The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 264 Li Yi's Mission to Xuanguo Demonstration Power; Cao Wei's Signing of a Humiliating Treaty Indemnifying Its Territory

Meanwhile, Cao Ren, trapped in Xincheng, did not abandon the city on the advice of Man Chong and others.

Instead, they chose to hold their ground and fight to the end, thus securing a strategic advantage for Cao Cao in the north.

Cao Ren's steadfast defense disrupted Guan Yu's original strategic plan for his southern expedition.

On one side, Zhuge Liang in Xuzhou wrote to the front lines, urging a swift resolution to the battle for Xincheng.

On one side was Li Tong, the governor of Runan, who led the troops of his prefecture to rush to Cao Ren's aid.

The war in the south was in a state of flux and difficult to resolve.

As Sima Yi and Man Chong had predicted.

Having gained the upper hand in this battle, Liu Bei first sent his envoy Jian Yong to negotiate peace with the State of Wei.

Because Liu Bei had already occupied most of Hebei, and the Runan battlefield had been flooded, resulting in the defeat of Yu Jin's seven armies.

He is now eager to quickly convert these gains into profits.

Continuing to detain these 30,000 people wouldn't make much sense.

Getting Cao Cao to cede the land as soon as possible is the most urgent task.

As the defeated party, Cao Cao had no other choice.

After Xiahou Yuan was beheaded and Yu Jin's seven armies were captured, his utter defeat was already a foregone conclusion.

This is why Liu Bei was more eager to negotiate peace than Cao Cao.

It's simply a matter of having nothing to lose and not being afraid of those wearing shoes.

Cao Cao's side is already rotten; he's not afraid of it getting worse.

With Liu Bei currently holding such a significant advantage, continuing this drags on is not an option.

It harms the country and its people; it's meaningless.

Peaceful negotiations should begin sooner rather than later; it would be better for both sides.

However, while this negotiation seemed inevitable, the process was actually quite difficult.

Liu Bei insisted on holding peace talks in Ye, the capital of Wei.

This was an utter humiliation for Cao Cao, and he immediately refused.

He indicated that he was only willing to hold peace talks in Guantao, a border town between the two countries.

Liu Bei was furious when he saw that Cao Cao had no sincerity in negotiating peace.

He bypassed Li Yi, the governor of Ji Province, and issued orders to Zhang He and Xu Huang at the front lines, in his capacity as the King of Qi.

He ordered them to launch a fierce attack on Wei Commandery and march straight to Ye City, the capital of Wei.

Although Cao Cao appeared to be as calm as a rock, he was actually quite flustered inside.

Because Wei suffered a complete defeat on the eastern front, and Cao Ren on the southern front was in dire straits.

From a strategic perspective, Cao Cao needed to cease hostilities more than Liu Bei.

Because he had to first rescue Cao Cao's top military general and protect the troops in the new city.

The garrison inside the city were not greenhorns; they were the fresh blood of the Wei Kingdom.

Once it's gone, it's really gone.

Moreover, since Xiahou Yuan's death in battle, it was as if Cao Cao had lost an arm.

He absolutely cannot afford to lose Cao Ren again.

Not to mention the 30,000 men under Yu Jin's command, all of whom were fierce soldiers trained by the Wei Kingdom for many years.

Liu Bei had such a good hand that Cao Cao had no choice at all.

Seeing Liu Bei's determination, and despite the boiling resentment among the people, they were determined to continue the fight.

Cao Cao then realized that he had no other choice.

He then sent Jiang Ji to the State of Qi to negotiate peace, hoping that Liu Bei would temporarily order Zhang He and Xu Huang to cease their attacks.

Liu Bei didn't intend for his two generals to actually continue fighting, because the war had progressed to this point and the war-weariness within Qi was already very high.

He simply wanted to put pressure on Cao Cao through this military operation.

After all, the war has been won, and if the two countries continue to remain hostile, the military expenditures will be too high.

Therefore, seeing that Cao Cao had yielded, Liu Bei decisively called a halt.

Cao Cao had no choice but to agree.

This indicates that the two countries can hold peace talks in Ye City.

But two requests were made.
First, Liu Bei, in his capacity as King of Qi, should issue direct orders to the front lines in Runan.

Before the negotiations conclude, order Guan Yu to immediately cease the siege and ensure the safety of the garrison inside the city.

Of course, this request is actually quite reasonable.

After all, they've already negotiated peacefully; there's no reason for their subordinates to continue fighting each other.

This was mainly due to Cao Ren's desperate defense, which prevented Guan Yu from capturing the city in a short period of time.

Otherwise, Cao Cao wouldn't even be able to make this one request, which would put him in an even more passive position.

Liu Bei readily accepted the first condition.

He immediately wrote a handwritten order and sent it to Guan Yu, ordering him to suspend the siege.

However, they did not withdraw their besieging troops, which was a way of leaving themselves a backup plan.

As for Cao Cao's second condition, it was somewhat difficult for Liu Bei to accept.

Cao Cao stipulated that the delegation sent to negotiate should not exceed 800 soldiers.

From Cao Cao's perspective, he certainly felt that his request was reasonable.

After all, Ye City is his capital. If you bring too many people here, I'll wipe them all out.

Wouldn't I then become a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others?

From Liu Bei's perspective, however, he felt that Cao Cao's request was quite rude.

The peace talks were originally held in Cao Cao's capital to demonstrate the honor of the State of Qi.

To proclaim to the world as a victor.

To intimidate the surrounding powers and let them know that a new overlord has emerged.

This is highly beneficial to Qiguo's future international actions.

But how can we demonstrate the strength of the State of Qi by only bringing eight hundred soldiers?
How to promote the prestige of the State of Qi?

Moreover, even eight hundred soldiers could not guarantee the safety of the Qi delegation.

Given Cao Cao's universally acclaimed character, Liu Bei had every reason to worry that he would kill Cao Cao.

Therefore, he decisively rejected the request to bring only eight hundred soldiers.

This indicates that at least three thousand people must be sent.

But Cao Cao refused to accept this.

Three thousand men—that's already a fighting force.

In case of any unforeseen circumstances, Liu Bei will send a large army over.

If they collude with this delegation from within, wouldn't we be doomed?

Not to mention that these three thousand people are definitely the elite of the elite.

As a result, the negotiations between the two sides reached a stalemate.

Finally, Li Yi approached Liu Bei alone and submitted a memorial offering his advice:
"Although we have now decisively defeated the Wei army and captured Yu Jin's seven armies, the country is truly exhausted—"

"Seven-tenths of the grain from Qing and Xu provinces were taken away, and all the fur from Youzhou was used for military supplies."

"If we delay and fail to make a decision, I fear our advantage will gradually diminish, like the melting of ice in spring."

"Cao Cao had just suffered a defeat, and his courage was already gone."

"We should take advantage of our momentum and quickly send envoys to negotiate peace."

"Otherwise, if we continue to delay, we will inevitably suffer a backlash."

"May Your Majesty keep the people in mind and emulate the wisdom and resourcefulness of the former kings!"

As the saying goes, when the cannons roar, gold pours in.

Never underestimate the financial and logistical costs of a battle.

Li Yi has always advocated a steady and pragmatic approach.

He vehemently opposed any policies that overstretched the nation's resources and damaged the people's livelihood, in order to serve the war by any means necessary.

For example, in the game Romance of the Three Kingdoms, some people progress quickly and can finish the game in a few years or even a decade.

But this is almost always either a war or on the way to a war.

When unification occurs,
The map was all white, and there were hardly any soldiers or civilians in the country.

Cao Cao was actually that kind of player.

Historically, Cao Cao was actually very fast at fighting; he almost immediately marched south after unifying the north.

It's just that the Battle of Red Cliffs resulted in Cao Cao losing everything, leading people to mistakenly believe that Cao Cao was slow in his campaign.

This is why,
The reason why the people under Cao Cao's rule would be full of resentment, and why there were rebellions everywhere even in the later stages of his reign.

Regardless of Cao Wei's system, your high-intensity fighting style is just...

It would be strange if the people didn't rebel.

Li Yi, on the other hand, is a typical farming-type player.

He not only had to conquer cities and seize territories, but also ensure the livelihood of the people in the rear while fighting on the front lines.

If the people's livelihood is in decline, he would rather call a halt to the economy and allow the country to recover.

Therefore, just looking at Liu Bei's territory and comparing it with the same timeline, it seems that Liu Bei didn't advance much faster than Cao Cao in history.

But if we compare it with the living conditions in China,

The northern region that Cao Cao acquired was a territory plagued by poverty and constant rebellions.

All the people and all the resources in the country are serving the war machine of the State of Wei.

Cao Cao, a war maniac, only wanted a quick victory.

To this end, he spared no expense, resorting to massive conscription.

This is one of the reasons why Cao Cao was able to match the military strength of the State of Qi.

What Liu Bei possessed was a vibrant, thriving northern land.

He can safeguard people's livelihoods while also launching powerful attacks against foreign powers.

People are at peace and happy.

Those who live should have a house, and those who till the land should have land.

A nation where weavers have their own tools and where the old and young all have something to rely on, is prosperous and thriving.

The phrase Li Yi most often said to those around him was:

"How we view the past today is just as we will view the present tomorrow."

"Let us temporarily wander in our spirits and imagine how our descendants will view us a hundred or a thousand years from now?"

"At that time, we had long been buried in the yellow earth, our bodies withered and bones decayed, and our faces were no longer recognizable."

“But I want them to believe that the present generation has already created a paradise for them.”

"Our ancestors bequeathed us profound virtues, and now it is our duty to fulfill them."

Standing on the shoulders of our predecessors, it is now our generation's turn to shoulder this historical responsibility.

This is Li Yi's philosophy for governing the country and bringing peace to the world.

Liu Bei agreed with this.

However, given the current state of the war between Qi and Wei, continuing the fighting would indeed be pointless.

However, Liu Bei felt that Cao Cao's sincerity was insufficient.

Even as a defeated man, Cao Cao dared to make such an impudent demand.

Liu Bei dared not even imagine what demands would be made during the subsequent peace talks.

Therefore, Liu Bei believed that he could not back down on this matter, otherwise, one step back would lead to further setbacks.

But Li Yi was completely unconcerned about this matter and said to Liu Bei:
"Your Majesty, you may simply agree to Cao Cao's terms."

Liu Bei asked, "Cao Cao told me that I could only send eight hundred soldiers to Ye City, which shows that he has no sincerity in negotiating peace."

Li Yi said, "Your Majesty, please agree for now. I have my own way."

Ok……

Liu Bei always trusted Li Yi, knowing that he was resourceful and cunning.

Since he says he has a way, he must have his own method.

He then replied to the Wei envoy, indicating that he accepted both conditions proposed by Cao Cao.

Cao Cao was overjoyed upon hearing this, believing that although they were the defeated side, their decline was irreversible.

However, by gaining an initial advantage in the negotiations, they secured a crucial foundation for the future.

Liu Bei then asked Li Yi who he planned to send to negotiate peace.

Li Yi bowed and replied:
"Since the purpose is to seize the land of Hebei, and I am the governor of Ji Province, I should go there in person."

Li Yi believed that he should fight for his own land.

"...No, you can't!"

Liu Bei hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Cao Cao is cunning, and the Prime Minister is the pillar of our Qi state."

"If they come by trickery, they will detain the Prime Minister in Wei."

"They want the Prime Minister as a hostage, demanding that I redeem their land and people. What should I do?"

This is why Liu Bei consistently disagreed with Cao Cao's second condition.

Even if they don't send Li Yi, they will definitely send a high-ranking official from Qi.

Not to mention that he was accompanied by a group of people.

If they were detained by Cao Cao in Ye City, given Liu Bei's personality, would he really abandon them?
Moreover, the military forces brought along by diplomatic negotiations can not only ensure security but also enhance the overall image of the organization.

It allows for a quick and decisive break in negotiations, increasing the negotiating team's confidence.

Therefore, in order to avoid being at a disadvantage at the negotiating table in the future, Liu Bei was unwilling to agree from the very beginning.

However, Li Yi was very confident in this matter and told Liu Bei to simply entrust it to him.

Liu Bei could not refuse Li Yi's request and had no choice but to agree.

Upon returning to his residence, Li Yi immediately ordered Xu Chu to select 800 elite Tiger Guards from his own troops to accompany him.

He also brought Zhen Yao, Xu Shu, Guan Ping and others as his entourage.

These operations are currently running normally.

But then,

Li Yi then ordered Zhang He and Zhang Liao to each lead two thousand elite troops to accompany him.

He then ordered Xu Huang to lead a thousand naval troops to Qinghe to accompany Li Yi into the State of Wei.

In this way, Li Yi brought nearly six thousand men.

These 6,000 men were all elite troops from Hebei.

This move was incomprehensible not only to the people of Wei, but even the people of Qi themselves couldn't understand what Li Yi meant.

Didn't we agree that we would only bring eight hundred soldiers?

What's the meaning of sending 6,000 people?
The soldiers guarding the pass had the same question and immediately questioned Li Yi:
"Since your country has agreed to peace talks, why have you brought so many troops with you?"

"Have you come for peace, or for war?"

Li Yi replied, "I came specifically for the peace between our two countries."

The garrison commander then asked, "If it's for the sake of peace between the two sides, why have you brought so many troops?"

Li Yi pointed to Xu Chu and the others, explaining:
"The soldiers I have brought are no more than eight hundred men."

"Why do you say that I have a large army?"

The garrison commander stared wide-eyed, thinking to himself, "Aren't you just lying through your teeth?"

He immediately pointed to Zhang Liao and Zhang He's troops, and then to Xu Huang's Qinghe naval forces by the river.

"Could these men have been brought by Lord Yi?"

Li Yi nodded and replied, "Yes."

Yes?
The garrison commander's eyes widened as he questioned:

"Then why do you say there are only eight hundred men?"

Li Yi explained methodically:

"Li did indeed follow Wei Gong's advice and only brought eight hundred soldiers."

"However, our Qi Kingdom is a great power in the East. As an envoy from a great power, how can we be without accompanying personnel?"

"Besides these eight hundred people, the rest were all servants, whippers, grooms, boatmen and sailors."

"It is solely for the purpose of serving my mission, and has no other intention."

"I hope you will not have any doubts!"

what! ?

The garrison commander was dumbfounded; he hadn't expected such an explanation.

A boatman and sailor carrying weapons, a whip-wielding groom, right?
Looking at it this way, apart from Xu Chu's eight hundred elite guards, the rest of the troops were indeed not wearing armor.

The problem is that soldiers don't wear armor when they're marching.

Once they arrive at their destination, and are clad in armor and fighting gear, wouldn't these servants all become fierce generals and brave soldiers threatening the security of Wei? "...What, I have come to your country in person, does your country intend to keep me at arm's length?"

This time, it was Li Yi's turn to question the Wei general.

He did indeed keep his promise and only took eight hundred soldiers with him.

The rest were all servants who accompanied and served them.

"……this."

The defending generals looked at each other, hesitant and unable to make a decision.

After pondering for a while, he shouted loudly to Li Yi:

"Please wait a moment, Yi Gong, while we inform Wei Gong."

"If Duke Wei allows it, then we will let Duke Yi into the city."

Li Yi was furious upon hearing this, and pointed his whip at her, saying:

“You are a defeated small country, and I have condescended to come to your land to negotiate peace.”

How dare you be so rude?

"Do you wish to test my true form and see if this sword is sharp?"

After saying this, he ordered his soldiers to attack the city.

The garrison commander was greatly alarmed upon seeing this, realizing that the two countries had already ceased hostilities.

If Li Yi were to attack the city at this time, it would be tantamount to starting another war.

Didn't they become the fuse that ignited this war?
This crime is too grave; no one in charge of guarding the pass can bear the responsibility.

So they discussed it privately:

"It is a crime to allow Li Yi to enter the city, and it is also a crime to cause war between the two countries."

"Instead of waiting for punishment, we should let Li Yi enter the city first and then make further plans."

If Li Yi is allowed to enter the city, Cao Cao may punish them later.

If they don't release him, with their limited forces, they simply can't withstand Li Yi's offensive.

If a real fight breaks out, they will all die.

So it's better to let it go for now.

Everyone can figure out this problem.

A short while later, the garrison commander opened the gate and let Li Yi into the city.

Li Yi then led a large army straight into the heart of the Wei Kingdom.

Along the way, a 500-strong honor guard was ordered to beat gongs and drums, greatly demonstrating the power of the nation.

Upon seeing this, the people of Wei were all amazed by the strength of Qi's army and its powerful nation.

When the procession reached a point where there were many people, Li Yi ordered the ceremonial guard to scatter money along the way to show the kindness of the King of Qi.

Such a large-scale mobilization alarmed Cao Cao, who was far away in Yedu.

He asked in surprise how many people Li Yi had brought.

Those on the left and right replied that there were six thousand people.

"……What!?"

Cao Cao was both shocked and furious when he heard the news.

How could Liu Bei have broken his promise to me?

"How dare the garrison commander at the pass let Li Yi's troops enter the pass without authorization?"

The men around him then explained Li Yi's explanation to Cao Cao.

Well!
Cao Cao clutched his chest, and suddenly everything went black.

All I can say is that he truly lives up to his reputation as Li Yi.

They really know how to exploit loopholes!
What angered Cao Cao even more was that the garrison commander at the pass dared to let Li Yi into the city without informing him.

This allowed Li Yi to make a big show of himself within the territory of Wei, and everyone knew that Wei was about to cede territory and pay reparations to Qi.

This is a national disgrace! This is absolutely a national disgrace!
"……Well!"

Cao Cao was already in a depressed mood due to recent setbacks.

Now Li Yi has tricked me again.

Cao Cao then covered his head with his hand and cried out in pain:
"...My head is splitting with pain!"

The crowd rushed forward to help Cao Cao up and loudly summoned a physician.

After administering the medicine, the physician revived Cao Cao.

Cao Cao slowly opened his eyes, awoke, and said to Cao Hong beside him:

"Send men to capture the city gate guard and punish him."

“…Here you go.”

Cao Hong was about to accept the order and leave.

Guo Jia quickly stopped him and advised him:

“They are merely following orders, and are insignificant generals; how could they possibly be a match for Li Yi?”

"Now that Li Yi has entered with great fanfare, the whole country knows about the conspiracy between the two countries. This is not the time to punish him."

"Duke Wei should consider how to receive the Qi envoy and rescue Cao Ren and Yu Jin as soon as possible."

Guo Jia advised Cao Cao to calm down, even though they had been tricked by Li Yi.

But they were, after all, a defeated nation, and no matter how clever they tried, it would be in vain.

Right now, nothing is more important than rescuing Cao Ren and Yu Jin's seven armies.

Especially the latter, Yu Jin, as the first person from outside the Cao family, although he had experienced this battle.

This caused Cao Cao to change his view on the ban, which would create a rift in the future.

But a dignified Left General of Wei cannot remain a prisoner of Qi forever.

If we do not find a way to save them, how will we expect the scholars of Wei to be willing to die for us in the future?

Of course, the most important thing was the 30,000-strong Wei army commanded by Yu Jin.

This is Lao Cao's most beloved child.

Thirty thousand combat-ready soldiers are far superior to fifty thousand, eighty thousand, or even one hundred thousand new recruits.

“…Alas…Fengxiao is right.”

Cao Cao sighed, enduring the throbbing pain in his head.

He stood up and ordered Cao Hong to lead 5,000 soldiers to accompany him to meet Li Yi outside the city.

Accompanying him were a group of high-ranking officials from the State of Wei, including Cheng Yu, Li Dian, and Guo Jia.

The two sides quickly connected and met at Tongquetai.

This Bronze Sparrow Terrace was built by Cao Cao last year.

When Cao Cao captured Ye City, he saw a golden light on the ground from the East Corner Tower.

Everyone around them said there was treasure on the ground.

Therefore, Cao Cao ordered his men to dig it up, and they unearthed a bronze sparrow.

The diviner verified it and replied:

“In the past, Shun’s mother dreamed that a jade bird entered her bosom and gave birth to Shun.”

"Today we have obtained the Bronze Sparrow Terrace; this is an auspicious omen."

Cao Cao was overjoyed and ordered a high platform to be built to celebrate.

They immediately broke ground, cut wood, fired tiles, ground bricks, and built the Bronze Sparrow Terrace on the Zhang River.

The project was completed in about a year.

According to Cao Cao's original intention, the Bronze Sparrow Terrace was built for his entertainment in his later years.

When we conquer the world in the future, we will place all the beauties captured from various places in Taizhong.

Before he could even collect a few beauties, this place became the site where Cao Cao lost power and humiliated his country.

...Alas, it's all about timing and fate.

Cao Cao was a very confident man.

However, after two years of fighting against Liu Bei and suffering repeated setbacks, his hair and beard turned quite white.

However, they gained no advantage whatsoever.

This caused even the usually arrogant Cao Cao to experience some internal strife and begin to doubt himself.

The banquet began quickly, with beautiful women performing songs and dances to entertain the guests.

Li Yi sat upright, focused, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his expression calm and composed.

Cao Cao's original intention was to use beautiful women and singing girls to confuse Li Yi's mind.

Hopefully, he will become complacent and make mistakes in the subsequent negotiations.

Seeing his composure, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself and sighed:

"Li Yi is a man of iron and stone."

"Unmoved by sensual pleasures, he is truly a strange beast in the imperial court!"

"No wonder I have repeatedly failed to gain the upper hand."

The opponent was terrifyingly strong and had no human flaws.

This made Cao Cao understand why he couldn't gain the upper hand in his struggle against Li Yi.

"Lord Yi, how have you been?"

Cao Cao took the lead in raising his cup to urge Li Yi to drink, thus showing goodwill towards him.

When his first plan failed, he could only resort to this method of trying to get closer to Li Yi by appealing to their past relationship.

Unexpectedly, Li Yi remained seated at his table, showing no response whatsoever.

Cao Cao raised his cup, which hung suspended in mid-air, at a loss for what to do.

Throughout the state of Wei, everyone wore expressions of displeasure.

The generals present glared angrily, as if they wanted to draw their swords.

However, Xu Chu stood behind Li Yi, glaring at him with a fierce and imposing air.

No one dared to move.

After a long while, Li Yi opened his eyes and spoke slowly:
"...Even a defeated general has the refined taste to watch dances and listen to music; no wonder he was defeated by our lord."

It means that even after you lost a battle, you were still listening to songs and admiring beautiful women at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

What if you win the battle?
Cao Cao sensed the sarcasm in Li Yi's words and looked ashamed.

He thought to himself that this person was even more heartless than he had imagined.

Li Yi then took a serious look and directly presented the terms of the peace negotiations.

“Yi is a busy man with countless affairs, and has no time to listen to music with Cao Gong in this brothel.”

"I will now state my purpose directly."

Li Yi got straight to the point: "You, Cao Cao, made two demands of my lord earlier."

Now it's my turn to set the terms.

Li Yi's terms for peace talks can be roughly divided into several points.

the first,

The entire territory of Hebei was ceded.

All officials of Wei must evacuate within one month.

second,

The Protector of the Xiongnu and Protector of the Wuhuan in the Hetao region were removed.

third,

He immediately severed ties with Liu Biao of Jingzhou, Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Liu Zhang of Yizhou, and Han Sui of Liangzhou.

You must no longer associate with him.

fourth,

The land of Runan was ceded to the Qi state for its Huainan naval forces to anchor in the port.

fifth,

To compensate the State of Qi for its war losses.

The total amount of grain was 300,000 hu, iron 5,000 jin, and brocade 1,000 bolts.

Two thousand horses and mules, and one thousand cattle and sheep each.

And ten million five-zhu coins.

Sixth, the government announced the dismantling of the Qi-style workshops in Wei.

All the workshop staff were handed over to the State of Qi.

I will not do it if any of the above six conditions are not met.

In exchange, the State of Qi will also make the following promises:

First, the Qi state will return the 30,000 soldiers, including Yu Jin.

Secondly, Guan Yu, who was besieging Xincheng at the front line, would lift the siege and let Cao Ren and the others leave.

And ensure the personal safety of Cao Ren and his party.

Third, all the Wei officials and clerks who were captured earlier, along with their families, will be repatriated to Wei.

Li Yi's reputation was well-known throughout Hebei.

His reputation for prestige in Hebei was known even to young children and the elderly.

Although a number of Wei officials, including Cao Cao, anticipated the intensity of the negotiations,

But they still underestimated Li Yi's appetite.

Let alone the six points, even the first point alone is unacceptable to the entire Wei state.

Should we cede all of Hebei?

Am I right?
Your Qi state hasn't even controlled Wei Commandery yet, and you're asking me to hand over my economic, military, and political center?

Do you think I'm stupid?

A Wei state that did not control the Wei territory, a Wei Duke without Wei Commandery.

If word gets out, Cao Cao will lose face in front of the world.

The same principle applies to Runan.

You, Guan Yu, haven't even captured Xincheng yet, and you're already asking me to hand over Runan.

Isn't that a bit too arrogant?
Besides ceding territory,
Regarding compensation, they demanded an exorbitant amount.

This showed Cao Cao just how greedy the people of Qi could be.

Three hundred thousand bushels of grain?
Five thousand catties of iron?

If I could produce these things, would you be able to boss me around on the Bronze Sparrow Terrace now?

Not to mention how demanding the remaining conditions are.

Severing ties with the various feudal lords effectively eliminated any possibility for Wei to find allies.

Removing the Protector of the Wuhuan and Protector of the Xiongnu would weaken Wei's influence over other ethnic groups in the Hetao region.

Indirectly, this also ceded the Hetao region to the State of Qi.

He even wanted Cao Cao to dismantle the Qi-style workshops in Wei.

The craftsmen still had to be handed over to the Qi people.

Wei's technology was already lagging behind Qi's, and then they removed the workshops and artisans that Cao Cao had worked so hard to build over the years.

Isn't that the same as crippling oneself?
Li Yi is not looking for peace talks.

This was an attempt to emasculate the Wei Kingdom, ensuring that Cao Cao would never have the chance to rise again.

How could Cao Cao agree to such harsh conditions?

He immediately slammed his fist on the table, his face contorted in anger:
"Before Qi conquered Wei Commandery, Cao Ren still held Xincheng."

"How dare you demand the lands of Hebei and Runan?"

“Our Wei still has 100,000 armored soldiers, and Li Tong has also sent troops to rescue Cao Ren.”

"How could Liu Jingsheng, the Duke of Chu, sit idly by and ignore me?"

"You must not act recklessly!"

"If you push me too far, I'd rather be a broken jade than a whole tile!"

Li Yi sneered and replied:

"The so-called 100,000 men you mentioned are nothing more than newly recruited soldiers."

"Li Tong's assistance was hampered by Yingchuan."

"Liu Biao is a coward, a dog guarding a door. He's barely able to deal with the Sun family, how could he possibly have the strength to save you?"

"The music and singing at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace have not yet ceased; why doesn't Cao Cao spare us the suffering of war?"
"This will also prevent any damage to the harmony between the two families."

After saying this, Li Yi took a sip of tea.

……

(End of this chapter)