There is an old, deeply ironic proverb: Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.
In this particular instance, it seemed the universe was listening to the Prime Minister's furious curses, choosing the perfect moment to deliver exactly what he was shouting about.
"Prime Minister! An urgent confidential report from Jiangdong!"
Xun You stepped into the bedchamber and immediately sensed the crushing tension inside. The atmosphere was so heavy that barely anyone dared to breathe. Cao Cao lounged on his couch, his expression dark as a storm about to break. Several maidservants knelt beside him with their foreheads pressed against the wooden floor, their trembling bodies resembling leaves caught in a violent autumn wind.
"Gongda!" Cao Cao barked, his expression easing slightly at the sight of his trusted advisor.
However, the moment Cao Cao snatched the sealed bamboo tube from Xun You's hands, cracked it open, and quickly scanned the silk scroll inside, that brief improvement in his mood vanished instantly.
"A report of this importance, and it arrives only now?!" Cao Cao roared, slamming his fist against the armrest. "Why was this delayed?!"
Without waiting for an answer, he angrily shoved both the secret report from Jiangdong and the disastrous letter from Xiahou Yuan into Xun You's chest.
Leaning back heavily onto his wooden daybed, the Prime Minister let out a weary breath. The exhaustion in his voice was impossible to conceal. "Heavens above… Liu Xuande. Just one moment of hesitation. A single lapse in judgment all those years ago… and I allowed him to grow into this terrifying threat!"
Xun You wisely ignored his lord's existential crisis. He had seen this before. The Prime Minister's "the heavens have abandoned me" monologues were practically a seasonal occurrence by now, like summer locusts or winter frost. He simply unrolled the intelligence report from Jiangdong and got to work. The contents were dense and disorganized, a tangled mess of spy sightings and rumors, but his sharp mind quickly distilled them into four critical, world-shaking points.
First: Liu Bei was currently launching a full-scale invasion of Yizhou. As a result, Jingzhou's military defenses were alarmingly weak.
Second: Despite being in the middle of a war, Liu Bei's core civil and military officials still held highly confidential meetings every three months, enduring the exhausting journey between Yizhou and Jingzhou just to attend.
Third: Jingzhou was undergoing an industrial revival. Water-powered mills were revitalizing the agricultural economy, while new iron-smelting techniques were producing weapons sharp enough to pierce armor.
Fourth: The Sun-Liu alliance was growing disturbingly close. Liu Bei had practically handed over the famed Zuo Bo papermaking method and his revolutionary steel-forging techniques directly to Sun Quan.
Xun You's eyes immediately locked onto the very first point: Liu Bei was attacking Yizhou.
At once, the Prime Minister's fury made perfect sense. Liu Zhang, the timid, incompetent fool governor of Yizhou, had sent envoys to Xudu more than once to show submission. In Cao Cao's eyes, Yizhou was already meat in his own pot. Once Hanzhong was secured, all he had to do was beckon with a finger, and Liu Zhang would hand over the province willingly.
Yet now, this once landless vagabond, Liu Bei, relying on nothing more than a few remote,impoverished southern commanderies, actually dared to seize Yizhou first.
Still, as Xun You thought it through, he found the development wasn't entirely surprising. Liu Bei had never been the type to remain idle. With the Sun-Liu alliance securing his eastern flank, and Sun Quan effectively lending him Jiangling, attacking Jiangdong would only make Liu Bei a stray dog condemned by the world.
Expanding westward into Yizhou was, in truth, his only viable pathon the geopolitical chessboard.
But the terrain... The mountain routes through Yiling into Shu were infamous for being treacherous. How in the name of the heavens did Liu Bei's ragtag army managed to break through those natural defenses?
Setting the Jiangdong report aside, Xun You unrolled Xiahou Yuan's letter. As he read the bad news of Hanzhong's fall, the usually unshakable strategist felt his composure finally fracture.
"This is a lethal cancer, my lord," Xun You said sharply, his voice stripped of all diplomatic restraint. "He must be eliminated immediately, before his influence spreads."
Lying on his daybed, Cao Cao gave a slow nod, a dark, murderous agreement flashing in his eyes.
But… how the hell were they supposed to fight him?
In their minds, the map of the realm unfurled.
Route one: march through Guanzhong and strike Hanzhong directly? That was nothing short of suicidal. The mountain roads were treacherous, supply lines would be stretched beyond breaking point, and the rebel factions in Yongzhou and Liangzhou were not yet fully pacified. An army marching that route would be bled dry before they even saw the enemy gates.
Route two: launching a southern naval offensive from Xiangyang and Fancheng? Even worse. Moving south meant fighting against elevation and river currents at the same time, a geographic nightmare. Cao Cao still carried vivid, unpleasant memories of General Yue Jin's disastrous defeat in that very region. The loss of several thousand elite troops had given him a full week of insomnia. Xiangfan, in the end, Xiangyang and Fancheng was an unbreakable stalemate.
Ironically, the only front that still looked even remotely viable was the one they had already been preparing for: an all-out assault on Jiangdong.
After all, the legendary Zhou Yu, the brilliant commander who had orchestrated the nightmare of Red Cliffs, was dead. With him gone, who in the south could possibly stand against the might of the north?
Trapped in a web of terrible options, Cao Cao rubbed his throbbing temples, paralyzed by the sheer geopolitical weight of the decision.
Recognizing his lord's suffering dilemma, Xun You stepped forward, his tone measured and decisive.
"Our naval forces are still inexperienced and require further training," the strategist advised. "However, Liu Bei now holds the Land of Abundance in Yizhou and has secured a terrifying foundation for an empire. If we do not eradicate him now, we will never sleep peacefully again."
He tapped the map resting on the table. "I recommend we heavily reinforce Xiangyang and Fancheng to apply crushing, suffocating pressure on Jiangling. Simultaneously, we must mobilize immediate reinforcements for General Xiahou Yuan. The pacification of Yongzhou and Liangzhou can no longer be delayed. We secure the northwest, then we crush the southwest."
Cao Cao slowly, deliberately nodded. Xun You's logic was flawless, perfectly mirroring his own tactical instincts.
Furthermore, there was a massive unspoken truth that both men understood but did not dare to say aloud: Hanzhong.
Hanzhong was the birthplace of the Han Dynasty's imperial hegemony. It was the sacred cradle where the first Emperor, Liu Bang, had forged his destiny.
"And now, by some sick cosmic joke, that very same foundational territory had slipped so easily into the hands of another man named Liu?"
If this is not the heavens mocking me personally, Cao Cao thought, then what else could it possibly be?
"Could it be?" Cao Cao thought, a rare trace of unease piercing his heart. "Is the fate of the Han truly not yet extinguished?"
But the hesitation lasted only a fraction of a second. The Prime Minister's eyes hardened. He and Liu Bei were already locked in a blood feud that would only end when one of them lay dead.
Mandate of Heaven? Destiny? Cao Cao sneered inwardly. All of them can go straight to hell. Let us see whether destiny can stop a charge of heavy cavalry.
A dark, almost exhilarating energy replaced his headache. The contest was far from over.
With their grand strategy decided, Cao Cao shifted his attention back to the finer details of the Jiangdong intelligence.
"This excuse from Zhang Lu," Cao Cao mused, tapping the silk scroll. "He claims Yangping Pass fell because Liu Bei deployed revolutionary siege engines. Do you think this is merely a coward's attempt to excuse his own incompetence?"
"We will know soon enough," Xun You replied calmly. "We should wait for General Xiahou Yuan's follow-up reports. Now that Hanzhong has fallen, there will be a wave of routed soldiers fleeing into Guanzhong. We can interrogate the deserters to confirm whether these siege engines truly exist."
"And these secret meetings every three months," Cao Cao continued, his brow furrowing in deep suspicion. "It feels far too strange. Forcing your highest officials to endure the exhausting journey out of Yizhou on a strict schedule? That is not standard administrative practice, I smell a conspiracy."
"I will send more spies. We will continue investigating," Xun You replied, committing the matter to memory.
"Then there is the issue of the new iron-smelting techniques and the papermaking formula…" Cao Cao's eyes gleamed with predatory interest.
As for the paper? Well... Cao Cao currently relied on Zuo Bo paper, but he certainly would not say no to a better product, even if he had to steal it.
Xun You gave a faint, knowing smile. "Rest assured, my lord. The moment our spies intercepted this report, copies of the formulas were already sent to our chief artisans. They are currently verifying whether the methods are genuine."
For the first time that day, a genuine, booming laugh echoed through the chamber. The oppressive weight in Cao Cao's chest seemed to lift, if only slightly.
"Liu Bei truly is a paragon of benevolence!" Cao Cao chuckled, shaking his head. "Look at him, holding absolutely nothing back from his dear brother-in-law in Jiangdong. But what he fails to realize is simple. What belongs to Jingzhou now belongs to Jiangdong. And what belongs to Jiangdong... will inevitably belong to me!"
Xun You let out a quiet sigh of relief. A few minutes ago, when they were discussing Hanzhong and Yizhou, the Prime Minister had looked utterly devastated, like a young, lovesick man who had just discovered his childhood crush had eloped with his bitterest rival. Now, the old fire was back.
Just then, a heavily armored guard rushed into the chamber and dropped to one knee.
"Prime Minister! Urgent dispatch from the capital! Xu Shu has vanished from Xudu. His current whereabouts are unknown!"
In a flash of intuition, Xun You perfectly decoded the sudden blank expression on Cao Cao's face.
Aaah, he thought, suppressing a quiet, dark chuckle. It seems the "kidnapped bride" didn't merely elope. She actively climbed over the manor walls in the dead of night to run off with her lover.
---
Hundreds of miles away, cutting through the icy currents of the Ying River, a small, unremarkable merchant boat drifted along the water.
At the bow, bundled in thick layers and wearing subtle disguises, sat Dong Jue, Shi Tao, and Xu Shu. A small charcoal brazier rested between them, heating a pot of cheap, bitter tea.
It was only early February. Winter in Xuchang was not brutally cold, but the wind sweeping off the river carried a bleak, penetrating chill that seeped into the bones. The landscape sliding past was barren, stripped of color and life. There was honestly nothing worth looking at.
And yet, for Xu Shu, the world had never looked so vividly beautiful.
As the saying went, a broad heart sees a broad world. After enduring the catastrophic upheaval of his family, and suffering through four agonizing, suffocating years of political house arrest in Xuchang, Xu Shu felt as though he was finally pulling oxygen into his lungs.
Every barren tree, every muddy riverbank, every patch of frost was, in Xu Shu's eyes, a masterpiece. He practically treated the biting wind like fine wine, pointing at random stones along the shore and offering cheerful, poetic commentary.
The moment Xu Shu had read the coded letter delivered by Dong Jue, his decision was instantaneous. Ok, Cao, you can go straight to hell. I am leaving. The only remaining question was logistics. But honestly, who cared about logistics when freedom was on the line?
When he had first surrendered to Cao Cao to save his mother, his closest friend Shi Tao had voluntarily followed him into the tiger's den. Naturally, if he was breaking out, he was not leaving his brother behind.
It took immense patience. They waited months, biding their time until the New Year festivities created a chaotic administrative blind spot. They waited until Shi Tao was formally recalled to Xudu for his annual performance review, allowing them to finally reconnect in person and execute the plan.
For Shi Tao, the decision had been just as simple. "This is a good thing. We have been separated for far too long. Let us do this."
Dong Jue took a slow sip of steaming tea, smiling at the energetic strategist. "To have pulled off our escape with such flawless precision... I knew it. You have planned this route in your mind a thousand times, Yuanzhi."
Xu Shu laughed, a bright, unburdened sound. He dipped his finger into his tea and began tracing lines on the wooden table.
"If our lord is currently in Chengdu, there are only three or four viable routes south," Xu Shu explained casually.
"The most direct path would be the way you came, young Dong Jue. Simply retrace your steps overland. However…" Xu Shu shook his head, a knowing smile forming. "Given that our lord conquered Yizhou with such shocking speed, and knowing that both Kongming and Shiyuan are advising him, I can guarantee they are already moving on Hanzhong. They will strike while the iron is hot. At this very moment, Hanzhong is either a blazing warzone, or it has already fallen under our banners."
He tapped the table. "Either way, trying to slip through the chaotic northwest, past Xiahou Yuan's elite garrison in Chang'an and the heavily fortified Tong Pass, is a fool's errand. It is practically suicide."
Dong Jue nodded in deep agreement.
Xu Shu shifted his gaze southward, as if he could see beyond the horizon and a certain terrifying green-robed general stroking his magnificent beard.
"Then there is the overland route straight south," Xu Shu continued. "But Yunchang is stationed at Jiangling. He previously dealt a humiliating defeat to Yue Jin. Since Red Cliffs, the entire Jingxiang corridor, Xiangyang, Fancheng, and Wancheng has been locked down tightly by Cao Cao's heaviest military presence. Slipping past those checkpoints is impossible."
Dong Jue had not even considered that route. Walking straight into Cao Cao's main southern military zone was practically asking to be executed as a spy.
"But the waterways…" Xu Shu's eyes shone with quiet triumph. This was his masterpiece. This was his way out of the cage.
"We take the Ying River down to the Huai River. From the Huai, we merge into the Fei River. As long as it is not the dry season, the currents do all the work. A boat can travel a thousand li in a single day, slipping through the cracks in the border defenses."
As he finished laying out their escape route, a sudden heavy silence fell over Xu Shu.
He had mapped this exact path in his mind hundreds of times during his darkest nights in Xuchang.
Because of his absolute refusal to offer even a single piece of strategic advice to Cao Cao, both he and Shi Tao had essentially been cast aside and forgotten. They were given meaningless titles and a meager stipend of six hundred shi of grain. They were left to languish, occasionally becoming the subject of court ridicule.
The great, legendary strategists had moved heaven and earth to obtain… reduced to minor clerks living on six hundred shi.
But standing at the bow of the ship, watching the oppressive walls of Xuchang fade forever behind the river's bend, Xu Shu felt nothing but vindication.
A brilliant mind is like a peerless sword, he thought. It only reveals its deadly edge when wielded by a righteous master. If trapped by a tyrant, it is better to remain sheathed in the dark, letting its luster fade, than to carve a path of blood for a villain.
The day he would draw that sword again was approaching fast.
The quiet, triumphant mood between the three men was suddenly broken by Dong Jue, who pointed toward the muddy shore.
"Are those… refugees?"
A large group of peasants was scattered along the frozen riverbank. They were on their hands and knees, desperately clawing at the hardened, frost-stiffened soil with their bare hands. None of them even looked up at the passing boat. Their entire existence was fixed on the earth beneath them.
Shi Tao took one look at the scene and immediately turned his head away, his jaw tightening. "They are not refugees. They are tuntian peasants. State-sponsored military farmers."
Dong Jue repeated the term in his mind, trying to make sense of it. "But… what are they digging for?"
"Food," Shi Tao replied, his voice unnervingly flat, stripped of all emotion. If they find roots, they live another day. If they do not, they die."
Dong Jue felt a chill crawl up his spine. "But our Lord explicitly told us that Cao Cao's Tuntian system takes a fifty percent tax yield. He used it as a baseline, ordering that taxes in Yizhou and Jingzhou must never exceed that number! If they get to keep half their harvest, how can they possibly be reduced to digging in frozen mud?"
Shi Tao shot the young man a curious look. How in the world did Liu Bei obtain such precise, classified agricultural figures from within Cao Cao's domain? But looking at Dong Jue, a master of espionage and disguise, the answer was obvious. Their spy network was terrifyingly efficient.
Still, Shi Tao only shook his head. "Fifty percent? What a beautiful fairy tale. Taking six parts out of ten is the absolute minimum standard here. In most regions, the tax collectors take eight parts out of ten."
He said nothing more. Dong Jue, sensing the weight behind those words, wisely did not press further.
He remembered that during his time under Cao Cao, Shi Tao had served as a Dian Nong, an Agricultural Administrator. The man had likely been forced to enforce those same harsh quotas, watching the people under his jurisdiction starve to death.
It was not even the spring planting season yet, a time when food reserves should still be holding, and already the fields were crawling with starving ghosts.
A heavy, suffocating silence settled over the boat.
Life aboard the cramped river vessel, eating, sleeping, and even relieving themselves in the same confined space, was physically miserable. But for Xu Shu, it felt like paradise compared to his gilded cage.
Despite the swift, favorable current, the trio remained highly vigilant.
In Xu Shu's practical estimation, he and Shi Tao were worth a combined total of 1200 shi in Cao Cao's eyes. With the realm on the brink of large-scale, multi-front wars, it was unlikely the Prime Minister would divert elite cavalry just to chase down two forgotten mid-level officials.
But Xu Shu was not a man who gambled with his freedom. He never, ever wanted to see the suffocating streets of Xuchang again.
The boat finally shot out of the Ying River and merged into the wider, faster waters of the Huai River. Their speed increased dramatically. Before long, they navigated the Fei River, crossed the vast expanse of Lake Chao, and finally arrived at the heavily guarded Ruxu Port, the maritime gateway into Sun Quan's territory.
With flawless forged merchant documents prepared by Dong Jue, the three northern fugitives passed inspection without issue and formally entered Eastern Wu.
"We stop here," Xu Shu suddenly groaned, his face an alarming shade of pale green.
The adrenaline had faded, and the reality of days spent on a rocking boat had finally caught up with him. Even though their journey toward Jingzhou still required going further upriver, they were finally safe. Now they were beyond Cao Cao's reach.
Xu Shu desperately needed solid ground under his feet, and besides, he was curious to see just how prosperous this legendary Jiangdong truly was.