The Three Kingdoms: The entire Cao Cao camp thought I was weak and frail.

In front of Chen Deng, Chen Qun slowly untied the rope and poured out a neatly folded piece of silk.

Chen Deng took the silk paper, a strong sense of unease welling up inside him. He unfolded it and saw only a few lines of writing, the handwriting elegant and refined.

[The ailment in my abdomen originates from raw fish. It causes pain every three months, a pain as sharp as a stabbing pain. If left untreated for a long time, even a miracle cannot save me.]

Chen Deng suddenly stood up, and because of the sudden movement, he knocked over the teacup next to him, spilling scalding tea all over the floor, but he didn't notice.

For nearly a year, he has frequently experienced abdominal cramps. At first, he could bear it, but in recent months it has become more frequent and severe. When the pain occurs, he is drenched in cold sweat and suffers unbearable pain.

He sought out renowned doctors, but all were helpless, dismissing it as a common stomach ailment. He told everyone he had caught a cold, and even his father was unaware of the details!

"Sir..." His voice was dry and hoarse, no longer as composed as before, "This...this is..."

"These are the words my strategist Xun Hao gave me before he left," Chen Qun said frankly. "He asked me to tell Brother Yuanlong that your life is in your own hands. Whether you choose to sink with Tao Qian's sinking ship or to abandon the darkness and embrace the light and find a way to survive is entirely up to you."

"If Yuanlong is willing to help me, after the matter is accomplished, I will personally report to our lord and ask Physician Hua to treat you. Your illness can be cured. Your future is also limitless."

"My lord cherishes talent and cannot bear to see such a brilliant young man as Brother Yuanlong die young. All you need to do is tell your father the news verbatim, and then briefly explain the advantages and disadvantages to the scholars in Xuzhou."

"What news?"

"My lord has mobilized all the troops in Yanzhou, a force of 200,000, divided into three routes, and will soon arrive at the border of Xuzhou."

Two hundred thousand!

Chen Deng looked up abruptly. Yanzhou had just experienced the Yellow Turban Rebellion and was in dire need of reconstruction. Where did Cao Cao assemble an army of 200,000? It was simply impossible!

Chen Qun saw his doubt and the smile on his lips deepened. "Does it matter if it's two hundred thousand or not? What matters is whether Magistrate Tao believes it, whether Cao Bao believes it, and whether the troops of Xuzhou dare to verify it."

Of course not.

Chen Deng immediately began his operation. He leveraged the intricate network of relationships within the Chen family among the literati of Xuzhou to quickly contact representatives of more than ten aristocratic families who were on good terms with him.

Overnight, the world of Xiapi changed.

"Have you heard? Cao Mengde has personally led an army of 200,000 and has already passed Rencheng!"

"Two hundred thousand? My God, what's the point of fighting? If the city gates open, we're all doomed!"

"Their claim is to suppress bandits? Who believes that?! They're trying to swallow up our Xuzhou whole!"

Rumors spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of Xiapi. Xuzhou had been at peace for a long time, and the soldiers guarding the city whispered amongst themselves, their palms sweating as they gripped their weapons.

Inside the governor's mansion, chaos reigned.

Tao Qian hadn't slept all night; his eyes were sunken, and his gray hair seemed to have grown even thicker. Looking at the noisy crowd below, he felt a splitting headache.

"My lord! We must ask Lord Yuan of Yangzhou for help!" Cao Bao's face flushed red, and he spat as he spoke.

"Yuan Shu?" A cold voice interrupted him.

Chen Gui entered at some point, followed by his son Chen Deng, whose face was calm.

"May I ask General Cao, hasn't Xuzhou suffered enough at the hands of Yuan Gonglu?" Chen Gui's gaze swept over Cao Bao, devoid of any warmth.

Cao Bao was speechless, his face turning red. He wanted to argue, but Chen Gui's next words blocked all his way out.

"Two hundred thousand troops, supposedly to suppress bandits. May I ask, my lord, which bandits within Xuzhou require two hundred thousand troops to suppress?"

Chen Gui turned to Tao Qian, who sat dejectedly in the main seat, and said, "Once Cao Cao's army enters the territory, it will be easy to invite them in but difficult to send them away. At that time, they can go wherever they want to suppress bandits."

"Rather than letting Cao Cao's army invade our heartland and turn the entire Xu Province upside down, it would be better for us to..." Chen Gui paused, his gaze sweeping over all the officials below the hall with their varied expressions, "...to take the initiative."

Tao Qian's lips moved, his voice hoarse: "How...how to take the initiative?"

"We can't let Lord Cao return empty-handed after mobilizing such a large army," Chen Gui said slowly. "The old master was frightened in Xuzhou, and we should show our appreciation, both morally and practically. Sending him a generous gift and apologizing is one thing."

"Secondly, Cao Cao's military expedition is ostensibly to suppress bandits. We can voluntarily cede a county to Cao Cao for 'suppression'. In this way, we can save face for Cao Cao and also avert the calamity of war throughout Xuzhou. Which is more important, exchanging a county for the peace of an entire province? My lord, you should make the wise decision."

"Absurd!" Cao Bao roared. "Why should we cede territory and pay reparations!"

"Fight?" Chen Deng sneered, stepping out from behind his father. "What are we going to fight with? Are we going to use your poorly trained soldiers to fight Cao Cao's elite army?"

"You!" Cao Bao was speechless with anger.

Mi Zhu then stepped forward and bowed to Tao Qian, saying, "My lord, what Lord Chen said is the only foolproof plan at present. If we delay any longer, I'm afraid we won't even have the chance to cede territory and sue for peace."

Below the hall, the gentry and officials of Xuzhou all chimed in with their opinions.

"Yes, my lord, please reconsider!"

"Under no circumstances should Cao Cao's army be allowed to enter the territory!"

The wall fell and everyone pushed.

"My lord, hesitation will only lead to chaos. Please make your decision."

Ceding territory and paying reparations were not what Tao Qian wanted, but compared to Cao Cao's army entering the country and turning the entire Xuzhou upside down, this result was the best outcome they could achieve.

Tao Qian closed his eyes, and after a long while, he waved his hand weakly.

"As you all have said."

Three hours later, at the post station.

Chen Qun sat upright at the table, slowly sipping his tea.

"Mr. Chen, my lord... requests your presence!"

Chen Qun stood up. "No need. Please tell Magistrate Tao that I will escort the old master on his journey immediately. As for the travel expenses prepared by the magistrate, please deliver them to the city gate as soon as possible."

The official was taken aback, then bowed and scraped as he withdrew.

The south gate of Xiapi City was wide open.

A long convoy of carriages slowly drove out of the city gate, under the complex gazes of hundreds of Xuzhou soldiers. Leading the way was Cao Song's carriage. Following closely behind were dozens of large carts loaded with gold, silver, and silk.

Chen Qun rode on horseback, running alongside the caravan.

On the city wall, Tao Qian leaned against the battlements, watching the departing convoy, his figure desolate.

Inviting a god is easy, but sending him away is difficult.

They invited a malevolent spirit, but when they sent it away, a layer of its skin was peeled off.

At this time, Cao Cao had indeed arrived in Rencheng. He personally led all his civil and military officials to meet him ten miles outside the city.

When he saw the white-haired, staggering figure being helped off the carriage by Cao Hong, even this ruthless warlord, who never frowned on the battlefield, had tears welling up in his eyes.

"Father!"

Cao Cao strode forward and knelt down directly in front of Cao Song.

"You unfilial son, Mengde, have frightened your father!"