Fei Qian dug up the bamboo slips he had buried two days ago in the courtyard. This was a precaution he had taken just in case.
"I hope this will pass muster..."
Fei Qian wiped off the dirt from the bamboo slips and examined the extent of their erosion. He thought to himself, "Am I the first person to forge a counterfeit? Surely, there aren't any fakes in this Three Kingdoms era yet, right?"
Gently holding the bamboo slips that had been polished, soaked in acid, exposed to the sun, smoked over fire, and buried underground—enduring all kinds of hardships—Fei Qian walked back into his room.
Today was one of the two monthly opportunities Fei Qian had as a nominal disciple to visit the Cai residence. He planned to present this forged bamboo slip to Cai Yong. If it passed inspection, it would mean that the letters and numbers he had accidentally written now had a legitimate origin.
After giving the bamboo slips a final touch-up, Fei Qian felt they were ready. At least to his eyes, they looked flawless.
He went over the entire process again in his mind—he had chosen ancient bamboo slips, taken from an old, damaged book, and subjected them to a series of treatments. Now, they looked utterly worn and ancient. The only slight flaw was a faint earthy smell, but that could be explained away with his story.
This was it. Just this once. It was too much trouble. One lie would require a thousand more to cover it up. That saying was absolutely true.
Alright, that's it. Fei Qian carefully placed the bamboo slips into a brocade box and carried it with him as he headed to the Cai residence.
*******************
Inside the Cai residence, Cai Yong was having a pleasant conversation with Cao Cao.
Cai Yong actually had a fairly good impression of Cao Cao, his true disciple. In his eyes, Cao Cao was an idealistic, ambitious, principled, and cultured young man of the Eastern Han Dynasty—a "four-virtues" youth.
Unlike Fei Qian, who was merely a nominal disciple, Cao Cao was Cai Yong's true disciple. In simple terms, Cao Cao could publicly use Cai Yong's name and invoke his authority when needed. As his teacher, Cai Yong was obligated to help him. Fei Qian, on the other hand, could only say that he "studied under Cai Yong," not that he was "a disciple of Cai Yong." If Fei Qian ran into trouble, Cai Yong could choose whether or not to assist.
A true disciple could inherit the master's legacy, while a nominal disciple was just someone who had studied under him.
There had always been a distinction between closeness and distance.
After chatting for a while, Cai Yong noticed that Cao Cao seemed somewhat preoccupied and asked, "Mengde, is something troubling you? You seem a bit downcast."
Cao Cao sighed. "The times are difficult, and the court is in turmoil. I'm just worried."—He meant that the power struggles in the court were intense, and he was in trouble, unable to resolve it, which was causing him distress.
Unfortunately, Cai Yong didn't pick up on Cao Cao's subtext. He replied earnestly, "Mengde, it's enough that you have such concerns. Take it easy. With people like Wang Yun and Yang Biao in charge, even though the emperor is young, things should be fine."—Cai Yong was comforting Cao Cao, saying that even if the sky fell, there were tall figures like Wang Yun and Yang Biao to hold it up. Cao Cao shouldn't worry too much.
Cao Cao said, "But I receive a salary from the court and must serve loyally. Now, with Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan stationed nearby, lingering for so long, I fear things may take a turn for the worse."—He was implying that he held an official position and was concerned about how long he could keep it, given that Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan were lurking outside the city.
Cai Yong, being an honest and upright man, found Cao Cao's words reasonable and said, "Mengde, you make a good point. However, military matters are not my expertise. I'll write a letter to Yang Biao and bring this to his attention."
Cao Cao sighed inwardly. His teacher was a good man, but too rigid. If a few words from Yang Biao could make Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan withdraw their troops, why would Cao Cao have come to him in the first place?
Still, he couldn't say this directly. Cao Cao had to hint again, "Teacher, your reputation is renowned throughout the land. In these turbulent times, your guidance is needed to stabilize the hearts of the people."—He was suggesting that Cai Yong, with his great reputation, should step forward and lend his support.
Cai Yong shook his head. "I am old and have little time left. Why should I cling to official positions and burden myself with paperwork?"—He meant that he didn't even want to keep his current position as a palace attendant, let alone take on a higher office.
At this point, Cao Cao had no choice. He couldn't force Cai Yong to take up an official post. So, he changed the subject. "Recently, I came across an ancient text. I heard that my junior sister has been feeling down, so I brought it to help lift her spirits."
Just as Cai Yong was about to decline, a servant approached with a visiting card, announcing that Fei Qian had come to pay his respects.
Having said what he needed to say and delivered his gift, even though he hadn't achieved his desired outcome, Cao Cao decided it was time to leave. As he exited the Cai residence, he ran into Fei Qian, who was waiting outside. It suddenly dawned on him that this was Cai Yong's new nominal disciple, so he stepped forward to greet him.
Fei Qian was completely taken aback to run into Cao Cao here, and even more so when Cao Cao greeted him with a smile. He quickly bowed in respect.
This was Fei Qian's first time seeing Cao Cao up close. To his surprise, Cao Cao was quite short, probably only around 1.6 meters tall. He had a square face, narrow eyes, and when he smiled, his eyes turned into slits, making it hard to see his pupils. Fei Qian only dared to glance briefly, as staring directly at someone was considered highly impolite in this era.
Cao Cao took a few steps forward, took Fei Qian's hand, and patted it gently, smiling like a wolf in sheep's clothing. "You must be Fei Qian, Fei Ziyuan, the new disciple? I've heard of you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. You truly are a remarkable talent!"
If Fei Qian hadn't been through the wringer of the modern workplace, he might have been moved to tears by Cao Cao's act—after all, having a central figure like Cao Cao remember his name would have been a great honor.
But Fei Qian had been through the grind of the corporate world too many times to be swayed by such superficial charm. Still, it would be foolish to call out a powerful figure's act.
So, Fei Qian put on a show of being deeply moved and flustered.
Cao Cao continued to hold his hand and asked a few warm questions—how was life lately? What had he been up to? Any problems?
Fei Qian answered respectfully while inwardly complaining. Chinese culture truly had a long history. Even in this early period, powerful figures like Cao Cao had mastered the art of asking the "three questions" when visiting subordinates. Cao Cao's smooth delivery suggested he had done this many times before—he was a seasoned professional.
When Cao Cao learned that Fei Qian had come to consult Cai Yong about an ancient text, he nodded and said he wouldn't keep Fei Qian any longer, allowing him to enter the Cai residence.
But just as Fei Qian took a couple of steps, Cao Cao called him back, smiling. "I've always had a fondness for ancient texts. I heard you mention a newly acquired damaged book. I'm itching to take a look. May I?"
There was no way to refuse such a request. Fei Qian had the servant open the brocade box to show Cao Cao.
Cao Cao gently took one of the slips, examining it closely and even holding it up to the sunlight.
Fei Qian kept his head down, his heart pounding. Historically, Cao Cao was known to have dug up ancient tombs. Could he have spotted something wrong?