PFC Chapter 22 Mahjong
Chapter 22 Mahjong
"You treacherous Cao Cao, what sinister scheme are you plotting?"
Yuan Shu angrily pounded on the crenellations of the city wall, shouting curses in a fit of rage.
"Your Majesty," I say, "in my humble opinion, this is surely Cao Cao's tactic of harassing and weakening the enemy!"
"He had no real intention of attacking the city; he only wanted to use this method to keep our army running back and forth without rest, thereby eroding our morale and fighting spirit."
Yan Xiang reacted instantly and revealed Cao Jun's true intentions in one sentence.
Yuan Shu suddenly realized what was going on and immediately waved his hand, saying, "If that's the case, then we'll simply ignore Cao Cao's army no matter what they do, even if they beat their drums and gongs!"
"No!"
Yan Xiang immediately rejected the idea, speaking with a solemn expression: "If Cao Cao were to launch a real attack amidst his feigned attacks and harassment, our soldiers would not have time to climb the city walls and set up defenses, and the city would be captured by Cao Cao's army."
Qiao Rui also chimed in, "Minister Yan is absolutely right. In my opinion, it would be better to divide the soldiers into two shifts and have them take turns guarding the city walls."
"Hmm, this method is appropriate."
Yuan Shu nodded slightly, then sneered and said, "Cao Cao, do you think you can disturb my peace of mind with such underhanded and despicable means? I will remain unchanged and see what other tricks you can play!"
With the plan settled, Yuan Shu was completely relieved and turned back to the inner palace to indulge in pleasure.
On that day, Yuan's army in Shouchun City was divided into two groups, taking turns to guard the city and prepare for Cao's harassment.
...
Seven days later, in Cao Cao's army camp.
The night was dark.
Cao's soldiers had already assembled, and everyone was full of fighting spirit and surging blood.
"Yuan Shu, this game should end now. Tonight, I'm going to get serious with you."
Cao Cao let out a cold laugh, then shouted sharply, "Show me the tunnel!"
Cao Ang immediately issued a command, and the soldiers worked together to move a tent aside, revealing a tunnel entrance that was more than ten feet wide.
"Young Master's plan is truly ingenious. Yuan Shu was completely kept in the dark and had no idea that we had already dug a tunnel leading directly into Shouchun City."
Xi Zhicai couldn't help but praise Cao Ang repeatedly.
A hint of shame flashed in Cao Ang's eyes as he turned his gaze to Cao Cao beside him.
The father and son exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.
Only the father and son knew that the ingenious plan to breach the city was actually Gu Cheng's doing.
"Le Jin, let's set off immediately!"
Cao Cao shouted the order in a sharp voice.
Le Jin bowed and accepted the order, gripping his sword tightly, and was the first to leap into the tunnel.
Cao Cao turned his horse around, facing the direction of Shouchun City, and shouted sharply, "Once Yue Jin takes the city gate, the army will follow me and charge into Shouchun with all our might, capturing the traitor Yuan Shu alive!"
...
Inside the main hall of Yuan Shu's palace in Shouchun City.
Yuan Shu once again held a grand banquet in the palace, indulging in sensual pleasures and unrestrained revelry.
Having drunk seven-tenths of his fill, Yuan Shu's gaze fell directly on Qiao Rui, and he said with a beaming smile, "Qiao Qing, tonight I am in a rare good mood. Summon your two daughters to the palace to have a few drinks with me."
This is the second time in just a few days that he has urged the matter to be addressed.
Qiao Rui felt utterly helpless and could only make up another excuse, saying, "Your Majesty, my two daughters unfortunately ate something that upset their stomachs yesterday and have to stay in bed to rest. I'm afraid it's really—"
"Qiao Rui!"
Yuan Shu slammed his wine cup to the ground and roared, "My intention to take your daughter into the palace as a concubine is an immense favor to your Qiao family, yet you have repeatedly made excuses and refused. Do you even have any respect for me, the Son of Heaven?!"
Qiao Rui frowned deeply, her fists clenched tightly, but she stood there with her head down, saying nothing.
Yuan Shu abruptly stood up from his seat and shouted sternly, "Guards! Go to the Qiao residence immediately and forcibly bring the two Qiao sisters into the palace!"
Qiao Rui was suddenly jolted, never expecting Yuan Shu to be so tyrannical and domineering, trying to forcibly abduct his daughter to the palace.
He was both shocked and furious, standing there helplessly, unsure of how to respond.
At this critical moment.
The hall doors were suddenly pushed open, and Yan Xiang, his face ashen, staggered into the hall.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Cao Cao's army has captured the north gate and is storming into the city!"
Yan Xiang's voice was hoarse and dry as he spoke, then he knelt down and prostrated himself before Yuan Shu.
"What?"
Yuan Shu's face drained of color instantly, replaced by utter astonishment. His corpulent body slumped heavily back onto the dragon throne. "Minister Yan, what did you just say? That the North Gate has been breached by Cao Cao's army?"
"How exactly did Cao Cao's army breach the city? Why didn't the soldiers guarding the city walls send any warning signals?"
Qiao Rui's eyes were filled with disbelief and shock as she asked in a hoarse voice.
Yan Xiang spoke with a grave expression: "I don't know what cunning tricks Cao Cao's army used, but over a hundred men suddenly appeared from inside the city, seized the city gates in one fell swoop, and let the main force of Cao Cao's army outside the city in!"
Qiao Rui froze on the spot, her face filled with incredulous astonishment.
"That's absolutely impossible!"
Yuan Shu snapped out of his shock, jumped to his feet, and shouted angrily, "Cao Cao's army doesn't have wings, how could they possibly have entered Shouchun City silently? Absolutely impossible!"
"I truly cannot understand the reason behind this!"
Yan Xiang let out a long, sorrowful sigh, and then said, "But Cao's army has indeed already entered the city. Your Majesty, Shouchun City cannot be defended."
Yuan Shu slumped back onto the dragon throne, utterly dejected, muttering to himself, "Why? How did Cao Cao do it? Why...?"
Just then.
Yuan Shu's eyes narrowed suddenly, and his voice trembled as he spoke, "Could this be the work of that extraordinary strategist behind Cao Cao? Could it be that such a person, almost supernaturally intelligent, truly exists in this world?"
Yan Xiang suddenly realized what was happening, and a look of horror flashed across his face.
The emperor and his minister were instantly plunged into utter panic and confusion.
"Yuan Shu, you have finally reached the end of your rope. You were a foolish and tyrannical man, a licentious and lustful man throughout your life, and this end is entirely your own fault..."
Qiao Rui's mind raced, and a cold, sinister killing intent gradually flashed across her eyes.
In the blink of an eye.
He stepped forward, bowed, and said in a sharp voice, "No matter what method Cao Cao used to break through the city, the fall of Shouchun is a foregone conclusion. Please allow me to go immediately to prepare so that I can escort Your Majesty out of the city."
Yuan Shu snapped out of his daze and shouted urgently, "What are you still standing there for? Go and prepare immediately!"
"promise!"
Qiao Rui turned around and strode away without looking back.
Yuan Shu slumped back onto the dragon throne, feeling utterly exhausted. He picked up the wine jug and gulped down several mouthfuls of strong liquor, trying his best to calm his panicked mind.
The shouts of battle outside the palace grew closer and closer, clearly indicating that Cao Cao's army was approaching the palace, but Qiao Rui was nowhere to be seen.
"What on earth has Qiao Rui been doing? Why hasn't he come back to protect me and help me break through the encirclement?"
Yuan Shu, growing increasingly impatient, immediately roared in a fierce voice.
Just then, a royal guard rushed into the hall in a panic, shouting, "Your Majesty, General Qiao has forcibly taken the Imperial Seal and fled the palace alone!"
"What?"
Yuan Shu suddenly jumped to his feet and shouted angrily, "What exactly does Qiao Rui want to do? Where is he going to take my Imperial Seal?"
"Your Majesty!"
Yan Xiang instantly snapped out of his daze and let out a long, bitter sigh: "Qiao Rui saw that all was lost, so he betrayed His Majesty, stole the Imperial Seal, and fled for his life alone!"
boom!
Yuan Shu was struck as if by a thunderbolt from the heavens; his mind went completely blank, and he slumped down, completely paralyzed.
He sat there in a daze for a long time before finally recovering from his extreme shock.
After regaining his composure, Yuan Shu immediately burst into a tirade of grief and indignation: "Qiao Rui, you disloyal and treacherous villain, even you dare to betray me—"
Looking at Yuan Shu, who was acting like a madman and hysterical man, Yan Xiang could only raise his head and let out a long, sorrowful sigh.
In the brief moment of Yuan Shu's hysterical outburst, Cao Cao's army had already breached the palace gates and stormed into the imperial palace.
Bang!
With a deafening crash, the hall doors were violently slammed open.
Le Jin, Li Dian, Xiahou Yuan, and other fierce generals of Cao Cao's camp led thousands of Cao Cao's elite troops and swarmed into the main hall.
Cao Cao rode his famous horse, Jueying, with a long sword in his hand, and strode into the hall with a proud posture.
"Cao...Cao Aman!"
Yuan Shu's face was contorted in pain as he forced out the three words, one by one, through clenched teeth.
Cao Cao pointed his riding whip at the enemy and shouted sharply, "Yuan Shu, you have presumptuously declared yourself emperor, committing the heinous crime of treason! I am here on the Emperor's orders to punish this traitor, and today I will execute you on the spot, you rebellious minister!"
Yuan Shu was filled with hatred and shame. He sat stiffly on the dragon throne, unable to utter a single word.
"Guards, drag this traitor away and behead him on the spot!"
Cao Cao was too lazy to waste any more words on him and immediately gave the order to kill him in a cold voice.
The Tiger Guards on either side immediately swarmed forward, dragged Yuan Shu off the dragon throne, ripped off his dragon robe, and pulled him out of the hall.
"Cao Cao, you disgraceful descendant of a eunuch! My Yuan family has held high office for four generations, a distinguished and illustrious lineage. You are not worthy to kill me!"
"You traitor Cao, one day Yuan Shao will unify Hebei and sooner or later march south to wipe you out. I will be waiting for you in the afterlife—"
The hysterical shouting gradually faded away and eventually disappeared completely.
Cao Cao's gaze fell on Yan Xiang, and he said in an icy tone, "Yan Xiang, you are a capable man, but unfortunately you followed the wrong traitor, Yuan Shu. Today, I have no choice but to send you on your way!"
The Tiger Guards on either side immediately surrounded them menacingly.
"Lord Cao!"
Yan Xiang's face was full of sorrow. He bowed and said, "I know I will die today. I only beg you, Lord Cao, to let me die knowing why I died."
Cao Cao nodded slightly.
Yan Xiang immediately asked, "I still can't figure out how Cao Cao's men managed to sneak into Shouchun City so quietly."
Cao Cao said calmly, "It's very simple. I ordered my men to dig a tunnel that secretly leads directly into the interior of Shouchun City."
"typical?"
Yan Xiang's eyes were full of suspicion, and he asked with confusion, "We clearly buried hundreds of large vats around the city to listen for any sounds, so why didn't we detect the slightest movement?"
Cao Cao let out a cold laugh: "Every hour, I order people to beat drums and gongs around the city. It would be strange if you could even detect the noise."
Yan Xiang was jolted awake, and in an instant, he realized what had happened, falling into a state of utter shock and disbelief.
Much later.
"I never expected that Cao Cao would use such a method to dig a tunnel without anyone knowing."
Yan Xiang's face was full of admiration, but he couldn't help but ask, "Such a brilliant and unparalleled plan could not possibly have been conceived by Cao Cao's strategists. Could it be that the reclusive mastermind with such ingenious schemes, as rumored in the streets, is actually real?"
Cao Cao merely sneered and did not reply, but simply raised his hand and brandished the horsewhip in his hand.
The Tiger Guards on either side immediately stepped forward and escorted Yan Xiang out of the main hall.
"Cao Mengde, you are truly blessed to have such extraordinary talents assisting you; the world is destined to fall into your hands..."
Just before being led out of the main hall, Yan Xiang let out a bitter laugh filled with endless sorrow.
Cao Cao flicked his sleeves, turned around, and shouted sternly, "Send Yuan Shu's head to Xuchang to present to the Emperor, and proclaim to the world that the traitor Yuan Shu has been executed and beheaded!"
"promise!"
Cao Cao's soldiers responded with a resounding shout.
...
In the northern part of Xia Cai City, in Gu Cheng's residence.
The sound of shuffling cards echoed continuously in the quiet courtyard.
Diao Chan, Cao Jie, and Zhou Tai were sitting around a stone table in the courtyard.
The three of them looked at each other blankly as Gu Cheng neatly arranged the small squares engraved with words into four square walls.
"Today I'm going to teach you how to play something called Mahjong."
Gu Cheng chuckled as he played with two dice in his hand.
"Mahjong?"
The three looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.
"That's right, this thing is called mahjong."
Gu Cheng nodded and said with a serious expression, "Don't underestimate this mahjong. The knowledge hidden in it is no less than that of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. You must listen carefully as I explain the rules to you."
In the following time, Gu Cheng enthusiastically and patiently taught the three of them the rules of mahjong.
The rules of mahjong are not complicated. The three of them can understand it quickly and learn it in no time. Before long, they can get together and start playing.
"Six of Bamboo, I win!"