On the north bank of the Yellow River, under the scorching sun, spears and halberds glinted coldly under the daylight. The bright, neat armor displayed the imposing majesty of Yuan's thirty thousand strong army.
Thump thump thump…
Hoofbeats echoed from the official road, followed by a loud shout. "I am an envoy sent by Lord Liu Xuande. My lord has sent me to meet Counselor Xu You, Mr. Xu!"
Mi Fang's voice boomed out.
The armored soldiers guarding the camp gate dared not delay and hurried to report.
Shortly after, an armored soldier led Mi Fang into a large tent. This was Xu You's military tent… As a representative of the Ru Ying gentry, under Yuan Shao, Xu You's tent was quite opulent. Mi Fang felt a sense of daze as he entered.
Without hesitation, he quickly handed the letter from Liu Bei in his embrace to Xu You.
Xu You also remained silent, quickly unfolding it and glancing through it…
Hoo…
He let out a heavy sigh and quickly walked to Mi Fang. "So you mean? Cao Cao, Cao Mengde, attacked Xuzhou's Xiapi city, truly emptying his treasury, with over a hundred thousand soldiers and horses?"
"Yes, Xuzhou is in dire straits!" Mi Fang replied urgently… "My lord requests Duke Yuan to quickly dispatch troops… cross the Yellow River south to attack Yanzhou, and advance directly on Xuchang!"
Mi Fang's words were spoken without much thought, but Xu You's expression turned cold, and he immediately repeated the words "dire straits" from his statement.
"You mean? Your lord Liu Bei can no longer defend the city?"
"No, no!" Mi Fang waved his hands repeatedly. "Xiapi city is as impregnable as a golden city, but… but Cao Cao indeed emptied his treasury. My lord is evenly matched with him, and they are locked in a fierce battle, it's… it's a fifty-fifty chance!"
Heh heh.
Mi Fang's words made Xu You laugh.
"Well said, impregnable as a golden city, locked in a fierce battle. Just tell me, how long can your lord hold out?"
"A hundred days?"
"Nonsense!"
"Fifty days!"
"I'm afraid that's also stretching it?"
This…
Mi Fang paused, then continued, "Mr. Xu, my lord said that as long as he is alive, the city will stand. He will fight until the last man, the last moment! My lord says that Mr. Xu is full of strategies and holds immense influence with Duke Yuan. Only when Mr. Xu approves will Duke Yuan advance, employing the strategy of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao, severely damaging Cao Cao while simultaneously relieving my lord's predicament."
Heh, not bad, this flattery made Xu You happy.
"Did your lord really say that?"
"Every word!" Mi Fang nodded heavily.
"Hahaha." Xu You grabbed Mi Fang and walked towards the tent exit, saying as he walked, "To tell you the truth, I've been waiting for Cao Cao to attack Xuzhou. Hahaha, he truly emptied his treasury, hahaha… Thus, I will immediately ask Duke Yuan to march south. This battle can destroy the Cao贼! Hahaha…"
By the end, Xu You could not hide his excitement…
As they approached the central military tent, many voices could be heard from afar. It seemed Jushou, Tian Feng, Guo Tu, Feng Ji… they were all there.
This…
Xu You muttered, could it be that these strategists heard some news and came to offer their advice first?
Indeed…
Before even entering, he heard Tian Feng's voice.
"Now that Cao Cao is campaigning east against Liu Xuande, Xuchang is empty. If we use righteous soldiers to enter through the void, we can protect the Son of Heaven above and save the common people below. This is a rare opportunity, please decide, my lord!"
As soon as Tian Feng's voice fell.
Jushou's voice rose again.
"Yes… Even if there are remnants of five roads behind us, those people are not to be feared. Duke Yuan must understand that the only one who can contend for the world with Duke Yuan now is Cao Cao! If we abandon such a good opportunity and hesitate, when will the Cao贼 be eliminated? When will the Central Plains be pacified?"
Hoo…
Xu You paused. He keenly heard something about remnants of five roads?
What did that mean?
As soon as this thought arose, Xu You shook his head vigorously. Marching south across the Yellow River to strike Cao Cao, such great merit… No matter what, how could it be given to others? Especially not to that faction from Jizhou!
It must be known that in Yuan Shao's camp.
The Ru Ying gentry and the Jizhou talents were mortal enemies. Although Xu You was from the Ru Ying gentry, his unconventional and arrogant nature made his relationships with both factions poor. It could be said… he was a special individual.
Yuan Shao's camp was filled with factions. Of course… previously, due to Cao Cao's growing power and Yin Lin being in Cao Cao's camp, the strategists from various factions could set aside their past grievances and work together with one heart.
But now… when it came to vying for credit, that was another story. They would definitely not give way to each other.
In Xu You's opinion…
Jushou and Tian Feng wanted to snatch credit – no way;
Guo Tu and Feng Ji wanted to snatch credit – a pipe dream!
All the credit belonged to him, Xu You. He, Xu You, was the true chief strategist!
"Bang!"
Xu You directly pushed open the door and bowed respectfully to Yuan Shao.
"My lord, our chance of victory has arrived."
"Liu Bei of Xiapi city sent Mi Fang with a message that Cao Cao has emptied his treasury, leading over a hundred thousand troops to attack Xiapi city. Fortunately, Liu Bei, relying on the bravery of Guan and Zhang, can still hold on for a while! With Cao Cao's main force thus bogged down, the rear in Yanzhou and Xuchang must be empty. If we march south now, the Central Plains can be decided in one battle!"
"Moreover… we can seize the opportunity to welcome the Son of Heaven, and from now on, won't it be Duke Yuan who holds the Son of Heaven to command the lords? Unifying the world will be within reach!"
"Xuchang… Xuchang is only… only two hundred and fifty li from our great camp!"
Although Xu You's proposal was identical to that of the Jizhou talents Jushou and Tian Feng.
Yet… precisely, his words were well-reasoned and presented in a more tactful manner, making them more convincing, at least much more pleasant to hear than the words of those Jizhou talents.
Who would have thought…
Just when he thought Yuan Shao would immediately order a march south across the Yellow River.
But… as Xu You's eyes lifted and met Yuan Shao's gaze, he realized that in his lord's eyes, there were only two words – conflicted.
No… this was no longer just conflict, it was hesitation, it was confusion.
What was going on?
Before Xu You could ask, Guo Tu stepped forward.
"Your Excellency Xu's vision only sees what is before you, perhaps you have not seen what is behind you…"
"Behind me?" Xu You was stunned…
Guo Tu's words followed in succession. "Just yesterday, at the border between Changshan and Zhaojun in Bingzhou, the Black Mountain Army attacked Ye City in Jizhou… The Xiongnu Chanyu Hu Yanpei also led cavalry to the border of Jizhou, ready to raid at any moment, and Bingzhou Yanmen, and Wangjing, that legendary red-robed cavalry general, along with Gongsun Zan, also led cavalry towards Jizhou… and… and…"
As he spoke, large beads of sweat were about to flow from Guo Tu's forehead.
This time, he was not trying to undermine Xu You, or the credit of the Jizhou talents. It was no exaggeration to say that, in his opinion, the current situation… for Jizhou, for Yuan Shao's camp, it was a matter of life and death!
"And… and Guanzhong, Han Sui and Ma Teng have indeed moved north from Henei, personally leading elite cavalry to attack Bingzhou… This is… this is an attack from five directions, surrounded by enemies!"
Although Guo Tu's words were somewhat exaggerated… the situation still made Xu You's heart skip a beat!
What… what was going on?
Yesterday was fine, wasn't it still five roads encircling Cao? How did the tune change today… from five roads encircling Cao to five roads attacking Yuan!
The changes in the situation were too abrupt.
This… this…
"My lord, this…" Xu You blurted out, but he didn't know what to say and was suddenly at a loss for words.
At this moment, Yuan Shao was filled with worry.
"Your words, I have heard them, and I also know that this is a great opportunity to surprise Xuchang. However… my backyard is on fire, with five roads of enemy soldiers invading my Jizhou. My heart is in turmoil, and I fear there are disadvantages!"
"Although Cao Cao's loss of Xuchang city has greatly depleted his strength, but… but if I lose Jizhou, won't my strength also be greatly depleted? Moreover, my son Shang is still in Jizhou, and among my sons, this child is the one I love the most. If Jizhou falls, and my Shang has an accident, I… I will surely perish!"
Yuan Shao cherished his youngest son the most.
Thinking of him still being in Ye City, and Ye City about to become the eye of the storm, Yuan Shao was already in a state of confusion!
Uh…
This time, not only Xu You was stunned, but even Jushou and Tian Feng frowned.
After all the effort to reach this situation…
One step forward, and they could reclaim the Son of Heaven, and severely damage Cao Cao…
To put it plainly, although exchanging territory would result in losses, Cao Cao lost even more.
But… but if they retreated, their Yuan army might stabilize the situation, but Cao Cao's situation would be easily resolved. Cao Cao would be delighted… if the Yuan army went back!
"Duke Yuan, military strategy says that opportunities once lost are never regained. Eliminating Cao is entirely dependent on this move. Time waits for no one… My lord, think twice! My lord, I implore you to dispatch troops quickly!"
Xu You clasped his hands and pleaded, bowing so low that he resembled an arch bridge, to express his determination.
Tian Feng and Jushou exchanged glances, bowed their hands in unison, and said in one voice.
"Please, my lord, dispatch troops quickly!"
This…
To be honest, the words of the three chief strategists stirred Yuan Shao's heart. Exchanging territory? Should they really exchange territory?
But before he could make a decision.
"Impossible…" Feng Ji stepped forward. "Has my lord forgotten how cunning Cao Cao is? He also has Yin Lin in his command. I heard that Cao Cao did not bring the Dragon Cavalry Camp on this expedition to Xiapi City. This is clearly a stratagem devised by Lu Yu, attempting to lure my lord south, thus falling into his Dragon Cavalry Camp's ambush. My lord must not forget the defeat of the Young Hegemon Sun Bofu in Lujiang in the past!"
As soon as Feng Ji's words fell…
Guo Tu added again, "Yuan Tu speaks reasonably. Moreover, our spies have finally ascertained that Xu Huang and Cao Hong from Cao's camp have secretly stationed two units in Baima County south of the Yellow River. This is an ambush for us… In my opinion, Lu Yu must have ordered them to attack us when we are halfway across the river!"
"If our army forcefully marches south, and the road ahead is blocked, and the Jizhou main camp falls into chaos? What then? What then?"
Indeed…
A series of strategies proposed by the strategists turned into a series of multiple-choice questions.
And as everyone knows, Yuan Shao's greatest weakness is making choices.
"I… my mind is in turmoil right now, I don't know whether to advance or retreat. Please allow me to think, allow me to think…" Yuan Shao lowered his head, looking in great pain.
This…
Xu You was about to cry. His heart was bleeding. Five roads of enemy soldiers, sounding formidable at first glance, but… in reality, they were merely defeated generals? What was there to fear?
Marching south… to annihilate Cao Cao in one fell swoop was the key!
"My lord!" Xu You raised his voice and shouted. "Can you wake up…"
If it weren't for maintaining Yuan Shao's dignity, Xu You would have wanted to add two words – "Can you f\*\*king wake up!"
Who would have thought…
This cold snort directly angered Yuan Shao.
"Retire!" he roared…
"My lord, I…"
"Scram!" Yuan Shao waved his long sleeves, looking as if he was about to hit Xu You.
Xu You had no choice but to retreat…
As he walked out of the central military tent, he sighed as if he had been set free. "Mediocre lord, foolish! Mediocre lord!"
Mi Fang outside the tent naturally heard their conversation, and his expression was also very grim.
Xu You continued, "As a ruler, one cannot see the current situation clearly, hesitating and missing such a good opportunity. Is this not a mediocre lord? This is an unprecedented wonder… This is a mediocre lord, a great mediocre lord!"
Before his voice fell…
Yuan Shao's voice came from inside the tent.
—"Xu You insulted me, administer twenty military strokes!"
—"Effective immediately, whoever mentions marching south again will also receive twenty military strokes!"
—"It infuriates me, it infuriates me!"
Roars echoed again.
This was Yuan Shao, very Yuan Shao…
…
…
Guanzhong, Shang Commandery.
In a post house, a side room, two Dragon Cavalry soldiers entered. In the side room, a middle-aged man was writing something on a piece of silk with great vigor.
"Captain Zhong…"
The two Dragon Cavalry soldiers bowed.
Before them, the master calligrapher was none other than Zhong Yao.
"How is it?"
Hearing the voice, he did not look up but continued to hold his brush, his strength increasing even more.
The last two strokes, a left-falling stroke and a right-falling stroke, the brush lifted, and the character "欲" (yù, desire) leaped out.
"As Captain Zhong said, Shen Pei fled in advance. The Dragon Cavalry has been monitoring day and night, and has finally followed…"
"Now? Where is Shen Pei?"
Zhong Yao lowered his head and continued to ask, while on the silk, the second character leaped out, which was "擒" (qín, capture)…
The Dragon Cavalry soldier's voice echoed again.
"According to Captain Zhong's instructions, we bribed the villagers on the mountain to let Shen Pei escape through a small path. Now… he is out of danger, and the Xiliang army will not catch up!"
"Oh…" Hearing this, Zhong Yao nodded. The third and fourth characters were already written: "故" (gù, thus) and "纵" (zòng, let go).
Together, it meant "欲擒故纵" (yù qín gù zòng, to want to capture but let go).
The Dragon Cavalry soldier also saw these four characters written with flowing grace and iron hooks.
He quickly asked, "Captain Zhong? I have one thing I don't understand. Shen Pei is an official of Yuan's army, with noble status. Why could our Dragon Cavalry capture him? But why…"
"Hahaha…"
Hearing this, Zhong Yao laughed. "Isn't that what I'm writing – 'yù qín gù zòng'!"
As these words escaped his lips.
The Dragon Cavalry soldier became even more confused. He was let go, but… captured? It seemed like… he was simply let go for nothing!
"Captain Zhong."
"Ask no more!" Zhong Yao said with a smile. "I don't know either!"
"This was ordered by Chancellor Lu. We must let Shen Pei go. As for why? I cannot fathom it, but… if I could fathom Chancellor Lu's intentions, how could Chancellor Lu be called 'strategizing within the command center, deciding victory a thousand miles away'!"
Huo…
This time, the Dragon Cavalry soldier stopped asking. Mr. Zhong was right! Chancellor Lu's orders… if they could all be figured out, then… would Chancellor Lu still be Chancellor Lu?
However…
It was still a bit curious?
Clearly, they could have captured Shen Pei, but why let him go?
Of course…
How could they know that Shen Pei, in Lu Yu's eyes, had other uses.
From ancient textual records, it is not difficult to deduce… the strategists under Yuan Shao were all talented individuals, but they had many small cliques.
For example…
Feng Ji and Tian Feng had a bad relationship, Shen Pei and Xu You also had a bad relationship, and Guo Tu's relationship with Jushou was even worse!
If Shen Pei were captured… then who would restrain Xu You?
And if Xu You's family members committed evil deeds in Ye City? Who would punish them? Would Xu You… still defect to Cao?
Even a small Shen Pei could cause ripples throughout Yuan Shao's internal network.
Therefore.
In the letter Lu Yu sent to Zhong Yao, besides a letter that could cure "male infertility," there was also a sentence, which was to find ways to let Shen Pei go!
It can be said that Zhong Yao's contribution was invaluable in Shen Pei escaping from the heavy pursuit of the Xiliang army!
Hoo…
At this moment, Zhong Yao let out a long sigh.
Through the window, he looked at the sky…
Han Sui and Ma Teng, in order to strengthen their relationship with Cao Cao, marched north to attack Bingzhou, pointing their spears at Yuan Shao…
Zhong Yao pondered, it seemed… his task was completed?
Then… what next?
When would he achieve the feat of having two children in three years?
If he had a son… his name had been chosen ten years ago, the eldest son would be named Zhong Yu…
Yu, a meaningful character, the entire font… resembled the shape of childbirth, with a few dots at the bottom of the right half, representing the mother's bodily fluids when the infant is born.
In Zhong Yao's opinion, whoever gave him a son, that woman… was a meritorious person for the Zhong family!
Therefore… he would be named Zhong Yu!
Of course, whether his wives and concubines could give birth… was mainly dependent on whether Young Master Lu could cure his Zhong Yao!
So – to treat male problems, find Lu Yu!
…
…
Xuzhou, outside Xiapi City.
The vast Cao army was withdrawing in an orderly manner, the vanguards not rushing, the rearguards not agitated… strict military discipline, neat formations!
Of course…
This also indicated that Cao's army's daily routine of attacking the city had once again ended.
In fact… Cao Cao was holding back, he was consuming, consuming Liu Bei's troops, consuming Liu Bei's armaments, and also consuming Liu Bei's fighting spirit.
It was clear that…
After several days of consumption, it was very effective for Cao's army.
And what pleased him even more was that Yu'er had given Yuan Shao a big surprise. The five armies had attacked Ye City, and the thirty thousand Yuan army had retreated…
It was heard that the north bank of the Yellow River could hear the sounds of the Yuan army's hasty retreat, deafening!
And not only that.
Liu Biao's hesitation, and the assistance of Han Sui and Ma Teng, made Cao Cao feel that the situation was excellent.
And precisely because of this…
Cao Cao now had great room for maneuver in taking Xiapi City… and was not in a hurry at all. He was even contemplating how to trick Liu Bei.
Just then…
A strong wind suddenly arose. Cao Cao, standing on the high platform outside the tent, suddenly heard a loud sound. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a banner being broken by the strong wind.
Cao Cao's eyes narrowed slightly, and he cast a meaningful glance at the city wall of Xiapi.
He immediately ordered: — "Summon Lord Xun!"
"Yes…" A response, Xu Chu hurriedly went to pass the message.
Not long after… Xun Yu entered the chamber.
Cao Cao smilingly recounted the matter of the strong wind breaking the banner and asked about the omen.
Xun Yu, with his fingers raised, pretended to calculate, while asking, "From where does the wind come? And what color banner was broken?"
"The wind comes from the southeast, breaking the banner at the corner. The banner is blue and red!"
Cao Cao replied truthfully.
"Hahaha!" Hearing this, Xun Yu burst into laughter. "It does not foretell anything else, but that Liu Bei will raid the camp tonight!"
"Raid the camp? The wind direction? Does this have anything to do with it?" Cao Cao's eyes narrowed.
Xun Yu, however, laughed heartily and said loudly.
"The current external situation, Commander Cao knows, but Liu Bei may not know. In Liu Bei's subconscious, perhaps the Yuan army has already crossed the Yellow River, and Commander Cao's Yanzhou and Xuchang cities are in peril. For this reason, what wind? What color banner is broken? These are not important. The important thing is, does Commander Cao want to use this wind? Does he want to make Liu Bei raid the camp!"
Heh…
To be honest.
Xun Yu's seemingly "mysterious" words…
Cao Cao found them very pleasant to hear, extremely pleasant.
—"Haha, Lord Xun always speaks like this, like drinking fine wine, making one intoxicated!"
—"Commander Cao is too kind. My wine is far inferior to that of Chancellor Lu! Commander Cao is currently immersed in the fine wine brewed by Chancellor Lu, and all his deployments are in a winning position!"
Hahaha…
Cao Cao laughed again!
Hearing others praise his son, there were only two words – superficial!
Yes…
Yu'er had sent two bottles of wine. One was for him, Cao Cao, and it was fine wine!
One bottle was for Liu Bei, and it was a suffocating poison!
…
…