Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 725 Reunion
Liu Bei had already occupied Yizhou at this time. He smiled and said, "Mr. Yuan, although I have just taken Yizhou, my soldiers are willing to serve Dong Zhuo. I am willing to work with you to eliminate the traitor." Yuan Shao looked at Liu Bei and was a little afraid that he could take Yizhou, but he still said, "Uncle Liu is famous for his benevolence and righteousness. With his help, we have a better chance of winning."

Jia Changsheng cupped his hands and said, "Lord Yuan, our Jingzhou army is also ready and will obey your orders." Yuan Shao smiled and said, "Lord Jia has made great achievements in governing Jingzhou, and the Jingzhou army must be well-trained. I hope Lord Jia can offer more advice for this operation."

After the greetings, everyone began to quietly test each other. Cao Cao's eyes flickered as he looked at Sun Quan and said, "General Sun, Jiangdong has been developing rapidly recently, and I heard that the navy is even more powerful. In this campaign, General Sun's navy will be of great use. I just wonder what General Sun thinks of the future situation in the world?"

Sun Quan understood Cao Cao's intention to test him, smiled slightly, and said: "General Cao, the world is in chaos now, and the princes are rising up. We should first defeat Dong Zhuo and restore the Han Dynasty. As for the future, we should follow the will of the people and protect the country and the people." After hearing this, Cao Cao nodded slightly, but he was thinking about Sun Quan's true thoughts in his heart.

Gongsun Zan said to Liu Bei, "Uncle Liu, you have just obtained Yizhou. Yizhou has a dangerous terrain and rich resources. I wonder what your uncle's plans are next?" Liu Bei was alert and said, "General Gongsun, I am wholeheartedly devoted to restoring the Han Dynasty. Now my priority should be to defeat Dong Zhuo. As for Yizhou, it is only to provide a foundation for restoring the Han Dynasty. After we get rid of Dong Zhuo, we will make long-term plans." Gongsun Zan listened and seemed to be thinking about something.

Seeing that everyone was testing each other, Jia Changsheng said to Yuan Shao: "Mr. Yuan, this time we are going to attack Dong Zhuo, the coalition forces are large in number, and we need clear command and division of labor to maximize the combat effectiveness. I wonder if Mr. Yuan has any plan in mind?" Yuan Shao's heart moved, thinking that Jia Changsheng was testing his leadership ability, so he said: "Mr. Jia is right. I have made a preliminary plan, and I will discuss it with you in detail after the banquet. In this campaign, all the princes need to cooperate closely and cannot act on their own."

Sun Quan looked at Jia Changsheng and said, "Mr. Jia, Jingzhou is located at a strategic location with convenient transportation. I heard that Mr. Jia governed Jingzhou and the economy is prosperous. I wonder if you have any good ideas?" Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "General Sun, you are too kind. Jingzhou can be what it is today because it pays attention to people's livelihood, develops agriculture and commerce, and recruits talents. General Sun governs Jiangdong in an orderly manner, and I believe he has many good ideas." After hearing this, Sun Quan laughed and stopped asking questions.

Liu Bei said to Cao Cao, "General Cao, Yanzhou and Yuzhou are becoming increasingly powerful under your governance. General Cao must have a good plan for this crusade against Dong Zhuo." Cao Cao understood what Liu Bei meant and said, "Uncle Liu, Dong Zhuo is powerful now, so we need to act with caution. I think the most urgent task is to find out Dong Zhuo's defenses, then look for his weaknesses and win with one blow." Liu Bei nodded in agreement, and the two had their own plans in mind.

On the surface, the banquet was filled with laughter and joy, and everyone was toasting each other. But secretly, the princes of each party were testing each other's strength, ambition and next plan through verbal confrontation. As the leader of the alliance, Yuan Shao was calm on the surface, but he was also observing everyone's every move, thinking about how to balance the forces of all parties to ensure that the coalition army could successfully defeat Dong Zhuo without causing any one party to expand too much.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Yuan Shao stood up and said in a serious tone: "Everyone, this campaign against Dong Zhuo concerns the lives of the people of the world and our great cause. Although we all have our own thoughts, we still hope that we can work together at this moment. Next, we will discuss the specific battle plan." Everyone nodded, and the atmosphere of the banquet changed from mutual testing to a serious discussion on the campaign against Dong Zhuo. A war that would determine the direction of the world was about to begin in this undercurrent.

On the morning of the second day after Yuan Shao held a banquet to discuss the battle plan, Jia Changsheng summoned his advisers and generals and said solemnly: "Everyone, last night I thought that although the various princes seemed to be united on the surface, they actually had their own thoughts. If we act together with the coalition forces, there will be many constraints and it will be difficult to exert our hands and feet. I intend to lead the army alone and attack Chang'an directly. First, it can avoid the suspicion of internal friction among the coalition forces, and second, it can establish the prestige of the Jingzhou army and obtain greater results."

The counselor Xu Shu nodded and said, "My Lord, you are right. Acting alone is risky, but we can be flexible and act accordingly. With the elite troops of our Jingzhou army, we will definitely be able to achieve something."

General Huang Zhong also clasped his fists and said, "I am willing to go with you, my lord, and I will make sure that Dong Zhuo knows how powerful our Jingzhou army is!"

Therefore, Jia Changsheng wrote a letter and sent it to Yuan Shao's camp, expressing his intention to lead the army to attack Chang'an alone. After receiving the letter, Yuan Shao was a little unhappy, but he thought that Jia Changsheng's move might disrupt Dong Zhuo's deployment and create opportunities for the coalition forces, so he approved his request.

After obtaining Yuan Shao's permission, Jia Changsheng immediately assembled 20,000 elite troops from Jingzhou and set out for Chang'an. The troops were mighty, with flags flying, and the morale of the Jingzhou troops was high and their steps were firm.

When they reached a valley, a spy in front reported: "My lord, a group of bandits, about a thousand people, were spotted ahead, occupying the main road in the valley, and they seemed to be planning to rob people."

Jia Changsheng frowned slightly and asked Xu Shu, "Yuanzhi, how do you think we should deal with this?"

Xu Shu pondered for a moment and said, "My lord, our army is on a tight march and should not get too entangled with the bandits. However, this valley is a must-pass route. If we don't resolve it, it will delay our journey and damage our army's morale. We can first send an envoy to explain the pros and cons and persuade them to give way. If they are stubborn, we can then resolve it with force."

Jia Changsheng nodded, and sent an eloquent soldier to the bandit camp. The messenger arrived in front of the bandit camp and shouted: "I am the messenger under the command of Jia Changsheng, the governor of Jingzhou. Today, our army has been ordered to attack Dong Zhuo. We are passing by here. Please make way quickly and don't make mistakes!"

Upon hearing this, the bandit leader laughed and said, "I know nothing about the Jingzhou Army or the crusade against Dong Zhuo. I built this road and planted this tree. If you want to pass through here, you have to pay me money to get through!"

The messenger continued to persuade, "Now Dong Zhuo is causing chaos in the world, and the people are suffering. Our army is acting for justice, and we are ridding the world of harm. If you help Zhou to commit atrocities, you will surely suffer retribution in the future. It is better to abandon the dark and join the light, and let our army go, which will be a good thing for the people of the world."

The bandit leader's face darkened and he shouted, "Stop talking nonsense! If you keep on talking nonsense, don't blame me for being ruthless!" After that, he waved his hand and the bandits drew their weapons and prepared to attack.

The messenger had no choice but to return and report to Jia Changsheng. After hearing this, Jia Changsheng was furious: "This group of bandits is so ungrateful, it seems that we can only solve it with force. Han Sheng, you lead 2,000 infantrymen to feint from the front to attract the bandits' attention. Zilong, you lead 1,000 cavalrymen to go around the back of the valley and cut off their retreat. Yuan Zhi and I will lead the army in the middle to coordinate and make sure to catch this group of bandits in one fell swoop!"

Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun responded in unison: "We will obey the Lord's orders!"

After Huang Zhong received the order, he quickly led 2,000 infantrymen to rush to the bandit camp. For a moment, shouts and shouts were heard, and dust was flying. The bandits saw the Jingzhou army coming to attack and fought one after another. Huang Zhong took the lead, holding a long knife, and rushed into the enemy camp as if he was in an empty space. Although the bandits were not small in number, they were all a mob, and gradually they could not resist the well-trained Jingzhou army.

The bandit leader was a little flustered when he saw this, but he still tried to stay calm and commanded the bandits to resist. At this moment, there was a shout of killing from the rear. It turned out that Zhao Yun led the cavalry to the back of the valley, and attacked the bandits like a god descending from the sky. The bandits were attacked from both sides and their formation was in chaos. Jia Changsheng saw that the time had come, waved his hand and shouted: "All troops attack!" The Jingzhou army rushed to the bandit camp like a tide. The bandits suffered heavy casualties under the front and back attacks of the Jingzhou army, and they knelt down to surrender.

Jia Changsheng rode up to the bandit leader. Although the bandit leader had been captured, he still looked unconvinced. Jia Changsheng looked at him and said, "I don't want to make things difficult for you, but you are stubborn. Now that Dong Zhuo has not been eliminated and the world is in chaos, you don't want to serve the country, but you are doing evil here. It's really hateful!"

The bandit leader snorted coldly: "What do you mean by serving the country? We are just trying to survive. In this chaotic world, who doesn't work for themselves?"

Jia Changsheng shook his head and said, "You are totally wrong. We are now fighting against Dong Zhuo to restore peace to the world and let the people live and work in peace. If you are willing to turn over a new leaf, I can spare your life and let you join my army to work for the people of the world together."

After hearing this, the bandit leader was moved. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Are you serious? If we join your army, will you not treat us unfairly?"

Jia Changsheng said solemnly: "I, Jia Changsheng, always keep my word. As long as you sincerely repent and abide by military discipline, my Jingzhou Army will not treat you unfairly."

The bandit leader looked around and saw that many of his brothers were killed or wounded. He sighed in his heart and said, "Okay, we are willing to surrender." After that, he led the bandits to kneel and kowtow.

Jia Changsheng ordered his men to properly place the bandits, and the injured bandits were treated by the military doctors of the Jingzhou Army. Afterwards, Jia Changsheng said to the bandits: "From today on, you are a member of my Jingzhou Army. I hope you can turn over a new leaf, fight bravely, and carve out a bright path for yourself and the people of the world." The bandits responded in unison: "We are willing to listen to your orders, lord!"

After dealing with the bandits, Jia Changsheng led the Jingzhou Army to continue to march towards Chang'an. After this incident, the morale of the Jingzhou Army was even higher. They knew that what awaited them ahead was not only the heavy task of defeating Dong Zhuo, but also a great journey to fight for justice. The addition of this group of bandits also injected new strength into the Jingzhou Army. Under the leadership of Jia Changsheng, they will write the legend of the Jingzhou Army together.

After Jia Changsheng subdued the bandit group of 1,000 people, he learned that there were two more bandit groups nearby, totaling 3,000 people, and the Jingzhou army he led had only 3,000 people. At this time, the army was temporarily stationed, and Jia Changsheng summoned Xu Shu, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun and other generals and advisers to discuss whether to subdue the two bandit forces in the tent.

Jia Changsheng looked solemn, and was the first to speak: "Everyone, now we know that there are two gangs of bandits nearby, with a total of 3,000 people. Although our army has just subdued one group of bandits, the overall number is still small. If we can also take these two gangs under our command and strengthen our strength, it may be of great benefit to our crusade against Dong Zhuo. However, this matter requires careful planning. I wonder what your opinions are?"

Xu Shu stroked his chin, thought for a moment and then said, "My Lord, it is a feasible strategy to subdue the bandits and expand our forces. However, there are quite a few of these two bandits, and we don't know their temperaments and ideas. We can send people to investigate first, understand their strength, internal situation and attitude towards our army, and then make a decision."

Huang Zhong clasped his fists and said, "My lord, I believe that our Jingzhou army is well-trained and can win even if we attack head-on. However, there will inevitably be casualties, and it will waste time and energy, delaying the march. If we can persuade them to surrender, that would be the best."

Zhao Yun nodded in agreement: "General Huang is right. But we need to be strategic when it comes to surrender. We can use courtesy first and then force. We can send people to persuade them to surrender. If they refuse, we can use force to intimidate them."

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly and looked at everyone: "What Yuanzhi said about spying is very crucial. Zilong, select a few capable spies and find out the details of these two gangs of bandits as soon as possible."

Zhao Yun accepted the order and said, "Yes, my lord!"

A few days later, the spies sent by Zhao Yun returned and reported in detail the situation of the two gangs of bandits. It turned out that the two gangs of bandits were entrenched in two mountain strongholds. One was called Black Wind Stronghold, with 2,000 bandits. The leader was called Wang Meng, who was brave and warlike, but righteous and often robbed the rich to help the poor. The other was Wild Wolf Stronghold, with 1,000 bandits. The leader was called Li Ba, who was cruel and committed many evil deeds.

After listening to the spy's report, Jia Changsheng called everyone together again to discuss. Xu Shu said, "My lord, Wang Meng, the leader of the Black Wind Village, is chivalrous and righteous. Perhaps we can persuade him to surrender. We can send someone who is eloquent to explain the pros and cons to him, and tell him about the justice of our army's attack on Dong Zhuo, and invite him to work together for the welfare of the people of the world. As for Li Ba of the Wild Wolf Village, he is cruel by nature and may be difficult to persuade to surrender. If necessary, we can only use force to deal with it."

Huang Zhong shouted, "I am willing to lead a team of soldiers to attack the Wild Wolf Camp and capture Li Ba!"

Jia Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "We must not act rashly. Wild Wolf Village is in a strategic location, easy to defend but difficult to attack. If we attack by force, our army will suffer heavy losses. First, follow Yuan Zhi's advice and send people to persuade Black Wind Village to surrender. If successful, we can use the power of Black Wind Village to deal with Wild Wolf Village together."

Therefore, Jia Changsheng selected a counselor with outstanding eloquence in the army and went to Heifeng Village with generous gifts. The counselor came to Heifeng Village, stated his purpose, and asked to meet with the village owner Wang Meng. Wang Meng heard that Jia Changsheng had sent someone to come, so he ordered someone to bring the counselor to the village.

When the counselor saw Wang Meng, he bowed and said, "I have heard of the reputation of the chivalrous leader Wang for a long time. Today I see that he is indeed worthy of his reputation. Dong Zhuo is now causing chaos in the world, causing the people to suffer. My master Jia Changsheng is a righteous man. He led the Jingzhou army to fight against Dong Zhuo and save the people of the world from the dire situation. I heard that the leader Wang is robbing the rich to help the poor. I think he must be a man with great righteousness in his heart. If he can join our army to fight against Dong Zhuo, he will surely accomplish great things and leave his name in history."

(End of this chapter)