Not long after, Xu Zhen also came.
However, the only difference was that Xu Zhen didn't seem to be in a good mood. He was even a little irritated.
Cao Cao was stunned." Young man, you don't look well. Is something wrong?"”
"I was just preparing to drill the troops and plan a strategy when the lord suddenly called me. In such a hurry, those who don't know would think that Yuan Shao was about to attack.”
Xu Zhen immediately complained.
Cao Cao was stunned.
Oh, you're just annoying me.
Tsk.
"Bowen, I called you here to ask you, what do you think of Guo Jia?”
Xu Zhen said straightforwardly,"He has a good character and is quite handsome."”
"No, I mean, what do you think of him?”
"My lord, you're asking about the top three, right?”
" That's right." Cao Cao smiled.
"Just this?" Xu Zhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry." The third place is probably…slightly weaker than the first and second place overall.”
"I know."
This was obvious!
Cao Cao was getting more and more frustrated, and he even wanted to clench his fists.
"Forget it, I won't ask you about this. The imperial edict has been given last time. Find a day to get along with Xian 'er first.”
"In the future…"
Xu Zhen revealed a suspicious look, which made Cao Cao's head full of question marks.
Was there a problem?
'Forget it, forget it. This kid has always been a god and a ghost. No one can guess his thoughts. However, fortunately, his heart is still on my side.'
"Come."
Cao Cao waved his hand and had Xu Zhen come over to look at the letter on the table.、
Xu Zhen picked it up and looked at it for a long time before asking,""Is there a problem? I can't write this."
" I know." Cao Cao closed his eyes and puffed up his cheeks.
That word of yours was so crooked that I thought you were drawing branches.
"In this letter, how do you think Sun Ce should be conferred the title of Prefecture Overseer?”
After thinking about it, Cao Cao decided to ask directly to prevent this bastard from acting dumb.
With the precedent of the battles of Xu and Yang, Cao Cao knew that Xu Zhen was a talented person and would definitely understand what he meant.
The first few words that he refused to answer were obviously pretending to be deaf and dumb.
"Sun Ce was originally a fierce tiger. Since he escaped from Yuan Shu, he naturally wanted to do something. Whether he was sealed or not, it was the same. No matter how much the lord gave him, he would not sincerely submit and worship Xuchang.”
" Instead, I'm waiting for the right time. As for the right time, it's hard to say…"
If he remembered correctly, in a few years, the emperor would start to make trouble and use the matter of the imperial edict to announce to the vassals that Cao Cao was a traitor of the Han Dynasty.
He is no different from Dong Zhuo.
As a result, the warlords of the Great Han Empire started to split up even more.
However, no one knew if this was true.
What if it was a fake edict?
It was not as if there were no methods to falsify the imperial edict in this world. If someone really did falsify the imperial edict, they could use a flawless reason to support the banner of rebellion.
This was the general trend. Xu Zhen did not think that it would be resolved because of his arrival.
It would definitely continue to happen.
"That makes sense."
Cao Cao nodded his head and agreed.
In a chaotic world, regardless of age, anyone with ambition could achieve something.
Let alone others, he is Zang Ba of Taishan County, Xuzhou.
He was originally a barbarian, but he knew how to lead people and was charming. He had gathered at least 10,000 people behind him and was the king of Taishan County.
However, he was different from the White Wave Army and Black Mountain Army near Jizhou. He didn't rob people and even mobilized the people to open up wasteland and trade.
As such, Cao Cao could only give him 2000 dan and make him the Prefecture Lord.
Such a person was also powerful to be able to suppress Mount Tai.
He had gone from being a commoner to the highest ranking official in the Han system.
To any ordinary person, this was a magnificent transformation. It could be called a legend.
"So, you mean to give him Yangzhou?”
"No, give him the title of nobility. Give him the land south of Yangzhou and Hefei. There's no need to worry about Hefei.”
" Alright." Cao Cao had already made up his mind.
He had asked three people about this matter, and all three of them had the same answer. There was nothing special about it. Even Xu Zhen, who liked to play tricks, did not say anything more.
"Uh, but I have to say one more thing."
Cao Cao was speechless.
"Tell me."
Xu Zhen smiled." River East is already rich. If Sun Ce is given the title of prefect, he will gain the support of many aristocrats in a short period of time. This means that he will continue to grow in River East.
This was his opportunity, and this opportunity was given to him by his lord.”
"Therefore, if he doesn't pay anything, wouldn't it be too ridiculous for him to obtain such an opportunity?”
Xu Zhen's words were filled with sincerity. He opened his arms as if he was pointing at the mountains, but it made Cao Cao feel that it was reasonable.
Indeed, if he didn't pay anything and just gave it to me, then wouldn't he think that this position was extremely easy to obtain in the future and look down on me?
"Hmm, in your opinion, what should we do?”
Xu Zhen said solemnly," They have a pair of sisters in Jiangdong. I've been longing for them for a long time. How about this? If Sun Ce is willing to give the two girls to me and marry me, I can make him the prefect of the southern counties of Yangzhou."”
Cao Cao's mouth twitched.
His scalp went numb when he heard the words "I've been longing for a long time".
"Get lost."
"Eh?" Xu Zhen's eyes paused as if they had lost their luster.
"Get lost! Get lost, get lost!"
F * ck, I'm numb!
It completely collapsed!
Dumbfounded!
How could there be such a shameless person in the world!
How hateful, how hateful!
"My lord, think twice. There are many talents in Jiangdong. I can help my lord recruit some!”
" Then, send Bowen." Cao Cao placed his hands on his shoulders." Tomorrow, go to Jiangdong. Let's not talk about talents. It's best to find out Sun Ce's strength. I want to see if he has many brave strategists under him."”
"Moreover, the Snow Dragon Cavalry under me can draw a map of the six counties of River East. They can set up defense maps and divide them carefully.”
At the mention of this, Cao Cao stopped scolding.
The search for talents could not wait for submission. There were still many talented people in the land of River East.
Cao Cao recalled the so-called " large scale " map that Xu Zhen had taken out back in Shouchun, as well as the densely packed annotations on it.
It was because of these annotations that the defense and grain accumulation were clear at a glance.
Even if the commander was in the main tent, he could still act as if he was on the battlefield thousands of miles away. With such a march, there would rarely be any mistakes.
'This kid really has me under control. I was wondering why I took out that map back then. It wasn't of much use in the first place…'
So you were waiting for me here.
"Go, go. If you can draw a detailed map of the six counties of Jiangdong and the southern part of Yangzhou, this reward will be just right.”
"Here!"
Xu Zhen cupped his fists and bowed with a smile on his face.
It felt good.
……
The next day, Xu Zhen took the imperial edict and immediately ordered 1,000 Snowy Dragon Cavalry to head toward the east of the river. Xun Yu wrote a letter to his old friends along the way.
At the same time, there was also an imperial edict ordering Xu Zhen to go as an envoy and give him a letter of appointment. Sun Ce was given the position of prefect of Chaisang, prefect of Qu 'a, general of the east, and Marquis of Wucheng.
These were all official edicts, and each of them was stamped with the imperial seal.
This was something that the Sun family had hidden for a hundred years. It was extremely precious.
This also meant that Sun Ce's status and reputation in River East would instantly soar.
……
A month later.
Xu Zhen entered Jianye from Huainan.
They had already reached the border.
At this moment, Sun Ce had just finished a rebellion and had returned to Kuaiji.
In Jianye's tent, Sun Ce was dressed in white. His hair hung behind his back and was tied up with a crown. He sat on a futon and held a letter in his hands.
His expression was relaxed and pleasantly surprised.
" Hahaha!"
"Bo Fu, what are you so happy about?"
A person entered the room.
The silver armor covered his body, but his figure was strong and decent. His hair and beard were handsome, and he walked with the wind and had his own bearing.
"Good timing, Gongjin."
Sun Ce smiled, his face beaming with joy.
He glanced at Zhou Yu, who had just entered, and immediately turned his gaze back to the edict in his hand. He was already somewhat reluctant to part with it.
He could not help but sigh again.
"Alright, alright! The imperial court has granted me the six counties in the south of Yangzhou and the land of River East. When the edict arrives, I can be the Prefecture Overseer and take over the six counties of River East!”
" That's good news." A smile appeared on Zhou Yu's face." But when will this edict arrive?" It is time for the decisive battle between us and Liu Yao. If there is an imperial edict, I can immediately make at least three Jiangdong aristocrats defect!”
Zhou Yu was an extremely famous existence among the Jiangdong aristocrats. However, he had betrayed the Jiangdong aristocrats and started a rebellion with Sun Ce. The two of them could be considered…
He was gay and romantic.
Originally, they were still unable to subdue the hearts of the aristocrats. Now that they had the emperor's edict, it was different.
The emperor's edict was the most effective way to restrict the gentry.
On the contrary, it was useless against local soldiers and barbaric dukes.
However, there were many gentry clans in Jiangdong.
"Yes, the edict didn't say anything, but Xun Yu wrote a letter to me.”
"Yingshui Xun Yu, the current Secretary of State, is a person who is responsible for the affairs of the country. Among the aristocrats, he is the leader. He is thirty-one years old, but he has already reached the top of the Advisor Board.”
Zhou Yu said sincerely.
"Gongjin, you are not the military advisor. If you were, you would definitely be at the top.”
Sun Ce pointed his finger at Zhou Yu. He and Zhou Yu fell in love at first sight. The two of them had been together for many years.
Naturally, he knew that Zhou Yu's strategy was definitely not inferior to anyone else.
"Xun Yu, what did the letter say?"
Zhou Yu asked.
Sun Ce opened the letter and glanced at it.""Emissary, they set off a month ago. They should be here by now. The person who came is…Xu Zhen.”
"Oh, the imperial edict said that Xu Zhen has two daughters in River East who he has yearned for many years, so he asked us to help him marry them.”
"This is a small matter. The person who came is actually Xu Zhen. It seems that Cao Cao values Bo Fu very much.”
"Oh? Why? Isn't Xu Zhen last?"
Sun Ce suddenly heard Zhou Yu's words and was a little stunned. It was just the last place. If it was Xun Yu, he would be very happy.
However, Xu Zhen was young and his position was not high. He was just a general. What was there to be happy about? He could just receive him with the courtesy of a Han official.
"Bo Fu, you don't know, but this person's rank is even higher than Marquis Wu Cheng.”
"Ah?"
Sun Ce stood up in surprise and said with a faint smile," The Great Han is actually so muddle-headed. My father risked his life to obtain this title and inherited it from me. The family treats it like a treasure. How can a random person be given a title so casually? Sigh!" This is chaotic!"
"Bo Fu Mo Nu, listen to me on this matter. This person is very extraordinary and cannot be judged by the golden ranking. That is just a ranking.”
"Among the aristocrats, Zhang Zhao also has eleven or twelve. Could it be that Zhang Zhao can take the world? No, so it can't be punished by the Golden List.”
"Even Lu Bu's strategist Chen Gong, who is currently ranked 27th, is also hiding like a rat.”
"That makes sense."
Sun Ce's reply was full of energy. He had been leading troops outside for a long time, attacking various places, so he was still unclear about the military situation in the north.
"Please, Gongjin, quickly tell me what's so extraordinary about this person.”
"Bo Fu, Cao Cao obtained the six prefectures and nineteen cities of Xu Prefecture. It was this person who came up with the plan. He said that he would treat the people well and open the granaries to release grain. He also scolded Tao Qian for being shameless and secretly harming Cao Cao's father.”
" Yangzhou. Shouchun City was besieged. Yuan Shu could have lasted until next year, but it was this person who took over the military power and used a psychological attack to cause a riot in Shouchun City. He opened the city gates and the army marched in, defeating more than 100,000 Yuan Shu's men.”
"Beautiful!"
Sun Ce suddenly slammed the table, his face full of surprise." There's actually such a thing in this world? A mere last rank was already so powerful, no wonder he could be conferred the title of Marquis!”
"Moreover, this person is now a member of the Imperial Court. In terms of official position, even if you are already the governor of Yangzhou, the ruler of River East, or even the Marquis of Wu, you still have to greet him respectfully.”
"Good!"
Sun Ce smiled." Send people immediately. I will lead the civil and military officials and the soldiers of the three armies to receive the emperor's edict and Xu Guanglu.”
"Prepare the delicacies of River East. Beauty, let this young hero enjoy his life in River East.”
"Yes, I'll go and welcome them too."
Zhou Yu was actually extremely envious.
They had both become famous at a young age, but Xu Zhen's achievements had far surpassed many of the aristocrats. It had been a long time since such a legend had been heard in River East.
He dreamed of winning a great battle, but unfortunately, the time had not come yet.
……
3rd of April.
It was the time when the grass grew and the orioles flew. The evening wind blew in the River East.
The barracks by the river were extremely rich.
A banquet was held in the camp.
Sun Ce was in the main seat, Xu Zhen was in the guest seat, and Zhou Yu was accompanying him.
"Guanglu personally came to deliver the imperial edict. This one is grateful and will drink another bowl!”
Sun Ce was also in high spirits at this time. He couldn't control his emotions after meeting a hero.
" I'm not drinking, I'm not drinking." Xu Zhen waved his hand and said to the two,""Sigh, I actually have a presumptuous request…"
At this point.
Zhou Yu and Sun Ce looked at each other and laughed.
Xu Zhen was a little stunned by the laughter. Then, the two of them looked at him aggressively as if they were laughing at him.
Then, Xu Zhen blushed a little.
Laugh, laugh for what?
Are the two of you crazy?
Sun Ce shook his head with a bitter smile." Sigh, a hero can't be charmed by a beauty.”
"I didn't expect that the hero who defeated Yuan Shu would also have such a cute side. Interesting, very interesting.”
Zhou Yu said cheerfully and drank a bowl of wine. There was not much disgust in his expression.
On the contrary, he felt that Xu Zhen didn't have the arrogance of a hero.
She looked a little cuter, just like her little brother, pure white and flawless.
It made one's heart ache.
Sun Ce waved his hand and said heroically,""When you came to my River East, I was a few years older than you, so I called you little brother.”
"How can I not care about my brother getting married?”
"Don't worry and drink. Tomorrow, I will definitely marry Da Qiao for you!”
Xu Zhen was stunned and stared at Sun Ce for a long time.
For some reason, he felt that it was extremely strange.
"Then, then I thank Marquis Wu Cheng…"
"No, I, Sun Ce, am the one thanking you." After saying this, Sun Ce drank a large bowl, his expression extremely comfortable.
You want to thank me?
Xu Zhen drank his wine in a daze. In short, it was a strange feeling.
Snatch bamboo shoots.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。