Chapter 657

Moreover, the matter was not pushed to the extreme, and it was not overly short-sighted.

People like Chen Qun and Zhong Yao, these members of the scholar-official class, kept saying that Boyuan was hostile toward the scholar-official class, but in Cao Cao's view, that was not the case.

Su Xuan's new policies might seem to be targeting the scholar-official class, but in reality, they were merely seeking fairness and balance in a broad sense.

Otherwise, the disorderly and excessive expansion of the scholar-official class would have left the common people at the bottom with no way out and no better guarantee for their lives.

When it comes down to it, it was simply reclaiming rights and interests that should never have belonged to the scholar-official class in the first place and distributing them to the common people at the bottom.

This was the true way to govern the world.

Otherwise, if the scholar-official class were allowed to continue expanding unchecked, this world would never know peace, and it might even lead to a recurrence of the chaos seen at the end of the Han Dynasty and during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

This was absolutely not what Cao Cao wanted to see.

Therefore, even if he truly had the opportunity to defeat Su Xuan in the future, not only would he keep his promise and spare Su Xuan, but he would even want to keep Su Xuan under his command to lead the new policy reforms for a few years. Only after the reforms of the world were completed would he let Su Xuan leave.

This world had already reached a point where it could not be at peace without reform.

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

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

Oh! And it was not just that!

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

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

Naturally, they would strive to protect their own interests.

Therefore, facing the statements and probes of Zhong Yao and Chen Qun, Cao Cao also smiled and nodded, saying: "Haha! Changwen, you are right! Although I have a very good personal friendship with Boyuan, I have to admit that his new policy was a wrong move!"

"Of course, I am also very fortunate that he made this wrong move; otherwise, how could I have the power I possess 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 class, and he 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 was indeed something to be fortunate about, not that he truly believed Su Xuan's new policies were wrong.

It was purely that he felt this was the only way he was given the opportunity to compete with Yuan Shao and even Su Xuan in the future.

"Indeed!"

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

No one in the world could deny the strength of Su Xuan's troops and his military capabilities.

This man was simply a Heaven-chosen son like Liu Xiu.

It was just that this Heaven-chosen son, Su Xuan, had made the wrong choice this time.

"My Lord, in order to confront and even defeat the King of Qian, Su Xuan, in the future, I believe that after breaking through Xiapi City this time, you must make every effort to capture Lu Bu, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu alive, and do your best to 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 ordinary schemes will not be enough to defeat him!"

"In fact, we might even be schemed against by him in return!"

"If we want to defeat Su Xuan, it may ultimately be unavoidable to have a direct, head-on confrontation."

Zhong Yao could not help but suggest again.

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