Cao Cao’s Condolences and Cao Pi 5

“Was everything alright? Did Cao Pi insult you or anything…?”

As soon as we entered the quarters given to us in Ye’s palace, Zhao Yun worried about my well-being.

“Don’t worry. There was no problem at all.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Ah, and I also set the schedule for the condolences. We’ll rest tomorrow, and do it the day after. And I’m told there’s a banquet planned to welcome the envoys after the condolences are over.”

It was a schedule heavily flavored with Cao Pi’s desire to enjoy the banquet quickly. Hearing my words, Zhao Yun asked about another schedule I hadn’t mentioned.

“Then what about paying respects to His Majesty?”

“About that…”

Cunning Cao Pi.

Knowing our stated purpose was to have an audience with Emperor Xian, he kept his mouth shut about any schedule besides the condolences.

Even a rotten fish has some use. Cao Pi had his own views on political tactics for gaining the upper hand in negotiations. The children of Cao Cao, each inheriting one of his talents. He was worthy of being the successor who inherited Cao Cao’s political acumen.

“It’s going to be difficult.”

Zhao Yun’s expression darkened, as if he too had read Cao Pi’s intentions.

Cao Pi will use Emperor Xian as a hostage to make various demands of us.

“It’s what we expected, isn’t it?”

But we didn’t come unprepared for this kind of situation.

We had plans in place even if we couldn’t meet him. It would be best to meet directly, but if that’s not possible, we can use it for building justification.

For example, criticizing Cao Pi for arbitrarily controlling access to the Emperor as tyranny. Liu Bei is brilliant at this kind of framing battle.

Perhaps because I felt more at ease, although we had only rested for the short time of a day, I felt like my fatigue was almost completely gone.

The condolences for Cao Cao were carried out briefly. Even though we were a condolence delegation, it was impossible to show Cao Cao’s official tomb to envoys from an enemy country, so we paid our respects at Cao Cao’s family shrine.

There are stories about Cao Cao making 72 family shrines to hide his real tomb, but that’s all fiction from the Romance. The family shrine was just a temporary tomb, not for hiding the real tomb.

Anyway, as soon as the condolences, which were our stated purpose for coming, were over, Cao Pi immediately announced that he would hold a banquet.

Before the grand banquet to be held at Tongque Tower, people came to help our delegation prepare for the banquet. It would probably just be guiding us and showing us to our seats. So we didn’t need many people, one or two would be enough to inform us.

However, the ones who visited me were as many as 4 people. And their appearance and attire were too beautiful to be seen as ordinary palace maids.

The one in the middle of the four women seemed to be the representative, as she approached me and introduced themselves.

“We pay our respects. I am Mo Jingxiu, sent by the King of Wei to attend to the noble lady. And the women with me are, from my left, Xue Yalai, Zhen Shangyi, and Duan Jiaoqiao.”

Hearing their names, I couldn’t help but let out an involuntary chuckle.

§

There are many famous expressions meaning beautiful women.

As I mentioned before, terms like “eyes like autumn waters, eyebrows like distant mountains”, “beauty to topple a city and a nation”, “as beautiful as the moon”, and so on.

From words that many people immediately recognize to ones they’ve never heard in their lives, there’s a wide variety.

But probably not many have heard of the ten idioms describing the conditions of a beauty.

Among them is a term “wufa chanbin”. Here, “wufa” means hair as black as a crow’s, and “chanbin” refers to a hairstyle parted in two like cicada wings.

The reason I’m going on about these trivial details is because this very expression “wufa chanbin” originated from Mo Jingxiu, the woman in front of me.

It wasn’t just Mo Jingxiu. The women who introduced themselves in order as Xue Yalai, Zhen Shangyi, and Duan Jiaoqiao were not mere maids.

They were favored concubines of Cao Pi, and talented women called the best of their time in their respective outstanding fields. That was the true identity of these women who came to see me.

As mentioned above, Mo Jingxiu had the talent for managing hair and creating the unique hairstyle called chanbin. Xue Yalai was so skilled at making clothes that she was called the “Needle Goddess”. And Zhen Shangyi in dance, Duan Jiaoqiao in makeup skills were at levels beyond comparison.

The reason Cao Pi sent them instead of regular palace maids was crystal clear.

He wants me to receive their help and come to the banquet more beautifully adorned than anyone else.

Cao Pi’s behavior of treating me like eye candy for the banquet rather than an envoy was extremely unpleasant. No, to put it bluntly without beating around the bush, it was infuriating.

But what fault do they have? As Cao Pi’s concubines and subordinates, they’re just doing as they’re told from above.

Trying hard to hide my anger, I calmly told them:

“I appreciate the consideration, but please tell him it’s fine. I will prepare on my own, so I just need one page to guide me.”

I’d need to know where my seat is, even if I don’t need simple directions. I could probably find my seat by following the others and reading the atmosphere, but it’s better to be safe in case something unexpected happens.

However, even after hearing my refusal, they just fidgeted and kept looking at me nervously.

“Is there a problem?”

“Ah, well, that is…”

“If there’s something the King of Wei ordered separately, you can tell me.”

Even at those words, Mo Jingxiu couldn’t easily speak up. Her awe of Cao Pi was sealing her lips. But just from that attitude, I could guess roughly what he might have said.

And as if to stamp a seal of approval on my thoughts, Zhen Shangyi opened her lips.

“The King of Wei is clear about rewards and punishments. He said he would punish us if we fail to carry out his orders, so we beseech you to allow us to fulfill our duty.”

If concubines like them are coming with such a subservient attitude, their fear of Cao Pi must be considerable.

Isn’t this about the time Cao Pi would be starting to drive out Lady Zhen? Having watched up close the process of a favored principal wife being mistreated and falling from grace, these women must be sick of Cao Pi’s fickleness and cruelty.

I let out a deep sigh and invited them into the room.

“Come in for now.”

The room I was assigned wasn’t small by any means, but with five people entering, it felt cramped. They looked around cautiously.

Then all four showed curious looks towards one side. Their gazes towards the armor and weapons revealed inner thoughts of incomprehension.

‘They are items that don’t suit a woman’s room, I suppose.’

But I’m different from ordinary women. Rather, those things were more familiar attire to me.

The most actively looking around, Xue Yalai, who looked so young that “girl” might be a more fitting description than “woman”, spoke to me.

“Um…”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Don’t you have any other clothes you brought?”

I did have some clothes, but they were mostly formal wear for the condolences and things my mother had packed separately. The clothes I had chosen and brought myself were mostly plain, solid colors focused on practicality rather than style.

‘I was planning to just wear formal attire if there was a banquet or something.’

It’s not like I came as a princess or something. As the Rear General and chief envoy of the condolence delegation, why would I need to pack anything special?

But seeing my clothes, Xue Yalai stared at me blankly with her mouth wide open in disbelief. Her eyes seem to have lost focus – is she alright?

Unlike Xue Yalai’s reaction, Mo Jingxiu, who had been closely observing my hair, said with a very pleased smile:

“Hoho, but you’ve taken thorough care of your hair. What kind of hair oil do you use?”

“Huh? I don’t use anything in particular.”

“What? Really?”

“I do wash my hair every other day.”

After arriving in Ye and unpacking, the first thing I did was wash up. I guess my modern sensibilities remain, as I can’t stand not washing.

Unlike in the future, washing was a common habit in this era. It was typical to wash hair every three days and take a full body bath every five days. They even gave officials a “bath leave” called xiumu every five days.

If that’s the case for men, how much more so for women? Some high-ranking women even washed their hair daily. I’d like to do that too if I could, but it’s difficult in many ways given the situation.

Moreover, whether it’s thanks to the mountain god or not, my hair mysteriously maintains a smooth and glossy sheen without splitting, even without careful management.

Mo Jingxiu grabbed my hair as if to thoroughly analyze it, bringing her eyes close.

“…You brush it daily, right?”

Brushing? Isn’t that just roughly running your fingers through it? I usually keep it tied up, so there’s no need to bother.

At my answer, Mo Jingxiu made an expression even fiercer than Xue Yalai’s, almost close to anger.

“From what I hear, you’ve probably never worn makeup either.”

“Or learned dancing or court ladies’ deportment.”

Duan Jiaoqiao and Zhen Shangyi chimed in. They had been intimidated by my naturally exuding aura as a warrior until just before entering, but now their attitude was completely opposite.

Their eyes filled with determination like seeing a suicide squad that has steeled its resolve – it’s enough to make even me, who has been through thick and thin and become a master of the battlefield, feel overwhelmed.

‘They say when a woman harbors a grudge, frost falls even in May and June.’

They say everything depends on one’s mindset, but isn’t this degree of change too severe?

Was there some problem with what I said? I just stated the facts. But sensing that I’d be pummeled if I brought this up, I kept my mouth shut.

“This won’t do. To be born with such a fine body and leave it neglected like this is nothing short of a sin!”

Zhen Shangyi, who had been discreetly feeling my body over my clothes, clenched her fists and shouted with all her might. It only sounded cute to me, who had heard countless battle cries and screams filled with battlefield madness, but her will was clearly conveyed.

“Sigh… Alright. But I have conditions too.”

Makeup, hair styling, clothing, behavior. Adopting feminine adornments and deportment is still out of the question. I won’t accept this no matter how much they cry and wail.

It’s regrettable thinking of Cao Pi, but I don’t have any moral responsibility to necessarily protect them. And Cao Pi would have let it slide even if I had completely ignored them.

Would he have driven away beauties with both looks and talent over just this kind of thing? But considering it’s Cao Pi, he probably would have punished them.

So my condition was simple:

“I will decide the style. If you can’t accept this, then I too have nothing more to discuss with you.”