Regardless of whether eyes or legs were to be reattached, both were of utmost importance to Cao’s camp at this juncture.
With a major battle looming, they could not afford to be blind or deaf!
“Prefect Cao, leave the matter of spies to me,” Lu Yu patted his chest. “Within ten days, our eyes and ears in Xiapi City will all return!”
This?
“Does Prefect Lu have a way for spies to infiltrate again? But Lü Bu is now as jumpy as a startled bird, ordinary merchants can no longer enter Xiapi City, and it would be extremely difficult for our spies to sneak in,” Cao Cao lamented…
Lu Yu’s eyes darted, and he replied with a smile, “Who says only merchants can be spies? Merchants cannot enter Xiapi City? But… physicians can!”
“Prefect Cao, winter has already set in, and as expected, the entire Xuzhou will be ravaged by the cold, not excluding Lü Bu’s Bingzhou cavalry. He may obstruct others from entering the city, but physicians, this concerns the health of his soldiers and the morale of the entire Xiapi City. Lü Bu will definitely not block them! Nor would he dare to.”
Lu Yu’s words made Cao Cao and Xun Yu’s eyes snap open.
Physicians, letting physicians enter Xiapi City!
There was some logic to that!
Just as Lu Yu said, with the rampant cold, if Lü Bu refused physicians entry into Xiapi City, it was entirely possible that the entire army and the citizens of Xiapi City would revolt.
Between two evils, choose the lesser. Even if he suspected these physicians were Cao’s spies, he could not stop them, nor would he dare to.
“Excellent, using physicians as spies, this plan is superb!” Cao Cao nodded.
Xun Yu also nodded, but he then recalled something else.
“Prefect Lu, the entry of physicians into Xiapi City can indeed make our eyes sharp again, but… how will we contact the Chen father and son?”
“It is heard that Lü Bu has sent troops to secretly monitor his civil and military officials, and the Chen father and son are also among those being monitored. How can our spies establish contact with them and plan a coordinated inside-outside attack?”
Xun Yu’s words always pierced right to the crux of the matter.
The infiltration of spies and the re-illumination of Xiapi City were, of course, important.
But the purpose of illuminating Xiapi City was precisely to re-establish contact with the Chen father and son.
They were the key to defeating Lü Bu and capturing Xiapi City.
“Prefect Xun speaks truly,” Cao Cao’s expression turned grave again. “The current situation demands that we sow discord between Lü Bu and Liu Bei, and this cannot be done without contact with the Chen father and son. But even if physicians infiltrate Xiapi City as spies, the Chen father and son have no illnesses, nor chronic ailments? How can they legitimately approach them?”
Cao Cao’s words presented another challenge.
If this problem was not solved, capturing Xiapi City would likely cost more troops, and there would be no talk of attacking strategy!
However…
In the eyes of Cao Cao and Xun Yu, this seemingly insurmountable problem was not a problem at all for Lu Yu!
He spread his hands, his eyes narrowed.
And replied with a smile, “How can Prefect Cao and Prefect Xun be so certain that the Chen father and son are not ill?”
Ah…
Cao Cao and Xun Yu were stunned. Could it be that coincidental? The Chen father and son were ill?
Before they could ponder further, Lu Yu’s voice followed.
“Prefect Cao and Prefect Xun can rest assured, the Chen father and son, Chen Deng, is not only ill, but quite severely so! If not treated immediately, it might even cost him his life!”
As Lu Yu said…
According to the records of Chen Deng in the “Records of the Three Kingdoms.”
Chen Deng was an exceptionally formidable figure, to the point where!
He, alone, defended Guangling City and prevented the Sun family of Jiangdong from ever crossing it in their lifetime!
It was a pity that Chen Deng was ill!
He died of illness before reaching forty years of age, leaving behind only endless regrets.
It could be said that in Cao Wei, if he had lived for a few more decades, his future achievements would have been no less than those of Zhong Yao and Chen Qun.
As for his illness…
Hua Tuo had specifically diagnosed him and administered acupuncture, causing him to vomit dozens of basins of red worms from his mouth, a truly disgusting sight!
This illness was contracted over many years of eating a peculiar fish unique to Xuzhou.
According to Lu Yu’s judgment, Chen Deng was most likely already ill at this time, but he had not yet realized it, nor had it reached a severe stage.
Therefore, if physicians were to contact Chen Deng, both to diagnose him and to transmit intelligence between him and Cao Cao, it would be logical and reasonable, and would not arouse any unnecessary suspicion.
Of course, Lu Yu saw no need to explain all of this to Cao Cao and Xun Yu.
His confident demeanor was reassuring.
Cao Cao and Xun Yu exchanged glances, then both smiled faintly.
In Cao Cao’s view…
The task of “reattaching the leg” had been entrusted to Yu’er!
Cao Cao had great faith in Yu’er’s capabilities.
“Very well, let us conclude today’s discussion here!” Cao Cao waved his hand with a smile. “Prefect Lu has traveled a long distance and only arrived in Xudu City today. Prefect Xun, let us join together to welcome Prefect Lu, no, the greatest contributor to this southern campaign to eliminate the rebel Yuan Shu, with a feast!”
At these words…
Xun Yu also smiled.
However, a doubt still lingered in his mind.
If he did not ask about it thoroughly, he feared the welcoming banquet would not be enjoyable!
“Welcoming the foremost contributor with a feast is indeed important, but Prefect Cao, please allow me to ask one more question, one that concerns all our deployment in the campaign against Lü Bu. If I don’t ask, I will not feel at ease!”
Xun Yu spoke…
Heh… still not finished!
Cao Cao felt a pang of concern for his son, who had traveled such a long way and immediately started discussing military affairs. At least let him rest!
On the contrary, Lu Yu blinked his eyes…
After all, Prefect Xun was getting old, much like elders at home who always liked to chatter a bit, it was understandable.
Immediately, Lu Yu cupped his hands slightly. “Prefect Xun, please ask whatever you wish!”
“It’s still about Chen Gong.” Xun Yu’s tone became serious. If, as Lu Yu said, contact could be re-established with the Chen father and son, then… the final piece in planning against Lü Bu, or rather, the key to victory, still lay with Chen Gong.
“As Prefect Lu said, Lü Bu might harbor suspicion towards Chen Gong due to Hao Meng’s rebellion, but once the battle is imminent, Lü Bu will still realize that Chen Gong is the most important strategist under his command, and he will still seek his advice. And Chen Gong will always be a threat to us.”
Again, piercing to the heart of the matter, pinpointing the critical issue, Xun Yu seemed skilled at this.
However…
This question, in Lu Yu’s eyes, was even less of a problem.
Lu Yu directly retorted, “May I presume to ask Prefect Xun a question, is Lü Bu a good lord, or a good husband?”
This…
Xun Yu frowned.
A good lord? A good husband? What did Prefect Lu mean by that?
Indeed, Lü Bu was definitely not a good lord; he was self-willed, guarded, and suspicious of his subordinates… all traits that a wise ruler should not possess.
But precisely because of that, he was also a good husband. Whether it was towards his ‘late wife’ Lady Yan, his remarried wife, Lady Cao, daughter of Cao Bao, or his concubine Diao Chan, he showered them with care and attention, and there was nothing to fault him on that!
Much of the intelligence reported from Xiapi City could attest to this!
So…
Before Xun Yu could figure it out, Lu Yu explained directly, “Lü Bu is a good husband who listens to his women!”
“Prefect Cao, Prefect Xun… allow me to give you an example. If… Prefect Cao’s army were to march to the city walls, and a decisive battle was about to commence at Xiapi City, and Chen Gong advised Lü Bu to station his troops outside the city to mutually support and reinforce each other? What would Lü Bu do?”
Mutually support and reinforce?
Upon hearing these four words, Cao Cao’s eyes lit up.
Not to mention… if Lü Bu and Chen Gong truly supported each other mutually, one outside and one inside, reinforcing each other, the room for maneuver for Cao’s side would be ruthlessly compressed.
Attacking one side would bring reinforcement from the other, leading to greater losses, but… if they divided their forces, it would inevitably lead to a hard-fought battle.
Thinking of this…
Cao Cao said truthfully, “If I were Lü Bu, I would heed Chen Gong’s suggestion and station my troops outside the city to mutually support and reinforce Xiapi City, thereby resisting the enemy’s attack!”
As soon as he finished speaking…
Lu Yu smiled slightly, then shook his head.
“Unfortunately… Lü Bu is not Prefect Cao. Lü Bu might want to station his troops outside the city, but would his ladies agree? Lady Cao? Would Diao Chan agree? Women, who wouldn’t want their husbands to stay by their side? Especially at such a crucial moment.”
“Moreover… they already harbor suspicions towards Chen Gong, and would definitely advise Lü Bu not to venture out of the city. What if the husband leaves and Chen Gong immediately surrenders Xiapi City in exchange for his prosperity? Then… wouldn’t Lü Bu outside the city be sent to his death in vain?”
“At that time, could their wives and concubines still be Lü Bu’s wives and concubines? In other words, these prodigal wives are threatening Lü Bu’s very head… by blowing the pillow talk! As a good husband, how could Lü Bu, unless he wanted to be a cuckold, divide his troops to fight the enemy outside the city?”
Heh…
Not to mention, Lu Yu’s words, from the perspective of Lü Bu’s wives, eloquently narrated their inner thoughts.
Cao Cao and Xun Yu felt a sense of immersion.
Xun Yu immediately felt that this analysis was brilliant. Lü Bu could not abandon his wife and daughters, therefore… Chen Gong’s strategy could only be half-realized at best, and this… almost certainly doomed him to defeat.
It could be said that no matter how brilliant Chen Gong’s strategies were, encountering such a lord, it was no wonder his fate was to fade away.
With this thought, Xun Yu’s mood became complex…
He lamented Lü Bu’s character flaws and, at the same time, felt regret that he was such a good husband!
As for Cao Cao…
He wasn’t thinking that far ahead!
As soon as Lu Yu’s words were spoken, Cao Cao’s attention was entirely focused on Lü Bu’s wives. Lady Cao? The same surname, Lady Cao! He wondered what she looked like?
And… Diao Chan?
Upon hearing this name, implicitly, a faint smile appeared on Cao Cao’s lips.
He was so engrossed in conquering Lü Bu that he forgot… Lü Bu had two wives!
Especially Diao Chan. The beauty of her closed-moon posture from their one meeting at the Minister of Works’ mansion remained unforgettable to Cao Cao, but time had passed, and now, he could not imagine that she had become a concubine!
And the concubine Diao Chan, at the thought of these four words, Cao Cao’s eyes were practically gleaming, a verdant glow.
“Cough, cough…”
Quickly clearing his throat, he hastily collected his thoughts. Now was not the time to think of Diao Chan; the priority was to capture Xiapi City first!
“Hahahaha…”
Suddenly, Cao Cao burst into laughter, perhaps because Lu Yu’s words had cleared his doubts, or perhaps because Lu Yu had steered the conversation towards Diao Chan.
Of course…
The example he had just given was, in fact, the reason for Lü Bu’s downfall in history.
If he had truly heeded Chen Gong’s strategy of mutual support, even with Cao’s army’s strength, how could Xiapi City have been so easily captured?
It was a pity…
Both Chen Gong and Lü Bu had weaknesses…
Chen Gong’s weakness was his strategic intelligence, or rather, his lack thereof.
The so-called intelligence meant that there was a significant cooldown period, or “casting time,” between two plans.
Besides that, he was upright and spoke his mind, objecting to anything he found unacceptable, thus offending many people, a standard manifestation of high intelligence but low emotional quotient.
And Lü Bu also had weaknesses. Some called him self-willed, yet he was extremely obedient to his wives, undoubtedly a good man, but… inevitably, he was a failed lord. His character determined that he would not go far in this chaotic world.
Resolved…
Now, Cao Cao and Xun Yu’s doubts were completely resolved.
It was as they say, beauty is a downfall!
How many heroes had fallen under the allure of pomegranate skirts, at the hurdle of beauty.
Therefore…
Now, everything was ready, and they were just waiting for Yu’er to reattach the leg of the Chen father and son in Xiapi City, and then… it would be time for the final assault.
This was not a long, but rather a happy wait.
“Alright, we’ve talked enough, Prefect Lu must be hungry… Let’s not discuss military affairs today.” Cao Cao laughed heartily. “I heard you recently took in two concubines, no wonder you look so thin!”
“Haha… Today, I specially had the cook prepare deer meat for you to replenish your strength! Lü Bu is a hero who cannot pass the test of beauty, Prefect Lu, you must not follow his example. At least, strengthen your body so you can enjoy the favor of beauty, right?”
Deer meat, it must be deer meat!
Cao Cao was looking forward to grandchildren early. The Cao family had passed down three words from generation to generation: “affection for grandchildren”!
As these words left his mouth…
“Hahahaha…”
Xun Yu also burst into laughter.
It was no secret that Lu Yu had taken in Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao in Lujiang, Xun Yu naturally knew!
Of course, this was somewhat enviable!
Rumor had it – in Lujiang, there were two Qiaos, and in Hebei, Zhen Mi was beautiful…
Prefect Lu’s southern trip was not in vain…
He indeed needed to replenish his strength, and besides, Prefect Lu was indeed much thinner, and Xun Yu did not believe it was due to worrying about military affairs.
“Prefect Lu, please, no military discussions tonight, we shall not return until we are drunk!”
Xun Yu gestured, inviting Cao Cao and Lu Yu to go first.
It was also time for dinner. Eating deer meat, which nourishes the kidneys, strengthens qi, and warms the kidneys to promote yang, was very suitable for Lu Yu.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing that it was time to eat, Lu Yu waved his hands repeatedly.
“Prefect Cao, Prefect Xun… I will not be joining for dinner. I have just returned and have not yet paid respects to Sister Zhaoji. During this time… while I was away, I imagine she must have been very busy managing the Imperial Academy. I should go and see the Imperial Academy!”
Indeed…
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao and Xun Yu both nodded.
They understood the brother-sister bond between Lu Yu and Cai Yan, and even understood it on a deeper level.
Especially Cao Cao…
In his eyes, the mistress of the Prefect of Agriculture’s residence had, on her own, forcefully equalized the generation gap between him and Yu’er. Every time he thought of this, Cao Cao couldn’t help but smile heartily.
However, in the future… he didn’t know whose generation would change!
You consider me an older brother, perhaps I might consider you my daughter-in-law!
Haha…
Thinking of this, Cao Cao smiled faintly, and then said:
“Since Prefect Lu intends to go, then by all means go to the Imperial Academy. A few days ago, I specifically went to see your virtuous sister, and she misses you dearly!”
Speaking of this, Cao Cao suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, and there’s one more thing. When we returned from our victorious campaign not long ago, General Yue Jin voluntarily offered to teach at the Imperial Academy, seemingly to fulfill his promise to you to teach military lessons to the students. I approved, and from now on, General Yue Jin will be your military instructor at the Imperial Academy!”
“His contingent of over three thousand infantry troops will be retained. From now on, Yue Jin and this infantry corps will also be handed over to you!”
Heh…
Yue Jin?
A contingent of three thousand infantry?
Was this considered a reward for the great victory in the south?
Lu Yu’s eyes darted repeatedly.
At Old Cao’s reminder, Lu Yu finally recalled that he and Yue Jin indeed had a small bet back then. If he could capture Chen Country without shedding blood, General Yue Jin would teach at the Imperial Academy and give military lessons.
He never expected that Lu Yu had almost forgotten about this matter, but Yue Jin remembered it!
Moreover… Old Cao directly assigned him to the Imperial Academy, and even threw in an extra gift of a three-thousand-strong infantry corps. This was a huge profit!
Thinking about it now, this bet… was simply superb.
As expected of you, the ever-victorious General Yue Jin!
Lu Yu muttered to himself…
With this ever-victorious general teaching military lessons, Lu Yu felt that these students at the Imperial Academy were truly fortunate.
“Lu Yu thanks Prefect Cao and Prefect Xun…”
“Since that is the case, I must hurry to the Imperial Academy… Lu Yu will take his leave now.”
Before leaving, Lu Yu did not forget to bow.
Still the same courteous young master!
Xun Yu returned the bow, while Cao Cao waved his hand, finally admonishing, “Go, be careful on your way!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yu had already turned and walked out of the Prefect’s mansion.
The Dragon Cavalry were already waiting outside the gate. The next stop was the Imperial Academy. He wondered how much these students had learned?
Speaking of which, Zhuge Jun, Huang Xu, Dian Man, Xu Yi, Cao Ang.
They had participated in the southern campaign, and he wondered if they could still keep up with their military coursework?
Also… this additional reward of three thousand infantry.
Suddenly, Lu Yu had an idea, a brand new idea.
He wanted to build two legions, one being a true spearman legion!
Not a curved sword, but real spears!
And another… Lu Yu had an idea to build the legendary apex predator of the military hierarchy – the Modao soldiers!
The saying that a single Modao could shatter men and horses was no laughing matter.
Of course, ideas were just ideas; there was still some distance to practical implementation.
“Dada da…”
While Lu Yu’s mind was still lost in thought, the Dragon Cavalry’s horse escort had already moved far away.
Next stop – Imperial Academy!
It had been a long time since he had seen Sister Zhaoji. He wondered if she had become more beautiful, and if *that* had grown bigger!
It had also been a long time since he had seen Brother Fengxiao. He wondered if his winery had brewed a pot of distilled liquor yet!
In fact…
There was also Cao Mu. To what extent had this girl researched spears and Modao?
Now, did she possess the conditions to build a spear legion and a Modao soldier legion!
And…
Cheng Yu, according to Lu Yu’s vision, this “Ghost of Central Plains” had a not-so-easy task ahead.
And… Zhang Zhongjing, this “younger disciple” who always called him master, he wondered if his medical skills had improved again!
Even the students at the Imperial Academy, such as Xiahou Heng and Xiahou Ba, had they learned anything at the Imperial Academy!
For a moment, countless question marks appeared on Lu Yu’s forehead.
Only by going to the Imperial Academy could these be slowly resolved.
…
…