"This gentleman?"
Lu Xun and Lu Ji respectfully approached the man in the straw hat, bowing with clasped hands.
Before he could finish speaking…
"Lu Boyan, Lu Gongji, two young masters Lu, a pleasure to meet you!"
The man in the straw hat replied first.
The secret signal from before, coupled with his ability to call them by name, made Lu Xun and Lu Ji almost certain that this man was one of "their own."
"May I ask who you are, sir?"
Lu Xun continued to ask.
"A visitor from across the River North, Chen Gong, courtesy name Gongtai!" Chen Gong replied without hesitation.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xun and Lu Ji's eyes widened slightly. Chen Gong's name was not exactly thunderous, but in the Central Plains, he was considered a significant figure!
Lu Xun immediately lowered his voice.
"This is not a place to talk. Please, sir!"
With that, Lu Xun and Lu Ji led Chen Gong into a secluded private room in the wine shop.
…
The Wine Shop, Private Room!
The three characters on the door, the name of the private room, were exceptionally elegant – Wangbei Pavilion.
In this Wangbei Pavilion, with one table, Lu Xun, Lu Ji, and Chen Gong were seated.
"Sir? Was it my elder brother's instruction to come?" Lu Xun immediately asked.
"Yes, and no!" Chen Gong waved his hand, acting rather mysteriously. He paused, then asked, "Young masters Lu, I presume the money and grain have been procured?"
Before Chen Gong traveled south to Lujiang, Lu Yu had recounted the situation in Jiangdong in detail, naturally including the "Jiangdong Mineral Distribution Map." Upon Chen Gong's arrival in Lujiang, a little investigation made it easy to ascertain that the Lu family had purchased one mountain and two ridges. Calculating the time, the gold mine should be ready to be excavated.
"To be frank, sir, the gold veins on Shenting Ridge and Yancheng Ridge have been found. Mining is merely a matter of time. On Qionglong Mountain, a large amount of Bin iron has been discovered. This is a more precious ore than gold in Jiangdong."
Lu Xun truthfully recounted, "Currently, Gongji and I have purchased a large quantity of grain, privately recruited retainers, and secretly gathered strength. Today… we are to meet with the leaders of some remaining forces in Jiangdong, to see if we can recruit them for our use!"
Hearing this, Chen Gong nodded.
However, his eyes soon narrowed. "Young masters Lu are meticulous in their thoughts. I originally had nothing to instruct, but…"
His voice trailed off…
Chen Gong's tone became even more serious. "The times are changing, and the situation in Jiangdong is somewhat different… and young masters Lu will also need to share more of the burden for your elder brother!"
Share the burden? This…
As Chen Gong spoke, Lu Xun and Lu Ji were first taken aback, then subconsciously thought of Sun Ce's plan to march north to attack Guangling.
Immediately, Lu Xun asked, "Is it the pressure from Guangling City in Xuzhou?"
"Yes."
"Then… was it elder brother who instructed Mr. Chen to come to Jiangdong to resolve this matter?" Lu Xun continued to ask.
"Not exactly," Chen Gong waved his hand. "I feel that since the Central Plains is currently surrounded by five regional lords, and the Lu family has the capability, they should help Situ Lu overcome this crisis!"
Upon hearing this…
Lu Xun and Lu Ji's eyes were firm, their words precise. They spoke in unison, "Naturally."
"However…" Lu Xun continued to ask, "How does Mr. Chen want us to proceed?"
"Severely cripple Sun Ce! Prevent him from leading troops!" Chen Gong replied without hesitation. "Sun Ce's march north to Xuzhou is merely to avenge his past defeat in Lujiang!"
"These five armies surrounding Cao appear fierce, but in reality, it is like the eighteen regional lords attacking Dong, each with their own hidden motives. Apart from the Sun family, no other regional lord will initiate the first battle! For this reason, Sun Ce is the 'vanguard' of these five armies surrounding Cao. If he is severely wounded, then these five armies surrounding Cao will have failed before they even set out, and will have been defeated before fighting. Therefore… the urgent priority is to obstruct Sun Ce's march north! From what I understand, the major clans in Jiangdong also seem to not support his northern march!"
Support his northern march?
How could they possibly support it?
The major families of Jiangdong were concerned with their own interests. Even if Sun Ce conquered Xuzhou, what of it? It would strengthen the Sun family, not the four great families of Wujun or the four great families of Kuaiji. They would not bother to wade into this muddy water!
Chen Gong saw through it all.
As long as Sun Ce himself was severely wounded, the threat from Jiangdong would vanish, and the entire plan of the five armies attacking Cao would be more than half-failed!
*Hoo…*
Lu Xun and Lu Ji exchanged glances and let out long sighs. Having lived in Jiangdong for so long, how could they not understand Chen Gong's intentions?
However, understanding was one thing, but execution was quite another…
"Mr. Chen? Sun Ce possesses unparalleled bravery. His side is also filled with strategists and generals like clouds and rain. Crippling him is not an easy task! Moreover, if we act, then… the Lu family might be exposed!"
Lu Xun's doubt was voiced again.
Chen Gong waved his hand. "Why must you act yourselves? Did you not just say – 'Whoever has the milk is the mother'!"
"Heh heh, in this chaotic world, those with grain can do whatever they please. Through the manipulation of grain and military pay, using others' hands, it doesn't seem difficult!"
"Furthermore, as far as I know, before every battle, Sun Ce always goes hunting with his warriors to display the might of the Jiangdong army. During the hunt, he charges ahead so fast that even his personal guards cannot catch up? Crippling him requires no effort!"
Understood…
Understood!
Lu Xun nodded lightly.
Chen Gongtai wanted them to use a borrowed knife to kill someone!
*Whew…*
Lu Xun exhaled heavily, clasped his hands, and said, "Mr. Chen is truly talented. People say that with a heavy reward, there will be brave men. Now, we have ten thousand piculs of grain and pay as bait. We are not afraid of no one acting for us and causing harm!"
Upon saying this…
Chen Gong nodded his head. He found that Lu Xun, while appearing humble and gentle, was ruthless and vicious at heart. This personality was quite suited for a schemer!
"Second waiter, bring the strong liquor and all the most delicious dishes!"
At this moment, rough voices were heard.
"Thump, thump, thump…"
Heavy footsteps could be heard incessantly. Lu Xun and Lu Ji exchanged glances. They had arrived… the "knife" for borrowed assassination was in place!
Next, it was time for the sharp blade to be drawn!
…
…
Xudu City, Sikong Mansion.
Lu Yu and Cao Cao were still discussing how to repel the enemy.
Because this incident occurred too suddenly, and it was due to Yinlin and its early expansion that the encirclement network was triggered…
There were no precedents in ancient texts for such an event.
Lu Yu could not grasp it precisely.
What he could think of was that at this time… only three people could have set this trap.
And these three were all talented individuals from Jizhou.
—The strategic master Ju Shou, who was devoted to the north and loyal to the nation;
—The loyal advisor Tian Feng, who upheld loyalty and dared to face death;
—The poisonous and cunning Xu You, the northern pit god who devised countless wicked schemes!
If these three were combined with a Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, with a functioning intellect, they would have the power to set this trap.
But unfortunately… setting the trap was one thing, but contacting the Han court, communicating with Liu Bei, and even launching such a brilliant diplomatic war required completely grasping the personality traits of many regional lords!
From this perspective, Lu Yu felt that the three of them were unlikely!
Therefore, after a long discussion with Cao Cao, the specific person could not be identified.
On the contrary, Cao Cao felt somewhat self-reproachful.
But this matter had already passed. The pressing priority now was to identify the perpetrator of this "poisonous plan" and then analyze the flaws in the layout through his weaknesses. This was what Yu'er excelled at.
As for how to break the situation by targeting these flaws, Cao Cao and his strategists were not incompetent.
"Still cannot determine? Who set the trap?"
Cao Cao asked with a furrowed brow.
In his impression, this was the first time Yu'er had put in so much effort yet still could not find a solution. It seemed… the situation was not optimistic!
"Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Xu You, neither of them seems likely… because they are too far away. Whoever could set a trap to this extent must be in the Central Plains, or even within Xudu City, otherwise… it would be impossible to connect everything!"
"Still cannot guess. Never mind, Situ Cao… let us break the situation directly."
Lu Yu proposed to simply…
Bypass the step of finding the perpetrator and directly seek a way to break the situation.
Of course… this was not the same as his usual method of "attacking the enemy's mind" to break the situation!
But it was similar. Lu Yu roughly had a general idea for breaking the situation.
Of course… the strategies of Xun Yu, Xun You, Xi Zhicai, and Jia Xu would be even more meticulous!
"You may as well tell me," Cao Cao indicated for Lu Yu to say whatever he wanted…
Lu Yu then spoke loudly, "Let's talk one by one. Actually, among the five-way defenses, I have the highest regard for the defense of Guangling City in Xuzhou. With Chen Deng, Chen Yuanlong, stationed in Guangling City, Sun Ce will not be able to break through so easily!"
This was also based on an analysis of historical battlefield achievements. Chen Deng could be considered the nemesis of the Sun family of Jiangdong. Sun family's two generations of over a hundred thousand troops had failed to break through Guangling, a city defended by Chen Deng.
This was sufficient to show that this defense was trustworthy and foolproof.
"Is this Chen Yuanlong that outstanding?"
Cao Cao was somewhat perplexed…
"Yes!" Lu Yu nodded. "Let's wait and see. The first of these five enemies to bring a great surprise to Situ Cao will likely be this Chen Deng, Chen Yuanlong!"
Speaking of this, Lu Yu was quite confident…
Cao Cao had always believed in Yu'er's words, so he changed the subject. "What about the other routes?"
Just as he mentioned this…
*Thump, thump, thump.*
Hurried footsteps came from outside the door. It turned out to be the armored soldiers of the Long Xiao Camp.
"Reporting to Situ Lu, Commander Xun has arrived at Situ's mansion. He said that he brought someone who might resolve the current urgent crisis."
Upon hearing this…
Lu Yu subconsciously looked at Cao Cao, muttering to himself, "Commander Xun is so inconsiderate. If someone can directly bring them to Old Cao, why bother taking them to Situ's mansion? What does this mean?"
Cao Cao was indifferent.
However, his eyes narrowed…
His tone was quite urgent. "Commander Xun is a cautious person and never speaks carelessly. Since he brought someone and claimed they could resolve the urgent crisis, and specifically requested to see you, it must be of great importance. Situ Lu might as well go back and investigate."
"Yes…" Lu Yu agreed, turned, and walked towards the gate of the Sikong Mansion.
A carriage was already waiting here…
Facing the moonlight in the sky, the sound of "clip-clop-clip" of horse hooves rang out, adding many new colors to the night out of nowhere.
…
…
Sikong Mansion, Study.
Xu Shu paced anxiously in the study, his footsteps making "thump, thump" sounds on the wooden floor. He hesitated at the doorway for a while, then sighed and stamped his feet, turning back.
Xun Yu invited him to sit down. "Wait a moment. Miss Cai Yan just came personally. She mentioned that Situ Lu will be arriving soon."
*Hoo…*
Xu Shu let out a breath.
Just as he exhaled…
"Situ Lu has arrived!"
A voice announced, and Lu Yu arrived, dust-covered.
Xun Yu, without bothering with pleasantries, stood up and got straight to the point. "Situ Lu, look who I've brought for you?"
"Who is this?" Lu Yu's eyes looked towards the man next to Xu Shu.
He was dressed in scholarly robes, but his brows were filled with heroism. Lu Yu even noticed calluses on his hands, which were rare for scholars. This man was likely a swordsman!
Matching these images, and having some acquaintance with Xun Yu, Lu Yu immediately thought of one person: the swordsman, Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi!
Before Lu Yu could speak Xu Shu's name…
Xun Yu introduced him to Lu Yu first. "This is Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi, a fellow countryman from Yingchuan…"
After introducing Xu Shu, he turned to Xu Shu and introduced Lu Yu. "This is the Han Situ you wished to meet, the commander of the Long Xiao Camp – Lu Yu!"
Upon saying this…
"This humble subject pays respects to Lu Yu…" Xu Shu cupped his hands and bowed to Lu Yu, then added as if with deep meaning, "Or rather, it is my great fortune to meet Yinlin!"
*Whoa…*
Lu Yu was stunned by what he said. This Xu Shu was so direct.
Although Lu Yu being Yinlin was no secret in the Cao camp, or even in the world… Xu Shu was the first to openly call him that.
Just this sentence made Lu Yu more interested in Xu Shu.
Speaking of which, in his previous life, Lu Yu often frequented the Tieba and forums related to the Three Kingdoms figures. He had seen no less than eight hundred to a thousand rankings of the top ten strategists.
And in almost every post, Xu Shu's ranking was consistently seventh, eighth, ninth, or tenth.
Of course… even though Lu Yu had some doubts about most posts ranking Jia Xu first, or placing Zhou Yu much higher than Zhuge Liang, or even ranking Guo Jia at the tail end of the top ten… but… Xu Shu, who consistently ranked in the top ten in every post, was undoubtedly… his strategic level was convincing.
But… why was he in Xudu at this time?
Shouldn't he have emerged around the tenth year of Jian'an?
This…
Lu Yu immediately put aside many questions in his mind and added with clasped hands.
"Xu Yuanzhi, I have long admired your name. It is an honor, an honor!"
Next, Lu Yu's words became much more serious. "Commander Xun mentioned that Mr. Xu has a plan to break the situation? On the way here, I was still wondering? How does Mr. Xu have a plan to break the situation?"
"Because, I am the one who set this trap!" Xu Shu did not conceal it. "Since I could set this trap, how could I not break it!"
Uh…
As Xu Shu spoke, Lu Yu was stunned. What was going on?
Set this trap?
This five-way attack on Cao was set by Xu Shu?
Lu Yu's eyes narrowed.
Thinking carefully, Xu Shu was one of the top ten strategists of the era. Being at the center of the whirlpool that was Xudu City, he could contact the Han court and Liu Bei, spread news to various regional lords, and jointly plot to attack Cao. Such meticulous deployment, who else but him?
However…
The problem was not this. The problem was? If he set this plan, then… why did he… why did he come to this Sikong Mansion to offer a plan to break the situation again?
Was he trying to use his own spear to attack his own shield? Was he confused?
For a time, Lu Yu's face was filled with doubt. Of course… how could Xu Shu not see these doubts?
Before he could ask, Xu Shu explained the process of setting the trap.
How he helped Liu Bei escape;
How he persuaded Yuan Shao, Sun Ce, and Liu Biao to jointly plot an attack on Cao;
How he proposed the "Yinlin" threat theory, how he made Yuan Shao's strategists put aside their past grievances and work together wholeheartedly, he recounted one by one…
Also… the involvement of the Emperor's father-in-law Fu Wan's faction, and the jianghu forces, were all explained in detail.
Even Lu Yu was dumbfounded.
Xu Shu's ability to perceive people's hearts and his meticulous deployment were undeniably exquisite and formidable!
Especially the "Yinlin" threat theory, Lu Yu even found it brilliant!
*Hoo…*
With a light sigh, Lu Yu looked at Xu Shu again with a little more admiration.
Then…
The same familiar question remained? Why was Xu Shu here, and why did he defect to the Cao camp?
Historically, Xu Shu, who defected to Cao, was a "mute." He had sworn that he would never offer a single plan to Cao Cao for the rest of his life!
"Mr. Xu's strategy is excellent, and Mr. Xu's layout will indeed bring much trouble to the entire Central Plains. But I cannot understand why Mr. Xu would 'abandon darkness and embrace light'? Is it that Mr. Xu does not serve the Son of Heaven, nor the Han court?"
Upon saying this…
Not only Xu Shu, but even Xun Yu's expression dimmed.
"Son of Heaven? Han court?" Xu Shu slowly opened his mouth. "Situ Lu, forgive me for being blunt, though you are Yinlin, I, Xu Shu, am not afraid of you. I have always wanted to use the Central Plains as a chessboard, for you and I to have a good game, but… now, because of my mother, and because of the numerous benevolent deeds that you have proposed for Situ Cao for the common people of the Central Plains, I apologize for my ignorant thoughts of the past. I am willing to follow behind you, to contribute to the people of this world, and to bring them some hope!"
"Your mother?" Lu Yu continued to ask…
"My mother? She is just an ordinary woman in this chaotic world. Situ Lu does not know her, but Situ Lu's benevolent deeds have allowed her to survive in this chaotic world, and to live very well. The people around my mother are also living very well!"
Heh…
Indeed.
With Xu Shu's words, Lu Yu understood. Not only did he understand, but he immediately felt much taller and nobler.
He was so great!
In fact, speaking of it… at most, he had persuaded Old Cao not to kill so many people and had helped Old Cao avoid major pitfalls like "massacres."
As for reclaiming wasteland, building water conservancy, and counting cattle for grain, although the credit was attributed to Lu Yu, the difference whether he was there or not was insignificant. Historical Old Cao would still have done so.
Of course, that was not important. What was important was…
Historical Mother Xu deeply resented Cao Cao and did not hesitate to commit suicide by jumping into a well, but according to Xu Shu, Mother Xu would actively persuade Xu Shu to defect to the Cao camp!
It was because of this that Xu Shu made a decision that was completely different from history.
This…
It seemed that "massacre" was indeed a huge stain on Old Cao…
In the minds of the common people, "monopolizing power" and "bullying the Han court" were mere trifles compared to "massacre." What connection did the life and death of the Han court have with ordinary people? Who cared!
Understanding this point, Lu Yu's eyes blinked. Regardless, Xu Shu defecting to Cao was a good thing after all!
Immediately, Lu Yu asked solemnly, "Mr. Xu? Since this five-way encirclement of Cao was planned by you, then Lu Yu requests Mr. Xu to resolve it."
With a single statement.
Xu Shu's expression also became much more serious.
"Does Situ Lu have a map? I will explain it based on the map…"
"Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, Sun Ce, Liu Biao, Han Sui, Ma Teng. Although these five enemy forces are advancing menacingly, they are like the eighteen regional lords attacking Dong in the past. If one route wins, they will advance triumphantly, and everyone will want a share of the spoils! But hitting the bird that sticks out its head, if their 'vanguard' fails before it sets out, then… the remaining regional lords will all be hesitant to advance, just like the five kingdoms attacking Qin in the past! Situ Lu must not forget that except for Sun Ce of Jiangdong, none of these five armies have peaceful rear areas!"
Upon this statement…
Lu Yu could not help but interrupt.
"Mr. Xu, allow me to interrupt. Actually… Sun Ce of Jiangdong's rear area is also not peaceful!"
Speaking of this…
In his eyes, a sharp brilliance flickered, like a cone emerging from a bag.
Reminded by Xu Shu, Lu Yu thought of the quickest way to make this "vanguard" of the five regional lords fail before it set out!
…
…