35 Usurping the Han (7)

After returning to Dong Commandery, Yun Yao took a period of time to recuperate. During this interval, many people came to pledge their loyalty to her, and she arranged official posts for them all. Previously, she had not possessed much of a reputation; even if she had sought to recruit talent, others would not have agreed. But things were different now—her performance during the campaign against Dong Zhuo had been sufficiently brilliant to capture the attention of the wise and capable across the land. Many were secretly observing her to see if she was the lord they had been waiting for.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Yun Yao asked Xun Yu to recommend a military strategist. The battle against Dong Zhuo had been an exhausting ordeal; if she could secure a strategist, she would be invincible in the future.

Xun Yu said, "Xi Zhicai of Yingchuan. He is exceptionally skilled in the art of war and possesses deep strategic insight. If you, my lord, can win him over, seizing cities and conquering lands will be as easy as reaching into one’s pocket. He is worth more than a thousand armies."

Yun Yao’s eyes lit up. Although she had never heard of this man, since he was recommended by Xun Yu, he could not be wrong.

Xun Yu cautioned, "This man is somewhat capricious and unrestrained, and he is proud of his own talent. I fear he will not be easily persuaded."

Yun Yao replied with full confidence, "A scholar will die for one who truly understands him. As long as my sincerity is genuine, I will naturally be able to move him."

...

As a Grand Administrator, she could not easily leave her jurisdiction, especially since Dong Commandery was hundreds of miles away from Yingchuan. Yun Yao wrote a sincere letter expressing her desire for talent and, offering generous gifts, commissioned officials to visit Xi Zhicai on her behalf.

As expected, they were turned away. She immediately prepared even more lavish gifts and sent them again, repeating this process three times. As a Grand Administrator, she had certainly fulfilled every requirement of etiquette. Even the officials sent to fetch him could not help but feel indignant, believing the man was putting on airs. He was, after all, a man of no great fame—he was simply being ungrateful!

Yun Yao, however, was not angry. For a renowned scholar, choosing a master was a lifelong commitment, and naturally, one had to be extremely cautious. Had Liu Bei not visited the thatched cottage three times? Yet, how was she to truly move him? Browsing through her books, she read the story of the "Rhapsody on the Longmen Palace."

After Chen Ajiao was deposed, she paid Sima Xiangru a thousand gold pieces to write a rhapsody for her; once the piece was released, it spread throughout the world and moved Emperor Wu of Han. She was instantly inspired and decided to stage her own version of "buying a rhapsody with a thousand gold pieces." As for literary talent, she had the founder of the Jian'an style in her service, who would certainly not lose to Sima Xiangru.

At Yun Yao’s command, countless armored guards carried chests of gold out of the treasury, emptying it entirely. The guards arrived at Cao Cao’s gate and opened the chests in public. The shimmering gold was dazzling, and in an instant, the entire street was filled with onlookers.

When Cao Cao heard of this, he immediately stepped out and asked, "Why has my lord sent so much gold?"

The official in charge replied, "My lord seeks the virtuous scholar Xi Zhicai of Yingchuan, but having failed to persuade him after three requests, she now wishes to purchase a poem for a thousand gold pieces."

He clapped his hands, and someone placed a table at the gate, fully equipped with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, along with a jar of Dukang wine. The official said, "This wine is a gift from my lord to inspire your muse. Please, compose a poem on the recruitment of talent."

Purchasing a poem for a thousand gold pieces? What a display of respect for the virtuous! The crowd murmured in discussion, all guessing at the identity of this Xi Zhicai. But more were concerned with whether the poem composed would be worth the thousand gold pieces. As news spread, nearly the entire city flocked to the scene.

This was exactly what Yun Yao intended. She deliberately let everyone see her buying a poem with a thousand gold pieces, and she deliberately had Cao Cao compose it in front of them all. Once this poem was out, the one who bought it, the one who wrote it, and the one for whom it was written would all become famous throughout the world. It was killing three birds with one stone!

At this very moment, Yun Yao was sitting in the building across the street, watching the scene below. Xun Yu sat beside her, having been invited to watch the show. He asked, "My lord, are you not worried the poem might fall short?" A masterpiece usually required careful deliberation, sometimes taking months or years, yet here it was being composed on the spot. If it were well-written, it would bring fame; if poorly written, it would become a laughingstock.

Yun Yao replied with confidence, "Mengde’s talent is like a vast, endless ocean. Cao Zhi could compose a poem in seven steps; why would his father be any less gifted?"

Under the gaze of the crowd, Cao Cao sat at the table and opened the jar of wine. A crisp, fragrant aroma wafted out, and he exclaimed, "Excellent wine!"

Cao Cao lifted the jar, took a sip, and began to chant: "Facing the wine, let us sing. How many more years can one have in life? Like the morning dew, the days gone by are many. Let us be generous and bold, for my worries are hard to forget. How can I dispel these sorrows? Only with Dukang!"

Such a grand and profound opening immediately silenced the crowd. Though it was only the beginning, every word was a gem, flowing naturally and rhythmically. Cao Cao drained the wine and took up his brush to continue: "The blue collars of the scholars—my heart longs for them. It is for you that I have pondered until now. The deer call out in the distance, eating the mugwort in the fields. I have honored guests; let the zithers and pipes play."

These lines were borrowed from the *Classic of Poetry*, which originally expressed a woman’s longing, but he had transformed them into an expression of his desire for talent—a stroke of genius.

"Bright as the moon, when can I gather it? My worries well up from within, never to be severed. Crossing paths and fields, you have come to visit me. We talk and feast with joy, keeping old bonds in mind. The moon is bright, the stars are sparse, and the crows fly south. Circling the tree three times, which branch will they choose to rest upon? The mountain does not tire of its height, nor the sea of its depth. Like the Duke of Zhou, who would stop his meal to receive a guest, I wait for the hearts of the world to return to me."

These lines were unadorned, yet deeply moving and sincere, carrying the majestic spirit of a sea that accepts all rivers. Once the poem was finished, everyone was struck with awe by his talent and showered him with praise.

Seeing this, Yun Yao smiled and clapped her hands. She was like a viewer high above, offering applause for the play on stage. Every person was merely a character in her script; everything was firmly within her grasp.

Xun Yu could not help but gaze at her, his attention firmly captured, unable to look away. Everyone thought the protagonist was on the stage, but the true protagonist was watching from below. He loved her poise and wisdom, the way she held everything in her control.

Her eyes drifted over, careless and indifferent, and she smiled at him. In an instant, his heart skipped a beat. He, too, was in the palm of her hand.