Yan Prefecture, Chenliu Commandery.
Xiahou Yuan's army had already arrived here, half a day's journey from Xuchang. They had been marching at full speed for a whole day.
The original plan was to reach Xuchang in one go, but… they could no longer press on.
Not just the men, but the horses were also exhausted.
It was true that Xiahou Yuan's marches were five hundred li in three days, a thousand li in six days, but to face the enemy in a decisive battle with such tired bodies would be no different from suicide!
But… his wife Dingxiang was still in Xuchang.
His sons Xiahou Heng, Xiahou Ba, Xiahou Cheng, Xiahou Wei, and Xiahou Hui were also in Xuchang, as was Juan'er… this daughter entrusted to him by his brother, not a single hair must be out of place!
"Rest for half an hour, then continue on your way…"
Xiahou Yuan gritted his teeth and issued the command. For this rapidly advancing cavalry unit, half an hour was barely enough to recover, but… Xiahou Yuan could not wait, not for a moment…
He had to, absolutely had to, reach Xuchang as soon as possible! Even if it meant fighting to the death at the end of his strength…
Just then…
An urgent dispatch arrived.
Xiahou Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively thought this was intelligence that Xuchang had fallen!
He quickly unsealed the bamboo slip, his eyes fixed on the words!
But the more he looked, the more his eyes widened, and his face turned to one of great shock as he exclaimed, "This… could this be an urgent report from Lord Xun to comfort me?"
This was his first reaction.
But immediately, his face lit up with joy. How could this intelligence be false? How meticulous was Lord Xun? Was there any need for him to tell such a lie?
As for the weight of this "victory report," Xiahou Yuan understood it better than anyone.
A great victory…
Xuchang had not fallen, and his wife Dingxiang and adopted daughter Juan'er were safe!
Conversely, with the cooperation of the Long Xiao Battalion and the Taixuesheng, Liu Bei's thirty thousand troops were annihilated by a great fire. Among them, Juan'er… Heng'er, and Ba'er had also participated in the operation and achieved great merit!
Especially Juan'er, who had earned the first merit!
This…
At that moment, Xiahou Yuan felt his legs tremble. It wasn't from shock, but because… after riding a horse for a day and a night, he realized he had ridden for nothing!
He was late… he was too late, to have missed witnessing this incredible great victory of the Long Xiao Battalion and the Taixuesheng!
To have missed seeing this miraculous battle fought by his children!
"Heh heh…"
Xiahou Yuan laughed…
The副将 beside him was bewildered. To still be able to laugh at such a moment, was General Xiahou perhaps driven mad by the fall of Xuchang? Or had something unfortunate happened to the Xiahou mansion?
"Gulp." Instinctively, the assembled副将s swallowed.
"Hahahaha…" Xiahou Yuan's laughter grew more unrestrained, his eyes still fixed on the urgent report. He sighed, "Heng'er, Ba'er, Juan'er, you are all excellent!"
His tone was so serious… that to his副将s, it sounded as if Xiahou Yuan's two sons and his adopted daughter had bravely met their end!
"General, please accept my condolences…" the副将 beside him quickly "comforted" him.
At such a critical juncture, every moment counted, and he couldn't afford to lose his composure because of the sacrifice of his family…
Little did he expect that Xiahou Yuan would swing his arm.
"Condolences to your grandmother…"
He had intended to strike, but as the man was ignorant, Xiahou Yuan clapped his hands. He was happy today… so he wouldn't hit anyone!
Forget it…
"Quick, make several copies of this victory report and send them to Guandu, as well as to the surrounding prefectures. Let them know that they do not need to dispatch any more troops… the danger to Xuchang has been resolved."
Xiahou Yuan directly commanded.
As he spoke, Xiahou Yuan felt a sense of lingering satisfaction. He smacked his lips.
"Oh, right. Find a 'sensible' scribe to make the copies. Regarding Juan'er's merits, and those of Heng'er and Ba'er, they must be written in bold and vivid detail. Also… always remember the source of your blessings. For the copy sent to Elder Brother, be sure to extra mention the merits of Situ Lu and Miss Cai Yan! These Taixuesheng they taught have made great contributions!"
Uh…
With his words, the assembled副将s were a bit stunned!
A great victory? A victory? A victory?
They doubted if their ears had misheard. How was that possible? Xuchang had only three thousand weak and old soldiers. It would be good if they could hold on, let alone achieve a great victory. How could it be possible?
With such questions, they took the bamboo slips and saw the words emblazoned across them – Taixuesheng, in conjunction with the Long Xiao Battalion, ambushed Liu Bei's thirty thousand troops at Mount Rang and annihilated them by fire! Liu Xuande's whereabouts are unknown!
Ah… ah…
The assembled副将s were so astonished they were speechless.
It was Xiahou Yuan who reminded them, "What are you still standing around for? Hurry, hurry and order the scribes to make the copies!"
"Yes… yes…"
With that, the assembled副将s scattered like rabbits. Strange, this matter today was a bit too strange!
…
…
Guandu, Long Xiao Battalion encampment, main tent.
"Bread will be available, and milk will be available too."
At this moment, Lu Yu's mind surfaced with this sentence…
But he changed the subject, "Wenlie, don't get agitated. Cereals will be available, and meat, porridge, and fruits will also be available, but it will take some time."
The reason Lu Yu uttered such a sentence was that Cao Xiu sat before him with a furrowed brow. Cao Xiu had been here for an hour, vehemently denouncing Cao Hong's act of disguising himself as Yuan's troops and plundering the populace.
He was in a bad mood and had spoken at length. Lu Yu did not interrupt him, letting him finish speaking. Only after his mood had somewhat calmed down did Lu Yu begin to console him.
Such matters were, in fact, commonplace in any camp.
What soldier did not plunder the populace?
It was just that… Cao Xiu was unaware of it before.
Of course, one thing Cao Hong said was very true: the Long Xiao Battalion was like a full man who didn't know the hunger of an empty man.
Actually, this was not Cao Xiu's fault. Cao Xiu had lost his father at a young age and fled to Wudi with his elderly mother to seek refuge. It could be said that he had lived among these impoverished commoners since childhood.
It was natural to have some "compassionate" and "saintly" tendencies, which could be understood!
But a chaotic world is a chaotic world. In dreams, one could vaguely recall a mother's tears, and on the city walls, the flags of kings would change!
The descendants of your Cao family, the late Tang poet Cao Song, even wrote a line – "Do not speak of the matter of ennoblement at your pleasure, for the success of one general is built upon the bones of ten thousand."
In this world, whom could one appeal to for justice?
Of course, while the reasoning was as stated, Lu Yu still comforted Cao Xiu.
"Situ Lu? I intend to… report this matter to my uncle, so he can judge it and order a prohibition of this behavior."
Cao Xiu continued to chatter incessantly. He was being serious about this matter!
"Unacceptable!" Lu Yu shook his head.
Speaking of which, Cao Xiu was one of the earliest to follow Lu Yu. Lu Yu certainly knew his temperament best. He was brave in battle, skilled in martial arts, led from the front, and had considerable prestige in the army. His only failing was his lack of political acumen and understanding of human relationships.
According to ancient texts and records.
Cao Xiu and Jia Kui had a disagreement. When Emperor Wen of Wei wanted to bestow a tally on Jia Kui, Cao Xiu interfered, and even at the Battle of Shiting, Cao Xiu's entire army was annihilated. It was thanks to Jia Kui's magnanimity, ignoring the past grievances, that he fought fiercely to save them.
Little did he expect that after being saved, Cao Xiu, without a word, immediately rebuked Jia Kui, saying that his rescue was too late…
Subsequently, the two sides impeached each other!
This was one of Cao Xiu's few dark histories. On the contrary, Jia Kui's magnanimity was praised by his contemporaries!
From this minor incident, Lu Yu could see that Cao Xiu had low emotional intelligence, lacked political understanding, and did not know how to deal with people, being a straightforward and honest child!
Such honest children were stubborn, and reasoning with them was of little use. It was better to present facts, as facts speak louder than words.
"I presume that the Commandant Cao is aware of this matter," Lu Yu narrowed his eyes. "In fact, not only is he aware, but he also tacitly approves of such behavior…"
"This…" Cao Xiu was about to speak again.
Lu Yu waved his hand. "Wenlie, we must learn to see the essence of the matter through the phenomena. Is the fundamental problem the plundering of the populace? No… it is the shortage of grain! Sixty thousand troops are stationed along the Yellow River, and the Commandant Cao's grain supply is insufficient to last for long. However, the situation in Xuchang is unclear, and I cannot go to Xuzhou to procure grain immediately. Alas…"
Lu Yu spread his hands…
Cao Xiu became anxious. "Is there no other way?"
"Yes!" Lu Yu's eyes fixed. "That is to wait…"
"Wait?"
"That's right, wait for news from Xuchang. Once Xuchang is safe, I can go to Xuzhou to procure grain."
Lu Yu's tone was light, but his confidence was evident in his words. "General Zi Lian said? That it's difficult to procure grain from merchants? Then… it depends on who goes to procure it."
Indeed…
As the saying goes, no merchant is without cunning. It is difficult to procure grain from merchants because they are deceitful and sly. But what if… you are more cunning and sly than they are?
Then that would be another story!
As he spoke of this.
Stomp… stomp…
Heavy footsteps echoed from outside the tent.
"Situ Lu, Commandant Cao requests your presence."
It was an armored soldier of the Tiger Guards…
"May I ask this brave Tiger Guard? At this late hour? Why has Commandant Cao summoned me?" Lu Yu retorted.
"It is about the matter of marching south!" the Tiger Guard replied truthfully.
Marching south?
Lu Yu's eyes narrowed. The rhythm was wrong. At this time, why march south?
He had worked so hard to procure grain from Xuzhou, not for Old Cao to march south.
Damn it, he should be marching north… Moreover, these four hundred thousand surrendered Yuan soldiers were all to be transferred south to fight Jingzhou. Even without considering the grain issue, wouldn't they mutiny?
Gu E
Thinking of this, Lu Yu's eyes narrowed.
But… on second thought, he seemed to have made a mistake too. He was like a full man who didn't know the hunger of an empty man.
If Xuchang fell and the Emperor was taken to Jingzhou, then… Old Cao would become a complete villain.
With just an imperial decree, Cao Cao would be no different from the former Dong Zhuo, and these scholars and powerful families attached to Old Cao…
How would they choose?
There were enormous variables in this.
Although he was unwilling to march south, in reality, marching south to retrieve the Emperor was indeed Cao's only choice.
"Military Advisor Xun, Military Advisor Zhicai, and Military Advisor Wenhe are all in Commandant Cao's tent, waiting for Situ Lu."
The Tiger Guard added.
With this sentence, Lu Yu understood. The decision to march south was not made on an impulse by Cao Cao, but by his advisors after weighing the pros and cons!
Alas…
Lu Yu sighed helplessly.
"Lead the way…"
…
When Lu Yu arrived at the main tent, Xi Zhicai was eloquently speaking, and Xun You and Jia Xu were also present.
Clearly, they had been discussing for a long time.
As for the final conclusion, Lu Yu already knew it without being told…
At this moment…
Xi Zhicai was speaking while gasping for breath. It was obvious that he also knew that marching south was not a good option given the current situation.
But when faced with two evils, one must choose the lesser.
This was the only choice.
As the saying goes, "the Emperor" was too important!
"If we march south, the primary issues to consider are grain and troop morale…" Xi Zhicai said gracefully. "Should the forty thousand Yuan surrendered soldiers participate in the southward march? If not, how should they be resettled? These are all issues that must be considered."
Jia Xu's eyes darted around. As an old schemer, he had some different opinions.
"In my opinion, while the issues of grain and morale are troublesome, they can all be resolved… the most difficult aspect is precisely… the navy!"
Jia Xu said softly. "Whether it is the existing Cao army camps or the surrendered Yuan troops, they are all northerners and not skilled in water combat… and Liu Jingzhou boasts an invincible navy of three hundred thousand. If a battle ensues, the Yangtze River alone can be our undoing!"
Hitting the nail on the head…
The old schemer was like this. He either didn't speak, or when he spoke, it was earth-shattering.
"All of them are inferior strategies!"
Cao Cao shook his head, still feeling regretful.
The main battlefield of the Battle of Guandu had been won, but unfortunately… the rear had problems. Strictly speaking, this could not be considered a mistake, but rather a lack of understanding of Liu Bei. He had underestimated this opponent too much; this fellow… was far more powerful than imagined.
He raised his eyes, unrolled the map on the table, and sighed.
"One wave has not subsided before another rises. Fighting on two fronts from now on will greatly increase our pressure!"
"Why can't Commandant Cao make a gamble and disregard the Emperor?" Lu Yu thought for a moment, and then offered his suggestion.
"Hmm?" Cao Cao turned his gaze back to his eldest son, a glint in his eyes.
With such pearls of wisdom before him, in such difficult times, Yu'er would surely have a solution.
Lu Yu cleared his throat before speaking, "The Yuan clan held the four generations and three offices. Since Commandant Cao is at war with them, from the moment the Battle of Guandu began, it has been a battle to the death! Yuan Shao will not remain idle if we march on Jingzhou. On the contrary, if we fail to pacify the northern border this time, Yuan Shao will get a chance to catch his breath. As the saying goes, a centipede dies but never stiffens!"
Cao Cao was silent for a moment.
"But if there are tigers at the front gate and wolves at the back, should we still march north with our teeth gritted?"
This…
Lu Yu paused.
"In fact, the so-called 'tigers at the front gate and wolves at the back' is just Cao Cao frightening himself. In my opinion… Yuan Shao and Liu Biao are chickens, monkeys! We can kill the chickens to scare the monkeys? By crushing the chicken in front of us with the most formidable means, the monkey behind us will be no cause for fear!"
"This is too crazy," Jia Xu thought for a moment and shook his head.
He understood Lu Yu's analogy, but in reality, Yuan Shao, who had been severely injured, and Liu Biao, who held the Emperor, who was the tiger? Who was the wolf? Who was the chicken? Who was the monkey! It was hard to say!
If we calculate carefully, considering internal issues, troop morale, popular sentiment, and the sentiments of the gentry…
Allowing the Emperor to remain in Jingzhou and marching north against Yuan Shao would inevitably be a more perilous action, one that would shake the foundations of the state!
"However, it is madness that inspires fear, fear in Yuan Shao, and fear in Liu Biao."
Lu Yu continued.
His tone was solemn…
He had only spoken half of what he intended to say, and there was still a long speech to follow.
But just then, a voice came from outside.
"Commandant Cao, there is a carrier pigeon from Chenliu Commandery!"
As the words fell, Xu Chu could not wait and entered the main tent. He presented the folded white paper in his hand, and his voice choked slightly as he continued, "This is an urgent report from General Xiahou. There is news from Xuchang!"
Cao Cao was startled… Seeing Xu Chu's choked voice, he instinctively stood up, but his heart felt as if it had been struck by something, sinking heavily… Could it be, could it be… Xuchang had fallen? My second brother-in-law… could not make it in time after all?
How fast, how fast was this long-eared thief!
Next…
What about the Emperor?
What about his Cao Cao's wife and children?
What about the families of the generals and soldiers?
A series of questions surfaced, and Cao Cao immediately felt dizzy and unable to control himself, his face turning increasingly pale! Xi Zhicai was impatient.
Seeing that Cao Cao was still in a state of complex emotions, he rushed to ask, "General Zhongkang should know, right? What is the urgent report?"
Xi Zhicai had already made the worst possible assumption, which was to counterattack Xuchang.
This was manageable, but what if Liu Bei abducted the Emperor and retreated to Jingzhou, then the situation would truly be dire, and the foundation would crumble!
In contrast, Jia Xu and Xun You's expressions appeared even more tense.
Once bad news arrived, the implications would be immense. As the saying goes, pulling one thread can move the entire tapestry. The situation that had been painstakingly built up would be instantly restored to its original state!
Years of effort, ruined in one go!
Unwilling…
Who the hell would be willing?
"A victory report, it's a great victory…" Xu Chu's words finally came out. "Xuchang has been saved, the Emperor has been saved. This was personally written by Lord Xun. General Xiahou had it copied. The Taixuesheng and the Long Xiao Battalion have made great contributions… Commandant Cao and all the military advisors, please read the urgent report quickly!"
As he spoke, Xu Chu's eyes were almost tearful.
As the saying goes, a man should not shed tears easily, let alone a burly man like Xu Chu!
But the letter mentioned that his son was among those who had made great contributions!
Xu Yi… this "brat" who could barely recognize a few characters, had actually made great contributions!
If it were just ordinary merit, it would be fine, but his "bear cub" had actually, together with the Taixuesheng and the Long Xiao Knights, used a great fire to burn the thirty thousand troops of that long-eared thief to ashes!
This…
This was simply too shocking, too incredible, and… too much to make this old father proud!
In contrast, Cao Cao suddenly froze… fell silent for a moment, then shivered and closed his eyes.
It seemed… after a long time, he finally digested the news.
When he reopened his eyes, the worried Cao Cao was gone. In his place was Cao Cao's demonic laughter.
"Hahahaha… Hahahaha!"
As he laughed, his eyes were fixed on the white paper before him.
White paper, black ink!
"A great victory, a great victory…"
Of course, this news was too sudden, and Lu Yu had not yet reacted. Even though… he had once fantasized that these unpromising disciples could create miracles, but damn it, that was just a fantasy.
This involved principles of physics and chemistry…
Coupled with the tacit cooperation and meticulous deployment, even Lu Yu himself might not have been able to deploy such a great victory!!
These Taixuesheng? They… actually managed it?
Incredible…
So… how did they achieve it?
Lu Yu's forehead was filled with a hundred question marks!
"Commandant Cao, perhaps… you could read this urgent dispatch aloud?"
Lu Yu was too curious. He had not eaten or slept well during this period, always fantasizing about how these disciples would react in such a situation?
Would they hide?
Or would they sleep soundly at home, lie flat, and pretend nothing had happened?
Or perhaps… in the most humanitarian way, help him hide Sister Zhaoji and the Qiao sisters. If they could do that, Lu Yu would already show a smile like an "old father"!
But… a great victory?
Not just holding their ground, but a great victory… Lord Xun being able to report these two words was enough to prove that Xuchang not only held its ground, but… Liu Bei had been repelled!
Then…
The question arose?
There was a great victory, but among these unpromising disciples, was there anyone… who was unlucky and died heroically?
Lu Yu really wanted to know this!
If there were, Lu Yu would be sad, at least… sad for an hour!
…
…