North of the Yellow River, in Yuan Shao's great encampment.
Three military camps rose from the earth, each stretching for dozens of li, their formations interlocked like horns. They appeared impregnable, an unyielding fortress!
At this moment, Yuan Shao sat within the central command tent. His advisors were arrayed on either side, Liu Bei among them. In the heart of the tent, singing girls performed a lively dance, while Yuan Shao and his advisors caroused, enjoying both the music and the wine.
Amidst this revelry, only Ju Shou seemed to partake in neither wine nor meat, sitting there in a daze, lost in thought.
As a dance piece concluded,
Yuan Shao, seemingly still not sated, raised his hand and called out, "Continue the music, continue the dance!"
These words reached Liu Bei's ears. He quietly committed them to memory.
He mused inwardly, would he one day also possess such arrogance?
Just then…
"My Lord, my Lord…"
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the tent…
"Reporting to my Lord, White Horse City's fortress has been attacked… General Yan Liang cannot defeat the enemy commander Guan Yu, the vanguard has been routed, and Cao's army… Cao's army is pressing its advantage. General Yan Liang, he… his fate is unknown!"
At this announcement, the music and revelry within the tent abruptly ceased.
"What… the vanguard routed? Yan Liang… his fate is unknown?" Yuan Shao's pupils widened, his eyes filled with disbelief. He instinctively looked towards Liu Bei, muttering, "Guan Yu? Guan Yu?"
The scout continued his report. "My Lord, Guan Yu… Guan Yu has surrendered to Cao Cao!"
Upon hearing this…
Liu Bei could no longer remain seated. He stood abruptly and approached the scout. "How dare you! How can you be so certain that it was my sworn brother Guan Yu?"
"Your subordinate… Your subordinate saw it with his own eyes. The soldiers who fled back from White Horse City can also attest… The general in Cao's camp wields the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, has a crimson face and long beard. Is it not the Guan Yu who slew Hua Xiong and battled Lu Bu? Who else could it be?"
This scout had seen some of the world.
Back then, during the eighteen lords' campaign against Dong Zhuo, he had followed Yuan Shao.
Guan Yu's appearance? How could he forget it?
With a "bang," Yuan Shao slammed his fist onto the table. "Liu Bei!"
"I have treated you well, yet you secretly collude with Cao Cao, leaving my great General Yan Liang's fate uncertain! Guards, seize this Liu Bei and execute him! Let him be the sacrifice for the flag! To avenge General Yan Liang!"
"As you command…" A group of personal guards from outside rushed into the tent, about to apprehend Liu Bei.
"My Lord, please hear me out, and do not execute me, Liu Bei!" Liu Bei reacted swiftly. "I have an irreconcilable hatred for that Cao Cao. Since the five armies attacked Cao, and after my defeat at Xiapi City, I parted ways with my two brothers and have never seen Yun Chang, nor do I know his whereabouts or fate. My Lord… My Lord, how can you, based on a resemblance to Guan Yu, conclude that I have colluded with Cao Cao?"
"Indeed…" As soon as Liu Bei finished speaking, Xu You interjected at the opportune moment. "My Lord, in my opinion… this is clearly Cao Cao's stratagem. He deliberately sent someone to impersonate Guan Yu, captured Yan Liang… This is clearly meant to sow discord between my Lord and Envoy Liu! If my Lord and Envoy Liu harbor animosity, wouldn't my Lord's campaign against the rebels under the 'Imperial Robe Edict' become a mockery?"
Ho!
Xu You's words immediately enlightened Yuan Shao.
His eyes darted, and he then nodded. "You speak the truth. This must be Cao Cao's scheme. I almost killed an innocent man!"
His words… saved Liu Bei's life.
Yuan Shao paused, then continued, "Now, General Yan Liang's fate is unknown. My generals? Who will go to White Horse City to rescue General Yan Liang and retrieve this lost battle!"
As his words fell…
"To rally our army's might, I volunteer to fight!"
A man with a ferocious countenance and a full beard burst into the central command tent. "My Lord, Yan Liang and I are as close as brothers. I must slay that long-bearded barbarian and rescue my brother!"
"Good!" Yuan Shao's eyes narrowed. "General Wen Chou, I order you to lead your troops of fifty thousand cavalry to White Horse immediately, rescue Yan Liang, and heavily assault Cao's forces!"
"Understood!" Wen Chou agreed and was about to exit the tent!
Just then…
Ju Shou could no longer contain himself. He stepped forward and urgently advised, "My Lord, do not be agitated. Based on the current battle situation, our army should remain on the north bank of Yan Jin, and a detachment should be sent to Guan Du. Cao Cao's surprise attack on White Horse was a concentration of superior forces. What he fears most is dividing his forces. If our army advances simultaneously towards Yan Jin and Guan Du, Cao Cao's main forces at White Horse will not have time to reinforce. Yan Jin and Guan Du will inevitably fall… At that point, the defeat at White Horse will instead become the key to our army's victory!"
Ju Shou's strategy could not be described as anything less than brilliant!
It was as if he was spoon-feeding the meal to Yuan Shao.
However… Yuan Shao was a man who would not listen to correct advice, regardless of who offered it. He absolutely refused to listen, and this time… he didn't even offer a reason for refusal!
"My decision is made. The urgent task is to rescue Yan Liang. Our army has suffered an initial defeat. From where I fell, I, Yuan Shao, will rise again!"
Rejection…
Yuan Shao decisively rejected Ju Shou's opinion.
This…
Ju Shou still wanted to persuade him.
Unexpectedly, Yuan Shao said without any courtesy, "Disperse, disperse…"
With a flick of his long sleeves, Yuan Shao departed in anger, still unable to comprehend how Yan Liang's fifty thousand troops had been defeated, or what problems had arisen with his own hundreds of thousands of troops.
…
On the banks of the Yellow River.
Ju Shou faced the continuous, surging waters of the Yellow River, shaking his head and sighing.
He couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "The superiors are filled with ambition, the subordinates are bent on achievement, the boundless Yellow River, shall I cross it?"
What did it mean?
The 'superiors' referred to Yuan Shao, and the 'subordinates' referred to Yuan Shao's subordinates…
To put it plainly: Yuan Shao, as the lord, was arrogant and conceited, and his generals were all greedy for merit. The Yellow River, the Yellow River… do we still have hope for success?
…
…
— Great Victory!
Before the infantry of the Dragon Swift Camp had even reached Yan Jin, the news of a "great victory" had already arrived from White Horse City's fortress!
In the four-horse carriage.
Upon hearing this news, Xu Shu was still incredulous. He looked at Lu Yu with disbelief…
Meanwhile, Lu Yu's expression remained as usual, as if this news was entirely within his expectations!
"Young Master Lu! Yuan Shao has indeed fallen for the bait…" Xu Shu uttered, then shook his head… "Speaking of which, Yuan's camp has quite a few top strategists. Logically, they shouldn't have failed to see such a simple 'feint from the east' strategy, right?"
"Naturally, they could see it," Lu Yu replied with a slight smile, then explained, "Ju Shou, Tian Feng… and even Xu You are intelligent people. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Ju Shou and Tian Feng top strategists. How could they not see it? It's just that… these intelligent people, these top strategists, are too individualistic. They've followed Yuan Shao for so many years, yet they ultimately failed to truly understand Yuan Shao!"
"What do you mean by that?" Xu Shu countered…
Lu Yu shook his head slightly and elaborated, "Mr. Xu has not served under Yuan Shao, so naturally, you wouldn't know that Yuan Shao is inherently opposed to correct opinions. As his advisor, the most important thing is not to be exceptionally wise, but to be able to understand Yuan Shao as a person!"
"For example, if one wants to offer a strategy to Yuan Shao, it requires a specific method! It's best to speak in reverse, to offer opposing opinions. For instance… if the advisors want Yuan Shao to advance eastward, they must say westward is better; if the advisors want to suggest Yuan Shao engage in a protracted war with Cao Cao, when offering advice, they must say a swift victory is more stable… Even if one wishes to be promoted by Yuan Shao, they would have to earnestly write a letter of resignation, and perhaps… with such actions, Yuan Shao might even promote them!"
Having said this, Lu Yu blinked his eyes…
He mused on what was recorded in the ancient texts.
Ju Shou, after repeatedly offering advice that was not taken, wrote a letter of resignation to Yuan Shao. The result was… Yuan Shao found him tiresome and verbose, but surprisingly, he did not permit his resignation!
In the end… the man couldn't leave, and his troops had to stay!
Ju Shou was stripped of his military authority and his troops were merged into Guo Tu's command. Yet, he was promoted, a maneuver that was truly "flashy"!
Lu Yu was very curious if Ju Shou had handed over his military authority yet.
As soon as he thought of this…
Outside the four-horse carriage, Dian Wei's voice rang out.
"Young Master, we are approaching Yan Jin. Shall we enter the city to rest?"
"No…"
As soon as Dian Wei finished speaking, Lu Yu immediately ordered, "Proceed directly towards White Horse… maintain a slow pace. Also, send scouts to closely monitor Yuan's army's movements. Report immediately once Yuan's army crosses the river!"
"Understood!" Dian Wei agreed and went to make arrangements.
Hearing this, Xu Shu's eyes darted.
Lu Yu's words precisely made him ponder a deeper meaning!
— It seems that Yuan's camp is about to gain another unfortunate soul!
…
…
Xu Du city, a prosperous mansion.
Now… it was a moonlit night with magpies flying south… With a soft "creak," the door of a boudoir within the mansion opened, and a woman quietly slipped out from the back door of the residence.
Tiger Guards were already stationed at the back door.
"Madam, please…"
After a faint sound, the woman boarded a carriage.
Escorted by the Tiger Guards, the carriage drove towards the Sikong Mansion in the east of the city. It entered once again through the back door. After the woman was led by the Tiger Guards into a pavilion within the Sikong Mansion…
The torches in the entire courtyard were instantly extinguished…
It was as if the courtyard had returned to absolute silence, as if nothing had happened at all.
…
Within the pavilion, countless red candles were lit. A middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, his back to the woman.
He softly recited.
"Madam has still come?"
Who else could this middle-aged man be but Cao Cao? As for… the woman behind him, she was none other than Liu Bei's wife, Lady Gan, who had recently reunited with her parents – Gan Mei!
"My parents' command cannot be disobeyed!" Gan Mei recited softly… "In the past, due to my parents' command, Gan Mei married Envoy Liu. Along the way, we were displaced, enduring hardships and exposure… Today… it is also due to my parents' command that Gan Mei has come to this Sikong Mansion! I hope Sikong Cao… can protect my family."
Hoo…
Cao Cao let out a soft sigh and turned around. Beneath the red candlelight, his eyes revealed an extremely fair beauty, ten times fairer than jade! Just a glance made one's heart surge.
"Even if you didn't come, I, Cao Cao, would protect your Gan clan."
Cao Cao's voice resounded.
He knew that in ancient times, obedience to parents and adherence to matchmakers were paramount…
Similarly, for Gan Mei now, having been abandoned here by her husband, and after being repeatedly forsaken by her husband, she likely harbored dissatisfaction towards her parents' commands!
Moreover… her parents had told her about Liu Bei's various failings, then told her of Cao Cao's affection for her… and pointed out that late at night, Cao Cao was waiting for her at the Sikong Mansion… waiting for a beautiful encounter!
This was the command of her parents once again after many years!
This concerned the honor of her Gan clan's lineage, and it concerned her future happiness…
After careful consideration, Gan Mei finally… finally agreed.
On one side was Liu Bei, who had abandoned her time and again, causing her grief and resentment;
On the other side was Cao Cao, who had expressed his affection, brought her parents to reunite with her, and painted a beautiful vision for her…
Any woman would choose the latter!
If Liu Bei was not benevolent, then one could not blame Lady Gan for being disloyal…
She had deliberately applied light makeup, bathed, and changed her clothes. On this night of a bright moon and flying magpies, from the moment she stepped out of her room, it was a new path.
Perhaps it was a path of no return, or perhaps it was a smooth road leading to happiness!
"Madam, why don't you sit down? I have prepared excellent wine!" Cao Cao's voice resounded again…
Lady Gan shook her head. "Wine is not necessary. Your humble servant is no longer a maiden. Sikong Cao, I understand what you desire!"
Tap… tap!
With light steps, Lady Gan's delicate hands rested on Cao Cao's shoulder…
At this moment, Cao Cao's eyes became increasingly blurred.
It seemed… this was a case of mutual affection, a willing embrace!
It seemed, this was what Yu'er had mentioned – Liu Bei had truly heartbroken these ladies!
"Haha…"
Cao Cao let out a hearty laugh and suddenly raised his hands… with a "shredding" sound, it was the sound of clothes being torn apart.
"Hahahaha…"
Cao Cao's hearty laughter continued. Tonight, he seemed particularly exhilarated!
Tonight was destined to be sleepless!
…
…
On the south bank of the Yellow River, at White Horse City's fortress.
The soldiers of the Dragon Swift Cavalry, Tiger Cavalry, and Leopard Cavalry, as well as the original garrison, were all in high spirits after yesterday's victory.
However… after just one day.
An urgent dispatch arrived, stating that the Hebei General Wen Chou was leading an army of fifty thousand to attack White Horse City's fortress once more.
This intelligence instantly cast a vast shadow over the entire White Horse City's fortress.
Beneath this shadow…
An order from the Dragon Swift Camp was immediately relayed.
— "All military personnel and civilians are to abandon White Horse City's fortress and retreat to Yan Jin City! Depart immediately within one hour."
This…
Caused an uproar throughout White Horse City's fortress.
Not only the defending general Liu Yan, but all the garrison soldiers, and even all the civilians, were filled with confusion.
A retreat without a fight?
Or was it after this great victory… that they were to evacuate with all the civilians?
After all… even if they were to evacuate, there was no need to bring the civilians. With the burden of the civilians, they could barely travel a few dozen li a day. Most likely, Wen Chou's cavalry would catch up before they even reached Yan Jin!
"Prefect Liu… this…"
A civil official inquired of Liu Yan, the defending general of White Horse City's fortress.
Liu Yan simply waved his hand. "This is an order from the Dragon Swift Camp. As per Sikong Cao's command, on the entire battlefield along the Yellow River, all orders are to be followed by Lu Yu! Lu Yu is the commander of the Dragon Swift Camp. We will do as he says!"
Fortunately, "Lu Yu's" name was sufficiently resounding.
And his usual strategies, wasn't he best at this "placing oneself in a desperate situation to find a way out"?
Thinking of this, Liu Yan no longer hesitated and began organizing the civilian and military evacuation!
Despite this, his heart remained filled with doubts.
He did know that, just like when Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, he had demanded that the common people of the Luoyang region be taken along. While it was said to be "bringing them along," it was, in fact, coercion.
This was because, in this chaotic world, the population had sharply declined, and there were no farmers to cultivate the land. After conquering a city, the common people were also important spoils of war. The idea of moving these people to the next base to continue farming was, of course, understandable!
But…
But Steward Lu was always full of ingenious plans? Was it just… just for this reason?
At this moment… Liu Yan felt that this Steward Lu, Commander Lu… must have something more up his sleeve!
…
At this moment, in the prison of White Horse City's fortress.
Cao Xiu and Zhang Liao were both present…
Zhang Liao's crescent halberd was pointed at Yan Liang.
"Your brother Wen Chou is here! Still with fifty thousand cavalry!"
"Ha, hahaha…" Although bound hand and foot, Yan Liang still held his head high with arrogance. Upon hearing Wen Chou's name, he immediately burst into laughter. "My brother Wen Chou's martial skills are ten times superior to mine. You are absolutely no match for him!"
"Is that so?" Cao Xiu raised the battle halberd forged from fine steel in his hand. "Is your brother's spear perhaps sharper than your saber?"
This…
Touching on a sore point, Yan Liang's expression instantly stiffened.
"What kind of weapons do you possess? How can they cut through iron like mud?"
"Heh heh!" Cao Xiu chuckled upon hearing this. "That, both the Little Overlord Sun Bofu of Jiangdong and Marquis of Consort Lu Fengxian wished to know! However, curiosity killed the cat!"
Speaking of which…
Cao Xiu waved his hand and ordered:
"Come, put Yan Liang in a prisoner's cart and escort him with our army to Yan Jin!"
"Understood!"
A Dragon Swift Camp warrior responded.
Yan Liang, however, was startled. "You… you are retreating to Yan Jin?"
His eyes widened, filled with disbelief…
Because Wen Chou's army, like his own Yan Liang's, was entirely cavalry.
As everyone knew, cavalry excelled in open battles but were not adept at siege warfare. Now… these Cao soldiers, without relying on the walls of White Horse City's fortress for defense? They were actually… planning to retreat to Yan Jin? Wasn't this making themselves targets for Wen Chou to attack along the way?
"That's right…" Zhang Liao agreed, but a confident smile curved his lips. He asked Yan Liang with interest, "You say you and Wen Chou are brothers? But… do you know? Does your brother have any weaknesses?"
Weaknesses?
Yan Liang was stunned…
In his view, Wen Chou surpassed him in both military command and martial skill.
Furthermore, being from a bandit background, many of his spear techniques were honed through actual combat on the battlefield, not strictly adhering to conventional patterns. Such a Wen Chou? Where would he have weaknesses?
"My elder brother Wen Chou has no weaknesses!"
"Haha…"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao laughed, and Cao Xiu also laughed!
It was as if they had heard the most amusing thing in the world, laughing with utmost delight.
"No weaknesses? Haha…" Cao Xiu shook his head. "Before long, you brothers will be reunited! Then, you can ask your brother if he has any weaknesses! Haha!"
Cao Xiu laughed heartily.
His tone was even more confident than Zhang Liao's…
Weaknesses?
How could Wen Chou have no weaknesses?
Before departing, Young Master Lu had predicted that the second battle against Wen Chou would be exactly like the current situation!
In addition, he had specifically mentioned Wen Chou's weakness, or rather… the tremendous weakness of this cavalry corps led by Wen Chou!
This tremendous weakness was precisely… laid out in the open! Easily exploitable!
And once exploited, it would inevitably lead to a complete collapse!
Thinking of this, Cao Xiu and Zhang Liao exchanged glances.
"Hahaha…"
Hearty laughter echoed within the prison.
It was as if…
— Wen Chou's fate was already sealed.
…
…