My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

In October of the second year of Jian'an (197 AD), in Changyi, Yanzhou.

The news of the alliance with Liu Biao spread throughout Yanzhou, which boosted morale somewhat.

The soldiers spread the word that Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou had joined forces with their lord, and that the south was now safe.

But Cao Cao sat in his study without showing the slightest joy.

Two letters were laid out in front of him.

One letter was Liu Biao's reply, written with fervent words and filled with grand pronouncements such as "jointly support the Han Dynasty" and "jointly protect Jing and Yan."

It was a secret letter he had just written, ready to be sent to Shuntian.

Cao Cao picked up his pen, then put it down again.

This was repeated three times until the ink finally appeared.

"Your subject Cao Cao bows and pays his respects to Your Excellency the Prime Minister: I am but a mediocre man, yet Your Excellency has not abandoned me and entrusted me with the post of Governor of Yan Province. I am deeply grateful and have never forgotten this. Previously, I was ordered by the court to march south to attack Yuan Shao, but unexpectedly, when I was about to return after the mission was completed, I was blocked by Sun Jian and detained in Yu Province for ten months, unable to return to Yan Province. All of this was not what I intended. Your Excellency and I have made a pact at the Luo River, vowing to live and die together. Although I am foolish and dull, how could I dare to betray you? Now that I have been fortunate enough to escape and return to the land of Yan Province, I am willing to serve Your Excellency as a vanguard and do my utmost. My humble heart can only be witnessed by Heaven."

The letter was written very carefully.

There was not a single complaint, not a single excuse; he simply stated the facts and then pledged his loyalty.

But the more careful they are, the more guilty they seem.

Cao Cao read it once, then again, and still felt something was amiss.

He thought for a moment and then added a few more words: "Sun Jian has just acquired Yangzhou and is full of pride and arrogance; Liu Bei has been wandering for half his life and has been living under the roof of others. Although the two are united, they each have their own ulterior motives. I have been in Yuzhou for several days and observed their actions. I know that this will not last long. If the Prime Minister wants to plan his southern campaign, now is the time."

After finishing writing, he summoned his trusted guards and whispered, "Send this by express courier to Shuntian. Remember, deliver it personally to the Prime Minister's residence. Do not let it pass through anyone else's hands."

"promise!"

The guard turned and left.

Cao Cao watched his retreating figure with a complex expression.

Xi Zhicai emerged from behind the screen and said softly, "My lord wrote this letter too hastily."

Cao Cao smiled wryly: "I know, but if I don't write it down, how will I explain it to Ji Xuanyuan? He can't possibly not guess why Zhang Fei's troops are at Qiao County. If I don't take the initiative to explain, I'll be at a disadvantage when he comes to ask."

Xi Zhicai shook his head: "The more you explain, the more guilty you seem. If you truly have no intention of being an enemy of Ji Xuanyuan, why did you form an alliance with Liu Biao?"

Cao Cao was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Zhicai, what do you think I should do? Sit and wait for death? Or should I, like Yuan Shao, confront Ji Xuanyuan head-on?"

Xi Zhicai did not answer.

Cao Cao stood up, walked to the window, looked south, and said in a low voice, "I know that Ji Xuanyuan may not believe this letter even if it reaches Shuntian, but at least I want him to know that I, Cao Cao, do not want to be his enemy. As for whether he believes it or not..."

He didn't continue.

Xi Zhicai sighed: "My lord, Ji Xuanyuan is not a fool. His men, Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Xun Yu, Xun You, Pang Tong, which one of them is easy to deal with? They can see through this letter at a glance."

Cao Cao turned around, looked at him, and said firmly, "So what if he sees through me? As long as I don't break off relations, he can't do anything to me. I, Cao Cao, haven't reached that point yet."

Xi Zhicai remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

Shuntian, Tiance Prefecture.

Several days later, Ji Xuanyuan received a secret letter from Cao Cao.

He sat in his study and read the letter carefully from beginning to end. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he finished. He handed the letter to Guo Jia beside him: "Fengxiao, take a look."

Guo Jia took the letter, scanned it quickly, and his peach blossom eyes curved into a smile: "Cao Mengde's letter is really well written. Every word is an expression of loyalty, but the more he does this, the more it shows that he has something to hide."

Xun Yu also took the letter and read it through, then pondered, "The alliance between Cao Cao and Liu Biao cannot be kept from us. He wrote this letter to explain because he was afraid that our lord would investigate. But the more he explains, the more it seems that he has something going on with Sun Jian and Liu Bei."

Pang Tong laughed and said, "If he doesn't explain, we can still assume he was forced by Sun Jian. But if he does explain, it only confirms that he has something to hide."

Ji Xuanyuan did not speak, but simply read the letter again.

He recognized Cao Cao's handwriting.

This calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, revealing its sharp edge, just like Cao Cao's personality.

But this letter was written very carefully, with words full of probing and flattery.

This is not Cao Cao's style.

Ji Xuanyuan put down the letter and looked out the window.

Outside the window, the summer sun shines brightly, turning the pomegranate tree in the yard a fiery red.

"This letter."

He slowly began, "Cao Cao wrote it very cleverly."

Guo Jia was taken aback: "What do you mean, my lord?"

Ji Xuanyuan turned around and looked at everyone: "He said he was forced by Sun Jian to stay in Yuzhou, which is true. He said he was not on the same side as Sun Jian and Liu Bei, which is also true. He said he was willing to be my vanguard to punish the disobedient. This... may not be the truth, but at least it shows his attitude."

He paused, his gaze deep: "Cao Cao is not one to easily back down. He wrote this letter today not because he fears me, but because he is not yet ready."

Xun Yu nodded: "My lord is right. Cao Cao's alliance with Liu Biao is merely a means to protect himself. He neither wants to be an enemy of my lord nor wants to be annexed by Sun Jian. What he wants is to maintain the status quo and preserve his small territory in Yanzhou."

Pang Tong replied, "But the problem is, how long can he hold out? Sun Jian won't let him go, Liu Bei won't let him go, and Liu Biao won't genuinely help him. He might write a letter of loyalty today, but tomorrow he could join forces with Sun Jian. This kind of person cannot be trusted."

Ji Xuanyuan waved his hand, stopping the crowd's discussion.

He walked to the desk, picked up a pen and wrote a few lines on the paper, then handed it to Guo Jia.

Guo Jia took the letter and read: "Brother Mengde: I have read your letter and I am well aware of your predicament. Sun Jian is arrogant and Liu Bei is adrift; neither of them are trustworthy. Your desire to protect yourself is understandable and justifiable. Yanzhou is the heart of the Central Plains, a strategic location surrounded by enemies. It is no easy task for you to defend it. If you need anything, please just ask, and I will do my utmost to help you. I have made a pact with you at the Luo River, which I will never forget, and I hope you will not forget it either."

After reading it, Guo Jia clapped his hands and laughed, "Brilliant! My lord, this letter is even more skillful than Cao Cao's!"

Xun Yu took the letter, read it through, and nodded, saying, "Neither investigating nor trusting; neither forcing nor letting it go, Cao Cao must be even more anxious than before after receiving this letter."

Ji Xuanyuan smiled slightly: "Let him remain in suspense. The longer he remains in suspense, the less likely he is to act rashly."

He sealed the letter and handed it to his personal guard: "Send it to Changyi by express courier, 800 li away."

"promise!"

Several days later, in Changyi, Yanzhou.

When Cao Cao received Ji Xuanyuan's reply, he was playing chess with Xi Zhicai.

He opened the letter, glanced at it, and then slammed the chess piece down on the board, disrupting the game.

Xi Zhicai looked up: "My lord, what did the letter say?"

Cao Cao did not speak, but simply handed him the letter.

Xi Zhicai took it, examined it carefully, and his expression gradually became serious.

"Ji Wenlie... is indeed formidable." He put down the letter and said slowly.

"He neither pursued the matter of the alliance between the lord and Liu Biao, nor questioned the lord's stay in Yuzhou. He only said, 'Brother's predicament is well understood by Xuanyuan.' This sentence is equivalent to saying nothing, yet it says everything."

Cao Cao smiled bitterly: "Yes, he knows that I have allied with Liu Biao, that I am not on the same side as Sun Jian and Liu Bei, and that my letter of loyalty is just a temporary measure. But he just doesn't say it out loud, leaving me to keep in suspense."

Xi Zhicai nodded: "This is Ji Xuanyuan's brilliance. If he pursues the matter, the lord can reason with him. If he doesn't pursue it, the lord will be more worried. The more he remains calm, the less the lord knows what he is thinking."

Cao Cao stood up and paced back and forth in the hall.

"Zhicai, do you think... he'll attack me?"

Xi Zhicai pondered for a moment: "Not for now."

Cao Cao stopped in his tracks: "Why?"

Xi Zhicai said, "Because Sun Jian hasn't been dealt with yet. Liu Bei is still making trouble, and Liu Biao is still observing. If Ji Xuanyuan were to attack our lord now, Sun Jian and Liu Bei would definitely take the opportunity to expand, and Liu Biao would also side with Sun Jian. He doesn't want to see this situation."

He paused, then continued, "But what if one day Sun Jian is defeated, Liu Bei falls, and Liu Biao surrenders? Then..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Cao Cao already understood.

At that time, the next person Ji Xuanyuan will deal with is Cao Cao.

Cao Cao remained silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed.

"What a Ji Xuanyuan! He's trying to drive me to the brink, leaving me with no choice but to bow down to him."

He walked back to the desk and carefully put away Ji Xuanyuan's letter.

"Since he doesn't make a move, I still have time." He looked at Xi Zhicai.

"Zhicai, we need to speed up our preparations."

Xi Zhicai nodded: "My lord is right. The alliance with Liu Biao should be put into practice as soon as possible. A treaty alone is not enough. We also need substantial cooperation, such as marriage alliances, trade, and the exchange of hostages. All of these must be done."

Cao Cao nodded: "Make a list, and I'll have someone take care of it."

He paused, then continued, "Also, send someone to Jiangdong to secretly contact Sun Ce. Sun Jian will inevitably have a disagreement with Liu Bei over the division of Yangzhou. If Sun Ce gains the upper hand when he competes with Liu Bei for Yangzhou, we will form an alliance with him to restrain Liu Bei. If Liu Bei gains the upper hand, we will join forces with Sun Ce to eliminate Liu Bei first."

Xi Zhicai's eyes lit up: "My lord, this plan is brilliant! Neither Sun Ce nor Liu Bei are peaceful people. Let them fight in Jiangdong, and my lord can reap the benefits."

Cao Cao shook his head: "It's not about reaping the benefits; it's good enough if we can protect ourselves."

He gazed out the window, his eyes fixed on the distance.

Outside the window, the setting sun bathed the entire city of Changyi in a golden hue.

In the distance, towards the sky, dark clouds gathered.

Cao Cao knew that a storm was coming sooner or later.

All he could do was make himself stronger before the storm came.

Shuntian, Tiance Prefecture.

Ji Xuanyuan stood by the window, toying with a small jade seal in his hand.

That was a gift from Liu Xie when he appointed him as prime minister, and it was inscribed with the four characters "Prime Minister of the Great Han Dynasty".

Guo Jia pushed open the door and entered, stopping behind him: "My lord, should we send someone to keep an eye on Cao Cao's side?"

Ji Xuanyuan shook his head: "No need. He wouldn't dare to make any rash moves."

Guo Jia nodded and then asked, "What about Sun Jian? He's been making quite a few moves in Jiangdong lately, I heard he's currently campaigning against the Shanyue and expanding his territory."

Ji Xuanyuan turned around and looked at him: "Sun Jian's matter is not urgent. Let him make trouble first. The more he makes trouble, the faster he will die."

Guo Jia was taken aback: "Does my lord mean...?"

Ji Xuanyuan smiled slightly: "Sun Jian is brave, but he lacks wisdom. He thinks that by occupying Yangzhou he can contend with me, but he doesn't know that his biggest enemy is not me, but the Jiangdong aristocratic families that he has offended."

He walked to the map and pointed to the location of Jiangdong: "The Lu family, the Gu family, and the Zhang family of Jiangdong, which one is easy to mess with? Sun Jian conquered them by force. They are outwardly obedient, but they hate him to the bone. As long as someone makes secret contact, they will rebel at any time."

Guo Jia's eyes lit up: "Does my lord mean to send someone to contact the powerful families of Jiangdong?"

Ji Xuanyuan nodded: "Let Ziyi handle this matter. He has lived in Jiangdong before and knows the people and the place well, so he is the most suitable person for it."

Guo Jia clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Majesty, I will make the arrangements immediately."

Ji Xuanyuan stopped him: "There's one more thing. You've read Cao Cao's letter. What do you think he'll do next?"

Guo Jia pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Since he has allied with Liu Biao and written to our lord to express his goodwill, his next step will surely be to contact Sun Ce. If Sun Jian is really dead, Sun Ce and Liu Bei will definitely fight for Yangzhou. If Cao Cao can maneuver in the middle, he can benefit from it."

Ji Xuanyuan nodded: "That's what I think too, so we can't let him succeed."

He turned around, looked at Guo Jia with a deep gaze: "Send someone to Jiangdong, before Cao Cao can, to contact Sun Ce and tell him that if he is willing to submit to the court, the six counties of Jiangdong will still belong to the Sun family."

Guo Jia was taken aback: "Will Sun Ce agree?"

Ji Xuanyuan smiled slightly: "He will, because he's not stupid."

Outside the window, the setting sun sank below the horizon, and night gradually fell.

The lights of Shuntian City lit up one by one.

Ji Xuanyuan stood by the window, gazing at the lights, his eyes calm as still water.

He knew that this world would eventually be his.

It wasn't because he was smarter than others, but because he was more patient.