"What words could such a treacherous man as Cao Cao utter? Merely to deceive! Deep down, Diao Chan did not believe Cao Cao at all. And yet… the moment Cao Cao spoke, Diao Chan was stunned.
'Lu Bu is still alive!'
Boom… Rumble!
In that instant, Diao Chan was petrified, like an immaculate jade beauty. She raised her eyes, disbelief filling her gaze. 'Chancellor Cao? You are not… deceiving me, are you?' Her question was hurried, her pearly teeth parted.
Cao Cao let out a sigh. To be honest, he felt it was a pity. To implement Yu'er's plan and boost the Cao camp's combat strength, he had to give up this beauty before him. How could it not be a pity? But if he had to choose again, he would still do the same! Cao Cao could have as many women as he wanted in his life, but a peerless god of war, a loyal warrior – these were what Cao Cao valued more.
'Diao Chan, change into men's clothes. I will take you to see him…' Cao Cao's voice was soft, betraying the regret and pity in his heart.
'Yes… yes…' Diao Chan nodded repeatedly, hastily going to change. Her heart burned with an intense fire. No matter what, her husband… her husband was still alive. That was enough.
…
Cao Cao and Diao Chan traveled by carriage, quietly heading towards the military camp outside the city. In stark contrast to the joyous celebration banquet in Xiapi city, the entire camp outside the city was silent. A few watchfires flickered faintly, and the sounds of insects could be heard around the camp! The silence was eerily profound…
Diao Chan's heart pounded in her chest. Even now, she still worried… Was Cao Cao deceiving her? Luring her here? And then… The thought vanished as quickly as it appeared. Diao Chan shook her head. She was just a woman; why would Cao Cao go to such lengths?
Visible in the distance, within a military tent in a corner of the camp, lights blazed, and faint voices could be heard. The perimeter was heavily guarded by countless warriors clad in black armor.
'Your husband is in there,' Cao Cao whispered softly…
Diao Chan, half-believing, took a step towards the military tent. But as she took her first step, a strong, resonant voice boomed from within the tent.
'This is a military order! This is my final military order to you, as your general!'
Ah…
Diao Chan froze. She was too familiar with this voice—it was the voice of her deceased husband, Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian!
'Gen… General…' she whispered. Diao Chan did not cry out. She stood there, dazed, gazing at the silhouette within the tent. The outline of this figure was so much like the man in her heart! He… he really wasn't dead! Cao Cao, no… Chancellor Cao hadn't lied to her? But… what had happened?
'This is Lu Yu's stratagem!' At that moment, Cao Cao approached Diao Chan. His eyes narrowed as he began to explain to her in detail how Lu Yu devised the plan, how they arranged the execution ground, and how the real Lu Bu was swapped with the fake one. With each word that left his lips, Diao Chan's eyes widened, her beautiful eyes, like pools of water, becoming clearer and brighter, as if she had found hope to live again.
'Only…' Cao Cao continued, 'your husband, Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, must henceforth live under an assumed name. In this world, there can no longer be Marquis Wen, no longer General Lu, and no longer Diao Chan's husband! He will live like a shadow, protecting you from afar, protecting his two daughters, protecting his brothers! Can you understand these things?'
Cao Cao's words brought tears to Diao Chan's eyes. Understand? Of course, she understood. The name Lu Bu; the titles Marquis Wen, General Fenwei—they had perished at Bai Men Lou. There could no longer be a Lu Bu in this world, nor Diao Chan's husband. A shadow… perhaps this was the best fate for her and her husband.
'Chancellor Cao!' Diao Chan turned to Cao Cao. It was the first time she had faced Cao Cao directly. She bit her lower lip slightly and then softly murmured, 'Thank you! Diao Chan thanks you on behalf of… my 'deceased' husband!'
Thank you? Hearing this, Cao Cao's feelings became exceptionally complex. He raised his head towards the heavens. If… if everything in the world could be reconciled, he would rather not accept Diao Chan's gratitude! The words 'a beauty's kindness is hard to bear' now held a deeper meaning for Cao Cao.
Cao Cao sighed again, shaking his head. 'You shouldn't thank me; you should thank Lu Yu! If not for him, I, Cao Cao, would never have spared Lu Bu!'
With that said… Cao Cao slowly walked away, leaving Diao Chan standing there quietly. She bit her red lips tightly, gazing at Lu Bu's figure through the military tent, trying to see him for a little longer, to remember a little more! She didn't know if she should step forward… She didn't know if her sudden appearance would… make her husband Lu Bu linger, a shadow that had severed all love and hate?
As Diao Chan mused, voices continued to emanate from the tent.
'If General Lu is fine, then you are still my Gao Shun, still the commander of the Charging Formation. We should follow your lead… General, why have you abandoned us?'
This was Gao Shun's voice. He and Zhang Liao had followed Lu Yu here and were shocked to see Lu Bu alive. But after hearing Lu Bu explain the whole story, their shock turned into boundless gratitude towards Lu Yu. Deep down, they thanked Lu Yu.
But… Lu Bu's next words confused Gao Shun. Why, now that the General was alive, did he want them to join the Dragon Soaring Camp and serve Young Master Lu, and Cao Cao? Gao Shun was straightforward; once he recognized a master, he would never change easily. He immediately raised his objection.
Zhang Liao's eyes darted around, as if he had thought of something. 'General and Young Master Lu are concerned about those surrendered generals and soldiers, right?' As soon as he spoke… Lu Bu turned to look at Lu Yu, as if asking if he could speak. Lu Yu simply spread his hands, signaling that it was fine to talk. Of course… The gestures and the silent communication between their eyes were enough for Zhang Liao and Gao Shun to understand everything.
Especially Gao Shun, he tapped his forehead… So that's how it is! The situation at Bai Men Lou this morning was telling. Only about a thousand soldiers stepped forward willingly to die with Lu Bu, but the defending army in Xiapi numbered more than twenty thousand, and most of them chose to surrender! Coupled with the apprehension of Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, and others. Lu Bu could not live on the surface; if he lived, he would cause panic and fear among tens of thousands of soldiers! This was why Lu Bu ordered them to join the Dragon Soaring Camp!
However… Gao Shun's brow furrowed. 'If that's the case, then General, from now on, you will have to…' Gao Shun stopped midway, unable to finish his sentence. For ordinary people, forgetting their past was not easy, let alone for the peerless god of war—Lu Bu! Was this sacrifice too great?
Lu Bu let out a long sigh. He stepped closer to Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. 'Haha, if I hadn't experienced this death, how would I have known that the only brothers I could trust by my side were Zang Ba and the two of you!'
'Hahaha…' Lu Bu laughed with a touch of melancholy, a sense of release emanating from his whole being. 'I, Lu Bu, have spent half my life in battle. I have experienced the vast yellow sands and the boundless deserts of the frontier, the drunken indulgence and the deceit of the Central Plains. It is enough; my past is enough!'
'Today will be my last meeting with my two brothers. From now on, there will be no Marquis Wen, no Lu Bu, no your General. There will only be a shadow, a nameless shadow. You do not need to worry about me; this may be the best fate for me!'
At this point, Lu Bu paused, then turned to look at Lu Yu. 'Lu Yu is a person worth entrusting, and he is a person I trust. I have entrusted Lingqi to him, and Diao Chan and Lingju to him as well… Serving him is serving me! As for the three hundred loyal Wolf Riders and the seven hundred Charging Formation warriors, you must persuade them not to do foolish things, and persuade them to join the Dragon Soaring Camp. This is the last thing I can do to help my brothers, at the cost of losing the name 'Lu Fengxian'!'
Brotherhood – before Lu Bu 'perished' at Bai Men Lou, he had never understood this concept, but now… he valued the word 'brother' immensely!
'Lu Fengxian of Jiuyuan has returned!'
With a final, deep sigh, Lu Yu patted their shoulders heavily, as a final charge. Lu Bu knew that his meeting time with his subordinates could not be too long, lest it arouse suspicion. He tried his best to explain everything he needed to. As he said, Lu Yu was a person he could trust, and entrusting his brothers to Lu Yu made him feel very at ease.
'General…'
'General…'
Gao Shun and Zhang Liao said in unison…
Lu Bu waved his hand. 'From now on, there is no General. Go back… You know what to do next. I hope you will not let me down! Nor will you let the Dragon Soaring Camp down!' He always held his head high; from beginning to end, he was the proud Lu Fengxian of Jiuyuan!
With clasped hands… Gao Shun and Zhang Liao bowed in unison, paying their final respects to Lu Bu, and for the first time, to Lu Yu. It seemed like a form of reincarnation! Filled with ritual! Lu Yu pondered, was this the handover of work between him and Lu Bu?
'Ahem…' With a slight cough, Lu Yu quickly helped them up. 'Generals, please rise!'
'However… I need to remind you one more thing: Lu Fengxian is dead. You must remember this. Even your most trusted brothers must not be told the truth. This is for General Lu, and it is also for your own responsibility!'
Silence… A brief silence. Zhang Liao and Gao Shun seemed to be carefully considering Lu Yu's words. But soon, the two bowed again.
'We obey Commander Lu's orders!'
Commander Lu… This title almost indicated that the two… along with their troops, had already taken one step towards the Dragon Soaring Camp. The team had grown stronger! Lu Yu felt a small surge of excitement. Whether it was Zhang Liao or Gao Shun, whether it was the Bing Province Wolf Riders or the Charging Formation, these were all valuable soldiers!
'Your subordinate takes his leave…' In unison, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun cast one last, deep glance at Lu Bu. Then… they turned and withdrew. When they arrived, their hearts were filled with excitement, but when they left, their spirits were much calmer! Their General was alive; it was like a ray of light that illuminated their despondent hearts, and Lu Yu… was like a lamp that lit their path forward! Who says hope cannot exist in despair?
…
Tread… Tread…
As they stepped out of the tent… Zhang Liao and Gao Shun met Diao Chan head-on. Yes, Diao Chan, disguised as a man, standing outside the tent in the night breeze.
'Wife… Madam…'
A subconscious exclamation. Diao Chan was not startled, but rather… it instantly stirred Lu Bu's nerves within the tent.
Step… Step…
This time, Lu Bu disregarded Lu Yu's instructions not to leave the tent. He strode out. The person before him… was it not the Diao Chan in his heart? How many times had he asked himself – where is my Diao Chan? At this very moment, in this very scene, the answer was before him!
'Diao Chan…'
'Gen… General!'
The voices uttered, but both of them tacitly refrained from approaching. It seemed… there was some concern in both their hearts, or perhaps a mutual understanding. Lu Yu also rushed out of the tent. Seeing Lu Bu and Diao Chan, subconsciously… 'Yi Jian Mei' flashed through his mind… Snow falling, petals dancing, two lovers… forced to separate for various reasons! Lu Yu tapped his forehead. Why did 'Yuan Hua' pop into his mind subconsciously?
'Ahem…' With a slight cough, Lu Yu stood in place. He stood quietly! As for… Lu Bu and Diao Chan. Diao Chan did not approach, unwilling to stir Lu Bu's memories… Lingering too much… might harm him? Lu Bu did not approach because… he had already decided to forget all love and hate… A shadow lurking in the dark had no emotions. And Diao Chan was too dazzling, not suited for a shadow to approach. But… that was the principle, yet… when they faced each other, their eyes meeting, their hearts couldn't help but race.
Sigh… Seeing the subtle atmosphere, Lu Yu slowly walked to Lu Bu's side. 'Oh my… Tonight, you can still be Lu Bu. Tomorrow morning… it won't be too late to be a shadow again!' Saying this, Lu Yu waved his hand… and quickly led away a group of Dragon Soaring Camp armored soldiers. The road ahead was becoming wider and wider!
Just then, Lu Yu noticed Cao Cao not far behind Diao Chan. Lu Yu's eyes narrowed, and he subconsciously lowered his voice to ask, 'Chancellor Cao? Did Diao Chan come with you?' Cao Cao smiled, but did not speak, merely patting Lu Yu's shoulder, signaling him to walk aside with him. Lu Yu was a bit confused! What did Old Cao mean by this?
In the central military tent.
'Chancellor Cao…' Lu Yu's forehead was covered with a hundred question marks. Before he could even ask, Cao Cao's words rushed out, 'Listen to me first…'
Uh… The atmosphere felt inexplicably strange. 'It's all my fault; I couldn't hold back…' When Cao Cao said this, Lu Yu instinctively trembled. Couldn't hold back, Old Cao, where exactly couldn't you hold back? Combining Old Cao's undesirable habits, Lu Yu suddenly had a bad premonition. Lu Bu felt that Old Cao's head was precarious, undecided!
Cao Cao continued, 'Just now, Diao Chan danced for me in the yamen…' Dance? Gulp, Lu Yu swallowed a mouthful of saliva, muttering in his heart, Old Cao, Old Cao, are you sure it was just a dance? Didn't it lead to… something else? 'A song of the Han Yuefu, a dance carrying longing. Truly, her beauty that enchants the moon makes one linger, makes one fall…'
'Guess what Diao Chan took out after the dance?' Cao Cao's voice continued, the lament of an old lecher! But Lu Yu's face had changed. 'Gulp… Gulp,' he swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva. Old Cao, Old Cao, do you still have the face to ask what she took out? Diao Chan wouldn't have taken out a 'great treasure,' would she?
'Ahem…' Lu Yu coughed violently. He secretly lamented in his heart. Old Cao, you're giving me a warning of a cuckold! Damn it, Lu Bu isn't even gone yet, and you dare to treat Diao Chan like this, it's possible… Even before Zhang Xiu of Wancheng gets involved, Lu Bu might just lop off your head today. And you dare bring Diao Chan to see Lu Bu!
Regarding this… Lu Yu's heart held only one sentence: city dwellers are too darn playful, it's truly infuriating!
'Chancellor Cao, what you've done is not upright!'
'Not upright? Where is it not upright?' Cao Cao immediately retorted with a smile.
'You made Diao Chan dance for you; was it just a dance?' Lu Yu's eyes widened…
'Otherwise?' Cao Cao smiled faintly, leaning his face towards Lu Yu, and asked mysteriously, 'Do you, Minister Lu, want me to happen to her?'
Uh… Lu Yu's heart gave a jolt. Instantly, he felt… as if Lu Bu would soon come charging in with a saber.
However, at this moment, 'Hahahaha,' Cao Cao burst into hearty laughter. He reached out and patted Lu Yu's shoulder heavily. 'I was just teasing you. Look at how nervous you are, haha, it was really just a dance. I just wanted to verify if the Seven-Star Sword in your scroll was real!' As he spoke, Cao Cao took out the Seven-Star Sword from his embrace and waved it before Lu Yu's eyes. Then he directly pushed the Seven-Star Sword into Lu Yu's embrace.
'Take it. You did a great job this time. I'll give you this Seven-Star Sword. As for Diao Chan, Lu Bu will send her to your residence, haha, hahahaha…' With these words, Cao Cao left the central tent with a smile. The smile was full of meaning! Leaving only Lu Yu bewildered… What's going on? Why would Lu Bu send Diao Chan to his residence? Even if Old Cao had eaten one more peanut while drinking, he wouldn't be this drunk, would he? And… did Old Cao just send Diao Chan over so purely? This is unscientific! Is this still the legendary Human Wife Cao? Facing Diao Chan? He didn't make the mistake that all men would make? Wonderful, truly wonderful!
'Ahem…' With a slight cough, Lu Yu, holding the Seven-Star Sword in one hand, asked Dian Wei, 'Over there? How is it?' 'Over there' naturally referred to Lu Bu and Diao Chan… That pair of lovesick souls, having their final encounter before parting, it was quite sentimental to think about!
Dian Wei replied truthfully, 'The two have maintained a distance, conversing about something.'
'Watch the time, don't chat for too long. The longer you chat, the more unsettled your heart will become!' Lu Yu walked to the entrance of the tent, looking up at the heavens. 'Tomorrow, I still have to send Lu Bu to Bing Province!' Mentioning sending Lu Bu to Bing Province was Lu Yu's next plan. It could also be considered a test for Yuan Shao!
Things are different now… Lu Yu did not want to wait until the Battle of Guandu, when the enemy was strong and he was weak, to confront Yuan Shao. Now… with the capital he had accumulated for Cao Cao, taking advantage of Yuan Shao's unfinished northern territories, he could choose to take the initiative! Of course, he still needed to test the waters before attacking, and test the depth of the Runan Yuan clan!
With this in mind… Lu Yu's eyes narrowed. '…Where is Dezu?'
'Still kneeling!' Dian Wei replied…
Lu Yu raised an eyebrow. 'Didn't I tell him to kneel for half a day?'
'Young Master Yang said that Commander Lu's punishment was good and correct. He wants to remember it, to be ashamed and then courageous, so he insists on kneeling for another day!'
Lu Yu let out a sigh. It seemed that his punishment of Yang Xiu… had been very effective! To say such words, his arrogance must have dissipated by a large margin! Yang Dezu was still a promising talent! Heh heh… With a smile in his heart, Lu Yu immediately ordered.
'Call Yang Xiu over. Lu Bu's mission in Bing Province needs a partner!' Thinking of this… Lu Yu thought to himself…
'Lu Bu, Yang Xiu. One martial, one civil. Similarly, both are lacking in some aspect, perhaps… when executing the mission, 'negative times negative equals positive' might work!'
'Yes, negative times negative will definitely equal positive!'
…
…"