Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Without Xizhi Cai and Xun Yu’s knowledge, Cao Cao secretly contacted Chen Gong, asking him to help eliminate Lu Bu on his way to Zhang Yang. Currently, with Chen Gong still loyal and having not yet defected, he and Cao Cao maintained a decent relationship. Given the gratitude Chen Gong felt for Cao Cao’s earlier support, and his own significant abilities, Cao Cao actually had a lot of admiration for Chen Gong.

This admiration was why, even though Cao Cao knew giving Lu Bu grain and supplies was akin to feeding a tiger, he still did it. Cao Cao coveted the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry and Lu Bu’s eight fierce generals. While he didn’t care for Lu Bu, it didn’t mean he disliked those around him. In fact, he was quite pleased with the likes of Zhang Liao, who he found capable, and even the stoic Gao Shun, along with others like Cao Xing, Song Xian, and Hao Meng. And the idea of acquiring more than ten thousand Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry only increased his desire.

Cao Cao estimated that with a little preparation, Chen Gong could very likely eliminate Lu Bu. Though Chen Gong was not someone Cao Cao paraded around, everyone from Xizhi Cai to Cheng Yu knew that Chen Gong was, in reality, quite formidable. The only drawback was that Chen Gong was not adept at making quick decisions in battle, and his own spiritual talent could be quite aggravating.

If Xun You’s apparent slowness was a façade, then Chen Gong truly did suffer from a delayed reaction time. However, he was not stupid. On the contrary, Chen Gong excelled when given time. If he was given enough time, he could even suppress top-tier strategists in a prolonged contest, holding his own against several elite minds without the situation collapsing—though this required a specific timeframe.

Xizhi Cai had once tried to study Chen Gong’s talent and ultimately had to give up, acknowledging that it was frustratingly difficult. Chen Gong’s talent involved actively lowering all five of his senses by ten percent, entering a state of delayed reaction. The energy saved by this reduction was then stored, about one percent of his total, to be used when needed.

Because of this, Chen Gong typically kept his talent active, making him seem a bit slow-witted. However, when trouble arose, Chen Gong could activate the positive aspect of his talent, unleashing the accumulated energy, which allowed him to perform near-miraculous feats, turning him into a one-man army.

This was why, when Chen Gong first rebelled against Cao Cao and fought him at the Battle of Puyang, he nearly defeated Cao Cao’s renowned team of five top strategists and their forces. They battled to a standstill, with Chen Gong even gaining a slight advantage. Cao Cao was almost burned alive by Chen Gong, and if not for Lu Bu’s momentary lapse in recognition, forgetting to finish off the disguised Cao Cao, the Wei state might have ended right there.

Just think of how terrifying Chen Gong was at that time—taking on what was arguably the most formidable group of strategists in the land and managing to hold his own, even gaining the upper hand. However, Cao Cao’s side wasn’t weak either. They forced Chen Gong to repeatedly activate the positive aspect of his talent, depleting his reserves, eventually exhausting him and reducing him from a divine strategist to an ordinary mortal.

After that, they gave Chen Gong no time to rebuild his energy, constantly provoking Lu Bu with minor but urgent issues that demanded immediate attention, ensuring that Chen Gong could barely accumulate any reserves over an entire year. Before he could muster any significant power, he was defeated.

Cao Cao understood Chen Gong’s capabilities, which was why he believed that as long as Chen Gong put in the effort, Lu Bu, borrowing passage through Yanzhou, would have no chance of returning. The more than ten thousand Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, along with the eight fierce generals, would all become his, greatly strengthening his forces.However, Cao Cao still worried that his strategy might not be approved by his advisors. If things went wrong, Yanzhou, which had just stabilized, could be thrown into chaos by Lu Bu, leading to the deaths of countless civilians. This would contradict the policy of maintaining a stable rear while implementing scorched-earth tactics at the front, as favored by Xun Yu and others.

Weighing these considerations, Cao Cao decided to feign ignorance, pretending to have trusted Lu Bu and blaming any future failures on his own misjudgment. He constantly complained to Xizhi Cai and others, never revealing his true intentions.

After all, such a disregard for the well-being of his people was indeed somewhat heartless. However, Cao Cao believed that if they won, everything could be justified. This was his philosophy: once the outcome was set and the benefits were reaped, Xun Yu and others wouldn’t care about these details. Cao Cao believed Chen Gong would create a fait accompli for him and do it well.

Cao Cao also believed that Chen Gong would be willing to shoulder the blame, possibly even fabricating an incident where Lu Bu plundered civilians, forcing Chen Gong to reluctantly confront Lu Bu and seize him or something similar.

In short, Cao Cao was confident that Lu Bu wouldn’t cause much trouble in the face of Chen Gong’s abilities and that no one would suspect him of orchestrating it. After all, he had never portrayed himself as overly intelligent.

However, what Cao Cao couldn’t anticipate was that Chen Gong would find a kindred spirit in Lu Bu, leading to an unwavering loyalty that would baffle Cao Cao. This outcome was so contrary to his expectations that it was as if Lu Bu had some kind of protagonist’s aura.

Setting aside what Cao Cao might think upon discovering that Chen Gong had found his destined lord in Lu Bu, the seemingly flawless plan he believed he had devised had already been observed by someone in Wan City.

“Lord Cao,” Cheng Yu said, approaching not in the garb of a scholar, but clad in a general’s armor.

His tall stature and robust muscles made Cao Cao almost mistake him for one of his generals, especially given the solid aura of Qi training that Cheng Yu had cultivated. As one of the rare strategists who had also mastered martial arts to such a high degree, Cheng Yu stood out even among the elite.

“Zhongde, what brings you here?” Cao Cao asked curiously. At this time, shouldn’t Cheng Yu be in the rear, teaching Cao Ren how to arrange formations?

“Lord Cao, you’ve grown impatient. Lu Bu is not so easily dealt with. Chen Gongtai is too upright and might backfire. Although he’s also very resourceful, this kind of task isn’t suited for him. If you had this plan earlier, you should have sent me,” Cheng Yu said calmly as he faced Cao Cao.

To someone as ruthless as Cheng Yu, sacrificing a few civilians to swallow up all of Lu Bu’s forces was a small price to pay. After all, in history, Cheng Yu was the first to formally propose using human flesh as military rations and actually carried it out. For someone like him, the deaths of a few civilians were trivial.

Cao Cao was momentarily stunned. How had Cheng Yu seen through what he thought was a flawless plan? But as a true hero, even when his plot was exposed, Cao Cao maintained his composure, staring back at Cheng Yu without a hint of unease.

“Xun Yu and Guo Jia are essentially noble gentlemen. Wang Can is somewhat too pedantic, and Xizhi Cai might sense something, but he wouldn’t be certain. I’m the only one who can be sure you’d do something like this,” Cheng Yu said, locking eyes with Cao Cao.

“For a ruler, besides benevolence and virtue, there must be sufficient ruthlessness. Sometimes, when the righteous path cannot solve a problem, the evil path can, and it should be used. This chaotic world has reached a point where, to end it, we must have enough power, no matter how that power is acquired. Even if we tread on corpses, once we are strong enough to change this era, we’ll have the right to save others. Even if it sullies my hands and stains my heart, even if it tarnishes my virtue, I will not waver in my dream of bringing peace to the land!” Cheng Yu declared, his gaze intense.

This was the first time Cao Cao had heard such words—words that were so contrary to traditional values but also so impactful. Many memories from his past surfaced in his mind.

The Five Colors Stick incident, where despite doing a good deed, he was forced to return home. Had it not been for his father’s intervention, he might have died.

Then, when he joined the court again and participated in purging the eunuchs with the Grand Tutor, he was betrayed instead.

Later, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he fought bravely and became Governor of Jinan, where “governance and education flourished, and the county was at peace.” Yet soon after, he returned home once more.

The Grand General He Jin invited external forces into the capital, and despite his advice being ignored…

The forged imperial decree, the campaign of the Eighteen Lords against Dong Zhuo, the burning of Luoyang, and his lone pursuit of Dong Zhuo—all these scenes flashed through Cao Cao’s mind. He realized there had been so many times he had tried to save the Han dynasty…

“To end this chaotic era, we need power. Even if it sullies my hands, stains my heart, and diminishes my virtue, I will not falter! I will end this chaotic era! Even if I am cursed for a thousand years, I will end this era!” Cao Cao proclaimed, meeting Cheng Yu’s gaze with determination.

“No matter how difficult the road ahead, I will follow you to the death!” Cheng Yu vowed, kneeling.