Three Kingdoms: The Peerless Strategist of Wei

Chapter 3 Discussion

"Cao Mengde, with his ambition to restore order to the world, will surely do everything in his power to bring the current emperor back to Xuchang to establish the capital."

"At that time, Xu County will become the capital of the Han Dynasty. How could the land in the heart of the capital not be incredibly valuable?"

Gu Cheng smiled calmly and asked in return.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao and his two ministers were simultaneously jolted and exchanged shocked glances.

The plan to welcome the emperor and move the capital to Xuchang was a closely guarded secret. Apart from Cao Cao himself, only a handful of his core confidants, such as Xi Zhicai, Xun Yu, and Cheng Yu, knew the inside story.

This young man, whom I've never met before, was able to make such a precise calculation!

"This child is definitely not simple..."

Cao Cao nodded secretly, a profound meaning flashing in his deep eyes.

"I have heard that the court in Luoyang is currently controlled by General Dong Cheng and General Yang Feng. Even if Cao Cao wants to bring the emperor back to Xuchang, I'm afraid these two might not be willing to let him go easily."

Following Gu Cheng's lead, Cao Cao subtly revealed all his concerns.

"Dong Cheng and Yang Feng joined forces to rescue the emperor from the clutches of the treacherous Guo Si and Li Jue in Chang'an. Now that this goal has been achieved, a rift and a power struggle are bound to arise between the two."

"If Cao Mengde cleverly takes advantage of the conflict between Dong Zhuo and Yang Hucheng, and uses the excuse that Luoyang has been ravaged by war for a long time and is in dire need of food, and asks the emperor to lead his civil and military officials to Xuchang for food, he will surely be able to successfully welcome the emperor back."

Gu Cheng spoke casually, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao was startled, and a sudden flash of enlightenment appeared in his eyes.

Welcoming the emperor back to Xu County to command the feudal lords was a core strategy he and his advisors had already devised.

However, he and his advisors had been discussing for many days how to overcome the obstruction of Dong Cheng and Yang Feng and safely welcome the emperor back to Xu County, but they still hadn't come up with a perfect plan.

Gu Cheng's casual words were like the sun breaking through the clouds, pointing him to a crystal-clear path.

"Moreover, there is a key figure in the imperial court in Luoyang who is willing to act as Cao Mengde's inside man!"

Gu Cheng's eyes were full of a meaningful smile.

"An inside man? Who is he?"

Cao Cao quickly leaned forward and eagerly asked.

"Dong Zhao".

Gu Cheng slowly uttered those two words.

"Dong Zhao?"

Cao Cao's brows furrowed again instantly.

Cao Cao had naturally heard of Dong Zhao. He was originally a subordinate of Yuan Shao, but later joined Zhang Yang. However, Cao Cao had not had any dealings with him before.

The two were not related and had never interacted before, so why would Dong Zhao take the initiative to become his inside man?

Cao Cao and Xi Zhicai exchanged a glance, both with a look of doubt on their faces.

"Oh dear, I spoke carelessly and made irresponsible remarks about state affairs. I'm truly sorry to have made you laugh at me, Uncle."

Gu Cheng quickly pulled himself back to the main topic and asked, "Regarding this engagement between me and your daughter, what are your plans, Uncle?"

"this……"

Cao Cao was speechless for a moment and did not know how to answer.

"Uncle, you need not feel any guilt. If you wish to cancel this engagement, I will have no objection whatsoever. When you make your decision, just send someone to the Gu family village in the south of the city to let them know."

"I won't bother you any longer, I'll take my leave now."

As he spoke, Gu Cheng stood up, bowed respectfully to Cao Cao, and then strode away.

"Gu Cheng!"

Cao Cao watched his figure gradually disappear outside the courtyard gate, his brows furrowing deeply.

"My lord, I will go and bring him back immediately. He will be kept here to treat your wretched headache!"

Dian Wei shouted in a gruff voice.

"Don't be so insolent!"

Cao Cao quietly stopped him, then slowly said, "This man possesses extraordinary talent and may be of great use to me in the future. We must not offend him rashly."

Dian Wei then retreated to the side, looking rather dejected.

"My lord, this man's medical skills are extraordinary. He was also able to accurately predict your plan to welcome the emperor back to Xu County. Furthermore, he inadvertently offered a perfect plan. He is truly a talent that comes along only once in a century."

"only……"

The conversation abruptly shifted, and Xi Zhicai shook his head slightly with a smile, saying, "But his claim that Dong Zhao is willing to be the lord's inside man is a bit too far-fetched."

"The matter concerning Dong Zhao is indeed somewhat far-fetched and difficult to believe."

"However, his plan to welcome back the emperor was indeed a brilliant and foolproof scheme."

Cao Cao nodded slightly, then waved his hand and said, "Send someone to investigate his background thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned."

"promise!"

Xi Zhicai bowed and accepted the order before leaving.

...

The Gu Family Manor is located in the eastern suburbs of Xuxian County.

At this moment, Gu Cheng was comfortably lying on a rocking chair in the courtyard, holding a cup of warm wine in his hand, leisurely enjoying the bright moonlight in the sky.

"Young master, all our cash has been used to purchase timber. The money left in the account is only enough for our household's daily expenses for at most two months."

Diao Chan knelt beside him, holding a thick account book in her hands, her beautiful eyes filled with deep worry.

"Two months is enough time for Cao Cao to successfully welcome the emperor back to Xuchang. By then, the price of the timber we have stockpiled will definitely increase three or four times."

Gu Cheng took a small sip of the wine in his glass and spoke slowly.

"Young master."

Diao Chan rested her chin on her hand, leaned slightly closer to Gu Cheng, and asked softly, "Young Master, are you so certain that Lord Cao will be able to successfully welcome the Emperor back to Xu County?"

"Does your young master ever make a mistake?"

Gu Cheng raised an eyebrow and asked in return with a smile.

Diao Chan trembled slightly upon hearing this.

She then pouted slightly and sighed softly, saying, "Young Master is always incredibly insightful and has never made a mistake. However, this time we not only mortgaged all the land deeds but also borrowed a lot of money from the bank. I'm still worried about it."

"You, just relax."

Gu Cheng gently stroked her delicate, upturned nose with his fingertip and said with a smile, "After this deal is done, I'll buy you a whole room full of Shu brocade. Shu brocade is the finest brocade in Sichuan. You can have as many new clothes as you want!"

"Young master~~"

Diao Chan blushed instantly and lowered her head shyly, but secretly she was overjoyed.

"Cao Mengde, you welcomed the emperor to Xuchang and gained immense wealth and power. It shouldn't be too much for me to earn a few coins from you to support my family."

Gu Cheng murmured to himself, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"Brother Liheng!"

Just then, a rough yet friendly shout came from outside the courtyard gate.

Gu Cheng's eyes flickered, and he immediately got up from the rocking chair and strode out of the mansion.

The gates of the mansion had just opened.

A towering, imposing figure suddenly blocked his way.

"Brother Liheng, it's been years since we last met! I've missed you terribly!"

Zhou Tai burst into laughter and strode forward to give him a big bear hug.

His hug was at least a hundred pounds strong, and Gu Cheng's joints cracked all over.

Gu Cheng winced in pain and instinctively pushed with both arms at the same time.

Zhou Tai's arms, which were as strong as iron, were easily spread apart by him.

"what?"

Zhou Tai looked him up and down, then said with a look of surprise, "Not bad, brother. You've gotten quite strong in the last few years."

Gu Cheng smiled faintly. Since taking the Tendon-Changing and Bone-Forging Pill as a reward from the system, his physical fitness and strength were already vastly different from before.

"Brother Youping, the wine is still warm on the stove. Let's go inside and talk."

Gu Cheng smiled slightly and immediately invited Zhou Tai into the mansion.

Zhou Tai was from Xia Cai County, Jiujiang Prefecture. He was a well-known chivalrous figure in the area, known for his loyalty, righteousness, and superb martial arts skills.

When Gu Cheng lived in seclusion in Xia Cai, he cured Zhou Tai's mother of her long-standing illness, and the two became inseparable friends.

"Youping, how much Phoebe zhennan wood did you bring this time?"

As soon as he sat down, Gu Cheng couldn't wait to ask.

The Jianghuai region has always been famous for producing high-quality Phoebe zhennan wood. Several months ago, Gu Cheng wrote to Zhou Tai, asking him to use all his family's wealth to purchase Phoebe zhennan wood in the Huainan area and then transport it all to Xuxian County along the Ying River.

"One hundred of the best quality and three hundred of the medium quality, a total of four hundred, were all transported north along the Ying River. They are currently being unloaded at the Ying River ferry. I rushed here to see you ahead of time."

Zhou Tai counted on his fingers and explained everything in detail.

"Very good!"

Gu Cheng was overjoyed and raised his wine glass, saying, "Come, drink this cup to the brim to celebrate our upcoming windfall!"

"Don't rush to drink the wine."

Zhou Tai waved his hand solemnly and said, "I've listened to you completely, brother. I sold my family property to buy so much Phoebe zhennan wood, and even transported it all the way from Huainan to Xu County. Now you should tell me how you made your fortune from this timber, right?"

"Cao Mengde will surely welcome the emperor to move the capital to Xuchang, and at that time he will definitely carry out large-scale construction and build palaces."

"To build a palace, a large amount of timber is naturally needed."

Do you understand?

Gu Cheng sipped his wine and slowly revealed the reason behind it.

Zhou Tai suddenly realized.

Since the Qin Dynasty, Phoebe zhennan has been considered a superior material for building royal palaces due to its fine texture, hardness, and resistance to decay. The Huainan area is rich in high-quality Phoebe zhennan, and the Ying River, a golden waterway, provides direct access to Xuxian County.

No wonder Gu Cheng wrote to him, urging him to use all his wealth to buy Phoebe zhennan wood and transport it to Xuxian.

"I've heard that Dong Cheng and Yang Feng are currently in power in the Luoyang court. Is Cao Cao really capable of snatching the young emperor from Luoyang back to Xuchang?"

Zhou Tai, however, was still somewhat skeptical.

Gu Cheng smiled slightly and said, "Whether Cao Mengde has the ability or not will be clear in less than a month. Surely you have that much patience."

"All right."

Zhou Tai nodded, sighed, and said, "I hope you're right, brother. I specifically refused Sun Ce's recruitment offer from Jiangdong. If I lose money this time, I'll have to go back and shamelessly beg Sun Ce to take me to Jiangdong to make a living."

"If this deal goes well, how do you plan to repay me, Brother Youping?"

Gu Cheng raised an eyebrow and asked in return.

Zhou Tai slapped his thigh generously and said, "Is there even a question? No matter how much we make in the end, we brothers will split it fifty-fifty."

"I don't want a single penny."

Gu Cheng shook his head and said, "I only want Brother Youping to stay here with your men and serve as my bodyguards for a year."

"no problem!"

Zhou Tai waved his hand dismissively and said, "Since you're so incredibly resourceful, of course I, Zhou Tai, will follow you from now on. Not just for a year, I'll be your bodyguard for the rest of my life."

Gu Cheng smiled.

Zhou Tai is a man of great loyalty and righteousness, highly skilled in martial arts, and has a group of loyal brothers under his command. In this chaotic world, having him as a protector would give Gu Cheng a lot of peace of mind.

"Okay, it's a deal!"

Xu County, the governor's residence of Yanzhou.

The elite civil and military officers of Cao Cao's camp are gathered in the council hall at this moment.

Cao Cao sat upright in the main seat, his deep gaze slowly falling on Xi Zhicai.

"My lord, I have thoroughly investigated Gu Cheng's family background."

"Although the Gu family had produced a few prefects in the past, it was only intermittent and they were far inferior to those famous families who had served as officials for generations and whose salaries had reached two thousand shi. Among the gentry, they could only be considered the lowest-ranking Shan family."

"The Gu family has always been small in number, and his father passed away early. Gu Cheng himself is still a commoner with no official rank or title. If this continues, I'm afraid that by his generation, he won't even be able to keep the title of a low-ranking aristocratic family, and will eventually be reduced to a poor commoner."

Xi Zhicai calmly and meticulously recounted Gu Cheng's family background in detail.

"Among the gentry, there are many mediocre people who hold positions without doing any work, while among the poor, there may be extraordinary talents and heroes."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao simply shook his head dismissively.

"What you say is absolutely right, my lord."

Xi Zhicai cupped his hands slightly and echoed.

Cao Cao nodded, then asked, "What I want to know is about Gu Cheng's life and experiences."

Xi Zhicai shrugged, a hint of helplessness on his face: "According to my investigation, this man traveled to various states in his early years, but he was naturally indifferent to fame and fortune and did not like to associate with high-ranking officials and nobles. He preferred to live in seclusion in the countryside. After arriving in Xu County, he has been living in seclusion for more than a year and has never stepped out of the mansion. Therefore, there is really nothing noteworthy about his life."

"Hasn't stepped out of the house even once in a year?"

A look of surprise flashed across Cao Cao's eyes.

Among the sons of aristocratic families, there were certainly many who coveted power and were eager for fame and fortune, but there were also many who were indifferent to fame and fortune and lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, detached from worldly affairs.

Even if one were truly living in seclusion, it wouldn't be necessary to go a whole year without ever stepping out of one's house.

"This Gu Cheng is quite interesting..."

Cao Cao stroked his long beard and muttered to himself, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"This man is just an unknown young upstart, why is our lord suddenly so interested in him?"

Sitting to the side, Xun Yu, unaware of what was going on, couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"It was just a casual question."

Cao Cao gave a perfunctory reply.