Horses' hooves "clop-clop," the caravan stretched on.
Three days later, the Imperial School Office in Xuchang City was filled with people. Countless generals of the Dragon Mighty Camp showed no trace of joy on their faces. The reason was that these absolute confidants of Lu Yu had just heard something utterly inconceivable.
— A marriage alliance!
— A Han-Xiongnu marriage alliance!
It was too humiliating…
Clearly, Cao Cao's camp's strength now far surpassed that of the Xiongnu, and sweeping them away was merely a matter of time. Why would Prime Minister Cao propose a marriage alliance? Even more inconceivable was that when Prime Minister Cao proposed marrying his eldest daughter, Cao Mu, to the Southern Xiongnu, Lu Yu, as the Censorate Grand Master, did not object.
This was too bizarre!
One must know…
Previously, Lu Yu had transported "Five-Stone Powder" beyond the frontier, intending to weaken the Xiongnu's bodies over several years and await the opportune moment to conquer the desert and grasslands.
But…
Now…
"This humble general requests to lead the Dragon Mighty Camp to sweep across the Xiongnu, flatten the Xianbei, exterminate the Wuhuan, and restore the glory of our Han people!"
Cao Xiu cupped his hands and requested.
As he spoke his words.
Zhang Liao also cupped his hands and said, "Although Emperor Wu married Princess Wang Zhaojun to the Xiongnu king after his great victory over them, securing forty years of peace, this humble general would rather not have such peace! This humble general only needs to lead his 300 Bing Province Wolf Riders, and it would be enough to flatten the Xiongnu!"
Zhao Yun also cupped his hands.
"This humble general is willing to be the vanguard!"
When the issue of the Hu people was mentioned, the generals were united in their hatred for the enemy. Simply put, no marriage alliances, no appeasement, no tribute… just fight!
"Everyone…" Guo Jia stepped forward. "It seems the generals have misunderstood. It is not the Southern Xiongnu attempting to invade our borders; it is they who have proactively proposed a marriage alliance, emulating the spirit of Zhaojun's journey to the frontier during Emperor Wu's reign! How is it that by your words, it sounds as if we are like the Han Dynasty in its early years… forced into marriage alliances?"
"I don't understand such things!" Zhang Liao frowned. "I grew up in Yanmen, living in constant fear. Every year, the Hu people would invade. Can this generational hatred be ended with a mere marriage alliance?"
Zhang Liao rarely voiced his opinions…
After all, he was a surrendered general. Within the Dragon Mighty Camp, he spoke with great caution and restraint.
However, today's court situation had touched his deepest convictions.
"You still want to say that peace obtained through women is humiliating, and what we should do is 'the Son of Heaven guards the nation's gate,' 'the ruler dies for the state,' no marriage alliances, no ceding territory, and uphold our integrity!"
Finally…
Lu Yu spoke. He slowly rose and looked around at everyone in the Imperial School Office.
This…
Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, and Cao Xiu simultaneously raised their eyes.
"This humble general cannot utter such eloquent words!" Zhang Liao stated truthfully. "But since Commander Lu has this intention, why did you not object to Prime Minister Cao's marriage alliance proposal in court?"
"Because, this proposal was originally my idea." Lu Yu's voice was soft and faint…
Yet it touched every nerve of the generals in the Imperial School Office.
This…
Everyone wanted to speak but hesitated. They stared at Lu Yu with wide eyes.
One must know that within the Dragon Mighty Camp, almost all generals held no good feelings towards the Hu people. It was no exaggeration to say that if Lu Yu had proposed the marriage alliance, the Dragon Mighty Camp might have mutinied.
Who would have thought… at this very moment.
"Clap, clap!"
Lu Yu lightly clapped his hands…
Immediately, several trusted guards of the Dragon Mighty Camp closed the doors and windows, and also set up a strict guard outside the Imperial School Office, ensuring that no one would overhear.
And at the same time.
"Tramp, tramp…" From the back hall, a man walked out quickly.
All eyes turned to this man, and when they clearly saw his face…
"Hu… Hu dog!"
Subconsciously, Cao Xiu and Zhang Liao exclaimed in unison.
That's right, the person who appeared before them was a Hu person, or more precisely, an exceptionally robust Hu person.
"Southern Xiongnu Left Virtuous King?"
Only Zhao Yun murmured softly…
At this moment, everyone realized that the face of the Hu man before them was exactly the same as the portrait of the Left Virtuous King.
One must know that when the Southern Xiongnu sent envoys to propose marriage, they would naturally bring the portrait of the future Xiongnu king, the Left Virtuous King. Yesterday, this portrait had spread throughout the court and the military camp, and many had seen it.
"Hmph…"
Seeing the Hu person, Zhang Liao clenched his fist and was about to punch him.
Who would have thought that Lu Yu would stop him?
"Wait a moment!"
With a single word, Lu Yu walked to the side of the Left Virtuous King, speaking as he placed his hand on the 'Left Virtuous King's' cheek.
"Now, look again, is this still the Southern Xiongnu's Left Virtuous King?"
"Tear…"
As Lu Yu exerted force with his wrist, a skin as thin as cicada wings was peeled off.
And the robust man who had just been the 'Left Virtuous King' now regained his Han appearance…
Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, and Cao Xiu all recognized this man; he was a centurion within the Dragon Mighty Camp.
But… how did he just transform into the appearance of the Southern Xiongnu's Left Virtuous King?
Suddenly, question marks appeared on everyone's foreheads.
"This is called a human skin mask." Lu Yu introduced… "This is the latest achievement from the workshop where 'Kong Ming' is located!"
Recently, Lu Yu had gotten married, and Zhuge Jun had also rushed back from Xuzhou.
With the northern border defenses opened, Lu Yu had long since written out the manufacturing strategy for human skin masks and ordered Zhuge Jun's "workshop" and He Yan's "refining workshop" to attempt their production.
It was precisely because these two geniuses, who were extremely proficient in "physicalization," that it took them a full month to complete…
This illustrates… how difficult it was to make human skin masks!
Of course, at this time, due to limited materials, the so-called human skin masks were made from pigskin. This pigskin had to be from very young, small pigs…
During the manufacturing process, the pigskin would shrink, so it had to be made slightly larger.
It also needed to be soaked in wine, as pigskin was prone to decay. After being soaked in wine, it could kill bacteria and prevent decay, similar to the principle of preserving specimens with alcohol in later generations.
After soaking, the skinning process would begin…
This was the most difficult part, requiring a knife to thinly scrape the back of the pigskin to make it look more like human skin. Afterward, hair, such as eyebrows and beards, would be attached to the front of the pigskin.
And in ancient times, there was no chemical "glue." Only some fish glue, which was a viscous liquid obtained by steaming and boiling certain materials from fish…
These adhesives would attach the 'human skin mask' to a person's face. Thus, after disguising themselves, it was enough to pass for the real thing!
In fact, in later generations, many burly men, wearing human skin masks and stockings… dressed up nicely, disguised themselves as pure women, and had already harmed countless "Big Brother" online.
Of course…
The steps for making these human skin masks, while simple to describe, required He Yan and Zhuge Jun to repeatedly attempt them according to the process steps provided by Lu Yu…
They even used the actual beards and eyebrows of Hu people. Even so, it took a full month to complete this great craftsmanship!
At this moment…
Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, and Cao Xiu's eyes all narrowed.
They subconsciously exclaimed the four words "human skin mask," but in their hearts… they seemed to understand something.
"The Xiongnu proactively proposed a marriage alliance…" Lu Yu smiled slightly. "Since that is the case, why should I refuse them? Why not turn their plan to our advantage, and simply propose that the Left Virtuous King himself come to escort the bride? The Southern Xiongnu would surely not refuse. And afterward… it would be a play of 'true and false' Left Virtuous Kings!"
Lu Yu finished speaking and turned his gaze towards Guo Jia.
Guo Jia slowly stood up and continued Lu Yu's words, "Afterward, we will detain the Southern Xiongnu's Left Virtuous King in Xuchang City, and then have a Han person disguise himself as him to marry Prime Minister Cao's eldest daughter and return to the frontier!"
This…
What a bold idea! No wonder… no wonder Commander Lu agreed to the marriage alliance; it turned out… there was a hidden killing move behind it!
However…
Passing off the counterfeit as the genuine article seems… not so easy, right?
Just as Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Cao Xiu, and others began to doubt, Guo Jia's voice continued. "You will surely wonder, the appearance can be changed to resemble the Left Virtuous King, but can habits? customs? memories? and tone of speech be altered?"
"Hahaha… this is actually simpler!"
Guo Jia glanced back at Lu Yu. "Firstly, after the Left Virtuous King enters Xuchang, the Imperial School Office will secretly record his every word and action and train him rapidly! Secondly, it is only necessary for the Xiongnu person, on their return journey, to be attacked by 'Yuan's army.' Naturally, the Left Virtuous King, in order to save Prime Minister Cao's eldest daughter, takes a blow… and then he remembers nothing! Thus, everyone is happy!"
Phew…
Upon hearing this, the people in the Imperial School Office widened their eyes, looking at Guo Jia in disbelief…
Guo Jia seemed to have anticipated this. Of course, when he first heard Lu Yu's somewhat "melodramatic" plan, he was also very surprised.
As for whether…
Yuan's army would attack the Southern Xiongnu?
This was even easier to solve. If they didn't attack, someone could impersonate them and attack!
Everyone in Cao Cao's camp were actors, with very convincing performances!
In this way… Old Cao's border stability would be secured, and the plan to infiltrate and assimilate the Xiongnu could proceed. Coupled with the assistance of human skin masks, it was possible that in a few years…
The Xiongnu nobility would all be "Han people"! Afterward… no matter what was done, it would be effortless.
"Commander Lu, your insight is profound!"
"I am deeply impressed!"
"Impressed!"
Cao Xiu, Zhang Liao, and Zhao Yun cupped their hands. At this moment… they were truly convinced.
Indeed, Commander Lu's thoughts were completely different from others. Others thought on the first level, but Commander Lu had already thought several levels deeper, even into the stratosphere.
The Hidden Dragon…
This was truly worthy of the Hidden Dragon! Attacking the enemy's heart, a strategist with no flaws, the Hidden Dragon!
Lu Yu slowly sat back in his seat.
He spoke eloquently.
"The Son of Heaven guards the nation's gate, the ruler dies for the state, no marriage alliances, no tribute, no ceding territory, are indeed… commendable!"
"But what we must do is to completely solve the problem of the frontier Hu people, not simply 'guard the nation's gate.' We must expand outwards, attack outwards, and resolve this hidden danger once and for all!"
Speaking to this point, Lu Yu paused before continuing, "Compared to such tragic words as 'the Son of Heaven guards the nation's gate' and 'the ruler dies for the state,' I prefer Emperor Wu's saying, 'The advantage in offense and defense has shifted; the enemy can come, and so can we.' In the past, Emperor Wu used iron cavalry to expel the barbarians. Today, we must focus on attacking the mind, undermining their foundation, and assisting with strategies, to subdue the enemy without fighting! To solve this great trouble with the smallest cost!"
With a speech like this…
Lu Yu felt his perspective had broadened!
Guarding the nation's gate?
Why guard? Now we must attack! We must annex, and make the Hu people completely submit to the Han… and do so at the lowest cost!
Just then.
"Commander Lu…" Zhao Yun stepped forward. "This humble general's build and age match that of the Left Virtuous King. Furthermore, I lived near the frontier since childhood and am well-acquainted with the habits of the Hu people. This humble general requests to play the role of this Southern Xiongnu Left Virtuous King! To assist Young Master Lu in unifying the Hu territories!"
Unexpectedly…
Zhao Yun's request surprised Lu Yu.
Certainly, due to the human skin masks, anyone with a similar age and build to the Southern Xiongnu Left Virtuous King could play the role!
But, this was still a very dangerous mission!
Lu Yu had not expected that Zhao Yun would be the first to volunteer… he was still looking for a candidate.
Indeed…
"Zilong, you truly are 'full of courage'!"
Lu Yu stood up and patted Zhao Yun on the shoulder. "But rest assured, your 'royal consort' has already been chosen by me, and she is very reliable! The two of you together, I reckon, will be more reassuring than Yang Xiu and General 'Shadow'!"
…
…
He Yan emerged from the refining workshop, his sleeves fluttering, his steps light, moving like a startled swan, graceful as a swimming dragon!
Even the most graceful women would feel ashamed when they saw him.
He had intended to return to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
That's right, his home was in the Prime Minister's Mansion. Because his mother, Madam Yin, married Cao Cao, he became Cao Cao's adopted son. But recently… his mother's courtyard in the Prime Minister's Mansion had doubled in size.
In the usually simple Prime Minister's Mansion, Cao Cao had uncharacteristically allocated dozens of chests of jewelry and more than ten servants to his mother…
One must know that even the legitimate wife in the Prime Minister's Mansion, Lady Ding Hui, only had three maids!
Of course…
Madam Yin returned these maids and distributed more than ten chests of jewelry to the other ladies. But, reversing the old ways, Madam Yin was now quite respected in the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Even the usually proud clan generals treated her with respect.
And the reason for all this was that Madam Yin's son, He Yan, held the "refining workshop," and his improved "Five-Stone Powder" had earned Cao Cao's camp a large amount of scarce Hu horses!
Remembering where the blessings came from… almost everyone in Xuchang City looked at this "mother and son" with new eyes and admiration.
"Ping Shu!"
As He Yan rounded a street, he saw a figure leaning against a locust tree in front of him—"Zhuge Kongming"!
This was his old partner. In Xuzhou, Zhuge Jun was the deputy leader of the Jiangbei Alliance, and He Yan was responsible for the most important salt production and sea fishing within the Jiangbei Alliance!
The two had a good relationship…
During this time, the refining workshop collaborated with the workshop to produce "human skin masks." The two of them had worked together and were now close friends who could talk about anything.
Indeed, in the past, Zhuge Jun had found He Yan a bit effeminate…
Dressed more flamboyantly than women every day, walking on the street, if you looked from behind, he was a "back view killer." Even from the front… one would suspect he was cross-dressing, simply enchanting!
But…
As they interacted more, Zhuge Jun discovered He Yan's great shining points. The first was filial piety; he was extremely filial to his mother, Madam Yin. The second was that he constantly yearned to prove himself!
As for the third, it was his talent in these matters related to Five-Stone Powder, refined salt, and human skin masks!
In the arts of "artisanship," Zhuge Jun rarely admired anyone, but He Yan was someone he greatly admired.
"Kong Ming, did you wait for me here specifically?"
He Yan was somewhat surprised to see Zhuge Jun…
"You could say that." Zhuge Jun nodded. "Shall we go to my residence for a while?"
"Heh…"
He Yan seemed to understand something. "Kong Ming wants to ask about my request to play the role of the 'Left Virtuous King's consort,' right?"
This…
Zhuge Jun paused.
He Yan continued, "I am a descendant of the He family, the lineage of a great general. Alas, my family declined, falling from the clouds to the earth. Fortunately, I met the 'True Hidden Dragon.' He guided me out of the shadows, allowing me to achieve merit in this chaotic world. I am like the ivy clinging to the pine and cypress, relying entirely on Commander Lu's guidance and shelter to fulfill my lifelong aspirations!"
"Gulp…"
Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jun narrowed his eyes.
He understood He Yan's words, completely and utterly.
However…
"Ping Shu, your mother is now honored because of you, and everyone in the Central Plains who mentions your name, He Pingshu, gives you a thumbs up. Is all this not enough? Why… do you voluntarily offer to go to the Southern Xiongnu territory, and moreover… play the role of a consort?"
Actually, Zhuge Jun's feelings were complex…
He wanted He Yan to go, yet he didn't want him to go!
He wanted him to go because if he went, then Cao Mu could be married off.
He didn't want him to go because that was a land of tigers and wolves. He Yan was still a man, and playing the role of a consort, how difficult would that be?
If anything went wrong, it could lead to eternal damnation!
"Hahaha…"
Laughter resounded. He Yan did not answer immediately but instead invited Zhuge Jun to a red pavilion.
He wanted to discuss this topic while drinking wine and enjoying songs and dances!
…
…
The Prime Minister's Mansion, as night fell, bright moonlight slanted into Lady Ding's chambers.
"Wuu wuu wuu…"
"Mother, daughter does not wish to marry into that Hu territory. Daughter does not wish to marry some Xiongnu Left Virtuous King!"
"Mother, daughter has heard that the Xiongnu's marriage customs are simply terrifying… after her father and brother died, she married her husband's grandson, and Princess Zhaojun, after her husband's death, married her husband's eldest son!"
"Mother… Mother… wuu wuu wuu…"
Cao Mu sobbed incessantly, burying her head in Madam Ding's chest, crying profusely.
Ever since she heard that today… her father had agreed to marry his eldest daughter to the Southern Xiongnu Left Virtuous King, Cao Mu had been crying until now.
"Daughter doesn't want any Hu-Han marriage alliance. Daughter understands what Father said about eliminating estrangement, permanently ending wars, and mutual benefit for the people… but daughter does not want to be like Xi Jun, Jie You, or Wang Zhaojun. Daughter does not want to be remembered for generations; daughter only wishes to be buried in Xuchang, in the forging workshop, even if it means living a solitary life with ancient Buddhist scriptures!"
Phew…
Listening to Cao Mu's cries.
Madam Ding bit her lip. Although her status in the Prime Minister's Mansion was high, she rarely interfered in political affairs and rarely made requests to Cao Cao!
But… this time it concerned Mu'er. Could she remain indifferent?
"Daughter has also heard that the Xiongnu people live by hunting everywhere, eat mutton, drink cheese, and live in animal hide tents. You can't even stand the fishy smell inside the large tent."
"Be good, Mu'er. Rest assured, daughter will not allow you to marry. As long as daughter does not go, no one… no one can force you to marry."
Speaking of this…
The sound of footsteps approached from outside the door.
With a "bang," the door was pushed open, accompanied by Cao Cao's stern face.
"This is a grand strategy for the military and the nation. You must marry whether you want to or not!"
Cao Cao deliberately raised his voice so that everyone could hear. Naturally… his words today would also reach the ears of the Xiongnu envoys, reassuring them.
As for…
The final candidate for the marriage alliance not being Cao Mu, Cao Cao could not tell her, nor could he tell Madam Ding.
This would affect the overall situation!
Moreover… Yu'er had already proposed, and this final candidate had already been decided!
Everything was ready. Next…
It was time for the actors' self-cultivation!
…
…