Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 695 Goal
"Are we just going to sit there and wait for death?" Gongsun Zan slammed the table, a trace of anger flashing in his eyes, "I, Gongsun Zan, have fought on the battlefield for many years, how could I be afraid of that brat Yuan Shao!"

"My lord, please calm down. That is not what I meant." Tian Kai quickly stood up and knelt on one knee. "I think we can unite with Qingzhou to fight against Yuan Shao. Qingzhou Governor Tian Kai has always been on good terms with us, and he is well aware of Yuan Shao's ambitions. If we propose a joint fight against Yuan, he will definitely agree."

"General Tian is right," said the strategist Guan Jing. "Qingzhou has fertile land and a large population. If we can unite, our strength will be greatly enhanced. Moreover, if Yuan Shao wants to attack us, he will definitely be hesitant and dare not act rashly."

"But alliance is easier said than done." Gongsun Zan frowned and said slowly, "Although our alliance with Qingzhou can enhance our strength, we also need to solve many problems. For example, after the alliance, who will command the coalition forces? How will food and grass be supplied? If these problems are not solved, I am afraid that the alliance will be just a piece of paper."

"My lord, we can discuss the issue of command with Qingzhou." Guan Jing pondered for a moment and said, "In my opinion, my lord is famous and our Youzhou army has always been at the forefront in the fight against Yuan Shao. Therefore, the command of the coalition should be in your hands. As for the supply of food and grass, we can each be responsible for the food and grass of our own army. If there is a shortage, we can discuss solutions together."

"Well, this plan is feasible." Gongsun Zan nodded slightly, "But we still need to consider Yuan Shao's reaction. If he finds out that we have joined forces with Qingzhou, he will definitely find ways to destroy our alliance. How should we deal with it?"

"My lord, we can contact Qingzhou secretly and try to avoid Yuan Shao's attention." Tian Kai said, "At the same time, we can strengthen the defense of the border to prevent Yuan Shao from sending troops to attack."

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Gongsun Zan stood up and said with a firm look, "I have decided to send an envoy to Qingzhou to discuss with Tian Kai about joining forces to fight against Yuan. This matter concerns the life and death of Youzhou, so we must act with caution."

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

A few days later, Gongsun Zan's envoy arrived in Qingzhou secretly. After Tian Kai learned of Gongsun Zan's intention, he pondered in his heart. He knew that Yuan Shao was ambitious, and if he did not unite with Gongsun Zan, Qingzhou would be annexed by Yuan Shao sooner or later. But after the alliance, how to ensure that the interests of Qingzhou would not be harmed? This made him hesitant.

"Governor Tian, ​​Yuan Shao is now very powerful. If we don't unite, we will definitely be defeated one by one." Gongsun Zan's envoy said sincerely, "General Gongsun has always respected Governor Tian. This time he sent me here in the hope that we can work together with Governor Tian to fight against Yuan Shao."

Tian Kai pondered for a long time, and finally said: "I agree with the alliance. But I have one condition, the command of the coalition forces must be jointly controlled by me and General Gongsun, otherwise, I will not be able to rest assured."

After the envoy returned to Youzhou, he informed Gongsun Zan of Tian Kai's conditions. Gongsun Zan's face changed slightly after hearing this, and he felt a little unhappy. He believed that he had made great contributions in the fight against Yuan Shao, and the command of the coalition should belong to him. But he also understood that if he did not agree to Tian Kai's conditions, the alliance would be difficult to achieve.

"My lord, although Tian Kai's conditions are a bit harsh, for the sake of the overall situation, we might as well agree to him." Guan Jing persuaded, "As long as we can unite and fight against Yuan Shao together, the issue of command can be put aside for the time being. It won't be too late to discuss it slowly after defeating Yuan Shao."

After weighing the pros and cons, Gongsun Zan finally decided to agree to Tian Kai's conditions. So he sent an envoy to Qingzhou again and signed an agreement with Tian Kai to jointly resist Yuan.

After the agreement was signed, Gongsun Zan and Tian Kai began to prepare for the joint fight against Yuan. Gongsun Zan actively recruited soldiers in Youzhou and expanded the army. At the same time, he strengthened the city defense construction and stored food and weapons. Tian Kai also organized the army in Qingzhou, trained soldiers, and prepared for battle.

However, their every move did not escape the eyes and ears of Yuan Shao. When Yuan Shao learned the news of Gongsun Zan's alliance with Qingzhou, he was furious. He knew very well that after Gongsun Zan and Qingzhou joined forces, their strength would be greatly enhanced. If he did not take action quickly, it would pose a great threat to him.

"My lord, the alliance between Gongsun Zan and Qingzhou is extremely disadvantageous to us. We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible." said the strategist Guo Tu.

"Humph, do they think they can resist my army by uniting together?" Yuan Shao sneered, "I want to see how long they can hold out!"

"My lord, we can first send people to alienate the relationship between Gongsun Zan and Qingzhou, causing them to quarrel among themselves," Guo Tu suggested. "At the same time, we can gather a large army and be ready to attack them at any time."

"Okay, let's do as you say." Yuan Shao nodded. "Send people to Qingzhou to spread rumors that Gongsun Zan wants to annex Qingzhou. At the same time, send orders to generals such as Yan Liang and Wen Chou to prepare for the expedition."

Yuan Shao's plan to sow discord soon spread throughout Qingzhou. After hearing the rumors, Tian Kai began to waver. He was worried that Gongsun Zan would really annex Qingzhou, so he began to doubt the idea of ​​joining forces to fight against Yuan.

Gongsun Zan was very anxious when he learned about this. He knew that if Tian Kai's doubts were not eliminated as soon as possible, the plan to unite against Yuan might fail. So he went to Qingzhou in person to explain to Tian Kai in person.

"Governor Tian, ​​those rumors are Yuan Shao's conspiracy. He wants to alienate us and make us kill each other." Gongsun Zan said sincerely, "We are united to fight against Yuan Shao and protect our people. If we have an internal conflict because of these rumors, wouldn't it be Yuan Shao's wish?"

Tian Kai listened to Gongsun Zan's words, and his doubts gradually disappeared. He knew that Gongsun Zan's words were true, and if they did not unite, Qingzhou and Youzhou would find it difficult to protect themselves.

"General Gongsun, I was overthinking it." Tian Kai said ashamedly, "Since we have signed an agreement to jointly fight against Yuan Shao, we should work together to fight against Yuan Shao."

"Well, it's great that Governor Tian understands this." Gongsun Zan said happily, "As long as we unite as one, Yuan Shao will surely be defeated!"

After this incident, the relationship between Gongsun Zan and Qingzhou became closer. They jointly formulated a battle plan to prepare for Yuan Shao's challenge. A war was about to break out.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the situation was changing rapidly, and various forces were vying for supremacy in the Central Plains. Yuan Shao, who controlled Jizhou, had a strong army and was ambitious, and set his sights on Gongsun Zan and Qingzhou in the north. Gongsun Zan held Youzhou, and his White Horse Volunteers were feared by all. Although Tian Kai, the governor of Qingzhou, was slightly weaker, he was determined to resist Yuan Shao's invasion by relying on the geographical advantages and the people's hearts. The three forces were on the verge of a war, and a war was imminent.

Yuan Shao's tent was brightly lit, with counselors and generals gathered. Yuan Shao sat in the main seat with a stern look on his face. After scanning everyone, he slammed the table and said, "Everyone, Gongsun Zan has colluded with Qingzhou in an attempt to stop my hegemony. Today, I have decided to send troops to flatten Youzhou and Qingzhou!"

"Our lord is wise!" Yan Liang and Wen Chou shouted in unison. Both of them were fierce generals under Yuan Shao and were highly skilled in martial arts. They were ready to give it a try.

"Wait a minute." Advisor Guo Tu stepped forward and said, "Gongsun Zan's White Horse Volunteers are highly mobile. Qingzhou has a complex terrain. If we attack rashly, our army may be caught in a passive position. In my opinion, we can split the troops into two groups. One group will attack head-on to attract the enemy's main force, and the other group will encircle them and cut off their food and grass supplies."

Yuan Shao pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "This is a great plan. Yan Liang and Wen Chou, you two will lead 30,000 troops to attack Gongsun Zan head-on; Zhang He and Gao Lan, you two will lead 20,000 elite troops to bypass Qingzhou and cut off their food supply. The rest of the generals, follow me and coordinate."

When Gongsun Zan learned of Yuan Shao's dispatch of troops in Youzhou, he looked solemn and immediately summoned Tian Kai and his generals to discuss countermeasures. "Yuan Shao is coming with great force, do you have any strategy to defeat the enemy?" Gongsun Zan looked at everyone with a sharp gaze.

"Although Yuan's army is large, our White Horse Volunteers are no ordinary troops." General Yan Gang stepped forward and said loudly, "I am willing to lead 3,000 White Horse Volunteers to meet the enemy head-on and crush their spirit!"

Tian Kai also stood up and said, "My Qingzhou Army is willing to fight alongside General Gongsun and contain Yuan's army on the flank."

"Okay!" Gongsun Zan waved his hand, "Yan Gang, you lead the White Horse Volunteers to attack from the front; Tian Kai, you lead the troops to assist on the flank; I will lead the main force and provide support at any time. We must ensure that Yuan Shao will not return!"

The battlefield was filled with smoke and the shouts of killing were deafening. Yan Liang and Wen Chou led the Yuan army to attack in a mighty force, with flags flying and swords and spears standing in rows, looking fierce and aggressive. Yan Gang was not afraid at all. He rode a nimble white horse, holding a long spear, and led the three thousand white horse volunteers like a white torrent, rushing towards the Yuan army.

"Kill!" Yan Gang roared, and the spear in his hand stabbed straight at Yan Liang like a dragon emerging from the sea. Yan Liang sneered, waved his sword, and easily blocked Yan Gang's attack. The two fought back and forth, and the battle was indisputable.

The White Horse Volunteers galloped across the battlefield. They were skilled in riding and archery. For a time, Yuan's army was thrown into disarray. However, Yan Liang and Wen Chou were veterans of the battlefield and quickly stabilized the situation and commanded Yuan's army to launch a counterattack. Yuan's archers drew their bows and shot arrows, and a dense rain of arrows flew towards the White Horse Volunteers like locusts.

Seeing this, Yan Gang quickly ordered the White Horse Volunteers to disperse and avoid the rain of arrows. He was secretly anxious, knowing that it would be difficult to win in a head-on battle, and he had to find the flaws of Yuan's army as soon as possible.

At the same time, on the Qingzhou battlefield, Zhang He and Gao Lan led Yuan's army to quietly approach the Qingzhou army's grain camp. After hearing the news, the Qingzhou army garrison quickly organized troops to resist.

"Brothers, we must defend the grain camp to the death and never let Yuan's army succeed!" the defending general shouted loudly, waving his sword.

The Qingzhou army relied on the defensive fortifications of the grain and grass camp to engage in a fierce battle with Yuan's army. Zhang He and Gao Lan were anxious after seeing that they could not take the city after a long siege. Gao Lan rolled his eyes and said to Zhang He: "General Zhang, such a strong attack is not a solution. We can pretend to retreat, lure the Qingzhou army out of the city, and then set up an ambush to annihilate them."

Zhang He nodded in agreement, so Yuan's army pretended to be defeated and retreated. The Qingzhou garrison commander saw Yuan's army retreating and thought it was an opportunity, so he led his army out of the city to pursue them.

"Chase! Don't let Yuan's army escape!" The defending general took the lead and led the Qingzhou army to chase after them.

When the Qingzhou army chased to a valley, they suddenly heard a cannon shot, and Zhang He and Gao Lan led the ambush troops to attack from both sides. The Qingzhou army was immediately surrounded and the battle was in chaos.

"Oh no, we're ambushed!" The general was horrified and quickly ordered the Qingzhou army to break out. However, Yuan's army had already surrounded the valley tightly, and the Qingzhou army could not break out no matter how hard they tried.

On the Youzhou battlefield, Gongsun Zan saw that Yan Gang was in a tough fight with Yuan's army, so he immediately led his main force to support him. When Yuan Shao saw Gongsun Zan personally leading his army, he also led his central army to meet him.

"Gongsun Zan, today is the day you die!" Yuan Shao pointed at Gongsun Zan and shouted loudly.

"Yuan Shao, you are too ambitious. I will definitely defeat you today!" Gongsun Zan showed no sign of weakness. He rushed towards Yuan Shao, waving the iron spear in his hand.

The two armies immediately engaged in a chaotic battle, with swords flashing and blood flying everywhere. The battlefield was filled with smoke, shouts of killing and screams intertwined, making people shudder.

Although Gongsun Zan's White Horse Volunteers were brave, Yuan's army was large in number and well-equipped. Under the fierce attack of Yuan's army, the White Horse Volunteers gradually could not resist.

"My lord, Yuan's army is too strong. We can't hold on any longer!" Yan Gang, covered in blood, retreated to Gongsun Zan and said anxiously.

"No, we can't retreat!" Gongsun Zan gritted his teeth and said, "Tian Kai's Qingzhou Army is still on the flank, we must hold on and wait for their support!"

At this time, Tian Kai led the Qingzhou army to the battlefield. Seeing that Gongsun Zan's army was in trouble, Tian Kai immediately led the Qingzhou army to attack Yuan's army from the flank. Yuan's army was attacked from both sides and immediately fell into chaos.

"Kill! For Qingzhou, for Youzhou!" Tian Kai waved a broadsword and led the Qingzhou army to charge towards Yuan's army.

Yuan Shao saw that the situation was not good, and hurriedly ordered the Yuan army to retreat. Yan Liang and Wen Chou stayed behind to cover the retreat of the main force of Yuan's army.

"Hmph, I'll spare your life today, but I will capture you alive next time!" Gongsun Zan shouted as he watched Yuan Shao's retreating back.

On the Qingzhou battlefield, Zhang He and Gao Lan saw that Yuan Shao's main force was retreating and had no intention of fighting anymore, so they led Yuan's army to retreat. The Qingzhou garrison saw Yuan's army retreating, so they quickly reorganized their troops and returned to the city to defend.

In this battle, Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan and the Qingzhou army fought hard and both sides suffered heavy losses. Although Yuan Shao failed to achieve his goal of conquering Youzhou and Qingzhou, he also dealt a huge blow to Gongsun Zan and the Qingzhou army. Although Gongsun Zan and the Qingzhou army successfully resisted Yuan Shao's attack, they were also seriously injured and needed time to recover their strength.

After the war, Yuan Shao retreated to Jizhou and summoned his advisers to discuss the next plan.

"Although we didn't win this time, we did let Gongsun Zan and the Qingzhou army know how powerful we are." Yuan Shao's face was gloomy, and he said, "Everyone, do you have a plan to defeat the enemy?"

(End of this chapter)