Wuguan towered majestically.
But now, facing the enemy forces camped below the pass in numbers several times their own, the atmosphere was tinged with a sense of unease.
Below the pass lay the grand encampment of the Xiliang army.
Inside the central military tent…
“We cannot launch a direct assault!” Sima Yi’s words resonated. “We know that only eight hundred of the Longxiao Battalion are in Jiangdong. But the Longxiao Battalion now numbers over three thousand. Where are the rest? Nobody knows! If we attack, and fall into Lu Yu’s ambush, we’ll be trapped with no way in or out… what then?”
“Then your suggestion is that we simply halt here indefinitely?” Han Sui frowned. They had come this far. Moving forward meant welcoming the Son of Heaven. To retreat now… who knew what repercussions it would cause.
“At the very least, we must allow our spies to ascertain the situation in Xudu City,” Sima Yi said, his brows furrowed, his tone grave.
This…
“Father-in-law…” Seeing the atmosphere turn grim, Yan Xing advised, “Zhongda is correct. The spies at the front today reported that Xun Yu has dispatched two more detachments to ambush the official roads leading to Xudu City. Whether this force is the Longxiao Battalion, we don’t know. Moreover… Xun Yu has summoned all officials to open the gates of Xudu City wide, intending to welcome Cao Cao and Lu Yu back.”
“Once they return, it may be easy to enter Wuguan, but escaping Wuguan will be immensely difficult…”
Indeed, after Sima Yi’s analysis, Yan Xing became timid.
Furthermore, among them… undoubtedly, only Sima Yi possessed a clearer understanding of the Central Plains’ affairs.
To the Xiliang people, Lu Yu and the Longxiao Battalion were legends…
They were mythical beings.
“Alas…” Han Sui sighed. “Speaking of which, it’s rather strange. Ma Mengqi is also quite capable of holding his composure.”
“It seems General Ma Chao has also seen through the situation here,” Sima Yi added…
In his heart, however, he mused, indeed… Han Sui and Ma Chao were not united. Ma Chao was waiting for Han Sui to attack first, seeking revenge for his father… Hmph, it was merely a pretext to escort the Son of Heaven!
“To hold the Son of Heaven and command the lords…”
The great strategy pursued by King Wei, once scoffed at by warlords of all factions, was now being emulated by all who saw its effectiveness!
“Ahem…”
Just then, Han Sui coughed again. “But the intelligence from our spies is also quite peculiar…”
“All day, Xun Yu, along with the civil and military officials, has been welcoming Cao Cao and Lu Yu. Yet, even at this hour, they haven’t appeared. What are they plotting in Xudu City?”
A sigh…
Everyone fell into thought!
Yes, Xun Yu’s actions were somewhat perplexing.
…
…
At the gates of Xudu City.
“I just received a dispatch stating that His Majesty the King of Wei and Marquis Nanshou will be spending the night in Chenliu, and thus will not be coming to Xudu City today.” Xun Yu’s resonant voice echoed again. “Therefore… I request all of you to continue your welcome with me here tomorrow!”
Upon hearing these words…
The officials and generals who had waited all day felt disappointed, even a little dispirited.
Only the few from the School of Records, Guo Jia, Ju Shou, Xu Shu, and Cheng Yu, appeared calm and composed. Xu Shu affectionately patted Cao Chong’s little head.
Cao Chong smiled at him…
After the group boarded their carriages, Cheng Yu spoke.
“Compared to the strategies we discussed for welcoming the enemy, Chong’er’s plan is undoubtedly superior.”
“First, Commander Xun dispatches two groups of soldiers to feign an ambush behind Wuguan, causing the Xiliang army to become wary. Then, he leads all officials to welcome the King of Wei and Marquis Nanshou. This way, the Xiliang army will be unable to discern the situation in Xudu City and will naturally dare not act rashly!”
As he spoke, Cheng Yu stroked his beard.
Xu Shu added, “Ultimately, the Xiliang army fears Lu Ziyu’s fire attacks. In the past… this fire burned Liu Bei’s invasion, burned tens of thousands of Wuhuan cavalry, burned the ambush at Bowang Slope… and burned the city of Shanyue. While the Xiliang army can gallop on the plains, they fear ‘fire’ as if it were their lives! They worry about falling into an ambush and being turned to ashes by fire. Therefore, Chong’er’s method of ‘attacking the heart’ is paramount. As the saying goes, the best victory is achieved through strategy, which is far superior to our own plans!”
Upon hearing this…
All eyes turned towards Cao Chong, filled with admiration.
Without exception, everyone placed great expectations on this young Master Cao Chong.
Cao Chong scratched his head.
“I am still young, and skilled neither in archery nor horsemanship. I could only think of ways to learn Master Lu’s ‘attack the heart’ methods. I did not expect it to be so effective!”
Cao Chong’s words maintained his characteristic humility…
What a fine child!
What a fine future ruler of the Great Wei!
Such thoughts arose in everyone’s hearts. Only Xu Shu… he remembered Xun Yu’s words.
The future ruler of the Great Wei… it seemed, was far from this simple!
…
…
“He’s awake, he’s awake!”
In the dead of night, amidst the farmers on the mountainside of Rangshan, Xiahou Juan’s voice emerged, clear and sharp. It was very soft, very faint, but very excited.
Looking at the middle-aged man inside the ox’s belly, gasping for breath, seemingly having awakened from unconsciousness and regained some sensation… Xiahou Juan’s heart surged with emotion.
Kind-hearted, she could not bear to see others suffer, nor could she bear to see others die before her eyes.
Finally… finally, he was saved.
Aside from the surprise of saving the middle-aged man, this herbal remedy recorded in the “Compendium of Materia Medica,” this incredible “abdominal bandaging therapy,” had indeed proven effective.
My husband… is truly miraculous, miraculous.
“Water… water…”
Ma Teng mumbled, his vision hazy. He felt a thirst, an extreme thirst!
“Water, good… coming, coming.”
Xiahou Juan hurried to prepare water for him…
Gulp…
As the water went down, Ma Teng’s consciousness slightly recovered. He painstakingly opened his eyes and saw before him… a girl in simple robes, her purity reaching the extreme, standing there.
The girl’s eyes were full of anticipation… as if waiting for something.
And Ma Teng’s subconscious feeling, or rather, his subconscious memory, was that on that night… he had been pursued along the road, finally struck by a sword… and fallen into a cliff!
The cliff was very high… he couldn’t see the bottom at a glance. In such a situation, could he… could he possibly still be alive?
Ma Teng looked around in disbelief…
This was not the underworld, nor was it a celestial realm. The woman before him was very real, and everything was very real.
“You… you saved… saved… ah…”
Ma Teng wanted to say, “You saved me,” but halfway through his words, the sudden pain in his shoulder made him grit his teeth.
“Don’t speak for now,” Xiahou Juan said. “Although you are awake, you still need to… to recuperate!”
“I have studied some medical principles, and speaking will cause exertion. You must not think too much. We will talk about everything after you have recovered!”
Hoo…
Her gentle, slow voice made Ma Teng feel as if he were bathing in a gentle breeze and fine rain.
As this woman said, the more he tried to think, the more the pain in his shoulder… no, in his entire body intensified. So, Ma Teng closed his eyes and decided not to think about it for now.
Everything… his body had to adapt first, to recover!
“If you need anything, just call out,” Xiahou Juan instructed. “I will go and decoct the medicine…”
In truth, Xiahou Juan also wanted to know the identity of this middle-aged man, and even more so, why he was being assassinated. But now… nothing could be rushed, they had to wait… wait!
…
…
For three consecutive days.
Outside Xudu City, Xun Yu and the entire court of civil and military officials… waited for three days.
The Xiliang army at Wuguan Pass remained motionless…
This also allowed Xu Huang, the general guarding Xudu City, to finally relax his heart.
“Commander Xun…” Xu Huang walked up to Xun Yu, who, as of today, was still leading the civil and military officials outside the city. “Today I realize, this plan is truly brilliant!”
“What plan?” Xun Yu feigned ignorance.
“Naturally, it is Commander Xun’s brilliant stratagem to repel the Xiliang rebels!” Xu Huang deliberately lowered his voice, but his heart was filled with excitement.
“Heh heh…” Xun Yu sighed. “This is not my achievement. This kind of ‘attacking the heart’ method, how could I, Xun Yu, have thought of it?”
“Then who?”
“It was the disciples of the Marquis Nanshou in the Imperial Academy, young Master Chong of the King of Wei… this was his idea.”
“Young Master Chong?” Xu Huang was surprised. “So… that night, Commander Xun kept young Master Cao Chong back precisely for this purpose…”
“You could say that…” Xun Yu continued with a sigh. “Who would have thought that while others couldn’t learn Lu Ziyu’s ‘attacking the enemy’s heart,’ Young Master Chong learned it perfectly.”
“Gongming, you likely thought this deployment… would make the Xiliang army feel intimidated, and they would halt their advance due to their fear of Marquis Nanshou’s fire attacks and his reputation. But in reality, Young Master Chong’s greatest strength, or rather, what makes him most like Lu Ziyu, is that he perceived the Xiliang army’s weakness!”
“Weakness?”
This sentence was spoken a bit too loudly, attracting the attention of the officials behind them.
Xu Huang quickly lowered his voice.
“Commander Xun, what is this weakness?”
“Before, Ziyu mentioned that the warlords of Guanzhong lack a sense of security. They are accustomed to fighting independently. Even if they form an alliance, they lack trust and a sense of security among themselves.”
Xun Yu explained softly, “Because of this, facing our army’s feints and real maneuvers, none of them dare to take the initiative to risk themselves, to be the first!”
Xun Yu stroked his beard. “If this plan were from Ziyu himself, I wouldn’t be surprised. But for Young Master Chong to think to this extent, he is truly worthy of the Imperial Academy’s training and worthy of being Lu Ziyu’s disciple! Indeed, the waves behind the Yangtze River push forward the waves before it…”
Even though his voice was low…
Xun Yu’s tone could not hide his admiration for Cao Chong.
For a moment, Xun Yu even thought that if not for Lu Ziyu’s influence… perhaps the future heir of the Great Wei would be Young Master Cao Chong. No one was more suitable than him!
Oh…
Knowing the result, and knowing the reason behind it.
Xu Huang suddenly understood, tapping his forehead… and sighing with emotion.
Just then.
On the official road… dust filled the sky, countless banners bearing the characters “Wei” and “Longxiao” fluttered in the wind, and the banners snapped crisly…
A troop of cavalry was galloping towards them.
And amidst the cavalry, a magnificent five-chariot carriage stood out distinctly.
The eyes of all the officials were fixed, and anyone could tell that this was the carriage of King Wei Cao Cao and Marquis Nanshou Lu Yu…
“Dong dong dong…”
The sound of hooves resounded… flying banners, imposing armor, valiant Huguan soldiers, Longxiao Battalion knights, galloping steeds… though less than a thousand men, they inspired a sense of awe in countless officials and civilians.
“The King of Wei has returned…”
“Marquis Nanshou has returned!”
Xu Huang exclaimed involuntarily, unable to hide his excitement.
The officials also shouted in unison, echoing his sentiment.
If King Wei Cao Cao was the “Ruler” in everyone’s hearts, then… Lu Yu and the Longxiao Battalion were the undefeated myths in the hearts of all officials and civilians!
It was like the long-awaited arrival of timely rain…
“Beat the drums, play the music… play the music!” Xun Yu immediately shouted, having made prior preparations.
At once, gongs and drums sounded loudly!
Unexpectedly… at this moment, “swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…” from the city wall… from the trees outside the city, from within the bushes, a flurry of figures appeared.
“Release the arrows!”
A sound came from who knew where.
Immediately after, countless arrows like locusts shot out, carrying the momentum of dawn… one by one, they pierced the carriage, turning it into a hedgehog in an instant. Faint traces of blood emerged from within the carriage!
Xu Huang was greatly alarmed…
Xun Yu’s brow furrowed slightly!
They shouted instinctively, “Assassin! Assassin! Protect the King of Wei… protect Marquis Nanshou!”
As they spoke, countless shield bearers rushed forward, and the city gate also became agitated. Countless soldiers had already pinpointed the assassins’ locations and were moving to apprehend them!
Xu Huang, risking his life, jumped onto the carriage. Facing the crimson blood within the carriage… and the barrage of arrows, he quickly pulled open the carriage door, attempting to rescue the person…
But…
“Meee, meee, meee…”
The moment he opened the carriage door, Xu Huang was stunned. Where was the King of Wei in this carriage? Nor was Lu Yu there!
All that was there was a lamb, pierced by arrows but still alive… bleeding profusely, bound and tied.
“Meee, meee, meee…”
Another bleat from the lamb.
The lamb was in pain; it seemed to sense… that its end was near.
At this moment, Xun Yu also approached and saw the lamb in the carriage. Unlike Xu Huang’s stunned reaction, Xun Yu keenly noticed a wooden tag hanging around the lamb’s neck.
He picked it up to look… and saw three large characters inscribed: “Scapegoat!”
Beside them, a Huguan armored soldier reported quietly, “Commander Xun, General Xu, please capture the assassins first. His Majesty the King of Wei has already entered the city from another gate!”
Er…
Xu Huang was taken aback.
Xun Yu also lightly tapped his forehead. He looked at the “scapegoat” in the carriage, his heart filled with emotion.
Indeed… Lu Yu’s brilliance had been dazzling all these years, but King Wei Cao Cao… his brilliance was still dazzling. He had merely intentionally dimmed some of his light, only in this way… could Lu Yu’s light shine even brighter!
The King of Wei was still the King of Wei…
Even though he was older, his wisdom had not diminished!
“General Xu, I entrust the capturing of the assassins to you.”
“Rest assured!” Xu Huang immediately drew his saber… and called out to the guards beside him, “Follow me! Guard all exits, leave no spies behind!”
…
…
Ahead lay Yan Province.
Tonight… the Longxiao Battalion was stationed at the border between Yu Province and Yan Province.
Even during their rest, the entire Longxiao Battalion maintained strict security… especially the central military tent, which was layered within layers. Everyone knew… the safety of the person inside concerned the current situation of the entire Great Wei.
“His Majesty the King of Wei will likely reach Xudu City today, right?”
Lu Yu posed the question…
But he was alone in the tent, as if talking to himself.
Suddenly…
“Marquis!” Dian Wei burst into the tent.
Seeing his somewhat strange expression, Lu Yu raised his eyes and asked, “Is there something urgent happening in Xudu City?”
“It’s not about Xudu City!” Dian Wei replied. “It’s just… it’s someone who has been waiting here for a long time, just to see the Marquis.”
“Who?” Lu Yu asked quickly.
Dian Wei moved closer to Lu Yu and then whispered the person’s name into his ear.
Hmm…
Lu Yu was startled.
– It’s her?
…
…