EPISODE 3
Oh s**t, they just murdered an entire house of innocent people, Cao Cao and Chen Gong.
While Chen Gong flips and yells, Cao Cao tells him to shut up and just flee already. While the horror of what they’ve done still has not set in, they run into Cao Cao’s uncle Lu Boshe on the way, the one who went out to buy some wine to celebrate. Oh no, OH NO…
They aren’t able to hide, so as Chen Gong leads their horse away, Cao Cao stays and greets Lu Boshe. When he gets close enough, Cao Cao runs him through with a sword and slashes his horse’s legs. WHAT THE #$@!%…
This time, Chen Gong is so shocked that he physically can’t close his mouth. He berates Cao Cao. Buddy, if I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut and just run in the opposite direction.
Cao Cao responds with one of his famous lines: I’d rather betray the whole world than let anyone betray me. Cao Cao’s key strait and what sets him apart from the other two main warlords we will see down the line. I guess the bright side is at least he’s honest about his treacherous nature.
Then he decides to go back to his uncle’s estate.
Chen Gong is moved for a second, but then Cao Cao says he just wants to go back for dinner since the road to their destination is long and he doesn’t want to starve to death before they get there. That’s Cao Cao for you.
This time, Chen Gong has had enough. He considers killing Cao Cao in his sleep but then decides to take the high road and leaves.
Cao Cao arrives at his father’s house. His family actually has some money and so they’re in a good position to recruit people and raise their own troops.
News from afar that Lord Yuan Shao is holding a gathering to form an alliance and talk about the Dong Zhuo problem. There are eighteen lords in total to attend and Yuan Shao invites Cao Cao too.
As Cao Cao’s men get all excited about this opportunity, Cao Cao warns them that their own army is small and new compared to these lords’. Also, while these lords claim to want to get rid of Dong Zhuo and restore peace, what most of them really want is status and wealth. Cao Cao suspects they only want his troops to help them get richer and more powerful.
But Cao Cao packs up and attends anyway. He has something none of them has: a decree from the emperor to make their attempt to rebel legal. Is it a real decree? No, Cao Cao will forge it. Sounds pretty risky to me. Are you telling me those guys won’t check for authenticity?
Well, it looks like they don’t have to. When they get to the gathering, Cao Cao tells them right off the bat that the decree is fake and how it will work. These are the words the emperor wants to say but cannot say, Cao Cao says. So why should we, having understood his struggles, not act on his behalf? The emperor is like six, btw. I’m not sure if that’s his real age, but he looks about it.
The men don’t need more reason than that to accept the fake decree. They’re all looking for an official reason to fight Dong Zhuo anyway. So Cao Cao brings to the table not physical objects or documents that will make their rebellion easier, but his super convincing reasoning, which these guys accept.
Now, also joining this alliance meeting is the trio Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.
Compared to the other lords, their assets are… a little more modest. Actually, they’ve got nothing. N-O-TH-I-N-G. They all come from humble backgrounds and can’t even afford armor.
Liu Bei is soft-spoken and seems obsessed with letting the world know he’s only doing this for the honor of the Han Dynasty. He is somewhat related to the current emperor.
Zhang Fei is hot-tempered and rude but loyal and kind of innocent.
Guan Yu is aloof and observant.
The three of them get deterred at the gate by a pompous guard but Cao Cao shows up at the same time and speaks up for them. Nice timing too because Zhang Fei was about to beat that guard up to a pulp.
After hearing about Liu Bei’s origin, they try to humiliate him by bringing out a straw stool for him to sit on. But Liu Bei accepts the invitation with grace and sits.
During the meeting, one of Dong Zhuo’s generals Hua Xiong leads an army to their door and challenge them to a fight. One of the lords sends his best warrior out and meet this challenge. The dude gets axed in like two seconds.
COMMENTS
Well, isn’t Cao Cao scary. I’m not sure how he treats regular people or how he is if you just meet him at a party, but as a politician, he sure keeps his eyes on the goal and doesn’t waver. What can you say about someone who recognizes how ruthless and manipulative the world can be and decides to beat the world at its own game? Even if that means getting his hands dirty, super dirty. That dead household is a black mark on Cao Cao’s record that’s always going to make you question every relationship he has in the future.
Kind of makes you wonder what kind of leader Cao Cao will be to the common people, doesn’t it?
Now, onto Liu Bei. The actor does a good job of portraying Liu Bei’s enigmatic front and you can clearly see his hypocritical tendencies. Weaving mats for a living, coming to a military event without a single warrior save for his sorn brothers, asking for nothing but the restoration of the Liu family’s honor, sitting down on a straw stool and accepting any small gesture of kindness with a big bow — Look, no one who wants to become a leader is that kind, ok? Sure, Liu Bei is a better person than Cao Cao, he would never slaughter an entire household out of mere suspicion. But his brand of “kindness” seems to be only half genuine, the other half is for show. Instead of appealing to the lords with numbers, he seeks to impress with an act of modesty.