The rain had stopped and the sky was clear.
On Dragon Fly Mountain, dewdrops fell from the leaves. A few sparrows perched on the treetops, beginning their search for food.
At this moment, Yan Liang, standing on the mountain ridge, wore a complex expression.
Before him, a graceful woman in her forties was cooking in the kitchen. She was Yan Yun, the eldest daughter of the renowned Yan family from Hebei. She looked up at the sky.
"Finally, is it over and the sky is clear?"
"Sister? Has my brother-in-law already..." Yan Liang trailed off, his voice catching in his throat.
Yan Yun seemed to realize something.
*Hoo…*
She merely let out a soft sigh.
"Little brother Liang, try this five-spice jerky. Is it flavorful enough?"
This…
Yan Liang did not expect his sister to be in such a mood. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, nodding in response.
"This was cured by your brother-in-law and me last winter. Lü Lingqi was still here then!"
Yan Yun said with emotion…
"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law isn't coming back..." Yan Liang finally spoke his mind. "As long as Sister gives the word, I, Yan Liang, and our Yan family…"
*Stomp…*
Before Yan Liang could finish.
Yan Yun's expression froze. She immediately waved her hand, her head lowered, her eyes fixed on the five-spice jerky on the table. "In the end, your brother-in-law tasted the last of life's five flavors. Is this not another form of release for him?"
She raised her cheek, her entire expression one of indescribable indifference…
It seemed she had long foreseen Tong Yuan's final destination.
Perhaps…
Perhaps it could have been foreseen from the moment their master and disciples fell out, their fellow disciples fell out… and even… when their sisters of the Yan family fell out.
This was a flaw in Tong Yuan's character…
This flaw only allowed him to live in seclusion from the world, but… ultimately, the peace Yan Yun had tried so hard to maintain was shattered!
"The family has been shrouded in gloom because of your brother-in-law. Never mind, let's not… not talk about it. Eat… eat the meat!"
Even as she forcibly suppressed her emotions, tears continued to stream down her face uncontrollably.
"Sister…"
Yan Liang reached out to grasp his sister's hand.
Yan Yun turned her back, shook her head, and after a moment of thought, finally spoke.
"Did that Lu Ziyu really tell you that?"
"That's what he said. Younger brother remembers it clearly." The topic shifted, and Yan Liang nodded in recollection. "Qi had Yan Zhuoju, Zhao had Yan Zui, and at the end of Han, there was Yan Liang. They all held the position of general, yet they ended up in rebellion!"
This sentence was something Lu Yu had discussed with Yan Liang in prison years ago…
This was from the later "Yan Family Instructions," meaning that because they studied martial arts, these ancestors became brutes and were thus killed. Therefore, the descendants of the Yan family must study diligently.
Back then… Lu Yu said this because he considered that the Yan family had many loyal and heroic descendants, such as Yan Zhenqing! And Yan Siqi!
For the sake of these "loyal and heroic" figures, Lu Yu never intended to make things difficult for the Yan family. On the contrary… he guided them with patience.
This painstaking effort… the brute Yan Liang could not comprehend.
But Yan Yun, the eldest daughter of the Yan clan, understood best. And she had always valued her family’s honor greatly.
"Your brother-in-law's death is a personal grievance and has nothing to do with the Yan clan!" Yan Yun said word for word. "The Cao army is marching north, and the Yuan clan's power is waning. As the head of the Yan family, a descendant of generals, what should be your stance? To whom will you pledge your loyalty? Who can preserve the glory of the Yan family's lineage? You know what to do without me teaching you…"
This…
How could Yan Liang not understand?
On one side was her husband, and on the other, her family. Undoubtedly… his sister had chosen her family.
This was not difficult to understand. In this era, every individual placed great importance on their family lineage.
"Little brother… little brother knows what to do!"
Yan Liang pondered for a moment before speaking.
Yan Yun remained silent, her head bowed, gazing at the plate of five-spice jerky on the table. Beneath her indifferent expression, her heart churned with a myriad of emotions…
"Life is impermanent, and all five flavors are present!"
…
…
On the outskirts of Xuchang City, by the Ying River.
"The Prime Minister has ordered: whoever can weigh the elephant shall be rewarded with a thousand gold coins!" Xu Chu shouted.
Countless civil and military officials and curious onlookers exchanged bewildered glances… such a large elephant? How could it be weighed?
Seeing everyone in a predicament, Zhuge Jin’s lips curved slightly.
He did not care how much the elephant weighed.
However, he was extremely concerned about the chain reaction that "weighing the elephant" would trigger… After all, Lu Ziyu had proposed that if anyone could weigh the elephant, the court would enfelff the third son of the Sun family, Sun Yi. If not, it would be the second son, Sun Quan!
Judging by the current situation, it seemed… the succession dispute in Jiangdong had been settled.
Zhuge Jin instinctively turned his gaze towards Lu Yu, as if trying to glean something from his eyes, but there was nothing.
Lu Yu's eyes were like a clear lake, exceptionally calm, as if everything was within his grasp!
Cao Cao's mood stirred slightly…
After all, according to Yu'er's original plan, the court was to support the third son of the Sun family, Sun Yi, but now… how was this elephant to be weighed?
Just then.
"Father, Father, look at Chong'er!"
A childish voice rang out…
Everyone turned to look, and it was none other than Cao Cao's favorite son, Cao Chong!
"Can you weigh the elephant?" Cao Cao crouched down and asked Cao Chong curiously.
Cao Chong nodded. He glanced at Lu Yu, seemingly wanting to show off in front of his future Imperial Academy teacher.
"This small matter is no challenge for me!"
Having said that, Cao Chong smiled. "The elephant was transported from the ship via the Ying River. So, to know the elephant's weight is simple. Put the elephant back onto the ship, mark where the water level reaches, then move the elephant off, and load the ship with large stones. Weigh these large stones, and you will know the elephant's weight!"
Cao Chong shook his little head slightly. "Which is lighter and which is heavier, one can tell by weighing. As the saying goes, 'Weighing things by what they carry, one can know the difference'!"
*Hoo…*
As soon as these words were spoken, Cao Cao's eyes widened.
Lu Yu’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Xun Yu said calmly, "Indeed, Young Master Chong is truly intelligent!"
Cao Ang suddenly realized, slapping his forehead. "Brother Chong's method is exactly what Master Lu mentioned in the Imperial Academy! Master Lu calls it 'equivalent substitution'!"
Xi Zhicai’s gaze also swept over the elephant, nodding repeatedly. He wanted to say something but remained silent!
Cao Pi’s eyes darted around as he quickly added, "Brother Chong is so clever, but… if we follow Brother Chong's method, in fact, there's no need for large stones. We can just have the soldiers stand on the ship in place of the stones, which would also save the effort of moving the large stones!"
Heh…
The continuous words from Cao Chong, Cao Ang, and Cao Pi made Cao Cao beam with joy.
"Haha, hahaha…"
He stroked his beard and said to Zhuge Jin with a laugh, "Ziyu, it seems my sons are superior to Brother Wentai's sons! Ah… hahaha!"
His hearty laughter echoed…
Zhuge Jin's mood plummeted. According to the methods mentioned by the Cao brothers, it was indeed not difficult to weigh the elephant.
And this was not the most ironic part…
The most ironic part was that Zhuge Jin, an adult, had not thought of this method!
Even more ironic was that because of "weighing the elephant," the Huaiyang faction lost… The court's enfeoffment of Sun Yi undoubtedly indicated that the Huaiyang faction had fallen behind in the competition with the eight great families of Jiangdong!
"Ziyu…"
Cao Cao was unaware of Zhuge Jin's inner thoughts. He raised his hand and said sternly, "Since there is a method, there is no need to weigh it specifically. However, it is not appropriate to keep this elephant in the city. Let us send it to your Imperial Academy. The Imperial Academy is located in the Ying River, and Yongqiu is a place where spiritual energy gathers. Adding this elephant will complement it!"
"Good!"
Lu Yu agreed.
Cao Cao turned his gaze back to Zhuge Jin. "Ziyu, I, Cao Cao, keep my word. Since I agreed to Ziyu's proposal just now, we will do as he said."
"You will accompany me to court tomorrow, and I will request an imperial decree for Sun Yi's enfeoffment!"
This…
Zhuge Jin was not in a good mood, but he still respectfully cupped his hands.
"Thank you, Prime Minister!"
"Let's go back!" Cao Cao waved his long sleeve and was about to head back into the city, but as he took a step, he suddenly remembered something. "Right, I almost forgot!"
He turned back to face Zhuge Jin. "Sun Wentai and I were old acquaintances! Back then, when we campaigned against the Yellow Turbans, I served under General Huangpu Song, and Brother Wentai was the foremost fierce general under General Zhu Jun! We drank and sang together, how fortunate it was!"
"But Brother Wentai met his end at the hands of Huang Zu in Jiangxia. I heard that Sun Zhongmou, the second son of the Sun family, is a filial person. Perhaps tomorrow I will request an imperial decree for him to campaign against Huang Zu, fulfilling his filial piety. Brother Wentai cannot die with his eyes wide open!"
Uh…
This…
Zhuge Jin's mood instantly plunged to the bottom.
He felt completely outmaneuvered by Cao Cao…
Or rather, outmaneuvered by Lu Yu.
This was a stratagem within a stratagem, a series of schemes!
An elephant had placed the succession to the Jiangdong throne in Sun Yi's hands. If this was somewhat acceptable… but the court issuing a decree for Sun Quan to attack Huang Zu in Jiangxia!
This…
And the decree was issued with filial piety as the primary reason…
This was an open stratagem!
Knowing it was a trap, a weakening strategy, Sun Quan and the Huaiyang civil and military officials had no choice but to accept it, taking a great loss without a word!
*Hoo…*
A long sigh escaped his lips.
Despite his endless complaints, Zhuge Jin could only cup his hands.
"Thank you, Prime Minister!"
"Haha… What are you thanking me for?" Cao Cao replied with a laugh. "Given my relationship with Brother Wentai, doing such small favors is only natural! Don't mention thanks!"
Speaking of which…
Cao Cao turned and boarded his carriage, striding towards Xuchang.
As he walked, he hummed softly.
"Sun Wentai’s sons are like pigs and dogs! One should have sons like Cao Ziyu! Haha, hahaha!"
…
…
Jingzhou, Xinye City, atop the city wall.
Liu Bei leaned against the parapet, his expression extremely grim.
"Is Big Brother still worried about the Yuan brothers' infighting and Cao Cao's northward march?" Guan Yu walked to his side and asked. "Internal strife and disaster within the family gave Cao Cao the opportunity to break through Liyang City and march north against Yuan. Now… I hear Cao Cao is following Lu Yu's suggestion to dredge the Suiyang Canal, intending to surround Ye City with water! How long can the Yuan clan hold out?"
Guan Yu's tone was low. Clearly, not only Liu Bei… but even the usually stoic Guan Yu was lamenting the swift changes in the times.
*Hoo…*
Liu Bei sighed.
"As expected, nothing more than expected…"
Liu Bei shook his head. "That Lu Ziyu is adept at understanding human hearts. I suspect the internal strife among the Yuan brothers was also part of his calculations. Now it seems the Yuan brothers will not be able to hold Cao Cao back for too long."
"Indeed!" Guan Yu nodded. "If Cao Cao annexes Qing, Ji, You, and Bing prefectures, and then adds Si, Xu, Yan, and Yu, then out of the thirteen prefectures of Han, eight will fall into his hands! His prestige is boundless!"
"And that's not all," Liu Bei raised his head and looked towards the southeast. "The most terrifying thing is that Cao Cao and Lu Yu can use the court to control the selection of the Jiangdong heir! Sun Quan, who was originally supported by the Huaiyang civil and military officials, has lost to Sun Yi, who is supported by the eight great families of Jiangdong, due to an imperial decree. Now… Jiangdong is truly divided into two factions."
Speaking of this, Liu Bei paused. "Furthermore, Sun Quan is forced to obey the imperial decree and fight Huang Zu in Jiangxia, leaving him no time to look north. Cao Cao will have no threat in completely eliminating the remnants of the Yuan clan. Alas… alas!"
Liu Bei sighed deeply.
He did not mention Liu Biao of Jingzhou at all…
Because, mentioning Liu Jingsheng made Liu Bei feel weary, not just weary, but also pained… heartbroken.
In the past two days, he had mentioned marching north more than ten, twenty times, taking advantage of Cao Cao's attention being on the northern border to surprise Xuchang, but… but Liu Jingsheng was old. He no longer had the heroic spirit of when he first rode alone into Jingzhou. His daily contemplation was to drink wine and how to remain un-drunk!
What's more, in order to buy wine brewed in the Xuchang Imperial Academy, he spent lavishly!
Alas… alas…
Repeated sighs.
Just then…
*Tap, tap, tap!*
A series of footsteps sounded. A soldier rushed over. "Reporting to the Lord, Liu Biao has sent a message. He wants the Lord to go to Xiangyang to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival together."
"I know!" Liu Bei's expression remained unchanged, and he answered softly.
During the Han Dynasty, people attached great importance to celebrating the Double Ninth Festival, with many joyful customs, such as inserting dogwood, eating peng’er (pancakes), drinking chrysanthemum wine (wine infused with chrysanthemum petals), admiring chrysanthemums, and climbing high.
These activities were all for warding off disaster and seeking longevity.
As the Governor of Jingzhou, Liu Biao was no exception… He invited friends to celebrate and drink fine wine together!
However, on this joyous festival, Liu Bei was filled with sorrow, how could he be in the mood!
…
…
In the countryside, as the festival approached, countless villagers were busy preparing for it.
Liu Bei, leading a group of riders along the official road, arrived at a farmhouse and was attracted by the countless chrysanthemums.
Amidst the hundred flowers, many dogwood branches were inserted, making the pervasive fragrance in the air even richer with dogwood.
The gates of the farmhouses were adorned with branches and blossoms of chrysanthemums, forming flower gates. By walking through these flower gates, people could pick flowers at any time, either to wear on their hats, in their hair, or pinned to their chests!
The farmhouse gate even had a couplet pasted on it.
The upper couplet was: "In the morning, drink the dew from the magnolia; The lower couplet was: "In the evening, dine on the fallen petals of autumn chrysanthemums." A scene of the Double Ninth Festival.
Liu Bei rarely saw such "leisurely" scenery and unconsciously stopped his steps. He walked to the farmhouse gate to enjoy a moment of peace.
But after the moment of peace, Liu Bei once again fell into deep doubt. Clearly… he was losing confidence in his vision of a prosperous Han Dynasty, and at the same time, he was filled with disappointment towards Liu Biao, a member of the imperial clan!
Just then…
"Sir's heart is clouded with gloom! You seem to have something on your mind. How about I divine for you?"
Suddenly, an old voice reached Liu Bei's ears.
Looking closely, he saw an old man slowly emerging from the farmhouse, holding a large banner with the words "Mr. Shuijing" written in large characters.
A person's name precedes them!
In Jingzhou, who didn't know of the two hermits!
One was Mr. Shuijing, Sima Hui;
The other was Pang Degong. It could be said… in Jingzhou, their appraisal of young people carried a weight no less than the Yue Dan Ping of the ancient city of Pingyu in Runan!
Liu Bei's eyes widened abruptly as he looked at Sima Hui. "So it is Mr. Shuijing… I am Liu Xuande!"
"Does Lord Liu wish to have his fortune told?" Mr. Shuijing Sima Hui seemed not at all surprised.
Or rather, he was waiting for Liu Bei!
"Heh heh…" Hearing about fortune-telling, Liu Bei said self-deprecatingly, "Human strength has its limits, and heavenly power is unfathomable!"
Sima Hui stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Three days ago, I saw a ray of crimson light descending from the sky, circling the city for three days without dispersing. Now that Lord Liu has a golden aura, he must be the one who attracted this crimson light."
Huo…
Liu Bei was startled, his eyes widening. "This is? What does it mean?"
Sima Hui said with a smile, "The ways of heaven are cyclical. It is widely rumored that the Han imperial family established the state as descendants of the Red Emperor. Now that Lord Liu attracts the crimson light, he must undoubtedly be of royal blood!"
"Royal blood?" Upon hearing these four words, Liu Bei was lost in thought. "Are the current clan members still useful? In the north, the Hidden Dragon assists Cao but not Han. In the south, Liu Jingsheng and Liu Jiyu confine themselves to their territories. Han… does Han still have hope?"
Sima Hui said confidently, "How can those with shallow understanding recognize the general trend of the world? There are many heroes in this world, but it is a pity that many have great ambitions, yet few achieve their great cause. Why? Because if you want to soar to the heavens, you must have two wings to help you, that is, the literary and military wings. Forgive me for being blunt, but Lord Liu is strong in military might but weak in literary talent. His subordinates Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are both capable of fighting ten thousand enemies, but Sun Qian, Jian Yong, Mi Fang, and others, where are the talents to govern the country?"
Speaking of this…
Sima Hui paused. "Therefore, Lord Liu only has one wing! Lord Liu lacks a strategist who can observe the world and possess a deep understanding of strategy!"
"Once Lord Liu has this strategist, it will be like a fish in water. The Jingzhou folk rhymes have been sung for three years, and finally, destiny has found its owner. The coiled dragon in the stream flies towards the sky! Is this not a true reflection of Lord Liu's situation?"
This…
Liu Bei paused. "The talented individuals in the world today are the Hidden Dragon Lu Ziyu, Xun Wenruo of Yingchuan serving Cao Cao, and Zhou Gongjin of Lujiang serving Sun Zhongmou of Jiangdong. But which talented individual serves me, Liu Bei?"
Looking at the courtyard full of dogwood, Liu Bei's mood was as dark as water.
He had fantasized more than once, if only… if only the Hidden Dragon Lu Ziyu assisted him, Liu Bei? Then… what would the world be like today?
Haha…
Who would have thought that at this moment.
Sima Hui's words followed. "Does Lord Liu not know what the Hidden Dragon 'Lu Ziyu' said when the Xiang army sent an elephant and Cao Chong was weighing it?"
"What did he say?" Liu Bei's spirits immediately rose to their peak.
Sima Hui slowly turned around, his hands behind his back.
"The Hidden Dragon said: In Jing and Xiang, there are outstanding talents, the Sleeping Dragon and the Young Phoenix! In my humble opinion, obtaining one of these two can allow one to stand firm in this chaotic world! Obtaining both can bring peace to the empire, and the Han Dynasty shall prosper!"
Sleeping Dragon?
Young Phoenix?
A flicker of confusion crossed Liu Bei's eyes.
There were many renowned scholars in Jingzhou, Huang Chengyan, Pang Degong, Sima Hui!
And the brothers Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang, and the Ma family's Five Worthies, the most worthy among them, Ma Liang, and the Ma brothers.
But…
Only this Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix? This was the first time Liu Bei had heard of them.
At the same time…
In Wolong Ridge, Nanyang, a guest from afar knocked on the door of the thatched cottage.
A clear voice followed.
"Is my second brother, Zhuge Kongming, in the thatched cottage?"
…
…