Reborn Liu Bei: I'll lead this Three Kingdoms to victory!

(Autumn of the second year of Jian'an, at the Prime Minister's residence in Xuchang)

The autumn colors of Xudu were more somber than those of Xuzhou. As the convoy passed through Zhuque Avenue, shops on both sides closed their doors and windows—Cao Cao's secret agents from the "Inspectorate" were colder than the autumn wind.

I lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked at the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry patrolling the street. I whispered to the person inside the carriage, "Kongming, remember the smell of this place."

Nine-year-old Zhuge Liang sat upright and said, "Rust, blood, and...fear."

"Yes." I lowered the curtain. "This smells like the center of power. When we go in, observe more and say less."

The carriage stopped in front of the Prime Minister's residence. Cao Cao did not come out to greet him personally—as expected. Xun Yu, however, was waiting at the door, dressed in a blue robe, his demeanor as gentle and refined as jade.

"Lord Liu," Xun Yu bowed deeply, "the Prime Minister is waiting in the White Tiger Hall."

"Thank you for your trouble, Wenruo." I got off the train and stopped, gesturing to the convoy behind me. "I have brought some local specialties from Qingxu. Please accept them, Prime Minister."

One hundred jars of "Hero's Wine," one hundred thousand bushels of new grain, and thirty carts of salt from the East China Sea—the convoy stretched for half a street. Xun Yu glanced at it, his smile unchanged: "You've gone to great lengths, my lord."

The White Tiger Hall was smaller than I had imagined. Cao Cao sat in the main seat, not wearing court robes, but a black casual robe, his head bowed as he reviewed official documents. He only slowly raised his head when I entered the hall and bowed.

"Xuande has arrived." He put down his pen, his smile like the glint of a blade. "Sit."

There were no pleasantries, no reminiscing. Guo Jia stood behind Cao Cao, while Jia Xu sat in the shadows. The air was thick with the smell of calculation.

"Having heard that Mengde has defeated Yuan Shao, I have come here to offer my congratulations." I had my attendants bring in the first gift—a jade carving of a galloping horse. "This is carved from fine Hetian jade, symbolizing swift success."

Cao Cao glanced at it: "Xuande is very thoughtful. But..." He paused, "Recently, expenses in Xuchang have been high. This jade horse is beautiful, but it won't satisfy our hunger."

They started by complaining about being poor.

I immediately replied, "Yes, yes, that's why I've brought 100,000 shi of new grain, which is already outside the mansion. There are also 100 jars of fine wine for Mengde to relieve his fatigue."

"Oh?" Cao Cao leaned forward. "I heard that Xuande implemented the 'equalization of land tax and poll tax' in Qing and Xu provinces, which doubled grain production. I wonder if this method... could be implemented in Yan province?"

They've arrived. They need technical expertise.

"Mengde is joking," I said with a wry smile. "The 'equalization of land tax and poll tax' relies entirely on the support of the powerful families of Qing and Xu. Yanzhou is rife with powerful clans; if we were to force its implementation, I fear..."

"What are you afraid of?" Cao Cao stared at me.

"I'm afraid someone might follow Yuan Shao's example and establish their own dynasty," I said casually.

There was silence in the hall.

Guo Jia chuckled, "Lord Liu, you're quite the joker. Yuan Shao is nothing but a skeleton in a tomb; what is there to fear?"

"What you say is true, Mr. Fengxiao." I turned to Guo Jia, "But I recently heard that... in Ye City, Shen Pei and Feng Ji are supporting Yuan Shang, while Yuan Tan is gathering his old troops in Bingzhou. It seems that the Yuan family is about to witness a scene of brothers fighting each other."

Cao Cao tapped his fingers on the table.

He was weighing his options—weighing whether I was genuinely worried about the Yuan family's resurgence, or whether I was trying to provoke him into dividing his forces.

"Xuande's information network is indeed impressive," Cao Cao finally spoke. "However, the Yuan family matter is not urgent. I've invited you here today because the court intends to bestow upon you a title—General Who Guards the East, Governor of Qingzhou. What do you say?"

I rose and bowed solemnly: "Your Majesty's great favor and the Prime Minister's kindness are deeply appreciated. However..."

"Um?"

"The remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou have not yet been eradicated, and Japanese pirates are also harassing the coast. This responsibility of the General Who Guards the East..." I looked troubled, "I'm afraid I can't bear it."

Cao Cao laughed: "Xuande, you are too modest. With three provinces under your control and 100,000 elite troops, what are you afraid of, a few Yellow Turban pirates?"

"We have many soldiers, but..." I sighed, "We lack money, iron, and warhorses. Especially warhorses—the horse farms in Youzhou have been hit by a plague, and this year's warhorse production has decreased by 70%."

The negotiations have entered their core phase.

Cao Cao wanted me to use the "land tax reform" technique in exchange for a reward.

I want him to exchange warhorses and pig iron for my "peace of mind as the General Who Guards the East".

Guo Jia interjected, "I heard that Lord Liu mediated between Sun Quan and Lü Bu in Jiangdong, gaining three counties without firing a single shot. With such methods, why would he need money?"

"That's acting as a custodian, not taking possession," I corrected. "The taxes have to be divided equally between Sun Ce and Lü Bu, leaving only 20%... barely enough to maintain the county's administration."

Jia Xu suddenly spoke up: "Lord Liu, what are your thoughts on the death of Prince Cao Ang?"

The topic suddenly changed.

I paused for a moment, then slowly said, "The young general's untimely death is a misfortune for the country. When I heard the news, I was on the banks of the Guangling River, and I drank three cups of wine facing north."

"But..." I looked up and stared directly at Cao Cao, "There is one thing I don't understand. The young general went on the expedition with the army and should have been under the protection of the central army. Why did he personally brave arrows and stones and find himself in dangerous territory?"

Cao Cao's eyes suddenly turned icy cold.

Guo Jia quickly tried to smooth things over: "Battle situations can change in an instant..."

"That's right." I nodded. "That's why I often said that a general should know when to advance and when to retreat. Some battles should be fought, and some... should be let others fight."

There's a hidden meaning in his words.

Cao Cao leaned back in his chair, his fingers stroking the jade thumb ring: "What Xuande means is..."

"Cao Cao has already conquered the Central Plains; it's time for him to recuperate." I spread out the map I had brought with me. "Although Yuan Shao has been defeated, his foundations still remain. If we push too hard, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang will surely join forces to fight to the death—at that time, Hebei will be in ruins; what good will it do then?"

"Why not slow things down? Let the Yuan brothers fight amongst themselves, and let the Hebei aristocratic families choose sides." I circled a line on the map with my finger. "Once they're both exhausted, Mengde can then head north to take over...wouldn't that be much easier?"

Cao Cao stared at the map, remaining silent for a long time.

I know he's weighing his options—and his advisors must have mentioned these things as well. But the way I'm saying them carries a different meaning.

Because I am both an "ally" and a potential adversary.

"What do you want?" Cao Cao finally asked.

"Three things." I held up my finger. "First, the imperial court officially recognized my rule over the three prefectures of You, Qing, and Xu—not just as 'governors,' but as a substantive appointment."

"Second, open the horse market in Yanzhou and sell 3,000 of my warhorses every year."

"Third..." I paused, "I was permitted to open a branch of the Imperial Academy in Xuzhou, and to appoint Zheng Xuan as its chief priest, to cultivate talent for the court."

Xun Yu frowned: "Lord Liu, the Imperial Academy is a national institution..."

"Mr. Wenruo," I interrupted him, "the world is in chaos, and classics are scattered and lost. We are preparing to rescue seven thousand volumes of books from Luoyang's collection in Xuzhou and build the 'Wenyuan Pavilion' to house them. If we could open a branch academy in Xuzhou, recruiting scholars from humble backgrounds, they could be used by the court in the future—isn't this exactly what the Prime Minister meant by 'appointing people based solely on talent'?"

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes.

He's calculating. Calculating my threat, calculating my worth.

"A thousand warhorses," he countered.

Two thousand five hundred.

"One thousand and five."

"Two thousand," I said, not giving an inch. "Plus another 100,000 catties of pig iron."

Guo Jia couldn't help but laugh: "Lord Liu, are you here to do business?"

"War is business." I laughed too. "We are businessmen, and they are customers—that's what Mr. Fengxiao said back then."

Guo Jia was taken aback—he had never said that.

But he could only acquiesce.

Cao Cao suddenly burst into laughter: "Good! Good indeed, Liu Bei! Two thousand warhorses and one hundred thousand catties of pig iron, in exchange for you not crossing the Yellow River for five years—how about it?"

A five-year agreement.

I stood up, my expression serious: "If Yuan Shao attacks..."

"That doesn't count," Cao Cao waved his hand. "What I'm saying is that you don't take the initiative to cross the river and head north."

"Deal." I held out my right hand.

Their two hands were clasped tightly together.

Cold, powerful, each harboring eight hundred schemes.

The banquet was held in the evening. After several rounds of drinks, Cao Cao dismissed his attendants, leaving only the two of us sitting opposite each other.

"Xuande," he suddenly asked, "if you had obtained the Imperial Seal first during the campaign against Dong Zhuo... what would have happened?"

It's here. The ultimate test.

I put down my glass, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "I'm going to smash it."

"Oh?"

"What right does a dead piece of jade have to represent the Mandate of Heaven?" I sneered. "When Emperor Gaozu slew the white serpent, did he have the Imperial Seal? When Emperor Guangwu restored the dynasty, who held the Imperial Seal?"

A strange light flashed in Cao Cao's eyes.

"Mengde, you and I both know this," I said in a low voice, "In this chaotic world, what can stabilize the world is not the imperial seal, not bloodline, but the sword, the grain, and the hearts of the people."

"So you built the Imperial Academy? So you implemented the land tax reform? So you... didn't declare yourself emperor?" Cao Cao pressed.

"Declare yourself emperor?" I laughed. "Yuan Shu's grave is overgrown with weeds. This game... it's not time to reveal our cards yet."

We raised our glasses at the same time.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating two faces, each lost in their own thoughts.

Three days later, I left Xuchang with the imperial edict of investiture. The convoy had twenty more carriages loaded with pig iron and silver—these were the warhorses that Cao Cao had "prepaid" as a deposit.

Zhuge Liang asked from the carriage, "Teacher, the five-year promise... are you really going to keep it?"

"Keep it." I closed my eyes to rest. "But the agreement only says I can't cross the Yellow River—it doesn't say I can't land in Liaodong by sea."

The child's eyes lit up.

Outside the car, the city walls of Xudu were gradually receding into the distance.

Xu Shu rode his horse closer to the carriage window: "My lord, we have just received an urgent report from Youzhou—Yuan Tan has sent Xin Pi to request reinforcements, offering a city in exchange for our troops to restrain Yuan Shang."

I opened my eyes.

"Tell Tian Yu to agree. But don't actually send troops. Just say... our army is undergoing reorganization and can only move in three months."

Why is that?

"They wanted Yuan Tan to think there was hope, which is why he fought Yuan Shang to the death." I looked north, "Wait until those brothers had bled enough blood..."

"Let's go and 'mediate' again."

The autumn wind lifted the carriage curtain, bringing with it the scent of war from afar.