Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 261 Cao Cao: I can surrender to the emperor, but what about you?

Yangzhou, Shouchun.

On the city wall, flags with the Chinese character "Cao" fluttered in the wind, snowflakes were falling from the sky, corpses were lying inside and outside the city, and the blood on the ground had not yet frozen.

It was obvious that a great battle had just ended.

Cao Cao stood on the city gate tower, looking at the soldiers carrying corpses outside the city, and sighed deeply: "After a month of attack, we finally captured Shouchun before winter."

It took several months to finally conquer a lot of territory, but many soldiers were killed and injured during the process.

Especially for Shouchun, the capital of Yangzhou, he even went to the front line to supervise the battle in person, but even so it took a full month to capture it.

Xun Yu and Xun You stood beside Cao Cao.

Xun You smiled and said, "Shouchun is a strategic location. After we capture this place, we can attack or defend. It is worth paying a price for this."

"Although the casualties this time were not light, Zhou Yu's troops also suffered heavy casualties. Overall, we still have the upper hand."

Xun You's advice was very useful.

Cao Cao's expression eased after hearing this, and he said with a smile: "After all, Sun Quan is still young. Even with Zhou Gongjin's assistance, he is not enough to accomplish anything."

Xun Yu nodded and said, "Zhou Yu's wisdom is indeed rare in the world, but Sikong, please rest assured that when human power is limited, he alone cannot change the situation."

He also admired Zhou Yu's methods.

But that's all.

The Jiangdong gentry did not submit to Sun Quan at all, and this was not something Zhou Yu could change. As long as he conquered two more counties, those gentry would inevitably turn against him when they saw the situation was not good.

Cao Cao nodded slightly, but the worry between his brows was still there, and he said: "What I am most worried about now is not that we can't conquer Jiangdong, but the situation in Jizhou."

"I heard that Lu Bu has already captured four counties and defeated Yuan Shao. He is now attacking Hejian County and engaging in a major battle with Yuan Shao."

"If Hejian County is also captured, Jizhou will basically belong to the pseudo-emperor... three whole states."

The battle of Hejian County was extremely important. This battle not only determined the ownership of Jizhou, but also determined the ownership of the north.

If Yuan Shao was defeated, Jizhou would be lost and he would have to retreat to Youzhou, ending up in the same situation as Gongsun Zan before. Bingzhou would also be lost soon.

There is only Youzhou left, how can it resist the emperor who controls the four states?
I just don't know who will win the Battle of Hejian.

As soon as this thought came to Cao Cao's mind, Xu Chu hurried up to the city gate tower and reported: "My lord, news has come from Jizhou that Yuan Shao was defeated and captured in Hejian County!"

In an instant, the expressions of Cao Cao, Xun You and Xun Yu all changed drastically!

Yuan Shao...was defeated and captured?!

"How is it possible, how could it be so fast! How could Yuan Shao not even survive into winter!"

Cao Cao's face turned pale and his mind was shaken.

His expression kept changing, as if he had made a decision. He gritted his teeth and said, "Send a message to Kuaiji. I want to arrange a meeting with Sun Quan!"

The news of Yuan Shao's capture was so shocking that it made Cao Cao feel a deep fear.

Because he thought at most that Yuan Shao would be defeated, and then retreat to Youzhou, becoming like Gongsun Zan at the beginning, but he did not expect that Yuan Shao would actually be captured!

"Once Yuan Shao is captured, his remaining forces will surely fall apart, and it won't be long before the entire north will be unified by the emperor."

"Then the next target must be me!"

Cao Cao clenched his teeth.

If Yuan Shao had not been captured, he could still occupy Youzhou and continue to restrain the emperor's army from moving south. But how could he restrain it if he was captured?

As long as the emperor unifies the north, the next target will undoubtedly be Yanzhou and Yuzhou, the two heartlands of the Central Plains!
His situation is already extremely dangerous!

Xun You also reacted at this time, and said: "Sikong, make an appointment with Sun Quan... Are you going to negotiate peace with him?"

"Yes."

Cao Cao took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The breath turned into white mist and dissipated in the cold air, making his gloomy face somewhat blurry.

"I can't continue to fight with Sun Quan for Yangzhou. If we continue to fight like this, even if I can take Yangzhou, it will cost me a huge price."

"When the false emperor's troops march south, what will I do to resist them? The only thing I can do is wait for death!"

How could he ever want to make peace with Sun Quan?

But now the situation has changed so much that continuing to fight would be the most unwise move. In the end, he and Sun Quan would become two quarreling clams!

Xun Yu was deeply worried and said with an unpleasant expression: "But Sikong, even if we negotiate a peace alliance with Sun Quan, once the false emperor occupies Youzhou and Bingzhou, he will own five states. I am afraid we will not be able to resist him."

Cao Cao's face was as cold as iron, and he said calmly: "I have my own plan. Just send a message to Sun Quan and ask him to meet at the border of Huainan County."

After saying that, he walked straight down the city gate tower.

……

Kuaiji County.

Zhou Yu looked at the letter sent by Cao Cao in his hand, frowned tightly, and fell into deep thought.

Sun Quan standing by couldn't help but ask, "General, what conspiracy is Cao Cao playing out? Is he trying to trick me into coming over and then ambush and kill me?"

He also read the letter, the content of which was very simple.

It means asking him to go ahead and meet to negotiate peace.

But Cao Cao's previous offensive was very fierce, and now that he had just captured Shouchun, he suddenly said he wanted to negotiate peace. It seemed like a conspiracy no matter how you looked at it.

He felt that Cao Cao wanted to ambush and kill him in the name of peace talks.

"My lord, you don't know."

Zhou Yu put down the letter in his hand and said solemnly, "Not long ago, the emperor of Yecheng defeated Yuan Shao in Hejian County and captured him alive."

This news immediately shocked Sun Quan. He said in disbelief, "How is this possible?"

He had long heard of Yuan Shao's reputation.

He is the most powerful prince in the world!
The Overlord of Hebei!

But such a person was actually defeated by the Emperor of Yecheng and was captured alive?
Zhou Yu nodded slowly and said, "The news just reached Jiangdong, and Cao Cao's proposal for peace talks is also directly related to this matter."

"Because if the emperor of Yecheng defeats Yuan Shao, he will definitely unify Hebei; and after that, the next target will definitely be Yanzhou and Yuzhou, so Cao Cao proposed peace talks, but the ultimate goal should be to form an alliance with the lord."

He saw through Cao Cao's purpose at a glance.

It's nothing more than wanting to unite and keep each other warm.

"So should I go or not?"

Sun Quan suppressed his shock and cast a questioning look at Zhou Yu. On such an important matter, he chose to follow Zhou Yu's advice.

Zhou Yu sighed, "This is also the reason why I hesitate... Cao Cao is a sinister and cunning man. Negotiating a peace alliance with him is like seeking the skin of a tiger."

"Although I think it's unlikely that he would take the opportunity to ambush the lord, I'm still worried about the possibility. After all, Cao Cao doesn't like to act according to common sense."

"If he does something crazy, how can I explain it to Bofu?"

Zhou Yu was worried that there would be risks in forming an alliance with Cao Cao.

The second is worry about Sun Quan's safety.

After all, Sun Quan is the only heir of the Sun family who is capable of inheriting Jiangdong. If something happens to Sun Quan, the Jiangdong forces will fall apart in an instant, so he has been unable to make a decision.

“I think I should go over here.”

After thinking for a moment, Sun Quan suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhou Yu, and said firmly: "General, although you don't say it, I also know our current situation."

"It was fine when Lu Bu was in Yangzhou, but since the war with Cao Cao, the major clans in Jiangdong have begun to waver, and the situation can only be maintained with the help of the Grand Commander."

"Negotiation and truce are the best options at the moment. As for whether to form an alliance or not, let's see what conditions Cao Cao will offer."

If the emperor had not captured Yuan Shao, he would have chosen not to go; but after hearing about this, he felt that Cao Cao was unlikely to take action against him.

After all, the lips and teeth are interdependent.

Of course, risks still exist, but is there anything in the world that is 100% certain?
Since he is the lord, he should bear some responsibilities.

Making peace with Cao Cao is the best option at the moment.

He needed time to seize power and gain the loyalty of the Jiangdong gentry.

Zhou Yu's expression was a little complicated. He looked at Sun Quan's face, which still had a hint of childishness, and in a trance he seemed to overlap with Sun Ce.

After a long while, Zhou Yu retracted his gaze and nodded slowly, saying, "Since the lord has made up his mind, I will not stop you."

"I will go with my lord to see Cao Cao."

He was still worried about letting Sun Quan go alone to meet Cao Cao. Sun Quan was too young and could be easily deceived by Cao Cao, so he needed to escort him.

"it is good!"

Sun Quan nodded heavily. …

The border of Huainan County.

In a pavilion by the river, Cao Cao was waiting. In front of him was a table with wine being boiled on the stove.

The aroma of wine overflows.

Xu Chu stood by with a sword in his hand, but he looked up from time to time into the distance. Seeing that no one had appeared, he could not help but say, "My lord, could it be that Sun Quan got scared and broke the promise?"

They have been waiting here for an hour.

But there was no sign of Sun Quan.

Cao Cao frowned. Although he didn't say anything, he couldn't help feeling a little worried in his heart - could this boy really be so timid?
"My lord, look."

At this moment, Xu Chu exclaimed and pointed to the river.

Cao Cao looked up and saw a small boat coming up the river. A young man in a brocade robe stood on the bow, looking very impressive.

Behind him stood a handsome scholar in a white robe and a burly guard.

It was Sun Quan and Zhou Yu!
As for the guard, he was Sun He, the former chief guard of Sun Jian. After Sun Jian's death, he followed Sun Ce, and after Sun Ce's death, he continued to serve Sun Quan.

The three of them crossed the river by boat, and after stopping at the shore, they walked straight into the pavilion. Then Sun Quan bowed to Cao Cao and said, "Sorry for the long wait, Governor of Yanzhou."

"It doesn't matter."

Cao Cao waved his hand nonchalantly, looked Sun Quan up and down, then smiled and praised: "As expected of the son of the fierce tiger of Jiangdong and the younger brother of the little tyrant, he is really handsome and has the demeanor of his brother and father."

"Please take a seat."

Sun Quan did not bother to be polite with him and sat down directly with Zhou Yu. The maid next to them came forward and poured wine for both of them.

However, Sun Quan only glanced at it but did not move. He said directly: "If you have anything to say, please speak directly. It is windy by the river and it is not suitable to sit for a long time."

He had no intention of chatting with Cao Cao.

We are here today to negotiate peace.

If they can't come to an agreement after talking about this and that for a long time, then staying here is a waste of time and there is no point. They are enemies to begin with.

Cao Cao didn't care about Sun Quan's rudeness. He drank a sip of wine, smacked his lips and said, "Today, you and I came here to make peace. If you don't drink this cup, there is no need to talk anymore."

"Does my dear nephew think I poisoned the wine?"

In negotiation, it is all about making the first move.

His rule was to talk after drinking.

If Sun Quan refuses, it means he has no sincerity at all. Then why should the negotiation continue?

Zhou Yu on the side frowned and wanted to drink the wine on behalf of Sun Quan, but Sun Quan simply picked up the wine bottle and drank it all.

"Let's talk."

Sun Quan put down the wine jar and looked normal.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and looked at Sun Quan. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he concealed it well and said with a smile: "As expected, you are a young man with heroic spirit. Then I will get straight to the point."

"I'm sure you already know that the Emperor of Yecheng defeated Yuan Shao in Hejian County and captured him alive. Otherwise, I wouldn't have accepted your invitation to come here today."

"Yuan Shao is the overlord of the north. If he is captured in this battle, all the northern states will fall under the control of the emperor of Yecheng. His rise is unstoppable."

"Once the emperor of Yecheng unifies the north, he will certainly lead his army south. By then, neither you nor I will be able to escape his conquest."

"So I invited you here today, not only to negotiate peace, but also to form an alliance, help each other, and advance and retreat together in order to protect ourselves."

Cao Cao slowly stated his purpose.

Then he looked at Sun Quan with a smile.

Sun Quan said: "Negotiation and truce are of course no problem, but if the governor of Yanzhou wants to form an alliance, I have a condition."

"Oh? What's the condition?"

"Return the three counties in Jiangbei!"

Sun Quan looked directly at Cao Cao and said word by word, "As long as the governor of Yanzhou returns the three counties in northern Jiangnan and never again gets involved in Yangzhou, I will agree to the alliance!"

Cao Cao's smile slowly disappeared from his face.

His expression gradually turned cold.

"I came here with sincerity today, but I didn't expect that my nephew would just tell me jokes. It's really boring."

He had spent a lot of effort to get the three counties in the north of the Yangtze River. How could he just give them back because of Sun Quan's words? It was simply a joke!

"Come with sincerity? I don't think so."

At this moment, Zhou Yu on the side suddenly spoke, looking at Cao Cao with a gloomy look.

"If the emperor leads his army south, the governor of Yanzhou will be the first to be attacked. It goes without saying how dire the situation is."

"At this critical moment, the governor of Yanzhou is still holding on to the three counties in northern Jiangnan and is unwilling to give them up. How can you say he is sincere?"

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and looked at him: "Who are you?"

Zhou Yu smiled and said, "I am Zhou Yu."

Hearing this, Cao Cao raised his eyebrows and suddenly smiled: "I was wondering who it was. It turned out to be Zhou Gongjin. I have heard of your great name for a long time. I am lucky to meet you today."

Zhou Yu smiled and did not change the subject. He continued, "We have the natural barrier of the Yangtze River in Jiangdong. Even if the emperor leads his troops south, we can still survive in a corner."

"Before that, we still have the governor of Yanzhou to resist the emperor's conquest for us, so we have enough time to prepare."

"So the Yanzhou governor is anxious, but we are not."

Zhou Yu was well aware of their advantages and Cao Cao's urgency, so he wanted to take advantage of this to gain benefits.

"I'm anxious? Hahaha——"

However, when Cao Cao heard this, he seemed to have heard a huge joke. He slapped his thigh and laughed, laughing so hard that he fell backwards.

Sun Quan looked a little surprised and frowned, "What are you laughing at, Governor of Yanzhou? You are pretending to be the emperor, and Yanzhou is adjacent to Jizhou. Will the emperor let you go after unifying Hebei?"

Not only was Cao Cao's territory adjacent to Jizhou.

What is more important is that sins have been committed.

The mere fact of establishing a false emperor was enough to make Cao Cao be killed a thousand times by the emperor. After defeating Yuan Shao, Cao Cao would be the next target.

"I think you have misunderstood."

Cao Cao stopped laughing and said leisurely: "It was Dong Cheng who supported the false emperor. What does it have to do with me, Cao Mengde?"

"I was just deceived by him."

"Don't you see that Dong Cheng has already escaped from Xu County with the false emperor and his whereabouts are unknown now? If the emperor wants to punish someone, he should punish Dong Cheng."

At this point, Cao Cao glanced at the two of them and said, "I am not in a hurry, because I can still surrender to the emperor and still keep my title of nobility."

"But you... your Sun family has done things, do you think the emperor will let you go?"

As soon as the words fell, the expressions of Sun Quan and Zhou Yu suddenly changed.

Cao Cao sneered.

He had already left a way out for himself. The reason why he wanted to form an alliance with Sun Quan was that he was unwilling to surrender to the emperor and give up the fight for the world.

Because he had already won over some of the Jiangdong nobles. If he could form an alliance with Sun Quan, he would be able to slowly erode Jiangdong's power and eventually annex it.

At that time, he could completely abandon Yanzhou or even Yuzhou, shift his focus to Yangzhou, and then plan for Jingzhou.

Once accomplished, we can rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to compete with the emperor!

In addition, the false emperor of Xu County was still alive, but had fled to Liu Biao's territory in Jingzhou. Therefore, even if he was defeated by the emperor of Yecheng in the end, he could use the excuse that he could not distinguish between the real and fake emperors to save himself.

Advance to attack, retreat to defend!

But Sun Quan did not have as many choices as he did. From the moment Sun Jian secretly kept the imperial seal, the Sun family was destined to be purged.

"You have to understand that this is an opportunity for you to form an alliance, not me begging you to form an alliance."

"I can vote for the emperor, what about you?"

Cao Cao said sarcastically, with a playful look on his face.

Sun Quan clenched his teeth, his eyes were filled with anger, and his fists were clenched tightly. He wished he could punch Cao Cao in that hateful face!
But under the table, Zhou Yu held his hand tightly, his expression remained calm, and he cast a deep gaze at Cao Cao.

"How to form an alliance? Who will be the leader after the alliance?"

(End of this chapter)