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

36

"Let's see who dares! If you dare to force me, I'll die right now!" Lu Zhi said defiantly, his neck stiff.

This is outrageous! I have never seen such an arrogant and domineering disciple.

Lu Shisan was speechless for a moment, and could only give a wink to the two guards beside him.

In an instant, two dark figures darted to either side of the bed like ghosts. One restrained Lu Zhi’s shoulders and arms, while the other locked his leg joints.

Before he could struggle, Lu Shisan had already closed in, his finger swiftly striking a vital acupoint on Lu Zhi's neck. Lu Zhi's body suddenly stiffened, and he instantly lost consciousness.

"Take them away immediately!" The force of the wind still lingered at Lu Shisan's fingertips. "Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao have spies everywhere here; delay will only lead to trouble!"

The two shadowy figures understood each other and immediately lifted Lu Zhi up and rushed out.

The old butler stood there, a look of bewilderment on his face—

Is this a hostage situation or a rescue?

"Wait!" The old steward, regaining his senses, stumbled out and grabbed Lu Shisan's sleeve: "This is outrageous—forcibly abducting a court official..."

"Are we waiting until he's completely exhausted?" Lu Shisan glanced at him coldly. "The divine medicine of Donglai isn't just some wild grass. If Lord Lu wants to punish us afterward—" He patted the sword at his waist, "I, Lu, am willing to accept the punishment."

The iron clatter of metal horses echoed outside the eaves. The old steward, gazing at his unconscious master, finally slumped down, saying, "Allow this old man to pack some valuables..."

"No need." Lu Shisan lifted the courtyard gate, and the sound of horses' hooves could already be heard outside. "Even your hot water bottle has been loaded onto the cart."

The old butler's Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a dry laugh: "Gentlemen...you're truly thorough."

Two days later, inside the commander's tent, Gongsun Zan crushed the bamboo slips: "My mentor has disappeared? Where are his family?!"

The following is

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Gongsun Zan frowned and pondered, "What exactly happened?"

"Nobody knows! All leads have suddenly gone cold, and the other party is acting extremely mysteriously!" the scout replied, bowing his head.

After a moment of silence, Gongsun Zan suddenly frowned: "I might know Master Lu's whereabouts." He sighed deeply: "This outcome may not be bad for Master Lu; Lu Feng will surely make proper arrangements."

He knew long ago that Lu Zhi's illness was serious and incurable, and he understood the source of Lu Zhi's inner turmoil, but he was powerless to help. He also harbored some reservations about his mentor's unwavering loyalty to the Han Dynasty.

At the same time, Yuan Shao was furious: "How dare Lu Zhi escape? Who on earth dared to abduct his entire family? Could it be Gongsun Zan?"

Xu You stroked his beard and analyzed, "In my opinion, this was done by Lord Wu, Lu Feng. Judging from his past actions, he must have a highly capable intelligence organization spread throughout the Central Plains. Such a meticulously planned operation could only have been accomplished by such a force."

"Oh?" Yuan Shao's anger subsided instantly, and he asked urgently, "Any further clues?"

Xu You shook his head and smiled wryly: "This is merely speculation; the Marquis of Wu has concealed this force extremely well."

Guo Tu scoffed upon hearing this: "How dare you speak so recklessly without any evidence?"

Xu You said disdainfully, "You can't talk about ice with a summer insect."

As the argument escalated, the atmosphere in the council chamber grew increasingly tense. Guo Tu's face turned ashen, and he finally snorted coldly and stormed off. Shen Pei then interjected, "Xu Ziyuan's words may not be without basis."

---

(

Tian Feng stroked his beard and pondered, "Looking at all the feudal lords in the world, only the Marquis of Wu possesses such ability, courage, and skill."

He felt a sense of satisfaction. After all, Yuan Shao's plot to frame Lu Zhi was not what he wanted—Lu Zigan was a model of a Confucian general in his time, how could he suffer such humiliation?

Ju Shou immediately followed up, saying, "Xu Ziyuan is absolutely right! Apart from the Marquis of Wu, no one else has either the motive or the strength to do so!"

Upon seeing Tian Feng and the others unanimously point to Lu Feng, Yuan Shao slammed his fist on the table and roared, "That Lu Ziyi! How dare he take Lu Zhi's entire family away! This is clearly an act of contempt for this general!"

Xu You appeared respectful, but inwardly sneered: "Yuan Benchu ​​only just realized this? Lu Feng has never even given you a second glance!"

"Does Ziyuan know anything about this spy network?" Yuan Shao pressed, barely suppressing his anger. "Could he possibly uncover their stronghold in Ji Province?"

He was secretly annoyed that Xu You had kept such crucial information a secret—had he not reported it earlier? Did he want to extort money from him?

Xu You stroked his beard and replied, "It's possible to find out some basic information, but to eradicate it completely... forgive my bluntness, but even with some prior speculation, it would be difficult to pinpoint its whereabouts."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's face darkened: "If such spies are not eliminated, I will not be able to eat or sleep in peace! Such a meticulous intelligence network cannot be built in a short time—Lu Feng probably already laid the groundwork before the Yellow Turban Rebellion."

The veins on the back of his hand, clenched so tightly around the corner of the table, bulged: "This man's scheming is truly chilling!"

(

He secretly thought that he should also build such an elite force as soon as possible.

However, the leader of this team must not be someone like Xu You or Guo Tu, since intelligence agencies are of paramount importance.

Yuan Shao believed that he could only feel at ease if he took control himself or entrusted the reins to absolutely reliable relatives.

Two days later, Lu Zhi was safely escorted to Huang County, Donglai.

He awoke midway through the journey, but by then the ship had already set sail, and there was nothing he could do despite his burning anger.

He kept a stern face the whole way, and when he saw Lu Feng rushing over, he sneered coldly, "How dare you! Now you even dare to kidnap your teacher? Are you going to cause trouble one day?"

What kind of student acts like this?

Lu Feng quickly smiled apologetically, "Teacher, you've misunderstood. I was simply worried about your safety."

Staying in the valley will only exacerbate your inner turmoil.

"Furthermore, Gongsun Zan is currently at war with Yuan Shao, who is secretly plotting against you. As the [regent/chief], how can you sit idly by?"

"Besides, Shanggu County is not peaceful these days. With war raging in the Central Plains, how could the Xianbei and Wuhuan barbarians remain calm? Looting is inevitable, and it's too dangerous for you to stay there, Master."

In fact, Lu Feng had wanted to bring Lu Zhi over for a long time, but he was worried about being rejected and had been unable to find a good opportunity.

This time, we finally seized the right opportunity.

"Would I be afraid of such things?"

Lu Zhi stood tall and said stubbornly.

Lu Zigan was a famous general of the Han Dynasty, how could he be afraid of these things?

Lu Feng forced a smile: "Of course I'm not afraid, teacher, but I am! You are my mentor, how could I not miss you?"

"Since you haven't fully recovered, perhaps you should settle here for now. Later, I'll take you to Donglai Academy to meet Teacher Cai; I'm sure the two of you will have plenty to talk about then."

At this point, Lu Feng's expression turned solemn: "Perhaps my teacher is dissatisfied with my policies and considers me rebellious. But I must clarify that everything I have done is not entirely for personal gain, but more for the sake of the people and the future of our Han dynasty."

May all people have a place to live, and may the light of hope be ignited in everyone's heart;

"May the might of the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor spread far and wide, not confined to the nine provinces, and may the grandeur of the Han Dynasty sweep across the eight wastelands."

"Only a new policy can fulfill this grand ambition."

Throughout the past, this ideal has always lingered in my heart, but I was born at the wrong time.

Now that I am fortunate enough to be born into this world, I must turn this long-cherished wish into reality.

Lu Zhi remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed and waved his sleeve, "Fine! Go as you please!"

He knew he couldn't persuade this stubborn student.

I knew it from the beginning.

Therefore, I did not intend to say more.

But hearing these lofty ambitions with my own ears still filled me with a profound sense of desolation.

Perhaps, the Han Dynasty's fate has truly run its course.

"Zigan! I've been waiting for you!"

Cai Yong's laughter came from afar.

Lu Zhi looked up and saw his old friend walking briskly towards him.

"Bo Jie looks remarkably well, almost as if he's turned back the clock?" Lu Zhi rubbed his eyes, indeed seeing that the other man was radiant.

"This is all thanks to the longevity elixir given to me by Ziyi!" Cai Yong whispered in her ear, "It has added thirty years to my life!"

"Such a miraculous medicine exists in the world?" Lu Zhi was astonished and shook his head in disbelief.

Cai Yong smiled and said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Ziyi! This elixir is indeed extremely precious, but as his mentor, you naturally have a share as well. However, each person can only take a maximum of three pills, each pill can add ten years to one's lifespan, and beyond that, it will have no effect."

"I did hear Ziyi mention that there's another twenty-year-old one, but unfortunately it can't be mass-produced yet, so we'll have to wait for the future."

"However, I now have thirty more years to live, so there is no rush."

"Ziyi, you should also quickly take this longevity pill!"

He really didn't want to see his old friend Lu Zhi die prematurely.

Lu Zhi stared at Lu Feng in shock: "Is this true? You really developed a miraculous elixir for prolonging life?"

This is simply like a myth!

When Qin Shi Huang was desperately searching for the elixir of immortality but could not find it, his student was able to refine the longevity pill.

He suddenly felt that he was becoming increasingly unable to understand this student.

Lu Feng spread his hands casually and said, "Why doubt it, teacher? Haven't you already personally experienced the effects of the healing elixir? Isn't that a divine medicine?"

The effects of the healing pills are already extraordinary.

Lu Zhi had to admit this.

That kind of miraculous medicine that can bring the dead back to life is even more magical than the legendary elixir of immortality.

He knew his previous condition best; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was on his last legs. But after taking one pill, he was restored to his prime.

This is something that ordinary drugs cannot do.

Lu Feng smiled slightly, flipped his hand and took out a white porcelain bottle, handing it to Lu Zhi: "Teacher, this contains three longevity pills. After you settle down, find a quiet place to take them and you will know the effect."

The tenth-generation version of the Longevity Pill can now be mass-produced.

With the help of the Immortal Abode space to quickly cultivate medicinal herbs, the Longevity Pill was produced continuously from Lu Feng's hands.

He had already prepared three pills for each of his relatives and friends.

Lu Zhi looked at the porcelain vase, his expression hesitant: "Is this...appropriate?"

This item is too valuable; he really dared not accept it.

The series of shocks made him temporarily suppress his dissatisfaction with Lu Feng.

"Oh dear! What's wrong? You're my mentor!"

Lu Feng couldn't help but shake his head, chuckling as he shoved the white porcelain bottle into Lu Zhi's hands: "If it weren't for my mentor's guidance and cultivation back then, I wouldn't be who I am today. This is nothing. Besides, this item can be mass-produced; it's just that it looks precious."

"I hope that you and Teacher Cai will both enjoy long and healthy lives, and that you will always watch me grow up!"

Having lived for over six hundred years, he naturally did not wish to witness his loved ones pass away one after another.

"Ha! You silly child!" Lu Zhi chuckled. "Live to a thousand years old? Wouldn't your teacher become an old tortoise then?"

Cai Yong stroked his long beard and agreed: "A thousand years is an exaggeration, but a hundred years is more to be expected." He would be content if he could see Lu Feng and Cai Yan grow up to be successful and hold his grandson in his arms.

Moreover, learning is a lifelong pursuit, and he is still studying diligently. Founding the academy not only helped Lu Feng but also allowed him to find new meaning in life through educating others. If he could leave his mark on history as a result, that would be even better.

Lu Zhi suddenly sighed, "Longevity is not necessarily a blessing. Perhaps a short but wonderful life is more precious." His tone was tinged with melancholy.

Cai Yong exchanged a glance with Lu Feng and immediately suggested, "Zigan, you're mistaken! You must be overthinking things. The academy is expanding and short-staffed, why not come and help me? Being busy will naturally keep you from idle thoughts."

"The matter of nurturing people is of profound significance."

Lu Feng earnestly pleaded again, "Sir! The academy is indeed short of teachers right now. Would you please stay and help me?"

Lu Zhi took a deep breath.

Given the current situation, even if he wanted to prove his innocence with his death, it would be difficult to achieve his goal—Lu Feng would certainly not agree.

Lu Shisan's words from that day still echoed in his ears.

The rapid changes in Donglai County, from Weihai Port to Huangxian, moved him deeply: bustling markets and peaceful, prosperous lives for its people. These sights made him begin to question his past convictions.

Could it be... that Lu Feng is right?

Is this young man truly destined for greatness?

When Emperor Ling was in power, had he ever seen such a vibrant and prosperous era?

In a daze, Lu Zhi seemed to see the entire Han Dynasty become as prosperous and peaceful as Donglai.