Gold?
No… to be precise, is this gold dust?
Gently wiping away the mud, an orange-yellow object appeared in Lu Xun’s sight!
It is indeed gold dust. Brother was right, there is gold dust in Shen Ting Ling.
Lu Xun’s eyes suddenly widened. He quickly continued to pan in the water… Just like “sifting through sand to find gold,” he found another one. This one was larger and irregularly shaped. His pupils further dilated. As if driven mad, he scooped up the gold dust and headed towards deeper water!
Lu Xun had done his homework; he had read some ancient texts and literature on gold panning.
He knew that most gold mines… or rivers and lakes where gold could be panned, had long been exploited by generations of prospectors, from the pre-Qin era to the Chu-Han period.
After so many years, finding gold in this lake still meant there was a high probability that a gold vein existed upstream of this lake!
Not a probability, but a definite gold vein!
Initially, it was excitement, but gradually Lu Xun calmed down. He quickly walked back to the lakeside.
“Quick… quickly gather everyone here. There is gold here, there is really gold in Shen Ting Ling!”
The listless clansmen, upon hearing this… their spirits immediately lifted, and they all rushed over. They surrounded Lu Xun to catch a glimpse of the gold he had panned!
Gold dust… lots of gold dust, panned from the lake. It is truly like sifting through sand to find gold!
They were rich…
They had turned their fortunes around, rising from the depths to achieve prosperity!
Instantly, countless Lu family clansmen cheered with joy. Gold! In Jiangdong today, the most hard currency is not copper coins or wuzhu coins, but grain and gold!
“Clan Leader Lu…”
“Clan Leader Lu…”
Innumerable people cheered loudly, shouting Lu Xun’s name.
At this moment, Lu Xun was exceptionally calm.
“—Follow me up the mountain. Stay calm… stay calm, we can win!”
…
…
In the study of the Situ Mansion in Xudu City.
At a desk, Lu Yu sat opposite Cheng Yu and Liu Ye.
On the table lay a fine silk cloth, densely covered with small characters. It was a letter. All three had read it. This letter was sent by Qin Yilu from Youzhou via carrier pigeon. The pigeon flew from Youzhou to Jizhou, and then was carried by spies from Cao Ying in Jizhou on horseback, sent with urgent speed for seven hundred li!
From the moment the letter was sent to its receipt, it took at most four or five days, maximizing efficiency.
As for the content, the first half… it was about how Qin Yilu, following Lu Yu’s instructions, revealed Yuan Shao’s strategy of tunnel warfare, helping Gongsun Zan defeat Yuan’s army and easing the situation in the northern regions.
The latter half was Qin Yilu seeking advice from Lu Yu…
—What should be done next?
This…
Lu Yu heard from Qin Yilu that he intended to help Gongsun Zan defeat Yuan Shao! This fellow was thinking too much.
Heh heh…
Lu Yu simply scoffed.
For Gongsun Zan to defeat Yuan Shao was almost impossible. The strategy Lu Yu sent through Qin Yilu could only temporarily ease Gongsun Zan’s situation.
One must know that the Yuan Shao group had a very distinct characteristic: they were wild when the wind was in their favor, and when the wind was against them, they… no, they were wild when the wind was in their favor, and fierce as tigers when the wind was against them!
The more dire the predicament, the more powerful the Yuan Shao group became!
The reason for this was the age-old topic: Yuan Shao did not lack talented people under his command!
The Ru’ying gentry families and the talents of Jizhou were all talented individuals!
But the conflict lay here: the Ru’ying gentry families, led by Guo Tu, Feng Ji, and Xu You, were arrogant due to their long service to Yuan Shao and looked down upon the talents of Jizhou.
And the talents of Jizhou, led by Ju Shou and Tian Feng, were obviously more intelligent and offered brilliant strategies, thus deserving higher status!
Precisely because of this, the two sides were at odds.
Moreover, Yuan Shao was an indecisive lord!
This was why, once the situation was favorable, both sides would vie for credit and slander each other, turning even a favorable situation into a disadvantage. However… once they fell into adversity, or even a desperate situation, they would temporarily put aside their past grievances and work together to resist the enemy. After all… if Yuan Shao fell, their competition would be meaningless.
Currently…
It was obvious that the Yuan Shao group had fallen into adversity. In the next phase, their counterattack against Gongsun Zan would become even more fierce. The combined force of the Ru’ying gentry families and the talents of Jizhou was not to be trifled with!
Hoo…
Lu Yu let out a light sigh and took a sip of tea.
Cheng Yu’s eyes darted around, and he exclaimed, “I originally thought that Youzhou would fall within these few days, but I didn’t expect Gongsun Bogui to actually hold on! What do you think, Situ Lu? In what direction will the situation in the northern regions develop?”
As he asked this, Cheng Yu’s eyes held some expectation.
After all…
Lu Yu had created too many miracles. Now that he had sent General Qin to Youzhou, perhaps… the situation in Youzhou would be different?
Unexpectedly…
Lu Yu’s words were exceptionally firm.
“Youzhou will fall sooner or later, Gongsun Zan cannot hold it!”
“Because of Qin Yilu’s presence, because of the recent great victory, perhaps… they can hold on for a few more months, but in the end…”
Lu Yu did not finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear enough…
—A decisive battle between Cao and Yuan is inevitable!
—Gongsun Zan cannot stop Yuan Shao’s southward march!
Hoo…
Liu Ye and Cheng Yu both let out a sigh. They exchanged glances. Could the situation in the northern regions ultimately be unavoidable?
Liu Ye spoke first, “Then? Does Situ Lu not intend to provide General Qin with a strategy to break the stalemate in the northern regions?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to provide it, but I can’t,” Lu Yu replied helplessly, shaking his head. Everyone thought he was a successor of the Yin-Yang School, able to divine the future, understand the times, and penetrate people’s minds!
But only he himself knew that he couldn’t divine anything…
—Finding a charlatan in Youli City, the birthplace of the I Ching, before traveling through time would be more accurate than Lu Yu’s calculations!
The situation in Youzhou, from the moment Gongsun Zan won the tunnel warfare, had already moved in an unpredictable direction. From now on, all they could do was their best and leave the rest to fate.
“Alas!” Cheng Yu also sighed. He lamented again, “If only there were a place for Gongsun Zan to retreat! But Youzhou is bordered by Liaodong and Liaoxi. Neither Gongsun Du in Liaodong nor the Wuhuan in Liaoxi is willing to accept their ‘old friend’ Gongsun Zan!”
Cheng Yu did not finish his words…
But the meaning was clear. Gongsun Zan’s current predicament, if they could be incorporated, whether into the Long Xiao Camp or Cao Ying, would undoubtedly be a fatal blow to Yuan Shao!
It was a pity…
Xudu City was too far from Liaodong. Helping them to retreat would require passing through many checkpoints, which was not easy!
However, Lu Yu…
Prompted by Cheng Yu, he suddenly thought of something.
It seemed, perhaps, that…
His Long Xiao Camp indeed had a base in Bingzhou.
Hadn’t Yang Xiu and Lu Bu been working vigorously there with the urgent dispatches received early this morning?
Even Lu Yu had not expected that they were sent to secretly incite enemy generals, but instead, they had grown from a cavalry unit of one hundred men to over ten thousand!
The most crucial point was that in the Yanmen region, they had gained immense popularity among the people!
If they deduced it this way, Gongsun Zan could not retreat to Liaodong or Liaoxi, nor could he retreat to the Central Plains!
But he could retreat to Yanmen in Bingzhou. Lu Bu was the guardian spirit of the border people, and so was Gongsun Zan. If two guardian spirits came together, they might even summon a “divine dragon” and forge a different path!
His eyes darted around continuously, and then Lu Yu’s gaze settled. He immediately proposed this idea to Cheng Yu and Liu Ye.
Not to mention…
Cheng Yu and Liu Ye both found this seemingly bold idea feasible!
Yanmen was a border region. The reason Yuan Shao had strategically abandoned this commandery before was to avoid contact with the Xianbei and find a buffer zone in between!
One must know that north of Yijing was the Wuhuan. Yuan Shao had long since formed a marriage alliance with the Wuhuan, and the two families had a close relationship. Rather than staying in Yijing, which was surrounded by enemies, it was truly better to go to Yanmen!
It was much safer there than in Yijing.
However…
“There is a new difficulty. Can General Qin persuade Gongsun Zan to abandon Yijing and retreat to Yanmen in Bingzhou?”
Liu Ye raised a doubt.
“Man proposes, God disposes,” Lu Yu replied impromptu. “We can only think of ways to send the strategy. As for what happens next, it depends on General Qin’s ability and Gongsun Zan’s attitude. The fall of Youzhou is inevitable. Whether this viable force can be preserved depends on fate!”
Finally, with a sigh, the decision-making team of three in the Situ Mansion’s study had finalized their strategy.
Lu Yu personally wrote a letter and handed it to a Long Xiao cavalryman to arrange its delivery to Youzhou, to Qin Yilu!
Having done all this, Lu Yu finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Just then…
“Young Master Lu,” Dian Wei’s voice came from outside the door. “Someone is requesting an audience with Young Master Lu outside the Situ Mansion…”
Requesting an audience? Who?
Lu Yu’s eyes darted around, and he immediately retorted, “Who?”
“There are two groups. The first is the second son of the Jingzhao Yin – Sima Yi!”
“The other group consists of five women. They said they are the five daughters of the Zhen family from Wuji, Zhongshan!”
Dian Wei uttered these two sentences.
Lu Yu was slightly stunned. Sima Yi coming to visit, he could understand, as his father, Sima Fang, was still imprisoned. But… the Zhen family from Wuji?
Lu Yu’s eyes darted around…
The five daughters of the Zhen family? What did this mean?
Wait…
Suddenly, he remembered something.
That’s right… this morning, Cao Xiu had sent a Long Xiao cavalryman to report a piece of news. It said that a rumor in the market of Jizhou claimed that Situ Lu Yu was infatuated with the beauty of the five daughters of the Zhen family from Wuji, and thus had them and a large amount of Zhen family wealth held captive in the Central Plains. The markets of Jizhou had not hesitated to call Lu Yu names like “great lecherous demon”!
At that time, hearing this…
Lu Yu hadn’t paid much attention, thinking it was merely Yuan Shao deliberately slandering him. How could he possibly hold the five daughters of the Zhen family captive? He was a noble person, a pure person, a person detached from vulgar interests!
But…
Now that the five daughters of the Zhen family from Wuji had come to visit, this was quite interesting!
Lu Yu’s eyes darted around…
His mind raced with thoughts!
“Hahaha…” Cheng Yu was the first to laugh. “Situ Lu is truly blessed! While sitting at home, beauties come from afar. I’ve long heard of the Two Qiaos of Lujiang and the beauty of Zhen Mi of Hebei. I never expected that the daughters of the Zhen family from Wuji would just walk to your door. Situ Lu is truly fortunate!”
Uh…
As Cheng Yu spoke, Lu Yu’s eyes blinked. In Situ Cheng’s mind, was his image that of a lecherous man?
Of course, Lu Yu didn’t know that.
In Cheng Yu’s mind, this Young Master Lu was good in everything, except for a slight flaw: he had a habit of ‘collecting women,’ and these women had to be the cream of the crop, the absolute best, and must not be tainted by dust!
Of course, this was understandable. At least it was more acceptable than Cao Cao’s habit of ‘collecting wives.’
“Situ Cheng, am I that kind of person?”
Lu Yu asked back…
Cheng Yu smiled outwardly, but inwardly he retorted…
Aren’t you that kind of person? Or rather, when Situ Lu is “like that,” is he even human?
Instead, Liu Ye stroked his beard very straightforwardly and said with a smile.
“Since Lu Yu’s character has been misunderstood, it seems Lu Yu intends to meet the second son of the Sima family first?”
“Then… we must… no!” Lu Yu waved his hand and immediately ordered, “Let Sima Zhongda wait outside the mansion gate. First, escort the five daughters of the Zhen family to the main hall. I will be there shortly!”
“Yes!”
Dian Wei agreed and went to carry out the order.
Lu Yu’s eyes blinked slightly. He muttered to himself that the fifth daughter of the Zhen family was the Luo Shen.
It could be said… in his previous life, because of games like “Honor of Kings” and “King of Glory,” and… the TV series “The Advisors Alliance,” Zhen Ji’s popularity was extremely high!
She had even surpassed Diao Chan, Cai Wenji, Da Qiao, and Xiao Qiao!
Especially… those widely known lines.
“She appears as if clouds hiding the moon, fluttering as if the wind embracing the snow!”
“Her steps are like flying, her silk socks raising dust.”
“Her movements are swift as a flying waterfowl, ethereal as a god.”
“It seems like an immortal descending from heaven, a glance back more brilliant than the stars!”
Lu Yu could recite a large string of them casually…
But, how beautiful was this “Luo Shen”? How “graceful as a startled swan, elegant as a coiling dragon”? Let alone others, even Lu Yu himself was full of curiosity.
—He wanted to catch a glimpse of her beauty!
Hoo… Lu Yu exhaled lightly.
Lu Yu suddenly stood up. Beauties always brought infinite anticipation and hope to men his age.
…
…
Outside Lingling Commandery, Jiangdong.
In Shen Ting Ling, by the shore of Shen Xian Lake!
Yes, the lake where gold could be panned was named “Shen Xian Lake” by the Lu family clansmen, both as a name marker and to entrust their infinite hope!
At this moment…
On the shore of Shen Xian Lake, wolf smoke had been lit. The curling smoke and dust rose, as if some clansmen had already cooked their food, but it seemed… no one cared about it, because…
Compared to eating, “panning for gold” could more readily ignite the initial excitement and passion in the hearts of these clansmen!
“Look, look, there’s gold dust here too, lots of it…”
“There’s some here too, more and more upstream.”
“Be careful, don’t fall into this river. The gold dust is right here, it all belongs to our Lu family!”
Countless clansmen shouted excitedly…
Lu Xun and Lu Ji stood by the lake. Lu Xun pointed towards the middle of the lake, “In such a short time, so much gold dust has been found in this palm-sized lake. Who knows how much more there is upstream?”
Lu Ji also appeared very excited.
“We’ve already sent clansmen with tools upstream, but… they haven’t returned for two hours? Could something have happened?”
As he said this, some of the surrounding clansmen became anxious, worrying if there might be wild beasts at the source of the lake!
Lu Xun calmly took out a map from his robe, and also the mineral distribution map personally drawn by Lu Yu… and carefully compared them.
“It should be upstream of this Shen Xian Lake…”
“Then…”
Lu Ji was about to speak, but Lu Xun’s voice cut him off. “Let’s wait a bit longer! Perhaps… the road in the direction of the source is not easy to travel. Even if there are wolf packs, with so many of us, and we already have torches and bows and arrows prepared, the wolf packs wouldn’t dare to provoke us!”
Legend has it that Shen Ting Ling has wolves…
Lu Xun, having done his homework, naturally knew this.
However, wolves have a characteristic: they do not attack humans when they are alone!
When they are in packs, they also do not attack groups of humans. Therefore… the possibility of encountering wild beasts is there, but extremely low!
But it was always good to be prepared and take precautions…
After the reminder, some clansmen went to fetch weapons… watching their surroundings vigilantly.
After waiting for another fifteen minutes, from a distance, more than ten clansmen were seen rushing down from the mountain. They were panting, but their entire bodies were filled with excitement. Seeing Lu Xun from afar, they shouted, “Clan Leader, Clan Leader… look, this… this is…”
Everyone went to meet them. They saw that the baskets behind these ten or so people were all filled with ore!
This ore was slightly different from ordinary ore. Before coming here, Lu Xun had specifically asked old miners how to distinguish ordinary ore from gold ore!
“Quick… immediately light a fire and get the cauldron!”
Upon hearing this, the clansmen quickly set up a bonfire, neglecting the fact that there was still a lot of food in the original pots and cauldrons. They poured it all out, then filled it with clear lake water and began to boil it…
Half a cup of tea, one cup of tea!
Half an incense stick, one incense stick!
Finally, under the expectant gaze of countless people, countless golden sand particles flowed out from the cracks in the stones, and then Lu Xun was the first to shout, “It’s it… it’s it, it’s this!”
“Gold dust, gold dust… this is a gold mine, this is a gold mine!”
His face flushed red. Due to the cold wind on the mountain, his red cheeks gradually turned blue, intensely blue!
But this expression allowed his inner excitement to be displayed without restraint.
There was gold, there was really gold!
As long as there was gold, in Jiangdong, they could exchange it for everything… those lost estates, residences, shops, and even… countless subordinate troops and servants!
The key problem was that Lu Xun knew this was just one mountain. Now he held three mountains in his hands, and the mineral distribution map of Jiangdong depicted more than ten mountains!
How much wealth was hidden in so many mountains?
Gold! Silver! Copper! Iron!
For their Lu family, this was undoubtedly a treasure trove, a treasure trove!
“Where is the brush and ink?” In his excitement, Lu Xun looked at Lu Ji…
Ah…
Lu Ji didn’t react immediately. Gold had already appeared, why would they still need brush and ink?
Lu Xun’s voice continued, but his voice had already begun to tremble uncontrollably.
“I need to write a letter to my brother immediately to tell him… tell him this good news!”
Excitement, exhilaration, wild joy…
All sorts of emotions converged in Lu Xun’s heart at this moment. Mixed emotions, yet he couldn’t help but want to burst out.
He did not forget to continue instructing, “Everyone else… starting tomorrow, you must go upstream to search for mineral veins. Every mineral vein must be marked and drawn into a map. Shen Ting Ling should be everywhere marked with the footprints of our Lu family!”
“Besides that, maintain secrecy… even when purchasing grain, do not reveal the slightest bit of information. Gong Ji… this is for you! This is related to the resurgence of our Lu family! You must… you must be careful!”
“Okay… okay!”
Lu Ji nodded!
At this moment, the clansmen looked at Lu Xun with great excitement…
Hoo…
Lu Xun exhaled heavily. He continued to comfort everyone, “Don’t worry, our Lu family has risen. We will not let you down. We will prosper together, and suffer together!”
Joy…
Excitement…
All sorts of emotions began to spread, to permeate!
…
…