Lu Yu’s eyes were filled with confusion.
A title, a name, had been uttered by Cai Zhao Ji.
“The Scripture Master, Zheng Xuan.”
Even if it were only four characters, even if it were merely a name and a title, “Zheng Xuan” held profound significance for the entire scholar circle and for the entirety of the Han Dynasty. Even as Cai Zhao Ji spoke these four characters, her tone was exceptionally respectful, solemn… daring not to show the slightest irreverence!
Let alone her, even her father, Cai Yong…
When mentioning this “Scripture Master, Great Scholar,” he would adopt an extremely humble demeanor.
The Han Dynasty had no shortage of honored titles…
But… in this era, alongside He Xiu of the “Sea of Learning,” Zheng Xuan, the “Scripture Master,” his title undoubtedly shone the brightest!
“Zheng Xuan, courtesy name Kang Cheng, a native of Beihai, renowned as a child prodigy in his youth. Upon maturity, he received the esteem and appreciation of local officials, lecturing at the Imperial Academy in his twenties.”
Cai Zhao Ji recounted his life, one by one.
It seemed she intended to grandly and meticulously introduce him to her younger brother Yu.
“After resigning from the Imperial Academy, Zheng Xuan traveled through You, Bing, Yan, and Yu provinces, visiting renowned scholars, studying under multiple masters, humbly seeking knowledge, reading ten thousand scrolls, traveling ten thousand miles, enduring hardship, and diligently pursuing the Way.”
“Subsequently, he studied under Ma Rong for many years alongside Lu Zhi. By the age of forty, he had already become a renowned master throughout the Han Dynasty, well-versed in both the Old and New Text classics!”
“Later, due to the Partisan Prohibitions, he sought refuge in Donglai, teaching disciples… ultimately, over a thousand individuals from far and wide flocked to his tutelage, seeking him as their master. Upon the release of the ‘Thirteen Classics,’ which he annotated and translated alongside his disciples, all other commentaries were discarded, ushering in an era of unified classical scholarship! If, in the past, my father was the leader of the northern scholars, then… Zheng Xuan was the leader of all scholars in the realm! He was my father’s leader!”
*Hoo…*
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu let out a soft sigh.
Although he had some knowledge of Zheng Xuan, and Lu Yu had contributed to inviting Zheng Xuan to emerge from his seclusion,
Still…
Listening to Sister Zhao Ji’s tone, her manner of speaking, it was clear that when mentioning this Scripture Master, she transformed into a fan girl encountering her idol…
From this, one could also discern the influence of this Scripture Master, Zheng Xuan.
“Sister Zhao Ji? Has Zheng Xuan arrived yet?” Lu Yu proactively inquired.
“Looking at the time, he should be entering the city soon… however…” Cai Zhao Ji nodded, a hint of difficulty appearing in her eyes.
“However, what?” Lu Yu pressed.
“The number of scholars accompanying him is vast; I fear… the guesthouses may not be able to accommodate them all.”
*Er…* vast?
As Sister Zhao Ji’s words left her lips, Lu Yu’s eyes darted, and he muttered to himself… what does “vast” mean? It couldn’t possibly be several hundred people, could it? All arriving in a throng?
Clearly, Lu Yu underestimated the fanatical devotion of this era. Zheng Xuan’s status within the scholar circle of the Han Dynasty was no less than that of the Heavenly King Liu of his previous life within the entertainment industry.
“More than eight thousand scholars are accompanying him…” Cai Zhao Ji stated truthfully…
*Ah…* eight thousand?
Lu Yu was stunned. The distance from Donglai to Xudu City was a thousand li; eight thousand disciples trailing behind him?
Good heavens!
If one didn't know better, they might think it was… a lord’s army? No wonder… Zheng Xuan mentioned in his reply to Sister Zhao Ji that there was no need for an escort. Who would dare to abduct such a procession?
Lu Yu swallowed hard.
Cai Zhao Ji continued her narrative. “Originally, Zheng Xuan had two thousand disciples. Along the way, scholars heard that the Scripture Master was going to Xudu City to lecture and to restart the Yue Dan Ping, and they flocked to follow him. The numbers grew and grew; over the twenty-odd days of travel, the original two-thousand-strong entourage expanded to over eight thousand scholars!”
Mercy me…
Lu Yu marveled in his heart. This was a call that rallied a hundred responses; this was undoubtedly the aura of a “superstar.” Even if the Heavenly King Liu and the Four Heavenly Kings came together… they wouldn’t command such a spectacle!
Of course, this… was also understandable.
One must remember, the last time the Scripture Master Zheng Xuan was invited by Cai Yong to lecture at the Imperial Academy in Luoyang, even Cao Cao had intended to follow him to Donglai to seek knowledge and become his disciple!
If Cao Song hadn’t locked Cao Cao in his room, perhaps… the current Old Cao would have already become the successor to the “Scripture Master”!
“Ahem…”
Clearing his throat lightly, Lu Yu patted his chest.
At this moment…
“Young Master Lu…” Dian Wei strode in. Seeing Cai Zhao Ji also present, he cupped his fists in greeting. Cai Zhao Ji inclined her body in return.
Following that, Dian Wei’s gruff voice resounded, “A crowd has gathered at the East City Gate, numbering over ten thousand. I hear there’s someone lecturing outside the East City Gate, with a grand momentum!”
*Huo…*
As these words were spoken, Lu Yu and Cai Zhao Ji exchanged glances.
Immediately… Lu Yu did not hesitate, grabbing Cai Zhao Ji’s slender jade hand… and dashed towards the East City Gate.
The Scripture Master lecturing…
The last time Zheng Xuan lectured in the imperial capital was when Cao Cao was twenty years old, which was already twenty years ago.
Times have changed…
But… the admiration and yearning of scholars for the Scripture Master remained unchanged!
As the saying goes…
He who wins the hearts of scholars can establish the realm!
Lu Yu suddenly felt a surge of conviction: Since Zheng Xuan had come, he must be kept here. If this Scripture Master could join Cao’s forces, it would be equivalent to “thirty” thousand elite soldiers.
Indeed, while some could kill with a blade, Zheng Xuan’s “brush” could also kill!
The Situ’s Mansion was located on Xu Du’s East Street, not far from the East City Gate…
If they were to run, they might even be faster than a carriage!
On the streets, from a distance, a refined young gentleman was seen dragging an elegant lady and sprinting, attracting considerable attention!
…
…
Xudu City, Sikong Mansion?
Zheng Xuan has arrived?
While the Dragon Battle Camp reported the matter of “Zheng Xuan lecturing” outside the East City Gate to the Situ’s Mansion, the Tiger Guards also relayed the news to Cao Cao.
Upon hearing “Zheng Xuan lecturing”…
Cao Cao sprang up, and Xun Yu, who was also discussing matters in the Sikong Mansion, widened his eyes in disbelief.
“I heard that Kong Rong, along with a group of officials, have gone to ‘kneel before the Scripture Master’ outside the East City Gate. All the scholars in Xudu City are also surging towards the East City Gate. It is estimated that tens of thousands have gathered there now.”
Xu Chu reported the situation at the East City Gate in detail.
The so-called “kneeling before the Scripture Master” was a special form of worship by scholars and Confucians towards Zheng Xuan!
Zheng Xuan translated the Confucian classics, and the Confucian scholars and students had read his translations since childhood. In other words… Zheng Xuan was, in a way, the teacher of all scholars in the realm.
Kneeling before a revered teacher… this was only natural.
*Huo…*
Cao Cao’s eyes narrowed. “I never thought my esteemed sister Cai Yan would actually be able to invite the ‘Scripture Master’…”
At this moment, Cao Cao was still greatly shocked, and concurrently exhilarated!
“Now, as we are on the verge of a decisive battle with Yuan Shao, what is Zheng Xuan’s status? His appearance in Xudu City under such circumstances, haha, at the very least, it saves Yuan Shao the risk of ‘inviting’ him to Ji Province and capturing the hearts of the scholars!”
“Indeed!” Xun Yu repeatedly nodded. “Zheng Xuan’s stance determines the stance of all scholars in the realm. If… if Zheng Xuan can be persuaded to join Cao’s forces, then his value would be no less than that of thirty thousand elite soldiers!”
“Hahahaha…” Upon hearing this, Cao Cao burst into laughter. He turned his head to look at Xun Yu and said with a smile, “For such a renowned great scholar as Zheng Xuan to come to Xudu, does this not explain everything? Although my esteemed sister Cai Yan is a talented woman of the realm, inviting the ‘Scripture Master’ is a feat far beyond her usual influence. His appearance this time… must be related to Situ Lu. Since…”
Mentioning Lu Yu, Cao Cao paused slightly, then his words gained a hint of certainty.
“Since Situ Lu can invite him, then I believe he can also keep him. Even if he doesn’t join Cao’s forces? At the very least, he could join the Dragon Battle Camp, or if not, joining the imperial court would be acceptable.”
Xun Yu looked at Cao Cao and nodded heavily.
“Yes!”
This single word was filled with much excitement.
“Let’s go…” Cao Cao’s eyes instantly ignited with burning flames. “Wen Ruo, the last time we ‘knelt before the Scripture Master’ was twenty years ago. Today, let us also go to the East City Gate to once again hear the Scripture Master’s teachings…”
“To be frank, Sikong Cao, I too yearn for it!” Xun Yu smiled slightly.
*Hahaha…*
Cao Cao grabbed Xun Yu’s arm, and the Tiger Guards had already cleared the way. The two quickly moved towards the East City Gate.
Indeed…
With the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan imminent, Cao Cao had the Emperor, while Yuan Shao had Liu Bei’s imperial decree…
In terms of righteousness, they were evenly matched!
And under such circumstances, securing the support of scholars, and the support of universal justice and righteousness, became exceptionally important.
Precisely, Zheng Xuan alone could represent more than half of the scholars in the realm, along with justice and righteousness!
— He who wins the hearts of scholars can establish the realm!
…
…
Ji Province, Ye City!
With a “bang,” Yuan Shao heavily slammed his fist on the desk.
The consecutive urgent reports…
Had turned him into an enraged bull!
— Qu Yi’s betrayal!
— Gao Gan captured!
— Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, Gao Lan’s four armies were defeated.
Yuan Shao felt his face being rubbed fiercely into the ground by Cao Cao and Lu Yu, almost to the point of creating a devilish rhythm!
“Qu Yi, Qu Yi… how dare he, how dare he…”
Yuan Shao was still roaring…
His mind was as small as a little finger. He couldn’t even tolerate being contradicted, let alone suffer betrayal and be toyed with like this by Qu Yi and the remnants of Yanmen!
At this moment, he wished he could hack Qu Yi into a thousand pieces!
“My lord, something is not right…” Xu You’s eyes darted. Having also heard the urgent reports, his attention was focused on Generals Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan.
“Even if Qu Yi betrayed them, and General Gao Gan fell into a trap and was annihilated, how is it that Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan, advancing on four fronts, could not turn the tide and achieve victory? Yet they… they gave up their offensive and voluntarily retreated? Missing the opportunity to strike – why?”
Xu You repeatedly raised questions…
He was a proud man, considering his strategies infallible. However… with the ultimate defeat and setback, before Yuan Shao could blame him for it, he had to shift the blame himself.
“Did the urgent dispatches mention that a wise person offered advice?” Ju Shou prompted.
Indeed, the letter mentioned a young man in a white robe with a bamboo hat who informed the four generals of an ambush in the valley.
If cavalry were to enter… once the valley entrance and exit were sealed, with arrows flying from all directions, that force of a hundred thousand cavalry would be wasted.
Considering… that all the troops, upon hearing of Gao Gan’s attack, would inevitably rush to his rescue, and in their haste, they would not pay much attention to these ambushes in the valleys!
Therefore…
If Yin Lin arranged this, this strategy would be quite brilliant!
From this perspective, this young man in the white robe and bamboo hat was a friend, not an enemy.
Moreover…
The urgent dispatches also specifically mentioned that this young man in the white robe and bamboo hat possessed a jade pendant identical to those of the three Yuan family princes: Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang.
This point… Ju Shou pondered for a long time, unable to understand, his brow furrowed, and he carefully contemplated it.
Precisely.
As this topic was mentioned…
Yuan Shao’s complexion suddenly tightened, appearing somewhat nervous. Such an expression was extremely rare!
“It’s him…”
He murmured softly…
“Who?” Ju Shou, being the closest to Yuan Shao, quickly inquired.
Yuan Shao, however, waved his hand, terminating the topic!
Because of “him,” Yuan Shao seemed to have calmed down considerably. He put his hands behind his back, paced back and forth… and then stood before the map, his eyes narrowing…
He carefully scanned the map of the area, calmly and meticulously analyzing the current situation.
“Yanmen is a border region, with many valleys. Forcing an advance, even if it could be captured, would inevitably result in heavy losses if ambushed. Furthermore, Yanmen is adjacent to the Southern Xiongnu and the Xianbei. Recently, inexplicably… the actions of these barbarians have been rather strange!”
Speaking of which…
Yuan Shao pointed his finger at Ye City on the map and drew downwards. Finally, he stopped at “Yanjin” north of the Yellow River, “Baima” south of the Yellow River, and “Guandu,” which completely opened the gap in Yan Province!
Yuan Shao’s voice followed.
“Yanmen is merely a few rebel forces. Defending is stronger than attacking; they are not to be feared! The true battlefield is between me and Cao Cao, it is Yanjin, Baima, and Guandu! As long as I lead my army south and defeat Cao Cao in this battle, the remnants of Yanmen will be defeated without a fight… Did you all not always say that Cao Cao is the one competing for the realm with me today? Now, the time has come to advance south and break through Xudu in one go, right?”
As these words were spoken…
Yuan Shao looked around at everyone in the tent.
Tian Feng was the first to stand out. Seeing him stand out, Yuan Shao felt a slight sense of joy, muttering to himself that Tian Feng was a proponent of war. Last time… everyone had suggested not to attack, but only Tian Feng had proposed that Yuan Shao abandon Gongsun Zan and the remnants of Yanmen, and advance south to break through Xudu, exchanging positions with Cao Cao!
This time, without a doubt, he should be strongly supporting me, right?
Who would have thought…
As Yuan Shao’s smile had just begun to form, he was immediately “slapped in the face,” and his smile froze.
“My lord, the urgent matter is that we cannot attack south!”
Tian Feng still maintained his upright character.
“The Yanmen rebels in Bing Province are not yet pacified, and with the addition of Gongsun Zan, Zhang Yan, Qu Yi, and others, their strength is now greatly increased and cannot be underestimated! Furthermore, the plan to attack Cao with five armies has been defeated, Cao Cao has led his army back to Xudu, and now… Xudu City is not empty, and Cao’s forces are also in strict formation along the Yellow River… Such an all-out decisive battle could result in great losses with the slightest carelessness!”
As Tian Feng spoke of this…
Yuan Shao’s expression had frozen, his eyes seeming to be filled with millennia of ice.
But Tian Feng, who always spoke his mind and dared to advise, did not care about this.
His words continued, “Lord Yuan must face the current situation squarely. Diplomatically, Cao’s army has completely defeated ours; in terms of troop strength, Cao’s army is not weaker than ours; in terms of elite soldiers and fierce generals, Cao’s army is superior to ours. The balance of strength between Lord Yuan and Cao Cao has been reversed. Lord Yuan is now the weaker party!”
“Since ancient times, when has a weaker party taken the offensive, and a stronger party taken the defensive? This is clearly a ruse set by Yin Lin to lure Lord Yuan into a decisive battle to the south… In my opinion, rather than risking a decisive battle, it would be better to fight a protracted war, understand the situation, and then decide on the offensive!”
“Use five years to slowly advance and encroach upon the remnants of Yanmen, and also use these five years to build up the four northern provinces, re-establish diplomacy, and strive to unite more allies to form a united front against Cao… Our northern four provinces have twice the population of the Central Plains and far more land than the Central Plains. With five years like this… Lord Yuan’s strength will surely increase exponentially.”
As he spoke of this, Tian Feng paused, raised his brow, and continued.
“At the same time, during these five years, we can continuously dispatch elite troops in several groups to circle around and harass Cao Cao, making him unable to attend to both sides and unable to focus on agriculture and production. Similar to how Cao Cao dealt with the Yellow Turban rebels back then, the offense will be secondary, with harassment as the main tactic, and flanking maneuvers. In my humble opinion, within five years, Cao Cao will surely be worn down. At that time… Lord Yuan can concentrate all his strength for a decisive battle with Cao the bandit. If successful, then the realm can be established. But even if it fails, we will not lose the four northern provinces!”
Reasonable, logical…
Well-supported by evidence…
It can be said that Tian Feng’s proposal was perfect, leveraging strengths and avoiding weaknesses to keep Yuan Shao in an unassailable position!
If Yuan Shao followed this strategy, whether he would win or not was uncertain, but Cao Cao would certainly be made uncomfortable!
Yet…
Yuan Shao’s council meetings always had an extremely distinct characteristic.
— That is… always to solicit wrong opinions that would push his great cause into an abyss!
This time was no different!
After listening to Tian Feng’s words…
Yuan Shao’s face, which was like stagnant water, furrowed.
It can be said that many of the points Tian Feng mentioned were “reverse scales” that Yuan Shao could not face!
For example, what did it mean for the balance of strength to be reversed?
What did it mean that Cao Cao was now the stronger party?
Bah… Cao Cao, a eunuch’s grandson, who was once Yuan Shao’s junior brother and sycophant… no matter how strong he was now, how could he be stronger than Yuan Shao, whose family had held office for four generations and three dynasties, and who was the elder brother?
And also…
What did it mean that “diplomatically, Cao’s army had completely defeated ours”?
What did it mean that “in terms of troop strength, Cao’s army was not weaker”?
What did it mean that “in terms of elite soldiers and fierce generals, Cao’s army was superior?”
Bah, bah!
Yuan Shao glared with rage. He would never accept Cao Cao being stronger than him in this lifetime.
It was impossible before, and it was even more impossible now!
And Tian Feng’s words were no different from inserting needles into his heart…
“Tian Yuan Hao, shut up!”
With a roar, Yuan Shao pointed at Tian Feng’s nose and scolded him.
However, Tian Feng remained persistent. He would not give up. His tone became more urgent, and his voice even colder, continuing to present reasoned arguments for why a decisive battle to the south should not be undertaken.
Finally…
Yuan Shao, unable to bear it any longer, became enraged.
— “Bold! Tian Yuan Hao, you are disrupting the army’s morale…”
— “Someone, arrest him! I’ll deal with you after I achieve victory, humph. When I return victoriously, I will release you. At that time, let’s see if you still have the face to see me!”
As these words were spoken…
A group of armored soldiers dragged Tian Feng away.
Tian Feng continued to shout, but soon, he disappeared from everyone’s sight.
Now… who else would dare to express dissenting opinions?
Xu You’s eyes darted. Perfect… Yuan Shao’s anger had been vented on Tian Feng. He, Xu You, had indirectly shifted the blame for the “Yanmen defeat”!
Thinking of this, he was overjoyed and shouted, “My lord, you judge wisely! When we return victorious, we will all see how Tian Yuan Hao has no face to face anyone!”
“Indeed…” Guo Tu, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.
Kicking someone when they are down!
The Ru Ying faction had done this to many talents from Ji Province!
“My lord, you judge wisely. Advancing south is a surefire victory at this juncture. Tian Yuan Hao is blinded by a speck of dust and cannot see Mount Tai; he is truly foolish to the extreme! When will Lord Yuan dispatch troops? We are all waiting to follow my lord, to receive rewards in the imperial palace of Xudu City, and to accomplish Lord Yuan’s kingly ambition!”
“Hahahaha…”
Finally, Guo Tu’s words brought much clarity to Yuan Shao’s gloomy mood. Immediately, he burst into hearty laughter.
In Yuan’s camp, Guo Tu was the best at flattery.
In fact… this had nothing to do with flattery. It was mainly about understanding people’s psychology. For example… offering advice to someone like Yuan Shao was a skill.
Not only must the strategy be well-conceived, but the tone, style, and context during the presentation of the strategy must also be carefully considered, to achieve the effect of offering advice while not neglecting flattery, and remembering to offer advice while flattering.
Even at an advanced level, one must choose to praise Yuan Shao’s strengths and not expose his weaknesses…
Once he was truly offended, Yuan Shao would definitely fight to the death!
Unfortunately, Tian Feng was too upright. His proposals were good, but he could never achieve the skillful presentation of advice like Guo Tu.
Flattery was also a great skill!
— “Issue an order: All units in Bing Province are to return. It will take another half a month! Half a month later… we will immediately advance south!”
— “Yan Liang, Chunyu Qiong, Guo Tu… will cross the Yellow River and attack Baima on the southern bank. My army will advance towards Yanjin on the northern bank!”
As Yuan Shao spoke these words.
The flattery of the bootlicking Guo Tu followed, “Advancing on two fronts simultaneously, my lord, this plan is brilliant. My admiration for my lord is like the ceaseless flow of the Yellow River!”
— “Issue an order for the Chief Clerk Chen Lin to draft a proclamation of rebellion. It must curse Cao Aman from his eighteenth generation ancestors, curse him to the point of bleeding. Issue a reward: whoever beheads Cao Aman will be enfeoffed as a marquis with five thousand households and rewarded with fifty million cash! In Cao’s army, regardless of whether they are auxiliary generals or junior officers, as long as they abandon darkness and turn to light, no crime will be pursued. Let them know… following me, Yuan Shao, yields benefits!”
“My lord’s action is to attack the enemy’s body and mind. My reverence for my lord is like the Yellow River flooding, unstoppable!”
“Hahahaha… hahahaha…”
At this moment…
Yuan Shao smiled.
And this smile of Yuan Shao seemed to seal… an inescapable tragedy!
…
…