Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 355 Prime Minister Cao, who rises early and retires late!
In the dark room, the candlelight flickered, casting shadows on Cao Cao, who was tossing and turning, as he discussed the letter from Yuan Ying.

"Prime Minister."

A voice announced from outside the door, "Military doctor Zhang Gong is here to see you."

Cao Cao released his hand from rubbing his temples and waved it away.

"Invite him in."

The curtain was gently lifted, and Zhang Gong, dressed in a plain-colored medical robe, slowly walked in, carrying the medicine in his hands and a medicine box on his back.

He placed the medicine and medicine box on the table, took a half step forward, and frowned as soon as his fingertips touched Cao Cao's wrist pulse.

"The Prime Minister's pulse is deep and wiry, which is caused by stagnant liver fire," Zhang Gong said calmly, his fingertips carefully probing the pulse for a moment before sighing.

"The Prime Minister should rest early and avoid staying up late, which can harm his spirit and cause him much worry and anxiety."

"Staying up late is bad for your mental health, and causes you to worry and overthink?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao chuckled softly, "The enemy Yuan Shao's troops are at the gates of the city outside the pass, and the people inside the pass are restless and uneasy. How can I possibly rest in peace?"

"Today, we will continue to use acupuncture to relieve the pain and then take herbal medicine to regulate the body."

As Zhang Gong spoke, he opened his medicine box, took out a silver needle, and heated it over a candle flame.

Cao Cao squinted, leaning against the armchair. The throbbing pain in his temples had robbed him of his usual majesty. He simply grunted a soft "hmm," waiting for Zhang Gong to administer the acupuncture.

Suddenly, a flash of silver light appeared in the bronze mirror, and the contents of Zhang Gong's medicine box were reflected in Cao Cao's slightly narrowed eyes.

Those were terrifying needles, each a full three inches long, so long that just seeing them sent chills down one's spine.

Cao Cao suddenly opened his eyes and turned to glare coldly at Zhang Gong, who was about to administer acupuncture.

What is Zhang Gong's purpose?

Zhang Gong was initially bewildered, but then he suddenly remembered the rumor that the prime minister was prone to killing people while ill. How could he not be terrified? He knelt down with the needle in his hand and said:
"The golden needles were used to acupuncture points in an attempt to cure the Prime Minister's illness."

Cao Cao saw that the needle in his hand was only half an inch long, just like the one he used in the past. His suspicions were somewhat relieved, and he pointed to the medicine box and asked him about it.

"What is the purpose of the needles in that box?"

Zhang Gongcheng was filled with trepidation. He hurriedly retrieved his medicine box, arranged the two- to three-inch-long needles inside in order, and replied:
"A two-inch needle is used to pierce the chest and abdomen, and a three-inch needle is used to pierce the buttocks and legs."

Seeing that the Prime Minister's headaches were difficult to cure, and that he was also worried and anxious, unable to sleep, Gong wanted to help the Prime Minister improve his health, so he selected acupoints all over his body to apply acupuncture.

This method can comprehensively regulate the Qi and blood of the body's internal organs and meridians, and is most effective in treating chronic and difficult-to-cure ailments like those suffered by a prime minister.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's suspicions dissipated, but as he sized up Zhang Gong before him, a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he tested him, saying:
"If Cao Cao's record is correct, then Physician Zhang was also among those who presented the letters?"

Cao Cao has a question, and he hopes the imperial physician can enlighten him: Yuan Shu sent letters to those who were either trusted advisors or military commanders, so why is it that only you, an imperial physician, have gained Yuan Shu's favor?

Zhang Gong was terrified and had nowhere to turn; how could he possibly answer?
He simply knelt on the ground, crying and begging for mercy.

"Prime Minister!"
Mercury is innocent!

How could a lowly physician like myself possibly know the intentions of the traitor Yuan?

Gong had absolutely no intention of colluding with Yuan. Upon receiving the letter last night, he was terrified and immediately sent it to the Prime Minister.

"What wrong have you done?"
I merely questioned you and had no intention of punishing you, so why have you behaved so disgracefully?

Seeing his reaction, Cao Cao could only wave his hand, signaling him to get up.

"Alright, the letter list has been burned, and I have made it clear that I will not pursue this matter any further."

Zhang Gong breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had escaped a disaster. He was genuinely afraid that the Prime Minister would suddenly lash out and kill someone while ill, causing him to follow in Ji Ping's footsteps.

He then prostrated himself and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your wise judgment, Prime Minister."

Cao Cao nodded. At this point, he knew that it was probably a misunderstanding. Although his suspicions were somewhat relieved, he still felt terrified when he saw the three-inch-long needle in the medicine box, and he dared not let the man administer the acupuncture.

"Enough! My headache is gone, there's no need for further treatment today, you may leave."

Zhang Gong dared not stay any longer. He said goodbye and left as if fleeing.

As he approached the door, just as his guard was about to relax, he suddenly heard Cao Cao call out from behind:

“Zhang Gong, Yuan Shu sent you two letters, one open and one secret. You presented one and hid the other, pretending I didn’t know.”

Considering your behavior just now, which showed you to be fairly loyal, confess now, and I will spare your life!

Zhang Gong: "???"

Zhang Gong was so frightened that his liver and gallbladder were about to burst. He immediately turned around, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Prime Minister, you've been wronged!"
I would never conceal letters; the words in these two letters are surely slanders against me by treacherous people.

My loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon; the Prime Minister is wise and far-sighted. I humbly request a wise judgment.

Cao Cao frowned slightly, but seeing the blank and aggrieved look in his eyes, which did not seem fake, he suddenly smiled.

"I was just joking!"
Doctor Zhang, go ahead and receive an extra salary this month.

Remember, what I'm about to say is confidential and must not be told to anyone.

"Thank you, Prime Minister."

Mercury obeys the order.

Watching Zhang Gong leave, Cao Cao raised his hand to his forehead again. He looked at the medicine Zhang Gong had left for the day, and wanted to drink it several times, but in the end he didn't touch it.

Yuan Gonglu
Yuan Gonglu! Your true religion will bring endless disaster!

Cao Cao knew that things couldn't continue like this, but the incident involving Ji Ping had just happened in Luoyang, and now Zhang Gong had offered a letter.

Although Zhang Gong seems to have no suspicious points, it is really difficult to get him to completely put aside his doubts and entrust his life and fortune to a doctor.

He sighed, his voice tinged with weariness, and said:

"Someone, find me some medical books."

There were more than one case similar to Zhang Gong's.

Although all 132 letters from Yuan's camp were burned that day, the discord between the ruler and his ministers was temporarily suppressed due to Xun You's advice.

However, the true malice of this plan slowly unfolded afterward.

Recently, a general came to report on the guard duty at the pass tonight. Cao Cao looked up and saw that he was among the three hundred people suspected. However, he did not come to present a letter, and no letter was found in his residence. It seemed to be just one of the decoys set up by Yuan Shu.

But Cao Cao still dared not trust him completely. He was afraid of the worst-case scenario. If this person was the one who had secretly kept the letter, and they were to cooperate from the inside and outside tonight, wouldn't Huanyuan Pass be in danger?

As Xun You feared, this could lead to a loss of popular support and subsequent chaos. Therefore, Cao Cao could not act rashly and arrested the man for investigation based on mere suspicion.

Cao Cao then quietly rewarded and encouraged the man, and then personally went to the pass to rearrange the night patrol duties.

Similarly, Yang Xiu, who was originally in charge of recording meritorious deeds, was no longer trusted by Cao Cao. He directly transferred the matter to Xun You, who reported back to him daily for his personal review.

There were also military supplies, weapons, and daily rations. From major tasks like troop deployment and enemy engagements to minor tasks like serving tea and water, Cao Cao personally handled everything and managed it all single-handedly, though he didn't outwardly show it.

In the vast Cao camp, only a few trusted confidants, such as Xun You, could share the burden with him. Even the matters that Xun You and the others were responsible for, he still had to review them every day, meticulously.

In addition, Yuan Jun's daily attacks never weakened, and every day there was a fierce battle from morning till night. Cao Cao's doubts remained, so he had to run around keeping an eye on every battlefield in Guanshang, for fear that someone would defect in the face of battle.

Even at midnight, Yuan's army would launch a noisy attack on the city, shouting "Raise the fire as a signal, and appoint a general!" creating the appearance of a coordinated attack from within and without.

So frightened was Cao Cao that he had to get out of bed that very night to personally supervise the battle.

Sometimes three, sometimes four or five shots would be fired in a night. Sometimes Yuan's army would actually attack the city, and sometimes they would just make a fuss, causing Cao Cao a great deal of trouble.

People often advised Cao Cao:

“Yuan’s army’s night attacks are mostly deceptive. The Prime Minister is busy every day and does not need to go in person every time. He can just leave the defense to the officers on night duty.”

If Yuan's army's offensive becomes too rapid, it will not be too late to inform the Prime Minister.

Cao Cao, who harbored deep suspicions about his subordinates, was unwilling to listen.
What if I slack off and don't go even once, and the general on duty that day happens to be the one secretly communicating with the traitor Yuan? If he opens the gate and surrenders the pass, wouldn't I be doomed?

Moreover, even if no one is in league with Yuan Shu, we still have to fear that cunning Yuan Shu, who is just waiting for us to lower our guard before launching a sudden and fierce attack, leaving us unable to send reinforcements in time.

Therefore, Cao Cao did not heed these suggestions. Even though his dark circles were getting worse, he still rose at the sound of the drum and slept at the sound of the gong, never daring to relax for a moment.

Later, he seemed to get really annoyed by Yuan Shu's shameless tactic of stirring up trouble in the middle of the night. He also couldn't stand the fact that he was always worried that one of his officers would collude with Yuan while on duty, or that another officer would join him from the outside tonight.

Cao Cao simply ordered his men to build him a temporary residence on the city wall of the pass, and he lived there permanently, personally overseeing the defense of the entire pass at all times, ready to respond to any unforeseen events.

From then on, he no longer had to worry about anyone colluding with him from the inside to open the gate and surrender the gate while he was on night duty.

Because of Cao Cao's suspicious actions, some unexpected changes occurred at Huanyuan Pass.

The first scene depicts Cao Cao living in Guanzhong, rising at the sound of drums every night and sleeping at the sound of gongs.

Such selfless actions, sharing weal and woe with the soldiers at the grassroots level, greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers at Huanyuan Pass, making their spirits soar!

"Prime Minister Cao is with us!"

“We still have our shifts and rest periods, but Prime Minister Cao has been working tirelessly without taking a moment’s rest!”

"Prime Minister Cao also introduced a military merit system for us, allowing us to enjoy even better rewards and benefits than the Han army!"

"Long live Prime Minister Cao!"

Cao Cao: "."

With dark circles under his eyes, Cao Cao was exhausted and mentally drained. Hearing the cheers of his soldiers and seeing the unprecedented scene of unity among them at Huanyuan Pass, he was deeply moved.

He wanted to laugh, and should laugh, but for some reason, he just felt so tired that he couldn't laugh.

Besides them, there were the officials and generals in Cao Cao's camp. They could clearly feel that the pressure and burden on their shoulders had been greatly reduced. Although there was a large army of Yuan Shao pressing in from outside the city, they felt very relaxed every day.

Even some of the more suspicious individuals have started drinking and composing poems, because Prime Minister Cao has taken over the work that they were originally supposed to do.

How could these people not be moved to tears whenever they saw Prime Minister Cao's increasingly thin and haggard figure?

But when they were all ashamed of their ease and expressed their willingness to share the Prime Minister's burdens...

Cao Cao always looked at them meaningfully, raised his hand and patted them hard on the shoulder, saying:

"You are all pillars of the nation. We are counting on you to eliminate the traitor Yuan and restore the Han dynasty."

As for these trivial matters, I will take care of them all.

Prime Minister Cao, you scoundrel!
Such loyalty to duty, tireless dedication, and concern for the country, coupled with compassion for his subjects, would move any minister to tears.

Therefore, Cao Cao, having heeded Xun You's advice, did not know how to investigate the traitors under his command who were colluding with Yuan Shao, and in order to avoid internal strife at Huanyuan Pass due to the discord between the ruler and his ministers, dared not take any rash actions.

Thus, he harbored deep suspicions, outwardly maintaining a harmonious relationship between the ruler and his ministers within Huanyuan Pass, but in reality, he took on more work due to his own competence, doing all the work for everyone else.

As a result, the soldiers shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and the officials all called him a wise ruler. The people of Huanyuan Pass were not alienated by Yuan Shu's scheme; on the contrary, they became even more united and enthusiastic.

However, all of this comes at a price.

The entire Huanyuan Pass, the core of Cao Cao's camp, including soldiers, officers, and ministers, was maintained at an extremely fragile anchor point.

This anchor point is Cao Cao's body!

Outside the Great Wall, there was the inherently evil Yuan Gonglu, who fought from morning till night, and from night till dawn, working non-stop for twelve hours straight, giving no one a break.

Within the pass, there were also numerous treacherous traitors disguised as loyal, whose true nature was difficult to discern, who were secretly colluding with Yuan Shao, making Cao Cao dare not be careless.

Therefore, he personally handled all matters, and military affairs piled up like mountains, with candles burning all night long.

Even from the rear, there were reports of government affairs from Luoyang and military intelligence coming in from all directions, which was extremely troublesome.

Unfortunately, he suffered from persistent headaches and distrusted doctors, refusing to accept acupuncture. Even the herbal medicine prescribed by Zhang Gong required Cao Cao to consult medical books to verify the symptoms before ordering someone to bring the herbs and boil them in his presence.

As a result, Cao Cao's clothes became looser, and his body, which was originally in the prime of his life, aged and became haggard at a visible rate.

On that day, Xun You arrived at the pass to pay his respects. His gaze fell upon the newly added white hairs at Cao Cao's temples, and he said softly:
Why does the Prime Minister have to work so hard?
Physician Zhang often advised the Prime Minister to worry less about the war and to rest more.

Worry and anxiety, late nights and overwork—medicinal herbs can cure physical ailments, but how can they heal the ailments of the heart?

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao put down the invigorating medicinal soup in his hand, raised his sunken, weary eyes, and looked over.

"With the world still unsettled, Yuan Shu's army was right outside the city, their eyes fixed on the city day and night."

The people in the city have calmed down a bit, but the fate of the Han Dynasty rests on Cao Cao's shoulders. Where can he find the words "quiet recuperation"?

"In this chaotic world, the Central Plains are in turmoil. The outcome hinges on this battle. Yuan Shu is watching closely from below. If I hesitate, even for a moment, I will lose everything."

He sat up straight again, forcibly suppressing the weariness in his eyes, raised his hand to press his still throbbing temple, and asked:

"Gongda, what brings you here?"

Xun You sighed; he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

At the time, I was only thinking about stabilizing the court officials and preventing them from becoming suspicious and disloyal.

Therefore, we can only make things difficult for the Prime Minister.

But now it seems, isn't the prime minister being a little too burdened?

Let's hope that when Huanyuan Pass falls, it's not because the ministers are disloyal, nor because of collusion with Yuan Shu, nor because it was breached by Yuan Shu's army.

Instead, the Prime Minister's body gave way and he collapsed. What should we do?

Despite his worries, and knowing that now was not the time to offer comfort, Xun You still revealed the purpose of his visit.

"Prime Minister, Marquis Cao Anmin of Duting has been in Guanzhong for some time now."

Now that his mission is complete and his return to Yuan's camp is imminent, we don't know whether we should let him go, or what we should do with him.

(End of this chapter)