Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Guo Jia laughed and said, "Wenruo, you're too proper. In chaotic times, only the victors are remembered. If Cao Cao really killed Dong Zhuo, who would care whether he forged an imperial edict or not? Everyone would be busy praising him."

Liu Ce smiled and nodded, saying, "Fengxiao is right. But..."

He paused, then looked at everyone and smiled, "Cao Cao has invited me to a meeting. What do you say, should I go or not?"

Chen Gong said, "My lord, this is a golden opportunity! If you personally lead the troops to Suanzao, the position of alliance leader will undoubtedly be yours. Then, under the pretext of attacking Dong Zhuo, you can win over the hearts of the people, unite the other lords, and achieve great things!"

Fang Xuanling shook his head slightly and said, "Gongtai, you are mistaken. If our lord goes, he may indeed obtain the position of alliance leader based on his prestige, but he will also become Dong Zhuo's number one target. Moreover..."

He paused, then looked at Liu Ce and said, "My lord, your foundation lies in the north, not in the Central Plains. The three provinces of You, Ji, and Bing have only recently been integrated, and everything is in need of rebuilding. It would be disadvantageous to leave at this time."

Du Ruhui nodded and said, "Xuanling is absolutely right. My lord, our strategy is to hold the north firmly and observe the outcome in the Central Plains. Once they've finished their battle, we can clean up the mess, which will be much more efficient."

Liu Ce waved his hand and smiled, saying, "It is indeed a good opportunity, but how many of those people are truly sincere?"

Guo Jia added, "My lord, you've hit the nail on the head. Of these nineteen warlords, probably no more than five truly want to oppose Dong Zhuo. The rest are either trying to profit from the chaos, have been coerced into coming, or are just here to watch the show."

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and said, "My lord, Cao Cao's forged edict, though falsely using the emperor's name, has already gained momentum. It would be unreasonable for us not to respond; it would be unprofitable for us to go in person. In my opinion, it would be better to..."

He looked at Liu Ce, his eyes clear, and said, "We will decline the personal expedition under the pretext of guarding the northern frontier. However, we will provide provisions and supplies in the name of Ji Province. This way, we will fulfill our moral obligations and avoid offending them... Although we are not afraid of them, it will also let the world know that although the King of Yan has not come in person, his heart is with the Han Dynasty."

Liu Ce smiled after hearing this.

He stood up and said:

"Wenruo is right. Going would be a waste of time; not going would be disloyal. So let's compromise... we can't go, but we'll provide provisions."

He looked at Lu Bingdao:

"Reply to Cao Cao that I am stationed to guard the northern frontier and cannot go. But out of consideration for our shared status as Han subjects, provide him with a batch of grain in the name of Ji Province as a token of my appreciation."

Lu Bing clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

Guo Jia chuckled and said, "Let them fight first, we'll watch from behind. Once they've fought enough, we'll..."

He made a gesture, but didn't finish speaking.

Liu Ce glared at him and said, "Fengxiao, the way you're talking makes it sound like I'm some kind of treacherous person."

Guo Jia blinked innocently and said, "My lord, I didn't say anything."

Everyone laughed.

......

Liu Ce walked to the window, looked at the white snow scene outside, and suddenly sighed.

"Nineteen warlords attacking Dong Zhuo...tsk, this show is quite lively."

He recalled the historical campaign against Dong Zhuo, which started with great fanfare but ended in chaos.

The warlords each had their own agendas, and none of them were willing to truly exert themselves, which ultimately allowed Dong Zhuo to escape and even burn Luoyang.

This time, we won't let those things happen.

...

Several days later, in Chenliu Commandery, Jiwu County, Cao Cao's residence.

Xiahou Dun strode in, carrying a stack of letters, his voice filled with excitement:

"Brother! Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Sun Jian, Kong Rong, Ma Teng, Han Sui, Liu Dai, Zhang Miao, Qiao Mao, Yuan Yi, Bao Xin, Zhang Chao, Tao Qian, Liu Chong, Zhu Jun, Wang Kuang, Zhang Yang, Kong Zhou... all eighteen warlords have replied! They have all agreed to raise an army and have agreed to meet at Suanzao in half a month to jointly attack Dong Zhuo!"

The desk was piled high with replies from various states and counties...

Cao Cao sat at his desk, opening and reading the letters one by one, his smile growing wider and wider.

......

Cao Cao picked up a reply letter... It was written by Liu Ce.

It was a short text, just a few lines, which read:

"I must guard the northern frontier to prevent the barbarians from entering, and therefore cannot come in person. However, considering that we are all subjects of the Han Dynasty, I am willing to contribute some grain and provisions in the name of Ji Province as a token of my sincerity. I hope that you all will work together to eliminate the traitors of the state as soon as possible."

Cao Cao read the letter three times, and then he smiled.

He had expected Liu Ce not to come.

But Liu Ce's willingness to provide provisions was indeed a pleasant surprise.

What are provisions? They are lifelines.

The food needed to feed an army of over 100,000 people every day could be piled up into a mountain.

With the grain and supplies from Ji Province, they could hold out in Suanzao for a few more months and outlast Dong Zhuo.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Cao Cao put down the letter, then looked up and burst into laughter.

The laughter carried a sense of relief, a sense of ambition, and an infinite expectation for this chaotic world.

Cao Cao then read through the letters one by one...

Yuan Shao's reply was the longest, several hundred words long, with generous and eloquent words. At the end, he made a special mention: "...I dare not accept the position of leader of the alliance, but if you gentlemen recommend me, I will certainly accept it."

After reading it, Cao Cao's lips twitched and he said, "We haven't even formed an alliance yet, and they're already eyeing the alliance leader."

He then picked up Yuan Shu's reply, which was much more arrogant: "Cao Mengde, I have mustered over ten thousand elite troops and will march north immediately. I will certainly contribute to the campaign against Dong Zhuo. However, you surely know in your heart who should be the leader of the alliance."

Cao Cao laughed heartily after reading it.

"Road, oh road, you're still so spoiled."

"I just don't know if they're here to demand something from Dong or to cause trouble."

Sun Jian's reply was the most passionate, filled with phrases like "swearing to kill the traitors" and "dying on the battlefield," and he even added at the end: "I am willing to be the vanguard and break through Hulao Pass first!"

Cao Cao, deeply moved, exclaimed, "Excellent! This is a true hero!"

......

Every letter represents a group of people.

Every group of people was a knife aimed at Dong Zhuo.

He turned to look out the window; the snowstorm had stopped...

Cao Cao took a deep breath, his heart brimming with boundless ambition.

"Good! All the heroes of the world have entered the game!"

He drew his ring-pommel sword from his waist, the tip pointing directly towards Luoyang in the west, and his voice resounded throughout the entire mansion:

"You old traitor Dong Zhuo, your death is nigh!"

The men under his command all knelt on one knee and roared in unison:

"I am willing to follow the general and fight against the traitors!"

......

The vanguards of various regional lords are converging on the direction of Suanzao.

Nineteen warlords.

Hundreds of thousands of troops.

A great war that will change the world order is about to begin.

......