The room was lit with a special incense, and a faint rain drifted outside the window.
Cai Zhaoji had not yet woken. Before her, spread on a desk, Lu Yu and Himiko knelt on either side…
"Aren't you going to explain?"
"Lord Lu, you can see I have no ill intentions, can't you?"
"If you had any ill intentions, you and your kin would be corpses by now!" Lu Yu's tone was cold. "So, this is how your Yamatai Kingdom seals a contract?"
On the bed was Cai Zhaoji, opposite her at the desk was Himiko. Two utterly different women, two utterly different bodies. And last night, Lu Yu had inexplicably become entangled with them. At this moment, he felt no joy whatsoever, only a faint anger furrowing his brow.
Himiko offered a soft smile.
"I saw that Lord Lu has feelings for her, and she for Lord Lu. There was only a thin veil of paper left unpierced, so I pondered. You and I have already forged a contract, and I had no gifts prepared, so I decided to... fulfill their wishes! This would only strengthen our contract, wouldn't it?"
Heh…
Lu Yu chuckled.
Based on Himiko's actions last night, and what he desired most for his empire, Lu Yu decided he would simply "accept" it!
Just as he was about to say something more…
Himiko's voice reached him first. "Your Han women are always so shy, saying one thing and meaning another. Even if they like a man, they don't know how to strive for him! In this regard, they are far inferior to the women of our Yamatai Kingdom…"
Heh…
Lu Yu chuckled again. This was truly an extreme difference!
The culture and behavior of Yamatai Kingdom were indeed vastly different from the Han.
"Where... where is this?"
At this moment, a voice like a lark's emerged, Cai Zhaoji had woken up. The surrounding environment and scents felt unfamiliar to her.
But… she seemed to recall something.
Her once fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
She had, last night… seemed to become very… very wild!
Fuzzy, hazy memories still flashed in her mind. Her body seemed unable to control itself. Last night, she had like a madwoman grasped her younger brother Yu's hand, shouting those embarrassing words—"Yu brother, hold me, hold me!"
She had always been ignorant of matters between men and women, but her memory clearly recalled… last night she had felt an unbearable heat, and only felt comfortable when Yu brother held her close!
But that wasn't her… that definitely wasn't her!
Or perhaps… this was just her… a dream of hers!
Cai Zhaoji's sudden voice caused Lu Yu a slight embarrassment. Sister Zhaoji was already avoiding the impulsiveness of the night of their wedding, and now… it was like this.
Lu Yu subconsciously turned his gaze towards Himiko. Himiko understood his meaning and immediately turned, shedding her upper garment to reveal the densely packed ship-building diagrams!
She softly murmured, "Miss, do not be afraid… the tattoo on my back is my empire's ship-building diagram. Lord Lu came here last night merely for this. It's just… he felt there should be a distinction between men and women, so he asked Miss to transcribe it for him."
"I suppose Miss was too tired from staying up late last night and fell asleep directly, so I chatted with Lord Lu for half the night…"
Is…
Is that really how it happened?
Cai Zhaoji looked up, first at Himiko, then at Lu Yu. Seeing the initial evasiveness in her younger brother's eyes, which quickly turned to firmness, she felt unsure.
Could it be…
That last night was really a dream?
But suddenly she noticed her body's reaction was very strong; that was definitely not a dream.
Was this her younger brother avoiding embarrassment?
Thinking of this, Cai Zhaoji lowered her head…
"Please do me the favor of transcribing these ship diagrams, Sister Zhaoji…" Lu Yu spoke.
He scratched his head. "I have some military affairs to attend to, so I will leave first!"
With that, Lu Yu departed the posthouse…
Cai Zhaoji stood frozen, her eyes filled with a bit of bewilderment and confusion. It was Himiko who noticed the complexity of her mood.
"Lord Lu calls you 'sister.' Does that mean you are the renowned talented woman – Cai Yan?"
Cai Yan's name was indeed thunderous…
Himiko had naturally heard of her.
What she heard more of were the rumors in the streets… in the Central Plains and the Northern territories, you'd rather offend Lu Yu; at most, the Dragon Soaring Camp would take your life. But if you offended Miss Cai Yan, Lu Yu would use all his might to take your entire clan's life!
This…
At this moment, Cai Zhaoji still had her head lowered.
She had been recognized? This… was so embarrassing!
…
…
Jingzhou, Xinye City.
The sun was setting, twilight clouds gathered, and a full moon slowly rose from the cold sky. The city's myriad households were gradually bathed in a soft glow.
After the winter solstice, the approaching "Dawn Day" meant the festive lanterns would soon shine brightly. Crowds of people celebrating the lantern festival began to fill the streets and alleys of the small city, bustling with excitement.
In a corner of the lantern fair…
"What requires such risk? To summon me here!"
A deep voice.
The speaker was a handsome young man admiring the lanterns. No one noticed him arrive at this street corner.
He was Yang Xiu…
And in the corner, waiting, was a man in a bamboo hat. Who else could it be but Zhao Yun?
"Lady Gan wishes to return!"
This…
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiu was taken aback.
As the head of the Inter-military Division, he naturally knew the significance of Lady Gan to the entire Cao camp, to Young Master Lu, and to Prime Minister Cao!
How… how could she return?
Despite his inner turmoil, Yang Xiu tried to appear calm.
"Did she tell you?"
"Just a few days ago!" Zhao Yun said softly… "I can see she's reached her limit. If she continues to stay in Xinye, there might be complications?"
"What about 'White Emperor'? How will 'White Emperor' know when he grows up? Who his biological father is?"
Yang Xiu asked urgently.
The White Emperor he referred to was naturally Liu Chan…
No… to be precise, it wasn't Liu Chan, but Cao Chan, Cao Adou!
Just like "Candle Dragon" or "Chicken Ribs," "White Emperor" was the alias given to Liu Chan by the Inter-military Division. Although he was unaware of it, from the moment he was born, he was a piece in the Inter-military Division's plan.
"Madam said that her parents are still here, and I am also staying here. It is enough for 'White Emperor' to know his identity when he grows up!"
Zhao Yun's words followed in succession…
He found that he had grown a lot during this period of infiltration, especially in his meticulousness.
This was once his weakest attribute!
Of course, he himself likely didn't realize that his current growth was leaning towards the "all-rounder warrior" template!
"Then…"
Yang Xiu was speechless. He suddenly didn't know what to say.
Looking at the increasing number of lanterns being lit on the street, Yang Xiu pondered for a moment, sighed, and asked Zhao Yun, "Candle Dragon? What do you think?"
"I dare not make the decision. I can only convey my judgment to you, for you to relay to Young Master Lu!" Zhao Yun's tone was grave. "In my opinion, she has truly reached her limit!"
"Alright! I understand!" Yang Xiu nodded heavily. Whether to bring back Lady Gan, and if so, how? This was not something their Inter-military Division could resolve.
This would require Young Master Lu to mobilize the full strength of the School Affairs Office and the Dragon Soaring Camp.
"That's all. I'll head back first…"
Having conveyed the important matter, Zhao Yun adjusted his hat and prepared to leave.
"Wait!" Yang Xiu quickly called out. "Young Master Lu just sent a new mission… I intended to send you a secret letter, but I'll give it to you directly now!"
As he spoke, Yang Xiu took a slip of paper from his怀 and handed it to Zhao Yun.
He did not forget to instruct.
"Burn it after reading!"
Zhao Yun slowly unfolded it. A line of small seal script appeared before his eyes. The more he looked, the more startled Zhao Yun became.
Noticing the change in Zhao Yun's expression.
Yang Xiu quickly asked, "What? Is something wrong?"
Zhao Yun slowly raised his eyes, his tone becoming even more solemn. "Zhuge Kongming gave me an identical task!"
This…
Yang Xiu was stunned.
Zhuge Liang and Young Master Lu thought of the same thing?
After a brief pause, Yang Xiu said loudly, "Regardless, proceed according to the plan. You must be careful…"
"Since Zhuge Kongming could think of the same thing as Chief Lu, it shows that he is not simple. However, in the end… we must believe that Zhuge Kongming will not be Chief Lu's match!"
As he spoke the last words, a light flashed in Yang Xiu's eyes, a decisive, resolute, and sharp glint!
…
…
On the official road from Xuchang City to Luoyang, horses' hooves clattered, and the procession stretched on. Cao Cao sat in his carriage, his expression solemn.
Having pacified the four northern prefectures, now… with Luoyang as the center, there were Qing, You, Ji, and Bing in the north!
The Central Plains Province, Xu, Yan, and Yu…
In addition, Ma Teng accepted Cao Cao's marriage proposal and the position of the Nine Ministers, and along with Ma Yunlu, rushed to Guandong. Including his Liangzhou territory, more than half of the thirteen provinces of the entire world were united under Cao Cao!
Cao Cao had intended to accept the title of "Duke of the State"…
Unexpectedly, the Son of Heaven directly enfeoffed Cao Cao as King of Wei. This was the greatest courtesy shown by the Son of Heaven, and also the last shred of dignity for himself and the Han dynasty!
And at some point, Luoyang City had been completely rebuilt.
Cao Cao did not choose to establish his capital in Ye City, but designated the former capital of the Han, "Luoyang City," as the capital of the Great Wei, to show… that the Great Wei had received its mandate from the Han!
This was also showing ample respect to the Son of Heaven!
From then on, the Han court and the Wei court were completely independent, preserving their sole understanding.
— "They do not interfere with each other!"
At this moment…
Cao Cao, leading a vast retinue of officials, moved to his own kingdom.
Of course…
There were naturally officials silently questioning whether, according to the Han dynasty's law, no one but a member of the Liu clan could be called king. Now that Cao Cao was king, would he take the step of becoming emperor?
Or would he travel down the river and proclaim himself emperor after conquering Jingzhou!
"Tuk tuk tuk…"
The sound of horseshoes echoed, and everyone, with a sense of strangeness and awe, looked towards the new capital in the distance.
The royal palace in Luoyang was a hundred times more magnificent than the imperial palace in Xuchang. Even Luoyang City before it was burned down was not even a tenth as magnificent as it was at this moment.
Unusually…
A group of talented scholars from Yingchuan, led by Xun Yu, seemed to have no great objection to Cao Cao being enfeoffed as "King of Wei." They publicly submitted a memorial congratulating him!
Although the northern gentry had some minor criticisms regarding the choice of the "Great Wei capital," they also submitted memorials of praise!
When the School Affairs Office reported this matter to Lu Yu, he was somewhat surprised!
Or perhaps…
Because of the Son of Heaven's decision!
Because Luoyang had become the imperial capital… this aligned with the interests of the Yingchuan scholars!
This also allowed them to remain deeply bound to the foundation of the Great Wei.
However…
Lu Yu looked at the majestic procession, murmuring to himself, "Going by Old Cao's temperament, now that he has taken this step… he will definitely purge some people. In his world, it's always black and white! Fortunately, Lord Xun did not struggle with foolish loyalty as he did in history!"
…
…
In Xuchang City, at the official inn.
The graceful back of a woman was presented to Cai Zhaoji. Cai Zhaoji remained unmoved, merely raising her wrist slightly. While observing the patterns on the woman's back, she meticulously recorded them.
So much…
The task that her younger brother Yu had given her, she had been recording for over ten days and still had not completed it.
The main reason was that the ship-building diagrams tattooed on their bodies were too small, requiring extremely careful observation. Many parts needed to be viewed many times over.
However…
Through this process, Cai Zhaoji had also become quite familiar with Himiko.
"Today, Lord Lu is accompanying Prime Minister Cao to the Wei capital. Why isn't Sister Cai going?"
Himiko asked first.
Cai Zhaoji replied while drawing, "The Imperial Academy has not yet relocated. Naturally, I will stay here first… once the Wei capital stabilizes, I will discuss with my younger brother Yu about moving the Imperial Academy from the banks of the Ying River in Xuchang back to the banks of the Luo River…"
"Oh…" Hearing this, Himiko nodded.
After a moment, she changed the subject.
"Sister Cai? I notice you always seem to have something on your mind!"
"Something on my mind?"
Cai Zhaoji replied casually, not taking it seriously.
But Himiko's words became more pointed. "Sister Cai likes your younger brother Lu Yu, doesn't she?"
Ah…
The sudden question caused Cai Zhaoji's brush to falter, smudging a part of her drawing.
Himiko's words continued. "You Han women are all like this, always emphasizing modesty. Even if they fancy a man, they have to feign modesty, acting coy and hesitant. Unlike the women of our Yamatai Kingdom, who take the initiative and strive for what they want…"
"Why should women only be chosen? Why can't they actively pursue what they desire? Sister Cai might not know, but the status of women in our Yamatai Empire is higher than that of men. One woman can marry three men!"
This…
Himiko's words caused Cai Zhaoji to lift her eyes. She was somewhat surprised, but more so her tone was faltering. "No… it's not what you think between me and my younger brother Yu."
"What else could it be?" Himiko's words became even more precise. "Isn't it just worldly prejudice? Sister Cai thinks of yourself as Lu Yu's sister, and if you have improper thoughts, you will be scorned by the world…"
"But little do you know, you are not actually siblings! Moreover, although I have not interacted much with Lord Lu, I can see that he does not place much importance on worldly matters. He is not a person who adheres to convention. He is someone who dares to break through worldly traditions?"
"If the younger brother is like this, why is Sister Cai so restrained? Is it impossible for Sister to marry the younger brother and become his principal wife?"
Uh…
Himiko's words were truly astonishing to Cai Zhaoji.
But strangely, every sentence, every word, held a certain logic, making people… no, it made her, Cai Zhaoji, yearn for it!
Is this… a woman from a foreign land?
They are so daring in love and hate!
For a moment, Cai Zhaoji felt a surge of curiosity for the women of Yamatai Kingdom!
What kind of empire is this?
Of course…
Regarding her younger brother Yu, after Himiko's instigation, her heart fluttered even more!
…
…
Early morning, with the dawn breaking faintly, officials gathered in twos and threes outside the new royal palace in Luoyang, chatting casually. Red silk ribbons were tied to the door knockers of the palace, and the grand doors remained shut.
Clearly… this magnificent palace was awaiting its master—King Wei, Cao Cao!
Lu Yu was also among the officials…
However, he stood in a corner, not making a point of conversing with anyone.
It was his "good elder brother" Xiahou Yuan, and his "business partner" Cao Hong who voluntarily approached him.
"Ziyu, I was looking for you!"
Xiahou Dun leaned against the wall next to Lu Yu. "I was wondering, Ye City has a larger population, stronger fortifications, and more ample supplies, but why did Elder Brother ultimately choose to establish his capital in Luoyang City! Is there any reason behind this?"
"Yes, Ziyu's mind works the fastest. Tell us." Cao Hong also added.
This…
Lu Yu's eyes darted, and he shook his head. "This is not important. Brothers, please do not dwell on it!"
It wasn't that it wasn't important, it was just that Lu Yu couldn't explain it…
Luoyang was close to Yingchuan, the stronghold of the Henan clans;
While Ye City belonged to the Northern territories, the center of the northern clans.
In the end, this was a transaction!
It was a transaction between the King of Wei and the core strategists…
If you faithfully assist me, I will establish the capital near your clan's territory, making your clan the foremost prominent clan in the entire empire!
However…
In the choice of core strategists… would it be the Yingchuan clans? Or the northern clans?
This depended on Cao Cao's judgment.
Historically, due to Xun Yu and Xun You's loyalty to the Han dynasty, Cao Cao did not firmly choose the "Yingchuan" side, which was also a crucial reason for Xun Yu's tragic fate!
And it was precisely because of this event that the leader of the Henan clans shifted from the Xun clan… to the Sima clan!
Of course, in this life, due to Lu Yu's influence, the Xun clan did not strongly resist Cao Cao's promotion to "King of Wei."
On the contrary, the relationship between the Great Wei and the Yingchuan scholars was now exceptionally strong and unshakeable!
This was a deep binding!
However, these were all secrets, and naturally could not be revealed to outsiders!
"Tell us…" Xiahou Dun was full of curiosity… "If you don't tell me, I'll call your father-in-law. Let's see if this father-in-law's words carry weight with you, his son-in-law! Ah… hahaha…"
Saying this, Xiahou Dun started joking and intended to call Xiahou Yuan over.
Just then.
The sound of drums and music arose, and a procession led by the King of Wei's chariot slowly approached.
Cao Cao sat high in the chariot, with officials kneeling on both sides.
— "Welcome, King of Wei!"
Cao Cao waved his hand, signaling the officials to rise. As if noticing Lu Yu, he quickly ordered his chariot to be lowered and approached Lu Yu.
"Welcome, King of Wei!"
Lu Yu also offered his greeting. Cao Cao, however, pulled him to his side, and the two walked into the palace with their arms around each other.
As they walked, he did not forget to ask.
"Have you visited the 'Marquis of White Horse Mansion' that I specifically ordered the best craftsmen to build for you?"
"Not yet!" Lu Yu replied truthfully.
"Hahaha!" Cao Cao continued laughing, "Go take a look later. The Luo River flows through your residence…"
Uh… Lu Yu was stunned. The Luo River flowing through his residence! Good heavens… Lu Yu himself didn't even know how wide the Luo River was… if it flowed through his residence, then… how large would the mansion be?
Just as he was about to express his thanks…
"Come… Ziyu!" Cao Cao grabbed Lu Yu's arm. "The Wei King's Palace is opening today. You and I will enter it together!"
Cao Cao was in high spirits…
He pulled Lu Yu into the Wei King's palace, and when they reached the gate!
He paused his steps and looked at Lu Yu.
Lu Yu did not understand.
Cao Cao then took a brush and wrote a large character "活" (huó, meaning alive/living) on the palace gate!
Immediately… "Hahahaha," a demonic laugh echoed…
After the laughter subsided, Cao Cao lowered his voice and asked Lu Yu.
"Ziyu, do you know what this character '活' means?"
Upon hearing this…
Lu Yu's heart trembled. He looked around…
Should he really say it?
You must know…
This character "活" is not like Yang Xiu's so-called "If there is '活' in a doorway, it is considered '阔'!" Its true meaning is—all officials, civil and military, who enter this Wei King's palace gate can—live!
…
…