Reborn Liu Bei: I'll lead this Three Kingdoms to victory!

Chapter 43 Beacon Fire at Ruxu

On the first day of the second month of the seventh year of Jian'an, south of Xudu City.

Banners obscured the sun, and drums and horns sounded in unison.

Cao Cao stood atop a high platform, clad in black armor and a red robe, a sword at his waist. Below him stood a hundred thousand troops, fully armed and ready for battle, a forest of spears and halberds, warhorses neighing.

"Today—" His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, "This Prime Minister is acting on the Emperor's decree to punish the traitor Sun Quan."

He turned around, faced south, and bowed.

"May Heaven bless our Great Wei, and grant us victory in this battle!"

One hundred thousand soldiers knelt down in unison, their shouts shaking the heavens.

Not far from the stage, a blue-canopied carriage was parked quietly. A corner of the curtain was lifted, revealing Xun Yu's pale face.

He still came.

Cao Cao stepped down from the high platform and slowly walked to the front of the carriage.

"Wenruo," his voice was calm, "are you better?"

Xun Yu lowered his head: "Your subject dared not not come."

Cao Cao stared at him for a long time.

Why do you oppose the southern expedition?

Xun Yu raised his head.

Twenty years of loyalty between ruler and subject, twenty years of gratitude for being recognized and valued, are all contained in this brief glance.

"Prime Minister," he said softly, "if we win this battle, Jiangdong will be pacified, and Liu Bei will become powerful; if we lose this battle, the north will be shaken, and Liu Bei will surely take advantage of the situation. Regardless of victory or defeat, Liu Bei will be the winner."

Cao Cao did not answer immediately.

The wind blew the hem of his robe, making it flutter.

"Wenruo," he finally spoke, "you've followed me for twenty years, have you ever seen me lose?"

Xun Yu remained silent.

"In the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao outnumbered me tenfold, yet I won." Cao Cao's voice grew cold. "In the campaign against the Wuhuan, I risked my life, and I won. In destroying Lü Bu, defeating Yuan Shu, and pacifying Hebei—I won them all."

He leaned down to look Xun Yu in the eye.

"This time, I won't lose either."

Xun Yu looked into those familiar eyes.

These eyes were once wise, profound, and open to advice. Now, however, they hold only one thing—obsession.

"Prime Minister..."

"Go back to your residence." Cao Cao straightened up, turned and walked towards the army, "Wait for my triumphant return."

His figure disappeared into the banners.

The horns rise again.

The army of 100,000 began its southward march.

Xun Yu sat motionless in the carriage.

After a long while, he closed his eyes.

A tear slid down the corner of her eye.

---

February 5th, Ruxukou.

Zhou Yu stood on the top deck of the warship, gazing at the densely packed Cao army warships on the river.

Xiahou Dun's vanguard had reached the north bank and was setting up camp. Cao Ren's supply convoy followed closely behind, stretching as far as the eye could see. Further away, a continuous stream of ships was sailing downstream.

"Gongjin," Lu Su walked to his side, "30,000 against 100,000, this battle..."

"Fight," Zhou Yu interrupted him, his voice calm as still water. "Even if we can't win, we have to fight."

He turned and looked at the newly hung map in the cabin.

The 200,000 shi of grain that Liu Bei promised to send is still at sea. Five hundred suits of lamellar armor and three thousand ring-pommel swords are still en route.

But Jiangdong can't wait any longer.

"Zijing".

"exist."

"Order all camps: Hold Ruxukou to the death. If Cao Cao's army lands, do not yield an inch of land." Zhou Yu paused, "Tell the soldiers that Liu Bei's reinforcements are on their way. Hold on to this, and Jiangdong will still be there."

Lu Su looked at his pale face, and hesitated to speak.

"Gongjin, your injury..."

"You won't die." Zhou Yu waved his hand. "Go."

Lu Su withdrew.

Zhou Yu stood alone on the top deck of the warship, facing the river wind, looking at the forest of banners of Cao Cao's army on the opposite bank.

He suddenly recalled the scene three years ago when he first met Liu Bei in Guangling.

At that time, Liu Bei said to him, "Gongjin, I will not interfere in the affairs of Jiangdong. But remember this—if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."

Three years.

It's time to keep that promise.

---

On the same day, in Linzi, Qingzhou.

Zhuge Liang stood in the main hall of the county government office, with three people kneeling before him.

One was the head of the Wang family, a man in his forties with a fierce face, but he was trembling like a leaf. Another was the county clerk, the Wang family's "backer" in officialdom, his face ashen, and he remained silent. The third was the county magistrate, in his fifties, whose legs were so weak he could barely stand.

"Master Wang," Zhuge Liang said, flipping through the account book in front of him, "your family occupies the upstream water source and charges the tenants two dou of 'water money' per mu—do you admit to this?"

Master Wang stammered, "I...I recognize..."

"Lord Wang, the Chief Clerk," Zhuge Liang turned to the man with the livid face, "you were serving in the prefecture, covering up this for your cousin—do you admit it?"

The clerk gritted his teeth, and after a long while, squeezed out two words: "...Accept."

"Your Excellency," Zhuge Liang finally looked at the old man who was barely able to stand, "you know this matter, yet you pretend to be deaf and dumb—do you admit it or not?"

The magistrate knelt down with a thud: "Your Excellency, spare my life! I... I had no choice..."

"No way?" Zhuge Liang stood up and walked to him. "Three hundred households of refugees, unable to cultivate the land, unable to pay taxes, starving—you say there's no way?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone present.

The fourteen-year-old boy stood before three adults who were a head taller than him, and spoke slowly and deliberately:

Article 3 of the Commercial Tax Law: Anyone who monopolizes resources or engages in market manipulation shall be fined three times the amount of tax.

He looked at Master Wang and asked, "How much 'water money' have you collected from your tenants over the past three years?"

Master Wang was speechless.

"Thirty-two thousand shi," Zhuge Liang answered for him. "The penalty should be tripled, to ninety-six thousand shi."

Master Wang collapsed to the ground.

Zhuge Liang turned to the Chief Clerk: "You have served in the prefecture for three years, protecting powerful families and accepting bribes. According to the draft of the 'Han Code - Volume on Official Governance' - you shall be dismissed from your post, investigated, and never to be employed again."

The clerk's face turned from green to white.

Finally, Zhuge Liang looked at the county magistrate.

The old man lay prostrate on the ground, trembling all over.

Zhuge Liang remained silent for a long time.

"Your Excellency," he finally spoke, "how old are you this year?"

"Five...fifty-three..."

"How many years have you been an official?"

"Twenty...twenty years..."

"Twenty years," Zhuge Liang repeated. "In those twenty years, how many powerful families like the Wang family have you encountered?"

The magistrate dared not answer.

"How many people like those tenant farmers have you seen?"

I still dare not answer.

"You're afraid of offending the powerful, but not afraid of the common people starving to death." Zhuge Liang's voice was soft, yet it pierced the old man's heart like a knife. "You've wasted twenty years as an official."

He took a piece of paper from his sleeve.

That was a blank appointment and dismissal certificate that Tian Yu had given him before he left, stamped with Tian Yu's personal seal.

"Magistrate Zhang Huai is incompetent and corrupt, and indulges powerful and influential people. He is hereby dismissed effective immediately." He picked up his pen, filled in his name in the blank space, and stamped his seal. "The new magistrate will be temporarily appointed by the county clerk. He will be assessed in three months. Those who pass will remain, and those who fail will be replaced."

He handed the appointment and dismissal documents to the clerk beside him.

"Post it out."

---

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), in the back hall of the county government office.

Zhuge Liang sat alone at his desk, with the draft of the appointment and dismissal document spread out in front of him.

This was the first time he had dismissed someone from office.

At fifty-three years old, after serving as an official for twenty years, he knelt before him and begged for mercy.

He remembered what his teacher had said.

"You'll soften your heart."

Yes, he softened.

But he didn't show it.

"Rules are rules. Being soft-hearted won't save people; only rules can."

He folded the draft and put it into his sleeve.

Footsteps sounded outside the door. Zhang Qian's voice rang out: "Your Excellency, the 96,000 shi of grain belonging to the Wang family has been registered. As you instructed, half will be confiscated and the other half will be distributed to the tenants. The tenants... are kneeling outside, saying they want to kowtow to you."

Zhuge Liang stood up and walked to the window.

Through the window, he saw a large group of people kneeling in the courtyard. There were old and young, men and women, and some were still crying.

He didn't go out.

"Zhang, the registrar."

"exist."

"Send them back. Tell them—they're not kowtowing to me, they're kowtowing to the rules. As long as the rules are there, they'll have a way to survive."

Zhang Qian accepted the order and left.

Outside the window, the kneeling people slowly rose and dispersed.

Zhuge Liang stood motionless by the window.

Fourteen years old.

He suddenly understood a principle:

True benevolent governance does not make people grateful to tears, but rather makes people not have to be grateful to anyone.

---

At 7 PM on the same day, in Xiangping, the headquarters was not taken into custody that night.

Sima Yi stared at the three newly arrived secret reports on the table, having already spent a full half hour reading them.

First account: Cao Cao rallied his troops on the first day of the second lunar month, his vanguard reached Ruxu Port on the fifth day, and launched the first attack on the seventh. The Jiangdong navy fought to the death and refused to retreat, with casualties on both sides being roughly equal.

Second report: News came from Xuchang that Xun Yu had secluded himself at home since the day he saw Xun Yu off, refusing all visitors. Cao Pi had tried to visit him but was turned away at the door.

The third message came from Xuzhou: someone saw a man in his thirties in Donghai County. He was not tall, had an unremarkable face, and had a wine gourd hanging from his waist. He asked everyone he met about Liaodong.

His gaze lingered on the third secret report for a long time.

A man in his thirties, a heavy drinker, inquiring about Liaodong...

"Someone come here."

A man in black entered in response to the call.

"Investigate this person's background." Sima Yi handed over the secret report. "Where he came from, where he went, and who he spoke to. Don't miss a single word."

The man in black accepted the order and left.

Sima Yi sat back down at his desk.

His gaze returned to the two secret reports.

Cao Cao was locked in a fierce battle at Ruxu. Xun Yu remained secluded in Xudu.

Jiangdong is holding on. Liu Bei is waiting.

And the next move in this game—

He reached out and planted the small white flag, symbolizing the "unknown," in the location of Xuzhou.

---

At 9:00 PM, at the Xiangping Governor's Office.

I have been standing in front of the map for half an hour.

Xu Shu, Xun You, and Tian Yu were all present. Sima Yi also rushed back from the Night Watch.

"Can Zhou Yu hold out at Ruxukou?" I asked.

Xu Shu replied, "I just received the battle report. In the battle on the seventh day, the Jiangdong navy lost three thousand men, and Cao Cao's army did not gain any advantage either. Xiahou Dun was hit by an arrow and retreated to the north bank."

"Shot by an arrow?"

"Minor injuries, not fatal." Xu Shu paused, "but the morale of Cao Cao's army has been dampened."

I nodded without saying anything.

Their gaze fell on the location of Hefei on the map.

"Gongda, what do you think Cao Cao's next move will be?"

Xun You remained silent for a moment.

"I believe he will replace his general," he said softly. "Xiahou Dun is brave, but not good at naval warfare. If he wants a quick victory, Cao Cao will definitely send someone skilled in naval warfare—such as Yu Jin or Zhang Liao."

"So what if we change it?"

"Even if we replace them, we might not be able to achieve a quick victory." Xun You shook his head. "The Jiangdong navy isn't made of paper, and Zhou Yu is even less so. But..."

He paused.

"But if the siege drags on without success, Cao Cao will become impatient. And when he's impatient, he'll make a mistake."

I turned around.

"What's wrong?"

Xun You walked to the map and pointed to the location of Hefei.

"If the garrison in Hefei is insufficient, he will transfer troops from Hefei."

My eyes lit up.

"If Hefei has too few soldiers..."

"Then we can take it," Xun You replied. "If Hefei is in our hands, Cao Cao's supply lines will be cut off. Even if he wins the battle against Jiangdong, he won't be able to return to Xuchang."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Tian Yu frowned: "Mr. Gongda, Hefei is Cao Cao's Achilles' heel; he won't let us take it easily."

"So we can't just take it openly." Xun You raised his eyes. "We have to make him deliver it himself."

I looked at him.

"How should I deliver it?"

Xun You did not answer directly. He took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and spread it on the table.

That was a newly drafted document.

Order to Deploy Troops: Xuzhou is in dire need of reinforcements. Liu Bei is about to make a move. Please send 5,000 troops from Hefei to reinforce the city.

"This is..."

"It's fake," Xun You said softly, "but if we can convince Cao Cao that it's true, Hefei will mobilize troops."

Who will deliver it?

Xun You remained silent.

All eyes were on Sima Yi.

Sima Yi raised his head.

He met their gazes calmly.

"Your subject departs."

---

Midnight, in the side hall.

Xun You and Sima Yi sat facing each other.

On the table lay the forged troop mobilization order and a counterfeit Cao Cao's military seal.

"This official seal is a rubbing of a genuine one that the Night Scouts obtained from Xuchang," Xun You said, pointing to the patterns on it. "But no matter how well it's imitated, there are still flaws. Cao Cao's army has special verifiers who can spot it at a glance."

Sima Yi nodded.

"So we can't let them verify it," he said. "The troop deployment order must take effect before verification."

How does it take effect?

Sima Yi remained silent for a moment.

"What if the garrison commander of Hefei already suspected that Cao Cao would mobilize troops?"

Xun You was taken aback.

"If the garrison commander of Hefei had already sensed that Xuzhou was vulnerable and that Liu Bei was bound to make a move?" Sima Yi's voice was soft, yet carried a chilling undertone. "Then he wouldn't have doubted this troop mobilization order."

"How did you manage to make the Hefei garrison commander 'already suspect' it?"

Sima Yi did not answer.

He simply raised his eyes and looked out the window.

Outside the window, the lights at the headquarters of the Night Detective Agency were still on.

There were more than three hundred men in black, more than three hundred pairs of eyes, and more than three hundred roads leading to the Central Plains.

Xun You suddenly understood.

This is not a troop mobilization order.

This is a trap.

A scheme that began months ago—

This led to "occasional unusual movements" on the Xuzhou border, merchants "inadvertently" discussing Liu Bei's movements, and spies "coincidentally" spreading several pieces of news that were difficult to verify...

Just as the garrison commander of Hefei was filled with doubt, this order to mobilize troops was handed to him.

He only ever says one thing: "Just as I thought."

Xun You looked at the eighteen-year-old boy opposite him.

He suddenly remembered when he was eighteen.

At that time, he was in Luoyang, working as a minor official, copying and writing every day, never daring to imagine that one day he would be able to participate in such an event.

"Zhongda," he said.

Sima Yi raised his eyes.

"This journey is perilous," Xun You said softly. "There are 20,000 Cao troops in Hefei. You're only taking a few men; if you're discovered..."

"The students know."

"and you..."

Sima Yi interrupted him.

"Mr. Xun," he said, "you once wrote a sentence."

"What did you say?"

"To scheme for the victory of one person lasts no more than a hundred years; to scheme for the future of ten thousand generations is to achieve immortality." Sima Yi stood up. "I do not understand the scheme for the future of ten thousand generations, but I do understand one thing—"

He paused.

"If we don't win this round, there will be no eternal life."

Xun You looked at him.

a long time.

He stood up, walked to Sima Yi, and straightened his clothes.

"Come back alive," he said. "The book isn't finished yet, so come and grind the ink for me."

Sima Yi was taken aback.

Then he laughed.

It's rare to see an eighteen-year-old boy smile like that.

"The student has remembered."

---

The fourth watch.

I stood in front of the Governor's Mansion to see Sima Yi off on his journey.

He brought only ten men, all elite night watchmen, who had changed into civilian clothes and disguised themselves as merchants. The horses carried salt and cloth, goods used to conceal their identities.

"Zhongda." I walked up to his horse.

He reined in his horse and dismounted.

"My lord."

I looked at this eighteen-year-old boy.

He traveled a thousand miles to rescue Kong Shao, rescued Fu Shou while wounded, uncovered Cao Cao's spy network, and personally killed the traitor Gray Sparrow.

He never said it was difficult, and he never gave up.

"This time," I said, "I'm not sending you to rescue people, I'm sending you to set a trap."

He nodded.

"If things fail..."

"We will not lose." He interrupted me, his voice soft but firm. "I have calculated it."

I looked at him.

The night wind was biting, causing his clothes to flutter.

He suddenly laughed.

"My lord, you said I am Sima Yi."

"Break my trap, settle my accounts, and go my own way."

He mounted his horse.

"This game, I will break."