If following the wheels of history, during the Battle of Red Cliffs, the participating parties against Cao Cao were the Sun-Liu Alliance! This "Sun" naturally refers to the Sun clan of Jiangdong, but who was the "Liu"? Was it Liu Qi or Liu Bei? This is a matter of much debate! And looking at the situation along the Yangtze River before and after Red Cliffs... the performance seems to have not provided detailed explanations for many issues. For example, between Liu Bei and Liu Qi, who was the actual leader? Was Liu Qi truly a mindless tool? Would he really hand over command of the Jiangxia navy to Liu Bei? Did the four southern commanderies surrender to Liu Bei or Liu Qi? Was Liu Qi's death truly caused by Liu Bei? The doubts are numerous... However, it seems... while Lu Ziyu's attention was on the Wuhuan in the north and the Central Plains, Zhuge Liang had already begun to accelerate his deployments in Jingzhou. The Sleeping Dragon was not just a title! The Yangtze River relentlessly beat against the sandy shore, and countless waves had already begun to churn!
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In Xuzhou, Donghai Commandery, near the port, there was an inn. Because of the flourishing fishing and salt industries here, many inns sprang up to accommodate traveling merchants. Behind these inns was the now renowned "Jiangbei Alliance" in Xuzhou! Xuzhou was called the granary of the world, hoarding over half the grain in the Central Plains, and the Jiangbei Alliance hoarded over half the money and grain in Xuzhou... it was truly at the height of its power! As for the local government offices, no one would dare to find trouble with the Jiangbei Alliance! The reason! Everyone knew that the leader of the Jiangbei Alliance and the commander of the Long Xiao Camp, the current Imperial Censor... were the same person. On this day, facing the sea breeze. In a luxurious inn, a woman veiled in white walked out gracefully. Behind her were over twenty倭国 maids, each dressed lightly, becoming a beautiful scenery at the port of Donghai Commandery during this time. As dawn broke, Himiko meticulously rinsed her mouth and washed her face with the service of countless maids... The warriors of Yamatai Kingdom stood guard by her side. After rinsing and washing her face, Himiko put on her white veil again and asked those around her. "What day is it?" "Reporting to Your Majesty, it has been the thirtieth day since we anchored! But... that legendary leader Lu has still not arrived!" a trusted maid replied in a low voice. The people at the Donghai Commandery port were accustomed to calling Lu Yu "Leader Lu," as the leader of the Jiangbei Alliance was more popular in this region! "Hoo..." Himiko exhaled softly, her hands instinctively clenching. She was exceptionally eager to meet the leader of the Jiangbei Alliance. When will he arrive?
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Lu Yu scooped out a small plate of salt from a clay pot. He nodded slightly and then patted Huang Xu's shoulder. "The refinement of this refined salt has improved considerably." Huang Xu scratched his head and smiled at Lu Yu's praise. "It's all according to the new method sent by Master Lu. Now this sea salt is as white as snow, and merchants call it snowflake salt!" Snowflake salt, as the name suggests, is also a type of salt. However, it is the crystalline part of sea salt that resembles snowflakes. The particles are fine and pure. When dissolved into brine and poured onto white gauze, then held up to the sun, the gauze remains pure and untainted. This is a new purification method! Of course, it requires thirty-six filtrations. Lu Yu merely told Huang Xu the method, and there were still many difficulties in the actual operation that needed to be overcome. Lu Yu's eyes were full of praise, but Huang Xu took the initiative to mention. "Master Lu, the fleet of the Yamatai Empire has been waiting at the port for over a month. It seems... they are quite anxious." Mentioning the Yamatai Empire, Lu Yu's spirits lifted. He wasn't here for any "snowflake salt." The Yamatai Empire... was the purpose of this trip! "Arrange it. We will meet the legendary Queen of the Yamatai Empire tonight!" "Yes!" Huang Xu agreed and hurried to make arrangements! As for Lu Yu, he raised his head and looked towards the several large ocean-going ships at the port. Their thick armor made them appear exceptionally stable! And being able to sail the oceans meant they had conquered the seas. The turbulence of sailing on the ocean is not comparable to that of the Yangtze or Yellow Rivers! I wonder... If Lu Yu could assemble a fleet like this, and contend with the Sun family's fleet and the Jiangxia fleet? Who would be stronger, who would be weaker? Lu Yu squinted. His mind wandered. It seems that at least in this era, the Japanese people, who are living quite comfortably... ah, no, the people of Wa, who are living quite comfortably, have superior shipbuilding technology to the Han! For a moment, Lu Yu suddenly became infinitely interested in future naval warfare!
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In Xudu City, the Imperial Secretariat was piled high with memorial bamboo slips. Xun Yu had just unfolded one when he heard the "tap-tap" of footsteps on the wooden floor outside the door. Xun Yu looked up and saw that it was none other than Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao! "Fengxiao, you have time to visit the Imperial Secretariat today!" Guo Jia walked directly to Xun Yu and knelt down... glancing at the mountain of bamboo slips on the desk, "It seems, Wenruo, you haven't had an easy time recently!" These words seemed to imply something else. Xun Yu rubbed his eyes, "Abolishing the head tax and restoring the commercial and agricultural taxes are matters that concern the overall situation of the Central Plains and the Northern regions... it affects every aspect, naturally, many officials have submitted memorials with proposals, some supporting, some opposing." "Then..." Guo Jia's eyes rolled... His ancestors had served as Grand Judges for six generations, so he was most sensitive to the public's reaction when such decrees were issued. "Wenruo, I suspect there are more people opposing it, aren't there?" "Alas..." Xun Yu sighed. "Naturally. Abolishing the head tax greatly reduces the burden of taxes on the common people, but the commercial and agricultural taxes increase the tax burden on the wealthy families and clans! And the increase is not small... many prefects and county magistrates have stated that the implementation of the new tax system is extremely difficult!" At this point... Xun Yu's expression darkened. As for Guo Jia... "Haha," he laughed heartily, seemingly disregarding Xun Yu's mood. "What is this, Fengxiao?" "Wenruo, look at this!" Guo Jia immediately clapped his hands... Immediately, continuous footsteps sounded outside the Imperial Secretariat. To Xun Yu's astonished gaze, a group of clerks entered the Imperial Secretariat, each holding a scroll of diagrams. This... Before Xun Yu could ask, the first clerk reported, "The Patriarch of the Chen clan of Yingchuan, Situ Yuan, Chen Qun, and seven other Yingchuan clan leaders were in discussion. Among them, three clan leaders proposed to reject the new tax! They asked Chen Qun for his decision!" As he spoke, the clerk unfolded the scroll... The diagram depicted many officials bribing Chen Qun. Whether Chen Qun accepted it or not... the diagram did not indicate, perhaps... Guo Jia was leaving some face for Chen Qun, who was also from Yingchuan gentry! Xun Yu frowned and fell into thought. The second clerk continued to report, "The magistrate of Qiaopei County visited General Cao Hong yesterday, also discussing this tax reform matter." The familiar scroll was opened again... In this scroll, one could clearly see the melancholic expressions of Cao Hong and the magistrate of Qiaopei County. Xun Yu knew that Cao Hong had a large amount of farmland in Qiaopei, and in terms of acreage, he was second to none in the entire Cao camp! If these commercial and agricultural taxes were levied, he would likely have to pay a hefty price. After that... there was the third, fourth, and fifth... One by one, the clerks revealed all the private secret meetings in Xudu City. - Brothels, pleasure houses! - Tea stalls, wine shops! These meeting places were relatively ordinary. The most outrageous was that Sima Fang of the Sima clan of Henei and Yang Biao of the Yang clan of Hongnong were discussing this matter in a latrine! It was truly absurd! "Lord Xun, these people are all obstructing the implementation of the new tax." Guo Jia's eyes suddenly narrowed... Indeed, the Guo clan of Yingchuan, which had passed down not only the official title of "Grand Judge" for six generations, but also the ability to "detect everything" and "monitor everything"! "Lord Xun, how do you think they should be punished?" This... Xun Yu paused. "Among them are members of the imperial family, your and my fellow townsmen, and the brother of Prime Minister Cao! If they are truly punished, it will cause great chaos!" "So!" Guo Jia smiled slightly. Immediately, another clerk handed a bamboo slip to Xun Yu. Xun Yu quickly unfolded it. The moment he unfolded it, his pupils contracted, and his heart tightened. "This is..." "Those diagrams from earlier were of important figures, whom we cannot move for now, but these names are of minor figures. I have already sent Magistrate Man to arrest them. A total of thirty-seven people, involving more than twenty families! They are secretly obstructing the implementation of the new tax law. This is to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, and to beat the grass to startle the snake!" Guo Jia said this lightly... Clearly, the School Office fully supported the new tax law promulgated by the Emperor! And it was to be enforced with an iron fist. "Fengxiao," Xun Yu paused, then slowly stood up and took a step forward, as if he had thought of something. "Let me ask you, was this proposal to abolish the head tax and levy commercial and agricultural taxes heavily conceived by His Majesty, or was it something someone hoped His Majesty would conceive?" "Wenruo, why are we being so formal between us?" Guo Jia waved his hand. As this sentence was uttered, Xun Yu had a premonition that Guo Jia had understood all his thoughts and concerns, but his visit was to make him make the final decision. "Once this new tax law is implemented, the Han Dynasty will truly be finished!" Xun Yu said calmly. "Han Gaozu said that anyone who claims kingship other than Liu's bloodline will be attacked by all under heaven. Originally, because of this decree, Prime Minister's path to kingship would be fraught with difficulties..." "But... but if His Majesty takes this step and offends all the clans in the world, then perhaps... all the clans in the world will yearn for a change of dynasty! Only by the demise of the Han Dynasty can their anger be appeased. At that time... Prime Minister..." Speaking to this point, Xun Yu's eyes became lost, and his tone became faltering! "Haha..." Guo Jia laughed heartily. "Jiang Ziya founded Zhou for eight hundred years, Zhang Zifang strengthened Han for four hundred years, and in ancient times, Xia, Shang, Zhou, Spring and Autumn, Warring States, Qin unified the land and established the empire... dynasties are always progressing through constant change, and our vision must always look forward!" "I often discuss this matter with Lu Ziyu. He mentioned a sentence that deeply touched me!" "What sentence?" Xun Yu asked. Guo Jia's expression became serious. "When a dynasty rises, the common people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the common people suffer!" Uh... Xun Yu seemed to be touched. Guo Jia's voice continued, "If there is a new dynasty that can, through its prosperity, relieve the suffering of the common people, would it not be worthwhile for you and me to dedicate our lives to it?" "Huo..." At this, Xun Yu's eyes suddenly opened, and he understood Guo Jia's purpose. "Did Ziyu send you?" "I can't hide it from Wenruo!" "Heh..." Xun Yu smiled faintly and said no more... Clearly, everything in the world was within Lu Yu's calculations, even his mood was calculated. He truly cared, this eldest son of the Prime Minister, the future heir, truly cared. And long ago, Lu Ziyu had told Xun Yu—don't let loyalty harm you! Reflecting on it now, when the Han Dynasty did not give, it was now being given willingly by the Han Dynasty! What value did his loyalty... still hold? "Clap clap!" Just then, Guo Jia clapped his hands again. Another clerk handed a bamboo slip to Xun Yu. "What is this?" Xun Yu looked up at Guo Jia. Guo Jia smiled, "Ziyu asked me to give this to you, saying he was afraid you would be in a bad mood!" "Hoo..." Xun Yu exhaled softly and unfolded the bamboo slip again. And on the bamboo slip, four columns of large characters leaped before his eyes. - Establish heart for heaven and earth; - Establish fate for the people; - Succeed the lost learning for past sages; - Open peace for ten thousand generations! It was these four columns of large characters that made Xun Yu's eyes widen, and even his mouth open... Astonishment, dread, shock! A bamboo slip, four columns of large characters, made Xun Yu's heart surge like tidal waves. "To... to establish heart for heaven and earth!" Xun Yu's tone became hoarse. He reached out to touch the words, every word... every sentence, could make him empathize and become emotional! "To... to open peace for ten thousand generations!" "Gulp," Xun Yu swallowed involuntarily. Although Xun Yu had never underestimated Lu Ziyu's vision, this time... with his vision revealed, he felt that Lu Ziyu's vision was even greater than he had imagined! Well said, to open peace for ten thousand generations. Xun Yu felt his horizons broaden considerably! "Wenruo..." Guo Jia patted Xun Yu's shoulder. "You know me. In the past, I always thought it would be good to just drink and play with women and live a simple life, without worrying too much or exhausting myself. But when I talked with Lu Ziyu, he mentioned these four sentences, especially 'to open peace for ten thousand generations.' Suddenly, I realized that without neglecting drinking and playing with women, one could also do earth-shattering and groundbreaking things! So that my descendants and clan in the future, when discussing Guo Fengxiao, they could give a thumbs up and say, 'The Guo family, with six generations of Grand Judges, is not as good as one generation of Guo Fengxiao!' Thinking about it that way, it's quite interesting, isn't it?" Heh... Xun Yu looked at Guo Jia blankly... He felt that the Guo Fengxiao in front of him had changed. It seemed that against the backdrop of these four sentences, he had suddenly become much taller. To open peace for ten thousand generations. If... if the sovereign he served was Lu Ziyu! Perhaps... he... he could truly achieve—Establish heart for heaven and earth; Establish fate for the people; Succeed the lost learning for past sages; Open peace for ten thousand generations! No, he would definitely achieve it! And only he could achieve it! Thinking of this, Xun Yu became somewhat excited... "Fengxiao, do you have any wine?" "It's the finest Maotai wine brewed by me and Chunyu Qiong!" "Then... shall we have some?" Uncommonly, Xun Yu took the initiative to suggest drinking. "Haha..." Guo Jia laughed heartily and clapped Xun Yu on the shoulder. "We won't return until we're drunk tonight!"
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Xuzhou, Donghai Commandery. As the sun set, the inn near the port was brightly lit... Lu Yu's carriage arrived at the inn's entrance. Stepping out of the carriage, Lu Yu was truly startled. The welcome ceremony from the Yamatai Kingdom was a bit too grand! Countless scantily clad women lined up on both sides, all performing the ninety-degree bow of the Yamatai Empire to Lu Yu. In their imperfect Chinese, they said in unison: "Greetings, Leader Lu!" The entire scene gave Lu Yu the feeling of being the pinnacle of martial arts, the leader of the martial world. "Where is your queen?" Lu Yu looked around. All the maids were wearing the same type of clothing, numbering in the thousands. Lu Yu was quite surprised that she brought so many maids on a sea voyage! But... according to the news, Queen Himiko was veiled in white. Clearly, she was not among these thousands. "Where is your queen?" Lu Yu, fearing a language barrier, asked again. At this moment, a head maid walked out gracefully. This time, she bowed to Lu Yu in the Chinese manner, and her Chinese was very fluent. "The Queen has been waiting in the inn for a long time..." "Leader Lu, please follow me!" As she walked, the maid led the way... The over a thousand maids parted in unison, creating a path. Lu Yu, escorted by Dian Wei, walked through it, giving him the feeling of being in a major Japanese film! While walking amidst the flowers, with not a petal touching his body, it would be very fortunate if the Yamatai Kingdom had a king who was a man! Just as Lu Yu was lost in thought... The maid in front of him spoke, "Leader Lu, I am from Xuzhou..." This maid was dressed in plain clothes. Her appearance was good... and her figure was also very alluring. She turned her head and continued, "Ten years ago, when Cao's army approached, I fled to sea and boarded a Yamatai Kingdom ship. I learned the local language. Because I am fluent in both languages, the Queen kept me by her side. The Queen began learning Chinese from a young age! She is now quite proficient!" Heh heh... Hearing this, Lu Yu chuckled. The Yamatai Kingdom, which is living quite comfortably, its predecessor was our great China! Legend has it that during the Qin Dynasty, Xu Fu led five hundred young boys and five hundred young girls across the sea... and established the current Yamatai Empire! As for the language, it is inherited from the same lineage... Naturally, it is not difficult to learn! Just as Lu Yu thought this... The beautiful maid continued to speak. - "Leader Lu, Queen Himiko has ordered that all thirteen hundred maids, including myself, whom Leader Lu fancies, will be given to Leader Lu by the Queen!" Uh... As these words were spoken, Lu Yu's footsteps stopped. He immediately understood why... the Yamatai Kingdom's several large ships were carrying not weapons, but a large number of maids! This was a beauty offensive! A beauty output! It was the tradition of this empire... throughout history! However... all the maids he fancied would be given to him... Heh heh, this Queen of the Yamatai Kingdom's way of making friends is truly simple and low-key!
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