During the years of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Xun Yu served as the Director of the Imperial Menagerie for the imperial court.
Normally, the Director of the Imperial Menagerie was in charge of the emperor's personal stationery, bamboo slips, and also managed the Secretariat’s "various financial expenditures" and "seals."
It was precisely because of this that Xun Yu had seen many memorials and documents from various regions.
Among them, one document reported a strange occurrence.
At that time, Zhang Jiao, in order to make his followers believe he possessed celestial arts and that the Yellow Heaven would replace the Blue Heaven, apart from employing trickery like "healing with talisman water" and "exorcising evil with talismans" as forms of "psychological suggestion," he also orchestrated specific events that were convincing and widely circulated.
For instance, he dispatched numerous Yellow Turban leaders and disciples of the Way of Supreme Harmony to spread their doctrines in the regions. Initially, the local residents, who were honest farmers, naturally did not believe this.
However, it was precisely due to a strange event that the concept of "the Yellow Heaven replacing the Blue Heaven" suddenly penetrated the hearts of the common people.
This strange event was the stone tablet!
In the fields of countless villages, a section of a stone tablet inexplicably emerged from the ground, and what was more, the stone tablet bore inscriptions. As days went by, the stone tablet growing from the ground became longer and longer, and the inscriptions on it also increased.
In the end, sixteen large characters became clearly visible, resounding like thunder—"The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise, the year is Jia Zi, and all under heaven shall prosper!"
This immediately terrified all the farmers, who believed it to be divine guidance…
As a result, a large number of farmers began to believe in the Way of Supreme Harmony and that the Yellow Heaven would replace the Blue Heaven.
Over time, this concept became deeply ingrained in every Yellow Turban soldier, every disciple of the Way of Supreme Harmony, and every farmer. It was so deeply rooted that even to this day, it remains unshaken!
Xun Yu recounted the story to Xun You in detail.
Xun You listened attentively, nodding repeatedly… What a brilliant stratagem, a masterful method of capturing people's hearts, and with such remarkable results!
"Does Uncle mean… that this 'stone tablet emerging from the earth,' masterminded by the Yellow Turban leaders, is related to soybeans?" Xun You asked.
"Precisely!" Xun Yu nodded. "In the past, His Majesty was curious about this incident and sent me to investigate villages near Sili.
The local farmers believed in these superstitions and naturally dared not touch the stone tablets, fearing they would incur 'heaven's punishment'."
"However, I ordered my men to knock down these stone tablets. It was precisely because of this that we saw what was hidden beneath the stone tablets, and the fundamental reason for their emergence from the ground."
Upon reaching this point, Xun Yu paused. Xun You’s eyes widened, immensely curious about what Xun Yu would say next.
"Uncle, what exactly was beneath the stone tablets?"
"Beans!" Xun Yu blurted out. "To be precise, it was soybean sprouts. The disciples of the Way of Supreme Harmony buried a large quantity of beans beneath the stone tablets. When beans encounter water, they sprout, becoming 'bean sprouts,' and the process of bean sprouting generates immense force."
This…
Xun You was still puzzled. "Beans are tiny. Even if they sprout, how can they move a stone tablet? To push a stone tablet out of the ground requires a force far exceeding a hundred jin!"
"Gongda, you are well-versed in military strategy but utterly ignorant of agricultural matters."
Xun Yu explained, "Plants growing underground, after rooting and sprouting, generate tremendous force during their emergence from the earth. Do not underestimate this force. It can break through stone crevices on cliffs and grow into towering trees!"
"Therefore, the emergence of the stone tablets, the so-called 'divine guidance,' is no longer surprising…"
Having said this, Xun Yu raised his head, his eyes gazing deeply in the direction of the "Wei Residence."
"It's no wonder that 'Hidden Dragon' is planting soybeans in the backyard of the Wei Residence. He must have also buried stone tablets and rocks there. He wants to verify the immense power of 'bean sprouts' to ensure the successful persuasion of the thirty thousand Yellow Turbans… with absolute certainty!"
Hoh…
Sudden realization dawned.
At this moment, Xun You understood, completely understood.
Indeed, there are specialized fields of expertise. If he had focused solely on military strategy, he would likely never have grasped the marvelous utility of soybeans and bean sprouts in his entire life.
"Uncle, if that's the case… the reason Lu Yu wanted to transport the wooden basins to Duke Cao is also for…" Xun You blurted out instinctively.
"Shh…" Unexpectedly, Xun Yu raised an index finger, signaling Xun You to speak no more, and more importantly, not to speak loudly.
Xun You immediately understood…
Just as the Yellow Turban leaders of the past could gather followers by making stone tablets emerge from the earth, embedding the vision of the "Yellow Heaven saving the world" into the hearts of farmers,
So too, can Duke Cao today use this method to shatter the ingrained beliefs of the Yellow Turban army. The Yellow Heaven can save the world, and he, Cao Cao, can also save the world. As long as these bean sprouts can prop up the stone tablets, it will become clear who is the savior!
Of course…
The reason Lu Yu did not write a direct letter, but instead used hints about "soybeans" and "wooden buckets" to prompt Cao Cao’s own understanding, was because… this move required absolute secrecy from Lu Yu, to prevent any leaks whatsoever.
Only in this way would the subsequent emergence of stone tablets, divine guidance, and the winning over of the hearts of the thirty thousand Yellow Turban rebels become natural and logical!
Indeed, the grand spectacle was about to unfold.
"Uncle, your nephew feels that our Yan Province, and Duke Cao's domain, are becoming increasingly interesting!" Xun You said with a smile.
"Haha…" Xun Yu stroked his beard. "With Hidden Dragon around, it is indeed much more interesting…"
"Let's go… let's go to the backyard of the Wei Residence to take a look. Who knows, the stone tablets planted by Hidden Dragon might have already emerged from the ground."
As he spoke, a hint of thoughtful light flickered in Xun Yu's eyes.
Just as the "Yue Dan Ping" once commented on Hidden Dragon: "Whoever gains Hidden Dragon can end the chaotic times and dominate the world."
Heh heh, Cao Cao is truly fortunate.
And they, the talented individuals of Yingchuan, can also consider themselves quite fortunate.
At least, they did not become enemies with Hidden Dragon! Truly a cause for gratitude.
…
…
At the front-line military camp, in the central command tent.
"Pitter-patter…"
The sound of watering continued. Cao Cao and his generals had gone to inspect the military camp, leaving only Cao Xiu alone in the central command tent.
He was watering… watering this "potted plant," twice a day, without fail.
In all honesty, he had never been as diligent with women as he was with this "potted plant"—twice a day!
"Alas…"
Gazing at the potted plant, Cao Xiu shook his head. He felt like crying.
Watching his fellow cavalrymen achieve merit on the battlefield, beheading enemy rebels one after another, his former ten-man squad leader had already been promoted to centurion. Cao Xiu felt like crying without tears.
How much longer would this kind of life continue?
For a moment, Cao Xiu genuinely wanted to grab this wooden basin and smash this "potted plant" to smithereens. He had traveled a thousand miles from Wu to pledge allegiance to his uncle, Cao Cao, not to tend to flowers and plant beans. He wanted to achieve fame and bring glory to his lineage!
But, reason ultimately triumphed over impulse… Though the "potted plant" tormented him a thousand times, he still had to treat it as his first love.
"Lu Yu, oh Lu Yu, I truly believe in your sorcery…"
He muttered with a complaint.
Just then.
"Clang, clang…" A faint sound reached Cao Xiu's ears.
The sound was very crisp and distinct…
Cao Xiu looked around. In the central command tent, apart from him, the "gardener," there was no one in sight.
"Crack, crack."
Another two faint sounds. Good heavens… could he be seeing ghosts?
Cao Xiu tried his best to calm himself. His gaze followed the continuous, subtle "crack, crack" sounds…
The more he looked, the more…
He saw that the "soil" in the original potted plant seemed to be pushed up by something. Following closely behind… was… a stone. No! To be precise, it was the corner of a stone tablet emerging from the ground.
It gave the impression of "just the tip of the stone tablet peeking out."
Even the usually brave Cao Xiu was completely dumbfounded at this moment. What was happening… a stone tablet? Emerging from a dirt basin? He was seeing ghosts, truly seeing ghosts…
Ancient people revered spirits and deities. What could be more miraculous than a stone tablet emerging from the earth?
With a "whoosh," Cao Xiu quickly fled the central command tent.
As he ran, he asked the armored guards around the tent, "Where is Duke Cao? Where is Duke Cao… the wooden basin is haunted!"
…
…