Chapter 34: To Be a Master or a Foster Father

Numb!

Truly numb!

Heavens above, earth below, Buddha and Guanyin! No wonder in history the Guiyi Army could not withstand the encroachment and assimilation of the Shazhou Uyghurs.

Not only because the Guiyi Army's territory was simply too small, with only a little over a hundred thousand Han folk in Hexi, and more women than men at that.

There was also the fact that the Sinicized Sogdians and Sinicized Tuyuhun, who served as important auxiliaries, together numbered only a hundred and fifty thousand — and on top of that they never stopped fighting among themselves. And there was the Ganzhou Uyghur Heavenly Princess of the Li clan, that ticking time bomb.

As a Heavenly Princess of the Li clan carefully chosen by the Tianmu Khagan to be married into the Guiyi Army, Zhang Zhao did not believe this woman lacked ambition or cunning — because without those two things, the Uyghur Tianmu Khagan who had defeated Zhang Chengfeng would never have married her into the Cao family.

And Zhang Zhao reckoned that even though Cao Yijin had personally traveled to Ganzhou early this year to hold an alliance meeting, thereby showing he was still in good health, he probably could not keep the Uyghurs fooled much longer.

Because the Heavenly Princess of the Li clan would certainly find an opportunity to pass along Cao Yijin's true physical condition.

This Heavenly Princess of the Li clan had married her daughter to the Khagan of the Ganzhou Uyghurs, and her son had married daughters of the Uyghur Khagan and the royal family — she was practically the Ganzhou Uyghurs' spokesperson inside the Guiyi Army!

The moment anything went wrong with Cao Yijin's health, the Ganzhou Uyghurs would surely throw their full support behind stirring up internal strife in the Guiyi Army.

The Heavenly Princess of the Li clan and her sons would also certainly seize the chance to gain Ganzhou Uyghur backing and covet the seat of power.

And would the Murong family of Guazhou make a move as well? Could Cao Yijin's eldest son, Cao Yuande, still succeed to power smoothly?

A bloody internal slaughter was already hanging over the heads of everyone in the Guiyi Army, just waiting to fall the moment Cao Yijin died.

Seeing Zhang Zhao's grave expression, tinged with pallor, Cao Sanniang let out a long sigh as well.

"It seems the young lord already understands what kind of situation we are about to face. If we can get through it smoothly, we can remain at ease for a while longer. One careless move, and there is even the danger of our entire household being wiped out.

This is also why I said the young lord does not yet know how great a responsibility he bears."

"My responsibility?" Zhang Zhao was genuinely puzzled this time.

"Right! It is your responsibility!" Cao Sanniang nodded solemnly.

"This foundation of the Guiyi Army Military Governor was won by the young lord's great-grandfather, the Grand Guardian Zhang Yichao. It was built for the purpose of returning east to the Great Tang and reviving the Han people.

But by my grandfather's time, the Linggong Great King, it had already become a mere farmer clinging to survival. Yet Guazhou and Shazhou are narrow and barren, with no conditions for standing alone in self-defense — sooner or later someone will take advantage of them!

The Cao family has too much Sogdian blood mixed in, and the Murong family's core is simply Tuyuhun people. They do not have the inclination, nor can they bear the heavy burden of reviving the Han people!

If this Guiyi Army does not produce another hero like the Grand Guardian Zhang Yichao, sooner or later everyone will turn into barbarians!"

Zhang Zhao shifted his rear end somewhat uncomfortably, then gave a dry cough. This kind of talk and this level of insight were not likely something a woman like Cao Sanniang could think up and sum up on her own. Could it be... there was someone behind her?

"You mean this hero who will revive the Han people is me? Is this your idea? Or everyone's idea?" Zhang Zhao deliberately stressed the words "everyone."

Perhaps feeling she had said a bit too much, Cao Sanniang also gave an awkward dry cough.

"That I do not know. But I feel the young lord has such ability, and I am also willing to try it together with the young lord!"

"Try it how?" Zhang Zhao asked quickly.

"We can make a five-year pact. If within five years the young lord can bring back from the Golden Kingdom of Khotan three hundred iron cavalry and five hundred armored soldiers, then I can accomplish a great matter for the young lord — a great matter that will draw the young lord closer to the great Han families of Hexi!"

By the time Cao Sanniang said this, her expression had become extremely solemn.

This woman was definitely not as simple as she appeared on the surface. There must be someone or some organization behind her — Zhang Zhao was absolutely certain of this.

Moreover, the search for a Zhang Yichao-style hero was not something this woman had just thought of; it must have existed long ago.

This did not seem like an agreement between two people, but more like a specific organization investing in a particular person. Hmm... it had quite the flavor of venture capital.

Since it was an investment, since it was a transaction, Zhang Zhao set aside the small bit of covetousness he felt toward Cao Sanniang's beauty. An investment and a transaction should look like an investment and a transaction.

"Perhaps I really should marry you!" Zhang Zhao once again looked at Cao Sanniang with the eyes of a man sizing up a woman — a beautiful woman.

A flash of red crossed Cao Sanniang's fair face, but it vanished without a trace almost immediately.

"Does the young lord know how old I am?"

Zhang Zhao shook his head, indicating he did not know.

"I was born in the third year of Tianfu of His Majesty Emperor Zhaozong of the Great Tang (903). This year I am already twenty-eight!"

Having said this, Cao Sanniang cast a smug glance at Zhang Zhao, her expression as if to say, "See that? This old lady is a genuine daughter of the Great Tang!"

"A wife three years older brings gold bricks — ahem! Bring on three bricks, I don't mind the weight!" Zhang Zhao immediately shot back.

He was now nineteen, and this woman had actually been born in the Great Tang — a full nine years older than him!

Ahem! Never mind, it's just nine years. He'd just consider it as finding himself a meal ticket without having to work hard. And Cao Sanniang was quite pretty — no loss!

"Hahaha! Where did you get such crooked logic? It's rather amusing!" Cao Sanniang was tickled by Zhang Zhao's sudden roguishness, laughing so hard she shook like a flowering branch in the wind — a magnificent sight.

"The young lord truly is someone who does great things. When there's benefit in it, he'd even marry a cousin-niece nine years older than himself! But do you know how old my son Nobunaga is?"

Nobunaga? Good thing your late husband's surname was Murong and not Oda, Zhang Zhao grumbled inwardly.

"That I truly don't know. What, are you afraid your son won't agree?"

Cao Sanniang rolled her eyes at Zhang Zhao. "When the sky wants rain, a mother wants to marry. Does this old lady need his permission to marry or not?

But I can tell you, my son Nobunaga has now reached the age of the bound hair. I'm afraid a father only seven years older than him — Nobunaga truly would not agree!"

At the thought that this awe-inspiring young lord Zhang was only seven years older than her son, the madwoman laughed so hard she nearly broke her back.

Damn! Zhang Zhao was truly stunned. This woman's son was already twelve years old!

Uh! She was twenty-eight this year. Say she married at fifteen and gave birth at sixteen — a twelve-year-old son was actually quite possible.

Uh! Hell, if he really made a five-year pact with this woman, then when he returned from Khotan he'd gain a seventeen-year-old son. Thinking about it that way...

It was actually rather thrilling!

"All right! All right! I'll stop scaring you!" Seeing Zhang Zhao stunned, Cao Sanniang assumed he had truly been frightened by her age.

"If the young lord truly has such intentions, I do have a good candidate!" Cao Sanniang stopped laughing and said seriously.

"My younger half-sister by the same mother, the nineteenth daughter of the Cao family, Yanxi, has just reached the age of the cardamom bud this year. By the time the young lord returns from Khotan, the nineteenth daughter will be sixteen — the perfect age for marriage.

My mother bore her late in life and dotes on the nineteenth daughter to an extreme. Marrying the nineteenth daughter would be far more worthwhile for the young lord than marrying me!"

Zhang Zhao frowned. "Marriage is a great matter, concerning a lifetime of happiness. Can it be described with the word 'worthwhile'?"

Cao Sanniang revealed a trace of bitter smile. "Can it not?"

"Can you?" Zhang Zhao's voice dropped even lower.

Cao Sanniang started as if suddenly pricked by a needle, and abruptly rose to her feet.

"These days I have relied greatly on the young lord's protection. I have a private gift to give you!"

Zhang Zhao stared blankly at Cao Sanniang's retreating figure. He had no idea why this woman had suddenly gone strange, and she even looked as though she was about to turn hostile.

"A gift? What gift?"

"When the young lord truly returns with three hundred cavalry and five hundred armored soldiers, then perhaps I may let my son Nobunaga become your disciple and study the arts of war and strategy." At the mention of her son, Cao Sanniang's eyes instantly sharpened.

"My father-in-law is only four years younger than the Great King Linggong, and his health is likewise poor. Of all his sons, none except my late husband amount to anything. The Murong family also faces the prospect of being left without a leader.

If the young lord can gain the eldest legitimate grandson of the Guazhou Prefect as his disciple, and lend my son Nobunaga a helping hand, then I can help you stir up the Murong clan of Guazhou!"

Interesting! Zhang Zhao sniffed.

Heh! A master? I'd say I'd rather be your son's father!

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