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

Chapter 71 Jingxu Alliance

"My lord, leave this matter to me," Cheng Yu volunteered to Cao Cao. "Although our intelligence network in Xiapi suffered a major blow and was almost completely wiped out, we have transferred spies from other places to Xiapi and re-established communications. We will then use these spies to make contact with Lu Wan."

"Okay! I trust you to handle things."

Seeing that they had strayed off-topic for quite some time, and that the very thing that led to the descent had been discussed, Guo Jia steered the conversation back to the main point: "Should we approve Liu Bei's memorial?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao revealed a sly smile: "Of course we must agree. Not only must we acknowledge Liu Qi as the Governor of Yangzhou, but we must also intensify our efforts and give Liu Bei a little surprise. Liu Bei is now the General Who Guards the East, isn't he?"

"Yes, there is also the title of Governor of Xu Province, but this was granted privately within their ranks and is not recognized by the imperial court," Xun Yu answered Cao Cao's question, as he was very knowledgeable about this matter.

"Then let's give Liu Bei a little something to sweeten things up. First, formally acknowledge his title as Governor of Xu Province to lower his guard and show the court's magnanimity. We can also elevate his 'General Who Guards the East' title to 'General of Chariots and Cavalry,' overseeing the military affairs of Xu and Yang provinces. What do you think?"

The title of Governor of Xu Province granted by Cao Cao was essentially a form of hush money. Liu Bei, weren't you always spreading rumors that I was isolating the country from the outside world and holding the emperor hostage? Now, your position as Governor of Xu Province was only confirmed through my intervention. If you continue to spread rumors after receiving this official position, it's tantamount to admitting that your position was also illegally obtained.

As for the other promotions—"General of Chariots and Cavalry" and "Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Xu and Yang provinces"—that was purely Cao Cao setting a trap for Liu Bei. He gave Liu Qi the position of Governor of Yang province, while simultaneously granting Liu Bei military command in Yang province. In Cao Cao's view, the future of Yang province would inevitably involve a series of struggles over who was the true ruler, and in the end, wouldn't he be the one to reap the benefits?

Guo Jia bowed to Cao Cao and said, "My lord, we can add something more to this. Liu Bei hasn't announced who the Chancellor of Langya is yet. Why don't we appoint someone to be the Chancellor of Langya and mix some sand into the Xuzhou people?"

Cao Cao's eyes darted around, and he realized it was indeed quite good.

"In your opinion, who would be the best choice?"

Cheng Yu, who was quite experienced in causing trouble, immediately replied, "First, we need to understand what skills the people going there must possess. First, they must be highly capable, with the ability and shrewdness to establish themselves in Liu Bei's territory and cause him trouble. Otherwise, Liu Bei could easily drive them away with a small trick. Second, they must be loyal and reliable; they can't just become Liu Bei's men once they're sent there."

It can only be said that Liu Bei's acquisition of Xuzhou through his personal charisma truly opened the eyes of the world. However, Cao Cao at the time only thought Liu Bei's charisma was somewhat high, unaware that Liu Bei's charisma was already one of the most outrageous in the Eastern Han Dynasty; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent anyone to Liu Bei's side.

Of course, there are some necessary points that haven't been mentioned. That is, this person should be sacrificed. Even if Liu Bei later eliminated him, the impact on Cao Cao's side would be negligible. However, everyone can keep this to themselves and there is no need to make it public.

Cao Cao slowly paced a few steps, names flashing through his mind, but he couldn't quite place any one of them.

The advisors didn't mention any names, after all, they knew their superior too well. If they did mention someone, Cao Cao would definitely think there was some shady relationship involved.

Yi Ji was living a leisurely life in Xiapi, spending his days wandering around and observing the lives of ordinary people. Since Liu Bei had said he would consider it carefully and hadn't directly refused, he figured he could just wait patiently; he wasn't in a hurry anyway.

As a result, Yi Ji heard in the marketplace that Liu Bei was going to launch another military campaign, and that the target of the campaign was the south. This made Yi Ji restless, and he hurriedly went to Liu Bei to ask him for clarification.

"Lord Xuande, I heard rumors in the marketplace that you are about to head south. Is that true?" Although Yi Ji was extremely anxious, he did not show it on his face, acting as if he were completely unrelated to the matter.

Liu Bei's reply immediately broke his composure: "Yes, I am indeed heading south immediately. Sun Ce has already withdrawn from Guangling, and our army will naturally have to retake it."

"This—we haven't signed an alliance agreement yet, this is against the rules—"

"There's no other way, you know, speed is of the essence in war, and opportunities are fleeting. If delays allow some unscrupulous individuals to take advantage of the situation, wouldn't that betray the people's expectations?" Lu Wan chimed in, speaking up for Liu Bei. Upon hearing that Yi Ji had arrived, Liu Bei pulled Lu Wan over to talk with him, worried that he might leak some important information.

Yi Ji had no choice but to shift the focus of the discussion back to the alliance, which was also his most important task here: "I apologize for my presumption. I wonder what Lord Xuande's current thoughts are on the matter of the alliance between our two families?"

"Oh, we have already discussed this. Please inform Liu Jingzhou that our lord wishes to form an alliance with Liu Jingzhou to jointly support the Han Dynasty."

Yi Ji felt as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted off his shoulders, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. But the words that followed immediately filled him with pressure again.

"Not only that, but to show our sincerity, my lord also specially recommended Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Jingzhou, to the court to be appointed as the governor of Yangzhou."

Islamic beliefs are being tested.

panic!

Yi Ji's first reaction was whether Liu Bei knew about the current situation inside Jingzhou, but how did Liu Bei find out?

"This—this matter is too important. I need to inform Duke Jingsheng first, is that alright?" After finally coming to his senses, Yi Ji's first reaction was to send the message back.

"This is only right, Mr. Ji, please do as you please." Liu Bei waved his hand, appearing extremely open and honest. "My actions are entirely for the benefit of both our families. Brother Jingsheng is a reasonable and righteous person, and he will surely understand my good intentions."

Yi Ji was already extremely uncomfortable and couldn't listen to any of these high-sounding words. He hurriedly stood up, not even bothering with polite greetings: "In that case, I will take my leave now and immediately go to Jingzhou!"

Watching Yi Ji's almost distraught figure disappear hastily out the door, Liu Bei muttered, "I just wonder which will reach Brother Jingsheng first, the imperial edict or the secret letter."

"The secret letter must have arrived first. Cao Cao isn't that stupid; he'll definitely tamper with the edict. Since Cao Cao is busy figuring out how to deal with us, we can only wait for the edict to arrive."

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