Chapter Sixty-Nine: Diao Chan

The sky was a pale blue, the moon as luminous as water, and the lingering heat of the day had at last been swept away by the coolness of evening. The entire Si Tu residence had already sunk into tranquility.

Yet Zhang Yu could not sleep. It was rare for him to toss and turn, unable to find rest.

“What is going on?” Zhang Yu sat up. “It’s as if something is about to happen—and this feeling, it seems, is because of me.”

He slipped on his shoes, draped a silken robe of blue lotus and moonlight over his shoulders, and gently pushed open the door to step outside.

The night was mellow, the clouds dim, and the stars glittered brilliantly. This beautiful night soothed his inexplicable anxiety, even bringing to mind a text he’d once studied at school—Master Su Dongpo’s “A Nighttime Stroll at Chengtian Temple.” The memory prompting him, he murmured the lines to himself.

“On the night of the twentieth day of the fifth month in the second year of Chu Ping, I undressed, preparing to sleep, when the moonlight entered my chamber. Joyfully, I rose to take a walk. Finding no companion with whom to share my delight, I thus made my way to Si Tu Wang Yun’s residence to seek out Diao Chan—”

Zhang Yu paused, startled. “Diao Chan!” At last, he understood the source of his unease.

He circled around a corridor and entered another courtyard, where the old fox Wang Yun was secretly observing from a hidden corner.

In the moonlight, a young woman was burning incense in prayer, her back turned, her face unseen.

She turned to take more incense. Wang Yun quickly widened his eyes for a better look, but just then, a wisp of dark cloud drifted across the sky, veiling the bright moon in a thin shroud and cloaking the beauty below in shadow.

“This girl… her beauty eclipses the very moon!” the old man marveled inwardly, and then heard the maiden speak:

“Today, by chance, I overheard your conversation with that gentleman… I cannot bear to see you so burdened by affairs of state. I pray to Heaven to grant my wish, that you might agree to what I ask of you.”

“And what is your request?” Wang Yun stepped out, lowering his voice.

“My lord!?” The maiden started, rising in surprise. Even dressed in the plain attire of a servant, her beauty could not be hidden.

“You are… Diao Chan from the palace?”

At last Wang Yun recalled—when the Ten Attendants had thrown the palace into chaos, many of the court ladies and maids had fled. He had taken in some of these refugees, though at the time, to avoid attracting attention, all had disguised themselves so thoroughly their appearance was unrecognizable. He remembered one among them, the head maid called Diao Chan, but had thought little of it, leaving arrangements to his steward. In all this time, he had never really noticed her.

“I am the former head maid Diao Chan, my true name Diao Xiu’er. After escaping the palace that year, I was fortunate to find shelter in your household, Si Tu, and no longer had to worry for my livelihood. Your kindness in saving me has always been cherished in my heart.”

Now that traitors controlled the court, not a day went by that I did not wish to ease your burdens. But what can a mere woman do?

Today, passing by the main hall, I happened to overhear your conversation with a certain gentleman, and only then did I realize… I truly can help you. I can even help the Han, help countless people. What an honor that would be.

Thus, I earnestly beg you, my lord… let me be the one to carry out the chain stratagem!”

Diao Xiu’er looked at Wang Yun, tears shining in her eyes. Her beauty would have shamed the moon goddess herself and moved Wang Yun to tears.

“How fortunate I am, Wang Yun, to have the aid of such a righteous woman as you!” Wang Yun bowed deeply to her. “Were there any other way, I would never resort to such desperate measures. I hope you will not blame me. I, Wang Yun, thank you for your great righteousness!”

“My lord, you must not!” Diao Xiu’er hurriedly helped him up. “How could I accept such thanks? Besides, this is not just for you, but for the Han dynasty and its people! I am willing—”

“No!”

A clear voice broke the silence of the night.

“Yu Lang!?”

Wang Yun looked bewildered at Zhang Yu, who had appeared as if transported by magic, while Diao Xiu’er gazed at him in astonishment.

“I already told you, my dear Si Tu Wang, there’s no need for this!”

“If you’re so set on this, I’ll go with you to the brothels and pleasure quarters—we’re bound to find someone who fits the bill!”

Zhang Yu wore a look of helplessness tinged with exasperation. Turning to Diao Xiu’er, he feigned anger: “And you—why are you so eager, burning incense and praying? You know you’re just a woman; you should stay at home tending the flowers! If we need a woman to save the country, what are we men for?”

“You, sir…”

At the sight of Diao Chan, Zhang Yu could not help but be stunned by her beauty. Compared to the youthful charm of Zhen Luo, Diao Chan’s beauty was enough to topple states and bring calamity to realms—a natural allure so rare it had vanished in later ages.

Yet he had no impure thoughts, for to Zhang Yu, Diao Chan was the kind of beauty to be admired from afar but never profaned—a breathtaking marvel he dared not touch.

He did not even think; he simply acted on instinct, blurting out his refusal.

What a joke—having come to the Three Kingdoms, not only had he failed to prevent Diao Chan’s tragic fate, but now—

Was he not the very one orchestrating this beauty trap?

“Yu Lang.” As cunning as Wang Yun was, even he misunderstood Zhang Yu’s intentions at this moment. In the moonlight, the pair looked like an ideal couple, and Wang Yun thought perhaps Zhang Yu harbored affection for Diao Chan.

A wild notion flashed through the old man’s mind: “If that Dong Zhuo favored men, perhaps…”

But he quickly dismissed such thoughts; after all, Zhang Yu was now the imperial brother, and such ideas could never be entertained.

With a long sigh, the old fox continued, “Matters of state outweigh personal feelings. You should understand this. I am not heartless enough to send Xiu’er into a tiger’s den—”

“You’re not sending her into a tiger’s den—you’re sending her before a pack of wolves, to be torn apart by each in turn!”

Zhang Yu looked at Diao Xiu’er, whose tears glistened like rain on pear blossoms, recalling the criticism Wang Yun had received from later generations, and erupted in anger.

Wang Yun was taken aback, but quickly retorted, “But wasn’t this your plan? Without Xiu’er’s peerless beauty, how could those two possibly fall for the scheme? You agreed to this plot with me just today, and now tonight I find Xiu’er burning incense in prayer. Is this not fate itself?”

“Fate be damned—I can’t agree to this!” Zhang Yu pulled Diao Xiu’er behind him.

“Diao Xiu’er is a member of my household. On what grounds do you, you little scoundrel, object?”

“You call me a scoundrel? I am the imperial brother of the Han—how dare you!”

“The enemy is at our gates, and with Xiu’er’s help, success is half-assured. At this crucial moment, you disregard the greater good—do you deserve the title of imperial brother? You and Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu, you’re all birds of a feather!”

“You old fox…”

The two of them were almost at each other’s throats when suddenly, with a thud—

Diao Xiu’er fell to her knees before Zhang Yu. “Sir, I beg you! I am willing—if I can ease Si Tu’s worries, I could die without regret. Please, do not stop me!”

Zhang Yu’s chest tightened, words caught in his throat, as Diao Xiu’er continued, “Why do you not wish me to carry out this plan? If it succeeds, you will gain renown, Si Tu’s long-cherished wish will be fulfilled, and the Han will be rid of two traitors and find new hope. Is this not a victory on all fronts? Besides, you and I are hardly acquainted—”

“Enough with the nonsense. I just can’t bear to let you go!”