My Three Kingdoms is not right

Cao Cao was not exaggerating.

Yuan Shu was too powerful, and the Yuan family had too much wealth and influence.

The imperial court and Cao Cao, who only controlled the two provinces of Yan and Yu, were far from being her match.

Moreover, Yuan Shao was also eyeing Hebei with predatory intent.

Although the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were at odds, if the Yuan family truly had the opportunity to change dynasties, would Yuan Shao support the Liu family or the Yuan family? The answer is self-evident.

This was Cao Cao's threat, and it was her fierce counterattack.

The court was completely silent; everyone's face was grim, and there was nothing they could say in response.

Everyone in the court cursed Yuan Shu, but no one dared to underestimate her.

But Liu Xun smiled and shook his head:

"Cao Sikong is mistaken."

Liu Xun slowly walked to Cao Cao's side, his expression calm:

"What is there to fear from a mere Yuan Shu?"

Everyone thought Liu Xun had gone mad.

Cao Cao, enraged, laughed coldly: "Your Highness speaks so easily. If Yuan Shu's army attacks in the future, can Your Highness stop them?"

Liu Xun shook his head: "Yuan Shu may seem powerful, but the moment he declared himself emperor, he became a traitor and a national villain. He lost the hearts of the people."

"His civil and military officials are bound to harbor rebellious intentions. On the surface, they may appear to be a united front, but in reality, their disintegration is imminent."

Cao Cao sneered: "National affairs are not something Your Highness can decide by simply talking about them."

"Of course, I'm not just talking." Liu Xun turned to the throne: "Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, wish to go to Jiangdong to persuade Yuan Shu's general, Sun Ce, to defect."

These words shocked everyone in the hall, but the young girl Liu Xie on the throne remained the most composed because she had known about them beforehand.

"Minister Cao, if Sun Ce submits to the imperial court, is there any plan to deal with Yuan Shu?"

Cao Cao frowned, but still replied, "Sun Ce is brave and skilled in battle. In recent years, he has conquered a large territory in Jiangdong, which is one of the reasons for Yuan Shu's growing ambition."

"If she is truly willing to oppose Yuan, forming a pincer movement with our army from the north and south, and with the support of Liu Biao of Jingzhou..."

"Yuan Shu is attacked from both sides and will find it difficult to achieve anything in the short term."

"only……"

Before she could finish speaking, Liu Xun smiled and said, "With Cao Sikong's words, I am relieved."

"Please grant my permission, Your Majesty."

Liu Xie had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

But today's events in the court unfolded exactly as Liu Xun had predicted. Seeing that Cao Cao remained calm and did not object, he immediately granted the request.

Yang Biao is temporarily out of danger, and there is now a way to deal with Yuan Shu's troubles.

Cao Cao also suffered a setback.

Hmm, it's perfect!

……

After the court session, Cao Cao stood under a pillar not far from the palace and called out to Liu Xun.

The two stood side by side. The guards and courtiers tactfully moved away.

"Your Highness, you have quite the skills today." The girl in red spoke softly, her face showing no anger.

Liu Xun cupped his hands and smiled, "Not even a fraction as good as Cao Cao."

"I anticipated Your Highness would try to stop us, but I never expected you to scheme against yourself and even the Emperor." Cao Cao shook his head slightly. "The Emperor is unaware of the dangers of this journey, isn't he?"

Liu Xun shrugged: "There was no danger to begin with, why bring it up and make my elder sister worry?"

He thought this way because he knew the course of history and understood that Sun Ce would inevitably rebel against Yuan.

But to others, he was gambling with his life.

From the moment Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, he became an irreconcilable enemy of the imperial court.

A princess of a nation, venturing deep into enemy territory, attempts to persuade the enemy ruler's most powerful general to defect. How could this not be dangerous?

Cao Cao looked at Liu Xun, at the young man who always surprised her, and sighed.

She ultimately did not stop her.

Because Liu Xun is of great importance, if he can truly win over Sun Ce, it will be extremely beneficial to him.

The girl turned her face away, watching a bird fly across the blue sky: "If there's anything you need on this trip, just let me know."

Thank you!

After walking for a while, Cao Cao suddenly stopped.

"Your Highness."

Liu Xun turned around.

Sunlight filtered through the treetops, falling upon the girl:

"Come back safely."

Liu Xun paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

This cunning woman, after all, still has a conscience.

-----------------

Dust was whipped high by the wind and rustled onto the withered yellow grass by the roadside.

The sound of three horses' hooves grew louder as they approached. Though the riders were covered in dust, they possessed an undeniable air of pride.

The person in the lead was dressed in an indigo-blue Shu brocade robe and wore a sun hat with the brim pulled low, revealing only a smooth and graceful curve of his chin.

The two guards behind him were both dressed in plain, close-fitting clothes. One had fair skin, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes, while the other had slightly brown skin and well-defined features.

It was Liu Xun, Zhao Yun, and Xu Huang, disguised as merchants.

Liu Xun volunteered in court that day, and the next morning he left Xudu with two women, traveling light and without any entourage.

Yang Xiu saw him off with tears in his eyes. The court officials were all moved by his anxiety to save lives, but Cao Cao thought he was anxious about the war situation.

Only Liu Xun himself knew that he was indeed anxious, but what he was anxious about was that Sun Ce broke with Yuan Shu too early.

He didn't think the trip was dangerous at all.

In any case, Sun Ce was bound to rebel against Yuan Shao. To outsiders, this trip was like venturing into a den of wolves, but to him, it was just a formality.

But time is crucial.

If Sun Ce had already decided to break with Yuan Shu before he even arrived in Jiangdong, that would have been rather awkward.

This mission lacked significance, and its bargaining power in negotiations with Cao Cao was greatly diminished.

Because Yuan Shu's power is so great that he has covered the entire Huainan region, the safest route from Xuchang to Jiangdong at present is to go south first and then east—passing through Liu Biao's territory, detouring around Jingzhou, and then going down the river.

But this route was too slow and too long, so Liu Xun chose another direction:

They traveled eastward from Xuzhou by land, then southward through Xuzhou, and after reaching Guangling, they crossed the river and went straight to Qu'a.

Of course, this road is much more dangerous.

Most of Xuzhou was Lü Bu's territory. However, Lü Bu had long been an enemy of Cao Cao, and his stance became unclear after Yuan Shu declared himself emperor.

Liu Xun and his group decided to use their identities as merchants as a cover.

After all, the military situation does not affect commercial activity. No one turns down money, and it is common for merchants to travel between different states and counties.

Having been in Xuzhou for the past few days, the three of them had thoroughly experienced the chaos under Lü Bu's rule.

Since Cao Cao attacked Tao Qian, the rulers of Xuzhou changed hands every few years, leaving the people displaced and the fields barren.

Although Lü Bu was the fiercest warrior in the land and a great fighter, his governance skills were terrible.

The area was riddled with checkpoints, each layer exploiting the local population; the army was short of food and supplies, so soldiers resorted to raiding villages in groups.

In chaotic times, this is the kind of trade route that merchants fear most.

But this posed no threat to Liu Xun.

He was escorted by two top generals, Xu Huang and Zhao Yun, and all the bandits and brigands he encountered along the way became easy targets.

If anyone dared to run into them, the three of them would charge straight through without a word, without even encountering any decent resistance.

The journey of hundreds of miles was arduous, but Liu Xun and his two beloved generals spent every day together, and their relationship grew even closer.

In addition, Xu Huang and Zhao Yun were both highly skilled riders. With the guidance of the two women, Liu Xun's riding experience rapidly increased to level 5.

[Player: Liu Xun]

[Strength: 81. A skilled streetball player who doesn't even make the rankings.]

[Charm: 88 Natural beauty plus a princess aura makes you unparalleled in charm.]

[Strategy: 60. Extraordinary education will give you, with your ordinary talents, extraordinary insights.]

[Bond Attributes:]

[A seemingly trivial but ultimately meaningless situation: It offers no real benefit, yet is somewhat unappetizing; its effectiveness allows for clear judgment of whether to advance or retreat. It allows one to see through people's hearts and discern the true intentions of their opponents. (Requires the item "Five-Zhu Coin," with a one-month cooldown.)]

[Skills Overview]

[Melee: Level 7]

[Riding Skill: Level 5]

[Cooking Skills: Level 7]

Thus, before crossing the Huai River, Liu Xun finally surpassed the 80-point mark of a famous general's martial prowess, reaching 81 points.

This level of martial prowess is considered very formidable among the female warriors of the Three Kingdoms period.

In Xuchang, he wasn't afraid of generals of Cao Hong's or Cao Cao's caliber. This gave Liu Xun even more confidence.

However, ever since unlocking the first bond attribute, Liu Xun's gaze towards his two beloved generals has become somewhat complicated...

My characters Zhao Yun and Xu Huang are both very handsome!

I wonder what their bond stats are...

Wait a minute! Something's not right with me!

Liu Xun pinched his thigh hard.

Although the world has changed due to the rules, and polyandry between women and men is now considered normal... that is no excuse for me to become a scumbag!

"My lord, there's a checkpoint ahead," Zhao Yun said, pointing to the flags fluttering in the distance, interrupting his reverie.