Fei Qian was unaware that his arithmetic draft was currently being held and scrutinized by a pair of delicate hands.
Cai Yan's solution to her father Cai Yong's refusal to eat was straightforward—she removed the root of the problem. Although Cai Yong was reluctant, he had no choice but to yield to his beloved daughter, insisting only that she explain everything to him once she figured it out.
At this time, Cai Yan rarely received visitors and seldom adorned herself with makeup or jewelry. Without these external embellishments, her natural beauty shone even more brightly.
Cai Yan's eyebrows were not overly thin, with a perfect arch and a playful upward tilt at the ends. In the prime of her youth, her skin was smooth, her cheeks flushed with a natural rosy hue, and her sleek, dark hair was simply tied up, with a few strands falling gracefully. Under the candlelight, her elegance and charm were even more pronounced.
Cai Yan was meticulously studying Fei Qian's draft. Unlike her father, who approached problems from the top down, she reworked the problem herself and then compared her results with Fei Qian's, analyzing each step to understand his reasoning.
Influenced by her father, Cai Yan had a deep love for books. She remembered that as a child, her father's gifts were almost always books, with other luxuries like silk and jade coming from his friends.
She couldn't recall exactly when she started reading, but she remembered spending hours in the garden pavilion, basking in the warm sun while slowly deciphering the texts.
For others, books might be categorized as useful or not, or divided by genre, but for Cai Yan, there were only two types: those she had read and those she hadn't.
Now, Cai Yan felt that Fei Qian's symbols seemed vaguely familiar. After some thought, she took a lamp and headed to the family's library.
The Cai family's library was once the largest in Luoyang, so vast that a special building had to be constructed to house it all. But now, under the light of Cai Yan's lamp, the library was mostly empty, with only a few shelves remaining.
Cai Yan knew that most of the books had been given away. When she married, her dowry included not only wealth but also priceless books, many of which were left at the Wei family. Another portion was given to the Wang family, as a gesture of goodwill after Cai Yong decided to marry her into the Wei family instead of the Wangs.
Cai Yong had thought that by giving away the books, they would be of use to others, but reality proved harsh. The Wei family valued Cai Yan not for her intellect but for her ability to bear children. When she and her husband Wei Ning failed to conceive, the resulting rumors and insults became unbearable, leading Cai Yan to leave a letter and return to her family.
The Wei family then spread rumors that Cai Yan was barren and a bad omen, even sending a letter of divorce to the Cai family. The dowry, including over three thousand books, was conveniently forgotten by the Weis.
Cai Yan remembered how her father had aged visibly in the days following the divorce. She felt she had not wronged the Wei family, but she had failed her father.
Now, Cai Yan spent most of her days in her room and the library. With her excellent memory, she aimed to rewrite all the books that had been given away, hoping to restore the library to its former glory in her father's lifetime.
Cai Yan stopped in front of a large chest in the library, carefully placed the lamp aside, and opened the chest. She took out several scrolls of parchment, spread them on the floor, and began examining them.
"Ah, these resemble the scripts from India..."
Cai Yan finally found a scroll with symbols similar to Fei Qian's, and a faint smile appeared on her face, momentarily illuminating the entire library.
---
The night was deep, and Cao Cao quietly exited through the back door of Minister Wang Yun's residence.
A servant held a lamp for Cao Cao, the flickering light casting shadows on his face.
After his discussion with the cunning Minister Wang Yun, Cao Cao wasn't sure if it had been successful.
With the death of General He Jin and the massacre of the eunuchs in the palace, Cao Cao's leverage had significantly diminished. He now only had a portion of his troops as the Commandant of Cavalry and some properties in Luoyang.
Although some of his family members still held positions in the palace, Cao Cao felt it wasn't the right time to reveal them, so he kept this information from Wang Yun.
Cao Cao sensed that his position as Commandant of Cavalry wouldn't last much longer. The establishment of the Eight Commandants of the Western Garden by Emperor Ling was a clear indication of the balance of power among eunuchs, relatives of the emperor, and the scholar-officials. With this balance now disrupted, a reshuffling of power and redistribution of interests was imminent.
Previously, Cao Cao had thrived by playing all sides—his family's eunuch connections, his ties to General He Jin, and his clever manipulation of eunuch rivalries had earned him a good reputation among the scholar-officials. His selective association with Cai Yong, a respected scholar, had also benefited him.
But now, with his main supports either fallen or dead, Cao Cao's influence had waned, leaving him with little leverage in the upcoming power shifts.
To maintain his position and advance further, Cao Cao needed to ally with, or temporarily submit to, one of the existing powers.
Dong Zhuo, representing the western gentry, was not an option, as aligning with him would alienate Cao Cao from the eastern gentry.
Thus, Cao Cao had to choose among the eastern gentry. Initially, he had planned to leverage the Yuan family's influence, given their prominence and extensive network. However, due to recent tensions with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, Cao Cao found it difficult to approach them and instead turned to the Wang family.
The Wang family was a prominent clan from Shanxi, with many members holding important positions in the court and provinces. Wang Yun himself had been in office since the age of 19, surviving numerous political upheavals to eventually become Minister over the Masses, a testament to his political acumen.
Such a seasoned politician was unlikely to be straightforward with Cao Cao. As Cao Cao left the Wang residence, he reflected on Wang Yun's words, realizing that while the minister had seemed agreeable, he had committed to nothing.
Cao Cao detested being manipulated, but for now, he had to endure the frustration, which was giving him a headache.
As he rubbed his temples, Cao Cao noticed a familiar mansion ahead. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Cai Yong's residence and remembered that it had been a while since his last visit.
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly. It was too late to visit now, but he decided to send a visiting card tomorrow. The Cai residence... Cai Yong... Cai Yan... Perhaps the turning point he needed lay there...
*****
A/N: Apologies for the late introduction of a significant female character, as the Three Kingdoms era is predominantly a male-dominated narrative, though slightly better than "Water Margin." Among the tragedies of the Three Kingdoms, Cai Yan's life stands out as particularly sorrowful, mirroring the suffering of the common people—enduring humiliation and struggling to survive with deep scars. This reflection of the people's plight is not limited to the Han Dynasty... Those who understand, understand.