Three Kingdoms, Myth

Cao Cao had always harbored a certain wariness toward Lü Bu, which is why he was not particularly enthusiastic about Xun Yu's suggestion. After all, Cao Cao did not currently feel any sense of urgency.

Reflecting on the past when Yuan Shu was arrogantly challenging everyone across the map, Cao Cao now realized that when it came to a direct confrontation, he was actually stronger. From commanders to strategists, from generals to soldiers, it seemed that in every aspect, he surpassed Yuan Shu. After clashing with him, Cao Cao discovered that if he were to push himself, he could reduce Yuan Shu to a pulp without much difficulty!

Because of this, Cao Cao was uninterested in Xun Yu's proposal. Without a sense of crisis, Cao Cao had no desire to keep a ticking time bomb like Lü Bu close to him. As for Diao Chan, once someone else's wife, and now Lü Bu's concubine, Cao Cao, being somewhat of a romantic, suddenly found himself interested.

Before he had directly confronted Yuan Shu, the lingering influence of the Yuan clan had left Cao Cao somewhat uneasy. But after this prolonged skirmish with Yuan Shu, Cao Cao had become confident!

Cao Mengde now had the qualifications to look down on Yuan Shu. It's no exaggeration—despite Yuan Shu amassing tens of thousands of troops at Wan Cheng, Cao Cao wasn't the least bit concerned. If not for wanting to use Yuan Shu's forces as a training exercise for his own, Cao Cao felt he could easily teach that fat little brat how to behave, just like in their younger days.

With this in mind, Cao Cao's previous fear of Liu Bei had dissipated. Looking back, he realized that Liu Bei's campaign in Yuzhou wouldn't pose much of a threat to him now. Both Liu Bei and Cao Cao had control over roughly five million people each. Cao Cao, having conquered Nanyang and Yingchuan, now had sufficient grain and supplies. He had no shortage of soldiers, fierce generals, or skilled strategists. Anything Liu Xuan De had, Cao Mengde could match, so what was there to fear?

Because of this newfound confidence, Cao Cao, who had fattened up by trouncing Yuan Shu, began secretly reclaiming the lands in Yanzhou that he had previously abandoned. Xun Yu could only smile and shake his head, ultimately deciding to turn a blind eye. In fact, both he and Xun You shared a common thought: they needed to test Liu Xuan De's military strength. Relying solely on intelligence reports couldn't reveal the whole picture.

Just as intelligence had previously portrayed Yuan Shu as incredibly powerful, the reality of battle had proven otherwise. After engaging with Yuan Shu's forces, Xun Yu, though unwilling to belittle him, found that Yuan Shu's Yu Province soldiers were, in truth, second-rate at best. This also implied that the Jingzhou soldiers, whom Yuan Shu had defeated so handily, were likely only of second or third-rate quality as well—a tempting target, indeed. Xun Yu had often entertained the thought of seizing all of Nanyang!

But Xun Yu ultimately suppressed that notion. Taking all of Nanyang would mean directly confronting both Yuan Shu and Liu Biao!

Although, given Yuan Shu and Liu Biao's current display of military prowess, Xun Yu believed that Cao Cao could handle fighting them both simultaneously, provided there were enough supplies. But the broader implications were too significant. With Yuan Shu acting as a buffer, there was always the possibility of negotiating with Liu Biao. Thus, Xun Yu preferred to view the ongoing conflict with Yuan Shu as an opportunity to train Cao Cao's troops, secretly capturing and relocating Yuan Shu's people to bolster his own territories. Lying low and biding their time was the wisest course of action.

As for Yuan Shao in Hebei, having conquered Yingchuan and Nanyang, Cao Cao was now less concerned. Before, he had been just a minor player, overshadowed by the likes of Zhang Yang and others. But now? Who feared whom? Zhang Yang was closer to Cao Cao, and if Yuan Shao tried to command Zhang Yang to cause trouble, could that minor figure even pose a threat to him?

As a result, all the small lords around Cao Cao, who were once on par with him, began to suffer. These small lords had previously been under Yuan Shao's influence, but with Cao Cao now strong enough to challenge Yuan Shao, they had little choice but to switch allegiance. However, just as they began to lean towards Cao Cao, news arrived of Yuan Shao's victory over Gongsun Zan at Jieqiao, causing these minor lords to feel uneasy once again.

Cao Cao was aware of their shifting loyalties, but he didn't concern himself with it. Although he still had some apprehension about Yuan Shao's power, Xun Yu's analysis had reassured him. After all, Cao Mengde was no longer the small-time warlord from the days of the Battle of Hulao Pass. Even if a direct confrontation with Yuan Shao put him at a disadvantage, defeating Cao Cao would be no easy task, and Yuan Shao would pay dearly for it!

In other words, after consolidating control over Yingchuan and Nanyang and increasing his strength, Cao Cao found the strategic situation around him much more favorable. He no longer needed to tread so carefully, deliberating over every step as he did while confined to Yanzhou. Now, if he wanted something, he could just take it—if push came to shove, he would settle it with his fists. And, as his recent experiences had shown, his fists were quite formidable!

Xun Yu and the others also noticed Cao Cao's change in demeanor. But the presence of a commanding aura was to be expected as one's status grew. If, while in Yanzhou, Cao Cao had been like a dragon hiding in the depths, biding his time to build strength, now he was soaring into the skies—only lacking formal recognition.

It wasn't like before, where seizing another's territory required cunning or surprise. Now, Cao Cao was capable of outright defeating a rival lord on the battlefield, just like Yuan Shao, who had earned the title of the most powerful warlord in the north after crushing Gongsun Zan.

Similarly, Liu Bei had claimed the title of Overlord of the Central Plains by defeating the Yellow Turbans with an army of 30,000 against a force of a million. Such head-on victories were not the kind of warfare that strategists typically preferred, but every top strategist knew one truth: when a power reaches its zenith, such a showdown becomes inevitable.

The difference between taking the noble path and resorting to underhanded tactics lies in this. No matter how much one indulges in schemes and intrigue, if they cannot stand openly and raise their banner high, they will eventually be crushed to dust by someone else. Only with sufficient strength can one rally the people. Training in low-intensity skirmishes only produces veteran soldiers, but they still fall short of the elite troops Xun Yu envisioned—far short!

These thoughts coalesced into a unified strategy among Cao Mengde's advisers: let Cao Cao proceed as he wished. Even if he sought to provoke Liu Bei, they would allow it. Understanding Liu Bei's true strength was crucial, and a hard-fought battle would be beneficial as well. The mere existence of Liu Xuan De had already placed considerable pressure on them. A clash would allow them to gauge his strength and plan accordingly.

As for what would happen if they truly provoked a large-scale conflict, when Chen Qun raised this concern, Xun Yu simply cast a cold glance eastward. Xi Zhicai then provided the answer: "There can be only one hegemon in this world. Even if war breaks out in earnest, what of it? The great conflict that was fated to occur a decade from now would simply be brought forward. The various warlords of the realm will finally compete to see who is truly favored by destiny!"