Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

In the direction of Xuzhou, besides Tao Qian who jumped out early, a group of people appeared that surprised Lin Mu - Cao Cao!

Lin Mu was not surprised by Cao Cao's appearance, but he was surprised that Cao Cao had gone to Xuzhou!
Cao Cao appeared in Langya Commandery, responding remotely to Tao Qian, preparing to attack Beihai Kingdom in Qingzhou.

Cao Cao, like Tao Qian, used the same pretext—to help Kong Rong.

But Kong Rong and Cao Cao weren't that close, not at all like the relationship between Tao Qian and Kong Rong. He specifically traveled from Dongjun in Yanzhou, passing through several counties and two provinces, to Langya County—was it really for Kong Rong?

Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe that...

Because Cao Cao surrendered to Dong Zhuo and seized Qiao Mao's Dong Commandery, Dong Zhuo's camp did him a favor by accepting Cao Cao's surrender, canceling the arrest warrant, and even appointing him as the governor of Dong Commandery.

The conditions involved are unknown, but they are certainly related to Lin Mu.

Cao Cao's special trip to Xuzhou was not so simple... he was very likely eyeing Xuzhou!

After the campaign against Dong Zhuo, the mentality of the various warlords began to change.

Cao Cao's conquest of Dongjun involved battles with several other warlords. Everyone knows how important Dongjun was; it was not only wealthy but also situated in a crucial central location, making it a highly contested area. Cao Cao's ability to firmly hold Dongjun was due to its deep-rooted resources.

Like Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, once his ambitions were unleashed, would not be content with a mere commandery. He and his advisors and generals had undoubtedly set their sights on several commanderies in Yan Province… and perhaps even Xu Province, and perhaps Qing Province!!
Regardless of the reason, Cao Cao's deployment was inevitable.

Both men were very restrained, perhaps waiting for the armies of other vassal states to launch an attack before they made their move.

As expected, in the direction of Youzhou, the allied forces of Yuan Shao and Han Fu marched north and pressed on to Zhuojun.

Instead of paying attention to the Black Mountain Army, they set their sights on Youzhou.

Besides their allied forces, there was another allied force: the allied forces of Liu Yu and Li Dian. They also entered Hejian State and pressed towards Zhuojun.

However, they did not travel the same route as Yuan Shao and Han Fu, perhaps because they were afraid of being annexed by them or something else...

Meanwhile, the Black Mountain Army, which was rampaging through the Zhongshan Kingdom, ignored the commotion in Hejian County to the east and continued its frenzied attacks on cities and strongholds, even threatening Changshan County at one point.

It was as if they were saying that the Black Mountain Army and the Lin Mu Army had no connection.

It's unclear what Han Fu and Yuan Shao were thinking, as they were preoccupied with dealing with Lin Mu's Zhuojun and ignored the Black Mountain rebels.

If you ignore me, then I will grow wildly. Under orderly and shrewd guidance, the Black Mountain Army finally stormed into Changshan County and began to conquer cities and fortresses in this prosperous county.

However, Han Fu, the governor of Ji Province, still ignored it and allowed it to run rampant.

There was a reason why they were allowed to run rampant. The Black Mountain Army was not a bloodthirsty bunch; they had a fairly good reputation and operated under the name of the Way of Peace, claiming to save people worldwide.

Meanwhile, the wealthy clans of Zhongshan State and Changshan Prefecture had already fled upon hearing the news, leaving the Black Mountain Army unable to catch them.

During this process, a major event also occurred in the north.

That is Liu Bei, the governor of Hanoi Commandery, who is the thirteenth warlord, and he actually took action against Dong Zhuo's Mei County!

That's right, with the help of a group of players, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei launched a fierce attack on Mei County.

Of course, it was impossible to directly storm into Mei County, because the Flying Bear Divine Army was stationed there, and with Liu Bei's limited resources, it would be like an egg hitting a rock.

Liu Bei led 200,000 troops and joined forces with many players to launch a surprise attack on three transport teams heading to Mei County.

Caught off guard, they succeeded, and their wallets instantly bulged.

When Lin Mu heard this news, he was somewhat stunned. Given the overwhelming force of the warlords attacking the Great Wilderness territory, why didn't Liu Bei quietly develop his power, or join forces with the warlords to attack the Great Wilderness? Instead, he went after the great demon Dong Zhuo! What was he thinking?!
Sometimes, he truly didn't understand some of Liu Bei's thoughts...

The players have tricked him countless times, and they even cooperated... Luckily, it was successful, otherwise he would have completely given up on the players.

After learning more about it, I understood why Liu Bei did this.

The reason is simple: Dong Zhuo's camp is about to attack Liu Bei!

The capital city of Chang'an, Jingzhao Yin, was not far from the Hanoi Commandery. Dong Zhuo's camp would not allow a warlord who had rebelled against their lord Dong Zhuo to remain peacefully by their side.

How can I allow someone else to sleep soundly beside my bed?!

Even though Dong Zhuo knew that the situation in Chang'an was unstable, he still set his sights on the threat posed by the Hanoi Commandery.

Liu Bei knew that once Dong Zhuo's army pressed in, he would have no power to resist.

Rather than waiting to be killed, it is better to take a risk and launch a preemptive strike against Dong Zhuo's supply convoy. Firstly, this would allow them to plunder food and supplies, strengthen their own forces, and prepare for the upcoming battle. Secondly, it would also allow them to demonstrate their tough stance to the other warlords, which might win them some unexpected allies or a chance to catch their breath.

This risky move was a desperate gamble for Liu Bei, born out of necessity.

After learning the inside story, Lin Mu suddenly understood. Given Liu Bei's current position, this was indeed the case. The Sili Commandery, if not under Dong Zhuo's control, would be an enemy.

He intended to use Sili as a shield to block the warlords from the east, and then rely on the three provinces of Liangzhou, Bingzhou, and Sili for development. In fact, not only Sili, but even Bingzhou began to experience turmoil.

Even the governors who were appointed by Dong Zhuo himself and who had made contributions to Dong Zhuo's camp in the story of the warlords' campaign against Dong Zhuo began to be purged.

Ji Beiqin, Zhao Qiyin, First Myth, Xuanyuan Changying, and others are all on the liquidation list.

This move by Dong Zhuo's camp was a classic case of discarding a useful tool after it has served its purpose!
Having no other choice, they joined forces with Liu Bei to pull this stunt.

Lin Mu took a large chunk of flesh from Dong Zhuo's camp, and Ji Beiqin and others also took small pieces. Now, even Zhao Qiyin and the First Myth, together with Liu Bei, took a small piece of flesh, which greatly angered Dong Zhuo.

Especially with Lin Mu, an extraordinary individual, preceding him, Dong Zhuo directly purged officials from the extraordinary group, including those who had defected to Dong Zhuo's camp.

Zhao Qiyin, the First Myth, and others were not the kind of people who would sit and wait to die. After looting, they started causing trouble again, preparing to get deeply involved in the chaos in Chang'an.

And so, the entire land of China began to descend into chaos.

Turning our attention south, Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, rose to the position of governor of Jingzhou after surrendering to Dong Zhuo, gaining control of the province's military and political power. The actions of Liu Yan, the earliest governor of Yizhou, are also noteworthy.

Liu Yan, in alliance with Liu Biao, launched an attack on Yangzhou.

This time, both Liu Yan and Liu Biao made a move, for no other reason than to seize the Liangzhou Cauldron!

In particular, Liu Yan's territory of Yizhou is closely related to Liangzhou Ding, and he must control it.

As long as he can seize the Liangzhou Cauldron from Lin Mu, he will not be afraid even if Dong Zhuo leads his troops south to attack Yizhou.

However, Yangzhou faced pressure not only from Liu Biao and Liu Yan, but also from the armies of three warlords: Yuan Shu, Gongsun Zan, and Sun Jian.

In total, Yangzhou would face attacks from five different warlords.

Originally, Liu Biao did not directly send troops south to participate in the siege of Lin Mu's Great Wilderness territory. Instead, under the pretext of "stabilizing the rear and guarding against the southern barbarians," he stationed troops in several counties of Nanyang Commandery, watching the development of the situation in the Central Plains with covetous eyes.

Liu Biao harbored ambitions to become the ruler of Jingzhou, yet he was also inherently suspicious and lacked decisiveness. He wanted to profit from the chaos of the warlords' conflict, but feared getting burned himself, so he adopted this wait-and-see attitude.

However, his advisors and generals, such as Kuai Yue and Cai Mao, each had their own plans, keeping the Jingzhou army in a delicate balance with no clear direction for the time being. Later, due to Yuan Shu's instigation and Dong Zhuo's coercion and enticement, they were forced to suspend the siege of the warlord Sun Jian and instead deal with Lin Mu.

However, according to intelligence gathered from the Great Wilderness Territory, it was discovered that the five warlords pressing towards Yangzhou were not united in their efforts.

Among them, the forces of Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shu, and Sun Jian had quite a few schemes.

The struggle for power has already begun in the north, and they have come to the south to establish their own solid territory. The conflict between Yuzhou, Yanzhou, and Jingzhou is imminent.

This time, they used the pretext of besieging Yangzhou to prepare to extend their reach into Jingzhou!

In short, at this time, the various feudal lords performed admirably, displaying decisiveness. They did not become irrational and muddle-headed as they did later.

For a time, the entire world seemed like a giant chessboard, with various warlords acting as chess pieces, engaging in a complex and thrilling game of strategy around Lin Mu, this suddenly rising "unexpected prodigy."

Lin Mu's Great Wilderness Territory has become the focal point of conflict between various forces, and a storm that will sweep across the world is about to erupt.

Lin Mu, at the eye of the storm, stood atop a watchtower on Yizhou Island, gazing at the ever-changing clouds and seascape on the distant horizon, his eyes deep and solemn. He knew that the real test had only just begun.

After inspecting Yizhou Island, Lin Mu returned to Shenzhou.

Everything here is progressing smoothly and according to plan.

The five million inhabitants are currently frantically exploiting the advantages of Yizhou Island.

Once he finished inspecting Yizhou Island, his inspection tour was essentially over.

He inspected the Shenlong Valley, its various subordinate territories, and the grasslands, before finally visiting the Azure Dragon Secret Realm, the Kuaiji Little Cave, and other places, and then the various islands.

He also personally stepped forward, using his position as a general of the Han Dynasty to provide a guarantee of trust to those households who were in a bad mood, promising to provide them with a stable environment so that they could live and work in peace.

Within the Great Wilderness Territory, everything is developing in a positive direction.

Externally, a major battle is about to take place...

Outside, it wasn't just the feudal lords who began to take action; some divine lords also started to emerge.

After Lin Mu finished his inspection and returned to Shenlong Valley, he immediately received the latest intelligence from the front lines:

1. The allied forces of Tao Qian and Cao Cao officially launched their attack, brazenly invading the Beihai Kingdom and capturing Chang'an City!

2. Kong Zhou, the governor of Yuzhou, and Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, suddenly appeared and attacked the Qi Kingdom of Qingzhou from the northern part of Taishan County in Yanzhou, and captured Linqu City!
3. The allied forces of Yuan Shao and Han Fu invaded Zhuojun in Youzhou and captured Fanyang City! The allied forces of Liu Yu and Li Dian also invaded Zhuojun in Youzhou and captured Beixin City!
4. The allied forces of Liu Biao and Liu Yan launched their attack from Jiangxia County and are currently besieging Xunyang City in Lujiang County, but have not yet captured it!
The situation suddenly exploded!!!

(This concludes the volume on "The Warlords' Campaign Against Dong Zhuo". The next volume, "The Warring States Period," begins!) (End of Chapter)