Three Kingdoms: Mistakenly Becoming Liu Bei's Adoptive Father at the Start

Cao Cao pursed his lips and shook his head, saying, "Zixiao, you've misunderstood something."

Cao Ren, puzzled, asked, "What is it?"

Cao Cao pointed to the rolled-up horse harness design on the table: "Look at these stirrups, this high saddle, and the pattern on the horseshoes. The craftsmanship of this thing shows a deep understanding of the horse's muscles and bones, the rider's center of gravity, and the power of a charge. It was drawn by someone who has fought in battles, someone who has spent many years on horseback, living and eating with cavalry, and who has personally witnessed how knights fall from their horses during a charge."

"And this method of sealing food in earthenware jars, though seemingly simple, is actually a survival technique developed by generations of veterans in the harsh and cold border regions where military rations are difficult to transport. Without twenty or thirty years of experience guarding the border, one could not have come up with such a method."

"Such artifacts could not have been made by a scholar. They must have been painstakingly crafted by an old soldier who had served on the frontier for a long time, experienced cavalry warfare, and was also skilled in carpentry and ironwork. Such a person would have white hair and beard, calloused hands, and an intimate knowledge of horse hoof injuries. He might not be good with words, or he might avoid people, but his craftsmanship could save an army of horses and give an army the strength to fight."

Cao Ren seemed to suddenly understand. "That Liu Liang is too clean. There's no rust under his fingernails, no calluses on his hands... Does my lord mean that the person who presented the map was some veteran craftsman in Liu Bei's army, rather than Liu Liang?"

Cao Cao did not answer immediately, but looked down at the scroll: "Perhaps it is, perhaps it is not. But one thing is certain: Liu Zishan may or may not know of the existence of this map. But these things are definitely not from his hand. He can use stratagems, but he cannot create such a thing. He can calculate people's hearts, but he cannot calculate how many layers of iron should be wrapped around a horse's hooves."

Cao Ren said, "Who cares who gave them to us? As long as these horse tacks work, that's fine!"

Cao Cao stared at the wooden box in his hand, carefully considering who had sent the map.

Suddenly, Cao Cao discovered that there was another scroll at the bottom of the wooden box.

Thinner and smaller.

Cao Cao immediately deployed.

There are no pictures, only words.

It was written on it with a vermilion pen:

Cao Gongjunjian:

Since the alliance at Suanzao, I have had the pleasure of witnessing your brilliance and have greatly admired you. Your strategic brilliance is unparalleled, yet you have been able to humble yourself among the warlords. It is not that you are incapable, but rather that the time was not right. Now, the Han dynasty is in decline, and the order of the world is in chaos. Dong Zhuo is nothing but a wolf taking advantage of the chaos, and Yuan Shao is merely a dog with a hollow reputation. The world is in turmoil, and this is precisely the time for heroes to rise up.

A certain person, risking their life, offered this advice: Your Excellency should not stop at merely punishing the rebels. You should contend for the Central Plains, pacify the realm, and establish a new dynasty to replace the Han. I know I have spoken against the natural order. Yet, observing the celestial phenomena and discerning the will of the people, the Han dynasty, after four hundred years, has reached its end. Unless a great ruler emerges, the world will never tire of chaos. This is not merely the private opinion of one person, but the cry of the people for help.

This box and the book should be burned after reading.

Be careful.

After Cao Cao finished reading, he remained motionless.

The candles in the tent were burning brightly, but he felt a chill run down his spine.

The few lines of text were not long, and he read them over and over again three times.

To replace the Han dynasty!

Cao Cao was startled.

Immediately bring the silk scroll close to the candle flame.

Flames licked the edge of the silk, and the ink swirled, charred, and turned to ash in the blue smoke.

He didn't let go until the last corner burned his fingertips.

The ashes fell into the copper basin, shattering into pieces, making it impossible to decipher a single character.

Cao Ren, watching from the side, couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "My lord, what does the letter say...?"

Cao Cao raised his hand.

Cao Ren immediately fell silent.

After a long silence, Cao Cao finally spoke: "Zixiao, quickly find skilled craftsmen and, according to the blueprints, verify their feasibility. Give me the results in three days."

"Yes, my lord!"

......

Because Sun Jian spoke up for Liu Bei's camp during the council of the feudal lords, Liu Liang and Liu Bei discussed it and decided to visit Sun Jian's camp together to express their gratitude.

At this moment, Sun Jian was discussing the expedition with Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao when he heard that the two Lius had arrived, so they all came out to greet them.

Liu Liang got straight to the point: "Today, General, you spoke up for us and even clashed with Yuan Shu in public. We are grateful and also worried, so we came to see you."

Sun Jian invited the two men to sit down.

Liu Liang said, "Yuan Shu is arrogant, narrow-minded, and vindictive. Today, General, you publicly humiliated him. He may not dare to openly defy the alliance leader's orders, but he is very likely to secretly obstruct them, withhold supplies and equipment, and delay their deployment. As the vanguard, General, your advantage lies in rapid advance. If logistics are inadequate, morale will be affected, which is a major taboo in military strategy. General, you must be wary."

Upon hearing this, Sun Jian frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed and waved his hand, saying, "Sir, you are overthinking it. Since Yuan Shao has appointed me as the vanguard, I will be able to oversee the overall situation. Yuan Gonglu is in charge of the grain and provisions. If he dares to neglect his duties for personal reasons and delay the army's campaign against the rebels, how can the alliance leader and the other lords tolerate him? I doubt he has the guts."

Liu Liang shook his head: "General, the Yuan family has held high office for four generations and enjoys a prestigious reputation, but they are not a monolithic entity. Although Yuan Shao is the elder brother and the leader of the alliance, he is born out of wedlock. Yuan Gonglu is the legitimate son and has always been proud of this. He may not truly respect his elder brother. It is not impossible that Yuan Gonglu will outwardly comply with Yuan Shao's orders but inwardly defy them, or even secretly sabotage them. This matter concerns your life and death, and the victory or defeat of the vanguard. We cannot rely on the high moral character of others."

Sun Jian listened and remained silent for a moment. He was not unaware of Yuan Shu's character, but he was confident in his own bravery and believed that with a major battle imminent, Yuan Shu would not dare to act recklessly.

Now that Liu Liang had pointed out the key point, he finally put away his slight contempt.

Sun Jian nodded secretly, pondering, "What you say makes sense, sir. That Yuan Gonglu... alas, I underestimated him. But the military order has been given, the arrow is on the bowstring, and it must be released. Even if he makes any small moves, I will deal with him carefully."

At this moment, Liu Bei spoke up: "Brother Wentai, punishing traitors is a matter of public justice. I am of one mind with you, Brother Wentai. Although my troops are few in number and weak in strength, I am willing to lend you a helping hand."

Sun Jian looked at Liu Bei: "What does Xuande want?"

Liu Bei and Liu Liang exchanged a glance.

Liu Liang said, "My lord's idea is to have Zhao Yun lead three thousand infantry and cavalry to accompany Wentai to Sishui Pass to await orders. Firstly, this will replenish the general's troops, and secondly, if Yuan Shu really tries to cut off supplies, Zilong can escort our army's follow-up food and supplies as backup, ensuring Wentai's safety from the rear."

Sun Jian was deeply moved upon hearing this.

The eighteen warlords appeared powerful on the surface, but each harbored their own selfish motives. Few were willing to actively send troops to assist them like Liu Bei did.

Sun Jian and his generals initially harbored some reservations about the arrival of the two Lius, but upon seeing their genuine assistance, they felt their faces burning with embarrassment and rose to pay their respects.

Sun Jian, representing all the generals, said, "You two are so noble! I am deeply grateful! With your assistance, sir and General Zilong, I will be like a tiger with wings! We will trouble you, Lord Xuande, to take care of our provisions for the journey ahead!"

Liu Bei said, "Brother Wentai, why do you have to do this? We are fighting against the traitors of the state together, and we should support each other."

The plan has been decided.

The next day, Sun Jian mustered his troops, and Zhao Yun led three thousand of Liu Bei's soldiers into the vanguard.

With the two armies united, their morale soared, and they set off immediately, heading straight for Sishui Pass.

Before leaving, Liu Liang gave Zhao Yun some special instructions, which Zhao Yun nodded in agreement and silently memorized.

......