"yes!"
Xu You nodded in agreement.
Soon, news of Yuan Shu leading his troops into Xuzhou reached Cao Cao's ears, and Cao Cao, who was eating at the time, was immediately enraged.
He slammed the food he was holding onto the table and roared, "That scoundrel Yuan Shu, how dare he attack my Xuzhou?!"
The people around were immediately terrified and knelt down, saying, "My lord, please calm your anger!"
Xun Yu said with a serious expression, "Yuan Shu must be allied with Yuan Shao. If we don't help Xuzhou, we may lose Xuzhou as well as Qingzhou."
"I believe we can send someone to contact Sun Ce and ask him to launch a surprise attack on Nanyang!"
Upon hearing Xun Yu's words, Cao Cao's expression returned to normal, and he scraped the rice that had fallen on the table back into his bowl.
"Wenruo is absolutely right, but I think Sun Ce has probably already sent out his troops!"
Sun Ce and Yuan Shu had a blood feud involving the murder of their fathers. How could he possibly give up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
"My lord is wise, but Sun Ce's chances of success in this surprise attack on Nanyang are not high!" Xun Yu suggested again.
"Oh? Why?" Cao Cao asked, puzzled.
Xun Yu cupped his hands and replied, "The troops in Jiangdong are mostly naval forces, totaling no more than fifty or sixty thousand men. Although Yuan Shu is incompetent, he still has many capable men under his command."
Cao Cao thought for a moment and said, "Wenruo is right. Shall we help Sun Ce?"
"My lord is wise!" Xun Yu said with a cupped hand.
With a little guidance from Xun Yu, Cao Cao understood, and realized that if he wanted to help Sun Ce succeed, he would have to ask Xiahou Dun for a hand.
"Pass on my order: Xiahou Dun must hold out for twenty days. Even if Xuzhou is lost after twenty days, I will credit him with the greatest merit. If he can't hold out, he shall bring me his head!" Cao Cao solemnly instructed.
Xiahou Yuan felt bitter upon hearing this, but said nothing and went to carry out the order.
Cao Cao turned around, looked at Xun Yu, and said gratefully, "Wenruo, you've worked hard this time. Thank you for reminding me."
Xun Yu shook his head and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. This is all within my duty!"
Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction and said, "Now that Kong Rong has surrendered, Qingzhou is no longer a concern. The most important thing is Yuan Shao."
"My lord is being too suspicious again. Although Yuan Shao occupies both Ji and You provinces, he is strong in civil affairs but weak in military affairs!"
"Yuan Shao is a man of many schemes but no decisiveness. Once the two sides clash, we will surely be victorious! I urge my lord not to hesitate any longer!"
Xun Yu's resolute words reassured Cao Cao somewhat.
Cao Cao nodded in approval and said, "Wenruo is a wise and shrewd man. It seems that I was indeed being too suspicious. Issue an order for Cao Ren to lead 80,000 troops to attack Gaoyang County and drive Yuan Shao out of Qingzhou!"
"Yes!" Xun Yu said, clasping his hands in greeting.
Within Qingzhou, a great battle ensued, sparked by the conflict between two powerful figures, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, which plunged the entire province into turmoil.
However, just as Xun Yu said, after the two armies clashed, Yuan Shao's army was instantly routed.
After losing Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Yuan Shao could only rely on Zhang He and Gao Lan, but their ability to command troops was far inferior to the former two.
Gao Lan, in particular, was routed by Cao Ren and fled without daring to engage him in battle.
Therefore, under these circumstances, Yuan Shao's soldiers suffered repeated defeats and were eventually forced by Cao Ren to withdraw from the newly conquered Gaoyang Commandery.
Yuan Shao was furious, but he was helpless; Cao Cao's army was too powerful.
"If either of my generals Yan Liang or Wen Chou were still alive, how could Cao Cao be allowed to act so recklessly!"
Yuan Shao angrily pounded on the desk, venting his anger.
Upon hearing this, Xu You sighed inwardly.
It's too late to say anything now; Yan Liang and Wen Chou have already fallen in battle.
However, Xu You comforted him, saying, "My lord, there is no need to be angry. Although Yan Liang and Wen Chou are dead, the elite of my Yuan army are still here, and we may not necessarily lose to Cao's army."
Xu You's words calmed Yuan Shao down a bit, and he said, "Gao Lan is ultimately no match for Cao Ren."
After Yan Liang and Wen Chou died, the only capable men under Yuan Shao's command were Zhang He, Gao Lan, and Han Meng.
This man was indeed a fierce general, but he lacked the talent to command troops. In terms of martial arts, he was even no less skilled than Zhang He.
"Let Zhang He lead troops to replace Gao Lan. No matter what, we must hold off Cao Cao's army!" Yuan Shao made his decision after a moment's thought.
"Yes, sir!" Xu You immediately accepted the order and went to carry it out.
"My lord, I have a plan that may solve our urgent problem!" Ju Shou suddenly stepped forward and said.
Yuan Shao was delighted upon hearing this and asked, "What brilliant plan do you have, sir?"
"After Dong Zhuo died, his troops were scattered, and now Zhang Xiu is stationed in Wancheng! He still has 10,000 soldiers under his command, of which 3,000 are Xiliang cavalry!"
"Most importantly, Zhang Xiu is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also a capable commander. If our lord could invite him to help attack Cao Cao..."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's eyes lit up, and he said, "If Zhang Xiu can send troops to help, it would indeed be a good thing! Your plan is excellent!"
Ju Shou laughed and said, "If our lord can invite Zhang Xiu, then Cao Cao's army will be attacked from both sides. At that time, we will surely be able to defeat Cao Cao and occupy Qingzhou!"
"But... what if Zhang Xiu is unwilling to participate in the war?"
Ju Shou replied, “My lord, the world is bustling, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for gain.”
"As long as there are benefits that appeal to Zhang Xiu, he has no reason not to send troops!"
"Oh? What does he need most right now?" Yuan Shao asked.
Ju Shou thought for a moment and said, "Supplies! A place to return!"
Zhang Xiu had always followed Dong Zhuo. He had the talent to command troops, but lacked the skill to manage people.
Yuan Shao's eyes lit up instantly. Yes, if he could win over Zhang Xiu, it would be a godsend for him. So he immediately ordered that an envoy be sent to visit Zhang Xiu, and also prepared generous gifts to win him over!
When the envoy arrived in Wancheng and met Zhang Xiu, he told Zhang Xiu the purpose of his visit on behalf of Yuan Shao.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly, seemingly somewhat tempted.
Upon seeing this, the envoy quickly said, "General Zhang, if you can support my lord, after my lord takes Qingzhou, he will surely appoint you as the governor of Qingzhou and grant you land!"
Zhang Xiu never expected Yuan Shao to be so willing to part with such a large sum of money. Ever since Dong Zhuo died, he had been like a headless fly, wandering aimlessly everywhere.
His uncle Zhang Ji also died in the Battle of Red Cliffs. How could he possibly survive in this chaotic world on his own?
Yuan Shao's offer was too tempting for Zhang Xiu, and after much hesitation, he decided to take a gamble.
Just as he was about to agree to Yuan Shao's request, an old man suddenly appeared and stopped him.
"General, you mustn't! Yuan Shao is a man who is good at scheming but indecisive; he is unlikely to achieve great things!"
Zhang Xiu looked in the direction of the voice and quickly said, "Wenhe, Yuan Shao said that as long as I help him conquer Qingzhou, he will appoint me as the governor of Qingzhou! How can I refuse such a generous offer?"
This old man was none other than Jia Xu, whom Lu Li had previously spared his life!
"General, it's better to serve Cao Cao than Yuan Shao!"
Jia Xu earnestly advised, "Cao Cao is a great ruler. If you were to join him, it would be a hundred times better than joining Yuan Shao!"
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