The atmosphere in the Jiaofang Palace was exceptionally tense. Empress Fu, with her cold and beautiful features, was elegantly dressed and was anxiously wiping the streaks of tears from Emperor Liu Xie's cheeks, tears of joy.
Liu Xie was in a state of great excitement, hot tears continuously flowing from the corners of his eyes.
He trembled and asked,
"Can... can I truly leave this city of Xudu? Truly? Truly..."
Just moments ago, Empress Fu Shou had revealed all the plans to Liu Xie.
The Imperial Father-in-law, Fu Wan, had already secretly corresponded with Liu Bei...
The guards at the South City Gate had been bribed. They were just waiting for Liu Bei's vanguard to arrive, and then... they would be able to escort the Emperor out of Xudu and retreat to the nine commanderies of Jingxiang...
The Governor of Jingzhou, Liu Jingsheng, was a clansman of the Han imperial family. He had three hundred thousand troops, and his navy was reputed to be invincible under heaven.
In the Emperor's eyes, that was... that was where he could finally sleep soundly.
"Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. If all goes as expected, within half a day, Liu Xuande's vanguard will arrive at the South City Gate... By then, Your Majesty can leave."
"The Governor of Jingzhou, Liu Biao, has already arrayed his troops at Xinye, awaiting to welcome Your Majesty at any time!"
Empress Fu Shou repeatedly reminded him.
However, a hint of imperceptible terror flickered in her eyes. This was because... just moments ago, the news obtained by the Fu family revealed that at the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao had been defeated, his army collapsing like a landslide. And now, Cao Cao had undeniably become the most powerful warlord of the era.
Following this.
He would inevitably make a move against the loyal Han officials, led by the Fu family... Having reached this point, it could be said that the Fu family had no other choice.
Of course, Empress Fu Shou dared not reveal these details to Emperor Liu Xie, fearing that the Emperor would worry... and affect this operation.
"Good, good... As long as I can leave Cao Cao's side, anywhere is fine..."
Emperor Liu Xie, filled with tears of joy, placed his hands on Empress Fu Shou. "Thank you... thank you, Empress, thank you... Imperial Father-in-law. This time, if we can escape this wolf's den, your Fu family will have rendered immense service to the Han Dynasty!"
"Your Majesty," Empress Fu Shou knelt and said, "For Your Majesty, my Fu family will never betray the imperial grace, even if we are ground to dust!"
Liu Xie waved his hand. "Quickly... Empress, you go and pack as well, quickly... quickly go!"
As Empress Fu Shou just reached the doorway of the Jiaofang Palace, Liu Xie suddenly regretted it. He nervously chased after her a few steps. "Empress, come back, come back..."
Fu Shou turned around and returned to the main hall. Liu Xie then said nervously in a low voice, "What if... what if the Imperial Father-in-law's plan is foreseen by Yin Lin?"
It was not without reason that Emperor Liu Xie asked this.
Last time... regarding the Imperial Uncle Dong's secret decree, he had rejoiced too soon.
Now, he already had many reservations about Yin Lin.
Just then, Fu Shou's head suddenly lifted, a cold glint appearing in her eyes. This glint startled Emperor Liu Xie.
—"Does Your Majesty not trust the Fu family?"
—"Yin Lin is currently at Guandu? Even if he could fly, he couldn't return! How could he foresee all this?"
The cold words came out.
Liu Xie nodded weakly.
"Good, good... I... I trust the Empress, and I can trust the Fu family!"
...
...
On the outskirts of Xudu City, at Rang Mountain.
Countless rebel soldiers charged forward. It was clear that a few Dragon Cavalry could not hold them back.
More than ten of them were already pursuing Cao Mu and Xiahou Juan.
Cao Mu and Xiahou Juan were, after all, women. In terms of speed and stamina, how could they compare to these burly men? In less than half an hour, they were completely surrounded.
"Run? Still running?"
"As expected of the young lady that General Zhang fancies, she's quite spirited..."
"Heh heh, let's brothers touch her first. General Zhang shouldn't know, right?"
These Yellow Turban rebels...
Each of them wore lewd smiles. After staying in the Runan mountain stronghold for so long, let alone women, they couldn't even find a hen. Seeing two women as beautiful as celestial beings like this? Who could control themselves?
"Let's go together!"
"Catch them..."
The sound of footsteps echoed again, and several big men were about to pounce on Cao Mu and Xiahou Juan.
Just as they were about to be captured.
"Whoosh... whoosh..."
A continuous series of sharp whistling sounds echoed. Amidst these loud noises, sixteen crossbow bolts pierced the tranquility of the valley, their trajectory astonishingly powerful...
"Ah..."
Cao Mu instinctively let out a scream... and amidst this sound.
The armored soldier who was about to capture her was pierced through his body by an arrow without tail feathers, a conical tip...
Not only him, but because they were densely packed, three rebels alongside him were also covered by this round of crossbow bolts.
Piercing through their bodies, the pupils of each person were dilated, but blood splattered out, dyeing the sky red.
"Tuk tuk tuk..."
Countless footsteps sounded from behind Xiahou Juan and Cao Mu.
Everyone looked towards the source of the sound and saw... in the faint morning sunlight, a troop of cavalry was rapidly approaching.
—"Dragon Cavalry!"
Cao Mu exclaimed...
Her eyes narrowed, and she looked at the nearly twenty Dragon Cavalry riders who were approaching with disbelief.
They had come galloping from the other side of Rang Mountain. There was a mountain path there that allowed horses to pass. Of course, that wasn't important. What was important was? How did they get here?
In Cao Mu's memory, most of the soldiers of the entire Dragon Cavalry camp had been taken to Guandu by Lu Yu.
Only fifty or so remained. Her forging workshop had twenty people, and Master Cai Yan's Imperial Academy had thirty people. Apart from that... there were none!
This meant that these Dragon Cavalry... were... were that squad guarding the Imperial Academy?
"Tuk tuk tuk..."
The horse hooves lightly tapped...
Over twenty Dragon Cavalry riders, clad in dark armor, under the sunlight, their black, cold, sharp luster sent shivers down one's spine...
The horses were fine breeds from the borderlands, sent from the Hu region. They appeared somewhat short, but their hooves were exceptionally strong. With each step, they echoed clearly in this Rang Mountain valley.
"Not good..."
A group of Yellow Turban rebels exclaimed. Before they could escape, they heard "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sounds as their bodies were pierced by crossbow bolts.
Subsequently... they were riddled with holes.
These twenty-odd Dragon Cavalry camp riders were brought by Zhuge Jun. They did not carry steel halberds, which reduced weight and allowed for immediate reinforcement. However... each of them was equipped with a "Zhuge Divine Crossbow." During this time, they had helped Zhuge Jun test this thing in the Imperial Academy workshop quite a bit.
They were quite familiar with it, and the crossbow bolts they released had immense power.
Even so...
When shooting enemies this time, it was at a distance of about a hundred paces. If it were within fifty paces, then... the power would be more than tenfold?
"Run... run..."
"Wait for me..."
A few Yellow Turban rebels quickly fled...
The Dragon Cavalry riders did not pursue. Instead, they lined up and walked before Cao Mu and Xiahou Juan.
"Sister Mu? Are you alright?"
Zhuge Jun immediately dismounted, and calling her 'Sister Mu' showed their close relationship. Of course, Cao Mu's feelings for Zhuge Jun were that of a comrade, a brother. This feeling was completely different from the fluttering heart she felt when facing Lu Yu!
At this moment, Zhuge Jun was also wearing armor and tightly grasping the "Zhuge Divine Crossbow" in his hand.
Cao Mu was somewhat surprised.
"Is this... the item you borrowed people from my forging workshop to craft during this period?"
"Yes! That's right." Zhuge Jun nodded. "This is the diagram drawn by Master Lu. It's a type of hidden weapon. It's not fully completed yet, but... it still has power."
"What is it called?" Cao Mu continued to ask.
"Zhuge Divine Crossbow!" Zhuge Jun replied truthfully.
"Pfft..." Hearing this, Cao Mu, who had been looking nervous, suddenly burst into a cheerful laugh. "Zhuge Divine Crossbow? Why don't you call it Kongming Divine Crossbow? Lu Yu is such a figure! Since he drew the diagram, why would he name it after you? Boasting..."
Zhuge Jun scratched his head, feeling somewhat awkward, as if his equipment had backfired and made him look foolish!
... How would he know?
Besides, he didn't come up with the name! In the diagram drawn by Master Lu... the name of this mechanical hidden weapon was surnamed "Zhuge"... Otherwise, how could Zhuge Jun so shamelessly steal the master's credit?
He wanted to explain.
But Zhuge Jun suddenly remembered that there was no time to explain in the current situation...
These were just a few dozen rebel soldiers. If thousands of troops came, these twenty riders and twenty Zhuge Divine Crossbows wouldn't be enough to shoot them all!
"Sister Mu... the priority now is to retreat back to the city."
Zhuge Jun said loudly.
Cao Mu nodded. She turned around and grabbed Xiahou Juan.
"Sister Juan, let's get on our horses..."
The two of them mounted the Dragon Cavalry's warhorses. Zhuge Jun wanted to pull Cao Mu onto his horse, but to his surprise, Cao Mu ignored him and directly mounted the warhorse of a handsome Dragon Cavalry rider!
—"Tuk tuk tuk"
The horse hooves clattered... and the group quickly retreated towards the South City Gate of Xudu.
...
...
—"General Zhang, bad news! Enemy reinforcements have arrived. Judging by their attire, they seem to be Dragon Cavalry!"
At the foot of Rang Mountain, the Yellow Turban soldiers who had escaped back quickly reported the intelligence to Zhang Fei.
—"What about that woman?"
Zhang Fei roared and asked.
For many years, apart from the image of the Nine Heavens Profound Lady on the city wall of Zhuo County when he was a child in Zhuo County, which filled him with fantasy and imprinted itself in his heart, this woman in white was the second one to stir his emotions.
—"That woman... ran away. She was rescued by... by the Dragon Cavalry and has already... has already retreated towards the South City Gate of Xudu via the mountain path."
—"What?"
Hearing this, Zhang Fei was furious. The hand that was holding his Serpent Spear tightened considerably.
He felt his heart bleeding.
The old man finally fancied a young lady, and these damn scoundrels couldn't even catch her!
—"Chase, chase after them for me!"
—"Today, I'll take the entire city and all its people!"
"Tuk tuk tuk..."
The sound of horse hooves echoed. Instantly, with Zhang Fei's order, three thousand cavalry galloped towards the West City Gate of Xudu.
Zhang Fei knew that at present... Cao Cao's main forces were at Guandu, and Xudu City must be empty. At such a time, there could be no Yuan army.
He wanted this young lady!
He also wanted the Emperor!
Whoever dared to stop him, hehe, Zhang Fei's hands were itching!
...
...
At Guandu, in the yamen.
The urgent report of the attack on Xudu cast a thick layer of gloom over Cao Cao's mood.
It even gave Cao Cao a feeling of the internal strife and external threats he had experienced after entering Yan Province in the past.
The original plan to send Yu'er to Xuzhou to gather grain had to be put on hold.
What he could do...
Apart from dispatching Xiahou Yuan to lead the "Swift Camp" to rescue Xudu, there was nothing else he could do...
However, even with his toes, he knew that no matter how fast Xiahou Yuan was, how could he be faster than the well-planned Liu Bei, Liu Xuande?
—Xudu City!
—The Emperor!
It must be known that this was Cao Cao's lifeline!
It was precisely because of this grand strategy of "holding the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords" that was formulated by Yu'er and Lord Xun Ling.
Over the years, Cao Cao had been invincible. If the Emperor fell into Liu Bei's hands, it would be a fatal blow to Cao Cao.
At this moment... Lu Yu was also present in the yamen.
However, everyone, including Cao Cao, had very grim expressions.
Cao Cao sat at the head of the table, surveying his civil and military officials...
Everyone felt a great pressure, as if dark clouds were pressing down on the city.
Huff...
After gazing at his civil and military officials for a long time, Cao Cao slowly said, "This Great-eared Bandit has indeed given us a difficult problem this time."
"Elder Brother..." Cao Hong scratched his head. "Xudu City has high walls and a deep river... Even if Liu Bei launches a surprise attack, it may not be that easy to breach. Moreover, Miao Cai's marching speed is fast, perhaps he can make it in time!"
As Cao Hong spoke.
Xi Zhicai, Xun You, and Jia Xu exchanged glances and all shook their heads.
Xi Zhicai stepped forward. "General Zilian, the defenses outside Xudu City were not a problem. It's just that Liu Bei's attack is chosen at a most opportune moment!"
"At this time, when we have achieved great victory at Guandu, it is bound to force some people in Xudu who are wavering to take risks! If they coordinate from within and without, then... no matter how strong Xudu City is, it will be useless!"
"Indeed!" Cao Cao nodded.
In his student days at the Imperial Academy, when Qiao Xuan taught him the course on city construction, he had mentioned that even the strongest city would crumble in an instant if it lost the hearts of its people.
At present, the victory at Guandu might not be known in Xudu City!
But the enemy's sudden attack was bound to cause panic among the people in the city. If coupled with those desperate loyal Han officials, Lord Xun Ling and the three thousand guards might not be able to hold on!
If Xudu City fell and the Emperor was captured, Cao Cao losing face was secondary. The most crucial thing was that this was a chain reaction that affected the whole situation!
"Commander Cao, what needs to be considered now is actually another matter."
Jia Xu stepped forward.
He was more "cautious" and rarely spoke in such public gatherings. His speaking out this time proved that the situation had reached a critical point.
"Wenhe, please speak your mind directly," Cao Cao said with a frown.
Jia Xu paused and then said, "Although I dislike saying this, in fact, now... Commander Cao must make a difficult choice!"
"If the Emperor is captured by Liu Bei, and Liu Bei can only turn to Jingzhou's Liu Biao for refuge, then Commander Cao will have to consider whether the next strategy should be to march north against Yuan Shao or march south against Liu Biao!"
Thinking ahead.
Jia Xu thought more deeply and further. In his opinion, the Emperor being captured by Liu Bei was almost a foregone conclusion. What needed to be discussed next was not how to salvage the situation, but the next course of action.
Huff...
As these words were spoken, all the civil and military officials present let out a sigh of relief.
Lu Yu also nodded slowly. The Emperor was too important as a banner of legitimacy. If, as Jia Xu said, he were truly captured by Liu Bei and taken to Jingzhou, then... the situation for Old Cao would not be so favorable.
Cao Cao's gaze turned cold. "Yuan Shao and Liu Biao, I will conquer them sooner or later! If... if..."
Hearing the hesitation in Cao Cao's tone...
Xun You spoke from the front line, "Commander Cao, the next strategy seems to have a choice, but in reality, there is no choice at all. We have four hundred thousand Yuan soldiers in our camps. Their families are in the northern territories, and they absolutely cannot march south to attack Jingzhou..."
"Moreover, Commander Cao and Yuan Shao have just fought a war of the largest scale and most intense degree in the past ten years. The soldiers are already tired, and the surrounding crises are rife... Yuan Shao is not dead, Sun Shi of Jiangdong has not moved, and the situation in Guanzhong, although seemingly stable, is also fraught with undercurrents. If at this time, we also antagonize Liu Biao, if we can conquer him, it would be fine, but if we cannot... the consequences will be very serious!"
"Furthermore, a centipede dies but does not stiffen. The urgent task is still to consider how to march north against Yuan Shao and seize this 'colossus' at this very moment, solving the problem once and for all... Therefore..."
Xun You did not finish his sentence.
But...
The meaning was already very clear. Even if Liu Bei really captured the Emperor and took him to Jingzhou, Cao Cao would have to endure it even if he was angry.
Everything needed to be done after pacifying the northern territories...
We cannot give Yuan Shao a chance to rise again!
It can be said that Xun You's words were well-reasoned and logical. In fact... he rarely stood from a macroscopic perspective to weigh the pros and cons of this situation!
Cao Cao's brows were still furrowed, but he nodded in agreement.
Finally, he fixed his gaze on Lu Yu.
"Minister Lu? This northern expedition? Marching south? What do you think?"
This...
The topic shifted to Lu Yu...
He smacked his lips, paused slightly, and then said, "Commander Cao, in fact... the prerequisite for making this choice is that the Emperor is captured. But... if the Emperor is truly captured, then... whether it's marching north or south, it will become a suboptimal strategy! The entire situation will irreversibly fall into a great passive state! Now... all we can do is..."
Lu Yu paused for a moment.
Cao Cao and all the officials were intrigued.
"Only what?" Cao Cao asked urgently.
Lu Yu spread his hands. "Commander Cao and the civil and military officials need not be so pessimistic. Although Xudu City only has three thousand old and weak soldiers, Lord Xun Ling is still there! In the past, when Lu Bu, in alliance with the Governor of Yuzhou, Guo Gong, launched a surprise attack on Yan Province and attacked Jiancheng, did not Lord Xun Ling repel the enemy alone? Moreover..."
Lu Yu paused again.
"Moreover, besides Lord Xun Ling, my Imperial Academy and Sister Zhaoji have quite a few mediocre students. If they can unite and apply their knowledge, in fact... there may still be a chance to defend Xudu City."
"Of course... this is only the ideal state. However... instead of discussing that illusory future strategy, it would be better for us to place our hopes on them. Perhaps... these students can bring some surprises!"
Mentioning this, Lu Yu thought of Zhuge Jun, Cao Ang, Cao Anmin, Huang Xu, Dian Man, Xu Yi, Xiahou Ba, Xiahou Heng...
And of course... that one who was more beautiful than a woman, with skin smoother than a woman's, the fake Yin Lin—He Yan!
They had the goods in their hands!
Theoretically, there was a possibility of repelling the enemy!
Only...
Theory is theory after all. A great man once said—Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth!
...
...