The Yuan family of Runan and the Yang family of Hongnong—these were the two most prestigious clans in the current Han dynasty.
When people referred to them, they often added a prefix: “Four Generations, Three Excellencies.”
What did that mean? It referred to the fact that for four consecutive generations, these families had produced men who held the position of “Three Excellencies.”
Although the authority of the Three Excellencies during the Eastern Han wasn’t as powerful as in the Western Han, they were still, at least nominally, the highest-ranking officials in the imperial court.
For a family to produce such officials for four generations in a row—it took not just luck, but also genuine ability and influence.
As for the Cao family, even though Cao Song had served nearly ten years as one of the Three Excellencies and appeared impressive on the surface, their family foundation was still far inferior compared to the Yuan and Yang families.
After all, the Cao family’s rise truly began with Cao Song’s adoptive father, the eunuch Cao Teng.
By the time it reached Cao Song, it was only the second generation.
“How could we possibly compare to them?” one elder at the table said.
“The Yuan and Yang families built their glory over time. These clans have produced officials for generations. For four generations straight, they’ve had members serve in top-level positions. Over those years, they raised countless protégés and former subordinates—people whose careers they helped start.
“It’s those protégés and subordinates who created the legacy of ‘Four Generations, Three Excellencies.’
“Your father, Cao Ju Gao, may have held his position for many years, but in terms of protégés and subordinates he’s promoted, the number is ultimately limited.
“And before your grandfather’s generation, our Cao family was just an ordinary household.
“How could our influence possibly compare to the Yuan and Yang families?”
Another elder spoke up at that moment.
“Our Cao family has only managed to rise so rapidly in recent years because our clan leader had the foresight to side with the Partisans.
“After Grand Tutor Chen passed away, he quickly absorbed the late tutor’s influence in the court. If not for that move, it’s unlikely your father could’ve remained in his position as long as he has.”
***
Ten years ago, under Mengde’s direction, the Cao family helped the Partisans wipe out the eunuch faction—a move that Cao Song had told almost no one about.
At the time, Mengde was only five years old.
A five-year-old capable of orchestrating such a pivotal political maneuver—such a thing defied common sense.
As the saying goes: “The tallest tree in the forest is the first to fall.”
If Cao Song had publicly boasted about that incident, it would’ve made Mengde a target.
Many within the court would have taken extreme measures to eliminate her early on, seeing her as a future threat.
In that case, Miss Mengde likely wouldn’t have lived peacefully to the age of fourteen.
***
After hearing the two elders’ analysis, the girl smiled and continued pressing them with a calm curiosity.
“Gentlemen, may I ask—what exactly are these protégés and former subordinates?”
“I want to understand why the Yuan and Yang families owe their influence to having so many of them. What role do these protégés and subordinates play in the court’s power dynamics?”
“…Hmm.”
The elders in the hall all lowered their heads in thought when they heard her question.
Seeing their hesitation, Miss Mengde decided not to keep them guessing.
She spoke up again with confidence.
“Protégés and subordinates represent local power.”
“The reason the Yuan and Yang families are so influential is because every time they raise an opinion in court, it receives immediate support from local governors across the country.
“Even the local landlords and powerful families follow their lead—even when doing so requires sacrificing some of their own interests.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Because those governors and landlords were once aided or promoted by the Yuan and Yang families. They are the protégés and subordinates of these two clans.”
“More importantly, they believe that their children, nephews, and other younger relatives will also need support from those same families in the future to climb the ranks of officialdom.”
“The Yuan and Yang families have already produced Three Excellencies for four generations. Why wouldn’t they produce them for a fifth?”
“As long as their prominence continues, local powers will inevitably depend on them for future appointments.”
“Exchanging a bit of short-term benefit for a chance to help their descendants become officials—that’s a worthwhile trade for most people.”
“So you see, when someone from the Yuan or Yang families brings up even a minor issue in court, it stirs a chorus of approval from across the provinces.”
“But when my father speaks, the only people who agree with him are the Partisans and a few students from the Imperial Academy.”
“And that is where our Cao family still falls short compared to the Yuan and Yang families.”
“Then what does this have to do with the plan you mentioned earlier—to aid the grasslands?”
One of the elders asked with a puzzled expression.
Mengde replied, “Over the years, our Cao family has interacted with many powerful northern clans. We’ve built deep business ties with them. But these financial ties haven’t translated into political alliances in court.”
“Even though they’re privately close to our Cao family, they’re still not used to standing on the same side as us when it comes to court politics.”
“Our only consistent allies in court are still the Xiahou and Ding families. If we want to change that, the Cao family must find a way to command those clans—make them instinctively defer to us. And this aid-to-the-grasslands plan is our chance to do just that.”
“The grasslands are vast, with a large population. There’s no way our Cao family can carry out such an ambitious plan alone. To help the northern tribes survive the harsh winter, we must mobilize all those clans we’ve partnered with in business and get them to send grain alongside the Cao family.”
“I know this will cost us dearly, but during the grain transport, no clan will be allowed to deliver supplies however they please. They will have to follow the Cao family’s scheduling and command. If we can give them orders in this, then over time, we’ll be able to give them orders in other matters as well. That is the power of habit.”
The elder in charge of finances hesitated and asked, “Is this plan really feasible, Miss?”
Mengde smiled and responded with a question of her own, “Do you know how the first overlord of the grasslands, Modu Chanyu, killed his father Touman Chanyu and became the leader of the Xiongnu?”
“I do not,” the elder admitted.
So Mengde began telling the story of Modu’s rise to power.
“Modu was originally the heir to his father, Touman Chanyu. Later, Touman had a younger son with his favored consort and began plotting to kill Modu so he could make the younger son his successor. To protect himself, Modu had no choice but to plan a coup against his own father.”
“The key question was—how could he get his subordinates to turn on Touman Chanyu with him? You must understand, as the heir, all of Modu’s soldiers were formerly loyal to Touman. To solve this problem, Modu created a special type of whistling arrow.”
“Under the pretense of training his troops in horseback archery, he told them: ‘Whatever my arrow hits, you must shoot as well. If anyone fails to shoot with me, he will be executed.’ First, Modu used his arrow to shoot at wild animals.”
“Any soldier who didn’t follow and shoot the same target was immediately executed. Later, he shot his own beloved horse. When some hesitated, he executed them too. Then, a few days later, he used the arrow to shoot his favorite wife.”
“Those who were too afraid to shoot her were killed as well. Eventually, during another hunt, he used his arrow to shoot at Touman Chanyu’s horse. By that point, the soldiers had been so thoroughly conditioned by fear that they all instinctively followed his lead and shot the horse.”
“When Modu saw this, he knew they were ready. Soon after, on another hunting trip with his father, Modu used his arrow to shoot Touman Chanyu’s head. His subordinates reflexively followed suit, killing Touman on the spot.”
“After that, those who helped him kill Touman were all bound to him, literally tied to his war chariot—forced to follow him and help him seize power. Modu then executed his stepmother, his younger brother, and every minister who opposed him. Eventually, he established himself as Chanyu.”
“So, do you understand now?”
“Our aid-to-the-grasslands plan is not just about charity. It’s about training those court officials and aristocratic clans close to us— Training them so that, when the time comes, they’ll instinctively follow the Cao family’s lead. Just like Modu Chanyu’s men once did.”