A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

Outside Guandu City, the two armies faced each other. Cao Cao ordered his men to set up a small pavilion in front of the two armies.

He ordered someone to heat up some wine there and invited Yuan Shao to drink with him.

"Go and tell Cao Cao that we can only bring one person with us. If Cao Cao brings one more, I will turn around and leave."

Yuan Shao snorted coldly. Cao Cao, with his black face and ruthless heart, was absolutely capable of inviting him to reminisce while secretly ambushing him.

Cao Cao laughed twice without any embarrassment, "I didn't expect Yuan Shao to become so cowardly. However, you have a good eye for people."

"Go ahead, just tell them I agreed."

"Zhongkang, you will come with me then."

"Yuan Shao's martial arts are far inferior to mine. When the time comes, listen to my command. As soon as I say 'attack,' you rush towards Yuan Shao's guards and hold him back for life."

After the messenger left, Cao Cao gave instructions to Xu Chu, and then looked at Cao Ren and Huang Zhong.

"Cao Ren, as soon as you see us fighting, immediately lead the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry over. Han Sheng, you are wearing the armor of ordinary Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. As soon as you have the chance, shoot Yuan Shao dead."

"promise."

Xu Chu was a straightforward person; he did exactly what Cao Cao told him to do.

Cao Ren and Huang Zhong exchanged a glance and accepted the order.

They were not pedantic people. If they could easily behead the enemy commander, many brothers would die less in this war, and the people of the world would suffer less from the flames of war.

……

The following morning at Chenshi (7-9 AM), Cao Cao, accompanied by Xu Chu, waited for Yuan Shao in a small pavilion.

The 3000 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were only three miles behind him; if a battle broke out, they would arrive in a matter of breaths.

Yuan Shao brought Dian Wei to the banquet and sat opposite Cao Cao, while his vanguard of suicide soldiers remained three miles away.

Xu Chu and Dian Wei stood behind Cao Cao and Yuan Shao respectively, like two walls, both glaring fiercely at each other.

"This must be Tiger Marquis Xu Chu. He looks extraordinary. His physique is so robust that he is second only to E Lai in my life."

Yuan Shao sized up Xu Chu, offered a polite compliment, and then casually praised Dian Wei as well.

"The man behind you is Dian Wei, whom you call the 'Ancient Evil,' right? Can he read?"

Cao Cao smiled as he scrutinized the muscular man behind Yuan Shao, and said in a cutting tone.

For some reason, looking at this thug, Cao Cao felt as if something of his had been stolen.

Moreover, his ugly face actually made Cao Cao feel that he was somewhat honest and reliable.

Unable to figure out where that inexplicable jealousy and guilt came from, Cao Cao shook his head and put it all out of his mind.

"Brother Benchu, why are you so wary of me? You even brought this ancient evil man along. I just wanted to catch up with you."

"In today's world, there are fewer and fewer people who can sit across from me and tell the story from the front."

"After this battle, there will be one less, so I arranged to meet with Brother Benchu ​​to catch up and chat about everyday things."

"Aman, you're right. Don't worry, after this battle, as long as you're willing to surrender, I will definitely not kill you."

"I will retain your title of king, so you can witness me unify the world. How about it?"

Yuan Shao smiled. Before the battle even started, Cao Cao had already positioned himself as the victor. How arrogant and how much he looked down on him!

"Brother Benchu, you haven't even drunk the wine yet, how come you're already drunk?"

Cao Cao poured a full glass of wine for Yuan Shao, but Yuan Shao glanced at it and spilled the wine on the ground.

"I dare not drink your wine."

Yuan Shao took out his own wine, poured himself a cup, and clinked glasses with Cao Cao.

"Brother Benchu, why judge a gentleman by your own petty standards? How could I, Cao Cao, be such a person? Today's agreement is witnessed by both armies; why would I resort to such despicable means?"

Cao Cao drank the wine in his cup in one gulp and complained bitterly.

Yuan Shao was amused by Cao Cao's shamelessness. How could Cao Cao judge a gentleman by the standards of a petty person?!

Shit!

Was Cao Cao a gentleman?

It's so funny, it's hilarious.

"If Cao Cao is a gentleman, then there will be no villains in the world."

"Use underhanded tactics. If I didn't make any demands, I bet you would have arranged for your general to disguise himself as an ordinary soldier and capture me while I was drinking. You have no sense of martial ethics whatsoever."

"Do you remember how you snatched the bride? From that day on, I knew what kind of black-hearted bastard you, Cao Cao, were. You're black-faced, black-hearted, and thick-skinned. As long as you can achieve your goal, you never care about the means."

"hey-hey."

Cao Cao chuckled, and a striking white tinge suddenly appeared on his dark face.

"You have a really good eye for people!"

"If sacrificing a little of my character and reputation can end this war sooner, bring peace back to the world faster, reduce the suffering of the people, and minimize the casualties of the soldiers, why not do it?"

"Since that's the case, for the sake of restoring peace and stability to the people as soon as possible, why don't you surrender to me, Mengde?"

"Once I unify the world, I will still retain my status as a king or nobleman. I will even grant you permission to go out and establish your own kingdom. With your assistance, I can pacify the world in no time. Liu Bei and Sun Jian are nothing more than grasshoppers on a string, unable to jump very far."

Yuan Shao's eyes were solemn; even someone as arrogant as him had to admit Cao Cao's excellence.

If Cao Cao was determined to oppose him, even if he was confident that he could destroy Cao Cao, it would be a protracted war. If Cao Cao was willing to surrender, he was truly willing to accept Cao Cao and continue to let Cao Cao be the King of Qi, allowing him to lead his confidants to go out and establish his own kingdom.

"I would like to say the same thing to Brother Benchu: if you are willing to surrender, I will still preserve your title of Prince of Jin and allow you to lead your confidants to go out and establish your own kingdom."

"Isn't there the Parthian Empire out there? Let's join forces, destroy that empire, and let you establish your own kingdom there, how about it?"

Cao Cao's eyes were serious. It's just empty talk, who's afraid of who?

"Mengde, do you still remember the days in Chang'an?"

A look of reminiscence crossed Yuan Shao's face.

"Ah, Mengde. I remember when you were the Northern Commandant of Luoyang, you killed Jian Shuo's uncle with a five-colored staff, causing an uproar in the court. You put your sword to Xu Shao's neck, and he said that you, Cao Cao, were 'a capable minister in times of peace, and a treacherous hero in times of chaos.' I knew then that you were no ordinary person. I just never thought that you and I, these two 'capable ministers,' would eventually have to decide who is the 'treacherous hero' in this chaotic world."

Cao Cao chuckled softly, lost in memories of his youth, his expression softening and no longer so confrontational.

"Capable minister? Treacherous hero? Those are just other people's opinions. I, Cao Cao, have never cared. What I truly miss are you and me, and those few dissolute men like Zhang Miao and Xu You, riding horses and chasing hawks in Luoyang, laughing and cursing the officials. You, Yuan Shao, have been a high-ranking official for four generations, with guests filling your banquets, yet you are willing to sit and drink with me, the descendant of a eunuch."

Yuan Shao also recalled the carefree days he spent with Cao Cao and others in Chang'an, when they had not yet entered officialdom and everyone was extremely pure.