Chapter 927: Cao Cao's Schemes

While Liu Bei and his forces were celebrating their great victory, and Ma Chao was excitedly challenging the top experts of the Central Plains, in Guanzhong, Cao Cao finally received news from the north: Yuan Shao was dead—the once mighty hero who had commanded the entire world had passed away.

Upon receiving this news, all of Cao Cao's civil and military officials gathered to await his orders.

"Benchu has died in battle..." Cao Cao said dejectedly. In this life, Yuan Shao had never shown any signs of decline. Even in front of Cao Cao, he was still a formidable force. But now, he was gone.

"My lord, our army is not fully prepared, but given the current situation, we must begin our preparations," Cheng Yu said, rising to speak immediately.

"No need for that. The Liu Bei army will halt its movements," Xun Yu, rarely speaking before the others, interrupted.

"Relying on others for everything is not a good strategy," Fan Qin said, frowning.

"No, on the contrary, if Liu Bei continues to expand, he will overextend himself. He needs to maintain internal stability. Even if Liu Bei fails to notice this, someone else will," Xun Yu said slowly. "However, we must speed up our own actions."

Xun Yu's calm demeanor reassured the others. Under Cao Cao’s command, Xun Yu was the one who provided the most confidence. As long as Xun Yu stood firm, Cao Cao's forces would always have the power to fight again.

Only Xun Yu himself understood that the Han dynasty's banner was gradually falling toward Liu Bei. If this continued, the Han dynasty he sought to preserve would be crushed by a new one.

The meeting on Cao Cao's side didn’t last long, with very few people even speaking before it ended. This was why Xun Yu usually refrained from speaking early—whenever he spoke, it was decisive.

"Wenruo, Gongda, the rest of you stay," Cao Cao said as the meeting ended, leaving Xun Yu and a few others behind. Fan Qin calmly left.

"Now that no one else is here, Wenruo, what is the best course of action for us to compete with Liu Bei?" Cao Cao asked, sitting casually behind his desk, looking at Xun Yu.

"We should first ally with the Yuan clan to curb Liu Bei’s growth. We must absorb both Yong and Liang provinces. Whether it’s the fierce warriors of Xiliang or formidable generals like Ma Chao and Pang De, we need them," Xun Yu said calmly. "To defeat Liu Bei, we need to unite all available strength."

"I’ll handle the negotiations with the Qiang people," Zhong Yao said with a smile. He had now entered Cao Cao’s highest decision-making circle and was deeply trusted by him. Zhong Yao, in turn, was awed by Cao Cao’s ambition and had fully aligned himself with him.

"We’re standing on the former territory of the Qin empire, which produced the fiercest soldiers in the land—warriors who fear neither death nor pain. But these soldiers need you, my lord, to awaken their spirit. If you can reinstate the twenty-rank system of nobility..." Chen Qun suggested, looking at Cao Cao.

If there was one area in which Chen Qun surpassed Xun Yu, it was in the realm of systems and institutions. But no one wanted to make such changes unless absolutely necessary, and now Cao Cao was nearly at that point.

Chen Qun no longer had many concerns. He didn’t need to bear the weight of his family name anymore. Though he didn’t want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that his cousin, Chen Xi, was so outstanding that it was hard to even look at him. The aura of the Chen family head had already faded from him.

"The strongest aspect of Liu Bei’s forces is their ample supply of money and grain. Whether it’s the newly acquired Ji Province and Yu Province or the long-held Qing Province and Xu Province, they’re all rich in grain. Liu Bei has always prioritized keeping his grain-producing areas intact, and his army is known for its speed," Xun You said slowly, glancing at Cao Cao with a trace of regret. They had once had an opportunity...

All wars in the later stages came down to money. Cao Cao’s pessimism about Yuan Shao had been based on his hope that Yuan could slow down Liu Bei, as Liu Bei had too much wealth!

Even though Cao Cao had consolidated the entire Yong and Liang provinces and had talented civil officials and formidable generals, he still couldn’t match Liu Bei’s economic might. Liu Bei’s financial power far exceeded that of all the other warlords combined, having control over five major grain-producing regions.

"We must prepare to send troops to Bing Province when necessary. At the very least, we must secure the land south and west of the Yellow River, even if it means clashing with the Xianbei earlier than planned," Cheng Yu said slowly. "In the name of the state, we will conquer these areas. They can submit, or they can die."

"We have no other choice," Du Xi, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. If they didn’t secure the Yellow River, Liu Bei’s power would become an enormous threat. As for the other areas, people thought taking Hangu Pass was a simple task, but it was not.

"Qiang, Xiongnu, and Xianbei—all must be dealt with in one go. We’ll resolve the Ma family and Han Sui along the way. Let’s give the Qiang a chance to rebel and see how the Ma family reacts!" Sima Lang said quietly, passing on advice given to him by his younger brother Sima Yi after learning of Yuan Shao’s death.

"Using Lu Bu’s strength? But doing so will put us at odds with the Yuan clan," Chen Qun said, frowning.

"No, this is exactly what we need. Right now, Yuan Tan would love to throw off that burden. His forces are already stretched too thin to maintain all their territories. With the long front line between him and Liu Bei, they need a huge amount of troops for defense. We can trade supplies for those territories," Xun Yu said slowly, having clearly decided to support Yuan Tan while secretly building up Cao Cao’s strength.

"If Yuan Tan withdraws, Lu Bu’s rear will be left exposed. No matter how powerful Lu Bu is, he won’t be able to fulfill his promises. Our presence will force him to rely on us," Cao Cao added, already seeing the possibility of bringing Lu Bu into his fold. The only obstacle remaining was Chen Gong, who was always a thorny issue.

"Gongtai won’t allow that to happen," Xun You said slowly. Chen Gong’s pride would never allow him to retrace his steps. Even if Cao Cao admitted his mistakes and gave Chen Gong a way out, he would rather die in defiance.

"Then we’ll fight. We cannot allow an adversary to remain behind us. But we’ll begin with diplomacy. We’ll make everything clear first!" Cao Cao’s face briefly showed a trace of bitterness before returning to his usual expression.

"There’s no other way. I hope Gongtai can understand," Sima Lang said with a bitter smile. "But if possible, I’d like to be the one to persuade him and Lu Bu. Even though I don’t particularly like Lu Bu, I have to admit that since he arrived in Bing Province, the raids from the Xianbei and Xiongnu have drastically decreased. My lord, please give me the chance to persuade him—not for his martial prowess, but for the sake of the people he has saved."

"Very well, Boda, you may go. If all goes well, Liu Bei’s forces won’t move until at least next April," Xun Yu said, after exchanging a glance with Cao Cao.

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