Actually…
These imperial students, these unworthy disciples, Lu Yu once doubted their intelligence.
Especially "Zhuge Kongming".
Lu Yu felt that this fellow seemed to be quite interested in "Baigong" and proficient in inventions like "craftsmen" and "carpenters"... but in other aspects, he was simply a "blockhead"!
There was no sense of the mysterious, all-powerful Zhuge Kongming from history, who could destroy enemies with a mere conversation. Had he… been spoiled by his own tutelage!
Even Lu Yu felt that his role as a teacher was truly incompetent.
Aside from "Zhuge Kongming," the others were much the same. The intellectual ceiling of these imperial students was clearly defined. Could it be that with this… they could achieve complete victory?
At this moment, Cao Cao smiled and glanced at Lu Yu. He felt that Yu'er was being too modest. He had cultivated so many exceptional juniors, capable of turning the tide and propping up a collapsing edifice!
Certainly, these imperial students were outstanding, but compared to his Yu'er, they seemed to dim slightly. Yu'er’s brilliance shone even brighter!
Cao Cao did not reply to Lu Yu but continued to read the urgent dispatch.
The urgent dispatch, of course, did not fail to extensively publicize the bravery and fearlessness of the imperial students and the Dragon Cavalier. It detailed how they repelled the enemy's vanguard, discovered the enemy's hiding place, and even how a single fire incinerated all of Liu Bei's ambitions!
Naturally, it also included copious praise for the merits of Xiahou Ba, Xiahou Heng, and Xiahou Juan…
Cao Cao recognized at a glance that this was the work of his cousin, Xiahou Yuan. A parent's love for their child was understandable.
But…
Whether it was Xun Yu’s writing or Xiahou Yuan’s contribution, one name was repeatedly mentioned in the entire urgent report:
— Zhuge Kongming!
— "Xun was attacked, and the southern city gate of Xuchang was occupied by spies, leaving the gates wide open. Three thousand enemy soldiers were already at the city walls, and the situation was rapidly deteriorating! At this critical moment, the imperial student 'Zhuge Kongming' led twenty Dragon Cavaliers to meet the enemy head-on… Facing the charge of Zhang Fei's three thousand vanguard troops, they stood firm. Only when the enemy reached within a hundred paces did they raise their 'Zhuge Divine Crossbows' and unleash a volley, heavily wounding Zhang Fei! The enemy army, throwing down their armor and weapons, bought time for Xuchang to quell the rebellion!"
— "The enemy soldiers were hidden in Ranshan, their whereabouts unknown, and the entire city was in a panic. Xiahou Juan discovered the enemy's tracks, and Zhuge Jun rallied the imperial students and the Dragon Cavalier Camp to attack proactively. Utilizing the terrain, they commanded with composure and executed a fire attack plan, ambushing the enemy within Ranshan. A great fire consumed them, and all thirty thousand enemy soldiers perished in the flames, with Liu Bei's fate unknown! If not for Zhuge Kongming, the entire Xuchang city would have perished. The merit for this battle belongs to the imperial students and the Dragon Cavalier Camp, with the first merit going to Zhuge Kongming!"
This was not the end.
Xun Yu described, almost vividly, how resolute Zhuge Jun was in the face of danger, how extraordinary his courage was, how brilliant his strategies were, how admirable he was, how he turned the tide and propped up the collapsing edifice, and how he devised the strategy for the fire attack. The young Zhuge Kongming was already exhibiting the demeanor of a "strategic advisor"!
Because of this Zhuge Kongming, Xuchang city stood as solid as a rock, impregnable!
Finally…
Xun Yu added a postscript in almost admiring tones.
— "Xun has met countless individuals, and talent like Zhuge Kongming is rarely seen in this world. If Hidden Dragon has such a successor, then the future is bright!"
After reading the rest of the urgent dispatch in one go, Cao Cao gasped, his expression growing even more solemn.
This… was too unusual.
Xun Lingjun was not someone who liked to casually praise newcomers. For him to praise Zhuge Kongming so highly was a testament to… this person's extraordinary nature!
However, Cao Cao wondered if it was that exaggerated?
Especially the line – Hidden Dragon has a successor!
This was no small statement!
"Minister Lu…" Cao Cao surveyed the people in the grand tent and finally couldn't help but speak, "You have taught many good disciples, especially Zhuge Kongming. This battle has astonished everyone!"
"Complete victory, a total triumph in this battle! Our army did not lose a single soldier, yet we annihilated Liu Bei's thirty thousand troops with a great fire. This is an unprecedented, unsurpassed, and unrepeatable great victory!"
Upon hearing Cao Cao's words, Lu Yu's eyes finally brightened like the sun after rain.
Complete victory, great victory… this meant that all these imperial students were alive. That was good, a welcome development!
Of course… Lu Yu also noticed the mention of a fire attack.
Liu Bei had always feared fire his entire life… Of course, that wasn't important. What was important was… Zhuge Liang burning Liu Bei. The scene was too beautiful to bear looking at directly!
Instantly, Lu Yu felt much more confident.
"Chancellor Cao, I said it before… rather than blindly discussing whether to go north or south, why not give my unpromising disciples some time? Time will prove everything, and facts speak louder than words."
"Indeed…" Cao Cao beamed.
However, he suddenly realized a serious problem: he, Jia Wenhe, Xi Zhicai, and Xun Gongda had spent half the night discussing in vain!
Wouldn't it be better to sleep during this time? What was the point of discussing a southward march? It was simply… futile!
"Haha!" Cao Cao said with a touch of exhilaration, "With Minister Lu's disciples in Xuchang, the stone in my heart has finally settled considerably…"
As he spoke, Cao Cao handed the urgent dispatch, personally penned by Xun Yu, transcribed by Xiahou Yuan with added embellishments, to Xi Zhicai.
After reading it, Xi Zhicai was filled with shock.
Honestly, he had been the most vocal proponent of marching south…
But who could have imagined that the Emperor’s safety… and the crisis in Xuchang would be so easily resolved!
In the past, he always felt… that only Hidden Dragon was impressive, only Hidden Dragon deserved admiration!
But after seeing this today, he realized that Hidden Dragon's disciples were also extraordinary. At the very least, he, Xi Zhicai, could not devise strategies like defending Xuchang city or burning Liu Bei with fire!
"Excellent…" Xi Zhicai lamented, "Xuchang city is saved, and thus the Emperor is saved. Kongming and these young imperial students are truly formidable, truly formidable!"
Xun You and Jia Xu exchanged glances. Although they were happy, they refrained from unnecessary words. A great victory was sufficient.
Praise was still unnecessary.
After all, the current situation did not seem to be so good as to warrant jubilant dancing. There were still many troublesome matters at Guandu!
"The imperial students and the Dragon Cavalier Camp have achieved this merit and should be greatly rewarded, but…"
Xun You spoke hesitantly.
Just this sentence pulled Cao Cao back from his wistful laughter to reality.
Instantly, his brows furrowed.
Lu Yu saw through Cao Cao's thoughts at a glance and immediately spoke up, "The crisis in Xuchang has been resolved. The next issue is the grain and fodder for the six hundred thousand soldiers. I plan to depart for Xuzhou tomorrow morning to procure grain. I request Chancellor Cao's permission!"
That was the very thing he was waiting for.
However, Cao Cao's eyes blinked slightly as he reminded him, "Although Xuzhou appears to be in the heartland, its governance is actually based on the strategy you previously proposed—Xuzhou's self-governance, Xuzhou governed by its people…"
"Therefore, factions are rampant in Xuzhou, with the common folk, scholars, and the Danyang faction all holding reservations. The powers are deeply entrenched, and procuring grain in such a complex region is not easy!"
"Chancellor Cao, please rest assured. I will send some grain within a month to alleviate the urgent need of the six hundred thousand soldiers!" Lu Yu cupped his hands. "Within three months, I will certainly gather enough grain for two to three years, to resolve the logistical concerns for Cao's army during the northern expedition!"
Lu Yu's tone was quite confident.
After all, Xuzhou was known as the granary of the world. There was grain here; the difficulty lay only in whether these powerful families and gentry would give it.
Cao Hong's remark was quite telling: obtaining grain from merchants was like a fool's dream.
"Good! If you cannot procure it, it's also acceptable. Do not force yourself."
Cao Cao continued…
If it were anyone else, Cao Cao would have made them sign a military order.
But Yu'er, as a lord and a minister, might be able to do so ruthlessly, but as an old father and his most beloved son, Cao Cao was reluctant to put too much pressure on him.
"I will not fail Chancellor Cao's trust!"
Lu Yu cupped his hands.
But suddenly, he seemed to remember something and reminded him again, "Chancellor Cao, Xuchang city is safe now, and the plan we formulated earlier can be executed!"
The plan…
As these words left his mouth, Xun You, Jia Xu, and Xi Zhicai were bewildered. Could it be… that Lu Yu and Cao Cao had some secret?
Of course, when these words reached Cao Cao's ears, his eyes narrowed.
The plan, was it the plan to completely capture the "four hundred thousand surrendered Yuan soldiers"?
Heh heh…
Cao Cao's lips curled into a smile, he smiled!
— Yuan Benchu, Yuan Benchu, even now, Yu'er still has you under his control!
…
…
On the border between Jizhou and Youzhou, in Changshan Commandery, on top of Flying Dragon Mountain.
In a dilapidated small hut.
Yang Xiu lay on a pile of straw. Several months of neglect had made his hairstyle increasingly fluffy and messy!
Bright sunlight streamed in, and Yang Xiu stretched.
Just then.
"Food…"
The familiar female voice called out again. Who else could it be but Lü Lingqi?
This was now the only sound from the outside world that Yang Xiu heard daily.
He would always ask some questions, but Lü Lingqi rarely answered him…
Until this time.
Seeing Lü Lingqi walk in, Yang Xiu's eyes became extraordinarily sharp.
"Those names, they are likely all your 'enemies', aren't they?"
The names Yang Xiu mentioned were naturally those embroidered on Lü Lingqi's sleeve cuff. Over several months, with Yang Xiu's meticulous observation, these names were all memorized in his mind.
Indeed…
Hearing Yang Xiu's words, Lü Lingqi paused, her emotions clearly stirred. However, she quickly recovered her composure, returning to her cold, icy beauty.
"Eat your food, and mind your own business."
As soon as Lü Lingqi spoke, she intended to turn and leave.
Yang Xiu's voice rang out again… "Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, Cheng Lian, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Lu Yu!"
"If all these people are your enemies, then there is only one possibility: your father is the Marquis of Wen who perished at Bai Gate Tower—Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian!"
Having participated in the battle of flooding Xiapi City, Yang Xiu was all too familiar with these names.
— Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, Cheng Lian!
These four fellows, one stole horses, one stole the Sky Halberd, and one opened the city gates. They had truly betrayed Lü Bu to the extreme…
As for Liu Bei, the line "Do you not see Ding Jianyang and Dong Zhuo's affairs?" directly led to Lü Bu's death.
Speaking of which, Cao Cao and Lu Yu's "stranglehold" on Lü Bu seemed so "natural"!
Individually, these names meant little. But when connected, they were all the participants who caused the "demise of Lü Bu at Bai Gate Tower"!
If it were just this, it would be nothing. But Yang Xiu knew clearly that on that night, Lü Bu's daughter, Lü Lingqi, had inexplicably escaped Xiapi City!
The last time she appeared, Lü Lingqi was in Mount Tai Commandery, Yan Province.
Yang Xiu was exceptionally intelligent and his eyesight was sharp.
Piecing together these scattered fragments, it was not difficult to deduce that the woman before him was likely Lü Bu's daughter, Lü Lingqi.
If… if she truly was Lü Lingqi, then… there might be a turning point.
Hoo.
As expected, Lü Lingqi let out a soft sigh. Yang Xiu's words had clearly evoked some unpleasant memories for her.
"What exactly do you want to say?"
This was the first time Lü Lingqi had questioned Yang Xiu.
"I knew your father," Yang Xiu said solemnly.
This…
Lü Lingqi startled, then shook her head. "My father is already dead, he died at Bai Gate Tower. You are the disciple of that villain Lu Yu. You are as cunning as him, don't think you can trick me!"
Upon saying this, Lü Lingqi no longer gave Yang Xiu a chance to speak and stood up abruptly.
By the time Yang Xiu's voice rang out again, she had already vanished from the pavilion.
Hoo…
Yang Xiu let out a soft sigh. A turning point, at this moment, he felt as if he saw a turning point. A chance to escape… and even a chance to sway this girl!
That's right. How would Lü Lingqi know that her father, Lü Bu, was not only alive but doing well? These enemies were indeed enemies, but Cao Cao and Lu Yu… Heh heh, they were her benefactors!
"Haha…"
Yang Xiu chuckled softly, as if he could already see the key to breaking this stalemate.
…
…
On Flying Dragon Mountain, Lü Lingqi sat alone beneath a pine tree.
Admiring the unique "misty valley" and "flowing springs and waterfalls" of Flying Dragon Mountain, her eyes grew increasingly hazy.
Yang Xiu's words had stirred some memories within her. She was beginning to miss her father, who had doted on her but left her years ago.
"Father… are you in heaven? Are you well?"
Lü Lingqi gazed blankly at the sky.
For years, she had been practicing her spear techniques day and night, with only one goal: to avenge her father, Lü Bu. But… how could she easily comprehend the profound spear techniques of her master?
After three or four years, although her spear skills had improved, it was almost impossible to achieve the feat of snatching Cao Cao and Lu Yu's heads from amidst a vast army.
Her father's deep hatred?
And… how should she exact revenge?
"Father, give your daughter a few more years, alright? Daughter… daughter has never forgotten father's deep hatred!"
She murmured softly…
Just then.
"Lingqi…" A deep voice sounded from behind Lü Lingqi.
This voice was all too familiar to Lü Lingqi. It was her master, Tong Yuan.
"Mas… Master…"
Lü Lingqi hurriedly turned around, only to see Tong Yuan walking towards her step by step.
"Master? Have you emerged from seclusion?"
Lü Lingqi couldn't help but ask…
Tong Yuan shook his head. "This injury was extremely severe. Your master encountered someone whose halberd techniques were even more formidable than those of your senior brother Li Yan!"
Whoa…
For Master Tong Yuan to say that his halberd techniques surpassed those of his former senior brother… such praise was extraordinary!
Speaking of which, in the past… her father also wielded the Sky Halberd with unparalleled skill. She wondered… compared to this senior brother of her master? How did they compare?
Lü Lingqi was about to speak…
Tong Yuan's words came again. "Your mistress just came to find me. She is worried about her brother Yan Liang's safety… After much consideration, I intend to send you to the Central Plains!"
"The Central Plains?" Lü Lingqi startled.
Tong Yuan nodded. "Find a way to rescue Yan Liang!"
He paused here. "Recently, there are rumors in the market that Lu Yu, Cao Cao's chief strategist, is going to Xuzhou to procure grain. This is an opportunity to approach him… Take Yang Xiu with you. Either exchange someone or capture someone!"
Tong Yuan's words were clear enough, even if not explicitly stated.
Either exchange or capture Lu Yu.
If Lu Yu were in his hands, then why worry about Yan Liang not being released?
Of course…
Tong Yuan's thoughts were too simplistic. Exchanging… was merely his wishful thinking. If Tong Yuan had politely approached Lu Yu from the beginning, it might not have been impossible to hand over Yan Liang.
Moreover, Lu Yu had no intention of killing Yan Liang initially.
But things had reached this point.
As Yang Xiu had said, the animosity between Tong Yuan and Chief Lu, and the Dragon Cavalier Camp, was irreconcilable. This had nothing to do with Yan Liang or the Yan family; there was no room for compromise.
"Xuzhou?"
Lü Lingqi repeated the words. Xuzhou held too much significance for her. Her father… her father had perished there.
"Xuzhou!" Tong Yuan's tone was firm.
As he spoke, he produced a long spear from somewhere.
"Lingqi, the final move of the Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear Technique, you have always wanted to learn it, haven't you?" Tong Yuan narrowed his eyes. "You are about to undertake this mission, so your master will teach you this move today…"
Whoosh…
In an instant, before Lü Lingqi's eyes, the spear danced.
— Stab, thrust, shoot, strike, dance, turn, tremble, push!
Like a tiger's roar! Like a wolf's howl! Like a ghost's cry!
Like an eagle's claw! Like a snake's coil! Like lightning!
This was the final, and most exquisite, move of the Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear Technique. Tong Yuan had never taught it to his eldest disciple Zhang Ren, nor his second disciple Zhang Xiu. He had only taught it to his third disciple Zhao Yun and his only female disciple, Lü Lingqi!
— "The spear emerges, like a dragon!"
— "Heaven and earth tremble! A roar breaks through the firmament!"
…
…
Ten days had passed since the Battle of Guandu.
Time had washed away the faint bloodstains, and the pervasive smell of blood in the air had gradually dissipated… but it had also added a touch of the melancholic emotion of a wanderer yearning for home!
For the four hundred thousand surrendered Yuan soldiers who had defected to Cao Cao.
Unconsciously, a tremor arose within their hearts… and subsequently, their moods began to become anxious.
Surrendering on the battlefield was one thing.
Cao Cao's camp did not look down on them, nor did they give them any trouble. However, inexplicably… these Yuan soldiers all harbored a peculiar emotion.
Homesickness.
Just like the Jiangdong soldiers when they heard the "Sīmiàn Chǔgē" (Four-Sided Chu Song), often when facing the Yellow River… seeing its long, flowing water… they thought of their homes.
Though in Cao Cao's camp… their families were still in the north!
Though in Cao Cao's camp, their hearts were in the north!
Gradually…
Some of the Yuan army deserters began to weep. Some with bad tempers became agitated, leading to some conflicts between the Yuan army deserters and Cao Cao's armored soldiers!
Everything was due to one thing—the Yuan camp!
Homesickness…
They were south of the Yellow River, but their wives, children, grandfathers, and grandmothers… were all still in the north!
Were they living well?
Had Yuan Shao troubled them?
They must have heard about the defeat of Yuan's army at Guandu. They… they must be very worried!
…
…