On the imperial roads leading from Luoyang City to the thirteen states of the Great Han, countless swift horses galloped.
They had all departed from the Luoyang News Agency, each carrying a small wooden box filled with innumerable newspapers, which they distributed along the way to various prefectures and counties.
Those who could not read gathered around the gates of the county and city towns. Those who could read stood on high vantage points, explaining the contents to the common folk. It seemed that for the people of every city and county, in their dull lives, they yearned to glean some "entertainment" or "gossip" from the newspapers.
Of course...
Those who could read were all taken aback upon seeing the newspapers.
For an entire page was dedicated to a single person—Liu Bei!
Indeed, it was Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, who claimed to be a descendant of Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan, and a great-grandson of Emperor Jing!
And originally... the common people's impression of him seemed to be quite good.
After all... when Kong Rong, the Chancellor of Beihai Commandery, was surrounded by the Yellow Turban rebel leader Guan Hai, the person Taishi Ci sought help from was this very Liu Bei... Similarly, when Cao Cao launched a major attack on Xuzhou, Liu Bei did not hesitate to travel a thousand li from Pingyuan Commandery to assist!
It seemed...
Everyone's existing impression of him was that of a benevolent gentleman, loyal to the sovereign and patriotic.
But...
This entire newspaper seemed to have stripped Liu Bei bare. To say it was an exposé would be an understatement; it meticulously detailed every event in Liu Bei's life, from childhood to adulthood, recounting them with narrative flair.
One might even say they were about to reveal whether he wore underwear.
For instance, the childhood Liu Bei once pointed at a large tree and declared, "In the future, I will ride in such a 'feathered canopy chariot'!"
One must understand...
A "feathered canopy chariot" was the emperor's carriage. To say such a thing was punishable by extermination of the nine generations of one's family. By rights, this was merely something casually mentioned in the newspaper, for people to read and find novel. Yet, the newspaper provided extensive proof from Zhuo Commandery in Youzhou, and even Liu Bei's cousin Liu Deran could attest to it!
This fellow, from a young age, had untrustworthy intentions!
Of course...
These corroborating individuals had no choice. Who held sway in the northern territories now? Even the Liu clan of Zhuo Commandery could not openly defy the King of Wei!
Furthermore, the newspaper offered "generous" compensation to informants. For a time, there were as many as several articles solely concerning Liu Bei's childhood indiscretions.
Following this, even more outrageous accusations poured in.
For example, Liu Bei eating human flesh, Liu Bei betraying Gongsun Zan out of self-interest, Liu Bei entrapping "Lu Bu" at Bai Gate Tower, and Liu Bei betraying Yuan Shao when he sought refuge in the north!
It was no exaggeration to say that scandalous revelations of this nature were too many, too numerous to count!
So many that they overwhelmed the senses, leaving one dazzled!
But the most explosive was... the final article.
Liu Bei had a son named "Liu Shan," and a foster son named "Liu Feng." "Shan" and "Feng," when reversed, formed "Feng Shan!"
Feng Shan... this was an act only an emperor could perform.
And with Liu Bei bestowing such names upon his two sons, how could he possibly defend himself?
Loyalty to the sovereign?
A feathered canopy chariot? "Feng Shan"? There was no way to salvage this...
Suddenly...
In countless prefectures and counties, as the people listened to the contents of the newspaper, they became indignantly furious.
"I never imagined that Liu Bei's so-called 'benevolent gentleman' persona was all a facade!"
"'Feng Shan'! If you say he harbored no rebellious intentions, who would believe you?"
"Despicable! Shameless! I was deceived by him before..."
It could be said... the entire Central Plains and the northern territories exploded!
One newspaper had completely shattered Liu Bei's public image!
And this collapse would spread with the trade between merchants and the migration of people, expanding to every corner of the thirteen states of the Great Han!
Public opinion...
Had always been the sharpest sword!
...
...
In Luoyang City, the Hegemon's Mansion.
Cao Cao was discussing the southward campaign with his kinsmen: Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, and Cao Chun.
Cao Pi and Cao Zhang were also present.
Suddenly, a clerk presented this newspaper, causing the entire Hegemon's Mansion to erupt in excitement.
"Heartening! Utterly heartening!" Xiahou Dun slammed his hand on the table. "I've disliked that treacherous, long-eared scoundrel for a long time. The newspaper agency's exposé of his hypocrisy is truly heartening!"
"Indeed... we let him slip away back then, and he went around acting benevolent and righteous, even claiming to hold the Emperor's decree. Humph, 'feathered canopy chariot,' 'Feng Shan'... it turns out the biggest traitor is this long-eared scoundrel!" Cao Ren also exclaimed.
Cao Hong, Cao Chun, and Xiahou Yuan were also filled with righteous indignation.
After listening to their discussions for a while, Cao Cao finally smiled and said, "Zhi'er has a fine pen... This one newspaper is worth more than a hundred thousand troops!"
As he spoke, Cao Cao couldn't hide his paternal affection. Among his publicly acknowledged heirs, his favorites were Cao Zhi and Cao Chong.
He liked Cao Zhi for his elegant poetry and prose;
He liked Cao Chong for his unparalleled intelligence!
After this incident, Cao Cao naturally favored Cao Zhi even more.
"My son requests permission to lead a hundred thousand troops south. We will surely break through Xinye City and present the head of this hypocritical, long-eared scoundrel to Father."
Cao Zhang cupped his hands and requested permission.
Cao Pi's eyes darted about, and he subtly smacked his lips. He immediately opened his mouth and said,
"I heard that Director Lu specially summoned Zi Jian to his residence a few days ago for an afternoon chat. It is likely that these words all came from Director Lu's mouth. If so, then Brother Zhi has also made an invaluable contribution!"
He was reminding them...
That this was Lu Yu's accomplishment, not Cao Zhi's.
Ever since Cao Ang was no longer a candidate for heir apparent, Cao Pi had become particularly sensitive to such "achievements," and he dared not slacken his efforts even with his own brother.
"So that's how it is..." Xiahou Dun murmured.
Everyone exchanged glances. If it were Lu Ziyu, then... this could only be considered ordinary. After all... with his capabilities, it was not strange for him to dictate such "heartening" newspaper articles.
However...
Because of Cao Pi's words, Cao Zhi's "astonishment" seemed to have turned into a fleeting glimpse.
"Zhang'er!" Cao Cao's eyes turned to Cao Zhang. "In your opinion, how many soldiers and how much time would it take to capture Xinye and conquer Jing Province?"
As Cao Cao's words fell...
Everyone fell silent. They knew that the King of Wei was testing Cao Zhang.
This...
Although Cao Zhang was not particularly intelligent, he had grown up in military camps and had some experience in leading troops.
The more experienced he was, the more hesitant he was to speak rashly.
"Your son cannot say for sure..." Cao Zhang cupped his hands. "If it were only to take Xinye, then a hundred thousand soldiers and half a year would be enough! But if we were to conquer Jing Province, it involves naval warfare, and it would likely take a long time!"
Cao Cao was very pleased with Cao Zhang's answer; he was not seeking glory or rushing into action. Merely for this, he was already quite satisfied.
However...
Half a year?
If it were half a year, perhaps Yu'er would have already conquered Jing Province without bloodshed! Would there still be a need to march south!
Moreover, if this newspaper was indeed Yu'er's plan.
Then perhaps... his plans were already in motion!
"Father..."
As if seeing his father Cao Cao in a somber mood, Cao Zhang was about to speak again.
Cao Cao, however, waved his hand.
He changed the subject, "Zi Xiao? What has the Dragon Soaring Camp been doing lately?"
This...
Suddenly shifted the topic to this.
Cao Ren's eyes darted about, and after a moment of thought, he replied, "Two things. Firstly, the workshop has been researching something recently. I specifically went to inquire, and it seems to be related to the sky!"
"Secondly, Zi Yu has selected over half of the elite soldiers from various units of the Dragon Soaring Camp to form a navy, establishing shipyards in Donghai Commandery of Xuzhou to build new types of ships. He has even directly ordered the Dragon Soaring Camp soldiers to train at sea!"
Huo...
The sky?
Training at sea?
As Cao Ren's words fell, the entire assembly was in an uproar... Cao Cao also narrowed his eyes, lost in thought!
However, he had a strong premonition that these actions were closely related to the southward march to Jing Province, or perhaps to bringing Lady Gan back.
Yu'er, you will not disappoint your father!
Right!
...
...
On the outskirts of Luoyang City, in a spacious camp.
A giant balloon was being inflated. The balloon appeared very sturdy, and it grew larger and larger... When this hot air balloon was inflated, it began to drift upwards.
Beneath the balloon was a brazier, filled with fish oil.
Below that was a rattan basket.
The rattan basket was not small; it could accommodate four or five people, and ropes were tied to the corners of the basket.
It seemed to be a precaution in case the balloon actually flew away!
As the deflated balloon sac gradually swelled, and the fish oil in the brazier burned fiercely, emitting heat... in reality, the entire balloon did not ascend and fly into the sky as described in the diagrams.
The ropes around it seemed to have been tied in vain!
The hot air balloon simply stood there, maintaining its equilibrium.
This...
Zhuge Jun, who was watching from the side, narrowed his eyes, somewhat bewildered...
Cao Mu, on the other hand, frowned, occasionally exclaiming, "Fly, fly... fly already!"
Having seen "Ai Huo Ling Ji Zi Fei" (a type of sky lantern) and "Kongming Lantern" ascend into the sky... if they were to scale this up proportionally, then this hot air balloon should also be able to fly.
Moreover...
Lu Yu's previous manufacturing diagrams had never shown any flaws.
He didn't understand, completely didn't understand!
"What's going on..." Zhuge Jun was also completely baffled...
He had followed the manufacturing steps precisely for this hot air balloon, but... but... it simply wouldn't fly!
Just then.
A voice sounded from behind Zhuge Jun—
"It's the skin..."
This sentence was spoken with some hesitation at first, but then... the voice became firm.
"Yes, it's the skin!"
Zhuge Jun and Cao Mu turned their heads. Behind them appeared a middle-aged man, whom Zhuge Jun knew well—Uncle of the Emperor, Liu Ye!
He had been the head of the workshop from the very beginning!
But...
Why had he come?
As Zhuge Jun pondered, Liu Ye took two steps forward and immediately said, "Please don't mind me. Master Lu summoned me. I saw this hot air balloon from afar. According to the principle of 'Ai Huo Ling Ji Zi Fei,' it should have been able to fly?"
"But... it neither flies nor lands. There can only be one possibility—it's the skin! The skin of this balloon cannot completely contain the hot air within; the hot air is leaking!"
Liu Ye's words...
Zhuge Jun suddenly understood.
"So that's how it is, so that's how it is..."
He immediately instructed the craftsmen to close the valve of the fish oil brazier, allowing the hot air balloon to deflate again.
"The skin? Hot air leakage? What does that mean?" Cao Mu asked, completely confused... She realized that making this hot air balloon fly was quite difficult, and she was struggling to manage it.
Zhuge Jun replied with great certainty.
"Uncle Liu is right. This hot air balloon operates on the same principle as 'Ai Huo Ling Ji Zi Fei.' The only difference is that its size has been magnified thousands of times, and I only considered what was described in the manufacturing diagram!"
"Because it needs to bear the weight of several people, I simply magnified the size but did not consider the skin... An eggshell and a 'Kongming Lantern' are absolutely airtight, but this skin made of cloth is not airtight enough to retain the hot air! Naturally, the hot air balloon cannot ascend!"
Having said this, Zhuge Jun paused, "We need cloth, airtight cloth, this special kind of cloth to wrap the balloon and retain the hot air, but... where can we get such cloth?"
After this analysis, which included posing the question...
Liu Ye also narrowed his eyes, gazing at the gradually flattening hot air balloon...
—Cloth!
—Airtight cloth?
And for such a large balloon, for operations at such high altitudes, the airtightness of the cloth would undoubtedly need to be even higher?
How could this be solved?
After a moment, Cao Mu also came to her senses. She immediately reminded them,
"Since this hot air balloon's manufacturing diagram was provided by Lu Ziyu, he must know where the cloth comes from. Since we cannot solve it, why don't we ask him?"
As Cao Mu spoke, she prepared to pull Zhuge Jun to the Marquis of Baima's mansion.
Unexpectedly, Zhuge Jun shook off her hand and said, "If... if we rely on Master Lu for everything, then... then... what is the point of me?"
Indeed...
Zhuge Jun's words greatly impressed Liu Ye.
He is indeed Lu Ziyu's disciple, worthy of being the head of the workshop!
However...
"Cloth? Airtight cloth?" Zhuge Jun and Liu Ye both subconsciously uttered the phrase...
—Where does the cloth come from?
...
...
Donghai Commandery, Xuzhou.
Several ships from the Yamatai Kingdom sailed away from the coast. It was not that the Queen of Yamatai had departed, but rather that the Dragon Soaring Camp, under Lu Bu's command, was getting an early taste of future naval warships.
They were to set sail and train in the rough waves of the deep sea.
Shipyards in Donghai Commandery, Guangling Commandery, and other coastal prefectures had already begun operations. Numerous craftsmen were recruited and began the construction of ocean-going warships!
Of course, due to the generous rewards, the number of craftsmen and laborers was very large. However... as it was the first vessel, many areas required adjustment and coordination, and the progress was not fast.
However...
This time, the main individuals responsible for shipbuilding were the students of the Imperial Academy, Dian Wei's son Dian Man, and Xu Chu's son Xu Yi...
Although they were rough men, they dared not be negligent upon receiving such an important task. They personally oversaw every aspect, strictly adhering to the blueprints.
The sunshine today was good...
On the first ship to set sail, Lu Bu and Lu Lingqi stood at the bow.
Behind them were Huang Zhong and Huang Xu, this father and son pair...
They were tasked with leading the Dragon Soaring Camp navy into the deep sea...
The sea was different from land; it was easy to get lost and lose direction!
"Xu'er, do you see?" Huang Zhong observed Lu Bu for a long time, his eyes narrowing, as if with emotion.
"See what?" Huang Xu quickly asked.
Huang Zhong blinked and said with certainty, "The general sent by Commander Lu this time does not understand naval warfare! Nor does he understand how to train a navy!"
This...
Huang Xu was startled, then looked at his father and quickly asked, "Father, when you were renowned in Southern Jing, you were known for infantry combat and did not understand naval warfare. How can you tell at a glance that this general also does not understand naval warfare?"
Heh heh...
Hearing this, Huang Zhong laughed.
He pointed to the boots worn by Lu Bu and Lu Lingqi.
"Although Father did not understand naval warfare, Southern Jing was not without those skilled in it!"
"Northerners have large buttocks, which allows them to ride horses freely. However, for naval forces, one needs large feet to stand firm on the swaying deck! This general is leading the Dragon Soaring Camp wearing boots on the warships. It's unlikely their feet will develop the necessary strength! Therefore, I conclude that he does not understand the navy, let alone naval warfare!"
Then...
Huang Xu quickly asked.
"What is Master Lu's purpose in sending him?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps it is to let him and the Dragon Soaring Camp know what true naval warfare is! The Dragon Soaring Camp has gained too much fame over the years. Yet, the kings of the land are nothing but useless on deck. It is time to temper their arrogance!"
As Huang Zhong finished speaking...
"Report..."
A drawn-out tone suddenly resounded. "General Ying, there is a geyser ahead!"
...
...