"When the wise ruler considers danger to control change, and the loyal minister considers difficulty to establish authority."
"Therefore, there are extraordinary people, then there are extraordinary events, and there are extraordinary events, then there are extraordinary merits!"
Overnight…
A proclamation was posted on every street and alley in Jizhou.
Countless common people gathered around. Some elders read it out word for word, while some scholars directly explained it to the people. In an instant… all the people of Jizhou began to discuss.
"So that's the kind of person Cao Cao is…"
"Is this the Situ of the Han Dynasty? Situ by name? A traitor to the Han in reality!"
"General Yuan's righteous army will march south to eradicate the rebels and support the Han!"
Discussions erupted one after another…
It seemed that… overnight, the people of Jizhou, who had been neutral, all began to "grind their teeth" at Cao Cao and become "united against a common enemy"!
They were so eager to… eat Cao Cao's flesh and drink his blood.
This was the power of public opinion…
It wasn't until dusk that the crowds in front of the proclamation dispersed in small groups…
At this moment… a young gentleman in black Confucian robes and a woman in plain warrior attire had just entered the city. They dismounted and stood before the proclamation.
This man in black was Sima Yi…
As for the woman in plain attire, she was his wife, Zhang Chunhua.
This couple, hidden beneath their bamboo hats, still carried an air of mystery.
"One thousand four hundred and fifty-three…" Sima Yi murmured softly.
"Zhongda? What are you saying…" Zhang Chunhua asked anxiously.
"Words!" Sima Yi's brow furrowed. "This 'Proclamation Against the Rebel' has a total of one thousand four hundred and fifty-three characters. It is written eloquently and fluently, making one feel exhilarated and relieved after reading it just once…"
Sima Yi paused, his eyes still fixed on the proclamation on the city wall, and sighed continuously. "This one proclamation is probably worth a hundred thousand troops!"
A proclamation? A hundred thousand troops?
Zhang Chunhua was slightly taken aback. Sima Yi rarely praised an article so highly. To compare it to "a hundred thousand troops" showed how great the destructive power of these one thousand four hundred and fifty-three characters was!
Indeed…
Unlike the endless filler found in online novels of later generations…
In ancient times, proclamations were concise, with each word carrying more meaning than ten words in later times.
If… this 'Proclamation Against the Rebel' of over a thousand characters were to be written by "Niu Nai Tang Tang Tang," it might have turned into a ten-thousand-word essay.
It would have been watery and chaotic, and wouldn't that count as a day's worth of updates!
But this 'Proclamation Against the Rebel' was not just concise.
It was a blend of truth and falsehood, skillfully interwoven!
"I heard this proclamation was written by Chen Lin, with words like knives. Truly masterful!" Sima Yi read it again, continuing to sigh…
"Where is the mastery?" Zhang Chunhua asked, frowning.
Having been a chivalrous woman since childhood, roaming the martial arts world as "Spring Little Fiend," she was naturally knowledgeable about martial arts, but she was quite unfamiliar with literature.
"In this proclamation, aside from not mentioning Cao Cao's ancestors and forefathers' identities and crimes, there are as many as eight charges attributed to Cao Cao alone?" Sima Yi explained in a low voice. "First, it states that Cao Cao fell into crisis several times and was rescued by Yuan Shao, who was selfless and only thought of others. Conversely, Cao Situ repaid kindness with enmity and planned to attack Yuan Shao!"
"Second, it claims Cao Cao loves to kill indiscriminately, massacring over twenty thousand surrendered soldiers after defeating Liu Bei, causing devastation and widespread suffering. It also states that he used military might to intimidate the people of Xuzhou, killing anyone who disobeyed without exception!"
This…
Hearing these two points, Zhang Chunhua felt something was amiss.
Indeed…
Some of these were facts, but more were fabricated.
Before she could ponder further, Sima Yi's voice continued.
"Third, it alleges Cao Cao monopolized state affairs. While claiming to support the Son of Heaven, he actually held the Son of Heaven hostage to command the feudal lords; Fourth, Cao Cao arbitrarily punished people due to personal grudges, such as Bian Rang!"
"Fifth, Cao Cao established official posts like 'Fa Qiu Zhong Lang Jiang' and 'Mo Jin Xiao Wei,' who specialized in tomb robbing, a heinous act! Sixth, Cao Cao aimed to conquer the Central Plains but ruled cruelly. Reviewing all books from ancient to modern times, among the unjust, cruel, and wicked ministers, Cao Cao is the most severe!"
"Seventh, Cao Cao colluded with the rebel Gongsun Zan, the Black Mountain Army, and the Southern Xiongnu to harm Yuan Shao. Fortunately, Yuan Shao was wise and valiant, employing a clever stratagem to drive these villains back to Yanmen, preventing them from crossing the border!"
"E… Eighth…"
The previous points were all quite well-made, but when it came to the eighth point, Sima Yi was completely stunned.
"What is the eighth point?" Zhang Chunhua asked, seeing her husband hesitate.
"Ahem…" Sima Yi coughed. "Eighth, Cao Cao held Yin Lin's elder sister, Cai Yan, hostage, forcing Yin Lin to work for him. This has incurred the wrath of heaven and the condemnation of both gods and men!"
Ah… ah…
Hearing this, even the usually boisterous Zhang Chunhua's eyes widened, her mouth agape. She looked at the proclamation in disbelief.
This was simply… losing all pretense of shame, wasn't it?
Just as she felt…
Many of these eight points were fabricated. This was simply… simply…
Zhang Chunhua thought for a long time but could not find a suitable word to describe her current feelings.
In short, Chen Lin, oh no… Yuan Shao had completely abandoned all pretense of shame!
"Zhongda? This… this is so fake!" Zhang Chunhua exclaimed.
Sima Yi shook his head. "Madam, you think it's fake because we are in Xuchang. We know very clearly whether Cao Cao held Miss Cai Yan hostage or forced Yin Lin to work for him. But… the common people don't know! Let alone the people in the four northern provinces, but what about the people of Jingzhou, Jiangdong, Yizhou, and Yongliang? Do they know the truth?"
"They will only believe what they see before their eyes, what is written on this proclamation… Lu Situ said something in his lectures long ago: 'Rumors are born from a mouth, but refuting them requires running your legs off.' And the most brilliant aspect of this 'Proclamation Against the Rebel' is its mix of truth and falsehood, falsehood and truth, making it indistinguishable!"
"That is why it is worth ten thousand soldiers!"
"Then…" Hearing this, beads of sweat dripped from Zhang Chunhua's tightly furrowed brow… "What should we do?"
"Find a way to send this proclamation to Xuchang early, to Director Lu." Sima Yi blurted out… "No matter what, we must let Director Lu know in advance what has happened here… so he can make preparations."
Saying this, Sima Yi looked at Zhang Chunhua, and the following words seemed difficult to utter.
Zhang Chunhua immediately understood.
He wanted her to deliver it!
"Alright… I'll deliver this proclamation. Eight hundred li at full speed, two days should be enough… it's just…"
Just as Zhang Chunhua could understand Sima Yi's thoughts, Sima Yi also understood hers.
"Madam, you don't need to worry about me. I can complete the task assigned by Director Lu by myself! As for this 'Proclamation Against the Rebel,' apart from Madam, I trust no one else!"
Sima Yi spoke…
In fact, before coming to Jizhou, Lu Yu had told Sima Yi…
There was a tavern here. In the past, when he was Yin Lin, he had saved the tavern owner, creating a debt of gratitude. In recent years… much of the intelligence from Jizhou had been secretly sent to Xuchang by this tavern owner!
If he needed manpower or to gather intelligence, he could start from here.
As for… safety!
Without the protection of his wife, Zhang Chunhua, Sima Yi had to be extra careful.
"Madam… hurry up and go. Be careful… I heard the official road to the south has been blocked."
"I know." Zhang Chunhua nodded.
Having roamed the martial arts world for many years, she had ten thousand ways to get through those checkpoints!
"Although I still don't understand why you, who are usually cautious and timid, chose to take such a risk to gain Director Lu's trust, since you have decided, I will support you… You… take care too!"
Finally, a parting word was spoken.
"Alright, alright…"
The horse whinnied…
Zhang Chunhua mounted her horse and, under Sima Yi's gaze, galloped away!
Hoo…
Sima Yi let out a long sigh.
For a moment, he thought of the turtle dug out from the field and then boiled… In this chaotic world, once a person is dug out, they are like that turtle; poking their head out means death, retracting it also means death, and not poking it or retracting it means they'll just be thrown into the pot and boiled!
To avoid this fatal blow, he had to find a powerful patron and guarantee!
Risk?
Heh heh…
If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger's cub?
Thinking of this, his eyes sharpened. He looked towards the end of the road, where it seemed Director Lu had mentioned that tavern!
This was not an easy task, but it was a task that Sima Yi had to complete.
For himself, Sima Zhongda, and for his family, for the Sima clan!
…
…
Xuchang City. The entire Situ Mansion was shrouded in a hazy mist.
Faint yet tragic cries echoed from Cao Cao's bedroom.
"Ah…"
"Ah…"
Cao Cao had woken up. His head was bandaged, and his expression was one of pain.
He lay on the bed, his face ashen, his eyes tightly closed… his helpless hands clutched his head. The sensation was as if sharp blades were splitting his skull!
"Divine Doctor Zhongjing… how… how is it?"
"Can my elder brother's headache be… cured?"
Cao Ren and Cao Hong asked repeatedly.
This…
Zhang Zhongjing looked troubled. From a medical perspective, he was an internist, naturally adept at internal diseases like febrile illnesses. However, strictly speaking, this headache was in the "neurology" of medicine, and if surgery were involved, it would also fall under "surgery." Zhang Zhongjing's specialization was not suitable.
Precisely, Zhang Zhongjing was a meticulous person and dared not make a hasty conclusion.
"I have examined and taken the pulse of Situ Cao's headache. It is unlike ordinary headaches… forgive my shallow medical skills, I dare not act recklessly!"
Zhang Zhongjing shook his head.
This…
The entire Situ Mansion was in an uproar. Zhang Zhongjing was a medical sage; if even he could not save him, who else could?
Wait?
Currently in charge of the medical department, besides Zhang Zhongjing, wasn't it… the Medical Immortal Lu Yu?
He… he…
"Then, can your senior brother, the Medical Immortal Lu Yu, cure it?" Cao Ren asked quickly.
"This…" Zhang Zhongjing still shook his head. "I don't know…"
"Quick, quickly go and invite the Medical Immortal Lu!" Cao Ren immediately gave orders… Unexpectedly, he was stopped by Xun Yu and Xun You.
Others thought Lu Yu was a medical immortal, saving people with his superb medical skills.
But how sharp were the eyes of Xun Yu and Xun You?
They had discovered long ago that Lu Yu was no medical immortal at all. He didn't even understand medicine. He only had some medical principles and prescriptions in his mind, and he remembered some famous medical works he had read somewhere!
If it came down to action, what would he know!
However…
This time… if Situ Cao's headache could not be cured by Zhang Zhongjing, and Lu Yu were to act, wouldn't that expose his lack of medical knowledge?
Even if it weren't exposed, failing to cure Situ Cao would damage his reputation as a "Medical Immortal," and how could he lead the "medical community" in the world!
Moreover… Xun Yu and Xun You had heard that recently… there was a divine doctor who happened to be in Xuchang City. If he were to take action, wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone!
Thinking of this…
Xun Yu proposed.
"Situ Cao's condition is so severe that even Divine Doctor Zhongjing cannot cure it, so it must be an unconventional illness. Why not invite Lu Situ while simultaneously posting a notice, searching for renowned doctors? Whoever can cure Situ Cao's headache will be rewarded with a thousand gold and enfeoffed as a Marquis of ten thousand households! What do you say?"
"Good, good!"
Two consecutive "goods" – Cao Ren had no ideas of his own now. Whatever Xun Lingjun said, he would do!
Just then.
"Make way, make way…" Xiahou Dun's rough voice rang out. "See who I've brought…"
Everyone turned to look and saw an elder with a youthful countenance and a head of white hair behind Xiahou Dun. His white beard and white hair fluttered… appearing like an immortal riding a crane.
"Divine Doctor Hua?"
Zhang Zhongjing was the first to exclaim.
That's right, the one Xiahou Dun brought was Hua Tuo…
At this moment, Hua Tuo happened to be traveling in Xuchang City, treating patients and inquiring about illnesses.
It just so happened that Xiahou Dun was near Hua Tuo when he heard of his elder brother's headache. He immediately lifted him onto his horse and galloped back.
"Hua Tuo? Divine Doctor Hua?" Xun Yu immediately asked…
"It is I." Hua Tuo responded.
Xun Yu hurried forward. "So it is Divine Doctor Hua, quickly… quickly come and see Situ Cao's headache!"
"No hurry, no hurry…" Hua Tuo waved his hand with a smile.
Cao Hong urged, "My elder brother is already in this state, it's a matter of life and death, how can there be no hurry!"
It was more than just a matter of life and death; Cao Hong had understated it…
The current situation involved hegemony, the course of the next three hundred years!
Yuan Shao had already marched south, and the soldiers of the three armies were awaiting Cao Cao's orders…
If Cao Cao had any mishap, it would be a devastating blow to the morale of the soldiers on the front lines.
The war would be lost before it was even fought!
Hua Tuo stood calmly at the doorway. "If you want me to practice medicine, we must agree on three conditions: observation, listening, questioning, and touching are all my responsibility; prescribing medicine is my responsibility; and treating is my responsibility. If any of these are missing, then… even Situ Cao, Hua Tuo would not dare to treat."
"Everything is as you say, as you say!" Cao Hong grabbed Hua Tuo's hand and led him towards the bed. "Stop talking, Divine Doctor Hua. If you can save my elder brother, you can have my life."
In this bedroom, it was truly Cao Hong who was willing to stake his life for Cao Cao.
Hearing this…
Hua Tuo stepped to the front of the bed. He was a rare "general practitioner" of this era, unlike Zhang Zhongjing who only specialized in internal medicine. Hua Tuo was confident he could cure Cao Cao's headache.
At this moment, in the bedroom of the Situ Mansion, the curtains were drawn, and the light was dim. After a period of "observation, listening, questioning, and touching," Hua Tuo had a general understanding of Cao Cao's condition.
This was no ordinary headache… but a very severe one. There was "wind phlegm" within it. This kind of headache… unless this wind phlegm was removed, it would only treat the symptoms and not the root cause, making it extremely difficult to cure completely!
The entire bedroom was silent, everyone holding their breath, as if afraid to disturb Hua Tuo's treatment.
Finally, Zhang Zhongjing spoke first:
"Divine Doctor Hua? Situ Cao's headache is extremely peculiar… can it be cured?"
"It is not impossible to cure." Hua Tuo raised his head, stood up, and faced everyone. "Situ Cao's headache is caused by 'wind phlegm' within him. To completely cure it, it is necessary to use a sharp axe to split open the skull, remove the wind phlegm, and then stitch the skull back together."
Uh…
As these words were spoken, everyone in the bedroom was stunned. Even Zhang Zhongjing's eyes widened. Although "internal medicine" and "surgery," and "internal medicine" and "neurology" were all branches of medicine, the theories involved were vastly different.
Zhang Zhongjing could not imagine that the method of "splitting open the skull with a sharp axe" in surgery… could it work?
The crowd also whispered in astonishment.
Cao Hong was even more direct, immediately questioning Hua Tuo… "How can anyone survive having their skull opened!"
As his words fell…
Cao Cao heard them, and with a "clang," Cao Cao actually rolled off the bed to the side.
Enduring the intense pain in his head, he roared…
"The world… there are many who wish to take my Cao Cao's head. I never thought… you, Hua Tuo, are also one of them!"
Hearing this, Hua Tuo smiled with pity. "If Situ Cao is unwilling to undergo surgery, then the only method is to eliminate desires and anger, and to live in seclusion in the mountains and streams, free from the disturbance of impatience, anger, worry, and haste. With the pure energy of Taiqing, calming the mind and awakening the spirit, perhaps it can heal itself after ten years."
"Haha…"
As these words left his mouth, Cao Cao laughed, but as the laughter emerged, a sharp pain struck his head.
He couldn't help but cover his head with his hands.
"Good… very good!"
"Ah… now that I am on the verge of a decisive battle with Yuan Shao, and you tell me to retreat to the mountains and streams, Divine Doctor Hua, your stratagem is high… high-minded!"
Cao Cao was barely able to withstand the intense pain in his head…
The more angry he became, the more intense the pain!
"A doctor's heart is like a parent's. This humble subject wishes to save Situ Cao. Moreover… just now, when this humble subject entered, he mentioned the three conditions…" Hua Tuo's words had not yet finished…
Cao Cao, covering his head with a furrowed brow, roared in anger, "Guards, arrest… arrest this Hua Tuo and interrogate him rigorously!"
This…
Hua Tuo was bewildered.
"Situ Cao, if the heart's ailment is not removed, all illnesses… will be difficult to dispel…"
As this sentence was uttered, Hua Tuo was dragged out of the bedroom, and Cao Cao, as if drained of all strength, "thumped" and fell back onto the bed. Due to the extreme pain, he fainted.
But even as he fainted…
Cao Cao, in a very low, faint voice, called out.
"Summon Yu'er… Yu…"
Yu'er?
This address made Xun Yu ponder. In the current court, in the current Cao camp, there were not many people whose names contained the character "Yu"!
Then… Yu'er? This "er" was quite significant!
He had no time to ponder further…
He first ordered, "Quick… quickly post a notice, offering a reward… search the entire Xuchang City for renowned doctors!"
"But… Xun Lingjun, I… I heard my elder brother just now call out 'Summon Yu…'" Cao Hong, who was closer to Cao Cao, also heard the cry. "Does my elder brother want to summon Situ Lu?"
This question…
Xun Yu could no longer afford to be concerned. Lu Yu's reputation as a Medical Immortal was important, and leading the world's medical community was also important, but undoubtedly… Situ Cao's headache was even more crucial.
Now, not a moment could be delayed!
"Yes, Situ Cao wishes to… to see Situ Lu, quickly, go and summon him!"
Originally…
For special reasons, Xun Yu had not intended to let Lu Yu act. But now… Cao Cao's call of "Yu'er" was quite significant!
No matter what…
Cao Cao now definitely wanted to see Lu Yu, no, to see "Yu'er"!
Yu'er…
Dimly, Xun Lingjun felt that there was something going on here!
…
…