Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 702 Reactions from all parties
Xu You's face darkened, and he retorted, "Guo Gongze, if you have a better idea, you might as well tell us. In the current situation, if we don't unite with them, what else can we do? Are we going to sit back and watch Jia Shisan grow stronger in Bingzhou?"

Guo Tu straightened his back and said confidently: "In my opinion, we don't need to join forces with others. The lord has many soldiers and generals under his command. We can first concentrate our forces to defeat Cao Cao or Gongsun Zan, and then focus on dealing with Jia Shisan. In this way, we can avoid the many troubles caused by joining forces with multiple parties, and defeat them one by one, and achieve the lord's hegemony."

Yuan Shao listened to the arguments and became increasingly annoyed. He waved his hand and said, "Stop arguing! Let me think about it." The tent suddenly became quiet, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Yuan Shao's decision.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the tent. A soldier hurried in, knelt on one knee, and reported: "My lord, Cao Cao sent an envoy to see you." Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao was startled at first, then sneered: "Humph, this Cao Cao, could it be that he knows that Jia Shisan has occupied Bingzhou and wants to negotiate peace with me?"

Tian Feng said: "My lord, no matter what Cao Cao does, let's listen to what he says first." Yuan Shao nodded and signaled the soldiers to bring the messenger in.

The messenger entered the tent, bowed respectfully to Yuan Shao, and said, "General Yuan, my master was deeply worried when he heard that Jia Shisan occupied Bingzhou. Now that various forces are fighting each other, Jia Shisan took the opportunity to rise up. He is indeed our common enemy. My master suggests that we temporarily put aside our grievances and unite to fight against Jia Shisan. After dealing with Jia Shisan, we can discuss other things."

After hearing this, Yuan Shao thought to himself: This Cao Cao is indeed the same as Xu You said, he wants to unite with me to fight against Jia Shisan. But is there a trick? He looked at Tian Feng, who nodded slightly, indicating that Yuan Shao could consider it.

Yuan Shao looked at the other counselors and generals and asked, "What do you think?" Yan Liang was impatient and said loudly, "My lord, no matter what conspiracy Cao Cao has, we have a strong army and horses, why should we be afraid of him! Why don't we agree to him first, and then deal with him after defeating Jia Shisan." Wen Chou also echoed, "Brother is right, my lord, let's do it this way."

Yuan Shao pondered for a moment and said to the messenger, "Go back and tell Cao Cao that I can consider an alliance with him, but the specific matters still need to be considered carefully." The messenger took the order and left.

After the messenger left, Yuan Shao fell into deep thought again. At this time, Ju Su slowly said: "My lord, Cao Cao is a man of many tricks. We must guard against his alliance. We can first reach a verbal agreement with him, and at the same time secretly strengthen our defenses to prevent him from taking advantage of the opportunity to launch a sneak attack."

Yuan Shao nodded and said, "You are right. But we cannot ignore Gongsun Zan. If we can convince him to join the alliance, we will be more confident in dealing with Jia Shisan."

Therefore, Yuan Shao sent an envoy to Gongsun Zan to express his intention to unite against Jia Shisan. Gongsun Zan was also shocked when he learned that Jia Shisan occupied Bingzhou. After discussing with his adviser Guan Jing, he decided to temporarily agree to Yuan Shao's request for an alliance.

In this way, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Gongsun Zan formed a temporary alliance to fight against Jia Shisan. Jia Shisan also learned about the three-party alliance in Bingzhou. He smiled and said to his generals: "Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Gongsun Zan finally couldn't sit still. However, it's not so easy to join forces to deal with me."

In Yuan Shao's tent, everyone discussed again how to attack Bingzhou. Tian Feng said, "My lord, after Jia Shisan occupied Bingzhou, he will definitely strengthen the defense. We can't attack rashly. We need to send people to explore Bingzhou's strengths and weaknesses, understand its troop deployment, food reserves, etc., and then formulate a detailed battle plan."

Yuan Shao nodded in agreement and immediately sent several elite scouts to Bingzhou. A few days later, the scouts came back and reported: "My lord, Jia Shisan has strengthened the city defense in Bingzhou, built many defensive fortifications, and set up ambushes at various important roads. His food and grass reserves are sufficient, and it will be difficult to break through in the short term."

After hearing this, Yuan Shao frowned even more. Guo Tu said, "My Lord, since a strong attack won't work, we can use a trick. Jia Shisan has just arrived, and the people of Bingzhou may not be truly loyal to him. We can send people to sneak into Bingzhou, spread rumors, disturb the people, and at the same time bribe the generals under Jia Shisan to disintegrate him from within."

Xu You disagreed and said, "Guo Gongze, your plan is good, but it is too risky. If Jia Shisan discovers it, we will not only return empty-handed, but also suffer heavy losses. In my opinion, we can gather troops around Bingzhou and make a strong attack to attract Jia Shisan's main force to the border. Then, send an elite force to bypass and attack Bingzhou's rear and cut off its food supply line. In this way, Jia Shisan will be in chaos without fighting."

After a long debate, Yuan Shao finally decided to adopt Xu You's strategy. He ordered Yan Liang and Wen Chou to lead the army to assemble at the border of Bingzhou and prepare for a strong attack. At the same time, he sent Zhang He and Gao Lan to lead an elite force to attack Bingzhou from behind.

After Jia Shisan learned of Yuan Shao's deployment in Bingzhou, he sneered in his heart: "Yuan Shao, do you think you can fool me with this little trick?" On the one hand, he strengthened the border defense to resist the attacks of Yan Liang and Wen Chou; on the other hand, he sent a capable general to lead a special force to set up an ambush on the road that Zhang He and Gao Lan had to pass.

Zhang He and Gao Lan led their troops, along the mountain path, cautiously heading towards the rear of Bingzhou. They thought they were sneaking around without anyone noticing, but they had already fallen into Jia Shisan's trap. When they entered the ambush circle, Jia Shisan's ambush troops suddenly rushed out, and for a moment, shouts of killing shook the sky, and arrows rained down. Zhang He and Gao Lan were horrified and quickly organized their soldiers to resist. However, as they were surrounded, the soldiers panicked, their formation was in chaos, and they gradually could not resist.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhang He said to Gao Lan, "General Gao, we have fallen into a trap. We cannot stay here for long. Let's retreat quickly!" The two led the remaining troops, fought hard to carve out a bloody path, and fled in a panic.

At the same time, at the border of Bingzhou, Yan Liang and Wen Chou launched a fierce attack on Bingzhou's defense line. They led the soldiers to charge, but Jia Shisan's defenders relied on their solid fortifications to resist tenaciously. Yan Liang and Wen Chou failed to capture the city and suffered heavy losses.

When Yuan Shao learned that Zhang He and Gao Lan's sneak attack had failed and Yan Liang and Wen Chou's attack had been blocked, he was furious and said, "This Jia Shisan is really abominable! I swear to tear him into pieces!"

Tian Feng saw this and advised again: "My Lord, a strong attack is unlikely to work now, and our army has suffered heavy losses. It is better to withdraw our troops for the time being and make long-term plans. We can engage in a protracted war with Jia Shisan, consume his food and manpower, and attack him when he is exhausted." Yuan Shao was already in a difficult situation. He was unwilling to retreat, but he had no other choice. He looked at the generals and counselors in the tent, hoping that someone could come up with another clever plan.

At this time, Xu You stood up and said, "My lord, I have another plan. Since Jia Shisan occupies Bingzhou, he must have had some dealings with the surrounding forces. We can send people to contact those forces and let them contain Jia Shisan from behind. At the same time, we continue to gather troops on the border of Bingzhou and keep the pressure on him so that Jia Shisan can't take care of both ends."

After hearing this, Yuan Shao thought this plan was feasible, so he immediately sent people to contact the forces around Bingzhou. However, most of these forces were afraid of Jia Shisan's strength and did not dare to offend him easily, so they all took a perfunctory attitude towards Yuan Shao's proposal.

Yuan Shao's plan failed again, and he fell into a deep dilemma. At this time, Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan also began to waver in their alliance. Cao Cao was worried that Yuan Shao would become stronger in the process of fighting against Jia Shisan, and would be difficult to deal with in the future; Gongsun Zan wanted to take the opportunity to expand his territory and was unwilling to devote all his efforts to the war against Jia Shisan.

After Yuan Shao learned about Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan's attitudes, he became more and more worried. He realized that this fight with Jia Shisan was much more difficult than he had imagined. And he had to make the right choice in this complicated situation, otherwise his hegemony would be completely shattered.

In the following days, Yuan Shao tried to maintain his alliance with Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan while continuing to look for opportunities to attack Bingzhou. Jia Shisan was also constantly strengthening the defense and expanding his forces in Bingzhou, preparing for Yuan Shao's next round of attack. The two sides fell into a stalemate, and the dark cloud of war still hung over Bingzhou for a long time.

In that turbulent and unpredictable era, the news that Jia Shisan occupied Bingzhou was like a huge rock thrown into a turbulent lake, causing a thousand waves and quickly causing an uproar among the princes. Even Dong Zhuo, who was lurking in Chang'an, could not help but look at him sideways.

In Jiangdong, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were discussing the plan of naval training and territory expansion in the tent. A soldier hurried into the tent, knelt on one knee, and presented a secret letter. Sun Ce took the letter, unfolded it and read it, his face changed slightly, and handed the letter to Zhou Yu: "Gongjin, look, this Jia Shisan actually took Bingzhou in one fell swoop, the situation is getting more complicated."

Zhou Yu took the letter, read it carefully, frowned slightly, and said after thinking for a moment: "This Jia Shisan is decisive. After occupying Bingzhou, his power should not be underestimated. However, Bingzhou is far away from Jiangdong, and it does not pose much threat to us in the short term. But Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Gongsun Zan formed an alliance to deal with him. This fight will probably last for a long time. We can take this opportunity to expand our strength and consolidate the foundation of Jiangdong."

Sun Ce nodded, with a hint of heroism in his eyes: "Gongjin is absolutely right. Pass the order down, intensify the training of the navy, and at the same time send people to closely monitor the situation in the Central Plains. As soon as there is a chance, we will expand our territory westward." After that, he looked at the letter again, thinking to himself: In this chaotic world, only by constantly strengthening ourselves can we remain invincible in this ever-changing situation.

In Jingzhou, Liu Biao was discussing farming and city defense with his advisers Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue. After hearing the news that Jia Shisan occupied Bingzhou and Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Gongsun Zan had formed an alliance, Liu Biao stroked his beard and looked worried: "The situation in the world is becoming more and more chaotic. Jia Shisan occupied Bingzhou, and Yuan Shao and others formed an alliance to attack. I'm afraid the war will get more and more intense."

Kuai Liang stepped forward, bowed and said, "My lord, Jingzhou is located at a strategic point and has always been a battleground for military strategists. Now that various forces are fighting endlessly, we must strengthen the city defense and store food and grass to prevent the war from spreading here. At the same time, we can send people to deal with all parties, remain neutral, and wait and see what happens. When the situation becomes clear, we can make plans."

Liu Biao nodded slightly: "Well, Zirou is right. But I don't know what impact this alliance will have on Jingzhou, so we need to pay close attention." Kuai Yue went on: "Don't worry, my lord, I have arranged people to plant spies in various parties, and I will report any news in time." Liu Biao let out a long sigh, leaned back in his chair, looked at the sky outside the window, and prayed silently in his heart that Jingzhou would be safe and sound in this chaotic world.

Yizhou is strategically located and easy to defend but difficult to attack. After Liu Zhang learned that Jia Shisan had occupied Bingzhou, he discussed countermeasures with Zhang Song, Fa Zheng and other advisers. Liu Zhang was worried: "Jia Shisan has risen so quickly, and now he has attracted an alliance with Yuan Shao and others. I'm afraid the world will be in chaos. How should we in Yizhou respond?"

Zhang Song said in a shrill voice: "My lord, don't panic. Yizhou is in a strategic location and they won't be able to get in for a while. We can close the pass and strengthen defense. At the same time, we can send people to get information and see how the situation develops." Fa Zheng shook his head slightly and retorted: "Yongnian is wrong. Now that various forces are fighting, it is a good opportunity for us to expand our strength. We can secretly contact some weaker princes, form an alliance with them, and jointly deal with possible threats. At the same time, we can also strengthen governance within Yizhou, develop the economy, recruit soldiers, and enhance our own strength."

Liu Zhang hesitated and looked at Zhang Song, then at Fa Zheng: "What you said makes sense, but..." Before he could finish, Zhang Song interrupted him: "My lord, Fa Zheng's idea is good, but the risk is too great. We should focus on defense first and wait and see how the situation develops." Liu Zhang finally listened to Zhang Song's advice and decided to strengthen Yizhou's defense first and wait and see.

In Xiliang, Ma Teng and Han Sui discussed countermeasures in their tent after learning that Jia Shisan had occupied Bingzhou. Ma Teng looked serious: "Jia Shisan suddenly rose to power, and Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Gongsun Zan have united to deal with him. The situation has become complicated. How should we in Xiliang respond?"

Han Sui sneered, "Humph, this is a fight between the princes of the Central Plains. What does it have to do with us in Xiliang? We only need to guard our own territory and strengthen the training of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. If anyone dares to invade, they will be defeated." Ma Teng shook his head and said, "That being said, we can't just sit back and watch. Jia Shisan has occupied Bingzhou and his strength has greatly increased. There is no guarantee that he won't have ideas about us in Xiliang. We still have to be on guard. At the same time, we can also send people to contact other princes to see if we can find opportunities for cooperation."

The two discussed for a long time and finally decided to strengthen Xiliang's defense and train cavalry on the one hand; on the other hand, send envoys to various princes to inquire about the news and seek the possibility of cooperation.

In Chang'an, Dong Zhuo was furious in the Grand Tutor's Mansion and threw the wine glass in his hand to the ground. "Where did this wild boy Jia Shisan come from? How dare he rise up in this chaotic world and occupy Bingzhou! Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan and others are also useless. They even united to deal with him, but they still couldn't take him down!"

(End of this chapter)