Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 11 – Five Admirable Generals, Who Shall Lead?

In an instant, a thought surfaced in Cao Pi’s mind: How could his younger brother dare to defy their father’s summons and venture recklessly to the frontlines of battle, especially when Cao Cao referred to Cao Ju as a “rascal”? This only strengthened Cao Pi’s conviction.

However, when Cao Pi observed his father’s impatient expression while trying to dismiss them, he couldn’t pursue his train of thought. Hastily, he nodded and said, “Father, I understand! I’ll take my leave!”

Cao Pi’s mind remained unsettled after parting ways with Cao Zhang in the study. He couldn’t shake the thoughts about Cao Ju’s unexpected appearance and wondered why his younger brother had reached such a point. What had he done to incur their father’s wrath?

With numerous doubts swirling, Cao Pi’s naturally suspicious mind began generating various possibilities. So absorbed was he in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice when Cao Zhang left his side. Only when Cao Pi snapped back to reality he realized he had unconsciously left the county governor’s residence.

Glancing back at the mansion’s gate, Cao Pi turned to his attendant and instructed, “You, find out what happened at the county governor’s residence today. Discover who came to see Father!”

His attendant promptly carried out Cao Pi’s command without hesitation. As evening approached, Cao Pi, after hearing the information gathered by his attendant, found himself unable to sleep.

“Xun Yu, Father, and Ju Di… Can’t even Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi behave themselves? And now even the eighth one is becoming restless!”

Tossing and turning, Cao Pi felt that the night was harder to endure than ever before. In the middle of the night, he abruptly sat up and called for the trusted attendant from earlier.

“Tomorrow, find a way to convey the information you learned today to the fourth brother! Remember! Act discreetly, and make sure no one suspects your actions were at my behest.”

After giving these instructions, Cao Pi finally breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down.

“Eighth brother! If you contend for the throne, surpass Father’s expectations and overcome the barriers set by Cao Zhi and Cao Zhang! You shouldn’t have gotten involved. Isn’t it better to live quietly? If you fight for something you shouldn’t, who can guarantee you won’t end up like your elder brother, Cang Shu?”

In late October, along the official road to Hefei City, a lavish carriage moved forward. Inside sat Cao Ju alone, surrounded by guards. Deng Ai, who recently joined Cao Ju’s ranks, practiced horsemanship under the guidance of accompanying guards. Inside the carriage, the air was filled with contemplation. Unaffected by the swaying, Cao Ju’s mind was consumed by a single question: What skilled general should he find as a mentor for Deng Ai?

When it came to capable commanders, the first names that came to Cao Ju’s mind were the Five Virtuous Generals of Cao Wei. Shu Han had their Five Tigers, while Cao Wei had their Five Admirable Generals. Comparable to Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Ma Chao, among Cao Wei’s Five Admirable Generals—Yu Jin, Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, Zhang He, and Xu Huang—their prowess needed no elaboration.

Any one of the Five Admirable Generals would be qualified to become Deng Ai’s teacher, as their commanding experience alone would greatly benefit him.

Currently, aside from Zhang He, Xu Huang was stationed in Guanzhong under the command of his uncle, Xiahou Yuan, while the remaining three were part of the Southern Expedition forces. Facing Yu Jin, Zhang Liao, and Yue Jin, as Cao Cao’s son, it wouldn’t be difficult for Cao Ju to arrange for Deng Ai to learn under their tutelage. However, Cao Ju struggled to decide which of the three was the most suitable teacher for Deng Ai.

After pondering for a long time, Cao Ju had already arrived at an answer in his heart. If this were before his time travel, he would undoubtedly have chosen Zhang Liao to be Deng Ai’s mentor, teaching him about military strategy and tactics. There was a reason for this. Zhang Liao had served under the late Han’s war god, Lu Bu, and had a close relationship with the later legendary warrior Guan Yu, earning him the title of “Deity of Xiehe Crossing.”

In most people’s eyes, Zhang Liao outshone the other four among the Five Admirable Generals.

However, Cao Ju sighed, lamenting his circumstances of transmigration. Since he had time-traveled, he couldn’t let future perceptions sway his contemporary decisions. He had to face reality.

Although it might seem implausible, after careful consideration, Cao Ju decided to designate Yuan Jun, not Zhang Liao or Yue Jin, as Deng Ai’s mentor. The reason was quite straightforward. Among the Five Admirable Generals, nobody surpassed Yu Jin regarding military leadership and battlefield prowess.

During the Battle of Wancheng, when facing a surprise attack by Zhang Xiu’s army, while other commanders were thrown into disarray and retreated, Yu Jin maintained order among his troops. It executed a strategic retreat, ensuring their survival.

In the Battle of Guandu, Yu Jin turned the tide of battle by launching attacks on Yan Liang’s positions at Yanjin, capturing Wuchao, and defending Tushan against Yuan Shao’s main force, making significant contributions. Even as part of the Qingzhou troops, known for having the most lax discipline within Cao Cao’s army, only Yu Jin’s commanding presence could keep things in order.

Regarding reputation among Cao Cao’s subordinates, Yu Jin was undoubtedly the most esteemed outsider and a first-class general, a distinction beyond comparison. Cao Cao’s high regard for Yu Jin sometimes exceeded that for some of his clan’s prominent generals.

Furthermore, Cao Ju was well aware that after Cao Cao claimed the title of Duke posthumously, there would only be two holders of the “Fictitious Baton and Seals” within the entire Cao Wei camp: Cao Cao himself and Yu Jin.

As for other generals, including clan leaders like Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren, they held nothing more than the “Fictitious Baton.”

While “Fictitious Baton” and “Fictitious Baton and Seals” might differ by only one word, their significance in terms of authority was vastly different. “Seals” even implied instruments of punishment. Both could symbolize the emperor’s authority, but the latter truly represented the emperor’s power over life and death.

Among the Five Tiger Generals of Shu Han, only Guan Yu was granted the “Fictitious Baton and Seals” by Liu Bei. Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, and Zhao Yun were all bestowed with the “Fictitious Baton.” Even the renowned Zhuge Liang, known as the Martial Marquis, received the “Fictitious Baton and Seals” shortly before his first northern campaign.

Reflecting on Yu Jin’s historical fate, Cao Ju couldn’t help but sigh for this chief among the Five Admirable Generals. Who could have foreseen that in the Battle of Fancheng, Guan Yu would achieve such a remarkable feat, leading to Yu Jin’s decline, tarnished reputation, and return to Wei in humiliation, followed by death in disgrace and regret?

Thankfully, none of this had occurred yet. As long as Cao Ju prevented Guan Yu from achieving such a feat, Yu Jin would remain the preeminent outsider general, and the disastrous event of the flooding of the Seven Armies would be averted.

If he could incorporate Yu Jin into his camp using his relationship with Deng Ai, even though Cao Pi currently had the support of Xiahou Yuan and Cao Zhang had the support of the Yanmen Border Command, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to contend with them in the future.

Simultaneously, Cao Ju had another reason for not favoring Zhang Liao as Deng Ai’s mentor. In contrast to commanders like Yu Jin, Zhang Liao leaned more towards being a fierce general who excelled in martial prowess. Regarding Zhang Liao’s leadership talents, it was challenging to definitively say. Some might bring up his multiple victories against Sun Quan’s forces to counter this viewpoint. But the issue was…

If we describe Sun Quan using a four-dimensional data model, his political attributes might be at their peak, while his leadership and combat attributes…

It was not that Cao Ju was criticizing him, but the reality of Sun Quan’s situation was that his leadership points might as well be low. How could one’s leadership be showcased against an opponent with low stats?

As Cao Ju was about to continue his comparison, a voice from outside interrupted him. “Lord, we’ve arrived at Hefei City! Lord Cao Pi and Lord Cao Zhang are waiting at the city gate!”