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

Cao Cao's army left Chang'an and traveled 140 li eastward as darkness fell.

Cao Cao ordered his troops to set up camp and continue their journey the next day.

As soon as the tents were set up, Xi Zhicai lifted the curtain and entered Cao Cao's tent.

At that moment, Cao Cao was staring intently at the map when he heard footsteps and looked up.

Xi Zhicai said, "My lord, just as Liu Zishan said, Dong Zhuo has returned in the chaos."

Cao Cao gestured for him to sit down.

Xi Zhicai didn't sit down, but stood there and said, "My lord, there's something I've been holding back all this way, and I have to say it. What do you think of Liu Zishan?"

Cao Cao paused for a moment, without raising his head, and said, "Great talent."

Xi Zhicai said, "He is truly a great talent. Hulao Pass, Hangu Pass, Luoyang, Chang'an—which step was left without him? His strategic depth and insight are beyond my ability."

Cao Cao didn't reply, and then he raised his head.

Xi Zhicai then said, "But this talent is not suitable for our lord's use."

Cao Cao's brow twitched slightly.

Xi Zhicai said, "He is Liu Bei's man. The father-son relationship is there, and it cannot be changed. When the lord tested him at Suanzao, he himself said, 'With my son still alive, there is no reason for me to switch allegiance to another family.' This kind of person is not to be swayed by soft or hard tactics."

Cao Cao asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Xi Zhicai lowered his voice: "My lord, it would be better to eliminate him as soon as possible."

The tent suddenly fell silent.

Cao Cao looked at him with a deep gaze.

Xi Zhicai did not evade the question and continued, "As long as this man is by Liu Bei's side, Liu Bei's chances of victory increase. Now he has helped us break through Hangu Pass and occupy Chang'an, and he has also advised us to withdraw in time. This is a great achievement. But is this great achievement due to the campaign against Dong Zhuo, or for some other reason? In the future, when Liu Bei and our lord contend for the empire, whose side will he support?"

At this point, Xi Zhicai deliberately lowered his voice, paused, and said, "If my lord cannot bring himself to do it, I will take care of it. Do it cleanly and pin the blame on the mutinous soldiers."

Cao Cao remained silent.

Just then, the tent flap was suddenly lifted, and Xun Yu walked in.

He clearly heard the last few words from outside.

"Zhicai, what did you just say?" Xun Yu stared at Xi Zhicai, enunciating each word clearly.

Xi Zhicai did not dodge the question, but said frankly, "I say, Liu Zishan cannot be used by our lord, so it is better to get rid of him as soon as possible."

Xun Yu, his face flushed, clenched his fists and said, "Xi Zhicai! You are a strategist from Yingchuan, not an assassin from Yingchuan!"

Xi Zhicai remained calm and replied, "So-called strategists scheme for their lord's empire, not for their own reputation."

Xun Yu said solemnly, "Liu Zishan helped our lord break through Hangu Pass and advised him to withdraw from Chang'an. Wasn't every action for the public good? Now that he has achieved his goal and is retiring, are we going to kill him? What will the world say if they find out?"

Xi Zhicai said, "The people of the world? The people of the world only know that Liu Zishan died in the chaos of battle, who knows that we killed him?"

Xun Yu shook his head slightly, looking at him with disappointment in his eyes.

You've changed.

Xi Zhicai chuckled lightly, too lazy to reply.

Xun Yu was furious, but ultimately maintained the integrity of a scholar. He turned to Cao Cao, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, I have something to say. Please consider it."

Cao Cao raised his hand, "Wenruo, please speak freely."

Xun Yu said, "Liu Zishan is indeed a man of great talent. But in this world, great achievements aren't solely based on killing. He serves Liu Bei, while I serve Cao Cao. Each serves their own lord, and both are honorable. In the future, on the battlefield, victory or defeat will be determined by true ability. If we kill him today, which hero in the world will dare to serve our lord tomorrow? Besides, Liu Zishan currently has Zhao Yun, Zhou Cang, and two hundred elite cavalry by his side. Kill him? How can we kill him? If we fail, he will become a mortal enemy. In the future, when our lord faces Liu Bei, will he have another deadly foe? Is it worth it?"

Xi Zhicai's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Wenruo! This is womanly compassion!"

Xun Yu refused to back down and immediately retorted, "Xi Zhicai! This is a despicable tactic!"

Their eyes met, like swords clashing, neither willing to give an inch.

The atmosphere in the tent suddenly froze.

Cao Cao sat at the head of the table, glanced at Xi Zhicai on his left and then at Xun Yu on his right, and suddenly burst into laughter.

He stood up, walked between the two men, and put his hands on each shoulder.

"Both of you strategists are exceptional individuals, each with your own strengths. It's getting late, there's no need to argue any further. Let me think about this matter some more."

Xi Zhicai wanted to argue further, but Cao Cao stopped him with a look.

Xun Yu bowed respectfully, then turned and left the tent in anger.

Xi Zhicai stood there for a moment, then left.

Only Cao Cao remained in the tent.

He stared at the flickering candlelight, his brow furrowed.

Kill Liu Liang?

I've thought about it at least several times.

But Xun Yu is right, what happens after we kill them?

What do the heroes of the world think?

How should Liu Bei respond?

Could Zhao Yun and Zhou Cang's five hundred cavalrymen be easily killed?

Furthermore, Liu Liang had indeed done him a great favor.

Those two coughs at Hulao Pass, that blueprint at Hangu Pass, those words in Chang'an City—weren't they all intentionally helping him?

Cao Cao temporarily suppressed his murderous intent. At present, the most troublesome people were not Liu Bei and Liu Liang, who were both from the royal family but were not commoners, but Yuan Shao in the north.

Holding a candlestick, Cao Cao walked to the map and stared intently at the vast territory stretching across the north.

The Yuan family.

Four generations of his family held high-ranking positions, and his students and former officials were found all over the country.

With mountains of grain in Ji Province, and countless iron cavalry in You Province, Qing Province and Bing Province were also within his grasp.

With a large army and abundant supplies, a mere flick of the finger could summon an army of 100,000 to press the border.

This is the truly deadly part.

……

The next morning, the army continued its eastward march.

When they reached a fork in the road, Xi Zhicai rode up to Cao Cao and said, "My lord, going east ahead is the road back to Yanzhou. Going southeast, past Xuanyuan Pass, is Luoyang. Dong Zhuo has taken Chang'an, and his next move will surely be eastward. Hangu Pass is in his hands, and we have already withdrawn. His next target is Luoyang."

Cao Cao said, "Are you saying that Liu Bei is in trouble?"

Xi Zhicai smiled and said, "Liu Bei has a good reputation in Luoyang, and the people support him, but the warlords of Guandong hate him. However, those warlords have already scattered; some are dead, and some have fled. The only one who can stop Dong Zhuo is Liu Xuande."

Cao Cao asked, "Can he stop him?"

Xi Zhicai said, "We have to stop them even if we can't. If we can't stop them, Dong Zhuo's army will march all the way to Hulao Pass, and the gateway to Guandong will be opened."

Cao Cao asked, "And what about us?"

Xi Zhicai said, "Let's bypass Luoyang and go straight back to Yanzhou to recruit soldiers, stockpile fodder and grain. By the time they're exhausted, we'll have a strong and well-equipped army."

Xun Yu followed from behind, his face grim.

Cao Cao knew what Xun Yu was thinking and said, "Wenruo, the other day you questioned Liu Zishan, saying that his strategy for withdrawing from Chang'an was contradictory. Do you understand now?"

Xun Yu said, "How could I not know that Dong Zhuo would come back to reap the rewards? I just don't want to see the emperor suffer while we, as his subjects, sit idly by."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao felt somewhat embarrassed, but he still stroked his beard and smiled, unwilling to clash with Xun Yu in public.

Seeing this, Xi Zhicai quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "If Dong Zhuo was willing to abandon the Emperor and flee back to Liangzhou, he's also willing to come back to fight. If we had stayed in Chang'an for even one more day, we would be the ones burning down right now."

Cao Cao took out an imperial edict from his bosom and threw it to Xi Zhicai, saying, "This is an edict I had the young emperor issue before I left. Liu Dai is dead, and I'm afraid I, the Prefect of Chenliu, will have to take over the duties of Governor of Yanzhou."

Xi Zhicai was overjoyed: "Congratulations, my lord, on taking charge of Yanzhou!"

Cao Cao, mounted on his horse, laughed heartily: "Let's go back to Yanzhou!"