Chapter 1063: More Visitors Arrive

Lu Yu’s words were reasonable and well-founded, leaving Zhou Yu with no faults to pick. From Sun Ce’s eavesdropping earlier, they knew that the people they were dealing with came from a high-ranking, wealthy family. And during this era, reputation and connections were highly valued.

Aristocratic families didn’t mind gifting a house or a group of servants to someone they found agreeable, but they could just as easily turn a blind eye to starving commoners.

The next day, after arranging Zhou Tai’s care and ensuring all property deeds were in order, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce quietly departed. If not for Lu Xun’s sharp insight, this whole affair would have gone perfectly unnoticed.

“Aren’t you going to ask Governor Wang for help?” Lu Yu asked, standing behind Lu Xun as they watched Zhou Yu and Sun Ce leave.

“Do you think I could take down those two?” Lu Xun replied nonchalantly. “Revenge can wait, but favors must be repaid. For the Lu family, repaying kindness is far more important than seeking revenge.”

After speaking, Lu Xun began walking down from the city wall. Zhou Yu had been far too cautious. If he had stayed just three more days, Lu Xun might have found a way to capture them. But Zhou Yu had no intention of lingering.

“Well, this is for the best. Let’s repay the favor first, and when we have the strength, we’ll seek revenge,” Lu Xun thought to himself. Lu Yu smiled and followed him down the wall.

Lu Yu had also considered ways to eliminate Zhou Yu and Sun Ce, but without the power of military might or a general of equal caliber to suppress them, provoking them would have been disastrous. It would have been a reckless and unwise move.

Lu Yu, Lu Xun, and Ma Zhong didn’t stay long in Taishan either. Three days later, the trio mounted their horses and headed for Ye City. However, an encounter with an old man at the city gates left a lasting impression on them.

“Zi Jia, why do you look so pale?” Lu Xun asked, noticing the gray hue of Lu Yu’s face.

“That guy smells like medicine—just like old Hua. I think I’ve developed a phobia of medicinal herbs,” Lu Yu said, looking back at the old man who was wandering around Taishan with a curious gaze.

“What?” Lu Xun responded, confused.

“Let’s just go. I can’t stand that smell,” Lu Yu muttered, covering his face as he spurred his horse forward. Ever since Hua Tuo’s medicinal treatments had left him traumatized, he had developed a strong aversion to anything related to medicine. He preferred to keep his distance whenever possible.

On the other side, Zhang Zhongjing looked at the bustling city of Taishan with a sense of longing. After Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had whisked away his best experimental subject, he had no choice but to follow. That particular subject was irreplaceable, and Zhang had a feeling that with another six months of research, he could have fully cured Zhou Tai. But before he could inform Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, they had taken Zhou Tai and left.

Zhang Zhongjing wasn’t stupid. If Zhou Yu and Sun Ce believed someone else could heal Zhou Tai, it was obvious who they’d seek out. There was only one person in the world whose skills rivaled the divine: Hua Tuo.

Naturally, unwilling to let go of his prized research material, Zhang Zhongjing had pursued them all the way from Lujiang to Taishan. As for how he managed it, people like Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing weren’t constantly monitored. If they wanted to slip away, they could.

While Zhang Zhongjing didn’t have Hua Tuo’s famed anesthetic powder, he had plenty of other ways to knock someone out. The guards protecting him didn’t expect it and were easily drugged, leaving Zhang free to leave with his medicine chest.

Upon reaching Liu Bei’s territory, Zhang Zhongjing no longer had to worry. Though he didn’t have household registration papers, making him susceptible to being detained, his reputation preceded him. If caught, he would easily be released. Though not as famous as Hua Tuo, Zhang wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

“Excuse me, do you know where Hua Tuo is?” Zhang Zhongjing asked, as soon as he entered the city.

Before long, Zhang’s persistent inquiries drew attention, and he was picked up by Wang Xiu’s men. After a few days spent verifying his identity, they settled him in the residence next to Hua Tuo’s. Luckily, Huang Yueying had already left for Ye City, leaving an empty room available. Otherwise, Qu Qi would have had to move again, and he was starting to develop a strong dislike for doctors.

Meanwhile, in Ye City, Chen Xi was completely unaware of these events. After the last round of strategic discussions, Xu Shu had been recalled. Following another round of military drills with Wei Yan and Huang Zhong, they were preparing to head to the border between Youzhou and Jizhou to intimidate Yuan Tan, hoping to force him out of Youzhou.

However, before Xu Shu’s two legions could reach Jizhou, shocking news arrived from Youzhou.

Gongsun Du, who had been advancing with unstoppable momentum, was defeated—and it was a crushing defeat. His fifty-thousand-strong army had been brought to its knees in Right Beiping.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Liu Bei had no choice but to halt his current strategy. Naturally, there were muttered curses about Gongsun Du’s failure. The defenses in Youzhou had been so thin, and yet Gongsun Du had still managed to lose.

“Wen He, what happened with Gongsun Shengji? Weren’t things going well? He was about to reach Yuyang, and now we hear he’s been defeated?” Chen Xi asked, setting aside his usual decorum in his frustration.

“Gongsun Shengji did have the advantage at first. Youzhou was indeed poorly defended, which is why he advanced so rapidly. But after reaching Right Beiping, there was an issue with his supply lines,” Jia Xu explained with a wry smile.

“How could that happen? With the sea routes frozen, shouldn’t they have been transporting supplies by sea? It’s impossible for Shen Pei to blockade the entire coastline!” Chen Xi said, incredulous. “I don’t believe Gongsun Shengji didn’t secure his defenses in Liaoxi.”

“He did secure them, but it’s not just the Xianbei facing hardship this year,” Jia Xu replied cryptically, causing everyone to immediately understand.

“Fuyu, Goguryeo, the Three Han States, and the Yilou tribes?” Chen Xi muttered in annoyance. “Gongsun Shengji is supposed to be cautious. There’s no way he’d make such a blunder. Even if his base was attacked, it shouldn’t have led to such a total defeat.”

“Liaodong was involved as well. Though the Yuan family had a hand in it, none of those nations had much success. Each had its own agenda. In the end, Gongsun Shengji’s supply lines were cut, but since he had been winning battles up until then, he didn’t rely on supplies from Liaodong. He even sent part of his forces back to support Liaodong. The remaining troops continued to win in Youzhou, but the amount of plundered supplies wasn’t enough,” Jia Xu explained, shaking his head at the bizarre situation.

Jia Xu then described Gongsun Du’s defeat in more detail, leaving everyone speechless. It was a classic case of being overconfident and falling victim to a scheme designed to exploit a sense of false security.

Much like Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Du had lost the battle at the very moment he believed victory was within his grasp.

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