"Kill..."
"Kill..."
As tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Cao's troops launched a full-scale assault on the city, the entire Pengcheng was engulfed in flames.
The west, south, and north gates were attacked simultaneously, breaking through like a tidal wave.
What was astonishing was that the Xuzhou soldiers, who should have been defending Pengcheng, were largely hesitant and unwilling to advance... They did not want to die, nor did they want to become sacrifices in Cao Cao's righteous war!
The morale of the entire Xuzhou army had plummeted to the bottom.
"Bad... a spy opened the west gate..."
"Bad, a spy opened the south gate..."
"Bad... the north gate can't hold!"
Exclamations of extreme disadvantage echoed throughout Pengcheng.
Spies? They were not spies at all; it was the clans and prominent families within Pengcheng who had opened the city gates to welcome Cao Cao's army!
"Kill..."
"Charge in!"
Cao Cao's army's morale grew increasingly high... The common people tacitly retreated to their homes, and Cao Cao's troops encountered the last resisting enemy force in the alleys!
That's right... they were Cao Bao and his Danyang soldiers, troops summoned by Tao Qian from his hometown. Their loyalty to Tao Qian was like that of the military men of Qiao and Pei towards Cao Cao.
However... under the current circumstances, with centrifugal clans, neutral common people, and dispirited armored soldiers... it was impossible to resist Cao Cao. Pengcheng's fall was inevitable.
"Hold the line... hold the line..." Cao Bao was still resisting stubbornly.
The war fires burned, and countless people roared with heart-wrenching anguish... Viewed from high above, one could see the intermingling of green and yellow. Countless Qingzhou soldiers clad in green armor were like a sharp saber, piercing directly into the heart of Pengcheng.
The Xuzhou soldiers and Danyang soldiers were instantly torn open, and this rift continued to deepen and expand, like a dike being gnawed by insects, becoming riddled with holes in an instant.
Under the leadership of Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong, Cao Cao's army advanced with overwhelming momentum, fearlessly charging towards these Danyang soldiers who were like mantises trying to stop a chariot. Some charged too recklessly and were surrounded by Danyang soldiers, with enemies falling one after another, endlessly. But... the battle halberds of Cao Cao's soldiers grew increasingly bloodthirsty and sharp!
Here, there were no cries of the weak, only roars of the strong.
Hundreds of thousands of Cao Cao's troops were like warships riding the wind and waves, rampaging through Pengcheng... The resistance they encountered was nothing more than an hour before it vanished.
The reason? After discarding the support of scholars and the assistance of the common people, how could Cao Bao and the Danyang soldiers still be a match for Cao Cao and the Qingzhou soldiers?
Even though they were the attacking force and unfamiliar with Pengcheng, at this moment, Cao Cao's army was like an invincible existence.
...
On the east city wall.
Liu Bei was gazing at the battlefield of Pengcheng with narrowed eyes, his entire face appearing low and solemn.
The west, north, and south gates had all fallen. Only the east gate... was still under Liu Bei's control.
"Brother, if we don't go to support soon, the whole of Pengcheng will be lost..." Zhang Fei clenched his Serpent Spear, repeatedly clamoring. If Liu Bei hadn't stopped him, he would have already gone to fight Cao Cao's army.
"Stop, you are not allowed to go!" Liu Bei's tone was as firm as ever.
"Ai!" Zhang Fei stomped his feet in anger. The battle had reached this point, and he felt stifled... Seeing Pengcheng about to be lost, and still not going... what was Big Brother worrying about?
"Third Brother, Big Brother is right!" Guan Yu, holding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade in one hand and stroking his beard with the other, said, "We only have two thousand troops, and Cao Cao's army is nearly a hundred thousand. Even if we go to reinforce, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, bringing about our own destruction!"
"Then... we're not going to do anything?" Zhang Fei still clamored. "Then what are we defending the city for? Let's all be cowards!"
"Third Brother, look here..." Liu Bei grabbed Zhang Fei and pointed his hand towards the east gate, saying earnestly, "Now that the other three city gates have fallen, and only the east city gate is in our hands. If we abandon the east city gate to reinforce the Danyang soldiers... then the Danyang soldiers will have no retreat!"
"And those armored soldiers, common people, and clans who want to escape the city will also have no retreat. It's not that we are not going to fight, but that we are holding onto this only retreat path... this is a more important place than fighting."
Liu Bei's tone was solemn. Rarely had he spoken to his two sworn brothers in such a grave manner.
Indeed, although most of the clans and common people either favored Cao Cao or remained neutral.
Yet... there were still some clans and common people who chose to escape through the east gate. Tao Qian was benevolent and always treated the common people well. Some common people and clans had received Tao Qian's kindness and could not bear to betray him.
And in Liu Bei's opinion, these were people he needed to win over...
By covering their escape, he could gain a large wave of popular support.
In the future chaos of Xuzhou, these hearts might be able to help him, Liu Bei.
Of course, Liu Bei was also forced to do this now. This was one of the few opportunities he had to win hearts and turn the tide.
With this thought... Liu Bei shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Common people, hurry and escape through the east city gate! I have already arranged for people along the way to prepare provisions, enough for you to escape to Xiapi City..."
"Hurry... hurry!"
At these words...
Many common people were deeply moved. They had already received favors from Tao Qian and thought Tao Qian was benevolent enough. They did not expect that at this time of crisis, there was still someone as benevolent as Tao Qian, and his name was Liu Xuande!
"Big Brother, I will go and command the common people to evacuate." Guan Yu requested...
"Me too!" Zhang Fei, understanding his Big Brother's intention, no longer caused trouble, clamoring to help.
"No need to go..." Liu Bei's eyes narrowed. He pointed towards the east city gate. "This is the last batch of common people. It seems more common people chose to stay, choosing to stand with Cao Cao."
With this thought, Liu Bei's brows furrowed even tighter. The number of common people fleeing was far less than his expectation... This was enough to show that Cao Cao's previous strategy had been very effective!
"What a powerful mind-manipulation technique!"
Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh...
Having never met the people, yet able to win their hearts, such a mind-manipulation tactic was truly impressive!
With this thought, Liu Bei couldn't help but look up to Cao Cao. But then he felt that, based on his understanding of Cao Cao, he shouldn't be able to come up with such a mind-manipulation tactic. This did not fit his "rather I betray the world than the world betray me" personality...
Then... it must be that Cao Cao had capable advisors!
"Alas..." Liu Bei shook his head, feeling quite helpless. At that time, he served Gongsun Zan as the Prefect of Pingyuan;
And Cao Cao served Yuan Shao as the Administrator of Dong Commandery.
At that time, the two were evenly matched... but in two years, Liu Bei envied Cao Cao's experiences...
And now, Cao Cao had grown into a colossus.
On the contrary, what did he, Liu Bei, have besides his three sworn brothers Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun?
Why couldn't Heaven bestow upon him, Liu Bei, a strategist?
"Second Brother, Third Brother, Zilong, look... the Danyang soldiers are also retreating this way."
Liu Bei reminded them. "Now that the common people have almost all evacuated, let us abandon the city with the Danyang soldiers and retreat to Xiapi City first, and then we will discuss matters with Governor Tao!"
"Alright..." Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun all agreed. Liu Bei's two thousand troops immediately withdrew from Pengcheng. This battle, his troops suffered no losses, but because he held the east gate, he gained a large wave of popular support.
However, even as they retreated, Liu Bei couldn't figure it out.
Why did Lu Bu's surprise attack on Yan Province end up with thunder but little rain, not even requiring Cao Cao's reinforcements? This was truly baffling!
Of course, he wasn't the only one with this thought!
The last person to have such a thought was the Governor of Xuzhou, Tao Qian, who was currently ill and on his deathbed!
...
...
Yan Province, Chenliu Commandery.
The situation had stabilized, and Lu Yu no longer needed to stay in Juancheng. Leaving two hundred Dragon Cavalry to assist in the defense, Lu Yu led the remaining one hundred Dragon Cavalry back to Chenliu Commandery.
Saying he was leading a hundred Dragon Cavalry, in reality... Lu Yu was afraid, and having over a hundred brothers protecting him made him feel much more at ease.
Of course, with Dian Wei by his side, Lu Yu felt even more at peace on the road. He felt that his group could handle several hundred opponents!
However...
Along the way, Lu Yu could sense that Dian Wei was preoccupied with something, but when he asked, Dian Wei wouldn't say... just saying it was nothing.
This made Lu Yu a bit confused.
Dian Wei, with his peak martial prowess but simple mind, should not be dwelling on trivial matters and should not be able to hide anything in his heart. It seemed he shouldn't have any troubles.
Never mind... they would talk about it when they got back.
At this moment, Lu Yu wasn't thinking that much, nor did he understand Dian Wei's feelings.
What Dian Wei was currently preoccupied with was a single matter: defeating Lu Bu!
Dian Wei was a martial person. The last time he fought Lu Bu, he did not win, nor did Lu Bu lose.
But... strictly speaking, if it weren't for Dian Wei's fight-to-the-death tactic, he truly wouldn't have been Lu Bu's opponent.
In the combination of man and weapon, and in the combination of man and horse, Dian Wei was far from the same level! What he could rely on... or rather, his only advantage, was his brute strength.
Along the way, while driving the carriage, Dian Wei was contemplating how to improve himself and how to defeat Lu Bu!
After Lu Yu asked Dian Wei a few times, he finally stopped asking. If this fellow really had something on his mind, it was truly hard to pry it out.
However... at present, what concerned Lu Yu more than Dian Wei's worries was going home!
That's right, it was the so-called—temptation of home...
After all, Zhaoji Jie was still at home. Lu Yu had been away for so many days, and she must have been worried, right?
Returning to Chenliu Commandery...
Chenliu Commandery was currently managed by Cao Xiu. To be honest... he managed it quite well. The overall security was orderly, and the lives of the common people were not affected at all...
Lu Yu pondered, could it be... that Cao Xiu also had talent in governing commanderies?
While he was thinking, the carriage had already stopped at the Cai Mansion.
Lu Yu signaled the gatekeeper not to announce him and walked straight in... After asking a few servants, he learned that Sister Zhaoji had indeed been quite worried about him recently, unable to sleep many nights and spacing out alone under the moon.
But fortunately, in the past few days, Sister Zhaoji had suddenly found something to do, which had kept her busy and unable to worry about her younger brother Lu Yu anymore...
As for this matter, Lu Yu felt that Sister Zhaoji was very good at it. It was only two words—teaching!
Like a teacher in a private school teaching disciples, but with a difference... Sister Zhaoji was a rare female teacher.
As for her students, Lu Yu knew that one of them was "Zhuge Liang." This was something Lu Yu had mentioned proactively... He had to cultivate him from a young age so that Kongming wouldn't go astray!
But who was the other one?
The servant said it was a girl of fifteen or sixteen? Uh... no, at this age... she should be called a woman.
In the Han Dynasty, the legal age for women to marry was before fifteen. If she wasn't married at this age, she would be heavily fined... She was already old enough to be married, or a young married woman, how could she still be called a girl?
Out of curiosity, Lu Yu quietly approached the study, intending to eavesdrop on how Sister Zhaoji taught. Would she, like his father Cai Yong, play the zither before lecturing and play the zither again after class, acting as a handmade bell for the class?
He also wanted to see what this fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl looked like and what her temperament was like.
Slowly approaching the study...
Lu Yu heard a male voice asking, "May I ask the female teacher? How should the Six Arts be explained in detail?"
Lu Yu recognized this voice; it was "Zhuge Liang's" voice, very clear...
However, he didn't expect that this twelve-year-old Zhuge Liang was very fond of asking questions... as the saying goes, "diligent and eager to learn"...
Frankly, for Lu Yu...
Taking "Zhuge Liang" by his side was indeed eliminating a future rival.
But Lu Yu felt a bit guilty. After all, if Zhuge Liang didn't go to study under Mr. Shui Jing and study for these few years... would he still be Zhuge Liang?
Lu Yu was truly afraid that he would go astray... Seeing how eager he was to learn, Lu Yu felt quite relieved. At least in the future, it wouldn't be a problem for him to write a proclamation for him!
And at this moment...
"Mu'er, do you know what the Six Arts mean?"
Cai Zhaoji's voice drifted out, posing the question to another person...
Mu'er? Lu Yu was slightly taken aback? Mu'er of what? Xiahou Mu? Xun Mu? He hadn't heard of it!
While Lu Yu was thinking, the woman called "Mu'er" replied confidently and generously, "The female teacher already explained yesterday. The 'Six Arts' of a gentleman refer to Rites, Music, Archery, Charioteering, Calligraphy, and Mathematics!"
"Among them, 'Rites' not only refers to etiquette but also includes auspicious rites, funeral rites, military rites, diplomatic rites, and celebratory rites. Only by mastering etiquette and customs can one appear calm and composed in various occasions;"
"'Music' is blowing, plucking, strumming, and singing. Composing music for written lyrics and singing together. Music is a gift from heaven to us. Understanding 'music' theory will prevent life from being too dull."
"'Archery' is the technique of shooting arrows, emphasizing stability, accuracy, and precision; 'Charioteering' is the skill of driving a chariot, which is an essential life skill for officials."
"'Calligraphy' refers to calligraphy and literary talent, it is the second face of a person, and it can reflect the writer's cultivation and status."
"'Mathematics' not only refers to arithmetic but also includes the numbers of yin and yang, celestial phenomena, and the establishment of laws. In addition, mathematics also refers to a person's level of cultivation. The larger the number, the greater the capacity. When facing matters, only by accumulating enough 'number' can one be 'sure' in their heart!"
A string of words flowed gracefully from Mu'er's mouth...
She was reasonable and disciplined, calm and composed. More importantly... she did not have the timidity and delicacy of a woman at all. Her presence was full of charisma, even more so than Sister Zhaoji.
Who is she? What noble lady is this?
Lu Yu couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Indeed, as Lu Yu's achievements increased and his status rose, more and more women from the "upper class" actively sought contact with Cai Zhaoji...
It wasn't strange for them to hit it off and have their daughters come to Sister Zhaoji to learn literary talent.
But this "Mu'er" truly amazed Lu Yu... not only her calm and generous demeanor but also her knowledge and virtue. She was simply a copy of Sister Zhaoji!
Of course, if she wasn't "into boys"... she would be even more attractive to Lu Yu!
With this thought, Lu Yu quietly peeked through the window, intending to see this Mu'er, and most importantly, see "what she was into." But at this moment...
This "Mu'er" seemed to have sensed something. She keenly felt the movement by the window and immediately turned her head towards the window, meeting Lu Yu's gaze.
"Who are you?"
"How dare you eavesdrop on the female teacher without permission? Do you know whose mansion this is?"
Uh...
Being reprimanded so sternly, Lu Yu was a bit confused...
Whose mansion is this? This... damn it, this is my mansion! Good heavens... are you trying to be the master here, little Mu'er...
With this thought, Lu Yu turned his back, acting as if he had nothing to fear, and then he simply opened his mouth and asked, "This young master wants to ask you too? This is my mansion, who are you? Who is your father?"
At once, the atmosphere in the study became tense.
Cai Zhaoji turned her head and saw Lu Yu and Mu'er looking at each other. Seeing Lu Yu, she seemed to freeze for a moment. Brother Yu... he's back?
But it was only a moment of stunned silence. Cai Zhaoji secretly thought, "Oh no..."
After all, Madam Ding had said beforehand, and she intended to match her brother with her elder brother's eldest daughter...
For this reason... Cai Zhaoji had imagined countless scenarios for Cao Mu and Lu Yu to meet, some under the flowers, some by the water, but she never expected that their first meeting would be like this...
It was truly "tense!"
What... what should she do?
For a moment, Cai Zhaoji dared not tell Lu Yu... that this was her brother Cao Cao's daughter, and the wife Madam Ding had chosen for you!
...
...