September 2nd… Jizhou, Ye City!
Within a wine shop, in a guest room, Sima Yi was presented with a complete set of bianzhong, holding a small hammer himself.
With a command, he struck the bells leisurely, as if awaiting something.
Meanwhile, the inn was also filled with people.
Finally, noon arrived.
Sima Yi's hammer struck the bianzhong one last time. As the "dong dong" melody resounded, Sima Yi drew his sword from his waist, pulling it halfway out, a gleam of cold light reflecting on his face.
The anxious voice of the innkeeper behind him grew closer.
"You really intend to save them? Though not breaking into a prison, this is still extremely perilous…"
"Haven't we prepared for so long, just for today?" Sima Yi murmured…
His gaze swept over the sharp sword, "Besides, Commander Lu stated in his letter that Yuan's army would be in disarray at Guandu on September 1st. Then… today… news will surely reach Ye City, causing widespread panic, whispers of fear. This is a heaven-sent opportunity."
An armored soldier, dressed as a yamen runner, wore a solemn expression. "Zhongda, you are Commander Lu's disciple. You cannot go. We will handle the operation. If anything should happen, at least in Ye City, Commander Lu's 'eyes' will still be here!"
Hearing this, Sima Yi's tone became even more resolute.
"Precisely because I am Commander Lu's disciple, I must participate in this operation this time… Whether it is Tian Feng or the Tian clan, Xu Yuan or the Xu clan, I must save them! This is a task given to me by my teacher!"
Upon hearing this…
Everyone stared blankly at the chilling sword in Sima Yi's hand.
"Zhongda, perhaps you are right… If Commander Lu spoke of Ye City being in great chaos, then… Ye City will indeed be in great chaos!"
As he spoke…
Many more people emerged, carrying parcels. "Count us in for saving Tian Feng and Xu Yuan. We've packed provisions for the escape route!"
These were the Jizhou clans that Sima Yi had successfully subverted in the past few months.
Because he was extremely cautious, he only attempted subversion on a small scale and thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of these families, ensuring no mistakes. However… due to his caution, the number of successfully subverted gentry was not large!
Unexpectedly, they volunteered for this operation…
Just then!
"Tap tap tap…"
"Tap tap tap…"
Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the wine shop, making the atmosphere here suddenly much colder.
"Crick…"
The door was pushed open. Seeing that it was one of their own, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
But seeing the hurried appearance of the newcomer, everyone was puzzled… What important matter had occurred?
"Urgent dispatch from the front line… Urgent dispatch from the front line…"
The person was out of breath, speaking haltingly.
"What urgent dispatch?"
Sima Yi asked urgently…
The person replied truthfully, "Guandu, Guandu… Cao Cao led the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to surprise Wuchao and burned Yuan Shao's grain supplies. Zhang He and Gao Lan led a force of four hundred thousand to surrender to Cao! Yuan's army was routed!"
"Yuan Shao… Yuan Shao retreated to Liyang City north of the Yellow River before stopping. It is said that when Jiang Yiqu, who garrisoned Liyang, led his troops to meet him, Yuan Shao had less than a thousand soldiers remaining."
Whoa…
Sixty thousand? A thousand men?
Upon hearing this, the immense disparity in numbers rendered the entire gathering silent.
This… was this the "great event" Commander Lu spoke of?
This was too, too, too, too great!
While everyone was still in shock.
Sima Yi had already thought further ahead.
First and foremost, he thought that Liyang's prefect, Jiang Yiqu, was a confidant of Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao's escape here meant he was safe!
Secondly, Sima Yi could also imagine that Jiang Yiqu only had so many soldiers. To guard against Cao's army advancing north…
Yuan Shao would inevitably order troops to be mobilized from various prefectures and counties to reinforce Liyang.
In this way…
Before Sima Yi could think further, "Clang clang clang"… countless gongs sounded from the street.
Sima Yi quickly retreated to the window and saw… countless Yuan army soldiers gathering, seemingly preparing to rush to reinforce Liyang. Moreover, not only regular soldiers but even many conscripted soldiers were assembling. As expected, Yuan Shao was afraid.
And this…
"Zhongda, our operation…"
The innkeeper suddenly became confident. He immediately reminded…
"Tonight, the prison will surely be empty. We will proceed according to the original plan."
Sima Yi immediately gave the order!
Due to his outstanding performance previously, Sima Yi had now become the core and backbone of the "underground organization" in Jizhou. Now, his orders were not questioned by anyone!
Sharpening their knives…
Tonight, amidst this atmosphere of fear and confusion, sharpening their knives… to save people!
…
…
Guandu, Yuan Army Grand Camp, Central Army Tent.
After the battle, Yuan's camp appeared exceptionally dilapidated and desolate. Countless broken armors were scattered on the ground, and the Yuan character banners, trampled countless times, had become dusty. All of this undoubtedly represented the decline of the Yuan family!
Inside the Central Army Tent at this moment.
Lu Yu and Cao Cao were both present. After concluding their conversation with Ju Shou, Cao Cao accompanied Lu Yu here.
In fact, the spoils of war captured from Yuan's army were quite abundant, including countless gold, silver, jewelry, silks, and precious antiques.
However…
Among these, what interested Cao Cao the most was Yuan Shao's grand tent. He wanted to see what books Yuan Shao usually read and with whom he had written what letters!
From these books and letters, Cao Cao could infer what Yuan Shao was thinking.
Of course.
Cao Cao was not disappointed. Many books were found in the Central Army Tent. These books were mostly prepared for establishing a new regime. From this, it could be seen that Yuan Shao had no intention of supporting the Han; his intention was always to overthrow the Han… his Yuan family wanted to become emperor themselves.
From this perspective, calling him Yuan Shao a traitor was not at all contradictory!
Besides that, there were letters…
Most of these letters were for Yuan Shao to communicate with various factions. They clearly demonstrated Yuan Shao's style of handling state affairs from the organization of the Guandu campaign to the stalemate, and before his defeat. Cao Cao was very interested in these.
Of course…
Lu Yu was even more interested.
Because, according to historical records, Cao Cao found two full chests of letters, and more than half of these letters were pledges of loyalty written by his subordinates to Yuan Shao!
This was actually easy to understand…
After all, Yuan Shao's army, territory, and reputation were greater than Cao Cao's.
Although Cao Cao held the Emperor, his subordinates had a complex factional structure: some were loyal to the Han dynasty, some were loyal to Cao's camp, and others were opportunists, playing both sides.
Who wouldn't want to leave themselves a fallback?
But then…
An unexpected event occurred.
After searching the entire Yuan Shao's tent, among all the letters exchanged by Yuan Shao, there were surprisingly few secret overtures from Cao's camp officials and generals!
This…
Lu Yu's eyes darted, and he felt this matter was very strange and mysterious!
Of course, there might be one or two…
This made Cao Cao, who was excited about the victory, suddenly frown.
"Minister Lu, I never imagined… you and I fought bravely on the front lines, yet there are so many despicable individuals in the imperial court secretly colluding with Yuan Shao! How do you think this matter should be handled?"
This…
Lu Yu blinked his eyes. If this were the Battle of Guandu in history, Cao Cao would have found a basketful of letters, involving hundreds of officials.
If these were to be punished, the entire central plains might fall into unrest. Therefore… to stabilize the situation, Cao Cao took the action of burning all these officials' letters with fire, and he also said: "When Yuan Shao was at his peak, even I felt overwhelmed and found it difficult to protect myself, let alone others?"
Do not underestimate such a sentence. This fragment of words could make those who played both sides feel ashamed, thus dedicating their loyalty to Cao Cao in the future.
One must know that Cao Cao's strategy of attacking the heart was also extremely brilliant!
But… as for now!
Perhaps because of Lu Yu's appearance, Cao's camp had more advantages. Or perhaps… because of his reputation as Yin Lin, even more people chose to stand firmly by Cao Cao's side!
In conclusion… the course of history had already changed somewhat.
Then…
"Minister Lu, doesn't His Excellency Cao always adhere to 'heavy punishment in times of chaos'? Why is he acting like a woman in this matter?"
"Hahaha…"
After hearing Lu Yu's words, Cao Cao laughed heartily. He was the "number one butcher of the Three Kingdoms" at heart. How could he be indecisive?
However, such a question was to test whether Yu'er would show leniency!
He was very satisfied with Yu'er's answer…
Just as he was about to speak…
Lu Yu's words continued. "Your Excellency Cao, if… only punishing those on the letters is too meaningless!"
Hmm.
Cao Cao's eyes narrowed slightly. Yu'er's words had hidden meaning.
"What does Minister Lu mean?"
"Isn't there always someone in the court who opposes Your Excellency Cao? It's a good opportunity to solve the problem once and for all."
Hoo…
Cao Cao exhaled.
Instantly, he thought of the person by the Emperor's side… the mighty General Protector of the State who was loyal to the Han dynasty – Fu Wan!
Yu'er's intention was to use this matter of letters to bring down the Fu family!
Hiss.
Thinking of this, Cao Cao slowly closed his eyes. He was weighing the pros and cons of doing so…
However, soon.
"Haha… Hahaha…"
Cao Cao laughed heartily. He patted Lu Yu's shoulder, revealing a brilliant smile like an old father.
Gu Zhuan </span>Lu Yu… No, to be precise, Cao Yu, as Cao Cao's chosen successor…
Cao Cao never worried about his intelligence or talent.
The only thing Cao Cao worried about was his personality. It seemed Yu'er's personality was completely detached from "decisive action." Cao Cao worried that his personality would not win the support of others!
Now, it was good…
This "small matter" showed that Yu'er was by no means a benevolent person. Yu'er also had a strong and fierce spirit in his bones!
Heh heh…
– Those who dare to obstruct the great cause shall die!
With this thought…
"Where is Zhongkang?" Cao Cao called out.
"Your subordinate is here." Xu Chu cupped his fists.
Cao Cao waved his hand and pointed at the letters, "Do you know what to do?"
Although Xu Chu's mind was not sharp, his emotional intelligence was very high. How could he not understand Cao Cao's words…
Moreover, he was very familiar with doing such things.
"Your Excellency Cao, rest assured, this matter is foolproof!"
"Good…"
Cao Cao signaled Xu Chu to handle it… then, he invited Lu Yu to accompany him for a walk along the Yellow River.
…
The Yellow River rolled on, winding and surging!
When Lu Yu and Cao Cao reached this place… it was just as the Yellow River was surging, with tens of thousands of dragon-like scales, writhing, intertwining, crowding, biting, raising their heads and flicking their tails, as if… carrying thunder and lightning all the way, roaring forward.
"Minister Lu, wasn't this Battle of Guandu as surging, perilous, fierce, and powerful as this Yellow River?"
Cao Cao lamented…
Lu Yu blinked his eyes and replied, "Your Excellency Cao cannot always dwell on past glories. Indeed… in the Battle of Guandu, which the world has focused on, Your Excellency Cao won. But in fact, there are more things to do next. The offensive and defensive positions have reversed. How to march north… how to destroy Yuan Shao in one go, this is the urgent matter!"
"A hundred-footed worm dies but does not stiffen, let alone a colossus like Yuan Shao… We cannot give him even a moment's respite!"
Lu Yu sighed repeatedly…
Cao Cao nodded his head. "Yes, a hundred-footed worm dies but does not stiffen… When have I, Cao Cao, not wished to raise my arm and march north with hundreds of thousands of soldiers against Yuan Shao, to annex the four prefectures of Qing, You, Ji, and Bing! But… Ju Shou's words struck me back from my ideal into reality!"
Speaking of this, Cao Cao's brow suddenly furrowed.
As if in an instant, he aged ten years…
It was easy to be a fleeting hero, but… how difficult it was to be a hegemon who commanded respect all around and made the four seas submit!
"Grain supplies, coupled with these four hundred thousand surrendered soldiers, the six hundred thousand armored soldiers here at Guandu, the daily consumption of military grain is indeed a terrifying number…"
"Also, the morale… the four hundred thousand surrendered soldiers are in Cao's camp, but their hearts are in the northern territories. Where are their parents, wives, and children? Who doesn't miss home?"
Speaking of this, Cao Cao paused.
"Minister Lu, this is like two great mountains… pressing down on me, Cao Cao, making me unable to breathe. Marching north? How easy is it to talk about?"
Cao Cao spoke his true feelings…
Who wouldn't want to unify the world? But unifying the world requires the hearts of the people and grain. Without these two things, unifying the world is just a beautiful vision. To realize it is too difficult.
Of course…
These two pain points and difficulties were something Lu Yu had considered in advance. Hearing Cao Cao speak like this, he simply stated it directly.
"Your Excellency Cao, actually… I had already considered these two problems!"
Hmm…
As these words left his mouth, Cao Cao's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he questioned, "Considered?"
"That's right, first, the grain. Lu Yu spoke eloquently. "The spoils of war captured from Yuan's camp, combined with the restoration of supply lines and urgent deployment from the central plains, and transport from Xudu, not to mention for too long… at least for a month, we can still hold on!" Daifeng Novel
"And during this month… if Your Excellency Cao trusts me… please dispatch me to Xuzhou to procure grain. Within a month, I will surely be able to procure some grain to alleviate the immediate crisis. Within three months, I will surely be able to procure enough grain for two years!"
This…
Xuzhou? Yu'er is going to Xuzhou to procure grain?
Lu Yu's words surprised Cao Cao!
Of course, Xuzhou was called the granary of the world, and its grain was the most abundant. It was indeed a way to break the deadlock!
But… there was a difficulty, a huge difficulty!
Before, Cao Cao, in order to stabilize the situation in the central plains, had adopted Lu Yu's strategy of "Xuzhou governing Xuzhou…" which meant granting a high degree of autonomy to the officials of Xuzhou.
Because of this, how easy was it to collect two years of grain for a force of six hundred thousand from Xuzhou, which had a high degree of autonomy?
Even if the gentry and common people of Xuzhou had grain, but… if they refused to give it, what could you do?
"Minister Lu, this is not a joke…"
Cao Cao's expression became serious.
Lu Yu, however, looked quite confident. "Your Excellency Cao, rest assured, I am willing to sign a military pledge… If I fail to procure grain, I will accept military punishment! However, I have a request. If I succeed in procuring grain, then… I hope Your Excellency Cao will approve it!"
Hoo…
This? A request?
Cao Cao let out a sigh and quickly asked, "What request? If you put it forward now, I will approve it immediately. What's the harm?"
"No… the time is not right yet!" Lu Yu waved his hand. He took out a letter from his怀 and handed it to Cao Cao. "This is my request. Please open it on the day I succeed in procuring grain!"
"I promise you!"
Cao Cao nodded…
For some inexplicable reason, because Yu'er voluntarily took on the heavy responsibility of procuring grain, Cao Cao's gloomy mood suddenly cleared up.
Just…
"What about the morale? Minister Lu must have also made arrangements for this morale, right?" Cao Cao continued to ask.
"That's right!" Lu Yu nodded. He beckoned Cao Cao to lean closer.
Cao Cao slightly lowered his body and brought his ear close to Lu Yu's mouth.
Immediately…
Lu Yu's consecutive words came out in a very low and faint voice.
Cao Cao's eyes went from narrowed to open, then to wide, and finally, his eyes widened.
"xxx, xxx, xxx!"
Yu'er's strategy was so insidious!
"Minister Lu, this…" Cao Cao was about to speak, to discuss the plan and the operation in detail.
Who would have thought…
At this moment…
"Tap tap tap" footsteps sounded along the banks of the Yellow River, the footsteps heavy and urgent… clearly indicating an important matter.
From afar, the hurried voice had already come.
– "Big Brother, it's bad… it's bad!"
Cao Cao and Lu Yu turned around and saw Xiahou Yuan running towards them. This brother, who had always been fast since childhood, covered a hundred paces in mere seconds and arrived.
"What is this great panic?" Cao Cao asked urgently.
Xiahou Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Xudu… Xudu has been attacked. Liu Bei… Liu Bei, along with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei… in collusion with the remnants of the Yellow Turban rebels Liu Pi, Pei Yuanshao, Zhou Cang, and others, launched an attack on Xudu with thirty thousand troops through a small road. Yesterday… yesterday they had already set out!"
What?
Upon hearing this…
Cao Cao and Lu Yu were both stunned. This was one wave after another!
The protracted Battle of Guandu had just ended, the issue of grain supplies had not yet been resolved, and the morale issue was an even greater hidden danger. Yet… yet at this moment, Liu Bei was marching from Runan to Xudu. He… he really knew how to pick his timing!
"Not good…"
Cao Cao exclaimed, "Xudu City is only a hundred li from Runan. One can depart in the morning and arrive in the evening. Moreover, Xudu City now only has three thousand old and weak soldiers. Apart from Lord Xun, there is not even a decent general!"
Cao Cao, whose mood had just eased due to Lu Yu's words, suddenly frowned again.
This… this was a prelude to great trouble!
"Liu Bei… Liu Bei's objective is not Xudu!" Lu Yu spoke, his statement incredibly certain. "The Emperor, Liu Bei wants to abduct the Emperor!"
That's right… according to Lu Yu's analysis.
Liu Bei must have known that the Battle of Guandu had officially begun with the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan. And this was the weakest time for Cao Cao… it was the only time he could abduct the Emperor.
Considering the Fu family might assist in this, the possibility of Liu Bei abducting the Emperor… was not low!
The most crucial point was that even if troops were sent back to reinforce them now…
Time, time was already too late!
"Not good! Truly not good!"
Rarely, Lu Yu's brow furrowed.
Think about it, what was Xudu City facing now?
– Liu, Guan, Zhang, and thirty thousand rebel soldiers!
– The assistance of imperial court officials as internal traitors!
– And… and time… precise timing!
And what did Xudu City have?
– Three thousand old and weak soldiers?
– A Shangshu Ling, Xun Yu, who was as weak as a chicken?
– And… and a group of immature college students?
Could they… could they hold on!
Let alone Cao Cao, even Lu Yu's brow was now covered with a thick layer of gloom!
Just then…
"Oh no…"
Xiahou Yuan suddenly thought of something. "If that big-eared bandit marched north from Runan, he would inevitably pass through Rangshan. And… and my niece, every day… every day she goes to Rangshan to pick firewood!"
Suddenly…
Xiahou Yuan's brow furrowed tightly.
He had many sons, but he cherished his niece, entrusted to him by his dying brother, the most – Xiahou Juan!
"Juan'er… you… you must not have anything happen to you!"
At this moment, Xiahou Yuan's eyes were filled with worry. He was panicked, and he was panicked from the bottom of his heart!
…
…