On the official road, still fifty li from Chenliu Commandery.
Cao Cao was in good spirits, riding his horse and conversing with Cao Xiu beside him.
"Wenlie, you handled the 'Heavenly Stone Tablet' incident commendably. It was discreet, and the results were outstanding. This morning, the moth rebels have already sent an envoy with a letter of surrender!"
"You deserve significant credit for causing three hundred thousand moth rebels to surrender at the mere sight of us!"
All along the way, Cao Cao repeatedly praised this "thousand-mile steed"!
Indeed, while Lu Yu's strategy of "winning over the rebels' hearts" was crucial, Cao Xiu's execution was also a great merit.
"Nephew dares not claim credit."
With no one else around, Cao Xiu unreservedly referred to himself as a nephew.
"The surrender of three hundred thousand moth rebels at a mere glance is all thanks to Young Master Lu Yu's divine strategy and Uncle's discerning eye for talent. Without either of these, the moth rebels would not have surrendered so wholeheartedly. As for me, I merely acted according to the instructions of Uncle and Young Master Lu Yu; anyone else would have done the same."
Hearing this, Cao Cao stroked his beard and let out a hearty laugh.
Previously, when Cao Xiu arrived at the military camp, his expression had revealed his lingering reservations about guarding Lu Yu. However, after the Heavenly Stone Tablet incident led to the surrender of three hundred thousand Yellow Turban rebels, Cao Xiu's attitude towards Lu Yu underwent a complete reversal. He had not even mentioned resigning from his post as Lu Yu's guard after achieving this merit. It seemed this affair was enough to spark curiosity and admiration in Cao Xiu, making him more willing to approach and interact with Lu Yu. This was something Cao Cao was pleased to see.
Cao Cao's intention was to have the younger generation of generals from the Cao clan closely surround Yu'er, and Cao Xiu's case was a good start! With this thought, Cao Cao's gaze towards Cao Xiu held a touch of "admiration."
"Lu Yu's brilliant strategy is undoubtedly the primary merit, but your contribution is also undeniable. There's no need for modesty..." Cao Cao said with a smile. "As for rewards, I have discussed it with Miaocai and Zixiao. Originally, you were a Dunzhang (a unit of one hundred men) in the Qiaopei Legion. How about this... I will directly promote you to Xiaowei (also known as Qu Zhang, five Tun forming a Qu) and assign you five hundred of our most elite cavalry!"
Ah... ah...
The Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, and the military system was the same. Five men formed a Wu, two Wu formed a Shi, five Shi formed a Dui, and five Dui formed a Tun. Above the Dunzhang were the Qian, Hou, Zuo, You, and Zhong, with five Tun forming a Qu. The Qu Zhang, also called Xiaowei, commanded five hundred men! Above them were the Yamen Generals, who commanded a thousand men!
At this moment, Cao Xiu's eyes widened, his face displaying four characters: utter disbelief. Xiaowei? A Xiaowei commanding five hundred of the most elite cavalry? Qu Zhang? This... happiness had arrived too suddenly!
It was known that the Cao clan, and the Qiaopei Legion in particular, were renowned for their strict military discipline. For ordinary soldiers to be promoted to Wuzhang, they needed to cut off at least two enemy heads. To be promoted from Wuzhang to Shizhang, a squad of five men needed to cut off "four" enemy heads. And so on. Those who became Dunzhang were, without exception, the most outstanding in martial skill and leadership within the Qiaopei Legion, let alone Qu Zhang... If it were measured by enemy heads, it would likely take a hundred or more to reach this military rank.
Considering Cao Cao originally had several thousand men, the Qu Zhang under him could already be considered "generals," true generals.
"Uncle, I..."
Cao Xiu was a little flustered. He wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat, unsure of where to begin. After all, in this instance, he had merely "followed the plan." Late at night, planting beans and burying a stone tablet at the village entrance... and then quietly leaving. Any "Dunzhang" could have accomplished this, right? But... for this alone, he had... had transformed into a "Qu Zhang"? In other words, Young Master Lu Yu's few words were far more effective than Cao Xiu's own efforts of shedding blood, sacrificing his life, and fighting enemies without fear! More effective by far! And the crucial point was that the impact of Young Master Lu Yu's strategy on the overall situation was immeasurable by the amount of killing done!
"Uncle..." With this thought, Cao Xiu cupped his hands. "Nephew has a request!"
"You have earned merit in this battle, so speak your request freely." Cao Cao waved his hand generously.
"Nephew requests to lead these five hundred elite cavalry... to continue guarding Young Master Lu Yu's side," Cao Xiu said truthfully. "Nephew believes Young Master Lu Yu is unfathomable, and there is much he can learn from him."
The words blurted out... Cao Cao was first stunned, then overjoyed. He hadn't expected Cao Xiu to make such a request!
"This is exactly what I wanted!" Cao Cao muttered to himself... Letting Cao Xiu continue to guard Lu Yu was, in effect, assigning Lu Yu a personal guard. Firstly, it could protect "Yu'er's" safety. Secondly, with Yu'er's intelligence, this personal guard might play a special role on future battlefields, turning the tide! If it were merely to be Lu Yu's personal guard, it would suffice, but... Cao Cao intended more than just assigning a personal guard to Yu'er. He had high hopes for his eldest son and planned to indirectly hand over a legion for him to command, as a form of training! In that case, were five hundred men too few?
Cao Cao's brow furrowed slightly. After all, he still felt guilty towards "Yu'er." Fifteen years spent wandering in a chaotic world, with life hanging by a thread... Now... at any time, Cao Cao wanted to compensate, to compensate greatly. Seeing Cao Cao's expression fluctuate, Cao Xiu thought his uncle was refusing. He immediately bit his lip, feeling a little disappointed and regretful.
"Uncle, is this just my wishful thinking?"
"Wishful thinking? Haha..." Cao Cao snapped back to attention and let out a hearty laugh. "Indeed, it is your wishful thinking. Lu Yu is proficient in strategy and is a rare talent in my Cao camp... How could a mere five hundred elite cavalry guarding him be enough?"
Changing his tone... Cao Cao patted Cao Xiu on the shoulder.
"Wenlie, your主动 (zhǔdòng - initiative) to offer to guard Lu Yu makes me more gratified than if you had achieved great merit. You shall not be Xiaowei; I will directly assign you one thousand elite cavalry, and you will be a Yamen General. Your sole task will be to guard Lu Yu!"
"Furthermore, this thousand-plus cavalry of yours shall not be dispatched by anyone else, except by my or Lu Yu's orders!"
This... Cao Cao's words left Cao Xiu completely bewildered. What was going on? If he planting beans and burying a stone tablet had earned him the position of Xiaowei, commanding five hundred elite cavalry, that was somewhat understandable. But now? He had merely volunteered to guard Lu Yu, and he had immediately gone from Xiaowei to Yamen General, commanding a thousand elite cavalry. This... this promotion speed was too rapid! In the presence of his uncle Cao Cao, who had always upheld strict military discipline, such a promotion speed was something Cao Xiu dared not even dream of. And now all of this had become a reality, yet this was not the main point. The main point was... the root of all this was a name – "Lu Yu"!
Yes, it was because of Young Master Lu Yu that he, Cao Xiu, had been promoted two ranks in over ten days... from a mere Dunzhang to a sought-after Yamen General in the Cao camp, commanding the most elite thousand cavalry of the Qiaopei Legion. At this moment, Cao Xiu's eyes gleamed with a crystalline light... It seemed that from the moment he led fifty men to guard the Wei mansion, and entered the backyard of the Wei mansion to visit Lu Yu, his life's trajectory had changed. Yes, when happiness knocks on the door... but happiness had arrived too suddenly! With this thought, the shocked Cao Xiu took a full ten breaths to regain his senses. Immediately, he cupped his hands towards Cao Cao again. "Uncle, nephew will surely not fail in his mission and will at all times protect Young Master Lu Yu's safety! Should Uncle or Young Master Lu Yu issue any orders, even if it means facing a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, Xiu will never retreat, but will advance!" In his words, a sharp light erupted from Cao Xiu's eyes...
In the Cao camp, as the eldest son "Yu" made his initial debut, like a budding lotus... a young and energetic general was also rising. Just then...
"Big brother, a letter has arrived from Chenliu Commandery!" Cao Ren rode his horse to Cao Cao's side. "It seems... regarding the incorporation of three hundred thousand moth rebels, many aristocratic families and renowned scholars have expressed considerable reservations!"
Hearing this, Cao Cao's brow furrowed... As expected, what was bound to come, would come. He, Cao Cao, welcomed the three hundred thousand moth rebels, but it did not mean that the renowned scholars and clans of Yan Province were so lenient towards the moth rebels!
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