Outside the Canglong Gate of the Imperial Palace in Xuchang City.
Xu Chu stood here, with a number of Hu Ben guards behind him, as well as several swift horses.
Within the palace, the covered walkway from Canglong Gate to Chongde Hall had already been cleared of all extraneous personnel, and all doors were wide open!
Xu Chu’s expression was somewhat anxious; he was waiting, waiting for the urgent dispatch from the front lines!
It seemed… this dispatch was arriving a little later than usual!
At this moment.
The sound of hooves, “dadada…”, echoed from the direction of East Street. A rider rushed over in a hurry, a bamboo basket on his back. Within the basket, a bamboo slip wrapped in a bamboo tube was clearly visible!
As if seeing the Hu Ben army, as if seeing Xu Chu, the rider shouted urgently.
“Urgent dispatch, urgent dispatch… Urgent dispatch from Guandu!”
Upon hearing the urgent dispatch from Guandu, Xu Chu’s mood grew even more tense. He strode forward to meet the rider.
“Hand it over!”
The rider quickly dismounted and opened the bamboo tube, handing the bamboo slip within to Xu Chu.
Xu Chu unfolded it in a hurry, but… suddenly, he discovered an embarrassing fact: he was illiterate…
The messy handwriting before his eyes; each character recognized him, the “Tiger Fool” Xu Chu, but not one did Xu Chu recognize!
Then…
Uh… Xu Chu scratched his head, even closing the bamboo slip. “Just tell me, did we win or lose?”
The rider was stunned, then replied truthfully, “Great victory… Situ Lu flooded the Yuan army, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry annihilated a hundred thousand enemies!”
Huo…
A hundred thousand? Annihilated a hundred thousand enemies!
Victory reports, to some extent, always had a bit of exaggeration.
Moreover, the exaggeration this time was not much!
Xu Chu paused. He wasn’t sensitive to numbers, but the figure of a hundred thousand was quite familiar… It seemed that the total troop strength Cao Sikong stationed at Guandu was only a hundred thousand, and the troops gathered from various places in Xuchang City recently… also amounted to a hundred thousand!
But… annihilating a hundred thousand enemies?
Did that mean… Yuan Shao had lost the equivalent of “all the troops in Cao’s camp at Guandu!”
This… so many?
Xu Chu gasped, then couldn’t help but part his lips, revealing a smile of amazement.
“Monster, Young Master Lu is truly a monster!”
Haha…
Xu Chu laughed, laughing exceptionally heartily.
Just then, Xu Chu suddenly remembered something… “Aiya!”
… He clenched his left hand into a fist and pounded it into his right palm. “Quickly, get on your horse and go to Chongde Hall! Cao Gong is waiting for this victory report to intimidate those wavering rascals!”
…
…
Inside Chongde Hall, this morning’s court session had begun in the morning and continued until noon… it was already lunchtime!
But…
The urgent dispatch had still not arrived.
In stark contrast to Cao Cao’s patience and calmness, more and more court officials stepped forward to discuss and predict the failure of the front-line war!
It wasn’t that everyone was wavering and secretly corresponding with Yuan Shao with ulterior motives.
One had to know that in the entire court, besides the traitorous faction and the pro-war faction, there was also a faction – the peace faction!
They had not defected, but they advocated for peace, for seeking peace!
Ultimately, it was… Yuan Shao’s southward advance that had caused the entire Central Plains to panic… to become chaotic…
The people were not united!
Shangshu Ling Xun Yu thoughtfully instructed a clerk to inform the imperial chefs to prepare food for His Majesty and the officials.
It seemed that…
If no urgent dispatch was received from the front lines today, Cao Sikong intended to wait it out.
Of course, this was also a helpless move. They couldn’t let these court officials truly spread emotions of “fear,” “panic,” and “imminent disaster” throughout the Central Plains.
Hoo…
Xun Yu sighed. Being perceptive, he naturally understood best that the court now needed a decisive voice, and the Central Plains needed a great victory to unite the people!
The battle at Yanjin… was too, too, too, too important.
With this thought, Xun Yu cast a glance at Cao Cao discreetly.
Seeing that he remained calm and composed, Xun Yu subconsciously shook his head. Although Cao Sikong appeared calm and collected… this time, there was also an element of gambling involved!
“Cao Sikong… please listen to me one more time.”
Throughout the morning, Kong Rong’s mouth had not stopped talking.
Cao Cao could distinguish that he was not a traitor, but rather… a proponent of peace!
Precisely this part of the peace faction was a force that needed to be won over, not only focusing on the current decisive battle between Cao and Yuan, but also looking towards the future, towards pacifying the northern territories!
“Cao Sikong, it is true that our army has achieved some small victories before, but it is undeniable that Yuan Shao has captured three cities in succession, and the front line has already moved from north of the Yellow River to south of the Yellow River. Guandu is the last barrier!”
“Yuan Shao is powerful, and his momentum is strong. I suggest we avoid battle and seek peace, prolong the time, observe the situation, and then strike back at our convenience!”
As Kong Rong’s words fell…
“I second that!”
“I second that!”
“I second that!”
The officials of the peace faction said in unison!
Cao Cao remained silent, unwilling to engage with them… But the constant negative words made Cao Cao feel somewhat dejected, and he sighed, shaking his head helplessly.
But before he could shake his head twice…
At this moment, the sound of hooves, “dadada”, echoed outside Chongde Hall.
Someone was clearly riding a horse.
It was known that riding horses was not permitted in the palace.
Therefore… the one riding a horse now must be the Hu Ben army arranged by Cao Cao, it was Xu Chu…
… He’s here, the urgent dispatch is here!
Cao Cao’s gaze fixed.
Next, with a neigh from the warhorse, Xu Chu dismounted and practically barged into Chongde Hall. His face was beaming with joy, and his roaring voice followed:
“Great victory, great victory from the front lines!”
Great victory?
The officials heard it, but did not seem overly excited. After all, there had been several “great victories” before, but were not Yiyang City, Baima City, and Yanjin City all lost?
It was simply a great victory for nothing!
And Xu Chu continued, “Great victory at Yanjin, great victory at Yanjin!”
Yanjin? Great victory?
This time, all the court officials were even more bewildered. Lu Yu had already given up Yanjin, so how could there be a great victory? Was it another case of exchanging a city for the deaths of some enemies?
Exchanging cities for heads?
Was this deal really worth it?
As this thought arose, Cao Cao quickly walked to Xu Chu’s side and snatched the bamboo slip he was handing over.
Xu Chu was illiterate… how could he explain how it was a great victory?
But just the words “great victory” were enough to make the stone that had been hanging over Cao Cao’s heart finally settle.
His eyes were fixed on the bamboo slip, and a brilliant smile gradually spread across his lips.
“Hahahaha…”
A devilish laugh erupted, echoing in everyone’s ears!
He exhaled heavily. As expected, Yuan Shao’s mighty southward advance had been resolved by Lu Yu… by Lu Yu using a water attack!
This was somewhat reminiscent of the time he flooded Xiapi when fighting Lu Bu!
Cao Cao was overjoyed, and his laughter grew louder, as if even the tiles on Chongde Hall could feel Cao Cao’s excited mood.
Amidst this devilish laughter, Cao Cao raised his voice and shouted:
“Urgent dispatch from the front lines, Situ Lu flooded the Yuan army, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry annihilated a hundred thousand enemies! Yuan Shao’s army was routed, and retreated north of the Yellow River! Yanjin and Baima have been lost and recovered!”
This…
As Cao Cao’s words blurted out, the entire assembly was astonished.
Of course… despite their astonishment, everyone was still skeptical of this urgent dispatch, thinking to themselves, could it be that you, Cao Cao, fabricated it to stabilize people’s hearts and the situation?
Is this self-deception?
Cao Cao naturally saw through their thoughts and flicked his long sleeves.
“The battle on the Yellow River, I believe you all have heard or sent scouts. Since the first urgent dispatch has arrived, the subsequent ones will follow. Now, I will allow your attendants to return to their residences to inquire and tell you whether this great victory is true or false? Let me tell you how badly Yuan Shao was defeated? How pitifully?”
As these words came out…
Cao Cao withdrew the Hu Ben guards outside Chongde Hall, allowing the attendants of these court officials to go outside the hall. Indeed, many court officials, harboring doubts, walked over to instruct their attendants to return home and confirm!
Just then…
The eunuch Leng Shouguang whispered a few words in the ear of the State Grandfather Fu Wan.
In an instant, State Grandfather Fu Wan’s expression changed.
“No need to inquire!” Fu Wan stepped forward. “His Majesty is concerned about the front-line war, and the scouts sent out have already returned with news!”
“Great victory from the front lines. Situ Lu calculated that a torrential rain would cause the river embankment to break, so he intentionally gave up Yanjin City, moved the people of Yanjin to Guandu, and lured Yuan Shao’s forty-five thousand strong army into Yanjin!”
“That night… the Bian River embankment broke, and the Bian River poured into Yanjin City. General Xiahou, General Cao Chun, and General Guan Yu led the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to attack, annihilating a hundred thousand enemies! Yuan Shao’s army was routed, and retreated north of the Yellow River to Liyang City… Yuan Shao fell ill and could not get up, and the morale of Yuan’s army was low!”
Fu Wan’s voice was not loud, but… at this moment, it carried a deafening weight.
Frankly speaking, the Fu family did not want Cao Cao to hold great power, but they also did not want Yuan Shao to attack Xuchang!
On the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan, Fu Wan… and indeed, many Han officials, held a neutral stance.
However, the facts…
Facts spoke louder than words!
Indeed, as Fu Wan’s words came out, the entire assembly fell silent…
Everyone knew that Fu Wan and Cao Cao belonged to different factions.
If it were not the truth, he would never have lied for Cao Cao.
At this moment… all the court officials were as if stunned, standing in place, their inner emotions unable to calm down for a long time. The most exaggerated were those who were ready to surrender; they felt like they had been screwed…
How could it be that after secretly establishing contact with Yuan Shao, they were immediately… drowned… slaughtered? And retreated north of the Yellow River?
Suddenly, these people felt like ten thousand mud horses were galloping through their hearts.
Even worse, these mud horses in their hearts were also screwing the dogs!
Despair… utter despair!
…
“Do you all still remember?”
At this moment, Cao Cao felt that the atmosphere was ripe!
He suddenly turned around and said loudly, “How many troops did Yuan Shao bring when he advanced south? Do you all still remember?”
This…
Everyone looked at each other, and Cao Cao answered his own question.
“Fifty-five thousand! Coupled with the two heroes of Hebei, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and the talents of Jizhou, Ju Shou and Tian Feng! The army was well-equipped and invincible! But what about now? Look at Yuan Shao now? After only a few months, Tian Feng was imprisoned, Yan Liang’s army was defeated, Wen Chou directly lost his head on the battlefield, and even Ju Shou was stripped of his command and dismissed!”
“Fifty-five thousand? Now, after subtracting eight from seventy, there are less than forty thousand left, right? Even forty thousand is too many! Haha, now that Yuan’s army has suffered these three defeats, retreating north of the Yellow River overnight, their morale is scattered, and their spirit is gone! An army without morale, even if there are still forty thousand, is it still frightening?”
“Haha, not frightening at all… But there are people in our court who are secretly corresponding with Yuan Shao at this time, unaware that Yuan Shao is already on the verge of collapse! He is on the verge of collapse! Open your eyes and look! The current situation, I, Cao Cao, can confidently say that as long as Situ Lu is at Guandu for one day, Yuan Shao will not be able to pass the Guandu pass. As long as Situ Lu is with Yuan Shao for one year, Yuan Shao’s troops will only become fewer and fewer!”
“Forty thousand, haha, why don’t you all look forward with me to the next victory report from the front lines. How many troops will Yuan Shao have left? Thirty-five thousand? Twenty-five thousand? Or fifteen thousand… Hahaha, I, Cao Cao, am particularly looking forward to it. How much longer can Yuan Shao afford to lose these forty thousand people?”
Resounding…
Cao Cao’s words, every word, every sentence, was extremely sonorous! His eyes were like blades, sweeping over the court officials, making those wavering court officials… tremble all over!
In fact, even after hearing this urgent dispatch for some time.
Most of the court officials were still in a state of shock and disbelief.
But…
Even more unbelievable than Lu Yu flooding the Yuan army was Cao Cao…
It was Cao Cao’s expression, words, and aura today.
Calm and composed, at ease, full of confidence… as if he had already predicted that Lu Yu would achieve a great victory, and predicted that Yuan Shao would be heavily defeated!
Lu Yu alone was terrifying enough.
But… Cao Cao was even more terrifying!
Terrifying to the point that… his trust in Lu Yu, his confidence in Lu Yu, was almost suffocating!
“Hahaha… why is everyone silent! Do you think I’m wrong?”
Cao Cao paced among the court officials, with a leisurely air. “Are you still afraid of Yuan Shao’s remaining thirty-odd thousand demoralized troops? Or… are you still wondering why I, Cao Cao, am so calm and composed today, as if I had already foreseen Situ Lu’s great victory over the Yuan army!”
Tap tap…
Cao Cao deliberately walked past those wavering officials, his steps heavy and low…
Sending chills into their hearts!
“Actually, when I was around twenty years old, I greatly admired old brother Yuan Shao… because his ancestors held the position of the Four Lords for generations, and his former students and acquaintances were all over the world. My grandfather was a eunuch, and I felt inferior to him and was often ridiculed by Yuan Shao!”
“When I was around thirty, I served him in the same court. I outwardly respected him, but inwardly I already looked down on him a little. Why? Because he was foolish enough to invite Dong Zhuo to lead troops into the capital, causing chaos throughout the land. He was the source of this chaos! And I had already told him that doing so would only bring a wolf into the house! He would surely bring disaster upon himself!”
“When I was around forty, we each dominated a region, and I simply began to despise him. Why? Because he was a lord, but narrow-minded, shallow, outwardly broad but inwardly jealous, stubborn and suspicious. As a commander, he had plans but no decisiveness, he was fierce in appearance but cowardly in heart, had many troops but no unified command, and his generals were arrogant and his orders unclear! As a father, he allowed his three sons and one nephew to hold military power and contend for the position of heir!”
“He favors relatives over the virtuous. From this, it can be seen that my old brother Yuan Shao, whether as a lord, a father, or a commander, is outwardly solemn but inwardly mediocre! For this very reason, this battle… even six years ago, when I had nothing and settled in Yanzhou, facing internal and external troubles, I had already predicted it! Why is this?”
Cao Cao asked this…
Suddenly, many of the court officials became curious.
Xun Yu took the lead and cupped his hands. “May I ask Cao Sikong, why is this?”
“Hahaha…” Cao Cao laughed heartily. “Because of Lu Yu, or rather… because Yin Lin, who was in Cao’s camp, did not choose the Yuan family’s lineage of the Four Lords!”
Aren’t you always discussing whether Yin Lin is Lu Yu?
Now, at this moment, in this situation… Cao Cao has decided to reveal it. He has decided to openly announce to the world that “Lu Yu is Yin Lin” and “Yin Lin assists Cao”!
And Cao Cao today is more than a little stronger than he was six years ago!
He has the confidence to reveal this, and he has the strength to do so! He is even more confident that he can protect Yin Lin, protect this most cherished eldest son!
Actually, Cao Cao wanted to say more… Yin Lin is surnamed Cao, not Yuan, but the words were on his lips, yet he swallowed them back, choosing to be a little more reserved, a little more low-key for his son!
However…
As these words came out…
Now, everyone became even more curious? Why, because of Yin Lin, could Cao Cao six years ago have predicted this decisive battle between Cao and Yuan that would determine the fate of the world?
Curiosity filled the foreheads of all the court officials, with a large question mark!
…
…
Bing Province, Yanmen Commandery!
Because it bordered the frontiers, it was somewhat influenced by them, and even the cities carried an exotic flair everywhere.
Mud-brick tiled walls, intricately carved railings, stone-cast city walls…
Everywhere exuded an ancient charm.
Today, the wind was strong on the battlements of Yanmen Commandery…
But Yang Xiu stood here, feeling no chill at all, because his heart was extremely hot… burning hot!
The reason was the bamboo slip he held in his hands. This was intelligence from the Yellow River, to be precise, intelligence about the confrontation between Commander Lu and Yuan Shao!
– Great Victory!
– Three battles in a row, three victories in a row!
Yang Xiu’s eyes narrowed as he carefully scanned every word on the bamboo slip.
Defeated Yan Liang, annihilated Wen Chou!
Especially the last battle.
– Situ Lu flooded forty-five thousand Yuan troops! Yuan’s army was routed and fled back to Hebei in panic!
– Nearly two hundred thousand enemies annihilated in three battles!
Upon reaching the end, Yang Xiu was still deeply shaken!
Two hundred thousand? Commander Lu… has he gone mad?
The more he thought about it, the more fervent he became, the more his heart pounded!
One had to know that Yang Xiu, disregarding his relationship with his father, had gained Commander Lu’s trust, betting the “treasure,” betting the future of the Hongnong Yang family!
Admittedly… there was an element of gambling, but fortunately, he had won the bet.
Hoo…
He exhaled heavily. It could be said that… in Yang Xiu’s opinion, the balance of power in the entire Guandu situation had reversed!
“Haha…”
“Good!”
With this thought, Yang Xiu couldn’t help but cheer.
Just then…
Yang Xiu suddenly felt a slight saltiness in his mouth. That wasn’t right. He pondered that he hadn’t cried!
It shouldn’t be… that he was crying already!
This…
Before he could think further!
The saltiness in Yang Xiu’s mouth quickly turned into a “bloody” taste… and then, a not unfamiliar taste of “blood”… it was blood, blood splattered!
Subconsciously, Yang Xiu sensed something was wrong…
Turning to look back,
He saw the armored guards escorting him on the battlements falling one by one.
“Thump, thump, thump!”
Continuous sounds echoed… each person seemed to have only had their neck slit by a sharp blade, and… the speed of this blade was simply too fast, so fast that everyone didn’t even have time to cry out!
If it weren’t for the blood splashing into Yang Xiu’s mouth, he still wouldn’t have… wouldn’t have known!
“Who? Who is it?”
“What do you want? What are you going to do!”
Yang Xiu suppressed the panic in his heart, doing his best to calm himself!
And as this voice fell!
Yang Xiu heard a cold, icy voice reply from the other side.
– “Tong Yuan!”
– “Killing!”
…
…