At the entrance of Bowang Slope, within the Cao army camp, Lu Yu, dressed in sturdy attire, was about to inspect the flying ball camp with Zhuge Jun, who was similarly dressed. Dian Wei entered. "Young Master, someone from the intelligence office is here to report."
"Is it urgent?" Lu Yu asked.
"Yes!" Dian Wei didn't say much, but his eyes revealed that it wasn't just urgent, but also a matter of great importance.
"Kong Ren (Zhuge Jun's courtesy name), you go to the flying ball camp first."
"Understood!"
Zhuge Jun swiftly departed upon receiving the order. Lu Yu then beckoned Dian Wei. "Summon the person to the main military tent."
"Yes!" Dian Wei acknowledged and went to fetch the messenger.
Not long after, an intelligence officer entered. He was about to pay his respects when Lu Yu raised his hand.
"No need for formalities. Report directly."
Without hesitation, the officer spoke, "Reporting to Censor Lu, five days ago, Sima Fang, along with his seven sons, trespassed into the imperial palace. They were burned to death by Commander Ma Teng with Xiliang armored soldiers! On Sima Yi's journey back to Luoyang from Ye City, he was ambushed, and along with his wife Zhang Chunhua, they fell into a river. Their fate is unknown. It has been investigated that the assassins were Xiliang troops dispatched by Commander Ma Teng."
This...
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu merely paused.
To the officer's surprise, Lu Yu did not appear overly astonished. In fact, his gaze was as calm as a lake, undisturbed.
This... is very strange!
"Sima Fang burned? Was the fire in the palace large enough?" Lu Yu asked nonchalantly.
Ah...
The officer was momentarily taken aback, then replied, "The fire was immense. I heard the entire Azure Dragon Gate was engulfed in flames, and it took half the night to extinguish!"
"Large fire, large smoke. That's good!"
Lu Yu murmured to himself.
He rested his hand on his chin, contemplated for a moment, and continued, "And the river where Sima Zhongda fell? Was the river rapid? Were there hidden reefs?"
"Yes!" the officer reported truthfully. "Most likely, Sima Zhongda and his wife will not survive..."
Oh...
Lu Yu nodded again, but his mind was racing.
As expected of you, Old Poison Jia!
In this world, such a method, capable of deceiving even the intelligence office's eyes, could only be conceived by you, Old Poison Jia. A brilliant stratagem of crossing the sea under disguise. Impressive...
"Alright, you may go," Lu Yu waved his hand dismissively.
The officer, however, was startled. "Censor Lu, won't you ask a few more questions?"
In the officer's view, the Sima clan of Henei was involved in this incident, and more importantly, Sima Yi, Lu Yu's direct disciple.
And unlike these two names, the Sima clan, let alone in Henei, was an influential family throughout the Great Han.
The ancestor of the Sima clan was named Sima Ang, a general of the Zhao state who followed Xiang Yu into Guanzhong after the Battle of Julu.
After the fall of Qin, Xiang Yu declared himself the Hegemon King of Western Chu and enfeoffed eighteen lords. Among them, the lands of Wei were divided into Western Wei and Yin, and Sima Ang was enfeoffed as the King of Yin.
Later, during the Chu-Han contention, Liu Bang advanced into Chu territory. Sima Ang was captured and surrendered to King Han Liu Bang. His territory became Henei Commandery. In April of the same year, after the Battle of Pengcheng, he was killed by Chu forces. His descendants then settled permanently in Henei, establishing a lineage for centuries.
It was no exaggeration to say that from the fall of Qin after the Battle of Julu, through the Chu-Han contention, to the eventual establishment of the Great Han dynasty, the Sima family had been deeply rooted in Henei for many years. Their disciples and former officials had long since spread beyond Henei, throughout the realm.
Across the entire Great Han, the Sima clan of Henei was second only to colossal powers like the Yuan clan of Runan and the Yang clan of Hongnong.
Even the Xun clan of Yingchuan paled in comparison.
Sima Fang's nocturnal palace intrusion and Sima Yi's fall into the river were events that could shake the world. Yet, Lu Yu remained so calm, without the slightest ripple of disturbance.
Of course...
Little did they know, Lu Yu was far from calm; his mind was actively calculating.
A large fire in the palace meant plenty of smoke, and plenty of smoke could create a convincing illusion.
A sufficiently rapid river would lead people to believe the Sima family was utterly finished, and thus, this symbol would be completely erased.
Ultimately, Cao Cao dreamt of three horses eating trough and harbored lingering fears.
However, Lu Yu also had concerns about the Sima family.
The best way to eliminate these concerns was to sever all their connections with the literati, thus preventing them from becoming a threat.
Of course, when Lu Yu had discussed this plan with Cao Cao, he had only mentioned it in passing.
As expected, soon, when the clans allied with the Sima clan of Henei and the indignant civil officials reacted, Jia Xu would silence the masses with numerous personal letters from Sima Fang.
Everyone would tacitly understand, and part ways. The small clique led by the Sima clan of Henei would completely disintegrate.
As for Sima Yi...
Lu Yu mused that he would likely come to find him after miraculously surviving. However, he wondered what his reaction would be, and what his thoughts would be, upon learning the truth.
At least, though the Sima clan was gone, all his close family members were still alive!
Just as he thought this...
"Zi Yu, Zi Yu..."
From a distance, he heard Xiahou Dun's boisterous call.
Entering the tent, Xiahou Dun immediately sat on a stool, as if it were his own tent—very unrestrained and casual.
"Big Brother, why have you come in such a hurry?" Lu Yu proactively asked.
Xiahou Dun's booming voice rang out again, "I've been idle these past few days, so I dispatched a team skilled in rock climbing. They scaled the mountains and bypassed that Bagua formation."
As he spoke, Xiahou Dun's tone rose, clearly quite pleased with himself.
"Big Brother must have discovered something?"
"Haha!" Xiahou Dun leaned towards Lu Yu. "Esteemed Brother, guess what? Liu Bei has fled... He abandoned the city and fled. The entire city of Xinye is now an empty shell. Esteemed Brother... are you still waiting for Xu Yuanzhi to break the Bagua formation? If we wait any longer, Liu Bei will have already reached Jingzhou."
As these words left his mouth.
"Hahahaha..."
A hearty laugh echoed from outside the tent. Hearing this laughter, Xiahou Dun was startled. Who else could have such a distinctive voice but his elder brother Cao Cao?
This...
Xiahou Dun quickly turned around. Standing before him was Cao Cao, and beside Cao Cao, in addition to Xu Chu, was another person—none other than Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi!
"Yuan Rang, long time no see! The battle at Bowang Slope, you won splendidly!"
Cao Cao said, striding to Xiahou Dun's side and clapping him on the shoulder.
"Big... Big Brother? Why... why are you here?"
Xiahou Dun looked astonished!
Cao Cao remained silent, only laughing heartily.
It was Xu Shu, standing beside them, who spoke, "General Xiahou, surely you don't believe that the Marquis of Baima cannot break the Bagua formation?"
Uh...
Xiahou Dun looked back at Lu Yu.
Lu Yu was also slightly surprised, though he remained quite composed.
Several days prior, he had heard that after Madam Gan was secretly sent away, Cao Cao had spread word that he would "not hold court for three days." However, after spending the night together, Cao Cao had rushed to Wancheng.
Luoyang was not far from Wancheng, and two days and one night were enough for the journey.
Along with him came an army of three hundred thousand.
Cao Cao intended to resolve the southern issues once and for all.
"Yuan Zhi, I can at most set up an Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. I truly cannot break this Bagua formation... However..." Lu Yu deliberately created suspense. Seeing Xiahou Dun's extreme curiosity, he continued, "However, I never intended to break his Bagua formation. Liu Bei, being someone so adept at concealing his intentions, cannot be allowed to see through the plan."
As he finished speaking, Lu Yu winked.
Xiahou Dun seemed to understand. "Then... Xinye city is currently an empty shell, and we are waiting for Xu Yuanzhi to break the Bagua formation. Then, our army of three hundred thousand will march south, and wherever we go, we will surely sweep all before us! We will take Jingzhou in one fell swoop!"
Xiahou Dun's words were quite spirited.
Even Cao Cao was momentarily taken aback. Cao Cao said, "Yuan Rang, you don't know yet, do you? Jingzhou is already ours!"
Ah... ah...
Xiahou Dun still didn't understand, his mind filled with question marks. He had clearly not yet connected Jingzhou with a certain woman.
But Cao Cao, Xu Shu, and Lu Yu exchanged meaningful glances, and hearty laughter erupted once more.
Laughter filled the tent, but at that very moment.
"Young Master..." Dian Wei entered and reported, "Uncle Liu seeks an audience..."
Upon hearing this.
Lu Yu's laughter immediately ceased.
"Quickly, quickly send for Uncle Liu!"
In his view, Lu Yu had no faith in Xiahou Dun's so-called intelligence capabilities. Liu Ye, however, was different. He gathered intelligence from the vantage point of a hot air balloon, which provided an unobstructed view.
The difference in intelligence gathering was not insignificant.
For a moment, all eyes turned towards the tent entrance.
Liu Ye arrived, dusty and travel-worn.
"The flying ball camp has had hot air balloons return. As predicted by the Marquis of Baima, Xinye city is indeed an empty shell, but it is surrounded by ambushes. Countless archers are poised, their arrows unreleased. We don't know what Zhuge Liang is planning!"
As these words were spoken...
Xiahou Dun was startled. He was also gathering information, but... his scouts had not discovered any ambushes.
However, this was not surprising. One was conventional scouting, and the other was aerial reconnaissance. What ambush could evade the aerial view of a hot air balloon?
"Cough cough..."
Xiahou Dun coughed several times, feeling somewhat awkward and even a bit fearful.
If they had truly marched south and entered Xinye city, with ambushes emerging from all sides, who knew what Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were plotting.
"Esteemed Brother, since the enemy has laid ambits, we should proceed with caution and not be careless!"
Xiahou Dun added.
Lu Yu, however, waved his hand. He faced Cao Cao.
"King of Wei, it's time to cast the net!"
Cao Cao pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Zi Yu intends to capture that Liu Bei here?"
"No!" Lu Yu quickly waved his hand. "Liu Bei is an important pawn in King of Wei's hands, a 'worker' for King of Wei, after all. Besides, his greatest skill is escaping. When he runs, he can use his wife and brothers as shields. Capturing him is not easy. It would be better to take this opportunity to win the hearts of the people of the nine commanderies of Jingzhou!"
Phew...
Cao Cao exhaled softly. Yu'er intends to win hearts?
It is said that capturing a city is easy, but winning hearts is difficult!
The nine commanderies of Jingzhou were already within his grasp, but how to win the hearts of its people?
For a moment, Cao Cao's mind was filled with doubts.
...
...
Upon the rippling blue sea, on an island off the western coast of Yamatai,
"Ships, ships!"
"One, two... three, four... seven, eight... over a dozen ships!"
The fishermen on the island gazed towards the horizon.
More than a dozen ships was considered a grand fleet by the fishermen of Yamatai. This was because the manufacturing blueprints for deep-sea vessels in Yamatai were always passed down to the Queen alone.
This meant that only the Queen could build so many ships... such a magnificent fleet.
But... ever since the Queen's defeat in the war against Kunu Country, she had not reappeared in Yamatai. Consequently, these deep-sea vessels had vanished from the harbors.
"Could it be..."
"The Queen has returned? It's the Queen returning!"
A group of fishermen shouted loudly. They no longer cared about fishing and hurried to spread the news.
This indicated the immense influence of Queen Himiko of Yamatai within her own country.
On the ships.
Himiko stood on the deck, gazing at the country that rightfully belonged to her. Now, due to Kunu Country, she had lost her rule.
However... thankfully, she... he had returned, bringing with him a navy known as the "Dragon Soaring Camp."
Thinking of this, Himiko inexplicably felt a surge of sadness.
"It's not a naval battle, how boring, how boring..."
Gan Ning looked at a large trident, shaking his head in boredom.
He had been ordered by Lu Yu to lead the Dragon Soaring Camp navy to Yamatai for practical combat training. Unexpectedly... as they traveled here and were about to land, they encountered no resistance at all.
In this manner, all the naval training during this period had been in vain, completely unused!
Himiko sensed Gan Ning's frustration and explained, "Our Yamatai Country is surrounded by the sea, and there are too many places to land, thus it is impossible to establish defenses. Furthermore, it is a league of various small states. Kunu Country may have defeated me, but it is unlikely to have made all thirty-odd small states submit!"
"And among these small states, some may only have two or three warships, while others may not even have warships, let alone the means to defend the coastline. However, once we land, Kunu Country will quickly receive word and come with forces to attack. The generals should prepare yourselves."
"Let them come," Lu Bu, standing nearby, murmured. "I was worried I wouldn't find them!"
It was no wonder Lu Bu thought this.
Even after extensive naval training recently, Lu Bu could barely fight enemies with a short blade on deck. Compared to land combat, his advantage, the use of polearms, was still unable to be fully utilized.
Land combat, which he had not experienced for a long time, was finally within reach, so it was no wonder Lu Bu was so excited.
"Father..." Lü Lingqi reminded him. "Father, don't forget the purpose of this expedition! The Marquis of Baima has repeatedly sent letters..."
As these words left her mouth.
Himiko spoke first, "Miss Lü, please rest assured. If you can help me regain my regime, the entire Yamatai Country, all fifty-odd warships will be gifted to Great Wei. As the Queen of Yamatai, I shall not go back on my word."
Heh...
Hearing this, Lü Lingqi scoffed inwardly.
She muttered that this Queen of Yamatai was truly underestimating Lu Zi Yu. Since coming to Yamatai, the ships would be wanted by Lu Zi Yu, and Yamatai itself would also be wanted by Lu Zi Yu! He didn't like making choices!
Lü Lingqi was about to say something else.
When suddenly, someone at the bow shouted, "There are enemy forces rapidly gathering on shore! Hundreds... no... a full few thousand people! And... the ranks are continuously expanding!"
Indeed...
At this moment, on the shore, a group of Japanese warriors stood ready with their samurai swords.
Facing the unprovoked invaders, these warriors did not cower; instead, they became excited.
"They are people from Kunu Country..." Himiko quickly reminded them. "I never expected Kunu Country to fortify the port!"
Himiko's voice betrayed a hint of fear.
However...
"Heh heh..." Lu Bu let out a cold snort. His eyes gradually narrowed, and he coldly chanted, "The most foolish thing they did was to let us land!"
Discarding his short blade, Lu Bu took the Fangtian Huaji handed to him by a guard.
Lu Bu gazed at the Fangtian Huaji. Land combat... the long-lost land combat, the long-lost bloodlust, finally, he could fight alongside you again!
Heh heh, in this battle, he would show these well-living Japanese what true "peerless" combat meant!
...
...