The unification of the north is just around the corner.

After the council in the great hall concluded, Xu Chu had already been waiting there for Cao Peng.

As soon as Cao Peng emerged, Xu Chu intercepted him immediately.

Cao Peng asked with a smile, "Zhongkang, could it be that you have some other business?"

"General, could you please put in a good word for me with the lord once more? You can have me given a hundred military flogging staves, just please don't suspend my wine for a whole month!" Xu Chu pleaded with a bitter expression.

"That is something I cannot help you with. The lord's punishments are not things that can be rescinded at a whim," Cao Peng said, spreading his hands and feigning helplessness.

"General, you cannot simply wash your hands of this. If it were before, I could have gritted my teeth and endured it, but ever since I tasted your Erguotou, I have become completely powerless against the allure of wine. You must take responsibility for this!"

Looking at the towering, burly figure of Xu Chu shamelessly entreating him like this, Cao Peng found it somewhat amusing, yet he instantly turned his expression serious.

"Zhongkang, you are truly ungrateful. Do you have any idea why the lord has forbidden you from drinking this time?"

This question completely stumped Xu Chu.

Was it not a punishment for killing Xu You? Hearing Cao Peng's tone, could there be a deeper meaning behind it?

"The lord is punishing you precisely because he values you deeply."

"What do you mean?"

Cao Peng sighed deliberately and said, "You are the lord's most beloved general, while that Xu You was the person the lord detested the most. The lord wanted to kill him more than anyone else, yet he worried the world would accuse him of ingratitude. And yet, you went ahead and did what he wanted to do but dared not!"

Xu Chu was baffled. "If that is the case, shouldn't he reward me instead of punishing me?"

Cao Peng replied, "I have already said, you are the person the lord trusts and values the most. By forbidding you to drink, he wants to temper your temperament so that he can entrust the grand army to you hereafter!"

"You fool, why can't you understand his profound intentions?"

Xu Chu froze in place as if struck by lightning.

Judging by his expression, his heart must have been flooded with a complex mixture of emotions.

"Well? Do you still want me to go and plead with the lord for you?" Cao Peng asked.

Xu Chu's complexion turned exceptionally solemn at that moment.

This reckless warrior was displaying a maturity unlike anything he had shown before.

He waved his hand and said, "There is no need..."

He had been successfully hoodwinked by Cao Peng, and was even taking his role as a groom quite seriously.

Cao Peng shook his head, preparing to head out of the city.

He thought he might be able to steal a moment of leisure, intending to bring Zhen Mi into the city from the outskirts, but Cao Cao issued another invitation to him.

Cao Peng had no choice but to abandon his original plan and accompany Cao Cao to the finest tavern in Jizhou City.

Knowing that heavyweights were visiting today, the proprietor pulled out all the stops to entertain them.

Since Xu Chu had been assigned by Cao Cao to feed the horses, Cao Cao's bodyguard on duty was Dian Wei.

The entire second floor of the tavern had been reserved for the exclusive use of Cao Peng and Cao Cao.

Exquisite delicacies were served, and fine wine was poured.

Both Cao Cao and Cao Peng drained their cups in one gulp.

Naturally, the wine was not provided by the tavern, but rather Cao Peng's personal stash of Erguotou.

After partaking in the delicious food, neither Cao Cao nor Cao Peng continued drinking, which turned out to be a boon for Dian Wei, who even wanted to pack up the leftovers to take with him.

Cao Peng felt somewhat helpless at such behavior.

Xu Chu and this fellow were cut from the exact same cloth—they were unadulterated drunkards.

Once the meal concluded, it was time to discuss serious matters. Before Cao Cao could speak, Cao Peng said, "Congratulations, Uncle. The opportunity to unify the north is right before us."

"Anmin, I'm afraid we still have a long and arduous road ahead. The four provinces are currently unstable, and continuing the northern expedition will likely prove difficult!" Cao Cao sighed.

Although Jizhou had been captured, subduing the remaining territories would undoubtedly require considerable effort.

Moreover, even after completely swallowing Yuan Shao's domains, Gongsun Du was still lurking with hostile intent in Liaodong.

"Uncle, there is no need to dwell on the principle that time and tide wait for no man. If we do not leverage our current momentum to conquer the three provinces in one stroke, our progress toward unification will inevitably face obstruction," Cao Peng said with a solemn expression.

"Anmin, truth be told, I wish to slow down a bit. As the saying goes, drums beat thrice to build courage, but the momentum fades by the third. Our army has been campaigning for a long time," Cao Cao sighed.

The reason for Cao Cao's hesitation was the problem of grain and provisions, as well as the need to stabilize the newly acquired territories. If he continued to wage aggressive wars endlessly, the common people would inevitably harbor resentment, and the local clans whose power had been weakened would seize the opportunity to stir up trouble.

Cao Peng smiled and produced a map, saying, "Uncle, please look. The situations of the various factions have been meticulously marked here by me."

The capabilities of the Brocade-Clad Guard once again made Cao Cao's eyes light up.

At the same time, he congratulated himself for having called Cao Peng here.

This fellow had recently taken to concealing his talents, often holding back his true thoughts during council meetings in the grand hall.

Cao Peng stated, "The Brocade-Clad Guard has already probed the stances of the various factions. At present, our military might is at its zenith, and Uncle's prestige overshadows the entire world. Even Yuan Shao has met his demise, so they will certainly weigh whether they possess the strength of a Yuan Shao."

"We can employ the same old strategy once again: win over one faction while striking at another, making it impossible for these forces to achieve true harmony. As long as they fail to unite against us, swallowing them up is merely a matter of time."

Brilliant!

A gleam flashed in Cao Cao's eyes.

Joy stirred within Cao Cao's heart, for Cao Peng's strategy truly struck at the soft underbelly of the major factions.

Alliances of this nature were superficial at best and distrustful at heart.

Whenever a faction showed the slightest inclination to surrender, Cao Cao would spare no effort to entice them.

Much like his previous maneuver of leveraging Yuan Shang against Yuan Tan, their infighting would continuously consume their strength until everyone realized that surrender was the only path left, at which point they would inevitably submit to the wind.

Cao Peng proceeded to brief Cao Cao on the intelligence he had gathered piece by piece.

How should they handle Qingzhou? What about Youzhou and Bingzhou?

As these situations were dissected one by one, Cao Cao instantly felt the fog lift, and the strategic landscape cleared before him.

"Uncle, as for the specific operational details, surely I do not need to teach you? You have so many capable men under your command—hand these tasks over to them, and they will likely execute them even better than I could have imagined."

Cao Peng spoke the truth; the strategists and generals under Cao Cao were by no means mediocre. Given a clear direction, they could handle every detail impeccably.

Once these matters were settled, the light in Cao Cao's eyes burned with fierce intensity.

"Anmin, I will handle these affairs myself, but there is still one thing you must promise me," Cao Cao said.

"What is it?"

"You will continue to serve as the Grand General of the Northern Expedition. Once you sweep through the three provinces for me, we will march directly upon Liaodong."

Cao Peng was left speechless. He merely wanted to keep a low profile and avoid drawing too much attention, yet Cao Cao simply refused to permit it!

One look at Cao Cao told Cao Peng that this man had firmly made up his mind to keep him involved in the remaining campaigns.