The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. In the quiet night, the sound of a knocking drum suddenly broke the silence, and Xu You staggered out of the large camp.
The armored guards patrolling the perimeter stopped him at the camp gate and asked with confusion, "Mr. Xu, where are you going?"
Xu You raised his eyes, his gaze sharp, and glared at the guards.
"Truly, a tiger fallen in the plains is bullied by dogs. Must I report to people like you even when I go out to relieve myself? Today... though I, Xu You, have fallen in the plains, what is my relationship with Duke Yuan? In the future, I will surely return to this Yuan camp and regain my position as strategist. What are you?"
Ugh...
The gate guards were stunned, their expressions changed, and they immediately stopped blocking.
"Be careful, Military Advisor, walk slowly."
"Hmph..." Xu You snorted coldly, enduring the stinging pain in his backside, and walked out of the camp gate, his figure appearing extremely desolate.
A young soldier, however, looked unconvinced.
"What's with the pretense? Still putting on that high and mighty, stinking air? Who are you showing off to?"
As soon as these words were spoken...
The captain of the guards waved his hand and said with a wry smile, "Xu You is a scholar from Nanyang. His Lord punished him out of temporary anger. Perhaps, as he said, after some time, he will surely become a honored guest again! Why should we antagonize him? Besides, he is not the only scholar from Nanyang! Given our status, we should avoid provoking him!"
"Your subordinate understands!"
The young soldier broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this.
In Yuan's camp, one must constantly remind oneself of how to position oneself; one must not choose the wrong side, nor offend those... whom one cannot afford to offend!
Meanwhile... while they were still talking.
On the other side, Xu You, covering his backside, cautiously descended the mountain, constantly muttering his complaints.
"Yuan Benchu!"
"If you are unkind, do not blame me for being unrighteous!"
Entering the dense jungle, Xu You cast a final cold glance back at Yuan's camp. At the same time, he patted the map in his hand.
One must know, Xu You also possessed the ability to remember anything after seeing it once. He clearly knew the location of the grain stored in Wuchao.
But more importantly...
He had also recorded the positions of those watchtowers in this map from memory, making everything crystal clear.
"Hmph..."
With a cold snort, Xu You's emotions were still turbulent. Besides muttering "Yuan Benchu," the only other word he uttered was "Shen Pei."
Clearly, he harbored an irreconcilable hatred for this Shen Pei!
Of course, the reason for his escape...
Shen Pei could be considered the main culprit. Xu You and Shen Pei had always been at odds. Now that the Xu family's crimes had been confirmed, even if Yuan Shao spared his life, there would undoubtedly be endless trouble in the future. Rather than... continuing to stay in Yuan's camp, it would be better... to surrender to Cao Cao and break through Ye City. Perhaps... that would be a turning point for the Xu clan.
One must understand that in this chaotic world, the so-called "loyalty" of the aristocratic families must be based on interests!
And to preserve the interests of the family, the master... could be changed at will.
Precisely, this was the behavior of the contemporary aristocratic families.
...
Tramp, tramp...
Over ten li of road, Xu You took every step with his feet, enduring the excruciating pain. He walked for a full day and night.
As night fell on the second day, he finally emerged from the dense bushes and ran quickly towards Cao's camp.
"Halt! Who are you? Have you come to pay respects to the camp?"
Seeing the dark figure, Cao Ren instinctively thought it was his elder brother Cao Cao or the so-called "noble person" mentioned by Lu Yu! His tone was extremely gentle.
"Zixiao..."
This dark figure also recognized Cao Ren and immediately shouted.
Instantly, the firelight illuminated the dark figure, and Xu You's pale face and pained expression appeared before everyone.
"Xu... Xu Ziyuan?"
Cao Ren recognized Xu You. After all, Cao Ren was Cao Cao's cousin, and Xu You was Cao Cao's schoolmate. The two had known each other for a long time through Cao Cao.
However... Cao Ren's eyes suddenly showed surprise.
Xu You, Xu Ziyuan, is he... is he the so-called "noble person" his elder brother mentioned?
"Hoo... hoo..."
At this moment, Xu You was gasping for breath. He gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Zixiao, there is no time to delay. You... you quickly report to Mengde and tell him that I have come to seek refuge with him!"
Ugh...
Cao Ren was slightly stunned, then immediately grabbed Xu You and pulled him into the house. "My elder brother had already given instructions. If the noble person arrives, simply invite him in! Why bother reporting?"
As he spoke...
Xu You was dragged into the camp as if he were being pulled.
...
Meanwhile, Cao Cao and Lu Yu were in a military camp.
This was Lu Yu's military camp...
There were only Cao Cao and Lu Yu.
Indeed... Cao Cao, who had regained his confidence, was still somewhat worried and preoccupied.
"Minister Lu, many things have happened recently, and the situation at Guandu has been changing repeatedly. Yet, you remain as calm as ever, making it impossible to fathom!"
Cao Cao sighed with emotion.
"Chancellor Cao is referring to the matter of the captured supplies, isn't he?" Lu Yu asked in return.
In fact, this statement had two layers of meaning.
The first was that the supply convoy escorted by Xu Huang was intercepted, and over 100,000 piculs of grain were plundered, along with the drivers and wooden oxen and flowing horses that transported the grain, all of whom had disappeared without a trace!
The second was that the grain in Yuan's camp was also plundered by the Long Xiao Camp.
However...
Due to insufficient numbers, the Long Xiao Camp chose to burn it on the spot!
These two events occurred almost simultaneously and spread throughout the three armies...
On the surface, it seemed like both sides had cut off the other's supply lines, resulting in a stalemate. However, in reality, Cao Cao had suffered a great loss!
Yet, when Lu Yu spoke of it, it was as if it were nothing important.
"Heh heh..."
Hearing this, Cao Cao smiled slightly, took a sip of tea from the table, "Minister Lu seems very calm! Is this... also within your plan?"
"More or less..." Lu Yu replied without hesitation.
This caused Cao Cao's eyes to widen.
One must know...
He had asked this question casually. Was Yu'er not an immortal? Perhaps he could have predicted that the Long Xiao Camp would successfully plunder Yuan's grain and burn it.
But... the interception of the grain escorted by Xu Huang? How could he have predicted that?
"Does Chancellor Cao know how much grain General Xu Huang escorted?" Lu Yu continued to ask.
"One hundred and seven thousand piculs!" Cao Cao accurately stated the specific number.
Grain was his lifeline.
Therefore, Cao Cao remembered it extremely clearly.
"That's right!" Lu Yu nodded. "Chancellor Cao remembers correctly. But how much of this one hundred and seven thousand piculs was rice? How much was miscellaneous grains? How much was wheat? Does Chancellor Cao know?"
This...
Cao Cao felt that his conversation with Yu'er had gone completely off track.
How much of the one hundred and seven thousand piculs of grain was plundered... how much of it was miscellaneous grains and other grains, was there any point in discussing this?
"Minister Lu? What exactly are you trying to convey?" Cao Cao pressed.
Lu Yu smiled, his smile exceptionally bright. "Chancellor Cao, actually, it doesn't matter how much miscellaneous grain and other grains were in this one hundred and seven thousand piculs. What's important is... there were five thousand jars of wine! Five thousand jars of pure grain wine brewed by the Imperial Academy!"
This... wine?
Cao Cao remained full of doubt. He didn't know what Yu'er was trying to say.
"Wine is the grain's... the more you drink, the younger you become..." Lu Yu seemed to become more animated as he spoke. He continued with a smile, "Chancellor Cao, actually... it's not just the wine. The person who transported the wine is also quite remarkable!"
"The person who transported the wine?" Cao Cao felt that Yu'er's words today were very circuitous, extremely circuitous... He felt that there was a generation gap between them, an insurmountable generation gap!
When mentioning the person who delivered the wine, Lu Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Chancellor Cao probably doesn't know yet. The person who transported the wine and the person who brewed it are the same person. His name is—Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao!"
Ugh...
Guo Fengxiao?
This name was familiar. Cao Cao remembered... there was an article called "Ten Victories and Ten Defeats" in the newspaper...
The author of this article was this Guo Fengxiao.
Cao Cao had a deep impression of it. Guo Fengxiao explained from ten points why he, Cao Cao, was bound to win and Yuan Shao was bound to lose!
- Victory in Dao, Victory in Righteousness, Victory in Governance, Victory in Strategy, Victory in Schemes!
- Victory in Virtue, Victory in Benevolence, Victory in Clarity, Victory in Culture, Victory in Military Might!
Most importantly, each point was well-reasoned and supported by evidence. He hadn't seen such concise writing in decades.
But...
Wasn't Guo Fengxiao a professor at the Imperial Academy?
How had he become a brewer now? And a wine transporter? These scattered identities... gave a somewhat strange feeling!
Could it be...
In an instant, a bold guess appeared in Cao Cao's mind.
Could it be that Yu'er intentionally allowed Yuan's army to plunder this over 100,000 piculs of grain, along with... including these five thousand jars of fine wine brewed by the Imperial Academy?
What was the deeper meaning behind his actions?
"Minister Lu? I don't quite understand your deployment..."
Cao Cao sighed.
Lu Yu smiled faintly. "Chancellor Cao, let us wait and see. Right now, there are a series of chess pieces on this chessboard, and in the end... these pieces will be connected into a line because of one person! And... this person will appear soon!"
Lu Yu counted on his fingers. Today was August 27th!
It had been a month and a half since Sima Yi sent back the urgent dispatch. The person who could connect the chess pieces into a line should be coming soon, right?
... September 1st...
Lu Yu could wait for him until September 1st at the latest, because on that day... Lu Yu had made a plan!
Thinking of this...
Lu Yu's expression became much more serious!
Just then...
"Boom..."
Xu Chu burst open the door of the large tent...
Cao Cao was stunned, then sighed, "Zhong Kang? Such a rush? This is not like you!"
"Chancellor Cao..." Xu Chu quickly said, "General Zixiao sent someone to deliver a message. Xu... Xu Ziyuan has arrived!"
As soon as he said this, Cao Cao suddenly stood up. He suddenly thought of something.
Xu Ziyuan? Xu Ziyuan, who was under Yuan Shao, has arrived?
And... the distinguished guest mentioned by Yu'er? The distinguished guest who could connect the chess pieces into a line, could it be... Xu Ziyuan?
Cao Cao's eyes widened suddenly. He leaped up and strode out of the large tent.
Lu Yu reminded Cao Cao...
"Chancellor Cao, take off your shoes... take off your shoes! A friend comes from afar, take off your shoes first!"
Cao Cao was so smart that he immediately reacted and threw off his shoes... This would show respect... And Cao Cao, wearing only white socks, ran wildly through the military camp.
When he reached the camp gate, Cao Cao put on a surprised expression.
"Brother Ziyuan, is... is it you? Is it really you?"
His white socks had already turned dirty black, and even small stones were mixed in them.
Behind him, Xu Chu was carrying his shoes.
"Chancellor Cao, wear your shoes, Chancellor Cao, wear your shoes first..."
Of course, Xu Chu said this because Lu Yu had taught him. To put on a complete show, if someone ran without shoes, someone must follow with the shoes. How could Xu Chu, who was supposed to cooperate with Old Cao's act, pretend not to see it?
"Xu You, an old friend from Nanyang, pays his respects to Duke Mengde..."
Xu You opened his mouth.
Yesterday, he called him Cao Aman, but today it was Duke Mengde.
"It really is you... Xu Ziyuan! Ah, ha ha ha..."
Cao Cao laughed like a 200-jin child. He quickly ran to Xu You and grasped his hands.
"Ziyuan, why have you come?"
Cao Cao asked eagerly.
Upon hearing this, Xu You's eyes welled up with tears... "Yuan Shao cannot tolerate me. If I don't come to seek refuge, my life might be in danger!"
Hahaha...
Cao Cao burst into laughter... "Your arrival, Ziyuan, is truly... truly like a mountain of gold falling from the sky!"
"I am ashamed... ashamed!"
"With your help, my great undertaking can be accomplished, truly accomplished."
Cao Cao placed his hand on Xu You's hand.
In his excitement, he cupped his hands and made a gesture of kneeling in gratitude.
"Brother Ziyuan, accept my bow..."
"Duke Mengde, Duke Mengde..." Xu You dared not let Cao Cao bow. He quickly caught Cao Cao. "Brother Mengde, please do not humble me so!"
His eyes surveyed Cao Cao, and there was a hint of age in his gaze.
Cao Cao hadn't even put on his shoes, and his socks were already dark. This... this kind of welcome, this kind of courtesy, was something Xu You had never experienced with Yuan Shao.
"Brother Mengde's magnanimity! Welcoming me without shoes is truly... truly overwhelming!"
"Seeing you, Xu You, makes me happy. I am so happy that I've forgotten myself. Come, come, let's go inside to talk. I'll introduce you to someone... He... He has already calculated that you, the 'noble person' of my Cao camp, would come!"
This...
As Cao Cao spoke, Xu You's eyes flickered.
Calculated that he would come?
Then... the person Cao Cao is introducing must be Yin Lin, the Yin Lin who caused Yuan Shao to lose Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and whose 450,000 troops were drowned by water!
"Let's go, let's go, let's go inside to talk. He and I have been waiting for you... We have waited so hard for you! With you and Yin Lin joining forces, even if Yuan Shao has 600,000 troops, ha ha ha ha..."
Cao Cao's eccentric laughter resounded again.
Since Cao Cao arrived at the Guandu front line, this was the happiest night.
...
...
Jizhou, Ye City.
In an ordinary wine shop, an unextinguished oil lamp flickered, casting a hazy light on Sima Yi's furrowed brow.
At this moment, he had received a letter.
And the content of the letter had indeed... made him somewhat restless.
The letter was from Chief Director Lu, and naturally... there were some commendations, but after these commendations, there was a new task.
- "After September 1st, the situation will change. Unite all forces that can be united!"
This...
Sima Yi's brow furrowed deeply.
Chief Director Lu's letter had two layers of meaning. First, after September 1st? The situation will change? How will it change? Will the Battle of Guandu? Will the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan be decided?
Second, unite all forces that can be united.
Minister Lu wants him, Sima Yi, to establish a base behind enemy lines!
In a smaller sense, such a base could continuously transmit intelligence to the Central Plains. In a larger sense, once this force becomes strong enough, it might... spread like a prairie fire and deliver a fatal blow to the enemy's heart!
But...
Who are the forces that can be united?
- The Xu Clan!
- The Tian Clan!
- The Ju Clan!
These were some of the families proposed by Lu Yu in his letter. Seeing this, Sima Yi's brow furrowed even deeper.
The difficulty was immense. Not to mention that the Xu Clan had been arrested by Shen Pei and imprisoned for crimes!
Just the Tian Clan, the matter of Tian Feng... was difficult to handle!
He was in prison, and... according to rumors, Tian Feng's temper was as stubborn as a mule...
Besides that, the Ju family?
One must know that Ju Shou was currently with Yuan Shao. How easy was it to subvert his clansmen?
Hoo...
Sima Yi let out a long sigh.
"After September 1st... after September 1st..."
He repeated the time point in the letter in a murmur.
"Since Chief Director Lu specifically mentioned this time, then perhaps... perhaps..."
"As he said, the situation will change, and since I am behind enemy lines, it is time to deploy in advance!"
Hoo...
He let out another breath.
Sima Yi suddenly felt that the burden on his shoulders had become much heavier!
- "Today is August 27th... there is not much time left for me... for me..."
With that, Sima Yi opened his eyes and quickly contacted the "comrades" behind enemy lines!
- He was a born spy!
- His wisdom and forbearance could accomplish any arduous mission behind enemy lines!
...
...
Wuchao, a secluded valley, with countless granaries piled up there.
And five Yuan army camps were interspersed among them, arranged in an orderly manner.
Among them, the central camp was the largest, with over 20,000 men. The general stationed here was Yuan Shao's trusted general - Chunyu Qiong!
A few days ago, Yuan's army had intercepted a batch of supplies.
This was nothing...
However... Chunyu Qiong happened to smell a scent, the scent of wine, to be precise, a mellow, vigorous scent of wine he had never tasted before!
This made Chunyu Qiong dazed and bewildered.
He couldn't help but send someone to fetch a few jars and take a sip. The taste of this wine was simply superb.
But how was this wine... brewed? Why was the taste of this wine so mellow? That was a big question mark.
One must know that in ancient texts, Chunyu Qiong was known as the "Drunken Immortal General"!
As a wine immortal...
His appreciation for wine was not limited to its taste. If he knew the result, he must also know the cause...
Without understanding the brewing method of this wine, he would inevitably feel bored and uninspired.
Precisely...
Among the Cao camp strongmen who transported the wine, there was a young man who was not burly, even looked a bit refined, with a wine gourd hanging from his waist. He knew the method in detail!
Chunyu Qiong only listened to him explain the wine scriptures once, and then he brought him out of prison...
In the central army tent...
A table, five jars of fine wine, and two people set up a feast!
- "Distillation? Fermentation? Good wine... good wine, come, finish this cup, and there are three more!"
...
...