The sky was obscured by dark clouds. The gates of the Marquis of Bai Ma's estate opened, and Cao Cao, under the guard of Xu Chu, stepped inside. In the dim light, he inquired about Lu Yu's whereabouts and then proceeded towards a secluded pavilion.
Upon entering the quiet courtyard, Lu Yu and Cai Zhaoji's figures were clearly visible by candlelight. Cao Cao paused, ensuring they weren't engaged in any inappropriate activities, before striding in.
As it was evening, he deliberately kept his voice low to avoid startling the two inside.
Now…
In Cao Cao's eyes, not only did Yu'er have a new identity as his master's daughter, but his relationship with the virtuous Cai Yan also seemed to have undergone a subtle transformation.
"Ahem..."
With a soft cough, Cao Cao was about to enter.
However, Lu Yu and Cai Zhaoji's conversation drifted out. It was clear they hadn't realized Cao Cao had arrived.
"Why the marriage alliance?" Cai Zhaoji's voice was filled with emotion. "Why marry Mu'er to the Xiongnu?"
"Is the current situation not favorable to my brother? Northern expeditions are imperative. Why don't Yu and my brother emulate the former Marquis Lie and Marquis of Champion, sweep across the Xiongnu, restore the Western Regions, and save countless lives from suffering, etching their names in history with bold strokes? Why must we emulate the marriage alliances of the early Han?"
Clearly, even as a weak woman, Cai Zhaoji advocated for war. At the very least… she shouldn't have agreed to the Xiongnu's "marriage alliance" proposal!
However…
Despite her vast knowledge, Cai Zhaoji was not skilled in political struggles or power plays.
She naturally didn't understand that the reason both the Western and Eastern Han dynasties maintained marriage alliances with the Xiongnu wasn't dependent on the strength of the "Han." In the inevitable ethnic integration of the Chinese nation, these alliances were unavoidable.
*Hoo…*
Lu Yu exhaled softly.
He then explained, "Sister Zhaoji, please don't get agitated. I know Cao Mu is your most valued female disciple, and you are reluctant to part with her. Perhaps… allow me to tell you a story first. After hearing this story, when your mood has calmed down a bit, we can talk further."
This…
It seemed that Lu Yu's words calmed Cai Zhaoji. She nodded, sat down again, and listened attentively.
Cao Cao's footsteps also stopped in the courtyard.
He gestured to Xu Chu not to announce his presence. He stood in the moonlight, eager to hear Yu's story!
At this moment, Lu Yu stood up, his back to Cai Zhaoji, hands clasped behind him.
He began to recite softly.
"Let me tell this from the perspective of an ordinary commoner from Jizhou!"
"I am an ordinary citizen. Because the Chancellor refused the Xiongnu's marriage alliance request, the Xiongnu and the Han dynasty once again fell into conflict, and relations became tense, with border incursions frequent. My brother and I were conscripted into Cao's army for corvée labor!"
"Our family was originally enslaved. It was precisely because my father aided Chancellor Cao in attacking Yuan Shao and perished that our family became free men. This was the first time my brother and I went to the battlefield. Due to the tense war situation, there was not much military pay in Cao's camp, and to eat our fill, we had to dig up tree bark ourselves."
"Soon, Generals Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan from Cao's camp led us, over a hundred thousand strong, on an expedition against the Southern Xiongnu! Because we were all new recruits, the two Xiahou generals did not place us on the front lines of combat but as auxiliaries in the rear as reserves!"
"My brother and I were in different squads. After every battle, my brother would tell me how scared he was when he saw the fighting in front of him from the rear. More than once, he wanted to turn and flee."
Lu Yu narrated meticulously.
This was the story of "Heifu and Jing" from the Qin bamboo slips. The "Qin Slips" were excavated from the Qin tombs in Shuibadi, Yunmeng County, Hubei Province, in 1975.
They contained many accounts and stories of Qin soldiers.
Official historical records would not leave even a single line for these insignificant junior soldiers!
And the bamboo slips that Sister Zhaoji had read would certainly not contain these "bloody" stories of life being extinguished…
Lu Yu adapted it slightly, changing the so-called "Qin soldiers" to "Cao soldiers," and the story of the Qin people attacking Chu to Cao's army campaigning against the Xiongnu.
Cai Zhaoji listened intently, gradually immersing herself in the perspective of these two "Cao soldiers."
Cao Cao's eyes also lowered.
Lu Yu continued, "I repeatedly warned him not to flee, lest he be beheaded by officers behind us. To encourage him, I even mocked him, saying he was indeed the weaker son of the family, spoiled by his mother since childhood, lacking backbone. Each time, my brother would shake his head indignantly and tell me that he would surely earn military merit to show me in the future."
"In truth, I was also very scared. Every time we cleared the battlefield and saw the grotesque corpses, I couldn't help but wonder if I would end up in the same way. The thought would grip my heart! I just wanted my family to farm peacefully back home. Why did these generals have to fight wars? If they had married the Cao family's eldest daughter to the Xiongnu back then, establishing good relations between the two sides, wouldn't my brother and I have been able to farm, and all wars could have been avoided?"
*Hoo…*
Lu Yu paused at this point and continued,
"Soon, due to military affairs, my squad was assigned to another thousand-man unit. We were to attack the Xiongnu royal court. Before departing, I went to bid farewell to my brother. Since leaving home, he was my only support."
"My brother looked at me with great reluctance and worry. To comfort him, I lied and said I had drawn the best omen in the camp and would surely return safely this time. Hearing this, my brother's grip on my hand loosened. He even encouraged me, saying I would achieve military merit this time."
"Our thousand-man unit set off, and we were to attack the Xiongnu royal court. At night, we secretly circled to the east gate. In recent days, General Xiahou had been attacking the west gate, leaving the east gate's defenses significantly weakened. The centurion spoke, saying that if ten men could scale the city wall with ladders and secure the summit, their entire squad would be promoted by one rank and awarded merit.
"But everyone knew that although the reward for being the first to ascend was great, it also required luck! Those who went up too early without support would be chopped into minced meat by the Xiongnu! However, the centurion's subsequent words moved me: if the entire squad ascended the city and obtained twenty heads, they could also collectively receive merit!
"Our family is now only free citizens, not only without land but also subject to heavy punishment for even minor mistakes. If we had military merit, we could be allocated some good land, and it could even offset one mistake. This was quite a bargain for my brother and me! I recall that our neighbor, who failed to pay the head tax, was about to have his property confiscated and be reduced to slavery. It was precisely because he had military merit that he was pardoned once, escaping disaster! I gritted my teeth, thinking it was worth a gamble for everyone, for my brother!"
Lu Yu's tone grew increasingly somber.
As Cai Zhaoji listened, tears began to well up in her eyes.
Cao Cao also placed his hand on his chest, his brow furrowed. He mused that although Yu rarely appeared on the battlefield, he understood the sentiments of these soldiers so well.
Empathy…
The only word that came to Cao Cao's mind was "empathy"!
Besides that, there was "realism"—a vivid depiction of the "naked" reality of war.
Lu Yu's words continued.
"But the centurion also issued a stern warning: if anyone made a sound on the way or fled from battle, regardless of their rank, they would be beheaded on the spot."
"Soon, under the cover of night, we scaled the city wall. Although our ten-man squad did not secure the glory of being the first to ascend, we did not regret it, as the corpses of those who ascended first lay beneath our feet."
"Our ten-man squad then joined the fray. Most of us moved forward to engage in combat, while a few remained in the rear to collect heads. Some Xiongnu soldiers were merely incapacitated by blows and feigned death on the ground, but they were quickly seized by the ears by the approaching Cao army and had their heads swiftly severed. Thus, many 'feigning death' Xiongnu cried out in surprise when their heads were cut off, but they were still mercilessly decapitated by the Qin soldiers and tied to their waists."
"Those who had tried to struggle for their lives instantly became headless corpses. The east gate was soon captured, and then the army entered the city from the east gate, initiating street fighting! This was my first experience of killing! As dawn broke, we found two defiant barbarians. We cornered them with our shields, and our spears smoothly pierced their necks. They dropped their swords and slid down the wall. While they were unable to resist, we continued to stab them several more times! Later, I learned that his mother was also a Han Chinese woman, and she had lost her son forever! And she transferred her hatred infinitely to the Han people."
"I had killed people, and my body was covered in blood—that of Cao's soldiers and that of the barbarians! When I calmed down, I realized that I had been like a wild beast just moments ago… Two months ago, I was just a farmer looking up at the sky and farming with my head down. Now, I was forced to lie beside corpses and doze without fear!"
Lu Yu narrated the story with as much inflection as possible.
However… Cai Zhaoji's expression had changed. She bit her red lips. This was her first time encountering the "battlefield" so closely. Just hearing Brother Yu's description sent shivers down her spine, making her feel as if she were there.
"Gulp!"
Cai Zhaoji instinctively swallowed.
She couldn't help but tremble as she spoke.
"And… and then?"
Clearly, she had become immersed in this conflict between the Hu and the Han.
Similarly, who else was experiencing this immersion at this moment besides Cai Zhaoji? Cao Cao's emotions were also profoundly stirred. In recent years, due to Yu's influence, his path had been too smooth, often conquering enemies by winning their hearts and forcing surrender without a fight.
This sometimes made him forget that the essence of war was brutality!
In fact…
Since Cao Cao followed Huangfu Song in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he had witnessed too much bloodshed, both of enemies and his own. And all this blood was, without exception, the lives of individuals!
*Hoo…*
Cao Cao couldn't help but exhale a long breath, feeling both fortunate and deeply moved.
"Upon counting after the battle, our squad completed the mission, and everyone was awarded military merit and promoted by one rank. The Xiongnu were driven out of the desert as desired. Half a month later, my brother's squad also arrived. I then learned that my brother had also earned merit and become a squad leader, which brought me immense joy!"
"We immediately paid military scribes to write letters home. In the letters, I inquired about our mother and uncles, reported the good news, and sent our military pay to our mother. Summer was arriving, and we had no summer clothes, so we requested mother to make two sets of summer clothes in the letter. As new recruits and in a new camp, we had to provide our own clothing when we went out."
"Soon, having tasted the sweetness of military merit, and due to the Xiongnu's lingering hatred, returning again, my brother and I both applied to fight on the front lines. Regardless of how many battles I participated in, I would always feel nervous and afraid. The period before charging was the most tense—a kind of indescribable oppression and fear. Something seemed to be in my throat… compelling me to shout!"
"I saw the opposing barbarians charging towards me on horseback with curved swords. Their faces were equally tense, equally fearful. But the moment their weapons clashed, this tension turned into anger and madness. At first, one could hear the clanging of weapons and the screams of people, but as the weapons swung, my ears buzzed, my vision turned red. Every time I was lucky enough to survive, it took a long time to regain normal sanity."
"But if we persevered a little longer, my brother and I could return home with military merit, bring honor to our ancestors, glorify our family name, and support our mother! Unfortunately…"
Upon reaching this point…
Lu Yu paused unconsciously, because what he was about to recount was the part that had made him tear up when he first saw this story in the Qin bamboo slips in his previous life.
"Unfortunately… unfortunately…"
Lu Yu paused again before speaking, "Unfortunately, my brother and I underestimated the ferocity of this protracted war. Clinging to a sliver of hope, we thought we could retreat unscathed. My brother tripped when engaging the enemy and was dragged into the horse formation by a Xiongnu. Then… the thunder of the Xiongnu's hooves, their laughter, and my brother's screams tore at my heart!"
"I wanted to break away from the battle formation to save my brother, but military orders were like mountains. Not only would retreating mean execution, but rashly charging and leaving the formation would also mean beheading. I gritted my teeth and stood at the front of the formation without a sound, until my brother was killed by the Xiongnu. The centurion then ordered the charge. My eyes blazed with fury, a hatred as intense as the hatred of the barbarian mother I had killed in the past!"
"I charged into the barbarian ranks. At this time, in our distant homeland, my mother had just received the letter. She sold her silk cloth and was personally weaving summer clothes for us. She was still mentally picturing the figures of my brother and me when we left, murmuring, wondering if we had both grown taller. She was troubled about what size summer clothes would fit perfectly!"
"Unfortunately… as the summer clothes were just beginning to be made, she received the news that you two had perished by the swords of the Xiongnu beyond the frontier! Mother didn't cry out or lower her head. It seemed… her father's death had already accustomed her to such grief. Large tears dripped, yet she continued, weaving summer clothes for her two sons!"
"In winter, Cao's army finally defeated the Xiongnu once again. They returned home victorious, but Mother was not waiting at the city gates. She held two sets of summer clothes and burned them in the brazier along with the military merit earned by her sons. Drip… countless tears poured out. Mother cried her last tear, and then quietly collapsed in her room. With her son and husband gone, what hope did she have to live on?"
Drip… drip…
As Lu Yu reached this point, he couldn't help but shed tears.
History would not record such ordinary soldiers, nor would it record such poignant stories.
For one general's success, ten thousand bones wither…
Perhaps history books would record that Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan attacked the Southern Xiongnu, defeated the royal court, the Xiongnu fiercely resisted, but ultimately fled the desert!
Perhaps, decades later, there would be news of their return!
The century-long conflict between the Hu and the Han, accompanied by countless joys and sorrows of history, constantly repeated, yet was merely glossed over!
Hatred enveloped the sky, covering the borderlands!
*Hoo…*
Lu Yu exhaled a long breath.
"Sister Zhaoji, now… can you understand why, whether the Han dynasty was strong or weak, it always entered into marriage alliances with the Xiongnu!"
"A small marriage alliance, how many lives does it save… how many generations of enmity! Do you still feel, Sister Zhaoji, that my brother and Chancellor Cao should march north against the Xiongnu, restore the Western Regions, emulate Marquis of Champion Huo Qubing in sweeping across the desert and performing the Fenglangxūxū ritual?"
Drip…
Drip, drop…
After Lu Yu spoke so much, Cai Zhaoji fell silent.
She suddenly understood why Brother Yu was so calm and composed when facing the Xiongnu's marriage alliance proposal, and why he was so when he learned that Cao Mu was to be married.
Cao Cao outside the door was also silent…
It seemed that the question he had specifically sought Yu for had been answered at this moment.
"Must it be Mu'er?" Cai Zhaoji asked. "Can't it be like the palace lady Wang Qiang during Zhaojun's journey to the frontier?"
"It can be…" Lu Yu did not deny Zhaoji's idea. "However, in my opinion, a marriage alliance should not send a 'weak' woman. It should send a strong, ruthless, and decisive woman!"
"Perhaps… what men cannot achieve can be accomplished through this woman! Or perhaps, with the help of myself and Chancellor Cao, this woman can quickly integrate the grasslands within a few generations, accelerating the assimilation of the barbarians into the Han!"
Lu Yu's meaning was clear…
His idea was also unique. Conquering barbarians… cannot be done solely by military force. The Five Stone Powder is a vivid example!
And the Five Stone Powder can weaken the barbarians' bodies. A woman similar to "Empress Lü" or "Empress Wu" can conquer the entire grassland!
Perhaps with the joint efforts of various parties, internal strife among the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Southern Xiongnu can be achieved, and then… the Wuhuan and Xianbei can be annexed through the methods of the Southern Xiongnu, and then the Southern Xiongnu can be assimilated in another way!
This is a century-long plan!
Of course…
In Lu Yu's view, Cao Mu might not be competent, as she was not ruthless enough… But where could Lu Yu find a woman like "Empress Wu"?
Looking at the history of the Three Kingdoms and the Later Han, were there such women?
…
Outside the door.
Xu Chu reminded him…
"Chancellor has been waiting outside the door for half an hour!"
Xu Chu's voice was also very soft. His implication was, should they still go in…
*Hoo.*
Cao Cao let out a breath.
He shook his head, waved his hand gently, and turned to leave…
Since he had found the answer, why bother asking Yu again?
Marriage alliance…
Similar to Wang Zhaojun's marriage alliance?
The Emperor could recognize a palace lady as a princess. He, Cao Cao, could also name a woman "Cao Mu"!
However…
This woman? Whom should he choose?
What Lu Yu could think of, Cao Cao could also think of…
He knew even better that this candidate was crucial for the century-long plan of the Hu and Han!
(Who do you think it will be?)
…
…