Cao Cao helped Madam Cai out of the wicker basket, his left hand tightly grasping her right.
Madam Cai's voice, though soft, still carried a hint of pride.
"King Wei, then our next meeting will be at the gates of Xiangyang City in Jingzhou!"
"Hahaha!" Cao Cao laughed heartily. "Whether it's at the gates of Xiangyang City or not is unimportant. What's important is that the next time I take your hand, it will be in broad daylight, witnessed by a million soldiers and the common folk of Jing and Xiang. I want to make you the most honored woman in Jing and Xiang!"
Hooo…
A long sigh.
Madam Cai deeply felt that beneath King Wei's unassuming appearance lay a domineering heart, restless to break free!
That aura of kingliness!
That mighty and robust spirit, as if he wanted to pull her in and hold her tight!
All of this made Madam Cai's heart flutter with longing!
At this moment, Cao Cao gave a look to Liu Ye and Zhuge Jun, and the few of them quickly climbed back into the wicker basket.
Madam Cai, with tears on her face, watched the flames of the hot air balloon rise again. She felt a sense of loneliness and impatience. She wished she could leave with Cao Cao tonight.
Forever leave this place of strife!
But… she could not. She still had more to do. She wanted to present the nine prefectures of Jingzhou to Cao Cao. Only then… as King Wei's consort, could her status be illustrious!
Her son's status would be illustrious!
Her family would stand forever!
Beneath the moonlight, the hot air balloon ascended, like immortals descending from the heavens and flying away from the earth.
At this moment, Yang Xiu, who was on the ground, walked up to Madam Cai.
"Madam…"
Madam Cai gestured for him to remain silent. She wanted to look at the hot air balloon a few more times, to feel a bit more of King Wei's domineering presence and tenderness.
For over thirty years, she had never experienced this feeling. It was mysterious, yet filled with yearning.
Hooo…
Finally, as the hot air balloon flew into the clouds, into the layers of mist, Madam Cai's thoughts returned from the heavens. She bit her lip and mumbled to Yang Xiu.
"King Wei… what kind of person is King Wei?"
"Madam, I fear I cannot answer that," Yang Xiu replied truthfully. "However, if he can choose to be loyal to his teacher, then he must be an extremely great person. Perhaps when Madam becomes King Wei's consort in the future, this question will be answered."
Mmm…
Madam Cai nodded gently, reaching down to stroke the child in her womb. "King Wei said this child will be named Cao Xiang… if it's a boy, his courtesy name will be 'Polu'; if it's a girl, she will be called Xiang'er, the 'Xiang' from Xiangyang!"
Hiss…
Yang Xiu was slightly taken aback.
Indeed… his teacher had not deceived him!
When it came to dealing with women, King Wei Cao Cao was terrifyingly adept, far more skilled than himself, Yang Xiu!
In such a short time in the sky, he had completely won over this difficult lady!
"Madam…"
Yang Xiu still wanted to instruct her further.
But Madam Cai spoke first, "Only by seizing the initiative can one secure the main position. In ten days, I will ensure that certain bothersome individuals leave Jingzhou, and this world, permanently."
Whoosh…
Yang Xiu shivered.
Suddenly, he realized… Madam Cai was a woman who became weaker when facing strength, but stronger when facing weakness!
Such a femme fatale; one either conquers her, or… is played by her at her fingertips!
Hooo…
Yang Xiu let out a sigh and looked up at the sky.
Who would have thought that the vast Jingzhou would truly rest in the hands of one woman? One could not help but wonder if it was his teacher's strategy that was brilliant,
Or if this woman's heart, from the beginning, was already –
– Dark!
…
…
Jingzhou, Xinye City.
Under the dim moonlight, several torches illuminated a stable as if it were daylight.
"Does Lord Liu truly intend to gift me a horse?"
A man with a grotesquely ugly face narrowed his eyes and asked Liu Bei.
He was Pang Tong, a rising star of the "Pang" clan of Jingzhou. His uncle, "Pang Degong," was a renowned hermit in the Jing and Xiang regions. Even the titles of "Wolong" and "Fengchu" were jointly bestowed upon them by Mr. Shuijing, Sima Hui, and Pang Degong.
Otherwise… their weight would be far less.
And Pang Tong was known as "Fengchu," on par with "Wolong"!
Speaking of which, following Zhuge Liang's strategy, Liu Bei had abandoned the top aristocratic families of Jingzhou, the "Cai" and "Kuai" families, and turned to win over the "Pang, Ma, Xiang, Xi" families, who had been suppressed by the two great families in recent years…
Ma Liang and Ma Su of the Ma family had already been subdued by Zhuge Liang for Liu Bei!
Xiang Lang of the Xiang family had also been appointed as the Colonel of Infantry by Zhuge Liang.
The patriarch of the Xi family, Xi Zhen, had long been in cahoots with Liu Bei. Now… the only one remaining was this Pang family.
Pang Degong was a true hermit, and neither he nor his son Pang Shanmin would come out of seclusion. Therefore… to win over the Pang family, the only option was to win over this rising star of the Pang family – Pang Tong!
One must know that the Pang, Ma, Xiang, and Xi families… each possessed immense influence!
Of course, Pang Tong was truly unattractive…
The first time Liu Bei saw him, he almost vomited. Fortunately, Zhuge Liang had repeatedly emphasized that he must win over these four families, so Liu Bei forced himself to show admiration.
"I, Liu Bei, have always valued my word. Since I have said I would gift Scholar Yuan Pang a horse, whichever horse Scholar Yuan Pang chooses, I will present it immediately, without any reservation!"
Liu Bei spoke eloquently…
As he spoke, he took the basket from the stable hand and poured beans into the horse trough. When he reached a rather inconspicuous white horse, Liu Bei poured out more beans.
Pang Tong keenly noticed the difference. "Then I want this white horse!"
He pointed to the white horse in front of Liu Bei…
Liu Bei's heart gave a jolt.
The reason for this was that this horse was his mount, named – Dilu!
"This horse has tear grooves under its eyes and white spots on its forehead. It must be that famous 'Dilu' horse. Is Lord Liu willing to part with it?" Pang Tong asked Liu Bei, narrowing his eyes.
This…
Liu Bei hesitated.
Pang Tong continued, "It is rumored in the marketplace that this horse originally belonged to Zhang Wu, a rebel general under Liu Jingsheng. When Lord Liu was ordered to campaign against Zhang Wu, he greatly admired this horse the first time he saw it. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, seeing this, seized the horse and gifted it to Lord Liu!"
"On the day of victory, Lord Liu intended to return this horse to Liu Jingsheng. Unexpectedly, Kuai Yue considered the horse to be ill-omened, even saying that Zhang Wu died riding this horse. This frightened Liu Jingsheng into quickly returning the horse to Lord Liu!"
At this point, Pang Tong paused.
It was clear… he had heard some legends about the 'Dilu' horse. "Coincidentally, when Cai Mao plotted to harm Lord Liu, Lord Liu rode the Dilu horse in a desperate escape. He reached the Tan Stream. With pursuers behind him, and fearing he could not escape, the horse suddenly leaped from the water, soaring thirty feet to the opposite bank! From then on, Lord Liu cherished this 'Dilu' horse greatly, personally attending to it every time! Is this true?"
Pang Tong recounted a string of marketplace rumors about the 'Dilu' horse.
Liu Bei, however, shook his head. "What Scholar Yuan mentions comes from the marketplace, so it is only three parts truth and seven parts falsehood!"
"Seven parts falsehood?" Pang Tong retorted.
Liu Bei explained, "This 'Dilu' horse never belonged to Zhang Wu. It was a fine horse gifted to me by Cao Cao when I was trapped in Xuchang. I chose this one from the stable, thinking… that its appearance was not imposing, which might allay Cao Cao's suspicions. Who would have thought it was a stroke of luck, and that Dilu was indeed a fine steed!"
"During the Battle of Guandu between Cao and Yuan, I led thirty thousand troops to surprise Xuchang but was trapped in a fire due to an arson. It was this 'Dilu' horse that leaped and rescued me. As for the rumors about General Cai plotting against me and the horse leaping the Tan Stream, that is all fabricated."
Oh…
Hearing this, Pang Tong nodded with great interest.
"So that's how it is. However, since this 'Dilu' horse saved Lord Liu's life, I am even more interested. Lord Liu? Can you part with it?"
Pang Tong displayed extreme arrogance…
He was naturally proud, and he had the capital for it. Moreover… Pang Tong knew that Liu Bei desperately needed his family's help.
He also wanted to test this Liu Bei on behalf of his family!
After all, recently, due to the newspapers, his reputation in Jing and Xiang had plummeted!
This…
Upon hearing Pang Tong's request for the horse, Liu Bei's face showed a hint of sorrow.
Clearly, he was somewhat reluctant.
However… in an instant, he displayed extreme generosity and magnanimity.
"Since Scholar Yuan fancies this horse, then… I shall gift this Dilu horse to Scholar Yuan. What is there to hesitate about?"
As he spoke, Liu Bei went to lead the horse…
However, as he led the horse, he said, "Those two points Scholar Yuan mentioned are false, but one point is true?"
"Which point?"
"Kuai Yue saw this horse and mentioned it was ill-omened. Your teacher, Mr. Shuijing, also mentioned that this horse has tear grooves under its eyes and white spots on its forehead, making it an ill-omened horse. However, it once saved my life, so it does not harm me! But what Scholar Yuan said…"
"Hahaha…" Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Pang Tong laughed heartily. "It's just a mere colt, how can it harm me?"
Saying this, Pang Tong immediately mounted the horse.
After riding the horse, "Hahaha…" Pang Tong still laughed to the sky. He only intended to test Liu Bei, but the talk of ill omen made Pang Tong extremely interested.
He threw his head back and roared, "Come! Come! I, Pang Tong, would like to see how you can harm me! Hahaha… Dilu, come! Harm me!"
His laughter was extremely unrestrained!
But… accompanying this laughter, suddenly, his pupils contracted violently. Then, he saw a black spot in the sky. Was it a bird? Or… a crow?
But why was that "crow" falling directly?
… Most importantly, why was that "crow" radiating a cold, sharp glint all over its body?
Visibly, the "crow" was falling extremely fast. Before Pang Tong could understand, he suddenly saw… it wasn't a crow. It was a sword, a sword radiating a cold, sharp glint!
The sound of whistling through the wind followed closely. This sword seemed to carry an earth-shattering might!
One must know that at an altitude of a thousand meters, let alone a sword, even a stone… would have astonishing power.
Pang Tong's expression froze. His pupils contracted…
He had no time to laugh anymore. He was somewhat stunned.
Subconsciously, he wanted to dodge. He desperately pulled on the reins, but the Dilu horse seemed to foresee something and remained motionless.
When Pang Tong wanted to jump off the horse, it was already too late. He watched helplessly as the sword plunged into his shoulder… and then pierced through his entire right arm!
"Crack…"
"Ah…"
First, there was a dull thud, followed by Pang Tong's heart-wrenching wail and roar!
No one reacted, including Liu Bei…
But Pang Tong's wide-open eyes, his piercing wails, and the gushing blood were all so real.
His right arm…
His entire right arm was pierced by a sword that inexplicably fell from the sky!
The entire scene… was super… super fantastical! Super brutal!
Blood flowed more and more, like a rain canopy. Hot blood sprayed from his shoulder.
Finally… Liu Bei reacted first.
"Sword, where… where did the sword come from?"
His subconscious reaction was that there was an assassin, but clearly… he had personally seen a divine sword descending from the sky, piercing Pang Tong's arm with a single blow. Could it be…
At once, Liu Bei conceived a bold guess.
Dilu brings ill fortune?
It has tear grooves under its eyes and white spots on its forehead… Is it 'Dilu' that harmed Pang Tong?
"Doctor, doctor… quickly call a doctor!"
"Shiyuan, Shiyuan…"
Liu Bei was already somewhat incoherent.
The stable hands who were quick to react had already gone to call a doctor, but more were frozen in place. A divine sword from the sky… could it have cleaved Pang Tong's arm?
How… how could it be so strange?
"Heaven… a divine sword from the sky?"
"Dilu brings ill fortune? Is it… real!"
A group of stable hands whispered amongst themselves. Their pupils were still wide with disbelief at what they were witnessing!
…
…
In the sky, inside the wicker basket of the hot air balloon, Cao Cao leaned over the edge of the basket, his eyes focused… his hand reached out of the basket.
He missed…
Accidentally, he let go of the Yitian Sword.
One must know that this was Cao Cao's favorite sword, gifted to him by Qiao Xuan, "Elder Master Qiao," when he was the magistrate of Duntou.
He had specifically forged two precious swords: one was Yitian, the other was Qinggang. This sword held special emotions for him.
But… with one slip, the Yitian Sword was dropped, and it even came out of its scabbard. In this vast height… where could he find it?
"Alas…"
Cao Cao retracted the sword scabbard and shook his head. The joy he felt from seeing Madam Cai and the settlement of Jingzhou affairs vanished instantly.
He shook his head helplessly. "When Lord Qiao gifted me the Qingxuan Sword back then, he specifically instructed me with two sentences. One was that when passing his grave, I must pay homage, otherwise, I would have a stomachache within three steps! The second was to keep the Qingxuan Sword safe! Alas… I never thought that after the Qingxuan Sword was split into two, the Yitian Sword would eventually be lost."
Cao Cao sighed with emotion…
Liu Ye didn't know how to respond. After all, the airflow in the sky was strong, and it was normal for things to fall accidentally.
Unfortunately… this time it was the Yitian Sword that fell, the King Wei's most beloved precious sword. Even though the forging workshop could create sharper "fine steel precious swords," the King Wei had never replaced it. It was truly a pity.
Xu Chu advised, "King Wei, do not panic. Once we conquer Jingzhou in the south, we will dig three feet deep to find this Yitian Sword."
"I hope so!" Cao Cao looked at the pitch-black expanse below and sighed with helplessness.
"Lord Liu? Where are we now?"
Xu Chu curiously added another question.
He was naturally not trying to find the sword by marking the boat, but knowing the location would somewhat narrow down the search scope.
"We are currently above Xinye City!"
Liu Ye pointed below the wicker basket. "Look… there are still some lights in Xinye City. Most likely, someone has not slept yet!"
"How much longer until Wancheng?" Cao Cao changed the subject, no longer dwelling on the Yitian Sword.
"Does King Wei wish to go faster?" Liu Ye asked in return.
"The faster the better!"
Upon receiving this answer, Liu Ye, using some unknown method, opened the valve wider. The heat increased more vigorously, and the hot air balloon's speed suddenly increased significantly.
Feeling the strong wind around them.
Cao Cao remarked, "Lord Liu, what do you think that Liu Bei is doing now?"
"He's probably still in dreamland, along with his two sworn brothers with whom he shares a seat and a bed," Liu Ye replied…
Cao Cao nodded. "I hope so!"
In his opinion, at least… that way, Madam Gan would not have to face that detestable face!
However…
Cao Cao was thinking too much. Liu Bei was destined to have a sleepless night tonight!
…
…