"Who... who are you?"
Jia Xu turned his head, his eyes meeting Lu Yu's...
"Lu Yu!"
He whispered his name softly, then Lu Yu instinctively reached out a hand, as if realizing that handshakes weren't customary for strangers meeting in ancient times, and withdrew it.
"Lu Yu? Then... you are Yin Lin?"
Jia Xu's voice came again, but this time, it was tinged with a slight tremor.
But at this critical juncture, how could Yin Lin appear here?
In this grand scheme, he had accounted for everything, yet he had never accounted for Yin Lin...
Because Yin Lin hadn't entered the city at all. Jia Xu hadn't even seen him face to face yet, so how could he... have included him in his calculations?
Upon hearing his identity as "Yin Lin" revealed by Jia Xu, Lu Yu was not surprised in the least. This was a man who lived with clear understanding; it would have been strange if he hadn't recognized his identity!
"Mr. Jia's plan is indeed ingenious..."
Lu Yu walked slowly towards Jia Xu, speaking casually as he moved. "Mr. Jia first persuaded Zhang Xiu to sincerely pledge allegiance to Chancellor Cao..."
"Then he arranged for Chancellor Cao's residence to be adjacent to the骠骑将军府 (Piaoji General's Mansion). I imagine Mr. Jia also foresaw the pipa music that would emanate from the inner chambers of that mansion late at night?"
"Following that was Chancellor Cao's masculine nature, and also General Zhang's righteous anger... Taking advantage of Cao's camp being heavily drunk, Zhang Xiu's sudden rebellion, Mr. Jia then allied with Liu Biao... to heavily cripple Cao's army, forcing the invincible Cao Cao to flee in panic. This battle alone would be enough for you, Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe, to establish your reputation and become a strategist sought after by all lords under heaven!"
"With such a reputation, you would once again persuade Zhang Xiu to pledge allegiance to Chancellor Cao. This way... you would gain both face and substance! The blood of tens of thousands of soldiers, buried in vain, would become the stepping stones for you to stand at the highest point. You, Jia Xu, would enjoy lifelong glory!"
"Such a plan, how could it not be ingenious? How could it not be ruthless! People say that a general's success is built upon the bones of ten thousand soldiers. For you, it's 'I watch the world with cold eyes, unconcerned with right and wrong,' it's 'My strategy only fears the world descending into chaos!' Heh, your title as 'Poisonous Strategist,' Jia Wenhe, is well-earned!"
Every word, every sentence was spoken with forceful conviction, resonating powerfully...
Lu Yu recounted Jia Xu's historical machinations with utter certainty, as if he had seen through this "poisonous strategist" before him.
And these words caused Jia Xu's chest to heave up and down...
His eyes widened to their fullest extent in that instant.
Terrifying?
Every single sentence was indeed terrifying!
If, upon seeing this young gentleman and hearing his name "Lu Yu," Jia Xu had only been surprised.
But now, as the young gentleman laid out his schemes one by one, item by item, Jia Xu was stunned. His face was a complete question mark – Damn it, are you cheating?
His emotions were a mixed bag!
Jia Xu's expression became incredibly complex, and Lu Yu had already reached him.
Behind him... Huang Zhong, leading over a dozen Dragon Cavalry, stood on either side, sabers in hand, standing at the ready!
It seemed... as if with just one command from Lu Yu, Jia Xu would immediately turn into a corpse...
Fear...
Looking at the sharp blades, the burly armored soldiers, Jia Xu inexplicably felt fear.
He was indeed a timid person.
A gentleman does not stand beneath a precarious wall. Now, what stood before him was not just a precarious wall? This was clearly... a collapsing mansion, about to crush him to death.
"Chancellor Lu..."
Jia Xu spoke, but uttering only that title, he fell silent. Since Lu Yu had seen through everything, then... there was no reason for him not to have made prior arrangements.
He had lost, though he was reluctant to admit it. This entire operation had ended before it even began.
He, Jia Xu, had already lost!
"It seems this is my fate," Jia Xu sighed. "But... Chancellor Lu, you must understand, it's not that I underestimated you, but that I simply couldn't calculate you! You are too mysterious. I can't find any weakness in you!"
Weakness, huh?
Hearing this, Lu Yu smiled faintly. Weaknesses, he Lu Yu certainly had!
For example, being timid, or having terrible martial arts skills!
However, having lived two lives, Lu Yu was better at hiding his weaknesses.
A gentleman does not stand beneath a precarious wall; in this regard... Lu Yu did even better than Jia Xu.
"Mr. Jia..." Lu Yu's voice rang out again. "It's not that I deliberately targeted you, but rather, the cost of your greatly increased influence was too high!"
"Indeed, had I not discovered this scheme, Chancellor Cao and Zhang Xiu would have surely engaged in a bloody battle tonight. At that time, Liu Biao would also have reinforced Wancheng. Others might think that Chancellor Cao's army of a hundred thousand could still win, but... I would say that once this battle began, Cao's army would be defeated, because Chancellor Cao had disrupted his military morale over a woman!"
"Wancheng is the capital of Nanyang Commandery, the gateway to the south. In the future... once the northern territories are pacified, Chancellor Cao could use this southern commandery as a springboard, sending one army into 'Liuan,' another army to garrison 'Sanfu,' and a third army down the Lujiang River!"
"With such deployments, Hanzhong and Xichuan would be completely sealed off, and the entire northern bank of the Yangtze River would be firmly in his grasp. At that time, his armies could invade Jiangxia, cut off the Yangtze River, and rendezvous with the Nanyang army at Xiangfan. The five northern commanderies of Jing Province would all fall into Chancellor Cao's hands! The southern territories would be cut in half, and within three years, Jing Province could be pacified! Then, crossing the Yangtze, they could directly threaten Jiangdong, and within five years, the empire could be unified!"
"And now... these deployments will be completely ruined by Mr. Jia's poisonous scheme. Mr. Jia... compared to your greatly increased influence, undeniably... the unification of the empire under Chancellor Cao is, for me, Lu Yu, ten times, a hundred times more important!"
"I, Lu Yu, will never allow Chancellor Cao to ruin the grand undertaking of unifying the empire because of a beautiful woman or a scheme behind a curtain! Therefore, this time... it was unavoidable, and I must offend Mr. Jia!"
Lu Yu's eyes were exceptionally sharp, his words so incisive that they seemed to pierce through Jia Xu's defenses.
This was undeniably... a question from the depths of the soul!
Yet, this questioning was delivered with a degree of consideration. This was due to Jia Xu's character; Lu Yu had greatly admired this ruthless figure in his previous life, understanding psychology and the ways of governance!
Therefore, even though victory and defeat were decided, Lu Yu's words were... still quite respectful and courteous!
*Hoo...*
In contrast, Jia Xu first exhaled deeply and repeatedly.
Then...
His eyes narrowed, and he began to shake his head.
"Is this the talent of Yin Lin, who has leaked the secrets of heaven?"
"I am enlightened. I never imagined that in my lifetime, I would have the honor to experience Yin Lin's talent, and even have the honor to spar with Yin Lin. Heh, I have no regrets. I, this old man, have no regrets..."
Jia Xu rubbed his eyes, his tone becoming exceptionally low.
"Haha..."
"Hahahahaha..."
In the end, he burst into a sighing, hearty laughter. At this moment, victory or defeat was of no importance to him.
It seemed... because he had found someone even better at discerning people's hearts, Jia Xu was exhilarated.
"As expected, this chaotic era, this world... will ultimately be dominated by you young people. I... I, Jia Xu, am old. I am old! However..."
"This old servant still has one matter he does not understand, and hopes Chancellor Lu will enlighten me!"
Jia Xu's eyes darted around. He did not forget to ask curiously.
"Please speak freely, old Mr. Jia!"
Lu Yu gestured...
Jia Xu then slowly opened his mouth: "Chancellor Lu clearly calculated all of this. It would have been enough to control me, Jia Xu, and Zhang Xiu here in the government office, and to control my camp's thirty thousand cavalry outside the city. This battle would have been settled... but why? Did you deliberately let General Zhang Xiu leave? Chancellor Lu, your deployment must have some ulterior motive, right?"
Ulterior motive?
Heh heh...
Lu Yu smiled faintly. "Old Mr. Jia thinks too highly of me. In truth, this is not an ulterior motive, but my trust in Chancellor Cao!"
"Whether General Zhang Xiu mobilized troops or rushed to the 骠骑将军府 (Piaoji General's Mansion), he would surely see a side greatly different from Mr. Jia's deployment. A side completely different from Mr. Jia's perception of Chancellor Cao. Chancellor Cao might be infatuated by a woman, but when the ambition of ruling the world is before him, his choice... will absolutely not be a woman, but the ambition of ruling the world! This is what a qualified overlord of this era should be!"
At this point, Lu Yu made a gesture.
"Old Mr. Jia, the carriage is ready. Shall we both move, and go to Chancellor Cao's residence to see for ourselves?"
*Hoo...*
Jia Xu's eyes narrowed. He found that he truly couldn't see through Lu Yu. Even... he couldn't guess Lu Yu's deployment at all.
And... it was clear that he sensed no malice from Lu Yu!
"Good... good..."
Jia Xu stroked his beard. "Tonight, it seems this old man will gain some knowledge! Haha. Hahahahaha..."
With these words, the two, led by the Dragon Cavalry, walked quickly towards the outside of the gate.
The night was deep, and under the moonlight, Wancheng inside and out was clean and bright!
It seemed... that the wind at the tip of the green ping had not yet stirred.
...
...
A luxurious courtyard.
The entrance was now lined with armored soldiers. On one side were soldiers from the Tiger Guards and Dragon Cavalry, led by the ancient ferocious warrior, Dian Wei.
As many of the Tiger Guards had been intoxicated, only a little over a hundred appeared here!
And the commander of the Tiger Guards, the "Tiger Fool" Xu Chu, was still sound asleep. Therefore, even with the addition of Dian Wei and the Dragon Cavalry, the numbers were still less than three hundred!
On the other side was Hu Che'er, and it was clear that behind him were five hundred burly men, far outnumbering the opposing side.
The atmosphere in the entire area was tense, with countless gleaming blades on full display... just a single spark was enough to ignite this battle.
"Dada dada..."
A carriage arrived.
Lu Yu and Jia Xu alighted from the carriage. Dian Wei and Hu Che'er respectively saluted them.
"Young Master Lu, Zhang Xiu went in alone. The young master ordered us not to stop him, so we..."
Dian Wei's words came out, and Lu Yu nodded.
"Understood."
Beside him, Hu Che'er reported to Jia Xu, "Sir, Madam Zou was kidnapped and taken inside, and General Zhang also forced his way in... Before entering, he ordered us not to act rashly. We don't know what to do?"
Hearing this, Jia Xu waved his hand dismissively, his eyes, however, turned towards Lu Yu.
"Chancellor Lu? This..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lu Yu directly ordered, "Lay down your weapons, all of you. Anyone who dares to draw his sword again will be punished by military law!"
"Yes!"
Dian Wei was the first to sheathe his weapon, and the Tiger Guards and Dragon Cavalry knights also sheathed their sabers.
Hu Che'er's side remained motionless. It was clear they were still worried about the safety of their lord, Zhang Xiu, who had charged in.
"Didn't you hear Chancellor Lu? Do you want your heads? Lay down your weapons?"
Jia Xu commanded...
This time, the armored soldiers led by Hu Che'er also sheathed their weapons. In an instant, the tense atmosphere dissipated considerably.
After doing so, Jia Xu looked back at Lu Yu, and Lu Yu gestured.
"Old Mr. Jia, please!"
Saying this, the two entered the courtyard together.
...
...
"Taptap tap..."
With rapid and heavy footsteps, Zhang Xiu, holding a long spear, had already barged in. No one could stop his advance.
Until... he reached the sleeping quarters of the courtyard.
"Who are you people? How dare you intrude upon Chancellor Cao's residence?"
An armored soldier asked.
"Zhang Xiu!" Zhang Xiu uttered his name, without further ado, he assumed a spear-holding stance, the opening posture of the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix spear technique.
It was created by his master, Tong Yuan, and passed down to only three disciples—Zhang Xiu, Zhang Ren, and Zhao Yun!
Zhang Xiu was confident that with the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix spear technique, he could instantly break into this courtyard!
Who would have thought that at this very moment.
"General Zhang has arrived! What are you all doing? Make way, let General Zhang in!"
A loud shout...
Indeed, this was Cao Cao's voice!
"Yes!" came the unified reply from outside the curtain...
The curtain was lifted again, and Zhang Xiu stepped in quickly. His eyes were filled with worry, anger, and boundless resentment. As soon as he entered, he spoke, "Chancellor Cao? Why have you kidnapped my aunt here?"
Considering Cao Cao's preference for married women...
Zhang Xiu could guess, even with his toes, what Cao Cao intended by kidnapping his aunt.
Who would have thought...
As soon as he said this, Zhang Xiu raised his eyes, and it was precisely at this moment that his heart trembled, because... what appeared in this courtyard was not just Cao Cao and his aunt, Madam Zou, but also... many elderly people!
Precisely, and this was not the main point...
The main point was that these elderly people were all clan leaders of the major families of Wancheng. Zhang Xiu could call out the names of almost every one of them. It could be said that to establish a foothold in Wancheng, Zhang Xiu had received considerable assistance from them.
This...
Suddenly, Zhang Xiu was a little confused. Originally, it was just a man and a woman in the courtyard, but now it seemed like a man and a woman, but with more than a dozen elderly people added, this...
Before Zhang Xiu could regain his senses, Cao Cao gestured first, "General Zhang, please sit down!"
This...
Zhang Xiu was still a bit dazed.
Cao Cao, however, stood up and pulled Zhang Xiu to sit on a bamboo stool, then said solemnly, "Tonight, upon returning to my residence, I heard the melodious pipa music from the adjacent mansion. I sent people to inquire and was surprised to learn it was the wife of the late General Zhang Ji, the 骠骑将军 (Piaoji General), playing leisurely."
"Hearing the tune of the pipa, I thought of General Zhang Ji's appearance and voice from the past, I thought of the friendship between him and me, and I thought of how he was ostracized by Li and Guo because he protected the Emperor in Chang'an. I felt extreme indignation and my mood could not be calmed for a long time. Therefore... I specially sent someone to invite Madam Zou, and also invited the clan leaders of Wancheng to discuss the posthumous title for General Zhang Ji, and also to discuss the conferment of Madam Zou."
*Hoo...*
As Cao Cao finished speaking, the long spear in Zhang Xiu's hand fell to the ground with a "clang, clang, clang" sound...
Then, with a "pat," Zhang Xiu knelt down.
In his life, he was most grateful to his uncle and aunt. Now... hearing that Cao Cao wanted to confer a posthumous title upon his uncle and reward his aunt, how could his heart not be moved? How could he not kneel in joy?
"Many thanks to Chancellor Cao..."
Tears of gratitude flowed down.
Zhang Xiu's tone was filled with emotion and gratitude!
Cao Cao waved his hand and said with a smile, "Your uncle's posthumous title is easily arranged, requiring only an imperial decree from His Majesty. However, how Madam Zou will be rewarded, my clan elders and I have not yet decided."
"However, Chancellor Lu once mentioned the matter of official title reform to me. One of the items was a law regarding the titles for 'consorts of heroes.' General Zhang Ji had compassion for the Emperor. I will naturally report this to the imperial court and posthumously title him as Marquis Wuwei. As for Madam Zou, shall we tentatively agree on the title of 'Lady of the Imperial Mandate'?"
"This 'Lady of the Imperial Mandate' is what Chancellor Lu mentioned. In the future bureaucracy, there will be titles for the royal family, princes and dukes, and consorts of heroes. Although they will not have land, they will enjoy corresponding stipends. This matter... after I return from the expedition, it will be proclaimed to the world."
When he said this, Lu Yu and Jia Xu had already arrived outside the door... they just hadn't entered yet.
But upon hearing this...
Jia Xu's legs trembled. He quickly turned his head to look at Lu Yu.
He subconsciously spoke:
"Is this Chancellor Lu's trust in Chancellor Cao..."
Uh...
Lu Yu was startled. He hadn't expected Cao Cao to operate this way.
In fact, this "Lady of the Imperial Mandate"... Lu Yu had only casually mentioned it to Cao Cao once. Who would have thought he remembered it and spoke of it in front of Zhang Xiu?
Of course... this was not the main point. The main point was that the effect was incredibly good...
Old Cao, oh Old Cao, this time, he really stepped up!
"Thank you for your kindness, Chancellor Cao."
Madam Zou quickly bowed her thanks...
While thanking him, her gaze inadvertently swept over Cao Cao's face.
This man, with his ordinary and rather rustic appearance, became so handsome and charming once the reward was announced!
"Thank... I, your subordinate, thank Chancellor Cao on behalf of my aunt and my uncle."
With a "dong" sound.
Zhang Xiu's head heavily hit the ground...
Resounding, exceptionally resounding.
"Please rise quickly, both of you..." Cao Cao actively went to help them up and said with a smile. "General Zhang arrived with a spear, likely misunderstanding me, Cao Cao. Rumors in the market always deliberately portray me, Cao Cao, as a rapist of wives and daughters; these are all slanders against me! General Zhang must not take them to heart!"
"Of course, this matter is also my fault. It was I who sent someone to 'invite' Madam Zou with some haste, lacking in courtesy, and in my eagerness, arranging this matter, which should have been discussed openly in the hall tomorrow, within this sleeping chamber, was indeed inappropriate. General Zhang, please do not blame me!"
"I dare not!" Zhang Xiu quickly shook his head.
Posthumously honoring his uncle and conferring a title upon his aunt, such a joyous occasion? Of course, the sooner the better...
Moreover, with these elder families of Wancheng present, how could Zhang Xiu have any complaints or suspicions?
"Hahaha..." Cao Cao took Zhang Xiu's hand and placed it in his own. "General Zhang, rest assured... your aunt and your uncle, I, Cao Cao, always have them in my heart! Hahaha..."
For a moment, the atmosphere in the sleeping chamber became suddenly much more comfortable.
It was a joy that spread all around...
Or rather, it was—wholehearted submission!
At this moment, Zhang Xiu's wavering heart of surrender suddenly became filled with sincere submission, his loyalty reaching its peak!
*Hoo...*
However, Jia Xu, who was outside the door, narrowed his eyes. He first nodded, then shook his head again. He did not enter the sleeping chamber but turned around and walked towards the direction of the door.
Convinced...
At this moment, he was thoroughly convinced.
Well done, Yin Lin. Well done, Lu Yu. The immense "game" he had set up was thus silently diffused.
Hearing thunder in silence...
Admirable. Jia Xu looked at Lu Yu with infinite admiration in his eyes!
If he were in the same position, even if he could see through the enemy's strategy, Jia Xu believed he could not handle it as skillfully as Lu Yu.
Heh heh...
As expected of Yin Lin, as expected of Yin Lin, who could bring peace to the world!
Finally, as he reached the entrance of the mansion, Jia Xu paused. He respectfully saluted Lu Yu.
"Chancellor Lu, this old man, Jia Xu, admires you. I admire you from the bottom of my heart!"
In contrast, Lu Yu...
His eyes focused, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. He had been waiting for these words from old Poison Jia.
"Old Mr. Jia, you flatter me!"
"Today, I should thank you on behalf of Chancellor Cao. With your appearance, Cao's camp has gained a person who can be called a 'strategist'!"
Huo...
Strategist?
Jia Xu's eyes narrowed. At this moment, he had a feeling... that the "strategist" whispered by Yin Lin... was priceless, was worth a hundred times more!
...
...