Chapter 396

Chapter 396

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Royal Power, Unification of the World, Chapter 396: The Use of Literacy

When a piece of news is baffling enough, other matters become less important.

Even as Zhang Miao followed Cao Cao out of the camp, his mind was preoccupied with the thought that if Cao Cao truly intended to seek a high-ranking position in Ye City, he would inevitably cross paths with Yuan Shao.

If Cao Cao had such confidence, then the so-called intention to lead Yanzhou to surrender to Qiao Yan was likely a misjudgment by Chen Gong.

Indeed, if Cao Cao truly wanted to switch allegiance to Qiao Yan, he could have made that choice during their meeting at Shen Pavilion in Yu Province or half a year ago at Hulao Pass.

With Cao Cao’s insight, he would not fail to see Qiao Yan’s potential. There was no need to wait until Qiao Yan ascended to the throne to suddenly pledge allegiance, thereby earning himself a reputation for opportunism.

As Zhang Miao pondered this, he increasingly felt that his earlier swift agreement with Chen Gong to launch a campaign against Cao Cao was a disservice to his old friend.

However, as he traveled three or four miles away from the camp, he suddenly realized something.

Cao Cao had shown his cunning skills early on when he, Zhang Miao, and Yuan Shao were friends.

Who knows if Cao Cao had anticipated Chen Gong’s plan and preemptively disrupted their actions?

He should have consulted Chen Gong first!

But just as he thought this, he heard Cao Cao, seemingly speaking truthfully under the influence of alcohol, reminiscing about their adventures from twenty years ago. Zhang Miao’s heart softened, and he immediately dismissed the idea.

If Cao Cao truly had no intention of switching sides, and he harbored such suspicions, wouldn’t that destroy their twenty-year friendship?

If he could both prevent Yanzhou from falling into Qiao Yan’s hands and preserve his friendship with Cao Cao, that would be ideal.

After all, traveling north to Ji Province would only take a couple of days, and the truth would soon be revealed. It shouldn’t delay any major plans.

He would just keep Cao Cao under close watch.

But Zhang Miao’s departure, following Cao Cao, nearly drove his brother and strategist in Chenliu Camp to despair.

“Did the lord leave without a word, just following Cao Cao?” Zang Hong looked at Zhang Chao, speechless, wanting to say a lot about how he failed to stop his brother, but considering the history between Zhang Miao and Cao Cao, he had to admit that making such a choice was indeed difficult for him.

But don’t forget—

“Absurd! There are no such good things in this world where you can have it all. In these perilous times, there’s no room for personal relationships.”

Zang Hong himself valued brotherhood and loyalty, but he knew that choosing sentiment meant putting one’s life at risk.

Without the ability to handle everything, Zhang Miao’s trust in Cao Cao shattered all the arrangements Chen Gong had made.

If this decision was clear, it would be one thing, but from Zhang Miao’s arrangements, it seemed he still naively believed everything could return to the “right track.”

Once a plan exists, it leaves an indelible mark!

There’s no turning back.

At most, due to their friendship, Cao Cao’s life might be spared after his capture.

“Where is Chen Gongtai now?” Before Zhang Chao could respond, Zang Hong immediately asked.

Although Zang Hong was hired by Zhang Chao as a merit officer, his background ensured he acted decisively.

His father once served as the Governor of Yang Province, then fought in Bingzhou as the Protector-General of the Southern Xiongnu against the formidable Tan Shihuai. Zang Hong himself rose from a child officer to a filial and incorrupt official, serving as a county magistrate and now a merit officer. If the Han dynasty’s power hadn’t declined and fallen into the hands of Yuan Shao and others, he should have been appointed as a regional governor.

It was precisely because of Zang Hong’s experience and abilities that Zhang Chao trusted him greatly.

Hearing this, Zhang Chao was momentarily stunned and replied, “He’s probably still in Cao Mengde’s military camp?”

“Let’s go!” Zang Hong said immediately. “We must see him quickly.”

Chen Gong was indeed a very steady character. Even if he had such a grand plan determining Yanzhou’s fate, he wouldn’t normally expose it to Cao Cao. But who was Cao Cao? Zang Hong had seen clearly during his years in Yanzhou.

Although Cao Cao had some of the wandering knight’s habits from his early years, he was by no means someone who would make rash decisions in military and political matters.

Zang Hong instinctively didn’t believe that Cao Cao would lead Zhang Miao to Ye City just because he was drunk!

As it turned out, his guess was correct!

When he and Zhang Chao arrived outside Cao Cao’s military camp, before even reaching the defensive perimeter, he suddenly noticed something amiss with the camp’s sealed state.

There had clearly been a conflict within the camp, confined to internal resolution!

Because they arrived quickly, the camp hadn’t yet returned to its previous state, revealing clues.

“Not good!” Zang Hong and Zhang Chao exchanged glances, both seeing concern in each other’s eyes.

The current situation must be that Chen Gong had an accident, and Cao Cao, under the guise of heading to Ye City, was likely planning to escape back to Dong Commandery to lead troops.

“Quickly dispatch a team to surround this place and capture Cao Zixiu and Cao Zilian,” Zhang Chao said, realizing that Zhang Miao following Cao Cao not only aided his escape but also risked being taken hostage. His tone was much more urgent than before.

“Send another team, ride fast, and make sure to bring my brother back!”

But by now, nearly an hour had passed since Cao Cao and Zhang Miao left. Given their speed, catching up would be no easy task.

Even capturing Cao Ang and Cao Hong to use as leverage against Cao Cao wouldn’t be simple.

Cao Ang, following Cao Cao’s orders, immediately took Chen Gong hostage as soon as someone noticed something was amiss with his prolonged absence, not just due to drunkenness.

Most of these people were Chen Gong’s direct subordinates. Faced with this sudden situation, they were at a loss.

Anyone trying to escape the camp to report was immediately captured by Cao Hong.

This was the scene Zang Hong and Zhang Chao saw upon arriving at the camp’s outskirts.

By the time they turned to attack, Cao Hong had already received an explanation from Cao Ang and was organizing the camp’s troops for defense.

In their haste, they couldn’t retreat to any city to set up defenses.

But that was fine.

Perhaps because Yuan Shao’s forces in Ji Province had been ambushed by Qiao Yan’s troops the year before, or because he had suffered a defeat at Hulao Pass and feared another incursion into Yanzhou, Cao Cao had prepared trenches and barriers around the camp upon returning to Dong Commandery.

These defenses, unused against Qiao Yan, now served their purpose.








The army guarding Hulao Pass was used to confront the defenders of Chenliu, making Cao Hong feel particularly ironic while setting up defenses.

With such a subtle mood, he couldn’t help but be a bit rough when tying up Chen Gong.

So much so that Chen Gong, who had just regained consciousness from being knocked out, was almost strangled unconscious again by him.

“Mr. Gongtai, please don’t blame me. Our Cao family has nothing but rough people,” Cao Hong genuinely didn’t understand why Chen Gong would betray Cao Cao. If it weren’t for Cao Ang saying that Cao Cao didn’t intend to take Chen Gong’s life, he would have really wanted to teach him a lesson. Now, he had to provide him with good food and drink, waiting for Cao Cao to return safely, which was extremely frustrating.

While worrying about Cao Cao’s current situation, unsure how he would communicate with the defenders of Dong Commandery while being watched by Zhang Miao, he pretended to be calm and said to Chen Gong, “Please wait for three days, sir. We don’t have the authority to deal with you; we’ll wait for the lord to return.”

Chen Gong gritted his teeth, feeling that his understanding of Cao Cao was still insufficient.

At the moment Cao Cao decisively knocked him out, even though Chen Gong prided himself on being a refined person, he had the urge to curse Cao Cao.

Unfortunately, one wrong move led to a complete loss. In his current state of being controlled, the only hope he could rely on was either Zang Hong and Zhang Chao catching up with Cao Cao or Zhang Miao noticing something unusual on the journey north and intercepting Cao Cao’s plea for help.

In the current situation, as long as Cao Cao could escape, their plan would be completely ruined.

But would Cao Cao really fail?

Before the crisis hit, even Yuan Shao could make a relatively clear judgment about his situation. To ensure that Cao Cao would stand on the same front, he decided to personally visit Yanzhou. If Cao Cao made any improper moves, he could directly persuade the noble families and loyal Han forces in Yanzhou to intercept Cao Cao.

How could someone as quick-witted as Cao Cao not estimate his own actions?

To ensure that Zhang Miao wouldn’t notice his more deliberate considerations for this trip, he even chose not to communicate with the county when traveling northeast from Suanzao into Yan County of Dong Commandery in Yanzhou.

Instead, he told Zhang Miao that if he couldn’t clear the accusation of betraying the Han, who knew if today it was just Chen Gong suspecting him and Zhang Miao forgetting their friendship, tomorrow there might be chaos in Yanzhou, endangering the people who should be entering spring plowing.

At that time, whether he had the intention to switch sides or not, Guo Jia and Xu Huang stationed at Hulao Pass were not easy to deal with. Who knew if they would take advantage of the situation?

The faster the situation stabilized, the less their journey could be delayed.

Hearing Cao Cao say this, Zhang Miao, thinking of his previous suspicions about Cao Cao, almost wanted to slap himself.

So when dusk fell, Cao Cao, halfway from Yan County to Puyang, bought some food and water from a nearby household without attracting Zhang Miao’s attention.

Zhang Miao also didn’t notice that Cao Cao’s gaze briefly swept over the two books on the cabinet in the household.

Those were the books transported into Yanzhou two years ago under the condition of purchasing cotton clothes from Qiao Yan!

The special act of giving books with cotton allowed these books to enter thousands of households in a way that was impossible in earlier times.

In the household where they bought food and water, the literacy primer “Jijiu Pian” had been read countless times by the owner or their child doodling in the yard, showing obvious signs of repeated reading.

Cao Cao casually withdrew his gaze, confirming that his original backup plan was feasible.

While swallowing the dry food, he walked out with Zhang Miao and others who had settled the bill, saying, “Let’s find a sheltered place to rest before nightfall. Although it’s spring, the night wind is still a bit chilly.”

“Unfortunately, to reach Ye City as soon as possible, we didn’t rest at Wating. If we have to stay in Puyang, my bones can’t take it. It’s better to camp in the wild.”

“But since you brought many people, have them prepare more firewood for a fire.”

He now seemed completely sober, but since he hadn’t changed his mind and, due to the coincidence of the journey, didn’t get the chance for his subordinates to support him, the stone in Zhang Miao’s heart had already settled.

He even thought that if they passed Puyang tomorrow, it wouldn’t be inappropriate for Cao Cao to bring a few subordinates and change into decent clothes.

After all, they were going to Ye City to meet the Son of Heaven and the Grand General; they couldn’t really go in such a disheveled state after the journey… right?

Zhang Miao replied, “How could we let you, Cao Mengde, freeze? Leave it to me.”

However, shortly after they left the farmhouse, the child squatting in the yard carefully unfolded the paper ball Cao Cao had thrown to him.

This paper ball had been with Cao Cao since he started this performance after leaving the military tent, and he had thrown it to the child before walking out of the yard.

Cao Cao appeared calm on the surface, but when passing it, his palm inevitably sweated, leaving some marks on the paper ball.

Fortunately, this didn’t affect the ink on the paper, and every word was clearly visible to the child.

“Dad, come and look!”

The farmer, who had just made a good deal, was counting the coins he received when he suddenly heard his child’s voice and hurried out.

“Dad, do you know the person from earlier?” the child asked, looking up.

The farmer shook his head.

Cao Cao didn’t introduce himself, and with their lowly status, they would never have the chance to meet the ruler of Yanzhou.

So of course, he didn’t know Cao Cao.

Cao Cao also didn’t have any particularly noticeable features like Qiao Yan, at most looking more imposing than ordinary people.

He said, “Probably some general? Seeing how hurried they were, maybe they’re busy delivering military information. Why do you ask?”

The child held up the note to his father, “Look, the short general gave this to me, as if hoping we’d deliver it to someone.”

The farmer thought that such troublesome matters weren’t something they, as commoners, should get involved in. A slight misstep could lead to a disastrous end.

But just as he was about to snatch the note from the child’s hand, she pulled it back and said firmly, “I know what you’re thinking, but I think we can’t ignore this.”

“Dad, I recognize these two words.”

She pointed to the title on the message, “Look, this is ‘Tun’ and this is ‘Tian’. It’s the Tun Tian Colonel teaching us how to farm for better harvests!”

This was an urgent letter for the Tun Tian Colonel!

“Dad, I don’t trust others, but Colonel Zao would never harm us.”

And Zao Zhi was in Puyang City, just two or three hours away!

She said resolutely, “I want to go and deliver the message.”