The Three Kingdoms began with island farming

Chapter 540 Yuan Cao's Question
The late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period was a very exciting era.

But for the people living in this era, it is like purgatory.

Facing such powerful men and heroes as Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and Liu Bei, Tian Ze's attitude was quite complicated.

Both admire and hate.

Because of their existence, countless people were displaced and countless young people died on the battlefield.

Tian Ze had thought about it countless times and wanted to end this internal strife from bottom to top, which should have ended long ago.

But after careful consideration, he denied this decision countless times.

Different positions have different stances.

If he just wanted to stabilize the Central Plains, Tian Ze could have directly captured Liu Bei and others, regardless of their life or death.

But if he wanted to lead the Han people out, Tian Ze would have to consider the gains and losses from a larger perspective and leave Liu Bei and others behind.

From Tian Ze's perspective, human life is just a number and can only be a number.

What Tian Ze considered more was how to minimize the loss of this number and make the lost number more valuable.

If Liu Bei and others were taken down directly from the bottom up, would Liu Bei and his civil and military officials surrender?

Even if they surrender, will they go to war against foreign enemies without hesitation like Gongsun Zan and others?
Even if a drowning person cannot swim, he will not stop struggling until he dies. Their identities and their character are destined, and they will not be content until they fail completely.

In troubled times heroes emerge.

Talent, in addition to one's own natural endowment, also requires the right time and resources to cultivate.

Liu Bang was able to attract a large group of kings, princes, generals and top talents from the mere Pei County.

It’s not because all the talented people in the world happen to gather here, but because they are outstanding in themselves, and they have been honed and trained.

Both are indispensable.

Rotten mud cannot be propped up on a wall, but good materials also need to be polished and processed before they can become beautiful jade.

Many of the people in high positions under Tian Ze were originally prominent figures in history.

It's not because these are the only heroes in the world, but Tian Ze has determined through history that these characters are highly malleable and have a high probability of being trained and are worthy of training, so he pays special attention to them and invests a lot of resources in them.

With sufficient resources, they can stand out faster, and the two complement each other.

Similarly, Tian Ze also viewed the princes such as Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and Liu Bei in the same way.

Each of them was trained after experiencing countless hardships and wars, and countless civilians were killed and injured.

Among these, no victory or failure was in vain, and they all made them who they are today.

Therefore, in Tian Ze's eyes, the value of Liu Bei and his civil and military officials is no less than that of millions of people.

The cost of cultivating such a person again is too high. Not only does he lack the tempering of troubled times, but he also does not have enough energy, and he may not necessarily become a talent.

Therefore, Tian Ze had a relatively high tolerance for these princes, and even allowed Liu Bei to be moderately "willful".

Because he knew what Liu Bei wanted.

The Han Dynasty has nurtured scholars for four hundred years, and there are too many people who live off the Han salary.

Even though the Great Qi is now prosperous, many people are still unwilling to serve, preferring to live in seclusion in the mountains or stay at home.

There are many capable people among these people, and it would be a shame to waste them like this. It would be fine to pack them up and give them to Liu Bei to take away. Anyway, the meat will rot in his own pot.

In the quiet room, Tian Ze, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao sat opposite each other.

Jia Xu quietly brewed tea and served it to the three of them. Tian Ze picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then smiled at the two of them: "Benchu, Mengde, long time no see."

Yuan Shao said with a complicated expression: "I never thought we would meet again so soon, and in this situation."

"Yes!" Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh.

"Who would have thought that in just a few short years, this chaotic world would be over."

If there had not been the butterfly Tian Ze, the world would still be divided into pieces today. Cao Cao had just unified the Central Plains, Yuan Shao had just pacified Hebei, and other states were still independent.

But now it's all over.

"The Central Plains is too small, it's a good thing to end it early. We still have a lot of things to do." Tian Ze said calmly.

He did not regard Yuan Shao and Cao Cao as his subordinates, nor did he intend to humiliate them with his status.

These two are both outstanding people of the time. Although they admitted defeat, they still have their integrity. There is no need for them to act superior because of so-called prestige.

All great talents are like wild horses, difficult to tame, and need to be treated with sincerity.

Tianze could accommodate mountain hermits like Sima Hui, let alone capable ministers like Cao Cao.

Tian Ze spoke slowly in a friendly tone: "Benchu, Mengde, this world is huge! It's bigger than you can imagine."

"The reason why the Central Plains is so rich is because of the thousands of years of cultivation and management by us Han people."

"But outside, there are also vast fertile lands and abundant resources. As long as there are people, we can create one, two, or even ten Central Plains."

"Although the Great Qi is powerful, it cannot reach such a distant territory. Therefore, I need you to help me measure the world for the Han people."

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao fell silent for a moment after hearing this. They looked at each other, and saw shock and thought in each other's eyes.

"Two questions." Yuan Shao said in a low voice.

"But it doesn't matter."

"How can you be sure of our loyalty? What should we do if we counterattack your State of Qi in the future?" Yuan Shao asked.

Although the jade talisman in his hand has a certain effect, Yuan Shao believes that it is not unbreakable.

Once the foundation is solid, he can train new successors and a team of civil and military officials. Tian Ze will not be able to control them forever.

"I only need your temporary loyalty. In a sense, I don't even need your loyalty." Tian Ze said calmly.

"The Han Dynasty fell after 400 years. How long can the Qi Dynasty last?"

"Not to mention that the place where you will be stationed in the future is very far away from my Great Qi. It is not difficult to attack, but it is difficult to start a war to destroy the country."

"If one day you can bring your troops to the city, it means that Da Qi is rotten to the core. Even if it is gone, it doesn't matter."

"It's a terrible thing to have no enemies. Without external troubles, there will be internal troubles. Your threats may make Da Qi prosper for a longer time."

Listening to Tian Ze's open-minded words, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao couldn't help but admire him.

At this moment, they deeply admired the vision and mind of the person in front of them.

Some things sound righteous and easy to say.

But who in this position would be willing to give his former rival a chance to climb to a position close to his own? Who would have the courage to do this to nurture an enemy?

"The second question is, why did you choose to let us go? What are you in such a hurry for?" Yuan Shao asked.

"Or, what are you worried about?" Cao Cao added.

(End of this chapter)