A new moon leaked its radiance through the window lattice of a side chamber.
Cao Cao felt a bit uneasy. As he reached this place, he saw a graceful figure before him. Drip, drip, drip. Tears streaked the figure's face, followed by a soft, murmuring cry.
"Does the King of Wei remember Lady Gan from the secret chamber?"
As if the emotion had been held back for a long time, only waiting for this moment of explosion, this short sentence was filled with tremolo, breathiness, and anger. It was as if, in an instant, she unleashed all her feelings towards the King of Wei, unleashing them fiercely!
Of course...
This sentence also carried a lot of longing, with a similar effect to "Do you remember Xia Yuhe by the Ming Lake?"
Stomp...
Stomp!
Cao Cao's footsteps faltered. He took a step back sharply, even staggering and almost falling to the ground...
Like smoke, like a dream, like an illusion. Times have changed, years have passed, but what could not fade away was Cao Cao's longing and hope for that person.
This feeling was like Cao Cao's feelings for Ding Xiang, Xiahou Yuan's wife. The more he couldn't get it, the more he missed it!
"Lady Gan..."
Cao Cao softly murmured. It wasn't Gan Mei, nor Gan Xiaomei, but Gan Xiaomei...
This was the name Cao Cao had specifically given to Lady Gan. Unlike Liu Bei's cold title for his wife, Lady Gan liked this name very much.
Of course...
When it came to dealing with women, Cao Cao was ten times more professional than Liu Bei!
Past memories flooded his mind: their acquaintance by the Ying River, their mutual understanding in the Prime Minister's mansion, their promises in the cellar. Even with Yu'er's help, Cao Cao had gone through great lengths to win the beauty's heart and bring her home.
It was no exaggeration to say that Cao Cao had put in real effort for Lady Gan. This feeling was completely different from that of women he had captured.
"At that time, you were still Prime Minister Cao, and now you are King of Wei." Gan Mei's voice followed, delicate and soft, making Cao Cao feel as if he were bathed in spring breeze.
Drunk, infatuated!
It was as if he were in a dream.
Cao Cao tried his best to open his eyes. He even subconsciously pinched himself. The pain in his arm told him that this was real!
Joy, ecstasy, excitement...
A series of emotions surged into his heart. Finally... Cao Cao stepped forward and immediately picked up Gan Mei. "Hahahaha... Hahahaha..."
His hearty laughter echoed throughout the palace of the King of Wei.
Stomp...
Stomp...
As Cao Cao took his powerful strides, Gan Mei's heart also reached her throat.
But she still forced herself to calm down and asked, "Where is the King of Wei going?"
"Naturally, to where I should be!" Cao Cao replied, holding Gan Mei.
"King of Wei, it's still... still..." Lady Gan looked towards the sky outside the window. At this moment... the sky was clear and bright.
"Hahaha..." Cao Cao was still laughing. "In my heart, the sky has already turned dark! Hahaha..."
While laughing, Cao Cao stepped out of the King of Wei's palace, holding Gan Mei like this... under the watchful eyes of countless elite guards, he headed towards the rear palace.
As he walked, he shouted, "Pass down my decree! From today onwards, the court will not convene for three days, and no state affairs will be discussed!"
"Yes..." countless Tiger Guards bowed and accepted the order!
It was Xu Chu who thought one step deeper. He immediately whispered instructions to the Tiger Guards beside him. "Maintain secrecy. For outsiders, just say that the King of Wei is unwell, suffering from a headache, and the court is suspended for three days!"
As soon as he finished speaking...
"Haha..."
"Hahahaha..."
"Hahahaha..."
Throughout the entire palace of the King of Wei, Cao Cao's demonic laughter was deafening!
Headache?
His headache seemed to have completely healed at this moment!
...
...
In Luoyang City, Jia Residence.
In the dead of night, in a stone pavilion, "Father..." called Jia Mu, Jia Xu's eldest son and now the驸马都尉 (Prince Consort's Captain) of Great Wei.
Sitting in the stone pavilion was naturally his father, Jia Xu.
"Cough, cough... Was the matter handled?"
Jia Xu coughed lightly and spoke.
"The matter was handled, but..." Jia Mu asked doubtfully. "Father, you took the liberty to leak the information about Ma Teng's ambush and assassination of Sima Yi to Zhang Chunhua, and also informed them of the ambush location? Intentionally letting Sima Yi escape? Why?"
Jia Mu slapped his forehead, somewhat confused. "Why did Father leave one son of the Sima clan alive? If the King of Wei finds out, then... it will surely implicate our family."
"Hehe..." Jia Xu smiled faintly and remained silent.
After a long while, he slowly looked up at the bright moon in the sky, murmuring, "Sima Zhongda is a man of merit. With the great undertaking not yet accomplished, how could the King of Wei truly kill the meritorious officials around the Marquis of White Horse?"
"Then..." Jia Mu opened his mouth. "Now there is a city-wide uproar. The Sima family sneaked into the imperial palace at night, and Sima Fang, along with his seven sons, were all killed by Ma Teng leading the Xiliang cavalry... This... this is an undeniable fact!"
"You are still too young!" Jia Xu slowly stood up, looking up at the sky. "Can that old fellow Sima Fang and his eight sons all die?"
"What about the imperial palace?" Jia Mu quickly asked.
"You only saw a fire in the imperial palace? You only heard the wails, but who exactly was burned to death or shot dead?"
Jia Xu murmured.
At this, Jia Mu's pupils widened... he looked at his father in disbelief.
"Father means that in the imperial palace... the Sima family is not... not dead? But... but many imperial guards and many Xiliang cavalrymen witnessed it firsthand! Ma Teng wouldn't let the Sima clan off!"
"Hush!" Suddenly, Jia Xu made a "hush" gesture. "What if I had instigated that contingent of Xiliang soldiers under Ma Teng beforehand?"
Ah...
Jia Mu was startled.
Jia Xu stroked his beard. "When I was active in Xiliang, Ma Teng and Han Sui were still 'young'! Among the Xiliang generals, there are not a few who are my close friends! Moreover, with the human-skin masks from the refining workshop, they made Sima Fang call out desperately, but at the critical moment, using the smoke from the fire, and these imperial guards and Xiliang soldiers who obeyed 'me', they substituted the real for the fake, deceiving Ma Teng's eyes. This is not too difficult!"
This...
Jia Mu felt his head was about to explode. The amount of information was too... too much!
Hoo...
At this moment, Jia Xu let out a long sigh. "What the King of Wei has always wanted is not the lives of Sima Fang and his eight sons, but the destruction of the symbol that is the Sima clan of Henei. Even if there are disciples and former associates of the Sima clan who raise objections, the King of Wei will, at the appropriate time, let Sima Fang, who has changed his name and surname, tell them that from now on... it is better to forget each other in the vastness of the world than to depend on each other in hardship! The King of Wei wants to sever all ties between the Sima family and the scholars! It is better to cut off one finger than to injure ten!"
Speaking of this, Jia Xu clasped his hands behind his back, sighing and shaking his head. "Ultimately, the King of Wei's rationality defeated his suspicion. And ultimately, because Sima Yi is the proud disciple of Lu Ziyu, the Sima clan is destroyed, but their lives are preserved. This can be considered a blessing in disguise!"
"The King of Wei has cut off the wings of two 'horses' in one fell swoop. Three horses eating from the same trough? Ridiculous! Great Wei only has horses to be penned, no horses to roam freely!"
Then...
Jia Mu continued to ask, "Does Marquis of White Horse know about this operation?"
As soon as this question was asked, Jia Xu did not answer, but only his mouth curled up, and a single sound came out.
"Heh heh!"
Heh heh?
Does this mean he knows? Or does it mean he doesn't know?
"Alright, it is as it should be. Life goes on as usual. Just pretend that the Sima family members are gone! A person's way of doing things lies in concealment and anonymity. Nothing in the world is difficult; it is all in human planning."
...
...
Before Bowang Slope, it was a field of ashes. The battlefield had been mostly cleared.
After all, most of Liu Bei's troops had been burned or suffocated, but the Qingzhou soldiers mercilessly cut off their heads. This was a long-awaited meritorious service for Xiahou Dun's soldiers.
"Everyone, calm down, calm down..."
Xiahou Dun shouted, "Although we have merit, don't forget that the primary merit belongs to the brothers of the Dragon Roar Camp Flying Team! Remember this, from now on, we will be like family with the Flying Team brothers!"
As soon as he finished speaking...
"Reporting..." a scout reported, "General, Marquis of White Horse requests your presence for a discussion ahead!"
Hmm...
Xiahou Dun's brows shot up, and he immediately shouted sternly, "Lead the way ahead!"
Following the scorched area of Bowang Slope, Xiahou Dun arrived at the mouth of the valley of Bowang Slope. There, he saw his good brother Lu Yu. Lu Yu was standing with his hands behind his back, and before him, a massive stone formation was being laid out.
"The primordial chaos is vast, giving birth to Pangu. The ultimate beginning emerges, the Taiji arrives. The first two principles are born, the four symbols are arranged, the eight trigrams evolve, and wisdom opens."
Lu Yu murmured...
As Xiahou Dun approached, Lu Yu was still chanting, "The ancient ancestor Fu Xi, sitting on a square altar, listening to the winds from all directions, observing the growth of grass and the flight of birds, examining the changes of thunder and snow, the cycles of the four seasons, the soaring of eagles and the leaping of fish, comprehending the soul of the eight trigrams, and giving birth to the principles of the eight trigrams."
This...
Xiahou Dun scratched his head. "Brother, what are you mumbling about?"
Realizing Xiahou Dun had arrived, Lu Yu turned around, pointing to the stone formation behind him, and explained, "This is the Eight Trigram Formation set up by Zhuge Liang. What I just recited is the Book of Changes, and this Eight Trigram Formation evolved from the Book of Changes."
Eight Trigram Formation?
Book of Changes?
Xiahou Dun was startled. He seemed to recall something. "Brother, don't you and Zixiao know the 'Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation'? Zixiao also mentioned this formation to me. The Eight Gates are: Xiu, Sheng, Shang, Du, Jing, Si, Jing, Kai. Zixiao also said that after you improved it during the Battle of Guandu, the Eight Gates and Nine Walls of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation had an extra wall, which held back Yuan's army, buying time for elder brother to surprise attack Wuchao and win."
Speaking of this, Xiahou Dun looked up at this Eight Trigram Formation. "Since Brother can set up the 'Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation', then breaking this 'Eight Trigram Formation' should be a piece of cake, right!"
Er...
As soon as Xiahou Dun spoke, Lu Yu was slightly stunned. If he said he could break it, he really couldn't.
But the atmosphere had reached this point!
It should be known that...
Later ancient texts and literature recorded the "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation" and many interpretations and deductions of it by enthusiasts of the Book of Changes. Therefore... Lu Yu set it up by imitating the gourd, and the effect was remarkable.
But... the Eight Trigram Formation was passed down from Mr. Shuijing to Zhuge Liang.
The only reference, besides the "Yuli City" in Tangyin County, Henan Province, in later times, which was where King Wen of Zhou was imprisoned and where a large Eight Trigram Formation was set up, was that almost no ancient texts and literature recorded this formation.
And the Eight Trigram Formation in Yuli City was also built in later times, approximately a large maze that conformed to the "principles of the Book of Changes," and it had nothing to do with Zhuge Liang's "Eight Trigram Formation."
Moreover, in ancient times, scholars had their own unique insights into the Eight Trigram Formation.
Therefore, Lu Yu might not be able to break it...
But if he couldn't break it, with his good brother Xiahou Dun's "boasting," the atmosphere had been built up to this point...
It was somewhat embarrassing!
"Cough, cough..." Lu Yu coughed lightly and feigned mystery. "Deduction and interpretation, sixty-four times eight. Overlapping to form images, accurate analysis."
"Brother, can you stop being mysterious and say something I can understand?" Xiahou Dun asked...
Lu Yu spread his hands. "This formation is very complex, I really can't break it!"
"Ah..." Xiahou Dun was startled.
He had never imagined that there would be a formation that his brother Yu couldn't break.
"However..." Lu Yu smiled slightly. "Although I can't break it, someone can?"
"Who?"
"Xu Shu! Xu Yuanzhi!" Lu Yu murmured. "He and Zhuge Liang both studied under Mr. Shuijing Sima Hui, and Yuanzhi is skilled in formations. Since Zhuge Liang can set up this Eight Trigram Formation, Xu Shu can break it."
"Then... I will immediately send an urgent message to Luoyang City. Luoyang City is not far from here. Twenty days should be enough for Xu Yuanzhi to arrive!" Xiahou Dun was somewhat impatient...
After all, with fifty thousand troops marching south, Xinye City was just ahead. How could they give up just because of an "Eight Trigram Formation"!
If they couldn't pass, they would bypass Bowang Slope and still march south!
"No need to rush!"
Unlike Xiahou Dun's urgency, Lu Yu gently waved his hand, appearing very calm. "Zhuge Liang's setting up of this Eight Trigram Formation actually suits my intentions perfectly!"
"What?" Xiahou Dun quickly asked.
Lu Yu's mouth curled up, and he smiled slightly. "If we can't break through, Zhuge Liang will become careless. When he becomes careless, he will proceed according to the original plan. Only then... will he fall into my 'trap'!"
"Trap?"
Xiahou Dun was already a little confused. He didn't understand what his brother Yu was talking about at all.
Lu Yu patted his shoulder. "Brother Xiahou, you don't think that burning Bowang Slope was the end of the entire plan, do you?"
Ah... ah...
Xiahou Dun's eyes were full of doubt. He was a little bewildered...
It had already burned to this extent, and it wasn't the end? Could it be that this was just the beginning of the "trap"?
Before Xiahou Dun could speak, Lu Yu's words followed.
"Brother Xiahou, just you wait and see, the good show is about to begin."
...
...
Xinye City was shrouded in dark clouds.
In the study, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were discussing in detail...
Speaking of which, Liu Bei quickly recovered from the grief of his two wives "turning into butterflies and flying away." After all, in his eyes, "brothers are like limbs, wives are like clothes!"
If clothes are lost, they can be replaced, but if limbs are broken, they cannot be reattached?
Now, at least the clothes were lost, but the limbs were still there!
However...
Every time he thought about this, Liu Bei felt a little unwilling, a little lost and helpless.
Of course, he couldn't think about past events now. Zhuge Liang was slowly delivering the so-called good news.
"My Lord, Lady Cai from Xiangyang City has replied to Zhaolong. They have compromised."
Zhuge Liang said loudly, with great urgency in his words. "Lady Cai has sent a secret letter on behalf of Liu Jingsheng, inviting the eldest son Liu Qi to return from Jiangxia, and we can also openly enter Xiangyang City!"
As soon as this was said, Liu Bei was overjoyed.
"Really?"
"Really!"
"I heard that Kongming's Eight Trigram Formation blocked the Cao army's southward march. Even the brilliant strategist Lu Ziyu could not break it. Kongming's Eight Trigram Formation has bought us a lot of time to march south to Xiangyang!"
Hoo...
Zhuge Liang let out a sigh of relief and continued, "My Lord, the urgent task now is to find a way to move the people of Xinye City to Xiangyang. These people cannot be given to Cao Cao! Moreover... in terms of land warfare, we are no match for Cao's army. But across the Jing River, with the help of the Jiangxia navy, it might still be possible to stop Cao's army from advancing south!"
"However, how to persuade the people to abandon their property in Xinye and follow My Lord to Xiangyang... this is a difficult problem!"
"Does the strategist have a brilliant plan?" Liu Bei quickly asked.
The urgent task was that he desperately needed Xiangyang City, needed the nine prefectures of Jingxiang... needed to use the advantage of the navy to stop Cao's army from advancing south...
It was no exaggeration to say that this had reached a point of critical juncture!
"There is a plan, but it cannot be called a brilliant plan," Zhuge Liang murmured.
"Strategist, please speak..."
"Xu Shu Xu Yuanzhi is my fellow disciple," Zhuge Liang said. "Lu Yu wants to break my Eight Trigram Formation, so he will definitely summon Xu Yuanzhi. Cao Cao will also not miss this opportunity and will surely advance his army south..."
"And after the Eight Trigram Formation is broken, Cao's army, eager to advance, will surely head straight for Xinye City, and I have a plan that is not 'benevolent'! It can burn ten thousand Cao soldiers!"
Plan?
Not benevolent!
Burn ten thousand Cao soldiers?
Liu Bei's eyes blinked repeatedly. He frowned and said, "Strategist, stop playing coy. At this critical juncture, at this time of life and death, if we do not preserve ourselves, how can we 'stand against the Han bandits' and how can we 'not be content with a partial reign'? Whether this strategy is benevolent or not, strategist, please say it. Even if I bear the infamy, let me, Liu Bei, bear it!"
"Heh heh, I, Liu Bei, have already been demonized by Lu Ziyu's newspapers. Would I still care about this?"
Liu Bei's tone was extremely firm.
This...
Zhuge Liang hesitated for a moment. "I plan to distribute some money to each person among the people of Xinye City, then requisition their houses and residences, and bury them with flammable materials, filling them with fish oil. Then, dispatch a contingent of archers to ambush outside the city. When Cao's army surges into Xinye City, ignite them with fire arrows, firing in unison, and in one night, turn the entire Xinye City into a sea of fire..."
"This way, the main force of Cao's army can be weakened to the greatest extent, their morale and spirit dampened, and they can be dealt a heavy blow. But the price is..."
This...
Liu Bei's eyes suddenly narrowed. He only then realized why Zhuge Liang said this plan was not humane.
In the final analysis, this was trading the houses of countless people in Xinye City for a great victory against Cao's army...
Liu Bei felt that if this plan were used on him, he would never have thought of it. Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun wouldn't have thought of it either. As for... Lu Ziyu, could he... think of it?
He was good at understanding people's psychology and attacking their hearts, but most likely... he wouldn't have thought of it, right?
"Strategist, your talent is immense!"
Liu Bei immediately cupped his hands...
Zhuge Liang waved his fan, as if the gentle breeze from the fan could calm his mood a little. "Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they regard all things as straw dogs. The sage is not benevolent; he regards the people as straw dogs. I never thought that one day... in order to win, I, Zhuge Liang, would be as ruthless as a demon!"
"Strategist, you don't need to blame yourself!" Liu Bei comforted him. "Everything is for the restoration of the Han dynasty. Some sacrifices are worth it! But..."
Liu Bei continued to ask, "After Cao's vanguard army is burned in Xinye City, they will surely be enraged. Our army is mostly infantry, and our southward speed is not fast. If Cao Cao dispatches cavalry to pursue us? What then?"
Thus...
Zhuge Liang had already thought of this. This was the reason he truly blamed himself.
"When My Lord requisitions the people's houses, give them little money and grain, not enough for them to buy new housing in other prefectures. My Lord then tells them that housing will be provided in Xiangyang City. If they have no money, no houses, and no land, they can only continue to follow My Lord. My Lord can then lead the people across the river!"
"With hundreds of thousands of people migrating south, Cao's cavalry will simply not be able to gallop quickly. Moreover, Lu Ziyu has always advised Cao Cao to lead a benevolent army. Cao Cao will surely not allow cavalry to trample over the people. In this way, even though My Lord is infantry, it will be enough to reach Xiangyang City. Once there... taking control of the navy, everything will go smoothly!"
Hoo...
After hearing Zhuge Liang's final words, Liu Bei was filled with emotion.
He cupped his hands again.
"Strategist, your calculations are divine, even including Lu Ziyu. Brilliant... brilliant!"
"My Lord flatters me!" Zhuge Liang waved his fan. "If I, Zhuge Liang, were truly brilliant, there would not have been Lu Ziyu's 'burning of Bowang Slope.' My Lord must not be careless. Lu Ziyu is far more difficult to deal with than we imagine!"
As soon as this was said, Liu Bei's tone became serious and meticulous.
"Strategist, you don't need to be discouraged. Victory and defeat are common in warfare. The confrontation between the strategist and Lu Ziyu has just begun! Who will win and who will lose, it is yet to be known!"
...
...
(Posted in advance. If I don't post, I'll be sprayed to death by you all!)
(This book isn't the first time it's turned, don't panic... stay calm!)