“But, but my son is in Xudu!” Han Sui said through gritted teeth.
Shen Pei narrowed his eyes and replied indifferently, “If the Central Plains fall, will Xudu and Sili fall into General Han’s hands? Moreover… my lord has also prepared one hundred Wuhuan dancing girls, bought from Liaoxi, for General Han in Ye City!”
Hu…
Han Sui let out a cold breath.
What Shen Pei said was clear enough. If the Guanzhong army marched east from Tong Pass, passed through Wu Pass, and attacked the Central Plains, then the five warlords would divide the Central Plains, and the land of Sili, Xudu, and Luoyang would fall into the hands of Han Sui and Ma Teng.
It was one thing if his descendants were alive, but even if they were dead, Yuan Shao would compensate him with a hundred Wuhuan girls, allowing him to have more descendants!
And besides… descendants?
For Guanzhong warlords like Han Sui and Ma Teng, who resided on the frontiers and fought against the Hu and Qiang for years, they had seen life and death too often!
A hostage was not enough to sway their decision!
Hahaha…
Seeing that Han Sui was tempted, Shen Pei turned his gaze to Ma Teng. “General Ma, my lord has also prepared a generous gift for General Ma!”
Testing…
Shen Pei began to test Ma Teng…
It was clear that his rhetoric was quite effective.
Unexpectedly, before Ma Teng could speak, Han Sui interjected, “Not enough. You want Xiliang to join you, and you use my son’s life as a stake. What is Sili alone? What are a hundred Wuhuan girls? These Wuhuan girls, I can ask for them from the Qiang and Hu whenever I want. I wouldn’t have to take such a risk!”
Hehe…
As soon as these words were spoken, despite Han Sui’s refusal, a large stone in Shen Pei’s heart was lifted. The other party was tempted, and as long as they were tempted, it was a matter of bargaining. Everything could be discussed.
“Haha, it’s easy to talk, easy to talk…”
Shen Pei glanced at Zhong Yao again, his eyes full of amusement.
It was as if he was saying, the boiling oil pan outside the door, you decided today!
Then, he said very heartily, “Oh, it was my oversight. Xiliang is not like the Central Plains. The thing Xiliang lacks most is not Wuhuan beauties, nor gold and silver, but grain!”
“Hahaha, my lord thought of this before sending me here. To show sincerity, as long as Generals Han Sui and Ma Teng march east through Wu Pass, my lord will grant each family one hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder. As soon as the troops reach the gates of Xudu city, my lord will deliver it immediately.”
“In addition, after Cao Cao is eliminated, my lord will memorialize the Emperor to appoint both generals as Grand Marshals, enfelled as Marquises of Xiliang and Guanzhong, and Sili and Sanfu will be placed under Xiliang’s jurisdiction? This will solve the problem of grain shortage in Guanzhong once and for all? Haha… how about it?”
Crack…
It was clear that Shen Pei’s generous promises surprised Han Sui and Ma Teng…
The temptation was simply too great.
It was ten or even a hundred times more tempting than what Cao Cao was giving them now…
“Good…” Han Sui slammed the table and stood up.
After all, like Lu Bu, he was an extreme opportunist. Such a person could not let such benefits slip through his fingers.
Moreover, five routes attacking Cao Cao simultaneously? Even with Hidden Dragon assisting Cao Cao? Could he resist them? If he didn’t march east from Tong Pass now and share a piece of the pie, when would he? Han Sui was about to agree…
Unexpectedly, Ma Teng grabbed his arm. “Brother Wen Yue, why the hurry? Yuan Chang hasn’t said a word yet! The wine we’re drinking today is still from Yuan Chang. Why don’t we… listen to Yuan Chang’s high opinion?”
As he spoke… Ma Teng turned his gaze to Zhong Yao.
At this moment, all attention in the central military tent was focused here…
Sharp eyes shot towards him. If it were anyone else, they would have been pierced by these cold glares, but Zhong Yao was different. He maintained his usual calm and composed demeanor.
This was aura, the aura of a great calligrapher… one who could remain unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.
“Does Yuan Chang have anything else to say?” Han Sui also asked…
Everyone, including Shen Pei, was looking forward to Zhong Yao’s reply. Shen Pei had even prepared a series of arguments, ready to debate with Zhong Yao.
Who would have thought.
“No…” Zhong Yao slowly stood up and waved his hand. “I have nothing to say?”
This…
Instantly, Shen Pei felt as if he had punched cotton.
But Zhong Yao’s words continued, still extremely gentle, giving a soft and fluttering feeling.
“Cao Sikong sent me to Guanzhong not to make decisions for General Han and General Ma. If I proposed anything or made any promises, wouldn’t that be overstepping my bounds?”
“Besides, before I left… Minister Lu repeatedly instructed me to let things take their natural course. If General Han and General Ma want to march east from Tong Pass, I won’t stop them. However, there is one word I must convey, and that is that the situation is not yet clear. Generals, perhaps you should wait a moment? Haha… Five warlords invading the Central Plains? It sounds so terrifying… Then… where are the battle reports? Hehe, perhaps I am getting old, and I prefer to believe what I see with my own eyes. Without battle reports? Relying solely on Prefect Shen’s glib tongue, this old man truly does not believe it. What if the various warlords did not invade the Central Plains? Then… General Han and General Ma would be played for fools, wouldn’t they?”
Whoa…
Indeed, Zhong Yao’s words were not at all “confrontational” or “combative,” but in the gentle breeze and fine rain, his words were very reasonable.
Yes?
Where were the battle reports?
Han Sui and Ma Teng exchanged glances. The prerequisite for their plan to march east from Tong Pass and compete for the Central Plains was that the other four routes would advance simultaneously, and the Central Plains… was already in a state of imminent collapse, a great building about to fall!
But… now, no matter how well Shen Pei spoke, it was just one person’s word, a one-sided account? Was it reliable?
Hearing is false, seeing is believing!
Suddenly…
Han Sui and Ma Teng nodded in tacit understanding.
Shen Pei also understood and took a deep breath, thinking to himself, when he set out, he heard that Sun Ce of Jiangdong had sent his second brother, Sun Quan, north to attack Guangling City, and Liu Biao’s army was also gathering. Now… after a great victory, Liu Biao and Liu Bei would surely make some moves. It was possible that Cao Cao’s Nanyang and Xuzhou had already fallen, and the battle reports were on their way. Zhong Yao, Zhong Yao… how long could you hold out?
With this thought…
“Haha… it doesn’t matter!” Shen Pei cupped his fists and said, “Mr. Zhong, how about we both stay here in Shangjun? Anyway, adding some firewood to the oil pan outside the tent can keep it burning for a while longer. There’s no rush for this moment. What will the situation be? Let’s wait and see!”
“That would be best, that would be best.” Zhong Yao stroked his beard. His confidence made Shen Pei very uncomfortable.
Shen Pei muttered to himself, where did Zhong Yao get his confidence from?
However…
How could he know that the reason Zhong Yao was so sure that the situation had not deteriorated to the point of “imminent collapse” was…
The core was rooted in… Lu Yu!
Zhong Yao had confidence…
That Hidden Dragon, raised by his junior sister, would definitely not let the situation fall into such a passive state!
“Then I’ll trouble both generals… I’ll be bothering you these past few days.”
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome.” Ma Teng smiled and waved his hand. “Bring the wine, we won’t go home until we’re drunk today!”
…
Roast lamb, warm wine…
For a time, in the central military tent of the Xiliang army’s encampment in Shangjun city, the cups and plates clinked, making it very lively!
And at the same time…
On the official road leading to Guanzhong, the sky gradually darkened. At this moment… under the moonlight, the official road was already pitch black. The wind blowing in the air was like cold blades, constantly whistling, adding a few more eerie and terrifying touches to this already desolate Guanzhong land!
There were sentries of the Xiliang army several miles away, guarding the official road and not allowing strangers to enter.
These armored soldiers exhaled white mist, their faces already stiffened by the cold, their hands tucked in, as if complaining about this dreadful weather.
And the official road was silent… where was there any sign of human habitation?
However… just then.
At the end of the darkness, faint points of starlight appeared in the distance, followed closely by the sound of galloping horses.
This made the Xiliang guards alert. In the vastness, a figure of a person and a horse emerged like a ghost. The knight on the horse also seemed frozen, and the horse beneath him was covered in gray, snorting loudly!
“Urgent report… urgent report from Jiangdong… urgent report from Jiangdong!”
Hearing the knight’s cry…
The Xiliang guards recognized him as one of their own and quickly retreated, not daring to block him.
However.
Generally speaking, Xiliang rarely received urgent reports from Jiangdong because the distance was too great. Unless… there was a major change over there?
Wait…
The guards exchanged glances, murmuring to themselves, could it be that something had really happened in Jiangdong?
…
…
In Jingzhou, on the official road from Xinye City to Wancheng, there was a valley called Bowang Slope, which was located exactly in the middle of Wancheng and Xinye City.
This was a mountain road, and to pass through it, one had to go through an open strategic point.
And at this time…
A stone formation had inexplicably risen from this open “strategic point.”
And standing at the eye of the formation at a high position were Xu Shu, Jia Xu, and Zhang Xiu.
Speaking of which…
Lu Yu had sent these three to block Liu Biao’s northward offensive, but he had not given them too many troops, only Zhang Xiu’s more than twenty thousand men.
This was far from Liu Jing Sheng’s sixty thousand marching north…
However, Xu Shu was not worried and simply set up a stone formation at this essential passage. Speaking of which… Zhang Xiu and his more than twenty thousand armored soldiers were exhausted from building this formation.
As for…
What this formation was like, and whether it could stop Liu Biao’s northward advance… Zhang Xiu did not know.
Just then…
Dust and smoke could be seen rising in the distance, and a team of tens of thousands of people had already killed their way over. It was clear that these were Liu Biao’s Jingzhou troops!
“They’re coming so fast…”
Zhang Xiu carried his long spear on his back and sighed, “Sixty thousand troops… Mr. Xu, can your stone formation hold them? If not, our soldiers are already exhausted. I’m afraid they’re no match for the enemy’s seventy thousand troops!”
Hahaha…
As Zhang Xiu finished speaking, Xu Shu laughed heartily, “Does General Zhang want to hear the truth, or a lie?”
“Of course, the truth? What use is a lie?” Zhang Xiu replied without hesitation… “Mr. Xu, just say what you have to say. Why do you always learn from Mr. Jia and twist your words so much!”
As these words were spoken…
Hahaha…
This time, it wasn’t just Xu Shu who laughed, but Jia Xu beside him also burst into laughter.
“Mr. Jia, why don’t you explain it to General Zhang?”
Xu Shu suggested with a smile.
Speaking of which, it was strange.
Seeing the imposing advance of the Jingzhou army, except for Zhang Xiu, Xu Shu and Jia Xu seemed rather nonchalant, as if they didn’t take them seriously.
“General Zhang…” Jia Xu raised his hand and gestured to the surrounding stone formation. “This is called the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. The eight gates are: Xiu, Sheng, Shang, Du, Jing, Si, Jing, Kai… To break this Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, as long as you understand it, it’s not difficult! Entering through the Sheng Gate, Jing Gate, and Kai Gate will bring good fortune; entering through the Shang Gate, Jing Gate, and Xiu Gate will cause injury; entering through the Du Gate and Si Gate will lead to death.”
Hey…
As these words were spoken, Zhang Xiu scratched his head, feeling confused.
However… if he didn’t understand, then Liu Biao naturally wouldn’t understand either!
“How would Liu Jing Sheng understand this?”
“Hahaha…” Jia Xu replied with a smile. “Yes, but our formation was completed in three days, and it was hastily set up. It only has form but no spirit. If Liu Biao truly led his troops into this formation, the stone formation would surely collapse in an instant!”
Ah… ah…
As these words were spoken, Zhang Xiu was greatly alarmed, his eyes almost bulging out.
What? What was going on?
Not to mention the forced march here, not to mention the three days without rest or taking advantage of the enemy’s fatigue, and being as tired as a dog…
Turns out, the stone formation that was finally set up… could be broken with a single touch! This was like setting up a formation for nothing!
For a moment, Zhang Xiu felt like he had been… wronged, and his entire face was bewildered.
“Mr. Jia? Mr. Xu? You… you…”
Zhang Xiu wanted to say, “Are you kidding me?” but the words got stuck in his throat, and he swallowed them. He looked at Xu Shu and Jia Xu innocently, feeling extremely distressed and overwhelmed!
Seeing his expression…
“Hahaha…” The laughter of Jia Xu and Xu Shu emerged again.
Xu Shu waved his hand.
“Mr. Jia? Why scare General Zhang?”
He looked at Zhang Xiu. “General Zhang, don’t worry, Liu Biao will definitely not attack the formation with all his might! We are just finding an excuse for him.”
“An excuse? Why is that?” Zhang Xiu still didn’t understand.
“Because Liu Biao’s personality dictates that he will never charge forward himself, nor will he be the ‘vanguard’ of the five routes attacking Cao Cao. Even if Sun Ce of Jiangdong had achieved a great victory before, Liu Biao would surely go all out. But now that Jiangdong has suffered a great defeat, he will stop and observe!”
“You mean… Liu Biao will observe?”
“Precisely…” Xu Shu explained in detail. “Moreover… this scion of the Han Dynasty is also a person who values face very much. He cannot appear too obvious.”
“Otherwise… he cannot explain himself to Yuan Shao. Therefore, we set up this stone formation. The Eight Gates Golden Lock is fake. Giving Liu Jing Sheng a step down and an opportunity to put on a show for Yuan Shao is the real intention. So… General Zhang, don’t panic, everything is under control!”
Oh… oh…
Hearing this, the hand that Zhang Xiu had clenched his long spear with instantly relaxed considerably.
With Xu Shu’s explanation, he understood everything…
So, these warlords were all playing mind games.
They say that when people are united, they can move mountains. Heh heh… Zhang Xiu chuckled. What they called the five routes attacking Cao Cao, in reality, each of these warlords had their own hidden agendas. How could they succeed?
“Hahaha…”
This time, Zhang Xiu finally burst into laughter.
And it could be clearly seen that they were getting closer, much closer. The footsteps of the Jingzhou army were very close.
“They’re here, they’re finally here.” Jia Xu narrowed his eyes, as if… seeing the scene before him, he felt a slight emotion. “Yuan Zhi, Minister Lu values you highly, but I have a question to ask you.”
“Mr. Jia, please ask… I will definitely tell you everything I know, without reservation.” Facing Jia Xu, Xu Shu appeared very humble.
Speaking of which, Jia Xu was one of the few people whom Xu Shu admired…
“Yuan Zhi, don’t be so polite. I’m just asking casually. What do you think is Minister Lu’s most brilliant aspect?”
“Psychological warfare?” Xu Shu blurted out without hesitation…
“Think again…” Jia Xu waved his hand, clearly dissatisfied with this answer.
This…
Zhang Xiu scratched his head, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to answer.
“May Mr. Jia enlighten me?”
“Haha…” Jia Xu said with a smile. “In my opinion, psychological warfare is just a manifestation. Minister Lu’s most formidable ability lies in ‘strategy.’ Just like this Liu Jing Sheng, like Han Sui and Ma Teng in Guanzhong, their every move is on the chessboard. No matter how powerful they are, they cannot transcend this chessboard! They cannot escape the situation that Minister Lu has orchestrated, can they?”
Speaking of this, Jia Xu paused and finally sighed, “Under Minister Lu’s strategy, hehe… they are ultimately just pawns! And this… is his truly brilliant aspect.”
Whoa…
Indeed, with Jia Xu’s analysis, Xu Shu felt that he seemed to have a clearer understanding of Lu Yu… or rather, a clearer understanding of Hidden Dragon’s essence!
The world is like a chessboard, who is the master? Who is the player?
…
Dust rolled and sand flew.
When the seventy thousand Jingzhou troops marched to this Bowang Slope and faced the towering stone formation before them, their footsteps halted, and they hesitated to move forward.
This…
The general commanding the army, Cai Mao, also frowned and hurried to personally report to the central army, Jingzhou Governor Liu Biao!
Not long after…
Liu Biao, escorted by a group of knights, also arrived on horseback. He looked up at the towering stone formation. Xiu, Sheng, Shang, Du, Jing, Si, Jing, Kai… eight entrances? Which entrance should he enter from? And from where should he break out?
Hu…
He exhaled heavily. Few noticed that Liu Biao’s lips curled up imperceptibly, revealing a hidden smile.
“My lord, in my opinion, why don’t we enter all eight gates…” Cai Mao suggested. “Since it’s a stone formation, there must be one way that is correct, and one way that we can break out.”
As he said this, Cai Mao was about to order his subordinates to charge the formation.
Who would have thought…
“Wait…”
Liu Biao’s voice sounded out, his eyes narrowed, and he kept shaking his head.
“What if all eight gates are death gates?”
“This… how is that possible!” Cai Mao immediately retorted…
Liu Biao, however, still shook his head. “General Cai, look back. Our more than seventy thousand Jingzhou sons are the pillars of seventy thousand families, the pillars of their homes. They followed me on this expedition, so I, Liu Biao, should lead them back. If they die in vain in this formation? Can I face their families? My conscience will ache!”
“But… historically, one general’s success is built upon the bones of ten thousand soldiers!” Cai Mao still tried to persuade him…
Liu Biao, however, waved his hand.
“Let’s set up camp here… I heard that General Cai’s brother-in-law, Huang Chengyan, is skilled in the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. Why not invite him to take a look? The northern expedition is not a matter of urgency. Delaying for a few more days will only consume more grain and fodder, which is insignificant compared to the lives of our Jingzhou soldiers!”
Listening to his words…
As soon as this sentence was spoken, Cai Mao understood.
To put it bluntly… His Lordship Liu Biao just wanted to wait and see…
Inviting his brother-in-law Huang Chengyan was just an excuse to delay for a few days. The real purpose seemed to be related to the defeat of Jiangdong that had just been reported.
Hehe…
In that case, this stone formation was a perfect stepping stone!
“Yes…”
Thinking of this, Cai Mao cupped his fists and bowed. “I will send someone to invite my brother-in-law.”
“No rush… the soldiers are also tired from marching here today.” Liu Biao suggested. “Let them rest for a day, and it won’t be too late to invite him tomorrow.”
Hehe…
Hearing this, Cai Yong chuckled. He was truly fed up with having such a lord…
As a general? He was thinking of conquering Xudu, advancing into the Central Plains, and achieving hegemony… but… Lord Liu Biao was truly not in a hurry, while the eunuchs were anxious!
With his personality, guarding the small territory of Jingzhou was certainly enough, but… if he wanted to expand and advance, he always lacked a bit of ambition!
Alas… Cai Yong shook his head helplessly. A lord who defended the city, a guest in discussion… He was truly fed up! He was tired!
…
…