At this moment...
King Cao Cao of Wei was furious.
The hand holding the bamboo slip trembled.
—Colluding with foreign enemies, this is a capital offense.
Moreover, on one hand, there was the letter stolen by Jiang Gan, and on the other hand, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun’s performance in the naval battle today was truly subpar! Full of loopholes!
Besides, with Cao Cao's naturally suspicious nature, how could he tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes?
Kill...
Must kill!
Even if Cai Mao was Cai夫人's brother, even if both were the commanders of Jingzhou’s navy, not killing them would be insufficient to quell Cao Cao’s rage.
“Generals Cai and Zhang, you wouldn't have expected it, would you? Your letter colluding with Zhou Yu has fallen into my hands!”
Cao Cao’s words came first…
Jiang Gan wanted to speak, but in the end… he swallowed the words that were about to escape his lips. He thought of Yang Dez’s words. Such a simple trick, even his Yang Xiu could see it, how could Lu Ziyu not?
Then… how could Cao Cao, so wise, not see it?
Could there be some deeper meaning in this?
Jiang Gan thought of many things and dared not speak for a moment.
“Take them away and execute them before the army!”
Cao Cao’s cold voice rang out again…
Tiger Guards immediately seized the two and dragged them outside the camp gate, and all the soldiers and generals gathered around.
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were indeed trying to explain.
But… at this moment, in this scene, their explanations were somewhat weak and powerless.
On the wooden platform in front of the main tent, a blood-stained stake was placed, with two executioners holding large sabers, standing on either side, surrounded by countless onlookers…
There were soldiers from the Xuanwu Pool Navy, Jingzhou soldiers, and also soldiers from the Longxiao Battalion.
Especially the Jingzhou soldiers, every one of them had an unpleasant expression.
After losing face in the first battle of Chibi, now… King Wei was going to execute their generals… What would be the status of the Jingzhou soldiers from now on? Where would they stand?
“King Wei has ordered that these two be executed immediately and their heads be hung on the gate of Wulin Village as a warning to others.”
As soon as the words were spoken…
The executioners each took a swig of wine, the liquor splashing onto their large sabers.
The steel blades, reflecting the sunlight, were raised high…
Countless Jingzhou soldiers, with red eyes, let out hoarse shouts…
Some timid Jingzhou soldiers covered their eyes, not knowing where the path ahead led in the darkness.
Just then.
A loud shout from the crowd: “Stop the execution!”
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun’s eyes snapped open. The two executioners were startled, one surprised, one delighted. They all turned to look around, only to see the surrounding armored soldiers tacitly parting a path.
A refined young gentleman was walking quickly.
It was none other than the commander of the Longxiao Battalion, the Marquis of Southern Hunt of Great Wei—Lu Ziyu!
“Stop the execution!”
“Generals Cai and Zhang must not be killed!”
Lu Yu’s tone was firm. As he spoke, Dian Wei leaped onto the wooden platform, blocking the two executioners.
“Marquis of Southern Hunt, save us, Marquis of Southern Hunt… save us!”
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun looked at Lu Yu in unison…
Lu Yu blinked his eyes and said loudly, “Don’t worry, generals. This Marquis knows that although you fought poorly in this battle, you are definitely not colluding with foreign enemies…”
“Marquis of Southern Hunt, please clarify…”
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun grabbed at the straw of salvation.
But the next sentence made Cai Mao and Zhang Yun’s spirits sink back to the bottom.
“The loyalty of both generals can be seen by the sun and moon, but… their abilities are somewhat lacking!”
As these words left his mouth,
Lu Yu walked directly towards the main military tent…
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were a little stunned. What… what was going on?
Lu Yu’s words… how did they sound like an insult?
What do you mean by loyalty as bright as the sun and moon, and what do you mean by lacking ability…
Wait…
The immediate priority, none of these seem important!
What is important is…
They want to live. Lacking ability… Yes, lacking ability is how they can live!
“What the Marquis of Southern Hunt said is correct… I… my two loyalties can be seen by the sun and moon, and we truly just lack ability!”
Cai Mao shouted with all his might.
…
…
At this moment, the generals had already dispersed from the main military tent.
Only Cao Cao and Xi Zhicai remained in the tent.
“King of Wei, do you really intend to kill Cai Mao and Zhang Yun?” Xi Zhicai asked first.
“Colluding with foreign enemies, their crime deserves death!” Cao Cao’s gaze was faint. “Does Zhicai wish to persuade me to spare their lives?”
Hearing this, Xi Zhicai looked around the entire tent, ensuring that no one nearby was listening, and then whispered, “How could King of Wei not know that Cai and Zhang are most likely framed?”
Hmm…
Cao Cao did not expect Xi Zhicai to say such a thing.
His originally indignant expression immediately softened.
“Zhicai’s insight is truly sharp!”
“Does King of Wei wish to use this opportunity to weaken the influence of the Cai and Zhang families in Jingzhou?”
Xi Zhicai continued…
No wonder he said so…
In this era, family background was extremely important.
And the factions in Jingzhou valued family background and lineage the most!
If history followed its course, after Liu Bei entered Shu, when Zhuge Liang was deploying for the Battle of Jieting, why did he choose Ma Su when there was a more suitable Wei Yan…
It was because, in the complex situation of Shu, the Dongzhou faction, the veteran faction, and the Jingzhou faction… were in a three-way balance!
Zhuge Liang belonged to the Jingzhou faction, so he naturally represented the interests of the Jingzhou faction. Wei Yan was a surrendered general, not from the Jingzhou faction, so he could not be used.
And Ma Su was the second-ranked figure in the Pang, Ma, Xiang, and Xi families of the Jingzhou faction.
The chief, Pang Tong, was used by Zhuge Liang, but alas… he was dead.
As a second choice, for Jieting… the only one who could be entrusted with great responsibility was Ma Su, who followed in line… Zhuge Liang intended to use this battle to establish Ma Su’s position as successor!
It was just a pity… Ma Su was a bottomless pit!
And in the fifth Northern Expedition, the entire Shu adopted the method of battlefield logistics… solving the grain problems of the previous two Northern Expeditions.
Originally…
This was the most promising Northern Expedition!
But unfortunately, Zhuge Liang’s star fell, and fate was unavoidable…
At the time of his death, he still handed over his military command to Yang Yi, not the more suitable Wei Yan.
This was because, among the Jingzhou factions, after the Cai and Kuai families, there were Pang, Ma, Xiang, and Xi. And after Pang, Ma, Xiang, and Xi, there were Yang Yi’s Yang family and Zhang Yun’s Zhang family…
With Ma Su’s death, the Jingzhou faction could only be handed over to Yang Yi, otherwise… the Jingzhou faction would be completely in chaos.
Zhuge Liang had already realized this.
One day… the commoners would rise up and replace the aristocratic families…
But, at least in his era, it was still inevitable to follow seniority.
In fact, it was the same in Great Wei. If Cai Mao and Zhang Yun continued to hold military power, Jingzhou… would always have hidden dangers.
Only when one whale falls can… all things live!
Hoo…
At this moment, Cao Cao stood with his hands behind his back, his back to Xi Zhicai, and said with emotion, “I want to weaken the influence of the Cai and Zhang families in Jingzhou. Moreover, with Madam Cai and Cai Mao’s classmate relationship, if not careful, the entire Jingzhou might be surnamed ‘Cai’!”
“But… if Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were truly killed, it would also provoke unrest among the Jingzhou navy, and morale would be low. With the enemy currently before us… we should not take this step unless it is absolutely necessary.”
“Then…” Xi Zhicai asked… “Does King of Wei intend to…”
“I can see that this is Zhou Yu’s stratagem, how could Lu Ziyu not see it?” Cao Cao’s eyes flashed with brilliance. “This favor can be given to Lu Ziyu. For this great contribution, he should also be rewarded handsomely.”
“King of Wei is wise…” Xi Zhicai clasped his hands, his eyes filled with admiration.
Just then.
Xu Chu entered the tent. “King of Wei, the Marquis of Southern Hunt requests an audience…”
“Summon him…”
Cao Cao waved his hand immediately, appearing quite anxious.
Not long after, Lu Yu entered the tent.
He first cupped his hands and said, “Lu Yu pays respects to King of Wei…”
“Ziyu!” Cao Cao grabbed his hand. Then, he began to act. “Before you arrived, I had already ordered Cai Mao and Zhang Yun to be executed. I did not expect that these two, who surrendered to me on the surface, were secretly colluding with Zhou Yu, attempting to defeat my Great Wei navy in one battle.”
“Fortunately, your Longxiao Battalion navy descended like heavenly soldiers and turned the tide… For the first victory at Chibi, Ziyu, you are the chief contributor!”
This…
Lu Yu’s eyes rolled, and he immediately replied, “King of Wei, may I speak a word?”
“Speak, as long as it is your word, I will listen!”
“Just now, I saw the executioners about to behead Generals Cai Mao and Zhang Yun outside the tent. I realized King of Wei had fallen into a trap, and thus hurried over. If… if Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were truly executed, losing two naval generals is secondary, but the most important thing is… the morale of the Jingzhou navy would plummet, and if not careful, it could even incite mutiny.”
Hearing this, Cao Cao interrupted, “Does Ziyu mean that these two traitors are colluding with the enemy, and I should still let them off the hook?”
“Not at all!” Lu Yu immediately waved his hand. “If King of Wei were to truly kill these two, it would be falling into Zhou Yu’s chain stratagem…”
“King of Wei, think about it, isn’t this too coincidental? Zhou Yu can become the Right Commander of Jiangdong’s navy, how cautious is he, to drink and neglect duties, and leave the letter by his pillow, allowing Mr. Jiang Gan to steal it?”
“Why did Mr. Jiang Gan happen to steal the letter just before the first battle of Chibi, where the Jingzhou navy suffered a great loss…”
“Aren’t these too coincidental? And things that are too coincidental are mostly the enemy’s arrangements. Zhou Yu is wary of Generals Cai Mao and Zhang Yun’s naval warfare, therefore…”
“You mean?” Cao Cao interrupted again. “These are all Zhou Gongjin’s tricks?”
“That’s right.” Lu Yu nodded. “Zhou Yu laid out this chain stratagem long ago, to fight with the advantage of preparedness. Using the terrain of the Yangtze River to block our army, severely damaging the Jingzhou navy, while also making King of Wei dissatisfied with Generals Cai and Zhang, this is the first part! Using Jiang Gan to steal the letter and eliminate Generals Cai and Zhang, this is the ultimate goal of Zhou Yu’s chain of cunning stratagems.”
“In this way, the Jingzhou navy will most likely mutiny, and what Jiangdong desires most is for the Great Wei navy to disintegrate from within.”
Hoo…
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes.
He put on a pretense of deep thought.
How could he not have thought of what Lu Yu had thought of?
He had long passed the age of making decisions on a whim. Now, he was more cautious!
“Someone!”
Cao Cao pondered for a long time before nodding. “Immediately issue an order to release Generals Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, and have them brought here to see me!”
“Yes!”
Xu Chu agreed and went to handle it himself.
Not long after, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun arrived. Upon seeing Cao Cao and Lu Yu… with a “thud,” the two knelt down.
Half kneeling before Cao Cao, and half kneeling before their savior Lu Yu!
Along the way…
Xu Chu had already narrated Lu Yu’s explanation of the misunderstanding to Cao Cao in detail.
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were filled with lingering fear!
A messy naval battle, coupled with Jiang Gan stealing a letter, they were almost certainly doomed. But, precisely because of Lu Yu’s intervention, they were saved from a desperate situation.
“Dong… Dong…”
The two kowtowed incessantly, their heads hitting the ground like pounding garlic.
Only by escaping from the executioner’s saber could they truly appreciate the preciousness of life!
“King of Wei… I… we have no ulterior motives.”
“King of Wei, as… as the Marquis of Southern Hunt said, our loyalty can be seen by the sun and moon, but alas… alas, we are merely lacking in ability.”
“We are willing to resign from our positions as commanders of the Jingzhou navy. The position of navy commander… should be held by the capable!”
“King of Wei, we request that King of Wei bestow the position of Grand Commander of the Navy upon the Marquis of Southern Hunt!”
This…
Cao Cao had not expected things to proceed so smoothly.
From the beginning, he had never intended to truly kill Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. His original intention was to do Lu Yu a favor, and then severely punish them, thereby suppressing these two powerful families. But… Cai Mao and Zhang Yun actually took the initiative to hand over their military power, and to Yu’er, this was something to be welcomed!
“Generals, please rise quickly!”
Filled with joy, Cao Cao helped the two up. “Generals have merit and no demerit. It was I who misunderstood you.”
“As for the proposal by the generals to resign from their positions as commanders of the Jingzhou navy, the military has no jokes!”
With this sentence from Cao Cao, he had directly secured their positions!
How could the two not understand the meaning?
“In the first battle of Chibi, the Longxiao Battalion navy turned the tide. We both witnessed it. Our command is likely far inferior to that of the Longxiao Battalion… The Marquis of Southern Hunt commanding the Great Wei navy, serving as the Grand Commander of the Great Wei Navy is truly well-deserved!”
“Good!”
Cao Cao immediately ordered, “Since Generals Cai and Zhang have said so, I hereby appoint Lu Ziyu as the Grand Commander of the Great Wei Navy, in charge of the Battle of Chibi! For all naval movements, whether it be the Xuanwu Pool Navy or the Jingzhou Navy, there is no need to ask me, you can directly consult the Marquis of Southern Hunt!”
Hiss…
Lu Yu was slightly stunned.
This was… a promotion!
And a Grand Commander of the Navy, the key was, could he do it?
In fact, it had nothing to do with whether he could do it or not. In history, there was a great man who never fired a gun, yet he allowed a spark of fire to spread into a prairie fire, right?
“King of Wei… I…”
Lu Yu still wanted to decline.
Unexpectedly, Cao Cao directly cut off Lu Yu’s words. “No need to refuse. Besides you, I would not feel at ease with anyone else as the Grand Commander of the Navy!”
Saying this, he patted Lu Yu’s shoulder, his mouth curved, and he let out a laugh.
The plan…
Was proceeding even more smoothly than he had anticipated.
Lu Yu pleaded for Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, and through their recommendation, the Jingzhou navy would naturally be convinced. As for the Xuanwu Pool Navy… their original commanders were Cao Ren and Cao Hong. They… also had close ties with Yu’er, especially Zilian… His business was growing larger and larger, almost reaching the point of being as wealthy as the nation.
He expected that with Lu Yu as the Grand Commander of the Navy, no one would question it.
As Cao Cao’s words fell,
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun bowed to Lu Yu in unison.
“Your subordinate greets the Grand Commander!”
Hehe…
Lu Yu just chuckled.
If he were truly made the Grand Commander, then what about Cai Mao, Zhang Yun… what about Cao Ren, Cao Hong, all these naval warfare pitfalls would have to be removed.
If they were to truly fight a naval battle, it would still be Wen Ping and Gan Ning!
Just as he thought of this.
“Big Brother… it’s not good! It’s not good.”
Xiahou Yuan rushed into the tent, his face tightly furrowed, as if… he were mourning, “Something big has happened, the army… the epidemic has… it has gotten out of control!”
“At least… at least fifty thousand soldiers are not accustomed to the climate and have contracted the plague, and… and this number is still rising!”
“If… if it cannot be contained, I fear… I fear this battle… this battle…”
Xiahou Yuan did not finish his last sentence.
But…
Everyone understood that this battle was not optimistic.
Especially Lu Yu…
No one knew better than him that in the historical Battle of Chibi, what about borrowing the east wind? Burning Chibi with fire?
The ships burned by Zhou Yu were only a small portion. Most of the ships were burned by Cao Cao himself, to prevent them from falling into the hands of Jiangdong.
And the reason for this was the epidemic caused by the northern soldiers’ unfamiliarity with the climate.
To be precise, this could not be called an epidemic, but rather “schistosomiasis”… this was the true reason for Cao Cao’s defeat at Chibi!
…
…