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In the rear hall of the Cai residence, Fei Qian sat with his eyes closed, listening quietly.
Music was an intangible force, and Fei Qian had come to deeply understand this truth.
It seemed almost coincidental—on the day Fei Qian had bid farewell to Cai Yan, she had seen him off with the melodies of her zither. Now, upon his return to the Cai residence, he once again encountered Cai Yan playing the zither, as if welcoming him back with music.
The lively notes danced through the halls and pavilions like mischievous spirits, laughing and playing among themselves, leaving behind trails of joyous song and laughter...
All the weariness from Fei Qian's journey seemed to be washed away in this moment by the ethereal sound of the zither. Along the way, he had encountered far too much scheming. Though there had been no life-threatening dangers, the battles of words and clashes of ideologies had drained him of much of his energy.
Humans were creatures prone to inflation.
Not the kind of inflation that bloated the body, but the kind that swelled the heart with arrogance...
There was a saying: "The more one learns, the more one realizes how little one truly knows. Those who constantly gave unsolicited advice, who felt the need to comment on everything as if they were experts—such people were usually only scratching the surface of understanding."
Fei Qian had come to deeply appreciate this truth.
Throughout his journey, he had met many, including Cao Cao. Among them were those who boasted endlessly and those who remained hidden in the shadows. Though there might have been slight differences in their eloquence, in reality, those who were quick to declare others wrong and insist on their own opinions were often the most shallow of all...
Could anyone say that Cao Cao did not understand the situation?
Could anyone say that Cao Cao was not skilled in expression?
Yet, during their time in Suanzao, Fei Qian had mostly seen Cao Cao listening silently, contemplating quietly, rarely jumping out to criticize or denounce someone else's words.
The one who most frequently cited classics and loudly voiced his opinions was none other than Kong Zhou...
And these frivolous matters had, to some extent, affected Fei Qian as well, causing his thoughts to become less meticulous. That was why such an obvious oversight had occurred in the matter of Cui Hou's family.
But now, under the soothing strains of Cai Yan's zither, Fei Qian's heart—which had grown restless from the people and events he had encountered—finally began to settle.
Fei Qian exhaled deeply, immersing himself completely in Cai Yan's music...
The notes plucked gently from the strings, ding-ding-dong-dong, like raindrops beginning to fall from the sky—a spring rain, nourishing and tender...
The spring rain dripped softly onto the leaves, and amidst the endless drizzle, the trees and flowers sang joyfully, stretching their limbs freely under the rain...
It was truly a good rain, one that seemed to wash away the dust that had settled upon the human heart, restoring its original purity. No more schemes, no more deceit—only the most essential innocence remained...
A faint smile slowly appeared on Fei Qian's face, so natural and genuine, so calm and gentle, as if the warm spring sunlight were shining upon him...
The melody gradually softened, as if the rain was tapering off. The lingering notes were like a gentle breeze, and then a long, playful note leaped out, skimming past before drifting farther and farther away, its resonance dissipating into the air...
As the song ended, Fei Qian took a deep breath and opened his eyes, smiling faintly. At that very moment, he saw Cai Yan also wearing a slight smile, her crystal-clear eyes meeting his. Simultaneously, the two of them spoke:
"Junior Brother, have you been well since we last met?"
"Senior Sister, have you been well since we last met?"
××××××××××××××××
Unlike the warmth of the Cai residence, Xu Rong, who had just received orders from Li Ru, wore a dark expression.
Xu Rong was from Liaodong but had been forced to flee to Xiliang after offending a local magnate. Under Dong Zhuo's command, he had risen through the ranks by military merit, eventually becoming a General of the Household.
Niu Fu's defeat at the hands of the White Wave Bandits had come as a shock to Xu Rong. After all, Niu Fu was Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, and the Xiliang troops he led were among the best-equipped and most valiant. Yet they had lost to a remnant force of Yellow Turban rebels—something Xu Rong found hard to believe.
Because of this, after receiving Li Ru's orders, Xu Rong felt the weight on his shoulders grow even heavier...
This battle plan was extraordinarily bold, and Xu Rong couldn't help but admire Li Ru's sharp perception. Currently, most of the allied forces from east of the Hangu Pass were stationed in Suanzao, blocking the eastern route out of Luoyang. However, in the southeast, due to Yuan Shu's partial withdrawal of troops to the Wancheng line, while Sun Jian's forces remained in Liangdong, a small gap had been exposed.
That gap was the Yingchuan front...
Originally, Nanyang was very close to Yingchuan. If Yingchuan were attacked, Yuan Shu in Nanyang could lead his troops north to cut off the retreat, trapping Dong Zhuo's forces in a pincer attack that would surely result in a crushing defeat.
But now, things were different. Yuan Shu's attention had shifted to Wancheng, and the southward movement of Nanyang's troops had inadvertently lengthened the distance between Nanyang and Yingchuan. This meant that any news of an attack or mobilization for reinforcements would be delayed, giving Li Ru room to maneuver...
Another critical point was that Yingchuan had originally been under the command of Kong Zhou, the Inspector of Yu Province. Though Kong Zhou might not have been well-versed in military affairs, he was, after all, a renowned scholar east of the Hangu Pass. If nothing else, he could temporarily take charge and issue orders that others would follow.
But where was Kong Zhou now?
He had abandoned his own camp and gone to Suanzao!
Thus, the Yingchuan camp was left isolated—without reinforcements and without a leader—a piece of fat meat dangling precariously...
Thinking of Li Ru's final instructions, Xu Rong felt a chill in his heart. This battle had to be swift and unexpected! If they were bogged down, whether by the troops in Suanzao or Wancheng, it would be like sinking into a swamp—no matter how they struggled, death would be inevitable.
As for the Liangdong front, Li Ru had assured Xu Rong not to worry—he had his own arrangements.
The most crucial point was that the ultimate goal of this battle was not to capture Yingchuan or seize its territory, but to erase the negative impact of Niu Fu's defeat. Therefore, this battle had to be won—and it had to be a victory so terrifying that the gentry east of the Pass would shudder upon hearing of it...
Which meant that some unconventional methods would have to be employed.
Xu Rong's face was stern, his brows tightly furrowed. Yet in his heart, he felt a trace of helplessness. After all, he was the only non-native general in the Xiliang army. Such dirty work could only fall to him.
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