Was Yanzhou safer than Xuzhou?
Cai Zhaoji's mind was full of question marks… she looked at Lu Yu with curiosity, eagerly awaiting his answer.
“Doesn’t Sister Zhaoji remember, the current situation is one of warring states, with the world in chaos…” Lu Yu blinked his eyes… “At this time, searching for relatives outside is too dangerous. The top priority… is to find a safe place.”
“Safe?” Cai Zhaoji furrowed her delicate brows. “Xuzhou is clearly safer… Under Tao Qian’s governance, the people of Xuzhou are prosperous, and no one picks up dropped items on the road. Moreover, the territory has not experienced the Yellow Turban Rebellion… whereas Yanzhou…”
Mentioning Yanzhou, Cai Zhaoji let out a long sigh.
“Didn’t we just receive news that the Governor of Yanzhou, Liu Dai, was killed by the Yellow Turban rebels, and the various counties have descended into chaos? The Yellow Turban rebels are most rampant there… it should be the most dangerous place!”
Cai Zhaoji blinked her large eyes repeatedly…
Lu Yu lightly nodded his small head.
Over the years, with Sister Zhaoji accompanying him, her judgment of the situation had improved considerably.
However…
“Sister Zhaoji only knows one part, not the other. Governor of Xuzhou, Tao Qian, is nothing more than a paper tiger, he’ll crumble at the first touch! True heroes will never appear in places of comfort, but rather in the most complex swamps and quagmires!”
“Swamps? Quagmires? Heroes? Are you referring to… Yanzhou and Cao Cao?” Cai Zhaoji retorted…
She knew…
Previously, when her younger brother Lu Yu had spoken with members of the Cao clan, he had mentioned that Cao Cao’s strategy to break the deadlock lay in Yanzhou.
In other words, her brother had long been convinced that after Liu Dai, the Yanzhou clan and the people would unanimously elect Cao Cao as the Governor of Yanzhou…
“Sister guessed it right away.”
Lu Yu grinned. “Sister, just trust me this once. In this chaotic world, there is no place safer than Yanzhou, safer than Cao Cao’s territory!”
To be honest, Lu Yu didn’t particularly want to join Cao Cao…
After all, Lu Yu found some of Cao Cao’s hobbies quite despicable and detestable…
But, as a fifteen-year-old young man, bringing a twenty-year-old maiden, where else could he go?
If he joined Liu Bei, Lu Yu feared his legs wouldn’t be able to endure over a decade of wandering;
Joining Yuan Shao would be stepping into a bottomless pit;
Heh, rather than joining other warlords, who would eventually fall, it was better to hitch his wagon to the right star from the beginning.
Besides…
Sister Zhaoji and Cao Cao had some prior acquaintance.
With this connection, he and Cai Zhaoji could receive more preferential treatment in Cao Cao’s camp…
Thinking of this, Lu Yu continued to speak…
“I remember you and Cao Cao are like siblings, aren’t you?”
“We are like siblings… I call him elder brother, but… that was when we were children.”
Cai Zhaoji’s voice suddenly became choked with emotion…
As if she had some unspeakable difficulty…
Indeed, because her father Cai Yong had been a teacher to Cao Cao at the Imperial Academy, Cai Zhaoji and Cao Cao were old acquaintances.
However, Cai Zhaoji always felt that Cao Cao was a very unreliable person. The things he had done in court and in officialdom over the years were simply beyond reason and incredibly bizarre.
When he was the Northern Commandant of Luoyang, he used a five-colored mace to beat up the powerful nobles, offending all of the Ten Eunuchs;
When he was the Magistrate of Dunqiu, he issued the Ten Crimes Memorial, bringing justice to the common people but offending the influential families and powerful nobles;
When the Ten Eunuchs were in power, he attempted to assassinate Zhang Rang, the head of the Ten Eunuchs;
When Dong Zhuo held absolute power, he feigned presenting a sword… to assassinate Dong Zhuo!
Cai Zhaoji’s evaluation of Cao Cao was simply three words – reckless hothead!
Was it really reliable to defect to such a reckless hothead of a brother?
For a brief moment, Cai Zhaoji felt a flicker of doubt, but then her eyes became resolute.
Her younger brother Lu Yu had never been wrong. When he said to follow someone, it was always after careful consideration and was undoubtedly correct!
“Fine, wherever my brother says we go, we go…” Cai Zhaoji patted Lu Yu’s shoulder. “Cao Cao’s camp it is then. At least there’s some acquaintance, he won’t treat my brother badly!”
Hearing this, Lu Yu nodded…
He suddenly thought of something and quickly reminded her.
“Sister Zhaoji, we are going, but you absolutely must not reveal that I am ‘Yin Lin’…”
“The judgments of the Yue Dan Ping are too renowned. If other warlords learn that I am in Cao Cao’s camp, whether it’s Cao Cao or Yanzhou, they will become the target of public criticism!”
Oh…
Cai Zhaoji thought it made sense, “My brother still thinks meticulously. But, since we are going to Cao Cao’s camp, doesn’t my brother plan to offer strategies to my elder brother?”
“About that…” Lu Yu’s eyes flickered. “Whether I offer strategies or not, we’ll see later. Let’s just observe how Sister Zhaoji’s elder brother performs, shall we?”
Speaking of this, Lu Yu’s lips curled slightly, revealing a cunning smile!
In his opinion…
Besides going to Cao Cao’s camp being safer,
As Cao Cao’s influence grew, he could also take the opportunity to continue searching for the whereabouts of that “scumbag” of a cheap father. Such a person who abandons his wife and child must not be let off lightly!
Hmph…
Lu Yu murmured in his heart. If he ever found out who it was, he would definitely make him pay…
The scumbag dared to treat Lu Yu’s own mother so poorly, it was unbearable!
He had to vent this anger on behalf of his mother, who was in the netherworld…
…
…
In September of the same year, guided by ‘Yin Lin’.
Cao Cao, in alliance with the Prefect of Chenliu, Zhang Miao, and the Administrator of Jibei, Bao Xin, along with secret deployments, was unanimously appointed as the Governor of Yanzhou, governing the entire Yanzhou region.
The entire process was unexpected yet within reason, and in short… it proceeded with unusual smoothness!
However…
Upon officially becoming the Governor of Yanzhou, gaining a larger territory and more troops, Cao Cao also gained more troubles.
The former Governor of Yanzhou, Liu Dai, had left behind a poor and weak Yanzhou…
Military supplies and forces were stretched thin…
Within the territory, three hundred thousand Yellow Turban rebels cast covetous glances, always ready to break through cities and counties…
Outside the territory, there were also Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Dong Zhuo casting covetous glances…
Surrounded by formidable enemies, Cao Cao increasingly yearned for further guidance from ‘Yin Lin’!
He also more keenly realized the importance of the word “planning” in “planning before acting.”
To this end, Cao Cao convened a meeting among his loyal brothers, with the core of the meeting consisting of only two words: “Seeking Talent”!
“Brother, I have investigated extensively but have not found any trace of ‘Yin Lin’…” Cao Ren’s brows were deeply furrowed, feeling helpless. “It seems… ever since he left Xuzhou with that woman, there has been no news of him in the public sphere!”
Upon hearing this, Cao Hong scratched his head. “If we had known ‘Yin Lin’ was so wise, we should have kidnapped him back then. If he were to be used by someone else, then…”
“Zi Lian!” Before Cao Hong could finish, Cao Cao sternly reprimanded, “If you speak such nonsense again, you will be punished by military law!”
“‘Yin Lin’ is a benefactor to me, Cao Cao, and to all the warriors of Qiao Pei. If it weren’t for his strategy to break the deadlock, we would still be confined to the Dong Commandery, acting as Yuan Benchu’s watchdog… From now on, anyone who dares to slander ‘Yin Lin’ will be my enemy, Cao Cao!”
As these words left his mouth…
Cao Hong shivered. In his memory, his elder brother had never reprimanded his own clansmen so severely for an outsider.
“Brother, I was just saying… I know ‘Yin Lin’ is our benefactor!”
“Enough…” Cao Ren stood up at the opportune moment, changing the subject and helping Cao Hong out of his predicament. “Brother… we cannot find any trace of ‘Yin Lin’ for the moment, but… the many military and civilian affairs in Yanzhou are urgent! Talents are needed everywhere!”
Alas…
Cao Cao sighed helplessly.
Clearly, he was distressed by his inability to find ‘Yin Lin’.
As for talents…
“Fine, let’s proceed as I suggested and issue the first ‘Talent Seeking Edict’ in the name of the Governor of Yanzhou to recruit talented individuals from all over the realm!”
“In addition, Zi Xiao, you personally select a group of intelligent individuals from the army.”
“Strategists, talented individuals… we cannot just sit and wait. I plan to personally cultivate some.”
After becoming the Governor of Yanzhou, Cao Cao felt the importance of talent even more keenly.
Let alone a talent like ‘Yin Lin’ who could command the heavens and earth.
Even if a few more learned scholars joined them, they could help alleviate some of the burden on his shoulders.
Seeking talent and cultivating talents were matters of urgency.
The burden of a provincial governor was not light.
…
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