Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

9

Yuan Shu sat upright in the hall, looking at Chen Deng with a puzzled expression.

He had no prior dealings with Tao Qian, but then he thought about it again: their territories now bordered each other. Yuan Shu secretly pondered: perhaps this was a good opportunity to take Xuzhou?

The existing territory is insufficient to counter the land winds.

"Order Ji Ling to advance on Xuzhou! I've heard this place is exceptionally wealthy. If we can capture Xuzhou, we can rival Lu Feng. We could even march straight from Xuzhou to Lu Feng's stronghold, Qingzhou, and annex it!"

Yuan Shu knew that the core of Lu Feng's power lay in Qingzhou, especially in Donglai County. Merchants traveling there all said that its prosperity surpassed even that of Luoyang in the past. Although he couldn't believe it entirely, he was at least certain that Lu Feng had managed that area extremely well.

Yes, he's got his eye on it.

"General," Chen Deng said, bowing, "my lord has specially dispatched me to discuss an alliance with you."

"An alliance?"

Yuan Shu found it absurd and laughable. On what basis could Tao Qian negotiate an alliance with him?

Who is Tao Qian to be on equal footing with him?

The right thing to do is to honestly and sincerely submit to their side.

If we form an alliance, how can we legitimately seize Xuzhou in the future?

"Well said!"

At this moment, Chen Deng was completely unaware of Yuan Shu's thoughts and continued, "General, you must also be aware of the threat posed by Lu Feng!"

"This man is implementing new policies in Qing and Yan provinces, specifically opposing our gentry; he is truly a major threat!"

"Moreover, this person harbors malicious intentions and clearly intends to overthrow the world!"

"Given his wolfish ambitions, how could he be content with a mere two states?"

"There were earlier indications that he intended to use force against Xuzhou."

"Furthermore, General Yuzhou borders Yanzhou, effectively cutting off Lu Feng's Lujiang Commandery in half. This man will surely plot against Yuzhou in the future!"

"This thief is the common enemy of both Prefect Tao and General Hou."

"Why not take advantage of his unstable foothold in Yanzhou and have the two families join forces to attack him?"

"Even if the General has no intention of attacking Yanzhou, what about the nearby prefectures of Lujiang and Jiujiang?"

"These two prefectures rightfully belong to the General of the Rear, but they were forcibly seized by that Lu Feng; it's truly hateful!"

Chen Deng's words were clearly intended to incite unrest.

But every word he uttered struck a chord with Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "Yuanlong's words are exactly what I wanted to say! Lujiang and Jiujiang should have been mine all along!"

"Lu Kang had already stepped down as Prefect of Lujiang, yet Lu Feng arbitrarily appointed Taishi Ci to succeed him; this is utterly lawless!"

This is not just about one county.

It's also related to the overall layout of Yangzhou. If he can't take Jiujiang and Lujiang, how will he control Yangzhou in the future?

Moreover, Lu Feng's army is stationed in the rear of Yuzhou. What's going on here?

Does this mean we'll have to fight on two fronts when we try to subdue Lu Feng in the future?

Therefore, Jiujiang and Lujiang must be captured.

"General Hou, you are wise! As for this alliance..."

Seeing that the time was right, Chen Deng immediately struck while the iron was hot.

"this......"

Yuan Shu pondered for a moment,

My heart is in turmoil—

Lujiang and Jiujiang are indeed important.

But Xuzhou is my true favorite!

If we form an alliance with Tao Qian

How should we proceed with our attack on Xuzhou?

The act of breaking the alliance...

Although he doesn't care much about saving face,

But ultimately, some dignity must be maintained.

Yan Xiang noticed his lord's hesitation.

Make a suggestion to Chen Deng at an appropriate time:

"Mr. Yuanlong, the lord has already considered the matter of forming an alliance."

Why don't you rest first?

Should I reply tomorrow?

Chen Deng looked up and saw...

Seeing that Yuan Shu actually nodded in agreement,

A sense of foreboding suddenly arose in my heart.

Maintain politeness on the surface:

"In that case, I'll trouble General Hou and Mr. Yan."

After Chen Deng left,

Yan Xiang asked directly:

"My lord is clearly tempted,"

Why the hesitation?

Forming an alliance is indeed the best strategy to deal with Lu Feng.

He pondered to himself—

If our lord can unite with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others...

A second coalition against Dong Zhuo was formed...

It's a pity that the brothers quarreled.

This is absolutely impossible.

"Yan Xiang truly understands me!"

Yuan Shu sighed, rubbing his forehead:

"Lu Feng must be eliminated."

But Xuzhou...

You once said this place is of great importance to me.

"After forming an alliance, wouldn't it be without justification to attack Xuzhou? Our reputation would be damaged!"

That's precisely why I'm hesitant!

His eyes flickered slightly, and he turned to Yan Xiang tentatively, "How about we take Xuzhou first?"

"Lu Feng has just pacified Yanzhou and is unable to spare troops for Xuzhou. This is an opportunity we must not miss!"

"If this drags on for a year or two, and Lu Feng recovers, it will be much harder to take Xuzhou!"

Yuan Shu's words made sense, and Yan Xiang couldn't help but ponder them.

Taking Xuzhou would indeed be more advantageous than disadvantageous.

Only by taking Xuzhou will Yuan Shu have the resources to contend with Lu Feng in the future.

If we only form an alliance but do not take any territory, we will neither be able to eliminate Lu Feng nor take action against our ally Xuzhou. Wouldn't that be like weaving a cocoon around ourselves?

Yan Xiang pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and offered a suggestion: "My lord, forming an alliance is not impossible, but it must be limited to a short-term alliance."

"Oh? Explain in detail!" Yuan Shu's eyes were burning, as if he had understood something.

Yan Xiang calmly said, "We can make an agreement with Tao Qian and Liu Biao to jointly attack the two commanderies of Lujiang and Jiujiang, and make a quick victory. The ownership of the cities will depend on each party's ability."

"Once the deed is done, the alliance shall be immediately dissolved."

"In this way, we can acquire land by leveraging the power of Liu Biao and Tao Qian, without being bound by the alliance. What does my lord think?"

The alliance against Dong Jian was also a short-lived one, and Yan Xiang was merely following the old example.

The only difference was that the target of the attack changed from Dong Zhuo to Lu Feng's Lujiang County.

If we could also bring Cao Cao and Yuan Shao into the fray, it would be even better to conquer Yanzhou and Qingzhou together.

But Yan Xiang knew that Yuan Shu would not agree, so he simply kept quiet about it.

Yuan Shu slapped the table in admiration: "Brilliant plan! This general truly has keen insight!"

(

It's highly unlikely that Cao Cao will send troops.

As far as he knew, Lu Feng and Cao Cao had a very close personal relationship.

Although such relationships may not be reliable when it comes to power struggles, they will still have some influence.

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands in praise, saying, "Brilliant! We can use the strength of Liu Biao and Tao Qian to take Lujiang and Jiujiang!"

"These two counties are closest to me, and they should rightfully belong to me."

"Perhaps we can even use this opportunity to weaken them by making them both suffer heavy losses!"

"At that time, we will not only be able to easily seize Lujiang and Jiujiang, but we can even take over Xuzhou!"

He became more and more excited as he talked, feeling like he was a genius.

This plan is absolutely brilliant!

"this……"

Yan Xiang was stunned after hearing this, and hesitated, saying, "Theoretically feasible, but it's too idealistic. Right now, Lujiang only has Taishi Ci's 20,000 naval troops and Lu Kang's 30,000 soldiers."

"Even if we only send a portion of our forces, the total number will easily exceed 100,000. Does my lord truly believe we can inflict heavy losses on all three of them?"

That's not very realistic.

Even if they were to let their side win, Tao Qian and Liu Biao weren't fools.

"Unless Lu Feng reinforces Lujiang now!"

Yan Xiang added another sentence.

"this……"

Yuan Shu frowned, about to speak—

"Report!!!"

A messenger rushed in, clasped his hands in greeting, and reported: "My lord! Urgent report from Lujiang! Marquis Wu, Lu Feng, has dispatched Gan Ning's navy with 50,000 troops to Lujiang, and they are now settled in!"

"?"

Yuan Shu suddenly stood up: "Reinforcements? What a coincidence?"

He looked at Yan Xiang with a strange expression, thinking: Could it be that you can predict the future?

This is truly a stroke of luck! Everything is now complete!

Yan Xiang looked slightly bewildered, then pressed the scout for details: "Do you know which elite force Lord Wu has sent?"

The 50,000-strong army must be a fierce and powerful force under Lu Feng's command.

Is the dispatch of the main force to reinforce Lujiang at this time because Lord Wu has already anticipated our alliance and attack? Or is it merely a precautionary measure?

Regardless of the reason, it demonstrates the remarkable insight and foresight of Lord Wu.

Such foresight is truly admirable. If his lord possessed even a tenth of that foresight, Yan Xiang would be overjoyed.

What's even more terrifying is the Wu Marquis's ability to transport troops by the navy, capable of sending 50,000 armored soldiers at once? With such strength, it's no wonder he dared to defend Lujiang to the death.

"Reporting to my lord and sir, the Wu army's banners bear the name Huang, and they are commanded by a middle-aged general. Investigations have revealed that they belong to Huang Zhong and his Vermilion Bird Camp."

"Huang Zhong?" Yan Xiang's expression turned solemn.

Yuan Shu scoffed, "What kind of rat is this? Unheard of! Lu Feng actually sent such an unknown general as reinforcements? Does he think too highly of me?"

He was fantasizing about the crushing defeat of Tao Qian and Liu Biao's armies, and how he could reap the benefits and swallow up Lujiang, Jiujiang, and even the entire Xuzhou.

"My lord, you are mistaken!" Yan Xiang said solemnly, "Huang Zhong is by no means an ordinary man!"

Yan Xiang said solemnly, "My lord! Although this man is not well-known, he has commanded the Vermilion Bird Camp for many years, assisting Lord Wu in quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou. During the campaign against Dong Zhuo, he and his son Huang Xu wiped out the Qingzhou rebels in one fell swoop, recovering the entire territory in ten days!"

"In the recent Battle of Mount Tai, he led the Vermilion Bird Battalion to capture the city in half a day; his son, Huang Xu, further joined forces with Gan Ning and Xu Chu to decisively defeat the allied forces of Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan!"

"This father and son are no ordinary people!"

Yuan Shu, however, disagreed: "The Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou were already subdued by Lu Feng. What kind of achievement is that? Huang Xu may have some ability, but what does that have to do with Huang Zhong?"

"At such a young age, with no reputation, how much ability could he possibly have?"

Yan Xiang said urgently, "My lord, you are unaware of this! Huang Zhong is from Nanyang, and in his youth he was known as the 'Number One Master of Nanyang'! Later, his wife died in childbirth, and his only son, Huang Xu, was born with congenital deficiencies. He traveled far and wide seeking medical treatment, and that's how his reputation gradually faded."

Yuan Shu suddenly interrupted, "So you're saying Huang Xu is his eldest son?"

Yan Xiang suppressed his anger: "Huang Zhong only had this one son! Fortunately, Lu Feng treated him and he recovered."

"Oh?" Yuan Shu exclaimed in surprise, "Lu Feng actually possesses such medical skills?"

"It would be better to spare his life when we defeat him later, imprison him and use him for my purposes, so that he can heal my wounds!"

Who doesn't get a headache or fever sometimes?

Having a skilled healer by your side can prolong your life!

Yan Xiang was speechless.

My lord, aren't you dreaming too soon?

Capture Lu Feng alive?

When will we finally get to that point?

Moreover, given Yuan Shu's current strategies, Yan Xiang is genuinely worried about whether he can defeat Lu Feng in the future.

At least for now, it's absolutely impossible.

"My lord! That Huang Zhong is no ordinary man! I implore you to treat him with utmost care!"

Yan Xiang solemnly reminded him once again.

"Got it! Got it! Wouldn't it be better if it weren't simple?"

Yuan Shu waved his hand irritably: "I was originally worried that Lu Feng's troops left to defend Lujiang were too weak to sustain a mutually destructive conflict with Tao Qian and Liu Biao, but now isn't this exactly what I wanted?"

"Tomorrow I will agree to Chen Deng's request to temporarily form an alliance with Tao Qian to jointly take Lujiang and Jiujiang prefectures. After the matter is accomplished, we will each go our separate ways, how does that sound?"

Yan Xiang nodded and said, "My lord is wise. However, Liu Biao may not agree."

He sighed inwardly: "I hope everything goes well."

"It's settled then!"

Yuan Shu nonchalantly made the decision: "Please inform Chen Deng on my behalf that I will not see him!"

"this......"

Yan Xiang hesitated for a moment, but finally accepted the order: "Yes, sir."

The following morning, Chen Deng's request to see Yuan Shu was unsuccessful. Yan Xiang relayed Yuan Shu's decision:

"Mr. Yuanlong, my lord wishes to temporarily form an alliance with Prefect Tao and Governor Liu to jointly attack the two prefectures of Lujiang and Jiujiang..."

After explaining the plan in detail, Yan Xiang asked, "What is your opinion, sir?"

"Oh, right—"

Seeing that Chen Deng had not yet answered, Yan Xiang continued, "Mr. Yuanlong, you may not know that Lord Wu, Lu Feng, recently ordered Gan Ning to lead the navy and send 50,000 elite troops to Lujiang, the very force that defeated Huang Zhong and his Vermilion Bird Camp in Taishan County! Have you heard of this?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Deng's expression changed drastically: "Lord Wu actually transferred Huang Zhong and the Vermilion Bird Camp to Lujiang? What exactly is his plan?"