Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 221 Everyone else asks for money and grain, but you, Cao Zian, ask for people the moment you open your mouth.

Three days later, Zhang Hong returned to Sun Ce's army.

When Sun Ce heard that Cao Cao was only willing to give him the titles of "Cavalry Commandant" and "Prefect of Kuaiji", he was so angry that his face turned red.

"You treacherous Cao Cao! I not only gave you 100,000 shi of grain, but also promised to help you eliminate Yuan Shu and other warlords. And all you gave me was a 'Cavalry Commandant' and the Governor of Kuaiji?" Sun Ce slammed his hand on the table in front of him, shattering it to pieces. He then stood up, pointed north, and angrily shouted, "Do you think I'm too young to be bullied? Why don't you try a one-on-one fight with me?!"

Sitting not far away, Zhou Yu sipped his wine and watched Sun Ce rage, still looking completely carefree.

After Sun Ce had vented his anger, Zhou Yu finally spoke up: "Brother, who do you want to duel with? Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, or Cao Yan?"

“Uh…” Sun Ce was taken aback by Zhou Yu’s retort. He glared at him irritably and replied, “Anyone can come. Do you think I, Sun Bofu, am afraid of them?”

"Those four are all renowned and fierce generals. Even Lü Bu suffered a great loss at their hands! Bo Fu, you must not be careless!!" Cheng Pu, the most senior and prestigious general in the army, advised.

Cheng Pu's intervention proved effective.

Sun Ce awkwardly touched his nose and sat back down. "Just kidding, General, please don't take it to heart."

Cheng Pu was both amused and exasperated. He could only give a few more words of advice, "Don't act impulsively," before retreating.

At this point, Zhang Hong had a chance to continue, saying, "Judging from Cao Cao's intentions, there should still be room for maneuver. However, Cao Cao and his advisors are all extremely shrewd and calculating individuals. They certainly won't give in unless they see concrete benefits."

Sun Ce was undecided and could only place his hopes on his good brother Zhou Yu.

"Gongjin, you should make a decision!" Sun Ce said, sounding somewhat aggrieved.

Seeing Sun Ce's appearance, Zhou Yu shook his head and laughed, "Raising prices on the spot and settling for less... Cao Cao clearly wants you, Bo Fu, to take Shouchun for him first, and then see if he can promote you. Why don't you help him take Shouchun first?"

Sun Ce's eyes widened as he asked, "What if I help him conquer Shouchun, but he refuses to give me the governorship of Yangzhou?"

Zhou Yu asked with a half-smile, "You really want to be the governor of Yangzhou?"

Sun Ce pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "I really want it!"

"Whoosh!" Zhou Yu suddenly threw the wine cup in his hand at Sun Ce.

"Didn't hit it, hehe!" Sun Ce nimbly dodged the wine cup and chuckled.

Cheng Pu and Huang Gai: "..."

"Who do you think Cao Cao is?" Zhou Yu sneered and said, "He will never give you the position of Governor of Yangzhou, otherwise wouldn't he be creating another great enemy for himself?"

Sun Ce then stopped smiling and asked with a serious expression, "Then what can I ask for?"

"In my opinion, Cao Cao will at most give you a general's position, and at most, a promotion in rank." It has to be said that Zhou Yu saw through Cao Cao and understood the current situation perfectly.

The reason why the Han Dynasty experienced periods of warlordism and the rise of numerous heroes in recent years was...
One major reason was that the governors were given the power to independently recruit soldiers and levy taxes, thus holding both military and political power, which directly fostered the foundation for separatism.

Sun Ce, you want the position of Governor of Yangzhou as soon as you arrive. Unless Cao Cao has lost his mind, he would never give the governorship to anyone else.

Of course, Cao Cao gave Liu Bei the title of "Governor of Qingzhou" in name only, since he wouldn't actually let Liu Bei go to Qingzhou. It was just talk, so there was no need to take it seriously...

But the situation is different for Sun Ce.

He already controls six counties in Jiangdong. If he were given the position of Governor of Yangzhou, he could rightfully take over Yuzhang County, Jiujiang County, and other places, becoming another powerful local warlord.

Sun Ce and Liu Bei were completely different in nature, so Cao Cao naturally treated them very differently.

Zhou Yu's words undoubtedly poured cold water on Sun Ce's plans.

Sun Ce had lost interest and asked Zhou Yu with a disgruntled expression, "If that's the case, why should I help Cao Cao attack Yuan Shu?"

"It still comes down to the same thing—everything is for the sake of legitimacy!" Zhou Yu patiently explained, "Only by obtaining a formal appointment from the imperial court can we rightfully occupy Jiangdong."

Bo Fu, only by first acquiring territory and population can we gradually grow stronger.

For the sake of your future grand ambitions, please be patient for now.

"Very well! I'll do as you say!" Sun Ce raised his hands in surrender and said to Zhang Hong, "Then I'll have to trouble Mr. Zigang to make another trip to Cao Cao's camp!"

Seeing Sun Ce back down, Zhang Hong couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Given the current situation, it would be unwise to fall out with Cao Cao. Sun Ce is flexible and has the qualities of a wise ruler! "Your subordinate is willing to make another trip for my lord. This time, I will surely be able to persuade Cao Cao!" Zhang Hong said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"Thank you for your trouble, sir!"

……

Shouchun is a fortified city with high walls and deep moats, defended by 100,000 troops, and has enough food to last the soldiers and civilians for nearly a year, making it destined to be a protracted war.

Therefore, both Cao Cao and Sun Ce were actively stockpiling supplies and provisions, preparing for a long siege.

On Cao Cao's side, accompanied by Cao Yan, he was inspecting the winter supplies sent by the logistics department.

Cao Yan picked up a hemp garment made of multiple layers of hemp cloth, frowned, and thought to himself, "This thing isn't very good at keeping out the cold. It seems I need to find some cotton and promote it more widely."

Just then, Xu Chu suddenly ran over and reported, "Minister, General, that old fellow is here again!"

"Old man?" Cao Cao paused for a moment, then suddenly realized, "You mean Zhang Hong?"

"Yes, it's him!" Xu Chu couldn't help but purse his lips at the mention of Zhang Hong. "He kept looking around and trying to trick me into talking. Does he really think I'm stupid?"

Cao Yan was curious about what Zhang Hong and Xu Chu had talked about, so he asked, "What did he ask you?"

"He asked a lot of questions, but I don't remember them all," Xu Chu replied with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head.

"And what was your answer?" Cao Cao then asked.

Xu Chu, however, stretched out a fist the size of a sand bowl and said, "I replied with this!"

"clever!"

"Awesome!"

Cao Cao and Cao Yan both gave him a thumbs up, spoiling Xu Chu so much that he was practically floating on air.

Xu Chu's favorability towards you has changed; current favorability: 85%.

A quarter of an hour later, Cao Cao and Cao Yan returned to the central command tent.

Inside the main tent, Xun You and Jia Xu were talking to Zhang Hong.

Upon seeing Cao Cao and Cao Yan enter, the three of them quickly rose and bowed.

"Greetings, my lord! Greetings, General!"

"Greetings, Minister Situ! Greetings, General Hou!"

"Gentlemen, please rise and take a seat." Cao Cao walked straight to the main seat and sat down, with Cao Yan sitting in the first seat below Cao Cao.

After the two men were seated, Zhang Hong bowed and said, "Reporting to the Minister of Works, what my lord said, the position of Cavalry Commandant is insufficient to demonstrate his merit. If I could obtain the seal of a general, I would be willing to personally lead 30,000 elite troops to help the Minister of Works capture Shouchun."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao exchanged a glance with Cao Yan, signaling Cao Yan to play the villain.

Cao Yan deliberately hesitated for a long time before speaking, "The title of general can be given, and even the peerage can be adjusted. But my elder brother has a condition..."

"General, please speak!" Zhang Hong said, bowing slightly.

"Mr. Zigang must remain in the court and serve the emperor."

"?"

As soon as Cao Yan said this,
Xun You couldn't help but slightly open his mouth, while Jia Xu's fox-like eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Old Cao secretly made a "cool" gesture to Cao Yan.

Zhang Hong's bent-over waist froze completely.

Everyone else is asking for money and grain, but you, Cao Zian, are asking for people the moment you open your mouth!

(End of this chapter)