My Father in Law is Lu Bu

Chapter 735

“Yuan Shao is dead?” Yang Chen immediately stood up in shock.

“Yes.” The person delivering this information nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“Your Excellency, Cao Cao Cao Mengde already did the funeral in Bohai.” The intelligence personnel added.

Yang Chen nodded. “I understand. You can withdraw.”

“Understood.”

Yang Chen started to think. With a huge funeral, this information must be true. Fanyang had also fallen and the Yuan brothers had gone missing. With Yuan Shao also dead, Cao Cao no longer have any opponents in Hebei.

Yang Chen shook his head. This was bad news for Yangzhou. Once Cao Cao's men are free they would come for Yangzhou next. After all, only the Yangzhou Army can compete against Cao Cao.

“It is time to leave Liaodong.” Yang Chen thought for a long time before calling for the assistant given to him by Yang Hong. Yang Hong gave Yang Chen an assistant fearing that Yang Chen was inexperienced.

“Housekeeper Tong. Have the guests from the the Yuan Family boarded the ship?” A few days ago, Yuan Xi's family came to ask him for help. Yang Chen was unable to make a decision so he had send them towards Yangzhou first.

“Not yet.” The housekeeper shook his head. Gan Ning's ships have not yet returned and they could not arrange another warship to be sent to Yangzhou just because of Yuan Xi's family.

“In that case, make the arrangements as soon as possible. Also, send someone to Guangling and tell Gan Ning to come back as soon as possible. There is something important to discuss!” Yang Chen ordered. They would not be staying in Liaodong for long especially since Yang Chen does not know what Gongsun Du would do.

“Your Excellency. What do you mean?” The housekeeper could sense the urgency from Yang Chen's words.

“Gongsun Du and Yangzhou's relationship is one of money. If Gongsun Du can offend Cao Cao for the sake of profits, he can also offend us for the sake of profits.” Yang Chen said to the housekeeper.

“This subordinate understands.” Housekeeper Tong nodded. They had to make preparations in case of an emergency. “I will go and make the arrangements now.”

“Go and return quickly.”

Not long after, the gatekeeper of the residence was heard shouting. “Not good! Your Excellency!”

The gatekeeper crawled into the inner hall after tripping on the high doorstep and stopping in front of Yang Chen.

“Why are you so flustered?” Yang Chen was no longer the young man beside Lu Su. He was a calm and composed person like his father.

“Your Excellency! The Liaodong Army has surrounded our residence!” The gatekeeper said in a panic.

The gatekeeper looked at Yang Chen's face. Yang Chen's expression was blank. His emotions could not be read.

“They have come as expected?” Yang Chen seemed calm but felt bitter. He was appointed as the General Manager of Liaodong by Liu Mang. He loved his job as a diplomatic envoy and the exchange of equipment for an endless supply of money also made Yang Chen feel very accomplished. Despite this, he knew that he might not stay in Liaodong for very long. řâꞐO͍฿Èŝ

“Come and take a look with me.” Yang Chen ordered his men.

“Understood!”

When Yang Chen arrived at the front hall, he looked at the group of soldiers in front of him with a sneer. Yang Chen who had been to war knew that these fierce and resolute looking soldiers were veterans who had fought in many battles. They even wore Yangzhou's equipment. Clearly these were Liaodong's elites.

These Yangzhou equipment were sold at a hundred gold in Liaodong. In the black market, they could go up to five hundred gold. It was obvious that only Liaodong's most trusted soldiers could use it.

Sure enough, Yang Chen saw a familiar figure leading them.

“Manager Yang. I trust you have been well?” Gongsun Kang, the heir of Liaodong asked with a smile.

“Oh, what brings Young Master Gongsun Kang here? It is truly an honor.” Yang Chen may be angry but he also replied with a smile.

“Manager Yang. I am here to discuss business with you.” Gongsun Kang said with a smile.

“Oh? What kind of business requires such an attitude?” Yang Chen asked back with a hint of ridicule. If we were talking about business, one should bring sincerity, not soldiers.

“Oh. Manager Yang is talking about them?” Gongsun Kang acted as though he finally realized. “Manager Yang. The business this time is too important. That is why I have to do this, please forgive me. Men, give your greetings!” Gongsun Kang then ordered the soldiers.

“Good day, Manager Yang!” The soldiers greeted.

“Haha.” Yang Chen laughed as he narrowed his eyes. Was this a greeting or a show of force?

“Manager Yang. Let us talk about business.” Gongsun Kang wanted to get to the point.

“Speak.” Yang Chen, still relaxed, invitted Gongsun Kang to sit down and even called for a servant to bring tea.

“Although Liaodong is bitterly cold, there are a lot of troubles. The Yemaek, Buyeo and Mohe people are restless. Father received news that Han Zaishi, the King of Goguryeo is about to make his move. He is worried and wants to buy more equipment for the soldiers on the front lines to defend the territory of the Han!” Gongsun Kang's words sounded nice. It was as though he was comparing himself to Wei Qing and Huo Qibing who had repelled foreign enemies.

An official unfamiliar with Liaodong may be persuaded but Yang Chen understood things clearly. Goguryeo is a just a small country with a few cities. Buyeo and Dongwozu were also at their borders and were eyeing Goguryeo's territory. On top of that, Gongsun Du had not been idle this entire time. He would often join forces with two of the three to suppress the strongest one, keeping the balance. Even the current King of Goguryeo was appointed by Gongsun Du.

It was good enough that Gongsun Du had not attacked Goguryeo recently. For this alone, Goguryeo's king would burn incense and worship Buddha. How can such a person dare to attack Liaodong?

“Speak. How much does the King of Liaodong want?” Yang Chen asked.

“Manager Yang is straightforward. My father does not want much. We only need twelve thousand sets of armor and thirty thousand swords. Yang Chen turned his head around after he heard this. He had exactly this amount of weapons and armor at that moment. This meant that Gongsun Kang's people had already planted spies amongst Yang Chen's people.

“I wonder if Manager Yang have that many weapons and armor?” Gongsun Kang asked with a smile.

“I do.” Yang Chen replied. What was the point of lying here? Gongsun Kang clearly came prepared and even warned Yang Chen that he already have spies placed around Yang Chen. There was no point to playing tricks.

“Good. I have also brought money over. So let us deal with this transaction. The troops on the front lines cannot wait.” Gongsun Kang laughed.

“Men! Bring the gold here!” Gongsun Kang ordered.

“Understood!” Soon, several large boxes were carried into the hall.

“Open them!” The boxes were opened one by one. The gold was enough to make people's eyes dazzled. This was all money.

“Manager Yang. This is the money for the equipment. Please check it.” Gongsun Kang said to Yang Chen.

“No need to check.” Yang Chen replied calmly. The gold was real and it was also a huge amount. There were at least a thousand gold here. However, it was barely enough for ten sets of armor, let alone ten thousand. What was the point of checking if there was enough?

“Gongsun Kang. What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to force a sale? Are you not afraid of our King of…” Housekeeper Tong who was standing behind Yang Chen began shouting at Gongsun Kang. Did Gongsun Kang think he was buying vegetables? Even at Yangzhou, the equipment was not this cheap.

“Hm?” Gongsun Kang narrowed his eyes. The soldiers behind him already had their hands on their swords.

“Step back!” Yang Chen shouted at the housekeeper. They were currently at the mercy of others. It was useless to argue.

“Manager Yang. You should take better care of your dog. It would be bad if it randomly bites people. At that time, I may need to help you chop it up.” Gongsun Kang pulled out his sword and waved it threateningly.

“There is no need. I can take care of my own dogs. Speaking of dogs, the Prime Minister is good at raising dogs. I would like to ask him for advice if I have the chance. He could make his dog bite others without even giving it bones. Don't you think so?” Yang Chen replied calmly.

“You…!” Gongsun Kang got angry. He was the eldest son of the King of Liaodong and the future heir of Liaodong. Who dared to talk to him like this? Yang Chen was clearly calling him a dog for using Yangzhou as an opportunity to please Cao Cao. However, Gongsun Kang surpressed his anger. He only came here to buy things, not fight.

“Manager Yang. Are you going to accept this deal or not?” Gongsun Kang asked angrily. He wished that Yang Chen would say no. In that case, he would have the excuse to turn violent. The reason he was still silent is because his father told him not to offend Yangzhou as much as possible. If he offended someone to death, he would have no way out. Gongsun Kang was disdainful of his father's way of playing both sides but at the end of the day, he still had to listen to his father. After all, he was not his father's only son.

“I accept. Why wouldn't I?” Yang Chen replied quickly.

“Your Excellency?” The housekeeper was anxious. Aren't they being forced to sell these equipment too cheaply? Even Gongsun Du should not be brave enough to do this.

Yang Chen waved his hand to stop his housekeeper. How could Gongsun Du not know of this? Without Gongsun Du's approval, Gongsun Kang would not enough balls to do such a thing even if he had ten sets more.

“Us traders should do business if there is business to be done.” Yang Chen laughed. “But I am not sure if Young Master Gongsun Kang is aware of our extra service?”

“Oh? What extra service?” Gongsun Kang was angry that he no longer have the chance to attack Yang Chen but he was still happy to obtain all these equipment for so little money.

“Oh, it is a simple service really. Our Yangzhou Army will give a demonstration of our equipment to the King of Liaodong. I am not sure if Young Master Gongsun Kang is prepared for it.” Yang Chen threatened. He was asking implicitly if they were ready to declare war against Yangzhou instead.

“Hahaha!” Gongsun Kang laughed and then sneered. “It is really a good service. The King of Shu is really a good merchant! I am not sure if His Highness' army are full of celestial soldiers that can cross the ocean. If they can, I will be looking forward to seeing them!” Gongsun Kang didn't care at all. Although Yangzhou was strong, they were seperated by the ocean and Cao Cao's territory. How many troops can Yangzhou transport over? Troops and supplies all had to be transported over extreme distances just for Yangzhou to fight. Does Yangzhou have the ability to send supplies over long distances. On top of that, if Yangzhou had less troops then Liaodong then the invasion was not worth talking about. If they had more, Liaodong can still rely on Cao Cao's help.

“It is good since you know. Men, take these gold away and open up the treasury for Young Master Gongsun Kang. Let him choose his equipment.”

“In that case, I will have to thank Manager Yang and His Highness' generosity. Truly, thank you! Hahaha!” Gongsun Kang left with his men, feeling very proud of himself. The equipment he took was worth over a million gold. How could he not feel happy?

“Your Excellency. Are we really giving the weapons and armor away?” The housekeeper could not accept this. He too, knew the price of those equipment. It really hurts to see such a huge amount of money stolen like this.

“What else can I do?” Yang Chen may be smiling calmly but he also felt a pain in his heart. He represented His Highness the King of Shu but now he was blackmailed and robbed by a vassal in a remote place like Liaodong. It was shameful. Despite that, he still had to bow his head.

“Housekeeper Tong. Have the people pack up.” Yang Chen ordered.

“Huh?”

“We are leaving Liaodong!” Yang Chen said. “No. Forget about packing up. We leave right now. Have the ships prepared immediately. Bring that one thousand gold along as well.” Yang Chen suddenly added at the end.

“Huh?” The housekeeper was confused. He was just about to leave without packing anything and now he is told to take the one thousand gold.

“We have to keep this one thousand gold well. This is the travel fees the King of Liaodong gave us for us to bring our army over!” Yang Chen said gloomily.

“Understood!”

Soon, Yangzhou's ships all sailed away from Liaodong.

“What did you say? Yangzhou's Liaodong Manager has left?” Gongsun Du was initially waiting for good news from his son but what he heard was news of Yang Chen leaving.

“Yes, Milord. Yangzhou's envoys have already left by ship.”

“Chase them! Quickly chase them down!” Gongsun Du shouted angrily. Who allowed them to leave?

“Father, there is no need to chase them. They have already left half a day ago. We cannot catch up to them either way.” Gongsun Kang said to his father. Liaodong's ships were still towered ships. They could not catch up to Yangzhou's ships.

“Sigh.” Gongsun Du sighed realizing that catching up to Yangzhou's ships was impossible. “Men! Drag away the ones responsible for watching over Yangzhou's envoys and execute them!”

“Father. Why do we need to do this? It is just an insignificant envoy of Yangzhou. It is good he left. Had he not, I would have brought his head to Lord Cao!”

“Kang'er! You are so stupid!” Gongsun Du shook his head. “That envoy is Yang Chen. He is the only son of Yang Hong, a trusted subordinate of the King of Shu. If he stays here, Liu Mang would not dare to act blindly. But now, Yang Chen is gone!” Gongsun Du regretted not personally dealing with Yang Chen himself.

“Father. Are you worried that the King of Shu will send troops? Why worry? I admit that the King of Shu is good at fighting and his troops are elite. But even if he wants to send troops, he would first need to see if Lord Cao agrees! If he attacks by sea it would be even better. We can use their troops to raise our Liaodong's reputation!” Gongsun Kang was very confident. In that era, it does not matter whether you travel by sea or land, you still have to fight on land. Liaodong only have one port. As long as Gongsun Kang blocks off that port, Yangzhou would not be able to do anything even if their troops are strong.

“Hopefully.” Gongsun Du shook his head. He did not know why but he had a very bad feeling about this.

“Father. Now the right thing to do is give Lord Cao that big gift.” Gongsun Kang said excitedly to Gongsun Du.

“You do it yourself. I need to rest for a while.” Gongsun Du waved his hand at his son. Recently, he has been trying to delegate more task to Gongsun Kang and slowly get Gongsun Kang to take charge of Liaodong. Paying tribute to Cao Cao was one of those tasks.

“Yes!”

***

Meanwhile, Cao Cao's army was still stationed in Nanpi. Although the people of Nanpi were initially resistant, Cao Cao distributed a portion of the army's food to the people, allowing them to safely pass through winter. The people's hearts soon changed and supported Cao Cao.

Cao Cao should have been happy. With Hebei taken, Cao Cao has unified the North and his ambition was half accomplished. However, he was not happy as his close friend was dead. Cao Cao thought he hated Yuan Shao as tall, rich and handsome are always the natural enemy of those who aren't. But after Yuan Shao's death, Cao Cao found out that he missed the days when they were still childhood friends supporting each other.

The words of a dying man was heavy and Yuan Shao managed to evoked Cao Cao's sense of friendship in his death. Yuan Shao is dead while another close friend, Guo Jia, has left for Yangzhou. Cao Cao has no idea how he was doing right now. Cao Cao used to prioritize his ambitions. But after many trials and tribulations, he realized that there was no point in living if there were no one close to him.

“Fengxiao. I will be waiting for you to make merry with me.” Cao Cao said as he drank his wine before continuing to discuss the meaning of life with one of the dancers at a banquet. That was the furthest he went. He already have enough children and was too old to do it.

After that Cheng Yu came to report to Cao Cao and Cao Cao immediately stopped playing around. He was a person who took work seriously.

Cheng Yu only had two things to report. The first was that the Yuan brothers were seen heading Northwest. That direction headed towards the Xianbei nomads, a group of people that were hard to handle. However, it was something they had to do. The Yuan brothers were ambitious and could still rely on their family prestige to plunge Hebei into turmoil. Cao Cao could not allow these two to live. He chose to send the Tiger Cavalry after them.

Chen Yu was a little hesitant hearing that Cao Cao would send the Tiger Cavalry. They were Cao Cao's trump cards so sending them may invite a misunderstanding. The foreign tribes might think that Cao Cao wanted to wipe them out which may then cause a war.

“Why do we need to care about what they think? There are people who knows what is going on in Youzhou. Just say we are pursuing these two bandits and that anyone who provides them shelter will be killed without mercy!” Cao Cao replied, showing the appearance of a great hero.

“If you want to do this, the Tiger Cavalry may not be enough.” Cheng Yu advised. The Yuan brothers ran beyond the borders. It would be hard to find them in such a vast area.

“How is Zhang He?” Cao Cao asked.

“Zhang He mostly confines himself to his room due to his past mistakes. Occasionally he leaves to train the troops.” Cheng Yu replied.

“Tell him that he has had enough rest and send him to the battlefield. Let him continue to command the Dajishi and go beyond the borders with the Tiger Cavalry to find those two unfilial children.” Cao Cao knew that half the reason Yuan Shao decided to commit suicide was because of these two. Cao Cao was confident that Yuan Shao would choose to kill them himself if he had the chance.

“Milord. They have defected once…” Cheng Yu could not trust the Dajishi. They had defected once before, they could do it again.

“Don't worry. It would not happen. It is not worth it for these two.” Cao Cao said disdainfully. The reason the Dajishi defected was because of Yuan Shao. But these two together weren't even half the man Yuan Shao was. It was not worth it to defect for these two.

“Milord. How should we deal with the Xiandengying?” Cheng Yu asked.

The Xiandengying was left behind by Yuan Shao. They surrendered after Yuan Shao commited suicide. Cao Cao also did not make things difficult for them and simply took away their weapons and horses. He still provided them with two meals a day.

The Xiandengying were heavy cavalry. Cao Cao really could not bear to disband them. But the problem is they would only listen to the words of their own people. These people were Yuan Shao, Ju Yi and Wen Chou. While Wen Chou is still alive, Wen Chou would rather die than surrender to Cao Cao. The only reason he hasn't is because Yuan Shao gave him an important mission to persuade or disband the foreign legions left behind by Yuan Shao. If he did not have such a mission, he too, would have jumped off the city walls.

“Milord. Xiahou Dun, Yue Jin and Xu Huang would like to take command of the Xiandengying.” Cheng Yu said to Cao Cao. This was the second thing Cheng Yu wanted to report.

Who didn't like elite troops? When Cao Chun died, there was a huge competition as to who would next take command of the Tiger Cavalry. Now the same thing was going to happen again.

Cao Cao had a headache about this and finally said that whoever could get them to listen can take command of them. After that, comedy happened.

Yue Jin tried to rely on his talent and talked about military tactics. The troops admired him but most of them were just regular soldiers. Talking about tactics with them were useless.

Xu Huang tried to appeal with strength. He said he could take them on ten at a time, then twenty, then thirty. Eventually he was beaten black and blue by thirty people.

Finally there was Xiahou Dun. The guy just took them to the brothel and bought them lots of meat, easily gaining their favor.

Yue Jin and Xu Huang were outraged. How was this fair? One shouted himself hoarse and the other got beaten up. You simply bought them over with meat and women! They went to Cao Cao to voice their complaints.

But Cao Cao could only give Xiahou Dun fifty lashes with the rod. Though Xiahou Dun was punished, he still obtained the soldiers.

Now aside from dealing with the Yuan brothers, Cao Cao also had to deal with Gongsun Du. As soon as Cao Cao brought this matter up, Xiahou Dun quickly asked to participate. He had just taken over the Xiandengying and wanted a good fight to show off.

Cao Cao also wanted Xiahou Dun to lead the Xiandengying into battle.

Xiahou Dun was being very arrogant, causing Yue Jin and the others to feel angry. But soon after, something happened which made Yue Jin and the others happy.

“Report! Gongsun Du has sent an envoy who requests to see the Prime Minister!” A messenger reported.

“No! No we are not meeting him! Quickly send the envoy back and tell him to wash his ass and wait! This grandfather's Xiandengying will soon pay him a visit!” Xiahou Dun said happily.

“Milord. The best strategy is always to attack an opponent's schemes. Since Gongsun Du has sent an envoy, we might as well meet him.” Yue Jin advised. He had always been a Confucian general.

Cao Cao nodded.

Xiahou Dun became anxious. What else can he do if they were not going to fight. “Shorty Yue! You did this on purpose!”

As soon as Xiahou Dun said this, Yue Jin's expression turned dark. What does his height have to do with military tactics?

“Xiahou Dun!” Cao Cao also admonished unhappily.

“Isn't this the case? This Sh…Yue Jin must be retaliating because I took the Xiandengying!” Xiahou Dun wanted to say Shorty Yue again but swallowed his words when he saw Cao Cao's face.

“Xu Gongming! Isn't this improper?” Xiahou Dun asked Xu Huang. Xu Huang was also a military general so Xiahou Dun believed that Xu Huang would support him if only to get a chance to gain merits. Unfortunately, Xiahou Dun would be disappointed when Xu Huang replied that Yue Jin was in the right.

With three others opposing him, Xiahou Dun was out of luck.

“Bring in Gongsun Du's envoy.” Cao Cao waved his hand. Soon, Gongsun Du's envoy was brought in.

“General Wuwei, Governor of Liaodong, Gongsun Kang greets Prime Minister Cao!” The envoy greeted.

“General Wuwei? Governor of Liaodong?” Cheng Yu and the others exchanged a glance. This was the title Cao Cao had originally granted Gongsun Du but Gongsun Du scoffed at it thinking himself a King. He even threw the official seal onto the ground. Later, Cao Cao had no choice but to name Gongsun Du the King of Liaodong but Gongsun Du still refused to accept it.

Now, the accepted the title General Wuwei. Gongsun Kang's words alone told Yue Jin all he needed to know. They were not going to fight.

“I wonder if the official seal is still intact? I heard Liaodong has smooth tables. It is easy for things to drop.” Cheng Yu said mockingly. Weren't they happy to throw the seal away last time? Why accept it now?

“Milord.” Gongsun Kang flattered. “Father was misled by traitors and didn't accept Prime Minister Cao's appointment. However, my father admires Prime Minister Cao a lot. He sent me here to pay respects when he heard that you have arrived in Nanpi.”

“Your name is Gongsun Kang? Are you Gongsun Du's son?” Cao Cao asked.

“That's right.” Gongsun Kang nodded.

“Why are you not staying as King of Liaodong and becoming General Wuwei?” Cao Cao asked.

Gongsun Kang replied awkwardly. “Prime Minister. This is because you are magnanimous.”

“Haha.” Cao Cao laughed indifferently. Whether to attack Gongsun Du or not was a matter of his whims. Cao Cao would not even need to dispatch his entire army. He just needed to send the Xiandengying and another one hundred thousand troops. With the support of Hebei's four provinces and the Central Plains, Gongsun Du was nothing.

“Hmph! You think you can just switch titles like this?” Xiahou Dun shouted. “Our Lord gave him an official seal and he threw it onto the ground! He'd better just wash his neck and wait!”

Cao Cao did not admonish Xiahou Dun this time because he had the same thought.

Gongsun Du had insulted him. Cao Cao would not be able to discipline the others if he allowed Gongsun Du to get away with it.

“My father regrets his actions.” Gongsun Kang immediately knelt down. “He sends gifts as an apology.”

“Gifts? Our Lord doesn't need whatever trash you brought from Liaodong!” Xiahou Dun scoffed. “Our Lord has a vast territory and plenty of resources. He can buy anything!” Xiahou Dun was determined to fight.

“General. My father asked me to bring these gifts. It is really something you cannot buy with money.” Gongsun Kang replied.

“What is it?” Cao Cao was a little interested. He wanted to see how much Gongsun Du was willing to pay to buy his own head.

“Prime Minister. My father brought fifteen thousand sets of armor and thirty thousand swords. We hope for your forgiveness.” Gongsun Kang said to Cao Cao.

“Haha. Fifteen thousand sets of armor and thirty thousand swords? Our army of three hundred thousand already have countless weapons and armor. Why would we want yours? What a joke!

“Generals. What I brought are no ordinary weapons and armor but the ones from Yangzhou.” Gongsun Kang explained.

“Yangzhou's weapons and armor?” Cao Cao was shocked but his eyes glinted excitedly.

Cao Cao was familiar with how powerful Yangzhou's equipment were. It was because of those equipment that the Yuan brothers managed to give him so much trouble. After capturing Fanyang, their first action was not to hunt down the Yuan brothers but to find these equipment. The Yuan brothers bought about ten thousand sets but they only managed to find two thousand. The remaining were either taken away by the Yuan brothers or destroyed.

Now Gongsun Kang claims to have brought fifteen thousand armors and thirty thousand swords of such quality.

“Are you speaking the truth?” Even Xiahou Dun was shocked.

“Every word is true.” Gongsun Kang replied.

“With Liaodong's wealth, how can you afford so many weapons and armor?” Cheng Yu asked and the others also nodded. Cao Cao also learned the price those equipment were sold for from the captives. The armor was worth a hundred gold. In the black market, they go for at least five hundred gold. The swords and armor here would equal to at least two million gold. Was Liaodong so rich? If so, it would be better to conquer Liaodong. Then all of the riches would be Cao Cao's.

“It's a misunderstanding!” Gongsun Kang also thought of this and started to sweat. If he could not explain himself, Cao Cao would definitely attack Liaodong out of greed.

“These equipment didn't cost much!” Gongsun Kang said the wrong thing in his attempts to explain himself. His words made it sound as though the ridiculous amount of money needed to buy these equipment was not much to Liaodong. After many attempts to explain himself, Cao Cao and the others got the real story.

Gongsun Kang was a traitor who robbed Yangzhou after Yangzhou allowed them to become a middleman and make money. Although they despised the acts of the Gongsun Family, they were still happy to accept Yangzhou's equipment.

As a result of this, Gongsun Kang was given the title Marquis of Xinyang. Cao Cao even invited him to Xudou as an official. It was clear that Cao Cao wanted to use him as a political hostage.

Of course, Gongsun Kang would not go. However, to reassure Cao Cao, he made his son a disciple of a scholar serving under Cao Cao and had Cao Cao take him to Xudou.

As Cao Cao believed that Gongsun Du was already old and would not last much longer, he agreed to prevent the situation in Liaodong from changing too much.

After the equipment was received, he ordered his elites, the Tiger Cavalry and Dajishi to be reequipped. Though the armor was heavy, they were lighter than their previous heavy armor. When using the previous armor, they had to bring a seperate horse to carry the armor than change before battle.

The Tiger Cavalry and the Dajishi took fifteen thousand swords, leaving the others to fight for the remaining fifteen thousand. Everyone wanted the new equipment as they were not stupid. These new swords were much better than their old ones.

The new equipment brought Cao Cao's strength to new heights. The foreign tribes were already in trouble as the newly equipped Tiger Cavalry and Dajishi were heading towards them.

Gongsun Du's residence also changed from the residence of the King of Liaodong to the residence of General Wuwei.

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