A grievous insult, how can this be, how can this be!
Is there still law? Is there still justice?
Xiahou Mao’s face flushed red. Humiliated, this time he felt his face slapped countless times, a pain that was unbearable.
Worse yet… after the slaps, the other party refused to let go, insisting on grinding his face into the dirt, almost to the point of creating demonic footprints!
Who was he, Xiahou Mao? He was the son of Xiahou Dun. Though his heart was set on diligently cultivating his martial arts in seclusion, he… he was not someone to be bullied or have his engagement arbitrarily broken.
Upon entering the tavern, Xiahou Mao saw his uncles present and felt embarrassed to speak, as family shame should not be aired publicly.
But his father’s roar.
“These are all your uncles, no outsiders here. Speak, if you are bullied, not only your father but all these uncles will seek justice for you!”
This time… Xiahou Mao took a deep breath, biting his lip, and spoke fiercely.
“Father, your son’s engagement has been broken… the marriage arranged by you and Uncle Cao, it was… it was the Prefectural Official Lu Yu who brought Sister Mu to break the engagement!”
“He… he is too arrogant. He… he said that your son is not worthy of Sister Mu. Marriage is a matter of parental decree and matchmaker’s word. Father and uncles have not spoken, what right does Lu Yu have to judge me, Xiahou Mao?”
Xiahou Mao knelt before Xiahou Dun, trying his best to keep his tone calm.
But when this matter was brought up… how could he remain calm?
Women’s status in this era was inherently low. It was always the man who divorced his wife, never the woman breaking off an engagement. Even if she was the daughter of his uncle Cao Cao, that… that was too much bullying, and it was even less of Lu Yu’s place to make such a decision!
“Father, you must seek justice for your son! This Lu Yu does not respect me, which means he does not respect our Xiahou family, nor our entire Xiahou clan! I have never heard that in Chenliu Commandery, Yan Province, this alliance between the Cao and Xiahou families, when did it become something for a Lu Yu to arbitrarily break…”
“A grievous insult, this is a grievous insult! It’s nothing that my engagement was broken… but… but the wisdom of Father and Uncle… and the friendship between our Xiahou family and the Cao family will inevitably be affected!”
“This Lu Yu clearly does not respect Father, does not respect Uncle, and even… he does not respect the law, does not respect the rules! This is an insult to me… Your son… your son requests Father’s permission, to allow me to take up my spear and go… go demand justice from him!”
Ultimately, Xiahou Mao came to request a battle.
Although he had cultivated martial arts since childhood, he was indoctrinated to be a person who strictly followed rules. Even for revenge, even for reclaiming his “bride,” he had to obtain his father’s consent.
Moreover… Lu Yu’s identity was special; he was a Prefectural Official highly valued by Uncle Cao.
He had also made great contributions in the defense of Yan Province. If his father did not permit it and offer assistance, Xiahou Mao felt he might not be able to regain his honor.
“Father, Father…” Xiahou Mao’s voice was hoarse and heartbreaking, completely releasing the pain in his heart.
He muttered indistinctly, “Father, please permit, please support your son to go… to demand justice?”
As he spoke, he repeatedly kowtowed his head on the floor. The tavern floor kept echoing with the sounds of his repeated thuds.
At this moment, everyone in the tavern turned green, especially Xiahou Dun. His face was grim…
He suddenly regretted letting his son speak of this matter in front of so many uncles. Breaking the engagement was not shameful, but his son’s… his son’s demand for justice was truly infuriating to this old father!
Finally… Xiahou Dun spoke.
“Have you had enough?”
As the words left his mouth, Xiahou Mao looked up and quickly asked, “Father, could you… could you give me five hundred soldiers? I… I will go and raze Lu Yu’s mansion, and vent this anger!”
As he spoke, Xiahou Mao still held much expectation…
Who would have thought that Xiahou Dun, with a cold smile, would slap Xiahou Mao across the face with a loud “snap”!
“Snap…”
This slap was very solid and clean. Coupled with Xiahou Dun’s inherent strength, it directly sent Xiahou Mao to the ground.
Xiahou Mao quickly covered his cheek. “Father… Father, why are you punishing your son? Son… has son done wrong?”
“Hmph, is it wrong?” Xiahou Dun’s brows were furrowed high. “Who else would you seek justice from, but Lu Yu? Do you know… who he is? What he has done? Hmph… I truly regret not having you shot… no… back then, why didn’t I just throw you into a water缸 and drown you!”
This… this…
Xiahou Mao was stunned. Though their Xiahou family was poor, his father had always doted on him. How… how could he slap him for an outsider today and say such cruel words.
The key point was… clearly, this broken engagement was… Lu Yu who was in the wrong first!
Was black and white being reversed?
Before Xiahou Mao could recover, Xiahou Dun’s voice continued, his eyes filled with frustration and disappointment. “You spend all day practicing your spear in the mansion, never stepping outside. Do you know what has happened in Yan Province?”
“Because of Young Master Lu, the city of Puyang that your father lost has been recaptured. This has wiped away this disgrace for your father, and your uncles who died in the Battle of Puyang can now rest in peace!”
“It is also because of Young Master Lu’s assistance, the oil mill that Young Master Lu invested in with Father, that the families of your father’s fallen brothers received relief and can now survive in this chaotic world! This is once again fulfilling another wish of your father!”
“Don’t you pee and look at yourself in the mirror? Don’t you look at Sister Mu’s status now? What she has achieved? She is the manager of the forge workshop! And the divine weapons and divine armor forged by the forge workshop, in the recently concluded Battle of Puyang, routed that scoundrel Lü Bu, forcing him to flee in disgrace… You, what are you? You only know how to practice your spear in seclusion all day… but what is the level of your spear technique? Do you have any idea? Can you compare to any of your cousins, Xiahou En or Xiahou Jie? Hmph… breaking the engagement, if Gong Cao Lu did not bring Niece Mu to break the engagement, your father and I… would also have rejected this marriage. You are simply not worthy!”
At this point… Xiahou Dun was so angered that his heart felt like it was going to burst. He slumped onto the chair, as if his breathing had become unusually rapid due to his extreme anger.
The old deputy generals quickly supported Xiahou Dun, patting his chest repeatedly. It was clear that the elder brother was extremely displeased.
In fact, they were also quite upset about this matter. After all, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Xiahou Mao, who was now the manager of the forge workshop that refined divine weapons and armor, was simply not worthy of Cao Mu.
Moreover, given Cao Cao’s personality, if Cao Mu could assist his grand ambitions, he would never let her marry. He would certainly not let her raise a family.
In other words, it seemed… Lu Yu brought Cao Mu to break the engagement, but in reality, this matter… was secretly instructed by Cao Cao, to avoid damaging the relationship with the Xiahou family!
Yet, such a clear path, even these warriors could see it, but Xiahou Mao had absolutely no awareness. It had to be said… this child was indeed lacking.
“Alas… alas…” Xiahou Dun looked at Xiahou Mao again, his anger surging, feeling his hands itching to hit him.
Xiahou Dun, who was never good at discerning people’s thoughts, could see it clearly…
This was openly Lu Yu breaking the engagement, but in reality, it was instructed by elder brother Cao Cao, for the sake of grand strategy and avoiding discord… this unfilial son was foolish… pitifully foolish, tragically foolish!
If he had another choice, when Xiahou Dun was young and full of vigor, he would never have chosen such a stubborn-headed son… ah, no, he wouldn’t have given birth to him. Shameful, utterly shameful!
Moreover…
“Alas…” Xiahou Dun sighed again. Lu Yu’s kindness to him was more than just the points mentioned earlier…
He had also cured Xiahou Dun’s kidney deficiency for several years…
This feeling of recovering from listlessness and regaining his former glory was something others could not comprehend. Even for this, Lu Yu was Xiahou Dun’s “brother”!
Of course… son? Or brother? This seemed… no choice!
But if he compared his son to two brothers? One elder brother, one younger brother, then it was undoubtedly his “brothers” who were closer!
Not to mention that this matter was secretly instructed by elder brother Cao Cao, even if it wasn’t, Xiahou Dun would not have allowed his son to cause trouble for Lu Yu.
“Get out, you disgrace!”
“Dad…” Xiahou Mao looked wronged, but when he saw Xiahou Dun’s murderous gaze, he shivered and quickly retreated in embarrassment.
Although Xiahou Dun didn’t say much, that slap and a “get out” were enough to explain the situation. Xiahou Mao had provoked someone he couldn’t afford to offend.
“Brother Yuan Rang, calm down… calm down!”
“Yes, yes… if your son is disobedient, just beat him a couple more times. Don’t get sick from anger!”
“That’s right, that’s right… Brother Yuan Rang, your son has just stayed at home for too long, fearing nothing. But in this world, how can there be so many things that are purely black and white! Fortunately… he hasn’t made any major mistakes. It’s good that the engagement is broken, it’s a relief!”
Even as he left, Xiahou Mao could still hear his uncles speaking in this manner.
This made him doubt himself even more…
After walking out…
Xiahou Mao held his head, feeling that the entire world had turned dark. Clearly… clearly his engagement had been broken, why did it seem… it seemed as if he was being unreasonable?
The sun was shining brightly, and the breeze carried a hint of heat, but his heart was cold, cold! He felt a darkness before his eyes…
“What… what is happening? The sky… has the sky turned dark?”
Reaching a deserted corner, with a “pat,” the emotionally broken Xiahou Mao knelt on the ground… He beat his chest and then coughed desperately.
The tears in his eyes began to fall “plop,” “plop,” like pearls from a broken string.
He lowered his head, his entire being immensely dejected. Just then, two bamboo slips in his embrace fell to the ground. They were the two bamboo slips left by Lu Yu.
His original intention was to show them to his father… this was a humiliation, a naked humiliation!
Now… in the vast land, it seemed only these two bamboo slips accompanied him.
The clearly visible names leaped out – "Jin Ping Mei" and "Yang Family Spear"…
Wiping away the tears from his eyes, Xiahou Mao picked up one of them. When people are down, they are often accompanied by extreme emptiness. At this time, they need new activities to fill the void…
Coincidentally, the first one he opened was "Jin Ping Mei"…
And an hour later, he felt his whole body ignite. At this moment, he felt he could take on ten!
…
In the tavern.
Xiahou Mao had left in shame…
But Xiahou Dun was extremely angry, his mood was also not good. Shame, what a shame…
The old deputy generals, some patting his back, some constantly comforting him.
“Brother Yuan Rang, there are no outsiders here. In fact… we can all see that this matter has nothing to do with Gong Cao Lu. It’s most likely Cao Gong’s intention! Speaking of which, now that Cao Mu manages the forge workshop… how could Cao Gong let her marry?”
“Oh, moreover… Gong Cao Lu avenged Brother Yuan Rang, recaptured Puyang city, and provided relief to our brothers’ families… although we have never met him, his character is truly good. We feel guilty for not having repaid him yet, so please do not blame him!”
“Yes, yes… Old Liu is right! We must not blame Gong Cao Lu. He has been very good to us.”
These words entered Xiahou Dun’s ears. Did he have any intention of blaming Lu Yu?
“Enough, enough!” Xiahou Dun waved his hand… “I will personally go to Puyang City, and also meet Lu Yu, and meet my elder brother…”
Speaking of this, Xiahou Dun stood up… “I, Xiahou Dun, have always valued loyalty and righteousness. As the saying goes, repay kindness. What I owe Lu Yu, I will surely repay…”
“Elder brother… it seems…” Another old soldier suddenly thought of something. “The Long Xiao Battalion has been searching for lakes throughout Yan Province recently. I heard it’s to promote rice cultivation or something. Since it’s the Long Xiao Battalion’s action, then this is likely also instructed by Gong Cao Lu. Since brother wants to repay him, why not…”
The old soldier’s words were not finished…
Xiahou Dun’s eyes fixed.
Searching for lakes, promoting rice cultivation, Lu Yu had indeed mentioned this to him once.
Why did he forget about this? Lu Yu helped him provide relief to his brothers’ families, so… why shouldn’t Xiahou Dun create a lake for Lu Yu?
Thinking of this, Xiahou Dun asked urgently, “You mean? We find a lake for him?”
“Ah…” the old soldier waved his hand. “Yan Province doesn’t have many large lakes. However… the Taishou River passes by fifty li south of Chenliu Commandery, and the water flow is not too rapid. Why don’t you, big brother… create a lake yourself and give it to him? Moreover, the things Gong Cao Lu has been doing recently are all in our sight. Who knows if this rice cultivation has any special miraculous use?”
Heh…
Not bad, the old soldier’s reminder made Xiahou Dun’s mind clear.
“Hahaha,” he immediately laughed out loud. “Good, good… His dry rice and wet rice are constrained by lakes, aren’t they? Perfect. Yan Province has no lakes, so I, Xiahou Dun, will create a lake for him, so he can plant them!”
Xiahou Dun had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command. Let alone creating a lake, if he wanted to, he could carve through a mountain!
…
…
Yan Province, Puyang City, in the yamen.
There were no outsiders here today, except for Cao Cao. Among the generals, only Xiahou Yuan and Cao Hong were present. As for the civil officials, as usual, Xi Zhicai and Xun You…
Only Xun Yu, who came from Juancheng, was added.
This was a very important meeting, to discuss three extremely crucial issues. Without exaggeration, whether these three issues could be resolved well would determine Cao Cao’s future success and failure, his rise and fall.
Lu Yu arrived late… It wasn’t that he was deliberately late, but rather that Cao Cao had started the meeting before his arrival, discussing an issue with Xun You, Xi Zhicai, and Xun Yu, an issue concerning the great Yin-Yang scholar Lu Yu!
Just as Lu Yu deduced based on "Five Qi and Eight Yun," and "Yin-Yang and Five Elements,"… it had been a full half-month since Puyang City was captured, and the entire April… had been exactly as Lu Yu predicted, with not a drop of rain…
Heaven seemed to be punishing someone!
Moreover… this phenomenon was not limited to Yan Province, but the entire thirteen provinces of the Great Han!
Now, it was not just Cao Cao’s side… all the warlords realized a serious problem. It seemed… they were entering a terrifying drought.
And almost all the warlords were extremely worried about the harvest in July. It was a time of crisis and survival!
When Lu Yu arrived… Cao Cao was discussing this topic.
And it seemed… now, everyone had immense faith in Lu Yu’s prediction of “complete crop failure in July,” yet they were helpless!
Who could deal with Heaven? If there was, it would definitely be the great Yin-Yang Master – Lu Yu!
“Gong Cao Lu’s arrival is timely. We were just mentioning the great drought in April and the complete crop failure in July!”
Seeing Lu Yu… Cao Cao beckoned him to sit.
Xun Yu then continued Cao Cao’s topic and asked, “Since Gong Cao Lu can infer the great drought in April and complete crop failure in July through ‘Five Qi and Eight Yun’ and ‘Yin-Yang and Five Elements,’ then he must be well-versed in the Yin-Yang school’s methods of ‘praying for rain,’ ‘praying for sun,’ and ‘praying for snow,’ right? I wonder… can Gong Cao Lu perform incantations to bring a timely rain to our Yan Province and Xu Province?”
Ah… ah…
As these words left his mouth, Lu Yu was stunned… He didn’t know anything about methods for “praying for rain,” “praying for sun,” or “praying for snow.”
The great drought in April and complete crop failure in July were recorded in historical texts…
As for timely rain…
Heh heh… Lu Yu just scoffed. He was not a Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain. If he wanted to pray for rain… Lu Yu figured that Old Cao might as well go to Bashu to find Zhang Lu, the leader of the Five Pecks of Rice sect, for better results!
Of course… Lu Yu did not know.
In Xun Yu’s eyes, Lu Yu might not be able to pray for rain, but Yin Lin could do anything!
…
…