The maid bowed before Princess Wannian, Liu Xue.
What she had just said made Liu Xue's beautiful eyes widen in disbelief.
"Apart from me, who else have you spoken to about this?"
She asked urgently…
Originally, Liu Xue's voice was gentle. In the White Horse Marquis's manor, she never scolded her servants, nor did she speak loudly to them. As a princess, this was a precious trait…
Therefore… the maids all respected her…
But this time, Liu Xue's words were rapid, and her tone was high-pitched… approaching a scolding.
This was much like her state of mind at the moment… turbulent and surging.
"Only… only told the princess."
The maid addressed Liu Xue as Princess, clearly indicating she had followed from the palace… and was devoted to the princess.
Hoo…
At this moment, Liu Xue bit her lip and pondered for a long time… before letting out a long sigh.
She stood up, took a small box from a chest, and pushed it towards the maid.
"This is for you. It contains many jewels. Keep your mouth shut and forget about this matter, and all these jewels will be yours!"
The maid nodded… "Thank you, Princess!"
Liu Xue waved her hand… "Go. Only you and I know about this. If… if a third person were to know, then… then this princess will not forgive you… nor will I forgive your family? Do you remember?"
Liu Xue's words were quite serious… she was not joking at all.
Terrified, the maid quickly knelt down, "This servant… this servant doesn't know what the princess is talking about. This servant knows nothing and remembers nothing!"
"Very good…" Liu Xue nodded. "From now on, you will serve by my side!"
"Yes!"
The maid responded and slowly retreated.
Liu Xue's gaze deepened, and she sat restlessly. She would sometimes stand by the window, sometimes… return to her bed, trying to close her eyes and not think.
But the more she did this… the more Consort Zhao's and Jun'er's plans… appeared before her eyes.
Finally…
Liu Xue could no longer contain herself. She clenched her fists… and walked out of her chambers.
The Ying River flowed through the South Hunting Marquis's manor!
As soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, she was met by the crystal clear Ying River…
To the left was Consort Zhao's courtyard, Pine Wave Pavilion, and to the right was… was Jun'er's pavilion…
Go left? Go right? Or return to the rear?
Just as she was undecided…
"Why are you still awake so late?"
A soft, slow voice came from the bank of the Ying River…
This voice, Liu Xue was all too familiar with. Other than Diao Chan, who else could it be?
"Di… Diao Chan Jie…"
Liu Xue's voice faltered. It had been Liu Xue's first meeting with Diao Chan since the Double Ninth Festival tasting chrysanthemums. After addressing her, she looked at Diao Chan for a long time… but could not utter a single word.
"Ling Ju has already slept. I had nothing to do, so I came out for a walk. Princess, are you unable to sleep?" Diao Chan asked Liu Xue…
Liu Xue bit her lip, opened her mouth, but then closed it again… unable to speak for a long time.
"It seems… you have something troubling you? Can't you talk about it? Bottling it up will only make you more distressed," Diao Chan murmured.
Liu Xue lowered her head, not daring to meet Diao Chan's gaze.
She was afraid that under Diao Chan's captivating eyes in the moonlight… she would lose herself and blurt out everything hidden in her heart.
This matter… had shocked her greatly!
Consort Zhao… Consort Zhao was the one carrying her husband's child…
This… this matter was simply unbelievable!
You must know… she… she was the elder sister in the South Hunting Marquis's manor!
She was the most… most authoritative presence, but… but now, she had suddenly become a different kind of "sister." Liu Xue found it impossible to accept this for a moment.
"No… I'm fine!"
In the end, Liu Xue still did not speak. She shook her head, "I haven't seen my husband for a long time, and I was feeling restless. I tossed and turned and couldn't sleep, so… I wanted to come out for a walk!"
"However… now it's better. Seeing Diao Chan Jie… my mood has suddenly become much brighter. People say Diao Chan Jie has a beauty that eclipses the moon. This younger sister has indeed experienced it today, and I should… I should go back to sleep."
Liu Xue busily waved her hands, forcing a smile, and gracefully turned to return to her own pavilion.
She had originally intended to verify…
And even ask Jun'er, or Consort Zhao…
But… but now, she realized… there was no need for it.
It would be best if… if she pretended not to know about this matter, and never know.
Hoo…
Watching Liu Xue retreat into her room, Diao Chan's eyes flowed, and she lightly bit her lip. In the moonlight… Diao Chan, lost in thought, was still exceptionally beautiful. The moon seemed a little shy and gradually hid behind the clouds.
Diao Chan gently played with a strand of hair in front of her temple…
She murmured, "Ever since the White Horse Marquis's manor became the South Hunting Marquis's manor… many people in the manor have seemed strange. First it was Consort Zhao… then it was Jun'er, and today it's… it's the Princess."
Diao Chan blinked her large eyes.
Finally, she shook her head and walked away gracefully, not pondering further.
However… she inexplicably felt that the atmosphere in the manor had been somewhat strange lately!
…
…
Chibi, the wind howled.
Zhou Yu's thirty thousand naval forces had arrived from Poyang Lake. According to scout reports, Cao Cao's navy was also sailing downstream… and was expected to arrive at Wulin tomorrow evening.
At this moment…
Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang were standing by the river, feeling the night wind on the water. Zhuge Liang continued to fan himself with his feather fan, a habit that made him seem unfathomably profound.
"Tomorrow, when Cao's army arrives at Wulin, I intend to take advantage of their arrival and advance upstream to attack them by surprise."
Zhou Yu spoke first…
In fact, this sentence was a test… to gauge Zhuge Liang's understanding of naval warfare.
Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang nodded without hesitation.
"This battle is bound to be victorious!"
Zhuge Liang's words surprised Zhou Yu…
"Why?"
"Firstly, Commander Zhou is so confident. Secondly, the provisions and supplies transported by the Lu family from the rear are also not lacking. Thirdly, from Sun family downwards, Jiangdong is united and ironclad!"
"And so what?" Zhou Yu continued to ask. "What you've said are not the reasons for this initial victory!"
Zhuge Liang smiled faintly, "Then… I will try to state three more reasons!"
"Please!"
This time, Zhuge Liang changed his playful demeanor and said with a serious tone, "Firstly, Cao Cao's eighty thousand troops are substantial, but the number of troops is not what determines the success of naval warfare."
"Because… the Yangtze River is not the sea. The Yangtze River has a certain width, and it is impossible to outmaneuver and outflank like in land warfare. This will, to a certain extent, neutralize Cao Cao's advantage in troop numbers. What truly matters… is actual combat experience and soldier quality."
Zhuge Liang's statement…
Caught Zhou Yu's attention.
His words were confident and well-reasoned.
Zhuge Liang continued, "Secondly, Cao Cao's navy consists mostly of the Xuanwu Pool navy and the newly surrendered Jingzhou navy. I have lived in Jingzhou for a long time and naturally know that after Huang Zu, the most skilled in naval warfare in Jingzhou was Wen Ping. But I heard that this Wen Ping is not present in this naval engagement. Cai Mao, Zhang Yun, and the like are even inferior to Huang Zu. How can they be Commander Zhou's opponents? How can they be the Jiangdong navy's opponents!"
"As for… the Xuanwu Pool navy, Xuanwu Pool is just a pool. Where are the storms? The climate is also completely different from the Yangtze River. I surmise… that before Cao's army even reaches Wulin, more than half of the Xuanwu Pool navy will suffer from seasickness and fall ill. I heard… it is currently the peak season for schistosomiasis!"
"Moreover, many fishermen and sailors by the river who contracted schistosomiasis… have been disguised by Commander Zhou and sent to Wulin. If they are defeated in the first battle, schistosomiasis is likely to spread even more rapidly throughout the entire Wei army camp! Commander Zhou is aiming to win both now and in the future!"
This…
Hearing this, Zhou Yu found Zhuge Liang rather interesting.
He even knew his plans…
He had initially thought that sending soldiers infected with schistosomiasis to Cao's camp as a suicide squad to infect them would be a pleasant surprise for Cao's army… but he hadn't expected Zhuge Liang to see through it.
"Heh heh, what about the third reason?"
"The third reason is that Cao Cao will definitely be overconfident. With his eighty thousand troops, how could he have imagined that Commander Zhou would launch a head-on attack? Because of his overconfidence, he will be unprepared in his enemy assessment. Because of his unpreparedness in enemy assessment, he will consider himself invincible and lack sufficient defense. Cao Cao would never have imagined that Commander Zhou would go upstream to attack proactively!"
"Kongming…" Zhou Yu extended his arm and patted Zhuge Liang's shoulder heavily. "In the past, I, Zhou Yu, never underestimated Wolong, but after hearing your words today, I am even more impressed. However… it also fills me with a sense of worry."
"Worried about me, Zhuge Liang? Or Lu Ziyu?" Zhuge Liang countered.
Zhou Yu did not hide his feelings. He smiled. In fact, he was worried about both… but he said, "Lu Ziyu is skilled in psychological warfare. How could he not think of what you and I have thought of?"
"So… Commander Zhou believes that Cao's army will be prepared tomorrow?"
Zhuge Liang retorted.
"No…" Zhou Yu smiled. "As you said, even if Cao's army is prepared, it will be futile… because the river surface is only so wide, and numbers are useless on the battlefield of Chibi. Moreover… the plague will be more rampant than you described!"
"Even if Lu Ziyu were here, it would be in vain. Naval warfare… is a contest of hard power, not of sentiment!"
At this point, Zhou Yu's pupils gleamed…
Previously, when Zhuge Liang faced the two sisters, he had mentioned that with an opponent like Lu Ziyu, not to compete with him would be a lifelong regret.
This statement also applied to Zhou Yu…
Facing such a formidable opponent, if he couldn't challenge him, wouldn't Zhou Yu also have a lifelong regret?
Having discussed this…
A trusted subordinate of Zhou Yu hurried over and whispered something in Zhou Yu's ear.
Zhuge Liang also saw his disciples not far away, who seemed to have something to report.
Zhou Yu exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhuge Liang, and they parted ways…
After they had gone some distance, Zhou Yu asked his trusted subordinate.
"How many people did Jiang Gan bring?"
"Only one attendant!"
"Proceed with the plan as arranged." Zhou Yu narrowed his eyes… and immediately gave the order.
On the other side, Zhuge Liang also approached his disciple, "Report to Master, Madam Yuan wishes for Master to come over…"
"Do you know what it's about?"
"Madam Yuan made the 'flying ball' fly." The disciple quickly replied.
"What?" Zhuge Liang was startled.
Earlier… wasn't his wife, Huang Yueying, constrained by… the leather casing of the flying ball? Although the other principles had been understood, where could they find a leather casing that could withstand the weight of several people?
Could it be that in just a few days… this problem had been resolved?
Without delay, Zhuge Liang rushed towards Huang Yueying's location.
…
…
The Yongliang region, Anding Commandery.
Overcast clouds covered more than half of the sky, and everyone could smell the scent of rain. The wind arrived at some unknown time, blowing fallen leaves and flower petals, dancing with dust in a swirling ballet.
The wind in Guanzhong, when it went mad, was simply a wild and arrogant fellow… there was no need to open one's eyes to see the way, because… all the yellow sand was blown up, and everything was shrouded in a scarlet and yellow sandstorm.
To the southeast, the sky was dark and ominous, with lightning flashing intermittently, and a torrential rain was imminent…
The strong wind instinctively made people shrink their necks and tuck in their wide sleeves.
At this moment, Sima Yi stood on the city wall of Anding City…
Feeling the sweep of the gale, it seemed that only such violent weather could help him calm down as much as possible.
Should he do it, or not?
This was a question!
At this moment, Sima Yi was contemplating such a philosophical question.
Han Sui's plan had been told to him. If he did not conspire, then Han Sui would surely realize… that Sima Yi was a friend, not an enemy…
If… he conspired?
Then… he would have to act against his conscience and conspire with Han Sui to assassinate Ma Teng.
Then… a single mistake might truly cause chaos in Yongliang!
The Great Wei's sky would collapse, and the situation that his mentor had worked for years to achieve would crumble!
"What should I do?"
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed… it had already begun to rain heavily.
Sima Yi let the rain lash his face and body…
The torrential rain poured down from the sky like "pitter-patter," as if the clouds had suffered great grievances. However… no matter how great these grievances were, they could not be as great as the grievances in Sima Yi's heart at this moment!
Finally…
Soaked to the bone, he made his decision.
He softly recited the verses his mentor had taught him—"When mountains and rivers doubt there is a way, willow's shade reveals another village… willow's shade reveals another village!"
At these words…
"Hahahaha…"
"Hahaha…" Sima Yi burst into laughter, laughing as he wildly shouted into the rain, as if intentionally venting his indignation: "Cao thief, evil thief… traitor, villain…"
"And you, Lu Yu, who aided the wicked and abetted the cruel… what a disgrace to our teacher-student relationship! My Sima clan of Henei has no enmity with you. Why… why did you slaughter my entire family!"
"It is… you who were unrighteous first. Do not blame me… do not blame me, Sima Zhongda, for being disloyal!"
With these words…
Sima Yi knelt in the rain with a "plop." Ignoring the howling wind, he raised his hands… and looked up at the sky.
—"I… I, Sima Zhongda, swear today that if I do not overthrow Great Wei, I shall die a horrible death with sand covering my face!"
At these words…
Rumble…
A bolt of lightning struck down, as if saying, "Heaven's will… Hahahaha!"
Sima Yi remained in his sky-gazing posture for a full ten, then twenty seconds.
"Sima Zhongda, what are you doing? What are you doing?"
Wang Yue hurried over… and grabbed Sima Yi, throwing his straw cape over him.
On the contrary, Sima Yi tightly grasped Wang Yue's hand.
"You take me… take me to see General Han Sui…"
"I… I have already devised a more brilliant strategy!"
"Skilled in strange stratagems, ever-changing in plans… the heavens and destiny are all determined by me. Today, the heavy rain falls, yet I see the Sirius star shining brightly. A change of dominion is foreseeable!"
"Believe me, believe me… a baleful star gathers overhead. Cao Cao and Lu Yu are on the brink of death!"
…
…