The wine shop was exceptionally noisy, filled with the clinking of cups and dishes.
To Zhao Yun’s surprise, many of the martial artists present were righteous individuals from various parts of Bing Province. Upon hearing of the troubles in Yanmen, countless heroes had rushed from all directions to provide aid!
However...
By the time they arrived in Yanmen, they learned that the Xianbei cavalry had already retreated.
Since he had made the trip, Zhao Yun decided to join the various heroes in the wine shop, clinking glasses and feasting heartily.
“Boy, what happened in Bing Province?”
As the waiter brought the wine, Zhao Yun invited him to sit and asked curiously.
How could the waiter dare to sit?
He simply stood by Zhao Yun’s side.
“You must be from afar, sir. Recently, our Great Han has experienced three major events!” The waiter seemed to possess an unusual social aptitude, speaking with great excitement and animatedly recounting the events. “One of them concerns our Yanmen Commandery!”
Hmm…
Hearing the waiter say this, Zhao Yun immediately became interested. “What three major events?”
“The first is that the barbarians broke through Yanmen Pass and plundered Yanmen Commandery!” the waiter narrated, meticulously describing the brutality of the barbarians, the desperate defense by the righteous, and the great disaster that befell Yanmen Commandery. By the end, he was utterly enthralled.
“…When it was late, a divine army descended from the heavens…”
“The leading general on a red horse was a peerless hero, clad in golden armor, with seven-colored auspicious clouds beneath his feet, wielding a Fangtian Huaji. He brought over thirty heavenly soldiers and generals to Yanmen, completely routing the barbarian dogs. The Xianbei general Murong Ba attempted to provoke him, but was instead slain in a single blow!”
Ho…
Hearing him speak, Zhao Yun’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Of course… he could tell that the waiter’s words contained a fair amount of fabrication.
Where were the heavenly soldiers and generals?
Wasn’t this pure fabrication?
But… the undeniable fact was that a general on a red horse, leading a few dozen riders, had massacred the barbarian general, rescuing Yanmen from the brink of collapse!
So, the question arose?
Who was this general?
Yuan Shao? Incorrect… If Yuan Shao had intended to defend Yanmen, how could the barbarians have descended south to raid the border and breach Yanmen Pass?
General Gongsun? Impossible! He was currently besieged in Yijing and struggling to protect himself, let alone reinforce Yanmen… Even if he could spare troops, but… among Gongsun Zan’s subordinates? Were there any generals this formidable?
Then… Liu Xuande?
Zhao Yun shook his head again. Six months ago, Xiapi City had fallen. Currently, Liu Bei, along with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, had returned to Xuchang City with Cao Cao… They could not possibly spare themselves to reinforce Yanmen?
Then…
“Boy? Whose troops were these?” Zhao Yun asked the waiter directly.
“They were heavenly soldiers and generals! Those who were impervious to blades and spears, those who could cleave metal, who else could they be but heavenly soldiers and generals?” the waiter replied repeatedly.
Zhao Yun raised an eyebrow and immediately took out a bag of five-zhu coins from his怀. “Speak plainly? These are all yours?”
This…
The waiter’s eyes darted around, and he immediately smiled obsequiously. “Heh heh, Esteemed Hero, you must understand, who in the present day has the ability to slaughter thousands of barbarian cavalry with a mere thirty riders, reducing them to utter disarray? What cavalry unit could do that? Who in the present day can take the head of a barbarian general amidst ten thousand troops?”
Heh…
With this rhetorical question posed, Zhao Yun found it quite interesting!
For the first question, he was practically about to utter the name “Long Xiaojun”!
Indeed…
In the present day, who else could achieve victory with fewer troops and remain impervious to blades and spears, besides the “Long Xiaojun” led by the mysterious Minister Lu?
As for those who could take the head of a barbarian general amidst ten thousand troops, there were only a few such individuals: First, Lu; second, Zhao; third, Dian Wei; fourth, Guan; fifth, Ma; sixth, Zhang Fei!
Wait…
Fangtian Huaji…
Could it be Lu Bu?
Zhao Yun’s eyes narrowed… The moment this thought appeared, he immediately dismissed it. Lu Bu’s death at Bai Men Lou in Xiapi City was known to all! How could…
“Hey, Esteemed Hero, for the sake of your five-zhu coins, I won’t beat around the bush,” the waiter prompted. “You see, who is the benevolent lord in the present day?”
“The world has been in chaos these past years, with various warlords vying for dominance. Yet, amidst the conflict, who has never killed surrendered soldiers and has always treated the populace kindly? Who else could it be but Cao Cao, Cao Mengde! Ever since Grand Minister Lu Yu joined Cao Cao’s camp, Cao Cao has been victorious in every battle, and after every battle, his priority has been to pacify the populace and receive surrenders!”
“When Yanmen faced such a grave danger, who else would have such benevolent compassion to rush to its aid from a thousand miles away, other than Duke Cao and Minister Lu? And besides Minister Lu’s Long Xiaojun, who else could save the people of Yanmen!”
Having said this, the waiter gestured for Zhao Yun to listen to the conversations of the righteous and heroic figures around them.
Indeed…
Rough voices could be heard one after another.
“I never imagined that the Long Xiaojun would come to our Bing Province. Excellent, I’ve been looking for an opportunity… I’ll head to Yanmen Pass to join them now!”
“Take me with you, let’s go together… The Long Xiaojun’s thousand-mile reinforcement, just for this camaraderie, I must join them!”
“If it truly is the Long Xiaojun, then being able to join them would be a glory to our ancestors and bring honor to our families!”
“Hahaha, rest assured… Who else could be at Yanmen Pass besides the Long Xiaojun? Yan Liang, Wen Chou’s elite cavalry from Hebei? Besides being good at raiding and plundering, they wouldn’t even fart when it comes to repelling barbarians!”
“Speaking of which… was that person in the red robe, wielding the Fangtian Huaji, truly Lu Bu?”
“Impossible, Lu Fengxian fell for Minister Lu’s scheme and was beheaded by Cao Cao at Bai Men Lou in Xiapi City. How could he… be here!”
Bang…
Bang!
The mention of Lu Fengxian’s demise at Bai Men Lou caused a tea cup in the hands of a person wearing a straw hat at a corner table to slam down on the tabletop.
The teacup did not break, but the sound that emanated from there was exceptionally resounding.
It immediately drew the attention of everyone in the wine shop.
And when everyone looked at this person, they instinctively felt a chill… Despite the person under the straw hat being thin, the killing aura emanating from them was chilling, and the sharp spear and menacing sword placed on the table all conveyed four words: Do Not Provoke.
Zhao Yun’s attention also turned to the person in the straw hat.
However, with his sharper eyes, he could discern some clues from subtle details.
“A woman?”
He murmured inwardly, but paid it no mind. It was not uncommon for women to walk the rivers and lakes and act righteously in these times.
For instance… Zhang Chunhua from Pinggao County in Henei Commandery, who at a young age had made a name for herself with her sword, known as “Little Fiend Chun.” However, at this time, a woman daring to come alone to Yanmen Commandery was indeed rare!
Zhao Yun collected his thoughts and refocused his attention on the “Long Xiaojun”!
He mused that in any case… it was the Long Xiaojun who had saved Yanmen, and he, Zhao Yun, should go and pay them a visit.
It could also be considered… thanking the benevolent Minister Lu!
In addition, he was very curious about the identity of that red-robed general.
Wielding a Fangtian Huaji? Riding a red horse? Taking an enemy general’s head amidst thousands of troops as easily as plucking something from a pocket… If it wasn’t Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, then who could it be?
“Boy, what was the second major event?”
Zhao Yun turned his head and continued to ask the waiter.
“This, General doesn’t know?” The waiter showed surprise, then explained in detail. “Xuchang City is going to restart the Yue Dan Ping, and it seems… it’s tomorrow! This is a grand event for scholars across the land, and countless people wish to go to Xuchang to witness this prosperity. Moreover, the host of this evaluation is Cai Yong’s daughter, the renowned talented woman Cai Yan, who is said to be the sister of our Long Xiaojun commander, Minister Lu Yu! Whoever receives her evaluation will truly ascend like a dragon and their worth will increase tenfold.”
Yue Dan Ping?
Zhao Yun had heard of this. He hadn’t expected it to be tomorrow.
Unfortunately…
The journey was too far, and he would not be able to witness this grand event!
“Anything else? What was the third major event you mentioned?”
Zhao Yun continued to ask.
“This… this pertains to the struggle between two tigers in the northern territory,” the waiter said, perking up again. “Do you know, Sir, that just yesterday… Yuan Shao decisively defeated Gongsun Zan!”
“What?” Zhao Yun was taken aback. He knew that Yuan Shao had surrounded Yijing, and Zhao Yun had intended to go and assist his former lord, but was prevented by a letter from his master, Tong Yuan.
His master’s stance was that his disciples were not to be involved in the conflict in Hebei…
It seemed his master’s position was with Yuan Shao.
Although he didn’t understand the reason, he could not disobey his master’s command!
But…
Gongsun Zan’s decisive defeat yesterday? This did surprise Zhao Yun somewhat.
“I heard that Gongsun Zan sent someone to contact Zhang Yan, the leader of the Black Mountain Army, to arrange a coordinated attack,”
The waiter explained in detail. “However… this letter was intercepted by Yuan Shao. Thus… Yuan Shao sent troops disguised as the Black Mountain Army to light signal fires as usual to lure out the enemy, and then set ambushes along the way… and thus… he decisively defeated Gongsun Zan. Fortunately, Yijing City was well-fortified, and the Yijing Tower was extremely tall, allowing them to fire arrows and repel Yuan’s army, thus preventing the city from being captured in one fell swoop!”
Hoo…
Hearing this, Zhao Yun let out a sigh.
Indeed… Gongsun Zan relied on the city’s fortifications, but after this major defeat, the outcome of the battle was almost decided. Could the Yijing Tower alone stop Yuan Shao’s massive army?
The northern territory was set to be conquered…
Zhao Yun sighed inwardly, never expecting…
But the waiter wasn’t finished speaking.
He deliberately leaned in to whisper in Zhao Yun’s ear.
“Esteemed Hero, let me tell you another piece of news. In fact… within Yijing City, there was someone who predicted that Yuan Shao would use this stratagem, and… he conveyed this stratagem to Gongsun Zan. However, Gongsun Zan did not believe him at all and acted willfully, which led to his decisive defeat!”
Hmm…
Hearing this, Zhao Yun’s eyes fixed. He asked curiously, “Who is this person?”
The waiter spread his hands. “This I do not know!”
After finishing his account, the waiter skillfully collected the bag of coins from Zhao Yun’s table and carefully put it into his pocket.
As expected…
Money was cold, but being held in his pocket made his heart warm.
He bowed and thanked Zhao Yun repeatedly before slowly retreating.
This left Zhao Yun with his eyes narrowed…
This…
His thoughts raced. He vaguely felt that behind these three major events that had recently occurred in the Great Han, there was an invisible thread connecting them. But what exactly was this thread? He always felt as if the occupation of the northern territory had been planned and manipulated by someone!
But… he couldn’t quite articulate it.
Never mind…
The urgent matter was to reach Yanmen Pass first… after meeting the legendary red-horse general of the Long Xiaojun, he would consider other matters!
—“Boy, pack two more pots of wine for me to drink on the road!”
With a shout…
Soon after, Zhao Yun, riding his “Night-Shining Lion,” galloped away!
It could be said that Zhao Yun’s appearance in this wine shop was merely a fleeting passerby.
But…
The “woman” who had been in this wine shop for an entire day, her heart stirred by the increasing rumors, was deeply moved.
Her fists clenched uncontrollably, and she murmured, “Father, Father… even your heroic spirit still protects this Yanmen!”
“Father, rest assured, daughter… daughter will avenge you when she returns after completing her studies! And then… return to Yanmen to fulfill your unfinished mission!”
As she murmured this…
Her gaze fell upon her sleeve, where many names were inscribed—Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, Song Xian, Cao Cao, Liu Bei…
And of course, the most prominent one—Lu Yu!
Each of these names spurred her on to constantly become stronger, to become even stronger!
—“Boy, pack two more pots of wine for me to drink on the road!”
This woman, with a rough voice, echoed Zhao Yun’s shout…
“Alright…”
With the waiter’s affirmative response!
She slowly rose, walked out of the wine shop… packed her belongings and luggage, mounted her horse!
She still had to head north…
The path of seeking a master was still long.
She heard that the God of Spears, Tong Yuan, was still in the direction of Liaodong!
…
…
You Province, Yijing, within the administrative office.
“Where is General Qin? Where is General Qin? Quickly summon him to see me!” Gongsun Zan, having been defeated and returned, shouted loudly as soon as he entered the administrative office.
A flanking general beside him hadn’t yet reacted.
He immediately retorted, “Which General Qin?”
Gongsun Zan turned around and glared fiercely at him, then replied, “The one whose wife was forcibly taken by Cao Cao…”
Oh…
The moment these words left his mouth, the deputy general understood.
So it was General Qin Yilu, the one with the green hat…!
Speaking of which, Qin Yilu was now quite a famous person in Yijing, You Province… To be precise, the “green hat” on his head was extremely famous.
Whenever anyone mentioned him, they would inevitably recall that his wife, Lady Du, was taken by Cao Cao, and his son, Qin Lang, was adopted by Cao Cao as his foster son!
This was a blatant tragedy!
But… the problem lay right here!
Such a person, who had been cuckolded from head to toe by Cao Cao, had actually proposed to General Gongsun, claiming to be an envoy sent by Cao Cao to help General Gongsun defeat Yuan Shao.
He also proposed that the news of Gongsun Zan’s alliance with the Black Mountain Army for a coordinated attack on Yuan Shao had been intercepted, and that Yuan Shao would use a stratagem to lure them out of the city, trap them, and capture them all!
This…
This was simply a colossal joke!
Who would believe it?
At first hearing this, Gongsun Zan thought his wife, Lady Du, had been cheapened by Yuan Shao! But upon careful inquiry, it was indeed Cao Cao… Qin Yilu’s son, Qin Lang, had already changed his address to call Cao Cao his foster father.
Moreover, Yuan’s army’s attitude towards Qin Yilu was extremely ambiguous…
To allow him into the city, they even retreated thirty miles!
Who wouldn’t be suspicious?
Therefore…
Gongsun Zan imprisoned Qin Yilu on charges of being a “spy” and “falsifying military intelligence.” He then proceeded according to his original plan, to coordinate with Zhang Yan, the leader of the Black Mountain Army, to attack Yuan Shao.
Who would have thought that the situation would unfold exactly as Qin Yilu had predicted!
The letter detailing Gongsun Zan’s alliance with the Black Mountain Army had already been intercepted by Yuan Shao, the signals outside the city were deliberately sent by Yuan Shao’s troops, and the Black Mountain Army outside the city was Yuan’s army in disguise.
Gongsun Zan and tens of thousands of You Province soldiers fell into an ambush, losing more than half their strength in this battle…
Fortunately, Gongsun Zan was valiant and managed to break through and escape back to Yijing City!
And the first person Gongsun Zan thought of upon his return was Qin Yilu…
His predictions had all come true. He… he… he was truly sent by Cao Cao to assist You Province! This…
“General Qin! Where is he?”
Seeing his subordinates not responding, Gongsun Zan’s voice grew louder.
This…
A group of generals exchanged glances, then replied, “Didn’t the Lord order him… to be imprisoned in the heavenly jail?”
Ho…
Gongsun Zan suddenly came to his senses.
“Quick, quick, bring General Qin over, no… invite General Qin over!”
“Yes… yes…”
The deputy general quickly agreed, but before he could step out the door, Gongsun Zan called out.
“Wait!”
“Lead the way, this general will personally invite him!”
With these words, he strode out, his footsteps carried by the wind, his entire demeanor exceptionally serious.
In his memory, Qin Yilu mentioned that he was sent by Cao Cao, which was true. But he also mentioned that he was acting under the orders of Long Xiaojun commander Lu Yu to offer a strategy to counter the enemy.
The lessons of the past were vivid!
A bold idea surged in Gongsun Zan’s mind… Perhaps, in the current situation, the safety of all of You Province rested entirely on this “green-hatted fellow”… no, entirely on this Qin Yilu.
Since he was one of Minister Lu’s men, and considering what Minister Lu had brought to Cao Cao over the years, this Qin Yilu must… must possess some “unfathomable” stratagem!
Foolish, Gongsun Zan was foolish!
With this thought, Gongsun Zan quickened his pace, as if carried by the wind.
…
…
Xuchang City, Imperial Palace, Jiaofang Hall.
Hoo…
A long sigh emanated, followed by the sound of pacing!
The Son of Heaven, Liu Xie, paced back and forth in the Jiaofang Hall, appearing exceptionally anxious…
“Your Majesty…” Empress Fu Shou beside him repeatedly comforted him. “Tomorrow is the Yue Dan Ping, why is Your Majesty so anxious?”
“Hoo…”
With another sigh, the Son of Heaven, Liu Xie, stopped pacing.
“It is precisely because tomorrow is the Yue Dan Ping that I am in a state of turmoil…” He turned around, his expression solemn. “I have just received news that Cao Cao only set out for Xuchang City this morning! Cao Cao is inherently suspicious, and he would never travel at night, therefore, he will absolutely not be able to make it to tomorrow’s Yue Dan Ping!”
“If he cannot make it, then our meticulous plan will be in vain!”
Towards the end, especially at the words “in vain,” the Son of Heaven, Liu Xie, clenched his fists tightly. His tone was heavy, and a trace of self-mockery appeared at the corners of his mouth. His tightly clenched palm, due to the immense force, caused his slightly sharp fingernails to pierce deeply into his palm, bringing waves of piercing pain!
“Set out this morning?” Empress Fu Shou’s eyes darted, her thoughts also racing. “Your Majesty? What about Minister Lu? Did he also set out this morning?”
“That’s right!” The Son of Heaven, Liu Xie, replied truthfully.
Now, it was Empress Fu Shou’s turn to pace back and forth.
She reviewed the entire matter, from Cao Cao’s campaign against Wancheng, to the capture of Wancheng, and then setting out for his return two days before the Yue Dan Ping…
As well as the series of deployments for the Yue Dan Ping, she went through it completely in her mind.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. At once, she understood… she understood completely.
Her pearly teeth parted slightly. “Your Majesty, Cao Cao will return!”
—“Cao Cao will definitely appear at tomorrow’s Yue Dan Ping on time! What Your Majesty sees before your eyes is merely a conspiracy he has laid out!”
…
…