At noon, on the execution ground in Wu Commandery, Jiangdong, the executioners raised their blades high, reflecting the pale winter sun.
The great saber was about to fall.
—The culprit behind the plague in Jiangdong, the Saintess of the Five Pecks of Rice religion, "Zhang Qiying," was about to lose her head!
Among the common people, there was nothing but praise...
And among the onlookers, there were also ghost soldiers of the Five Pecks of Rice religion. Unlike those in Jiangdong, these dispatched from Hanzhong were truly loyal to the Heavenly Master Dao. They intended to rescue the Saintess.
All swords, sabers, axes, and halberds were hidden in a carriage...
At this moment, the ghost soldiers had approached the carriage. Just then.
A Libationer stopped everyone. He whispered, "The plan is canceled..."
"But the Saintess..." The ghost soldiers were still puzzled. The plan could be canceled... but the Saintess's life? With this blow, was there any hope left?
"A fake!" The Libationer's casual two words stunned all the ghost soldiers.
"Swish..."
With a crisp clang of steel...
The saber fell...
"Zhang Qiying's" head was severed.
"Good..." The countless commoners below, who had suffered from the plague, shouted loudly... The ghost soldiers, however, silently retreated. The scene... was unexpectedly peaceful.
"Is this... over?" Ma Yunlu was also in the crowd. She never expected that the execution of the Saintess of the Five Pecks of Rice religion would be so smooth.
For this... she had even brought many personal guards.
To prevent anyone from raiding the execution ground...
Lu Lingqi let out a long sigh... She also felt it was too peaceful, just like... like the White Gate Tower of the past.
But... whether there was any hidden story, she didn't know.
As the head fell, Sun Shangxiang instinctively tightened her fists, murmuring thoughtfully... Husband... Husband, for Jiangdong, he was willing to... willing to make Hanzhong an ally against a common enemy? A confrontation?
For a moment, various emotions and speculations surfaced.
On the other hand, Lu Yu... He was not present at the execution ground, nor did he seem to have disappeared into thin air!
—Disappeared from Jiangdong!
...
...
In Luoyang City, the Wei King's Palace.
Cao Cao lay reclined on his bed, while Xun Yu reported the recent events to him.
"Let's talk about Jiangdong first. The six commanderies of Jiangdong have handed over all their seals and household registers. Officials of the Great Wei have already taken charge. Sun Yi serves as the Prefect of Wu Commandery, Sun Quan as the Prefect of Jianye, and Lu Xun as the Prefect of Kuaiji... The six commanderies of Jiangdong have ushered in a rare period of peace, and Jiangdong has been formally incorporated into the territory of the Great Wei!"
"Regarding Xuchang City, the recommendation system has been abolished, and the imperial examination led by His Majesty has come to a successful conclusion, selecting thirty-six individuals at the rank of 'Jinshi' and above. They have all been assigned to various fields within the Great Wei through the Ministry of Personnel. This move has injected much vitality into the dormant Great Wei. The common folk praise it highly, and coupled with the newspaper established by the Crown Prince, which has disseminated a large number of books, the academic atmosphere among the populace is flourishing..."
As Xun Yu spoke, Cao Cao slightly raised his gaze.
As if with some reflection... "Back then, when I was the Magistrate of Dunqiu, my family suffered a change. I was dismissed and returned home due to my involvement in the case of Empress Song. At that time, I only wished to read ancient books by the Qiangpei River. If it weren't for my father ordering scribes to engrave many books, even if I had this idea, it would have been in vain..."
"Now it's good. The promotion of paper, the promotion of books, the abolition of the recommendation system—these have made culture no longer monopolized by a small group of people. This is a matter of great benefit to the country and the people!"
Speaking of this cultural monopoly, Cao Cao was full of emotion. To put it plainly, books in the past were affordable only by the rich. But now... books are circulated in the markets, and the cultural atmosphere is rich. This is a great good for the Great Wei, benefiting both the country and the people.
"Continue... What about Xiliang?" Cao Cao asked, rubbing his forehead.
"Ma Teng and Ma Chao have already stationed troops at Yangping Pass..." Xun Yu reported truthfully. "Presumably... Zhang Lu of Hanzhong now must feel uneasy and as if sitting on thorns?"
"Haha..." Cao Cao laughed again. "A marriage alliance has made the horses of Xiliang completely useful to our Great Wei. This is the Crown Prince's merit and also a fortune for the Great Wei."
Xun Yu nodded...
Indeed, if the issues of Jiangdong and Xiliang were to be resolved by conventional means, the final result would be to injure the enemy by a thousand, and ourselves by eight hundred.
But because of Lu Yu's marriage alliance, not only was there no harm, but in fact, several fresh forces were added.
"What arrangements has the Crown Prince made for Hanzhong?"
Cao Cao continued to ask...
Clearly, he was much more concerned about Hanzhong than other locations.
The reason was that the two Sichuan regions were the last pieces of the puzzle on the path to unification... Cao Cao yearned to complete this great undertaking of unifying the divided land within his lifetime!
"Hanzhong..." Xun Yu suddenly hesitated.
Precisely Xun Yu's expression caused Cao Cao's eyes to widen, as if he had understood something.
"Wenruo... what is it?"
Oh... Xun Yu opened his mouth and said, "After the imperial examination system concluded, His Highness the Crown Prince sent Yang Xiu of the School of Supervision to Hanzhong to visit Zhang Lu's strategist, Yang Song!"
"Yang Song?" Cao Cao uttered the name, finding it somewhat unfamiliar.
Xun Yu explained, "It seems the Crown Prince knows this person well, saying he is extremely greedy for wealth..."
Hearing this, Cao Cao nodded. "Another psychological attack. Heh heh, this is what the Crown Prince excels at."
Having said that... Cao Cao felt something was amiss. If it were just this, then why would Xun Yu hesitate to speak?
"Lord Xun is an honest person, and he cannot hide things in his heart. But your worries are all written on your face."
"My King!" Xun Yu paused, then truthfully said, "It was His Highness the Crown Prince who discovered that the culprit behind the Jiangdong plague was none other than the Five Pecks of Rice religion. His Highness the Crown Prince also successfully captured the Saintess of the Five Pecks of Rice religion in Jiangdong. However.... just now, news arrived that His Highness the Crown Prince killed this Saintess!"
Hmm... Killed?
Cao Cao found it somewhat unbelievable. As far as he knew, Zhang Lu, the Prefect of Hanzhong and the leader of the Five Pecks of Rice religion, had only this one daughter and cherished her dearly...
If this Saintess were not killed, then the Great Wei would have much more room for maneuver with the Five Pecks of Rice religion.
Moreover, Hanzhong City... could be taken without a fight!
But... if she were truly killed, then...
Cao Cao cradled his chin with one hand. He could already envision the impregnable Yangping Pass, envision... with one man guarding the pass, ten thousand men unable to get through... how many more years it would take to open the gates to Bashu!
"Your Majesty need not worry..." Xun Yu advised. "Perhaps... His Highness the Crown Prince also had no choice? Or perhaps it was to win the hearts of the people of Jiangdong, a matter of circumstances. In fact, it doesn't matter. If Yangping Pass cannot be taken by cunning, then it can be taken by force... Compared to Hanzhong, the Great Wei's troops are more than ten times more numerous! As for military equipment and provisions, Zhang Lu is far behind."
However...
Xun Yu's comfort did not make Cao Cao feel any better.
Cao Cao blurted out instinctively, "The Great Wei is as large as an ox, but the location of Hanzhong is as small as a needle. If an ox collides with a needle, the ox may not be able to retreat unscathed!"
Cao Cao slowly got up and paced around the room...
He kept murmuring, "Why did this Saintess die? What a shame... what a shame!"
Just then...
"Report..." A Hu Ben Army soldier entered the hall and presented a letter. "Urgent dispatch from the Crown Prince..."
Hearing these four words, Cao Cao's eyes suddenly opened. He took the letter from the guard and quickly unfolded it. The moment he unfolded it...
His previously overcast face instantly cleared up, like clouds parting to reveal a clear sky.
Finally...
"Hahaha... Hahaha..."
Cao Cao burst into hearty laughter.
"Your Majesty..." Xun Yu asked curiously.
Cao Cao unfolded the letter. "Lord Xun, oh Lord Xun, you and I have both been deceived by the Crown Prince. What a masterful display of... 'replacing the plum with a peach'!"
...
...
The roads to Yangping Pass are difficult, as difficult as ascending to heaven.
After a month of rapid travel, Lu Yu's horse troop arrived at Yangping Pass in the land of Bashu from Jiangdong.
Looking all around...
On one side are the Qinling Mountains, and on the other are the Daba Mountains and Mica Mountain... The Jialing River flows alongside the mountains, dividing the precipitous peaks.
Lu Yu's horse troop stopped at the foot of Yangping Pass. Qinghe Mountain in Qinghe Estuary, a majestic mountain, stood tall by the river. Lu Yu knew that this mountain was later named "Zilong Mountain," where it was said Zhao Zilong guarded and trained troops.
Although it is the border between the frontier and the Shu region, here... the sky is blue, the land is green, the mountains are clear, and the water is beautiful.
Lu Yu stood on "Zilong Mountain" and gazed towards Yangping Pass...
In his mind, he couldn't help but think of how lucky Cao Cao was in history to capture Hanzhong and subdue Zhang Lu.
When ancient texts mention Hanzhong, they often mention, "Without Hanzhong, there would be no Shu." This also illustrates the importance of Hanzhong's geographical location...
If it followed the original historical trajectory...
Cao Cao was worried that Liu Bei, who was entering Sichuan, would capture Hanzhong first. Therefore, Cao Cao personally led a hundred thousand troops to campaign against Zhang Lu.
Zhang Lu followed the philosophy of "***...***", and in over twenty years, Hanzhong had not experienced any large-scale battles. He did not want to fight and intended to surrender, but his subordinates wanted to try to defend.
To be honest, they did manage to block Cao Cao's attack, forcing Cao Cao to retreat...
But unexpectedly, during the retreat ordered by Cao Cao for Xiahou Dun and Xu Chu, they got lost in the mountains, startling thousands of elk in the forest. The elk stampeded into the Yangping Pass army camp.
The Cao army heard the commotion from Yangping Pass and thus beat the drums to gather their troops, taking the opportunity to attack Yangping Pass. Zhang Lu mistook the elk for Cao Cao's main force... thinking they had already entered the pass, he abandoned his resistance and surrendered directly!
The entire incident was incredibly magical...
And until the final capture of Yangping Pass, Cao Cao was kept in the dark. They were told to retreat, but they had broken the city?
This is why many reports regarding the capture of Hanzhong include phrases like "Fortunately obtained," "Heaven favors the Great Wei, Lu's defense collapsed on its own"...
It can only be said that luck is also a part of strength.
Hoo...
He sighed softly.
Dian Wei approached Lu Yu from behind and reported, "The Saintess of the Five Pecks of Rice religion, Zhang Qiying, has been sent into the pass!"
"Did His Highness the Crown Prince let this Saintess go back?" Xu Chu immediately questioned.
In his opinion, the Saintess of the Five Pecks of Rice religion, whom they had captured with such difficulty, should at least be exchanged for something, right? How could she... just be let go so... casually?
Lu Yu smiled and whispered, "Zhang Qiying won't escape! She isn't as delicate as she appears on the surface; her ambitions are quite significant!"
Ambition?
To Xu Chu and Dian Wei, this was a complete derogatory term.
And for people with ambition, letting her go back would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, wouldn't it?
As for Lu Yu...
He recalled the conversation he had with Zhang Qiying in the carriage during their journey.
Lu Yu looked at the map and sighed, "The first half of the Saintess's plan was to announce the plague to the world, execute the false Saintess, pacify the resentment of the people of Jiangdong, and simultaneously help our Great Wei win the hearts of the people. Now... this half of the task is completed. What do you plan to do for the next half?"
Zhang Qiying blinked her large eyes. "Does His Highness the Crown Prince still remember the latter part of my plan?"
"To persuade your father to surrender to the Great Wei?" Lu Yu replied without hesitation.
Zhang Qiying said with a smile, "His Highness the Crown Prince is eloquent and skilled in psychological tactics. What my father wants, what the Five Pecks of Rice religion wants, what the Heavenly Master Dao wants, how could Your Highness not know? And for the Heavenly Master Dao to no longer be confined to a corner, to be able to expand to the entire Central Plains, to the entire world, only Your Highness the Crown Prince can achieve this!"
Heh heh...
Hearing this, Lu Yu smiled and sighed, "Does the Saintess truly believe I can persuade your father?"
"I believed from the very beginning..." Zhang Qiying's reply became meticulous. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have made a third decision besides poison and... a certain method..."
Even though several days had passed, Zhang Qiying's words still echoed in Lu Yu's ears...
Persuading Zhang Lu...
Persuading the Heavenly Master Dao to surrender to the Great Wei seems... not easy!
However, if Hanzhong could be resolved without bloodshed in this manner, and the Heavenly Master Dao accepted, wouldn't that be like adding wings to a tiger for the Great Wei?
As the saying goes, existence is reasonable...
The Dao... regardless of the era, will exert its unique influence!
And Lu Yu had a good impression of "Daoism" and "Daoists."
"Miss Bu..."
Lu Yu turned to ask a woman who had arrived behind him, "Do you usually enter Hanzhong like this? Such a long journey?"
Bu Lianshi nodded. "Jiangdong is thousands of miles away from the Shu region. Even if traveling urgently, it would take over a month to arrive..."
"Then..." Lu Yu continued to ask. "What kind of person do you think the leader of the Five Pecks of Rice religion, Zhang Lu, is?"
This...
Bu Lianshi thought for a moment, then finally shook her head.
"This humble woman cannot say for sure. However... in the hearts of the common people, whether it is Celestial Master Zhang... or the Five Pecks of Rice religion, they are all great benevolent people!"
Benevolent people?
This evaluation... Lu Yu narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but sigh.
On the contrary, at this moment...
Within Yangping Pass, Zhang Lu, upon seeing his daughter Zhang Qiying again, was greatly alarmed and also asked a question.
"Qiying? So, you and the Wei Crown Prince have been together day and night for over a month on the way here. Then... what kind of person do you think that Wei Crown Prince Lu Yu is?"
Having rushed all the way, although traveling quickly, Lu Yu and Zhang Qiying... did indeed spend a month together in the carriage, meaning they were in close proximity day and night.
Not only Zhang Qiying was in "close proximity," but Bu Lianshi was also "in close proximity"...
At this moment, Zhang Qiying paused, bit her lip slightly, and pondered for a moment before saying, "Daughter has heard that Han Xin, one of the Three Heroes of the early Han Dynasty and the Four Sages of military strategy... over four hundred years ago, took the hidden route of 'mending the plank roads while secretly crossing Chencang,' which led to the foundation of the Han Dynasty for four hundred years... Today's Wei Crown Prince Lu Yu, daughter believes... he is no less than that Han Xin! Perhaps, this secret crossing into Sichuan this time will also become a beautiful tale in the future. At least... his name will surely fill the history of the Heavenly Master Dao!"
Hoo...
Such high praise.
Zhang Lu looked at his daughter before him in disbelief. His gaze was deep, and after a long period of contemplation, he said, "People say that a grown daughter is hard to keep, and it seems this saying is not false!"
...
...
-wAp..Com- to view