Zhang Xiu returned to the General of Cavalry's mansion with Madam Zou.
Before leaving, Madam Zou looked back and gazed deeply at Cao Cao once more, her affection evident.
A noble lady? Would that truly be more esteemed than being one of Prime Minister Cao's women?
She did not know…
But, at this moment, her heart was filled with endless musings. Big Wind Novel
Jia Xu also returned to his residence under the escort of Hu Che'er.
It seemed…
This earth-shattering affair had ended without a ripple, yet it also felt as if it were far from over.
Jia Xu felt that it was not finished. If this current victory was all there was, then it seemed… insufficient. Yinlin's plan was bound to have follow-up actions.
These actions were not related to Wancheng, but were a sharp point aimed directly at Xudu and the Han court!
The true tide was about to surge!
Indeed…
As Jia Xu was still lost in thought, Hu Che'er hurried over to report, "Mr. Jia, just as you predicted, Situ Lu is indeed making further moves!"
"What moves?" Jia Xu asked urgently…
"The officer who previously 'kidnapped' Madam Zou, Situ Lu is interrogating him late at night. It seems… that officer is also a nephew whom Prime Minister Cao highly regards, named Cao Anmin! Is this related to the recent rumors of discord between Situ Lu and Prime Minister Cao?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Jia Xu's eyes narrowed sharply.
That's right, this is how it should be!
Discord, hehe!
Jia Xu chuckled inwardly. No one was more harmonious than they were.
For a moment, his gaze flickered. It seemed he already understood Situ Lu's next move.
…
…
Outside Wancheng, Longxiao Camp.
Lu Yu, who had returned to this place, did not rest. Instead, he roused all the armored soldiers of the Longxiao Camp… The sky was already faintly dawn, but Lu Yu's expression was extremely grim.
Inside the main military tent, Cao Anmin knelt on the ground.
The generals on either side, such as Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, Cao Xiu, and Xiahou Mao, had troubled expressions, their eyes even revealing a hint of pity!
"Gulp…"
Lu Yu took a sip of tea, perking himself up, and then his cold words followed, "Cao Anmin, do you know what crime you have committed?"
This…
Even at this moment, Cao Anmin was completely bewildered.
He did not believe he had made any mistakes! Moreover… Wancheng had been taken without a single soldier being lost, and Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu had surrendered willingly. Where did the crime come from?
With this thought…
Cao Anmin swallowed a mouthful of saliva and asked in fear, "Anmin does not know what crime he has committed. I hope Commander Lu can clarify."
He slightly raised his head, and when he glanced at Lu Yu, he saw an unusually stern face.
In his memory…
Just yesterday, Commander Lu had earnestly comforted him, telling him things like 'the black before your eyes is not black, and the white before your eyes is not necessarily white.' Back then, Commander Lu was so instructive, but now, he had completely changed.
He had become extremely cold.
Hoo…
Lu Yu let out a sigh. He tried his best to put on a cold and merciless demeanor.
Of course, Cao Anmin's mistake truly deserved a severe lesson.
Tonight, if he hadn't made arrangements in advance, perhaps… the name Cao Cao would have become a joke because of a "Madam Zou." More frighteningly, Cao Cao's behavior would have disrupted the hearts of the officers and soldiers, and all the chips that he, Lu Yu, had painstakingly accumulated would have been lost and collapsed in an instant!
"Bang…"
Lu Yu slammed his fist onto the desk, causing the entire desk to sway and tremble.
"Tap, tap!"
Lu Yu tapped the desk as he spoke in a deep voice, "Last night, I ordered that during the campaign, no officers of the Longxiao Camp were allowed to drink alcohol or bully the good people. Violators would be punished according to military law!"
"But you? You plundered women and children, and escorted Madam Zou, the wife of Zhang Ji, to Prime Minister Cao's residence, almost causing Zhang Xiu to mutiny and nearly causing tens of thousands of brothers to perish here. Such a crime? You don't know?"
This…
Cao Anmin's brow furrowed. He had only thought of using Madam Zou to resolve the animosity between Commander Lu and his uncle, but… but he had not considered the military orders, nor the consequences of his actions.
Now…
Hearing Commander Lu's explanation, he felt a chill of fear.
Yes… Sending Madam Zou to his uncle's place was a grave insult to Zhang Xiu! Mutiny… might indeed have been triggered!
Just as he thought of this, Lu Yu's voice sounded again.
—"Cao Anmin, you plundered women and children, your crime is punishable by death. Now, considering it is your first offense, you are hereby stripped of your position as the scout captain of the Longxiao Camp, imprisoned for three years, and your descendants for three generations are forbidden from enlisting in the army! In addition, you will receive thirty military rods, to be punished before the officers and soldiers of the Longxiao Camp, to rectify military discipline and serve as a warning!"
His voice was cold, extremely cold.
This was rare. Lu Yu, who always treated his soldiers like his own children, issued such a terrifying punishment tonight!
This?
Upon hearing this, Cao Anmin felt his body go limp. His eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.
To be stripped of military rank, even… imprisoned, just for abducting Madam Zou?
Was it… that serious?
Cao Anmin panicked. His eyes widened, full of disbelief…
Indeed, he was mentally prepared for punishment. Let alone thirty military rods, even fifty would not have made him blink.
But… such punishment from Commander Lu? This was clearly… trying to drive him out of the Longxiao Camp, trying to ruin his future, his hope!
He had been able to join the Longxiao Camp before because his father, Cao De, had asked his benefactor for it.
Now… now…
Suddenly, Cao Anmin felt that he had failed his father, his uncle, and the Cao clan and the Xiahou clan.
If he were imprisoned, he… he would become a disgrace to the Cao clan!
Indeed…
He was not the only one who thought of this.
Cao Xiu's eyes darted, and he realized something was amiss.
Immediately…
He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and pleaded, "Commander Lu, punishing Cao Anmin for plundering women and children is not unreasonable, but… it was just abducting one woman, and it did not result in any major disaster. Moreover, Cao Anmin is Prime Minister Cao's nephew. I hope Commander Lu can show leniency and mercy! Do not drive him out of the Longxiao Camp, and give him an opportunity to atone for his crimes!"
Opportunity?
Hearing the word "opportunity," Lu Yu's cold expression did not diminish. He sneered.
"General Cao Xiu? Do you know how perilous it was today?"
"After Cao Anmin escorted Madam Zou to Prime Minister Cao's mansion, Zhang Xiu secretly mobilized five hundred elite soldiers to demand an explanation. The thirty thousand troops outside the city had already assembled. If… Prime Minister Cao had truly kept Madam Zou. Our soldiers, unprepared and heavily intoxicated, were subjected to such a surprise attack, what would have happened?"
"Tens of thousands of soldiers would have died tragically, countless children would have lost their fathers, countless elders would have lost their sons, and even we, whether we could have survived by chance is unknown? Don't tell me… these innocent soldiers who died because of him, Cao Anmin, will have a chance to be resurrected?"
Having said this, Lu Yu paused. "Hehe…" His laughter grew colder.
"Cao Anmin, you should be thankful that you are Cao De's son, Prime Minister Cao's nephew, and a member of the Cao clan. If you had none of these identities, and were merely an ordinary captain of my Longxiao Camp, then today I would have undoubtedly flayed you alive and dismembered you, and hung your head outside the camp gate. That would have been true military discipline, serving as a warning!"
Lu Yu deliberately made his tone increasingly stern.
One was to use this incident to rectify the discipline of the Longxiao Camp!
The second was to use this incident as the final… and most crucial link in "luring the snake out of its hole"!
Indeed, Lu Yu knew… this matter could not be entirely blamed on Cao Anmin…
Jia Xu's strategy, Cao Cao's penchant for other men's wives, these… should not be shouldered by a young Cao Anmin.
But…
In the face of the bigger picture, he had to inconvenience this "best nephew."
At this moment, Lu Yu could only hope… that Cao Anmin could understand the meaning of his earnest words from last night.
—The black before your eyes is not black! The white you speak of is not necessarily white! If you can endure this stretch of darkness, then for you, Cao Anmin, what remains will be brightness!
"I…"
At this moment, Cao Anmin still wanted to say something, but the words stopped at his lips, and he fell silent.
Lu Yu had saved his father's life. Today… he was enforcing military law and clarifying military discipline. How could Cao Anmin have any complaints?
How could he refute?
It was just…
He was unwilling to be expelled from the Longxiao Camp… and even imprisoned!
How could he be willing?
Just then, Lu Yu's indifferent voice continued,
"Wen Lie, summon the military order officer, and immediately execute the military order before the officers and soldiers of each camp!"
"Yes…" Although very unwilling, Cao Xiu still responded.
Immediately, the Longxiao Camp's armored soldiers dragged Cao Anmin away.
"Bang, bang…"
Before the dawn broke, the military rods mercilessly struck him.
"Wuwu…"
The whimpers were incessant… heart-wrenching, and causing every soldier of the Longxiao Camp to frown.
Even the Prime Minister Cao's nephew made a mistake, must he be punished like this?
Then… what about them?
For a moment, the words "military discipline" in the hearts of countless Longxiao Camp soldiers undoubtedly became ten times heavier, as if… deeply engraved in their souls.
…
…
The next day…
At the Wancheng yamen, after processing official documents all day.
In the evening, Cao Cao, with great interest, invited Jia Xu to the side of this pond.
Jia Xu, dressed in a blue robe, was summoned by Cao Cao. He felt a strange tremor in his heart!
He had heard about what happened in the Longxiao Camp at dawn. It was outside reason but within expectation.
Of course…
Zhang Xiu, who had also heard about this matter, had a more complex and excited mood than Jia Xu.
It was just…
Just because Prime Minister Cao's nephew unreasonably "kidnapped" his aunt, he was dismissed from his military post at dawn today? And even imprisoned?
This…
Surprise, Zhang Xiu had no other emotion besides surprise.
Of course, he did not know that this was Lu Yu's doing. He only thought that Cao Cao had done it, and his respect for Cao Cao increased even more! His loyalty was overflowing.
Similarly, Madam Zou, upon hearing of this matter, felt ripples of excitement in her heart…
Her heart, which had been lonely for some years and silent for some years, was stirred for the first time by a man like "Cao Cao." She even made up her mind to have a good talk with her nephew Zhang Xiu, to talk about Cao Cao, and also about… the future destination of her, Madam Zou!
At this time, Jia Xu was calmly accompanying Cao Cao in fishing.
"Wen He, don't you have anything you want to ask?"
Suddenly, Cao Cao's voice asked.
There were many torches around, illuminating the pond in the twilight as if it were daylight. Cao Cao held the fishing rod lightly, but his eyes were looking towards Jia Xu.
"To be honest, Prime Minister Cao, I naturally have questions, but…"
Before Jia Xu could finish his sentence.
Cao Cao's voice interrupted, "Wen He, you must have a feeling that you are always within a large net, as if all your strategies are seen through in advance? You always feel an endless sense of pressure… pressing you until you can't breathe."
Hearing this, Jia Xu's eyes slightly opened. What Cao Cao said was exactly what he was thinking…
Immediately, he felt a wave of surprise!
"Hahaha…"
A hearty laugh echoed again, and Cao Cao stroked his beard. "Wen He, it's not strange that you have this feeling, because every strategist who has faced Lu Yu, including myself, Cao Cao, has this feeling!"
"It's as if every thought is seen through by Lu Yu from the beginning. His plans are tailored to everyone's weaknesses, including you, Jia Wen He, and myself, Cao Cao! Of course, I, Cao Cao, am quite used to this."
Yes…
Whether it was fighting against the Yellow Turbans, conquering Xuzhou, welcoming the Emperor, suppressing Yuan Shu, or annexing Lu Bu…
Was there ever a time when Yu'er did not perfectly grasp the psychology and weaknesses of others!
By connecting the opponents' weaknesses, effective strategies were formulated, thus… the plans were naturally invincible!
"Hahaha." Cao Cao continued to laugh, "Before coming to Wancheng for this battle, Lu Yu calculated Jia Xu's characteristics and weaknesses. You are a timid person, and your strategies are poisonous, haha. He even mentioned early on that as long as I, Cao Cao, showed restraint, Wancheng could be taken without a single soldier."
"And the reason… he dared to be so confident was because he predicted the mistakes I, Cao Cao, would make, and you, Jia Xu, would definitely exploit these mistakes."
At this point, Cao Cao waved his left hand and patted Jia Xu's shoulder. "Wen He, you should understand why I, Cao Cao, have won every battle over the years, and each victory was a great victory, a complete victory. My troops have grown from a few thousand to over two hundred thousand!
"This is all because Lu Yu sees me, Cao Cao, clearly. He knows what mistakes I will make in every battle, and he corrects me in advance, warning me to avoid them. This is a warning and an alarm bell! Therefore, whatever Lu Yu says, whatever person he recommends, I, Cao Cao, fully trust and entrust them with important responsibilities, never doubting them!"
Hoo…
Hearing Cao Cao speak like this, Jia Xu felt that this Yinlin was becoming more and more divine, more divine than he had imagined, truly divine!
"Hehe…"
Hearing this, Jia Xu gave a wry smile. "It's no wonder that all the lords in the world admire Cao Mengde, admire Cao Mengde's brilliant generalship, and admire how Cao Mengde went from a desperate nobody to a hegemon aiming for the imperial court in just a few years! Hehe, in my opinion, this should not be admiration, but envy. All the lords should envy that Cao Mengde was able to bring Yinlin into his command and hold him in his hand."
As Jia Xu's words slipped out.
Hahaha…
Cao Cao burst into laughter again.
No wonder Yu'er said that Jia Xu was a great deceiver. These words sounded truly pleasant!
"Wen He, actually… Lu Yu had predicted from the beginning that you would try to increase your value through this battle, so that when you surrendered to me, Cao Cao, in the future, you would immediately enter my Cao camp's core strategist circle! Now, it seems, your value…"
When Cao Cao mentioned "value," Jia Xu repeatedly waved his hands. "Prime Minister Cao, please stop teasing me. I lost it all. This confrontation with Yinlin this time is enough to completely lose my illusory 'value,' hahaha… hahaha!"
Jia Xu gave another wry smile.
Just then.
"Plop…"
Cao Cao suddenly reeled in his fishing rod, and instantly, a plump bighead carp landed beside him. A brave guard immediately picked it up and presented it to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao took the bighead carp, examined it carefully, and then said:
"So, why did you, Jia Xu, have to confront Yinlin? In this way, you lost both face and substance. It would be better… to also join my Cao camp with him? In that case, wouldn't you have both face and substance?"
Having said this, Cao Cao first placed the bighead carp into the bamboo basket.
Then, he suddenly stood up and cupped his hands, bowing to Jia Xu. This was the courtesy of a scholar honoring a worthy person.
And Cao Cao's voice sounded again.
—"Why could Zhou灭 Shang? It was because Jiang Taigong fished up a wise lord, and thus… it protected the Great Zhou for more than eight hundred years. Today, I, Cao Cao, am also fortunate enough to have fished up a strategist who can help my hegemony ride the wind and waves. Brother Wen He… are you willing to be a strategist in my Cao camp, my Cao Cao?"
This…
Jia Xu was stunned… Obviously, he hesitated for a moment. How could it be that after losing all his value, Cao Cao still wanted to appoint him as his strategist?
Although Jia Xu could shamelessly become this strategist, but… it was embarrassing, especially in front of Yinlin? Could he afford to lose this face?
"Prime Minister Cao… I…"
"Old Jia, please do not refuse." Cao Cao seemed to have guessed Jia Xu's thoughts. "Lu Yu has always recommended people to me, and none of them are mediocre. Moreover, Jia Lao is someone he repeatedly emphasized could be treated as a wise man and a strategist! Since you are here, then be at peace. If Jia Lao does not wish to be in the spotlight, then consider yourself a staff member of my Prime Minister's mansion, no need to show yourself, and there will be no danger. Stay behind the curtain and help me, Cao Cao, strategize for the overall situation of this world!"
Hoo…
Jia Xu's heart trembled. Cao Cao's hospitality was hard to refuse. He had even thought of the fact that he did not want to be in the spotlight and preferred to stay behind the curtain. This was probably something Yinlin had told him?
Thinking this way, in the future, he, Jia Xu, would be working with this "demon" Yinlin?
However…
Jia Xu's eyes darted. "Prime Minister Cao, I can be a staff member, and I can also help Prime Minister Cao plan for the world, but there is one thing I have never understood!"
"What is it?" Cao Cao gestured for Jia Xu to speak freely.
Jia Xu narrowed his eyes. For the first time, he looked so serious and solemn in front of Cao Cao and asked.
—"Aren't you, Prime Minister Cao, afraid of Yinlin?"
—"Indeed, I, Jia Xu, know that this time Prime Minister Cao and Situ Lu are feuding openly to deceive some people and for a subsequent grand plan. But… Yinlin's intelligence is too outstanding. Given Prime Minister Cao's nature, you should never trust him like this, nor should you grant him so much military power!"
—"Moreover, this is someone… who can even see through Prime Minister Cao's weaknesses. Are you, Prime Minister Cao, truly not wary of him? Or will Prime Minister Cao eventually learn from King Goujian of Yue—when the birds are exhausted, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked?"
Lu Yu understood Jia Xu, and Jia Xu also understood Cao Cao very well…
Cao Cao was naturally suspicious. How could he trust someone so much? How could he grant someone so much military power? Giving him sky-high authority!
But it was almost contrary to common sense…
And this was Jia Xu's biggest doubt about Lu Yu and Cao Cao!
Huo…
Jia Xu's question indeed made Cao Cao slightly surprised.
His eyes twitched, as if he was calculating something in his mind. Finally… he made up his mind.
—"Wen He, do you really want to know why I, Cao Cao, trust Lu Yu so much?"
"Naturally!"
—"Then, lean closer, and I will tell you the answer, and you will know that I, Cao Cao, will not be King Goujian of Yue, and Lu Yu will never be Fan Li or Wen Zhong!"
—"Lu Yu… no, precisely speaking, 'Yu'er' will never suffer the fate of 'when the birds are exhausted, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked!'"
Upon saying this, Cao Cao's tone became particularly serious, and his words flowed out.
"…"
And at this moment…
These words entered Jia Xu's ears.
Jia Xu's eyes widened, widened, and widened again!
Even… his breathing became rapid.
For a moment, he… he felt like he was suffocating!
…
…