Yuan Shu's widespread betrayal, in Lu Yu's view, was not without cause.
Yuan Shu's rise to power was, in part, due to the foundation and reputation of the Yuan clan.
On the other hand, it could be attributed to Yuan Shu's "inclusivity, embracing all rivers."
It could be said that in Yuan Shu's eyes, as long as you were a soldier and willing to defect, it didn't matter if you had committed heinous crimes or engaged in murder and arson before; nothing was a problem.
In fact... you could even continue your wicked deeds, murder, and arson!
It was for this reason that Yuan Shu's ranks were extremely disorganized.
There were those who had defected from the Yellow Turban Army, those who had defected from banditry, and those who had defected with thousands of serfs led by local gentry. There were also countless habitual offenders...
To put it bluntly, this was a rabble, a collection of bandits.
And what was their purpose in defecting to Yuan Shu?
Changing the dynasty? Wrong!
What noble ideal of dynastic change could a group of bandits possibly possess? They merely wanted to rely on Yuan Shu as a big tree to continue their wickedness, their murder and arson, and their criminal acts.
According to ancient texts, it was precisely because of Yuan Shu, the "Huainan Destroyer King," and his "all-encompassing" and "inclusive" approach to his troops that order in the entire Jianghuai region had long since collapsed.
The common people had no food in their mouths, no clothes to warm them, and dared not speak...
The public resentment had long been boiling.
And the armies composed of these bandits under Yuan Shu shared a common characteristic with the Yellow Turban Army: they were rampant when things were going well and fled when they turned bad. They were as fierce as tigers against weak civilians but as timid as white rabbits when truly confronting powerful opponents!
Now, after the battle in Chen, Yuan Shu had suffered a great loss...
The situation had turned from favorable to unfavorable, and the mindset of Yuan Shu's bandits had also changed.
Each harbored their own intentions... and not a few were even looking to switch to a more reliable master.
It could be foreseen that talk of his downfall was inevitable. When the real war between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu, the Emperor and the Usurper, began, Yuan Shu's officials would likely have already fled in droves.
Widespread betrayal was merely a matter of time.
It was for this reason that Lu Yu pondered... they could still wait a little longer.
While Lu Yu was thinking extensively, Cao Cao was quite sensitive to the four words "widespread betrayal."
"Agricultural Minister Lu, please look at this," Cao Cao said, taking a bamboo slip from his desk, slowly unrolling it, and pushing it towards Lu Yu. "This is an urgent dispatch from Pengcheng..."
Lu Yu looked closely...
The contents of the bamboo slip were none other than Yuan Shu mustering seven routes of troops, intending to march on Xiapi City in Xuzhou.
This...
Upon seeing this, Lu Yu was a little confused?
If he were to attack, shouldn't it be Chen?
Why would he ignore such a strategic location that could be used for both offense and defense and instead attack Xiapi City? Had Lu Bu eaten Yuan Shu's rice?
Continuing to read...
It turned out to be because Yuan Shu's son, Yuan Yao, was to marry Lü Bu's daughter, Lü Lingqi.
Speaking of which, after Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, he undertook several major actions: he appointed officials, used the imperial carriage, offered sacrifices to the north and south altars, established Lady Feng, Lady Feng, as Empress, appointed his son Yuan Yao as Crown Prince, and even sent an envoy to Xiapi City to bring Lü Bu's daughter, Lü Lingqi, to be the Crown Princess.
Unfortunately, Lü Bu directly sent away Yuan Shu's envoy.
He even proposed a betrothal marriage, stating that according to ancient precedent, the Son of Heaven had a one-year engagement, marquises had six months, high officials had one season, and commoners had one month!
Was this not clearly a delay tactic?
If they could drag it out until next year, Yuan Shu... would he still value such a minor "ally" as Lü Bu?
And in Yuan Shu's mind, one was either an enemy or a friend; there was absolutely no middle ground...
You, Lü Bu, refused to marry your daughter?
Very well then... Yuan Shu directly launched seven armies to attack Xiapi City!
This was entirely consistent with Yuan Shu's usual modus operandi as the "Huainan Skeleton King."
Seeing that Lu Yu had finished reading the bamboo slip, Cao Cao continued, "The traitor Yuan Shu has appointed Zhang Xun as Grand General, commanding an army of over 200,000, divided into seven routes to attack Xuzhou! What do you think, Agricultural Minister Lu?"
Lu Yu's eyes rolled. "This seems like Yuan Shu acting on impulse, but in reality, it is Yuan Shu opening a second battlefield... It seems Yuan Shu is certain that Chen cannot be taken, and the first battlefield offers no hope of victory."
"Precisely," Cao Cao nodded.
On this point, Yu'er and he thought alike.
Chen was well-supplied with troops and provisions, the rebellion had now been quelled, and with Le Jin, whom Cao Cao had dispatched, having arrived to reinforce them, the passage from Xudu to Chen had been opened, allowing for immediate reinforcement.
For Yuan Shu, winning on the Chen battlefield was already extremely difficult.
Therefore, Yuan Shu would inevitably open a second battlefield.
If they could ally with Lü Bu, they could completely abandon their westward expansion plans and instead turn north, first attacking Xuzhou, then breaking through Yanzhou, and finally capturing Xuchang City. This would be an entirely new second battlefield.
However...
What Yuan Shu did not expect was that Lü Bu refused to marry his daughter, and his plan had to be readjusted.
From allying with Lü Bu to attacking Lü Bu, the objective remained the opening of a second battlefield.
"Can Commander Cao see these names?" Lu Yu pointed to the names of Yuan Shu's seven army commanders on the bamboo slip.
"What does Agricultural Minister Lu mean?" Cao Cao's eyes looked towards the bamboo slip...
But he was utterly baffled by Lu Yu's words.
"The generals chosen by Yuan Shu for these seven armies are quite interesting," Lu Yu smiled slightly. "The first commander is Zhang Xun, the second is Qiao Rui, the third is Chen Ji, the fourth deputy is Lei Bo, the fifth deputy is Chen Lan, the sixth deputy is Li Feng, and the seventh deputy is Liang Gang. The grain transport is overseen by Jin Shang, and Ji Ling serves as the liaison for the seven routes."
Lu Yu recited their names, but the word "interesting" at the beginning gave Cao Cao a feeling of mystification.
"Interesting? Where is the interest?" Cao Cao asked curiously.
"Allow me to keep you in suspense," Lu Yu smiled faintly, posing another question to Cao Cao. "Does Commander Cao know? Why did Yuan Shu resort to assassination to seize Chen?"
"Wasn't it to attack Xudu City?" Cao Cao blurted out directly...
"No!" Lu Yu waved his hand. "Commanding Officer Cheng sent back intelligence that before attacking Chen, Yuan Shu requested grain from the ruler of Chen. And according to Luo Jun, the Prime Minister of Chen, Yuan Shu's grain supplies would not last for two months."
Upon hearing this...
Cao Cao immediately became all the more attentive. Was this an unexpected pleasant surprise?
"Is this news... accurate?" Cao Cao asked urgently.
"Definite and certain," Lu Yu said with a smile, taking out a letter from his embrace... "Commander Cao, this is a letter that Commanding Officer Cheng sent back with a rider at breakneck speed... Commander Cao will know as soon as he reads it."
This...
Cao Cao quickly took the letter, and for a moment, he was curious. What intrinsic connection was there between "Yuan Shu lacks grain" and "Yuan Shu's seven armies are ridiculous"?
Today, what was Yu'er up to?
Cao Cao unrolled the letter and read it carefully, word by word. It was one thing not to read it, but as soon as he did, his eyes shone with a brilliant, dazzling light.
"This... is all the content on this letter true?"
Cao Cao's entire demeanor became serious.
Lu Yu nodded in agreement.
"It is true. Yuan Shu's third commander, Chen Ji, fourth deputy, Lei Bo, fifth deputy, Chen Lan, sixth deputy, Li Feng, and seventh deputy, Liang Gang, as well as Jin Shang, who was responsible for transporting the grain, have all secretly sent letters of surrender to Chen. These letters of surrender have also been sent back immediately by Commanding Officer Cheng at top speed."
"It is said that due to Chen's great defeat, the shortage of food, and the boiling public resentment, Yuan Shu is on the verge of collapse."
As he spoke, Lu Yu took out many silk cloths from his sleeves, each densely written with small seal characters.
And without exception, the content of each bamboo slip expressed the intention to defect.
It could be said that with Yuan Shu's forced ascension to the throne and the fact of Chen's great defeat, the hearts of the people in Yuan Shu's camp were unsettled, and each harbored their own intentions.
Cao Cao was still reading these letters of surrender one by one.
Logically speaking...
Surrender and betrayal were very taboo behaviors in ancient times. Even if one successfully surrendered and helped the new lord defeat the old one, the new lord would most likely not dare to employ these defectors.
But... Yuan Shu's forced ascension to the emperor, under such a premise, it seemed... Yuan Shu's generals' surrender appeared justifiable.
Their surrender was more acceptable, even... forgivable.
Cao Cao's expression gradually changed from surprise to excitement, then to ecstasy...
"Commander Cao, ponder it, ponder it carefully..." Lu Yu continued. "This is why, when I saw the list of these seven armies just now, I suddenly felt like laughing. Yuan Shu appointed a total of nine generals, and five of them proposed to defect to Commander Cao, including..."
Before Lu Yu could finish speaking, Cao Cao replied with a laugh, "And including Jin Shang, who was responsible for transporting the grain! Haha..."
"Traitor Yuan Shu is too difficult! Haha..."
Cao Cao couldn't help but laugh heartily. It was as if Heaven itself was destroying this traitor Yuan Shu.
When it rains, it pours.
Haha... Good, good...
Cao Cao's heart was stirred. He loudly read each letter of surrender.
"Agricultural Minister Lu, look at Jin Shang's letter of surrender. He mentions that if our army sets out, he will actively expose the grain and allow it to be plundered by our army! Haha, and look at these two letters. Yuan Shu's third commander, Chen Ji, and fourth deputy, Lei Bo, both mention that when our army engages Yuan Shu in battle, they will attack Yuan Shu's center from the flank. Haha... Hahaha!"
While reading these letters of surrender, Cao Cao laughed heartily and with great satisfaction.
Surprise...
Yu'er's sleeves were hiding such great surprises!
If not for this meal of dumplings, he, Cao Cao, would have been kept in the dark.
Of course, normally speaking, so many letters of surrender were somewhat incredible, and it was inevitable that some might suspect a ruse.
But Cao Cao understood Yuan Shu too well. He had seen through Yuan Shu when he was at the Imperial Academy. He didn't know how to use people, nor how to win them over. He had always been a conceited fellow.
"Commander Cao, calm down... calm down..."
Seeing Cao Cao constantly laughing, and his laughter becoming more and more demonic, Lu Yu tried to pacify his mood.
"This is just the beginning."
"In less than a month, more civil and military officials under Yuan Shu will defect to Commander Cao. Moreover... there will even be unexpected surprises from Xuzhou. At that time... when Commander Cao raises his army to march south, Yuan Shu will be widely betrayed... This battle has not even been fought, and victory is already assured."
"What we need to do now is wait... however..."
Upon mentioning the word "however," Cao Cao's smile abruptly stopped. He feared that Yu'er would recount some ominous news.
"Does Agricultural Minister Lu have anything else to say?"
"Yes!" Lu Yu nodded. "It is a humble request, it is... Chen's... Chen's fine steel."
As Lu Yu spoke, his peripheral vision did not fail to glance at Cao Cao...
He was thinking that this fine steel was something the old Cao had promised him. If Chen was conquered, all the fine steel within Chen's territory would belong to the Dragon Cavalry Camp.
Of course, as for old Cao's words, everyone understood. If he reneged on his promise, Lu Yu could do nothing.
Therefore, he casually tested the waters like this.
"Ahem..."
As expected, Cao Cao coughed lightly, as if recalling.
"Oh..." He put on a look of sudden realization, but his tone lowered. "This... I don't remember promising Agricultural Minister Lu this way before, do I?"
Ah... Lu Yu was stunned. Was the old Cao planning to renege on his promise?
Seeing Lu Yu's expression, "Hahahaha..." Cao Cao laughed heartily and then slapped Lu Yu's shoulder with one hand. "Agricultural Minister Lu, you misremember. I remember promising Agricultural Minister Lu that I would hand over all the military supplies, grain, and stone materials of the entire Chen to you! How could it be just fine steel?"
"Haha, Agricultural Minister Lu, have you misremembered?"
Ah... Ah...
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yu was a little stunned. The old Cao... was so generous!
Before he could thank him, Cao Cao loudly called out.
"Zhongkang, where are you?"
"I am here, my lord." Upon being summoned, Xu Chu quickly entered the room.
"Issue an order that all the fine steel, materials, and equipment in Chen that Agricultural Minister Lu fancies shall be transported to the Dragon Cavalry Camp!" Cao Cao deliberately did not mention the grain...
Lu Yu understood this and could comprehend it.
With the battle imminent, this fine steel and other things would not be needed for the time being, but... grain was different; it was a basic necessity.
It seemed...
Cao Cao was quite considerate of Lu Yu's feelings and asked further, "Agricultural Minister Lu, are you satisfied with my arrangement? Is there any problem?"
"No problem, absolutely no problem!" Lu Yu smiled... "I can only say that I am overwhelmed with gratitude!"
"Hahahaha..."
The sound of hearty laughter echoed again.
Xu Chu received the order and went to make arrangements...
Cao Cao then gestured for Lu Yu to lean his head closer and asked meaningfully, "I heard that Chen has quite a bit of fine steel. Does Agricultural Minister Lu still plan to forge steel spears and halberds for the Dragon Cavalry Camp?"
This seemingly casual remark... Lu Yu immediately grasped its meaning.
The old Cao was worried about the jealousy of other legions...
After all, always giving the best weapons to the Dragon Cavalry Camp, once or twice was acceptable, but every time, it would inevitably create enemies, and Cao Cao's remark was a kind reminder.
Lu Yu paused slightly and then replied, "Commander Cao, I have calculated this fine steel. I will use half of it to forge fine steel halberds and fine steel armor for the 'Tiger' cavalry soldiers as well. Among the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the 'Tiger' cavalry are heavy armored cavalry, meant for charging into battle! The 'Leopard' cavalry are light armored cavalry, responsible for flanking and harassment. Therefore... the Tiger cavalry have greater demand for equipment, and equipping them with the best equipment will likely not cause objections from most camps!"
Though he said so...
In addition to the attribute of heavy armored cavalry for the Tiger cavalry, there was another crucial point.
The commander of the Tiger cavalry was Cao Chun, who was a business partner of Lu Yu.
When there were good things, they should naturally be given to partners first, which was considered a favor to General Cao Chun.
In Lu Yu's opinion...
In Cao's camp, it was a society of favors. The more he had good elder brothers, the safer he would be in the future.
"Very good..."
Cao Cao muttered to himself...
After hearing Lu Yu's words, he nodded with satisfaction. "Indeed, it is all the better that you are willing to share some fine steel to support other legions! Commander Cao places great hopes on the Dragon Cavalry Camp and on you!"
This statement, though seemingly unintentional, was deeply meaningful.
As the saying goes, "A tree that excels in the forest will be destroyed by the wind; a mound that stands out on the shore will be eroded by the torrent; a person who is higher than others will be criticized by the masses!"
Yu'er, as his future successor, Cao Cao hoped to see Yu'er not limited to a mere Dragon Cavalry Camp, but to look at the troops of Cao's camp, and even the armies of the world.
Speaking of this, Cao Cao stroked his beard with satisfaction and then continued to ask curiously.
"And what about the other half of the fine steel? It seems the Dragon Cavalry Camp is not short of fine steel halberds and fine steel armor? Or is the Dragon Cavalry Camp planning to select more elite knights to join it?"
"Not for now," Lu Yu waved his hand. "I plan to use the other half to try forging something else... weapons that will further improve the combat effectiveness of Cao's army."
Ho... weapons that will further improve Cao's army's combat effectiveness?
This time, Cao Cao's curiosity was fully piqued.
"Can Agricultural Minister Lu reveal what it is?"
"This..." Lu Yu paused and then said, "It is a type of saber, a long-handled broadsword, somewhat like our Han Dynasty's Zhanmajian, but its power is ten times greater than the Zhanmajian! I call it the 'Modao'!"
Lu Yu roughly described it, even without detailing the length or weight of the Modao.
After all, before successfully forging it, Lu Yu still wanted to maintain a certain level of low-key and mystery for the "Modao."
What if it failed?
"What is the use of this Modao?" Cao Cao asked again.
Don't say... Lu Yu's words made him even more curious.
Lu Yu blinked his eyes. "This saber is the nemesis of cavalry. If I only say this... Commander Cao will likely not understand, but... once the forging workshop successfully forges it, Commander Cao will know at a glance."
The reason for putting the forging of the Modao on the agenda...
In Lu Yu's view, Yuan Shu, the "Skeleton King" of Jianghuai, was no longer a match for Cao Cao. He didn't even need to pay much attention to him; his demise was merely a matter of time.
Therefore...
In recent years, Lü Bu of Xiapi City, Zhang Xiu of Wancheng, and Yuan Shao of the north could all be considered Cao Cao's opponents.
Without exception, the cavalry of these three warlords were very fierce.
And the most effective weapon against cavalry, in Lu Yu's opinion, apart from arrows which were used for long-range suppression, was only one thing - the Modao!
There was a legend about the "Modao" - "When the Modao appears, both men and horses are shattered!"
This was not a joke.
However, the Modao was expensive to forge, the materials required were immense, and the processes like "sandwich steel" and "earth-baked tempering" were not simple. It was indeed difficult to forge.
Fortunately... there was sufficient fine steel to allow the forging workshop to try!
Besides, wasn't there Cao Mu? This heroic girl who loved forging more than men, perhaps she could create a miracle!
Just as Lu Yu was lost in thought...
"Thump thump..."
Heavy footsteps approached.
Xu Chu, who had just left, re-entered.
"Commander Cao, Lord Xun requests an audience... He says he has received two letters, one from Lü Bu of Xiapi City, and the other from Liu Bei of Xiaopei."
Hmm... As soon as these words were spoken.
Cao Cao and Lu Yu's eyes both narrowed.
In Cao Cao's view...
Lü Bu? Liu Bei's letter, this was likely what Yu'er mentioned as the surprise from Xuzhou after Yuan Shu's widespread betrayal had arrived!
And in Lu Yu's eyes, he seemed to have predicted... this must be Lü Bu seeking aid;
Liu Bei voluntarily defecting, pledging allegiance to Cao Cao and requesting to eliminate Yuan Shu.
Then...
A new problem arose!
Liu Bei, this... huge hidden danger?
Should he be killed or not in Cao's camp now?
This question was not only troubling Lu Yu, but it was likely... even Cao Cao would be frowning!
...
...