Three Kingdoms, Myth

"Zichuan, speak your mind," Liu Bei said with a smile.

"Cao Mengde has slaughtered at least a hundred thousand people, not just a thousand or two!" Chen Xi said coldly.

Although Chen Xi couldn't prove exactly how many people Cao Cao had killed, he had a good sense of the situation. Regardless of the exact number, Chen Xi planned to eliminate the major threat that Cao Cao posed. When he mentioned that it would take a hundred thousand to defeat Cao Cao, he was referring to the fact that even if Cao Cao managed to escape back to Yanzhou and allied with Yuan Shao, Liu Bei could still split his forces to hold off Yuan Shao and finish off Cao Cao!

Chen Xi had already prepared to eliminate Cao Cao and take over his forces, so he couldn't allow Cao Cao to deceive Liu Bei into thinking that his actions were merely a momentary lapse of anger. Letting such a dangerous enemy go was not Chen Xi's style. If he were to act against Cao Cao, it would be a decisive strike. Once Cao Cao was killed, even Yuan Shao wouldn't dare challenge Liu Bei due to his alliance with Gongsun Zan in Youzhou.

"What?!" Liu Bei's face turned ashen.

"Although I don't have enough evidence, the number of civilians Cao Mengde has killed cannot be less than this. Nearly 200,000 people have disappeared, and it's impossible that the likes of Que Xuan's 3,000 men, Zuo Rong's 10,000 men, and the scattered bandits who emerged later could account for such numbers. Furthermore, they acted later than Cao Cao!" Chen Xi said, his eyes flashing coldly.

This time, Cao Cao had to be dealt with. Since they had already come to Xuzhou, and with the moral high ground and the support of the people, it was necessary to eliminate Cao Cao. Such a righteous opportunity to strike against Cao Cao might not come again for years. Chen Xi had set the stage for this confrontation between Liu Bei and Cao Cao to become a one-on-one battle, free from outside interference.

Liu Bei had no allies, while Cao Cao still had Yuan Shao. But once the conflict escalated into a moral battle between good and evil, no one would dare intervene if Liu Bei ruthlessly eliminated Cao Cao, a capable minister with great achievements for the Han dynasty.

With Cao Cao gone, the biggest threat in the north would disappear. Although Yuan Shao was currently seen as resolute and determined, Chen Xi wasn't too concerned, having already laid his plans. However, Cao Cao, the historical overlord of the Central Plains, had to be dealt with before his ambitions fully manifested. Chen Xi had long been pondering how to eliminate Cao Cao.

Chen Xi wanted to deal with Cao Cao, but given the current situation in the world, it wasn't the right choice. Moreover, Chen Xi didn't have a valid reason to act against Cao Cao, especially since Liu Bei wouldn't allow it.

Whether Chen Xi admitted it or not, in the current state of the Han dynasty, only Cao Cao and Liu Bei were genuinely working to maintain the empire's rule, governing their territories as loyal ministers. Although Cao Cao was less fortunate than Liu Bei, his actions led Liu Bei to view him as a kindred spirit!

This was why, in later years, Liu Bei would withdraw Yu Jin, who was guarding Shanyang, back to Fenggao. Liu Bei believed that once Cao Cao broke away from Yuan Shao's alliance, he would make the same choices as Liu Bei—working to prosper his territories and restore the Han dynasty, eventually helping to unify the land under the Han banner.

As Liu Bei had predicted, after rising to power, Cao Cao focused on large-scale farming, improving his territory, creating more standardized laws, suppressing the nobility, and raising the living standards of the common people. Despite the constant natural disasters, Cao Cao persevered time and time again.

To Liu Bei, Cao Cao was like him—a loyal minister working to restore the Han dynasty. So, upon learning that Cao Cao was providing disaster relief in Xuzhou, executing bandits like Que Xuan who had slaughtered civilians, and eliminating forces pretending to be his own, Liu Bei couldn't help but think positively.

Perhaps it was because of his father's revenge, or maybe Cao Cao hadn't killed that many people. Maybe it was just a moment of anger, and he had done much for the Han dynasty. After all, who is without fault? If one can correct their mistakes, it is a great virtue.

With these thoughts, Liu Bei felt a sense of relief, and he began to find many reasons to excuse Cao Cao. His tone softened, and he no longer spoke of killing Cao Cao.

All of this stemmed from the impression that Cao Cao had left on Liu Bei back at Hulao Pass, when the two had talked about restoring the Han dynasty. That conversation, between two young men with the same ideals, made Liu Bei view Cao Cao as one of his own. As Cao Cao worked hard to rebuild Yanzhou afterward, Liu Bei saw him as a comrade-in-arms.

When the Yellow Turbans invaded Yanzhou, Liu Bei could have easily taken over the position of Governor of Yanzhou. When Cao Cao abandoned most of Yanzhou to gather his people in the west of the province, Liu Bei could have taken over the empty territories. But he chose not to!

Even during the time when the alliances of Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao were at odds, there remained a connection between Liu Bei and Cao Cao, known as the shared goal of "restoring the Han dynasty."

Especially when Liu Bei learned that Cao Cao, like him, was infuriated by Emperor Xian's decision to grant amnesty to Wang Yun, he knew that Cao Cao, like him, was loyal to the Han dynasty. Only a true loyalist would feel the sting of betrayal from the emperor.

With so many shared values, Liu Bei naturally felt a deep bond with Cao Cao. This was why he couldn't tolerate Cao Cao's massacre—it was as if a longtime comrade had suddenly betrayed him, something Liu Bei couldn't bear.

Chen Xi's goal now was to show Liu Bei what he wanted him to see. While Chen Xi was dissatisfied with many aspects of Cao Cao, he couldn't deny that the man was a true hero!

In many ways, Cao Cao's actions mirrored Liu Bei's. Both men respected and promoted talented individuals, supported the common people, and shared the ideal of restoring the Han dynasty. They were so alike that they could easily have become allies supporting each other.

However, this time, Cao Cao had made a mistake. If not for this, Chen Xi wouldn't have had a reason to act against him. If Yuan Shao were to be defeated and Cao Cao maintained his current behavior, Liu Bei might not even seek to deal with him. Instead, Liu Bei might help Cao Cao achieve his ambition of becoming the Grand General of the West—a matter of positioning. Liu Bei saw himself and Cao Cao as fellow righteous men striving to restore the Han dynasty!

In Liu Bei's eyes, Cao Cao was someone he could coexist with, and this realization infuriated Chen Xi. Cao Cao would change. Despite his current efforts to serve the Han dynasty and the people, history had proven that Cao Cao would eventually lose faith in the Han. He would inevitably become a great enemy!

Rather than allowing this future threat to grow, Chen Xi believed it was better to seize this opportunity to eliminate Cao Cao. Liu Bei had the strength to do so; all that was needed was the right opportunity. Now that the chance had arrived, Chen Xi didn't hesitate to fan the flames. Even if it meant forgoing the summer planting in Qingzhou, he was determined to take this opportunity to eliminate Cao Cao!