He originally intended to surrender to Wei, so why did he end up restoring Han?

"I'll shoot forty paces, is that alright?"

"Of course, we should follow the host's lead." Zhang Liao didn't say anything, but in his heart he still gave Zhao Yun a low score.

The men who accompanied Zhang Liao also showed disdain on their faces. Since ancient times, there has been no first place in literature but no second place in martial arts. It is normal for people to be looked down upon for being inferior to others.

But that feeling vanished in the next second, because they saw Zhao Yun take a piece of cloth from somewhere and cover his eyes.

On the other side, a soldier, after securing his spear, took out a bell, used a long stick to lift it, and shook it behind the spearhead to signal the target to Zhao Yun.

Hearing the faint sound, Zhao Yun picked up his seemingly ordinary bow and nocked a white-feathered arrow. The bowstring made a soft sound in his hand as it slowly unfurled, the bow bending into a perfect arc.

In the blink of an eye, a white shadow flashed by, so fast that it left only a faint afterimage in everyone's eyes.

"bite--!"

A metallic clang rang in everyone's ears, and the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Zhang Liao slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun had already sheathed his bow and stood still, his face calm and composed, as if the arrow he had just shot had merely brushed away a speck of dust from his sleeve. Only his eyes remained clear and bright, like the moon reflected in a cold pool, unfathomable.

"General Zhao is truly a divine being!"

Zhang Liao was truly impressed. In the past, Zhao Yun's skills would have earned him a position as a Colonel of Archers in Luoyang. The others present were also filled with awe, and Qian Zhao was astonished by Zilong's fighting prowess. Not only was he strong in close combat, but his archery skills were also first-rate, and most importantly, he had a wonderful personality.

Capable of both close and long-range combat, it possesses formidable fighting power.

Qian Zhao, who was standing to the side, was also greatly shocked. He had never seen Zhao Yun fully display his skills in a long time.

In Qian Zhao's heart, Zhao Yun was now as towering and majestic as a mountain, but this did not discourage him; instead, it fueled his competitive spirit.

It doesn't matter if we can't compare to Zhao Yun now; we can compete with him when we get involved in politics later.

--------

Repairing relations with Lü Bu is only the first step; the next step is to give Cao Cao a good thrashing.

Of course, Cao Cao now, like Zang Ba before him, cannot resolve issues through force. The Han Dynasty, no matter what, still retains some authority, and cannot be attacked without a valid reason.

Historically, Yuan Shao treated Liu Bei with such courtesy when Liu Bei came to seek refuge, not only because Liu Bei was his eldest son who had recommended him, but also because Liu Bei brought the news of the imperial edict hidden in a belt.

Don't underestimate this imperial edict in the belt. Without it, Yuan Shao would have had no legitimacy to attack Cao Cao. In the eyes of the people, Cao Cao obtained his official position through legitimate means and was a legitimate official recognized by the Han Dynasty. Yuan Shao's attack would be tantamount to defying the Han Dynasty, which would essentially be considered treason.

The revelation of the imperial edict in the belt caused a huge uproar throughout the Eastern Han Dynasty. So, Cao Cao, who seemed so respectable, was also a traitor to the Han! Well, there's nothing more to say then; everyone should join forces. There's no need to talk about chivalry when dealing with such a traitor!

To deal with the Grand Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, you can only use political maneuvering to gradually end his political career, or try to kill him biologically. But to deal with a traitor who deceives the world and steals fame, you can use any method you want, because that way you will have the banner of fighting traitors for the country to protect you no matter what you do.

The majesty of the Han Dynasty was not like that of a certain TV series, where someone foolishly obtains a jade stone and declares themselves emperor, completely ignoring the fact that the legitimacy of the Han Dynasty still existed at that time. The screenwriter dared to write it like that because they completely did not know the source and operating logic of power.

Power comes from the bottom up; it's about everyone recognizing you as the emperor, and even a stone in your hand becomes an imperial seal. If no one recognizes you, even if you have Qin Shi Huang's imperial seal, nobody will care about you, and the authorities might even order you to hand it over immediately.

This also relates to the gradual decline of the Han dynasty's influence.

The authority of the Han Dynasty was clearly declining. During Emperor Ling's reign, needless to say, no one could control his misdeeds. Even aristocratic families who dared to criticize him faced the iron fist of feudalism—their property was confiscated, and some were beheaded. At this time, the authority of the Han Dynasty was such that no one dared to provoke it.

Then, during Dong Zhuo's rule, the young emperor was deposed, and Liu Xie ascended the throne. During this period, a large number of Han officials were killed, yet the emperor dared not utter a sound. Furthermore, the capital, which had stood for centuries, was burned to the ground. The prestige of the Han dynasty had suffered a severe blow, and even the legitimacy of officials appointed by the Han court during this time was questioned. However, many people were still willing to come and follow the Han emperor, traveling all the way from Luoyang to Chang'an.

Then came the period when Li Jue and Guo Si were in power. During this time, the prestige of the Han Dynasty was once again severely damaged. There was rampant abuse of power in granting official titles and rewards, and even the most insignificant people could be given official positions. The value of such official titles and rewards was questionable.

Then came the period from the Han emperor's escape to Cao Cao's use of the emperor to command the disobedient. During this time, events almost completely destroyed the last vestiges of the Han dynasty's authority. Emperor Xian, in order to save his own life, abandoned his officials and fled first. This was incredibly disgraceful. Even if they didn't share wealth and honor, they could at least share hardship. Instead, this man abandoned his officials and fled, once again breaking the hearts of the Han court.

It was at this time that Cao Cao realized that the so-called Han emperor was nothing more than a child who dared not even take responsibility. He completely stopped fantasizing about becoming like Zhou Bo and began to use the influence of the Han dynasty to recruit talents for himself.

Relying on the prestigious Han dynasty, the emperor was able to secure the safety of his ministers whenever danger arose. Although they always managed to escape unscathed, the number of ministers coming to his aid dwindled, and their quality and competence declined. In the end, only powerful relatives like Dong Cheng and a few other ministers without military power were willing to risk their lives for Liu Xie.

Finally, from the later period of Cao Cao's rule to Cao Pi's usurpation of the Han throne, Cao Wei had already completed the puppetization of the Han dynasty. Most people had completed the transformation from Han officials to Wei officials. At this time, the Han dynasty was effectively dead. Except for a small court in the southwest, no other Han territory was flying the banner of the Han dynasty.

Even at this point, Cao Cao's attempt to grant himself the title of King of Wei backfired, driving his beloved daughter to her death. That's how alluring the 400-year-old reputation of the Han Dynasty was.

So what Liu Bei needs to do now is to undermine Cao Cao's legitimacy, so that Cao Cao either has to betray the Han dynasty or tuck his tail between his legs and pretend to be a Han subject.

The greatest blow to a regime, besides direct physical elimination by force, is an economic one. After all, when everyone is making money, it doesn't matter if you take a little more; you can always make up for it elsewhere later. In this state, big problems become small problems.

What if we're broke? If you eat one more bite, I have to eat one less bite, and I definitely won't stand for that. This way, small problems become big problems. Lu Wan's goal was to launch an economic attack on Cao Cao.