Wuxia: The Super Slave Master

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Qi Jiguang had already arrived at Mi Zhu's place and shown him Luo Chen's letter. Mi Zhu was puzzled; why would a mere captain carry a letter from General Luo Chen? He said, "I need to send someone to Mr. Fa Zheng to confirm. Please wait a moment."

Qi Jiguang immediately became impatient: "You want to go to Jiangxia to confirm again, which will take me a lot of time. Why don't you just take me to Jiangxia and we'll be done with it! If I'm a fake, just kill me!"

Mi Zhu said, "No need... Master Fazheng is staying on a lone boat nearby, didn't you know? Master Fazheng is the strategist of the Sun-Liu alliance... How could he be in Jiangxia..." He looked at him strangely, as if Qi Jiguang were a fool.

Qi Jiguang was quite embarrassed and could only force a smile: "Then I'll go with you to see Mr. Fazheng..." To ease the awkwardness, Qi Jiguang quickly changed the subject and said: "When I came here, the military camp was in complete chaos. What happened?"

Mi Zhu said, "You're new here, so you don't know. Last night, Wu's commander-in-chief, Zhou Yu, was inspecting the enemy's situation on the rooftop when, for some reason, he suddenly collapsed. He hasn't eaten or drunk anything since, and his life is hanging by a thread! The entire Wu army is in a panic!" He sighed, "With the enemy army pressing in, and a decisive battle on the horizon, we've lost a great general! Eastern Wu is in trouble! Eastern Wu is in trouble, and we're in danger too..." He then turned to Qi Jiguang and said, "News is being strictly controlled right now. You can't say anything out of turn, or you'll be executed!"

Qi Jiguang was greatly alarmed. He had only just heard that Commander Zhou Yu was a formidable figure, but he never expected that a mere breeze on the rooftop would cost him his life... What kind of bizarre situation was this? He could only say, "I understand, I won't talk nonsense."

Mi Zhu sent someone to Master Fazheng's place, but found no one there. It turned out that Master Fazheng had heard about the matter and had already gone to Zhou Yu's central camp to discuss matters. The two men waited there in vain.

Meanwhile, Dong Xi, furious, stormed into the camp, intending to settle scores with Qi Jiguang, and headed straight for Mi Zhu's office. Unexpectedly, he was bumped into by a messenger. The messenger, about to hurl insults, saw it was General Dong Xi and hurriedly said, "General! I was just about to look for you! An urgent order!" He then handed Dong Xi the urgent order in his hand. Dong Xi opened it and felt as if struck by lightning: "Commander Zhou Yu is critically ill and has summoned all the generals for a meeting."

Upon seeing the order, Dong Xi's legs went weak. How could he possibly remember fighting Qi Jiguang? He slumped to the ground, stunned for a long moment. Several soldiers came to ask him what was wrong. Dong Xi didn't answer, and walked straight into the central command tent.

A moment later, Mi Zhu also received an urgent order from the messenger, the content of which was slightly modified: Commander Zhou Yu was seriously ill and summoned General Mi Zhu, the Imperial Uncle's resident general at the Wu army office, for a meeting. Upon seeing the urgent order, Mi Zhu, without a word, took Qi Jiguang and went inside. The soldiers at the door, who were terrified, let him through when they saw Mi Zhu with the urgent order, completely unaware of the additional presence of Qi Jiguang.

Chapter 214 Zhou Yu's Illness

Meanwhile, Qi Jiguang entered the Wu army's main tent at the front line of Chibi, only to find Zhou Yu seriously ill. News of Zhou Yu's illness spread quickly throughout the camp, causing panic among the Wu soldiers.

Qi Jiguang entered the main tent, which was packed with a large group of people. All the Wu army's generals and strategists at the front lines were present. The tent was quiet, except for Lu Su and Fa Zheng whispering among themselves. When the others saw Mi Zhu arrive, they merely gestured slightly, and Mi Zhu tactfully stepped aside. Qi Jiguang, however, was oblivious to this, squeezing himself to the front and looking around. The Wu army generals were greatly surprised to see this unfamiliar face. But since he had already entered, they assumed he had been invited at the request of the commander-in-chief, so although they were puzzled, none of them asked any questions.

Finally, Lu Su spotted him and asked in surprise, "Young general, how come I haven't seen you before?"

"Uh..." Qi Jiguang was a little embarrassed and chuckled.

His smile startled the surrounding Wu generals. They realized that he wasn't summoned by Mr. Lu Su, but rather an assassin! The generals were shocked and drew their swords in unison, instantly blocking Zhou Yu and Lu Su.

"Generals, generals!" Mi Zhu hurriedly said, "Don't worry, this man is from the Luo Chen-Liu Bei alliance, a junior officer in the Luo army, sent here by Luo Chen."

Qi Jiguang also said, "I have come to see Master Fazheng. Here is a letter from Lord Luochen to Master Fazheng!"

Upon hearing this, Fa Zheng immediately understood. He had received a report a few days ago that a captain was coming to his side, and it seemed that this young general was the captain mentioned in the letter. Sure enough, Qi Jiguang took out Luo Chen's handwritten letter, which Fa Zheng read and found to be exactly the same. He then said, "Generals, this is indeed a letter sent by Prime Minister Luo Chen to assist me. You need not worry."

Upon seeing this, the generals sheathed their swords.

Zhou Yu watched this scene with a cold eye, found it utterly boring, and lay down again.

"The Commander has not eaten or drunk anything for the past few days, which is very difficult for him. Just now, you said you had a solution. Please teach me!" Lu Su had no time to pay attention to this young general and continued talking with Fa Zheng.

“The governor’s heart is troubled…” Fa Zheng said with a cold laugh.

Zhou Yu groaned but didn't reply, appearing extremely weak. In reality, he was listening intently to what Fa Zheng and Lu Su would say next.

“Indeed, Cao Cao’s army is now powerful. I heard that he even invited Mr. Phoenix Chick, Pang Tong, as an honored guest. That Mr. Phoenix Chick even gave him a suggestion: now that Cao Cao’s large ships are lined up in a row, why not send the whole army south? They would be unstoppable!” Lu Su said, sighing with considerable worry. “I’ve been thinking about countermeasures day and night, but I’m at a loss! The Commander-in-Chief is also very anxious about this situation… Pang Tong is a great talent. It would be fine if he wasn’t used by us, but I never expected him to become Cao Cao’s honored guest.”

Seeing Lu Su's extremely worried expression, Qi Jiguang couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Seeing his behavior, the generals were filled with rage. Dong Xi was furious when he saw that this guy had actually come to the main tent, and not only that, he was laughing loudly in front of the commander-in-chief's sickbed. He raised his fist and was about to rush forward.

"Qi Jiguang, how dare you be so rude!" Mi Zhu hurriedly reprimanded. "Gentlemen, gentlemen... don't take it to heart..."

Lu Su, however, was not so angry. He said, "Young general, was what I said just now so ridiculous?"

Qi Jiguang said, "Although Cao Cao's ships are formidable, they are not helpless. We can use fire to attack them. Cao Cao's ships are linked together; once one ship is on fire, the others will also be hard to escape..." He then spread his hands, "I see a lot of strategists and generals in the main tent. Can't they even see such a simple principle?"

Upon hearing this, the Wu soldiers exchanged glances, realizing that this young general was indeed quite capable.

Upon hearing this, Lu Su exclaimed, "That's right! That's right!" He then turned to look at Zhou Yu and said, "Commander, I think this plan seems feasible."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yu sighed, closed his eyes slightly, and said in a hoarse voice, "How could I not have thought of this, but it's impossible..." He then shook his head.

Just when the courtiers thought the commander-in-chief was about to succeed, Zhou Yu poured cold water on their hopes, leaving them looking at each other in bewilderment, unsure of what to do.

Fa Zheng said quietly, "I know the cause of the Governor's illness..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Su hurriedly said, "Sir, please speak quickly!"

Fa Zheng did not answer, but instead took a pen and a piece of cloth and wrote a few words on it in a flowing style, then asked to show it to Zhou Yu. Lu Su hurriedly took it and presented it to Zhou Yu, where sixteen characters were written: "To defeat Cao Cao's army, fire attack is necessary; everything is ready, only the east wind is lacking."

· 0 flowers requested ···· ····

When Zhou Yu saw that the writing on the document was so incisive, he was greatly alarmed. He had no choice but to sit up and bow to Fa Zheng, saying, "Since you know the cause of the illness, sir, you must have also thought of a solution. Please enlighten me."

Everyone was surprised by Zhou Yu's strong reaction and wanted to know what Fa Zheng had written, but the cloth was clutched in Lu Su's hand and he showed it to everyone.

Fa Zheng gave a wink, and Zhou Yu immediately understood, saying, "Generals, please leave for the time being."

The generals had no choice but to leave dejectedly. Fa Zheng, however, called out to Qi Jiguang, "General Qi Jiguang, please stay. You must stay and assist me." He then explained to Lu Su, "This young general is my assistant. Let him stay and help me at any time."

...... ..... ...

Zhou Yu asked impatiently, "Since you know so much, sir, what methods do you have?"

Fa Zheng slowly asked, "General, are you planning to launch an attack soon? Are the personnel, supplies, and equipment all ready?"

Zhou Yu said, "Preparations are complete. We must launch an attack in the next few days, otherwise Cao Cao's entire army will march south and we will be unable to resist... But who would have thought that there would be an east wind this season! Without wind, how can we launch a fire attack?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang finally understood that it was because there was no wind.

Fa Zheng slowly said, "General, there is no need to rush. According to my official calculations, there will be an east wind on the 20th (Jiazi day), and the wind will subside on the 22nd (Bingyin day). There will be strong winds for three days. I wonder if this will be enough for the Commander-in-Chief?"

Zhou Yu was greatly surprised: "How did you know? How could there be wind this season?"

Fa Zheng did not answer, but said, "General, please do not ask. I have been studying celestial phenomena since childhood, so I was able to calculate it. I can say that you are a lucky general, General, with the wind at your command. Cao Cao will surely be defeated in this battle!"

Zhou Yu couldn't believe it and said, "Master Fazheng, there is no joking in the army. Please don't speak carelessly."

"Governor, please rest assured. If there is any mishap, you may take legal action to protect yourself and your family."

Hearing Fa Zheng's assurance, Zhou Yu, though still somewhat skeptical, immediately stopped lying half-dead in bed. Instead, he got up and sternly ordered, "Tell all the generals to immediately proceed to the central command tent and await orders!"

Chapter 215 A Winter Night

On the dark river, nearly a hundred boats of various sizes were scattered about, slowly moving towards the opposite bank.

It was deep winter, and even in the Jiangnan region, the nights were bitterly cold. The wind howled, scraping the soldiers' chapped lips and faces like knives. General Huang Gai, barely able to keep his armor on, was still wounded, his injuries throbbing at the slightest touch. The cold made his teeth chatter. But he paid no heed, anxiously reaching out his hand repeatedly, as if testing for something. He also glanced at the flag on the bow of the ship.

As agreed with Cao Cao, all his ships carried the Azure Dragon flag. This made them inconspicuous in the darkness, which was exactly what he wanted; Cao Cao wanted to wait until they were near the Cao army's naval camp before diverting Cao Cao's attention away from the flags.

The howling cold wind blew away the smell of oil, which was another factor that was favorable to him.

Huang Gai leaned on his sword, motionless like a statue. The slightly larger boat beneath his feet was the command ship of this fire attack team. He was at the forefront, ready to negotiate with the Cao army warships that were about to come to observe.

"General, Commander Zhou Yu has sent an order for our troops to slow down their march," a captain reported as he approached.

"Understood," Huang Gai said calmly. He glanced at the flag beside him; it hadn't changed, still pointing towards the east bank. The east wind hadn't arrived yet; if they set fire to it, they wouldn't be the ones burning. They could only slow their march now; otherwise, if they reached Cao Cao's naval camp and couldn't set fire to it until the east wind arrived, they'd be in serious trouble.

"Slow down, all teams!" Huang Gai ordered. He then muttered to himself, "This Fa Zheng, is he a charlatan...? If the east wind doesn't come, I'll definitely skin him alive if I can make it back..."

The captains around him were somewhat anxious. There was only a quarter of an hour left until the appointed time, and the north wind was howling fiercely on the deck, showing no sign of changing course. The blue dragon flag beside them was being blown about by the wind, making a rustling sound.

"How far are we from Cao Cao's naval camp?" Huang Gai asked impatiently. The fires of Cao Cao's naval camp were faintly visible ahead.

"It's still a long way off... even at a fast pace, it will take at least half an hour," said the captain beside him.

"Don't slow down!" Huang Gai commanded. "Order all ships to hoist their sails and proceed at full speed!"

"This... General, if the wind doesn't come, we'll have a hard time escaping, and Cao Cao's main force might come after us," the captain warned.

"What if, as Fa Zheng says, the wind arrives in a quarter of an hour? If we don't arrive in time, Cao Cao might become suspicious of the east wind, and all our previous efforts would be in vain!" Huang Gai said sternly. "As long as there is even a sliver of hope, I, Huang Gai, must make full preparations! We cannot let the affairs of state be delayed; personal life and death are of little concern!"

The sails, which had just been lowered, were raised again with a creaking sound. The wind howled, and in an instant the sails were billowing, and the boat sped like an arrow towards the opposite bank of the river.

After an unknown amount of time, the ship's speed exceeded everyone's expectations; the wind was so strong that the speed could no longer be calculated. Soon, the flames of Cao Cao's naval camp were not far off. Cao Cao's camp was indeed well-organized, with flames everywhere, and the naval and land camps complementing each other perfectly, forming a tight and interconnected network.

The patrol boat blocked their way, and Huang Gai's fleet began to slow down, but they still did not stop.

Huang Gai's heart was pounding; he was extremely anxious. Clearly, the east wind hadn't arrived, and in less than fifteen minutes, they would be exposed. It was obvious that their ship had no food; it was filled only with flammable materials.

He made an agreement with Cao Cao to bring Zhou Yu's head and Jiangdong's grain supplies to surrender.

Cao Cao's naval camp has recently expanded because by nailing the large ships together, the hull size doubles, naturally requiring much more maneuvering space. The day before yesterday, Mr. Fengchu (Pang Tong) took his leave. Cao Cao repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay, but Mr. Fengchu insisted on leaving. Left with no other choice, Cao Cao held a grand banquet to bid farewell to Pang Tong.

Pang Tong said, "I am going on a westward tour today, which will take a few months or a year. General Cao has driven into Jiangnan, and I have a request for you. If General Cao does not agree, I will never again visit your camp or offer you any advice."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao hurriedly said, "Please speak, sir. I will certainly remember your teachings."

"After you march into Jiangnan, General, you must not massacre the people of Jiangnan," Pang Tong said solemnly.

Cao Cao wondered what was going on, but it turned out to be something quite basic. Moreover, it was clear that Pang Tong believed Cao Cao's takeover of Jiangnan was a foregone conclusion. Cao Cao was quite pleased and exclaimed with delight, "Absolutely! Absolutely! I will certainly remember your teachings, sir. When I enter Jiangnan, I will not slaughter the people. Please rest assured, sir."

After Pang Tong made his request, he ignored all attempts to persuade him to stay and insisted on taking a small boat and heading west along the river.

That night, the weather was unusually clear, and a bright moon slowly traversed the sky. Cao Cao was overjoyed and hosted a banquet for his generals.

Mao Jie said, "In the dead of winter, the sky is usually overcast, but tonight it is clear and bright, which is truly rare. My lord, this is an auspicious sign!"

Cao Cao was overjoyed, and his ministers also offered their congratulations. Cao Cao saw the moonlight, as clear as water, its gentle glow reflecting on the surface, illuminating the entire area. He also thought of Huang Gai arriving the next day with Zhou Yu's head and the grain supplies from Jiangdong to surrender, making the conquest of Jiangnan seem like a sure thing. His heart swelled with even greater pleasure. He then held his spear horizontally and composed a poem:

Let us drink and sing, for life is short! Like morning dew, the days gone by are many.

With a heavy heart, I express my deep sorrow, for my worries are hard to forget. What can dispel my sorrow? Only wine.

Green are your robes, green is my heart; deep is my longing for you. For your sake, I have hesitated until now.

The deer cry out, "Yo-yo!" as they eat the wild apples. I have guests, so I play the zither and the sheng.

The moon shines brightly, but when can it be grasped? Sorrow arises from within, and cannot be stopped.

3.3 We crossed paths and fields, yet we remained friends. We talked and feasted, remembering old kindnesses.

The moon is bright and the stars are few; crows fly south. They circle the tree thrice, but on which branch can they perch?

Mountains are never too high, seas are never too deep. The Duke of Zhou spat out his food to welcome guests, and the world turned to him.

As the poem ended, a crow indeed took flight from the treetop, circled the branches, cawed three times, and then soared away. The courtiers paled, but Cao Cao, already drunk, paid no heed.

If Luo Chen were present, he would surely have pondered Cao Cao's poignant yet powerful poem. This cunning and ruthless hero, whose "days have passed in bitterness," is portrayed by history as extremely treacherous. However, from his poems, one can discover his lofty ambitions and boundless passion.

Green are your robes, blue are your collar; deep is my longing for you. For your sake, I have hesitated until now!

Chapter 216 Fire

"My lord, Huang Gai has arrived!" a patrol boat reported.

Cao Cao could already see them from afar; the Azure Dragon Banner fluttered in the wind, and he could even vaguely make out the yellow canopy at the bow of the ship. "Hahahaha..." Cao Cao was overjoyed. "Let them in!"

The heavily patrolled boats ahead slowly made way, and Huang Gai reluctantly ordered them to continue sailing.

Damn it! Fa Zheng really is a fraud! Huang Zhong cursed Fa Zheng's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart. There was no other choice; after being exposed, he could only fight to the death, until he sacrificed himself for his country.

"General! General!" the captain beside him whispered, his voice filled with barely concealed elation.

Huang Gai turned and looked at him, but froze. He saw the flags of Cao Cao's naval camp suddenly blown westwards. It seemed like only a second had passed; the wind direction had abruptly changed!

"My lord..." Cheng Yu was a little flustered and pointed to the flag next to him.

Cao Cao was clearly aware of this as well, but he calmed himself down and said, "It's common for the wind to change direction occasionally in winter, and it won't last long, so there's no need to panic."

Huang Zhong's ships were getting closer and closer, and their fleet and flags could be clearly seen.

“Something seems off…” Cheng Yu, who was already somewhat hesitant, panicked a little. “My lord! Something’s not right! Those grain transport ships should have come steadily, but Huang Zhong’s fleet is skimming the water’s surface, moving at a surprisingly fast speed!”

Cao Cao looked closely and saw that it was indeed so. He was greatly alarmed; could Huang Gai be up to some trick? "Wen Ping! Wen Ping outside! Immediately send ships to intercept Huang Gai's fleet!"

The order was passed on quickly.

Huang Gai, standing at the bow of the boat, could clearly see the small boats carrying orders rushing out of the military camp, and many ships beginning to move. He couldn't help but smile coldly. It seemed that this Fa Zheng was indeed reliable.

"Light the fire!" Huang Gai shouted. Nearly a hundred small boats loaded with flammable materials were set ablaze with a crackling sound, and with the help of the wind, they rushed into Cao Cao's naval camp.

As soon as Wen Ping's fleet left the naval camp, what they saw was not Huang Gai, but fire ships rushing towards them. Wen Ping was shocked; how could he possibly stop them? In no time, his ship collided with a smaller boat and was instantly set ablaze. The east wind was even stronger, a fierce gale blowing westward. Fueled by the wind, the fire, like a fiery dragon, surged into Cao Cao's naval camp.

"Open the gate! The big ship is on fire! Scatter the big ship!" people shouted from all directions.

The large ships were firmly nailed together; how could they possibly move so quickly? The smaller ships, however, were able to scatter rapidly. The large ships, on the other hand, were all set ablaze, crackling and popping. The Cao army soldiers on the large ships panicked and jumped into the icy river.

Wu's main force, along with Huang Gai, rushed over and, using the fire as cover, began to shoot and kill with crossbows. In less than half an hour, Cao's army had lost its organized resistance; some soldiers jumped into the river, while others scattered and fled for their lives.

Seeing the situation was dire and beyond saving—the navy had already collapsed and was impossible to reorganize—Zhang Liao steered a small boat, carrying Cao Cao, Cheng Yu, and others, and fled ashore. Huang Gai, seeing this clearly, was unwilling to let them go and jumped onto the small boat to give chase.

Huang Gai roared, "Cao Cao, don't run!" He then ordered several captains to surround Cao Cao. Zhang Liao, hearing the shouts behind him, drew his bow, turned instantly, locked onto Huang Gai, and fired. The wind was strong, and shouts of battle echoed from all sides. Huang Gai, focused on advancing, didn't notice the arrow coming towards him, nor did he hear the sound. Only when the arrow was almost upon him did Huang Gai realize his mistake and hastily dodge, but the arrow still struck him squarely in the shoulder socket. The arrow traveled with tremendous force, piercing through the muscle of Huang Gai's left arm. Huang Gai cried out and fell straight off the small boat.

Taking advantage of the situation, Zhang Liao led Cao Cao and his men ashore in small boats. They found several horses and, with a hundred or so cavalrymen, hurriedly headed north towards Nan Commandery. Nan Commandery had tens of thousands of troops led by Cao Hong, and its fortified city should be able to withstand a fierce attack from the Sun-Liu alliance.

Qi Jiguang, accompanying Fa Zheng to observe the battle on the river, simply didn't believe in any east wind. How could there be an east wind lasting two or three days at this time of year? Was this some kind of joke? Sure enough, the westerly wind howled, showing no sign of stopping. Qi Jiguang could even see several Eastern Wu ships surrounding their fleet, intending to arrest and execute Fa Zheng, this charlatan, as soon as the appointed time arrived. Unexpectedly, the strong northerly wind transformed into a powerful easterly wind within seconds, and the flags that had been fluttering towards the east bank were now flapping wildly towards the west bank.

Qi Jiguang stared in disbelief and said, "Sir... how did you know? Could it really be from observing celestial phenomena...?"