"Speaking of the little hegemon Sun Bofu, one must also mention his father, and..."
Lu Yu's eyes blinked slightly, and he deliberately emphasized the latter part of his words, as if to stress a point. "And the Imperial Seal!"
Just like that, the topic shifted to the Imperial Seal.
This seemed to be one of the points of confusion for Cao Cao and Xun Yu.
To be fair, Cao Cao had quite a few spies in the Jianghuai region. Because Cao Cao and Sun Jian had a past when fighting the Yellow Turbans, heroes recognizing heroes. Upon hearing of Sun Jian's tragic death at the hands of Liu Biao, Cao Cao had even sent people to investigate the whereabouts of the culprit and the "Imperial Seal."
Indeed, there were many legends circulating. Some said the seal was in Liu Biao's possession, while others claimed it was with Sun Jian's son, Sun Ce!
However, there was no direct evidence to prove either claim.
Now, how did the Imperial Seal end up in Yuan Shu's hands so suddenly? Cao Cao and Xun Yu were somewhat curious... though, it wasn't that important.
Driven by curiosity, Cao Cao spoke.
"Speaking of the Imperial Seal, when the eighteen lords attacked Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian and his Jiangdong forces were at the forefront of entering Luoyang. From then on, there were rumors among the coalition that he had embezzled the Imperial Seal. But with the passage of time, it's unexpected that the seal has reappeared in Jianghuai and fallen into Yuan Shu's hands. Truly, the ways of the world are unpredictable!"
Cao Cao did not ask directly, but his words conveyed his curiosity.
Lu Yu, naturally, knew this intricate story. He immediately explained, "In fact, there are many rumors about the Imperial Seal. To understand what truly happened, one needs to carefully sift through and summarize these rumors!"
"Lu Yu dares to try and summarize. As Commander Cao has said, during the attack on Dong Zhuo by the Guandong warlords, Sun Jian captured Luoyang and retrieved the Imperial Seal from a dry well! Yuan Shao, as the leader of the alliance, demanded it from him. In a fit of anger, Sun Jian left the coalition, intending to return to Jiangdong to develop his territory!"
"Alas, these two Yuan brothers were extremely obsessed with the Imperial Seal and would never be content! Therefore, Yuan Shao colluded with Liu Biao to design the murder of Sun Jian. Yuan Shu then took in Sun Jian's former subordinates, confined Sun Jian's widow, Lady Wu, and coerced the Sun family into handing over the Imperial Seal."
"To survive and to reclaim his father's former troops, Sun Ce had no choice but to hand over the Imperial Seal. Thus... the Imperial Seal has now fallen into Yuan Shu's hands! However..."
At this point, Lu Yu paused. "The Daoist philosopher Laozi once said – Misfortune is what fortune leans on; fortune is what misfortune hides in!"
"This may not be a good thing for Yuan Shu, nor necessarily a bad thing for Commander Cao. In fact... it might precisely accelerate Yuan Shu's arrogance and give Commander Cao the opportunity to take Yuzhou..."
"As the saying goes, he whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad."
Having said this, Lu Yu blinked and stopped speaking, lifting his gaze to look at Cao Cao and Xun Yu...
As expected, Cao Cao and Xun Yu both nodded slightly.
There were too many and too mixed rumors circulating. They couldn't ascertain which were true and which were false.
But Lu Yu seemed capable of discerning truth from falsehood, able to filter out the impurities and retain the essence from any piece of information.
Before... Cao Cao and Xun Yu had held a doubtful attitude towards Lu Yu's words, but now...
They had no choice but to believe.
"Does Strategist Lu firmly believe..." Xun Yu asked, "that the little hegemon Sun Bofu will not side with Yuan Shu?"
This...
Lu Yu's eyes darted. "Commander Cao, Lord Lingjun, why not consider carefully what kind of person Sun Ce's father, Sun Jian, was? What did he do? If you do that... the conclusion will naturally emerge."
Hmm... this...
Cao Cao and Xun Yu exchanged glances.
Lu Yu had posed a question!
What kind of person was Sun Ce's father, Sun Jian? This...
After Lu Yu's reminder, Cao Cao and Xun Yu immediately tried to recall Sun Jian's experiences.
The Sun clan was quite famous. Cao Cao and Xun Yu were not unfamiliar with them. Sun Jian's ancestor was the supreme master of military strategy in the Spring and Autumn period – Sun Wu!
And the Sun family had served as officials in Wu for generations, loyal and upright.
Especially Sun Jian, who, relying on his courage and his ancient sword, had apprehended pirates at the age of seventeen, earning merit in Jiangdong. He had served as county deputy in three counties in the Wu region, his loyalty evident to heaven and earth.
When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, Sun Jian immediately volunteered and joined the army of General Zhu Jun. Due to his fierce combat, he served as Assistant Commander and always led from the front, disregarding his own life to serve the Han court!
After the Yellow Turbans were pacified, Bian Zhang and Han Sui of Liangzhou caused unrest. Sun Jian joined Zhang Wen's army to quell the rebellion;
When the Qiang tribes under Bei Gong Boyu invaded the border, Sun Jian assisted Zhang Wen in suppressing them again!
In the fourth year of Zhongping, Changsha rebelled, gathering tens of thousands of people. Sun Jian again volunteered to lead the expedition to quell the uprising... Within a month, the rebellion was suppressed, and the prefecture was subdued!
It could be said that... Sun Jian's life was like a bluestone brick, filling any void where the Han dynasty faced rebellion!
Wherever there were bandits, there was Sun Jian to suppress them.
Hiss... this...
Upon realizing this, Cao Cao and Xun Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.
Especially Cao Cao, his eyes narrowed even tighter. Others might not know, but he, Cao Cao, knew it best.
When the eighteen lords attacked Dong Zhuo, sixteen of them harbored their own ulterior motives. At that time... only he, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian were truly intent on attacking the rebels and supporting the Han dynasty!
On this point, Cao Cao and Sun Jian could resonate with each other.
Of course... their fates were not good. Cao Cao narrowly escaped death after being ambushed at Xingyang, and Sun Jian was pierced by ten thousand arrows because of an Imperial Seal!
Of course, that was not the point. The point was... after Yu'er's reminder, and after carefully recalling Sun Jian's life.
It was not difficult to realize that a person of such loyalty, how could his descendant bow to a usurper, thus sacrificing the reputation earned by his father and ancestors!
Hahaha...
Thinking of this, Cao Cao's lips curled, and he laughed out with a sigh.
He clasped the teacup representing "Sun Ce" tightly in his hands and said with absolute certainty.
"If Yuan Shu declares himself emperor, Sun Ce will never submit!"
"This little hegemon is on our side. He will immediately draw a line between himself and Yuan Shu. The Sun family, loyal and upright, is loyal to the Han dynasty!"
Certain, with an absolute tone of certainty.
With this understanding, Cao Cao's mood greatly improved, and he laughed heartily with a sigh.
"That's right..." Xun Yu looked at Lu Yu, shaking his head slightly, lamenting that he had been too shallow in his thinking, failing to carefully consider and delve into the Sun family...
This was a family of loyalty and valor!
"Even if Sun Ce nominally depends on Yuan Shu now, when faced with major issues of right and wrong, he will not choose the wrong side! The Sun family will inherit their ancestors' legacy and resist those who plot against the Han to the end. Sun Bofu, the little hegemon, surely understands this! Moreover..."
Xun Yu's eyes narrowed...
"To sweep across Jiangdong! To secure Jiangdong, the Sun family also needs a clear banner of supporting the Han and an excellent reputation!"
At this moment, Xun Yu's heart was also filled with emotion!
He and Cao Cao were both supremely intelligent. A slight hint from Lu Yu was enough for them to understand everything. Of course... it had to be admitted that Lu Yu's grasp of human nature was countless times greater than his own, or even Cao Cao's.
This child is a prodigy!
Phew...
Seeing the enlightened expressions on Cao Cao and Xun Yu's faces, Lu Yu let out a sigh of relief.
Understood.
It seemed that the two "great intelligences," Old Cao and Lord Lingjun, had finally understood.
However...
They likely had no idea to what extent Yuan Shu's declaration of emperorship would weaken him, or rather, strengthen Sun Ce.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu couldn't help but sigh.
According to historical records, as soon as Sun Ce received the news of Yuan Shu's ascension, he immediately declared his break with him.
At the same time, Sun Ce first secretly brought his uncle Wu Jing, elder brother Sun Ben, friend Zhou Yu, and Zhou Yu's friend Lu Su, all of whom were under Yuan Shu's command, back to Jiangdong, causing Yuan Shu to lose a large number of capable talents!
Speaking of which...
The current Zhou Yu and Lu Su were under Yuan Shu's command!
However, Yuan Shu was blind. He only recognized influential families and paid no attention to ability!
Zhou Yu and Lu Su were merely "County Magistrate of Juchao" and "County Magistrate of Dongcheng." They were already not valued and harbored a desire to leave.
Furthermore, with Yuan Shu violating heavenly principles and committing such a rebellious act... Zhou Yu and Lu Su were even more determined to depart.
And this... not only provided Sun Ce with a Rank SSS advisor but also brought him a large sum of money, a true windfall!
It could be said that Sun Ce's ability to capture the six prefectures of Jiangdong in one fell swoop was inseparable from Yuan Shu's self-destructive operations.
"Hahaha..."
After analyzing the thoughts of Lu Bu and Sun Ce, Cao Cao couldn't help but laugh heartily.
Yu'er was truly magical, often able to clarify a muddled situation with extraordinary clarity...
Then... next.
It was the third teacup, representing Liu Chong of Chen State. As for!
The final inkstone, representing Yuan Shu, once the other three teacups left him, and he was deserted by all, only demise awaited him.
"Strategist Lu, Chen State, sandwiched between Yanzhou and Yuzhou, is quite troublesome!"
"If the battle lines and supply routes constantly bypass Chen State, the front line will be stretched even longer, making logistics more difficult, and even creating many unstable factors. Moreover... Liu Chong commands an army of one hundred thousand. It is heard that he is also brave and skilled in combat, and Chen State's Chancellor, Luo Jun, is also a wise strategist, not to be underestimated!"
Cao Cao said...
Indeed, as a member of the Han imperial family, Liu Chong would absolutely not support Yuan Shu's rebellion. However... if Cao Cao were to raise an army to attack Yuan Shu, he would have to pass through Liu Chong's territory.
Would Liu Chong allow Cao Cao's army to pass? The answer was obvious... he would not agree.
In this chaotic era, no one would allow other warlords' troops to pass through their territory unchecked. This was an extremely sensitive matter.
But precisely... Chen State's geographical location was extremely important. It occupied favorable supply routes, and its attitude was unclear. If... when Cao Cao and Yuan Shu were both weakened, it were to take advantage of the situation, then...
Liu Chong of Chen State, with his army of one hundred thousand, had this capability!
With this thought, Cao Cao's originally clear expression suddenly became somber again. He looked at his eldest son, Yu'er, as if it had become a habit to seek his counsel when encountering problems.
This...
Upon mentioning Liu Chong, the lord of Chen State, and Luo Jun, the chancellor of Chen State, Lu Yu's eyes also narrowed slightly.
Speaking of which, this minor character, insignificant and even unknown in the historical records, played a crucial role in the battles between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu.
It could be said that... without resolving this issue, Cao Cao could not defeat Yuan Shu.
However, it seemed that this problem did not require any additional consideration, because... whether it was in the "Book of the Later Han" or the "Records of the Three Kingdoms," these powerful rulers and chancellors of Chen State were about to perish!
And the reason for their demise was surprisingly due to Yuan Shu's clumsy operations!
That's right...
The first thing Yuan Shu did after declaring himself emperor was not to confront Cao Cao, but rather... to attempt to seize the strategically important Chen State.
For Cao Cao, Chen State was a strategic point for attacking Shouchun, but for the arrogant Yuan Shu, Chen State was also a strategic point for his counterattack against Xudu.
When one becomes emperor, one rarely tolerates another to become emperor; Yuan Shu was particularly sensitive to this.
In his strategic plan, capturing Chen State and counterattacking Xudu was a crucial link. And... his clumsy operations against Liu Chong, the lord of Chen State, and Luo Jun, the chancellor of Chen State, were not exactly aboveboard!
Coincidentally... this matter was related to Zhang Kai, a former subordinate of Tao Qian who had ambushed Cao Song. For Cao Cao, it was both new and old hatred.
Of course, Lu Yu could not explain the intervening events in detail to Cao Cao.
"Commander Cao, Lu Yu ventures to request on behalf of the Dragon Riders. Before June, we will surely secure a territory of Chen State!"
Lu Yu suddenly stood up, cupped his fists, and made his request!
This...
Cao Cao and Xun Yu were stunned.
Chen State, with its hundred thousand troops? The brave and skilled lord of Chen State! The exceptionally wise chancellor of Chen State... Lu Yu? He intended to lead the Dragon Riders to capture it?
But the Dragon Riders only had a few hundred men.
Thinking of this, Cao Cao instinctively wanted to refuse.
However... his eyes flickered. He knew Lu Yu's character. He never did anything risky. If he said he could secure a territory of Chen State before June, then he likely had the confidence.
"Does Strategist Lu only intend to take the Dragon Riders?" Cao Cao asked in return...
Cao Cao's words clearly implied, Yu'er, just speak your mind. This time, I will appoint you as commander. Whether you want the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry or the Qingzhou Soldiers, your father will assign them all to you.
Xun Yu's eyes narrowed. He could also understand Cao Cao's underlying meaning.
He muttered to himself that Cao Cao's words were enough to show his trust in Lu Yu!
Unexpectedly, just as Cao Cao was about to reinforce Lu Yu, Lu Yu waved his hand. "Commander Cao, to capture Chen State, we don't need the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, nor the Qingzhou Soldiers. The Dragon Riders are sufficient! However..."
"However, what?" Cao Cao immediately retorted.
"However, Lu Yu requests Commander Cao to agree to one matter in advance."
"What matter?" Cao Cao's expression became even more solemn. Yu'er rarely asked him for anything. This time, he took the initiative to speak, so it must be a major matter.
...
Of course, it was a major matter!
The military provisions within Chen State, Cao Cao did not know, but Lu Yu was very clear.
In the current world, if one were to rank the stored grain among all the warlords, Gongsun Zan of Youzhou would have the most. However... Chen State under Liu Chong would have the most reserves of high-quality iron.
One must know that while fine steel halberds and fine steel armor played an incredible role on the battlefield, high-quality iron had become a significant impediment to the improvement of the Dragon Riders' combat strength!
Currently, the number of soldiers in the Dragon Riders had no upper limit; they could be recruited without restriction. However, the reason Lu Yu had not asked Cao Xiu to recruit more troops was precisely because of the amount of high-quality iron!
Without high-quality iron, there could be no forging of steel, and without steel, where would fine steel halberds and fine steel armor come from!
The newly recruited soldiers could not be equipped with superior gear, so how could the glory of the Dragon Riders be passed down?
In Lu Yu's opinion, high-quality iron was a crucial link, and he had been eagerly anticipating the reserves of high-quality iron in Chen State.
"Commander Cao, Chen State has large reserves of high-quality iron. If the Dragon Riders capture Chen State, Lu Yu implores Commander Cao to reward all this high-quality iron to the Dragon Riders? I wonder..."
Before Lu Yu could finish speaking.
"Agreed!" Cao Cao replied without hesitation. "Not only the high-quality iron, but as long as your Dragon Riders can capture Chen State, all the grain and military provisions within Chen State will be rewarded to the Dragon Riders."
To be honest, Cao Cao's current idea was to open up the battle line between Xudu and Shouchun, eliminating Chen State as a buffer zone, this hidden danger!
As for Chen State's military provisions, grain, and high-quality iron, he truly did not care about them.
Compared to eradicating rebels, compared to the entirety of Yuzhou, what were these rewards?
However...
Cao Cao was still uneasy. "Strategist Lu, why not let Miaocai lead the Leopard Cavalry and Zihe lead the Tiger Cavalry to assist your Dragon Riders in combat?"
"Rest assured, you will be the commander in this battle to capture Chen State, and let Miaocai and Zihe obey your every command!"
Cao Cao suggested again...
No matter how capable the Dragon Riders were!
No matter how sharp and sturdy their fine steel halberds and fine steel armor were, they couldn't fight ten thousand men with seven hundred, could they?
Moreover, the commander this time was Yu'er. Cao Cao particularly hoped that Yu'er could capture Chen State, open up the battle lines and supply routes for their campaign against the rebels, and achieve this first merit of suppressing bandits, which would greatly help him establish greater prestige within the army!
However...
Cao Cao had the intention, but Lu Yu did not.
Lu Yu shook his head and retorted, "Does Commander Cao not trust me, Lu Yu?"
"Not at all." Cao Cao replied helplessly... How could he not trust Yu'er? It was just to make him shine brighter and be more secure.
"Then please, Commander Cao, trust me, Lu Yu, and trust every soldier of the Dragon Riders." Lu Yu smiled slightly, his eyes filled with a radiant, determined light.
He emphasized again.
"Before June, the Dragon Riders will surely break through Chen State!"
In fact, Lu Yu only spoke half of this sentence...
The other half was that the one hundred thousand troops of Chen State would all belong to Commander Cao before June.
Of course, that was a bit of a bold statement... Lu Yu decided to be low-key and not make Old Cao too excited!
Afterward, if Chen Gong was present, it would be a great surprise.
In conclusion.
Lu Yu cupped his fists and bowed, "Commander Cao, Lord Lingjun, Lu Yu will take his leave now."
Since... the grand pronouncement had been made.
Then... historically, Yuan Shu declared himself emperor on the fifth day of the fifth month, leaving Lu Yu only one month.
Next, it was time to demonstrate true skill, and that skill was to persuade Chen State's one hundred thousand troops to surrender at the mere sight of them.
...
...