My Brother Is Cao Mengde: Reversing the Battle of Red Cliffs

My elder brother, Cao Mengde, is a peerless hero of his age, a master of both letters and warfare who has conquered the realm and ranks among the greatest warlords in history.

My nephews: Cao Ziwen, a ruler who can preserve what has been built, skilled in both civil and military affairs; Cao Zijian, blessed with literary talent worth eight buckets; Cao Ziwen, known as the yellow-bearded lad of Ye; and Cao Chong, who could weigh an elephant...

In the civil ranks, we have Xun, Cheng, Jia, Guo, and Sima; in the military, we have the Eight Tiger Cavalry of our clan and the Five Elite Generals. My brother holds the Son of Heaven to command the lords. Every battle is won, every siege taken.

With such powerful allies, I could have lived as a spoiled young master, indulging in cockfighting, dog racing, and extravagant pleasures, only occasionally doing what a member of the Cao family ought to do.

Who could have guessed that the place my brother is marching to this time is called Red Cliff?

I have no choice. For Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, and for Diao Chan and Zhen Ji back home, I can only emerge from seclusion.

A thousand years later, Su Shi and a guest drift down the river, and the guest asks, “What place is this?”

He replies, “This is Red Cliff, where Cao Lang of the Three Kingdoms fought. Jagged rocks pierce the sky; raging waves pound the shore, churning up a thousand heaps of snow.”

The landscape is a painting. How many heroes have graced this age!