Three Kingdoms: Zhang Fei was sent flying by a single spear thrust, leaving Liu Bei stunned.

As the sun set, it dyed the battlefield a poignant crimson.

The chase continued until nightfall.

In this battle, Cao Cao's army won a great victory.

Of the 30,000 soldiers of the Black Mountain Army, nearly 10,000 were killed on the spot, and more than 15,000 were captured. Only a few managed to escape. The chieftain Yu Du was blasted to pieces on the spot, and leaders such as Bai Rao and Sui Gu were also caught up by Xiahou Yuan's cavalry in the chaos and beheaded.

The number of captured soldiers, armor, provisions, and horses was countless.

When Cao Cao led his army, escorting an endless stream of prisoners, back to Chenliu, the whole city was in an uproar.

The people poured into the streets, cheering as they welcomed the victorious army.

The significance of this battle goes far beyond simply defeating an invasion. It proclaimed one thing to the entire Yan Province, and even the whole world—after the failure of the Suanzao Alliance, Cao Mengde, who was once considered a defeated foe, not only did not succumb, but rose again with an even stronger posture!

That evening, Cao Cao once again held a grand banquet to celebrate his victory!

The atmosphere at this banquet was a hundred times more enthusiastic than after the last successful "borrowing" of money.

The soldiers drank and ate heartily, boasting of their bravery on the battlefield. Everyone felt genuinely proud and honored.

Especially the new recruits, after experiencing initial fear, witnessed Zhang Ziqian's godlike performance and participated in a thrilling chase. The terrifying impression of war in their eyes was replaced by a fanatical worship and the passion of victory.

Looking at the veterans chatting and laughing around them, at Cao Cao sitting high in the main seat, and at Zhang Ziqian, who was revered by countless people, they all felt a strong sense of belonging.

From this day forward, they can be considered to have truly integrated into this army.

Inside the main tent, the atmosphere was even more lively.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 10 ...

"My lord! This great victory is entirely due to your skillful command!" Xiahou Dun said, his face flushed and his words slurred.

"Bullshit!" Cao Hong interrupted, "It's clearly Ziqian's doing! If it weren't for Ziqian's help, we'd probably be crying somewhere right now!"

"What do you know!" Xiahou Dun glared. "If our lord hadn't withstood the pressure and ordered us to fight the bandits to the death to hone our skills, how could we have achieved such a great victory later? This is called... what's it called again... Mr. Cheng?"

Cheng Yu smiled and replied, "This is called 'first make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable.' In this battle, our lord not only trained the new army but also ascertained the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, and finally, with overwhelming force, delivered the decisive blow. This is a perfectly legitimate and brilliant strategy!"

Cheng Yu's words not only gave Cao Cao face but also highlighted the essence of the battle.

Cao Cao, pleased with himself, laughed heartily: "Zhongde, you flatter me. This victory is thanks to all of you! Come, let us drink this cup together!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically and drank it all in one gulp.

After several rounds of drinks, Cao Cao's gaze once again fell on that familiar corner.

Zhang Ziqian remained the most unconventional person in the entire event.

Before him were not wine glasses, but plates of meat and roast chickens.

He ate as if no one else was around, as if the entire celebration banquet was just a buffet for him.

Cao Cao, holding a wine cup, led Cheng Yu to Zhang Ziqian's table.

"Ziqian, you have once again rendered outstanding service to our army in today's battle. Whatever reward you desire, just say the word." Cao Cao's tone was full of sincerity.

Zhang Ziqian swallowed a large mouthful of meat, looked up, thought for a moment, and said very seriously, "A reward? Then could you have the kitchen prepare ten roast chickens for me every day? Freshly roasted, with crispy skin and tender meat."

"..."

Cao Cao and Cheng Yu exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes.

When the commander of the entire army was rewarding his merits, he asked him what he wanted.

What he wanted was ten roast chickens every day.

This way of thinking is something that normal people simply cannot understand.

"No problem!" Cao Cao agreed, half-laughing and half-crying. "Don't say ten, even if you want twenty, I'll give them to you!"

"No need for that, it'd be a waste if we couldn't finish it." Zhang Ziqian waved his hand, then added, "By the way, boss, could you please not make it so dangerous in the future?"

"Hmm?" Cao Cao didn't understand what he meant.

Zhang Ziqian pointed at the soldiers still cheering outside and said with a sneer, "Look at you, you insisted on going first. You got beaten to a pulp, almost to the point of collapse, before you remembered to call me. How dangerous! What if I had stomach trouble that day, or didn't wake up from my 'dream journey'? Wouldn't all your thousands of men have been wiped out?"

He earnestly advised, "We need to optimize our workflow. From now on, when we fight, you can just watch from the back. I'll go straight up and take down the leaders on the other side. Then you guys can go up and collect the kills. Isn't that better? More efficient, fewer casualties, and we can come back for dinner earlier after the battle. Look, we're back late today, and the soup is cold."

Cao Cao's face twitched.

Cheng Yu, who was listening from the side, was also dumbfounded.

To describe a brutal and bloody war as "optimizing workflows"?

To simplify a battle of thousands of troops into "killing the leader"?

This line of thinking is so unique that it leaves one speechless.

Because, upon closer reflection, it seems... that's actually the truth!

Cao Cao remained silent for a long time before saying with a wry smile, "Ziqian is right, I... I'll remember it."

He realized that his little desire to prove himself independently seemed so naive and ridiculous in the face of Zhang Ziqian's simple and crude logic.

"Alright, you guys chat, don't keep me from eating." Zhang Ziqian waved his hand as if shooing away flies, and then went back to dealing with his roast chicken.

Cao Cao and Cheng Yu had no choice but to step aside.

"My lord, General Ziqian... is truly an extraordinary man," Cheng Yu exclaimed.

"He's more than just an extraordinary person." Cao Cao looked at Zhang Ziqian's retreating figure with a complex expression. "He's like a piece of meteorite iron from outer space, indestructible and unstoppable, but you can never mold him into the shape you want. You can only use him by following his natural patterns."

Cheng Yu nodded thoughtfully: "I understand. My lord means that our army's tactics should be reformulated with General Ziqian at the core."

"That's right." In Cao Cao's eyes, the flames of ambition were rekindled.

He walked to the map, pointed to the entire map of Yanzhou, and spoke in a voice that, though not loud, was full of power.

"Zhongde, look. This time, our army's prestige has soared after defeating the Black Mountain bandits. The eastern prefectures, Jiyin, and Shanyang of Yanzhou are all shaken. The governors and prefects who occupy various places are nothing but mediocre people. The remnants of the Yellow Turbans are also long past their last gasp."

His finger pressed heavily on the map.

"I will seize this opportunity to send troops! Sweep across the entire Yanzhou! Take this fertile land entirely into my hands! From here, I will advance westward towards Guanzhong, northward towards Hebei, and southward towards Jingzhou and Xiangyang!"

"This world will no longer belong to the likes of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, but to me, Cao Mengde!"

His voice was filled with anticipation and plans for the future.

This was the first time he had so clearly revealed his ambition to conquer the world in front of his subordinates.

Cheng Yu was filled with fervor upon hearing this, and bowed deeply: "My lord, you possess such ambition; I am willing to die for you!"

Cao Cao was in high spirits and wanted to say something more, but he heard a discordant voice coming from the corner.

"belch……"

Zhang Ziqian let out a burp, patted his round belly, and stood up.

He strolled over to Cao Cao, glanced at the map, and then looked at the excited Cao Cao and Cheng Yu.

"Boss, is he just making empty promises again?" he muttered.

Cao Cao's lofty ambitions were choked back by his words.

"Um... for breakfast tomorrow, I'd like chicken noodle soup with lots of meat and less scallions," Zhang Ziqian requested.

Cao Cao: "..."

Cheng Yu: "..."

Zhang Ziqian completely ignored their constipated expressions and said to himself, "Alright, I'm full. I need to go back to 'cultivate.' That guy called 'Shattered Star' is still waiting for me to deal with him. You two continue."

After saying this, he picked up the Yuwang Spear that had been placed beside him, and swayed as he walked out of the tent, leaving Cao Cao and Cheng Yu looking bewildered.

Cao Cao watched his retreating figure for a long time before letting out a long sigh, but a smile appeared on his face.

"Alright," he said softly.

He has his ambitions, and Ziqian has his roast chicken.

As long as Ziqian can eat roast chicken every day and play his "soul-traveling magic," then his ambition will have the most solid guarantee.

This deal is a good deal no matter how you look at it.