What did Xu You need to say?
What did he need to do?
Faced with such a question, Lu Yu did not speak directly but unfolded a map.
It was still the same map they had discussed countless times, the map where Wuchao’s location had been marked repeatedly.
Precisely…
As this map was displayed before Xu You, his eyes narrowed.
“Does Mengde and Situ Lu still intend to launch a surprise attack on Wuchao?”
Xu You asked this question very cautiously.
Cao Cao nodded resolutely. “Zi Yuan, I will tell you the truth. After the grain from our Xu Du city was intercepted by Yuan Shao on its way to Guandu, we only have five days of provisions left! I am extremely anxious about this. Wuchao, where Yuan Shao stores his grain, is our only turning point, our only hope!”
Cao Cao was being completely open with Xu You.
As he spoke, Cao Cao turned his gaze towards Lu Yu.
Now that the “noble person” Yu’er spoke of had arrived, and the five thousand jars of wine had also been taken, what should be the next deployment? And… the outcome of the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan now rested on Yu’er!
“Then…”
Following Cao Cao’s gaze, Xu You also looked towards Lu Yu. “Situ Lu? What are your plans?”
“Surprise attack on Wuchao!” Lu Yu’s answer was concise and to the point.
This…
Xu You frowned, this Hidden Dragon was walking straight into danger with eyes wide open!
“I need some intelligence…” Before Xu You could ask, Lu Yu spoke first, “For example, the locations of those watchtowers, and… most importantly, Yuan’s army’s passwords!”
Hoo…
Xu You let out a sigh. In truth, neither of these points were difficult. He had long since marked the locations of the watchtowers and carried them with him. As for the passwords, as a trusted advisor to Yuan Shao, how could he not know them?
However…
“Situ Lu, even if we know the locations of the watchtowers and the passwords of Yuan’s army, if we send troops for a surprise attack, whether it’s during the day or at night… these armored soldiers will be exposed under the watchtowers! Yuan Shao will take action immediately. Forget a surprise attack on Wuchao, they will likely be surrounded before they even reach Wuchao!”
Xu You reminded him at the opportune moment.
Lu Yu nodded.
“I know… as long as the sun is still in the sky, and the moon is still in the sky, under the watchtowers… our movements will be exposed!”
“Then…” Xu You and Cao Cao spoke in unison, a large question mark leaping between their brows, filled with doubt.
In contrast, Lu Yu smiled and said loudly,
“But… what if I could borrow a ‘heavenly dog eating the sun’ from the heavens?”
Heavenly dog eating the sun.
Whoa.
Cao Cao and Xun You were startled. A heavenly dog eating the sun, or an “eclipse,” meant the sun was completely obscured, plunging the entire land into darkness!
This is why it was also called “heavenly dog eating the sun” by the common folk!
The Han dynasty had experienced several solar eclipses. During the reign of Emperor Jing alone, there were five.
According to Dong Zhongshu’s theory of the resonance between heaven and man, divine mandate was bestowed by heaven, and the occurrence of a solar eclipse indicated that heaven was angry or resentful towards the empire’s rule.
Therefore, each time a solar eclipse occurred, one of the Three Excellencies in court would be dismissed!
In simpler terms, one person was made a scapegoat to appease the heavens’ wrath.
And among the common people…
The populace considered solar eclipses inauspicious…
In fact…
Not only in China but worldwide. For example, in May of 585 AD, on the Iranian plateau, soldiers of the Median and Lydian kingdoms were engaged in battle. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and the sun disappeared. Both sides were terrified and threw down their weapons, refusing to fight further, believing it was divine punishment.
Another instance was in the summer of 1030 AD, in Norway, during the Battle of Stiklestad, a total solar eclipse suddenly occurred. Both sides were horrified and declared they could not continue fighting!
However, King Olaf II of Norway insisted that his soldiers continue fighting, but he himself was killed in the battle. The soldiers on both sides believed that Olaf II had been cursed by the sun!
From this, it can be seen that the ancients revered solar eclipses.
Often, the occurrence of a solar eclipse provided an opportunity for both sides to cease hostilities, with neither daring to overstep and cause disruption or launch surprise attacks. This had almost become an unwritten convention.
But…
Lu Yu’s mention of borrowing a “heavenly dog eating the sun” from the heavens was somewhat…
Cao Cao and Xu You blinked repeatedly, looking somewhat incredulous.
They had heard of praying for rain, for clear skies, for a good harvest, but they had never heard of anyone being able to pray for a “solar eclipse,” such an… inauspicious omen.
Precisely…
Then again,
If Lu Yu could indeed pray for a “heavenly dog eating the sun,” then perhaps…
Before Cao Cao and Xu You could speak…
Lu Yu’s words echoed again.
“Have Commander Cao and Mr. Xu forgotten that I am a successor of the Yin-Yang school?”
Lu Yu blinked his eyes. “In the past, a remarkable individual from my Yin-Yang school bestowed upon me the art of Qimen Dunjia. Once I perform its rituals, I can summon the wind and rain! A heavenly dog eating the sun is also no problem.”
With these words, Lu Yu spoke with great certainty, his brows radiating confidence.
Of course.
The reason for this was that in Lu Yu’s memory, both the “Book of the Later Han” and the “Records of the Three Kingdoms” recorded that on the first day of the ninth month of this year, during the Battle of Guandu, a strange astronomical phenomenon would occur – a solar eclipse!
If history were to follow its original course…
Cao Cao, who should have ceased hostilities, would act contrary to this and launch a general offensive against Yuan Shao’s camp on the day of the solar eclipse. Unfortunately, Yuan Shao was not unprepared, and Cao Cao gained no advantage!
However…
At the same time, with the same solar eclipse, if the target of the attack were Wuchao, then it would be a completely new story.
The impact of the solar eclipse
The foremost benefit would be the ability to evade the scrutiny of the watchtowers on the darkened ground, to silently infiltrate the valley of Wuchao, and then… the story would unfold as everyone would expect.
Lu Yu was quite confident about this.
Of course, he could not say that the solar eclipse on the first day of the ninth month was recorded in books. He could only reveal his identity as a successor of the “Yin-Yang school.”
“Commander Cao, please immediately have someone construct a Seven Stars Altar behind Guandu. The altar should be nine feet high and thirty feet in circumference. Have one hundred and twenty people holding banners surround the altar. I will perform rituals on the altar to borrow a day of ‘heavenly dog eating the sun’ for our Cao army!”
Hoo…
Lu Yu spoke with a light and casual tone, but Xu You’s eyes widened.
“Why need a whole day and night? If the timing is right, just one hour would be enough for a team of elite cavalry to charge into Wuchao… and burn Wuchao to ashes before Yuan’s army arrives, then retreat completely!”
“But… but there’s no time to delay. If… if Yuan Shao reacts and knows I have joined Cao Cao’s camp, then… he might… he might be on high alert!”
“Perform the ritual the day after tomorrow at dawn!” Lu Yu continued. “The heavenly dog eating the sun will occur on the ninth month, first day, at the Jiazi hour when the ‘heavenly dog eats the sun’ begins, and at the Bingyin hour when the ‘heavenly dog disperses.’ How about that?”
As he said this…
Lu Yu’s gaze was fixed and incredibly serious.
“Hidden Dragon… Hidden Dragon…” Xu You’s voice trembled. He looked at Lu Yu in disbelief. After a long silence, he looked at Cao Cao again. “Duke Mengde, I… I finally understand why you have been victorious in every battle and never suffered defeat all these years. With the assistance of this Hidden Dragon, how is this merely bringing peace to the realm? If you wish, you could conquer the entire world, couldn’t you?”
Ah… ah…
Cao Cao had not expected Xu You to say something so sudden.
However, he didn’t mind. He immediately patted Xu You’s shoulder and then looked back at Lu Yu.
“I will send someone to build the Seven Stars Altar immediately!”
If someone else had said they could borrow a day of “heavenly dog eating the sun” from the heavens, Cao Cao might have had them dragged out and severely beaten with fifty military rods.
But… when these words came from Yu’er, it was a different story.
Without any doubt.
No matter how absurd or unbelievable Yu’er’s words sounded…
The father believed him, not only believed him but would immediately act on it, even building the Seven Stars Altar overnight!
At this moment, Xu You was dumbfounded.
Unbelievable…
Lu Yu was going to ascend the altar to perform rituals, which was already incredible enough!
But Cao Cao… his unconditional belief in it was even more unbelievable!
For a moment, Xu You understood, Xu You realized!
While…
Cao Cao’s rise in recent years was inseparable from Hidden Dragon’s talent, but… how could Hidden Dragon display his talents without Cao Cao?
— Cao Cao, Hidden Dragon…
— This combination was perfectly matched, truly… truly brilliant!
…
…
Northern Jizhou, Changshan, atop Flying Dragon Mountain!
Clouds and mist filled the valley, like a vast sea; clouds obscured the peaks, like a giant curtain; wisps of clouds wrapped around the mountainside, like bands of cloud.
Amidst this misty embrace, the summit of Flying Dragon Mountain appeared exceptionally serene. Da Feng Xiao Shuo Wang.
Inside a dilapidated thatched hut, a man was bound with his hands tied, his hair disheveled… looking extremely disheveled.
Just then.
With a “creak”…
The door was pushed open, and a spirited woman entered. She held a bowl of food in one hand and a silver spear in the other. Upon seeing the disheveled man, she instinctively rolled her eyes and then placed the bowl before him.
“Eat!”
She uttered these three words impatiently, then untied the ropes binding the man.
This man was Yang Xiu… and the woman was Lü Lingqi.
Two months prior, after Tong Yuan’s defeat, he had brought Yang Xiu back to Flying Dragon Mountain. After imprisoning Yang Xiu there, he went into seclusion to recover from his injuries.
Naturally… the task of delivering food to Yang Xiu fell upon his fourth disciple, Lü Lingqi.
However…
Lü Lingqi learned that it was because of this fellow that her master had sustained such severe injuries, so she naturally did not have a good impression of Yang Xiu.
Guzei
But her master had also instructed her never to let this Yang Xiu starve…
Therefore, Lü Lingqi came here with extreme reluctance to deliver food to him.
“I don’t know what use you have? Why did Master keep your dog’s life?”
Seeing Yang Xiu begin to eat, Lü Lingqi complained with a grin…
“Haha, my life is very precious!” Yang Xiu forced a smile. Although he looked somewhat disheveled during his time on Flying Dragon Mountain, at least he had no shortage of food and drink.
As for why Tong Yuan kept him alive, Yang Xiu was clear in his mind…
If he died?
How would Yan Liang be protected?
Both he and Yan Liang were merely pawns. On the other hand, the woman before him, who cursed and complained all day as if everyone in the world owed her money except her master, made Yang Xiu extremely annoyed!
What’s more… Yang Xiu inexplicably felt some shadow of Lü Bu on her, the same self-importance, the same annoying nature.
Of course, these were not the main points.
The main point was… once, when Lü Lingqi was untying him, Yang Xiu noticed that many names were embroidered on the cuffs of the woman’s sleeves.
He hadn’t seen the ones at the front too clearly.
But precisely…
The last one, Yang Xiu saw it, and his heart stirred repeatedly.
Because… that name was – Lu Yu!
“You’ve been bringing me food for over a month, haven’t you, young lady? I don’t even know your name! Could you tell me your name, so that if I die on this mountain one day, I can at least express my gratitude for your kindness in bringing me food?”
Yang Xiu asked softly, trying his best to make his words sound less deliberate. In reality, he was trying to probe the woman’s name.
“You want to know my name?” Lü Lingqi’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes…”
“You’re not worthy!” Before Yang Xiu could speak, Lü Lingqi coldly uttered.
This…
Yang Xiu frowned. This girl… she was truly exactly like Lü Bu’s disposition, utterly lacking in basic respect and consideration for others…
Alas…
Sighing inwardly, Yang Xiu directly stated, “It’s alright if you don’t want to tell me your name, but you have many names embroidered on your body. These names… are surely people whom you hold in high regard, right?”
Hoo.
As these words left his mouth, Lü Lingqi’s footsteps paused, her eyes turned cold, and a sharp glint of chill suddenly appeared in her gaze.
“Heh heh…”
“These are indeed important people!”
Her fists clenched instantly. Now… Yang Xiu understood. These people and the woman before him were irreconcilable enemies. But… among them, Lu Yu? Director Lu?
Why was this woman irreconcilable with Director Lu?
Yang Xiu’s eyes narrowed, and he once again fell into contemplation.
…
…
“Dong, dong, dong…”
At the break of dawn, the sound of drums echoed from the rear of the Guandu military camp. Because it was at the rear, the sound did not reach the front camp, nor did it reach Yuan’s camp.
“Ta! Ta! Ta!”
The crisp sound of footsteps resonated. Lu Yu was ascending the Seven Stars Altar step by step.
Today… because he had to “perform rituals”…
He could dress himself up to be a bit “dramatic.” Wearing a black robe, his hair disheveled… he walked among several white-robed Taoist priests to the center of the altar.
He also held a sword in his hand.
Normally, it should have been the Seven Stars Sword, which would have looked more imposing.
Unfortunately… Cao Mu was not here, so the Seven Stars Sword was out of the question. He casually borrowed Cao Cao’s Yitian Sword and drew it on the altar.
Then… the sacrificial ceremony officially began.
At least, to the Cao army soldiers in Guandu, it looked like a “sacrifice,” with countless white-robed Taoist priests holding banners and circling the altar.
Lu Yu sat cross-legged on the ground… closed his eyes, feeling the gentle breeze, and remained motionless!
Of course…
There was no need for him to move. Solar eclipses had nothing to do with him… He would just treat it as being forced to “show off.”
After a long while, it seemed appropriate to say a few words.
Lu Yu suddenly stood up and shouted, “I pray for the power of the stars to protect my Cao army’s seven stars from extinction and its magic from ceasing. With the Seven Stars and Eight Formations, the enemy will be routed. Battling under the stars, we will unleash the primal chaos. Heaven’s derivation is forty-nine, man escapes one!”
Having said this, Lu Yu’s tone shifted…
“The sun follows the dragon, the moon follows the tiger. The sun obeys my will, changing unpredictably. Heaven aids me, the heavenly dog eats the sun, its reality hard to discern. Let no one dare to attack!”
Lu Yu recited all the phrases he could think of…
The ritual was complete.
He sat down again, waiting quietly…
This left Xu You and a group of Cao’s civil and military officials stunned. They all knew what Lu Yu was doing!
They also knew about the operations scheduled for the next day, the first of the ninth month. But… was that all? Could that… invite a heavenly dog eating the sun? This… this was too absurd!
But just then.
The sky seemed to suddenly darken. It was clearly dawn… the time when all things awaken, but the sky seemed to be covered by a layer of haze, becoming dim… and then the light grew weaker and weaker.
Everyone looked up at the sky…
The sun was getting smaller and smaller, like half a moon, like a small boat, like a sickle… and the sky gradually darkened.
“Hoo…”
At this moment, Cao Cao, standing at the entrance of the central military tent, let out a long sigh as he witnessed this scene.
A heavenly dog eating the sun… This… this was the sign of a heavenly dog eating the sun.
Without any further hesitation, he recalled the passwords mentioned by Xu You, remembered the watchtowers marked on the map. Soon, the watchtowers would lose their visibility, and this was Cao Cao’s only opportunity.
“Where is Miao Cai? Where is Zi He?” Cao Cao immediately called out…
“Elder Brother…” Xiahou Yuan and Cao Chun saluted.
“Have the Tiger Leopard Cavalry been assembled?” Cao Cao asked.
“Five thousand Tiger Leopard Cavalry have been assembled and are ready to depart at any time!” Xiahou Yuan replied…
Cao Cao nodded, then paused for a moment of silence.
He then said,
“This battle, I will go with you!”
This…
Xiahou Yuan and Cao Chun exchanged glances. The previous plan was for Lu Yu, along with the Dragon Roaring Camp and the Tiger Leopard Cavalry, to carry out this mission, with Cao Cao remaining at the central camp…
But… now, Elder Brother Cao Cao was changing the plan at the last minute?
One must realize…
Even though a solar eclipse had indeed occurred, this battle was still extremely perilous. A single mistake could lead to irreparable disaster.
“If I don’t go in such a dangerous situation, who else would dare to lead the charge?”
Cao Cao’s eyes narrowed…
Although he said this, he was thinking in his heart that Yu’er had already done enough. If someone had to go to Wuchao to command, then he, Cao Cao, would rather go himself!
He would never bear to let such an outstanding Yu’er take such a risk…
“Battle of Guandu, Father… it’s time to do something.” Cao Cao cried out in his heart… He immediately stepped out of the tent and leaped onto his horse, Jueying.
He turned and called out to Xiahou Yuan and Cao Chun, “The situation is critical, why are you still dawdling? Set off immediately… the victory or defeat of this battle hinges entirely on this battle!”
“Yes…” Xiahou Yuan and Cao Chun saluted.
Cao Cao did not forget to give further instructions to Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong, who were staying behind.
— “Yuan Rang, Zi Lian… after I leave Guandu, all twenty thousand armored soldiers at Wuchao here will be under Lu Yu’s command!”
— “Furthermore, I have given Lord Xun a bamboo slip. If I return, this bamboo slip should be destroyed. But if I meet with misfortune at Wuchao, you must act according to the contents of the bamboo slip! Otherwise, even if I, Cao Cao, die, I will die with my eyes open!”
— “Have you all remembered this?”
Hoo…
Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong exchanged glances.
“Elder Brother, rest assured!”
The two spoke almost in unison.
They did not know the contents of the bamboo slip, but… at this moment, the Elder Brother’s instructions were undoubtedly of great importance!
And precisely, Cao Cao’s deliberate choice to leave Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong to execute this “bamboo slip” was also highly meaningful.
Because…
This bamboo slip concerned Yu’er’s identity. If anything were to happen to him, Yu’er’s identity would be crucial to the future of the Cao camp!
Precisely…
Xiahou Dun was Yu’er’s sworn elder brother, Cao Hong was an important business partner of Yu’er, and Lord Xun’s relationship with Yu’er was also extraordinary. Entrusting them to assist Yu’er was foolproof!
This was a decision meticulously considered by a loving father!
“Let’s go…”
Cao Cao called out, and a hunting operation under the guise of a “heavenly dog eating the sun” officially commenced!
So then…
Who is the hunter?
And who is the prey?
…
…