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

"Your Majesty, we have reviewed each of Liu Bei's petitions."

As soon as the emperor approved Cao Cao's demotion, Xun Yu did not give the emperor any time to react and immediately continued to launch attacks.

"Oh... what does Minister Xun think?" The emperor was already somewhat hesitant, but he still took the bait.

Xun Yu said loudly, "We suggest that, except for Liu Bei's petitions for Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Ma Teng to be given excessively high official positions, which should not be approved, all other petitions should be approved."

The emperor could hardly believe his ears and continued to ask, "In that case, I will trouble you, my dear minister, to draft edicts one by one."

"We humbly obey Your Majesty's decree. Furthermore, we believe that with the Nine Provinces in turmoil and the people suffering, Your Majesty's blessings should be extended to all under Heaven—therefore, we wish to recommend another twenty-eight individuals, and humbly request Your Majesty's permission!"

Upon hearing this, the emperor's heart pounded faster, and his expression turned somewhat grim.

Fine, you're all inhuman. You think the world isn't chaotic enough already? You treat the officials of my Han dynasty like a joke…

Without waiting for the emperor's reply, Xun Yu ordered his servants to carry twenty-eight new memorials to the palace.

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat began reading them aloud one by one.

The following directions are from Hebei:

Please appoint Wuhuan Chanyu Tadun as King of Wuhuan, grant him the title of General Who Guards the North, and bestow upon him a gold seal and purple ribbon.

Please appoint Zhang Yan, the leader of the Black Mountain Army, as the General Who Pacifies the Troops.

Please appoint Shen Pei as Vice Censor-in-Chief and grant him the title of Marquis.

Please appoint Zhang He as General Who Conquers the Barbarians and grant him the title of Marquis.

Please appoint Gao Lan as General of Tiger Might and grant him the title of Marquis.

The Jiangdong direction is as follows:

Please appoint Sun Quan as General Who Subdues the Barbarians and Governor of Yangzhou.

Please posthumously grant Sun Jian the titles of General of Chariots and Cavalry and King Huan of Changsha.

The directions to Jingzhou are as follows:

Please appoint Han Song as Grand Master of the Palace.

The directions from Guanzhong are as follows:

Please appoint Han Sui as General Who Conquers the West and grant him the authority to command troops.

Please appoint Liang Xing, Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Li Kan, Zhang Heng, Cheng Yi, Ma Wan, and Yang Qiu as Generals of the Central Army and grant them the title of Marquis of Duting.

Moreover, it also involves the following other regions:

Please appoint Zhang Lu as General of the Garrison and Prefect of Hanning.

Zhang Heng, the father of Zhang Lu, was posthumously awarded the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry.

Zhang Lu's mother was posthumously honored as Lady of Hanzhong.

Please appoint Zhao Wei of Yizhou as General Who Conquers the East, oversee military affairs in Bazhou, and grant him the title of Marquis of Langzhong.

Please appoint Pang Xi, the governor of Bazhou, as General Who Assists the Han.

Please appoint Gongsun Du of Liaodong as the Prefect of Liaodong, General Who Guards the East, and Marquis of Yongning Township.

Please appoint Zang Ba of Qingzhou as General of Mighty Barbarians.

Please appoint Sun Guan, Wu Dun, and Yin Li, the three generals of Qingzhou, as Generals of the Central Army and grant them the title of Marquis.

Please appoint Shi Xie as General of Suinan and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of the seven prefectures of Jiaozhou.

This time, Cao Cao's cronies, who knew in advance, did not make any noise in the court, but Zhao Wen, Kong Rong, the emperor, and others began to feel uneasy.

Cao Cao intends to completely disrupt the existing order of the world and prevent any single power from becoming too dominant!

In Hebei, the Yuan dynasty bestowed rewards upon border chieftains, which fueled internal strife within the Yuan clan.

Regarding Jingzhou, incite internal conflicts and encourage the westward advance of the Jiangnan region;

In Guanzhong, he instigated Han Sui and Ma Teng, and widely enfeoffed small vassal states;

In Yizhou, they encouraged subjects to subdue their rulers, creating a political disparity;

To win over the hearts of the people in the entire border region, we should use rewards and honors to promote friendly relations with distant countries and then launch attacks on nearby ones.

The emperor had already imagined that once these edicts were issued, war would break out all over the world, and there would never be peace. Meanwhile, Cao Cao, holding the control of Yan, Yu, Qing and Xu provinces, could keep a low profile and bide his time in Xuchang by lowering himself three ranks.

Sensing the wickedness and malice of their intentions, the emperor's face slowly turned deathly pale...

"Your Majesty, please grant our request!" Dong Zhao immediately led all the officials to kneel down again, urging the emperor to issue an edict.

The emperor was somewhat agitated, but when he looked up and saw Xu Chu's indifferent face standing beside him, he quickly forced himself to calm down and said, "What you all say makes sense, so I will trouble Minister Xun to draft the edicts one by one."

"We will obey Your Majesty's decree." Xun Yu bowed deeply, then turned and left, followed closely by all the officials.

Whose world is this, really?

The emperor watched his officials depart, inwardly mocking himself.

Heavy snow fell in Wancheng, and Liu Bei's army was preparing to break camp and return to Runan.

Since the entire territory of Nanyang had been handed over to Liu Biao's subordinates, Xu Shu planned to send the remaining four thousand troops, four thousand wounded soldiers, and prisoners willing to surrender back to Runan Commandery.

Most of the three thousand prisoners of war from Cao Cao's army were former soldiers from Qingzhou. Half of them were unwilling to surrender because their families were being held by Cao Cao in Xuchang.

After several discussions and debates with the Jingzhou side, Liu Bei finally persuaded Wen Ping to conscript half of the Qingzhou soldiers as corvée laborers to rebuild the homes of the people of Bowang whose houses had been burned down by Cao Cao during the great battle.

On the night before they were to break camp, Sun Qian and Zhang Quan finally returned to the Wancheng military camp from Wuguan Road.

"My lord!" Sun Qian cried out, tears streaming down his face, the moment he saw Liu Bei.

Seeing that the two men looked haggard, Liu Bei knew something must have happened, so he quickly left his tent to greet them.

"Why does Mr. Gongyou look like this?" Xu Shu asked in surprise.

"We two will likely never see our lord again!" Zhang Quan said, choking back tears.

"A general handed a letter to Ma Teng. At first, Ma Teng repeatedly promised that he would follow the general's advice and besiege Chang'an until the general's reinforcements arrived."

"Later, Ma Chao's troops attempted to cross the Wei River, but were repeatedly intercepted by Cao Cao's army halfway across."

"Zhong Yao actually dared to go out of the city to meet the enemy?" Xu Shu asked, puzzled.

"It's not Zhong Yao, but Duan Wei's reinforcements," Sun Qian explained.

"There are still highly skilled people in Chang'an," Zhang Quan added.

"What do you mean?" Liu Bei asked.

"Two days before we were about to return to Wancheng to report, Han Sui's troops crossed the Wei River and intercepted Duan Wei's supplies, capturing three hundred men."

"They were captured in the military camp, and rumors spread that Han Sui had made a pact with Zhong Yao to occupy Guanzhong alone."

"There are even rumors that the lord has made an agreement with Ma Chao to help him establish his own power after he occupies Guanzhong."

"Therefore, Ma Teng was furious upon hearing this and detained the two of us."

"Not only that, Liang Xing and Ma Wan's troops launched a night attack on Ma Tie's troops in a dispute over grain supplies, while Hou Xuan and Cheng Yin's troops plundered the people of Huaili, which led to an attack by Pang De, a subordinate of Ma Chao..."

"If it weren't for the news of our lord's victory and the memorial requesting a reward, we two would not know how long we would have been imprisoned!"

Xu Shu then realized that the chaos among the various armies in Guanzhong far exceeded his expectations.

"When you return, will Ma Teng have withdrawn his troops?" Liu Bei asked.

"Han Sui's army is still besieging Chang'an, Ma Teng's army has withdrawn to Huaili, and the other troops, such as Liang Xing and others, have all dispersed."

"Both Ma Teng and Ma Chao have written letters to our lord, which I have already brought back," Sun Qian said, taking out two letters from his sleeve.

Liu Bei quickly opened it and read it carefully. Ma Teng's handwritten letter was rather simple, thanking Liu Bei for his memorial requesting credit, and the rest were all polite words.

Ma Chao's letter was even more sincere. He not only thanked Liu Bei for his memorial, but also frankly stated that he was willing to lend a helping hand when Liu Bei raised an army again in the future.

"My lord, I believe the most urgent task is to visit Jing Sheng in Jingzhou again," Xu Shu suggested to Liu Bei after reading the letter, his brow furrowed.

"This matter is not urgent. The strategist has already devised a brilliant plan to petition Jing Sheng and the others, which will surely reassure the generals of Jingzhou." Liu Bei disagreed.

"No, my intention was not with Jing Sheng and the others," Xu Shu retorted.

"What does the strategist mean?" Liu Bei asked, puzzled.

Xu Shu gestured towards the outside of the tent: "Please, my lord."

Liu Bei then comforted Sun Qian and Zhang Quan again, and followed Xu Shu out of the camp. The two of them, wearing cloaks, strolled in the snow.

"My lord, Ma Teng once besieged Chang'an with an army of 150,000 but failed. Cao Cao only sent Duan Wei to assist him, and he managed to break up the 150,000-strong army."

"If it weren't for His Majesty's decree, we would have already marched out of Wuguan Pass, and we might even be besieged by Cao Cao's army and the armies of Guanzhong. In that case, the outcome would be uncertain."

Xu Shu clearly felt a lingering fear as he spoke.

Although he did not know that Cheng Yu, sent by Cao Cao, was in Duan Wei's army, it was Cheng Yu's smooth counter-espionage plan that threw the Xiliang army into chaos.

However, as a strategist, his ability to anticipate risks was clearly much stronger than that of his lord, Liu Bei.

"What does the strategist mean...?" Liu Bei still didn't understand what Xu Shu was trying to express. He had seen too many such wins and losses. In this chaotic world, the breaking up of allies was so frequent that it was not worth mentioning.

"Forgive my bluntness, but in my opinion, the strength of our army, or rather, the strength of our lord, is far from sufficient." Xu Shu simply stopped beating around the bush.

Liu Bei was so surprised by Xu Shu's words that he stood there for a long time, unable to calm down, letting the snowflakes fall on him one by one.

In fact, in the days following this battle, Liu Bei felt a great sense of satisfaction and relief. This was the first time he had faced Cao Cao's personal campaign and won a great victory, even forcing Cao Cao to use the emperor as a shield.

Besides breaking free from one of his inner demons in this battle, he also believed that news of his great victory over Cao Cao had spread throughout the world, and everyone would be wary of him.

Now, not only has he been promoted and ennobled, but his brothers will also finally receive appointments from the imperial court and achieve some success. Cao Cao, or rather the emperor, has even specified that the Huainan region be given to him to manage.

With Runan as its base, cultivating Huainan, backed by Jingzhou, and connected to Xuyang in the east—he finally built up a territory that could be called a business!

But just now, Xu Shu actually said that his strength was far from enough, which was like a bucket of cold water being poured over his head.

"Yuanzhi, you might as well speak frankly." Liu Bei's interest vanished, and his tone became somewhat cold.

"In my opinion, my lord should go to Jingzhou again to seek out talented people."

"So it was about this matter after all..." Liu Bei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I believe that things will only become more difficult in the future. My lord should take this opportunity to recruit talented people to prevent the chaos of war."

"Our army has achieved a great victory over Cao Cao's army, killing Cao Hong and capturing Xiahou Yuan in one battle, forcing Cao Cao to retreat. This must have shaken the world. Why would we be even more unable to move forward?" Liu Bei did not understand Xu Shu's argument.

"In the past, when Dong Zhuo caused chaos and Li Jue and Guo Si wreaked havoc in Chang'an, whenever an outsider tried to use the emperor's power to seize the world, they would be attacked by the masses."

"This time, our army once again fought with all its might to inflict a great defeat on Cao Cao, yet he calmly retreated with the emperor's edict. Furthermore, Chang'an was besieged by 150,000 troops, and the fighting was stopped without even going there in person. This shows how powerful his forces are, far exceeding the outcome of battles on the battlefield—" Xu Shu wanted to continue, but Liu Bei interrupted him.

"I already understand the strategist's meaning." Liu Bei didn't want to hear any more of Xu Shu's words.

If he hadn't followed the emperor's orders to withdraw his troops, he might already be at the gates of Xudu with the momentum of his great victory. Xu Shu's words were far too self-deprecating.

"Let's return to the main camp." Liu Bei looked up at the increasingly heavy snow, seemingly talking to himself, before turning and walking towards the main camp.

Xu Shu did not refute his lord, who had become arrogant after the victory, but simply followed quietly behind him.

The two walked several dozen steps and had just returned to the camp gate when they heard the sound of horses' hooves clattering through the snow as they approached.

The two turned around and saw that it was the palace eunuch again.

"Your subject Liu Bei respectfully welcomes the Imperial Envoy." Liu Bei hurriedly knelt and bowed to the people in the palace.

"Please rise, Uncle Liu, let's talk inside the camp." The Yellow Gate Attendant politely summoned Liu Bei and his companion, and together they walked into the camp.

Unexpectedly, the emperor readily agreed to Liu Bei's memorial requesting rewards for his subordinates, and the seals and ribbons would soon be sent directly to Runan.

"May I ask, Your Excellency, what other memorials are prepared?" Liu Bei asked the Palace Attendant.

"Except for Ma Teng, Liu Biao, and Yuan Shao, His Majesty has already issued edicts approving their applications. Imperial Uncle, there is no need to worry," the Palace Attendant said with a smile.

"Oh? Prime Minister Cao... didn't stop him?" Xu Shu asked in surprise, almost blurting out the words "traitor Cao" in front of the envoy.

The Imperial Attendant shook his head and smiled, "Lord Cao did not stop him. On the contrary, he submitted a memorial to demote himself three ranks and recommended twenty-seven others."

"What?" Everyone under Liu Bei's command looked surprised. They never expected that Cao Cao would compromise to this extent and show such weakness.

"May I ask, angel, who are these other twenty-seven people...?" Xu Shu pressed.

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat seemed to have come prepared. He summoned his attendants, took out two scrolls of bamboo slips, and unfolded them for everyone to see.

Upon seeing the long list of rewards, Xu Shu felt dizzy and his vision blurred; he fell backward.

"Strategist!" Zhou Cang reacted quickly and caught Xu Shu.

Liu Bei was dumbfounded, and it took him a long time to come to his senses before he looked at the envoy and asked, "This... the Emperor has agreed to everything?"

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat ignored their reactions and replied with a smile, "These were all recommended by the Attendant-in-Ordinary and Acting Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Xun, along with all the officials. The Emperor will naturally grant all requests."

Seeing that Liu Bei and the others were deep in thought, the Yellow Gate Attendant put away the roster and said to everyone, "I have other official business to attend to, so I will take my leave first."

Liu Bei came to his senses and saw the group out of the camp.

"Uncle Liu, please wait." After saying this, the Yellow Gate Attendant rode off straight towards Wancheng.

Cao Cao is trying to drag the whole world into war...

They've gone mad, completely mad... It's easy to imagine that after this series of edicts, war will break out across the land, warlords will fight amongst themselves, and the land will be turned into a living hell.

Liu Bei dragged his heavy steps back to the main tent, leaving two long footprints in the snow. In that instant, he seemed to recall the turbulent scene of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

"How is the strategist?" Entering the tent, Liu Bei forced himself to remain calm and hurriedly asked Xu Shu, who had almost fainted.

"My lord, I am unharmed..." Xu Shu, helped to sit down, replied to Liu Bei from several people away.

Liu Bei quickly passed through the group of generals, bent down and knelt on one knee in front of Xu Shu, saying, "Hearing the words of the imperial envoy, I now know that what the strategist said was true. I... am ashamed!" After saying this, he turned his head to the side and gave Xu Shu a deep bow.

"Ah! My lord, you mustn't..." Xu Shu quickly supported Liu Bei with both hands.

Everyone stared at the emperor and his minister, bewildered.

"Gentlemen, the world is about to descend into chaos," Xu Shu said, his gaze sweeping over each face.