Cao Cao's mansion was very large, complete with pavilions, terraces, ponds, rockeries, gardens and paths, and various rare flowers and plants could be seen everywhere, just like a paradise.

The two sat down in the living room, and servants immediately brought them tea.

After taking a few sips of tea, Lu Li began chatting with Cao Cao, asking him all sorts of trivial questions.

Cao Cao was somewhat puzzled by Lu Li's behavior. However, he still patiently chatted with Lu Li.

After chatting for about half an hour, the two stopped. Cao Cao looked at Lu Li with a smile and said, "Mr. Lu, it's getting late. Why don't you stay and rest for today and leave tomorrow?"

“Alright.” Lu Li nodded and agreed to Cao Cao’s request.

This time, Cao Cao wasn't just being polite; he couldn't fathom Lu Li's thoughts, and he was constantly filled with unease.

"Take good care of Mr. Lu," Cao Cao instructed his servant.

"yes!"

The two servants bowed and accepted the order.

Lu Li followed Cao Cao to the room, lay down on the soft couch, and closed his eyes to rest.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Li suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening. A slight smile played on his lips as he murmured, "Finally here."

Swoosh~

Lu Li stood up from the chair, walked to the door, pushed it open, and saw a dark figure flash in.

"Master!" the man in black said respectfully, kneeling on the ground.

"Hmm!" Lu Li nodded and asked, "Has Yuan Shao made any unusual moves lately?"

"Reporting to Master, since Yuan Shao took Youzhou, he has been secretly mobilizing troops, and I'm afraid he's going to make a move on Bingzhou," the man in black said.

"Yuan Shao is quite ruthless!"

Lu Li snorted coldly and continued to ask, "You've just conquered Youzhou, and now you're eyeing Bingzhou!"

“Yuan Shao is ambitious; he wants to unify the north and dominate the world!” the man in black replied.

Upon hearing this, Lu Li sneered, his eyes narrowing into slits, and said in a sinister tone, "Hmph, Yuan Shao wants to unify the north? Not so easy!"

Lu Li remained silent for a moment, then said to the man in black, "You continue to monitor Yuan Shao. If you have any news, tell me immediately. Remember, you must not let Yuan Shao's strategists find out."

"Understood!" the man in black replied respectfully.

"Okay, go ahead!" Lu Li waved his hand.

"Yes!" The man in black respectfully withdrew.

After the man in black left, the smile on Lu Li's face gradually disappeared, replaced by extreme solemnity.

Historically, Yuan Shao annexed the four provinces of Qing, You, Bing, and Ji, successfully unifying the north.

But history has now deviated somewhat, and Lu Li will never allow history to follow its original trajectory.

Therefore, Lu Li needs to stop Yuan Shao from annexing the four provinces!

"It seems I'll have to go to Bingzhou myself. I hope Yuan Shao won't keep me waiting too long," Lu Li muttered to himself.

Bingzhou is still under Dong Zhuo's control, but only has 100,000 troops stationed there, making it very weak. With Yuan Shao's current strength, annexing Bingzhou would not be difficult at all.

Therefore, Lu Li decided to go to Bingzhou in person.

......

The next morning, Lu Li bid farewell to Cao Cao and rode to Bingzhou.

After seeing Lu Li off, Cao Cao summoned Xun Yu and Guo Jia.

"You guys analyze this, what exactly is Lu Li trying to do? I have a feeling this matter isn't simple," Cao Cao said in a deep voice, his brows furrowed.

Xun Yu and Guo Jia exchanged a glance upon hearing Cao Cao's question, both falling into deep thought.

After a long while, Xun Yu raised his head, looked at Cao Cao, and said solemnly, "My lord, Mr. Lu is meticulous and would never speak without reason."

Guo Jia nodded in agreement; they were all too familiar with Lu Li's methods.

"Lu Li invited you, my lord, to join forces in the campaign against Dong Zhuo, but he didn't mention any benefits..." Guo Jia muttered to himself.

"If Ma Chao becomes your disciple, it means that Ma Chao has 20,000 Xiliang cavalry under his command. Does that mean they have all joined the Yellow Turban Army?"

"If that's the case..."

Guo Jia quickly went to the map, pointed to the border of Bingzhou, and said, "Bingzhou borders Jizhou. Does Mr. Lu intend to attack Bingzhou?"

"He's attacking Bingzhou? Then why is he coming to ally with me?" Cao Cao was puzzled, after all, Lu Li was talking about joining forces with Cao Cao to attack Dong Zhuo.

"My lord, he wants to attack Bingzhou. Dong Zhuo will definitely send reinforcements, and our Yanzhou is a necessary passage through it!" Guo Jia said.

"Oh?" Cao Cao suddenly realized.

At this point, Cao Cao's expression turned serious, and he asked, "Fengxiao, in your opinion, what should we do?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Lu wants to drag us into this mess, to fight Dong Zhuo to the death, while the Yellow Turban Army reaps the benefits!" Guo Jia sneered.

"Hiss~" Cao Cao gasped sharply, utterly shocked!

"Fengxiao, are you sure?" Cao Cao asked, swallowing hard.

Guo Jia nodded affirmatively and said, "My lord, Mr. Lu is an extremely intelligent man. Since he has found us, he must be confident that he can drag us down with him!"

Cao Cao frowned, lost in thought.

Yes, if what Guo Jia said is true, Dong Zhuo will definitely send troops to pass through Yanzhou.

How could I possibly allow Dong Zhuo's army to enter Yanzhou? Wouldn't that be opening the gates directly?

Cao Cao was so angry he could grind his teeth. This Lu Li was truly a headache; every step he took was so perfectly planned that it was impossible to guard against him.

"My lord, we cannot let the gentleman succeed!" Guo Jia warned.

Cao Cao took a few deep breaths, slowly calming his anger, and said, "I understand, but what should we do now?"

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