Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

35

Lu Yi, who was standing to the side, also breathed a sigh of relief. He had been terrified when he heard that the young master was about to go into danger.

"Thanks to the advice of the two gentlemen."

Lu Yi secretly rejoiced.

"Lu Yi! Immediately send this elixir to Master Lu via carrier pigeon, and order Lu Shisan to relocate Master Lu's family immediately. Once Master Lu's condition improves, escort him to Donglai! If necessary, use force; he must not be allowed to remain alone in Shanggu County!"

"Being alone easily breeds melancholy, and I believe his illness is truly caused by inner turmoil. It's all due to being kept bottled up! Why not let him go to Donglai Academy to keep Teacher Cai company!"

Lu Feng took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Yi. Inside the bottle was a miraculous pill that could cure all diseases.

To make them easier to access, he had already divided these precious pills into porcelain bottles. At this moment, he felt regret; if he had acted sooner, Lu Zhi wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament.

"Understood!" Lu Yi respectfully accepted the porcelain bottle, but hesitated, saying, "Young Master, are you really going to use a carrier pigeon? This elixir is precious; isn't that a bit too risky?"

This is a miraculous medicine that can bring the dead back to life! Lu Yi felt that his lord's move was too risky.

"Indeed! My lord, you might as well send a merchant fleet to escort it, or have your secret guards escort it secretly!" Xun You also offered his advice.

After all, this is a secret medicine that cured Xi Zhicai and Guo Jia's congenital ailments, so how could we not be extremely cautious?

"It's alright!" Lu Feng said resolutely, "I've never made a mistake in my years of pigeon training, and this time is no exception. Master Lu's condition is critical; if this delay leads to disaster, I will never have peace of mind for the rest of my life!"

Saving lives is of utmost urgency right now, and we must act quickly.

"Our lord is wise!" Xun You and Xi Zhicai suddenly understood upon hearing this.

"Get it done right away!" Lu Feng waved to Lu Yi and gave the order.

"Yes, sir!" Lu Yi immediately accepted the order and hurried off.

"Yuan Shao... Ha! I'll settle this score with you sooner or later!"

(

After Lu Yi left, a cold smile appeared on Lu Feng's lips.

Ultimately, Yuan Shao was the root of all the trouble.

He will get his revenge sooner or later.

"Yuan Shao has truly gone too far this time! General Lu Zhi is a renowned general and a master of Confucianism; how dare he humiliate him like this?"

Xun You also frowned.

"Perhaps we should write a letter to Youruo, urging him to leave Yuan Shao as soon as possible."

Xun You pondered to himself.

Xun Chen's defection to Yuan Shao was part of a multi-pronged strategy by the Xun family—a tactic commonly used by powerful clans.

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Never put all your eggs in one basket.

Even Lu Feng, who implemented new policies to suppress the aristocratic families, was assisted by Xun You, a talented man from the Xun family.

All of this was for the sake of the family's continuation.

Well... When Xun You joined Lu Feng's service, not only the Xun family, but even he himself did not expect that his lord would later implement new policies.

By the time the new policies began to show results, it would be too late for Xun to regret his actions.

As for Xun You?

From the very beginning of following Lu Feng, I have been subtly influenced by my lord, and now I am the most steadfast practitioner of the new policies.

Even if his family were to force him to abandon the new policies now, he would never turn back.

Between his ideals and his family, he chose the former.

"Oh!"

Xi Zhicai suddenly sneered: "Why is Gongda so surprised? Yuan Shao's actions have always been so despicable—he first brought Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan into the capital, then framed He Jin and implicated the Ten Attendants, and afterwards tried to seize our lord's spoils of war; he betrayed his promise and plotted against Han Fu..."

"Which one isn't the worst of the worst?"

"This man is ruthless and unscrupulous in achieving his goals. We must be careful in the future to avoid being disgusted by such a despicable person."

As the saying goes, shamelessness knows no bounds.

How can we not be wary of such scoundrels?

"That's true."

Xun You nodded in agreement.

He got stuck on his own ideas.

That's enough! Let's not talk about him anymore!

Lu Feng waved his hand and said, "We can deal with him later! For now, let him and Gongsun Zan fight to the death. We shouldn't interfere in Ji Province and You Province for the time being, lest they unite against us."

If we act rashly, Yuan Shu, Tao Qian, and even Liu Biao and Lü Bu will likely take the opportunity to attack Yanzhou and Qingzhou.

This is definitely not what Lu Feng wanted.

"really."

Xun You nodded and said, "The most urgent task at present is to stabilize Yanzhou, and at the same time cultivate more talents in the middle and lower ranks."

Conquering the world is not something that can be achieved overnight; a steady and pragmatic approach is the right way.

The next day,

A carrier pigeon flew over the two prefectures of Ji and You and arrived at the stronghold of the secret guards in Shanggu County.

The healing pill and Lu Feng's warrant were quickly handed to Lu Shisan.

"Young Master, you acted swiftly!" Lu Shisan breathed a sigh of relief after reading the letter. "Let's go! To General Lu Zhi's residence!"

Lu Shisan arrived at the Lu residence with several guards and met the emaciated Lu Zhi in the sickroom.

The former scholar-general's demeanor has vanished; this once-renowned general is now emaciated, like a candle flickering in the wind.

"How is the general's condition today?"

Lu Shisan asked the butler who was waiting by his side.

With tears welling in his eyes, the butler said, "Master is only lucid for two or three hours a day. If this continues, I'm afraid..."

"rest assured!"

Lu Shisan interrupted, "My young master has already sent over miraculous medicine; it will surely cure the illness!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward to help Lu Zhi up and gently pried open his jaw. The guard beside him immediately handed him a porcelain bottle containing a healing pill.

"Such a miraculous medicine truly exists in the world?"

The butler asked in a low voice, his face full of worry.

"Of course! How could my young master harm the general?"

As Lu Shisan spoke, he fed the healing pill into Lu Zhi's mouth.

Before he could even be given water, the pill dissolved on its own, sliding down his throat and into his stomach. Immediately, a warm current flowed through Lu Zhi's entire body. Under everyone's gaze, his sallow and haggard face began to miraculously recover—color returned to him at a visible speed. In less than half an hour, Lu Zhi was radiant.

"This...this is unbelievable!"

The butler stared in disbelief at the sight before him. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed such a miraculous medicine existed. Now, he finally believed in the claim of this "divine medicine."

"really!"

Even the guards and Lu Shisan showed the same shocked expression. After all, this was the first time they had witnessed such a miracle.

"Young master, you are truly no ordinary person! To have obtained such a miraculous elixir!"

Lu Shisan couldn't help but sigh.

"Hmm?"

Lu Zhi on the bed suddenly hummed softly, his eyes, which he slowly opened, still held a hint of confusion, as if he was puzzled by his own situation.

"Sir! You're awake? How are you feeling?"

The butler hurriedly stepped forward, his face beaming with delight as he repeatedly inquired.

"Lu San?"

Lu Zhi's gaze swept over the steward, then over Lu Shisan and the two guards, his brows furrowing sharply: "It's you again? Did that bastard Lu Feng send you?"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed something strange—his body was unusually light and healthy. Reaching up to touch his face, he was immediately stunned: "My illness...cured? How is this possible?"

(

He had initially felt himself on the verge of death, his end imminent. Yet now he felt refreshed and full of energy, as if he had returned to his peak condition, perhaps even surpassing his former self?

The hidden injuries accumulated in his body from martial arts practice and combat have all been healed.

It's truly unbelievable.

"master!"

The old steward beside him wiped away his tears and said, "It was the Thirteenth Master who, on the orders of Lord Wu, delivered the miraculous medicine, and it cured you in the blink of an eye! The medicine's effects were simply miraculous; this old servant personally witnessed you return to your rosy complexion from your withered state! It's all thanks to Lord Wu's great kindness, sir!"

He knew that his master's illness stemmed from excessive worry. The emotional distress, coupled with a cold, had weakened his body.

Although the physical symptoms have been cured, the underlying emotional issues still require resolution.

If the resentment continues to fester, the old ailment will eventually return.

"That bastard Lu Feng?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi was taken aback at first, then his face darkened: "This rebellious disciple is about to change the world, why is he still pretending to care about his teacher?"

Lu Shisan and several guards immediately turned cold.

The young master is their sage, whom they are sworn to serve to the death. How can they allow others to slander him?

If it weren't for the fact that Lu Zhi had just recovered from a serious illness and was also the young master's mentor, they would have already taken action to teach him a lesson.

Even so, Lu Shisan still solemnly said, "General, although you are the young master's teacher, please be careful with your words! Furthermore, I do not believe that the young master has done anything wrong. The Han Dynasty is in decline and its accumulated problems are difficult to reverse. The common people are suffering terribly. If it weren't for the young master's efforts to turn the tide, would the two provinces of Qing and Yan be as prosperous as they are today?"

"General, you might ask yourself: are the new policies and reforms implemented by the young master truly driven by personal motives?"

Lu Zhi sneered: "Isn't that right?"

Lu Shisan's eyebrows furrowed: "Whether it's true or not, General, you know perfectly well! You've personally witnessed the changes in Donglai—how desolate it was before, how prosperous it is now. Young Master is willing to defy the world to serve the people; General, can't you see your good intentions?"

(

Lu Shisan was indignant.

In his view, Lu Zhi was completely unworthy to be his son's teacher.

Since the Han dynasty was incapable of reform, and none of the feudal lords dared to do so, only the prince succeeded. Lu Zhi, as his teacher, not only did not support him, but also criticized him like those ignorant people, which was completely unreasonable.

Lu Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deep voice, "If he were truly devoted to the people, why didn't he assist the emperor in implementing new policies? But instead—"

"What a joke!" Lu Shisan interrupted angrily. "Why should my young master be so subservient? Is the current emperor worthy? Is ** worthy? The general knows perfectly well that even if the young master were willing, do ** and that young emperor have the courage to implement new policies?"

He continued with a cold laugh, "Which of the feudal lords and powerful clans in the land doesn't only care about their own interests? Everyone knows the advantages and disadvantages of the new policies, and you, my lord, have even publicized them widely, yet have you seen anyone follow suit? No one! Because they dare not, nor are they willing to, harm themselves! Only my lord dares to be the first in the world. Does the general truly not understand his good intentions?"

Lu Shisan stared intently at Lu Zhi and questioned, "General, ask yourself honestly, are you truly loyal to the Liu family's empire, or to the people of the land?"

Lu Zhi remained silent.

How could he not know these principles?

But everyone has their own obsessions.

"well……"

He remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed deeply and waved his hand listlessly: "Perhaps you are right. But I have received the emperor's favor and enjoyed the Han's bounty all my life; my heart can no longer hold anything else. Enough, you may leave; there's no need for you to come again."

He didn't want to listen anymore, fearing that if he heard another word, his beliefs would waver.

Upon closer examination, Lu Feng's actions were indeed groundbreaking and his deeds were truly a monumental achievement. This matter has benefited countless people and extended to the entire Han Chinese civilization.

But Lu Zhi could never overcome the obstacle in his heart.

Having served the Han dynasty for his entire life, he never considered changing his ways and originally intended to live out the rest of his life with this loyalty and righteousness.

"You shouldn't have saved me." Lu Zhi shook his head.

"That's not up to you!" Lu Shisan's tone was resolute. "The young master has ordered that after giving you the divine medicine, you must be taken to Donglai. Even if you don't want to, you'll be taken there by force!"

"The young master also said that you fell ill because you've been alone for too long. Once you arrive in Donglai, with Lord Cai and others by your side, you'll surely be able to resolve your inner turmoil."

Lu Zhi's face darkened: "That bastard really said that? He's gone too far! Let me tell you, I'm not going! You dare to kidnap me and see what happens?"

"Ha!" Lu Shisan sneered, "What wouldn't we dare? Since we have the young master's orders, there's nothing we wouldn't do. To be honest, our family has already sent people to fetch us; we'll meet at Yuyang Port. You have to go, whether you like it or not. Please don't make things difficult for us, General."

"You—" Lu Zhi was so angry at this shameless behavior that he couldn't speak.

What kind of nonsense is this? That kid Lu Feng, he really did it!