Three Kingdoms: Madam, I am a decent person

Chapter 726 Cao Cao VS Kong Rong
Cao Cao's face darkened when he saw Chen Qun's appearance.

Why is Chen Qun like this too?
Chen Qun is usually very clever and good at understanding people's thoughts.

Why can't you cooperate at this time?

Despite his frustration, Cao Cao still took the bamboo slips and glanced at them.

Cao Cao's heart stopped beating instantly.

Cao Cao's face turned pale as he quickly scanned the bamboo slips.

He understood why all the officials had come.

He understood why the courtiers were behaving this way.

One hundred thousand soldiers are engaged in battle!

Moreover, there are two heavy cavalry units of 700 men each, two light cavalry units of 1,500 men each, and a regular cavalry unit of 4,000 men!
Twenty thousand Donghu soldiers?
Where did they all come from?
I had previously heard that this kid had led his army to the Wuhuan in the three commanderies.

How could he have taken over the Wuhuan region of the Three Commanderies so quickly?

Even if he manages to take it, shouldn't he consider the unrest in Liaodong?

What's most shocking is that he was able to mobilize an army of 500,000 at once!

Although 400,000 was a large army for transporting grain and fodder.

However, the fact that so many people could be mobilized at once speaks volumes about the amount of supplies mobilized.

The grain and provisions that I have accumulated over the past few years are definitely not enough to require an army of 400,000 to transport.

After reading them five times, Cao Cao smashed all the bamboo slips on the ground and roared, "Impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

"In just two years, although this kid has occupied a large area of ​​fertile land, it is impossible for him to produce so much grain and mobilize such a large army."

"This is a massive army of 400,000 transporting grain and fodder."

"Once it starts, the amount of grain consumed by this 400,000-strong army transporting grain will be beyond what Hebei can support."

"The grain consumed by this army of 400,000 transporting supplies is enough to cover our expenses for a year."

"In recent years, there has been a severe drought, and countless people have starved to death."

"Where does he get the ability to be so extravagant?"

At this point, Cao Cao suddenly laughed and looked at his ministers, saying, "Gentlemen, this is definitely just that kid trying to scare us."

"This kid has people like Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Chen Deng, and Chen Gong under his command."

"I know Chen Deng and Chen Gong very well."

"Neither of these two men tells a single truth."

"The military forces that this kid announced must be a conspiracy by Chen Deng and Chen Gongzhi."

"These two always thought they knew Cao Cao's character inside and out."

"They must think that I, Cao Cao, am by nature suspicious, and they are likely to take these words to heart."

Cao Cao shook his head and sighed, "But they forgot that I, Cao Cao, am no longer the Cao Cao of the past."

"I was suspicious in the past because I, Cao Cao, lacked soldiers and generals."

Pointing to Chen Qun, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Jia Xu and others, he said, "What we lack even more are geniuses with extraordinary talents like Changwen, Gongda, Zhongde and Wenhe."

"But now I have it all."

"I, Cao Cao, am confident in entrusting you with this task."

"I, Cao Cao, have changed my suspicious nature. I, Cao Cao, appoint people based on their talents. I do not use those I doubt, and I do not doubt those I use!"

"I, Cao Cao, will not take these fabricated military forces that are meant to scare us seriously at all."

"You don't need to take it seriously."

The ministers began to whisper among themselves.

Just then, a hoarse voice rang out: "These military forces are probably not fabricated, nor are they meant to scare us."

"He is a great general."

“He is different from Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu.”

“Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, changed his orders from morning to evening.”

"He is a man of his word."

"In the past two years, he said he wanted to recuperate and rebuild, so let him recuperate and rebuild."

"Even when the 100,000-strong army from Jiangdong attacked Guangling in Xuzhou, he did not allow the mobilization of a single soldier outside of Guangling." "He insisted on using the 6,000 troops in Guangling to fight against the 100,000-strong army from Jiangdong."

"This is why Zhang Liao, the former Commandant of Guangling, was so brave and used his extraordinary strength to defeat Jiangdong."

"If Zhang Liao didn't have such great abilities, has the Minister of Works considered what kind of situation Hebei would have faced?"

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the sound.

He was a middle-aged scholar, around fifty years old, tall and slender, dressed in brocade robes.

Kong Rong, the Junior Chamberlain, was a 20th-generation descendant of Confucius and a former Chancellor of Beihai.

Upon hearing Kong Rong's words, Cao Cao's smile immediately crumbled, and he retorted sharply, "What do you know about military affairs, you mere pedantic scholar?"

"If you knew even a little bit, how could you have allowed the remnants of the Yellow Turbans to besiege Beihai? And how could you have let a mediocre person like Yuan Tan run away with his tail between his legs?"

Kong Rong jokingly replied, "Yes, I am incompetent in military affairs and unable to achieve anything."

"However, I am not stupid. I cannot control the battlefield, but I can judge the authenticity and reliability of intelligence, and I also have my own channels to obtain some intelligence."

"General Zhang Sui controls five major provinces: Bing, Ji, You, Qing, and Xu, as well as most of Yangzhou."

“Especially Jizhou, Xuzhou and Yangzhou, those are all fertile lands.”

"The general also promoted military and civilian settlements under his rule, and promoted the work point system."

"No refugees were seen under his rule."

“Within our Xudu court’s territory, thousands of people try to reach the General’s territory every day.”

"Perhaps the intelligence is fabricated, and there might be problems."

"But the people's choice does not lie."

"Sikong, I know you deliberately belittled the General in order to appease the court officials."

"However, people should still be realistic."

"The General's army of 500,000 is coming to attack us; we simply cannot resist it."

"To avoid widespread bloodshed, it would be better for us to surrender."

"Whether it's the Minister of Works or the General, they're all just traitors."

"Stop patting yourself on the back and calling yourself a hero who restored the Han Dynasty."

"Whether you are the Minister of Works or the General, your actions have absolutely nothing to do with restoring the Han Dynasty."

"Since both are rebellions, why not choose a rebellion that is more beneficial to the common people?"

"At least, ordinary people can live and work in peace and contentment, instead of starving to death."

Kong Rong's words caused the courtiers to whisper among themselves.

Cao Cao squinted at Kong Rong, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent.

This Kong Rong, out of consideration for his past as a great Confucian scholar comparable to Cai Yong, his status as a 20th-generation descendant of Confucius, and his noble family background, I have tolerated him time and time again.

But he was ungrateful and didn't know when to advance or retreat, repeatedly provoking me!
Even now, with a formidable enemy at hand, he remains the same.

Cao Cao said to Kong Rong, "It seems that Master Kong still feels that life is too good."

Kong Rong smiled and said, "It is quite good."

"What, does Sikong not like it?"

The ministers looked at Cao Cao with strange expressions.

Cao Cao faced everyone's gaze, his hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves.

After glancing at Kong Rong one last time, Cao Cao said to Chen Qun, "Inform His Majesty that the matter of attacking Zhang Sui will be discussed at the morning court tomorrow. All civil and military officials must be present."

Chen Qun responded.

Cao Cao walked directly past Kong Rong and loudly proclaimed, "Summon Man Chong, the magistrate of Xudu and commander of the Imperial Academy, to the residence of the Minister of Works."

Cao Cao stopped in his tracks, without turning around, but glanced at both sides and said coldly, "The weather has been a bit hot lately, it's time for a breeze to cool things down."

After Cao Cao finished speaking, he quickly left with Xu Chu.

The main hall of the Imperial Secretariat became noisy again.

Many people looked at Kong Rong with worried expressions and said, "Master Kong, you shouldn't always be so impulsive."

"Prefect Kong has been paying attention to security lately."

Kong Rong laughed dismissively, "I, Kong Rong, am upright and honest. What can Cao Cao do to me?"

(End of this chapter)