At Yanmen Pass in Bing Province.
A blood-red sunset filled the sky, dyeing the ancient, imposing pass in its hues.
"Dong dong dong..."
"Da da da..."
The thunderous drums echoed, followed by the clamor of countless hooves. From atop Yanmen Pass, hordes of Xianbei cavalry surged forward like a tide, and immediately… shouts of battle, cries of grief, and screams of agony intertwined.
"Charge!"
"For riches, for grain, for women!"
"Gaga ga..."
These Xianbei warriors, their eyes still gleaming with bloodlust, were ferociously assaulting this frontier defense of Yanmen!
This was the Xianbei's customary southward raid during winter…
Because at this time, Yuan Shao, the ruler of Bing Province, had all his attention focused on Gongsun Zan in You Province, thus… the Xianbei cavalry faced no apprehension whatsoever in their plundering!
"Hold the line… hold the line…"
On the battlements, a small number of "old, weak, and disabled" remained, fighting to their last breath.
"Kill… kill!"
"Hold the line, all of you…"
Behind the desperate shouts, their oath was to protect their fathers, elders, and kinsmen!
There was no retreat in this battle!
But…
There was no chance of victory either.
The Xianbei cavalry's southward raids were an annual occurrence at the height of winter. They did not aim to capture cities but would fiercely burn, kill, and plunder along the border, committing every atrocity imaginable…
Their objective was to stockpile sufficient grain to survive the long winter in the lands beyond the frontier.
Children and men were made into jerky for winter provisions;
The elders' meat was too tough, and the Xianbei disdained it;
As for women, they were prized commodities, their flesh tender, kept in "sheep pens" for pleasure and procreation… and when not needed, they were used as army rations, butchered and cooked, a brutality beyond comprehension.
And Yuan Shao seemed to have never truly addressed their atrocities, as if a tacit understanding existed between them, an agreement not to interfere with each other!
Indeed, Yuan Shao’s attitude towards foreign tribes was remarkably ambiguous. Among them, he had only severely wounded the "ungrateful" Southern Xiongnu. As for the Wuhuan and Xianbei, one was through marriage alliance… the other was left to its own devices!
And Yanmen Commandery had almost become the biggest victim of Yuan Shao’s policy of "leaving things to their own devices"!
In Yuan Shao's view, the Xianbei were far more formidable than the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu, with their vast territories and numerous cavalry… engaging them in conflict would be detrimental to his rule in the northern territories!
Therefore…
As long as the Xianbei raids did not penetrate too deeply,
Yuan Shao would permit them, leaving them to their own devices!
To the point where, later on,
He simply… let them plunder to their heart's content in Yanmen Commandery.
Besides, Bing Province was an exceedingly poor region. Since Yuan Shao could not rely on its grain taxes, the people of this region were left to fend for themselves!
The setting sun took away the last rays of twilight. With a thunderous roar, the ancient, dilapidated gate of Yanmen Pass was breached.
"Yanmen Pass has fallen…"
"Run, run fast…"
"The barbarians are here!"
…
“You all go, we will cover your retreat!”
“Form ranks, meet the enemy… meet…”
“Brother, if… if our guardian deity of Yanmen were still here, how could these barbarians dare to be so brazen, how could they have breached this pass!”
The moon cast a hazy glow, fires blazed across the sky…
From the moment Yanmen Pass was broken, the entire Yanmen Commandery instantly transformed into a living hell!
“How could this be?”
Seeing Yanmen engulfed in flames from afar, Lü Bu let out a cold grunt…
As his and Yang Xiu’s cavalry arrived, they could smell the scorching scent of blood emanating from all directions. Everywhere there was slaughter, everywhere there were groans!
People often used the phrase "ten houses, nine empty" to describe the desolation of a plundered area, but here in Yanmen, it was almost ten houses, ten empty!
Although most of the common people had already fled the city.
Yet… the entire Yanmen Commandery remained in ruins, with widespread suffering…
Countless streams of blood converged to form pools, and the entire Yanmen, inside and out, was set ablaze by flames and blood!
“Let’s go quickly,” Yang Xiu urged, seeing Lü Bu’s agitated state. “Yuan Shao had long abandoned Yanmen Commandery. The defenses here were only put up by volunteer soldiers. Facing so many Xianbei cavalry, no one can hold them back! It would be terrible if we were targeted! Let’s go, quickly!”
“Go?” Lü Bu retorted…
As the former guardian of the frontier, he had slain countless barbarians. In those days… whether it was the Xianbei, Wuhuan, or Southern Xiongnu? Who could breach Yanmen Pass?
But now…
All around, there were the whimpers of women, the arrogant laughter of barbarians. These whines and laughter intertwined, creating a horrific, frenzied scene!
Many corpses on the ground lay in ghastly states. More were the elderly who could not move, and the defending soldiers!
As for the rest…
Lü Bu dared not think further… He didn’t know how many Han women would fall victim to these barbarians’ unrestrained lust this time!
This pass… which he had once protected, was now being brutally ravaged!
“If you want to go, go. These barbarians are so rampant, I will not stand idly by!”
Lü Bu said coldly…
Yang Xiu’s face grew even more worried.
“Our mission here is to persuade Qu Yi and the vanguard camp. It has nothing to do with these barbarian incursions. Moreover, we only have a few dozen riders! Not only can we not turn the tide, but if we are discovered and Yuan Shao learns of it, our mission could fail completely!”
“Besides…” Yang Xiu’s brow furrowed. “The Xianbei have been raiding the border every year. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last. Why must we get involved in this mess?”
“Hmph…”
Lü Bu responded to Yang Xiu with a cold snort. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Yang Xiu.
Stomp… stomp…
As he took two steps towards Yang Xiu, the heavy sound of his footsteps felt as if it could crush Yang Xiu into dust, making Yang Xiu flinch.
“Yang Dezu, are you trying to teach me how to do my job?”
“Hmph, it’s true that the barbarians have raided the border before, and it won’t be the last time!”
“But it is precisely because of the existence of your aristocratic families, who speak of benevolence and righteousness, who constantly talk about a virtuous ruler like Yao or Shun, yet neglect the frontier and turn a blind eye to barbarian incursions, that the border populace is left devastated!”
“And now, you tell me to leave?”
Lü Bu said coldly…
He then ignored Yang Xiu, donned his mask, put on his crimson and purple armor, mounted Red Hare, wielding his Heaven-Shaking Halberd, and slinging a great bow across his back!
Red Hare among horses, Lü Bu among men!
At this moment, Lü Bu, mounted and wielding his halberd, stood in the darkness, an aura of deadly intent emanating from him.
“Yang Dezu!” Lü Bu finally uttered, “I don’t care what our mission is! But I have come to Yanmen, and seeing these barbarians ravage the land, I must reclaim what I have lost. As for persuading enemy generals, planning retreat routes, or gathering intelligence, you can handle it… As for me, Lü Ying!”
Concluding his words, Lü Bu raised his head high, a look of immense pride on his face—
—“The guardian god of Yanmen Pass has returned!”
With that,
Lü Bu spurred his horse towards Yanmen Pass!
Yang Xiu froze…
By the time he reacted, Lü Bu’s Red Hare had already galloped far away.
Instantly, cold sweat broke out on Yang Xiu’s forehead, and he cursed inwardly. “Lü Fengxian, you old fool, how many barbarians can you kill with just your halberd? If you die, it’s one thing, but how will I explain it to Master Lu!”
As if fearing something might happen to Lü Bu, Yang Xiu repeatedly ordered, “Knights of the Dragon Cavalry, what are you standing around for? Go… go catch up to him! You must not let him die here!”
…
…
In Xuchang City, late at night, in a wine shop!
Liu Bei entered the wine shop and saw the Emperor’s maternal uncle, Dong Cheng.
“Uncle Dong!”
Liu Bei cupped his hands and bowed…
Dong Cheng looked around behind Liu Bei. “Are there any eyes from the School of Investigation behind Xuan De?”
“My second and third brothers are five hundred meters behind me, coming along. If there’s anyone suspicious, they’ll find a way to interfere. But… there’s been no one suspicious following us.”
Hearing this, Dong Cheng scanned behind Liu Bei again, and only when he was sure no one was following did he lead Liu Bei into the underground secret room of the wine shop.
Shortly after, several other people arrived at the wine shop. They were Wang Zifu, Wu Shuo, Ji Ping, and others. Their servants guided them into the secret room.
All of them were wearing cloaks and hoods…
Upon entering the secret room and seeing Dong Cheng, these individuals removed their cloaks and bowed to the two men before them, “Uncle Dong, Duke Xuan De!”
Dong Cheng asked nervously and excitedly, “When you all came, did anyone see you?”
“Rest assured, Uncle.” Wang Zifu said, “I snuck in from my own vegetable garden after nightfall, and I saw no one following me along the way.”
Ji Ping also said softly, “Today… the Imperial Academy’s medicine supply is critically low. I went out to buy medicine, and no one would pay attention!”
Wang Zifu was the Commandant of the Imperial Guards and a Major General, possessing some private troops!
Ji Ping was from the Imperial Academy of Medicine and regularly examined the Empress Fu Shou…
Many pieces of intelligence were brought out by him from the palace.
Besides these two, Commandant of Changshui, Zhong Ji, and Advisor Wu Shuo also spoke, assuring them that they were not followed and that it was safe.
In an instant, within the secret room, including Dong Cheng and Liu Bei… there were a total of six people!
And at this moment, Dong Cheng drew a blood-soaked letter from the inner side of his jade belt.
He carefully unfolded the letter and placed it on the table.
The six men gathered around the table, their eyes fixed on the blood-soaked letter.
“I have heard that among human relationships, father and son come first; among the distinctions of hierarchy, ruler and minister are paramount.”
“Recently, the villain Cao has been usurping power, oppressing the sovereign; colluding with factions, corrupting the court; issuing commands and rewards, not under my authority.”
“I worry day and night, fearing the state of the realm will fall into peril. You are a great minister of the state, a close relative of mine. You should remember the hardships of Emperor Gao’s founding of the dynasty, rally loyal and righteous heroes, eliminate the treacherous faction, and restore peace to the empire, for the sake of our ancestors!”
“I have broken my finger, shed blood, and written this edict to give to you. Be cautious in all matters, and do not fail my intentions!”
“Edict issued in the third month of the fourth year of Jian’an.”
Upon the appearance of this letter, the eyes of all six present narrowed…
Huo… an imperial edict in blood?
This was a matter of immense significance. With this single edict, they could rally court officials and raise the banner to eliminate Cao the traitor!
They could also issue a proclamation, calling upon all the lords of the realm to attack Cao Cao, just as they did in the past when they attacked Dong Zhuo!
“This is the imperial edict in blood bestowed upon me, Dong Cheng, by His Majesty!”
Dong Cheng did not forget to explain. “The villain Cao’s tyranny has reached a point where His Majesty can no longer tolerate it. Rather than be a puppet, it is better to take a gamble. Can you all understand His Majesty’s wishes?”
Huu…
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Only Liu Bei showed a look of concern in his eyes. He slowly lowered his sleeve, his tone hesitant.
“Uncle, to eliminate the Han traitor and restore the court, if it is only you and me, it will be difficult to achieve. We need the participation of important court officials. I wonder whom else Uncle has contacted?”
At this point, Dong Cheng glanced around warily, then took Liu Bei’s hand and wrote a few words on it.
Liu Bei, however, showed a look of surprise and delight.
“The former Grand Commandant and the Administrator of the Capital are also involved?”
The former Grand Commandant naturally referred to Yang Biao of the Yang clan of Hongnong!
Although Yang Biao was no longer the Grand Commandant, as one of the top aristocratic families of this era, the Yang clan of Hongnong possessed a large number of students and former officials, all of which were invisible assets!
As for the Administrator of the Capital, it was the clan head of the Sima clan, who was in charge of the defense of the imperial capital—Sima Fang!
Liu Bei was surprised because he did not expect… such powerful allies in this operation!
Wang Zifu exclaimed, “I’ve heard that Yang Xiu, the eldest son of the Yang clan of Hongnong, and Sima Yi, the second son of the Sima clan of Henei, are both disciples of the Imperial Academy and students of Grand Tutor Lu. I did not expect them to be of the same mind.”
Hearing this, haha…
Dong Cheng chuckled slightly and continued to explain. “Speaking of Grand Tutor Lu, hehe, although he did not explicitly state it, I had a conversation with him. He is by no means a man who stays below others! Now… as one of the Three Excellencies, the Grand Tutor, holding a high position, the only mountain above him is Cao Cao. He is also a strong ally for us!”
Dong Cheng’s words gave everyone more confidence.
The Sima clan of Henei, the Yang clan of Hongnong, and Lu Yu, one of the Three Excellencies…
… With the support of these forces, the Han court’s chances of success undoubtedly increased significantly.
“Everyone…” Dong Cheng’s expression turned serious again. “Cao the traitor is inherently suspicious and heavily guarded. To eliminate the traitor for the Emperor, this is the only opportunity! Ten days later, the Monthly Review will be held in Xuchang City. Grand Tutor Lu is most adept at discerning people’s hearts. He predicts that Cao Cao will go in disguise on the day of the Monthly Review!”
“And those responsible for the Monthly Review are the Imperial Academy and the Administrator of the Capital. With the assistance of Grand Tutor Lu and Duke Sima, our assassins can be discreetly placed among the crowd.”
“Good idea!” Except for Liu Bei, the other four spoke in unison.
Ji Ping lamented, “During the Monthly Review, scholars from all over the world will gather here, and the crowd will be large and diverse. Even with guards, Cao the traitor may not be able to defend against them all! This is indeed a heaven-sent opportunity!”
“I am also ready on my end.” Wang Zifu stepped forward. “Three hundred assassins have been trained and are ready. Once the order is given at the Monthly Review in ten days, they can eliminate Cao the traitor!”
“Good… good, let’s do it!”
… Zhong Ji and Wu Shuo echoed in unison, and everyone appeared full of confidence.
It was as if… this action to eliminate the traitor had already been a great success.
Only Liu Bei’s eyes darted around. He felt that… this plan was perhaps too smooth.
The Monthly Review was imminent, yet Cao Cao was coincidentally pacifying Zhang Xiu, giving these individuals ample time and space for deployment… Was all of this too coincidental?
As a master of psychology, how could Liu Bei not understand the art of psychological warfare?
Perhaps, this was…
Immediately, Liu Bei coldly grunted, “Uncle, everyone… have you considered that Cao Cao, being inherently suspicious, might this Monthly Review be a bait he has laid? He will personally attend, with heavy defenses… perhaps setting a trap to lure us out, and then… capture us all in one swoop!”
Huu…
Liu Bei’s words were like a basin of cold water…
Everyone fell into deep thought, but Dong Cheng…
“Hahaha”…
Only he chuckled. “Duke Xuan De worries too much!”
“This matter of restarting the Monthly Review was requested by Grand Tutor Lu to His Majesty. Does anyone in the entire court not know this? Cao Cao was opposed to it at the time. Do you mean to say that Grand Tutor Lu and Cao Cao are in league to deceive us?”
“Haha… no, Grand Tutor Lu’s surname is Lu, not Cao! In the end, he is not of the Cao or Xiahou clans. He is Cao Cao’s direct subordinate. Moreover, as you said, Cao Cao is inherently suspicious. How could he allow an outsider to hold significant power, rivaling his own status? Heh, that is absolutely impossible!”
Having said this, Dong Cheng paused.
“Furthermore, our spies in Wancheng just sent back news that Grand Tutor Lu and Cao the traitor have clashed again. This time it is completely different from the battle of Xiapi… Cao the traitor did not generously bestow the surrendered enemy generals upon Grand Tutor Lu. Instead, Grand Tutor Lu… severely punished Cao Cao’s nephew, Cao Anmin, according to military law, and even imprisoned him!”
“For this reason, Cao the traitor has gone to argue with Grand Tutor Lu several times, but Grand Tutor Lu has always cited military law and refused to release him. In such a situation? How could Grand Tutor Lu be in cahoots with Cao the traitor!”
Huu…
Upon hearing this…
Everyone’s relieved hearts were once again lifted.
Indeed, they had doubted Lu Yu before, but… Lu Yu’s repeated clashes with Cao Cao, and his proposal of this plan to eliminate the traitor through the Monthly Review! Coupled with his wisdom and Cao Cao’s suspicious nature, hehe, this struggle between two tigers would benefit the Han court.
And at this moment…
Dong Cheng’s voice rang out again.
“Everyone, you can set your minds at ease!”
“Even if any accident occurs, even if Cao the traitor cannot be assassinated, I still have a backup plan! This backup plan, let alone Cao the traitor, even someone as wise as Grand Tutor Lu, will definitely not be able to see through it!”
Hmm…
A second deployment?
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei, Ji Ping, Zhong Ji, Wu Shuo, and Wang Zifu were all invigorated.
And Dong Cheng continued.
“Using me as bait, using my sister as bait, the mantis stalks the cicada, and the oriole is behind… until the last moment, I, Dong Cheng, will never admit defeat!”
Huo…
The mantis stalks the cicada, and the oriole is behind?
Liu Bei’s eyes subconsciously narrowed. He seemed to have thought of something. This was based on Dong Cheng’s determination and Cao Cao’s defiant personality!
Even someone as intelligent as Cao Cao would never imagine that after the assassination attempt at the Monthly Review, there would be an assassination attempt in the palace. This was a chain of schemes, a step-by-step killing plan!
With this thought,
Liu Bei’s expression towards Dong Cheng became one of solemn respect.
“Such a brilliant plan! Uncle Dong uses his own life and family as bait, at the cost of his own life and family, for the Han Dynasty and the court. Liu Bei respects you!”
“Heh, as the Emperor’s uncle, to eliminate the traitor for the country, I, Dong Cheng, would die without regret!”
“I thank you all, loyal ministers and righteous individuals, on behalf of His Majesty. May we unite in heart to eliminate Cao the traitor and jointly protect the Han Dynasty!”
Upon these words, everyone in the secret room knelt in unison.
And they shouted together— “Let us unite in heart to eliminate Cao the traitor and jointly protect the Han Dynasty!”
…
…