Outside the yamen gates.
"Elder Brother, you're finally back," Cao Hong said, having waited at the gates since early morning. "Those scholars inside are making my head ache with their clamoring."
Cao Hong, naturally short-tempered, felt his frustration grow as he listened to the sharp words of various gentry and renowned scholars in the main hall. They seemed intent on flaying the thirty thousand Yellow Turban rebels alive.
Damn it, these pretentious scholars, did they understand how difficult it was to recruit soldiers in these times?
From thirty thousand Yellow Turbans, one could select tens of thousands of troops. Even recruiting for ten years wouldn't yield such results. What did those scholars know!
"Zi Lian, are they still discussing the matter of accepting the surrendered Yellow Turbans in the main hall?" Cao Cao asked as he dismounted.
Along the way, he had seen numerous petitions from the gentry of Yanzhou. Without exception, they urged him to thoroughly annihilate the Yellow Turbans and avenge the tens of thousands of lives lost in Yanzhou. But...
"Alas, what else could it be?" Cao Hong frowned deeply. "A bunch of pretentious scholars, they understand nothing, only knowing how to spout grand theories and discuss warfare on paper!"
Hearing this, Cao Cao's expression also darkened. Even he hadn't expected the greatest resistance to accepting the surrendered Yellow Turbans to come from within Yanzhou. This had complicated matters considerably.
Cao Cao was inwardly resolute. The few pieces of the puzzle for establishing supremacy proposed by Lu Yu had become his strategic direction: the warriors of Qiao Pei, the talented individuals of Ying Chuan, and the common Yellow Turbans… losing any one of them would narrow his path.
For the sake of his ambition, Cao Cao had no choice but to stand in opposition to the gentry and renowned scholars this time.
And his stance had to be firm, absolutely firm!
Thoughts churned within Cao Cao.
Just then.
"My Lord… something has happened! In the yamen's main hall, the renowned scholar Bian Rang and… and… Young Master Lu Yu of the Wei Prefecture… they are arguing!" Several guards rushed over, reporting immediately.
An argument? Bian Rang and Yu'er?
How could they be arguing? Was it also about accepting the surrendered Yellow Turbans?
Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat. The renowned scholar Bian Rang was exceptionally skilled in sophistry, his words sharp and incisive. Even Cao Cao was wary of him. Could Yu'er be his match?
"Lead the way," Cao Cao commanded immediately.
"Yes!" The guard turned, intending to lead the way while shouting – Duke Cao has arrived!
But after taking just one step, Cao Cao called out, "Wait…"
"Ah…" The words slipped out. Not only the guards but even Cao Hong beside him were stunned. "Elder Brother? You are the Governor of a province, the master of this yamen, why are you not taking the main road but sneaking in through the back door?"
"Haha…"
Cao Cao stroked his beard. "Lu Yu and Bian Rang, this is a splendid verbal joust. If I enter too early, I fear Lu Yu might be hesitant and unable to perform to his fullest!"
Initially, he had worried about Lu Yu.
But recalling their past conversations, Cao Cao was certain that "Yu'er" must also be a skilled debater. A match for an opponent, a talent meeting talent, this "verbal joust" had unexpectedly made Cao Cao look forward to it.
It was also a perfect opportunity to use the sophistry of the renowned scholar Bian Rang to… verify "Yu'er's" eloquence!
Cao Cao was filled with anticipation…
However, in Cao Hong's view!
Hoh…
Elder Brother Cao Cao was deliberately taking the back door for Lu Yu. Cao Hong's eyes flickered. He had heard much recently about a peerless genius appearing in the Qiao Pei army – Lu Yu!
He had proposed the strategy of "guerrilla warfare" to heavily wound the rebel forces…
But seeing him in the yamen today, besides looking a bit delicate, he seemed ordinary, far from the unfathomable depth expected of a strategist.
Elder Brother seemed to treat him with too much courtesy, or perhaps, too much importance?
Thinking this, Cao Cao was already heading towards the back courtyard. Cao Hong quickly followed… Because of Cao Cao's words, Cao Hong had become curious about this young man, Lu Yu.
…
In the back hall of the yamen, Cao Cao and Cao Hong did not push open the door to enter the main hall. They simply instructed a guard to fetch two small wooden stools and sat at the connection between the front and back halls. He could hear the sounds from the yamen, but the people inside could not see him.
At this moment, Cao Cao was wearing ordinary scholar's robes. His heroic face was graced with a scholarly air, but his expression remained largely unreadable, as if he were waiting for something.
Cao Hong sat beside him, silently and tacitly, but listened intently to the verbal joust within the yamen.
And now, within the yamen, Bian Rang and Lu Yu were already in a confrontational stance.
"Since you are a distinguished guest of Elder Wei, you must possess some skill."
Out of respect for Wei Hong, Bian Rang dared not have Lu Yu thrown out, so he could only debate with him.
Of course, Bian Rang was always self-assured, and in verbal debates, he had never lost!
"Young man, let me ask you, are thirty thousand Yellow Turbans trustworthy? They have rebelled before, they have a record. If they feign surrender and then betray us, attacking the prefecture and counties? What then? Can you bear that responsibility?"
His words were sharp, and a cold glint emanated from his eyes… The atmosphere in the entire yamen suddenly turned more frigid.
Wei Hong looked back and signaled to Lu Yu. If Lu Yu did not wish to answer, he would directly push Bian Rang away; no matter how arrogant Bian Rang was, Wei Hong was not afraid of him.
However…
Lu Yu's eyes were as clear and serene as always, as if these sharp words had not stirred the slightest ripple or wave in his ears. This demeanor perfectly matched the four characters: "confidence in one's plan"!
"Since this gentleman mentioned 'rebellion' and 'record,' let us first carefully discuss these two words?"
Lu Yu gracefully stood up. "May I ask, why did these common folk 'rebel,' and why did they have 'records'?"
This…
Bian Rang paused slightly, just as he was about to speak… Lu Yu's words tumbled out. "Everyone present should know better than I do that the common people at the very bottom of our Great Han possess the most simple and honest characters. As long as they can make a living, they will not cause trouble."
"However, they witness drought, flood, frost, locusts, and plague following one after another, foreign tribes repeatedly raiding the borders, and they themselves are displaced and have nowhere to turn, to the point of cannibalizing each other!"
"On the other hand, ministers who have studied extensively possess thousands of acres of fertile land, eunuchs who hoard power extort the populace, and the noble families of various prefectures and counties, including yourselves, and renowned scholars, do you dare swear upon the stone tablet of 'Confucius the Sage' that you have never oppressed or exploited them?"
As he spoke, Lu Yu's tone became even more serious.
"Unable to wear warm clothes, unable to eat their fill, the people suffer such calamities, yet no one cares for them! In this despair, if you were one of them, and you heard someone say, 'Join us, and you will have food, and your illnesses will be cured'? Would you believe them? If those people told you that rebellion was the only way out, would you follow them?"
At this point, Lu Yu paused again, wanting to see if anyone would retort.
As expected, all the gentry and renowned scholars fell silent, realizing that they were also culprits in driving these common farmers towards rebellion.
Scholars, who didn't harbor ideals of saving the world and aiding the people? Who, after realizing they were accomplices, could still speak eloquently under the gaze of 'Confucius the Sage'?
Ultimately, the greatest weakness of scholars was their – desire to save face!
Seeing the silence around him, Lu Yu continued.
"These people were originally the most simple farmers. These people rebelled out of desperation. Do you think these thirty thousand people have any grand dreams of overturning the heavens and changing the earth?"
"Do they truly wish to overthrow the Han Dynasty and establish their own order?"
"No, from Qingzhou to Xuzhou, and then from Xuzhou to Yanzhou, they endured hardships and traveled with their families. All they sought was a full meal, a place to shelter from the cold!"
"Originally wandering and precarious, now, as long as they surrender, they can eat their fill and live a good life… If someone attacks, Duke Cao can lead the Yanzhou soldiers to protect them. In these chaotic times, a life like this? There is nothing better."
"Don't talk about rebelling again, hehe… When people truly rebel, these individuals will stand firmly on Duke Cao's side for the sake of their good life, and fight to the death against the true 'enemies'!"
As he uttered the word "enemies," Lu Yu's eyes suddenly shot towards Bian Rang, a chilling coldness in them as if infused with millennia of profound ice!
…
…