Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Cao Cao suddenly turned around, his slender eyes fixed on Cheng Yu, so fixedly that Cheng Yu's heart trembled, and he felt a burst of panic, subconsciously lowering his head.

After a moment, Cao Cao said leisurely.

“When heroes rise together, how can there be no Cao Mengde?

To achieve great order, one must go through great chaos. Zhongde.”

Cheng Yu hurriedly stepped forward to respond.

“Here.”

Cao Cao turned around, his back to Cheng Yu, and said. “Troops will be sent out in early March next year, and all money and food will be handed over to you for collection.”

Cheng Yu's heart stirred upon hearing this.

Compared with the "Lieutenant General Who Excavates Graves" established by grave robbing, Cao Cao did not explicitly agree to the plan to collect military rations, nor did he give Cheng Yu any official position.

Grave robbing is contrary to moral ethics, but there have been precedents for this kind of thing since the pre-Qin period.

It's just that in the past, they were all done secretly and privately, completely unlike Cao Cao, who directly established official positions and planned to standardize, expand, and strengthen the practice.

However, as long as there is a precedent to follow, it is not a big deal.

Compared with obtaining a large amount of money, Cao Cao is not afraid of tarnishing his reputation.

However, the plan for collecting military rations offered by Cheng Yu is completely different. Once this kind of thing becomes known, Cao Cao may be condemned by thousands of people and abandoned by the world.

Therefore, Cheng Yu's collection of military rations will not have any written orders, nor will it confer any official positions related to it.

In other words, once this matter is leaked and causes an uproar, Cao Cao is already prepared to deny it and abandon Cheng Yu.

All are temporary projects privately carried out by Cheng Yu, and have nothing to do with Boss Cao.

It's not that Cheng Yu doesn't know the pros and cons, but Cheng Yu also knows that his background is weak, and his ability is not as good as Xun Wenruo, Xun Gongda, and others.

If you want to get ahead, the best way is to be a lone minister.

Contrary to the general perception that Cao Cao is a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, Cheng Yu had long seen that Cao Cao was a treacherous and ambitious person, and a wise ruler who could tolerate himself.

“Yu, accepts the order!”

Cheng Yu responded in a deep voice.

This made Cao Cao's face show a bit more smile, and he turned around and personally helped Cheng Yu, who was saluting, up, and said.

“Zhongde has not been in Qingzhou for long, could it be that you have not purchased a house?”

“Not yet.”

“Cao has a good mansion in the city, which can just be used for Zhongde to settle down.” Cao Cao smiled.

Cheng Yu did not refuse at all, but directly agreed.

“Thank you, Lord, for the generous reward.”

Cao Cao pondered slightly, then continued.

“Moreover, Zhongde, as the Lieutenant General Who Excavates Graves, must put a lot of effort into coordinating the visits to the sages. If there is any gain, Zhongde might as well take 10% for yourself.”

Ten percent?

At this moment, Cheng Yu was indeed a little surprised.

Ten percent seems like not much, but Cheng Yu only needs to come up with a plan and bear the infamy. In reality, the ones who will actually dig are the trusted soldiers under Cao Cao's command.

This 10% is probably a heavy reward to win over Cheng Yu to collect military rations.

However, this is enough to show Cao Cao's generosity in rewarding him.

Cheng Yu gritted his teeth slightly and said in a low voice.

“Lord, I have another plan.”

At this moment, listening to Cheng Yu uttering these words, Cao Cao's first reaction was not joy, but a feeling of palpitations.

Cao Cao was silent for two full breaths before asking in a low voice.

“What other brilliant plan does Zhongde have?”

“This plan can allow the Lord to obtain large tracts of prosperous land without competing with the unparalleled Marquis Lu Bu, and perhaps even form a tripartite alliance with Yuan Shu and Lu Bu to contain Liu Bei and buy the Lord a lot of time.” Cheng Yu replied.

Cao Cao's eyes shone brightly upon hearing this.

Everything Cheng Yu said almost hit Cao Cao's concerns exactly.

Even though Cao Cao had already realized that Cheng Yu could not utter any good plans from his mouth, he was still moved and asked.

“Please tell me in detail, Zhongde.”

This time, the words reached Cheng Yu's lips, but he still swallowed them back. Under Cao Cao's eager gaze, he hesitated for a full five breaths before saying.

“Please come closer, Lord.”

Cao Cao hesitated for a moment upon hearing this before walking to Cheng Yu.

After Cheng Yu's mouth opened and closed beside Cao Cao's ear for a while, Cao Cao's expression suddenly changed drastically. Bursting with anger, he subconsciously pressed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist and shouted at Cheng Yu.

“Bold! You have sought your own death!”

Almost as soon as Cao Cao's words fell, the precious sword at his waist was already half unsheathed, and the killing intent in his eyes was almost undisguised.

Seeing that Cao Cao was about to slash at him with his sword, Cheng Yu made up his mind and shouted urgently.

“This is the best solution for the Lord at the moment, why not use it?”

“You?!”

Cao Cao pointed his sword directly at Cheng Yu, his eyebrows raised in anger, and shouted.

“Don’t you think that Cao is someone who would do that? I will never do this.”

“How can you achieve the hegemony that ordinary people cannot achieve if you cannot endure what ordinary people cannot endure?”

After a pause, Cheng Yu said.

“Yu joined the Lord's camp because I heard the Lord say: I would rather betray the people of the world than let the people of the world betray me. What I see today is that the Lord is probably saying one thing and doing another.”

“Are you seeking death?” Cao Cao shouted angrily.

Not only was Cheng Yu not afraid, but he raised his neck and said.

“If the Lord does not use my plan, he will surely be defeated by the enemy in the future. What difference does it make whether I die sooner or later?”

For a time, Cao Cao and Cheng Yu seemed to be in a stalemate, and they remained in a stalemate for a long time.

Cao Cao, who was originally full of anger, suddenly threw the sword pointing at Cheng Yu to the ground, turned his anger into joy, and took the initiative to cup his hands at Cheng Yu.

“I was not really angry. In fact, this plan is of great importance and cannot be implemented without a confidant. Therefore, I tested you. Please don't blame me, Zhongde.”

Cheng Yu quickly followed the steps with a look of fear and knelt directly in front of Cao Cao, shouting loudly.

“Cheng Yu's heart is not hindered by the benevolence of a woman, but he also knows the meaning of the word loyalty. The one who is loyal is only the Lord.”

“Good, good, good!”

Cao Cao quickly helped Cheng Yu up and then said gently.

“However, I still need to consider the plan just now. It is difficult to make a decision for a while.”

“Please, Lord… make a decision early.”

Cheng Yu said this.

Cao Cao also nodded with a slightly solemn expression before returning to the council hall with Cheng Yu to continue discussing various matters with the civil and military officials under his command.

Even though Cao Cao had already decided to use troops abroad in the spring of next year, before that, how to quickly control the remaining areas of Qingzhou, as well as how to restore the people's livelihood in Qingzhou as much as possible, recruit troops, build military equipment, and so on, still needed to be decided and arranged.

… …

At the same time that Cao Cao was gradually making up his mind, in Bohai Qinghe, across the Yellow River from Qingzhou.

Yuan Shao was also gathering the civil and military officials under his command to discuss matters, and what they were discussing was also the Battle of Jingzhou.

In this battle, the strength of the two sides was not very different, but the impact it produced was far-reaching, completely establishing the ownership of Jingzhou.

Even though Jizhou and Jingyang were separated by the entire Central Plains, Yuan Shao was still very concerned about this matter, and he specially brought it to the big tent for discussion.

Compared with Yuan Shao's heroic and noble spirit as the leader of the campaign against Dong Zhuo a few years ago, Yuan Shao today has lost more than three points in his physique.

Not only does Yuan Shao look much leaner, but there is also a resolute attitude in his words and actions, and his eyes seem to have a ray of light hidden and not emitted at all times.

(End of this chapter)