Chapter 415

Moreover, he did not act ruthlessly, nor was he extreme.

People from the scholar-official clans like Chen Qun and Zhong Yao keep saying that Su Boyuan is hostile toward the scholar-official class, but in Cao Cao’s view, that is not the case.

Su Xuan’s New Policies may seem to target the scholar-official clans, but in reality, he is merely seeking fairness and balance in a broad sense.

Otherwise, the disorderly and excessive expansion of the scholar-official clans would have deprived the common people at the bottom of a way out and a better guarantee of life.

When it comes down to it, it is simply reclaiming the rights and interests that the scholar-official clans should not have obtained in the first place and distributing them to the common people at the bottom.

This is the true way to govern the world.

Otherwise, if the expansion of the scholar-official clans continues unchecked, this world will never know peace, and it might even see a recurrence of the wars of the late Han and the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

This is absolutely not what Cao Cao wants to see.

Therefore, even if he truly has the opportunity to defeat Su Xuan in the future, he will not only keep his promise to spare Su Xuan, but he even wants to keep Su Xuan under his command to serve as the leader of the New Policy reforms for a few years. Only after the world’s reforms are completed will he let Su Xuan leave.

This world has reached a point where it cannot be at peace without reform.

Of course, these thoughts are not yet suitable to be revealed.

Otherwise, Cao Cao believes that the scholar-official clans under his command would absolutely revolt suddenly, and might even take his life and the lives of his entire clan.

Oh! And it is not just that!

Even the people of his Cao clan and Xiahou clan might not all support him.

Do not forget, the Cao clan and Xiahou clan are now also major scholar-official clans.

Naturally, they will do their utmost to protect their own interests.

Therefore, facing the statements and probes of Zhong Yao and Chen Qun, Cao Cao also smiled, nodded, and said: "Haha! Changwen, you are right! Although I have a very good private friendship with Su Boyuan, I have to admit that his New Policies were a wrong move!"

"Of course, I am also very glad that he made this wrong move; otherwise, how could I have the power I have today?"

"Perhaps he would have already unified the world!"

"At the very least, the three provinces of the Central Plains would likely be entirely in his hands by now!"

"After all, if it weren't for the New Policies, he would not have been ostracized and viewed with hostility by the scholar-official clans, and thus would not have lacked the talent to govern the regions!"

"With the strength of his army, sweeping across the world would not be a problem at all!"

This is indeed something to be glad about, not that he truly thinks Su Xuan’s New Policies are wrong.

He simply feels that this is what gave him the opportunity to compete with Lord Yuan Shao and even Su Xuan in the future.

"Indeed!"

Zhong Yao and Chen Qun nodded in unison to express their agreement.

No one in the world can deny the strength of Su Xuan’s troops and his military ability.

This person is simply a chosen son of heaven like Liu Xiu.

It is just that this chosen son of heaven, Su Xuan, made the wrong choice this time.

"My lord, in order to be able to resist and even defeat the King of Zou Qian, Su Xuan, in the future, I believe that after breaking through Picheng this time, you must capture Lu Bu, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu alive if possible, and subdue them for your own use!"

"Otherwise, if we lack top-tier combat power when facing Su Xuan in the future, it will ultimately be very troublesome!"

"You must know, Su Xuan is not Liu Bei; he has many top-tier strategists under his command, and it is impossible to defeat him with ordinary schemes!"

"We might even be schemed against by him in return!"

"To defeat Su Xuan, it may ultimately be unavoidable to have a head-on confrontation."

Zhong Yao could not help but suggest.

"Correct!"

Chen Qun, who was on the side, also nodded in agreement.

They do not want Cao Cao to ultimately lose to Su Xuan.

Of course, if it is not Cao Cao, it is fine; Lord Yuan Shao is also acceptable!

They have also anticipated that after Cao Cao takes Xuzhou, there will inevitably be a battle with Lord Yuan Shao.

Shengze will then fully occupy the Central Plains and the seven provinces of the north, becoming the hegemon among the warlords of this world.

At that time, bringing the power of seven provinces to crusade against Su Xuan, even if there is still some gap in the strength of top-tier fierce generals and individual soldiers, the chances of winning will be very high!

But with a few more fierce generals at the Heaven-Human realm or the peak of Gang-Qi, the chances of winning would be even greater.

"Hmm!"

Cao Cao nodded in understanding, then frowned slightly and said: "How could I not want that!"

"But these three are not easy to subdue!"

"Let alone Lu Bu; this person is incomparably arrogant, and he does not submit to anyone whose personal strength is inferior to his!"

"I do not have absolute confidence that I can subdue him!"

"More importantly, this person has a rebellious nature; he has already beheaded two superiors, who is to say there won't be a third?"

"Uh..."

Zhong Yao and Chen Qun felt a chill down their necks upon hearing this.

It really is true!

This fellow Lu Bu is a double-edged sword.

He can hurt the enemy, but he can also hurt himself.

Cao Cao continued: "As for Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, these two are sworn brothers with Liu Bei!"

"They are almost blindly loyal to Liu Bei; wanting to subdue them and make them surrender to me is equally extremely difficult!"

"Even harder than Lu Bu!"

"If I do not kill Liu Bei, there is still a glimmer of possibility;"

"If I truly kill Liu Bei, these two will likely view me as a mortal enemy and would want nothing more than to kill me immediately!"

This is the part that gives Cao Cao a headache.

But even so, Cao Cao still wants to subdue Zhang Fei and Guan Yu if possible.

Especially Guan Yu; he loves Guan Yu dearly.

As for Lu Bu, he feels that the possibility of him subduing him is not high.

In fact, the possibility of keeping him alive and capturing him alive is not high either.

After all, if others don't know, how could he not know?

Lu Bu and Su Xuan are good brothers.

Su Xuan would absolutely not leave Lu Bu to his own devices.

"Su Boyuan! You really always give me difficult problems! Meeting a friend and rival like you in this life is my good fortune, and also my misfortune!"

Cao Cao thought with a headache.

Zhong Yao and Chen Qun were also slightly silent upon hearing this.

Then, Chen Qun spoke: "My lord! They are just sworn brothers! That doesn't count for much!"

"Even biological brothers often turn against each other; let alone sworn brothers?"

"As long as the benefits and temptations are great enough, I do not believe Zhang Fei and Guan Yu will not submit to you!"

"Furthermore, I actually think that precisely because they are sworn brothers, and because Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are quite loyal to Liu Bei, Liu Bei must die;"

"Otherwise, you will never be able to subdue Zhang Fei and Guan Yu!"

"Because, as long as Liu Bei is still alive, due to the reason of being sworn brothers, they cannot betray Liu Bei and turn to you, my lord!"

"Because, if they did so, they would be disgraced and reviled by the world!"

Although he does not really believe in absolute loyalty and righteousness,

he also understands that this era cannot exist without loyalty and righteousness, nor can one be considered a person who is disloyal and unrighteous.

Otherwise, one simply cannot gain a foothold in this era.

Of course, this is only on the surface; in the dark, he only believes in absolute interests. As for loyalty and righteousness?

Those are merely frameworks used to win over people's hearts and restrict others.

"This..."

Cao Cao frowned upon hearing this. Although he did not want to admit it, he felt that Chen Qun’s words made sense: "But if Liu Bei truly dies at my hands, then Zhang Fei and Guan Yu will inevitably hate me to the bone!"

"It would be best if Liu Bei could die at the hands of others, or at the very least die from a stray arrow or in the chaos of battle, rather than being directly executed by me;"

"Otherwise, the hope of subduing Zhang Fei and Guan Yu will be difficult!"

— Author's Notes —

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