Hundreds of miles from Yiling City to Baiyan Mountain, the ground was littered with Shu army corpses. The original cries of agony had faded with time, leaving only a desolate silence.
In his camp, Zhou Yu, beaming, gestured at a sand table and declared with a smile, "Emperor Shu, Liu Bei, personally led an army of 250,000 to invade and ultimately perished at Baidi City. The Shu army is severely weakened. This is Heaven's way of fulfilling Your Majesty's great undertaking. From this day forward, within one to two years, the empire will be unified!"
Lu Xun added, "It's a pity Zhuge Liang didn't come. If he hadn't, Shu Han would truly have no one left!" Zhou Yu smiled wistfully, "If Zhuge Liang had come, we might not have won so easily. After all, Zhuge Liang is prudent, calm, and deeply understands the art of warfare. In terms of commanding troops and formations, he is far superior to Liu Bei!"
At this, Lu Su's smile widened, "No matter how capable he is, the current Bashu has no generals left! I fear all that remains for Zhuge Liang is the saying, 'Even a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice!'"
Hahaha…
Following Lu Su's words, everyone burst into laughter.
Just then.
"Report!" A captain entered the great camp, bowing and reporting, "Reporting to the two Commanders and Advisor Lu, when our army was clearing Baiyan Mountain, we captured General Sun Qian of Shu and found letters from Liu Bei to Zhuge Liang and Liu Shan on his person."
Hmm…
Zhou Yu immediately perked up. Lu Xun took the letters and scanned them line by line. By the end, he felt a strange sense of sadness.
They were indeed two deeply moving letters.
"What should we do with these letters?" Lu Su tapped his forehead lightly.
Zhou Yu reminded him, "Didn't the Grand Emperor say to let Liu Bei's messenger return to Bashu..."
Lu Xun sealed the bamboo slips again, "Let Sun Qian go back. Since the Grand Emperor has said so, we should not hinder him. It will also let Shu Han know that Liu Bei is gone and the Shu army is scattered."
"Give Sun Qian a swift horse..."
"Yes!" The captain bowed, took the two letters, and headed out the door.
Zhou Yu was curious, "The Sage once said, 'When a man is about to die, his words are good; when a bird is about to die, its cries are sad.' Bo Yan, why don't you tell us the content of these letters? Liu Bei's lamentations would surely please us."
Heh…
Lu Xun chuckled at Zhou Yu's words. "Gongjin, you truly are gloating!"
Zhou Yu laughed heartily, "Liu Bei has met his end, and Yu is willing to be the foremost gloater for Great Wei!"
"What about the Grand Emperor?" Lu Xun suddenly changed the subject, as if remembering something, and quickly asked.
"It seems..." Lu Su blurted out, "The Grand Emperor went to see Liu Bei off at his burial..."
Hoo…
Zhou Yu sighed softly, "Who would have thought that more than ten years ago, the Han lost its stag, and the heroes vied for it. In the end, Cao Gong became the sole survivor! Sending off contemporaries like this, the feeling must be complex."
"The ways of the world are unpredictable..." Lu Su also sighed.
Lu Xun, however, looked up at the vast sky and murmured, "Nine Heavens Dragon Roar shakes the sky, a meeting with Hidden Dragon turns into a dragon. When my elder brother first uttered this sentence, he probably never imagined that he, Hidden Dragon, would become the Lord of Great Wei today!"
…
…
On the Litchi Road, atop a solitary mountain peak, Ma Su and Wang Ping surveyed the terrain before a cliff.
Below the mountain was an intersection connecting four directions.
Wang Ping said, "Advisor Ma, the Chancellor repeatedly emphasized establishing camp at this crucial pass. Even if the Wei army had hundreds of thousands, they wouldn't be able to cross. But now..."
Ma Su directly retorted, "The Chancellor's understanding of the Litchi Road is based on maps, while mine is based on practical observation. How could the Chancellor know that this mountain range is a heaven-sent advantage, perfectly positioned? If the Wei army dares to charge this crucial pass, we can charge down from above, and it will be like breaking through with irresistible force. Furthermore, there is that Sima. I have faced him for many days. This man is unworthy of being called the Emperor's disciple; his talent is mediocre and not worth worrying about!"
Wang Ping was still unconvinced, "Advisor Ma, Advisor Ma, the Chancellor sent another letter this morning, asking if I had set up camp at the pass. Yet now you are not using the main road but are instead stationing troops on the mountain. As I said, if the Wei army doesn't pass through the main road, what will we do if they surround us from all sides?"
Upon hearing the words "Chancellor's instructions," Ma Su became somewhat impatient.
He looked down at Wang Ping with utter disdain, "When a general is in the field, he may disobey the ruler's orders. There is also the saying 'adapt to local conditions.' Military strategy dictates that those who hold the high ground dominate those below, advancing with irresistible force. When the Wei army reaches the intersection, we can use rocks and fire. The Wei army will surely be thrown into chaos. General Wang, don't you know that the Wei army's elite troops owe their great achievements to attacking from above..."
Wang Ping argued logically, "No matter how high this mountain is, can it be higher than flying projectiles? Flying projectiles come and go freely, lack no supplies, and always have a retreat. This mountain's water source is below. If the Wei army cuts off our water supply, how will our soldiers not fall into chaos? Moreover, the Chancellor's letter."
Wang Ping had already taken out Zhuge Liang's letter from his怀中…
Ma Su turned back and sneered, "The army is already stationed on the mountain, why should we change? General Wang, have you not heard of the principle of 'placing oneself in a position of death to find life'? Did Xiang Yu not defeat the Qin army with his famous 'fighting with their back to the river' and 'smashing their cauldrons'?"
At this, Ma Su's tone became sharper, "I have always been well-versed in military texts. The Chancellor consults me on all matters. When did it become your turn to question me!"
With that, Ma Su stomped back angrily.
Unexpectedly, at that very moment…
"Report!" A scout hurried over, "Reporting to the Advisor and General, Wei troops have been spotted below the mountain!"
Hmm…
At these words, Ma Su stopped in his tracks, "The enemy has arrived! Kill them!"
A stone monument, a mound of earth.
The monument bore the inscription: Tomb of Liu Bei, General of the Left, Governor of Yuzhou!
Cao Cao, seated in his five-horse carriage, looked down at the tombstone and said, "Xuan De, my son has already bestowed upon you the posthumous title of 'Emperor Zhaolie of Han.' If you had died in Bashu, your tombstone would have been inscribed with—'Mausoleum of Emperor Zhaolie Liu Bei,' how glorious, how honorable! But..."
Cao Cao paused, "But this is Wei territory. Wei acknowledges Han, but cannot acknowledge Shu Han, nor Ji Han. You always shouted 'Han rebels cannot coexist,' and 'The imperial enterprise cannot be confined to a corner.' Yet my son's imperial title was obtained through abdication from the Han Emperor, and my son's succession was legitimate. On the contrary, you proclaimed yourself Emperor in a corner of Bashu, and your succession was illegitimate."
As he said this, Cao Cao extended his hand. The Tiger Guards beside him understood and handed him a jar of green plum wine…
Cao Cao opened the jar and took a long swig.
With the slight intoxication from the wine, Cao Cao continued, "Xuan De, at Baiyan Mountain, there were things I didn't tell you. I was afraid that if you knew them… you would have died of anger on the spot! Then, your death would not have been as tragic! You would not have died with such a sense of release and freedom…"
As he spoke, Cao Cao stood up in the carriage. He raised the wine jug with both hands, inverted it, and poured the wine onto the ground.
"But… I still must tell you these things… anyway, you are already dead, and nothing can change it."
"In fact, from the moment your second brother Guan Yun Chang passed the five passes and slew the six generals, you had already lost. Because the Lady Gan whom your second brother escorted, was carrying my son. Chan? That's not a good name. If I were to name him, I would call him Yin. Cao Yin. No, the nickname 'Adou' is quite good. Cao Adou, Cao Adou… Heh heh… If you had known these things beforehand, would you have felt that your establishment of Shu Han was a joke from the very beginning!"
"Every step you took was calculated by my son, and my son's responses were sufficiently brilliant… Now that you are dead, the emperor of Shu Han has become another son of mine. Now, this is good. I have two sons, one is the emperor in Shu Han, and the other is the emperor in Cao Wei. I, the Grand Emperor, can be considered the first person in history to have two sons ruling different empires, an unprecedented and unparalleled achievement!"
Having said this, Cao Cao took another long swig of green plum wine.
"Hahaha… Haha…"
He laughed heartily, "Xuan De, you always thought you were just a little bit behind me. In reality… you were far behind in many aspects. Otherwise, how could Gan Mei have betrayed you and followed me now? Oh, I forgot to tell you about this. What about Lady Gan flying away like a butterfly? Heh heh, you believe such tales? She is beautiful, you see. Now she is the Grand Consort of Great Wei, living in the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, enjoying rich food and clothing, and has given birth to a son for me. I named him Cao Xuan. What do you think of this name? It's not as if Gan Mei followed you for just a few years…"
"After saying so much, I just want to anger you. Those who oppose me, only you are left. I cherished you! When you were alive, I really couldn't bear to anger you. Now, it's good. I'm telling you everything, whether it should be said or not. Whether you are angry or at peace, the era that belongs to us, the glorious years of our intertwined lives, have finally passed. This green plum wine, I toast you and I toast our era!"
This time, Cao Cao poured all the wine from the green plum wine jug onto the ground.
Hoo…
He let out a long, deep breath.
Cao Cao gazed at Liu Bei's stone monument repeatedly, his expression melancholic. "My judgment was not wrong!"
"Even if Xuan De and I were to drink green plum wine in that leek field, I would still recite that line—'Heroes of the world, only you and I, Cao!'
"Farewell, Xuan De, farewell, Xuan De. May you be born into a good family in the next life, and we shall battle again!" In the late autumn season.
Golden autumn leaves slowly descended, not vying with the bright and flamboyant flowers.
Green worms gnawed and devoured the leaves, which had already turned yellow, adding a tear-like stain to the fallen leaves.
Ultimately, the heroic spirit from the west could not overcome the bitter regret that accompanied it.
Everything, in the end, sank into oblivion at this moment.
…
…
Shu Road, Litchi Road.
Sima Yi stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Shu army on the treacherous mountain pass. His face was calm. Beside him, by the stream, thousands of soldiers were desperately digging and filling the stream, while a contingent of guards stood with shields, bows, and crossbows protecting them.
At the exit of the mountain pass, countless elite Wei soldiers raised large shields, forming a shield formation…
They only defended, never attacked. No matter how the Shu army charged, they stood firm. The Shu army's offensive was hampered, suffering heavy losses, and was forced to retreat back to the mountains.
Huang Zhong asked, "Should we attack?"
Sima Yi bent down, cupped a handful of clear water, and drank it slowly, saying, "What's the hurry?" The Shu soldiers looked down at the tens of thousands of orderly Wei soldiers below, with banners flying and smoke billowing, and felt a sense of fear…
Ma Su, however, raised his sword and shouted, "Charge… Continue charging!"
The Shu soldiers, helpless, then picked up their weapons hesitantly, standing unsteadily.
This scene was completely different from the "fighting with their back to the river, a battle for survival" that Ma Su had envisioned.
"Hoo…"
With a long exhale, Ma Su tried to calm his emotions. He ordered, "Throw down the logs…"
The Shu soldiers' lips were dry. They looked at the empty water buckets beside them in pain and listlessly threw down logs and shot arrows… However, the sparse logs and arrows couldn't reach the Wei army's shield formation.
Ma Su waved his sword, "Charge! All of you, charge!"
Before his words had even finished…
Suddenly, Wang Ping beside him shouted urgently, "Fire… It's fire!"
It turned out that…
Behind the Wei army's shield formation, Sima Yi had already sent people to start a circle of fire. They began to constantly throw torches and shoot fire arrows up the mountain…
In autumn and winter, the forests of the Shu Road were already dense and dry. In a short while, the entire mountain range ignited. The flames, like a crimson dragon, rapidly climbed the mountain, and soon even the Shu army's tents were burning.
"Quick, put out the fire… Quick, put out the fire!"
The Shu army descended into chaos…
They quickly rushed to the water source at the foot of the mountain to fetch water, only to discover with astonishment that the stream had also been filled. At this moment, countless Shu soldiers fell into despair, with the sounds of soldiers whose bodies were on fire rolling in pain everywhere.
"Water—save me!"
"Help… Help…"
"Ah… Ah…"
At this moment, Ma Su, who had been standing proudly, his legs gave way. His body, like soft mud, collapsed to the ground.
"How… How can I face… face the Chancellor!"
Wang Ping, his face blackened with soot, urged, "Advisor, we must break through!"
"We can't get out," Ma Su looked down at the Wei army waiting in formation below the mountain…
How could they possibly get out?
There was no chance anymore…
It was over, everything was over!
In the Wei army's central command, Qu Yi and Gongsun Zan looked at each other with delight. "Commander Sima, we won this battle, we won!"
The raging flames reflected in Sima Yi's eyes. He squinted…
And murmured, "The disciples of Zhuge Kongming are still far behind their master's disciples!"
At this moment, Sima Yi seemed to see the Litchi Road opening up, and they would bypass Jiameng Pass and launch a total assault on Zitong from the rear!
Thinking of this…
Sima Yi raised his command flag, "Hold the positions, not a single one must be allowed to escape!"
…
…
In the darkness, inside Hanzhong City, curtains rustled, and the light was dim.
This atmosphere seemed to mirror the so-called—chirping of autumn cicadas.
Under the faint candlelight, Lu Yu was writing something on his desk.
—"The former Emperor's undertaking was not half completed before he passed away mid-journey. Now, Yizhou is exhausted. This is truly a time of crisis and survival."
—"However, the loyal ministers and devoted scholars who tirelessly serve within and forget themselves outside do so out of gratitude for the former Emperor's special regard, wishing to repay His Majesty."
Before Lu Yu could finish writing…
Zhang Qiying poked her head over and asked, "What is Your Majesty writing?"
"This is Zhuge Kongming's 'Memorial on Sending Out the Troops.' Liu Bei has perished, and the Shu army is severely weakened, but he still will not give up!"
This…
Lu Yu's words made Zhang Qiying pause.
She asked curiously, "How does Your Majesty know that Liu Bei is dead and the Shu army is severely weakened?"
"Heh heh…" Lu Yu smiled faintly, "I not only know this, but I also know that on the Litchi Road, Sima Yi is about to defeat Ma Su, and Jiameng Pass, guarded by Zhuge Liang, will soon be attacked from both sides!"
Ah…
Zhang Qiying was startled.
Just then…
Dian Wei entered, "Your Majesty, we have just received three urgent dispatches. The Shu army on the eastern expedition has been annihilated, and Liu Bei died at Baidi City."
"General Sima on the Litchi Road has defeated the Shu army and occupied the crucial pass,"
"General Jiang Wei, leading the special operations battalion, has crossed Motian Ridge and entered Chengdu!"
This time…
Zhang Qiying was no longer surprised; she was terrified, her face pale…
…
…