Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Chapter 593: Cao Boss's Entrepreneurship (Third Update)

Besides Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, Li Ji naturally kept a close eye on Cao Cao's movements.

However, because Cao Cao implemented a mandatory Tuntian system in his territory, sending any caught refugees to cultivate the land, it became quite difficult to insert spies into Qingzhou.

Nevertheless, through the spies that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had placed in Qingzhou in advance, as well as the intelligence from the Mi Clan Merchant Guild, the matter of a large number of Qingzhou's buried sages mysteriously disappearing could not be concealed.

Moreover, Cao Cao's grave-robbing business seemed to be booming too much, and it was quickly noticed by the Qingzhou aristocratic families.

In particular, the Kong family, as the leading prestigious clan in Qingzhou, was immediately enraged.

Among them, Kong Rong, who had been the Chancellor of the Beihai State, had been forcibly conquered by Cao Cao, and harbored much dissatisfaction with Cao Cao, who claimed to be the Governor of Qingzhou.

When Kong Rong learned that Cao Cao had acted without morality and laid his hands on their ancestors, he was even more furious, writing fourteen magnificent essays within seven days, scolding Cao Cao's ancestors for eighteen generations.

For a time, there was a chorus of condemnation against Cao Cao within Qingzhou.

To this, Cao Cao adopted a 'let them spit on my face and I'll wipe it dry' attitude, denying that he was the one opening the graves of the sages, while contacting various merchant guilds to sell all kinds of ancient and rare treasures.

After reviewing the latest intelligence about Qingzhou, Li Ji couldn't help but widen his eyes, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.

As Cao Cao began to sell off rare and ancient treasures in large quantities, the Kong family, while continuing to curse, had to buy back their ancestors' belongings at a high price in order to protect them.

Not only the Kong family, but also some other long-established Qingzhou aristocratic families did the same.

And in order to prevent Cao Cao from continuing to open the graves of their ancestors, the various aristocratic families in Qingzhou had begun to send people to guard the remaining intact ancestral tombs day and night.

"He actually… can scrape oil from the aristocratic families like this?"

With Li Ji's upbringing, he knew very well that this kind of thing was a collapse of etiquette, but he couldn't help but want to laugh inexplicably.

This grave-robbing business could be considered a successful entrepreneurial venture for Cao Cao.

Especially since tomb raiding was still a very niche thing in this era, many dukes and lords' families would not deliberately set up many protective mechanisms when they were buried.

Therefore, if any aristocratic family offended Cao Cao, I am afraid that not only would the living suffer, but even the ancestors underground would have their graves opened.

This was extremely brutal for the Han people who valued their ancestors.

This also caused Cao Cao's notoriety to skyrocket in Qingzhou for a time, and it seemed that the name "Cao the Thief" would soon overshadow "Family Slave with Three Surnames".

However, Cao Cao did indeed unearth many rare and precious items, and the wealthy Mi Clan Merchant Guild seemed to be Cao Cao's main channel for monetization.

With this thought, Li Ji got up and went to Mi Zhu, who was working in the Prefectural Governor's office, and asked Mi Zhu for a list of purchases from the Mi Clan Merchant Guild.

Li Ji glanced at it and found that in addition to antiques and rare treasures from the Qin and Han dynasties, the main items were a large number of bronzes from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

"Huh? Wait, what is this?"

Li Ji pointed to an item on the list and asked Mi Zhu.

"Who is responsible for this? Why is there a two-wheeled cart inside? And it's worth 500 gold?"

At this moment, Li Ji couldn't help but suspect that there was a figure of a Smith specialist among them.

Faced with Li Ji's questioning, Mi Zhu quickly took the list and looked at it, and couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Mi Zhu was shocked and quickly explained.

"Lord Marquis, please calm your anger, this matter is in charge of Zifang. It just so happens that Zifang is in the Prefectural Governor's office, I will call him to inquire about it."

Li Ji nodded slightly, signaling a minor official to find Mi Fang.

The former young man Mi Fang has become increasingly wealthy over the years as the person in charge of the Mi Clan Merchant Guild. He has a round belly and ran over panting.

After Mi Fang appeared, before Li Ji could speak, Mi Zhu took the lead and scolded him directly.

"Zifang, what's going on with that two-wheeled cart?"

"Two-wheeled cart?"

Mi Fang, who was about to salute Li Ji, was slightly stunned, and then said with a radiant face.

"That's a good thing, quite authentic. It's a bargain to buy it back for 500 gold."

These words made Mi Zhu half-dead with anger, and he was even more afraid that Li Ji would be angry because of this, so he quickly shouted.

"Explain to me immediately what the value of this thing is."

Mi Fang said excitedly.

"Brother, that is the two-wheeled cart of 'Sage of Strategies' Sun Bin, and it is quite well preserved, and it can even continue to seat people…"

After a pause, Mi Fang said with a bit of reverie on his face.

"Lord Marquis is already unparalleled in wisdom, if you were to sit on the two-wheeled cart once used by 'Sage of Strategies' Sun Bin and receive his blessing, wouldn't that be like adding wings to a tiger, invincible?"

…

Li Ji.

In these few moments, Li Ji opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping.

It was not yet certain whether the two-wheeled cart was the real thing used by Sun Bin, but Li Ji was indeed silenced by Mi Fang's remarks at this moment.

Mi Zhu's expression also changed very richly, and he almost passed out from being angered by his own brother.

People like Sun Bin rode in two-wheeled carts out of necessity. Now, preparing a two-wheeled cart for the Lord Marquis in advance, what's the difference between that and cursing the Lord Marquis?

"Lord Marquis, Zifang is just for a moment…"

Before Mi Zhu could quickly intercede for Mi Fang, Li Ji raised his hand to interrupt Mi Zhu, and then politely declined.

"Zifang is thoughtful, I appreciate your kindness. However, as for the things of the sages, what virtue and ability does Ji have to use them?"

After speaking, Li Ji comforted the somewhat disappointed Mi Fang in a gentle voice, and then left in a bit of a hurry.

At this moment, what Li Ji was thinking about was not how to use the things of the sages.

But he suddenly realized that with his current reputation and status, he was afraid that he would also be at risk of being grave-robbed after his death.

Thinking that perhaps the folding fan he was using or other personal belongings would also be dug out and used by thousands of people, Li Ji was somewhat numb.

This also made Li Ji understand why, after Cao Cao, there were more and more mechanisms in various large tombs, and they became more and more developed.

However, Li Ji did not intend to stop the relevant commercial activities of the Mi Clan Merchant Guild.

Because even if the Mi Clan Merchant Guild resisted, there would still be other merchants who would buy it and then resell it at a higher price to other aristocratic families, making a lot of money from it.

As long as there is demand, there will naturally be a market.

Only through these appearances did Li Ji clearly feel that Cao Cao was frantically accumulating money and food, intending to use troops against foreign enemies.

Otherwise, even if Cao Cao wanted to open graves of the sages to discover wealth, he would not be so blatant, even to the point of extorting oil from the Qingzhou aristocratic families.

And Cao Cao's direction of using troops…

Li Ji frowned and slowly slid the folding fan from Qingzhou to Yanzhou, pondering.

"The three families are fighting for the situation in Yanzhou? That's a bit wrong…"