Inside the five-horse carriage…
Lu Yu blinked repeatedly, his voice carrying a hint of meticulousness.
"Commander Cao, be more ferocious, draw your sword, roar at me, roar at me fiercely!"
Uh…
He had never heard such a request before.
Cao Cao was still trying to process this.
He found it difficult to reprimand his most trusted son, especially to do so loudly and for everyone to hear. This wasn't just difficult; it was absurd, utterly absurd!
Finally…
"Slam…"
Cao Cao forcefully slammed the sword at his waist onto the table inside the carriage. Immediately following, his words, imbued with infinite coldness, poured out.
"Lu Yu! Don't think that just because you're the Grand Minister of Han now, you can strut around like you own the sky. What I, Cao Cao, do is not for you, Lu Yu, to dictate!"
As the words left his mouth…
Lu Yu's eyes darted. It wasn't enough. The intensity of the roar was too weak. He repeatedly gestured to Cao Cao, as if to say—Old Cao, give it your all! Can't you curse with more force?
Cough cough…
Cao Cao cleared his throat, his tone growing even colder.
"Lu Yu, everything you have now, I, Cao Cao, can give, and I can also take away. If you dare to speak recklessly again, why don't you try to see if my sword is sharp enough?"
"Commander Cao, no matter how sharp your sword is, it cannot be sharper than the swords of my Dragon Gallop Camp soldiers. The current world is indeed a time of great contention, but the premise of this contention is loyalty to the Son of Heaven, and the restoration of the Han Dynasty. If… these cannot be achieved, then what is the difference between you and a treacherous minister? Is Commander Cao planning to be the next Dong Zhuo? Or… the next Li Jue and Guo Si? Someone whom everyone in the world should slay?"
"You?"
"Commander Cao, you say these one hundred thousand troops are loyal to you, Cao Cao. That is wrong. They are loyal to the Son of Heaven, to the Great Han. You are merely acting on behalf of the Son of Heaven, on behalf of His Majesty, to punish rebels! I hope Commander Cao recognizes his own position and does not do anything foolish that oversteps boundaries!"
"Clatter…"
A crisp sound.
With these words, it was evident that a sharp weapon had split the table inside the five-horse carriage.
For a moment, Cao Cao almost got truly into character. Lu Yu's words were like drawn swords, always standing on the moral high ground, truly infuriating, genuinely infuriating!
If he hadn't known it was a scheme beforehand, he feared he would have truly become enraged.
"Hmph, Grand Minister Lu, don't be ungrateful. I will give you one last piece of advice: I, Cao Cao, give it to you, you take it! I do not give it to you, you cannot snatch it! Don't think that the position of Grand Minister allows you to be on par with me, Cao Cao. Even if the entire court of officials stands behind you, so what? I, Cao Cao, recognize you, but my twenty thousand troops may not all recognize you. I don't mind turning the commander of the Dragon Gallop Camp into a corpse!"
This last sentence instantly heightened the atmosphere!
The entire carriage, no… the entire central army, was instantly filled with a tense, confrontational atmosphere.
The Tiger Guards and the Dragon Gallop Cavalry wore solemn expressions, completely bewildered!
…
…
Nanyang Commandery, under Jing Province.
And Wancheng, the seat of Nanyang Commandery. At this moment… the atmosphere within the Wancheng yamen was exceptionally grave.
"They've come, they've finally come!" Zhang Xiu's eyes were cold. He surveyed the worried civil and military officials before him, his expression troubled as he said, "Cao Mengde has indeed attacked. According to scouts, he has mobilized one hundred thousand troops and departed early yesterday. In another half a day, he will likely be at the city gates."
Having said this, Zhang Xiu paused, his expression turning indifferent. "Ten thousand Cao troops are already difficult to deal with, let alone the world-renowned Dragon Gallop Camp. This battle will not be easy!"
"My Lord." A burly man cupped his hands. "This humble general is willing to serve as the vanguard, fight Cao Cao to the death, and decide the victor against the Dragon Gallop Camp!"
His voice was deep and rough, and the arm with which he cupped his hands was thick and powerful, perhaps thicker than an ordinary person's thigh. He was Zhang Xiu's foremost general—Hu Che'er!
Zhang Xiu remained noncommittal regarding his plea to fight. His eyes, however, turned to Jia Xu.
"Mr. Jia? The enemy is about to arrive, at our gates. Whether to fight or not, please give me your counsel!"
Zhang Xiu was self-aware. With his current troop strength, he was utterly incapable of resisting Cao Cao…
"Cough cough…"
Just then, Jia Xu coughed lightly.
"I have three strategies: the lowest, the middle, and the highest. My lord might as well listen before making a decision!"
"The lowest strategy is to accept Yuan Shao's recruitment. Cao Cao's attack on us would be an attack on Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao would certainly not stand idly by, and Cao Cao would be hesitant. In this way, Wancheng can be kept safe. However, your troops are few and your generals are weak. Even if you join Yuan Shao, you will not be highly regarded, and your future will be bleak!"
Jia Xu paused slightly and continued, "The middle strategy is to send a letter to Liu Biao and join forces with him to resist Cao Cao. Nanyang is nominally guarded by my lord, but in reality, it is constantly constrained by Liu Biao of Jing Province. Liu Biao keeping us here is to create a buffer zone, to avoid confrontation with Cao Cao! But now, circumstances have changed. Weighing the pros and cons, Liu Biao will inevitably come to our aid! Of course… in the end, even with Liu Biao's assistance, our army will not be able to withstand Cao Cao's might. It will only delay the inevitable!"
Speaking to this point, Jia Xu's expression turned grave, but he said no more.
Now, Zhang Xiu became anxious. The lowest and middle strategies had been presented, but what was the highest strategy?
He quickly asked, "What is your highest strategy, sir? What is this highest strategy?"
"Highest strategy?" Jia Xu narrowed his eyes. "Surrender, surrender to Cao Cao!"
He said with a complex expression, "The great war between Cao and Yuan is imminent. If my lord is willing to surrender and cede this Nanyang Commandery, along with thirty thousand cavalry, his status in Cao's camp will not be too low. In the future, ennoblement and promotion will not be difficult. Moreover, Cao Cao holds the Son of Heaven in his hand. Surrendering to him is surrendering to the Han!"
This…
Zhang Xiu's eyes darted back and forth. What his advisor said made sense, but something felt wrong.
"Sir, but… according to our spies in various cities, Cao Cao and the Son of Heaven, Cao's camp and the Han court, are already showing signs of confrontation. The Son of Heaven's promotion of the Dragon Gallop Camp commander Lu Yu to Grand Minister indicates that… a conflict within the imperial family is unavoidable!"
"And the scouts have reported that just yesterday… Cao Cao had a fierce argument with Lu Yu inside his five-horse carriage. The Tiger Guards and the Dragon Gallop Camp even drew their swords. In such a situation, should we really get involved in this vortex of conflict between the Han court and Cao's camp?"
Zhang Xiu recounted what the spies had discovered, his face growing even more melancholic.
In contrast, Jia Xu…
"Hahaha…"
He shook his head and laughed.
Others might not understand, but as an old schemer, Jia Xu understood Lu Yu's intentions the best.
A change of roles!
If it were him, he would do the same!
"My lord, you have been deceived. It is obvious this is a scheme! Such a strategy is far from brilliant… but it is enough to deal with those foolish and self-important Han officials. If my predictions are correct, hehe, once Cao Cao takes Wancheng, the next step will be to purge Xudu. Xudu city has always had only one voice! Many things we see are not necessarily true, but rather what others want us to see!"
People say that tacticians have dark hearts!
Only the old schemers truly understand the old schemers…
Lu Yu's strategy of attacking the enemy's mind is not the first time. With every gesture, with every step, Jia Xu can deduce what Lu Yu intends to do!
This…
After Jia Xu's explanation, Zhang Xiu's expression became even colder.
"Sir…" he said gravely, "If we surrender, we will have no room for retreat."
"Do we have any now?" Jia Xu sighed.
So he said…
But in his heart, he thought, if they didn't surrender, there was indeed no room for retreat. However, after surrendering, there would be more room for him to maneuver.
Just as Lu Yu had analyzed, Jia Xu intended to surrender, but not now…
He wanted to use this battle to establish his value.
For him, either he wouldn't join Cao's camp, or once he joined, he would soar into the core group of strategists dominated by talents from Yingchuan!
This was crucial for him!
With this thought in mind, Jia Xu began to make his plans.
As is well known, Cao Cao favors married women. And within Wancheng, there is precisely such a wife, as beautiful as the world, as stunning as the world. How could Cao Cao resist her!
If his heart is in turmoil, the army's morale will be in turmoil. Once the army's morale is in turmoil, the opportunity to establish his value will arise.
Hehe, what is the chaotic world?
Even every plump ear of wheat carries with it a bloodthirsty edge. One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand fallen soldiers. Those who play tactics have dark hearts!
To establish this value, Jia Xu doesn't mind losing tens of thousands more lives… shedding more crimson blood!
Only, what makes Jia Xu wary is—Lu Yu!
More accurately, it should be Yin Lin…
Cao Cao's weakness is desire, it is married women. But what is Yin Lin's weakness?
He cannot see through it, cannot understand it. For a moment, this hidden strategist… found that besides his past merits, he knew nothing about this mysterious Yin Lin himself!
Even? Even his appearance is infinitely mysterious!
Zhang Xiu, of course, could not fathom this. He stood up, looked at the generals before him, and finally sighed.
"Enough. Issue orders that all cities in Nanyang should consolidate their defenses, and the army should retreat to Wancheng. When Commander Cao's army arrives, I will lead everyone to surrender outside the city!"
As Zhang Xiu spoke…
"Yes!"
With a collective roar, all the generals and soldiers let out a long sigh of relief. They were not like Hu Che'er, the simple-minded, strong-limbed brute.
To deal with… Cao Cao?
Hehe…
Cao Cao's current army of two hundred thousand, holding the banner of the Son of Heaven, and the Dragon Gallop Camp, which shakes the world and has never been defeated, it only takes a moment to realize that stubborn resistance is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Surrender is the wise move!
Surrender is also what the people expect!
…
…
On the road from Xudu city to Wancheng.
The five-horse carriage moved slowly. However, this time, Lu Yu was not in the carriage. Only Cao Cao was alone.
At this moment, Cao Cao was holding a map, carefully examining the passes and defenses along the way!
Trying to calculate how long it would take to capture these passes and reach Wancheng, the seat of Nanyang!
Just then.
A voice came from outside the window.
"Commander Cao, the vanguard has achieved a great victory! They are now about to reach the city gates of Wancheng."
Great victory? So soon?
Cao Cao was stunned.
One must know that from Xudu to Wancheng, there were at least three or four passes, and two of them were easily defended and difficult to attack. Even with consecutive victories, it would take at least two or three days. Yet, in just one day, Xiahou Yuan's vanguard army had already reached the city gates of Wancheng. Were they using "flight"?
Besides marveling at Miaocai's speed, Cao Cao's forehead was covered with big question marks. How did they pass through these passes?
Xu Chu's words continued.
"General Miaocai has recaptured Bowang and Baihe. As long as we cross Baihe, five li to the south is Wancheng!"
"General Miaocai sent someone to report, saying that wherever the vanguard army passed, they encountered no resistance. The city defenders and the county magistrate all led the people out of the city to surrender. This was the case in Duyan, Bowang, and Fangcheng."
As these words left his mouth, the shock in Cao Cao's eyes remained.
Even though Yu'er had mentioned beforehand that Wancheng would be taken without a fight, its actual occurrence still greatly impressed Cao Cao.
If previous predictions had some traces to follow, this time… it was truly like opening up the heavens!
"Where is the Dragon Gallop Camp?" Cao Cao asked curiously…
"They are already marching at full speed towards Wancheng," Xu Chu replied truthfully.
"Let us also set off!" Cao Cao commanded.
"Yes!" Xu Chu responded, spurring his horse towards the vanguard.
Cao Cao stroked his beard, a smile appearing on his lips.
He murmured with satisfaction, "Yu'er, Yu'er, with you, your father is indeed much more at ease. It's just…"
Suddenly, Cao Cao recalled Yu'er's words.
Yu'er seemed to have specifically mentioned—if Commander Cao restrains himself in this battle, he is confident of taking Nanyang without a single soldier, and at the opportune moment, gain a good general and a wise advisor!
"Restrain oneself?" Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, murmuring these two words.
What does it mean to restrain oneself?
Cao Cao shook his head, not understanding.
However…
Cao Cao deliberately imprinted these two words in his heart, in a very important position. In this battle, Yu'er was secretly commanding, and he, Cao Cao, must not cause trouble!
…
…
Nanyang, Baihe County!
This night, the Dragon Gallop Camp set up camp here.
Inside the central army tent, it was quite lively. Those coming to pay respects to Lu Yu were endless…
Just moments ago, after a long chat with General Le Jin, Lu Yu saw off General Le Jin, and then Xiahou Mao arrived.
Speaking of which, from the conversation with Le Jin earlier, Lu Yu learned…
Le Jin's three thousand infantry had been incorporated into the Dragon Gallop Camp and renamed the Spearman Camp!
The forge had also successfully forged a large number of red-tasseled spears. These three thousand new spearmen had begun training.
Of course, the training process was not smooth. Having grown accustomed to wearing "long pikes" and "battle halberds" made entirely of iron, suddenly equipping themselves with these light red-tasseled spears was somewhat awkward.
This was understandable. It was always inevitable for offense-oriented warriors transitioning to agile offense-oriented warriors to have some turbulence.
Fortunately…
Xiahou Mao voluntarily requested to come here to teach these three thousand spearmen spear techniques, and the results were remarkable…
This was not the main point. The main point was that the first sentence of the "Spear Scripture" taught by Xiahou Mao was—If there is no woman in your heart, your spear will naturally be divine. He even said… that this was the mental technique passed down to him by his master, Lu Yu!
Lu Yu was almost stunned upon hearing this…
What the heck is "no woman in your heart"? He just said it casually. Who knew Xiahou Mao would take it seriously.
What was even more terrifying was that during recent pacification operations, Xiahou Mao, with his god-like "Thirty-Six Styles of Yang Family Spear," had repeatedly achieved merits. Even Cao Cao wanted to enfeoff him as a general, but he insisted on returning to the Dragon Gallop Camp to be a spear technique instructor, even saying… that he must know how to repay kindness!
Hehe…
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu just scoffed. Was this a case of intentionally planting flowers that don't bloom, but unintentionally planting willows that shade?
What a divine benefactor!
He, Lu Yu… always inexplicably had many disciples!
In fact, Lu Yu just wanted to say, my combat power is only five!
Drunk, truly drunk.
This time…
Xiahou Mao entered the central army tent and immediately cupped his hands to pay respects to Lu Yu…
If he were to pay respects, he should pay respects properly. Yet, even when paying respects, Xiahou Mao was almost playing new tricks.
"Xiahou Mao pays respects to my esteemed teacher, my commander, and my uncle!"
Uh…
Esteemed teacher, that's understandable, after all, Lu Yu had proactively given him the spear manual for the "Yang Family Spear."
Commander, that's also understandable. As the spear and cudgel instructor of the Dragon Gallop Camp, Xiahou Mao was Lu Yu's subordinate…
But… uncle?
What the heck is uncle? In Lu Yu's memory, this child was older than him!
"Don't address me so casually…"
"Commander Lu is my father's sworn brother, so naturally he is my uncle… How dare I address him so casually?"
Xiahou Mao kept his head bowed low… acting like a junior paying respects to a senior.
Fortunately, no one saw it, otherwise, the armored soldiers would have been greatly shocked. One must know that the current Xiahou Mao was not the Xiahou Mao of the past. Now… he had a distinguished title in Cao's camp: the "King of Northern Spears" — Xiahou Mao!
Hoo…
He exhaled softly. "Alright, I heard you are training the Spearman Camp recently? When will it be fully accomplished?"
Lu Yu simply stopped dwelling on the title. In any case, the relationship between the Cao family and the Xiahou family was already complicated, and he was used to it.
"It will take at least half a year…" Xiahou Mao replied truthfully.
"Then why aren't you training properly? Why did you come to Wancheng with the army? You even kept it a secret from me…" Lu Yu's words carried a slight tone of reproach.
Xiahou Mao cupped his hands. "I have long heard of Zhang Xiu, the 'Northern Spear King,' who wields his spear with divine skill. As a disciple of my esteemed teacher, how can I be unconvinced? This disciple wishes to spar with the Northern Spear King, and also to bring honor to my esteemed teacher!"
Ambition…
This ambition is too small.
Fighting and killing are so boring…
Lu Yu shook his head, noncommittal. Whatever he wants to do, let him be happy.
"Alright, you may withdraw. Pay more attention to the matters of the Spearman Camp. In less than one or two years, at most three or four years, I predict… the Spearman Camp will make a name for itself in a great battle."
Speaking to this point, Lu Yu suddenly stood up and patted Xiahou Mao's shoulder.
He did not forget to remind him, "By the way, it's not good to have too much yang energy in you. Occasionally, you can also… go to brothels and pleasure houses to release it. You can have no women in your heart, but your body, when it needs to be released, should be released."
As these words left his mouth…
Xiahou Mao cupped his hands. "I will strictly follow my esteemed teacher's teachings. However… the 'Jin Ping Mei' bestowed upon me by my esteemed teacher perfectly complements the 'Yang Family Spear.' This disciple does not need women!"
Uh…
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu was stunned. He instinctively gave Xiahou Mao a thumbs-up—Brother, you're amazing, truly amazing!
No wonder your Yang Family Spear is wielded with divine skill. The hand speed of decades of celibacy is evident!
For a moment, Lu Yu felt fortunate.
In the past…
That annulled engagement had actually made two people!
He thought that Xiahou Mao was the worst among the male leads whose engagements were annulled. Now, looking back… although there was no thirty years in the east and thirty years in the west, it still had a unique flavor!
Indeed, an unfortunate marriage would lead two people to fall, while parting ways amicably would allow both to rise simultaneously…
With this thought…
Lu Yu muttered in his heart, no wonder before transmigrating, after Yang Mi and Ya Ya divorced, they both experienced different lives and circumstances!
Cao Mu, Xiahou Mao… his annulment by Lu Yu was done at just the right time!
With this thought, Lu Yu beckoned to Xiahou Mao.
"You may go out, and call Dian Wei and Cao Anmin in…"
That's right.
For this battle… Lu Yu specifically summoned Cao Anmin to accompany the army and also arranged for Cao Anmin to escort Cao Cao.
Including Dian Wei…
Lu Yu planned to give these two a good lesson today.
What is—the black in front of you is not black?
What is—what white you say is white?
…
…