In the central army camp, Cao Cao was sitting on the main seat, looking at the bamboo slips in front of him and sighing helplessly.
Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan, who were in the hall, heard his sigh and couldn't help asking, "Brother Mengde, why are you so troubled?"
Cao Cao glanced at them and replied with a bitter smile, "Don't you two know why I'm sighing?"
After narrowly escaping from Luoyang, he had raised the flag of righteousness to recruit soldiers and horses, preparing to fight against Dong Zhuo. Although his father, Cao Song, had exhausted all the family's wealth to help, compared to the bottomless pits of military equipment, pay, and provisions, the Cao family's meager property was really stretched thin. Before they could even set out on an expedition, most of the military supplies had already been depleted.
The Xiahou brothers scratched their heads, unable to offer any real help.
Cao Cao let out another sigh.
Just then, heavy footsteps could be heard from outside the door, and the burly figure of Cao Hong walked in.
"Greetings, my lord!" Cao Hong saluted Cao Cao with clasped hands.
"Zilian, there's no need to be so formal. In private, we can still address each other as brothers." A smile appeared on Cao Cao's face. Although Cao Hong's abilities were average, he was a cousin and extremely loyal. He had also given his all to support this uprising, so Cao Cao was quite close to him.
"Brother Mengde, there's a refugee who came to enlist in the army making a big fuss at the camp gate, demanding to see you." Cao Hong reported.
"Brother Mengde is so busy with various matters. How could he have the time to see a mere refugee?" Xiahou Dun shook his head and said.
"But that man said he has a way to solve your troubles and that you would surely meet him." Cao Hong repeated Lin Yu's words.
Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Zilian, go and bring that man here."
"Yes, sir!" Cao Hong clasped his hands in acceptance of the order and left.
After he left, Xiahou Dun still couldn't help shaking his head. "He's just an ordinary refugee. Brother Mengde, there's really no need to believe him."
Cao Cao just gave a light smile. "If that man didn't have some confidence, would he dare to boast like that? It won't hurt to meet him anyway."
...
On the other side, Cao Hong returned and looked at Lin Yu with a surprised gaze. "You were right. Lord Cao wants to see you!"
Lin Yu, however, remained calm and just nodded. "Then let's go in."
Under the awed gazes of the refugees and able-bodied men, Lin Yu followed Cao Hong, swaggering into the military camp. When he arrived outside the central army tent and realized that he was about to meet Cao Cao, Lin Yu couldn't help feeling a bit nervous.
After all, the man in front of him was none other than Cao Mengde, a renowned figure in history, a capable minister in times of peace and a powerful figure in times of chaos!
Inside the tent, there were two men dressed in military uniforms standing on one side. They looked somewhat similar, and they must be the Xiahou brothers. Another man was sitting on the high platform, dressed in civilian clothes. He wasn't particularly handsome, with a short and stocky build and a full beard. But his eyes were extremely bright, exuding an inexplicable charm that made people feel an instant sense of closeness. Moreover, he had an aura of a hero about him. With just one glance, Lin Yu could tell that this man must be Cao Cao.
"Lin Yu pays his respects to Lord Cao!" Lin Yu saluted Cao Cao respectfully.
Cao Cao and the Xiahou brothers exchanged glances, and they all simultaneously had the thought that this Lin Yu was definitely no ordinary refugee!
Ordinary refugees wouldn't perform such a formal salutation, nor could they possess such an extraordinary bearing. He must be a scion of some noble family who knew that Cao Cao was recruiting soldiers here and had come to seek refuge.
Thinking of this, Cao Cao's attitude became even more polite. He asked with a light smile, "Just now, I heard Zilian say that you claim to be able to solve my current troubles?"
"Indeed, that's right." Lin Yu nodded calmly.
"Oh? Then would you please first tell me what my current troubles are?" Cao Cao stared intently at Lin Yu, asking with great interest.
Lin Yu knew in his heart that whether he could establish himself in Cao's camp from now on depended entirely on how well he could "bluff" next.
He smiled and said, "Obviously, what's troubling Lord Cao must be the matter of military supplies."
Cao Cao was slightly startled. "How did you know that?"
Lin Yu didn't answer but just smiled without saying a word.
Nonsense. Raising an army to rebel required a huge amount of funds. Just during the short time he had walked in, Lin Yu had already observed the situation in the camp quite thoroughly. Only major generals like Xiahou Yuan and the guards outside Cao Cao's central army tent were fully armed. Most of the other soldiers were dressed in plain clothes, and their weapons were just iron spearheads attached to wooden sticks! From this, one could see Cao Cao's current predicament.
"I wonder what plan you have, sir, to help me solve this current trouble?" Cao Cao asked cautiously.
"It's actually quite simple. Lord Cao only needs to form a team of men and appoint Toujin Xiaowei." Lin Yu said slowly.
"Toujin Xiaowei?"
Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Cao Hong all looked at each other in confusion. They knew about the position of Xiaowei in the army. Previously, when Emperor Ling of Han set up the Eight Xiaowei of Xiyuan, Cao Cao had once served as Dianjun Xiaowei. But they had never heard of the title of Toujin Xiaowei.
"May I ask, sir, what are the duties of the Toujin Xiaowei? And why can it solve the shortage of military supplies in our army?" Cao Cao looked at Lin Yu with a puzzled expression.
"Back in the days of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, the country was prosperous, and the custom of elaborate burials prevailed." Lin Yu said, shaking his head and nodding. "There are piles of gold, silver, and jewels buried underground!"
"Lord Cao only needs to send out the Toujin Xiaowei to retrieve those treasures. Not to mention raising an army of ten thousand, even assembling an army of one hundred thousand wouldn't be a problem!"
Cao Cao and the others all gasped in unison, their eyes widening in shock.
What Toujin Xiaowei? This was clearly a tomb robber!
"Silence! How dare you mention such a heinous act?"
"Guards, drive this thief out of the military camp!"
Before Cao Cao could say anything, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan couldn't help shouting.
Tomb robbing has always been despised by the public, and the imperial court imposes severe punishments on tomb robbers. Lin Yu had actually mentioned it so blatantly, how could it not make them angry?
Facing the guards who rushed in menacingly, Lin Yu showed no sign of uneasiness. Instead, he just looked steadily at Cao Cao and asked, "Lord Cao, are you really going to drive me away?"
Cao Cao remained silent, his eyes seeming to flicker.
"Lord Cao!" Xiahou Dun couldn't help calling out.
Cao Cao just shook his head slightly at them and then dismissed the guards. His face was as gloomy as water. "Sir, you have proposed such a audacious plan. Aren't you afraid that I'll chop off your head?"
"No, I'm not." Lin Yu replied calmly.
"Why not?" Cao Cao raised an eyebrow.
"Those who aim for great achievements should not be bothered by trifles. Lord Cao is thirsty for talents. How could you chop off my head just because I offered a plan?" Lin Yu laughed out loud.
A glint of sharpness flashed in Cao Cao's eyes!
He gave Lin Yu a deep look, then raised his hand and called out, "Zilian!"
"Here, sir!" Cao Hong stepped forward with big strides, casting a cold glance at Lin Yu. He was just waiting for Cao Cao's order to unhesitatingly drive Lin Yu out of the military camp.