The words on the battle report made Cao Cao's blood surge.
Seven hundred Dragon Soaring Camp cavalrymen, fifty-five fallen, two hundred twenty lightly wounded, seventy-six seriously wounded, yet… they annihilated over fifteen hundred enemy soldiers.
This number was nothing short of shocking, nothing short of exhilarating.
Even… after the other three city gates were breached and reinforcements arrived at the south gate, the Dragon Soaring Camp cavalry still held a steady advantage. Had they not been exhausted, they would have even pursued the fleeing enemy!
In contrast, the three thousand Qingzhou soldiers Cao Cao had additionally assigned to Cao Xiu suffered heavy casualties, fleeing in disarray without having accomplished anything.
Cao Cao absolutely did not believe that this… legion of Qiao Pei martial men, which he knew so well, could have undergone such a transformation in combat effectiveness in just a few short months.
Cao Cao found it even more incredible. Trapped in an ambush, enduring volleys of arrows, facing enemies swarming from all directions?
How was such a casualty ratio achieved?
And how were such numbers of enemies annihilated?
Terrifying… this was beyond terrifying; it was inconceivable, it was utterly baffling!
"Miaocai, do you know why the Dragon Soaring Camp suffered such casualties?" Cao Cao asked Xiahou Yuan curiously.
Xiahou Yuan scratched his head. "This battle report… when I reached the Dragon Soaring Camp section, I was also dumbfounded. I even went to inquire from the surviving Qingzhou soldiers, but what they said was very vague…"
Vague?
Cao Cao frowned slightly and quickly pressed, "How vague?"
This…
Xiahou Yuan hesitated, then blurted out.
"They only said the Dragon Soaring Camp was clad in divine armor descended from heaven and wielded ancient halberds. The halberds cut through iron as if it were mud, cleaving man and horse in two. The divine armor was impervious to blades and spears; no matter the enemy's might, they could not breach its impregnable defense!"
Hiss…
Cao Cao was startled. Divine armor from heaven? Impervious to blades and spears? It sounded like a fairy tale.
Of course, Cao Cao was not unfamiliar with "three men make a tiger" or "rumors being exaggerated." He didn't know how many layers of distortion the story had undergone by the time it reached him, but it was not difficult to find clues within it.
So, the Dragon Soaring Camp relied on the might of their weapons and the sturdiness of their armor. Weapons and armor… the mention of these inexplicably felt familiar to Cao Cao.
Wait, he suddenly recalled that night… Mu'er, holding a dagger, first shattered an iron sword, and then clashed with his Yi Tian sword and Qing Gang sword, holding her own!
At that time… wasn't Mu'er mentioning these divine weapons? It seemed to be called "forged steel," and that dagger was named the Fine Steel Dagger. For this, Cao Cao had even set up a forging workshop in the southern part of the city, with Lu Yu in charge and Mu'er as the manager.
Could it be…
As soon as this thought appeared, it filled Cao Cao's entire mind. The more he thought in this direction, the wider his eyes grew!
That's right, the armor worn and weapons held by the Dragon Soaring Camp cavalry must have been forged by Yu'er and Mu'er in that workshop.
If that were the case…
Haha… marvelous, marvelous, indestructible! Wonderful beyond words!
Suddenly, Cao Cao smiled. Understanding this matter, he smiled knowingly.
Good, good…
He exclaimed inwardly, his heart filled with excitement.
If these divine weapons and divine armor had such efficacy… then…
Cao Cao looked further ahead. Currently, due to limited time and limited quantities of adamantite, the number of fine steel weapons and fine steel armor that the workshop could produce must be limited!
But… what about the future?
As time passed and adamantite was continuously supplied, would all of Cao's soldiers be equipped with such divine weapons and divine armor?
And the enhancement to the entire Cao army's combat power would be terrifying!
For a moment, the entire city wall fell silent. Looking at Cao Cao's strange demeanor, sometimes deep in thought, sometimes laughing heartily, Xiahou Yuan was utterly bewildered…
"Big Brother, have you thought of something?" Xiahou Yuan asked urgently.
"Haha!" Cao Cao's joy was evident. In his excitement, he reached out and patted Xiahou Yuan's shoulder. "Miaocai, Lu Yu has certainly made a great contribution this time, and besides him… Mu'er has also made a great contribution! Hahaha…"
After another burst of laughter, Cao Cao continued with emotion, "Considering this, perhaps your sister-in-law's meddling matchmaking was also a great contribution!"
At this moment, Cao Cao thought of his daughter Cao Mu, of Lady Ding, and of this story of a mistaken arrangement leading to the forging of divine weapons. Compared to the capture of Puyang City, these divine weapons and divine armor delighted Cao Cao a hundredfold more. This was truly a surprise!
Thinking of Cao Mu, Cao Cao was also very curious…
Had Yu'er helped his sister break off her engagement? Yu'er, as an elder brother, should help his little sister with this minor matter!
Just then.
"Big Brother, Big Brother…" Urgent footsteps echoed from the city stairs again.
Cao Cao and Xiahou Yuan turned around. This time, it was Cao Hong who appeared.
As soon as he reached the city wall, Cao Hong shouted anxiously, "Alas, alas… Chen Gong, before fleeing, ordered the granary to be burned. Hundreds of thousands of shi of grain instantly turned to ash, alas… alas…"
Cao Hong sighed repeatedly, almost weeping as he spoke.
Upon hearing that Chen Gong had burned the granary, he had dispatched three teams to pursue him, and Cao Hong felt an irreconcilable hatred for him!
But… Chen Gong ran faster than a rabbit. How could they catch up?
Cao Hong was heartbroken. How much money was this, to be burned up in a single fire?
Cao Hong's heart bled. At this moment, he felt an unquenchable hatred for Lu Bu. He wanted to avenge this grain!
This…
Cao Hong's words made Cao Cao's eyes narrow.
Cao Cao, who had been in a good mood because of the steel weapons and steel armor, suddenly turned as pale as paper.
Chen Gong's act of burning Puyang City's grain was a major problem, even a problem of survival.
Now, more than ten days of April had passed without a drop of rain, and the sun beat down relentlessly… Visibly, the water levels of the river were continuously receding.
Yu'er's "Yin-Yang School" deductions about "Five Qi and Eight Auspices, Yin and Yang Five Elements" were becoming increasingly accurate.
If it truly didn't rain for four months, the summer crops would be greatly affected. By then, it wouldn't just be the army lacking grain; the common people would also have no food!
Damn it…
Cao Cao cursed inwardly. Chen Gong's fire had not just burned grain; it had ignited a grain crisis and disaster for Yan and Xu provinces!
Hoo… hoo…
Cao Cao's chest heaved, genuinely shocked and angered.
It wasn't as if the entire population of Yan and Xu provinces could subsist on locusts!
Even if everyone hunted and ate locusts… could the reproduction rate of locusts keep up with millions of people eating them?
Suddenly, Cao Cao's expression turned grave.
Grain, once again… again… and again… again became a huge impediment on his path forward!
…
…
In ancient times, stories and events were spread by word of mouth.
The so-called "three men make a tiger" implied that as rumors passed through more ears and more mouths, the deeds in the rumors would naturally be further exaggerated, even to the point of being miraculous!
In essence, this was the embodiment of the common people's yearning for heroic figures. This era also needed heroes!
For example…
In a tavern in Juancheng at this moment, a storyteller was vividly recounting the Battle of Puyang City that had occurred a few days prior to his guests.
Coincidentally, at this very moment… Xiahou Dun was drinking with several old deputy generals in this tavern!
As the storyteller's voice rang out, it immediately… caught the attention of Xiahou Dun and these old deputy generals!
"At that critical moment, when Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, could not defeat the 'Ancient Fierce General,' and if he continued fighting, he was destined to die! At this crucial juncture, Zhang Liao, Zhang Wenyuan, on the left, and Gao Shun's Camp of Trapped Soldiers, and the general of the Bing Province Wolf Cavalry, five great men, arrived in small groups, and finally gathered the strength of eight to battle the 'Ancient Fierce General'!"
"It is said that the 'Ancient Fierce General,' seeing that the situation was unfavorable, then shouted loudly, hoping for a skilled person to come to his aid. It was a coincidence that this shout did not attract a skilled person, but instead, heaven bestowed a pair of divine halberds and a treasure armor! Wow, wow, wow… It turns out that this divine weapon and divine armor were cast by Lu Yu, the commander of the Dragon Soaring Camp, who asked the Nine Heavens Xuannü to deliver them to him at the critical moment to assist him, Dian Wei!"
"With the divine armor on his body and the divine weapon in hand, the two sides immediately engaged in a fight without uttering a word. Experts know the outcome with a simple touch. With the 'Ancient Fierce General' empowered by divine weapons and divine armor, Lu Bu's Fangtian Huaji could not exert its full potential and was immediately snapped off by a segment! Dian Wei, with a hundred-pace flying halberd, unleashed fifteen consecutive thrusts towards Lu Bu! The two sides fought back and forth!"
"As the battle was raging fiercely, suddenly the sounds of killing from afar were deafening. It turned out that the generals of Cao's army had broken through from the various city gates. Wow, wow, wow… Zhang Liao, Zhang Wenyuan exclaimed, it was too late to run. Lu Bu's eight generals fled in panic, like stray dogs! The 'Ancient Fierce General' was filled with killing intent and could not let them escape. He raised his divine halberd and shouted, 'This is a divinely bestowed flying halberd, how can I let you escape!' The flying halberd shot out… Lu Bu and the eight of them jointly resisted, and each bore a halberd wound on their shoulder before escaping! The entire street was filled with bloodstains…"
The storyteller spoke with great animation, gesturing wildly.
Xiahou Dun listened, stunned… Of course, who else was also "stunned" besides him, Xiahou Dun?
The eyes of the old deputy generals were wide open, their heroic spirits soaring to the heavens…
Although they knew that storytellers would embellish and exaggerate to some extent…
The great victory in Puyang City had already reached Juancheng, and with the added glory of this victory, the storyteller's tale became even more believable.
Of course, although this story stirred the hearts of the old soldiers around Xiahou Dun, making them feel as if they were returning to their glorious past, they all knew… they could not go back.
The reason was that these old soldiers had all suffered serious injuries. Two of them had even lost an arm, one of whom had taken a blow meant for Xiahou Dun.
They could no longer serve as soldiers or fight enemies. Xiahou Dun had arranged for them to take up positions in Yan Province.
Although their positions were not high and were mere idle posts, they were enough for them to support their families. Xiahou Dun would occasionally visit them to chat and reminisce about the glorious past!
The reason for this visit to Juancheng was to take his concubine to see a doctor.
After the divine doctor's mention, Xiahou Dun suddenly realized that the formula Lu Yu had given him was quite potent.
Therefore, Xiahou Dun's first thought was of these old brothers. Perhaps over the years… some of them had also suffered from kidney deficiency? Especially the one who had taken a blow for him, his health was not good, and he needed to replenish himself. Losing an arm was one thing, but this third "leg" must not be lost, or his wife would despise him.
The prescription had already been prepared, and Xiahou Dun was about to give it to them. By chance, he overheard this storytelling session, and it made him forget his original purpose.
"General Xiahou, these young people are truly formidable now…"
The old deputy generals began to discuss.
"Indeed, indeed. Look at how the 'Ancient Fierce General' fights six or seven people at once. He is even more vigorous than the General."
"Haven't you heard yet?" An old soldier seemed to have heard some news from another channel. He began to explain, "The 'Ancient Fierce General' is indeed formidable, but… guess why he could break through Lu Bu's eight generals?"
"Why?" All the old soldiers gathered around. Xiahou Dun also joined them.
To be honest, he was also quite curious.
"Hahaha…" The soldier laughed and explained, "It's all because of the pair of halberds he wielded and the treasure armor he wore!"
"What…" Xiahou Dun scratched his head. "Old Liu, are you talking about the two divine halberds and divine armor that Lu Yu asked the Nine Heavens Xuannü to deliver?"
"What Nine Heavens Xuannü?" The soldier, called Old Liu, waved his hand. "I heard that these divine halberds and divine armor came from a forging workshop in Chenliu Commandery. This workshop is managed by Lu Yu, the counselor of the shogunate. And the manager… is quite remarkable; it's Cao Gong's daughter, Cao Mu!"
Uh… as soon as he said this, Xiahou Dun was stunned. Cao Mu… wasn't she his prospective daughter-in-law?
Did Dian Wei's divine weapons and treasure armor come from him?
Before Xiahou Dun could ask, Old Liu continued, "Also, the reason for the great victory in Puyang City a few days ago was not solely due to the 'Ancient Fierce General.' More than seven hundred knights of the Dragon Soaring Camp were all equipped with these divine weapons and divine armor, even their warhorses were not spared!"
"The great battle took place at night, and the Bing Province soldiers did not notice the armor of the Dragon Soaring Camp. As they charged headlong into the open ground in front of the south city gate, they were met with halberds that could cut through iron and armor that was stronger than blades. They were instantly dumbfounded! In an instant, they were routed!"
What…
Xiahou Dun heard clearly. If Puyang City was indeed captured with the help of these divine halberds and divine armor, then… wouldn't his prospective daughter-in-law have made a great contribution?
Wait… Mu'er made such a great contribution?
Then could his son… Xiahou Mao, such a wretch, be worthy of her? Furthermore… if this forging workshop was so important, Mu'er was bound to assist her father and Elder Brother in achieving great things. How could she marry and raise a family? Wouldn't that hinder Elder Brother's great undertaking?
No… it couldn't be!
Xiahou Dun patted his forehead. With his peculiar way of thinking, the first thing he thought of was his son's unworthiness;
The second thing he thought of was Elder Brother's great undertaking. As for whether Mu'er was his daughter-in-law, that, at least in Xiahou Dun's opinion, was not important at all… His family was impoverished, and it would be too embarrassing to have Elder Brother's daughter suffer here…
Thinking this, Xiahou Dun fell into deep thought.
But at this moment…
"Father! Father!"
An angry voice came from outside the tavern…
This voice was familiar to Xiahou Dun and the old deputy generals. It was his son Xiahou Mao's voice. But… wasn't Mao'er in Chenliu Commandery?
Wasn't he supposed to be preparing for his marriage with Mu'er?
Why would he rush to Juancheng in such anger? Of course, Xiahou Dun did not know how furious and humiliated Xiahou Mao felt on his journey to Juancheng.
The annulment of the engagement was, to him, Xiahou Mao, to his Xiahou family, and even to… the entire Xiahou clan, nothing less than a profound disgrace!
…
…