"A stratagem?" Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie, furrowed his brow.
Empress Fu Shou, however, nodded.
"Indeed. To restart the Yue Dan Ping, gathering scholars from across the land in Xudu for a grand event. Just as Your Majesty said, Cao Cao is inherently suspicious. How could he not know the dangers here?"
"Therefore, he spread word that he only returned from Wancheng this morning. This way, those who intended to assassinate him would be disheartened, believing Cao Cao couldn't return and would abandon their plans. In reality, Cao Cao has undoubtedly returned to Xudu tonight."
"A man who loves to join in the excitement, how could he possibly miss such a grand occasion?"
A sigh escaped Liu Xie's lips. He raised his eyebrows. "The Empress speaks the truth!"
"Cao Cao is naturally suspicious. He wishes to participate in this grand event, yet fears misfortune. Thus, he employed such a stratagem. Had the Empress not spoken, I would have been kept in the dark."
As he spoke, Liu Xie nodded heavily. "Indeed... Cao Cao will surely appear!"
"Tomorrow's plan proceeds as scheduled!"
With a word, outside the Jiao Fang Palace...
"Yes!"
A response rang out, and a dark figure flickered away, seemingly to make final arrangements!
Seeing this shadow, Emperor Xian's eyes narrowed, and he turned to Fu Shou. "Does the Empress intend to let him act?"
"No!" Fu Shou waved her hand. "If he were to act, Your Majesty and I would truly lose our last resort!"
"Is he not the foremost swordsman in the land?" Emperor Xian continued. "If he acts, the chances of success will surely..."
Before Liu Xie could finish, Empress Fu Shou still shook her head, sighing softly, "Although all is prepared, Your Majesty must also leave some contingency! This is the most secure plan!"
A breath escaped Liu Xie's lips. He gazed at the departing figure.
Shaking his head, he sighed, "A pity... However, the Empress is correct!"
The foremost swordsman – Wang Yue!
He was no ordinary figure. His loyalty to the Han court was largely due to the Empress's influence.
Emperor Xian did not know the nature of their relationship.
He did not concern himself with it!
As long as this man could help him, help the Han court, that was enough!
But...
If this plan failed, Wang Yue would be his last bargaining chip and reliance.
At this thought, Liu Xie's eyes suddenly turned cold, as if he could already see the glint of swords and the clash of blades at tomorrow's restarted Yue Dan Ping!
The night passed without incident...
Truly without incident. Damn it, Liu Xie couldn't muster any words. He wanted to say something, but... he couldn't!
...
...
In Xudu City, before the gates of the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance, guards stood in solemn formation.
The person present now was Cao Chun.
However...
At this midnight hour, two figures suddenly appeared before the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance.
Upon seeing the arrivals, the guards were all astonished. Then, they knelt on one knee, their movements precise and their silence absolute...
Their astonishment stemmed from the fact that the arrivals were none other than the two directors of the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance – Cao Ren and Cao Hong!
Their silence was because they wore veiled hats, clearly having entered the city disguised.
And according to the intelligence from Wancheng, Cao Cao, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong... were still on the road from Wancheng to Xudu City.
Why were the two generals here?
The guards did not know...
But, without exception, they heightened their vigilance to twenty percent.
"Where is Zihe?"
"Reporting to the General, he is inside the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance."
"Lead the way!"
No one knew what Cao Ren and Cao Hong instructed Cao Chun.
But...
An hour later, the entire Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance was mobilized, along with the Xudu City yamen, and even the military camps outside the city...
Countless armored soldiers were quietly ambushing outside the city...
And countless armored soldiers disguised as civilians were preparing to "infiltrate" the city once the city gates opened tomorrow!
A "long-planned" hunt was about to commence!
...
...
In Xudu City, the Grand Minister's Mansion.
The moonlight was soft, the breeze was gentle, the candlelight flickered like beans. Beneath the embroidered screen window, in a courtyard pavilion, by the evening breeze... a woman's robes fluttered, her dark hair brushed by moonlight, emitting a faint fragrance.
This was Cai Zhao Ji's courtyard...
Every room and scene was filled with the scent of scholarship.
However, besides Cai Zhao Ji, two other women appeared here. One was the graceful and serene Da Qiao, and the other was the lively and agile Xiao Qiao!
It seemed...
Tomorrow was the grand event of restarting the Yue Dan Ping, and Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao had something to tell Sister Zhao Ji.
"If you have something to say, don't hesitate," Cai Zhao Ji said, sitting on a stone bench and waving her hand slightly, without any airs.
Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao exchanged glances, and it was Xiao Qiao who spoke, "Sister Zhao Ji, tomorrow the Yue Dan Ping will be restarted to evaluate individuals. But the person performing the initial evaluation is exceptionally important. Whom does Sister Zhao Ji plan to evaluate?"
Indeed...
In the past, at the Yue Dan Ping of the Two Dragons of Pingyu Ancient City held by the Xu Shao brothers, eight people were evaluated each month. Scholars would queue up voluntarily, with the furthest waiting list extending ten years.
Furthermore, this evaluation was different from fortune-telling.
The person being evaluated needed to chat with Xu Shao for about an hour, expressing their wishes, dreams, preferences, dislikes, and shortcomings to Xu Shao. Only then would Xu Shao offer his assessment of the person.
For this reason, being one of the eight evaluators was already a great honor.
And the person performing the initial evaluation was even more honored!
How could Cai Zhao Ji not understand what Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao meant? They were pleading with their sister to evaluate their beloved husbands first!
With this thought, Cai Zhao Ji's lips curved into a smile...
As a sister, she was quite happy that Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were so considerate of her 'Yu' brother.
However...
"How do the two sisters want me to evaluate Brother Yu first?" Cai Zhao Ji teased with a smile. "Does he have a clever plan to govern the world? Is he a handsome gentleman unmatched in the world?"
A gasp of admiration!
The moment these evaluations were spoken, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao's eyes widened, and they both exclaimed in praise.
Sister Zhao Ji truly had a way with words!
But before they could rejoice, Cai Zhao Ji waved her hand. "The two sisters have oversimplified the Yue Dan Ping. How can a sister evaluate a brother in the Yue Dan Ping? This is absurd, and it would be laughed at by the world if it spread!"
"Then..." Xiao Qiao blinked repeatedly. "My husband? He can't even get an evaluation?"
Her delicate brows furrowed, clearly showing Xiao Qiao's indignation on behalf of her husband, Lu Yu.
Da Qiao was more rational. She spoke up, reminding them, "Yes, currently the most talked-about person in the world is my husband. If even he is not included in the Yue Dan Ping, then... what will the world think of the Yue Dan Ping? They will surely be somewhat disappointed!"
This...
The more Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao cared about their 'Yu' brother, the happier Cai Zhao Ji felt for him.
As for what they mentioned, Cai Zhao Ji had already considered it.
"Brother Yu deserves an evaluation in the Yue Dan Ping, but it cannot be from his sister..."
"Then who should evaluate him?" Xiao Qiao asked repeatedly.
"Do you know 'Jing Shen'?" Cai Zhao Ji replied immediately...
Jing Shen?
This title was too renowned. In the academic circles of the Han Dynasty, if there were two people universally known and revered by the world, one would be He Xiu, known as "Xue Hai" (Sea of Learning), and the other would be Zheng Xuan, known as "Jing Shen" (Spirit of Classics)!
It should be known that this "Jing Shen" was extraordinary. While teaching in Penglai Commandery, he had over a thousand disciples following him year-round.
He had also previously lectured at the Imperial Academy.
Even the young Cao Cao, after hearing him, had clamored to follow "Jing Shen" to Penglai. If Cao Song had not locked him in his room, he might have slipped away.
Zheng Xuan's name, let alone for Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, even a five-year-old child would have heard of it like thunder!
"Jing Shen? Zheng Xuan?"
Da Qiao immediately replied...
"That's right!" Cai Zhao Ji nodded. "If anyone is to provide an evaluation for Brother Yu, there is no one more fitting than 'Jing Shen' Zheng Xuan... Moreover, I had previously written to 'Jing Shen,' and he has already replied, agreeing to come here to preside over the Yue Dan Ping in half a year and to provide an evaluation for Brother Yu. His evaluation is ten times more precious and ten times more valuable than mine!"
Huo...
Upon hearing this, Da Qiao's heart trembled...
Speaking of which, she had read more books than Xiao Qiao, and precisely because of this, she understood Zheng Xuan's status in the hearts of scholars and common people even better.
Sister Zhao Ji was not being modest. Given Zheng Xuan's current standing in the Han Dynasty, his evaluation was indeed ten times superior to Sister Zhao Ji's.
But...
She hadn't expected Zheng Xuan to agree to Sister Zhao Ji's request to travel such a long distance to Xudu to preside over the Yue Dan Ping.
Xiao Qiao tapped her forehead. Although she also knew of Zheng Xuan, her impression was that he was merely a great Confucian scholar, renowned like Sister Zhao Ji. She didn't think it warranted such a grand invitation for her husband's evaluation.
But...
Seeing the expressions on Sister Zhao Ji and Sister Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao fell silent...
She guessed that the moment she spoke, she would likely make a complete fool of herself.
"Alright, both of you should go back and sleep..." After saying this, Cai Zhao Ji gently patted Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao on the back. "Get a good rest. Brother Yu should be back tomorrow evening, so you must be well-rested!"
Ah...
The simple-minded Xiao Qiao still didn't understand.
"Sister Zhao Ji? Husband is returning? Why do Sister and I need to be well-rested?"
As these words escaped her lips, Da Qiao blushed and grabbed Xiao Qiao's hand. "Xiao Qiao, let's go... Listen to Sister Zhao Ji, let's go back, get a good rest, and tomorrow night, cough cough... never mind!"
As she spoke, Da Qiao's cheeks turned even redder.
Cai Zhao Ji, rarely, let out a chuckle. Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were truly adorable!
After a while...
Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao departed. Cai Zhao Ji, sitting on the stone bench, tilted her head to look at the sky.
In truth...
She was the one who missed Brother Yu the most, the one who cared about him the most.
When her brother traveled a thousand miles, it was the elder sister who worried the most.
"Alas, this little brother of mine, when will you let your sister stop worrying, alas..."
...
...
Roasted meat sizzled on the stove, and steam rose from the pot of plum wine.
In a plum manor on the outskirts of Xudu City, Liu Bei specially brought out his finest plum wine, poured a cup for a man dressed as a swordsman, and cut a piece of roasted meat, placing it on his plate.
The man before him was no more than twenty years old, yet his conversation and knowledge greatly impressed Liu Bei.
Speaking of which, he had heard about the restart of the Yue Dan Ping in Xudu and had come here to join the excitement, and also to visit his aging mother in Yingchuan!
He had two names: the former swordsman "Dan Fu," and today, Xu Shu, who had long since abandoned his sword!
"I find myself akin to Yuan Zhi at first sight. Come, taste this pot of plum wine, brewed from the plums I planted!" Liu Bei introduced his plum wine.
Xu Shu took the wine and took a small sip, asking with interest, "Does Duke Liu merely wish to spend the rest of his life planting plums in this vegetable garden?"
This...
Xu Shu's words touched Liu Bei, but he was adept at concealing his thoughts. With a "haha," he calmly refilled his own cup and drank it down.
Everything was unspoken...
"Duke Liu, please do not conceal your thoughts from me!" Xu Shu sighed. "During our conversation today, Brother Liu, I already understood you.
"Brother Liu pretends to be indifferent, but in reality, he is biding his time. Brother Liu cultivates plums daily, but in fact, every evening he is enduring hardship and steeling himself!"
Hearing this, Liu Bei's heart trembled. This was the first time someone had seen through his inner thoughts so thoroughly!
As he was about to speak.
Xu Shu's words preempted him, sighing sentimentally, "Speaking of which, Brother Liu and I both live in this chaotic world, and unfortunately, we have been educated. If we have some loyalty to the monarch and aspirations, then, in my opinion, there are only two meanings to life: First, to tread the path of swords and knives, to let one's reputation endure, and not to betray one's learning; second, to do something for the pitiable common people in this chaotic world, and for the even more pitiable monarch in this chaotic world, at least to seek a glimmer of hope!"
Huo...
These incisive words left Liu Bei utterly speechless.
He noticed that when Xu Shu mentioned the "pitiable monarch," he emphasized it with a slight inflection, as if hinting at something.
And how could Liu Bei not understand?
As a descendant of the Han imperial family, and someone who had dreamed of riding a "feather-adorned canopy carriage" since childhood, was it that he didn't want to do anything now? Clearly, it was that he dared not do anything! He dared not act rashly!
He didn't know how many spies were constantly watching him!
Every move he made, he feared, would be turned into a scroll and sent to the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance!
A sigh escaped his lips. Liu Bei's gaze slightly lowered.
"Brother Yuan Zhi... Did you see the horse in my courtyard?"
"I saw it."
Xu Shu looked up towards the courtyard. Indeed, there was a white horse, with tear troughs and white spots on its forehead.
Of course, that was not the main point. The main point was that the horse was somewhat emaciated. As a mount, it was clearly... unsuitable!
"That horse is called Dilu," Liu Bei continued. "Cao Cao asked me to choose from over a hundred horses. I picked it at first glance! Do you know why?"
"Why?" Xu Shu's interest was piqued...
Liu Bei replied with a smile. "Firstly, when I chose this skinny horse, Cao Cao must have secretly laughed in his heart. He would surely think that Liu Bei is truly a weaver and sandal seller who has never seen much of the world, and after careful selection, he chose a skinny horse! The surrounding Cao camp officials and scholars would all look down on me. In this way, it is exactly what I desired."
"Secondly, Cao Cao asking me to choose a horse, while seemingly about choosing a horse, is actually testing me. And what I fear most is this. I am afraid that Cao Cao will see me as an extraordinary hero! Therefore, I need to hide my true feelings even more, bide my time, and prevent Cao Cao from understanding my inner thoughts!"
Hearing this, Xu Shu's eyes narrowed.
At once, he admired Liu Bei's skill in concealing his thoughts even more!
Liu Bei's words continued.
"Thirdly, it is that I could see at a glance that this is a fine horse. It possesses a similar disposition to mine. Only someone like me can understand it! Can truly appreciate its story!"
At the end of this, Liu Bei's eyes revealed an undeniable fondness for this "Dilu" warhorse.
However...
A similar disposition...
Was this what he meant? Low-key? Xu Shu's eyes narrowed!
He glanced around, curiously adding another question. "Since Duke Liu mentioned that Cao Cao has planted spies around you, do you not worry that someone will report our meeting today to Cao Cao?"
Haha...
Hearing this, Liu Bei gave a slight smile. "Yuan Zhi is not a subject of the Han court but merely a wandering knight errant. Cao Cao will not suspect you. Moreover..."
Liu Bei's gaze also turned towards the outer perimeter of the courtyard...
He sighed, "It is very quiet on the perimeter today. It seems that the spies of the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance have been withdrawn."
As Liu Bei mentioned, Cao Cao had indeed planted many spies around him. The moment Liu Bei met anyone for a drink or a small meal, the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance would know immediately.
This was not just directed at Liu Bei; he did this to anyone he suspected, treating them all equally.
However...
Today, most of the spies of the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance had been withdrawn, seemingly because there was a more important matter to attend to.
And this matter... was what troubled Liu Bei even more!
Just then...
The sound of footsteps approached.
"Elder Brother..." Guan Yu and Zhang Fei entered the room together. They seemed about to report something, but upon seeing Xu Shu there, they tacitly closed their mouths.
Liu Bei waved his hand, signaling, "Yuan Zhi is one of us. Whatever you have discovered, feel free to speak directly!"
Hearing this, Guan Yu began to speak.
"Indeed, as Elder Brother predicted, the East City Gate opened three times tonight. Three cavalry teams secretly entered Xudu City!"
This...
Upon hearing this, Xu Shu sensed something.
"Xuan De? You mean..."
"Tomorrow's Yue Dan Ping is perilous," Liu Bei, without time to reply to Xu Shu, coldly sighed instead.
He abruptly stood up, paced a couple of times, then looked at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei again.
"Second Brother, Third Brother, were you not followed?"
"Third Brother and I were very careful, we were not followed!" Guan Yu nodded with certainty. "But there are many more hidden sentries from the Directorate of Investigation and Surveillance within Xudu City. It seems that the residences of Han officials like Duke Dong and Wang Zifu are already under surveillance."
A sigh escaped Liu Bei once more. His expression grew even more grim.
Instantly, he understood.
No wonder... half the spies here had been withdrawn. They were being concentrated in Xudu City to watch over key figures!
Then...
Before Liu Bei could ponder further.
Xu Shu, from his expression and the conversation between the brothers, seemed to have grasped some of the situation.
"Cao Cao has returned, hasn't he?" Xu Shu asked urgently. "But why the East City Gate? Returning from Wancheng, he should have used the West City Gate."
"If he used the West City Gate, he wouldn't be Cao Cao," Liu Bei blurted out...
In this era, no one understood Cao Cao better than he did...
And no one knew better how dangerous tomorrow's Yue Dan Ping had become!
For the sake of this Yue Dan Ping, Cao Cao, who never traveled at night, risked traveling at night. Although he could have returned more easily through the West City Gate, he chose the farther East City Gate.
Yue Dan Ping, a great omen of disaster!
"Does Xuan De mean... the Han court is going to make a move tomorrow, and Cao Cao returned tonight?" Xu Shu continued to ask...
Liu Bei did not answer, but nodded his head.
After a long while, he murmured to himself, "The most cunning hunter often appears as the prey. Now... Duke Dong and Cao Cao? Who is the prey, and who is the hunter?"
A gasp escaped Xu Shu's lips. His eyes darted, as if he had thought of something else.
"Duke Xuan De!"
"Actually, regardless of who is the prey or the hunter, the Yue Dan Ping is an opportunity for Duke Xuan De! An opportunity to escape Xudu City!"
Xu Shu's eyes were sharp with determination...
Clearly, he had calculated a deeper layer.
He vaguely felt that with Liu Bei's skill in concealing his thoughts, he would be restricted everywhere within Xudu City. But once he escaped here, he would be like a tiger entering the forest, a dragon entering the sea!
...
...