To Chen, wading into the murky waters of Jianghuai.
Le Jin's idea wasn't to represent any single person; to be precise, he represented all the civil and military officials in Cao Ying.
For a while now, everyone had been feeling aggrieved.
Cao Cao had not appeared at the morning court for several days, and even the military conference held once every five days had not been convened.
Everyone was utterly bewildered. They had no idea what Cao Cao was enduring.
A mere Yuan Shu, presumptuously declaring himself emperor, drawing the wrath of heaven and the resentment of man—at such a time, why not raise an army to punish him? Why hide and cower? What was Duke Cao doing?
Attack him!
All the warriors under Cao Cao were about to go mad with frustration. Even Le Jin, who was usually stoic, was at his wit's end.
"I want to fight, I request to fight, I demand to fight!"
"Strategist Lu, you are Duke Cao's most trusted man. Why don't you try to persuade him? Even if he just orders me, Le Jin, to lead my troops to Chen, that would be something."
"I am willing to sign a military pledge, I would rather do that than be a coward who hides his head."
Le Jin's face was full of yearning.
In Lu Yu's opinion, this usually low-key general's current demeanor could be summed up in one phrase: "My great saber is thirsty for blood!"
However…
Why wasn't Cao Cao holding court? Why wasn't he convening military conferences? While others didn't know the reason, Lu Yu knew it all too well.
In plain terms, this was Old Cao's trust in him. Old Cao was waiting for him to fulfill his promise of Chen surrendering without a fight.
But who could Lu Yu reason with about this matter?
He was still waiting for news from Cheng Yu and the others…
This was so awkward…
"Ahem…" Lu Yu coughed lightly and said with a smile, "General Le, calm down, calm down… Good food is not afraid of the wait. I believe Duke Cao must already have a grand strategy in mind! There's no need to rush things for a day or two. Don't you agree?"
"What do you mean, agree or not agree!" Le Jin frowned. "I'm almost dying of anxiety. I heard that Liu Bei from Xuzhou's Xiaopei has already led seven hundred troops towards Chen, and Shouchun City is poised to make a move against Chen at any moment!"
"If… if Chen is really taken by Yuan Shu, then this false emperor will have the initiative. It's possible… he might even march north before Duke Cao can attack! I, Le Jin, can see this obvious analysis, surely Duke Cao and Strategist Lu can too?"
Frustration, still frustration…
Lu Yu could understand Le Jin's feelings. It was like holding back a breath, but for some inexplicable reason, he couldn't release it, which could cause internal injury.
However, Lu Yu hadn't come here to talk about this. Lu Yu had come to find a military instructor for the Imperial Academy!
"General Le, I've come here today for another matter!"
"We can talk about other matters later. What could be more important than this situation in Jianghuai?" Le Jin's mind was entirely occupied with this issue; he couldn't listen to anything else.
Let alone… agreeing to be a military instructor at the Imperial Academy.
Uh…
This was becoming a bit awkward.
"Ahem…" Lu Yu coughed lightly. He pondered… what should he do?
It seemed, perhaps, there was only one way.
"General Le, how about this, let's make a bet?" Lu Yu proposed directly.
"A bet?" Le Jin looked bewildered. Did Strategist Lu have such a good mood? With such a significant event, with the situation about to take a turn for the worse, with Yuan Shao about to attack their Xu Du City in the name of the false emperor, he still had time for a bet?
"That's right," Lu Yu smiled slightly. "Let's bet that Chen will surrender to Duke Cao within a month. General Le, do you dare to bet?"
This…
Le Jin shook his head. He instinctively felt that this was unreliable.
If it were another bet… Le Jin might not dare to bet with the always sharp Young Master Lu Yu.
But Chen surrendering within a month… this matter was completely uncertain. Right now… it wasn't even a done deal.
Duke Cao hadn't held court for days, hadn't convened military conferences for days. Let alone a month, it might not even be taken in a year.
Moreover, the Lord of Chen, Liu Chong, was a valiant warrior, and Chen's Prime Minister, Luo Jun, was a wise strategist. That land had… one hundred thousand elite soldiers? It had inexhaustible grain and military supplies!
It wasn't something that could be taken just by saying so!
If it were that easy, would Le Jin still be so worried at this moment? He would be worrying for nothing!
With a glint in his eye, Le Jin retorted:
"Does Strategist Lu have confidence?"
"No confidence!" Lu Yu spread his hands. "If I had confidence, would it still be called a bet? Wouldn't that be unfair to General Le? I haven't interacted much with General Le, but you can inquire about me. Who doesn't know that I, Lu Yu, am the fairest and most impartial, honest with everyone? Our reputation in Cao Ying is well-known!"
For a moment, Lu Yu was praising himself.
Le Jin's eyes darted again. He felt that Lu Yu was trying to trick him… but he couldn't quite figure out how.
"Then? What's the stake?"
"If I lose, I will agree to one request from General Le!" Lu Yu said earnestly.
"And if Strategist Lu wins?"
"That's even simpler. General Le will have to go to my Imperial Academy and teach military courses to these students?" Lu Yu said with a smile.
"I'm good at leading troops and fighting battles, but I… I don't know how to teach! I've never taught these scholarly students."
It wasn't that Le Jin couldn't teach.
It was just that… he had never been a teacher. Even if it was a military course, what if he couldn't articulate what was in his mind? Making a fool of himself was secondary. What if he wasted the resources of these students?
Unexpectedly, Lu Yu smiled slightly. "General Le, just treat these students as soldiers and lead them!"
Speaking of which…
Lu Yu paused. There was no point in saying so much now. They still had to wait for intelligence from Chen.
However, seeing Le Jin's slightly flushed eyes, Lu Yu felt that the matter was settled.
He immediately waved his hand.
"It's decided then. General Le, don't overthink things during this time… By the way, didn't Duke Cao order all camps to be ready for deployment? Perhaps… in a few days, you'll also be embarking on your journey south!"
With these words, Lu Yu smiled at Le Jin one last time, and then… slipped away!
He came lightly and slipped away lightly.
This left Le Jin utterly bewildered… doubly bewildered!
What was going on?
Being a military instructor at the Imperial Academy was quite extraordinary!
Chen surrendering to Duke Cao within a month… that was even more extraordinary!
If both these things truly happened!
Then… it would be as if "ridiculous" opened the door for "ridiculous" – it would be completely preposterous.
In short, Lu Yu's visit today could be summed up in two words: preposterous!
…
…
Two days later, Jianghuai, within the territory of Chen.
"Clap clap…"
Dian Wei clapped his hands and yawned widely.
Before him, more than thirty large and small sacks were already filled, each containing a corpse.
Without exception, these corpses were all assassins sent by Yuan Shu.
Cao Anmin's list was accurate. They knew exactly how many assassins were in each inn, each post station, each brothel, where they would eat, how many weapons were in their rooms, without any detail missed.
Of course, there were some omissions initially, one assassin was missed. But the meticulous Cao Anmin carefully re-examined it, and when Dian Wei took action, it was already the most accurate list.
Speaking of which…
Money, in exchange for intelligence, was incredibly easy.
Of course, acting within Chen to deal with Yuan Shu's assassins was definitely not allowed.
However, if they couldn't act, they could use poison!
How could these assassins have imagined that the breakfast they ate was laced with a soporific?
Although they were the assassins, at this moment… they were being treated as prey by others, which was quite ironic.
As the saying goes, as long as there's money… if you want the cook to make the food delicious, it will be delicious! If you want the cook to make the food deadly, it will be deadly!
In chaotic times, human lives were like weeds… let alone the lives of these assassins. It was just a case of black eating black!
"I didn't even have to fight, how boring!"
Dian Wei looked listless.
He had never undertaken such a low-skill mission. While the enemy was unconscious, he stuffed them into sacks, dragged them to this remote wilderness, and then gave each one a quick death.
A total of thirty-nine people, not one missing…
It could be said that within Chen, besides Dian Wei and his entourage, there were no more assassins.
"Put on their clothes, and proceed with the plan this afternoon. Remember… don't go easy on me and Commander Cheng. Make sure there's blood, that's how it'll look real!"
When giving orders, Dian Wei's usual laziness disappeared, and his tone became exceptionally serious.
The morning was just an appetizer; the afternoon was the main event!
However, that would be the time for superb acting.
"Yes!" A group of Long Xiao Camp armored soldiers clasped their hands in agreement and quickly changed into the assassins' clothes. They even found a letter in their pockets, a letter from Yuan Shu promising generous rewards to the assassins once the mission was accomplished.
"Commander Dian, this letter…"
Dian Wei waved his hand, "I don't understand it anyway. Send the letter directly to Commander Cheng! He might find it useful!"
"Yes…" The armored soldiers agreed again and quickly withdrew.
The Long Xiao Camp armored soldiers began their preparations for the next action, ah no… to be precise, for the next grand theatrical performance.
Hoo…
Dian Wei exhaled lightly. Through the window, his eyes looked towards the south city gate.
"Damn it, why isn't Zhang Kai here yet? I'm getting antsy!"
He hadn't had a chance to use his hands or feet for a long time while being around Lu Yu. Now that the opportunity had finally come, he couldn't let it slip away!
…
…
That afternoon.
Zhang Kai arrived with his five thousand troops. They all placed their long-handled weapons on the ground, as a show of sincerity.
The Lord of Chen, Liu Chong, went to greet them with great joy. In his eyes, this was just a reenactment of past stories. Whenever the times were unstable, troops would come to defect to him.
This had also helped him quickly become a colossus in the Central Plains.
Liu Chong had always been unguarded towards these defectors. Perhaps… he felt his martial arts were superior, or perhaps… he simply believed in mutual loyalty, or maybe a combination of both.
"The rebellious villain Yuan Shu openly declared himself emperor, drawing the wrath of heaven and the resentment of man. In his wretched state, I was truly blinded before, to have joined his ranks. Fortunately, I have now met a wise lord!"
Zhang Kai shouted loudly… as he spoke, he knelt on the ground, appearing extremely devout.
His subordinate generals also knelt beside him.
"Hahahahaha…" Liu Chong, completely unguarded, stepped forward.
As he walked, he said, "A good bird chooses a tree to perch on, a good minister chooses a lord to serve. General Zhang, you have done well!"
Three steps, two steps, only one step away…
Just as Liu Chong was about to help Zhang Kai up, a cold glint flashed in Zhang Kai's eyes. The wristband on his arm dropped to the ground, which was another kind of "raising the cup as a signal"!
In an instant… countless daggers were drawn from their boots, and unleashed from Zhang Kai and his deputy generals…
Countless prepared throwing knives and arrows… shot towards Liu Chong's side!
Fast, too fast.
Zhang Kai's army seemed to be well-prepared… almost simultaneously…
"Kill, kill… kill…"
Countless shouts of killing echoed from Zhang Kai's army, from within the Chen army.
What's more, countless Chen soldiers, before they could even understand what was happening, or… if they still intended to rush forward to save their lord, had their heads severed by a saber from behind them.
From the moment the Lord of Chen was assassinated, internal chaos erupted in Chen.
The killing had begun.
The entire city gate was filled with wails and screams. In an instant, the entire Chen seemed to have descended into a living hell.
Seeing that the Lord of Chen, Liu Chong, was wounded by multiple blades, those deputy generals who had been swayed by Yuan Shu all rebelled. They no longer had to hide, as if they wanted to join the brighter side of the Zhong family's Son of Heaven and become founding ministers!
In an instant, the southern gate of Chen had become a Shura field.
"You… you…"
Liu Chong, struck by several blades, his body covered in blood, still managed to stand up with difficulty. He retreated rapidly.
He realized that this was a deception, a meticulously crafted deception by the false emperor Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu actually dared… dared to lay hands on him!
It was completely unexpected…
Liu Chong was originally proud. In this land of Chen, under these hundred thousand armored soldiers, he was extremely proud.
But… precisely…
Liu Chong retreated quickly, staggering, the sharp pain from the wounds all over his body.
But he knew he had to return to the city immediately. At least… at least before he died, he had to convey this news to Prime Minister Luo Jun, otherwise… Chen would truly be lost.
It would truly fall into the hands of the false emperor Yuan Shu!
"Hmph, trying to run?"
Zhang Kai and a deputy general galloped after him.
Some of Liu Chong's generals stepped forward and managed to fend off Zhang Kai and his men.
Seeing this, it seemed… Liu Chong could enter the city. Perhaps… if he received treatment immediately, he still had a slim chance of survival.
But at that moment.
Liu Chong seemed to sense something. His pupils contracted, and his heart suddenly tightened…
Immediately after…
"Swoosh…" An arrow pierced his chest.
The powerful arrow almost pierced through his chest.
He looked at his chest in disbelief.
A black arrow, the black lacquered arrow used by Yuan Shu's army. Liu Chong wanted to say something more, but… at this moment, his life had ended.
This was the chaotic era, the era that devoured people without spitting out bones, the era where one general's success was built on the bones of thousands.
One must know…
In chaotic times, everyone lived on the edge.
The wheat in chaotic times was also as sharp as blades. If one wanted to be a good person in this era, one had to be more familiar with great evil and poison than the wicked.
And what killed people was rarely an open attack, but often a hidden arrow!
Hoo…
Watching Liu Chong fall, Huang Zhong let out a sigh of relief.
He had been fighting on the battlefield since he was young and had long seen through everything in this chaotic era.
Chaos would not be merciful to you just because you were skilled in martial arts or good at managing troops. Every choice had to be made with extreme caution. One careless mistake could lead to an unexpected death.
In Huang Zhong's opinion, Liu Chong was destined to die today. Even if it wasn't Huang Zhong who did it, it would be someone else.
As for Liu Chong's death, he could only blame himself. In chaotic times, how could he trust others so easily?
"He's dead…"
Before Huang Zhong could finish his musings, Zhang Kai charged forward on horseback. He was alone, his generals blocking Liu Chong's personal guards, creating a path for him to pursue.
But… the scene before him was quite gratifying to Zhang Kai.
He was dead, pierced through the chest by an arrow. What good archery!
Zhang Kai dismounted and, seeing that it was an arrow from Yuan's camp, his guard was further lowered. However, he was still astonished. Who among his subordinates had shot this arrow and achieved such a great feat?
But at that moment…
"Swoosh…"
"Swoosh…"
He heard two consecutive whistling sounds from somewhere.
This time, it was Zhang Kai's pupils that contracted. Before he could react… an arrow pierced his neck, and at the same time, his chest was also pierced by an arrow.
"Thud… thud…"
Kneeling on both knees, Zhang Kai then fell forward. This kind of death, with his throat pierced, was the most tragic. He couldn't even let out his final cry before dying.
What's more, it was even more tragic that his chest was also pierced by an arrow.
Hmm…
Huang Zhong, hidden in the bushes, narrowed his eyes. He first looked at the only arrow left in his hand.
Clearly… he had only shot one arrow, so…
With his precise judgment of the arrow's trajectory, Huang Zhong's eyes turned towards the bushes on the other side. Sure enough, there was another person there, who had just finished nocking an arrow, and this person was none other than Cao Anmin.
Cao Anmin stood there blankly, as if he had accomplished a magnificent and extremely important task.
"So that's how it is," Huang Zhong realized.
In the Long Xiao Camp, he had heard people say that the one who had robbed Cao family's convoy in Langya Commandery and almost killed Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, and Cao Cao's brother, Cao De, was this Zhang Kai.
Although… Cao Song and Cao De had managed to escape death in the end, the lives of other members of the Cao family, including Cao Song's second wife, Cao De's mother Zou Shi, had perished at the foot of Fengming Mountain.
It was likely that this grudge…
Cao Anmin had long wanted revenge, hadn't he?
Hoo…
Huang Zhong couldn't help but sigh with emotion. No wonder Young Master Lu had specifically sent Cao Anmin to participate in this operation. No wonder, when Young Master Lu gave his final instructions, he had specifically told Cao Anmin that he had prepared a gift for him in Chen!
So, there was this aspect to it.
Seeing Cao Anmin still standing there in a daze, Huang Zhong quickly ran towards him.
He grabbed him. It wasn't the time to be dazed now. The battlefield was a dog-eat-dog fight, and they… had to leave immediately.
"General Huang… I've overstepped."
Cao Anmin, coming back to his senses, said as he retreated.
Huang Zhong, however, grabbed his forehead. "Kid, your archery is good. When we get back, I'll teach you a few tricks for 'a hundred paces, a bull's-eye'!"
With these words…
The two of them had already disappeared into the bushes.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting was raging at the south city gate of Chen.
But… as time passed, Zhang Kai's subordinates, and… the generals who had been swayed by Yuan Shu, suddenly discovered a serious problem: Zhang Kai was dead!
Then… their backbone seemed to have disappeared all at once?
For whom were they fighting now?
More importantly, at this moment… was the other key figure of Chen, Luo Jun? Was he alive or dead?
…
The Prime Minister of Chen, Luo Jun, was still alive. Not only was he alive, but he was also comfortably drinking tea with Cheng Yu in a wine shop.
Completely unaware that the south of Chen City had already become a Shura field.
Dian Wei stood beside Cheng Yu, like a personal attendant.
Luo Jun was very hospitable.
"Mr. Cheng, you've come all the way to Chen. I presume… it's not just for our Chen tea, is it?"
"Haha…" Cheng Yu waved his hand. "Prime Minister, you jest. However… the reason I've come here, besides paying my respects to the Prime Minister of Chen, is on behalf of someone for two matters."
Hmm…
Luo Jun became curious. "On whose behalf are you acting? And what are these matters?"
"It is on behalf of my Young Master, Lu Yu, the Grand Administrator of Han." Cheng Yu did not hide anything and immediately uttered Lu Yu's name.
As soon as this name was mentioned, Luo Jun's eyes narrowed.
Even though Chen did not actively contend with the outside world, the name Lu Yu was not unfamiliar to him.
Formerly the Chief Clerk of Cao Cao's staff, now the Grand Administrator of the court, the commander of the Long Xiao Camp…
Especially the Long Xiao Camp under him, with only a few hundred men, could shake the nine provinces. Unless he was kicked by a donkey, no one would underestimate this Lu Yu!
"Mr. Cheng, please speak directly. I would also like to hear what instructions Grand Administrator Lu has."
"Instructions are too much to say." Cheng Yu explained. "It's just that Grand Administrator Lu asked me to tell Prime Minister Luo a story, a rather touching story."
"Please, Mr. Cheng, tell me."
"It's about an eight-year-old young master." Cheng Yu recounted in detail. "His father was suddenly assassinated by ruffians."
"His mother was originally a concubine. To protect herself, and because she had a secret connection and lingering feelings with an old acquaintance, she remarried a talented young man as a concubine. This talented young man did not accept his wife bringing the child with her, so mother and son were separated."
"At the time of separation, when this lady sent her son off, the young master faced forward and never looked back, while his mother cried incessantly behind him."
At this point, Cheng Yu paused.
"The coachman asked, 'Is Madam still here? Why doesn't the young master look back?' Prime Minister Luo, why don't you guess how this young master replied?"
This…
How could Luo Jun know how he would reply?
But… what did this have to do with him? Why would Grand Administrator Lu tell him this news?
"Mr. Cheng, don't be coy. I am eager to hear the rest."
"This young master said…" Cheng Yu continued. "He didn't want to increase his mother's longing, which is why he didn't look back! And this young master, from then on, parted ways with his biological mother, but served his stepmother with extreme respect, eventually becoming a virtuous and talented young man!"
Luo Jun still listened with a fog in his mind.
Of course, Cheng Yu also didn't know why Young Master Lu insisted on telling Luo Jun this story.
It seemed… it would be enough to state the conclusion directly.
However.
Only Lu Yu knew that the young master mentioned in this story was precisely Luo Jun's son, the famous minister of Eastern Wu—Luo Tong!
And the young master's biological mother mentioned in this story, that is, the concubine of Prime Minister Luo Jun of Chen, even after marrying Luo Tong, was still secretly involved with her old lover, the future famous minister of Cao Wei, Hua Xin.
In other words, Prime Minister Luo Jun of Chen had a huge green grassland on his head.
And…
What was more terrifying than this verdant grassland was that if Luo Jun were to be assassinated, his concubine would run off with someone else!
His son, along with his stepmother, would go south to Jiangdong, and in tragic circumstances, his son would overcome all obstacles and eventually become a generation's wise minister.
It was just… how unjustly Luo Jun died!
At this moment, Cheng Yu's expression also became solemn. "Prime Minister Luo, it's not that I'm trying to alarm you, but my Young Master is a successor of the Yin-Yang school. He has never made a miscalculation."
—"Precisely recently, by counting on his fingers, he calculated that Prime Minister Luo will face a tribulation! If you cannot escape this tribulation, then the young master I mentioned earlier will be your son Luo Tong's future! Losing a father, and a mother remarrying!"
—"Of course, Prime Minister Luo can choose not to believe it, but…"
Cheng Yu's words trailed off here… his eyes narrowed!
At the same time…
"Swish swish swish swish…" Countless arrows, countless throwing knives, shot out from all directions.
Followed closely by a group of black-clothed men wielding knives breaking in.
"This!"
In an instant, Luo Jun was dumbfounded.
This… this was what Cheng Yu, no… what Grand Administrator Lu Yu had predicted, his so-called tribulation?
It seemed a bit contrived…
…
…