The sky, moments ago clear and sunny, was suddenly deluged by a downpour.
It seemed Heaven itself foresaw the events about to unfold on Flying Dragon Mountain. From the tavern at its base, the resonant sound of heavy footsteps could faintly be heard.
He had arrived. Tong Yuan, wielding his Flying Dragon Spear, had come.
The instant he appeared in the rain, Gongsun Zan, Qu Yi, Zhang Yan, and Tian Yu all felt a jolt in their hearts, their eyes instinctively narrowing as they heightened their vigilance to the utmost.
In contrast, Dian Wei tilted his head back, his gaze condescendingly sweeping over the approaching figure.
He asked softly, "Is that Tong Yuan?"
Silence...
The atmosphere here was exceptionally silent, exceptionally tranquil.
"Stomp!"
"Stomp, stomp!"
As the footsteps drew nearer, a solemn figure emerged from beneath a bamboo hat, standing before them.
Beside him stood a weapon rack, adorned with several long spears. These were forged from fine steel, capable of slicing through iron like mud, and were also a gift from Lu Bu to Tong Yuan.
In the past, Lu Bu had lost to Dian Wei due to his inferior steel weapons. Today, he did not wish for his victory over Tong Yuan to be decided by the sharpness of steel!
However, Tong Yuan paid no heed to these fine steel spears. He continued to grip his Flying Dragon Spear, advancing step by step.
"Tong Yuan, our past grievances should be settled today, shouldn't they?"
Tian Yu was the first to break the silence.
On that day, at Yanmen Pass, how close had he come to death!
Dozens of his brothers had been slain in an instant, swept away like fallen leaves in a gust of wind!
Tong Yuan looked up at Tian Yu, his face lifted, and sneered, "A nameless nobody, do you have any right to speak here?"
Hearing this, Tian Yu's sword-like eyebrows shot up. He gripped his sabre, poised to charge forward.
Dian Wei held him back. Hands on his hips, he boomed with laughter towards Tong Yuan, "I heard your martial arts are good. I've come specifically to spar with you!"
Tong Yuan smiled faintly. "You?"
Whoosh...
Zhang Yan, as swift as a swallow, darted to a spot not far from Tong Yuan, stopping and saying, "Then what about me?"
Qu Yi and Gongsun Zan, unwilling to be outdone, also drew their weapons.
Qu Yi wielded a short spear, while Gongsun Zan held a ring-hilted saber, though everyone knew his true skill lay with the bow and arrows strapped to his back.
Seeing them, Tong Yuan's smile deepened. He nodded and said, "Excellent, all my defeated foes have arrived! This makes it even more interesting!"
At this, he extended his index finger, beckoning slightly, and chuckled, "Come at me all at once. It saves time by not having to deal with you one by one!"
Hmph...
Just then.
Lu Bu and Yang Xiu emerged from the tavern.
Upon seeing Tong Yuan, Lu Bu's eyes narrowed. While he disdained Tong Yuan's character, facing so many, Tong Yuan's aura commanded his attention!
Unfortunately, Lu Bu was here to resolve this issue permanently.
"Your Flying Dragon Spear is not durable. The superior steel spear is right beside you. Show me your true skill!"
Lu Bu pointed at the steel spears on the "Lan Qi" rack beside Tong Yuan, his eyes hardening as he spoke coldly.
Tong Yuan turned to glance at the steel spears on the "Lan Qi" rack, then looked back at Lu Bu, his smile fading.
"Are you pitying me?"
Heh...
Lu Bu let out a cold laugh and replied, "You and I come from the same lineage. This is your final battle. Let's not have any regrets!"
Tong Yuan smiled...
How could he not know the power of that so-called "steel spear"?
The tip of the Flying Dragon Spear was made of iron, while the steel spear's tip could slice through iron like mud. During their previous encounter, he had suffered a disadvantage because of this.
He tossed aside his Flying Dragon Spear, retrieved a fitting steel spear from the "Lan Qi" rack, his gaze sharp, and said with a low tone, "For the sake of this spear, I won't run this time!"
With that, he held his long spear, assumed a stance, and shouted loudly at everyone before him, "Come! Come!"
...
...
In the city of Xuchang, the sun cast its rays upon the nine ridges of the roofs.
Within the grand Prime Minister's mansion, with its double-eaved architecture, Zhuge Jin knelt before Cao Cao.
"Envoy from Jiangdong, Zhuge Jin, pays his respects to the Prime Minister."
Upon hearing the name "Zhuge," Cao Cao's eyes snapped open, and he said sternly, "Zhuge Jin? Zhuge? Are you a member of the Langya Zhuge clan?"
Indeed...
Cao Cao had linked Zhuge Jin with his prospective son-in-law, "Zhuge Jun."
"Precisely," Zhuge Jin replied truthfully.
Cao Cao nodded, recalling that after his daughter Cao Mu had a spat with Zhuge Jun, Zhuge Jun had been dispatched by Lu Yu towards Jingzhou.
It seemed it was to persuade one of his elder brothers to come, and this Zhuge Jin was evidently one of his clan brothers!
The entire family was almost gathered in Xuchang!
"You are an envoy from Jiangdong? What is your position in Yang Province?" Cao Cao inquired.
Zhuge Jin bowed and replied, "With the recent demise of General Bofu, Jiangdong is without a master. I am merely a retainer of the Sun clan. This trip to Xuchang is to request the court to issue a decree and enfeoff the Governor of Yang Province!"
Enfeoff?
As these words left his mouth, Cao Cao's eyes narrowed.
If the court were to truly enfeoff the Sun clan as Governors of Yang Province, wouldn't the "Three Mutual Laws" and the "abolition of provincial governors" convention be utterly shattered?
The court's prestige in Jiangdong would plummet to the lowest point!
Jiangdong's calculations were quite astute!
With this thought in mind...
Cao Cao's eyes were filled with amusement, and he remained noncommittal about Zhuge Jin's proposal.
Seeing this, Zhuge Jin respectfully continued, "Prime Minister Cao, as the esteemed Prime Minister of the Great Han, the head of all officials, the people of Jiangdong, in celebration of the Prime Minister's great victory at Guandu, have sent an elephant. Due to its immense size, they feared it might damage the grand avenues of Xuchang, and thus it has been temporarily housed outside the city!"
An elephant...
Cao Cao detected a subtle meaning within this statement.
"Jiangdong values an elephant so highly? It might damage the grand avenues of Xuchang?"
Cao Cao's gaze held a hint of coldness, as if he felt provoked.
However... he soon calmed down considerably. This was something Yu'er had anticipated in advance, so there was nothing to be surprised about.
Most importantly, Yu'er had said this was a gesture of goodwill!
"Please do not misunderstand, Prime Minister."
Zhuge Jin hastily explained, "Jiangdong has always held the Prime Minister in high regard. Both welcoming the Son of Heaven and launching the northern campaign against Yuan Shao have earned the admiration of the common folk of Jiangdong, led by the Sun clan. Hence, this gift of an elephant. We beg the Prime Minister not to find it wanting."
"Never!"
Cao Cao suddenly stood up and laughed heartily, "How could I, Cao Cao, find it wanting? Since they fear it might damage the grand avenues of Xuchang, I shall humbly go to the outskirts of Xuchang to take a look. However..."
At this point, Cao Cao slowly walked to Zhuge Jin's side, his voice lowered considerably.
"It seems that recently, two young masters of the Sun clan in Jiangdong have been locked in a fierce struggle for the position of 'heir,' with hidden currents running deep, have they not?"
This...
Zhuge Jin's expression changed.
The contention between the young masters Sun Quan and Sun Yi was a well-guarded secret. Not only the civil and military officials of Huaishui, but also the prominent families of Jiangdong had completely sealed off such news. Yet now... Cao Cao had brought it up. This...
"Hahaha..."
Before Zhuge Jin could reply, Cao Cao burst into hearty laughter. "Zhongkang, go summon all civil and military officials and the various young masters. We shall all go to the outskirts of the city to see this elephant, and also to witness Jiangdong's current 'chaos'!"
Cao Cao's words were full of meaning.
"Yes..."
Xu Chu agreed and immediately dispatched the Tiger Guards to pass on the message.
Cao Cao, however, unhurriedly gestured towards the mansion adjacent to the Prime Minister's mansion, pointing to Zhuge Jin. "Young Master Zhuge? Do you know whose residence that is next to our Prime Minister's mansion?"
"I do not know!" Zhuge Jin replied truthfully.
"The Censor of the Imperial Court, the Marquis of Baima, the Commander of the Dragon Cavalry Camp, Lu Ziyu!" Cao Cao immediately introduced himself, with a proud expression. "By the way, your brother Zhuge Jun is his disciple, isn't he? Before we go see the elephant, I believe... you must be eager to meet this Marquis of Baima, haha. I shall introduce you."
Saying this, Cao Cao grabbed Zhuge Jin by the wrist, and together they proceeded towards the Marquis of Baima's mansion.
...
...
At the entrance of the Marquis of Baima's mansion.
Having received the message from Xu Chu, Lu Yu emerged just as Cao Cao's five-carriage procession arrived.
"Ziyu, come up!"
Cao Cao's voice followed immediately.
Lu Yu directly stepped onto the carriage...
Inside the carriage, Cao Cao sat with great ease. Lu Yu and Zhuge Jin knelt before a low table.
Through Cao Cao's introduction, Lu Yu now knew that the person before him was the eldest son of the Langya Zhuge clan, Zhuge Jin...
And Zhuge Jin also knew that the person before him was the Marquis of Baima, Lu Yu, whose name had shaken the world in recent years, known for his astute strategies and flawless planning!
A reputation precedes a person...
Meeting the strategist Lu Yu for the first time, Zhuge Jun couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Besides nervousness, he was also surprised. Lu Yu was too young, much younger than he had imagined... To be so cunning at such a young age was truly rare.
"Cough cough..."
With a light cough, Lu Yu spoke calmly, "The male rabbit's feet are active, the female rabbit's feet are confused. When two rabbits run side by side, I can't distinguish between male and female!"
"Your Langya Zhuge clan is very capable. I never expected that the 'Zhuge Kongming' who has been by my side for so long is actually Zhuge Jun, and the true Zhuge Kongming is calmly residing in Jingzhou's Nanyang Port. I wonder, Zhuge Ziyu, do you know about these matters?"
This...
Zhuge Jin remained silent. Over the years... as Lu Yu and the Dragon Cavalry Camp's fame grew, the name "Zhuge Kongming" also soared.
Skilled in various crafts, repeatedly achieving military successes, and master of strategy!
The world spared no praise for him...
But... only as an elder brother did he know that their third and second brothers had essentially swapped lives, hadn't they?
However...
It seemed the outcome was different from what was expected. What remained, which was thought to be a disaster, turned out to be a blessing? What remained, in fact, was a gain!
"Liang and Jun are both my brothers. As for who is in the north and who is in the south, I truly do not know," Zhuge Jin replied.
Hearing this, Lu Yu smiled slightly.
This was not important...
What was important was Zhuge Jin's purpose for coming here.
"I heard that in Jingzhou, there is a saying that Pang Degong and Mr. Shui Jing highly praise their two sons, one as the Crouching Dragon and the other as the Young Phoenix. Whether it is 'Liang' or 'Jun,' this Crouching Dragon is your younger brother, isn't he? He has now completed his studies and is cultivating fertile fields in Wolonggang, observing the changes of the times? Is that correct?"
This...
Zhuge Jin was slightly taken aback.
"How does the Marquis of Baima know?"
If Zhuge Jin had considered his second and third brothers' identities being discovered by Lu Yu as plausible, then... even his second brother cultivating fertile fields in Wolonggang outside Nanyang? Even this... escaped his notice?
Then...
Was the presentation of the elephant from Jiangdong also within Lu Yu's calculations?
Before Zhuge Jin could speak, Lu Yu's voice continued.
"Never mind, none of that is important. What's important is the elephant from Jiangdong... However, I would like to ask, in your opinion, Ziyu, who will be the 'elephant' of Jiangdong in the future?"
Uh...
Zhuge Jin was once again speechless.
Usually eloquent, he now did not know what to say, or rather, he dared not speak.
What Lu Yu was asking about was not the elephant at all!
It was clearly the struggle between Sun Quan and Sun Yi!
How terrifying, every word Lu Yu uttered seemed to strike directly at his heart... making him tremble. Was this the legendary skill of attacking the enemy's mind?
What immense pressure...
"Alright!" Cao Cao said with a smile. "Ziyu, it's time for us to go and witness Jiangdong's elephant!"
Actually...
From Lu Yu's words, Cao Cao had discerned some hidden meaning.
For instance... the Crouching Dragon? It seemed Yu'er highly valued this person! And the "prospective son-in-law" Zhuge Jun's trip to Xiangyang was likely for him as well?
The five-carriage procession, escorted by the Tiger Guards, departed in grand style. Upon reaching the gates of Xuchang, the elephant sent by Jiangdong was already surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
"Huo..."
Cao Cao looked up at the elephant and exclaimed repeatedly, "In the 'Xiaoyao You,' it is said, 'In the Northern Darkness there is a fish, its name is Kun. The Kun is so large, I know not how many thousand li it spans...' "
"Prime Minister is mistaken," Lu Yu interjected. "It should be, 'In the Northern Darkness there is a fish, its name is Kun. The Kun is so large, one pot cannot hold it all. Just like this elephant today, it's big... but not tasty. If it were to be cooked, it would likely require at least four or five large pots to stew, a great deal of effort and trouble, truly tasteless to eat, and a pity to discard!'"
Uh...
As Lu Yu's words left his mouth, Zhuge Jin's forehead began to sweat.
Tasteless to eat, a pity to discard, was he referring to Jiangdong?
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and quickly said, "Marquis of Baima, it is better not to cook this elephant. Is it not better to house it here, to be admired from afar and played with?"
"Yes, haha..." Lu Yu smiled and looked at Cao Cao.
Cao Cao stroked his beard and added meaningfully, "If only we could weigh it!"
Just then...
Xun Yu, walking slowly from the side, shook his head and frowned, "Such a colossal creature, cooking it would naturally be laborious. But weighing it... it seems extremely difficult. Look, ordinary soldiers cannot even reach its belly! To determine its weight, it is likely to be difficult!"
Every word... was laden with hidden meaning!
In Xun Yu's words, the weight of the elephant symbolized the influence of Jiangdong... It was as difficult as scaling a mountain to calculate "Jiangdong's" weight.
"Hahaha..."
Unexpectedly, Lu Yu smiled. "Yes, weighing the elephant is indeed a difficult task!"
"Coincidentally..." Lu Yu seemed to have thought of something. "Recently, General Sun Bofu of Jiangdong has died, and Sun Clan's second son, Sun Quan, and third son, Sun Yi, are in disagreement. Since Ziyu has come to request an enfeoffment from the court, how would the court know whom to enfeoff? Why not follow the will of Heaven?"
Hmm...
Zhuge Jin looked back at Lu Yu.
Cao Cao also looked at Lu Yu, murmuring to himself, what exactly does Yu'er want to do?
"The so-called will of Heaven, why not... order the Prime Minister to find a capable person to weigh this elephant. If it can be weighed, then Sun Clan's third son, Sun Yi, will be enfeoffed as the Lord of Jiangdong. If not, then the second son, Sun Quan, will be enfeoffed as the Lord of Jiangdong? What do you think, Ziyu?"
Heh...
Zhuge Jin's eyes darted about.
Strictly speaking, he belonged to the Huaishui faction, meaning he supported Sun Quan.
Among his traveling companions were retainers from the four great families of Wujun and the four great families of Kuaiji. Everyone was eager to know which side the court would take in the dispute between Sun Quan and Sun Yi!
It should be known that these eight great families had a bottom line: they looked down upon the Sun family, much like how the Youzhou gentry looked down upon Gongsun Zan. The Jiangdong noble families did not hold the Sun family in high regard, because the Sun family had violated the "Three Mutual Laws," and they should not have held power in Jiangdong.
Therefore, during Sun Ce's reign, the prominent families of Jiangdong almost viewed him as a "rebel" and a "bandit."
The bottom line of the eight great families of Jiangdong was not to oppose the court!
But now...
Zhuge Jin's eyes darted about.
"This is excellent! The Son of Heaven of the Great Han has received his mandate from Heaven. Today, on the outskirts of Xuchang, we shall weigh the elephant, understand Heaven's will, and obey Heaven's decree! Excellent, excellent!"
In his opinion...
Lu Yu was cunning and skilled in attacking the mind, but how could one fathom the mind of an elephant? Would the elephant obey?
Moreover...
Where would one find such a large scale to weigh an elephant!
How could it be possible?
This way, the second son, Sun Quan, would almost certainly be officially recognized by the court!
"Hahaha..." Cao Cao also burst into laughter... "Since both the Marquis of Baima and the envoy from Jiangdong agree, then it shall be so. Zhongkang, where are you?"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Xu Chu cupped his fists and stepped forward.
"Pass down the order," Cao Cao said loudly. "Before sunset today, whoever can weigh the elephant will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold! Their name shall be recorded in the Imperial Secretariat!"
"Yes!" Xu Chu agreed and went to relay the message.
Lu Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.
In his opinion...
Let alone weighing the elephant, even putting the elephant into a refrigerator, he could do it in three steps!
Of course... this time, it was that young fellow's turn to perform.
The situation in Jiangdong was always under control!
...
...
Ji Province, Changshan Commandery, Flying Dragon Mountain!
"Watch my spear!"
Qu Yi, his footsteps like the wind, charged towards Tong Yuan first, his short spear thrusting upwards in a sweeping motion.
Tong Yuan's long spear swung, deflecting Qu Yi's short spear, and he laughed, "Your spear is too slow!"
Qu Yi, having never endured such an insult, unleashed his full strength, his short spear whirling like a flying shuttle, and he swung seven or eight more times in rapid succession...
Tong Yuan used only one hand, calmly deflecting each one, and repeatedly said,
"Faster, faster! Even faster!"
Qu Yi was a proud man. At this moment, his eyes were red with anger. Although his movements became faster, they were also becoming somewhat chaotic...
"Not good!"
Dian Wei, with his keen eyesight, immediately saw that something was amiss. He muttered to himself that Qu Yi would not be able to last many more rounds.
He immediately swung his twin sabres and strode forward, joining the fray. Together, they engaged Tong Yuan.
It was said that both Qu Yi and Dian Wei were men of exceptional martial skill. Dian Wei had even defeated Lu Bu in the past. Yet, this time, it was brute force against skill, and Tong Yuan's spear technique was exceptionally agile, his movements nimble and evasive. Dian Wei's twin sabres felt as though each strike was landing on cotton.
Tong Yuan was unafraid of such purely strength-based warriors!
Fighting two opponents at once, he still appeared remarkably at ease. His body was like a phantom, his long spear weaving through the gaps in their attacks, as graceful as a startled swan!
Seeing that the two were no match for Tong Yuan...
Zhang Yan joined the battle from the side. He wielded a short saber, and his speed and footwork were extremely fast. His addition made Tong Yuan no longer quite so relaxed.
However...
The dominant characteristic of the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear technique lay in its astonishing transformations.
Even with three opponents surrounding him, Tong Yuan still showed no signs of defeat!
"He's hard to deal with!"
At this moment, Yang Xiu's eyes narrowed, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly... He could see that with three against one, Qu Yi had strength but not skill, Dian Wei had power but couldn't use it effectively, and although Zhang Yan was fast, he was still a notch below Tong Yuan!
Instinctively...
Yang Xiu's gaze fell upon Lu Bu.
He mused that he would still have to let this "lord" make a move...
But Lu Bu stood motionless. He disdained ganging up. Since they had already started attacking in a group... he might as well not intervene. In his opinion, the "God of Spears," who was on par with his master's title of "Number One Halberd Under Heaven," would not be defeated so easily!
"Hoo..."
Just then...
A faint sound of breathing was heard. Gongsun Zan loosed an arrow, its trajectory formidable... heading straight for Tong Yuan!
And Tian Yu also drew his saber and joined the battle!
Five against one. In an instant, the battlefield situation had become a very "fair" five-on-one!
...
...