"The feasibility is very high. Once the policy of bestowing titles of kings is announced, it will not only unite against the Yellow Turban rebels, but also plunge the world into chaos. My lord can use this force to overthrow the imperial court!"
Dong Zhuo, his face beaming with excitement, laughed heartily and said, "Good! We'll follow Wenhe's suggestion and make the conferment of royal titles a decision!"
"Furthermore, we can spread this news to attract righteous people from all walks of life and wipe out the Yellow Turban rebels in one fell swoop!"
Li Ru nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "My lord's plan is excellent!"
Dong Zhuo immediately ordered the news to be spread, and the whole world was shaken.
Upon receiving this news, Liu Bei couldn't help but gasp in shock. Dong Zhuo was incredibly audacious!
In order to eliminate the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo dared to do such a treasonous thing as the "Presidential Policy".
Everyone knows about the White Horse Pact made by Emperor Gaozu of Han. Now Dong Zhuo is trying to break the White Horse Pact. Has he gone mad?
Upon hearing this news, Liu Biao collapsed into his seat.
He originally thought he could survive, but he never expected that he would be imprisoned as soon as he arrived in Luoyang.
Meanwhile, Cao Cao, who was still imprisoned in Ji Province, and Xun Yu also received the news.
"Wenruo, the world is about to change." Cao Cao took a deep breath and said with a solemn expression.
Xun Yu also sighed and said, "After Your Majesty ascended the throne, the warlords of the world fought each other constantly, and heroes from all walks of life vied for control of the Central Plains. But unexpectedly, Dong Zhuo took advantage of the situation!"
"Yes, all our attention was focused on the Yellow Turban Army, but we didn't realize that the real enemy was Dong Zhuo!"
In Cao Cao's mind, the Yellow Turban Army was not the most terrifying force, even though they already controlled two provinces.
Because the Yellow Turban Rebellion was a peasant uprising, and they targeted aristocratic families, the entire world had long suffered under the Yellow Turbans. Their opposition to the aristocratic families could not last.
In this era, powerful families still held sway over the world; those who opposed them would not go far.
This is also why Cao Cao felt that the Yellow Turban Rebellion would not amount to anything, while Dong Zhuo was different.
Although Dong Zhuo also came from humble beginnings, he did not go to extremes and possessed the Xiliang Army and the Bingzhou Wolf Army, which were the greatest enemies of the Han Dynasty.
Just then, the Yellow Turban army released Cao Cao and his men.
The previously captured Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan, and others were also released, which made Cao Cao feel uneasy.
He then learned that the Yellow Turban army stationed in Ji Province was leaving and they were all preparing to enter Sichuan. At this moment, Cao Cao sensed a strong conspiracy.
Xiahou Dun and his men arrived in Ji Province ahead of time to meet Cao Cao and his companions.
"Yuanrang! Where is Fengxiao now?"
Xiahou Dun cupped his hands and said, "My lord, the strategist has returned to Yanzhou and ordered us to come and bring you home!"
Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Then, he turned around, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and bowed to Xun Yu.
"General Cao, what's wrong...?"
"Wenruo, the Han Dynasty is now beset by internal and external troubles and is in dire straits. I, Cao, am not talented, but I wish to be the one to turn the tide and save the crumbling Xia Dynasty. I beg you, Wenruo, to come out of seclusion and help me!"
Xun Yu was immediately stunned. During the time they had been imprisoned, Xun Yu had also developed a great admiration for Cao Cao.
He had great ambitions; if he lived in a prosperous era, he would surely be a capable minister who brought peace to the country. But in a chaotic world... it reminded him of Lu Li's evaluation of Cao Cao.
A capable minister in times of peace, a ruthless hero in times of chaos!
But who in this world could restore the Han Dynasty? In Xun Yu's mind, none other than Cao Mengde could do it!
"I am Xun Yu, greetings to my lord!" After saying this, Xun Yu knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully to Cao Cao.
"Haha, Wenruo, please get up quickly!" Cao Cao hurriedly helped Xun Yu up, his face full of excitement.
With Xun Yu's help, Cao Cao believed that he would create another miracle!
"Wenruo, war is raging on all sides of the Han Dynasty, and the situation in Ji Province is also precarious. What do you think we should do?"
"My lord, although Dong Zhuo's policy of enfeoffing kings is ostensibly aimed at eliminating the Yellow Turban rebels, it is actually intended to plunge the world into chaos."
"Dong Zhuo has some brilliant minds among his subordinates! This move can ignite the desires within the governors of various regions."
"In Dong Zhuo's mind, the Yellow Turban Army is his greatest enemy. We should immediately return to Yanzhou, quickly recruit soldiers and horses, and prepare to suppress the Yellow Turban Army!"
Cao Cao agreed with Xun Yu's earlier remarks, but Xun Yu later suggested uniting with the governors of various provinces to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
"Why should we get involved in this mess?" Cao Cao asked, frowning.
Xun Yu explained, "It's all about righteousness! The campaign against Dong Zhuo's Yellow Turban Rebellion is already on the right track. It wouldn't be right for us not to send troops."
"But if we can really wipe out the Yellow Turban Rebellion, what about the matter of being granted a title of king?" Cao Cao continued to ask.
"Hahaha, my lord, whoever dares to accept the title of king shall be condemned by all under heaven!" Xun Yu laughed loudly.
Cao Cao was taken aback upon hearing this, then a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
At that moment, Cao Cao understood.
“Now that the governors of various prefectures and counties are all eager to make their move, we must quickly return to Yanzhou to gather our troops. If we are even a step too late, things may change!” Xun Yu said.
"In that case, let's set off immediately!"
In an instant, the world changed dramatically, and turmoil arose.
At this moment, the Yellow Turban Army in both Yizhou and Jingzhou also became busy.
Laifu never expected that Dong Zhuo would pull such a stunt, turning all the blame on him.
"Zhicai, Dong Zhuo's plan is insidious and vicious. Do you think the governors of various provinces will rise up in rebellion?"
Xi Zhicai nodded and said, "Yes! After we conquer Yizhou and Jingzhou, they will definitely unite and raise an army. That's inevitable."
"Dong Zhuo merely gave them a reason and leverage to raise an army; after all, who could resist the temptation of being made a king?"
"Our master is currently within Jingzhou territory. Should we prepare accordingly?"
“Yizhou has always been a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. They will definitely put the battlefield in Jingzhou!” Xi Zhicai said, squinting his eyes.
"The troops of Yizhou cannot be moved lightly; this is our foundation!"
Xi Zhicai's analysis was very clear: if the governors of various prefectures wanted to fight the Yellow Turban Army, they would definitely place the battlefield in the Jingzhou area, but it was also inevitable that someone would launch a sneak attack on Yizhou.
Yizhou is the base of the Yellow Turban Army and must be defended.
Lu Li's original plan was to capture Jingzhou, which would allow him to either advance north to conquer the Central Plains or retreat to defend Yizhou.
If Yizhou is lost, the Yellow Turban Army will be completely finished.
"You mean we won't support Jingzhou?" Leif asked.
Xi Zhicai shook his head and said, "No need. Jingzhou's troops are no less than ours. You only need to issue an order for all the Yellow Turban troops from various places to go to Jingzhou!"
Although the Yellow Turban rebels in various places are currently just scattered soldiers, if they were all gathered together, they would number in the hundreds of thousands.
But probably very few of them actually obeyed Laifu's orders; they were just bandits who ruled the mountains, merely using the Yellow Turban Army's name.
"Alright, I'll give the order right away!"
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