The next morning, Xin Pi opened the city walls to welcome the Han army into the city, and the people lined the streets to greet them, all wanting to catch a glimpse of Sleeping Dragon.
When he arrived at the government office, Zhuge Liang ordered people to issue a notice to reassure the people, and still appointed Xin Pi as the prefect of Xingyang. He held a banquet in the government office to celebrate the success, entertain officials of all ranks, and appease the people.
Xin Pi said: "Cao's army suffered a defeat in Guanzhong, and the military advisors launched a surprise attack on Henan. Now Luoyang is empty. Why not take advantage of the situation and defeat it in one fell swoop?"
Zhuge Liang said: "Zhong Yuanchang is also a loyal and good man. He helped the emperor in times of danger and traveled between the two capitals, always with unwavering determination. If we can follow the trend and take the Eastern Capital, we can rectify the court and continue the fortune. This is the right time to continue the Han Dynasty and restore the rule of heaven. With Zhong Gong's wisdom, how could he not know this?"
Xin Pi said: "Zhong Yao is highly regarded by Cao Cao, and I don't know what his intentions are. Xu Huang has already retreated to Hedong. If the military advisor wants to persuade him to surrender, he should have sent someone to deliver a letter earlier."
Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "I have already sent people to Luoyang. Even if Zhong Yao hesitates, how can Xiahou Mao defend Tongguan with nearly 200,000 troops from Guanzhong? If Tongguan is lost, Xu Huang's remaining troops will be cut off by me and there will be no way to save the situation."
Xin Pi also knew that the Han army was unstoppable in the current situation, so he asked, "Since Luoyang is in our hands, does the military advisor intend to take Xuchang?"
"Guan Du!" Zhuge Liang's eyes were slightly stern, and he said slowly: "In the past, Cao Cao defeated the strong with the weak, and won a great victory at Guan Du. Now I will fight at Guan Du again. This is also Cao's destiny!"
…
To the east of Luoyang City, the Western Garden of the Imperial City was originally the location of the Imperial Garden. Cao Cao ordered the construction of a Danqing Terrace, pavilions with flowing water and blooming flowers, specifically for the enjoyment of calligraphers and painters and literati.
In an octagonal pavilion in the center of the lake, Zhong Yao stood with a pen in his hand, looking melancholy. He was thinner than when he was in Chang'an, with dishevelled hair and beard, and even a little haggard.
There is a piece of Yellow River bluestone here. Zhong Yao would come here every day to dip his pen in water and practice calligraphy. A few months ago, he integrated seal script and official script into one, and suddenly he had an inspiration. While he was practicing, news came from Guanzhong, which made him uneasy.
The feeling of being on the verge of doing something but not knowing where to start made him almost crazy.
It's like having to pee urgently, unzipping your pants, but being unable to pee. It's also like having sex with your concubine every day, but never being able to satisfy yourself.
After returning to Luoyang, Zhong Yao heard that Taoist priest Zuo Ci was quite effective, so he went to Shaoshi Mountain in person to ask for divination and inquire about the matter of offspring.
Zuo Ci hinted that he was going against the will of heaven and had entrusted his trust to the wrong person, and that this was a punishment from the underworld. If he could not accumulate more good deeds or return to the right path, he would be doomed to have no descendants.
This sign was like a huge rock pressing on Zhong Yao's heart, making him unhappy all day long and even giving up his hard work every night. Since all his efforts were fruitless, why bother wasting his energy and getting so tired that he had backache, dizziness and blurred vision
Just as he was lamenting that he had accomplished nothing, his personal soldier suddenly ran in quickly and reported loudly to the flower bed that Xingyang had been lost and the Jingzhou army was heading towards Hulao Pass.
Snap—
Zhong Yao trembled all over, dropped the pen in his hand, pointed outside and shouted: "Quick, hurry up and urge Xu Gongming to come!"
After the fall of Xingyang, Luoyang was attacked from both sides. It would be difficult to defend it relying only on Hulao Pass and Hangu Pass. Guanzhong had been lost. If Zhuge Liang conquered Yanzhou, Luoyang would become an isolated city. At this time, only Xu Huang could return to the city as soon as possible to save the defeat.
He hurried back to the government office, where all the officials were already present. The news from Guanzhong had already made everyone feel uneasy, and now that Xingyang had been lost, they suddenly felt that a crisis was imminent.
Although Zhong Yao was anxious, he steadied himself when he reached the door, walked in slowly, and said to everyone: "Hulao Pass is heavily guarded, don't worry, Xu Huang will lead his troops to Luoyang soon. When the army arrives, you can send troops together with Zhang Liao, attack from both sides, and stabilize the Central Plains in one fell swoop."
Everyone then breathed a sigh of relief. Zhong Yao comforted them for a while and ordered them to do their job, calm people's hearts and not cause trouble.
The next day, he ordered people to inquire about the news in Xingyang. After Zhuge Liang captured Xingyang, he did not rush to advance. Instead, he took over the counties in Henan, issued notices to reassure the people, and publicized the new policies in Jingzhou. The people were all happy.
Upon hearing the news, Zhong Yao frowned. If Zhuge Liang urgently sent troops to attack Hulao Pass, the two armies would be in a stalemate, and the people would be resentful, and he could take the opportunity to counterattack. In this way, he could win the hearts of the people and advance step by step, which would be a big threat.
Just as he was thinking about how to break the impasse, his family came to report that someone wanted to see him. Zhong Yao took the visiting card and saw that the handwriting looked very familiar. His heart skipped a beat and he asked in a lost voice, "Who is it?"
"It is Young Master Changqian."
Zhong Yao's face changed slightly, and he hurriedly ordered: "Please go to the Qingluan Pavilion in the backyard immediately, and don't let others see you."
After the general left, Zhong Yao picked up the letter and read it carefully again. He shook his head unconsciously and said, "Hiss—this boy's handwriting is exactly the same as Wen Ruo's. It's amazing!"
The visitor was Xun Yu's eldest son Xun Yun. Although Zhong Yao was surprised by his arrival, he was even more shocked by the words on the visiting card.
If we talk about the current calligraphy attainments, apart from the predecessor Cai Yong, there are very few who can compare with Zhong Yao. Trying to deceive him in handwriting is tantamount to showing off one's skill in front of an expert.
In order to trick Xu Shu into coming to Xuchang, Cheng Yu imitated Xu Shu's mother's handwriting. Cao Cao and others thought that the handwriting was so good that it could be mistaken for the real thing. They even sent someone to deliver the book to Chang'an and asked Zhong Yao to identify it. Zhong Yao could tell at a glance that the handwriting was an imitation.
But the handwriting on Xun Yun's visiting card was exactly the same as Xun Yu's, without any trace of difference. How could Zhong Yao not be shocked
He walked quickly to the secret room and saw Xun Yun dressed in blue, dressed like a Taoist priest. After greeting him, he did not bother to ask about his purpose. He pointed at the letter and said, "My dear nephew, your calligraphy is amazing. It is exactly the same as Wen Ruo's, as if it were his own. I wonder what you think of it. I hope you can teach me."
"This..." Xun Yun was surprised, and hurriedly bowed and said, "I have been taught a lot by my uncle in calligraphy, but I have not yet learned the basics. How dare I show off my skills in front of an expert?"
"What about this?" Zhong Yao looked at the letter again, but still couldn't tell the difference. He couldn't help but doubt himself, "Could it be that I am old and my eyesight is blurry, and I read the handwriting wrongly?"
After looking at it carefully for a while, not only did the words seem unfamiliar, but it also didn't look like Xun Yu's handwriting.
He sighed and put the letter down, motioned Xun Yun to sit down again, collected his thoughts and asked, "My dear nephew, why did you dress up like this and come to Luoyang when you are not at home to observe mourning?"
Xun Yun clasped his fists and said, "I am here to advise my uncle to understand current affairs and not follow in my father's footsteps."
"What did you say?" Zhong Yao had just calmed down when he heard the words. He stood up suddenly, stared at Xun Yun and said in a deep voice: "How dare you teach me how to do things?"
"I dare not!" Xun Yun clasped his fists and said, "My uncle just said that my handwriting is exactly the same as my father's. Have you ever thought that this is not just my own experience, but there is another hidden reason?"
"Is there something else going on?" Zhong Yao was slightly startled, and snorted coldly: "There are countless people in the world who imitate other people's handwriting and make it look real, but don't even think about escaping my eyes. The handwriting in this book is as vigorous and elegant as the text. There are only a handful of people who can reach this level, unless..."
"You mean..." At this point, Zhong Yao's face suddenly changed, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Where is Wen Ruo?"
Xun Yun took out two more letters and handed them over: "Uncle, read this book and you will know the answer."
Zhong Yao hurriedly took them and saw that one was from Xun Yu and the other was from Zhuge Liang. He murmured, "So that's how it is, it's really like that..."