Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Among these people were starving refugees, hunters wearing tattered fur coats, down-on-their-luck warriors wielding rusty swords, and able-bodied men who had just escaped from the swords of the Xiliang soldiers.

In their eyes, there was fear... hesitation... numbness... and also a faint, almost invisible hope.

Cao Cao took a deep breath, mustered all his strength, and his voice pierced through the howling cold wind, reaching everyone's ears clearly.

"Fellow elders! Fellow warriors!"

"I, Cao Cao, am a subject of the Han Dynasty! My family has enjoyed the Han's bounty and the Emperor's favor for generations!"

"But now, the traitor Dong Zhuo has seized control of the court and arbitrarily deposed the emperor... His troops are burning, killing, and looting in Luoyang, turning the centuries-old capital into a wasteland!"

......

His voice grew louder and louder, filled with grief and indignation:

"How many of you fled from Sili? How many of you have lost your families, your wives and children? How many of you can't even get a full meal or a good night's sleep!"

Some people in the audience began to sob.

Cao Cao's throat seemed to be blocked by something; he paused for a moment before continuing to roar:

"This land still belongs to the Han Dynasty! These people still belong to the Han Dynasty! Yet all the officials, governors, and prefects, each holding great military power, only dare to hide in their own territories, disregarding the emperor and the common people!"

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice booming like thunder:

"They dare not rebel against Dong Zhuo, but I, Cao Cao, dare!"

"They dare not save the Emperor, but I, Cao Cao, will!"

"They dare not stand up for the people, but I, Cao Cao, will!"

He suddenly drew his ring-pommel sword from his waist, the tip pointing straight to the sky, his voice so powerful it made the banners in the training ground flutter loudly:

"Today, I, Cao Cao, am recruiting soldiers here, not for titles or honors, not for territory or power, but for one purpose only: to kill Dong Zhuo and restore the Han Dynasty! To rescue the Emperor from the clutches of the traitor, drive the rebel army out of Luoyang, and allow the people of the land to once again live in peace!"

"Those who are willing to follow me, Cao Cao, will live and die with you, sharing both fortune and misfortune! Those who are unwilling, I, Cao Cao, will never force them. I only hope that in the future, you will remember that there was once a Cao Cao who fought for the Han Dynasty and for the people this time!"

There was a deathly silence below the stage, broken only by the sound of the cold wind rustling the banners.

Then......

"I'm willing to follow General Cao to punish those traitors! Let's kill those scoundrels!"

A roar erupted from the crowd, like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, and the entire training ground instantly exploded!

"I'm going too! My house was robbed by those scoundrels, I want revenge!"

"General Cao is right! If we don't rebel, none of us will survive!"

"Follow General Cao! Let's defeat Dong Zhuo! Let's restore the Han Dynasty!"

More and more people flocked to the recruitment platform.

Farmers threw down their hoes... hunters gripped their bows and arrows tightly... down-on-their-luck warriors polished their rusty swords... strong men who had escaped from the Xiliang soldiers charged forward with red eyes.

They held knives, guns, sticks, hoes, and anything else that could be used as a weapon, yet their eyes were all resolute.

Cao Cao stood on the high platform, looking at this group of people, his eyes welling up with tears.

He knew that many of these people might not live to see next spring.

He knew that his troops might be no match for Dong Zhuo's Xiliang cavalry.

But he also knew that some things had to be done by someone.

Even if he is alone, even if he is just this one group of people.

Cao Cao took a deep breath and roared at the audience:

"Good! From this day forward, you are my brothers, Cao Cao! We will share both good times and bad! After defeating Dong Zhuo, as long as I live, I will ensure you all live a good life!"

Another round of cheers erupted from the audience.

The cold wind still howled, making one's bones ache.

But the passion on the training ground was hotter than ever.

In just over half a month, Cao Cao recruited a full five thousand soldiers in Jiwu County.

These five thousand people included members of the Cao and Xiahou clans, able-bodied men sponsored by Wei Zi, refugees who had fled from Sili, and local farmers and hunters...

They lacked fine armor, sharp swords, and even sufficient military rations.

But in their eyes, there was a fire.

On the drill ground of Jiwu County, five thousand soldiers stood in square formation, a dark mass.

Cao Cao stood on the high platform, looking at these people. They were of all ages and heights, dressed in all sorts of clothes and carrying all kinds of weapons.

But their eyes were all equally bright.

Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan stood at the front of the line, followed by Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Chun, and other members of the Cao clan.

Cao Cao took a deep breath and shouted:

"Gentlemen! You are willing to follow me, Cao Cao, to punish Dong Zhuo. Do you know what that means?"

No one spoke.

Cao Cao continued, "This means you might die. You might die on the battlefield, trampled into mincemeat by the Xiliang cavalry. You might die on the road, frozen, starved, or from disease. You might die in Dong Zhuo's prison, tortured to the point of wishing you were dead."

He paused, then asked, "Aren't you afraid?"

A young man stepped forward and shouted, "General Cao, my family was in Sili, and they were all killed by the Xiliang soldiers! My father, my mother, and my sister are all dead! I escaped alone and didn't want to live anymore! If I follow General Cao to kill Dong Zhuo, even if I die, it will be a victory!"

Another middle-aged man stepped forward and said, "General Cao, I am a hunter and I know how to shoot arrows. The Xiliang soldiers stole my game and beat me up. I've wanted revenge for a long time! General Cao, let me follow you!"

An elderly man with white hair stepped forward and said tremblingly, "General Cao, I am sixty years old this year and can no longer fight. But my three sons are all willing to follow you! I entrust them to you!"

Three young men emerged from behind the old man and knelt before Cao Cao.

Cao Cao's eyes welled up with tears, and he quickly stepped forward to help them up.

He turned to everyone and shouted:

"Gentlemen! I, Cao Cao, swear that in my lifetime I will kill Dong Zhuo, purge the court of corrupt officials, and restore the Han Dynasty! If I break this oath, may I be struck down by heaven and earth!"

Five thousand people knelt down in unison and shouted:

"I am willing to follow General Cao! To kill Dong Zhuo! To restore the Han Dynasty!"

The sound shook the heavens and soared straight to the ninth heaven.

In the distance, Yuan Shao, who had come to Jiwu County to see Cao Cao, stood on the city wall and watched this scene.

Xu You, standing beside him, whispered, "My lord, Cao Cao is no simple man."

Yuan Shao nodded, his gaze deep.

He knew that this short man would be his most reliable ally on his path to defeating Dong Zhuo.

Perhaps, they will also be his future... rivals.