Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 734 The plan was successful

These words soon spread among Yuan Shao's soldiers. The soldiers discussed them privately and were in panic.

The group heading to the vicinity of Cao Cao's camp was no exception. They disguised themselves as woodcutters and villagers, and deliberately talked loudly on the road that Cao Cao's army had to pass by.

"Have you heard? Yuan Shao is not an honest guy. On the surface, he is cooperating with General Cao, but in fact, he has already colluded with Gongsun Zan and Lu Bu. When the fight between General Cao and Jia Changsheng is almost over, they will take advantage of it." said a soldier who looked like a woodcutter.

A villager nearby echoed, "Oh, what should we do? General Cao must not be tricked by Yuan Shao."

These rumors gradually spread in Cao Cao's army, and the soldiers' trust in Yuan Shao began to waver.

However, after a few days, Xu Shu found that the spread of rumors had slowed down and the effect was not as expected. He immediately called the leaders of several groups back to discuss.

Xu Shu said: "At present, although the rumor has spread, the effect is not ideal. The enemy seems to be beginning to be alert. We need to change our strategy."

A person in charge said: "General, the enemy is now very wary of strangers, and it is difficult for us to spread the news as easily as before."

Xu Shu pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, let's change our approach. Don't spread the rumor as a stranger anymore. Find a way to infiltrate the enemy. For example, pretend to be a surrendered soldier, or pay off some small leaders in the enemy to help spread the rumor. Also, add some details to make the rumor sound more credible."

Everyone took the order and set out again. This time, they successfully infiltrated the armies of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao through various means. Some pretended to be surrendered soldiers, and in the enemy's camp, when chatting with other soldiers, they exaggerated the "conspiracy" of Cao Cao or Yuan Shao. Others bribed some small leaders to spread more detailed and misleading rumors among the soldiers.

For example, in Yuan Shao’s army, a “surrendered soldier” said: “When I was in Cao Cao’s camp, I heard Cao Cao and his advisers discuss with each other. They said that when the battle between Yuan Gong and Jia Changsheng was almost over, they would cut off Yuan Gong’s food supply, and then they and Jia Changsheng would attack Yuan Gong from the front and back.”

In Cao Cao's army, a small leader said to his soldiers: "I have received accurate information that Yuan Shao has reached an agreement with Gongsun Zan and Lu Bu. When we and Jia Changsheng are both defeated, they will unite to deal with us. Everyone, be careful."

After these changes and efforts, rumors quickly spread again in the armies of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and became more and more outrageous. The trust between the soldiers was seriously damaged, and the morale of the army began to waver. Although Yuan Shao and Cao Cao noticed something strange in the army, it was difficult to find out the source of the rumors for a while, and it was impossible to eliminate the impact of these rumors in a short time. Xu Shu successfully spread rumors to create chaos for the coalition forces of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and bought Jia Changsheng precious time and opportunity to deal with this crisis.

Rumors were spreading among Yuan Shao's army, and the morale of the army was in turmoil. When Yuan Shao heard these rumors, he was extremely anxious. He was already suspicious of Cao Cao, and now he heard these news, he was even more restless, fearing that Cao Cao would give up the plan to jointly deal with Jia Changsheng and turn to attack him.

Yuan Shao immediately summoned Shen Pei and said anxiously, "Zhengnan, there are rumors in the army that Cao Cao wants to betray us and collude with Jia Changsheng. Although it is difficult to tell whether this is true or not, we must guard against it. Cao Cao is treacherous and suspicious. If he really has this intention, our army will be in danger. You should quickly make arrangements and deploy troops on the border to prevent Cao Cao's surprise attack."

Shen Pei received the order and said solemnly, "Don't worry, my lord. This matter is of great importance. I will do it immediately. However, if we do this, our forces to deal with Jia Changsheng may be dispersed, and our offensive against Yangzhou will also be weakened."

Yuan Shao frowned and gritted his teeth and said, "I can't care about so much now. Cao Cao's threat is imminent. If we don't prepare, we may encounter unexpected events. First, ensure the safety of our army. As for Jia Changsheng, we can only act according to circumstances."

Shen Pei acted quickly. He dispatched Yan Liang and Wen Chou to lead 20,000 elite soldiers to the border area bordering Cao Cao. After receiving the order, Yan Liang and Wen Chou did not dare to slack off and immediately organized the army to set out. Along the way, the army was mighty and raised a lot of dust. After arriving at the border, Yan Liang and Wen Chou commanded the soldiers to quickly set up camp, dig trenches, and arrange deer horns to build a solid line of defense.

Yan Liang looked at the busy soldiers and said to Wen Chou, "General Wen, our lord has ordered us to guard the border strictly to prevent Cao Cao from making any moves. Will Cao Cao really betray our lord as the rumors say?"

Wen Chou snorted coldly and said, "Cao Cao has always been fickle. It is better to believe that he is true than not to believe that he is false. We should be careful and not be careless."

At the same time, Cao Cao also noticed Yuan Shao's movements. When Cao Cao learned that Yuan Shao had deployed troops on the border, he was secretly angry. He understood that Yuan Shao must have believed the rumors and became defensive against him.

Cao Cao summoned Guo Jia and said angrily, "Fengxiao, Yuan Shao has deployed troops on the border and is on high alert against us just because of a few rumors. How can we deal with Jia Changsheng with peace of mind?"

Guo Jia smiled and said, "My lord, please don't be angry. Yuan Shao is suspicious by nature, and he will be on guard when rumors start. However, this also shows that our strategy of alienation has worked. But at the moment, we are indeed in a dilemma. If we forcibly attack Jia Changsheng, Yuan Shao will be watching us from behind; if we confront Yuan Shao, we are afraid that Jia Changsheng will become more powerful in Yangzhou."

Cao Cao paced back and forth, thinking, and said, "Then what do you think should be done?"

Guo Jia pondered for a moment and said, "My lord, we might as well keep our troops in place for now and send someone to communicate with Yuan Shao to show our sincerity and eliminate his doubts. At the same time, keep a close eye on the movements of Yuan Shao and Jia Changsheng. If Yuan Shao relaxes his vigilance, we can continue to join forces to deal with Jia Changsheng; if Yuan Shao insists on being our enemy, we will make other plans."

Cao Cao nodded and said, "That's the only way. But who should we send to communicate with Yuan Shao? We need to be cautious and not anger Yuan Shao."

Guo Jia said: "Xun Yougongda is resourceful and eloquent, so he is the most suitable person to go."

Cao Cao agreed and immediately summoned Xun You, saying, "Gongda, Yuan Shao is now on high alert against our army because of the rumors. You should go to Yuan Shao's camp and tell him that I have no intention of betraying him. We should continue to work together to deal with Jia Changsheng. Be careful with your words."

Xun You took the order and went to Yuan Shao's camp with several followers. After meeting Yuan Shao, Xun You saluted and said, "Mr. Yuan, Mr. Cao was very worried when he heard that Mr. Yuan had deployed troops on the border. Mr. Cao and Mr. Yuan joined forces to deal with Jia Changsheng together, and there was no other intention. Those rumors were all Jia Changsheng's tactics to sow discord and destroy the alliance between our two families. I hope Mr. Yuan will understand." Yuan Shao's face was gloomy, and he said, "Mr. Xun, Cao Cao's mind is unpredictable. Now there are rumors in the army, and I have to be on guard. If Cao Cao really wants to cooperate with me, why didn't he make his attitude clear first, but let me suspect it?"

Xun You hurriedly said, "Lord Yuan, when Lord Cao heard about the rumor, he wanted to send someone to explain it immediately, but he was afraid that Lord Yuan would be angry and the result would be counterproductive. Now Lord Cao has strengthened military discipline and thoroughly investigated the source of the rumor. He is determined to crush Jia Changsheng's conspiracy. I hope Lord Yuan can trust Lord Cao, and we can work together to solve the problem of Jia Changsheng first."

Yuan Shao thought for a long time and said, "Although what Xun Gong said makes some sense, I still need to be cautious. Go back and tell Cao Cao that if he really wants to cooperate, he should take concrete actions and not do anything that would arouse my suspicion."

Xun You had no choice but to say goodbye. After returning to Cao Cao's camp, Xun You relayed Yuan Shao's words to Cao Cao. After hearing this, Cao Cao sighed and said, "Yuan Shao is suspicious by nature. It seems that it will be difficult to eliminate his doubts for the time being. Now we can only stabilize the situation and wait for the opportunity."

Yuan Shao, fearing Cao Cao, deployed troops on the border and dared not launch a large-scale attack on Jia Changsheng easily; Cao Cao was also unable to deal with Jia Changsheng with all his strength due to Yuan Shao's defense. Jia Changsheng took the opportunity to consolidate his power in Yangzhou, strengthen the city defense, and train soldiers. A delicate game between Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Jia Changsheng fell into a stalemate, and the development of the situation became more complicated and confusing.

Jia Changsheng keenly realized that the stalemate between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao gave him a brief opportunity to develop in Yangzhou. However, Sun Quan had a deep foundation in Yangzhou, and it was not easy to defeat him completely by himself. After careful consideration, Jia Changsheng set his sights on Shi Xie, the governor of Jiaozhou. Jiaozhou was vast, and if he could form an alliance with Shi Xie and attack Sun Quan from both north and south, his chances of winning would be greatly increased. Therefore, Jia Changsheng decided to write a letter in person and send his eloquent and trusted adviser Deng Zhi to Jiaozhou.

Deng Zhi took Jia Changsheng's handwritten letter and traveled day and night to finally arrive in Jiaozhou. When Shi Xie learned that Jia Changsheng's envoy from Jingzhou had come, he was curious and hurriedly welcomed Deng Zhi into his palace.

After the host and the guest sat down, Shi Xie looked at Deng Zhi and asked, "I have heard of Mr. Jia's great name for a long time. What is the purpose of sending you here this time?"

Deng Zhi smiled slightly, took out the letter from his bosom, handed it to Shi Xie, and said: "Shi Gong, my master Jia Changsheng has admired you for a long time. This time, I was specially sent here to discuss important matters. Now the world is in chaos, the princes are fighting, and Sun Quan has occupied Yangzhou and has his own army. My master is in Jingzhou and has always been concerned about the people of the world. He wants to get rid of the treacherous and bring peace to the people. Sun Quan's power is growing day by day and has posed a threat to the surrounding states. Jiaozhou borders Yangzhou, and I believe Shi Gong is also worried."

Shi Xie frowned slightly, took the letter, and said as he read it: "Mr. Jia, do you want to join me in dealing with Sun Quan? But Sun Quan has been managing Yangzhou for many years, his foundation is solid, and he has many talented people under his command. It may not be easy to confront him rashly."

Seeing that Shi Xie was worried, Deng Zhi said hurriedly, "Shi Gong is right. Sun Quan is indeed very powerful. But my master thinks that if our two families unite and attack from both north and south, Sun Quan will be in trouble. My master has already taken Changsha and other places in Yangzhou, and his army is in full swing. Jiaozhou has strong soldiers and horses, and sufficient food and grass. If we join hands, we will definitely be able to defeat Sun Quan."

Shi Xie pondered for a moment and said, "That being said, this move is very risky. If the war goes badly, Jiaozhou may be affected. I wonder if Lord Jia has a detailed plan?"

Deng Zhi was delighted, knowing that Shi Xie was ready to cooperate, and hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Master Shi. My master has already made a plan. After we form an alliance, our army will attack from north to south to attract Sun Quan's main force. Master Shi can take this opportunity to send an elite division from Jiaozhou to raid Sun Quan's rear. Sun Quan will surely withdraw troops to defend, and our army will attack with all its strength at this time and will surely win the battle. Moreover, if we can defeat Sun Quan, my master is willing to share the land of Yangzhou with Master Shi. Jiaozhou can also take this opportunity to expand its sphere of influence and become the overlord of the south."

Shi Xie's eyes sparkled, and he was obviously moved by the prospect described by Deng Zhi. But he was still a little hesitant, and said: "This matter is of great importance. Let me discuss it with everyone under my command. Sir, please take a rest first, and I will give you an answer tomorrow."

Deng Zhi said, "Please consider this, Sir. I will wait for good news. However, this matter should be dealt with as soon as possible. Sun Quan has heard about the disputes between my master and Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and I am afraid he is also planning a countermeasure. If we don't act quickly, we may lose the opportunity."

The next day, Shi Xie summoned a group of officials and generals from Jiaozhou to discuss forming an alliance with Jia Changsheng.

A general said: "My lord, although Jia Changsheng is ambitious, it is risky to form an alliance with him. Sun Quan's power is huge. If we intervene rashly, the people of Jiaozhou may be devastated by the flames of war."

Before Shi Xie opened his mouth, another official stepped forward and said, "You can't say that. Sun Quan is ambitious. If he is not curbed, he will be disadvantageous to Jiaozhou sooner or later. Now that Jia Changsheng has taken the initiative to form an alliance, this may be an opportunity. If we can defeat Sun Quan, our Jiaozhou will be able to occupy a more advantageous position in the troubled times."

Everyone was arguing. Shi Xie pondered for a long time, thinking about the future safety of Jiaozhou, and finally made up his mind and said, "Everyone, I have made up my mind. I will form an alliance with Jia Changsheng to deal with Sun Quan together. Jia Changsheng has a certain foundation in Yangzhou, and his plan is quite feasible. If we miss this opportunity, when Sun Quan becomes stronger, Jiaozhou may never be at peace again."

So Shi Xie summoned Deng Zhi again and said, "Mr. Deng, I have discussed with the generals and decided to form an alliance with Lord Jia. However, after the alliance, all actions need to be carefully considered."

Deng Zhi was delighted and said, "Sir, you are wise! My master will definitely cooperate closely with you. Why don't we discuss the specific time and battle plan now?"

Shi Xie nodded and called several trusted generals to discuss with Deng Zhi. After a detailed discussion, the two sides determined the time of sending troops and their respective combat tasks. Deng Zhi said that Jia Changsheng would be ready within a month and take the lead in launching an attack on Sun Quan to attract his main force. Shi Xie agreed that after Jia Changsheng's attack, he would immediately send 30,000 elite troops from Jiaozhou to attack Sun Quan's rear.

After the discussion, Deng Zhi stood up and said goodbye, "Sir, I will return to Jingzhou immediately and tell my master the good news. I believe that with the joint efforts of our two families, we will be able to defeat Sun Quan and create a great cause together."

Shi Xie smiled and said, "Okay, Mr. Deng, have a safe trip. I hope our cooperation will go smoothly."

Deng Zhi returned to Jingzhou and informed Jia Changsheng of Shi Xie's agreement to form an alliance. Jia Changsheng was overjoyed and said, "Great! With Shi Xie's help, we have a better chance of defeating Sun Quan. Pass the order down, and the whole army should step up preparations and send out troops on time in one month according to the plan agreed with Shi Xie!" At this point, Jia Changsheng and Shi Xie successfully formed an alliance, and a war against Sun Quan was quietly opening.

Jia Changsheng is really looking forward to it.

(End of this chapter)