"A worthy opponent indeed, Cheng Sima of the Long Xiao Camp. I have long admired you."
"And Liu Ziyang, the talent of statecraft lauded in the Yue Dan commentary. It is I who have long admired you!"
The grand door creaked open…
First came a round of polite flattery.
This was the first meeting between Cheng Yu and the mysterious man, and the atmosphere seemed more cordial than expected.
Indeed, the man Cheng Yu had invited was Liu Ye, also known as Liu Ziyang, from Chengde in Huainan!
In the past, Xu Shao had described him in the Yue Dan commentary with the words "talent of statecraft."
In truth, Liu Ye fully deserved those four words, and… he was very much like Cheng Yu!
They were both civil officials, yet they possessed personalities akin to "wolves."
Cheng Yu could eat human flesh without batting an eye, and with a single sweep of his blade, he could slaughter a county magistrate without flinching.
And Liu Ye was also formidable…
His mother's dying wish was for him to kill the attendants favored by his father. At thirteen, Liu Ye did not hesitate, ending one with a single stroke!
Beyond that…
Lujiang's current stability owed a great deal to Liu Ye's contributions.
In the past, many powerful families in Yangzhou had raised their own armies, and one particular warlord even intended to abduct the populace and cross the Yellow River to the south.
As Liu Ye was renowned in the region, this warlord invited him, asking him to persuade the people.
Who would have thought that during the banquet…
As everyone was deep in their cups, Liu Ye seized the opportunity of a toast to kill the warlord directly, sever his head, and intimidate his followers!
Everyone present was stunned into silence, and immediately submitted!
They then unanimously recommended Liu Ye as the leader of Lujiang Commandery, to jointly pursue greater ambitions.
However, Liu Ye, considering himself a descendant of the Han imperial family, saw the decline of the Han dynasty… yet he could not bear to overthrow the Han, nor did he wish to build his own power… so he entrusted these people to Liu Xun, the Prefect of Lujiang!
Therefore…
It could be said that Liu Ye held a very high status in Lujiang!
And he was also someone mentioned in Lu Yu's sealed message, whom Cheng Yu had to win over.
"Hahaha… everyone knows that Sima Cheng is the most skilled at recruiting enemy generals under Minister Lu."
Liu Ye was smiling throughout, his smile remarkably gentle.
"This time, I never expected that Sima Cheng would secretly infiltrate Lujiang and be the first to meet me, Liu Ye. Minister Lu and Sima Cheng think so highly of me; I am truly overwhelmed!"
These words sounded like a probe…
But in reality, they were Liu Ye's true feelings. He had long wished to surrender to Cao Cao, but… his current identity was sensitive. He was a descendant of the Han imperial family, and under Yuan Shu, he found himself without a clear path!
Cheng Yu's arrival, however, instantly ignited the flame in his heart.
"Ziyang, my brother, are you testing me?" Cheng Yu was also somewhat surprised… it seemed to be going too smoothly.
Liu Ye waved his hand.
"Rebel Yuan Shu defies heaven and changes destiny, usurping the Han to establish himself. Heaven and man alike will punish him. How can he be a match for Situ Cao?"
"In my opinion, it is only a matter of days before Shou Chun city changes hands. And… at that time, I will do my utmost to persuade Prefect Liu Xun to sever ties with the rebel Yuan Shu and surrender to Situ Cao… only…"
At this point, a hint of worry appeared in Liu Ye's eyes.
"Prefect Liu Xun commands fifty thousand troops. To persuade him to surrender… I fear he will not agree so easily. And what is even more concerning is the direction of Jiangdong. If my predictions are correct, with Yuan Shu's downfall… Sun Ce of Jiangdong will surely make a move."
Liu Ye's words…
In fact, they already placed him on the same footing as Cheng Yu! He was considering things from Cao Ying's perspective!
This greatly surprised Cheng Yu.
Considering…
He had persuaded many enemy generals to defect, but… Liu Ye was the only one who so openly displayed the words "sincerely surrendered," "eagerly awaiting" as if written on his face.
How desperate was he to join Situ Cao?
No… to be precise, how desperate was he to lead these fifty thousand brothers to abandon darkness and embrace the glorious future!
This was not the main point. The main point was that Liu Ye's analysis was exactly the same as described in Lu Yu's sealed message.
This, in particular, was what shocked Cheng Yu the most.
In Cheng Yu's view…
Young Master Lu's foresight was not surprising; he was accustomed to it.
But that Liu Ye could make such similar judgments to Young Master Lu could not help but make Cheng Yu look at him with great interest.
Could it be? Did Liu Ye also possess the same unfathomable insight and predictive abilities as "Young Master Lu"?
No wonder Young Master Lu explicitly stated that even if the mission failed, this person must be brought back!
Indeed, he had some ability!
Of course…
Cheng Yu was unaware that the historical Liu Ye was a great prophet!
According to ancient texts, he had made five heaven-defying predictions in succession:
The first was his prediction that Liu Bei would avenge Guan Yu and launch the Battle of Yiling.
The second was his prediction that in the Battle of Yiling, Sun Quan would submit to Cao Wei and acknowledge vassalage, but Sun Quan was forced by circumstances, not genuinely loyal, and would surely rebel in the future.
The third was his prediction that after the Battle of Yiling, Lu Xun would surely be on guard, and at that time, Wei troops attacking Eastern Wu would be futile!
The fourth was truly remarkable; under no circumstances did he predict that Wei Feng, Meng Da, and Gongsun would all rebel!
This was practically cheating!
And the most impressive was the fifth, which was happening now…
While in Lujiang, under Liu Xun's command, Sun Ce proposed an alliance and sent many gifts!
And Liu Ye accurately predicted that Sun Ce's alliance was false, and he was lulling Liu Xun's troops into complacency, with the aim of taking Lujiang!
It could be said…
Liu Ye's series of judgments were incredibly precise…
So precise as if he had seen the opponent's strategic plan.
Of course, there were two other individuals present who had also seen Sun Ce's strategic plan: Lu Yu.
And also Cheng Yu, who was standing before Liu Ye at this very moment, preparing to do some persuasive talking.
"Ziyang, you also foresaw that Sun Ce's forces would make a move?" Cheng Yu asked back. "Then… how will Sun Ce's forces act?"
At this moment…
The conversation between Cheng Yu and Liu Ye had become much more intimate. They did not seem like individuals serving different masters, but rather like… brothers who had known each other for a lifetime!
"Sima Cheng has traveled a long distance? Surely you have not come to ask such questions?"
Liu Ye countered Cheng Yu. "Hahaha, I have long heard that Commander Lu of the Long Xiao Camp is skilled at discerning the currents of the times. Then… may I, Liu Ye, venture to ask Sima Cheng? Regarding the actions of Sun Ce in Jiangdong? Does Young Master Lu have any advice?"
This time, it was Liu Ye's test…
He was not testing Cao Cao, but Lu Yu, this legendary commander of the Long Xiao Camp who had repeatedly helped Cao Ying escape danger and survive desperate situations. How powerful was his insight?
Was he as his name suggested?
Or was he a crane that could not dance?
This was what Liu Ye cared about most…
Indeed, Liu Ye had intended to surrender to Cao, but surrendering to Cao could be in two ways: one was to surrender to Situ Cao and become his advisor!
The other was to use the connection with Cheng Yu to directly join the Long Xiao Camp.
Although the ultimate goal was the same, Liu Ye was too curious and too eager about Lu Yu and the Long Xiao Camp.
Ah…
Cheng Yu's eyes flickered. How could he not realize that Liu Ye was testing him, or more accurately, testing Young Master Lu's capabilities?
However… did this even need testing?
With such a precedent, Young Master Lu's predictions had never been wrong!
"Hahaha…"
Cheng Yu chuckled, pouring more than half a cup of tea and offering it to Liu Ye. "Young Master Lu's instructions? Ziyang, do you truly wish to hear them?"
"I do! I very much wish to hear them," Liu Ye replied with firm conviction.
"Then…" Cheng Yu smiled slightly and then took out an item from his怀中, it was the sealed message that Lu Yu had given him earlier, the one he had been reluctant to let even Cao Xiu see.
"Originally, this sealed message should not have been shown to Ziyang. However, since Ziyang wishes to test Young Master Lu, why not directly read this message written by Young Master Lu himself."
Saying this, Cheng Yu placed the sealed message in Liu Ye's hand and smiled lightly.
"Inside this is Young Master Lu's complete prediction regarding Sun Ce of Jiangdong, including… that he will soon send envoys, that he will offer a large amount of treasure to bribe Prefect Liu Xun, and even that he will advise Prefect Liu Xun to attack Shangliao city!"
Cheng Yu paused, then turned his back and stood with his hands behind his back.
He lamented, "If you and I do not intervene, then Lujiang, and these fifty thousand soldiers, will likely change their allegiance to Sun. And Ziyang and Prefect Liu Xun will ultimately have to seek refuge with Situ Cao! However… at that time, it will not be a surrender, but fleeing for their lives."
This…
As Cheng Yu spoke, Liu Ye slowly unfolded the sealed message.
It was one thing not to unfold it…
But upon unfolding it, his eyes widened in astonishment.
The sealed message contained a detailed account of Sun Ce's entire plan to seize Lujiang!
How to send envoys with humble words and treasure to lull Prefect Liu Xun?
How to persuade Liu Xun to attack Shangliao city?
How to take advantage of Liu Xun's attack on Shangliao city to launch a surprise attack on Liu Xun and capture Lujiang Commandery?
What a venomous scheme!
Each of these points leaped before his eyes…
If Cheng Yu had not handed him this sealed message, Liu Ye would likely have thought… this must be the strategic plan of Sun Ce of Jiangdong, secretly obtained by spies!
Of course…
If an envoy from Jiangdong were to propose attacking Shangliao city, then his judgment would not be difficult to make.
But… how could Young Master Lu be so certain that Jiangdong would send envoys to feign an alliance and lure the tiger away from its mountain?
This…
This prediction had no warning signs whatsoever?
In other words, the prerequisite for this sealed message to exist and be reasonable was that Sun Ce would send envoys to deceive Prefect Liu Xun? Would Sun Ce… send envoys?
"Sima Cheng… this…" Liu Ye was about to speak…
But he heard the sound of hurried footsteps outside the door.
Seemingly because the situation was quite urgent, there was no announcement or report. A man suddenly pushed open the door.
His tone was extremely urgent.
"Reporting to Duke Liu…"
Duke Liu naturally referred to Liu Ye, whose current official position was the Gong Cao of Prefect Liu Xun's staff!
As if seeing Cheng Yu, the man paused and quickly closed his mouth.
Liu Ye understood and waved his hand, signaling him not to mind, and to continue.
"By carrier pigeon, last night, Shou Chun city was captured by Cao's army. His Majesty… ah no, Yuan Shu… his fate is unknown!"
Upon hearing this news…
Liu Ye merely nodded slightly. It was as he expected!
In his opinion, Yuan Shu's demise was only a matter of time, and there was nothing to be surprised about.
But just as he was about to wave his hand and dismiss the man.
The man's voice rose again. "Sun Ce of Jiangdong has sent the envoy Zhuge Jin to Lujiang. He has already boarded the ship, and according to the spies, Zhuge Jin also brought a lot of treasure, saying it was to congratulate Prefect Liu Xun!"
This…
Upon hearing this, Liu Ye's eyes narrowed.
An envoy from Jiangdong visiting, with a large amount of treasure…
This… this was exactly as described in Young Master Lu's sealed message!
This was starting to look like deception!
It seemed… it seemed only lacking the proposal for Liu Xun to attack Shangliao city, and then… the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!
And Liu Xun, who was habitually greedy for wealth, would likely fall for the trap after being flattered by such sweet words!
This…
Suddenly, Liu Ye, who had been calm and composed, felt his chest heave. He quickly pricked up his ears, still somewhat incredulous.
"You, say that again."
To ensure accuracy, he immediately asked.
"Sun Ce of Jiangdong… Sun Ce of Jiangdong has sent the envoy Zhuge Jin to Lujiang!"
The reporting man paused slightly but raised his voice and reported truthfully again:
"Zhuge Jin has already boarded the ship and will cross the Yangtze River shortly. According to the spies, Zhuge Jin also brought a lot of treasure, saying it was to congratulate Prefect Liu Xun!"
Congratulate…
This time, the keyword Liu Ye sought was "congratulate." What was there to congratulate?
It was nothing more than congratulating Prefect Liu Xun on establishing his own authority, and then… proposing the attack on Shangliao city. As for the reason…
Shangliao city stored a large amount of grain. If Liu Xun wanted to grow stronger, he had to take Shangliao!
This was clearly deception in progress!
The rest of the story…
Even without Lu Yu's sealed message, Liu Ye could have fully predicted it – the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!
Then…
"Whoosh!" Liu Ye suddenly stood up. "This time, it is Young Master Lu and Sima Cheng who have saved me, Liu Ye, saved this Lujiang, and also saved these fifty thousand soldiers…"
Saying this, Liu Ye cupped his hands in a bow. "Sima Cheng, please stay at the guesthouse for a while. Allow me… allow me to report to Prefect Liu. How can Sun Ce's brat plot against Lujiang and not leave something behind?"
This…
Cheng Yu paused. "Ziyang, my brother, aren't you afraid that Prefect Liu will not listen to you?"
Upon hearing this…
"Haha…" Liu Ye laughed, and as he laughed, he frankly admitted, "If it weren't for Sima Cheng, and for Young Master Lu's sealed message, Prefect Liu would certainly not believe me. But… what if Prefect Liu saw this sealed message first? Then Sun Ce's envoy and Sun Ce's plotted conspiracy would be exposed, and it would die in the cradle?"
Saying this, Liu Ye shook his head slightly. He felt that the phrase "die in the cradle" was not quite fitting.
If Young Master Lu's prediction was correct…
Then… on his side, it was almost like playing with open cards. When Sun Ce arrived, how could he not leave something behind?
"Ziyang, my brother, I will be at the guesthouse!" Cheng Yu also stood up. "Besides me, Young Master Lu has also sent fifty Dragon Xiao Camp riders. Sun Ce is plotting against Lujiang, and we will not stand idly by! I hope Ziyang and Prefect Liu will not hesitate to accept our help!"
Hoo…
Liu Ye let out a long sigh and then nodded.
"If we win this battle, I will surely persuade Prefect Liu Xun to surrender to Situ Cao!"
"And this Lujiang and the upcoming great battle will be our pledge of allegiance. At that time, please have Sima Cheng introduce me!"
"Certainly! Certainly!" Cheng Yu's eyes tightened… his tone was firm.
And so, the two men, who had never known each other, reached a subtle understanding in just the time it took to drink a cup of tea!
Of course, the sealed message, which played a decisive role, was indispensable.
Playing with open cards, who couldn't do that?
…
…
Hoo…
On the Yangtze River, the vast ocean surged and roared.
On a楼船, Zhuge Jin stood at the bow, squinting as he gazed north.
This time, as Sun Ce's envoy, he was carrying out an important mission.
If successful, Liu Xun's Lujiang and his fifty thousand soldiers could be completely incorporated into Jiangdong, and he, Zhuge Jin, would undoubtedly have achieved a great merit.
Hoo…
Zhuge Jin let out a long sigh.
Three years ago, the scene of the Zhuge brothers parting ways in Langya Commandery, Xuzhou, kept flashing before his eyes.
Especially the words spoken by his second brother, Zhuge Liang: "Sun Ce of Jiangdong has generals like clouds and advisors like rain, but he uniquely lacks a rhetorician who can form alliances!"
"And this is precisely what Eldest Brother excels at. If he were to pledge allegiance to Sun Ce, he would surely be entrusted with important responsibilities and become a pillar of Jiangdong!"
Heh heh… entrusted with important responsibilities and become a pillar?
Speaking of which…
Zhuge Jin had been serving Sun Ce for several years. During these years, as one of the mid-level advisors under Sun Ce, in terms of strategy, he could not compare to Zhou Yu, the Qilin of Jiangdong, known as Zhou Gongjin. In terms of internal affairs, he was not as capable as Lu Su or Zhang Zhao.
Inferior to the best, superior to the rest!
Zhuge Jin's situation was awkward.
And his expertise in forming alliances seemed to be of no use under the pressure of Sun Bofu's martial prowess.
Dealing with the likes of Yan Baihu and Wang Lang in Jiangdong, there was no need for alliances.
Alas…
How frustrating it was…
And now, finally, finally, Zhuge Jin had found an opportunity, an opportunity to use his glib tongue to "deceive" Liu Xun, thereby capturing Lujiang without bloodshed!
And Lujiang's geographical location was crucial for Sun Ce.
One should know…
Sun Ce's enemy was Huang Zu of Jiangxia. Now that he had swept through Jiangdong, occupying the six commanderies of Jiangdong, and suppressed the powerful families of Jiangdong with his military might, the next step was to turn his attention back to Huang Zu and avenge his father!
This…
This was almost the core strategic objective of the Sun Ce army for the next few years.
But by chance…
Lujiang stood between Jiangxia and Jiangdong, serving as an important hub for grain supply and military provisions.
It could be said that without capturing Lujiang, the strategic plan to avenge his father could never be realized.
In addition to this…
There was another reason. Sun Ce bore a grudge against Liu Xun of Lujiang, both old and new!
In the past, when he joined Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu had promised Sun Ce that if he attacked Lujiang… he would be made the Prefect of Lujiang.
However, Yuan Shu's mouth was always filled with lies!
Sun Ce had indeed conquered Lujiang, but Yuan Shu, in turn, sent his confidant Liu Xun to Lujiang to serve as prefect, as if picking a peach that Sun Ce had placed in his arms.
At that time, Sun Ce was naturally furious.
But… Liu Xun commanded fifty thousand troops, and had Yuan Shu as his backer. What could he do?
He could only settle for the second best and take the six commanderies of Jiangdong, waiting for an opportunity!
However…
Times were different now. Yuan Shu was gone, and the opportunity had arrived!
Neither Sun Ce, nor Zhou Yu, nor Zhuge Jin, intended to let this opportunity slip away, this opportunity to become famous in a single battle.
The river wind blew, it was a southwest wind…
The Yangtze River typically carried the southwest wind.
Only the fishermen who lived along the Yangtze River knew that every year, for a short period, this southwest wind would turn into a southeast wind!
And only the most experienced fishermen could accurately judge this.
"Chief Clerk Zhuge, the territory of Lujiang Commandery is just ahead where we dock."
A voice called out…
Zhuge Jin's eyes widened.
"Hoo…" He let out another long sigh. "Are we here?"
Although he said this, his heart was constantly encouraging himself.
"Kongming, Jun Di, I don't know what your current situations are like, how are you?"
"But Elder Brother has finally found an opportunity, an opportunity to become Jiangdong's 'Zhang Yi,' 'Su Qin'! I hope… Elder Brother this time, will not fail his mission!"
"I will definitely not fail my mission, right?"
…
…