Chapter 24 Eastern Expedition against Lü Bu (Part 8) The Grand Master believed that I, an orphan and widow…
After Deng Jie and Hou Cheng completed the transaction, she successfully obtained Guan Yu's jade pendant. While Guo Jia and the Chen brothers were contacting the gentry of Xiapi, she secretly returned to the Qin residence and handed the jade pendant to Du Shi.
"Guan Yu..." Madam Du examined the jade pendant with little interest. "We did meet once. But the brothers themselves have all suffered hardships and wanderings... Hmph."
"General Guan is incredibly brave and is said to be a match for Lü Bu, capable of taking on ten thousand men?" Deng Jie felt that he had been entrusted by Guan Yu and had to speak from his perspective.
"So what?" Madam Du wanted to continue complaining, but seeing the innocent look in Deng Jie's eyes, she stopped. "Alright, I'll accept it. Thank you... Madam Deng?"
Upon hearing this, Deng Jie quickly bowed and said, "Madam, there's no need for you to stand on ceremony."
"Speaking of which, what official position does your husband hold? How could he gain Cao Cao's trust so much, allowing him to bring his family with him to the army and even entrusting him with the task of infiltrating the enemy city?"
Deng Jie felt that Du was a comrade-in-arms who had shared life and death with them, so he told her the truth.
"Military Advisor... Chief Advisor."
Madam Du chuckled softly, "That's not bad. Would you be willing to take me in for your husband, so we can keep each other company?"
These words startled Deng Jiehua, causing her to turn pale, which made Du Shi giggle. "Don't panic, I was just teasing you. General Guan, I know."
She tucked the jade pendant into her sleeve and inquired, "Now that the Emperor has moved to Xu, it must be better than other places, right?"
Deng Jietong sincerely said to her, "That's natural."
Yingchuan was, after all, Xun Yu's hometown, and he had used the power of his clan to assist Cao Cao and support the emperor.
Madam Du secretly glanced at her, "Then General Guan... do you think he will continue to stay in Xuchang?"
"Besides going to war, could he be transferred for other reasons?"
I don't quite understand. Hasn't he been staying in Xuchang with Liu Bei for over a year? What is Madam worried about?
“Following Liu Yuzhou… Liu Xuande.” Madam Du nodded, understanding in her heart.
Not long after Deng Jie left, Guo Jia also came to the Qin residence.
"What important matter does the Chief Priest have to discuss?" Du asked first.
"My wife came by?" Guo Jia keenly caught this information.
"Oh, I'll ask her to make me some more 'calming tea' and have a chat while we're at it." Madam Du thought to herself that the couple had deliberately separated themselves, and Guo Jia certainly didn't know what Deng Jie had asked of him, thus keeping the matter of the jade pendant a secret.
Guo Jia did not pursue the matter further, but informed Du of the plan to use water attack as an order to cooperate with Wei Xu and others to trap Lü Bu.
Before leaving, Madam Du called out to him, "After the city falls, what do you think the Grand Master think I, a widow and orphan, should do?"
Guo Jia was taken aback. "What are your plans, Madam?"
Du said with a smile, "I was joking with my sister earlier, saying if she would be willing to take me as your concubine..."
Guo Jia took two steps back, bowed, and said, "Madam is too kind. My home is small, and I would never dare to mistreat you."
Madam Du approached lightly, "The Grand Master is indeed affectionate... but I am all alone and helpless, how will I live from now on?"
Guo Jia glanced at her sideways and said, "With your beauty, Madam, wealth and status are within your grasp. Does Madam wish for me to introduce you to any general?"
"I've heard that Lord Cao never mistreats his concubines. Does the Grand Master think... I might have a chance to enter the Grand Minister's residence?"
Guo Jia was startled. His lord was... well, why not?
"It's rare for Madam to be so thoughtful. As Lord Jia has stated, we will certainly grant Madam's wish!"
Du's eyebrows curved into a satisfied smile as she took out a lacquered wooden box and handed it to Guo Jia. "Then I will trouble you, Grand Master, to pass this on to Lord Cao. I will wait here for you."
Guo Jia was about to open it when Du Shi stopped him, saying, "These are a young lady's belongings... it's inconvenient for the Chief Priest to look at them privately."
Guo Jia agreed to accept the gift, bowed, and withdrew.
Du watched him leave, the smile in her eyes turning gloomy.
What heroes, what wars, what chaotic times—it's all just a gladiatorial arena where men fight and tear each other apart. They use high-sounding reasons to mask their ambitions and desires, dragging women into this endless vortex, reducing them to mere spoils and decorations.
Since you regard me as an object, then so be it. Let yourselves see how solid the so-called "loyalty between ruler and subject" and "brotherly affection" can be in the face of this "object".
Du closed the door, slowly slid to the ground, leaned against the lattice door, and quietly thought, silently shedding tears.
After the events at Xiapi were over, Guo Jia and Deng Jie were finally able to return to Cao Cao's camp.
On Cao Cao's side, thanks to Xun You's planning, the construction of dikes and the storage of water were already in place, awaiting only the order.
Before the siege, Guo Jia entered Cao Cao's command tent and they talked late into the night by candlelight, planning their final military affairs. Before leaving, Guo Jia remembered the matter of Lady Du and handed the wooden box to Cao Cao: "This was entrusted to me by Lady Du of the Qin family. She said she would wait for you to enter the city to pick her up."
"Lady Du?" Cao Cao opened the box and glanced at it, not noticing the character "Guan" hidden on the back of the jade pendant. He quickly closed it again. "Yun Chang asked me for favors, saying he wanted to take her as a concubine..."
Guo Jia was taken aback. "You've agreed, Lord?"
"She's just a woman, of course I agreed. What, Fengxiao, do you think it's a pity?"
Guo Jia looked at him meaningfully, "For you, my lord... it is indeed a pity."
Cao Cao perked up immediately upon hearing this. His expression, which had been serious as he discussed military affairs, instantly became lively. He coughed lightly, leaned closer to Guo Jia, and raised his eyebrows to inquire with a lecherous look: "Fengxiao, do you mean... that Lady Du is a celestial beauty?"
Guo Jia's eyes were resolute, and his face was full of smiles: "I dare not deceive you. In all my life, I have never seen anyone whose beauty and charm can surpass her! She is truly a beauty that could topple kingdoms and cities, a rare sight in the world."
"Wow, it's rare to hear you say such a thing. Aren't you afraid of angering your wife?" Cao Cao said with disdain. Guo Fengxiao, who had previously caused such a stir in the city for his beloved wife, was now praising other women in this way.
"Even she herself was stunned when she saw it, covering her face in embarrassment. Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, ask him yourself!" Guo Jia waved his hand frankly. "Since Lü Bu has been holding his ground and not coming out, he has been lingering in the Qin residence almost every night, indulging in her gentle embrace."
The saying "Heroes all love beautiful women" ignited Cao Cao's desire to compete for them, and he stroked his beard, lost in thought.
He glanced at the lacquered wooden box on the table, his face immediately adopting a righteous and stern expression. Pointing at the box, he said to Guo Jia, "Fengxiao, look... this, this is not because I coveted her beauty and took what she desired! She entrusted this 'token' to you, offering it to me..."
Guo Jia smiled knowingly: "That's for sure, absolutely no exaggeration! Even if General Guan himself asked, I can testify to it!"
Several days later, with Cao Cao's order, the raging floodwaters broke through the dikes like an angry dragon and poured into Xiapi City.
The low-lying areas were instantly turned into a swamp, and the city's garrison was thrown into chaos, with morale collapsing.
The Chen brothers, who had been preparing for this, colluded with local gentry forces to capture the city's guards and open the city gates.
Hou Cheng stole the Red Hare horse, and Wei Xu and Song Xian, together with Du Shi, tied up Lü Bu in the Qin mansion. They then stormed into the mansions of Chen Gong, Gao Shun, and Zhang Liao and captured them all.
Finally, Cao Cao led his trusted men to the White Gate Tower and saw Lü Bu, who had become a prisoner, being brought in bound hand and foot.
Although defeated, Lü Bu's arrogance remained. Head held high, he saw Cao Cao and shouted, "Lord Cao! You've bound him too tightly! Please loosen the bonds!"
Cao Cao laughed heartily, "To capture a tiger, we must act quickly!"
Lu Bu was secretly pleased with Cao Cao's praise, but when his gaze swept over Cao Cao's advisors, he spotted Guo Jia's mocking face.
"It's you?!" Lü Bu roared, "You're that medicine boy from Qin's mansion? You're actually Cao Cao's strategist?! Right under my nose..."
Guo Jia smiled calmly and reached out to pull Deng Jie from behind him to his side. "Not only me, but also my wife!"
Chen Gong, feeling utterly disheartened, heard Lü Bu shout "Qin Mansion" and opened his eyes to see Deng Jie, who was the dancer standing between him and the beaded curtain. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the dancer who had been acting so strangely inside might be...
"The dancer who spoke rudely behind the curtain that night..."
Chen Gong was shocked and about to shout when Deng Jie stepped forward and interrupted him with a loud shout: "Shut up! Chen Gongtai! In Xiapi City, there are sisters everywhere who are dissatisfied with you! I begged Madam Du to bring her adopted daughter to hold you back!"
Lu Bu, however, had no interest in dwelling on these trivial matters. "It's alright! It's alright! My lady is very righteous; it's quite an achievement that she helped everyone capture me!"
He then turned to Cao Cao and said, "Lord Cao, I, Lü Bu, am willing to surrender and serve you with utmost loyalty! With my bravery, if I assist you, what is there to fear in securing the world?!"
Lu Bu was incredibly brave, and his words stirred something in Cao Cao's heart.
Such a fierce general, if only we could subdue him...
But at this moment, Guo Jia was in a state of turmoil, and he roared inwardly, "Absolutely not! My lord, ask me quickly! Ask me and I'll let him die!"
Cao Cao hesitated for a moment, looked at Guo Jia, and then turned to Liu Bei, who was silent to the side: "Liu Yuzhou and Lü Bu had a brotherhood in the past, what do you think?"
Guo Jia's heart pounded like a drum. Liu Bei was always benevolent, and with Lü Bu's arrow shot at the gate to save them, he absolutely could not show mercy to this fickle fellow at this moment.
Lü Bu shouted excitedly, "Xuande! Xuande, say a word for your brother!"
Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, then calmly said, "Have you forgotten what happened to Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo?"
These words struck like a thunderbolt.
"Liu Bei! You big-eared scoundrel! You ungrateful wretch!!" Lü Bu roared in despair.
Zhang Fei, unable to stand it any longer, stepped forward and roared, "Shut up, you traitor! If it weren't for my elder brother's kindness in taking you in, you would have died on the road three years ago!"
Guo Jia sidled up to Cao Cao with a sigh of relief and clapped his hands, "What Liu Yuzhou said is absolutely right! When it comes to matters of principle, Your Excellency should make the decision!"
Cao Cao nodded and waved for his men to drag Lü Bu away.
Seeing this, Chen Gong gave a bitter smile and said sternly to Cao Cao, "Cao Cao! Kill me if you want! No need for further words! I only ask for a swift death!"
“Gongtai…this shouldn’t be the case between us.”
Cao Cao wanted to step forward and persuade him again, but Guo Jia followed behind him with a displeased expression.
"What a waste of your trust, sir... Hmph, now you want to fulfill your reputation for 'loyalty and righteousness'? Chen Gongtai is quite the schemer."
"Ignorant brat, poor wretch! What do you know!" Chen Gong was furious at the sight of his sarcastic face.
Cao Cao rarely saw Guo Jia lose his composure like this in defending him, and he sighed deeply, "Gongtai... I will not forget the oath we made. You can go in peace now. I will take care of your wife and children."
"No need for pretense." Chen Gong closed his eyes sadly and followed the man away.
After dealing with the affairs of Lü Bu and the other generals, Cao Cao, with the beautiful woman on his mind, couldn't wait to lead his men straight to Qin's residence.
Inside the Qin residence, Madam Du had already dressed and made herself ready. Her elegant dress accentuated her stunning beauty, and her delicate features conveyed a sense of pitifulness and just the right amount of fragility.
Upon hearing that Cao Cao had come in person, accompanied by his generals, she couldn't help but feel a surge of vengeful pleasure.
When Cao Cao saw Lady Du's true appearance, he was truly astonished, considering her an extraordinary beauty. Guo Jia's statement that she was "a beauty that could topple kingdoms and cities, rarely seen in the world" was not an exaggeration at all.
The guilt he felt towards Guan Yu was immediately replaced by a great sense of satisfaction.
"My lady, you have suffered! I will take you back to the camp to settle you down!"
Cao Cao smiled broadly, spoke gently, but his actions remained forceful. He personally stepped forward, helped Lady Du up, and led her to his carriage in full view of everyone.
This scene was witnessed by Guan Yu, who was following Liu Bei.
Guan Yu felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and he gripped his ring-handled sword with even greater force.
"Second brother..."
Just as Zhang Fei was about to step forward to comfort him, he heard a familiar voice behind him, "What... what's going on?"
The three turned around and saw that it was Deng Jie squeezing in.
"How did Lady Du end up being taken away by Cao Cao?" She took two steps forward and looked at Guan Yu. "I clearly delivered the jade pendant to Lady Du myself, and she even said she 'knew'..."
"How dare you say that! Could it be that you..." Zhang Fei was about to hurl insults when Guan Yu raised his hand to stop him.
"Yide!" Seeing the blank look in Deng Jie's eyes, which seemed genuine, he suppressed his doubts and said to Deng Jie, "Thank you for passing on this, Madam! It is Yu who is not fortunate enough to have this!"
After saying this, he left in a huff, and Zhang Fei pulled Liu Bei along to follow him out of the crowd.
Guan Yu recalled that he had glimpsed a wooden box on Cao Cao's desk in the camp, which seemed to contain his jade pendant.
At the time, he believed that Deng Jie had handed it over to Cao Cao, but he thought that he had already asked for favors in advance, so it shouldn't be like this.
But now that I think about it... if Deng Jie really did convey the message, then it must have been Guo Fengxiao who did it.
These strategists from aristocratic families are the most wicked. He must have tricked Du into being given to Cao Cao by using his own wife... How utterly hateful!
Once the affairs of Xiapi were settled, Cao Cao ordered Man Chong to take charge of the aftermath and the resettlement of the relocated people.
Lady Du, relying on her newfound favor, demanded favors from Cao Cao, allowing Deng Jie to ride back with her, which put Guo Jia at ease.
Chen Qun was recruited into Cao Cao's household, and naturally his whole family moved to Xuchang with him.
Upon returning to Xuchang, Xun Yu led his civil and military officials to welcome Cao Cao's triumphant return outside the city.
Chen Qun, with the bearing of a nobleman and proper demeanor, was grateful for Cao Cao's kindness. However, when he saw Guo Jia shamelessly chatting and laughing among Xun Yu and Cao Cao, he couldn't help but put on a stern face again.
He stepped forward and addressed the crowd and Cao Cao in a loud voice: "My lord, I have something to say that I must say!"
Everyone was taken aback. How could this young master have something he couldn't help but say so soon after arriving?
Cao Cao was not annoyed by this, and gestured for him to speak frankly.
"My lord, although the Guo family's chief minister and his wife secretly entered Xiapi and carried out a dangerous thievery, which was a great achievement, it was ultimately inappropriate to have a woman accompany the army and participate in confidential and dangerous matters."
Placing women and children in dangerous places with weapons is not the act of a gentleman, and this trend must not be allowed to continue!
The group earnestly requests Your Excellency to issue a stern rebuke and set the record straight!
If Cao Cao had said this under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have cared. But today was the day of their triumphant return, and everyone was worried that his impetuousness would displease Cao Cao, so they all stepped forward to speak up for him and make amends.
Cao Cao paused for a moment, then looked at Guo Jia with a hint of amusement, laughed heartily, and patted Chen Qun on the shoulder: "Changwen! Well said! These words are exactly what I was thinking!"
He turned to the crowd and first affirmed Chen Qun: "What Chen Changwen said is absolutely right! This is the dignity of the gentry and the basic principles of human relations!"
Then, he changed the subject and looked at Guo Jia with admiration in his eyes: "Fengxiao's trip was dangerous and overstepped the bounds, but his courage, wisdom and loyalty are unparalleled in this era!"
"Without the couple's deep penetration into the heart of the enemy's lair, and with the cooperation of you all, Changwen, how could our army have breached this fortified city so swiftly?"
He raised his hand to comfort the crowd: "You two are both my pillars of support, and I am deeply comforted by your kindness!"
Upon hearing this, everyone clapped and praised him, which made Chen Qun look good.
Guo Jia watched Chen Qun's humiliated expression and secretly rejoiced.
Chen Qun opened his mouth, but in the end could only cup his hands and say, "Your Excellency is wise, I... I misspoke."
Xun Yu approached slowly and sighed softly, "Changwen has just arrived in Xudu... don't be impatient."
Deng Jie rode in the same carriage with Du Shi into the city. It was the first time that the whole city had been watching them, and she felt a little embarrassed. She whispered to Du Shi, "If I had known... I should have asked Shen Ge for a ride."
But Madam Du took her hand and said, "What's there to be ashamed of? You've done a great service this time, so you deserve this."
Sure enough, the story of "the chief priest and his wife breaking through the city" spread wider and wider in Xudu, becoming more and more outrageous.
Storytellers gradually emerged in the streets, embellishing hearsay and portraying the two as divine beings descending from the heavens, an unparalleled couple of heroes, which became a popular topic of conversation in Xuchang.
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