South of Chibi, on an open plain.
Nearly two hundred hot air balloons were ready, lined up and occupying the mountainous terrain.
Zhou Yu had already entered the wicker basket.
It seemed… Lu Yu had been waiting there early, looking at him with a smiling face.
“Governor Zhou, good morning!”
As the smiling words escaped… Zhou Yu felt goosebumps all over. “G-good morning…”
Zhou Yu replied, noticing that the wicker basket was very large… It contained four people, including himself.
Lu Yu, Xiahou Dun… he recognized them, and there was a young gentleman whose appearance… bore some resemblance to Zhuge Kongming.
“Governor Zhou, you should recognize this one, he is General Xiahou of our Great Wei, and this one is my last disciple, Zhuge Jun!”
Lu Yu introduced them…
Zhou Yu was slightly taken aback, then quickly asked, “Is it… Zhuge Jun, the younger brother of Zhuge Kongming?”
“Precisely, Zhuge Jun pays his respects to Governor Zhou!”
Zhuge Jun politely cupped his hands slightly towards Zhou Yu.
As expected…
Zhou Yu couldn’t help but scrutinize Zhuge Jun further. This… the ingenious craftsman of Great Wei, his reputation was well-known.
It was heard that these flying balloons were his creation.
However…
The scene today was somewhat bizarre.
“Is Marquis Nan Shou trying to kill Zhou Yu?”
“What do you mean?”
“Otherwise, why… bring Zhou Yu up into the sky?” Zhou Yu’s brows furrowed in alarm.
He really couldn’t understand, what else was the meaning of sending him to the sky… besides being able to throw him down from a high altitude, shattering him into pieces?
“Governor Zhou’s magnanimity shouldn’t be so narrow!” Lu Yu sighed. “If I wanted to harm Governor Zhou, why would I go to such lengths? A hemp rope would suffice. Why would I need to bring Governor Zhou to the sky… Could it be… to let Governor Zhou finally appreciate the magnificent landscapes of Jiangdong?”
“Heh heh…” Zhou Yu laughed. “Doesn’t Marquis Nan Shou enjoy attacking the mind? Let me witness the rivers and mountains of Jiangdong, and then, in humiliation, leap to my death, shattering into pieces… Isn't this ‘killing the heart’?”
Lu Yu knew Zhou Yu was joking… and didn’t expose it.
It was Xiahou Dun who scratched his head.
“I didn’t expect the Zhou Lang of Jiangdong to be so petty, heh heh…”
With a cold sneer, Xiahou Dun turned his head towards Lu Yu. “…It’s getting late, it’s time to fly!”
Lu Yu nodded, and he looked at Zhou Yu with a smile. “Then, as Governor Zhou said, let us together finally appreciate the magnificent landscapes of Jiangdong…”
At this, Lu Yu immediately gave instructions to Zhuge Jun.
“Take off!”
As he spoke, Zhuge Jun signaled to the ground crew.
The fire in the burners was quickly intensified, and the hot air balloons took to the sky one after another!
“Governor Zhou, the first flight might cause a reaction of needing to urinate, which is normal… However, the sky is not the same as the ground. If you need to relieve yourself… you can only do so with the wind!”
As he spoke…
The flying balloons had already ascended.
—When the flying balloons move out, nothing remains!
…
…
In Wu Commandery, in a tavern.
Sun Quan and Lu Xun sat on opposite sides, and Lu Xun stood up abruptly.
“In the past, in the yamen, when the officials deliberated… Zhongmou wanted to resist Cao Wei, and I strongly advocated for ‘war’. Today… I, Lu Xun, still maintain this stance. As long as Zhongmou leads the war, my Lu family army of seventy thousand will surely be at your beck and call!”
Lu Xun spoke with passion.
Sun Quan’s emerald green eyes were filled with glistening tears. “Boyan is a true loyal minister!”
“Where does Zhongmou plan to attack?” Lu Xun continued, frowning.
Sun Quan remained silent, instead dipping his finger in tea and writing ‘Ruxu’ on the table…
Here?
Lu Xun was somewhat surprised. “I heard that there are only twenty ships stationed here, and only eight hundred men? To conquer these eight hundred? Why… mobilize my Lu family army of seventy thousand?”
“Not seventy thousand!” Sun Quan said grandly. “It’s one hundred thousand. I still have thirty thousand men under my command… who can serve as vanguards!”
Sun Quan knew… at such a time, no matter how amiable Lu Xun was…
It was impossible for him to be the vanguard…
He, Sun Quan, had to be the vanguard… set an example!
“One hundred thousand against eight hundred?”
“Eight hundred of the Dragon Soaring Camp are equivalent to eighty thousand!” Sun Quan frowned… his tone solemn.
Hiss… Lu Xun gasped, his eyes also narrowing.
“If this battle can defeat the Dragon Soaring Camp and break the undefeated body of Marquis Nan Shou, my Lu family army, and I, Lu Xun, will also gain fame!”
Lu Xun turned his head towards the window… and murmured.
Sun Quan nodded…
“Boyan has never lost in Jiangdong…”
“This time, the undefeated myth of the Dragon Soaring Camp will be shattered!”
Sun Quan raised his wine cup.
“Come, Boyan, cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Lu Xun also raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp!
After three rounds of drinks… Sun Quan and Lu Xun discussed the specific troop deployment, grain transport, and departure times, and then bid farewell after much bowing.
Lu Xun stood by the window, and after Sun Quan’s carriage drove away, he walked into the adjacent private room.
“Mr. Chen…”
At this moment, in the private room, Chen Gong was resting with his eyes closed.
Hearing Lu Xun speak, Chen Gong immediately interrupted, “Boyan, the battle at Ruxukou, this is a golden opportunity…”
“Golden opportunity?” Lu Xun asked back.
“Haha!” Chen Gong revealed a sinister smile. “One hundred thousand against eight hundred, that’s wrong, it’s thirty thousand against seventy thousand and eight hundred, and these thirty thousand are the last hope of Jiangdong!”
Hiss… Hearing this, Lu Xun narrowed his eyes and tried to ask, “Mr. Chen means complete annihilation?”
“No…” Chen Gong waved his hand. “No need for complete annihilation, just capture one person, and Jiangdong can be pacified!”
“Sun… Sun Zhongmou?”
“Excellent!”
…
…
Jiangdong, green mountains like dark eyebrows… Under the distant floating clouds, the surrounding green mountains were ethereal and dreamlike!
Looking down from the sky… one could see crops planted between the mountain ranges.
It turned out that this was not a mountainous area, but a basin.
In the midst of the high mountains, on a basin, countless crops were scattered… and a city wall built of stone was located in the center.
This was a branch of the Shanyue people…
The rice grown here yielded three harvests a year.
However… the Shanyue people were brave and skilled in combat, and they did not like farming. They revered the ambition and might of their ancestors, the “Baiyue people,” whose “three thousand Yue soldiers could swallow Wu.”
For this reason… even though the area was self-sufficient, the Shanyue people would often go south to raid.
And in the official histories, the Shanyue were practically Sun Quan’s lifelong nightmare.
Of course… the current Shanyue were not as rampant, as over sixty thousand had surrendered to Lu Xun, and the remaining twenty to thirty thousand still remained in the mountains… living in this stone city.
From time to time, they would raid and then close their doors to live their lives!
It seemed… so monotonous, so ordinary!
But, unexpectedly…
Today, tens of thousands of Great Wei soldiers were flooding towards these mountains.
The leading general was Xiahou Yuan… He did not rush to attack, but led his troops to surround the place.
Of course… this was already expected by the Shanyue people.
As a result, not a single Shanyue person was alarmed. At some point in the past… Sun Quan had come to attack here, and after Lu Xun pacified the other Shanyue tribes, he had also attacked here when persuasion failed, but what was the result?
Heh heh…
The result was no result!
The Shanyue people were already accustomed to such encirclements, and they had a complete set of countermeasures.
Since they had come… then, it was time to defend, to shrink the defense line, to hold the mountain passes, everything was orderly.
Even, in the eyes of the Shanyue people, it would be strange if Cao Cao, who had captured Chibi, did not attack them?
Of course…
The outcome seemed to be predetermined. Regardless of the number of soldiers Cao’s army had, they would still leave in disgrace.
Between the mountains… one man standing guard, ten thousand dare not pass, was not just a saying!
For Xiahou Yuan…
He had brought a total of one hundred thousand troops to surround the mountains, all infantry… Cavalry played a small role in mountainous warfare, and the Qingzhou soldiers became the main force.
However…
Xiahou Yuan did not rush to attack, but let the one hundred thousand troops block the exits, creating the appearance of a siege…
This posture… directly confused the Shanyue people?
Siege? Can it be held?
There was water and food in the mountains… Would they surrender just by surrounding them? Dream on…
An entire morning passed…
Gradually, the Shanyue people began to mock Cao’s army, thinking… Cao’s army was nothing special!
You could break through Chibi, but… could you enter these mountains?
Heh heh… Unless you can fly, otherwise… we Shanyue people will continue to live our lives with our doors closed, what can you do about it!
“Cough cough…”
Suddenly, the cold wind in the mountains caused Xiahou Yuan to shiver. He coughed and looked at the mountains before him.
“Even if the Mount Tai army were transferred here, without familiarity with the terrain, they might not be a match for this Shanyue tribe!”
As he said this, Cao Hong on the side laughed…
While laughing, he sighed, “What a pity, what a pity, they underestimated Lu Zi Yu!”
As these words escaped… Xiahou Yuan also nodded gently.
“My son-in-law… when he gets serious, tens of thousands of people might die with a wave of his hand!”
“Heh heh…” Cao Hong was still laughing. “The southern Shanyue are like the northern barbarians. They are not of our kind. If they are killed, they are killed. It’s nothing…”
Yawn…
Speaking of this, Cao Hong stretched and yawned.
“I can’t stand it anymore. I need to find a tent to sleep. When it starts later, you can call me!”
“When it starts, it will also end…” Xiahou Yuan sighed, and then a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
…
…
“Achoo…”
In the sky, within the clouds… it was a bit cold!
Zhou Yu couldn’t help but sneeze. It was his first time flying in the sky, and he indeed had a strong urge to urinate… so strong that he could barely hold it.
He was a refined gentleman, and he couldn’t just pull down his trousers and relieve himself in the wind, but… the more he held it, the more uncomfortable it became!
“Governor Zhou, you don’t need to hold it in… it’s bad for your kidneys!”
Lu Yu understood Zhou Yu…
Zhou Yu remained silent. His upbringing did not allow him to relieve himself so unrestrainedly.
Just then…
“Drip drip…”
Xiahou Dun was the first to lower his trousers and relieve himself with great freedom.
Finally, he didn’t forget to wipe his hands on his pocket. He was still very hygienic, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Comfortable!”
Lu Yu looked at his relaxed expression, then at Zhou Yu who looked like he was about to burst…
His lips curled, revealing a faint smile.
Then, he turned his gaze towards Zhuge Jun. “How much longer until we arrive?”
“According to yesterday’s reconnaissance, we are just ahead, about another quarter of an hour…” Zhuge Jun replied.
Yesterday…
Reconnaissance teams had already been dispatched by hot air balloon to thoroughly scout the mountains, including the location of the stone city, as well as the surrounding trees and houses.
Today was Zhuge Jun’s second flight to this place, and he was very familiar with the route.
A quarter of an hour…
Xiahou Dun, who was trembling all over, perked up upon hearing the words “a quarter of an hour.”
He leaned over the edge of the wicker basket and looked down at the ground.
Indeed…
Passing through the mountains, above the basin, a city wall made of stones was clearly visible. However, due to the overhead view, it looked extremely small.
Along with… Xiahou Yuan’s hundred thousand troops surrounding the mountains were also in full view.
“Damn it…” Xiahou Dun couldn’t help but rub his fists together. “Look at that smoke from the chimneys. Our brothers are working hard to lay siege, but these Shanyue people are still lighting fires, clearly not taking our people seriously!”
Zhou Yu also leaned over the wicker basket… and saw the stone city.
Although the Sun clan of Jiangdong shouted about fighting the Shanyue all day long, in reality, apart from the Shanyue soldiers who had defected to the Lu family army… they had rarely seen the Shanyue people, let alone the city within the mountains.
He hadn’t expected that the stone city was real and lived up to its reputation!
Of course…
More than that, Zhou Yu was more curious about why Lu Yu… was bringing so many flying balloons to the sky above this stone city?
To shoot enemies from above?
Or to infiltrate secretly?
Either way, it seemed a bit risky!
Because, there were less than two hundred hot air balloons flying above the clouds, at most a thousand people. Before they even landed, they would probably be considered targets by the Shanyue people?
In this mountainous basin area, the Great Wei troops outside… could not help at all!
“Achoo…”
Just as Zhou Yu’s thoughts were racing, Lu Yu yawned.
He had woken up too early and felt inexplicably sleepy.
“Master, the action will begin in at least half an hour. Master might as well close his eyes and take a nap. When we reach directly above the stone city, your disciple will call you!”
Zhuge Jun said…
It must be said, Lu Yu really wanted to cover himself with a quilt and sleep soundly.
Xiahou Dun, however, muttered, “You’d better not sleep. It’s cold up here. After this nap, you’ll probably catch a cold!”
Zhuge Jun smiled. “Master is an immortal physician, he’s not afraid!”
They chatted casually, and time in the sky always passed exceptionally long…
Lu Yu stretched his arms and remarked with interest, “Brother Xiahou, what do you think… when our many flying balloons descend from the clouds later, blotting out the sky, will the Shanyue people think that immortals have descended when they see them?”
This…
Xiahou Dun scratched his head. How would he know!
Zhuge Jun suddenly added fuel to the fire, smiling and saying, “Master is overthinking. Whether the Shanyue people think of us as immortals is not important at all… because they will not live to see today!”
The topic grew increasingly fierce!
Listening to the tone, Zhou Yu began to understand something.
The Shanyue people will not live to see today?
Lu Yu intends to… intends to…
Suddenly, a bold idea flashed in Zhou Yu’s mind. At this moment, he thought of… he thought of… the past Battle of Bowang Slope!
According to the reports from his informants and Zhuge Kongming’s narration…
That battle was when flying balloons rained down from the sky, a sea of fire descended, and a great conflagration completely burned down Bowang Slope, as well as Liu Xuande’s hope of blocking the Great Wei’s southward advance.
Today…
Today, wouldn’t it be a repeat of the same strategy?
Thinking of this, Zhou Yu’s heart was filled with shock.
On the other hand, Lu Yu remained as calm and composed as ever…
He smiled and said to Zhou Yu, “Governor Zhou, the Shanyue… are a major concern for Jiangdong, aren’t they?”
“Today… Governor Zhou will have a feast for his eyes. Not everyone can witness… the demise of their former ‘major concern’ in a single day!”
That’s right…
What could be more deterrent to Jiangdong than divine justice descending from the sky?
And even to those Shanyue people who had surrendered to the Lu family army?
The Sun clan of Jiangdong values strength;
The Shanyue people value rebellion…
—The screams as the city burned, they must be quite pleasant to hear!
…
…