Cao Ang finally concluded his arduous journey to Liaoxi.
After the Battle of White Wolf Mountain, the main Wuhuan forces were annihilated, followed by Cao Ang and Zhang Liao's campaigns against the remaining remnants.
This protracted effort lasted for over a year.
Today, Cao Ang had returned victorious.
At the city gates, countless officials lined up to welcome him, and onlookers were a sea of people. Cao Ang, seated atop his horse, searched the officials for his teacher Lu Yu and his father Cao Cao, but they were not present.
At this moment, several ornate carriages slowly drew back their curtains behind Cao Ang, revealing the exquisite faces of Hu Ji beauties. They observed all of Luoyang with an unfamiliar timidity,
and envisioned their future lives here.
In reality, they would most likely be gifted as concubines to meritorious officials! The conflict between Han and Hu, spanning hundreds of years, had always been dictated by the victor.
The king is crowned, the defeated are vanquished – it has always been so!
Cao Ang dismounted and paid his respects to Xun Yu.
Xun Yu returned the courtesy and then said softly, "It is good that the young lord has returned. The King of Wei has summoned his clan brothers and sons in the palace to discuss an important matter. If Young Lord Ang hurries now, you should still make it in time."
Upon hearing this, Cao Ang did not dare to delay and rushed towards the King of Wei's palace.
Autumn cicadas chirped mournfully, a single fallen leaf signaling a desolate landscape.
Lu Yu knelt in his study, his eyes closed as if in meditation. He occasionally used his finger to draw something on the table with water droplets.
It was a line formed by three dots.
It resembled a map.
Lu Yu sighed, "Three dots in a line, this journey was not easy!"
Princess Wannian was also in the study. She had intended to grind ink for Lu Yu, but the inkstone remained unused, as her husband had not put brush to paper, only drawing with water droplets.
"What is this?"
Liu Xue asked, pointing to the line of three dots on the table.
"These three points are Wancheng, Xinye, and Xiangyang!" Lu Yu stated. "To get from Wancheng to Xiangyang, even flying, one must pass through Xinye!"
"Does my husband intend to fly there?" Liu Xue was unaware of hot air balloons, but Lu Yu's tone suggested something unusual.
"Alas!" Lu Yu sighed. "I never expected him to be so... audacious!"
"I don't quite understand what my husband is saying," Liu Xue blinked her large eyes, completely baffled by her husband's melancholy.
Lu Yu, however, smacked his lips, contemplating.
Old Cao, oh Old Cao...
I truly underestimated you before, thinking you'd betray the world but not women. It turns out... when it comes to women, you are truly exceptional!
Beyond this, Lu Yu tapped his forehead. "Do I deserve such trust from you?"
He asked himself.
It seemed that because Cao Cao intended to personally travel to Xiangyang by hot air balloon, Lu Yu felt that Cao Cao's trust in him had reached an almost freakishly abnormal level!
This defied all common sense!
The King of Wei's palace was hosting a banquet. Seated were Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, Cao Zhang, and other clan brothers and young lords from Qiao and Pei.
When Cao Ang arrived, the feast was in full swing.
Cao Cao took Cao Ang by the hand and led him to his side, raising his cup and saying, "For over a year, Ziyou led our troops to pacify Liaoxi, and that land of Liaoxi has now been incorporated into the territory of our Great Wei! While this is a cause for joy, the greater joy lies not here."
Xiahou Dun chimed in, "Ziyou pacified the Wuhuan in the north, and my virtuous brother Ziyu, by controlling the Xianbei and Southern Xiongnu with five-stone powder, has ensured that the border populace will face no more rebellions. Elder Brother, please tell us, what other joy can surpass this!"
Cao Hong, with a gleam in his eye, rose and said, "Is it perhaps that Elder Brother intends to establish an heir apparent? Now that we are the Great Wei, an heir should indeed be established!"
"Hahaha..."
Hearing this, Cao Cao burst into laughter. "Zilian speaks truly. I do indeed intend to establish an heir apparent to secure the hearts of my Great Wei officials and subjects! However, I originally planned to announce the selection of this heir upon the completion of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, the Ice Well Terrace, and the Golden Tiger Terrace! Zihuan? How much longer will these three terraces take to complete?"
"The Ice Well and Golden Tiger terraces have already commenced construction, and the Bronze Sparrow Terrace will also be erected within half a year."
Given the matter of the heir apparent's position, Cao Pi appeared exceptionally eager.
Indeed... he was one of the contenders!
"Half a year?"
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao shook his head. "I fear that unforeseen accidents may occur within this half-year. Therefore, I have specifically drafted an imperial edict for the establishment of an heir, which will be hung beneath the plaque of this King of Wei's palace."
"Should anything happen to me, then... you are all my kinsmen. You shall unveil it together and, according to the selection within, support him, making our Great Han prosper!"
As these words were spoken...
Xiahou Yuan perceived a subtle undertone. Among the few kinsmen, he was aware of Lu Yu's true identity.
If one also considered the recent plans of his elder brother and son-in-law, then this edict became deeply significant.
"Come, let us drink!" Cao Cao raised his cup again, inviting everyone to join him.
The others also raised their cups, but their eyes were drawn to the area behind the King of Wei's palace plaque... Who was the so-called heir in the hidden edict?
Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, and Cao Zhang also harbored their own thoughts.
Especially Cao Pi, his eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of coldness in his gaze. If it was for Chong brother, then...
As the banquet concluded and guests departed, Xiahou Yuan accompanied Cao Cao away from the King of Wei's palace.
As they walked, he said softly, "Brother, is the reason you left this edict for the heir apparent due to your concerns about the hot air balloon?"
"No!" Cao Cao waved his hand. "I trust Yu'er!"
These five words held profound meaning.
Indeed, Cao Cao trusted Lu Yu, but to be safe, Cao Cao still made a contingency, ensuring that Yu'er could become the heir apparent of Great Wei! That he could shoulder the burden of Great Wei, leading Great Wei and these good brothers to unify the land!
Cao Pi and Cao Zhi had originally gone to see Cao Cao off.
But Cao Cao indicated that only Xiahou Yuan should accompany him...
The two young lords stood at the entrance, confused, gazing at the moon overhead, their hearts filled with worry and melancholy.
"Second Brother..." Cao Zhi began, "Do you wish to be the heir apparent?"
This...
Cao Pi remained silent, neither confirming nor denying.
Cao Zhi shook his head. "If Father chooses Chong brother as the heir apparent, will Second Brother contend with him? Will you disregard the bonds of brotherhood?"
As these words were spoken, Cao Pi looked at Cao Zhi, seeing his hazy and intoxicated expression.
"Fourth Brother is drunk!"
"Father loves Chong brother the most!" Cao Zhi murmured softly...
"Father loves you too!" Cao Pi patted Cao Zhi on the shoulder. "Regardless, the choice has been made. Once the Bronze Sparrow Terrace is completed, you and I, brothers, will know!"
Upon saying this, Cao Pi paused. "Whether it is you, I, Chong brother, or even Zhang brother, whoever Father deems fit, we should pledge our lives to serve him, should we not?"
Sigh...
Cao Zhi exhaled softly and looked up at the sky again. He seemed to have a foreboding premonition.
"The bright moon is so clear, it shines upon my silken bed. I go out of the door, wandering alone, to whom can I confide my sorrow?"
In that moment, Cao Zhi sighed with regret.
"Second Brother will escort you back!" Cao Pi helped Cao Zhi up.
Cao Zhi, however, was still humming, "I go out of the door, wandering alone, to whom can I confide my sorrow? Second Brother... I heard you ordered people to specially purchase potent poison from the Western Regions."
Whoosh...
Upon hearing this, Cao Pi was startled and quickly covered Cao Zhi's mouth.
"Who told you that? Second Brother has never bought such things!"
"I cannot say, cannot say..." Cao Zhi merely waved his hand...
Nanyang, Wancheng!
Since Zhang Xiu's surrender to Cao Cao in the past, Wancheng had become the primary military stronghold connecting Jingzhou to Nanyang.
In fact, Runan, further down, was closer to Xinye City in a straight line, but due to the mountainous terrain, Zhuge Jun and Liu Ye had chosen this location.
Currently, a plain area on the outskirts of the city was heavily guarded.
No one knew what was happening here.
Nor would anyone see the flying balloon that had entered the clouds.
Cao Cao's intention to travel by hot air balloon was no mere jest. To achieve this, Liu Ye and Zhuge Jun had been busy for half a month, flying from Wancheng to Xiangyang City and back. It could be said that they had flown no less than ten times.
The entire airspace was quite familiar.
At this moment, over three hundred elite warriors and artisans selected from the Dragon Cavalry Camp and workshops were eagerly waiting. Of course, among them, only twenty to thirty truly had the experience of flying to and from Xiangyang.
Every morning, they would fly in sequence, raising the hot air balloon into the clouds, then attempting to fly south, passing Xinye City, passing the Jing River, and finally landing above Xiangyang City.
Even...
In the most recent flights, they had chosen a quiet location on the outskirts of Xiangyang City to land.
Liu Ye was considered the most experienced flyer.
He personally trained every selected balloon soldier, and even required them to fly safely for over thirty hours, as proposed by Lu Yu, before they could operate independently!
On this day...
A discreet carriage stopped in the training ground.
Cao Cao and Lu Yu slowly emerged from the carriage.
Liu Ye immediately presented a map, a map generated from an aerial view of the land. He spoke proactively, "King of Wei, Marquis of White Horse, these few days have favorable southwestern winds, suitable for flying, and consume the least materials. If you wish to fly to Xiangyang, missing today means truly missing the opportunity!"
Cao Cao surveyed the ready hot air balloons surrounding him.
"Are they all prepared?"
"Provisions, weapons, all in readiness, we can take off at any moment!" Liu Ye replied truthfully.
Hearing this, Lu Yu interjected, "King of Wei, you must think this through carefully. Even flying, the destination is the hostile Jingzhou! Perhaps..."
Before Lu Yu could finish speaking.
Cao Cao immediately waved his hand. "I trust Duke Liu, I trust the Dragon Cavalry Camp, and I trust my son-in-law Zhuge!"
Saying this, Cao Cao placed his hand on Lu Yu's shoulder. "I trust you even more!"
With these words, Cao Cao raised his arm and waved.
"Depart!"
In an instant, five or six hot air balloons were brought to a state of tension.
The order had been given.
Four hot air balloons were involved in this operation, while two would escort them to the Jing River, awaiting them there for support. Cao Cao's balloon was piloted by the "veteran driver" Liu Ye himself.
Zhuge Jun was also participating, as a pilot on one of the balloons!
It was now afternoon, and there was no wind.
Taking off at this time, they would reach Xiangyang City in Jingzhou precisely at night, which would be advantageous for concealment and operations.
Cao Cao jumped into the wicker basket, not forgetting to wave at Lu Yu. This was his second time on a hot air balloon, and he was no longer as nervous as the first time.
Under Liu Ye's command, the hot air balloons had their mooring ropes released and began to drift.
Liu Ye handed Cao Cao a special protective eyewear developed by the workshop, and then both of them tacitly covered their legs with their cups... It was quite cold in the sky.
Xu Chu was also in the same wicker basket with Liu Ye and Cao Cao.
This was Cao Cao's trump card. As long as they could land safely, even if discovered, with Xu Chu present... he had no doubt that Xu Chu could carry him out of any encirclement!
Released from the ground moorings, the hot air balloon rapidly ascended.
In a matter of speaking, the balloon reached the designated air current layer.
The balloon began to fly south...
Xu Chu initially stood, seemingly to maintain his imposing stature, but his hair was whipped into disarray by the strong wind, making him appear disheveled and particularly embarrassed. Xu Chu had no choice but to sit down and burrow into his blanket.
"Zhongkang, there is no need for vigilance here in the air."
Cao Cao, seemingly full of courage, offered some dried yellow croakers to Xu Chu. "Have some, Zhongkang's favorite yellow croakers, conserve your strength. We have a tough battle ahead tonight."
Xu Chu touched the great sword at his waist. It seemed that only by placing his hand on the sword after leaving the ground could he regain his long-lost sense of security.
Cao Cao, meanwhile, inquisitively asked Liu Ye.
"Duke Liu, I have only heard of 'fire controlling flying chickens' before. What method have you used to make this balloon carry people and fly?"
"This..." Liu Ye shook his head. "If we are talking about credit, then Marquis of White Horse is first, the Prime Minister's Zhuge son-in-law is second, and I am at most third! Haha..."
Liu Ye maintained his usual humility.
"King of Wei, I often have many doubts! How much is stored in Marquis of White Horse's mind... He can increase the power of the thunderbolt catapult a hundredfold, he can make the wooden ox and flowing horse move on their own, he can also create the finely tempered steel halberd that cuts iron like mud, and in addition to this hot air balloon!"
Upon saying this, Liu Ye paused. "To be frank with the King of Wei, in terms of craftsmanship, I, Liu Ye, have always considered myself highly skilled. However... encountering Lu Ziyu, I realized that I was like a blind man chasing a leaf, unable to see Mount Tai!"
Heh...
Hearing this, Cao Cao smiled. He greatly enjoyed hearing others praise his son, no... not his son, but the heir apparent of Great Wei!
"Well said, 'blind man chasing a leaf, unable to see Mount Tai'! How many times have I not felt the same way?"
Inside the wicker basket...
Cao Cao and Liu Ye were engrossed in conversation. Outside the basket, propelled by the southwestern wind and augmented by power, the hot air balloon rapidly flew towards Jingzhou!
Jingzhou, Xiangyang City...
In a garden, as dusk approached, Lady Cai appeared. She searched around and saw Zhao Yun emerge from behind the bushes.
He was dressed in casual clothes, wearing a cloak and a bamboo hat.
Quickly removing his bamboo hat, Zhao Yun walked up to Lady Cai, their gazes meeting.
"I never imagined that the person who would pass a message to me would be General Zhao Zilong under Governor Liu!"
Lady Cai spoke...
Zhao Yun lowered his voice.
"Madam has come, so you likely know that my lord and strategist are aware of Madam's actions."
"And then?" Lady Cai asked proactively.
Evidently... with Yang Xiu's warning, she had anticipated that Liu Bei would send someone to speak with her.
However...
She had not expected it to be so soon.
"If Madam welcomes back the eldest son and helps him become the Lord of Jingzhou, then my lord and strategist will surely protect Jingzhou and Madam, ensuring Madam does not suffer any harm!"
"What if? Madam refuses?" Lady Cai's tone was cold. "Then... does your lord and strategist intend to fight me to the death?"
"Duke Liu and the strategist do not wish to reach this point!" Zhao Yun's tone was resolute.
"Hmph..." Lady Cai coldly said, "No wonder the newspapers from the northern territories list so many 'unknown stories' about your lord? Seeing you today, Duke Liu is truly as described in the newspapers – hypocritical and deceitful!"
"Please make your decision, Madam," Zhao Yun did not engage with Lady Cai's words, but spoke coldly.
"I need some time!" Lady Cai seemed to compromise. "Ten days. Go back and tell your master that in ten days, I will give him my answer!"
With these words, Lady Cai slowly withdrew from the garden and boarded her carriage once more.
Zhao Yun, however, remained motionless, only watching Lady Cai depart.
Just then...
"Rustle, rustle..."
A faint sound came from behind the bushes, and a man emerged.
"Gongyou, you heard it too!"
Zhao Yun murmured softly.
Gongyou, whom he addressed, was Sun Qian, an aide under Liu Bei.
It is said that he was initially recommended to Xu Province by his teacher Zheng Xuan. When Liu Bei became the Governor of Xu Province, Sun Qian served as an official.
Of course, their relationship was not simple.
One must know that Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi were both disciples of the great Confucian scholar Ma Rong, and Liu Bei was a disciple of Lu Zhi. Sun Qian was a disciple of Zheng Xuan. When traced back, both were fourth-generation disciples of the Classics.
With Liu Bei as the principal, he could be called the "fourth generation," and Sun Qian as a subordinate, which was why he remained loyal to Liu Bei despite his repeated defeats!
"Zilong, I will return immediately and report your conversation with Lady Cai to Duke Liu and the strategist!"
"Thank you!"
Zhao Yun and Sun Qian exchanged a bow.
With a "clippity-clop" of a horse's whinny, Sun Qian departed, while Zhao Yun's eyes narrowed slightly, gazing intently at the sky.
In his opinion...
The time remaining for Lu Ziyu was running out!
But at this moment, under the twilight, amidst the clouds, Zhao Yun suddenly saw something!
A ball...
A spherical object was descending from above!