Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 728 Unstoppable
An official said: "Sir, Lü Bu is a fierce general. His army is coming with great force. Our Yanmen County is weak and it is difficult to resist. It is better to open the city and surrender to save the people from the disaster of war."

Han Rong hesitated. He was unwilling to give up his territory easily, but he was afraid of Lü Bu's reputation. At this time, Lü Bu sent a letter, which stated that he only wanted to gain a foothold in Bingzhou and had no intention of making things difficult for the people. If Han Rong opened the city and surrendered, he would guarantee him wealth and honor. Han Rong thought about it again and again, and finally decided to open the city to welcome Lü Bu.

After entering the city, Lü Bu treated Han Rong with courtesy and kept his promise. He comforted the people and posted notices to show that he would protect the territory and the people so that the people could live in peace. At the same time, Lü Bu incorporated Han Rong's army into his own command to strengthen his own strength.

After taking Yanmen County, Lü Bu's reputation spread quickly in Bingzhou. Some counties and prefectures heard that Lü Bu treated surrendered people well and had strict military discipline, so they took the initiative to submit. However, not all counties and prefectures were willing to surrender easily.

Wang Yong, the governor of Dingxiang County, not far from Yanmen County, was a tough man. He believed that Lü Bu was a murderer of his master and was a despicable person, so he was determined to resist Lü Bu. Wang Yong summoned the troops in the county, strengthened the city defenses, and prepared to fight Lü Bu to the death.

When Lu Bu learned that Wang Yong refused to surrender, he was furious and said, "Wang Yong is so ignorant that he dares to go against me. I will make him know how powerful I am!" So Lu Bu left part of his troops to garrison Yanmen County and personally led the army to attack Dingxiang County.

At the foot of Dingxiang City, Lu Bu came to the front of the battle line alone and shouted: "Wang Yong, you are a nobody, how dare you try to stop my army. If you know what's good for you and surrender early, I will spare your life. Otherwise, when the city is captured, you will die without a burial place!"

Wang Yong climbed up to the top of the city wall and shouted, "Lü Bu, you are a fickle villain who killed his master for fame and glory. You deserve to be killed. I will fight you to the death!"

After hearing this, Lü Bu was furious and ordered an attack on the city. Suddenly, shouts of killing were heard everywhere, and Lü Bu's army rushed towards Dingxiang City like a tide. The defenders on the city fought desperately, and arrows and stones fell like raindrops. Lü Bu led the soldiers, holding the Fang Tian Hua Ji, and led them to bravely attack the city.

The battle was extremely fierce. Although Lü Bu's army was brave, the defense of Dingxiang was strong and difficult to break through. Lü Bu saw this and came up with a plan. He asked his soldiers to pretend to retreat and lead Wang Yong out of the city to pursue. Wang Yong saw that Lü Bu's army was retreating and thought he had an opportunity, so he opened the city gate and led his army to pursue.

Seeing that Wang Yong had fallen into a trap, Lü Bu gave an order to set up ambushes. Wang Yong's army was immediately surrounded and in chaos. Lü Bu turned his horse and attacked, as if he was in an empty space, and Wang Yong's army suffered heavy casualties. Wang Yong saw that the situation was not good, so he hurriedly led his army back to the city, but the city gate had been occupied by Lü Bu's soldiers. Wang Yong had no choice but to abandon the city and flee.

Lü Bu successfully captured Dingxiang County, and he once again appeased the people and reorganized the army. After this battle, Lü Bu's reputation grew even more, and the surrounding counties surrendered one after another.

As Lü Bu continued to capture cities, his power expanded rapidly in Bingzhou. However, Lü Bu also knew that in order to truly occupy half of Bingzhou, he still had to deal with some potential threats. In the north of Bingzhou, there was a Xiongnu force that often invaded the border. Lü Bu decided to deal with this Xiongnu force first to prevent future troubles.

Lü Bu left Chen Gong and other advisers to govern the counties he had occupied, while he led 30,000 elite troops to the north to fight against the Xiongnu. When the Xiongnu learned of Lü Bu's arrival, they assembled 20,000 cavalry and prepared to fight Lü Bu.

The two armies faced each other on the grassland. The Xiongnu Chanyu looked at Lü Bu's army with some contempt in his heart. He thought Lü Bu was just a famous general who didn't understand grassland warfare. However, Lü Bu had carefully planned the tactics.

At night, Lu Bu sent Gao Shun to lead 5,000 infantrymen to sneak around the rear of the Xiongnu camp and prepare for a surprise attack. He led the cavalry to make a feint attack from the front. When the Xiongnu army was attracted by Lu Bu's frontal attack, Gao Shun's infantry rushed out from the rear, and the Xiongnu camp was immediately in chaos. Lu Bu took the opportunity to lead the cavalry to rush into the camp, and the Xiongnu army was immediately defeated.

In this battle, Lü Bu won a great victory, killing thousands of Xiongnu and seizing a large number of horses, food, and weapons. The Xiongnu Chanyu led the remnants to flee in a panic and dared not invade the Bingzhou border again in the short term.

After several battles, Lü Bu successfully occupied large areas of land in the south and middle of Bingzhou, almost occupying half of Bingzhou. In the occupied areas, he implemented a series of policies to develop the economy, recruit soldiers, forge weapons, and gradually grow his power. Lü Bu knew that this was just the beginning of his hegemony. In this chaotic world, there are more challenges waiting for him. He must continue to strengthen himself in order to occupy a place in the disputes among the princes.

When Yuan Shao learned that Lü Bu had occupied half of Bingzhou in such a short time, he was so angry that he slammed the table and shouted, "How dare this traitor Lü Bu seize Bingzhou right under my nose! How can I, Yuan Shao, allow him to be so presumptuous!"

The counselor Feng Ji hurried forward and advised: "My lord, calm down. Lü Bu has already established himself in Bingzhou and has 50,000 soldiers. We should not underestimate him. We need to take a long-term view and make plans before we act."

Yuan Shao looked gloomy, pacing back and forth, and said: "I have a strong army in Jizhou, so how can I be afraid of Lu Bu? I just don't know how to send troops to recapture Bingzhou in one fell swoop."

At this time, Shen Pei stood up and said, "My lord, Lü Bu has just occupied Bingzhou and his foundation is not stable. We can take the initiative and gather a large army. We can divide the troops into three groups. One group will make a feint attack from the front to attract Lü Bu's main force; one group will go around to the flank to cut off his food supply; and another group will surprise attack Lü Bu's important town in the rear, so that he can't take care of both the front and the rear. In this way, we will surely defeat Lü Bu."

Yuan Shao pondered for a moment and said, "Although this plan is brilliant, Lu Bu is very brave and his soldiers are not ordinary people. A frontal feint attack may cause too many losses. We need to select a brave general to take on this task."

Yan Liang clasped his fists and asked, "My lord, I am willing to lead an army to launch a feint attack. I will make sure that Lu Bu will not dare to underestimate my Jizhou army!"

Yuan Shao looked at Yan Liang and nodded, saying, "Okay, General Yan is extremely brave, so I'll give this important task to you. But you must not underestimate the enemy and must work closely with the other two armies."

Wen Chou also stepped forward and said, "My lord, I am willing to lead the army around the flank and cut off Lü Bu's food supplies. I will definitely live up to your trust!"

Yuan Shao said: "I am confident that General Wen will do his job. Food and fodder are the lifeblood of the army. We must successfully cut them off and put Lü Bu's army in trouble."

Zhang He said, "My lord, a surprise attack on the rear town is extremely important. I am willing to take on this responsibility. However, I need to know the details of Lü Bu's rear defenses before I can strike with one strike."

Yuan Shao turned to look at Feng Ji and said, "Yuan Tu, you are responsible for this matter. Send someone to find out the details of Lü Bu's troop deployment and food storage in Bingzhou. Don't be careless."

Feng Ji responded: "Don't worry, my lord. I will do my best to get it done."

At this time, Guo Tu said, "My lord, although Lü Bu is brave, he is a man of courage but no strategy. In addition to military attacks, we can also send people to sneak into Bingzhou to alienate the relationship between Lü Bu and his subordinates. Lü Bu is suspicious by nature. If there is internal turmoil among his people, our army can attack again and achieve twice the result with half the effort." Yuan Shao's eyes lit up and said, "This is a great plan. Who should we send to carry out this alienation plan?"

Guo Tu thought for a moment and said, "Xu You is resourceful and eloquent. If he is allowed to go, he will be able to do the job."

Yuan Shao nodded and said, "Okay, I will order Xu You to sneak into Bingzhou and try to alienate Lü Bu from his subordinates. But we must be extremely cautious about this matter and not let any news leak out."

Xu You stepped forward and said, "My lord, rest assured that I will fulfill my mission. I will make Lü Bu kill each other internally, creating a good opportunity for our army to attack."

Yuan Shao then said to everyone: "Retaking Bingzhou this time is related to the prosperity and decline of Jizhou. You must work together and not make any mistakes. After defeating Lu Bu and taking back Bingzhou, I will definitely reward you according to your merits!"

All the generals responded in unison: "We will obey the orders of our lord!"

Yuan Shao continued, "Although our army is ready to go out, we must also guard against other princes taking advantage of the situation. Shen Pei, you stay in Jizhou, strengthen the city defenses, and reorganize the military to prevent any unexpected events."

Shen Pei said: "My lord, rest assured that I will defend Jizhou and ensure the safety of our rear."

After Yuan Shao made all the arrangements, the army began to gather. Yan Liang led 20,000 elite soldiers as a frontal feint force and set out first. They marched all the way to the border of Bingzhou occupied by Lu Bu.

Wen Chou led 15,000 cavalrymen and quietly circled to the flank, looking for the best time and place to cut off Lu Bu's food supplies.

Zhang He selected 10,000 elite infantrymen and prepared to launch a surprise attack on an important town in the rear of Lu Bu after waiting for Feng Ji to send detailed intelligence.

Xu You disguised himself and sneaked into Bingzhou with a few trusted men. He knew that this mission was difficult and that his life would be in danger if he was discovered by Lu Bu. But for the sake of Yuan Shao's hegemony, he decided to take the risk.

In Bingzhou, Xu You inquired about Lü Bu and his subordinates, looking for a way to sow discord. He learned that Gao Shun, a general under Lü Bu, was loyal and upright, and loyal to Lü Bu, but Lü Bu was sometimes suspicious of Gao Shun because of his upright character. Xu You felt that this was a great opportunity.

Xu You managed to get in touch with Gao Shun's subordinates and secretly spread rumors that Lu Bu was dissatisfied with Gao Shun and wanted to seize his military power. He also hinted that if Gao Shun did not make plans early, disaster would befall him. These rumors gradually spread among Gao Shun's army, and the soldiers were panicked.

Gao Shun was worried when he learned about this. Although he was loyal to Lü Bu, he was also worried that Lü Bu would believe the rumors and harm him. Just when Gao Shun was hesitant, Xu You managed to send an anonymous letter to Lü Bu, saying that Gao Shun wanted to collude with foreign enemies and betray Lü Bu.

Lu Bu was suspicious by nature, and after reading the letter, he became even more suspicious of Gao Shun. He began to secretly investigate Gao Shun, which made the morale of Lu Bu's army unstable and the internal conflicts gradually intensified.

At this time, Yan Liang's feint attack troops had arrived at the border of Bingzhou. Yan Liang ordered to set up camp at the border and sent people to challenge and insult Lu Bu every day. Lu Bu was furious and wanted to lead the army to fight. Chen Gong hurriedly dissuaded him, saying, "My lord, don't be impulsive. Yuan Shao's troops are coming in many directions this time, and a direct challenge may be a trick. We need to hold on to the camp and wait for the opportunity."

Although Lü Bu was reluctant, he still followed Chen Gong's advice. However, Yan Liang's challenge made Lü Bu feel irritated and uneasy, and coupled with his suspicion of Gao Shun, his mood became extremely unstable.

At the same time, Wen Chou led the cavalry to find a grain storage site of Lü Bu on the flank. After observing the terrain, he decided to launch a surprise attack at night. When night fell, Wen Chou gave an order and the cavalry rushed to Lü Bu's grain camp like a tiger descending from a mountain. The soldiers guarding the camp were unprepared and immediately fell into chaos. Wen Chou led his troops to fight bravely and burned Lü Bu's grain.

When Lü Bu learned that his food and grass had been burned, he was extremely anxious. At this time, he received news that an enemy army was attacking a key town in the rear. It turned out that Zhang He, after receiving the intelligence sent by Feng Ji, led his infantry to attack the key town in the rear. Lü Bu was caught in a dilemma of being attacked from both sides.

Gao Shun, on the other hand, felt that Lü Bu did not trust him and felt very distressed. Although he wanted to explain to Lü Bu, he was afraid that Lü Bu would not listen. At this time, Xu You secretly contacted Gao Shun again and persuaded him to surrender to Yuan Shao, saying that Yuan Shao loved talents and would not treat him unfairly. Gao Shun was shaken and did not know what to do.

Yuan Shao was closely following the battlefield situation. He was delighted to learn that Xu You's strategy of sowing discord seemed to have worked, and the morale of Lü Bu's army was unstable. The armies of Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Zhang He were also progressing smoothly. He said to the generals, "It seems that Lü Bu is in trouble. If we work harder, we will definitely be able to recapture Bingzhou!" So Yuan Shao ordered the three armies to step up their attacks and defeat Lü Bu in one fell swoop to recapture the lost land of Bingzhou. A battle to determine the ownership of Bingzhou entered a white-hot stage.

Lü Bu was facing Yuan Shao's multi-pronged attack in Bingzhou, and the situation was precarious. He knew that he could not resist Yuan Shao's army with his own strength alone. If he did not want to sit and wait for death, he had to seek external help. After thinking about it, he felt that Cao Cao might be a person he could win over. Lü Bu thought that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao had long had a grudge. If he could persuade Cao Cao to contain Yuan Shao, he could relieve the pressure and even have a chance to turn defeat into victory. So Lü Bu hurriedly sent an eloquent envoy to Yanzhou in secret to ask Cao Cao for help.

The messenger rode at full speed and finally arrived in Yanzhou. After seeing Cao Cao, he hurriedly presented Lu Bu's letter and said, "General Cao, General Lu Bu is now besieged by Yuan Shao's army in Bingzhou, and the situation is critical. General Lu Bu knows that General Cao and Yuan Shao have always had conflicts. If Yuan Shao annexes Bingzhou, his power will surely increase greatly, which will be extremely disadvantageous to General Cao. General Lu Bu begs General Cao to send troops to contain Yuan Shao and resolve this crisis. If successful, General Lu Bu is willing to form an alliance with General Cao to fight against Yuan Shao together."

After reading the letter, Cao Cao fell into deep thought. At this time, Guo Jia, Xun Yu and other counselors were all beside him. Cao Cao asked: "Everyone, Lu Bu asked for help, how should we deal with this matter?"

Xun Yu was the first to speak: "My lord, Yuan Shao's power is huge. If he annexes Bingzhou, it will indeed pose a greater threat to us. Although Lu Bu is not a good person, he is fighting with Yuan Shao at the moment. If we help him, we can let them check and balance each other, and buy us time and space for development."

Guo Jia nodded slightly and continued, "Wen Ruo is right. But Lu Bu is fickle and cannot be trusted. Although we can send troops to contain Yuan Shao, we must also be on guard against Lu Bu's backlash in the future. This time, we need to make three rules with Lu Bu to ensure our interests."

(End of this chapter)