Yun Ce is highly skilled in martial arts, how many can one person protect?
4 The Gui Fang people just need to send a fifty-man squad, refuse to fight Yun Ce head-on, and given time, it wouldn’t be hard to kill off all the slaves under him.
4 He doesn’t dare claim this reputation, but it’s the perfect time for the Eldest Son to take it. Our purpose in going to Iron Enclosure Pass this time is to befriend the people there.
5 What do the people there believe in most?
5 Naturally, martial power.
5 Now, the Young Master has an achievement he can show off. It’s perfect to go to Iron Enclosure Pass to claim merit. Though it’s just a minor Zanniao Title, it’s solid military merit from Iron Enclosure Pass. With this military merit, who in the world would dare mock the Young Master for lacking martial power?”
5 Warrior leader Cao Ling quickly stood up: “The ox cavalryman that’s already been pulled out should be stuffed back in as before. Only then can it truly bring fame to the Eldest Son.”
5 The old butler turned to Cao Kun: “How did you reassure Yun Ce?”
5 Cao Kun scratched his hair: “I agreed with Yun Ce that once his reclamation area has a large output, we’ll purchase provisions from him and send them to Iron Enclosure Pass. He also guaranteed that he’ll join every escort of provisions.”
5 “Mm, this young man is really putting in effort for his dream of Yun City. After partnering with you, there’s now a fixed trade route from Jingkou Pass to Qiuhe Prefecture. With this trade route, his reclamation area prospering is just a matter of time.
5 Purchasing provisions from him is clearly cheaper than in Qiuhe Prefecture, with less loss in transit. You can tell Yun Ce we accept his proposal, and moreover, when buying his provisions, we’ll add twenty percent on top of the market price!”
5 Hearing the old butler’s words, Cao Kun immediately hugged the old butler’s shoulders and wailed: “Yun Ce is my brother. Uncle, if you add twenty percent, where do I put my face? I won’t have the face to see him anymore.”
5 The old butler grabbed the flailing Cao Kun and said seriously: “What do you want then?”
6 Cao Kun thrust five spread fingers in front of the old butler: “Fifty percent!”
6 The old butler pushed away the five fingers right in front of his eyes and said somewhat helplessly: “If we give him fifty percent more profit, our losses would be no different from this trip.”
6 Cao Kun bared his white teeth in a grin: “Anyway, it’ll benefit someone else. Why not benefit my brother?”
6 The old butler looked at Cao Kun intently: “Do you really believe that he can build a grand city called Yun City in a place north of the Great Wall?”
6 Cao Kun laughed: “If it fails, so what? We’re still young. Worst case, we start over.”
6 The old butler leaned back against the wool pillow behind him and said to Cao Kun with a half-smile: “Start over? Easier said than done.”
6 Cao Kun laughed loudly: “Even if it fails, it’s better than doing nothing.”
6 The old butler closed his eyes and pondered for a long time. Cao Kun waited nervously at the side, even squatting down to massage the old butler’s legs while making strange, fawning sounds like a clingy raccoon dog.
6 After a long while, the old butler suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Cao Kun squatting by his legs: “Fine, fifty percent it is. I’ll go talk to the Patriarch and make sure you don’t lose face in front of your brother.”
6 “Great!”
7 Cao Kun jumped up, flailed his hands wildly in the air twice, then looked at the old butler: “Uncle, what do you think of this move?”
7 The old butler asked puzzledly: “What’s that?”
7 Cao Kun puffed out his chest proudly: “That’s the move I used to stuff the Gui Fang ox cavalryman into an ox’s buttocks. What do you think, sir?”
7 The old butler nodded somewhat dazedly: “Of course it’s excellent…”
7 “I think it’s not good enough. I’ll go back and practice more to make the heroes in Iron Enclosure Pass cheer for me.”
7 The old butler hurriedly said: “This matter can be boasted about, but not turned into a point of criticism.”
7 Cao Kun brushed back his fallen hair smugly: “No problem. Yun Ce will make them only praise me and not slander me.”
