—A pillar supporting the heavens.
—A bridge spanning the seas.
—To assist the Han imperial court is a duty I cannot shirk; how can I lightly give up my life!
This…
It was like seeing someone about to jump from a building in later generations, and naturally offering kind words, encouraging them to rekindle their hope for life!
The words spoken at this moment were clearly heard by Liu Bei, who realized they were said to stop him from jumping off the cliff.
But…
Precisely because of these words, Liu Bei paused, his gaze shifting downwards.
What appeared in his eyes was a troop of cavalry, led by… besides Mi Fang, there was also a man in scholarly robes.
At this moment… the voice of the robed man followed.
—"Come, come, I am Xu You! A bow from this humble one!"
Xu You?
Mi Fang brought Xu You?
Liu Bei narrowed his eyes. Was this… Yuan Shao's reinforcement? Then… at least, at least it proved that he… he could survive.
However, that night…
Had Cao Cao not made it clear enough? Yuan Shao had not moved south. It was precisely because of this that Liu Bei had misjudged the situation, and thus… thus suffered such a defeat!
The instigator… was it not Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu himself?
Heh…
Heh heh.
In the end, he had to ascertain what had happened. Why had Yuan Shao… missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
…
…
This place is near Mount Tai Commandery.
Among the mountains, on the grass.
Liu Bei and Xu You sat on the ground. Before Liu Bei were some dry rations. He hadn't eaten a full meal in days, and God knew how he had managed to escape here.
At this moment, his eating posture was rather dishevelled.
The "Dilu" horse was also carefully looked after by Mi Fang, who fed it the finest fodder…
*Hoo…*
After eating for a while and listening to Xu You chat, Liu Bei finally understood the whole story, and exclaimed, "Brother Ziyuan, according to you, the five armies of rebels launched a surprise attack on Ye City? Yuan Shao returned to reinforce… and you were even beaten with twenty military strokes. Then… why did Yuan Shao still send you to save me?"
This…
Xu You narrowed his eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then retorted, "Brother Xuande, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
Liu Bei raised his head.
"Naturally the truth. If it's a lie, it's better not to say it!"
"Xuande…" Xu You's tone became meaningful. "Do you know why, when the eighteen warlords attacked Dong, Cao Cao was not counted as one of them, yet held such a high position among the eighteen?"
"Because of the proclamation?" Liu Bei countered.
"Nonsense proclamation!" Xu You immediately waved his hand. "I studied at the Imperial Academy with Cao Cao for six years. I know what kind of fart he passes just by the way he lifts his backside!"
"Heh heh, where did Cao Cao have a proclamation? But… among the eighteen warlords, only Cao Cao escaped from Luoyang, from the side of the Son of Heaven. It was for this very reason… he claimed to have a proclamation, and the eighteen warlords hoped he had one, so Cao Cao became the initiator of the Guandong Allied Forces to attack Dong."
Oh…
Now, Liu Bei understood.
Was the Liu Bei of today not the Cao Cao of the past? He had escaped from Xuchang City, while the Cao Cao of the past had escaped from Luoyang City…
The world expected them to carry a proclamation!
And in the current times, only Liu Bei could issue a proclamation, calling upon the warlords of the realm to attack Cao Cao. Although the current campaign of the five armies against Cao had failed, as long as Liu Bei was present… there would be a second, a third.
So… Yuan Shao was thinking of this layer!
All tactics, all schemes!
Xu You was still lamenting, "That day, my lord gave me twenty military strokes. But before he finished, he regretted it, repeatedly apologized to me, and even rewarded me with two hundred taels of gold!"
Heh heh…
Hearing this, Liu Bei let out a "heh heh." Looking at Xu You's smug expression, his grief and desolation surged again.
But he kept his composure on his lips… "Heh heh… heh heh… ten taels of gold per military stroke, what a bargain! Wen Yuan, your backside must be gilded!"
Liu Bei repeatedly forced a bitter smile.
And Xu You continued, "My lord even gave me five thousand cavalry and told me to be sure to save you! Who would have thought… as soon as I crossed the Yellow River, I heard that Xiapi City had fallen…"
Hearing this, Liu Bei could no longer suppress the anger in his heart!
"Hahaha… hahahaha…"
People say that extreme joy leads to sorrow, but when sorrow reached its peak, Liu Bei laughed… Liu Bei burst into laughter. "Heaven's will, heaven's will… five mere brigands could scare away Yuan Benchu, who held hundreds of thousands of troops. That is heaven aiding Cao, not Liu!"
Speaking of this, Liu Bei took a big gulp of wine, then forcefully threw the wine pot away! "I've been played, played again… Lu Yu, Yinlin… you won, you damn well won again!"
Even the usually gentle Liu Bei couldn't help but curse.
Looking back at this campaign of the five armies against Cao, Xu Yuanzhi's strategy was flawless…
But… once Liu Bei calmed down, how could he not see that there was precisely a pair of unseen hands subtly helping Cao Cao resolve this crisis.
Even predicting this crisis in advance.
Otherwise, how could Cao Cao always be one step ahead, grasping the snake by its head, always gaining the upper hand!
Of course…
Liu Bei knew that this strategy was devised by Xu Shu, but he did not know… that this strategy was also resolved by Xu Shu. He thought Lu Yu was all-knowing, predicting the enemy before they acted… using these unseen hands to help Cao Cao overcome the crisis!
Terrifying…
The precise and terrifying grasp on the hearts of the various lords, on Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, Sun Ce… on Han Sui, Ma Teng, and even on Liu Bei himself!
And now, what choice did he, Liu Bei, have, other than… other than to throw himself into Yuan's camp and continue to be used by Yuan Shao?
"Heh heh… heh heh…" Liu Bei forced another bitter smile, lowering his head in misery… He roared word by word, "Brothers scattered, soldiers lost! Heh heh, heh heh…"
He drank another mouthful of wine.
"Xuande, take comfort…" Xu You advised. "I understand Cao Cao, I understand his methods. He will not let you go. Although you are joining my lord, you are also being used. But… think about it calmly. In today's world, although there is a struggle among heroes… who else can truly eliminate the Cao villain and restore the Han dynasty, apart from my lord Yuan Benchu?"
The logic was as it should be…
The exploitation was also as it should be.
Liu Bei put away his bitter smile, cupped his hands in a bow. "Thank you, sir, for your guidance. Now… I can only go and pledge allegiance to Duke Yuan! I only hope that the Han betrayer will have no place to stand!"
"Hahaha… good, good!" Hearing this, Xu You was overjoyed. "Duke Yuan said that if Xuande goes to the northern borders, he will personally come out ten li to welcome him…"
*Hoo…*
Ten li welcome?
Liu Bei narrowed his eyes… He sighed inwardly.
"Where is Yuan Benchu welcoming me, Liu Bei? It is clearly a welcome for this proclamation to attack the rebels! Alas, heh heh, alas!"
*Dada dada…*
Not long after… the sound of horses' hooves echoed again. Xu You, leading Liu Bei, and their entourage, passed through Mount Tai and galloped towards Jizhou!
…
…
Yanzhou, Mount Tai Commandery, Mount Tai range.
From a high vantage point here, a burly man stood on the cliff edge, watching Xu You lead Liu Bei away through the narrow pass.
*Hoo…*
He let out a long breath, finally calming his heart.
*Taka taka…*
The sound of footsteps. A strong man with a scar on his face, dressed like a bandit, walked up behind the burly man.
—"General Nu Kou's mission is complete. We have secretly protected Liu Bei… preventing Cao's army from capturing him."
—"Very good!"
The burly man who replied was precisely Zang Ba, formerly the commander of Lu Bu's Mount Tai Army. As for the "General Nu Kou" called by his subordinate, it was his adopted name.
As for… the order he gave, it was for the Mount Tai Army to disguise themselves… and protect Liu Bei's safety along the way, allowing him to rendezvous with Yuan Shao's forces in the north.
"I still don't understand?" this scarred subordinate continued to ask. "What use is this Liu Bei? He couldn't even defend Xiapi City, and now he's just a lone general. Why would General Nu Kou have his brothers protect him? Just to give Yuan Shao a chance for a proclamation to attack the rebels?"
"Furthermore, Cao Cao sent envoys several times, stating that he would petition the Son of Heaven to grant the general the title of Prefect of Langya, retaining all the general's original troops? It was understandable for the general to repeatedly postpone and maintain neutrality, but this time… why are you instead helping Liu Bei, helping Yuan Shao?"
Upon this question…
Zang Ba was silent for a while, then replied, "Liu Bei is of no use to you or me, but he is of great use to the young lady!"
The young lady?
The scarred subordinate instinctively thought of Lu Lingqi.
But before he could ask further, Zang Ba's voice followed.
"Although we are neutral, but… for the future, so that the young lady can return after her studies and avenge the Marquis of Wen, we cannot allow Cao Cao to grow unchecked. It is best… to maintain this delicate balance of north-south confrontation between Cao and Yuan! This is beneficial for the young lady's revenge!"
Zang Ba clearly remembered…
There were seven names sewn onto the cuff of the young lady's sleeve.
—Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, Cheng Lian, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Lu Yu!
Heh heh…
With the north-south confrontation, all these people have gathered together, which saves the young lady the trouble of finding them one by one.
This…
The scarred subordinate clearly hesitated for a moment. After a brief silence, he asked again, "But… there has been no news of the young lady these past few years!"
This…
Hearing this question, Zang Ba's mouth curved into a smile, and he remained silent!
Of the entire Mount Tai Army, the whereabouts of the young lady Lu Lingqi? Only he knew!
He only hoped…
That it would be faster…
That the young lady would learn the exquisite spear techniques from the God of Spears, Tong Yuan… and learn them faster!
"By the way…"
This scarred subordinate suddenly thought of something else.
"General Nu Kou, recently there are rumors in the streets that in Yanmen, Bing Province, there is a warrior in red robes and riding a red horse, holding a Fangtian Huaji but wearing a mask, saving the border civilians from dire straits. He even recruited tens of thousands of volunteers in Yanmen? The rumors dare to say he is… he is the Marquis of Wen! Moreover… the place where the young lady is learning her skills seems… seems not far from Yanmen!"
Marquis of Wen…
Hearing these two words, Zang Ba's heart involuntarily fluttered.
He and Lu Bu were friends through combat, and even sworn brothers. Zang Ba valued loyalty above all else in his life…
This…
"No…" Zang Ba shook his head and immediately waved his hand to reprimand, "Not every rider on a red horse holding a Fangtian Huaji is the Marquis of Wen! Whoever spreads such rumors in the army will be dealt with according to military law!"
Speaking of this…
His eyes were raised, gazing towards the sky.
How he wished that the Marquis of Wen… was still alive!
However, how could he know that Marquis Wen, Lu Bu, had long since died, but Jiuyuan Lu Fengxian was immortal!
…
…
Xiapi City, in the yamen.
At this moment, Cao Cao sat in the main seat.
A group of generals were lined up…
"Big Brother, Liu Bei's main force has been annihilated. Less than ten thousand surrendered, all of them are our army's old subordinates!" Cao Ren reported first.
"Execute them all!" Cao Cao waved his hand dismissively…
He could accept surrendered soldiers, but those who surrendered and then rebelled again, Cao Cao's magnanimity did not extend that far.
Moreover…
Cao Cao would not be blamed by the world for executing these surrendered and rebellious troops.
"Big Brother…" Xiahou Yuan cupped his hands. "Yuan Shao's troops were discovered in Mount Tai Commandery, Yan Province, about five thousand in number. However… they did not venture deep and all retreated."
"Understood!" Cao Cao did not look up, merely nodded to acknowledge.
"Report to Cao Sikong…" This time, it was Xu Chu who stepped forward. "After Xiapi City was captured, Liu Bei's family, Madame Gan and Madame Mi, are still in the Prefect's mansion!"
*Hoo…*
Upon hearing this news, Cao Cao, who had been listlessly looking down, suddenly raised his head, a ray of light suddenly shining from his eyes.
"Have the Tiger Guards guard the area around the Prefect's mansion. No one is allowed to enter!"
"Yes!"
After hearing Cao Cao's order, even Xu Chu, with his dull mind, understood.
No one is allowed to enter meant… only Cao Sikong could enter. Don't think otherwise, it means entering through the door, not the other kind of entering!
"Big Brother…" Xiahou Dun continued. "Zhang Fei broke through the encirclement alone. I was negligent and couldn't stop him. Please punish me!"
"What crime is there?" Cao Cao waved his hand. "Could Zhang Fei, in the past, fight with Lu Bu for fifty rounds without losing and still be defeated? It is understandable that you couldn't stop him. What about Guan Yu?"
Cao Cao mentioned Guan Yu of his own accord…
Speaking of which, among Liu Bei's generals, Guan Yu was the one Cao Cao admired the most.
This…
Upon mentioning Guan Yu, the crowd fell silent.
Only Xun Yu stepped forward. "Guan Yu retreated into Yunlong Mountain and was surrounded by our army. I ordered them not to pursue him."
Hmm…
Hearing this, Cao Cao was slightly surprised, but he quickly understood.
"Lord Lingjun Xun gave the right order. Guan Yu, like Zhang Fei, possesses the courage to face ten thousand enemies! If forced, even if we could capture him, our army would inevitably suffer heavy losses! Furthermore…"
Speaking of this, Cao Cao suddenly stood up, his hands behind his back.
"To be frank, among all of Liu Bei's generals, I favor Guan Yu the most. This man is highly skilled in martial arts and extremely loyal. If he were to surrender to me… he would be worth more than a hundred thousand troops!"
"Indeed!" Xun Yu sighed. "Guan Yu is a loyal and righteous man. One cannot defeat such a person by force… Now that he is in desperate straits, perhaps we can win him over by appealing to his loyalty!"
"Impossible!"
Unexpectedly… as soon as Xun Yu finished speaking, Xi Zhi Cai immediately objected.
"Why should my lord and Lord Lingjun Xun deceive themselves? Guan Yu has followed Liu Bei's side since the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He and Zhang Fei share meals and sleep together with Liu Bei. With such affection, how could he easily pledge allegiance to Cao Sikong? This is merely self-deception on the part of Cao Sikong and Lord Lingjun!"
Speaking of this, Xi Zhi Cai paused for a moment. "If Guan Yu were a wavering and fickle villain, would he have abandoned Liu Bei long ago? Would it still be Cao Sikong's turn? In my opinion, the best strategy is to seal off Yunlong Mountain, deplete Guan Yu's provisions and reinforcements… and slowly wear him down!"
Xi Zhi Cai's eyes gleamed, his sharp gaze like a curved blade.
This…
Xi Zhi Cai's words made Xun Yu and Cao Cao's hearts tighten.
They exchanged glances. They were reluctant… somewhat reluctant!
Especially Cao Cao…
His eyes were filled with difficulty at this moment.
But precisely, what Xi Zhi Cai said was very true. Forcing Guan Yu to stay was merely… self-deception!
And Xi Zhi Cai continued to speak.
"Cao Sikong, if, as Lord Lingjun Xun suggests, you persuade Guan Yu to surrender under the banner of the Son of Heaven, then… do you think? What is the probability of him sincerely surrendering? If he learns that Liu Bei is not dead? Then… Guan Yu will still seek him out across thousands of miles, and won't Cao Sikong be losing money to make a profit?"
This…
Visibly, Cao Cao's expression was very complex. He walked to the door with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky.
He was contemplating, carefully considering…
Just then.
"Report…"
A Tiger Guard soldier cupped his hands in a report. "Reporting to Cao Sikong, Minister Lu has sent General Zhang Liao of the Dragon Cavalry with a letter! He says it concerns the upcoming strategy and deployment. Currently, General Zhang is waiting outside the gate to see Cao Sikong!"
Hmm…
As these words left his mouth, Cao Cao's eyes suddenly opened.
He turned around.
"This matter will be discussed later… first, secure Yunlong Mountain. We must not let Guan Yu escape!"
With these words, Cao Cao ordered the Tiger Guards.
"Lead the way, and take me to see Zhang Wenyuan!"
Vaguely…
Cao Cao had a premonition that Yu'er must have mentioned something about this difficult situation with Guan Yu.
He? How would he resolve it?
…
…
Xudu City, medical office.
Zhang Zhongjing was holding a tray on his desk and speaking loudly.
"After verification, this white powder is not a medicine… It is toxic in itself. Mild consumption will cause continuous vomiting, while large amounts will cause the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys to fail within days, leading to death!"
As his words left his mouth…
Lu Yu nodded repeatedly.
Basically, this white powder… could be confirmed as white phosphorus…
Eight, nine out of ten!
And white phosphorus… in this era, it had a lot of potential applications!
"Speaking of which, I don't know much about these powders. Many of the verification processes were completed by young master He Yan!" Zhang Zhongjing continued…
And as the conversation shifted to He Yan,
Lu Yu noticed that the young man in medical attire before him was none other than He Yan? Who else could it be?
Heh… this guy is so elegant?
However, after spending ten days to half a month in this medical office, He Yan's health seemed to have recovered very well!
At least, not the appearance of a heavy drug addict!
Indeed, the medical office could not only develop the Five-Stone Powder, but also help people quit it…
As if noticing everyone looking at him… He Yan spoke, "Young Master Lu… this white powder appears in flint and steel. The amount in flint is not this much. After several tests, it was found that this white powder ignites when the temperature is very high, producing a vigorous flame, but… after a brief burst of flames, it quickly dissipates…"
Very professional!
Lu Yu listened with great interest, unexpectedly finding that this "adopted son" of Cao Cao, son of Lady Yin, the "fake Yinlin" He Yan, had this specialty.
If this were before his transmigration, he would have the potential to be a chemistry doctor. Studying literature was a waste… If you master mathematics and physics and chemistry, you can go anywhere without fear!
Of course…
Lu Yu felt he had underestimated He Yan. After all, He Yan was the man who could improve the Five-Stone Powder, the man who could devastate the entire Wei-Jin period with it. Dealing with white phosphorus and chemical research was not a problem!
With a turn of his eyeballs…
Having identified the reason for the explosion, Lu Yu's mind conceived a brand new idea.
"Uncle Ping? Think about it… can this white powder be extracted from flint and steel? I'm talking about large quantities… Also… if it can be extracted, can it be stored properly? To prevent them from spontaneously combusting due to friction!"
For a moment…
Lu Yu's mind flashed with chemical formulas. The chemical symbol for white phosphorus is P4… and for oxygen is O2!
—When burning in sufficient oxygen, P4 + 5O₂ = 2P₂O5!
According to this equation…
Good heavens…
A bold idea suddenly emerged.
If this white phosphorus is used well, it can be used as C4 explosives!
…
…