The Three Kingdoms: Starting as a county magistrate in Pingyuan, he rose to power and conquered the

Chapter 119 New Changes

"My lord, please think about it..." Tian Feng rolled up his sleeves, ready to speak at length.

Xu You subtly took a step back, and the others followed suit, bowing their heads.

After all that has happened, this old guy is still incorrigible!

"Given your status and position, there is absolutely no problem with you voluntarily contributing money and food to improve the lives of the people!"

"It is truly a blessing for the world and for the people that our lord has done this!"

Yuan Shao narrowed his eyes slightly, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

The classic tactic of praising first and then criticizing later: the more effusive the praise at the beginning, the harsher the criticism may be later.

really.

Tian Feng immediately changed the subject, "But has my lord considered that the generals and local officials in other counties do not have your strength?"

"We're already carrying out a mission, which comes at a high cost, and now we have to pay for it ourselves. Who would be willing to put in the effort and money for that?"

"Under such circumstances, how can generals in various regions possibly perform their duties with genuine sincerity?"

This series of questions left Yuan Shao speechless; he had indeed not considered the implications.

If you're leading the way in doing this, why should others complain?

"Then tell me... what should we do now?" Yuan Shao countered.

His face betrayed no emotion, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.

But in the eyes of others, it was already a miracle that Yuan Shao did not fly into a rage.

Xu You stroked his beard, his expression somewhat grim.

That's not right!

My lord, why do you seem to have undergone a complete transformation?

Was it intentional, or was he genuinely trying to accept advice?

Tian Feng felt it most acutely; he was actually prepared to be scolded.

Seeing that Yuan Shao was still humbly seeking advice, he immediately became more assertive, saying, "The order has already been given; it is absolutely forbidden to retract it!"

"But there are still remedial measures. Our lord will allocate more money to compensate the people here, on top of what was already done."

"Besides that, everyone needs to know that our lord has sacrificed far more than they have!"

"This will alleviate the unpleasant feelings of most people to the greatest extent possible, and also demonstrate the lord's sincerity, rather than changing his mind frequently."

"Furthermore, Cao Cao has now realized that his greatest enemy is not us, but the increasingly powerful Li Zhao. By releasing us, he is showing his sincerity to our lord!"

"My lord should seize this opportunity and make use of Cao Cao's power as well."

"And... Gongsun Zan..."

Tian Feng had never felt so free and at ease, able to express his thoughts without reservation.

Judging from Yuan Shao's expression, he seemed to have understood everything and was ready to accept it.

The unprecedented feeling of comfort brought a smile to his face.

He turned back with a smug look and glanced at Xu You, who was hiding in the distance.

Don't you like to hide?

Now you know you regret it?

"I understand what you mean..." Yuan Shao held an antique in his hand, slowly examining it.

"However, after Li Zhao occupied Ye City, he did everything he could to win over the hearts of the people."

"Judging from the current situation, it probably won't be long before the entire Ji Province is under his control!"

"By then, Li Zhao will have greatly increased his power, possessing the two provinces of Qing and Ji. The most important thing is how to limit his development!"

Upon hearing this, Xu You wanted to speak, but Tian Feng beat him to it.

"My lord, I have already made a plan regarding this matter..."

Tell me about it!

"My lord, you may not know this, but the generals guarding the various transportation routes are not carrying out your orders at all. They are all secretly doing business with Li Zhao's men."

"My lord, please don't be anxious. This matter was originally beyond our control; there's no need to waste our energy!"

"On the contrary, we should not interfere, and even secretly encourage it, so that we can reap all the benefits from this trade!"

"Why not use the benefits brought by Li Zhao to cover our various expenses?"

Tian Feng's voice echoed around, leaving everyone speechless.

No one, including Yuan Shao, expected that this old fellow, who had just been captured by Cao Cao and sent back, would have such a good understanding of the surrounding situation.

"Okay! We'll do it your way!"

Yuan Shao did not delve into the details, but with a wave of his hand, he adopted all of Tian Feng's suggestions.

And we immediately implemented his advice!

Not only did they donate a large sum of money, but they also voluntarily reduced their usual expenses.

Besides quitting drinking, he also started eating the same way as most people.

This attitude is so different from his previous ones, and the effect is very obvious.

The military generals and officials in various counties who had previously harbored resentment no longer dared to say anything.

The most amazing thing is...

Following Tian Feng's advice, he tacitly approved and even encouraged his soldiers to do business with Li Zhao's men.

As long as it's not in the open, everything is negotiable.

The profits they earn can be used to offset the money they need to pay!

This move had an immediate effect, and everyone's enthusiasm was mobilized.

They openly taught about key transportation routes, but secretly conducted large-scale business with Li Zhao's people.

The profits increased day by day, and everyone who participated in this scheme made a fortune!

The situation seems to be developing in a positive direction...

……

Ye City.

Li Zhao is currently compiling statistics on the newly surrendered counties and their related populations.

So far, throughout the entire Ji Province, except for a few counties, all others have chosen to submit to him.

Now, on the surface, he actually controls most of Ji Province!

However, Li Zhao was not in a hurry; the current situation was enough.

The next step is to gradually let everyone know the state of the area under his control.

Once everyone gets used to it, there won't be any more mishaps.

"My lord..." Lu Bu arrived in a dusty state, his expression somewhat unwell.

Zhao Yun followed closely behind, and even dismissed his attendants, instructing them not to let anyone disturb them.

"What's wrong?" Li Zhao looked up at the two of them and asked, somewhat puzzled.

"With the two of you working together, is there any trouble you can't handle?"

"No, that's not it!" Lü Bu interjected first. "Things have been going a little too smoothly lately!"

"Um?"

Zhao Yun took over, "Let me speak!"

"Originally, according to your plan, we were to do business with Yuan Shao's men in order to undermine their will."

"But recently, the scale has grown significantly, with them even actively seeking to do business with us and investing more and more. This situation doesn't seem like it can be concealed!"

"so……"

Li Zhao immediately understood his meaning: "So you believe that this was very likely Yuan Shao's deliberate act?"

"That's right!" they both said at the same time.

They felt something was amiss, but they couldn't understand why Yuan Shao would do such a thing.

This is completely unlike him!

……