Mutiny!
The entire city of Shouchun had erupted in a fierce mutiny from the inside out.
"The opportunity has finally arrived…"
"Damn it, under this dog emperor, I've had enough!"
"Now that the people are furious, let's join them in slaughtering this dog emperor!"
Inside an yamen…
Countless civil and military officials under Yuan Shu had gathered. They had had enough. At this moment, they were sharpening their weapons, and from time to time, someone would pound their fist heavily onto a desk in anger.
The entire table shook violently without pause.
"Generals… have you thought it through? If you truly make this decision, then… Commander Cao awaits your pledge of loyalty!"
Cao Cao's spies continued to inflame the emotions of these officials.
And at this moment, outside the yamen, the sounds of footsteps, shouts, and battle cries were incessant…
Countless armored soldiers, countless commoners wielding weapons and hoes… their angry roars, their eyes bloodshot, their footsteps heading directly towards the end of the grand avenue – the magnificent imperial palace hall!
At this very moment, the palace of the Zhong family's Son of Heaven was on the verge of collapse under the "dong dong" of footsteps.
It seemed… the outcome was already decided.
"Good… pledge of loyalty. Now, we will go and take the head of that dog emperor!"
Yuan Shu's generals roared.
Some of them had already secretly corresponded with Cao Cao and pledged their allegiance!
Others were originally loyal to Yuan Shu.
But…
Seeing how the Son of Heaven of the Zhong family disregarded his soldiers, seeing how the army and people of Shouchun were plunged into dire straits, while he remained immersed in a world of debauchery!
Some even advised him to die, but… all they received was disregard and silence.
So be it…
Heaven and earth are impartial, treating all things as straw dogs! Yuan Shu is unrighteous, treating us all as dogs! Hmph… then do not blame us for being unrighteous!
To betray a lord originally carried a heavy price; one would be spat upon by the world and distrusted by the next lord.
But… betraying Yuan Shu, who usurped the throne and declared himself emperor, is a different story. It might even lead to eternal fame for "abandoning the darkness and embracing the light"!
Even looking at it from another angle…
Cao Cao's "Inner Restraint Edict" was deeply etched in the hearts of every general, every soldier, and every commoner.
Who is the wise lord? Does it even need to be said?
"Kill… kill this traitor!"
"Damn it, storm the palace, strike down the false emperor!"
The slogans erupted…
Those generals who were originally loyal to Yuan Shu had already drawn their sabers and spears, their edges glinting menacingly, pointing directly into the depths of the opulent palace!
And at this moment, Yuan Shu was also drawing his weapon, his final immersive draw…
…
In Shouchun city, at a guesthouse…
"They've come, they've finally come."
He Yan looked out the window at the agitated commoners and soldiers, his heart filled with excitement. Yuan Shu had forced him to impersonate Yin Lin, and he was exhausted, not just tired, but under immense pressure.
He felt as if a sharp blade was always hanging over his head, and with one wrong move, it would fall, piercing his skull, leaving him without a burial place.
Now it was good, he was free… completely free.
He Yan felt his mood completely released.
"Mother… Mother, look quickly, so many people are heading towards the palace with weapons. That scoundrel Yuan Shu is finished, he's finished!"
Standing beside He Yan was his mother, Lady Yin.
At this moment, she was biting her lip…
Only she knew what she and her son had endured to earn a living under Yuan Shu.
Or rather, to what extent she had to humble herself!
After all, Yuan Shu, along with Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, was once one of the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden, taking orders from General-in-Chief He Jin. Back then… how polite Yuan Shu was to her, and now… he showed Lady Yin how humble she needed to be!
What's more, Yuan Shu had already indicated his intention to take Lady Yin as a concubine.
Heh heh… As a widow, remarriage might not be a bad thing.
But… to be the concubine of the "Skeleton King"… that would likely not be a pleasant experience!
Finally, at this moment, was this bitter period coming to an end?
"Is it over, is everything over?"
Lady Yin murmured…
He Yan was about to rush out, and Lady Yin quickly asked, "Yan'er… where are you going?"
"To open the city gate…" He Yan's eyes narrowed. "Now… everyone is only focused on killing the rebel Yuan Shu, but… the urgent matter is to open the city gate to welcome Cao's army into the city! Compared to killing the rebel, this is more important, and this… is the greatest merit!"
Thinking of this, He Yan intended to step out, but his eyes darted.
He suddenly turned his head back.
"Mother, I remember… when we were at the General-in-Chief's mansion, Commander Cao… seemed to pay special attention to Mother!"
This…
Lady Yin was slightly taken aback. To say he paid attention, it wasn't entirely so.
But… Lady Yin, who had lost her husband long ago, how could she not feel Cao Cao's unspoken affection beneath the surface?
And it seemed that Cao Cao was indeed a more trustworthy person than Yuan Shu.
"Is… is there?"
Lady Yin asked back…
He Yan grabbed Lady Yin's hand. "Mother, come with me to the city gate to welcome Commander Cao…"
Welcome, the word was full of hidden meaning…
He Yan was a smart person. He knew that to establish himself in times of chaos, he needed a patron.
His mother needed someone to rely on, and he, He Yan, needed a godfather!
Otherwise, wouldn't they be at the mercy of others, ripe for the slaughter…
"Mother, stop staring, quickly… quickly get dressed, wear that most vibrant dress!"
If the words just now were full of hidden meaning…
Then this sentence, He Yan was rather openly "looking for a godfather."
Of course, it wasn't important. He Yan knew that impersonating Yin Lin and assisting Yuan Shu was a capital offense!
At this juncture, he needed a godfather like Cao Cao to resolve matters for him!
Besides…
Lady Yin was the daughter-in-law of the He family, the mother of He Jin, so why couldn't she be Commander Cao's wife?
Perhaps, Commander Cao had a preference for such things!
…
…
Is there no escape now?
At this moment, outside Yuan Shu's couch, shouts of killing were everywhere.
Countless armored soldiers, from the alleys, from the courtyards, from every corner of the palace, swarmed in.
They hacked at Yuan Shu's guards without explanation!
They were starving soldiers and civilians, stuffing their mouths with the delicacies from the kitchens;
They stuffed gold into their pockets…
As for Yuan Shu's concubines… once they were seen, it was heh heh, heh heh!
They occupied the various palaces within the imperial city. Food…
Gold and women, these formerly private possessions of Yuan Shu, were rapidly being collectivized…
The entire scene was incredibly chaotic…
And Yuan Shu, inside the palace, quickly withdrew his hand from the beauty beside him.
The beauty was sleeping soundly, and even murmured in her dream, "Your Majesty is pressing on my hair."
Just then, a personal guard reported from outside:
– "Your Majesty… there's a mutiny in the city. Countless soldiers and civilians, along with officials… they are all killing their way towards the palace!"
Upon hearing this…
Yuan Shu's face turned as pale as paper, cold sweat streamed down his back, and his entire body trembled!
Mutiny… these soldiers and officials who were originally loyal to him…
They had actually mutinied!
Damn it…
Damn it…
Besides cursing these traitors in his heart, Yuan Shu was powerless. This was something he had not anticipated.
Who would have thought that those who were once loyal servants in his eyes, those fawning dogs who only knew to wag their tails before their master, would now reveal their sharp fangs and gnaw at him, the Zhong family's Son of Heaven!
Unforeseen…
The surrounding sounds of killing jolted Yuan Shu awake from his imperial dream. He suddenly felt that the Imperial Seal on the desk beside his bed was no longer appealing, nor was the beauty beside him…
This…
This…
He foolishly picked up the Imperial Seal again, his eyes fixed on the eight characters inscribed on it – Mandated by Heaven, Long Live and Prosper!
These were eight small characters written by the Prime Minister Li Si in seal script. Did they not symbolize infinite power?
But… but the current situation seemed to have plunged him, Yuan Shu, into an abyss of eternal damnation.
"Your Majesty… your subordinate has gathered the troops. Let us break out quickly amidst the chaos!"
Outside the door, General Ji Ling's voice still echoed…
The Grand Chancellor Yang Hong also tearfully advised, "Your Majesty, it's over… Shouchun city is finished. Cao's army outside the city has already arrived. Now… the fall of Shouchun city is only a matter of time. Your Majesty… Your Majesty should make plans quickly!"
These were the only two civil and military officials remaining beside Yuan Shu. They stood dumbfounded outside the door, waiting for the Zhong family's Son of Heaven to make his final decision.
Should he surrender? Or break out?
"Plop…"
A drop of tear suddenly fell. At this moment, Yuan Shu looked at them with immense shame, tears pouring from his eyes. He… he was unwilling!
Clearly, clearly he had become the Nine-Five Supreme, the man mandated by Heaven, yet why was the final outcome like this?
Where did it go wrong?
Something must have gone wrong!
Where did he, the Zhong family's Son of Heaven, go wrong?
"What… what happened?" Yuan Shu pushed open the door, his voice hoarse, and he choked out the biggest question in his heart.
"It… it was Cao Cao's 'Inner Restraint Edict'." Yang Hong truthfully replied, "Cao Cao sent spies into Shouchun city. They… they plastered the 'Inner Restraint Edict' all over the streets, and… and Cao Cao indeed… is…"
At the end, Yang Hong stopped speaking.
If it weren't for his feelings, if it weren't for him following Yuan Shu since Runan, even he… after seeing this 'Inner Restraint Edict'… his heart was surging with emotion!
He even wanted to follow Cao Cao.
Let alone others.
"Indeed what? What happened to Cao Aman? Grand Chancellor Yang, tell me clearly!"
Yuan Shu roared loudly!
From a young age, he looked down on Cao Cao, thinking that as a eunuch's grandson, what qualifications did he have to study at the same imperial academy? To enter the Western Garden Colonels together? To serve in the same court? Even… to become one of the eighteen lords!
He, Cao Cao, a eunuch's grandson, he had no small thing, he was simply unworthy!
"Alas…" Yang Hong let out a long sigh. He truthfully said, "Cao Cao's daily meals did not include minced meat, while each soldier in the Dragon Riders camp must consume one jin of meat per day! Cao Cao always wore patched clothes, while Your Majesty…"
At this point, Yang Hong choked up…
He couldn't continue. Without comparison, there was no pain! Without comparison, there was no way to incite the public's indignation and the mutiny of the three armies!
Of course, even if Yang Hong hadn't said anything, Yuan Shu, no matter how foolish, would have understood…
So it was… comparison?
Heartbroken, Yuan Shu's heart felt "chill, chill." At this moment, he looked at Ji Ling and Yang Hong with immense shame. Indeed… even Yuan Shu's current inner wear… was edged with gold and embroidered with a black dragon, extremely luxurious!
But… but this had become the funeral dirge for the entire army's betrayal of him?
"Inner Restraint Edict"… Heh heh, Yuan Shu chuckled bitterly!
He never imagined that he, Yuan Shu, would finally lose to a scroll of Cao Aman's family precepts – the "Inner Restraint Edict"!
Collapse.
At this moment, Yuan Shu completely collapsed.
At this very moment, he was terrified, his body trembling, trembling like a cicada in the cold, but he still desperately mustered his breath and shouted, "Take… take the Zhong family and break out!"
"Take… take the Zhong family… take the Zhong family and break out!"
"You, you all obey the Zhong family's orders!"
His voice hoarse, tears streaming down.
"Yes… yes…"
Ji Ling maintained his final loyalty. At Yuan Shu's instruction… he set fire to the palace, and also ignited his dream of "the world of Han, now completely in my hands"!
Taking advantage of the chaos, Yuan Shu, under Ji Ling's cover, desperately broke out!
Defeated, the army was routed like a mountain collapsing.
The entire Shouchun fell, and that night – the flags on the city walls changed hands.
…
…
Chen Kingdom, inside the yamen.
That night, the bright moon hung high, that night the wind was still and quiet. Lu Yu squinted his eyes, sensing the faint chill emanating from the distance.
"Chief Administrator Lu, it's highly likely that Uncle has already launched his attack."
It was Cao Ang who spoke!
Just moments ago, they had received a letter stating that the plan laid out by Lu Yu – tonight, Cao Cao would cast his net!
Hoo…
Lu Yu let out a sigh. He mused that Yuan Shu must be chilled to the bone by now, with the so-called frost like knives, each knife hastening old age.
"Zi Xiu, An Min, I will test you two today. Tell me, if Yuan Shu escapes Shouchun, will he choose to go north? Or south?"
Lu Yu spoke…
He posed a question to Cao Ang and Cao An Min with great interest!
This…
Cao An Min and Cao Ang exchanged glances. Cao An Min replied first, "He will likely go south, after all, Liu Xun in Lujiang is still his subordinate, and… Liu Xun still has fifty thousand troops."
Hearing this, Lu Yu nodded, but remained silent…
Cao Ang shook his head. "No, Yuan Shu will likely choose to go north to seek refuge with his elder brother, Yuan Shao!"
Upon hearing this…
Cao An Min was startled, and Lu Yu opened his eyes. He turned to look at Cao Ang. "Explain it to me in detail?"
"Your student believes…" Cao Ang began to explain meticulously. "After today, Father conquers Shouchun, then… for Yuan Shu, and for Yuan Shu's generals, the current situation has completely changed!"
"And Yuan Shu has no troops, no provisions, and bears the titles of rebel and false emperor. If I were Liu Xun… I would immediately distance myself from Yuan Shu and declare independence… occupying Lujiang and refusing to obey Yuan Shu's orders. In such a case, even if Yuan Shu wanted to go to Lujiang, he wouldn't have the opportunity!"
Having said this, Cao Ang paused and continued, "But Yuan Shao is different. The Yuan family, with four generations of high officials and unparalleled prestige… if he hasn't chosen to welcome the Son of Heaven, then he will surely have the ambition to usurp the throne… Moreover, Father once said that in the past… besides Yuan Shu, who else coveted the Imperial Seal? Therefore… your student is certain that Yuan Shu will head north to Jizhou!"
"However, these are all my student's humble opinions. I hope Chief Administrator Lu will guide me…"
My goodness, not bad…
Cao Ang's words surprised and delighted Lu Yu.
This eldest son of Old Cao was indeed remarkable, to have thought of this layer, he was teachable.
Lu Yu nodded in approval…
"Good, good… your analysis is the same as mine!" Lu Yu patted Cao Ang's shoulder.
From the answer to this question, Lu Yu could also see… that Cao Ang's succession to the throne in the future would be ten times more reliable than Cao Pi's. He should indeed invest some effort in cultivating this eldest son properly.
In this way, wouldn't Lu Yu become an imperial tutor in the future?
This title was quite impressive!
Hearing this… Cao An Min seemed to have also figured it out, and immediately cupped his hands. "Your student has also learned from this!"
Having said this, Cao An Min raised his eyes and looked in that direction.
"It seems Chief Administrator Lu also sent Sima Cheng and General Cao Xiu to Lujiang. With Shouchun city captured as scheduled, the next… will be Lujiang, right?"
Upon hearing this… Lu Yu smiled slightly.
And so it was…
Next, it would be Cheng Yu's turn to showcase his skills. Thinking of this, his eyes blinked continuously… The journey to Lujiang was not a complicated task, but the matters within it were quite intricate, at least… as intricate as "a dog biting a person"!
Of course…
At this moment, Lu Yu did not know that a carriage was traveling from Lujiang into Chen Kingdom territory.
There were many riders around the carriage…
They were originally guards from the Qiao family, responsible for protecting the two young ladies along the way.
And inside the carriage…
At this very moment, two beautiful and charming women had tears in their eyes, their faces filled with worry and anxiety.
They wished so much that the carriage could run faster… and faster.
They also wished… they could appear before Physician Lu immediately!
"Sister… shall we not rest tonight?" Xiao Qiao spoke…
"Traveling at night can be a bit dangerous…" Da Qiao was slightly hesitant.
But it was only for a moment, Da Qiao bit her lip. "Alright, the sooner we see Physician Lu, the… the greater the hope of Mother's recovery!"
"Mm…" Xiao Qiao tightly held Da Qiao's hand, as if… it was a way of mutual encouragement unique to sisters.
They had never been separated since childhood; it was like this before, and it would be like this in the future!
This journey – dusty and weary;
This night – sleepless!
…
…
Yang Province, Lujiang Commandery.
In a guesthouse…
Cheng Yu stood by the window, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if waiting for something.
But he seemed very patient, and always appeared calm and collected.
Penetrating enemy territory and inciting enemy generals like this was not the first or second time… Cheng Yu was originally bold, and executing such a mission now was as easy as eating and sleeping.
Speaking of which, ever since joining the Dragon Riders and beginning to undertake these missions of inciting enemy generals, Cheng Yu… discovered a rather coincidental matter!
That is, all the people whom Young Master Lu asked him to incite.
For example – Xu Huang, under Yang Feng;
For example – Xu Chu, the leader of the Runan Volunteers.
And furthermore, Luo Jun, the Grand Chancellor of Chen Kingdom…
Without exception, it seemed… their original intention was to pledge allegiance to Commander Cao, they were just lacking an opportunity!
Cheng Yu merely acted as a bridge in the middle!
The final result was beautiful, and the process was also extremely smooth.
And this also made Cheng Yu increasingly calm and collected when carrying out his missions… and increasingly relaxed and comfortable.
Hmm…
Suddenly, Cheng Yu's eyes narrowed. He heard something.
It was the sound of footsteps, firm and heavy footsteps.
"Tap, tap, tap"…
As the footsteps sounded, Cheng Yu softly hummed. "He's here! The one with courage no less than mine, he's finally here!"
…
…