Under the walls of Puyang City, in Yan Province.
Inside the main camp of the Cao army.
"How many more days of rations do we have?" Cao Cao asked this question every day.
Not just him, but Xi Zhicai, Xun You, and Xiahou Yuan also inquired daily.
The grain officer had to answer this question multiple times a day, it had become a conditioned reflex… Today was no exception; he blurted out, "We can still last ten days, but… it seems, regarding Lu Gongcao…"
Before the grain officer could finish speaking.
"Big Brother…" Cao Hong rushed in, "I've already sent people to investigate…"
As he spoke, Cao Hong noticed the grain officer, and the latter half of his sentence stuck in his throat.
Cao Cao understood and waved the grain officer away. The grain officer, sensing the situation, withdrew discreetly.
Only Cao Cao and Cao Hong remained in the main tent.
"Investigated?" Cao Cao asked meaningfully…
"Investigated!" Cao Hong's expression grew even more grim at the question. "I sent several groups of people to inquire with Commander Cheng about the grain, both openly and in secret. But not only is there no grain from him, he can't even produce a single copper coin. He's as poor as can be!"
Commander Cheng was Cheng Yu. It was he who had dispatched the armored soldiers of the Tomb Robbing Camp to escort the grain for Cao Cao's fifty thousand strong army previously.
Following this line of thought, with the grain about to run out, Cheng Yu should have sent another batch.
But… here lay the problem. Cao Hong had sent several groups, and it wasn't that Cheng Yu refused to send grain; he simply couldn't. He was like a clever woman who couldn't cook without rice!
"What about Commander Lu? Are there any major developments?" Cao Cao asked, his eyes gleaming.
The more he asked, the more troubled Cao Hong became.
"Don't even mention it, Big Brother… Guess what? Commander Lu isn't without money. The Dragon Valiant Camp has plenty of funds. It's just that… he used the last of the money to buy locusts, or he distributed it to the families of severely wounded or fallen soldiers. Our own grain is running out, and he's doing this. What do you make of that…"
Bought locusts?
Cao Cao had heard some rumors about this. Xiahou Dun had been in charge of the matter. Notices had been posted throughout Yan Province and even the four commanderies of Xu Province, offering thirty copper coins for each locust captured and brought to the yamen!
And this money naturally came from Lu Yu's Dragon Valiant Camp.
Although the price per locust wasn't high, being a mere fraction compared to the price of a horse, which could cost over two million coins, the sheer volume was the key.
It was said that the people of Yan Province and Xu Province had gone mad over this. They spent their days doing nothing but catching locusts in the fields.
Thinking of this, for a fleeting moment, Cao Cao inexplicably felt a pang of sympathy for the locusts.
It made sense. Yan Province had nearly two million people, all going out to catch locusts. If each person managed to catch just one, that would be millions of locusts a day. Within a few days, Cao Cao believed the locusts would be wiped out.
Although…
In Lu Yu's Yin-Yang School of thought, "locust plagues" were a recognized phenomenon. Using money to mobilize the populace to catch locusts was indeed a method to curb their growth and prevent a plague!
But the crucial issue was the cost…
Furthermore, what could those hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dead locusts be used for? They couldn't be eaten as food, could they?
Upon thinking this, Cao Cao felt a strange ache in his chest… mainly out of concern for the money. Young Yu had spent his money so wastefully!
As for the other matter…
Normally, when soldiers died or were severely wounded, their families would receive a certain amount of compensation.
However, in reality, this compensation was meager, consisting of only a few bushels of grain, a few bolts of silk, and a few bags of Wuzhu coins. It was difficult for these families to survive for even two or three years, let alone a lifetime.
Logically, it was not unreasonable for Lu Yu to distribute money to them; it demonstrated the general's care for his subordinates and could boost the army's cohesion and morale!
But… this incident happened at such a critical time. The front lines were on the verge of starvation, which made it somewhat…
Cao Cao shook his head, feeling an even greater ache.
No!
Cao Cao's eyes darted. Lu Yu's Dragon Valiant Riders had never seen actual combat. They were involved in tomb raiding, guarding Lu Yu, or forging and steelmaking. How could they have any fallen or severely wounded soldiers?
Or rather… how many fallen soldiers could there possibly be? And how much compensation could be given?
No, Cao Cao felt something was amiss.
"Zilian? Has the Dragon Valiant Camp seen any battles? How could they have fallen or severely wounded soldiers?" Cao Cao asked.
"It's not the armored soldiers of the Dragon Valiant Camp!" Cao Hong replied without hesitation. "It's… it's the soldiers under Yuan Rang. It seems they were soldiers who fell in the battle for Puyang, several hundred of them. Commander Lu has given substantial compensation to each of their families."
What?
Battles under Xiahou Dun?
When did Young Yu start caring about other people's soldiers?
He… really had a lot of spare time!
For a moment, Cao Cao didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
Speaking of which, it was because of Lu Yu that he had decided to hastily attack Puyang City. Lu Yu had also promised to procure military provisions during this period. The first batch of grain had indeed been procured, but what about the second? Cao Cao was worried sick every day, several white hairs had already sprouted…
And Young Yu? He had the leisure to collect locusts and give compensation to the families of Yuan Rang's fallen soldiers.
One must understand…
The stalemate between Cao Cao and Lu Bu was, in essence, a battle of attrition: who could endure longer?
Once one side could no longer endure, it would create a loophole, a weakness, which could likely be exploited by the opponent for a decisive blow.
Cao Cao, who had charged across battlefields for more than a decade, understood this principle.
Therefore, he was deeply worried.
"Big Brother…" Seeing Cao Cao's somber expression, Cao Hong spoke, "Should we perhaps withdraw the encirclement and retreat ten li? This way… if Commander Lu's grain doesn't arrive on time, we would still have some room to maneuver."
"Let's wait a bit longer…" Cao Cao waved his hand. If it were someone else responsible for the grain supply.
Given Cao Cao's cautious and suspicious nature, he would definitely have retreated ten li. But doing so… would deflate their momentum.
However, this time, Lu Yu was the one procuring the grain. Young Yu had never disappointed him before.
He was worth Cao Cao taking this gamble for.
Wait, and wait some more…
Young Yu might find a solution.
For some inexplicable reason, Cao Cao still held faith in Lu Yu.
Cao Hong, however, knitted his brows. He actually had faith in Lu Yu too, but in reality…
This time was different from the past. Whether it was Lu Yu or Cheng Yu, even the money within the Dragon Valiant Camp…
It was genuinely all spent! Unless Lu Yu was an immortal, capable of conjuring grain!
…
…
In Chenliu Commandery, Yan Province, at the Dragon Valiant Camp.
Today, Lu Yu had made a rare appearance here… Currently, from Cao Xiu at the top to the common soldiers at the bottom, all seven hundred Dragon Valiant Riders were equipped with steel spears, steel halberds, and steel armor.
These had all been rushed out by the forging workshops over the past month.
There was little to say about the steel spears and halberds… they were merely iron transformed into steel, increasing in weight but multiplying their power several times over.
After a month of adaptation, the Dragon Valiant Camp riders had become fully proficient.
As for the armor…
It was a type of steel lamellar armor similar to the "mirror armor" of the Song Dynasty…
This was a lamellar armor diagram that Lu Yu had specially drawn. The forging difficulty was immense… but Cao Mu, as a woman destined to be one of those legendary forging masters, had spent only four or five days diligently studying it. She had already begun to attempt forging, and… her success rate was astonishing.
It's worth noting that the armor craftsmanship of the Han Dynasty was still quite primitive. Most armor was made by annealing iron sheets to reduce carbon content, increasing their flexibility for body protection.
By the Tang Dynasty, thirteen types of armor had emerged, including Mingguang armor, Sanwen armor, infantry armor, and lamellar armor.
However… even in the Tang Dynasty, steel was rarely used as a material.
The reason for this was that steel was too heavy. Not everyone was like Dian Wei, who could wear forty to fifty catties of steel armor as if it were nothing, being more agile than a nimble fat man.
Under normal circumstances, wearing such steel armor would make a person cumbersome and clumsy…
Although the steel lamellar armor designed by Lu Yu was of Song Dynasty style, it incorporated features of Tang Dynasty lamellar armor, significantly reducing its weight. Each set of armor weighed approximately twenty-five catties.
The entire seven hundred Dragon Valiant Camp riders, from head to toe, were clad in black, reminiscent of the Xuanjia cavalry of the Tang Dynasty.
"Young Master Lu, all soldiers have been equipped with armor and weapons. The forging workshop has also delivered a thousand sets of iron stirrups, but… as per Young Master Lu's instructions, they have not yet been issued to the armored soldiers."
Cao Xiu reported the recent situation of the Dragon Valiant Camp to Lu Yu…
Lu Yu nodded…
Because iron stirrups were too easily replicated, Lu Yu planned to use them only in a crucial battle or when facing a formidable opponent… In fact, similar to iron stirrups were high saddles, but these were even easier to imitate. Once they appeared, they would become commonplace in the Han Dynasty within three months!
Therefore, the iron stirrups were almost entirely sealed and stored in the Dragon Valiant Camp's armory. Lu Yu secretly had Dian Wei forge a set for himself to try out during his usual rides, just in case he encountered Lu Bu… With these, his combat effectiveness could be significantly enhanced!
"That matter? How is it progressing?" Lu Yu changed the subject.
Cao Xiu immediately understood and replied, "Everything has been handled. Over two hundred families have each had people sent to deliver large amounts of gold, silver, and cloth. However… do we really not need to inform General Xiahou?"
"No need!" Lu Yu waved his hand…
Lu Yu was adept at handling human relationships and favors…
Speaking of which, this was a matter that Lu Yu had assigned Cao Xiu to handle during this period: distributing some wealth to the families of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Puyang under Xiahou Dun's command.
Earlier, while drinking with Xiahou Dun, although… Xiahou Dun hadn't explicitly mentioned many stories about the Battle of Puyang.
Lu Yu could see from his eyes the immense regret he felt, not just for chasing Lu Bu out of the city and falling into an ambush, but more so for not following Lu Yu's suggestion to have Cao Ren defend the city!
Otherwise, these brothers would not have died!
And this was the root of all the trouble. In the end, Xiahou Dun felt uneasy in his heart; he was filled with guilt.
Precisely this guilt could be exploited.
For example, by using money to transfer Xiahou Dun's guilt towards them to Lu Yu, thus strengthening their relationship.
Therefore, Lu Yu had used the money to reward these fallen soldiers on behalf of Xiahou Dun.
Of course, spending money always hurt a little.
Ahem…
Lu Yu coughed lightly.
"What about those locusts? Are they all packed?" Lu Yu continued to ask. This was the crucial reason for his visit to the Dragon Valiant Camp.
"Are you talking about the dead locusts?" Cao Xiu was a bit confused when locusts were mentioned.
He couldn't understand… why the armored soldiers under General Xiahou kept sending so many locusts to the Dragon Valiant Camp… thousands upon thousands of bags.
He also couldn't understand why Young Master Lu had instructed… him to carefully preserve these locusts!
Could it be that these pests had some use?
Of course… Cao Xiu would never understand…
These locusts were treasures, they were meat!
It must be known that they were not caught during a locust plague. Locusts during a plague contained potent toxins; whoever ate them would die!
But these were mostly in their developmental stages, had not yet formed swarms, and thus had no toxicity. They belonged to the plump Chinese grasshopper, which tasted good and was a delicious meal.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu actually salivated.
"How many bags of locusts in total?"
"I'm afraid there are over a thousand bags, numbering in the tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands…" Cao Xiu's mind was still full of questions. Since Lu Yu had mentioned this, he might as well remind him, "Last night, we received an urgent dispatch. Today, hundreds more bags of locusts are expected to arrive…"
"Perfect, let's wait for them!" Lu Yu smiled…
He muttered to himself, the more the better, this was all food!
Actually, he hadn't even expected it. How long had it been since the weather warmed up?
The common people had already captured so many locusts…
If they were allowed to grow unchecked, wouldn't Yan Province and Xu Province be ruined?
Indeed, everything in the world could follow a general principle – emerge from the masses, and go to the masses.
As long as millions of people could be mobilized to do one thing, forget about locust plagues, Lu Yu mused, if the people wished, they could even turn locusts into protected animals.
As for the money… don't look at one hundred coins per locust. Copper coins were truly worthless in these times. The copper coins paid for hundreds of thousands of locusts wouldn't even buy fifty horses. It was truly cheap!
"I'll leave things here to you, General Cao. I'll return to Chenliu Commandery to handle a matter. When I return, the new locusts should have arrived, and it will be time for us to set out for Puyang City!"
Lu Yu gave his final instructions…
Ah… ah… Cao Xiu was still a bit dazed. He felt utterly foolish.
When Cheng Yu sent grain to the front lines of Puyang, what were they doing? Sending locusts? Sending millions of locusts?
This was simply outrageous!
Cao Xiu wanted to ask more, but Lu Yu had already boarded the carriage. The driver was Dian Wei.
"Alright, alright…"
With a neigh from the horse, the carriage quickly departed from the Dragon Valiant Camp and headed towards the Cao Residence in Chenliu Commandery.
In Lu Yu's eyes, today was a day to fulfill a promise and a day to do a bad deed.
Alas… even though it was a bit difficult…
But this matter had to be done. This marriage had to be broken off for Cao Mu…
Otherwise, it would be a disservice to Miss Mu for working tirelessly day and night… to forge these seven hundred fine steel war halberds, seven hundred steel sabers, and seven hundred steel lamellar armors.
Oh dear, student Xiahou Mao, face the gale!
…
…
In Chenliu Commandery, south of the city, the forging workshop.
A large estate, larger than the Dragon Valiant Camp's training ground, this was the forging workshop specially established by Cao Cao.
Lu Yu was in charge, and the person managing it was Cao Cao's daughter, Cao Mu…
Unlike Lu Yu, who was a hands-off manager…
Cao Mu appeared here almost every day. Now, she wasn't just limited to forging steel; she dedicated more of her efforts to the forging of weapons and armor.
Of course… Lu Yu had given her a difficult task: to make the armor as light as possible without reducing its defensive capabilities.
And this… was precisely what Cao Mu and the craftsmen had been trying to achieve in recent days.
"Clang, clang, clang…"
The workshop echoed with intense sounds. As Lu Yu and Dian Wei entered, there were at least twelve large furnaces in the courtyard, with over a hundred craftsmen either forging or smelting, each performing their duties.
Among them were craftsmen from the Dragon Valiant Camp, as well as renowned artisans carefully selected by Cao Cao for his daughter…
The inventory of high-carbon steel was severely depleted, but as soon as Cao Cao bought high-carbon steel, it would be sent here immediately. After all, she was his beloved daughter, favored both openly and in secret.
"Not bad…"
Lu Yu exclaimed… This was actually his first time visiting.
Dian Wei, who had visited frequently, introduced it familiarly, "Young Master Lu, look, this room is specifically for storing high-carbon steel. The courtyard next to it is where they test and improve weapons and armor. The one inside is for melting iron and forging steel. After forging the steel, it's cooled for half an hour. Steel at this time is the most solid, and it's directly forged into the corresponding weapons and armor."
Saying this, Dian Wei looked around for Cao Mu, but unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen.
"Young Master Lu, Miss Mu is truly a gifted forging prodigy, haha. She has never personally forged, but when she speaks of each step, each detail, each technique that requires special attention, it's as if she's reciting from memory. Even the most famous blacksmiths in Yan Province would concede defeat to her in a sparring match…"
Heh heh…
Lu Yu chuckled. Not having personally forged but becoming a forging master, was that really impressive?
After all, the great man Lu Yu admired most had never personally fired a gun, yet he had achieved countless victories and created unparalleled glory in his lifetime! Cao Mu was still far from that…
"Where is she? We've almost finished our tour, but we haven't found our chief manager Mu! Where is Chief Manager Mu?" Lu Yu spread his hands and looked around.
Dian Wei scratched his head. Logically, Cao Mu should be around. She loved observing the craftsmen forging.
But…
Before Dian Wei could speak.
"I was wondering who it was, swaggering around our forging workshop, not showing us any respect. It turns out to be Young Master Lu!"
A female voice came from behind the two of them…
Lu Yu turned his head. Who else could it be but Cao Mu?
Wait…
After not seeing her for some time, Lu Yu almost didn't recognize her. Her waterfall-like three thousand strands of black hair were gone, replaced by short, very neat hair.
"Oh, changed your hairstyle?" Lu Yu spoke first.
"Here in the forging workshop, I'm often covered in sweat. Long hair is too inconvenient," Cao Mu's tone had matured significantly. It seemed managing such a large forging workshop had instantly turned her into a strong woman who loved forging more than men.
"Young Master Lu, although you are in charge of our forging workshop… it seems you've never been here before? Today… you wouldn't come here without a reason, what brings you here?"
Cao Mu asked with a smile, even teasingly.
Lu Yu yawned and turned around, "I'll say it only once. Today, I'm going to the Xiahou Manor to break off the engagement. If you don't want to go, that's fine, go or don't go!"
With those words, Lu Yu walked directly towards the main entrance of the forging workshop…
Cao Mu froze for a moment, then… she quickly ran after him.
Breaking the engagement… this was something she had been looking forward to for a long time.
Although her father hadn't explicitly mentioned the wedding date between Xiahou Mao and her, and the Xiahou family hadn't proactively inquired, the matter had been postponed.
But… with this matter lingering, Cao Mu felt uneasy.
Heh heh, today, she had finally waited for it!
"Young Master Lu…"
"Commander Lu…"
"Lu! Yu~~ Brother Lu… wait for me!"
With three different addresses, strictly speaking… only Cao Mu's address of "Brother Lu Yu" was correct. In a strict sense, Lu Yu was indeed her half-brother!
…
…