The deepest part of the night.
Bingzhou, Xinshing Commandery…
At this moment, over thirty thousand Yuan troops were stationed here, with countless "Qu" banners fluttering in the wind. At the heart of the army, the core forces of Qu Yi—eight hundred elite vanguard soldiers!
It could be said that this was the most elite contingent in Hebei, its status no less than Gao Shun's "Charging Camp" in the past, Cao Cao's "Tiger and Leopard Cavalry," or Dong Zhuo's "Flying Bear Soldiers"!
Speaking of the location of Xinshing Commandery, to the north lay Yanmen and Zhaojun, and that direction… was the ultimate destination of Qu Yi's current campaign!
To the south were Taiyuan Commandery and Leping Commandery, and to the right was Changshan Commandery. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Xinshing Commandery was the center and hinterland of Bingzhou.
Heard that Han Sui and Ma Teng in Guanzhong had retreated;
The Southern Xiongnu had also retreated to the Hu territories;
Only three of the five "bandit" armies remained—Gongsun Zan's Youzhou forces, Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army, and… the righteous army corps led by the red-robed, red-horse general in Yanmen!
Heh heh…
Qu Yi let out a "heh heh."
He was a proud man; these… bandit troops, in his eyes, were no match for him!
Deep in the night…
This military camp, situated by the lake, was enveloped in dense humidity. The bright moonlight continuously reflected off the thick clouds in the sky, making it exceptionally tranquil.
Accompanied by the occasional chirping of insects in the woods…
"Dada da…"
"Dede de…"
The sound of a warhorse's powerful hooves and its sudden neighing abruptly pierced the silence…
Almost all the soldiers poked their heads out of their tents upon hearing this sound.
The fast horse had already galloped past, stopping before the central military tent. The warhorse was still snorting, while the rider, dragging his weary body, stumbled into the tent.
"General Qu… General Qu… It's bad, it's bad…"
"What is it, causing such alarm?"
Qu Yi hastily woke up from his bed. He had a habit: he never took off his armor, even when sleeping. But… by the dim candlelight in the tent, seeing the expression of the knight before him, a sudden ominous premonition struck his heart.
"Scouts report that Duke Yuan… Duke Yuan has dispatched Generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou to secretly cross the Taihang Mountains, proceeding separately to Taiyuan Commandery and Leping Commandery. Generals Zhang He and Gao Lan have already marched towards 'Zhongshan State,' seemingly intending to secretly infiltrate Changshan Commandery from the north!"
"In addition to this, General Gao Gan has also quietly led his troops out of Jinyang, the administrative seat of Bingzhou… and is heading… heading towards our army. If not for… if not for the scouts specifically arranged by the General earlier, perhaps… perhaps the General would still be kept in the dark, completely unaware of these movements!"
"What?"
As the knight spoke, Qu Yi gasped for air. He stood up abruptly, his eyes cold, and unconsciously uttered four words—"Something is not right!"
Indeed.
Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, Gao Lan, Gao Gan… all five routes attacking Yanmen simultaneously to eliminate the Yanmen remnants was not unusual in itself, but… the problem lay precisely here!
Qu Yi himself was completely unaware of this.
After all, if Yuan Shao had ordered all six routes to suppress the bandits together, or sent troops to reinforce Qu Yi, then… how could Qu Yi not know about these movements?
But… all five routes were advancing secretly!
This…
Qu Yi's eyes narrowed, and he fell into deep thought.
According to the scouts, the destinations of these five Yuan armies were Taiyuan Commandery, Leping Commandery, Changshan Commandery… plus Jinyang.
No…
Qu Yi suddenly realized something. He hurriedly unfolded the map, his eyes sweeping over these commanderies one by one, his finger tracing a line. It formed a semicircle.
That's right… if one also counted the "bandit army" in Yanmen, then… it wouldn't be a semicircle, but a complete circle, a circle that would completely surround Xinshing Commandery, where he was, and encircle Qu Yi and the vanguard camp!
Huo…
At this point, even the usually proud and arrogant Qu Yi felt a chilling murderous intent. The five armies dispatched by Yuan Shao were not targeting Yanmen, but… but him, Qu Yi!
Yuan Benchu wanted to eliminate him, Qu Yi, and the vanguard camp!
As he thought of this, Qu Yi's legs trembled instinctively. He stumbled back a step. If it weren't for the quick action of the knight grabbing him, he would have likely fallen to the ground.
"They've made their move. Yuan Benchu has actually… actually moved against me?"
His eyes widened to their fullest…
Amidst his astonishment, he seemed to suddenly recall something even more astonishing, even… terrifyingly astonishing.
That's right, if he hadn't sent scouts to secretly monitor Ye City and the various military camps in Ji Province beforehand, then… would he, Qu Yi, now be facing imminent disaster, completely unaware?
This was the most terrifying thought.
Abyss…
He had come so close to falling into this abyss of eternal damnation!
Wait…
Qu Yi suddenly thought of something else. More accurately, this time, he thought of a person.
Yang Xiu!
That young master of the Hongnong Yang clan who called himself an envoy from the Long Xiao Camp—Yang Xiu!
Instantly…
Yang Xiu's words echoed in his ears, one by one.
— "General Qu Yi? Between us, you are the one who is going to die, aren't you?"
— "You've been stationed below the Taihang Mountains for so many days, neither advancing nor retreating? What is Yuan Benchu's character? How could he keep you? Heh heh… great disaster is not far for you, Qu Yi!"
— "You are merely a brute. At worst, we'll go to the Yellow Springs together!"
— "The most bloodthirsty daggers often emerge from the most luxuriant places!"
These…
Hoo…
Qu Yi took a sharp breath, muttering Yang Xiu's words repeatedly… "The most bloodthirsty daggers often emerge from the most luxuriant places!"
"Gulp…"
He subconsciously swallowed, but the astonishment and shock in his heart were evident. His chest heaved, and his cheeks twitched incessantly!
Was this what they called "misfortune foretold"?
Yuan Shao's intention to eliminate Qu Yi, was this matter, predicted by this Yang Xiu… no, more accurately, predicted by Lu Yu, the commander of the Dragon Xiao Camp behind Yang Xiu, half a month ago?
"No plan is without calculation, attacking the enemy's mind…"
Wasn't this the common evaluation of Lu Yu?
"Someone…"
Qu Yi roared.
The personal guards outside the tent quickly entered.
Qu Yi hastily asked, "Find the most recent letter from Yuan Shao for me."
"Yes, sir…" The two guards flipped through a large stack of letters on the desk, finally finding Yuan Shao's most recent correspondence.
Qu Yi snatched it…
His eyes intensely scanned the content.
This was a personal letter from Yuan Shao.
In it… the words were sincere, stating that Qu Yi was the most valiant general in Yuan's camp, and with him guarding Bingzhou, Yuan Shao had no worries about his rear and would lead all his troops south to contend for the world with Cao Cao… Furthermore, he repeatedly promised that after eliminating the Yanmen bandits, Yuan Shao would petition the court to appoint Qu Yi as the Governor of Bingzhou and the Marquis of Bingzhou.
This was the letter received yesterday… Upon receiving it, Qu Yi, filled with excitement, had even had two hundred copies made and distributed to the army!
But only a day later…
Now, this letter… in Qu Yi's hands, it felt somewhat scorching, even… not just scorching, but prickly! Prickly enough to leave him bruised all over.
"A delaying tactic, Yuan Benchu is employing a delaying tactic!"
Qu Yi slammed the bamboo slips to the ground with force…
Immediately afterward… his expression turned anxious as he loudly commanded, "What about that Yang Xiu, Yang Dezhu?"
As he called out, Qu Yi's expression grew more and more solemn.
At this very moment… facing this situation, he felt a sharp sword hanging over his head, a sword that could fall at any moment.
"As per the General's orders, this person is being held by us."
"We've arranged a dilapidated, drafty tent in the area where the central army stores grain," the armored soldier reported truthfully…
Upon hearing this, Qu Yi's expression changed again. He wished he could slap himself.
He had actually… treated the envoy from the Dragon Xiao Camp like this…
"Quick… quickly bring him here!"
"Do not let him suffer any harm. If this person gets angry, I will have you all executed!"
"Yes… yes…" Hearing Qu Yi's anxious words, his trusted guards hurried to comply.
"Stop…"
Qu Yi grabbed the trusted guard. "Lead the way. I, I will personally invite him!"
…
…
At this time, Yang Xiu was pacing back and forth in the dilapidated tent. Curling up helped conserve some warmth, but the coldness in his legs was unbearable; only by walking could he keep himself warm.
Hoo…
He panted as he rubbed his hands together, his eyes gazing out at the sky through the tent's seams. The myriad stars in the sky seemed to shine brighter than in the first half of the night.
As for…
The sound of horseshoes that had just echoed through the camp.
Yang Xiu had a feeling that good times were about to begin after hardship!
"Young Master Yang, Young Master Yang…"
Suddenly…
Qu Yi's rough voice came from the darkness outside the tent, followed closely by groups of torches.
Of course, that wasn't the main point!
The main point was that Qu Yi's tone had changed from the arrogance and haughtiness of half a month ago to… considerable urgency, yet within this urgency, there was a hint of sorrow and profound pain.
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiu's eyes narrowed, and he inwardly chuckled, "Here they come, here they come…"
He thought to himself…
"You didn't deceive me; Chief Commander Lu is always trustworthy. If you haven't endured the biting cold, how can you smell the fragrance of plum blossoms!"
"It seems this Qu Yi, this simpleton Qu, isn't too foolish after all!"
Thinking of this…
Yang Xiu did not speak. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, adopting the posture of a learned scholar, waiting for Qu Yi to approach.
…
A moment later, a short while passed.
The door of the dilapidated tent was opened, and Qu Yi, with a solemn expression, walked up behind Yang Xiu. Before Yang Xiu could turn around, he clasped his hands first.
"Young Master Yang's wisdom is immense!"
"I implore Young Master Yang to save me!"
Qu Yi's tone was entirely humble. Even though he was usually proud and arrogant, facing imminent disaster and the only straw of hope, he knew what he had to do.
"What is it?"
Conversely… Yang Xiu became arrogant. In terms of arrogance, he, Yang Xiu, did not put Qu Yi in his eyes.
"General Qu, didn't you want to eliminate the five rebel armies and then behead me, Yang Xiu, as a sacrifice? Why are you no longer using my head at the camp gate?"
With a side glance at Qu Yi's solemn expression…
Yang Xiu found it very amusing, but his face remained as proud and imperious as ever!
He still had to maintain the act!
before departing for Bingzhou, Yang Xiu had asked Chief Commander Lu what he should pay special attention to during this mission.
And Lu Yu had drawn four characters on his palm with his index finger.
— "A man must act proud!"
That's right, those four words were deeply ingrained in Yang Xiu's memory… even now, he had to maintain his persona of being unfathomable, to impress this simpleton Qu Yi!
"What are you saying, General Qu?"
"During these past days, it was I, Qu Yi, who was blind and offended Young Master Yang… Today, I have specifically come to beg for your forgiveness."
"I implore Young Master Yang to guide me…"
"If Young Master Yang assists me, I will be eternally grateful and protect Young Master Yang for life."
While he said he was asking Yang Xiu for guidance.
In fact… Qu Yi knew very well that Yang Xiu had come on the orders of Lu Yu, the commander of the Dragon Xiao Camp. Since Lu Yu could predict the situation here, he must… also have a method to break the deadlock.
Hearing this…
Yang Xiu's heart was filled with joy, and his expression softened slightly.
"Very well…"
"Since General Qu is so sincere? Then I shall show General Qu a clear path!"
Yang Xiu turned around, looked at Qu Yi before him, and sighed slowly, "General Qu, there are not many paths you can take now. There is only this one left… it seems you have no choice!"
This…
Before Qu Yi could speak, Yang Xiu's words continued to pour out.
"A wise minister chooses his master, and a loyal official chooses his lord. General Qu and the Vanguard Camp are the most valiant legions under Yuan Shao, the legions that have achieved the most meritorious deeds, yet Yuan Shao treats General Qu like this? He even wants to eliminate General Qu? What does this signify… it signifies that Yuan Shao is not a wise lord! General Qu Yi might as well consider…"
"…Similarly, the most valiant Dragon Xiao Camp in Cao's army, the meritorious Commander Lu Situ, like General Qu? How does Duke Cao treat him?"
"He grants him immense power, allows him to expand the Dragon Xiao Camp at will, petitions the Emperor to bestow upon Young Master Lu the rank of Situ, one of the Three Ducal Ministers, placing him in a position equivalent to Duke Cao himself. Furthermore… Duke Cao is always obedient to Situ Lu and never doubts him!"
"Yuan Shao and Duke Cao's attitudes towards their ace legions are so clear. Does General Qu still not understand who is the wise lord and who is the mediocre lord? Must you truly be willing to send your life for a mediocre lord?"
Yang Xiu's words became sharper with each sentence, colder with each phrase…
And yet…
These words, spoken by a young master of the Hongnong Yang clan like him, carried even greater significance.
As is widely known, Yang Xiu's father was Yang Biao, but his mother's status was also not simple. She was the granddaughter of Yuan An, the clan leader of the Ruyuan Yuan clan, and in terms of seniority, even Yuan Shao had to call her grand-aunt!
In other words, Yang Xiu was the product of a marriage alliance between the Hongnong Yang clan and the Ruyuan Yuan clan…
Because of his mother's family, how could he slander the Yuan family unless absolutely necessary?
But…
Now that he was slandering the Yuan family in this manner, the destructive power of his words was incomparable.
Coupled with Yang Xiu's exceptionally calm demeanor, his posture with hands behind his back made him appear even more imposing under the numerous bonfires.
After a brief silence, Qu Yi's somewhat solemn expression changed again.
Yuan Shao is unrighteous, why should Qu Yi be righteous!
Think about the Dragon Xiao Camp, think about Lu Yu, and think about himself, think about the Vanguard Camp…
Hmph…
A good bird chooses its tree, a wise official chooses his lord!
Looking at the bonfires, constantly stirred by the evening breeze, Qu Yi clenched his fists.
"Let's do it…"
"Let's do it…"
The first sentence was not very loud, with a hint of hesitation, but by the second "Let's do it," his eyes were exceptionally firm, and at this moment, his resolve was unwavering!
"I, Qu Yi, am willing to lead the Vanguard Camp and thirty thousand armored soldiers to surrender to the Dragon Xiao Camp. I hope Young Master Yang will facilitate the introduction!"
Qu Yi bowed with clasped hands…
Seeing his bow, the surrounding personal guards also clasped their hands towards Yang Xiu.
Yang Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly. This scene was within his expectations.
It wasn't that he was being modest; as long as he followed Chief Commander Lu's instructions, even a dog sent as an envoy to the Vanguard Camp would achieve the same result. But what followed was the true performance of his skills! This was his chance to showcase his talent. Young Master Lu had instructed him, and if he merely completed the task, it would be too uninteresting!
"General Qu Yi? Do you know… what a 'token of submission' is?"
Token of submission?
As these three words were spoken, Qu Yi was taken aback…
How could he not know? Because of Cheng Yu, the Sima of the Dragon Xiao Camp, this "token of submission" was now extremely famous throughout the Central Plains and the Northern territories. The meaning was…
"As long as I can join the Dragon Xiao Camp, I, Qu Yi, will obey Young Master Yang's orders."
Qu Yi's tone became even more resolute…
Unexpectedly, Yang Xiu waved his hand.
"General Qu, you need to understand, this is not about obeying me, Yang Xiu. I, Yang Xiu, would not dare to order you. You are to obey our Commander Lu's orders!"
"Yuan Shao sent people to kill you, is that right? Heh heh… Since… 'a friend comes from afar,' it is only right to 'first emaciate their minds, toughen their sinews, starve their bodies, weaken them, confound their actions, and then whip them numerous times, driving them to a separate courtyard.' As the saying goes, 'Is it not a joy to have friends coming from afar, even if they come from distant lands, and to punish them even from afar!'"
Uh…
Qu Yi didn't quite understand Yang Xiu's words at first.
But Yang Xiu gestured for Qu Yi to lean closer…
A series of whispered words quietly emerged.
Initially, Qu Yi didn't quite grasp it, but when he heard… that the Vanguard Camp, along with Gongsun Zan's Bingzhou soldiers, Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army, and a group of Yanmen righteous warriors from Yanmen, would unite to stage a play of "friends coming from afar," he finally understood.
Not only did he understand, but Qu Yi also smiled.
Heh heh…
Young Master Yang intended to leave something behind for the five Yuan armies!
Well said— "Is it not a joy to have friends coming from afar, even if they come from distant lands, and to punish them even from afar!"
…
…
Xudu City, the Office of the Chancellor.
Under the moonlight, Cao Cao had just returned.
He had a very pleasant and satisfying meal of dumplings at the Chancellor's residence tonight.
Of course, the dumplings were eaten, and now, it was time to sleep with his sister-in-law… ah, to be precise, it was time to think of ways to win over Liu Bei's two wives!
"Duke Cao, Advisor Zhicai's aide is here to ask, the army will return to Xudu tomorrow. Should Guan Yu and Liu Bei's two wives be arranged at the Guesthouse first?"
The one asking was Xu Chu…
He had also eaten quite a few dumplings at the Chancellor's residence tonight, and the rare beef-flavored ones were especially delicious.
Now, after digesting for a while, he suddenly remembered something and immediately reminded Cao Cao.
He couldn't forget about the matter reported by Advisor Xi Zhicai.
This…
Upon mentioning Guan Yu and Liu Bei's two wives, Cao Cao's eyes flickered, and he pondered for a moment.
Xu Chu continued to remind him, "Advisor Zhicai sent a message saying… Duke Cao can arrange for Guan Yun Chang to share a room with his two sisters-in-law. This way… they might disrupt the courtesy between ruler and subject, and then Guan Yu would likely be too ashamed to seek out Liu Bei."
Uh…
Hearing this, Cao Cao was taken aback.
"No!"
He blurted out instinctively… "No, absolutely not!"
Yes, he, Cao Cao, was the one who wanted to sleep with Guan Yu's two sisters-in-law. How could he arrange for Guan Yu to share a room with them? Wasn't this… completely contrary to Yu'er's plan?
Whether it was from Cao Cao's internal considerations or physiological considerations, it was… absolutely not allowed!
"Isn't there a residence next to the Grand Commandant's mansion on the east side of the city? It has four large gates, and the courtyards inside are spacious enough. Grant that residence to Guan Yu!"
"In addition, prepare some 'Lian Jin' [brocade] and gold and silver artifacts as gifts for Guan Yu. Also, select ten beauties from the female soldiers and house them together in this mansion. Let them immediately pass on news when Guan Yu is away. Furthermore… once Guan Yu arrives in Xudu City, send someone to issue a summons, saying that I, Cao Cao, invite him to a banquet!"
After saying this.
Cao Cao continued to ponder what else could be done to win Guan Yu's heart, at least in appearance.
At the same time, what could be laid as a foundation? What would greatly benefit the future strategy of winning over Lady Gan and Lady Mi!
Cao Cao's thoughts raced.
As the most famous "killer of married women" of this era, Cao Cao was extremely serious and cautious about winning over Lady Gan and Lady Mi!
The effort he put into this was no less than that of a major battle!
Yu'er's "comfortable" strategy was already set!
His actions, Cao Cao's actions, must be foolproof!
…
…