Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 748 Negotiation
Kan Ze hurried forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "I am Kan Ze of Dongwu, meeting Uncle Liu. I have long heard of Uncle Liu's benevolence and virtue, which has spread throughout the world. It is a great honor to meet him today."

Liu Bei smiled and said, "Mr. Kan, there is no need to be so polite. I heard that you have come from afar, so I guess you have something important to discuss?"

Kan Ze stood up and said solemnly, "Uncle, Dongwu is facing a disaster, so I came to ask for your help. Jia Changsheng's power in Jiangdong has increased dramatically recently. He has conquered several cities in Dongwu, and most of Dongwu's territory has fallen into his hands. If Jia Changsheng continues to grow, Dongwu will be destroyed at any time."

Liu Bei frowned slightly and asked, "What does this have to do with me?"

Kan Ze took a step forward and said sincerely: "Uncle, Jia Changsheng is very ambitious. If Dongwu is destroyed, the next target will most likely be you, uncle. If he controls Jiangdong, his strength will increase greatly. When he marches westward, do you think you can easily resist him? Dongwu and uncle are actually a community of shared destiny. Only by working together to fight against Jia Changsheng can we protect each other."

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and said, "Mr. Kan, although that is true, there have been many conflicts between Dongwu and our army in the past. Now that they are in trouble, they come to us for cooperation. Isn't that too utilitarian?"

Kan Ze said hurriedly, "General Guan is right. There were indeed misunderstandings between Dongwu and the emperor's uncle in the past. But now is different from the past. Jia Changsheng has become a common enemy. The situation is critical and we cannot afford to dwell on the past. This time, Lord Sun Quan sincerely hopes to form an alliance with the emperor's uncle to fight against the powerful enemy. After defeating Jia Changsheng, Dongwu is willing to fairly divide its sphere of influence with the emperor's uncle to show its sincerity."

Zhang Fei said in a rough voice: "Humph, Sun Quan is so generous? Is he playing some tricks again?"

Kan Ze quickly explained, "General Zhang, Dongwu is in danger now, and there is really no other way. If we don't form an alliance with the emperor's uncle, Dongwu will perish. Lord Sun Quan knows the pros and cons, so he invited us sincerely. This alliance is also a great opportunity for the emperor's uncle to expand his power and support the Han Dynasty. If Jia Changsheng is eliminated, the situation in the world will change drastically, and the emperor's uncle's great cause can be expected."

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and said slowly, "Mr. Kan, the alliance is a matter of great importance and needs to be carefully considered. Please tell me in detail what Jia Changsheng's power is like."

Kan Ze was delighted, knowing that there was a turning point, so he elaborated in detail on Jia Changsheng's recent military actions, troop deployment, and the threats posed by his expansion to all parties. He was clear and sincere in his analysis of the situation.

After hearing this, Liu Bei pondered for a long time and said, "Sir, let me discuss with you and then make a decision. Sir, you have worked hard on the journey, please go and rest first."

Kan Ze knew that he couldn't rush things, so he bowed and said, "Thank you, uncle. I hope you can make a decision as soon as possible. The people of Dongwu are eagerly waiting for it. The situation is critical and there is no time to lose."

Afterwards, Kan Ze left the main hall under the guidance of his attendants. He was worried about what decision Liu Bei would make in the end. But he knew that he had done his best to explain the pros and cons, and he could only wait for good news, hoping that Liu Bei would remember the principle of "lips and teeth are cold", join hands with Dongwu to fight against Jia Changsheng, and solve this urgent problem for Dongwu.

After Kan Ze left, Liu Bei fell into deep thought. He knew that the alliance with the Eastern Wu to fight against Jia Changsheng was of great importance. If he was not careful, it might affect his great cause of supporting the Han Dynasty. So he immediately summoned Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang and other confidants to discuss the matter together.

After everyone took their seats, Liu Bei spoke first, "Just now, Kan Ze came and asked our army to form an alliance with Soochow to fight against Jia Changsheng. Now Jia Changsheng's power in Jiangdong is growing. If it is not contained, it may become a big problem. But the pros and cons of forming an alliance with Soochow need to be discussed by you all."

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and took the lead in expressing his opinion: "Brother, the people of Dongwu have always been cunning, and they have had many conflicts with our army in the past. Now that they are in trouble, they come to ask for our help. I am afraid there is something fishy going on. If we rashly form an alliance, when we fight against Jia Changsheng, Dongwu may plot against us behind our backs, putting our army in trouble."

Zhang Fei also echoed in a hoarse voice: "Second brother is right! Those guys in Dongwu are all bad guys! Back then, they deceived my sister-in-law and if it wasn't for my eldest brother stopping me, I would have led my troops to kill them! No matter what, I can't trust them this time!"

Liu Bei frowned slightly and said, "Yide, don't be impulsive. This matter is of great importance and we should not act on impulse. Dongwu is indeed in danger now. If Jia Changsheng annexes Dongwu, his strength will increase greatly and will pose a threat to us."

At this time, Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and said slowly: "My lord, what Yunchang and Yide said is somewhat reasonable. There are both old grudges and conflicts of interest between Dongwu and us. But from the overall situation, the expansion of Jia Changsheng's power is indeed a huge threat to us. If we form an alliance with Dongwu and fight against Jia Changsheng together, we can disperse Jia Changsheng's troops and reduce our pressure. After defeating Jia Changsheng, we can also take this opportunity to expand our sphere of influence. However, in the process of forming an alliance, we must be cautious to prevent Dongwu from cheating."

Zhao Yun said on the side: "What the military advisor said is very true. The world is in chaos now, and the princes are fighting. Only by assessing the situation can we achieve great things. Forming an alliance with Dongwu and jointly fighting against Jia Changsheng may seem risky, but it is also an opportunity. We can clarify the rights and obligations of both parties with Dongwu, sign an alliance, and ensure that both parties can abide by it."

However, Fa Zheng expressed a different opinion: "My Lord, I think we should be cautious about the alliance. Although Dongwu is in danger, it has a strong foundation. If we form an alliance with it and defeat Jia Changsheng, Dongwu is very likely to recover and compete with us for the world. It is better to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. When Jia Changsheng and Dongwu are both defeated, we will send troops and reap the benefits."

After listening to everyone's speeches, Liu Bei was caught in a dilemma. He knew that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's vigilance against the Eastern Wu was due to past grievances, which made sense; Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun considered the overall situation and believed that they could take the opportunity to strengthen themselves by forming an alliance; while Fa Zheng's suggestion was a more conservative strategy that could avoid being involved in disputes too early.

After thinking for a while, Liu Bei said, "What you said makes sense. There are pros and cons to forming an alliance with Soochow. We must consider both the current crisis and future development. However, this matter is too important, so let me think about it carefully." At this time, Ma Liang stood up and said, "My lord, in my opinion, we can send someone to contact Soochow first to test their sincerity. At the same time, we should pay close attention to the war between Jia Changsheng and Soochow to understand the changes in the strength of both sides. When the time is right, we can make a decision, and it will not be too late."

Liu Bei nodded and said, "Ji Chang's plan is very good. As you said, we will first send people to Dongwu to discuss the specific matters of the alliance with Sun Quan and observe their attitude. In addition, we will strengthen the intelligence collection on the war between Jia Changsheng and Dongwu, and make sure we know ourselves and the enemy."

Everyone nodded in agreement. So Liu Bei arranged for Sun Qian to go to Soochow to discuss the alliance with Sun Quan, and ordered the spies to pay close attention to the war in Jiangdong. In this turbulent era, Liu Bei knew that every decision could affect his own destiny and the direction of the world. He must be cautious, weigh the pros and cons, and make the most correct choice. At this time, although the discussion on whether to form an alliance with Soochow did not come to a final result, it laid the foundation for future decisions. A game concerning the fate of all parties is quietly unfolding.

After Zhuge Jin left Cao's camp, Cao Cao fell into deep thought. It was not a simple decision to form an alliance with the Eastern Wu to fight against Jia Changsheng. It involved the interests of all parties and the direction of the world situation. Therefore, Cao Cao summoned Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Cheng Yu and other wise men to gather in the tent to discuss countermeasures.

After everyone was seated, Cao Cao was the first to break the silence and said, "Just now, Zhuge Jin of Dongwu came and asked to form an alliance with us to fight against Jia Changsheng. Now Jia Changsheng's power in Jiangdong is growing. If we do nothing, he may become a serious threat. However, the pros and cons of forming an alliance with Dongwu are complicated. You may as well speak freely and give me advice."

Cheng Yu stood up first, bowed and said, "My lord, Dongwu has always been erratic and has many conflicts with our army. This time they came to seek peace and alliance because of Jia Changsheng's coercion, I'm afraid it's just a temporary measure. Once we defeat Jia Changsheng, there is no guarantee that they will not become our enemy again. Moreover, if we form an alliance with Dongwu and send troops to Jiangdong at this time, it may weaken our army's strength and give other forces an opportunity to take advantage. In my opinion, we should not easily form an alliance."

Xun Yu nodded slightly and continued, "Zhongde's words make sense. However, Jia Changsheng's rise does pose a threat to us. If he annexes Dongwu and occupies Jiangdong, his power will be even greater, and it will be more difficult to deal with us in the future if he confronts us from the north and south. We need to carefully weigh the pros and cons and find a foolproof plan that can both contain Jia Changsheng and protect the interests of our army."

Guo Jia waved his folding fan and said with a smile: "My lord, I think the key to forming an alliance or not is how we can get the most benefits from it. Dongwu is in danger now. If we refuse to form an alliance at this time, Jia Changsheng will surely boost morale after annexing Dongwu, and he may even point the spearhead at us. If we form an alliance with Dongwu, we can put forward some harsh conditions to make Dongwu subject to us to a certain extent. At the same time, in the process of fighting against Jia Changsheng, we can make clever arrangements, preserve our own strength, and let Dongwu and Jia Changsheng consume each other. When the time is right, we will clean up the mess and reap the benefits."

Cao Cao's eyes lit up after hearing what Guo Jia said, and he said, "What Feng Xiao said is very much in line with my opinion. However, the specific implementation method still needs to be carefully planned."

Xun You stepped forward and said, "My Lord, we can first agree to Dongwu's request for an alliance, but we will take the lead in commanding the coalition forces, and at the same time require Dongwu to provide a large amount of food and supplies as a condition for the alliance. During the battle, we can let the Dongwu army take the lead and consume Jia Changsheng's strength, while our army will strike at the critical moment and deliver a fatal blow. In this way, we can not only weaken Jia Changsheng, but also make Dongwu afraid of us."

Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said, "My lord, this plan is brilliant, but we must also be on guard against the Eastern Wu being desperate. If Sun Quan senses our intentions, he will probably not give in easily. We also need to prepare a backup plan in case there are any changes in the alliance. We can contact other forces in secret. If the Eastern Wu refuses to cooperate, we can unite with other forces to contain them and leave Jia Changsheng and the Eastern Wu too busy to take care of themselves."

Cao Cao nodded and praised: "Wenhe has considered everything. We do need to make more preparations for this matter, just in case. However, forming an alliance with Dongwu will inevitably arouse suspicion from other forces. How should we deal with it?"

Liu Ye said: "My Lord, we can announce to the outside world that this alliance is only to jointly fight against the rebellious Jia Changsheng and maintain the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty. At the same time, send envoys to other forces to explain our position and show that we have no intention of being enemies with them, so as to appease all parties."

Cao Cao listened to everyone's suggestions and gradually came up with an idea. But he knew that this decision was of great importance and that if he was not careful, it could trigger a series of chain reactions. So he said, "I have benefited a lot from what you said. I will consider this matter carefully. But in any case, we must pay close attention to the situation in Jiangdong and make preparations for both situations. On the one hand, we must maintain contact with Dongwu to discuss the details of the alliance; on the other hand, we must strengthen our own defense and be ready to respond to possible changes at any time."

Everyone agreed. Afterwards, Cao Cao arranged for envoys to keep in touch with the Eastern Wu, and at the same time strengthened intelligence gathering on various forces. In this turbulent and ever-changing world, Cao Cao knew that every decision could affect his hegemony, and he had to think carefully and weigh the pros and cons to gain the upper hand in this power game. Although there was no conclusion on whether to form an alliance with the Eastern Wu, Cao Cao was already planning a more ambitious plan in his mind.

Zhuge Jin temporarily lived in the tent arranged by Cao Cao, and his days were like years. He was always worried about Cao Cao's response to the alliance. Every minute and every second of waiting seemed to be a huge test of his patience.

On this day, Zhuge Jin paced in the tent as usual, sometimes looking at the door of the tent, sometimes sitting down and standing up, his eyes full of anxiety and expectation. Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps outside the tent. Zhuge Jin's heart tightened and he hurried out to greet them. He saw a Cao army soldier walking quickly, bowing to Zhuge Jin and saying, "Mr. Zhuge, Lord Cao wants to see you."

Zhuge Jin suddenly felt a complex emotion, nervous and expectant. He quickly dressed and followed the soldiers to Cao Cao's tent. Along the way, Zhuge Jin's heartbeat accelerated involuntarily. He kept guessing Cao Cao's attitude. Would he agree to the alliance or refuse? Or would Cao Cao put forward some harsh conditions?

Arriving in front of Cao Cao's tent, Zhuge Jin took a deep breath, calmed himself, and then entered the tent. Inside the tent, Cao Cao sat high in the main seat, his expression calm and unpredictable. On both sides stood a group of counselors and generals, all looking at Zhuge Jin.

Cao Cao looked at Zhuge Jin and slowly said, "Zhuge Jin, after discussing with my advisers, I have decided to agree to form an alliance with Dongwu to fight against Jia Changsheng together."

(End of this chapter)