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

A feeling of admiration for Lu Feng welled up in my heart.

It turns out that our lord had already foreseen the harm caused by the foreign tribes and had even devised a countermeasure.

I knew I hadn't followed the wrong person!

As the garrison commander of Yanmen Pass, he understood the threat of foreign tribes better than anyone else. It was truly rare for his lord, who was born and raised in Jiangnan, to possess such foresight.

In contrast, what about Liu Yu?

Having served as the governor of Youzhou for many years, he still advocated a policy of appeasement, which was utterly absurd.

Zhang Liao immediately clasped his hands in a fist and pleaded, "My lord, if we ever fight against foreign tribes in the future, please be sure to let this humble general serve as the vanguard!"

He longed to rush to Bingzhou immediately to annihilate the foreign tribes.

"Ha ha!"

Lu Feng laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Alright! I'm waiting to see your skills! Keep up the training! In ten days to half a month at most, we'll be setting off on our campaign. The Azure Dragon Camp will be in the ranks this time, and I'm really looking forward to seeing your heroic figure on the battlefield!"

After saying that, Lu Feng turned around and prepared to leave the central command tent.

"This humble general will certainly do his utmost!" Zhang Liao replied solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Lu Feng frequently mobilized troops, deploying heavy forces to the border areas between Jinan and Yanzhou, and between Langya and Xuzhou.

They're adopting a posture of fighting on two fronts.

The other feudal lords were also busy.

Cao Cao has initially established a foothold in Taiyuan and is now sending troops to advance towards Xihe Commandery, Yanmen Commandery, and other areas.

They continuously quelled the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes that were ravaging Bingzhou.

They gradually built up a formidable reputation.

The generals led by Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun also began to distinguish themselves.

However, the battle losses were also considerable.

After all, the Hu cavalry were not easy to deal with.

Initially, I suffered several losses due to unfamiliarity with the tactics of other races.

Only after they figured out the tricks of the trade did the tide of battle gradually turn around.

After being tempered by blood and fire,

Cao Cao's army's combat strength has significantly improved.

It has already begun to show signs of becoming a strong military.

On this day, the border of Jinan was suddenly filled with the deafening sounds of battle.

The Azure Dragon Camp has 50,000 troops, the Vermilion Bird Camp has 50,000 troops, Lu Feng's personal guard has 10,000 troops, plus the Beiwei Army has 50,000 troops.

A total of 160,000 main force troops and tens of thousands of auxiliary troops,

They launched a lightning-fast attack on the three regions of Taishan County, Jibei State, and Lu County in Yanzhou.

Liu Dai's 70,000-strong garrison collapsed in an instant.

Lu Feng's army penetrated into the heart of Yanzhou within a single day.

Facing a fierce and powerful army,

Liu Dai's troops were utterly no match for them.

Their forces crumbled as soon as the battle began.

More than 5,000 people were beheaded in this battle.

The rest were all captured.

If Lu Feng's army hadn't launched such a fierce offensive...

The number of those who surrendered was probably several times greater.

After all, the disparity in combat strength between the two sides was simply too great.

After the Xiliang cavalry suffered a 30% loss, morale collapsed, and more and more surrendered. As for Liu Dai's rabble, they were utterly ineffective. Lu Feng then deployed his troops, launching a five-pronged attack:

Dian Wei led 50,000 Qinglong soldiers as the vanguard, with Zhang Liao as his deputy, and marched straight for Rencheng County. Lu Feng gave a special order: "You must slay Liu Dai's head! Do not let the tiger return to the mountain!" Dian Wei clasped his hands and promised: "This humble general will bring this scoundrel's head to your command within two days!"

Zhao Yun led 50,000 Beiwei troops, marching day and night, with Han Dang and Wei Yan as his deputies, bypassing Rencheng and heading straight for Shanyang County; Huang Zhong led 50,000 Zhuque troops, assisted by Cheng Pu, and marched south to launch a surprise attack on Pei State; Gan Ning and Taishi Ci commanded more than 40,000 men from the East Sea and Yellow Sea naval forces, with Sun Ce and Huang Gai as their deputies, and marched west up the Yellow River, aiming for Dongjun and Jiyin; Lu Feng personally led 10,000 Lu Family Army cavalry, with Xu Chu as his deputy, and marched straight for Dongping State.

To prevent Yuan Shao and Han Fu of Ji Province from taking advantage of the situation to invade, the entire Xuanwu Camp was stationed on the south bank of Pingyuan County. As for the 50,000 troops stationed in the direction of Xu Province, they were actually old, weak, and disabled soldiers, a feint, but they terrified Tao Qian, the governor of Xu Province: "Fortunately, Lu Ziyi has turned to attack Yan Province. If he really attacks, how can we resist?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Gui sneered, "Your Excellency is overthinking things. Lu Feng has been acting against the will of the people in Qingzhou, disregarding the interests of the gentry. He has already lost the hearts of the people. Even if he attacks, the heroes of Xuzhou will surely rise up to resist him!" His words were full of sarcasm.

Xuzhou is adjacent to Qingzhou, and the local gentry are very familiar with the new policies implemented by Lu Feng.

Many powerful families who had come from Qingzhou spread rumors, portraying Lu Feng as ruthless and heartless. These aristocratic families, whose interests had been harmed, naturally hated Lu Feng to the core.

That being said—

Lu Feng launched a simultaneous attack with five armies, plunging eastern and northern Yanzhou into chaos.

After each city was captured, the reserve army would take over the defense, while Xun You and Xi Zhicai would quickly allocate low-ranking officials from Qingzhou's reserves to establish new local institutions and maintain the operation of the prefectures and counties.

This was followed by a land survey and the implementation of land reform. The secret guards cooperated in searching for evidence of crimes committed by local powerful families: those guilty of serious crimes were publicly tried and beheaded; those with less serious offenses were sent to road construction teams to participate in the construction of cement roads within Yanzhou.

"To get rich, build roads first."

Having learned from their successful experiences in Donglai and Qingzhou, Xun You and others deeply understood the importance of road construction. After occupying Yanzhou, road construction was listed as a top priority, and other policies were also promoted simultaneously.

Otherwise, where would all this free labor come from?

Of course, Lu Feng never treated those who performed hard labor harshly. Food and rest were guaranteed, and some local ruffians even voluntarily joined the construction team after serving their sentences, becoming regular workers and receiving monthly wages—the diligent ones earned quite a lot.

(After several years of hard work, buying property and land, and starting a family and career are all within reach.)

For those powerful and aristocratic families who refused to cooperate with the reforms, Xi Zhicai and others showed no mercy, directly expelling them from the country and confiscating their land and illegal gains.

In a short period of time, the powerful families of Taishan, Lu, Jibei and other counties were driven out and fled in panic to Heqing County of Jizhou, other counties of Yanzhou, and even as far away as Yuzhou and Xuzhou.

"That hateful Lu Feng! He's so ruthless! With that alone, you can forget about conquering the world!"

"Indeed! Gentlemen, we are all victims of his machinations. Lord Wu, Lu Feng, is clearly the mortal enemy of the powerful clans! We must unite and call upon the gentry of all prefectures and counties to raise the banner of rebellion against Lu, vowing to eliminate him as soon as possible!"

"That's right!"

"I agree!"

"Me too!"

"This man is a monster! We must not let him continue these reforms! Haven't you noticed how those lowly people have changed? They dare to look at us with disdain; they're utterly lawless!"

"A disgrace! This is a blatant insult to our gentry! A provocation! We cannot stand idly by!"

"Everyone must use all their connections to spread the news as quickly as possible!"

"That's right! Lu Feng is too much of a threat! If we allow him to grow stronger, he could one day rule the entire world, and where will our aristocratic families have a place to stand?"

"He has no regard for the law; he's practically trying to overthrow ancestral rules and completely change the world! This kind of treason is even more hateful than Dong Zhuo!"

"That's right! Even Dong Zhuo didn't dare to sever our lineage, but the traitor Lu has already made his move! We should rally all the lords of the land to attack him and eliminate him before he gains power!"

"Furthermore, his legal documents must be destroyed; these scourges must not be allowed to circulate! Otherwise, it will be a catastrophic disaster for the gentry!"

……

These expelled powerful figures gathered together, filled with resentment. Soon, they reached a consensus and went to neighboring states and counties to spread rumors about Lu Feng's "crimes" and their plans.

Recently, many aristocratic families around Yanzhou have heard rumors and have secretly strengthened their defenses. Local powerful clans that have not yet submitted are also frequently contacting each other, raising troops and funds, intending to unite against Lu Feng.

These developments were quickly reported by the secret agents.

"Young Master! If we let this go unchecked, our subsequent conquest of the various counties of Yanzhou will likely be hindered." Lu Yi said with a furrowed brow and deep concern. He thought that the resistance would be even greater when they marched into Xuzhou and Yuzhou in the future.

Lu Feng, however, remained calm: "This was expected." He instructed, "Have the secret guards and the Lu family business association launch a propaganda campaign across the country, focusing on publicizing our policies to the common people."

"As for the powerful clans and gentry? Don't waste your breath. Reform will inevitably harm their interests; it's better to preserve your strength than to waste time and energy. Remember to tell your brothers to be discreet; it's better to spend more money on spies than to neglect their safety."

Over the years, the secret guards and the Lu family's business guild have been secretly developing their influence, which has spread to various regions. Lu Feng firmly believes that as long as they are willing to invest heavily in publicity, they will definitely be able to overwhelm those local powerful families.

The people are the foundation. As long as we win the hearts of the people, we need not fear the meddling of a few powerful figures. At that time, not only will the difficulty of conquering cities be greatly reduced, but we might even reap unexpected rewards. Of course, this will take time to develop.

"You're even deploying troops to other prefectures and counties? We're not capable of conquering them right now," Lu Yi asked, puzzled.

"That's precisely the kind of thing we need to plan ahead for," Lu Feng said decisively.

Lu Feng nodded and said, "Public opinion guidance is of paramount importance. Although the new policies are intended to benefit the people, if we allow the feudal lords and aristocratic families to continue their slander, the people's hearts may be completely swayed—we must stop their demonization of the new policies!"

He understands better than anyone the fatal danger of having a voice.

Precisely because we understand this principle so well, we must hold it firmly in our grasp.

"Start movable type printing immediately! The first issue of the Donglai Newspaper is being prepared; instruct the editor-in-chief to prioritize the compilation of a special issue promoting the new policies."

"Distribute sample copies to the secret police in each prefecture and to the Lu Clan Chamber of Commerce's strongholds. The printing equipment has already been secretly allocated by the Chamber of Commerce; order them to increase printing on the spot. The paper mills will be supplied by the Lu Clan's businesses in various regions. Hurry!"

Lu Feng slammed his knuckles heavily on the table.

"promise!"

When Lu Yi rushed out of the government office like a whirlwind, the fresh scent of ink already filled the air in Donglai City. Hundreds of drafts revised by Cai Yan were being sent to the thirteen prefectures through the secret guard system day and night.

The newspaper, now under the control of Lady Wu, has become the mouthpiece of the new policies.

Three days later, a massive number of notices suddenly appeared in the cities and towns of various prefectures and counties. With the help of hired informants and spies in the streets and alleys, the beneficial provisions of the new policies of the Marquis of Wu spread like a spring breeze across the fields.

By the time the gentry realized this, folk rhymes and songs were already circulating among the common people: "A family of five can be granted a hundred acres of land" and "All children can enter the academy." Although there were still some foolish people who blindly believed in the powerful, the flames of hope had been ignited in the eyes of many more commoners.

This unprecedented clash of public opinion finally began with a thunderous collision between bamboo slips and official gazettes.

"Ziyi's strategy truly transforms the pen into a weapon!"

When Cao Cao witnessed it firsthand, he couldn't help but express his sincere admiration. He even conceived the idea of ​​emulating it and planned to implement the new policies in his own territory. However, before he could put it into action, he was vehemently dissuaded by Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, and others.

"Does my lord intend to make enemies of all the powerful clans and feudal lords in the land?" Xun Yu questioned sternly.

Cheng Yu then advised, "My lord, you are wise! Our situation is vastly different from that of the Marquis of Wu. He has no powerful clans under his command, and even if there were, they have long since broken away from their clans. These civil and military officials have all been influenced by him and wholeheartedly support the new policies. Moreover, the Marquis of Wu has been planning this for many years, using Donglai as a testing ground to accumulate a deep foundation. We simply do not possess these conditions. If we rashly imitate him, we will surely invite annihilation!"

This advice was not entirely out of personal motives. As members of a prominent clan, they naturally had to consider their family's interests, but they were also genuinely planning for Cao Cao's benefit. If Cao Cao insisted on following Lu Feng's example, he would likely face widespread betrayal and even defection from the Xiahou and Cao clans—this would threaten their fundamental interests.

In contrast, Lu Feng was a step ahead. He had long ago summoned all the young members of the Lu clan to Donglai, where they received years of training under the new policies, making them the backbone of the reform movement. Even if the elders of the clan opposed it, it was too late to reverse the situation. Of course, the promising future of these Lu clan members under Lu Feng's command was also an important reason why the clan ultimately compromised.

"Enough..." Cao Cao, with his keen insight, immediately realized that the new policies would be difficult to implement under his rule. He sighed, "What you all say is absolutely right. Of all the people in the world, only Lu Ziyi can carry out such new policies!" Even though he understood their great benefits, he could only sigh in vain. Cao Cao was filled with helplessness. How could he not know the harm that the aristocratic families posed to his rule?

At this moment, he had already deeply realized the difficulties involved.

Leaving aside the opposition from Xun Yu and others, it was practically impossible to collect money, grain, and taxes from powerful families on ordinary days.

How much military supplies and provisions can ordinary people raise on their own?

Moreover, Bingzhou was originally a harsh and barren land.

Foreign invasions continued, leading to severe population loss.

"Since we cannot emulate Ziyi's policies, we must take another path! Recruit powerful and influential families from all over the country! If we can make good use of them, we can quickly strengthen our power!"

"Alas! This is merely a stopgap measure! In the long run, it will inevitably become a disaster and ultimately shake the very foundation!"

Cao Cao pondered to himself.

He would never have chosen such a drastic option if given any other choice.

However, due to the circumstances, we had no choice but to do it.

Otherwise, he wouldn't even have the resources to compete with Yuan Shao and Lu Feng.

Having grasped this point, Cao Cao immediately announced to the worried Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, and others: "Since the road ahead is blocked, we will change course! We will treat the powerful clans and wealthy families well and recruit them to serve us!"