Although Cao Cao's words were meant to flatter, Dong Zhuo found them very pleasing.
"Since Mengde has said so, then the southern route will be left to me, Old Dong!"
Faced with Cao Cao's arrangement, Dong Zhuo nodded in agreement with a look of delight.
Subsequently, Cao Cao assigned the remaining routes to Zhang Xiu, Hua Xiong, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan, while he himself, together with Kemora, led the Dayuan cavalry, disguised as Xianbei soldiers, towards the capital via the central route.
After arranging everything, Cao Cao dismissed everyone except Dong Zhuo, Zhang Xiu, and a few others.
"Gentlemen, this expedition is to destroy Dayuan. In order to facilitate the future takeover and rule of this place by our Great Han, during the journey, apart from ordinary people, not a single noble or official in Dayuan shall be left behind!"
Zhang Xiu frowned and said, "Mengde, isn't this inappropriate? If word gets out, it might damage the empire's reputation!"
Cao Cao raised an eyelid: "All of this was done by Camorra for revenge. What does it have to do with my Han Dynasty?"
Everyone was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, but then they understood what Cao Cao meant.
No wonder Cao Cao put Camorra in the position of commander-in-chief. Before, their expeditions were based on fabricated charges of suppressing rebellion, and they dared not go too far.
Now, a coup has occurred in Dayuan, and these people have transformed into the king's army assisting Kemora in suppressing the rebels.
All the things we did were at the behest of our commander, Komora. We had no connection whatsoever with the Han Dynasty, nor even with the Xiongnu or Xianbei.
"Furthermore, of the spoils the army gains during its march, apart from the warhorses, 70% should be given to the Xiongnu and Xianbei, and the remaining 30% should be distributed to the local people."
In closing, Cao Cao reminded everyone: "Remember, when dividing the spoils, do so in the name of the Han Dynasty!"
"clear!"
Everyone agreed in unison. They had done this kind of thing many times in the Western Regions and were already very familiar with it.
To put it bluntly, they let others take the blame while they reap the benefits; it's not difficult for them at all.
Afterwards, everyone dispersed and began their own preparations.
On the other hand, Li Ru, in the name of Camorra, drafted several manifestos, which not only listed the various crimes of the eldest prince, but also described in exceptional detail and vividness the process of him poisoning the king and plotting to seize power.
"Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of Wen You, your writing is indeed extraordinary. If you didn't know better, you would think that you personally witnessed what the eldest prince did."
Looking at the proclamation sent by Li Ru, Cao Cao couldn't help but praise it.
With a proclamation in hand, the army's expedition would be more legitimate. The only thing that troubled Cao Cao now was the issue of what to do with Komora after the destruction of Dayuan.
The current policy of the Han Dynasty towards the Western Regions is annexation; if I want something, it's all mine.
We will never again send troops simply for the sake of so-called great power prestige, and then support a compliant regime, as we have done in the past.
In this way, aside from gaining temporary respect from others, there is absolutely no benefit.
Thinking of this, Cao Cao looked at Li Ru with a solemn expression: "Mr. Wenyou, what should we do with Camorra afterwards?"
Li Ru smiled and said, "Kamora is a devout follower of Taoism. Having avenged his great enemy, he has no other thoughts. He is willing to become a disciple of the Taoist Celestial Master and serve Taiyi. As for Dayuan, it will naturally belong to the Han Dynasty and bask in the glory of Taiyi together..."
"Haha~, yes, yes, Mr. Wen is right. I had forgotten that Camorra is a Taoist!"
Upon hearing Li Ru's words, Cao Cao suddenly realized the truth, couldn't help but burst into laughter, and immediately bestowed upon Kemora the identity of a Taoist disciple.
Soon, Cao Cao summoned all the literate men in the army and had them copy the proclamation drafted by Li Ru. He then dispatched six teams of scouts to carry the proclamation along the previously arranged marching route.
After a brief rest, the six groups of troops that Cao Cao had arranged began to advance in their respective directions one after another.
"Brothers, speed it up!"
Dong Zhuo, who set off first, led eight thousand Xianbei cavalrymen and galloped toward their first target.
As the sun set, a town with a population of about 10,000 came into Dong Zhuo's view.
At this moment, wisps of smoke were already rising from the town, and the residents had begun preparing dinner. Of course, many more people were gathered in the town square, looking at the proclamation on the bulletin board and discussing it animatedly.
"Really? The eldest prince actually poisoned the king?"
"It's written so clearly here, it doesn't look fake, and it seems that the eldest prince is indeed handling the affairs of the kingdom!"
"It must be true, otherwise, how could the second prince dare to raise an army?"
"Alas, I never imagined that the eldest prince would commit such a rebellious act..."
Just as the townspeople were discussing the matter, a group of officials walked over menacingly.
"Disperse! Do not gather here!!"
The leading officer shouted loudly as he roughly pushed through the crowd and arrived at the notice board.
Upon seeing the proclamation on the bulletin board, the constable immediately stepped forward, tore it down, and then turned to look at the crowd of people.
"What's written here is all false. The King is simply unwell and unable to govern. The Second Prince, who raised an army without cause, is the real traitor..."
Upon hearing the driver's words, the onlookers couldn't help but sneer, clearly not believing what he said.
Seeing this, the constable became furious: "I'm telling you, the contents of this manifesto are all slander. Anyone who dares to discuss it again will be arrested..."
Rumble!!
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves reached everyone's ears, and the ground trembled slightly.
"not good!!"
The constable's expression immediately changed, and he turned to look in the direction from which the sound of hooves was coming.
A cloud of dust, obscuring the sky, was rapidly approaching from a distance.
"Enemy attack! Run!"
As the constable shouted, he hurriedly pushed through the crowd and led his men toward the center of town.
"What do we do? Should we run?"
"No need, right? It should be the Second Prince's men who came. They shouldn't do anything to us, should they?"
"They're all cavalry coming; even if we wanted to run, it would be too late!"
The people gathered around the town, seeing the cavalry already charging into the town, simply stopped moving.
Soon, Dong Zhuo led a troop of cavalry to the crowd of people.
Dong Zhuo pulled on the reins and shouted, "I ask you, are there any constables or soldiers in the town?"
"Yes, it's right in the center of town!"
One of the villagers answered, then pointed in the direction the bailiff had fled.
"Very good!" Dong Zhuo smiled with satisfaction, then looked at a messenger beside him: "Pass down the order: leave 5,000 men to guard all the exits of the town, and have the rest of the troops thoroughly search the town. Leave no one alive who is wealthy!"
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