The entire Imperial Academy erupted.
When Cao De suddenly appeared on the altar and read out the latest urgent report from Chen, everyone—including the Son of Heaven, the officials, and the academy students—fell silent for a long time, utterly shocked.
Chen had surrendered?
And the person who caused Chen's surrender was merely Lu Yu, the newly appointed head of the Imperial Academy, who had dispatched a mere four individuals.
Everyone remembered the names of those four men—Cheng Yu, Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, and Cao Anmin!
Good heavens...
Under Yuan Shu's covetous gaze, and against Chen's hundred thousand elite troops, they had achieved it!
Changing the banners on the city walls... to make Chen submit!
What an incredible task they had accomplished, what a miracle they had created.
Everyone was astonished.
In fact, many people had heard about the situation in Chen before coming to the Imperial Academy.
The ruler of Chen was assassinated, and Chen was on the verge of collapse...
In such unfavorable circumstances?
In other words... just as Chen was about to fly the banner of the "Zhongjia Emperor," how had Lu Yu's four envoys managed to turn the tide?
Shock... utter shock.
Beyond the shock, everyone inexplicably felt a sense of lingering fear, realizing how insane the pseudo-emperor Yuan Shu had become.
Assassination, ambush... in this era, these were despicable acts.
A beast, Yuan Shu was truly a beast!
Of course, looking back, there was still a sense of unease about this matter. If such a frenzied and despised individual were to take over Chen, who knew what even more outrageous things he might do next.
The Son of Heaven, Liu Hong, let out a sigh and then another. In the end, his expression cleared.
This was the first time he had witnessed how terrifying Lu Yu's insight and foresight were.
His judgment of the situation and his precision in selecting personnel had astonished the Son of Heaven and everyone present!
"Your Majesty..." a eunuch reported, "Chancellor Cao requests the presence of officials in the court..."
Hmm... Emperor Liu Xie's expression darkened, but only for a moment before it returned to a calm demeanor.
By rights, summoning a court session was the Emperor's decision.
However, in times of urgency, this court session called so hastily by Cao Cao must be related to the current situation in Chen. He was finally going to make his move.
"Inform the officials to return to Chang Le Palace immediately for a court session!" Emperor Liu Xie commanded...
Empress Fu Shou, however, pointed at Lu Yu on the altar, implying that the sacrificial ceremony was not yet over!
Emperor Liu Xie waved his hand.
"It is already over. Lu Yu, as the head of the Imperial Academy, is truly worthy of his title! His students are worthy of the words 'Pillars of the Emperor, Pillars of the State'!"
"He is far more outstanding than we ever imagined... It is no wonder Chancellor Cao has endured for so long; he was waiting. And placing his bet on Lu Yu made this wait worthwhile!"
Emperor Liu Xie's voice deepened on the last word, "worthwhile," and then he turned and slowly departed in his carriage.
The high officials and ministers also received the eunuch's message, casting meaningful glances at Lu Yu on the altar.
Then, they got into their carriages and departed.
Grand Commandant Yang Biao, in particular, let out a long sigh, murmuring to himself, "Incredible! Truly incredible!"
This time, he had directly experienced the vast and obvious gap between his son, Yang Xiu, and Lu Yu.
"Let's go, to Chang Le Palace!"
Yang Biao left with these last words. In his opinion, any scolding Lu Yu might give his unpromising son today would not be excessive.
...
Watching the Emperor and the court officials slowly depart.
Lu Yu, standing on the altar, understood something. It seemed Old Cao was about to act.
As for this side...
"Student Dezou, I didn't get a chance to answer your question earlier. Now... I will tell you."
Speaking of which, Lu Yu tapped his forehead and deliberately repeated, "Does everyone still remember the question Dezou just posed? Will the Han Dynasty's vermilion Fire Virtue indeed be replaced by yellow Earth Virtue? The answer is now clear."
"That traitor Yuan Shu painstakingly mobilized thousands upon thousands of troops to seize Chen! And I, the head of the academy, merely sent four 'unremarkable' armored soldiers from the Dragon Soaring Camp, and we resolved the crisis, making Chen surrender to the imperial court! This is the mandate of heaven!"
"Oh, and among these four unremarkable armored soldiers is your future classmate, Cao Anmin! I heard this time he shot and killed an enemy commander with an arrow, achieving great merit. And does this not also prove some nonsense about yellow Earth Virtue replacing the Han's Fire Virtue? Heh, the Han's vermilion Fire Virtue will never be extinguished! This is my answer as the head of the Imperial Academy!"
As soon as he said this...
Yang Xiu instinctively took a step back. Facts spoke louder than words.
Even with his eloquence, in the face of Lu Yu's unbelievable strategic planning;
And in the face of Cheng Yu, Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, and Cao Anmin's incredible efforts to turn the tide, Yang Xiu, no matter how much he argued, would only become more flustered.
He lowered his head and remained silent... a long, silent period.
At this moment, Lu Yu smiled. Not only did he not punish Yang Xiu, but he praised him.
"However, all students of the Imperial Academy, your classmate Dezou performed very well today. I hope every student in the Imperial Academy will ask questions, regardless of the occasion or status. You must strive to stump your teachers, even me, the head of the academy. Only then can you improve!"
"This is what the Imperial Academy should be like. If the head of the academy is mediocre, then the teachers can only be mediocre, and the students they teach can only be mediocre."
"Improvement! You must improve, teachers must improve, and I, as the head of the Imperial Academy, must improve even more..."
"If a teacher is self-important and does not seek progress, then the knowledge they impart is like chewed sugarcane being chewed again, passed down from generation to generation until only powder-like garbage remains. Therefore..."
Speaking of this, Lu Yu's expression became serious.
"Today, I am establishing a rule: the Imperial Academy will have a half-day holiday every five days and a full day off every ten days. On the mornings of every five days, we will hold a forum in the study hall. All teachers must attend! Each forum will be hosted by a different teacher, answering any questions students may have! If any student can stump a teacher, they will pass that subject without examination!"
This was vision...
Lu Yu not only did not scold Yang Xiu but, while answering his question, he set his courageous questioning as an example and thus introduced the Five-Day Forum.
Of course...
The assembled teachers exchanged glances. Normally, teachers taught students, but on the mornings of every five days, the roles would reverse, with students testing teachers!
It seemed that with this change, the teachers would be the ones staying up late to study.
After all, no one wanted to be stumped by a student; who could afford to lose face like that?
And this point raised by Lu Yu was precisely a major flaw in the past of the Imperial Academy, which was the teachers' stagnation and self-importance!
For the Imperial Academy to flourish, the first step was not to crack down on students, but to crack down on teachers.
As Lu Yu's words fell...
The entire area around the altar erupted.
It seemed the students realized that the young head of the academy had many ideas that were so unconventional, yet so novel, that they made the students willing to try.
Yang Xiu, in particular, his eyes narrowed. The more Lu Yu praised him, the more he felt ashamed.
Shame... what shame!
Cao Ang, Xiahou Ba, and Xiahou Heng exchanged glances. For them, this was just routine for Young Master Lu, unremarkable, utterly unremarkable.
If not for Young Master Lu being the head of the Imperial Academy, they wouldn't have come.
But for Sima Yi, he increasingly felt that this administrative head of the Imperial Academy was no simple person!
He was someone worth sincerely seeking guidance from.
Of course... Sima Yi did not know that while he wanted to seek guidance, Lu Yu simply would not teach him.
"Alright... having said so much, I will emphasize one last thing."
Lu Yu continued, making a concluding summary. "As everyone knows, our Great Han is of the vermilion Fire Virtue. Each of you students is like a leaf, and the Imperial Academy is the soaring flame. Wherever there is a leaf flying, there is fire burning. The fire's shadow illuminates every leaf, and then new leaves will sprout again and again!"
At this point, Lu Yu paused before continuing. "And this is the Imperial Academy, this is your fiery will under the Great Han's vermilion Fire Virtue!"
Perhaps Lu Yu... was the only man of this era to propose the "will of fire."
As soon as these words were spoken...
The applause from the audience was thunderous, perhaps due to the infectious power of Lu Yu's words, or perhaps because every student had witnessed the greatness of their head of the academy so closely.
In general, the blood supplying every student's heart... boiled at this moment. Their hearts surged, and tears welled up in their eyes.
Cai Zhaoji, standing beside him, looked at Lu Yu with immense satisfaction.
Her brother Yu's performance today... amazed her. Goodness... was this still the brother Yu she had doted on since childhood? Now, he had truly grown into a man standing tall and mighty.
Looking at Lu Yu, Cai Zhaoji was captivated...
"Sister Zhaoji..."
Seeing Sister Zhaoji lost in thought, Lu Yu quickly reminded her...
Oh, Cai Zhaoji snapped back to attention. She stepped forward. "Next, please students recite the praises of Heaven and Earth, and of the sovereign and his ministers."
As her voice fell, all the students, led by the teachers, recited passages from the Book of Songs, such as "Lu Ming," "Si Mu," and "Huang Huang Zhe Hua," which praised the harmony between sovereign and minister.
These clear voices echoed through the heavens and earth...
Carrying the surging vitality of a gushing spring, they flew on the wings of light into the blue sky.
But who knew whether they would ultimately illuminate the Han Dynasty, or the future and hope of the Great Wei...
...
...
The Imperial Palace, Chang Le Palace.
The officials lined up on both sides, and the Son of Heaven slowly rose and walked to Cao Cao's front.
"Chancellor Cao, it has been several days, and I have missed you dearly."
Emperor Liu Xie looked at Cao Cao with great relief.
The officials were equally pleased.
Yuan Shu had declared himself emperor, and the next step was to eliminate this traitor. This was like removing a poisoned thorn from the Han court, a thorn that pricked at their backs. Who among the Han officials was not eager?
"Your Majesty, I have truly been unwell these past few days, very unwell..." Cao Cao spoke.
"Was it the traitor Yuan Shu who angered Chancellor Cao?" Emperor Liu Xie asked with concern...
Cao Cao nodded, then shook his head... "While Yuan Shu is indeed a factor, it is more that I am angry at myself. I feel that I, Cao Cao, am incredibly foolish!"
"My dear minister..." Emperor Liu Xie was about to speak...
But Cao Cao's words preceded him. "I am angry that I, Cao Cao, misjudged Yuan Shu. This is my fault! Alas..."
"I never imagined Yuan Shu would be so foolish, more foolish than I imagined. Such a foolish person, and I, Cao Cao, actually mistook him for a hero? Alas... it truly angers me, so much so that I have been bedridden for ten days!"
This...
All the high officials were stunned.
Cao Cao's words continued. "Oh dear, I mistook a pig for a dragon? Your Majesty, tell me? Am I, Cao Cao, foolish to the extreme? Do I deserve to fall seriously ill!"
With these words, Liu Xie was rendered speechless. He suddenly didn't know how to respond.
Cao Cao was not playing by the rules!
"What are you saying, esteemed minister Cao? The traitor Yuan Shu has openly declared himself emperor, showing no regard for me, the Han court, or Your Majesty's loyal minister, Chancellor Cao... I hope Chancellor Cao..."
"Your Majesty..." Before Liu Xie could finish, Cao Cao interrupted again. "I know what Your Majesty wishes to say! I have been bedridden these past few days, and I have constantly thought that I cannot let my anger consume me. I must lead troops to eliminate this traitor for Your Majesty, but..."
Speaking of this, Cao Cao paused, his expression darkening.
As his expression darkened, all the faces of the Han court ministers also darkened, and the atmosphere in Chang Le Palace immediately became solemn.
But at this moment...
"Hahahaha..."
A devilish laugh rang out. "Haha... Your Majesty, I have finally come to my senses!"
"How could I forget? Yuan Shu, such a fool? I shouldn't have overestimated him. Therefore... I peacefully remained bedridden, for ten days, a full ten days!"
Cao Cao's voice suddenly rose in volume. "Such a fool, even if I, Cao Cao, let him move first for ten days, what of it? He is still merely 'dry bones in a tomb'!"
"Indeed, ten days have passed, and looking today, Yuan Shu is much weaker than he was ten days ago."
Speaking of this, Cao Cao's gaze turned to Xun Yu.
"Lord Xun, please tell Your Majesty and all the ministers what has happened in these ten days."
As soon as these words were spoken...
All eyes turned to Xun Yu.
"Your Majesty, in these ten days, the Ministry of Personnel has received many documents. Allow me to report them to Your Majesty one by one."
Xun Yu slowly stepped forward and spoke unhurriedly.
"Firstly, just moments ago, the Ministry of Personnel received an urgent report from Chen. The traitor Yuan Shu attempted to seize Chen but was foiled by Commander Cheng of the Dragon Soaring Camp, Commander Dian, General Huang, and Centurion Cao Anmin. Now, Chen has surrendered to the imperial court and is irreconcilably opposed to the traitor Yuan Shu!"
This piece of news was not new...
Many high officials who had attended the opening sacrificial ceremony of the Imperial Academy by the Ying River knew about this.
And this...
Was the key to filling the entire Han court with confidence.
"Secondly..." Xun Yu's words continued... "Sun Ce of Jiangdong has sent a letter to the imperial court, clearly stating his complete break with Yuan Shu and requesting the imperial court to dispatch troops to eliminate Yuan Shu. He, Sun Ce, is willing to lend a helping hand."
"Thirdly, Lü Bu of Xuzhou has refused Yuan Shu's marriage proposal. Chen Gong has personally written to the imperial court, supporting the Han Dynasty and declaring irreconcilable opposition to Lü Bu."
"Fourthly, in the region of Jianghuai, Yuan Shu has brutally killed his disobedient officials! Throughout Jianghuai... civil and military officials are in constant fear. A total of seventy-three civil and military officials under Yuan Shu, including Yan Xiang, Zhang Fan, and Zhang Cheng, along with seventeen thousand troops, have abandoned the traitor Yuan Shu with their respective units and defected to Ruyun in Yuzhou and Pengcheng in Xuzhou. They have declared their loyalty to the imperial court and are willing to serve as vanguards in the campaign against the rebel!"
Huo...
Huo...
If Chen's surrender had invigorated the ministers,
Then these successive pieces of news were enough to make the entire court erupt in excitement and clamor.
So it turned out...
Cao Cao had not been idle these past few days; he had been quietly deploying all this.
Thinking about it this way... perhaps the strategist Lu's plan was also part of Chancellor Cao's deployment.
Just as Cao Cao had said, Yuan Shu was indeed a fool!
Letting him have ten days... he only became weaker. This was clearly a paper tiger!
"Hahahaha..." Cao Cao burst into laughter. "Your Majesty, the traitor Yuan Shu declared himself emperor on the fifth day of the fifth month. I was pondering, what kind of day was the fifth of the fifth month?"
"Now, I finally understand. The fifth of the fifth month is the day when all the fools and idiots in the world reveal themselves. It is also the day their death knell sounds."
Speaking of this, Cao Cao's laughter ceased. He cupped his hands and requested permission from the Son of Heaven, Liu Xie.
"Your Majesty, I request to lead a hundred thousand troops south to quell the rebel, to eliminate the rebels for Your Majesty and restore the Han Dynasty!"
Emperor Liu Xie had been waiting for this very statement...
He patted Cao Cao's shoulders with both hands. "To eliminate the rebels and rectify the court, it all depends on you, my dear minister!"
"I shall not fail in my mission!"
Cao Cao uttered these words... then, he raised his eyes, scanning everyone in Chang Le Palace.
His gaze lingered for a moment on Grand Commandant Yang Biao.
A hidden glint of killing intent flashed across his lips, and then he strode away...
...
Tread, tread...
As he walked out of Chang Le Palace, Cao Ren was already waiting outside.
"Brother, are we going to campaign?"
"No hurry!" Cao Cao waved his hand. "Le Jin has already led the third battalion to reinforce Chen. Now that Chen is in our hands, the initiative is with us. We can wait until July for the harvest and when the grain and fodder are abundant before heading south. However..."
"However what?" Cao Ren asked urgently.
"Before that, there are a few matters more urgent than eliminating Yuan Shu... for example..."
Mentioning this, Cao Cao's eyes narrowed, his gaze filled with killing intent. "In the court of the Great Han, among the Three Excellencies, I want there to be only one voice."
This... Cao Ren didn't quite understand at first.
Cao Cao leaned close to Cao Ren's ear and whispered, "Investigate Grand Commandant Yang Biao, and find a crime to pin on him!"
Ah... ah...
Cao Ren understood his brother's meaning. The position of Minister of Works was currently vacant among the Three Excellencies. Only Yang Biao's title of Grand Commandant and his brother's title of Minister of Works remained.
His brother meant that among the Three Excellencies, only one should remain.
This way... he would truly be above one person and below ten thousand!
However...
Cao Ren suddenly looked troubled. Grand Commandant Yang Biao, he had heard, was always cautious and had never committed any offense. It would not be easy to forcibly find a crime.
Cao Cao naturally saw his expression...
"Haha, Zixiao, our Grand Commandant Yang Biao is related by marriage to the traitor Yuan Shu, you know? Hehe... that Yang Xiu, he is Yuan Shu's nephew, isn't he!"
Speaking of this, Cao Cao patted Cao Ren's shoulder and said meaningfully, "There's a lot to unpack here!"
Saying this...
Hahaha... Cao Cao laughed and walked away quickly.
When Xu Chu approached, Cao Cao did not forget to add with a smile.
"Tonight, please invite Strategist Lu to the Chancellor's mansion. Tell him to taste the dumplings I, Cao Cao, have personally made!"
"Additionally, have the Tiger Guards slaughter a cow that 'died of stupidity.' Our Strategist Lu likes beef-filled dumplings!"
As soon as these words were spoken...
Xu Chu's eyes flickered. Chancellor Cao wanted to slaughter a cow? This was a big matter!
Indeed, no matter how much Chancellor Cao and Strategist Lu could eat, they certainly wouldn't be able to finish a whole cow. Then... the rest, for those who were close at hand, wouldn't it go to their Tiger Guards?
Ai ya...
Understanding this, Xu Chu's eyes brightened. Today was a good day!
...
...