Heh.
Under Yuan Shu of Huainan, a Hidden Dragon appeared, revealing heavenly secrets—the successor to the Han is Yuan Shu!
Upon hearing this news.
At this moment, Cao Cao, in the Imperial Secretariat, smiled, and Xun Yu also smiled.
The world is in chaos, and Yuan Shu is foolish. Even if you obtain the Hidden Dragon, you must keep a low profile, right?
Just like Cao Cao, just like Xun Yu, how could one openly declare, "The Hidden Dragon is with me!" Isn't this asking to be targeted by all the feudal lords?
Moreover, you, a fake Hidden Dragon, dare to be so arrogant. Cao Cao was speechless...
As for proclaiming himself emperor, compared to revealing the Hidden Dragon, it was simply more foolish, exceedingly foolish!
The current Han Dynasty, ever since Cao Cao welcomed the Son of Heaven, all feudal lords maintained a delicate balance.
What should be done now is to support the Son of Heaven, cultivate the land, and store military supplies!
As the saying goes, the bird that sticks its neck out gets shot. In the current situation, Yuan Shu openly displaying his ambition to become emperor, isn't this making himself a giant target again?
Cao Cao and Xun Yu exchanged glances, rejoicing in their own faction's discretion and Yuan Shu's foolishness...
A divine teammate is no match for a pig-like opponent.
"Lord Xun, why do you laugh?" Cao Cao asked Xun Yu with interest...
Xun Yu waved his hand. "Does Cao Sikong not know the answer? Cao Sikong seems to be laughing too!"
Speaking of this, Cao Cao stroked his beard.
On the matter of Yu'er's identity as the Hidden Dragon, Cao Cao knew that with Xun Yu's insight, it was impossible not to notice.
Therefore, in his conversation with Xun Yu, he had no need to hide anything about Yu'er's identity.
"Good, I was worried that Agricultural Minister Lu's brilliance was too dazzling recently, and his age was also fitting, I feared he might be 'misunderstood' as the Hidden Dragon by other feudal lords, which would be troublesome. Now, it's good... Yuan Gonglu has done us a great favor!"
Cao Cao sighed with emotion...
This was like a great stone in his heart settling down.
Xun Yu narrowed his eyes. He still couldn't fathom Yuan Shu's thought process!
Why would he, out of the blue, proclaim himself emperor? Isn't this courting death?
"Cao Sikong? How desperate must Yuan Gonglu be to take such a step, this step of self-destruction, it is truly unexpected."
Xun Yu lamented...
Just then.
The sound of footsteps approached from outside the door, and simultaneously, a clear voice came, "Cao Sikong, Lord Xun, it would be strange if Yuan Shu didn't take this step!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Cao Cao and Xun Yu both turned their heads towards the door. At this moment... who else could it be entering the gates of the Imperial Secretariat but Lu Yu!
"Hahahaha..."
Seeing Yu'er, Cao Cao burst into laughter. Just now he heard that Yuan Shu had a counterfeit Hidden Dragon, and now, the true Hidden Dragon had appeared.
And it seemed that every time the Hidden Dragon appeared at a critical moment, he could propose brilliant deployments.
"Agricultural Minister Lu, we were just about to send someone to call for you!" Cao Cao beckoned Lu Yu to sit down, and he gave Xu Chu a look.
Xu Chu understood implicitly, immediately closed the doors and windows, and stood guard outside...
Now, in this vast Imperial Secretariat, only Lu Yu, Cao Cao, and Xun Yu remained.
This formation indicated that they were to solemnly plan the next strategic direction.
"Haha..." With the doors and windows closed, Xun Yu also said with a smile, "We were just mentioning Yuan Shu's obvious ambition to be emperor, which also led to the rumor of a fake 'Hidden Dragon' in Huainan. Agricultural Minister Lu has arrived, coincidentally... this 'fake' Hidden Dragon? Yuan Shu's claim to the throne? What are Agricultural Minister Lu's thoughts?"
He directly posed a question.
Lu Yu, however, shook his head. "How does Lord Xun know? The Hidden Dragon of Huainan is indeed a fake?"
This...
Xun Yu and Cao Cao exchanged glances. Should they really answer? Isn't this something everyone understands but doesn't say aloud?
If they openly pointed out that Lu Yu was the Hidden Dragon...
Cao Cao and Xun Yu were not like Yuan Shu; they would not do such a foolish thing.
At this point, Lu Yu paused. "If you ask me, the Hidden Dragon under Yuan Shu is real, genuine and not fake... However, the Hidden Dragon is real, but Yuan Shu is too stupid. He exposed both the Hidden Dragon and his ambition to be emperor simultaneously. This is simply too foolish. Let alone one Hidden Dragon, even ten Hidden Dragons couldn't save him!"
"However... this is quite in line with Yuan Shu's usual conduct."
Heh heh...
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao and Xun Yu chuckled!
Whether it's a real Hidden Dragon or not, it doesn't matter.
However... regarding Yuan Shu's usual conduct, Cao Cao and Xun Yu became interested.
Who didn't know that Lu Yu's greatest strength lay in his ability to discern the situation and see through people's hearts?
Cao Cao and Xun Yu only knew *that* Yuan Shu was foolish, but they didn't know *how* the foolish Yuan Shu came to be, or *what* he was thinking, or if his brain had indeed been kicked by a donkey.
As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. Being able to understand Yuan Shu's thought process was crucial for Cao Cao to defeat Yuan Shu.
"Agricultural Minister Lu, please elaborate."
As Xun Yu asked, he proactively poured more tea into half a cup and pushed it towards Lu Yu.
"Cao Sikong and Lord Xun are curious about Yuan Shu's temperament?" Lu Yu said with a smile. "Cao Sikong and Lord Xun probably know that Yuan Shu is arrogant, selfish, and since childhood, he has always considered himself the legitimate heir of the Yuan family, right?"
Cao Cao had the most experience with this.
When they were young, Yuan Shu was practically Yuan Shao's nemesis, constantly pointing at Yuan Shao's nose and calling him born of a maid.
Cao Cao's friendship with Yuan Shao in his youth, and even becoming close friends, was inseparable from their similar backgrounds.
Speaking of which...
Cao Cao had been striving to shake off the identity of being raised by a eunuch since he was young...
Every major mishap he caused was inextricably linked to this identity of being raised by a eunuch.
And Yuan Shao, in his youth, struggled to shake off the identity of being the son of a maid, a concubine's son of the Yuan family.
In this regard, he could best understand Cao Cao's feelings of being raised by a eunuch, and Cao Cao could also understand Yuan Shao's feelings of being a concubine's son of the Yuan family.
Therefore, even though Yuan Shao was a year ahead of Cao Cao in the Imperial Academy, apart from Zhang Miao and Hu Wuban, Cao Cao's best friend was Yuan Shao.
As Cao Cao recalled this, Lu Yu's words continued to flow.
"Indeed, Yuan Shu has always felt that he was powerful and of pure lineage, but now... his brother Yuan Shao has been appointed Grand General by His Majesty, second only to the Emperor, above ten thousand people. Yuan Shu, who looked down on Yuan Shao since childhood, now... seeing Yuan Shao about to ride roughshod over him, how could Yuan Shu tolerate it?"
"With such a strong emphasis on lineage and legitimacy, how could Yuan Shu allow a child born of a maid to surpass him, the son of a princess and the legitimate son of the Yuan family? But... in the entire Han Dynasty, the only position higher than Grand General is the Emperor."
"Precisely... the Imperial Seal is in his hands! Precisely, the prophecy from Emperor Wu's reign 'the successor to Han shall be from Tu Gao' has reappeared! Precisely, Yuan Shu occupies six commanderies in Yang Province and most of Yu Province, thus possessing some strength, and of course, ambition that surpasses this strength. All these coincidences will surely create this newly appointed 'dead man in the grave'!"
Lu Yu meticulously recounted Yuan Shu's character.
To put it simply, the current Yuan Shu has soldiers, generals, and territory. How can he not have fame, status, and prestige?
Whether it was jealousy of his brother or coveting divine value, in short, Yuan Shu forcibly proclaimed himself emperor!
Yuan Shu was capable of doing such a thing.
After Lu Yu's speech, Cao Cao and Xun Yu both narrowed their eyes.
It seemed that from some point on, Cao Cao and Xun Yu no longer felt shocked by Lu Yu's similar attempts to fathom people's hearts and his insightful analysis of the feudal lords' actions.
They had gotten used to it...
It felt ordinary, commonplace.
It would be strange if there was any person or feudal lord that Lu Yu did not understand or could not analyze!
Of course, Cao Cao was familiar with Yuan Shu, his old classmate from the Imperial Academy. Since childhood, Cao Cao felt that Yuan Shu was a pit, a deep abyss!
So... the target seemed clear. The next strategic focus would be Huainan.
Yuan Shu's ambition to be emperor was evident, and he, Cao Cao, needed to make early plans.
However, as Yu'er said, Yuan Shu occupied six commanderies in Yang Province and most of Yu Province, with as many as 170,000 to 180,000 troops. Lu Bu and Sun Ce had ambiguous relationships with him. Marching a long distance seemed... not easy to attack!
Cao Cao, besides the necessary garrisons, could only field seven or eight thousand troops. Moreover... not only Yuan Shu, but there was also a not insignificant force between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu – Chen State!
This was Cao Cao's subconscious worry. But in Xun Yu's opinion, if they were to attack Yuan Shu...
There was more than just the issue of Chen State. There were at least three difficulties, and if they were not overcome, then Cao Cao, the Cao army, and the imperial court would likely become a laughingstock of the world.
...
"Agricultural Minister Lu, Cao Sikong." Xun Yu proactively raised the questions in his mind. "Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor. To uphold the legitimate lineage of the Han, and to conquer his territory, we will inevitably have to campaign against him."
"But... if we campaign, there are three problems that must be resolved."
Xun Yu's expression became serious, and his tone was meticulously precise.
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes. He had also thought of a few difficulties, but he didn't know if they were the same as Xun Yu's.
"Lord Xun, please speak frankly."
"The first point is Yuan Shu's strength." Xun Yu stated truthfully. "The 'Little Hegemon' Sun Ce, who has recently made a name for himself in Jiangdong, nominally belongs to Yuan Shu. Furthermore... according to intelligence reports, Yuan Shu is currently brewing a marriage alliance, planning for his son Yuan Yao to marry Lu Bu's eldest daughter, Lu Lingqi!"
Speaking of this, Xun Yu paused. "If, during Cao Sikong's campaign against Yuan Shu, Lu Bu attacks Yan Province again, and the 'Little Hegemon' Sun Bofu supports Yuan Shu? How should we respond? To deal with Yuan Shu alone, our army already has to exert all its strength. Adding Lu Bu and Sun Ce would make it difficult to handle!"
Upon these words...
Cao Cao nodded. He had also considered this point.
If... Yuan Shu and Lu Bu successfully formed a marriage alliance, coupled with Sun Ce's assistance, Yuan Shu would undoubtedly be like a tiger with wings. He, Cao Cao, even with a just cause, might not be able to swallow him whole.
If such a thing... if he couldn't swallow him in one go, the situation would be completely different.
In other words, the Son of Heaven in Cao Cao's hands would lose his value. At that time, there would be a second emperor, a third emperor. Cao Cao's grand strategy of supporting the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords would immediately crumble.
This was a matter that affected the entire situation, and Cao Cao dared not be the slightest bit negligent.
Thinking of this, Cao Cao turned to look at Lu Yu, as if searching for something in his eyes, but Lu Yu's eyes were calm, and his demeanor was very composed.
"Lord Xun, please continue. What are the second and third problems?" Lu Yu blurted out.
Whoa...
Cao Cao was slightly stunned. He was somewhat surprised. Yu'er seemed... too confident? Did he already have strategies in mind?
With this thought, he recalled Yu'er's earlier appellation for Yuan Shu—"dead man in the grave."
Heh heh... Yu'er has such a big mouth, it's quite interesting.
Cao Cao turned back and listened carefully as Xun Yu continued.
"Yuan Shu's strength mentioned earlier is the first difficulty. As for the second difficulty, even if we dispatch troops from Yan Province to attack Yuan Shu, the front line will inevitably be stretched very long. Xu Du city is not close to Shouchun city. Marching a long distance will already make the soldiers exhausted. The most crucial point is that Chen State is sandwiched in between!"
"According to reliable intelligence, Liu Chong, the Lord of Chen State, is a relative of the Han imperial family, commanding a hundred thousand troops, and his relationship with Yuan Shu is also exceptionally close. This is a hidden danger greater than Lu Bu and Sun Ce. Coupled with grain supply, the屯田制 (Tuntian system) has been implemented for less than a year, and the grain reserves cannot support such a distant campaign."
The Chen State Lord Liu Chong mentioned by Xun Yu was the same person Cao Cao was worried about.
Speaking of which, Liu Chong, this imperial relative... was an extremely underestimated figure in the late Han Dynasty.
During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, in the prevailing environment, the feudal lords and kings in various regions lost their territories and subordinates!
However, Chen State, sandwiched between Yan Province and Yu Province, remained intact. The reason for this... was that its Lord, Liu Chong, was skilled in military affairs and brave in battle, so much so that the Yellow Turban Army dared not provoke him.
Furthermore, with the influx of common people from all over, the small Chen State reportedly had over six hundred thousand commoners and as many as a hundred thousand soldiers.
What's more, when the eighteen feudal lords attacked Dong Zhuo later, Liu Chong, the Lord of Chen State, was clear-headed. He neither participated nor opposed. After discussing with his minister Luo Jun, he adopted six words—"Build high walls, store grain widely!"
To this day, Chen State is almost a paradise in the chaotic times, with well-trained soldiers, abundant grain, and brave warriors... even the "Huainan Destruction King" Yuan Shu dares not offend him, and Cao Cao certainly dares not act rashly.
Precisely... such a behemoth is sandwiched between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu.
This creates a terrifying buffer zone. For Cao Cao to conquer Yuan Shu, he must pass through Chen State's Liu Chong!
This is even a greater threat than Sun Ce and Lu Bu!
Speaking of this...
Xun Yu looked up at Lu Yu and continued, "The third is Yuan Shu's own strength. It is heard that a year ago, Yuan Shu had already recruited twenty thousand troops. Our army, excluding the garrisons, can only send out seven or eight thousand troops."
"Moreover, since Yuan Shu dares to proclaim himself emperor, he will inevitably guard against Xu Du. They have the advantage of fighting on home ground and are familiar with the terrain. On the other hand, our army is marching a long distance and is unfamiliar with the terrain. If this battle cannot be concluded swiftly, the balance of victory and defeat will completely tip."
Xun Yu's words were reasonable and well-organized. His insight was astonishing, and he was adept at extracting the advantages and disadvantages of the enemy and oneself from complex situations.
His words also made Cao Cao's brows furrow deeply...
Indeed, Yuan Shu's proclamation of himself as emperor was an act of courting death!
But in other words... if he proclaimed himself emperor, and Cao Cao could not defeat him, then it would not be courting death, but a glimmer of hope!
At that time... the world would not mock Yuan Shu, but would imitate Yuan Shu, and the situation would become completely uncontrollable.
*Hoo*...
Cao Cao let out a long sigh. As expected... Yuan Shu was a tough nut to crack, not easy to bite.
And in the face of Yuan Shu's declaration of emperorship?
What preparations and deployments should he, Cao Cao, make to achieve the optimal solution?
With this thought, Cao Cao's eyes slowly opened, and he subconsciously looked towards Yu'er. He was eager to see what brilliant strategy Yu'er had devised behind his confident demeanor.
At this moment, Lu Yu took a sip of tea. This tea was Taiping Houkui, bitter at first, with a slight sweetness after swallowing, similar to... Pu'er tea.
After savoring it carefully, Lu Yu seemed to have finished his thoughts, or rather, he had organized his words. He narrowed his eyes slightly, put down the teacup, and then... took their teacups from in front of Cao Cao and Xun Yu, as if... something was still missing. Lu Yu then found an inkstone...
Thus, three teacups and an inkstone were placed on the table.
"Cao Sikong, Lord Xun, please look. This inkstone is like Yuan Shu's Shouchun city!" Lu Yu placed the inkstone in the center, then placed the three teacups around the inkstone.
"This first teacup is Lu Bu, to the northeast of Yuan Shu. The second teacup is Sun Ce, to the southeast of Yuan Shu. The third teacup is Liu Chong of Chen State, to the west of Yuan Shu! Currently, the problem we face is this inkstone and these three teacups."
Lu Yu simply used the existing tools to create a sand table, as if performing a simulation on a sand table, making it more intuitive.
Having set up the "sand table"!
Lu Yu opened his mouth and said, "Let's first talk about this first teacup—Lu Bu of Xiapi City, Xu Province!"
Mentioning Lu Bu, Cao Cao spoke. "Lu Bu is like a hungry jackal! He is always good at surprise attacks. In the past, when I conquered Xu Province, he attacked Yan Province by surprise. Now... when I conquer Yuan Shu, he may not stand idly by. This is a golden opportunity for him! He will surely attack our rear again!"
Before Cao Cao could finish speaking... "He won't!" Lu Yu's clear voice had already come out.
"Why won't he?" Cao Cao narrowed his eyes. "If it were me, I would. How could such a heaven-sent opportunity be missed?"
"Haha, how can Lu Bu compare to Cao Sikong?" Lu Yu laughed. "Although he possesses unparalleled martial arts, his intellect is nowhere near that of Cao Sikong's little finger! Cao Sikong overestimates him!"
"But he has Chen Gong's assistance!" Cao Cao continued to lament.
To be honest, Cao Cao did not fear Lu Bu, but he was wary of Chen Gong. Cao Cao had interacted with Chen Gong, and precisely because of that interaction, he dared not underestimate him.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Cao Cao finished speaking.
Lu Yu immediately waved his hand.
"Precisely because Chen Gong is wise, he will not allow Lu Bu to ally with Yuan Shu!"
"Ally with Yuan Shu means rebelling and courting disaster! The current situation in the world, Chen Gong understands clearly. The forces of the feudal lords have already taken shape! Only Lu Bu and Liu Bei are surviving in the cracks, constantly swaying!"
"Liu Bei relies on benevolence and virtue. Lu Bu relies on having fought Dong Zhuo and made great contributions, thereby gaining the goodwill of the world!"
"Rebelling against Yuan Shu... is equivalent to abandoning the title of Marquis of Wen granted to him by the Han court, abandoning past glory, abandoning the gratitude of the world for his elimination of Dong Thieves. The gains do not outweigh the losses... Chen Gong is a smart person, he will never allow Lu Bu to do such a foolish thing!"
As these words came out...
Cao Cao did not feel anything, but Xun Yu nodded first.
"What Agricultural Minister Lu said is correct. Chen Gong is a talented man from Dong Commandery, and I, Xun, have heard of him. Even if he is loyal to Lu Bu, he also has great feelings for the Han Dynasty and will never betray a villain! Thinking this way, Yuan Shu's plan for a marriage alliance with Lu Bu is likely mistaken."
With this statement, Lu Yu continued to supplement.
"Furthermore, Lu Bu did not gain any advantage from his surprise attack on Yan Province last time. Now he will also suspect if there are ambushes in Yan Province. As the saying goes, 'the wind rustles the grass, the snake in the cup frightens one,' and 'once bitten by a snake, one fears the well rope for ten years' is the principle!"
Speaking of this, Lu Yu laughed. "That's why I said Cao Sikong overestimates Lu Bu and underestimates Chen Gong!"
With Lu Yu's detailed analysis, Cao Cao suddenly became much enlightened.
His gaze continued to fall on the other two teacups and the inkstone on the table.
Lu Bu's teacup was resolved... So, after this one, there were three more!
—Liu Chong of Chen State!
—Sun Bofu, the Little Hegemon of Jiangdong!
—Yuan Shu, Yuan Gonglu!
...To deal with these three, can Yu'er offer any ingenious solutions?
Suddenly, Cao Cao and Xun Yu became expectant.
And at this moment, Lu Yu slightly nudged the second teacup, which was for the Little Hegemon of Jiangdong, Sun Bofu...
His words, or rather, in the eyes of Cao Cao and Xun Yu... his "profound insights"—poured out one after another.
...
...