I, Zhou Cang, am the number one tank in the Three Kingdoms.

"My mind is made up. The matter of moving the capital should not be discussed any further."

Inside the Prime Minister's residence, Cao Cao, with the help of his servants, put on a brocade robe, sat up from the couch, and glanced at Cheng Yu.

"But Prime Minister! The enemy is coming from three directions, how can our army cope..." Cheng Yu still did not give up.

"Zhongde, regarding your concerns... I have already repelled two of the three enemy forces."

Upon hearing this, Xun Yu and Cheng Yu exchanged a puzzled look.

Cao Cao held up the silk cloth in his hand and said, "Fengxiao has sent a letter here. You two may take a look at it."

Xun Yu did not reach out, which clearly indicated that Guo Jia had consulted with Xun Yu beforehand, and Xun Yu was fully aware of the details.

Cheng Yu took a look and saw that Guo Jia had made completely different arrangements for the three enemy forces.

On the western front, Duan Wei had been cultivating agriculture in Huayin for many years. He was ordered to lead his troops westward out of Chang'an to form a pincer movement with Zhong Yao, thus securing Chang'an's supply lines. At the same time, Zhong Yao was ordered to hold his ground and not venture out, so that when the Western Liang army ran out of food in the cold winter, the siege of Chang'an could be lifted.

On the eastern front, Dong Zhao and Zang Ba were ordered to lead the troops from Qing and Xu provinces westward out of Yanzhou to join forces with Zhang Liao's 5,000 troops to attack Zhang He and Gao Lan from both sides, forcing Yuan Shao to make a choice: to reinforce or retreat. With the internal war in Hebei under immense pressure, Yuan Shao would have no chance of reinforcing the front lines, and the siege of Baima could be lifted.

The only one left is Liu Bei, who has established a firm foothold in Runan.

Looking at Guo Jia's handwritten letter, Cheng Yu suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Guo Jia, even on his sickbed, was still advising the Prime Minister, resolving the current predicament almost in the blink of an eye.

In a moment of folly, he even considered complying with the suggestion of relocating the capital by those in power with ulterior motives...

Cheng Yu hurriedly bowed to Cao Cao and said, "I, Zhongde, am unworthy, but I am willing to go to Huayin as your envoy to persuade Duan Wei."

Cao Cao looked at Cheng Yu, knowing that he had achieved his goal, and promised, "In that case, I will trouble you, Zhongde. Go."

Cheng Yu silently withdrew, while Xun Yu stood alone beside Cao Cao and asked, "Prime Minister, Liu Bei has already occupied Wancheng, Yancheng, and Bowang, and his momentum is extremely strong. We should act swiftly."

Cao Cao squinted and said, "A weaver of mats and a seller of shoes. Last time I fought Yuan Shao, this rat got the better of me. This time..."

Just as Cao Cao was about to say something harsh, he suddenly covered his head and sat back down on the couch.

"Once my headaches are cured, I'm determined to eradicate them completely!"

Upon hearing this, Xun Yu advised, "Prime Minister, Liu Bei should not be underestimated. He has already formed an alliance with Liu Biao of Jingzhou, and it is said that he is also building Hefei. His ambitions are enormous. If we are to attack him, we must be extremely cautious!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's headache worsened, so he simply lay down.

"Wancheng, Yancheng, and Bowang are only a stone's throw away. I will personally lead my troops to confront them one day, and they will surely be captured. But what about Hefei... Does Mr. Wenruo have a good plan?"

Xun Yu walked to the bedside, nodded, and said, "With the Prime Minister's military might, taking Hefei should be a piece of cake, but..."

"But what?" Cao Cao asked.

"Hefei is far from me. After the disaster caused by Yuan Gonglu, bandits rose up everywhere in Huainan, and the people were living in misery. Not to mention Liu Bei, even if the Prime Minister wanted to build this city, it would not be an easy task."

After listening, Cao Cao tilted his head and asked, "Does Master Wenruo mean that we don't need to send troops?"

Xun Yu said, "It is said that the materials and money used by Liu Bei to build Hefei were all donated by Liu Biao. Sun Quan and Zhou Yu of Jiangdong have already regarded Liu Bei as a major enemy and have sent troops to Chaisang to cut off Hefei's supply lines."

Cao Cao said with relief, "Since Jiangdong is sharing my burdens, I can send envoys to commend Sun Quan and Zhou Yu."

Xun Yu said, "I will recommend someone who will surely fulfill my mission."

"Who is it?"

"Liu Ye, Liu Ziyang".

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao reached out and slapped his forehead, exclaiming, "Oh dear! If you hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten about this person!"

Xun Yu nodded and said, "Ziyang is originally from Huainan and has deep roots. Sending him as an envoy will not only allow the Prime Minister to bestow favors upon Jiangdong, but also enable him to contact the bandits in Jianghuai and use them for our purposes. Then Hefei can be pacified."

Cao Cao smiled with satisfaction: "That's good. Please convey my message to Ziyang."

Xun Yu bowed and said, "Xun Yu obeys."

Cao Cao said, "Chen Deng of Guangling is very close to Huainan. Do you think he is a capable man?"

Xun Yu shook his head and said, "No, although Jiangdong is of our use for the time being, it is ultimately a wolf in sheep's clothing. If Chen Deng sends troops westward, Jiangdong will take the opportunity to raise troops northward, and Xuzhou will be in danger."

"Furthermore, when the Prime Minister was confronting Yuan Shao, Jiangdong frequently harbored rebellious intentions and repeatedly invaded Guangling, but all were repelled by Chen Deng. I believe that Chen Deng should not be touched."

Cao Cao said, "If that's the case, then we'll do as you say, sir."

Xun Yu bowed respectfully and left the inner room. He had only taken two steps when Cao Cao called out to him, "Sir!"

Xun Yu turned around and asked, "Please speak, Prime Minister."

"How is Fengxiao?"

Xun Yu smiled and said, "Fengxiao has just caught a minor cold and should be fine. However, Prime Minister, please take care of your precious health and do not worry about Fengxiao."

Cao Cao said, "Very well, Wenruo can send a palace physician to visit him."

Xun Yu smiled and said, "Yes, Prime Minister. Take care." Then he turned and left.

Cao Cao lay on his couch, silently continuing to endure the torment of his headaches.

Liu Bei, oh Liu Bei, I'll tolerate you a little longer...

In Runan City, after resting, Liu Bei, together with his strategist Xu Shu, inspected the soldiers in the city at the drill ground.

After the inspection, it was clear that the troops were very different from before, and both their appearance and discipline had improved by more than one level.

"This is all thanks to General Zhang!" Gong Du explained to Liu Bei.

"Thanks to the Lord's great fortune, the three armies have trained diligently. I dare not accept such praise!" Zhang Xiu had just returned from inspecting the city these past few days. Upon hearing Gong Du praise him, he quickly cupped his hands in humility.

Liu Bei held Zhang Xiu's hand tightly as they walked out of the training ground. As they walked, Liu Bei said, "General Zhang, please don't be modest. This is a great achievement. I have also gained a lot from this trip to Jingzhou."

Zhang Xiu asked curiously, "What did you gain, my lord?"

Liu Bei stopped and looked at Zhang Xiu, laughing, "Like father, like son. General Zhang's son, Zhang Quan, is a great gain for me."

Zhang Xiu cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "I have been immersed in warfare for too long and have neglected to educate my son. I apologize for making you laugh at me, my lord."

Xu Shu looked at the cautious and prudent Zhang Xiu and couldn't help but smile wryly.

Liu Bei led his entourage back to the hall, where Xu Shu gave a brief introduction to the gains from the trip to Jingzhou, as well as Pang Tong's insights and arrangements for the construction of Hefei.

Although no one had ever seen Pang Tong, they all marveled at his talent.

Just then, a gatekeeper came to report that Yuan Shao of Hebei had sent an envoy.

Liu Bei was vaguely worried. Could something have happened in Hebei?

"Quickly, invite them in!"

Before long, Chen Zhen entered with his hands clasped and bowed, saying, "Lord Liu!"

"So it's Mr. Xiaoqi!" Liu Bei hurriedly came down to greet him.

Chen Zhen spotted Zhang Xiu immediately and asked, "General, could you perhaps be...?"

Zhang Xiu quickly bowed and said, "I am Zhang Xiu, and I have long admired your name, sir!"

Chen Zhen cupped his hands in surprise and said, "It really is General Zhang! My apologies for not recognizing you!"

Fearing that Zhang Xiu would feel awkward or uncomfortable, Liu Bei quickly welcomed Chen Zhen into the hall.

After they were seated, Xu Shu asked, "What brings you here, Xiaoqi?"

"My lord has dispatched Generals Zhang He and Gao Lan with an army of 30,000 to Baima, specifically to invite you, my lord, to raise an army!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shu was surprised. Yuan Shao had responded to the uprising so quickly, but there were only five thousand soldiers in Runan City...

So he advised, "Xiaoqi, you may not know this, but our army..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Bei interrupted him, saying, "Very well! Please inform Lord Yuan that attacking Cao is a matter of righteousness for the world, and I will certainly assist him!"

Xu Shu suddenly turned to look at his lord, Liu Bei.

"My lord?! This..."