Chapter 2: Cao Cao: Yes, that’s exactly what I think
“Prostitutes are one of the key indicators of a city’s economic status and population,” Chen Zhou said.
“Why is that?” Cao Ang still didn’t quite understand.
“When the granaries are full, people follow proper etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and shame.”
“If a city can offer good prostitution services, doesn’t that mean the people in the city are well-fed, and its economy is thriving?”
“Every time Cao Cao arrives at a city or conquers one, he always asks about the state of the city’s prostitutes.”
“He does this to quickly gauge the livelihood of the people and to understand how much value the city can bring him,” Chen Zhou explained slowly.
This perspective on prostitution was something Cao Ang had never heard before. It was also the first time he realized that his father’s visits to brothels carried such a deeper meaning.
Cao Ang was dumbfounded, struggling to process it all.
“Yes, Cao Cao is definitely lustful, but he never lets himself be consumed by women.”
“Xu Shao once evaluated Cao Cao, saying, ‘He is a capable minister in times of peace, but a crafty hero in times of chaos.’”
“As a hero, Cao Cao wouldn’t seek out prostitutes solely for his own pleasure, nor would he lose control over his lower half,” Chen Zhou continued.
But this was all said with the intention of impressing Cao Ang, deliberately praising Cao Cao. In reality, Cao Cao often lost control of his desires. In just a few years, he would pay the price for one of his most indulgent affairs at Wancheng.
Cao Ang suddenly felt that his father, who had a reputation for being fond of women, was now much more admirable.
Outside, Cao Cao and Cao Ren, who were eavesdropping, were left in shock.
Cao Ren looked at Cao Cao with disbelief. He, too, had never considered this deeper reasoning before.
In Cao Cao’s mind, he was stunned: “I really just wanted to enjoy myself and satisfy my personal desires. I never thought of all that. How did this guy manage to come up with so much and elevate my image so much?”
Cao Cao was baffled but didn’t interrupt, waiting for Chen Zhou to continue.
After a while.
“Can you imagine what kind of information about the people prostitutes in a city could provide?” Chen Zhou asked.
Cao Ang snapped back to attention, thought for a moment, and shook his head. “Please enlighten me, sir.”
“Only men frequent brothels.”
“And among men, the ones who have the energy to go are mostly the young and able-bodied.”
“If a city has many brothels and prostitutes, it means the market for prostitution is large, which suggests there is a significant population of young men.”
“Where do Cao Cao’s soldiers come from?”
“They come from these young men.”
As soon as Chen Zhou finished speaking, Cao Ang was once again amazed.
It turns out brothels had such benefits!
In the current chaos of the world, Cao Ang’s father, Cao Cao, was waging war to bring peace to the land. To succeed, he not only needed his own strength and resources but also a constant stream of soldiers to support his campaigns.
By learning about the situation of brothels, they could gather information about potential military recruitment in a city, which would help the Cao family in their quest for dominance.
“Prostitutes are part of the service industry. High prices and quality services indicate that the city’s economy is good, and its people have wealth and food.”
“On the other hand, low prices suggest there are many poor people.”
“If there are many prostitutes, but the quality is poor, with more ugly ones than beautiful ones, it also indicates there are many poor people.”
“If there are few prostitutes, it means the city has been hit by frequent disasters.”
“A city with many brothels indicates a strong economy and a large population of young men, which can provide Cao Cao with ample soldiers.”
Chen Zhou continued to explain the various benefits of brothels.
Cao Ang listened thoughtfully, finding it all easy to understand.
In places where many are poor, people can’t even afford to eat, so they sell their wives and daughters. However, even if they are beautiful, beauty in ancient times was mostly monopolized by the aristocracy.
As for frequent disasters, that was easy to grasp as well.
If most people had died, not only would brothels disappear, but there would barely be any people left in the city.
Cao Ang felt that he had learned something new!
If not for Chen Zhou’s guidance, he might have overlooked such an important aspect.
Chen Zhou truly was a remarkable man!
Cao Ang’s admiration for him deepened.
Outside, Cao Cao also felt enlightened!
Who knew that so much insight could come from observing brothels?
Even though Chen Zhou’s analysis was based on over-imagining his actions, leaving Cao Cao somewhat bewildered, he couldn’t deny that Chen Zhou’s reasoning made sense. Brothels indeed held a wealth of information about the state of the people and the economy.
No wonder Cao Ang held Chen Zhou in such high regard and even wanted to become his student. Cao Cao, having eavesdropped this far, could now affirm that Chen Zhou had some real talent and his views were unique. It was no surprise that he could easily impress the still-young Cao Ang.
Cao Cao felt a twinge of regret. Before, he had only thought about indulging himself and had missed so much. But now…
“Yes, this is exactly what I’ve been thinking. I do it all for the people!”
Cao Cao shamelessly claimed Chen Zhou’s analysis as his own.
From now on, he had a legitimate reason for visiting brothels.
“Big Brother, this…”
Cao Ren was completely stunned.
No wonder Cao Cao liked visiting brothels so much!
It turns out he was gathering information about the people!
Cao Ren even started thinking, “I should visit brothels more often, too.”
He wanted to learn from his big brother.
To be like him.
That way, he could also have a thorough understanding of the people’s livelihood.
“Big Brother, this gentleman seems to have some real skill!” Cao Ren whispered, lowering his voice. “Should we still kill him?”
“Let’s keep him around for now!” Cao Cao replied.
Cao Cao wanted to meet this gentleman face-to-face, but he hesitated. Based on their conversation, it seemed that the gentleman didn’t even know Cao Ang’s true identity; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been speaking so candidly.
If Cao Cao revealed himself too hastily, the man might become cautious and stop speaking so freely.
Zhang Miao’s subordinates certainly knew what Cao Cao looked like, so his appearance would immediately give him away.
For now, Cao Cao decided to stay hidden and continue eavesdropping.
“Have you understood Cao Cao’s intentions now?” Chen Zhou asked.
“Though brothels may seem disreputable, they are not without value.”
“Many people think Cao Cao seeks out prostitutes just to satisfy his personal desires. But who can truly understand Cao Cao’s real intentions?”
Cao Ang lowered his head in shame. As his son, he hadn’t understood his father’s painstaking efforts and had even complained to Lady Ding about his father’s frequent visits to brothels, neglecting the family. Now, he felt unworthy as a son!
From now on, I must accompany my father more often to learn from him and uphold this great tradition.
Cao Cao felt that Chen Zhou’s words struck right at his heart.
If Chen Zhou weren’t one of Zhang Miao’s men, or perhaps even a special death-row inmate, Cao Cao would have wanted to bring him back to serve as one of his advisors.
But for now, it wasn’t possible. Cao Cao preferred to continue eavesdropping, hoping to glean more insights from Chen Zhou and figure out what his true motives were. Was Chen Zhou deliberately approaching Cao Ang for some agenda, or was he genuinely trying to teach him?
If it was the former, Cao Cao smirked coldly.
He suppressed his urge to confront him and quietly continued listening.
“I have learned a great deal!” Cao Ang, stepping out of his self-reproach, bowed and said, “Thank you for your guidance, sir!”
Chen Zhou smiled slightly.
“Sir, I have a question,” Cao Ang continued. He had come here today with this question in mind. “Zhang Miao and my father were as close as brothers. Before the first campaign against Xu Province, my father even said to Zhang Miao, ‘If I do not return, you can rely on Meng Zhuo.’”
“My father was so good to Zhang Miao. Why, then, did Zhang Miao turn against him?”
This was a question that had puzzled Cao Ang for days, and he could not find the deeper reason, so he sought Chen Zhou’s counsel.
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao listened even more intently.
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