Chapter 7

"Brother Wenjie, why do you say such things?" At this moment, Cao Cao was merely a Cavalry Commander, and even among the eighteen warlords who had joined forces to overthrow Dong Zhuo, he was ranked quite low, far from the domineering figure who would later control the emperor. Hearing such high praise, he felt somewhat unaccustomed.

As for Liu Bei, it was even more exaggerated! He was currently just the Magistrate of Pingyuan County, and his status as an imperial relative had not yet been recognized by the court! Compared to Han Fu, the Inspector of Ji Province, and Cao Cao, the Cavalry Commander, he was far behind. With his current mindset, being able to govern a province and serve the Han dynasty loyally would be enough. He had no grand ambitions to sweep away the Wu and Wei states. Suddenly being praised by Han Fu, one of the warlords, he was taken aback and did not know how to react.

"Brother Mengde and Brother Xuande, what kind of person can be called a hero?" Li You asked in return.

"A hero is one who has great ambitions and a well-thought-out plan, with the ability to encompass the universe and the will to conquer the world," Cao Cao replied after a moment's thought. Truly, Cao Cao's response was grand, revealing his lifelong aspirations.

"Xuande believes that anyone who can expel Dong Zhuo, restore the Han dynasty, and ensure the people live in peace and prosperity can be called a hero!" Liu Bei's response was still cautious.

"Brother Mengde's vision is truly admirable!" Li You raised his wine cup to Cao Cao and drank, then turned to Liu Bei, "Brother Xuande, in my view, Dong Zhuo is easy to remove, but the Han dynasty is hard to restore!"

Upon hearing these words, Cao Cao stroked his beard in deep thought, while Liu Bei's face showed concern. Perhaps they had already had such thoughts, but they had never seriously considered them. Now, being enlightened by Li You, they fell into deep contemplation.

"Brother Wenjie, why do you say such things?" Liu Bei was more concerned about the safety of the Han dynasty. With no real foundation, his only claim to fame was his lineage as a descendant of the Jing Wang of Zhongshan and a member of the Han imperial family. If the Han dynasty could not be restored, his future would be bleak.

"During the reign of Emperor Ling, eunuchs held power, and the people suffered greatly. The Yellow Turban Rebellion added to the chaos, and the imperial army was terrified!" Li You began to review the recent political landscape. "To resist the Yellow Turbans, the warlords recruited soldiers and horses. Brother Mengde was appointed as a Cavalry Commander and followed General Huangfu Song to defeat the Yellow Turbans. Brother Xuande also joined the army of Governor Liu Yan of Youzhou, defeating the Yellow Turbans in Zhuo County and Qingzhou. Unfortunately, the court was unfair and did not give Brother Xuande the appropriate rewards!"

"Brother Wenjie is well-versed in the affairs of the world; Xuande admires you!" Thinking of his hard-fought battles and the small position of Magistrate of Anxi County he received much later, which he had to abandon due to offending the postal inspector, Liu Bei felt a pang of sorrow. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu also showed their discontent.

"The Han dynasty has been severely weakened by the Yellow Turban Rebellion! The warlords have grown stronger, while the court has become weaker. A weak trunk and strong branches is not a sustainable situation," Li You continued. "Now, most of the troops are in the hands of the warlords, and the court has no means to counterbalance them. If this continues, chaos will surely ensue."

Cao Cao nodded in agreement, becoming even more determined to recruit soldiers and talents. Liu Bei, thinking of the current chaotic situation, felt a deep sorrow and tears streamed down his face.

"If it were only this, it would not be so bad! The situation is not as dire as it was during the Zhou dynasty. If there were one or two great leaders, the Han dynasty might still be revived! However, the Ten Attendants lured He Jin to his death, and Yuan Shao and others led troops to kill the eunuchs, depleting the last of the Han dynasty's strength. Then they invited the Inspector of Liangzhou, Dong Zhuo, to enter the capital, and from that point on, the Han dynasty had no hope of revival!" Li You comforted Liu Bei and continued, "Dong Zhuo deposed the young emperor and enthroned Emperor Xian, controlling the court. His tyranny led to the joint attack by the eighteen warlords, which also erased the centuries-old prestige of the Han royal family! Even if our army can expel Dong Zhuo, who would respect a young child? What Dong Zhuo can do, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu can also do."

Emperor Xian now had no troops and, being young, could not command respect. Even with a few loyal ministers like Grand Tutor Wang Yun, what could they do? Cao Cao and Liu Bei, both wise men, quickly understood Li You's words. Cao Cao could not help but ask, "According to Brother Wenjie, what will the future of the world be like?"

Because of Li You's far-sighted and insightful words, Cao Cao's tone became noticeably more respectful.

"Chaos is coming! It is time for heroes like Brother Xuande and Brother Mengde to play the game of the world!" Li You stood up and went to the entrance of the tent, lifting the curtain and pointing to the numerous banners outside. "Look, in twenty years, the eighteen famous warlords will probably be reduced to a mere fraction! It is a pity that the common people in the fields will suffer and spill their blood on the earth, nourishing the wild grass!"

When heroes rise, it is a decade of calamity for the common people! Indeed, the Three Kingdoms era is a stage for heroes, where valiant generals and brilliant strategists can freely display their talents and etch their names in history. However, for ordinary people, it is a great disaster.

If Li You were to stay permanently in the Three Kingdoms world, he would definitely choose Ji Province as his base, recruit talents like Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci, and bring strategists like Guo Jia and Zhuge Liang into his camp, as well as beauties like Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Diaochan, and Zhen Mi into his harem.

However, since this was just a temporary visit, he could not compete with Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He could only put on a grand show in front of them. Of course, if he could help one of them unify the world earlier, it would reduce the suffering of the Han people and prevent the tragedy of the Five Barbarians' invasion and the southern migration of the Han people.

"Brother Wenjie is truly a benevolent man!" Li You's final words about the common people greatly impressed Liu Bei, who stood up from behind the table and bowed deeply. Guan Yu, who was from a common background, also bowed, and Zhang Fei, after a moment's hesitation, followed his two elder brothers in bowing to Li You.

"Brother Wenjie's insight is like a sharp eye, and I cannot match it!" Cao Cao admired Li You for a different reason. He had a vague feeling about the future of the Han dynasty but had not articulated it as clearly as Li You. Listening to these words, he felt enlightened and could not stop thinking about leading troops in the chaos, which made his blood boil.

"Unfortunately, it will be a case of the fisherman benefiting from the quarrel between the clam and the bird. The lack of a strong leader during the chaos will lead to the exhaustion of the Central Plains' people, and the remaining few will become slaves to the barbarians!" Li You bowed deeply to Cao Cao and Liu Bei, "I hope you both will consider the people of the Central Plains and bring an end to the chaos soon!"