Border threats, the threat of the Hu people, have always been a great challenge for every dynasty since ancient times.
By the time of Emperor Ling of Han, ever since Emperor Ling ascended the throne, the Xianbei people who occupied the northern regions, as a gesture of welcome, organized fourteen winter southern raids within fifteen years.
The border defense forces of Liangzhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou no longer possessed the spirit of Emperor Ming's northern expedition against the Xiongnu and the restoration of the Western Regions!
They even suffered a crushing defeat when they went on an expedition in the sixth year of Xiping (177 AD).
It can be said that the people of Bingzhou, Xiliang, and Youzhou suffered greatly, while the Central Plains, especially Luoyang, were exceedingly prosperous.
The ancients said: "It is not poverty that is feared, but inequality."
In simple terms, the common people do not fear suffering losses, but unfairness!
When one day, Lü Bu's eyes suddenly lit up, he realized that his endless killing and endless resistance against the barbarians on the Yanmen Pass were merely to survive.
And in Luoyang?
These wealthy families, they didn't need to kill anyone, and even, they only needed to move the money and food in their hands, and countless people would flock to them!
They could live more freely, live better. Let alone Lü Bu, anyone would feel it was unfair and go mad hysterically.
Hoo…
Cao Cao figured this out and let out a sigh.
"After all, Lü Bu is a person of shallow sentiment and cold nature. He has killed his adopted father several times, defying the world. Such… does Minister Lu not have any concerns?"
This…
Lu Yu paused for a moment.
"Concerns, naturally… it's just that scholars have their own pursuits, and frontier warriors have their own ways of living. If one has never lived on the frontier, who can say that growing up in such harsh conditions would not lead them to pursue profit and get lost like Lü Bu?"
"Being of shallow sentiment and cold nature is for the pursuit of profit, and killing one's adopted father to defy the world is also for the pursuit of profit… this is just the way frontier warriors survive."
As he spoke, Lu Yu felt a bit emotional.
After all, mentioning the frontier and foreign tribes inevitably made him think more and further.
However…
Cao Cao fell into deep thought.
Yu'er's words seemed like sophistry, yet each sentence was from Lü Bu's perspective.
Cao Cao, having been pampered since childhood, could not possibly understand the life of survival of the fittest, where merely seeing the sun every day was a luxury.
"You and I were just discussing Lü Bu, but why does Minister Lu's tone become so agitated when he talks about the frontier and foreign tribes?" Cao Cao said loudly, "It seems that Minister Lu also has ambitions to pacify the barbarian rebellions."
This…
Lu Yu smiled faintly. "Commander Cao makes light of me. This frail body of mine… let alone campaigning against foreign tribes, I can't even defeat a small cat or dog!"
"However, campaigning against foreign tribes is the aspiration of our generation. Who among the men of the Han frontier, who have suffered the misery of barbarian incursions, does not fantasize about one day emulating the Champion Marquis of old and annihilating the Xiongnu royal court, sealing Mount Langjuxu!"
"For such grand ambitions, even if we die in the northern desert, wrapped in horsehide, we will not hesitate!"
Hoo…
Needless to say, Lu Yu's unconscious recitation stirred Cao Cao's heart repeatedly.
Little did anyone know that Cao Cao's ambition in his youth was to become the General of the West and pacify these barbarian rebellions, ensuring that the Hu people would never dare to herd their horses southwards again.
Cao Cao's most admired general was Huo Qubing. Even to this day, his ultimate ideal was to have the inscription on his tombstone read: Tomb of Cao Cao, former General of the West of Han!
In this regard, he and Lu Yu… the father and son shared the same goal.
Heh heh, Yu'er ah… Cao Cao mused, one day, Father will take you to the northern frontier to fight, making the three tribes of Donghu perish in the northern desert, and their royal courts will cease to exist!
You and I, father and son, will repeat the glory of the Champion Marquis, and perform the fengchan ceremony again at Mount Langjuxu!
Thinking of this, Cao Cao's eyes gained a bit more spirit.
Haha…
With a slight smile, Cao Cao calmed his agitated heart and shifted the topic back to Lü Bu.
"Minister Lu is determined to spare Lü Bu! Is it solely for the sake of the frontier people? For the protector of Yanmen Pass in the past?"
This…
Lu Yu first nodded, then shook his head.
"Yes and no!" Lu Yu narrowed his eyes. "Actually, if Lü Bu lives, Commander Cao can gain quite a lot…"
"Tell me," Cao Cao said patiently…
Just then, "Commander Cao… the soldiers are ready, only you, Commander Cao…" Xu Chu's voice sounded from the entrance of the main camp.
"No need to rush, the entire army is on standby!"
Cao Cao immediately commanded. If Yu'er didn't finish speaking, he, Cao Cao, had no mood to enter Xiapi City.
"Yes!" Xu Chu replied, retreated quickly, and no longer disturbed Cao Cao!
"Continue…" Cao Cao gestured for Lu Yu to go on.
Lu Yu took a small sip of wine, moistening his throat, and then said loudly:
"First, Lü Bu has some warriors loyal to him, such as Gao Shun, Zang Ba, Zhang Liao, and others. Among the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, the Camp of the Vanguard, and the Taishan Army, there are also many warriors who regard him as their faith…"
"If Lü Bu dies, then whether it is Gao Shun, or Zang Ba, or the Taishan Army, the Camp of the Vanguard, or the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, there will be many armored soldiers who refuse to surrender. In this way, wouldn't Commander Cao lose a lot of combat strength for nothing!"
According to historical records, after Lü Bu's death, the Camp of the Vanguard and the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry essentially ceased to exist… Perhaps they were incorporated, but in Lu Yu's opinion, it was more likely that their backbone had collapsed, and the hearts of these soldiers had scattered!
Can the soulless Camp of the Vanguard still shout "The will of the Vanguard, life or death is irrelevant!"?
Can the soulless Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry still dare to swing their blades at the Hu cavalry raiding southwards?
In history, Lu Yu felt great regret for the demise of troop types like the Camp of the Vanguard.
This was a first-class infantry legion in the Three Kingdoms period. What about the Elite Warriors for the First Charge, the Great Halberd Warriors, the Qingzhou Soldiers, and so on? They were not even a fraction of the Camp of the Vanguard.
Losing Gao Shun was regrettable enough, and losing the Camp of the Vanguard, Lu Yu felt a pang in his heart.
"Camp of the Vanguard…" As expected, Cao Cao repeated these three words. Clearly, Cao Cao had heard of the Camp of the Vanguard and attached great importance to it.
If Gao Shun and the Camp of the Vanguard were to be added, it would be like adding wings to a tiger!
"Commander Cao mentions the Camp of the Vanguard, so he must be familiar with it. However, another force, Zang Hong's 'Taishan Soldiers,' is also an extremely formidable existence."
Lu Yu continued to remind him.
Taishan Army?
Cao Cao had only heard of the Danyang Soldiers from Xuzhou, and had never heard of these Taishan Soldiers, nor of Zang Ba? It seemed they had no particularly dazzling achievements.
Of course…
Cao Cao naturally knew…
Even many readers who only watched "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" are also very unfamiliar with Zang Ba and the Taishan Army.
Because in the TV series, Zang Ba is just a minor character. Da Feng Novels
But in fact… Zang Ba and the Taishan Army are quite formidable!
Let's talk about Zang Ba first. This person had extremely high prestige near Mount Tai, and no one could match him. Many people in later generations used the four words "righteousness reaching the heavens" to describe Guan Yu.
But in fact, the first person to be called righteous reaching the heavens was precisely this leader of the Taishan Army – Zang Ba.
It can be said that with Zang Ba's reputation, if he surrendered to Cao Cao, the Taishan area would be as stable as Mount Tai!
And…
Lu Yu's vision at this moment had already seen the extremely important defensive line of Mount Tai.
"Commander Cao… as the name suggests, these Taishan Soldiers are most skilled in mountain warfare. In the plains, the Taishan Soldiers are like ants, but in the mountains, they are like dragons. This can complement Commander Cao's existing troops greatly."
Lu Yu paused at this point.
"Commander Cao, think about the location of Mount Tai. It is the border area between Yuan Shao's occupied Jizhou and Qingzhou in the north, and Cao Cao's occupied Yanzhou and Xuzhou. There are many hills. If the Taishan Soldiers are stationed here, even Yuan Shao's million-strong army would find it difficult to cross. In this way, Yuan Shao would be forced to shorten his front line! And a shortened front line is beneficial to our army."
This…
Amazing!
Lu Yu's words truly amazed Cao Cao.
Has Yu'er… has he already calculated the future decisive battle between him, Cao Cao, and Yuan Shao?
Of course, that's not important!
What's important is… has Yu'er already planned the battlefront for the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan?
Cao Cao's eyes rolled. Indeed, as Yu'er said, Mount Tai… if it can be held, it would indeed be a barrier, compressing the battlefront between the two sides, which would be a great advantage for the side with inferior numbers.
"Minister Lu, I understand now." Cao Cao nodded. "You mean to tell me that by preserving Lü Bu, we can win over Zang Hong and Gao Shun… and also incorporate the Camp of the Vanguard and the Taishan Army. With the Taishan Army's skill in mountain warfare, this will be of great benefit to our counterattack in the future decisive battle against Yuan Shao!"
From the issue of dealing with Lü Bu, Yu'er could extend to winning over Zang Hong and Gao Shun, incorporating the Taishan Army and the Camp of the Vanguard, which was actually… not astonishing!
But…
Yu'er could directly plan from the issue of dealing with Lü Bu to the future battlefield between Cao and Yuan!
Astonishing, this truly astonished Cao Cao.
Wait a moment…
Cao Cao suddenly thought of something else.
"Minister Lu, but if Lü Bu doesn't die, there will still be many troubles. For example… among the Eight Valiant Generals, those who surrendered the city and tied up Lü Bu. If Lü Bu doesn't die, they will surely be terrified. How can I explain to them?"
That's right, this is a deadlock!
If Lü Bu dies, Gao Shun, Zang Hong, and Zhang Liao will be suspicious…
But if Lü Bu doesn't die, then Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, Song Xian, Cheng Lian… and a series of surrendered soldiers will all be in fear?
This is like an eternal dilemma – to kill or not to kill, that is the question!
"Commander Cao, killing Lü Bu or not killing Lü Bu, both seem to be a deadlock, but in reality, there is a compromise."
Lu Yu's tone became a bit more serious when he mentioned this.
"As the God of War of the northern frontier, as the faith of the hundred thousand wolf cavalry, Lü Bu can live on… but, the Marquis Wen, who was corrupted and lost in the colorful world, must die, and not only must he die, but he must die in Xiapi City, in front of everyone."
This…
Cao Cao was a little dizzy. Why was he dead one moment and alive the next?
What exactly was Yu'er planning in that gourd?
Is Lü Bu dead or alive?
Just then, Lu Yu looked around, then leaned his head slightly, signaling, "Commander Cao, lean closer… this plan cannot be known by a third person!"
Hmm…
Cao Cao leaned his ear as Lu Yu instructed.
Lu Yu's plan was expounded leisurely…
At first, Cao Cao listened with great interest. The plan was very meticulous, but at the end… indeed, upon hearing the end, Cao Cao's expression changed.
"Minister Lu, you mean… this Diao Chan?"
"To appease the hearts of the surrendered generals with the deceased Lü Bu, and to appease the hearts of the loyalists with the living Lü Bu, as for Diao Chan, Commander Cao will have to reluctantly give her up!"
Lu Yu said truthfully.
Upon hearing the reluctant giving up of Diao Chan, Cao Cao immediately felt a pang in his heart. Not only did his heart ache, but his kidneys also ached a bit!
But… Yu'er was right!
You can't have both fish and bear's paw. Where in the world is there such a good thing, allowing him, Cao Cao, to subdue Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Zang Hong, incorporate the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, the Camp of the Vanguard, and the Taishan Army, and at the same time embrace a beauty…
Such a perfect outcome can only exist in dreams, right?
Moreover, compared to the soldiers of the three armies, compared to Cao Cao's great cause, what was a Diao Chan?
"Minister Lu, I understand your meaning… we need a dead Lü Bu, and we also need a living Lü Bu, and the living Lü Bu cannot hold military power."
Cao Cao said with great regret, "Besides, Lü Bu's weakness is Diao Chan, and his family. As long as they are alive and well, even Diao Chan and his two daughters are under our surveillance, Lü Bu will not commit the act of patricide! He will willingly be used by us!"
"Exactly!" Lu Yu nodded… "It is best if Commander Cao understands."
Speaking of this, Lu Yu glanced at Cao Cao's expression. As expected, Cao Cao looked a bit dejected… it seemed that not taking Diao Chan made Cao Cao feel very reluctant!
Of course, Lu Yu could understand this.
It was like a person addicted to smoking, feeling something missing and absent-minded if they didn't smoke for a while…
And Lü Bu's wife – Diao Chan!
For the married man Cao, the temptation, the charm, even the addiction… was too great…
If he didn't take Diao Chan… Old Cao would probably feel uncomfortable all over, which would be even more uncomfortable than an old smoker not smoking for a month.
This is a disease, and it needs to be treated…
"Uh…" Seeing Cao Cao's dispirited appearance, Lu Yu's eyes darted around. He couldn't let Old Cao's lust ruin the important matter.
Lu Yu smacked his lips.
What to do? He had to find a way to divert Old Cao's attention from Diao Chan?
Wait a moment…
He thought of someone, a woman who could make up for Diao Chan.
"Commander Cao, actually… there is more than just Diao Chan among the beautiful women in Xiapi City, ah, to be precise, among the married women in Xiapi City. There is another one, whose appearance is probably ten times more beautiful than Diao Chan!"
Lu Yu said proactively.
This…
All of a sudden, the somewhat dispirited Cao Cao became extremely alert. "Who? Who?"
Two consecutive "Who?" clearly showed Cao Cao's excitement.
"Qin Yilu's wife – Lady Du!" Lu Yu blurted out.
Qin Yilu?
Cao Cao suddenly thought of this fellow. It was the warrior who had tried to persuade Lü Bu to surrender outside the city a few days ago, and was about to succeed, but arrows were shot from the city wall!
Bastard…
Thinking of him, Cao Cao wanted to curse.
But Yu'er happened to mention his wife – Lady Du.
This… this was even more exciting than Diao Chan!
"Minister Lu, is this true?"
"Absolutely true." Lu Yu smiled faintly… He mused, if the beauty of Old Cao's wives were ranked,
Then Lady Du would definitely be among the top two. He wondered who was more beautiful, her or Zhang Xiu's aunt?
Moreover, with the addition of new hatred and old grudges, this could add more points to Lady Du! Old Cao's favorite thing was conquest!
Indeed… Cao Cao's interest in Diao Chan was completely transferred…
This is easily understood. Damn it… Qin Yilu shot arrows at him, Cao Cao, right? The tables turn, who shoots arrows at whom in the future is still uncertain!
All of a sudden, the dark cloud that had shrouded Cao Cao's mood instantly cleared, and his face was as bright as a clear sky.
Hahaha… At that moment, he smiled more brilliantly than flowers.
Of course, whether Lady Du was beautiful or not…
Cao Cao didn't know, but since Yu'er said so, then… he had to see her, and moreover, the title of the wife of an enemy had a special meaning!
Just then, an untimely voice sounded.
"Reporting to Commander Cao…"
Xu Chu's voice came again…
Before he could finish speaking, Cao Cao impatiently interrupted, "Didn't I say, no need to rush?"
"No… Commander Cao, it is Guan Yunchang who requests an audience!"
Hmm… Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang?
Cao Cao was stunned, while Lu Yu raised an eyebrow. Good heavens… could it be that he thought of something, something big!
"Let him in."
Cao Cao called out, and Guan Yu strode into the tent. He immediately cupped his hands and bowed to Cao Cao. "Guan pays his respects to Commander Cao…"
"Yunchang? What is the matter that brings you here so late?" Cao Cao replied immediately…
It was strange and absurd for Guan Yu to come alone.
It should be known that Liu, Guan, and Zhang, the three sworn brothers, hated to go to the outhouse together. They ate at the same table and slept in the same bed. It was not difficult, but impossible, to see just one of them separately!
Just then…
Guan Yu's perpetually stoic face moved slightly.
"Commander Cao, Guan has an impudent request. On the day Xiapi City is broken, Commander Cao… could you bestow the wife of the defending general Qin Yilu, Lady Du, upon Guan?"
Heh…
As soon as these words were spoken, Cao Cao's eyes fixed.
If Yu'er had said earlier that Qin Yilu's wife, Lady Du, was more beautiful than Diao Chan, Cao Cao would not have believed it at all, but now, hearing that Guan Yu also requested this woman, this…
Cao Cao's eyes instinctively glanced back at Lu Yu.
Lu Yu spread his hands, as if to say – Old Cao, this question is beyond the syllabus, I can't answer it, you decide yourself!
"Haha…"
"Hahaha…"
A very strange smile.
Cao Cao let out a hearty laugh. "Since Yunchang has made this request, then on the day the city is broken, I will give the beauty to your side, alright?"
It was rare for Cao Cao to agree so readily…
"Guan thanks Commander Cao!" Guan Yu bowed with his hands cupped. It was visible that his expression changed, and his flushed face was full of gratitude!
This… in Lu Yu's eyes, it was very rare.
Good heavens, Lu Yu suddenly became very curious. What was the relationship between this Lady Du and Guan Yu?
What made Lu Yu's heart tremble even more was that this woman was formidable! She could be involved with Cao Cao, Guan Yu, Qin Yilu… and if Lü Bu were also counted, then she would have relationships with four men!
Terrifying, this woman is terrifying!
Lu Yu couldn't help but gasp!
Of course…
As for Cao Cao agreeing to Guan Yu's request, hehe… Lu Yu could only "hehe."
Guan Yu was still naive and innocent…
Little did he know, Cao Cao's mouth was a liar's ghost!
If he were to give Lady Du to you, Guan Yunchang, Lu Yu would wash his hair while standing on his head tomorrow!
…
…