In the Three Kingdoms period, the opening scene features the killing of Huang Gai, shocking Zhou Yu!

Zhao Yu smiled faintly.

"This is just the beginning."

"Wait until there's more asphalt later."

"I want to build a road all the way to Ye City."

"Let that old man Cao Cao see what a... national highway really is."

……

As for Ye City.

I don't know which day it was.

It was supposed to be an ordinary workday.

Cao Cao sat in his study.

Holding a scroll of bamboo slips in his hands,

He was having a headache from the battle reports coming from the south.

That brat Sun Quan is planning to cause trouble at Ruxu again.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei also prepared to attack Yizhou.

"Why."

Cao Cao rubbed his temples.

"My life is destined to be one of toil."

"If only I could find a beautiful place like Zhao Yu's, where I can sleep in until I naturally wake up every day, that would be wonderful."

A smile appeared on Cao Cao's lips when Zhao Yu was mentioned.

This kid is lazy and greedy.

But he is indeed a lucky charm.

The business of "national soap"

This did indeed significantly increase the national treasury of the Prime Minister's residence;

That batch of specially supplied "Artemisia argyi sulfur soap",

This significantly reduced non-combat casualties among frontline soldiers.

"Judging by the days, it's been about a month since he went to that godforsaken Ice Crystal Pavilion, hasn't it?"

Cao Cao picked up his teacup and blew away the foam.

"I bet they couldn't take the suffering anymore and were crying and begging to come back, right?"

Cheng Yu rushed in, looking panicked.

For the usually composed Cheng Yu,

This is absolutely unprecedented.

"Prime Minister! Something terrible has happened!"

Cheng Yu stumbled, and the intelligence booklet in his hand scattered all over the ground.

"What's the panic?"

"If the sky falls, will I hold it up?"

"Did Liu Bei take over Yizhou?"

Cao Cao calmly took a sip of tea.

"Even if Mount Tai collapses before you, you won't change your expression. How many times have I taught you that?"

Cheng Yu was panting heavily, his face pale.

"Prime Minister..."

"It's even more serious than if Liu Bei had attacked!"

"Zhao Yu... Zhao Yu, he..."

Cheng Yu swallowed hard and took a breath.

"He's going to rebel!"

"puff--!!!"

"Cough cough cough!" Cao Cao choked, his face turning red, tea leaves clinging to his beard.

"What did you say?!"

Cao Cao's eyes widened. It must be a joke.

This must be the biggest joke of the year.

"Zhao Yu is rebelling?"

"That lazybones who'd fake being sick for three days just to get an extra half hour of sleep?"

"That foodie who managed to trick Ma Teng into becoming crippled just for a hot pot meal?"

"He's rebelling? What for? To become emperor and have to rise earlier than the rooster and sleep later than the dog?"

Cheng Yu could only smile wryly and hand over an urgent intelligence report.

"Prime Minister, I don't believe it either."

"But... the intelligence came from an urgent, confidential letter from the 'School Affairs Office'."

"Three men can make a tiger; many mouths can melt metal."

Cao Cao snatched the intelligence report.

Let's take a look.

The more he looked, the darker his face became.

The more I looked, the more my hands trembled.

[Ice Crystal Pavilion Secret Report:]

Firstly, Zhao Yu took out two boxes of copper coins, using "heavy money" to win people's hearts.

The entire village worshipped him, knowing only of the Marquis of Zhao and unaware of the Prime Minister of Han! Even an eighty-year-old woman swore to be loyal to him to the death!

Secondly, black smoke billows day and night from the mountain behind the Ice Crystal Pavilion, obscuring the sky and sun, suspected to be some kind of evil formation or a giant arms factory. Within a ten-mile radius, the clanging sound is incessant, shaking the mountains!

Thirdly, Zhao Yu went on a buying spree of pig iron and scrap iron. He accepted any quantity, no matter how much! Furthermore, he was never seen crafting farm tools for sale; all the ironware disappeared without a trace (in reality, it was being used to make steel)!

Fourth (and most importantly): Spy witnesses have seen a heavily armed force of several hundred men doing morning exercises every day.

They were all strong and powerful, wielding gleaming silver weapons (steel hoes), marching in formation, exuding a murderous aura!

Fifth (Decisive Strike): The leader of the army was eight feet tall, with long arms and a wasp waist. Although he was slightly lame, his face... looked exactly like the former Western Liang War God - Ma Chao!

Sixth: According to a merchant's rumor, Zhao Yu, who commands an army of 100,000 elite soldiers wielding silver divine weapons, intends to seize control of the world!

"Bang!" Cao Cao slammed the intelligence report onto the table. The corner of the table cracked from the impact.

"Ma Chao?"

"The horse isn't dead?"

Cao Cao stood up and paced back and forth in his study.

Then why did I pretend to be a coward with Ma Teng? I should have just said I wasn't dead.

Reason told him that Zhao Yu had no motive to rebel (after all, he had just married two wives and was the richest man in the Han Dynasty).

but.

Ability and motivation are two different things.

He has money in his hands (the richest man).

He has someone in his hands (Ma Chao).

He has equipment (divine weapons that can cut through iron like mud).

There was even "popular support" (the whole village's loyalty).

This is like your neighbor's child.

He was holding a nuclear button, though he said he just wanted to use nuclear fusion to bake sweet potatoes.

But can you believe it?

Do you dare to sleep?

It's like saying the sun is right next to you when it's clearly in the sky.

"This kid..."

"Could it be that he feels the 30% profit share is too low, and he's holding a grudge?"

"But he was the one who proposed these profit sharing."

"Or is he just bored being cooped up in the mountains and wants to experience being a mountain king?"

Cheng Yu asked cautiously:

"Prime Minister, should we... send the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to quell the rebellion?"

"Before they come out of the mountains..."

"Flat my ass!"

Cao Cao cursed.

"What if it's a misunderstanding?"

"Jie'er is still there!"

"What if the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry charge and everything is destroyed?"

"and……"

Cao Cao stroked his chin.

"If that 'divine weapon that can cut through iron like mud' is real."

"Can our elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry hold out?"

No, information transmission is subject to error.

What might be a good thing there could be completely different here.

"no."

"seeing is believing."

"I want to go and see for myself."

"Let's see what this kid is up to!"

……

Half an hour later.

The back gate of the Prime Minister's residence.

A horse-drawn carriage, which appeared unassuming on the outside but was actually lined with steel plates, was parked at the entrance.

Cao Cao changed out of his brocade robe and into a merchant's outfit that looked rich but was somewhat vulgar.

He was holding two walnuts in his hand, spinning them around with a crackling sound.

To avoid attracting attention, he even glued on two small, eight-shaped mustaches.

He really does look like a... nouveau riche who resells medicinal herbs.

"Prime Minister... oh no, Your Excellency."

Xu Chu.

He also changed his clothes.

He was dressed in shorts, revealing his muscular physique, and carrying a package on his back.

He looks like... not-so-bright top bodyguard.

"Master, my greatsword is hidden in the package."

"If Zhao Yu really dares to rebel, I'll chop him in half with one stroke!"

"Shut up."

"Can you beat him? Besides, he has a horse with him."

We're there to discuss business, not to kill people.

"Remember this, I am Boss Zhen (using the Zhen family name), and you are Head Nurse Xu."

"Cough cough..."

A commotion came from inside the carriage; it was Jia Xu and Cao Pi.

Jia Xu looked reluctant. "Everyone's saying Zhao Yu has rebelled. You still want to go? Isn't that just stirring up trouble?"

……

The author's words:

Thank you so much for the gift.

I owe you two chapters. I'm out of ideas, I can't finish writing them all, I really can't finish writing them all.