Cheng Yu arrived, his forehead slick with sweat.
He was genuinely worried that if Cao Cao exposed the truth about the empty granary, everything would be ruined!
As he dismounted, Cheng Yu clenched his fists, his entire body still trembling…
Fortunately, he spotted Cao Cao immediately.
Cao Cao was outside the granary.
*Hoo… hoo.*
… He let out a long sigh. “It’s good that Lord Cao didn’t go inside. This secret is safe.”
Thinking this, Cheng Yu patted his chest heavily, the tension inside him dissipating considerably. But… why was Cao Cao waiting outside the granary?
Did he know the granary was filled with thatch? And therefore…
Before Cheng Yu could ponder further, he noticed something even more bizarre than Cao Cao’s presence outside the granary!
Grain carts were continuously delivering grain into the granary. And within them… was not thatch, but real grain, rice, millet, sorghum, wheat, beans – actual cereals!
What was going on?
Cheng Yu rubbed his eyes, but the scene before him was all too real.
He was stunned. His face flushed, veins bulging on his forehead. The tightly clenched fists suddenly loosened, and the horsewhip in his hand slipped with a *snap*, falling to the ground.
Cheng Yu’s entire being seemed to stiffen for a moment, then suddenly went limp.
Just then, he heard Cao Cao’s hearty laughter, a laugh that dispelled all gloom!
“Haha… haha!”
Cao Cao laughed and shouted, “Zhongde, you did not deceive me, you did not deceive me… We have grain, Yanzhou has grain!”
*Hiss…*
Cheng Yu suddenly felt a bit awkward. He quickened his pace towards Cao Cao…
As if hearing footsteps, Cao Cao turned his head… noticing it was Cheng Yu, he quickly strode towards him.
Before Cheng Yu could even speak, Cao Cao turned to him and bowed deeply.
Cheng Yu was astonished. What reason did a lord have to bow to a subordinate? He quickly returned the bow, bending himself like an arched bridge.
Cao Cao, however, felt no impropriety. Instead, he gripped Cheng Yu’s hand excitedly and said, “Duke, by collecting these carts of grain! You have saved Yanzhou, saved our hundreds of thousands of soldiers, saved millions of citizens, and saved me, Cao Cao!”
“Zhongde, I bow to you on behalf of all the people of Yanzhou to thank you for your kindness.”
As these words left his lips, Li Dian, Yue Jin, and the other deputy generals beside Cao Cao all looked at Cheng Yu with envy.
Cheng Yu, a mere county magistrate, dared to voluntarily take on the responsibility of collecting grain. Furthermore, he had actually succeeded in collecting such a large quantity of grain. This was truly impressive!
At least, he was far more impressive than Li Dian and Yue Jin. It was no wonder Lord Cao bowed to him in such a manner!
…
Here, everyone looked at Cheng Yu with admiration. However, from Cheng Yu’s perspective, he was extremely awkward, so much so that he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
He truly wished he could die. He was a man of learning; how could he be so shameless as to claim credit?
Immediately, Cheng Yu said with a mixture of a cry and a laugh, “Lord Cao, this subordinate deserves death! These carts of grain were not… not collected by me… I… I am just as bewildered!”
It was rare to see the “wolf general” who could eat human flesh without changing his expression become flustered to this degree!
But…
Cao Cao’s brow furrowed. He found it quite unexpected. You are the magistrate of Shou Zhang County, and these carts of grain are being transported to the granary under your jurisdiction. If you didn’t do this, then who did?
Just then…
“As expected of Uncle, Cao Xiu pays respects to Uncle.”
A clear voice rang out.
Cao Cao turned and saw that it was none other than the “Thousand Li Steed,” Cao Xiu!
Wasn’t he in Chen Liu Commandery protecting “Yu’er”? How could he be here?
“Wen Lie? What are you doing here?” Cao Cao immediately retorted.
“Oh… this, Uncle… Your nephew was ordered to come.” Cao Xiu gestured to the granary behind him. “Young Master Lu sent me to deliver a hundred thousand shi of grain to Shou Zhang County, saying it was a meeting gift, and that he wished to befriend Cheng Yu, the Magistrate of Shou Zhang.”
“What? A hundred thousand shi of grain? To make a friend?”
Cao Cao looked at Cao Xiu incredulously…
Cao Xiu nodded and continued, “These were Young Master Lu’s exact words…”
Uh… Cao Cao was stunned again.
For a moment, he desperately wanted to know where Yu’er got so much grain to be able to produce a hundred thousand shi in one go!
“Wen Lie, tell me in detail? Where did Lu Yu’s grain come from?” Cao Cao’s tone was quite gentle, his face full of approval.
It was no wonder he was so pleased. What time was it now?
Yanzhou was on the verge of a grain crisis. Once famine struck, the newly surrendered Qingzhou soldiers would surely become restless. If not handled properly, Yanzhou could fall into chaos again.
Now, Yu’er had actually… obtained grain!
Was this… another completely new surprise he had brought to his father figure?
Cao Cao felt incredibly cheerful. “Wen Lie, take your time telling me, what has Lu Yu been doing recently?”
“Young Master Lu Yu…” Cao Xiu paused for a moment, considering that grave robbing and tomb raiding were not exactly honorable deeds. Speaking of such things in broad daylight felt a bit…
Seeing Cao Xiu hesitate, Cao Cao suddenly thought of something…
He recalled recent rumors in Yanzhou and immediately spoke, “I see. Lately, there have been rumors in Yanzhou that carts of gold and silver jewelry have been transported to the Wei Residence. Most likely, Lu Yu and Old Master Wei made a big deal together and earned a substantial sum? It seems they used this to purchase so much grain?”
“……” Cao Xiu remained silent…
It was indeed a big deal, but it was a deal made with the dead, a risk-free, highly profitable transaction. The details of this could not be divulged to outsiders!
“Haha, I actually forgot about Lu Yu’s clever mind,” Cao Cao continued to sigh.
“Uncle, to be honest with you…” Cao Xiu finally spoke, his voice ringing out, “Young Master Lu did conduct a transaction, however, the profits far exceeded the grain delivered to this county… at least several hundred thousand shi!”
Whoa, several hundred thousand shi? That much?
Cao Cao had a very clear understanding of grain. One shi of grain was enough to feed one person for sixty days.
Even during wartime, it was enough for forty days. Several hundred thousand shi, what did that mean? It meant tens of thousands of people could be fed, allowing Yanzhou to smoothly navigate through these most difficult two months. And after two months, it would be close to the grain harvest.
This was important, critically important!
“Good, good, good!” Cao Cao patted Cao Xiu’s shoulder repeatedly. “Wen Lie, following Lu Yu, you have indeed improved a great deal.”
“Uncle feels that the title of General of the Tooth Gate no longer suits you, haha… hahaha…”
This was probably what was meant by love extends to all things associated with the beloved.
With those words, Cao Cao intended to leave. Knowing that Lu Yu had plenty of grain, then… the most pressing matter was to go find him!
Firstly, to inquire about the specific amount of grain, so Cao Cao would have a clearer picture;
Secondly, Cao Cao wanted to figure out where this grain came from? Could he, Cao Cao, imitate it!
Just as Cao Cao was about to remount his horse.
Cheng Yu shouted, stopping Cao Cao. “Lord Cao, may I have a word in private…”
Hmm… in private?
Originally, given Cao Cao’s current mood, he would certainly not have the energy to chat with Cheng Yu in detail.
However, what Cao Xiu had said earlier mentioned that Lu Yu gifted Shou Zhang County a hundred thousand shi of grain, with the intention of befriending Cheng Yu.
The person Yu’er wanted to befriend…
This… carried a deep and special meaning and was another matter entirely!
“You all withdraw, I will have a few words with Zhongde!”
“Yes…” Everyone retreated. In this area, only Cao Cao and Cheng Yu remained.
And then, with a *pat*, Cheng Yu knelt before Cao Cao. “Lord Cao, Cheng Yu is guilty of a capital offense! Cheng Yu has committed two crimes punishable by death!”
…
…