When Ye Zhao saw Guo Jia, it was already mid-July. Zhang Yue had not come back. Chunmanlou was burned by Xun Yu. Then Xun Yu even carried out a major cleaning of Xuchang. Many secret rooms were caught. The secret guards were almost cleaned up in the secret rooms arranged by Xuchang. Zhang Yue wanted to redesign them.

Guo Jia returned under Gu Cheng's escort and fought a battle with the pursuing Cao army in Xingyang. In Xuchang, as long as there are signs of movement, it is difficult to escape Xun Yu's eyes and ears. Yu Jin sent nearly a thousand soldiers to pursue him. Now Cao Cao's main force is stationed in Dongjun, and the troops left in Xuchang must be guarded against Xuchang. One thousand soldiers are already the limit that can be taken out.

As a result, a melee in Xingyang was annihilated by Gu Cheng and the Special Operations Battalion. As the most elite vanguard under Ye Zhao, the special operation battalion was enough to dominate the world, whether it was individual combat power or equipment and weapons. Although the Cao army had many pursuers, it was annihilated by the special operation battalion in less than half an hour in the face of the special operation battalion's attack. Even Guo Jia was amazed at the terrifying combat power.

Ye Zhao and Guo Jia felt that they met too late. It was not that Guo Jia was strong, but that Guo Jia's philosophy was very consistent with Ye Zhao in many aspects. Not to mention the overall situation, as a top strategist, a good overall view is essential. Guo Jia's forward-looking nature is the highest among the strategists Ye Zhao has ever met, and Guo Jia is also quite sharp in speculation about people's hearts. Today, Guo Jia has a clear understanding of the princes, including Ye Zhao himself.

Guo Jia didn't even have a rest, so he chatted with Ye Zhao until the evening. Just like Ye Zhao licking his face and having dinner at Xi Zhicai's mansion, Guo Jia decided to have dinner here very naturally.

Ye Zhao also gave Guo Jia the highest standard of courtesy. All the civil and military officials under Ye Zhao's command in Chang'an, including Man Chong and Xiahou Lan, who were independent of the official system and directly responsible to Ye Zhao, were invited to welcome Guo Jia.

"Fengxiao, how could you pass the teaching exam before?" Ye Zhao looked at Guo Jia and asked with a smile.

"The Lord is so serious. Jia has come to join us. What he said before is just a confirmation and there is no intention of examining the teachings." Feeling the gazes of everyone around him, Guo Jia said with a red heart on his face.

Ye Zhao nodded and said, "But I have two more questions."

"Please tell me clearly, lord." Guo Jia smiled.

"The first question is, if I send troops to Central Plains next year, can I pacify the world?" Ye Zhao asked with a smile at Guo Jia.

Guo Jia nodded and said, "With the momentum of the lord, the majestic troops and horses in Guanzhong are so powerful and the equipment is sophisticated. If the lord sends troops to Guandong and north of the river next year, there should be no problem, but the ministers do not recommend that the lord send troops so quickly."

"Oh?" Ye Zhao looked at Guo Jia with a smile: "Reason."

"The lord played a big game of chess. He has been planning since the Zhongping period. To this day, the entire world has undergone new changes with the continuous growth of Guanzhong. The status of scholars is being hit hardest since Guangwu."

Ye Zhao nodded. This was also the thing he was most proud of over the years, and it had leveraged the status of the aristocratic family.

Guo Jia smiled and said, "If the princes want to fight with the lord, they must follow the lord. In this way, conflicts with the scholars are inevitable. If the lord sends troops at this time and is forced to pressure the lord, the princes will cooperate with the scholars again. Even if the lord wipes out the world, the foundation of the scholars will still be there, and it will take a lot of effort to govern it later. After all, now that the other side is an enemy, if the lord unifies the world and the scholars surrender, they will be ministers. Although the lord wants the minister to die and the ministers are unfaithful, the world will be decided by the beginning and the lord will start killing again, and the lord will inevitably cause turmoil again."

"But if the lord slows down, it takes about three or five years to stop the position of the scholars, the status of the scholars will be completely suppressed by the princes. At that time, the lord will not only be much easier to take over the world, but also will not have any problems with the scholars after the world is wiped out." Guo Jia smiled and said, "Of course, this is just the words of Jia's family and cannot be done accurately."

"This second question." Ye Zhao nodded with satisfaction and looked at Guo Jia and smiled: "Although Zhao was a little conceited, Zhao admired Meng De's ability and was definitely not inferior to me. Moreover, Meng De now occupies the Central Plains. If the population is concerned, I am afraid it is still above me. What's more, Wen Ruo and Fengxiao are old friends. Why did Fengxiao vote for me but not Meng De?"

This is also what Ye Zhao was puzzled. Guo Jia took it too easily. It was not that he was a shameful person. It was just that Cao Cao's current momentum was indeed higher than Ye Zhao. He used the emperor to command the princes and held the name of great righteousness. He was under Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Qingzhou and Xuzhou, all of which were the most populous places. Even after years of wars, only in terms of population, Cao Cao's four prefectures alone had a population of 20 million before the princes attacked Dong. Even now, after so many wars, according to statistics, there was still a population of about 15 million. If Yuan Shao could be completely captured, the population under Cao Cao would be close to 20 million.

Ye Zhao has governed Shu in recent years, conquered Man Yue, sent suits to the Qiang, plundered the population outside the border, and encouraged childbirth. Until now, the population of Guanzhong has only been 14 million.

When the population of Shuzhong expanded, it was mostly sucking blood from Guanzhong. When Ye Zhao conquered Guanzhong, the entire audience and Hedong were only over 2 million. Later, the Xiliang and Bingzhou were subdued, and the total amount was less than one million. Ye Zhao spent all his effort to naturalize, plunder the Xiongnu, Xianbei women and children, and even provoked wars outside the Frontier, destroying the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes in succession, barely enough to reach 14 million.

In the era of cold weapons, population is the potential for war and the source of wealth. Ye Zhao is really not as good as Cao Cao in this regard. If Jizhou is indignant, Cao Cao's population is definitely the largest among the princes today.

Ye Zhao made statistics. Jingzhou has stabilized over the years, but after the Yellow Turbans and wars with Lu Bu or Jiangdong from time to time, the population is about 4 million. Liu Bei in Youzhou is even more unbearable. The Hu people invaded the border, and the previous battle with Gongsun Zan and then fought with Yuan Shao. The entire Youzhou is not in a strong population. After so many wars, it would be good to have a population of 300,000. If it were not for the three counties of Hejian, Bohai, and Zhongshan, Liu Bei would not even be qualified to be faced. As for Jiangdong, many people have moved over the years in the Central Plains. However, before that, Yan Baihu, Wang Lang, Liu Yao, Yuan Shu, and Sun Ce attacked each other, and the population was about 2 million.

So, in the world, the biggest population is Cao Cao and then Ye Zhao. As for other princes, the population under their rule is not as good as any one. Among the two, Cao Cao is stronger in population base and the monarch's abilities are not much different, Guo Jia chose Ye Zhao and was so happy that Ye Zhao was somewhat surprised.

"When the lord and Cao Gong had the hope of the three kings of four generations and three kings, the power of the princes and the leader of the princes, and the place where the money and grain of Jizhou were abundant. At that time, he was the strongest prince, and Jia had also listened to him under his command." Guo Jia did not answer Ye Zhao positively, but instead used Yuan Shao as an example: "How about now?"

"But Meng De was not the beginning." Ye Zhao said with a smile.

"Duke Cao is indeed the hero, but as Jia said before, the lord has already surpassed the princes in his strength in one round. Whether Cao Cao or Liu Bei, every step he took will be greatly hindered." Guo Jia looked at Ye Zhao and said, "However, the lord is different. Although the lord was in trouble every step when he founded his foundation, he has used these ten years to turn the world around and cause irreconcilable contradictions within the princes. Whether it is Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or Sun Ce in Jiangdong, if he wants to compete with the lord, there is only one way to go, suppress scholars with iron-blooded skills, imitate the lord to implement the rule of law, and divide the land..."

Guo Jia smiled bitterly and said, "Like Yuan Shao, Cao Cao's identity has benefited a lot in the early stage, but it is precisely because of this identity that has bound his hands and feet. If there is no lord, the world will remain unchanged. After a hundred decades, Jia will not be able to reverse the world. However, since the lord has appeared and has achieved this point, Jia just wants to end this chaotic world as soon as possible and restore peace to the world. Whether Cao Cao or Liu Bei, it cannot do this."

Just like when Guo Jia was working for Yuan Shao before, every decision would have at least two directions. Two factions fought in a row. Some people wanted to move forward, and some people were bound to move backward. Although it was not obvious to Cao Cao, such problems would still arise as Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao and occupied Jizhou.

Although Cao Cao is more decisive and more independent than Yuan Shao, this problem will not disappear.

Although Ye Zhao also had factional disputes, on external issues, it was basically Ye Zhao, Xi Zhicai, Li Ru, and Fa Zheng who made the decision that Ye Zhao had absolute control over his own power. Whether it was Liu Bian or the famous scholars who came from various places in Guandong later could not affect Ye Zhao's decision. This was difficult for Cao Cao to do. He had to rely on the scholarly class, which also led to many times that Cao Cao had to compromise on some issues.

In fact, to put it bluntly, in Guo Jia's eyes, the difference between Cao Cao and Ye Zhao is not the difference between the two themselves, but the difference between the execution capabilities and governance of the two forces.

The new policy on Ye Zhao has been completed, just like the Qin State after Shang Yang's reforms. Cao Cao is still using the old system. Even if there is any reform, he is still cautious. He cannot make a big move like Ye Zhao. If this continues, the longer the time, the stronger the Ye Zhao will be. Cao Cao and other princes will be busy with open and secret struggles with the scholars for a long time.

Although Cao Cao still has the great righteousness of the emperor, based on Guo Jia's understanding of Ye Zhao, Ye Zhao has brought Liu Bian by his side for so many years, not just for the name of King Yong. He may have a trump card in his hand. At least in this regard, Ye Zhao will not be weaker than Cao Cao. Overall, unless Cao Cao can destroy Ye Zhao now, the longer the time, the bigger the gap between the two sides will be. As Guo Jia said, he hopes that the world can stop the war as soon as possible. It is naturally not surprising that he chooses Ye Zhao's side.

"Okay!" Ye Zhao smiled and raised the wine cup and said, "What Fengxiao said is deeply loved by my heart. I drink this wine cup all over and will not return tonight without getting drunk!"
Chapter completed!