The city gate opened, and Xun Yu slowly rode out, facing tens of thousands of enemy soldiers alone, his demeanor calm and composed.
As he stepped into the main tent of the Yuzhou army, Xun Yu did not forget to wave to Lu Yu, Xiahou Dun, and others on the city wall.
Lu Yu, having lived two lives, was deeply impressed by this aura and instinctively gave a thumbs up.
If Zhuge Liang playing the zither on the city wall in the Empty Fort Strategy was considered audacious, then Xun Yu venturing alone into the enemy camp, standing amidst the enemy formations with an unruffled expression and an aura of two meters and ten, could not simply be described as audacious. It was, in two words—a masterpiece!
If one had to add more words, they would certainly be "a stunning, lightning-fast masterpiece."
When Xun Yu entered the tent...
The entire city wall fell into a prolonged wait.
Half an incense stick, a full incense stick...
Xiahou Dun paced back and forth, his heart filled with unease and panic. He had never felt this flustered, not even when a dagger was held to his throat yesterday.
Lu Yu's eyes were fixed on the main tent of the Yuzhou army below the city wall. Although the Records of the Three Kingdoms mentioned that Xun Yu had such a glorious moment when he first entered service, seeing it unfold before his own eyes now, and with the fate of the entire Juancheng, the entire Yanzhou situation, and tens of thousands of lives at stake, Lu Yu still felt a sense of nervousness.
He mused, if the enemy had specifically asked to see him, Lu Yu, then... that would be a different story. Indeed, being too famous was not always a good thing!
After all, the enemy numbered a hundred thousand. This was not just a number, but a hundred thousand living enemy soldiers.
The siege engines were arrayed before them, in strict formation. The dense masses of troops created an oppressive atmosphere that made Lu Yu struggle to breathe. He was still too young.
With so many enemy soldiers, let alone attacking the city, if each of them urinated just once, it could form a moat around the city.
...
The atmosphere on the city wall grew increasingly tense and silent. None of the defending soldiers dared to make a sound, save for the heavy gasps of breath. The surroundings were so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
In contrast... inside the main tent of the Yuzhou army below the city wall, Xun Yu and Guo Gong were engaged in conversation and laughter.
Xun Yu's commanding aura, coupled with his nonchalant demeanor, subtly highlighted the contrast between the fatigued Yuzhou army and the alert Cao army soldiers within Juancheng.
The battle in Chenliu, the ten ambushes, which had decimated Lu Bu's forces by half...
In the heartland of Yanzhou, Lu Bu's various detachments had returned in defeat. As Xun Yu meticulously described these events, Guo Gong's heart was filled with growing apprehension...
Of course, Guo Gong was also more certain that Juancheng was already well-prepared, and Xun Yu must have had some reliance. Otherwise... how could he remain unfazed when the main army arrived, venture out alone, and engage in conversation and laughter?
"Sima Xun, I heard that the one who proposed the Ten Ambush and broke Lu Bu in Chenliu County was a young man in Cao's camp. I heard that Governor Cao appointed him as a Chancellor of the Provisional Government. Is this true?"
Guo Gong voiced a point of curiosity.
It was not that he was not curious. Ever since he dispatched troops to attack Yanzhou, almost every piece of intelligence along the way mentioned the name of a key young man—Lu Yu!
That's right, if it weren't for this fellow, the situation in Yanzhou would not be as solid as it was now. If Guo Gong were to take advantage of this situation, he would have to consider it carefully and hesitate to act.
"Chancellor Lu... Haha..." Xun Yu stroked his beard. "Is this young Chancellor of the Provisional Government only achieving great merits now?"
"Does Provincial Governor Guo not hear that in the past, when our lord, with a mere thousand cavalry, heavily defeated over three hundred thousand Yellow Turban rebels and even incorporated a million Yellow Turbans into his service, Chancellor Lu's participation in the strategy was indispensable?"
Hmm...
Guo Gong was taken aback. When he was in Yuzhou, he had been wondering how Cao Cao had risen in Yanzhou.
How had he defeated the three hundred thousand Yellow Turbans so thoroughly? Forced them to surrender and gained hundreds of thousands of soldiers? And how had he managed to feed these hundreds of thousands of soldiers?
As a provincial governor, Guo Gong knew very well that recruiting soldiers was difficult enough in those days, and feeding them was even more arduous.
There were only two ways to recruit soldiers: either through past military experience, or by actively contacting local influential families. Yet, Cao Cao, without possessing either of these, had managed to receive hundreds of thousands of surrenders in one go...
At that time, Guo Gong had already speculated that there must be a wise advisor around Cao Cao.
So, it was this Chancellor of the Provisional Government—Lu Yu!
Guo Gong looked up, and a sudden realization dawned upon him. "This Chancellor Lu seems unfathomable!"
"This is only the first part..." When talking about Lu Yu, Xun Yu became more talkative. "Chancellor Guo has likely also inquired about our lord's battles in Xuzhou..."
"Oh..." Guo Gong blurted out, "I heard that Governor Cao has already captured Dongguan, Langya, and Donghai three counties. Pengcheng has also been under siege for a long time. I heard that the morale of the populace is fluctuating, and a large number of soldiers have defected to Cao's army. It seems that Pengcheng will soon fall, and the administrative seat of Xuzhou, Xiapi City, will be a mere matter of grasping something within reach!"
As he spoke, Guo Gong's eyes shone with envy... Cao Cao was clearly on his way to greatness.
Xun Yu, however, smiled. "Chancellor Guo's intelligence is gathered, so he only knows one part and not the other. Chancellor Guo, do you not know why our lord has been invincible in the battles of Xuzhou?"
"How?" Guo Gong asked curiously...
"This again brings us to Chancellor Lu of our Cao camp." Xun Yu spoke truthfully.
In fact, he felt that his conversation with Guo Gong was very easy because it was all about Lu Yu, and it was all factual, with no need for fabrication...
The difficulty level instantly dropped from infernal to novice...
Besides, it was Lu Yu after all, the Hidden Dragon. Predicting the enemy and discerning affairs with divine accuracy was his strong suit.
By portraying such an unfathomable figure, Guo Gong would be hesitant to act and would no longer dare to covet Yanzhou.
"Come... Chancellor Guo, today I will tell you in detail how Chancellor Lu devised strategies and helped our lord to be invincible in Xuzhou!"
Uh... To be honest, as Xun Yu spoke, Guo Gong became genuinely curious.
They chatted about Lu Yu and Xuzhou for a full incense stick's time. Of course, Xun Yu had meticulously embellished Lu Yu's persona, talking about "Three Strategies to Pacify Xuzhou" and "Erecting Wood as a Trust to Win Hearts." In short... he spoke of it as if it were divine.
In terms of verbal sparring, Guo Gong was far behind Xun Yu. As they talked, he fell into Xun Yu's rhythm and was filled with reverence for this mythical figure, Chancellor Lu Yu.
Was he not just a teenager of fifteen or sixteen?
Such seasoned strategies were beyond even those who considered themselves supreme strategists.
"As Sima Xun describes Chancellor Lu, he is so formidable that this governor wishes to visit him for guidance." Guo Gong said with a smile...
With a few words, Xun Yu had successfully elevated a "myth" within Cao's camp.
"Actually, it wouldn't be a problem to have Chancellor Lu come down and chat with Chancellor Guo..." Xun Yu showed a hint of difficulty...
What?
Guo Gong was surprised and quickly asked, "Is Chancellor Lu in Juancheng?"
"Yes!" Xun Yu nodded. "Chancellor Lu is not like me. He is responsible for the safety of Yanzhou and has too many official documents to review. Moreover, if he were here, the morale of the soldiers would be high. If he were to come down alone, the soldiers would not agree. Naturally, he cannot be as free as an insignificant person like myself to come and go as he pleases!"
Good heavens...
Guo Gong gasped. So, the person guarding Juancheng was such a mythical figure.
No wonder Xun Yu was so fearless, and no wonder he was so calm and composed. He had his backing!
Recalling Lu Yu's past exploits... successively causing the Yellow Turban Army, Tao Qian of Xuzhou, and Lu Bu to suffer greatly... Guo Gong knew his own limits.
If he were to truly attack the city, he did not believe he could do better than Tao Qian or Lu Bu.
"Hahaha..." Guo Gong said with a wry smile. "I came here because I heard that Lu Bu had launched a surprise attack on Yanzhou. Cao Gong and I are good neighbors. How could I allow this scoundrel to launch a sneak attack? Now... Lu Bu has retreated, the situation is stable, and naturally, there is nothing more for me to do."
"Sima Xun, we have had a very pleasant conversation. Next time, next time, this governor will definitely pay a visit, and along with it, pay a visit to this miraculous Chancellor Lu!"
At this point, Xun Yu felt that everything was settled. However, he still delivered his final killing blow.
"Is Chancellor Guo returning to Yuzhou?"
"Indeed..." Guo Gong replied. Come to think of it, those two words, spoken so readily, made him feel a bit embarrassed.
"Then... Chancellor Guo, you must hurry your journey!" Xun Yu reminded him casually.
"Why is that?" Guo Gong quickly asked...
Xun Yu's tone suddenly became serious. "I was just talking with Chancellor Lu on the city wall. He mentioned that the place where Yuan Shu and Liu Biao are fighting is Nanyang Commandery, and Nanyang Commandery belongs to Yuzhou. If they take advantage of Chancellor Guo's visit to Yanzhou to 'quell the rebellion' and march north... then your Yuzhou could be in danger!"
"The reason Yanzhou could resist Lu Bu's surprise attack was due to Chancellor Lu's strategy... But in Chancellor Guo's case... you likely do not have such an outstanding strategist, do you?"
Hiss...
At this point, Guo Gong gasped.
This is bad...
He suddenly realized that he had only been thinking of taking advantage of the chaos in Yanzhou and had completely overlooked the fact that his Yuzhou was also surrounded by powerful enemies...
Liu Biao was fine, but Yuan Shu... was by no means a pushover!
He was truly capable of sneaking into Yuzhou.
With this thought, Guo Gong clasped his hands and bowed to Xun Yu. "Thank you, Sima Xun... Thank you for the reminder from Chancellor Lu. I am busy with military affairs, so I will not keep Sima Xun any longer! Guards... escort Sima Xun back to the city!"
"Yes..."
Several armored soldiers responded and respectfully escorted Xun Yu out of the main tent.
Meanwhile, Guo Gong's face turned ashen. He issued a rapid-fire order: "Return to Yuzhou immediately. Quickly... quickly... quickly..."
The repeated "quickly" was enough to express his current state of mind.
Speaking of which, Guo Gong had come to Yanzhou in quite a good mood, thinking he would make a hefty profit. Who would have thought that he would leave in such a desperate hurry!
...
On the city wall, for more than an hour, the atmosphere had become increasingly grim.
Everyone had been waiting, waiting with bated breath.
Someone suddenly shouted, "He's out, Sima Xun is out..."
Everyone eagerly peered over the city wall. Indeed, Xun Yu emerged from the main tent. He was still as calm and composed as ever, with a few armored soldiers respectfully following him. They escorted him to the bottom of the city wall before quickly withdrawing.
Xiahou Dun rubbed his eyes vigorously. Xun Yu was unharmed. He was still alive? Although he was somewhat surprised, from the bottom of his heart, he was happy.
And almost at the same moment Xun Yu entered the city, another guard shouted, "Look... the Yuzhou army is retreating. They... they are packing up and retreating!"
His voice became hoarse at the end due to his extreme surprise.
At this moment, everyone forgot about Xun Yu and turned their heads to look at the Yuzhou army's encampment. Indeed... the enemy army was rapidly withdrawing, in a rather disorderly fashion.
They had even abandoned a lot of the cumbersome supplies, traveling light and fast, leaving Juancheng.
To everyone's eyes, the entire scene was incredibly mystical and unbelievable...
For a moment, Xiahou Dun, Cao Chun, and Xiahou Mao felt as if they were dreaming. Truly... the ten thousand-strong army had retreated, before their very eyes, under the watchful gaze of eight thousand defenders.
Just as Lu Yu had mentioned, it was truly... Xun Yu alone who had repelled ten thousand troops!
Amazing... The word "amazing" alone was no longer enough to describe Xun Yu. It was like a mother cow riding a swallow—amazingly soaring to the heavens.
Cheers erupted. After the enemy had retreated far enough, the entire city wall was filled with jubilant cheers.
"They've retreated, they've really retreated..."
"The enemy has retreated... retreated!"
"We've held the city, we've held it..."
Only Lu Yu let out a long sigh. No one understood the peril involved better than he did.
However, finally... this sudden turn of events, Guo Gong's retreat, marked the stabilization of the entire Yanzhou situation.
They had only lost the city of Puyang, which was entirely within manageable limits!
...
Thump, thump, thump.
Back within the city, Xun Yu's footsteps became much heavier, and his pace slowed considerably.
He did not ascend the city wall to rejoin the others, but instead headed alone to the government office. Upon entering the study, with a "snap," he slumped onto the bamboo chair as if his body had gone limp.
As composed as he had been amidst the ten thousand troops, he was now utterly drained.
Xun Yu was not a god; he too felt fear and trepidation. The outward aura was merely a cover for his inner fear and unease.
Facing so many people, so many wolf-like eyes, let alone a civil official, even a general with unparalleled courage would be afraid, wouldn't he?
Hoo... With a long sigh, Xun Yu needed some time to recover.
In his opinion, the conversation of the past few hours had not been easy. Every word had been carefully considered, and the mental energy expended was something outsiders could not comprehend.
Hoo... With another sigh, Xun Yu tried to sit up, supporting himself on the bamboo chair. The current situation did not allow him much time.
Xun Yu immediately picked up his brush and began to draft a document, intending to report the current situation truthfully to Cao Cao on the front lines in Xuzhou.
Xun Yu knew that, more than himself, Cao Cao in Xuzhou was more eager to know about the situation here.
Speaking of which... two letters had already been sent to Xuzhou previously. The first letter clearly stated that the situation in Yanzhou was precarious and urged Cao Cao to be ready to withdraw at any time.
The second letter explained that the crisis in Chenliu Commandery had been resolved, and the situation was generally stable, allowing for a slight delay in reinforcement while observing the situation.
Now... it was the third letter. Xun Yu intended to inform Cao Cao that only Puyang City had been lost in the entirety of Yanzhou, and the overall situation was stable.
Furthermore, Lu Bu's army had also been heavily damaged and would not pose a threat to Yanzhou in the short term. He asked Cao Cao to act according to circumstances!
Xun Yu knew that the phrase "act according to circumstances" was extremely important to Cao Cao on the front lines.
Of course, in addition to these matters, Xun Yu also meticulously described how Lu Yu had saved Xiahou Dun, how he had preserved the Qingzhou soldiers, how he had helped him repel Guo Gong, and the great contributions made by Cheng Yu under Lu Yu's command.
These were deserved by Lu Yu and the Dragon Cavalry Camp, and it would also help Cao Cao in his judgment of the situation.
"Sima Xun, are you unharmed?"
As he was about to finish writing, Xun Yu heard a voice from outside the study. It was Cao Anmin's voice.
"Unharmed..." Xun Yu's voice was somewhat hoarse. He beckoned Cao Anmin in and then handed him the written bamboo slips. "Anmin, this is for you. You must personally deliver it to Xuzhou. Hand it to your uncle immediately as a seven-hundred-li urgent dispatch!"
Upon saying this, Xun Yu did not forget to remind him repeatedly. "This matter is of great importance and extremely urgent. You must deliver it to him personally, and it must not be lost!"
"Yes!" Cao Anmin took the bamboo slips, carefully put them away, and quickly withdrew from the study...
Watching Cao Anmin leave, Xun Yu suddenly felt a sense of relief. Reflecting on the chaos in Yanzhou, the danger involved was ten, even a hundred times greater than the previous crisis.
If not for Lu Yu, if not for the Dragon Cavalry, if not for Cao Chun, if not for Dian Wei... if even one of them had made the slightest mistake, the situation could have instantly collapsed, and Yanzhou could have changed hands. It was not an exaggeration to say it was a crisis of survival.
The so-called pulling one hair to move the whole body, the resulting chain reaction...
Xun Yu dared not think about it...
If that had truly happened, Cao Cao would have been forced to abandon the favorable situation in Xuzhou and return immediately for reinforcements. And the gamble with Lu Bu at that time would have been ten, even a hundred times more dangerous! It would not be an exaggeration to call it a matter of life and death.
Heh heh... Xun Yu forced a laugh.
Fortunately, Lu Yu was there, and fortunately, the Hidden Dragon was assisting Cao Cao. Xun Yu felt much more at ease.
Speaking of which, with the Hidden Dragon's performance, Cao Cao should be able to see some clues, right?
Of course, with Cao Cao's intelligence, even if he saw through it, he would not reveal it, right?
With this thought, Xun Yu stroked his beard, feeling much more refreshed. Life in Yanzhou was truly exhilarating.
...
"Tuk-tuk-tuk."
A galloping horse flashed past on the official road. The intelligence about Yanzhou that everyone was paying attention to was being sent to Xuzhou.
Of course, Cao Anmin was not the only one delivering intelligence...
Tao Qian's spies in Yanzhou seemed to be even faster.
And at this moment, Tao Qian and Liu Bei had not yet realized... that Pengcheng, Xiapi City, and even Xuzhou, were about to face impending disaster!
...
...