The situation in Xuzhou, Xiapi City, was akin to a miniature Three Kingdoms.
Liu Bei cooperated closely with the commoner faction, with Mi Zhu and Mi Fang offering their family fortunes and even their own sisters.
Lu Bu, on the other hand, had courted the Danyang faction. With his father-in-law, Cao Bao, now dead, he had naturally seized control of the Danyang troops.
As for Cao Cao, his only option for alliance was the scholar-official faction.
This was something Lu Yu had mentioned before, and Cao Cao had repeatedly instructed his cousin, Cao Ren, to maintain close contact with the leaders of the scholar-official faction, Chen Gui and his son, Chen Deng.
"Brother, if you hadn't mentioned it, I was about to report it myself!"
"The overtures to the Chen father and son have been remarkably smooth. The Chen father and son already harbored grievances against Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Sun Qian, and others, and they were not highly regarded under Liu Bei. As for Lu Bu, that indecisive scoundrel, the scholar-official faction disdained him!"
Cao Ren explained in detail:
"Because of this, when my men made slight contact with them, they expressed their willingness to pledge loyalty to Lord Cao and act as his inside informants in Xiapi City. They even secretly dispatched their clansmen out of the city to demonstrate their loyalty. Currently, I have secretly settled the Chen clansmen in the area of Mount Tai in Yan Province."
At this point, Cao Ren paused.
"Furthermore... haha, Yuan Shu had promised Lu Bu grain supplies, but he reneged on his promise in the end. This immediately caused Lu Bu to switch sides again. He took Liu Bei back into his fold, turning conflict into peace, and dispatched him to Xiaopei. The two of them united to resist Yuan Shu. The situation in Xiapi City intensified, hahahaha... our army is sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight, which is quite a pleasing spectacle, hahahaha!"
Cao Ren spoke with great cheer.
Finally, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Good!" Cao Cao also nodded with a smile.
Just as Yu'er had previously analyzed the three factions in Xuzhou, the scholar-official faction was the most suitable for him, Cao Cao.
Moreover, the Chen father and son secretly sending their clansmen to Mount Tai demonstrated their stance, which greatly reassured Cao Cao.
As for the chaos between Yuan Shu, Lu Bu, and Liu Bei, well, he didn't need Yu'er to remind him; Cao Cao had predicted it long ago.
Indeed, Xiapi City had descended into chaos.
"It is good that the situation in Xiapi City is stable," Cao Cao said loudly. "Currently, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan are locked in battle in Youzhou and cannot concern themselves with us. Liu Biao, as a city defender, is not a significant threat. With Yuan Shu, Lu Bu, and Liu Bei tangled together in Xiapi City, we have an opportunity to act. This is a heaven-sent chance."
Speaking of this, Cao Cao turned his gaze back to Cao Hong.
"Zilian, the matter of proceeding west to Luoyang to welcome the Emperor was a strategy jointly decided by myself, Military Advisor Xun, and Administrator Lu. Even though we were blocked the first time due to the weather, we must still go!"
Welcoming the Emperor was a gamble, a wager made with full knowledge of the danger, like venturing into the tiger's den.
When mentioning heading west to Luoyang and welcoming the Emperor, Cao Cao's tone became exceptionally firm.
He even faintly recalled the scene of his first conversation with Yu'er.
At that time, Yu'er had pointed out the four missing puzzle pieces required for Cao Cao to achieve his hegemonic career, but Cao Cao had only mentioned three: the warriors of Qiao and Pei, the common populace, and the talented scholars of Yingchuan.
As for the fourth piece... Cao Cao had pondered for a long time but could not decipher it.
It was precisely when dispatching Cao Hong to Luoyang that he suddenly realized: Yu'er's fourth puzzle piece was none other than the Emperor himself!
The Emperor, in conjunction with the other three puzzle pieces, would create a mutually reinforcing whole, maximizing the potential of the first three pieces!
Without exaggeration, the Emperor was the most, most crucial puzzle piece for Cao Cao.
Even though the current weather posed significant obstacles to traveling to Luoyang...
Cao Cao was resolute. Even if it meant facing mountains of knives and seas of fire, he had to reach Luoyang and escort the Emperor.
"Zilian, did you hear about the situation in Chang'an on your journey west?"
Cao Cao continued to ask, clearly very concerned.
Ever since the Emperor fled Chang'an and arrived at Hongnong County, the entire Chang'an had fallen into disarray.
Let alone Cao Cao's envoys, even the spies Cao Cao had sent to Chang'an had not sent back any news for a long time. Cao Cao was utterly ignorant of the situation there.
"Brother..." Cao Hong truthfully reported, "In Chang'an City, Li Jue and Guo Si fought many battles. In one major engagement, Guo Si even shot through Li Jue's left ear... Later, Zhang Ji stepped in as a mediator, and only then did both sides cease their hostilities... and they reached an agreement, exchanging sons as hostages."
At this point, Cao Hong's lips curled, as if recalling something amusing.
"Haha... but Brother, you would never guess, the one who shattered this brief peace was none other than Li Jue's wife..."
Hmm... upon hearing about someone's wife, Cao Cao's eyes widened instantly, and he became extremely alert.
This was almost an instinctive, conditioned reflex for Cao Cao.
"Li Jue's wife? How did she break the balance between the two?" Cao Cao asked curiously.
"Hahaha..." Cao Hong laughed as he spoke. "It was actually very simple. She loved her son too much and couldn't bear to send him to Guo Si as a hostage. She cried, made a scene, and even threatened suicide. And then... Li Jue, being a man afraid of his wife, directly tore up the agreed-upon contract and started fighting Guo Si again. Chang'an City became a mess."
What Cao Hong said was the truth...
The reason why Li Jue and Guo Si went from being good brothers to eventually killing each other was all because of those two prodigal wives.
Speaking of which...
In the post-Dong Zhuo era, the Xiliang region still had a formidable quartet: Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou!
Zhang Ji was always low-key and didn't get involved in these matters.
As for Fan Chou, because of the involvement of the Guanzhong warlords Ma Teng and Han Sui, Li Jue was forced to kill Fan Chou.
As for the conflict between Li Jue and Guo Si, the origin was quite comical.
The two were originally as close as brothers, often drinking together at night. After drinking, they would inevitably engage in some suitable group activities under the influence of alcohol.
As a result, Guo Si often stayed out all night.
To win over Guo Si, Li Jue even specifically sent the women they had enjoyed together in the morning to Guo Si's residence again.
Coincidentally, Li Jue's wife was a very jealous person. Staying out all night was one thing, but now she was sending women to their home!
Guo Si's wife thought, "Damn Li Jue!"
As the saying goes, the sting of a wasp is in its tail, and the most venomous heart belongs to a woman...
Guo Si's wife conceived a plan of counter-espionage. She put poison in the food sent by Li Jue, then told her husband that it was poisoned and even poisoned a dog on the spot.
Guo Si exploded and directly led his troops to confront Li Jue. This marked the beginning of the chaos in Chang'an.
Who would have thought that after they reconciled, this time it was Li Jue's wife who betrayed her father... no, betrayed her husband!
It was under such an opportunity that Emperor Liu Xie, with the help of his maternal uncle Dong Cheng, successfully escaped Chang'an and embarked on the road back east.
Cao Hong recounted the details of what he knew.
Cao Cao nodded repeatedly...
Of course, while nodding, Cao Hong's earlier setback due to the weather left him with some regret. Otherwise, he could have already made arrangements in Luoyang City.
"Alas..."
Thinking of this, Cao Cao sighed helplessly.
"Zilian, since the diagnosis and treatment of the cold are now largely successful, will there be any other problems with proceeding west to Luoyang now?"
This... Cao Hong's eyes darted around, unsure how to answer for a moment.
After much hesitation, Cao Ren blurted out, "Brother, forgive your cousin for speaking frankly, but even if the cold can now be largely treated, there is still a major problem. If it is not resolved, proceeding west to Luoyang will likely remain extremely difficult!"
Hmm... a major problem??
Cao Cao raised his hand, "Speak in detail!"
"It is this..." Speaking of these difficulties, Cao Ren's brow furrowed tightly, and his expression was grim. "It is the weather. The soldiers are too cold. Marching every day is no different from walking in snow and ice. Brother, you have not been to my camp; you do not know what state the soldiers' ears, hands, and feet are in from the frostbite."
"In such a state, even if we reach Luoyang, we will be a weary army, a frozen, weary army. Such a force, let alone competing with various warlords, even scattered soldiers and rogue bandits could overwhelm us."
Oh... is it that serious?
Clearly, Cao Cao had underestimated the impact of the extreme cold weather on the soldiers, both physically and in terms of morale.
"Is there no other way?" Cao Cao frowned...
"Alas..." Cao Ren reached up and tapped his forehead. "Unless there is some miraculous elixir that, once taken, warms the entire body... and eliminates the worry about this cursed weather. Otherwise, even if we force our way west... we will still be unable to advance."
Heh...
Cao Ren's words made Cao Cao's expression even more grave.
Where would such a miraculous elixir exist? If it did... he, Cao Cao, would sell everything he owned to buy a stack of it!
Just then...
"Brother... Brother..." Xiahou Yuan hurried over.
Judging by his hurried demeanor, he likely had something urgent to report.
"Caichao? What is it that makes you so flustered?" Cao Cao met Xiahou Yuan.
"Brother... the Military Advisor..." The words reached his lips, but Xiahou Yuan hesitated, stopping short of speaking.
"What happened to Zhicai? Hasn't his cold been cured?" Hearing Xi Zhicai's name, Cao Cao became uneasy. He prayed that Zhicai's illness would not relapse!
"No... it's not the cold," Xiahou Yuan explained. "It's... it's that the Military Advisor, he went to the Cai residence, knelt there... motionless, seemingly... seemingly to repay a debt of gratitude!"
Hmm... repay a debt of gratitude?
Cao Cao was taken aback. His gaze drifted towards the window. Indeed... the weather today was slightly milder, and Zhicai must have specifically chosen such a day.
But... kneeling in front of the Cai residence in the bustling East Market?
For Zhicai to go to such lengths to show gratitude.
Thinking of this, Cao Cao's eyes narrowed. "Where is Lu Yu? Did he not help up the Military Advisor? The Military Advisor has just recovered; he cannot remain kneeling in front of the Wei mansion!"
This...
Xiahou Yuan scratched his head, the subsequent words becoming even more difficult to utter.
"Just say it, what are you stuttering for?" Cao Cao pressed...
Xiahou Yuan finally blurted out, "Administrator Lu did indeed... did indeed help the Military Advisor into his residence, but... but this matter has spread, and the common people are now following suit, with everyone kneeling before Administrator Lu's residence... It's now thronged with people, so much so that there isn't even a place to kneel!"
What... this...
Xiahou Yuan's words stunned not only Cao Cao but also Cao Ren and Cao Hong.
It was... a life-saving grace, a rebirth!
Yes, Lu Yu had saved hundreds, if not thousands, of people this time...
But even so, it didn't seem like enough people to be kneeling in front of his residence.
This was clearly irrational!
In the end, Cao Cao, not having contracted the cold, could not understand that feeling of having one foot in the grave, having already given up and closed their eyes, only to... to see a glimmer of light because of one person, and then... to be forcefully pulled back from the brink of death!
Such kindness was immeasurable.
As the saying goes, a life-saving grace is like a rebirth!
Originally, all the patients had thought about going to kneel and express their gratitude, but... ultimately, they all hesitated. No one dared to take the first step.
But Xi Zhicai's kneeling was equivalent to setting a benchmark for everyone!
If the esteemed Military Advisor could kneel to thank Administrator Lu for saving his life.
Why shouldn't they kneel?
As a result, more and more people went, and the crowd gathered in front of the Cai residence grew larger.
"This is absurd!"
Cao Cao's brows were almost furrowed into an inverted 'V'. Even though the sun was shining today, the weather was still bitterly cold. How could they kneel for so long outside the Cai residence?
Moreover, with so many people, including many soldiers...
Soldiers' families, farmers...
What if, what if they suffered a relapse of the cold because of this kneeling? Wouldn't it be a waste of Yu'er's efforts?
"Miaocai, Zilian, Zixiao!" Cao Cao called out.
"Brother!"
"Gather the troops and head to the Cai residence..." Cao Cao immediately gave the order. Since so many people were already kneeling, persuading them would likely be futile, so... they would have to be forcibly escorted away by the troops.
In these critical times, the westward advance to Luoyang was urgent. They could not afford to cause more trouble!
"Let's go..." Cao Cao roared... The four of them walked out of the yamen together.
But at that moment...
"Lord Cao..."
"Lord Cao..."
Two figures, two voices, came towards them.
It was none other than Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai!
Cao Cao was slightly surprised to see them, especially Xi Zhicai. Hadn't he gone to express his gratitude? Wasn't he inside the Cai residence? How come...
"Wasn't Zhicai going to see Administrator Lu? Why has he returned to the yamen?"
Cao Cao stopped, asking first.
"Oh..." Xi Zhicai truthfully replied, "Lord Cao, I was just with Administrator Lu. This time, I am coming with Wenruo, it is... it is..."
How to explain it?
The words reached his lips, but Xi Zhicai did not know how to express himself.
Xun Yu quickly picked up the conversation. "The two of us are here to invite Lord Cao to the Cai residence on behalf of Administrator Lu..."
"Oh... is it because of? The common people kneeling at the gate?"
Cao Cao's eyes twitched slightly, and he immediately thought of something.
Yes, with Yu'er's intelligence, faced with so many people kneeling before him, he would certainly not dare to act on his own and would worry... about arousing suspicion from Lord Cao.
Therefore... he must have asked Wenruo and Zhicai to invite Lord Cao!
This way, he could generously attribute the greatest credit to Lord Cao, claiming it was on Lord Cao's orders to aid the common people...
This would both dispel suspicion and calm the hearts of the common people.
Let alone, thinking of this, Cao Cao's lips curved slightly, and he smiled wryly.
Heh, Yu'er still underestimated him, Cao Cao!
He, Cao Cao, was prone to suspicion, but he was suspicious of those who were untrustworthy!
Did he not consider that he had never been suspicious of Zhicai, Wenruo, or Gongda even half a bit? Heh, Yu'er still underestimated him, Cao Cao!
Moreover, even if you step back ten thousand paces, you are "Cao Yu"!
In the entire Cao camp, who else is more worthy of trust than you?
Thinking of this, Cao Cao prepared to continue walking out...
Unexpectedly, Xi Zhicai explained, "It's not these kneeling common people... Haha, it's because of a treasure, a treasure that is extremely important to Lord Cao at present. Lord Cao will know when he visits the Cai residence!"
Xi Zhicai kept it a secret.
He had originally intended to tell Cao Cao directly, but on second thought, telling him directly would spoil the surprise.
Moreover, words alone were not enough. Letting Lord Cao see it with his own eyes would surely have a greater impact.
Hmm... a treasure?
Let alone, with Xi Zhicai's words, Cao Cao's interest was indeed piqued. Not only him, but Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong were all very interested.
Especially Cao Hong, as soon as he heard the word "treasure," his eyes lit up.
"Brother, let's go and take a look quickly. Administrator Lu's place always sparks anticipation!"
Tread, tread, tread...
With consecutive footsteps, the yamen was only one street away from the Cai residence. After turning a corner, what greeted them was not a treasure, but astonishment, unparalleled astonishment.
Of course, in Cao Cao's eyes, this astonishment was a pleasant surprise, a great surprise!
...
...
Jingnan, Changsha Commandery, Yamen.
"Zhongjing? Where is Zhongjing?"
When Huang Zhong arrived at the yamen... there was no sign of Zhang Zhongjing here!
Not even a prescription that Zhongjing, his younger brother, usually used for dispensing medicine was present!
Upon returning to Changsha Commandery, he first went to his own residence. His doorkeeper told him that Young Master Huang Xu had been at Administrator Zhang's side in the Changsha Commandery yamen for the past few days...
Huang Zhong did not dare to delay for a moment and hurried to Zhang Zhongjing's side.
However...
Upon entering the yamen, the scene before him made him somewhat dazed. The entire yamen was empty.
This was very strange, extremely strange. After all, the Changsha Commandery yamen was different from the prefectural offices of other commanderies. Administrator Zhang held public consultations every day.
Because of this, the yamen had always been bustling with activity and crowds!
But today, it was deserted, a scene of desolation. What was the reason for this? And... where was Xu'er? Where was Xu'er?
Huang Zhong did not dare to delay and rushed into the main hall.
Inside, an official seal was placed in the most conspicuous position on the desk!
Huang Zhong was no stranger to this seal. This was... the seal of the Changsha Commandery Prefect, along with... the household register and name lists placed on the desk!
All the chests were closed. Huang Zhong casually opened one, only to find it filled with various implements, not particularly valuable, but all the belongings of the Prefect's residence!
This... this was...
Instantly, four words appeared in Huang Zhong's mind: "Resigning the seal and sealing the gold" (挂印封金)!
Could it be that his younger brother Zhongjing? He... he had left?
Huang Zhong found it somewhat unbelievable... Zhongjing, his younger brother, was the head of a commandery? How could it be... that he just left without a word?
However, he had no time to worry about this now.
"Xu'er... Xu'er..."
Huang Zhong shouted. Xu'er had been with his younger brother Zhongjing all this time. It wouldn't be possible that... Zhongjing had left, and taken Xu'er with him, would it?
He... he was still suffering from the cold!
Thinking of this... Huang Zhong's brows furrowed tightly, but... in an instant, the worry on his brow lessened considerably.
Perhaps... perhaps they... were going to seek medical treatment elsewhere?
Zhongjing, his younger brother, must know of an eminent physician who could cure the cold, so... he was willing to resign his post and seal his office, taking... taking Xu'er to seek treatment?
Once this idea arose, Huang Zhong's worry diminished slightly.
The cold was an incurable disease... originally there was no hope!
Now... finally, a glimmer of hope had appeared in his heart!
"General Huang..."
Just then, a voice came from behind Huang Zhong.
He quickly turned around, and what met his eyes was a middle-aged man in black, with narrowed eyes and a somewhat cunning appearance. However, Huang Zhong was no stranger to this person; it was Zhongjing's younger brother's chief clerk, named Wang Qi!
However... at this moment, Wang Qi's face bore a hint of sadness, as if he carried a heavy burden.
Huang Zhong could not afford to care about this...
"Where is Zhongjing, my younger brother? Where is my Xu'er..."
Because he was too agitated, Huang Zhong grabbed Wang Qi's robe, and Wang Qi was lifted up by him.
"Huang... General Huang, you... you don't get agitated!"
"Young Master Xu... Young Master Xu is safe and sound, safe and sound!"
Wang Qi repeatedly called out, feeling as if his chest was about to be torn open.
This...
Safe and sound?
Huang Zhong pulled Wang Qi down and pressed him onto a bamboo chair.
"Wang Chief Clerk, explain to me, what does safe and sound mean?"
Huang Zhong's tone was stern, and Wang Qi was a little frightened... and became speechless for a moment.
"Bang..." With a sound, Huang Zhong slammed his saber onto the desk. "Explain, what does safe and sound mean?"
Ah... ah...
Wang Qi was bewildered. He had no doubt that if he could not give a satisfactory explanation for Huang Xu's situation, he would not be safe and sound!
"General Huang, safe... safe and sound means... it means..."