"What has Lu Ming been up to lately?"
Cao Cao pulled himself out of his thoughts and turned to ask his advisor, Xi Zhicai.
This was a strategist he had painstakingly recruited, but now that he occupied Yan Province, internal affairs were still unresolved—too many problems.
The Yellow Turban rebels in Yan Province were numerous, and coupled with the inability to completely eradicate them, his abilities were now somewhat hampered.
"It's said they've marched into Yizhou. If that's true, then at least for the next three to five years, Lu Ming won't pose a threat to us. The first obstacle is the Emperor; once he leaves Hangu Pass to the east, he'll inevitably pass through Luoyang. Although the princes may respect the Emperor, if he's suddenly assassinated, they'll have a reason to rise up and attack him. Lu Ming is a meticulous man; he wouldn't do something so irrational." "The matter is this."
"Secondly, he could bypass Luoyang, but that would mean facing the devastated Jingzhou and the Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes. In any case, he wouldn't choose to march east out of Hangu Pass. Jingzhou is a battleground on all sides; taking it would only provoke other warlords. Therefore, my lord, do not worry."
Xi Zhicai, as expected of a renowned strategist, was able to analyze the situation based solely on geographical location and some intelligence.
This is a normal understanding, because even if Lu Ming rashly conquered Jingzhou, he would be surrounded by Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shu to the south, Liu Bei to the east, and Zhang Xiu, Kong Rong, Yuan Shao, and Han Fu to the north—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was besieged on all sides.
In fact, Lu Ming had no such intention. He was currently preoccupied with solving the miasma problem, then planning to march into the south, pacify the region in one fell swoop, and seize Zhu Rong to be his wife, to be ruthlessly raped and tormented. He had no time to venture east beyond Hangu Pass.
Wouldn't it be better for him to remain an observer, watching the warlords fight to the death?
That was the logic, but Cao Cao was extremely suspicious, so he still had some reservations.
"In that case, we must capture Puyang and take Wuzhou. Once we take Wuzhou, we'll have a foothold. Puyang is a major commercial city and can provide some funds."
Cao Cao looked at the extremely rudimentary map, far inferior to the refined and clear one in Lu Ming's hands.
As a powerful warlord, Cao Cao astutely seized the opportunity.
If he doesn't develop quickly now, the future is uncertain.
With the collapse of the rites and music system, the future certainly won't belong to the Liu family anymore; he must prepare early.
Moreover, it's also to avenge Lu Ming, who dared to seize his family; this is a grudge he won't let slip!
Having set his goal, Cao Cao began mobilizing provisions and training his army, preparing for another battle.
The last campaign against Xuzhou was also for food and money; this is a good opportunity to replenish his losses.
Chenliu alone is completely insufficient to support his army's size; therefore, he must expand his territory.
Meanwhile, Sun Ce is still serving under Yuan Shu.
Both Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao had been taken by Lu Mingshi, leaving Sun Ce without wives.
Moreover, his father had been brutally murdered by Huang Zu, and he felt obligated to return for revenge.
However, he had only a few soldiers and no territory. He couldn't return to Changsha and was forced to rely on Yuan Shu.
Without the Imperial Seal of the State, Sun Ce couldn't borrow provisions or troops from Yuan Shu.
In fact, due to continuous battles, Sun Jian's remaining army was reduced to only four or five thousand, and they were suffering heavy losses.
That day, Yuan Shu summoned Sun Ce.
"Sun Ce, I have a task for you. Escort my daughter to Chang'an. You must handle this personally."
Yuan Shu glanced at the letter in his hand, not even looking up. This showed a complete lack of basic respect.
Sun Ce was indignant. Not even addressing him by his given name—what did this mean? Wasn't it prejudice?
"Yes, sir. When do we depart?"
"One month from now. I'm letting you know in advance. We need to escort some goods along. Study the itinerary carefully after you return, and then come back and let me know."
Yuan Shu waved his hand after speaking. With just a few simple words, he had deliberately called Sun Ce over, making him waste considerable time, and then quickly dismissed him. Was he playing with him?
Sun Ce was furious, but there wasn't much he could do, because that was just how his subordinate was.
He was merely dependent, not subservient, so Yuan Shu's treatment of him was somewhat reasonable—the very essence of it being reasonable.
Sun Ce returned to his camp, seething with anger, and began to drink in silence.
Ever since his father's death, he had become addicted to alcohol.
If his mother were still alive, she would have tried to dissuade him. Unfortunately, his mother had been kidnapped by Lu Ming, and her whereabouts were now unknown.
Huang Gai entered the tent and immediately smelled the strong odor of alcohol. Frowning, he asked, "Young Master, why are you drinking and making merry?"
"What? Can't I even have a little drink? I've fought so many battles, what's wrong with enjoying myself a bit! Humph, that scoundrel Yuan Shu said he wants me to escort his daughter and some belongings to Chang'an, and he even wants me to devise a safe plan. Gongfu, you and the others work on it, I'm going to sleep."
Sun Ce complained, but he was helpless. Without leverage, he was at the mercy of others.
Huang Gai shook his head, seeing the already unconscious Sun Ce, and didn't know what to say.
Northern Region.
Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan were plotting, each with their own desires.
Yuan Shao wanted Ji Province, while Gongsun Zan wanted You Province.
Furthermore, Liu Yu, a member of the Han imperial family, had recently been hostile towards them, simply because they had been granted the title of king by a different surname.
This was a grave taboo!
A non-Liu clan member becoming king would be met with universal condemnation.
If Liu Yu hadn't been weak, he would have already launched an attack!
Yuan Shao was confined to the Nanpi area, holding only the Bohai prefecture.
Although Liu Bei had withdrawn from Pingyuan to Xu Province, Yuan Shao had successfully sent envoys to accept Pingyuan Prefecture.
However, that place was inherently poor, merely a ferry crossing county, barely enough to make a living.
Therefore, Yuan Shao set his sights on Ji Province, intending to seize it without bloodshed through a combination of coercion, enticement, and persuasion.
Han Fu, the governor of Ji Province, was merely a weak and conservative figure, and also a protégé of Yuan Shao. With careful maneuvering, the victory was quite possible.
Historically, Yuan Shao did just that. By allying with Gongsun Zan, he mobilized Gongsun Zan's cavalry, creating the illusion of an attack on Ji Province.
He then had Han Fu invite him to garrison Ji Province, and then seized the province under cover of darkness.
This approach was far less risky than a direct attack on Ji Province!