Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 262 Yuan Shao: Do ​​you dare to kill my entire clan?

The alliance is more than just lip service.

How to form an alliance, what agreements need to be followed after the alliance, and who will be the leader between the two parties are all things that need to be discussed in advance.

Especially this time, after the alliance, the two sides will have to fight against the emperor's army, so they need to be more cautious and make a detailed plan.

"Listen to me slowly."

Hearing this, Cao Cao knew that he had won the game just now. He couldn't help but smile and began to formally discuss his next plan with Zhou Yu.

"Qingzhou and Xuzhou are adjacent to our Yanzhou and Yuzhou respectively, and together with Jizhou, they form an encirclement."

"If the emperor leads his army south, these two states will be the first to be attacked. I can't resist the emperor's army with my own strength."

Zhou Yu raised his eyebrows and said, "Does the Governor of Yanzhou want us to send troops to help you defend Yanzhou and Yuzhou? This is absolutely impossible."

With the limited wealth of Jiangdong, the only reason they have been able to hold on until now is due to the geographical advantage. If all the troops were sent to fight in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, they would be wiped out in no time.

He would never agree to that.

Cao Cao shook his head and said, "Gongjin, what are you talking about? Why would I make such an excessive request? I am just telling you about the situation."

"I am unable to defend both Yanzhou and Yuzhou at the same time, so I plan to abandon Yanzhou directly, use it as a buffer, and concentrate my troops to defend Yuzhou."

"Although Xuzhou is occupied by Lu Bu, it is currently short of troops. As long as you join hands with me, we will be able to capture Xuzhou, and then we can divide Xuzhou equally."

"Once Xuzhou is captured, we can form a line of defense against the emperor's army."

Yanzhou must be abandoned.

Because Yanzhou and Jizhou are too close, and Qingzhou and Xuzhou are next to them, they are surrounded. The cost of defense is too high and unnecessary.

So his plan was to abandon Yanzhou directly, take over Xuzhou which was adjacent to Yuzhou, rely on Jiangdong, and join forces with Sun Quan to resist the emperor's army.

"Attack Xuzhou..."

After listening to this, Zhou Yu felt a little moved.

If we send troops to attack Xuzhou now, the possibility of success is very high. Moreover, Xuzhou is adjacent to Danyang County and has a suitable geographical location.

But just as he was thinking about it, Sun Quan suddenly said: "We can attack Xuzhou together, but after we take Xuzhou, Xuzhou must belong to us."

"Of course we won't take Xuzhou for nothing. We will be responsible for Xuzhou's defense and help each other with Yuzhou to resist the emperor's army."

"what?"

Zhou Yu was shocked when he heard this. He thought that dividing Xuzhou equally was good enough, but he didn't expect that Sun Quan would actually ask for the whole Xuzhou!

How can you negotiate like this?

As expected, after Sun Quan said this, Cao Cao's face instantly turned ugly, and he said coldly: "My dear nephew, you have such a big appetite, aren't you afraid of getting full?"

Sun Quan said calmly, "I have had a good appetite since I was a child. I can eat as much as I want. You don't need to worry about me, Governor of Yanzhou."

"Anyway, the governor of Yanzhou wants to use Yuzhou and Xuzhou as a line of defense against the emperor's army. If that's the case, how about letting me guard Xuzhou?"

"Don't be so stingy, Lord Yanzhou."

When Cao Cao heard this, the veins on his forehead throbbed.

mean?

Who could be so generous as to give up a state? Moreover, they had jointly sent troops to conquer Xuzhou, and he did not get any benefit at all after the battle!

"Giving up Xuzhou is out of the question!"

Cao Cao sneered, with a threatening look in his eyes, "If my nephew insists, I will have no choice but to abandon the alliance and join the emperor."

"I want to see how my nephew can use the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to resist the emperor's iron hoof conquest!"

He once again threw out this killer weapon.

He had a way out, but Sun Quan did not.

This is his advantage!
Sun Quan was also furious when he heard this, and said passionately: "Submit to the emperor, submit to the emperor! If you want to, just go ahead and submit! A real man was born between heaven and earth, how can I be controlled by you?!"

"My Jiangdong has reached such a state. In the end, it will be destroyed by the emperor. What is there to fear?"

The courage he displayed at this moment was truly astonishing.

As the saying goes, those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes. Anyway, their Sun family has no way out and is destined to be the enemy of the emperor. He might as well go all out and is not afraid of Cao Cao's threats!
"presumptuous!"

Cao Cao was immediately furious, slammed the table and stood up, saying: "Do you really think I dare not kill you and take your heads to the emperor to seek credit?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Yu's face changed.

"it is good!"

But before he could say anything, Sun Quan also stood up and bared his neck to Cao Cao, shouting: "Come, come, come! Here is my fine head! The governor of Yanzhou, quickly chop it off and claim credit for the emperor!"

"Before coming here, I was ready to die. There is no one in my Sun family who fears death!"

Outside the pavilion, Xu Chu and Sun He both drew their swords and looked at each other with murderous eyes. The atmosphere was extremely tense.

The maids beside her were trembling with fear.

Cao Cao's face was gloomy and uncertain. He looked at the young and inexperienced Sun Quan, with murderous intent rising and falling in his eyes, but he eventually suppressed it.

He could certainly take this opportunity to kill Zhou Yu and Sun Quan, but once these two men died, the Jiangdong gentry would certainly collectively serve the emperor instead of him, Cao Mengde.

In this case, he had no choice but to surrender.

"What a young hero."

The gloom on Cao Cao's face suddenly disappeared, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had come out. He smiled again and praised Sun Quan, saying, "If I had a son, I'd want him to be like Sun Zhongmou!"

Sun Quan snorted coldly and did not respond.

Cao Cao sat down again and said, "Since my dear nephew insists, then Xuzhou will be given to you. However, you have to take it down by yourselves. I will not send any troops."

"Besides that, the alliance should be centered around me. If you can't agree to this, then there's no point in forming this alliance."

Cao Cao chose to take a step back and give up Xuzhou.

But he also has his own conditions.

It would be impossible to ask him to help attack Xuzhou for free.

"no problem!"

Zhou Yu also came to his senses at this time. He did not expect that Cao Cao would actually agree to give up Xuzhou. He was overjoyed and answered directly on behalf of Sun Quan.

Because he knew that this was Cao Cao's last bottom line. If they continued to fight, and Cao Cao really chose to give up the alliance, that would definitely not be the result he wanted to see.

Xu Chu and Sun He snorted coldly and put away their swords.

Cao Cao called the maid to refill the wine, and ignored Sun Quan. Instead, he smiled and said to Zhou Yu: "Everyone says that Gongjin's talent and strategy are unique in the world, so I have a question for Gongjin. I wonder if Gongjin can answer my question for me?"

The alliance was settled, and Zhou Yu felt relieved. He smiled and said, "You are too kind, Governor of Yanzhou... If I knew, I would tell you everything."

"That's good."

Cao Cao nodded happily, took the wine jar and drank it, then said seriously: "The world is in chaos now, and heroes are emerging in large numbers. I wonder how many of them can be called heroes in Gongjin's eyes?"

Zhou Yu shook his head and said, "I have lived in Jiangdong for a long time, and there are many heroes in the world that I don't know."

Cao Cao smiled and said, "It's OK. Although I haven't met him, I have heard of him. Gongjin just needs to express his opinion."

Cao Cao insisted again and again, and Zhou Yu had no choice but to answer.

After thinking for a while, he said, "There is a man named Bajun, who is powerful throughout the world. Can Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou be considered a hero?"

Cao Cao shook his head and said, "I attacked Lü Bu, showing that I was not a bandit. In the battle of Yangzhou, I did not rescue Yuan Shu. This is a thief who defended himself. He should be considered later. He is not a hero. I will capture him sooner or later."

Zhou Yu said again: "There is a man who is full of vigor and courage, and is known as the best general in the world. Is Lü Fengxian a hero?"

"Lü Bu?" Cao Cao sneered and said disdainfully, "Lü Bu is a slave of three surnames. He only has some martial arts skills. He is just a reckless man, not a hero."

Zhou Yu thought for a moment and asked again: "Is Liu Jiyu of Yizhou a hero?"

Cao Cao was even more dismissive: "Although Liu Zhang is a member of the royal family, he is so weak that he can't even pacify Zhang Lu. How can he be called a hero?"

Zhou Yu continued, "Liangzhou Ma Chao, who dominates Liangzhou and Sizhou, is feared by foreign tribes and has the best cavalry in the world. Can he be called a hero?"

"No, no!" Cao Cao shook his head. "I am just a horse, borrowing my father's name. I am brave but not wise. I am definitely not a hero."

After Zhou Yu named four heroes who were influential in a certain area, but all of them were rejected by Cao Cao, Zhou Yu could not think of anyone else for a moment and could only shake his head.

"Besides this, I really don't know."

Cao Cao held the wine jar in his hand, looked at Zhou Yu with burning eyes, and said in a deep voice: "In my opinion, the heroes of the world today are only the emperor, Gongjin and I!"

Zhou Yu's hand shook and the wine spilled out.

He looked up at Cao Cao in astonishment.

The look of Sun Quan standing next to him also changed for a moment. He glanced at Zhou Yu and frowned slightly.

"Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding."

Cao Cao laughed loudly, raised his hand and drank the wine in the cup, stood up and said: "The alliance is settled. I will withdraw my troops after I return. Gongjin should also send troops to attack Xuzhou as soon as possible."

"Farewell."

After saying this, Cao Cao stood up and walked out of the pavilion, got on the carriage with his maid, and drove away along the path with Xu Chu. After he left, Zhou Yu came to his senses and bowed to Sun Quan and said, "This is Cao Cao's plan to sow discord between us. My lord, don't believe it!"

What Cao Cao had just said was undoubtedly a heart-piercing remark. Comparing himself with him and the emperor was simply treasonous!
The key point is that he is not the master, but a subordinate.

This is obviously an attempt to flatter him!
Seeing Zhou Yu's nervous look, Sun Quan's eyes flashed with a strange look, but he smiled and said, "General, you are worrying too much. How could I believe what Cao the thief said? Please get up quickly."

As he said this, he personally helped Zhou Yu up.

Seeing that Sun Quan's expression did not seem fake, Zhou Yu felt relieved, but his fear of Cao Cao deepened.

What a sinister and cunning villain!

Sun Quan passed on the matter and said, "General, although we are allied with Cao Cao, I am still a little worried."

"Cao Cao has a way out, but we don't. We must also find a way out. We can't put all our hopes on Cao Cao."

Zhou Yu was uneasy at this time, and subconsciously asked, "My lord, what good plan do you have?"

Sun Quan's eyes were sharp, and he said bluntly: "I want to write a letter to Liu Biao and secretly form an alliance with him. If Cao Cao plans to surrender to the emperor in the future, we will join forces with Liu Biao to destroy Cao Cao!"

"Secretly forming an alliance with Liu Biao?" Zhou Yu was shocked. "This... isn't this the behavior of a coward?"

Sun Quan shook his head and said, "Those who achieve great things do not care about trivial matters. Cao Cao is cunning and we have to be on guard. How can this be the behavior of a rat?"

"Well, it's getting late, let's go back and discuss this matter."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu had no choice but to nod even though he did not approve of such cowardly behavior.

……

Study in the Hejian County Governor's Mansion.

Liu Xie was reading the war report on the casualties of the battle when Gao Lan came in to report: "Your Majesty, the chief of the Dong clan in Hejian wants to see you."

Hejian Dong family?

Liu Xie's mind moved and he immediately realized that this was Dong Cheng's family.

Ever since Dong Ji was welcomed into the palace by Emperor Ling of Han and made the empress dowager, the already prestigious Dong family instantly became a prominent family in Hejian County.

After Dong Cheng's death, there was no sign of any action from the Dong family, nor any sign of loyalty from the Dong family to him.

Not long after Yuan Shao was captured, the patriarch of the Dong family came running over.

Changing one's stance according to the situation is indeed the style of the aristocratic families.

Liu Xie put down the memorial and said, "Summon him in."

"promise!"

Gao Lan stepped back and soon brought in a middle-aged scholar in his forties.

The middle-aged scholar held three seals in his hands. When he saw Liu Xie, he fell to the ground and shouted:

"Dong Zhong, the head of the Dong family, pays respect to His Majesty. Long live the emperor!"

Liu Xie looked down at Dong Zhong who was kneeling on the ground, but he could not find any information about him in his mind.

Seeing that Liu Xie was slow to speak, Dong Zhong became more and more panicked and added cautiously:

"Your Majesty, my father is Dong Chong."

When Liu Xie heard this, he suddenly realized.

It turned out that he was the nephew of Empress Dowager Dong and the brother of Dong Cheng and Dong Zhong.

"Since you are the nephew of the Imperial Grandmother, you should just stand up."

Dong Zhongru was ashamed to be pardoned, and he quickly thanked the emperor and stood up.

Now that the emperor mentioned Queen Mother Dong, everything will be easy.

Liu Xie glanced at the seal in Dong Zhong's hand and asked, "Why do you want to see me, and what is in your hand?"

Dong Zhong quickly presented the seal with both hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have come to offer the city to you. I have joined forces with the noble families of Hejian and killed the county magistrates of Wusui, Houjing and Gonggao. Here are the seals of the three counties."

"Offer the city?"

Liu Xie was delighted. The capture of Wusui, Houjing and Gonggao counties meant that Hejian County was completely recovered and the entire Jizhou would return to Han territory.

But soon, his brows furrowed slightly.

The noble families offering the city is both a good thing and a bad thing.

Hejian County governed four counties: Lecheng, Wusui, Houjing and Gonggao, with Lecheng County as its seat of government.

Not long after he captured Lecheng, the Dong family was able to offer the other three cities, just like how Cui Yan had previously taken over the entire Qinghe County without a single soldier.

What this meant was self-evident, and it made Liu Xie shudder.

But what made him feel powerless was that his great cause had not yet been accomplished and he could only rely on these noble families.

"His Majesty……"

Dong Zhong felt uneasy because he failed to receive praise or reward from Liu Xie.

Liu Xie suppressed his emotions, a trace of sadness appeared on his face, and he waved his hand, saying with deep emotion:

"No problem, I just thought of the General of Chariots and Cavalry."

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry made great efforts to ensure that I could arrive safely in Yecheng. It's a pity that he died while escorting the false emperor to Yecheng."

When Dong Zhong heard that Liu Xie not only did not regard Dong Cheng as a traitor, but also acknowledged Dong Cheng's great contributions, he was shocked and then overjoyed.

"Dong Cheng, this guy, has such a great achievement, why did he hide it from me! My Dong family is going to rise again!"

Dong Zhong seemed to see that the wealth and prosperity were about to fall on the Dong family. He forced himself to suppress the corners of his mouth that kept rising, and with difficulty showed a sentimental expression, and said loudly and passionately:

"Your Majesty, please do not be sad. My cousin died for your majesty's loyalty, and his death was worthy. As long as I can help your majesty, the Dong family will not regret it even if we die nine times!"

Seeing Dong Zhong's loyal and patriotic appearance, Liu Xie also began to compete with him in acting.

"I was raised by the Grand Empress Dowager. Since you are her nephew, according to seniority, I should call you uncle."

Dong Zhong was so excited that he almost howled out loud, but on the surface he said in fear and trepidation: "I am terrified!"

Liu Xie added: "The Dong family has made great contributions by surrendering the city. After the matter in Hejian is completed, we will return to Yecheng to reward them according to their merits."

Dong Zhong bowed to the ground again: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After Liu Xie exchanged some greetings with Dong Zhong, he sent him away.

The moment Dong Zhong turned and left, Liu Xie's eyes, which originally had a slight smile in them, suddenly became sharp.

"Aristocratic family!"

"I spent all my efforts to conquer Lecheng County. The Dong family is not a very prominent family, but they were able to unite with local clans and conquer the three counties of Hejian without any soldiers."

"If I touch their interests one day, won't even Yecheng and the Imperial Palace be unsafe?"

After a long time, Liu Xie's expression gradually relaxed. Before the world was settled, the aristocratic families were not his enemies.

Looking at the seals of the three counties beside him, his mood improved slightly, and he murmured, "I wanted to give the credit for replacing the emperor to Yang Biao and Fu Wan. But they eventually knew that it was not their doing, so there is still a risk."

"Now I'm putting the credit on Dong Cheng, and there's no evidence to prove it! All the Dong family needs to do is spread the word, and the world will know how I escaped to Yecheng."

"The only flaw in my identity now is Emperor Xian of Han."

"After pacifying the north, we will move on to the Central Plains, destroy Cao the thief, capture the false emperor, and start the process of unifying the world."

After thinking for a while, Liu Xie shouted to Gao Lan outside: "Bring Yuan Shao in."

Gao Lan took the order and left, and in less than a cup of tea he brought Yuan Shao in.

Liu Xie looked at Yuan Shao, whose hands were tied, and said, "Benchu, what do you think? Are you willing to persuade Guo Yuan and Gao Gan to surrender for me?"

Yuan Shao raised his head, snorted coldly, and said, "Don't even think about it!"

Liu Xie sighed in his heart.

He had actually expected this result. In history, Yuan Shao was so angry that he died after the defeat in the Battle of Guandu. What's more, it was normal for Yuan Shao to choose not to surrender after losing Jizhou and Qingzhou.

"Benchu, you should know that if you don't surrender, the entire Yuan family will be labeled as traitors."

Liu Xie's tone was grim, and his words contained naked threats.

Yuan Shao looked at Liu Xie with disdain. "My Yuan family has three officials in four generations. After many years of management, our students and former officials have spread all over the world. Do you dare to risk the wrath of the world and kill all my nine clans?"

Liu Xie stood up suddenly, glared at Yuan Shao with an unpleasant expression, and shouted, "Do you think I dare not?"

Yuan Shao saw this and showed a sneer on his face, "You are just a coward. If you really dare to kill my entire clan, I will respect you a little."

The Yuan family has a long and complicated network of connections. If all nine members of the Yuan family were to be killed, the scholar community would surely be in an uproar.

He didn't believe that Liu Xie had the courage to do that!

Looking at the fearless Yuan Shao, Liu Xie's eyes became colder.

"Benchu, you will regret this."

(End of this chapter)