Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

"Yes!" Lu Yi immediately agreed.

He imagined the tragedy of Diao Chan's family being imprisoned and forced to pledge allegiance to Wang Yun.

"You old thief, just you wait! Once we rescue the mistress's family, you'll be sorry!" Lu Yi cursed inwardly.

"What are you dawdling for? Hurry up!"

Seeing Lu Yi clenching his fists and muttering to himself, Lu Feng couldn't help but rub his forehead and say, "Hmm?"

Lu Yi then came to his senses, scratched his head sheepishly, and laughed, "It's nothing, it's nothing! I'll go right now!" Then he ran off in a flash.

"This kid..." Lu Feng shook his head with a smile.

He picked up the intelligence report, intending to find Xi Zhicai and the others, but upon seeing the information about Diao Chan, he sat back down. After recopying the sections on He Jin and Yuan Shao, he put away the original and took the copy to the government office.

It just so happens that Xi Zhicai, Xun You, and Guo Jia were all there.

"Take a look at this." Lu Feng handed over the intelligence directly.

"Oh?" Guo Jia and the others took it, and the three of them huddled together to examine it.

A short while later, the three men looked up with strange expressions. Guo Jia took a swig from his wine jug, smacked his lips, and said, "He Jin died in such a way, it's truly speechless."

"Yuan Shao is ruthless; the Yuan family is indeed harboring evil intentions," Xun You continued. "They even dared to kill He Jin; next, they'll probably target Zhang Rang and Empress He. Anyone in Luoyang who opposes the Yuan family will likely meet a similar fate."

Xi Zhicai nodded and said, "Very likely. However, this depends on everything proceeding according to their plan. Unfortunately, Dong Zhuo is no pushover, and the plan has clearly gone wrong—Zhang Rang was supposed to take action, but Yuan Shao did it himself, which shows that the original plan has changed, and this is just a remedial solution."

Xun You, his eyes sharp, said, "This plan is too crude; it can't be the original one. Otherwise, Yuan Kui's methods would be far too clumsy."

Guo Jia said with a strange expression, "Did Yuan Shao really deceive everyone? Even someone like Cao Cao believed him? That's too bizarre!"

"I've dealt with Cao Mengde before; he's incredibly cunning. How could Yuan Shao, a mere playboy, possibly fool him?"

Guo Jia shook his head repeatedly.

A fox being tricked by a Shiba Inu? That's absurd!

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Xun You and Lu Feng exchanged a glance and said in unison, "We don't believe it either!"

The two men knew Cao Cao's temperament well—he was suspicious and cunning, so how could they easily believe what Yuan Shao said? Moreover, the excuse for He Jin's death was really clumsy, how could Cao Cao take it seriously?

"Ha!" Guo Jia clapped his hands and laughed, "Since our lord and Gongda are so certain, Cao Cao must just be playing along with Yuan Shao!"

"Tsk tsk!" He clicked his tongue, intrigued. "Two 'Best Actor' actors on stage together, the scene... absolutely wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

Upon hearing this, everyone recalled the hypocritical relationship between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, and couldn't help but clap their hands and laugh.

"In my opinion—" Lu Feng raised an eyebrow and speculated, "Cao Cao saw through Yuan Shao's tricks long ago, and only pretended to be confused in order to protect himself, and went along with the performance."

"Most likely so." Xun You nodded. "Yuan Shao even dared to kill He Jin; if he senses Cao Cao's suspicion, he will surely act ruthlessly. Cao Mengde... is clever!"

Xi Zhicai then added, "Now that He Jin is dead, let's see how Dong Zhuo takes the stage. This play... must not disappoint!"

Only by creating chaos in Luoyang and utterly humiliating the Han dynasty can a struggle for power among warlords be initiated. Otherwise, the right opportunity will have to wait.

"Let's wait and see!"

Lu Feng chuckled and waved his hand: "How could Dong Zhongying disappoint? His advisor Li Wenyou will surely seize the opportunity for him! We'll just observe how things unfold; the real show is about to begin, and our chance will arrive!"

As he spoke, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

After years of dormancy, the dawn has finally broken!

He had long been weary of the various constraints imposed by the Han dynasty.

Now, the time has finally come for a convergence of events.

"In that case, I suggest that you, my lord, expedite the incorporation of the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion!" Xi Zhong advised.

"No!"

Before Lu Feng could speak, Guo Jia categorically objected: "Zhi Cai is acting too hastily! In my opinion, we should maintain the stalemate with the Yellow Turban Army. It's too early to incorporate the 50,000 Qingzhou troops!"

"It is perfectly acceptable to secretly control the various prefectures, but we must not openly break the current stalemate."

Upon hearing this, Xi Zhong stroked his beard and pondered deeply. Instead of getting angry, he carefully considered the matter.

At this moment, Xun You said with a smile, "Fengxiao is absolutely right. If we were to wipe out the Yellow Turbans now, given our army's true strength, it would surely arouse suspicion from the Yuan family and other warlords."

"For now, we still need to bide our time and wait for the right opportunity."

Showing off one's talents too early is not a good thing.

"Indeed, I had not considered this carefully!" Xi Zhong suddenly realized, and immediately cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Fengxiao and you have a brilliant insight!"

"Hmm." Lu Feng nodded and said, "That's exactly what I wanted. That's why I haven't ordered the army to launch a full-scale attack recently, nor have I allowed Guan Hai to lead the Qingzhou army to switch sides and surrender."

"According to my calculations, this situation will last for at least another six months."

"We will then observe how the situation changes and act accordingly."

In another six months, the Kwantung Allied Army should be able to launch an attack against Dong Zhuo.

If he were to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou too early, Yuan Shao would not only be less likely to invite him to an alliance, but would probably be the first to turn his attention to him. Only by making the other warlords believe that his main force was tied down by the Yellow Turbans could Yuan Shao feel at ease to launch a campaign against Dong Zhuo.

When the upheaval occurred in Luoyang, Lu Feng received an invitation to a meeting. He subtly hinted at the inviter's ulterior motives, but this played right into their hands.

"Our lord is wise!" Xun You and the other two bowed in unison, their eyes gleaming with excitement. They had witnessed too many prophecies come true, and this six-month period was surely a harbinger of great changes. The small town of Donglai could no longer contain their ambitions; the entire world was the true stage.

At the end of June, He Jin was assassinated. The following day, Cao Cao led his troops straight to Beimang Mountain, finally intercepting Zhang Rang and his party on the banks of the Yellow River. In the midst of the clash of swords, over a hundred eunuchs were killed, leaving only Zhang Rang standing on the riverbank. The old eunuch turned away sadly, bowing deeply to the young Emperor Liu Bian, Prince Liu Xie of Chenliu, and Empress He: "This old servant can no longer serve you nobles!" Before he finished speaking, he leaped into the turbulent waves.

Yuan Shao, sword in hand, spurred his horse to the scene, but the blade only managed to cut a sliver of water. Seeing the figure swallowed by the torrent, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief—if Zhang Rang had survived and revealed the truth behind He Jin's death, his meticulously planned scheme would have completely collapsed. He immediately dispatched his elite guards to search along the river, vowing not to rest until they saw Zhang Rang's head.

The section about Cao Cao in the text should be changed to:

Covered in blood, Cao Cao knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and said, "This humble general, Cao Mengde, the Commandant of the Army, pays his respects to Your Majesty and Your Highness! I am late in protecting you, and deserve to die!"

Empress He's part changed to:

Madam He narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, her fingertips gently stroking the trembling braid behind her. Xie'er, however, straightened his back and said, "General, please rise." Madam He waved her sleeve to indicate that he was free from formalities, her gaze shifting between the two sons, and she secretly shook her head.

Recollection

At that time, Zhang Rang whispered in her ear: He Jin has already led his armored soldiers to break through the palace gates. She was so flustered that she believed it to be true, but now she thinks it was all just a guess.

Yuan Shao's part changed to:

Yuan Shao strode forward, his armor clanging loudly: "Your Majesty, I, Yuan Shao, the Commandant of the Capital Region, respectfully request Your Majesty to return to Luoyang to assume command." He then turned sorrowful: "The Grand General has been assassinated by the eunuch faction's assassins... We are heartbroken!"

Cao Cao's inner thoughts changed to:

Cao Cao caught a glimpse of Yuan Shao feigning tears and thought to himself: "The murderer is crying like a filial son."

**

Where is Yuan Shao's conscience after doing such a thing?

Cao Cao secretly became wary and resolved to be cautious of this man in the future, lest he be plotted against without his knowledge.

"What?"

Empress He, upon hearing Yuan Shao's words, especially the news of her brother's death, was stunned, her mind reeling. She stood frozen in place. After a long while, she recovered, her face contorted in a grotesque scream: "Impossible! My elder brother was a great general, how could he have died so easily? How dare Zhang Rang and the others kill him?"

Yuan Shao's face was filled with sorrow: "That is the truth! Zhang Rang has long harbored the intention to murder the Grand General and wanted to install Prince Xie as emperor, and the Grand General and the Empress were precisely the ones obstructing this. How could the Empress truly believe that they were protecting you as you escaped? Even if the Grand General were confused, he would never harm his own family!"

Empress He was struck dumb, suddenly realizing that her brother could never have harmed her and her child; only Zhang Rang and his gang of eunuchs harbored evil intentions. Thinking of her brother's death, she felt dizzy and staggered, only managing to stay upright thanks to Cao Cao's support.

"Your Majesty, please take care! The court needs your leadership, and Prince Bian also needs your protection," Cao Cao advised in a deep voice. His gaze swept over Empress He's beautiful face, a strange feeling rising in his heart, which he quickly suppressed.

After a short while, Empress He calmed down, and Cao Cao and others once again urged her to return to the capital. This time she did not refuse, and the group immediately set off for Luoyang.

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were secretly delighted, as the credit for saving the emperor was already theirs.

Midway through the journey, an unexpected event occurred.

"Boom—"

A thunderous roar suddenly came from the left, and the earth trembled.

"Cavalry!" Yuan Shao's eyes turned cold. "What does that old traitor Dong Zhuo intend to do?"

The Xiliang cavalry pressed in like a dark cloud, and their leading, bearded general spurred his horse forward and roared, "This humble general, Dong Zhuo, has arrived too late to rescue Your Majesty! Are Your Majesty and His Highness well?"

"Dong Zhuo!" Yuan Shao spurred his horse, spear in hand, and roared, "The imperial carriage is under our protection! Retreat immediately! You have stormed the imperial carriage; are you plotting a rebellion?"

But Dong Zhuo sneered, and his iron cavalry surged forward, crushing everything in its path. From within the dust came the muffled thuds of fists and kicks, and Yuan Shao's angry curses.

"How dare you! Ouch—"

As the Xiliang army passed through, Yuan Shao, his crown askew, his brocade robe stained with dust, and his left eye bruised like a panda's, spat in a disheveled state, "You traitor Dong Zhuo! I swear to kill you!"

(

Despite the excruciating pain coursing through his body and his mental defenses crumbling, Yuan Shao roared furiously at Dong Zhuo, who had reined in his horse: "Dong Zhuo! How dare you—"

Dong Zhuo turned around and glanced at him contemptuously, then casually waved his hand and said, "Annoying! Stop him!" More than ten armored warriors immediately turned around and approached Yuan Shao.

"Prefect Dong!" Cao Cao stood with his hand on his sword, blocking the imperial carriage and demanding sharply, "In front of the Empress and the two princes, are you perhaps about to commit treason?"

Dong Zhuo suddenly burst into laughter, his sinister gaze fixed on Cao Cao: "Cao Mengde? I, the governor, have traveled a thousand miles to escort Your Majesty; how dare you accuse me of kidnapping you?" He then abruptly waved his hand: "Get out of the way at once! I demand an audience with the Emperor!"

Seeing that Cao Cao still refused to back down, Dong Zhuo narrowed his triangular eyes: "What, do you dare to disobey orders?" Dozens of Flying Bear soldiers behind him dismounted and approached, their chilling killing intent causing cold sweat to bead on Cao Cao's forehead.

Feeling the murderous intent rushing towards him, Cao Cao finally sighed and clasped his hands in a fist: "This humble official dares not. Prefect Dong, please—" Before he could finish speaking, he was pushed aside by the surging soldiers and staggered dozens of steps away, where he happened to bump into Yuan Shao, whose face was bruised and swollen.

Upon catching a glimpse of Yuan Shao's disheveled appearance with black eyes, Cao Cao almost burst out laughing, but quickly bit his tongue to suppress it—fearing both a loss of composure at this moment and the potential repercussions from this "Brother Yuan Shao" later.

"Are we really going to just watch ourselves hand over the credit for saving the emperor?" Yuan Shao asked in a low voice, his face so dark it could drip water.

Cao Cao helplessly spread his hands: "What else can we do? Dong Zhuo has his sword and axe in hand. If we confront him now, we'll both be beheaded within three quarters of an hour."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's eyes widened, and he shouted sternly, "How dare he do this!"

That fierce gaze seemed to want to devour the other person alive.

"What is there to be afraid of?"

Cao Cao sighed helplessly, "If I had been even slightly slower in dodging, he probably would have drawn his sword."

"Brother Benchu, don't forget, this man is a valiant general on the frontier, and he's never been bound by etiquette!"

Do you really think he'll obey you without question?

If that were truly the case, you wouldn't be sporting a bruised and swollen face right now.

Cao Cao had long seen through Yuan Shao's intentions.

Just because Dong Zhuo was once supported by the Yuan family, does he think he can control the whole situation?

ridiculous!

Didn't he remind him repeatedly before?

Bringing border troops into the capital is tantamount to letting a tiger devour a wolf.

A fierce tiger is more dangerous than a hungry wolf.

At the time, General He Jin did not believe it.

Yuan Shao, the mastermind behind it all, was even less convinced.

How is it now?

Playing with fire, huh?

Does the Yuan family really think they have such deep-rooted and far-reaching plans that they can turn the world upside down at will?

That's wishful thinking.

However, Cao Cao was more concerned about the fate of the Han Dynasty.

With a border general like Dong Zhuo causing trouble, the situation in Luoyang and even the whole country will be extremely precarious.

"Ziyi! If only you were here!"

Cao Cao couldn't help but think of Lu Feng again.

With Lu Feng and his elite troops in command, Dong Zhuo and the Xiliang army are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's face grew even more gloomy.

"Damn servant! How dare he turn against his master! Just you wait and see!"

Yuan Shao secretly harbored a ruthless ambition.

Given the chance, I will make sure this traitorous slave dies without a burial place.