Three Kingdoms, Myth

Chen Xi paused and silently closed the documents. He suddenly recalled that, in the original history, Mount Tai was supposed to have fallen under Cao Cao's control. This led to multiple battles between Cao Cao and Tao Qian, sparked by various alliances with Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, ultimately making them mortal enemies. Under such circumstances, there was no way Tao Qian would have ever handed over Xu Province to Cao Cao.

In this timeline, however, Liu Bei occupied Mount Tai, preventing any direct conflict between Cao Cao and Tao Qian. As a result, the historical battles never occurred, and Tao Qian spent his time as a minor player in Yuan Shu's alliance, eventually succumbing to illness.

For the Tao Qian of this timeline, who was old and frail, it made little difference whether he handed Xu Province to Liu Bei or Cao Cao. He had no grudges against either of them, and both had demonstrated their potential.

However, Liu Bei's previous aggressive attack on Yuan Shu left Tao Qian with the impression that Liu Bei might not honor alliances. Despite Liu Bei never formally joining Yuan Shu's alliance, Tao Qian found himself favoring Cao Cao, who appeared more straightforward.

Chen Xi massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Human nature was indeed complex. If Tao Qian and Cao Cao had been engaged in frequent skirmishes, Tao Qian would have seen Cao Cao as his mortal enemy, and Xu Province would never have gone to him. But this situation was entirely different from the historical events!

Tao Qian's Xu Province bordered only two powers: Liu Bei and Yuan Shu. Liu Bei had no interest in attacking Tao Qian, and Yuan Shu, who prided himself on loyalty, saw Tao Qian as an early supporter and thus a subordinate to protect. As a result, even though the rest of the Central Plains were in turmoil, Xu Province remained unusually peaceful, like an untouched oasis amid the chaos.

Without any major wars, Tao Qian had time to focus on agricultural development and his two sons' futures. His years of peace and focus on governance led to significant progress. Thanks to consistent good harvests and his strict adherence to the imperial tax code, requiring only a third of the harvest in taxes, most families in Xu Province had accumulated surplus grain. This raised Tao Qian's prestige considerably.

As his influence grew, Tao Qian managed to suppress the power of local noble families, allowing him the freedom to choose his successor. And in Tao Qian's mind, Cao Cao, who shared a similar approach to governance, seemed like the perfect candidate.

"So this really was the work of the local Cao family in Xu Province?" Chen Xi asked, incredulous.

"Yes, that's right. Tao Gongzu finally gained enough power to start weakening the local nobility and consolidating his authority. This gave him the confidence to choose his own successor," Jia Xu said with a bitter smile. "That's also why Tao Gongzu vomited blood after hearing about Cao Mengde's massacre in Xu Province."

Chen Xi was speechless. Anyone in Tao Qian's position would have been furious. He had painstakingly weakened the noble families in Xu Province, identified Cao Cao as a worthy successor, and was ready to hand over the province peacefully. Then, Cao Cao's massacre destroyed everything he had worked for.

"Cao Mengde went too far. He didn't even send an envoy to question Tao Qian," Chen Xi sighed. "He let his rage get the better of him, and after the massacre, the wealth he plundered kept him from stopping. It's a pity—Tao Gongzu's reputation is ruined. Both the noble families and Cao Cao will blame the massacre on him, rendering all his efforts meaningless."

"Exactly. I've confirmed that some local noble families in Xu Province took advantage of the chaos to exacerbate the situation," Jia Xu said, his expression showing disgust. He had some evidence to back his claim, which is why he was so certain.

"Some noble families truly are despicable. Tell me, who was behind this?" Chen Xi asked with a frown.

"Zuo Rong, Que Xuan, and possibly the local Cao family in Xu Province, who may have incited rioters and refugees," Jia Xu replied.

"We'll eliminate them all," Chen Xi said coldly, issuing a death sentence without hesitation. "And by the way, is Cao Bao still in command of the troops?"

"Yes," Jia Xu confirmed.

"What a cunning plan!" Chen Xi sneered. "They killed Cao Ju and incited the conflict in Xu Province. Even if Cao Cao hadn't initiated the massacre, they would have created the opportunity themselves. Their goal was to weaken Tao Gongzu's authority, defeat Cao Cao, and restore power to the noble families while also reclaiming their lost prestige. It's a good plan!"

As Chen Xi spoke, his eyes revealed unfiltered killing intent. Such people, in his view, deserved nothing less than death.

"Cao Bao miscalculated by assuming Tao Gongzu would hand Xu Province to Cao Cao. And thanks to the circumstances, he inadvertently set the stage for disaster. A series of unfortunate coincidences," Jia Xu said with a sigh of resignation.

"I've already investigated Cao Bao. Unless something extraordinary happens, Xu Province is doomed to fall," Jia Xu continued with a bitter smile. "As much as I dislike admitting it, Cao Mengde is a highly skilled commander. With the wealth he's looted from Xu Province, he won't have any logistical issues. There's a 90% chance Cao Bao will be defeated before our lord can arrive."

"Leave him to his fate. Even if the veterans from Danyang retreat, they'll know how to escape. If we try to rescue Cao Bao, he might even inadvertently help Cao Cao by disrupting our formations. If he gets caught up in the fighting, he'll be as good as dead," Chen Xi said dismissively. "Make sure the local Cao family in Xu Province is wiped out as well."

"Oh, I've already sent people to incite the bandits and rioters in Xu Province," Jia Xu said, nodding. "At this point, as long as we defeat Cao Mengde, there's a 90% chance Tao Gongzu will hand Xu Province over to our lord."

"Yes, I understand. The rest is up to you," Chen Xi said with a sigh, knowing that Jia Xu was far better at handling such matters than he was.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you're satisfied with the outcome," Jia Xu replied, a mocking smile on his face. While he didn't particularly like noble families, he usually wouldn't go out of his way to target them—unless they caused trouble. Now that they had, Jia Xu had no qualms about making an example of a few.

As Jia Xu and Chen Xi shared a cold, calculating smile, Fa Zheng, sitting nearby, couldn't help but shiver with discomfort.