The Three Kingdoms: Rise to Power Starting with Intercepting Liu Bei

After Qin Xuan dismissed Gan Ning and his two companions, they lingered for a while in front of the governor's mansion.

Gan and Wen turned their gaze to Huang Zhong, the eldest among them, wanting to see what he was thinking. After all, Huang Zhong was older than them, more experienced, had a longer-term vision, and his thoughts were more mature.

"Hehe!" Huang Zhong smiled faintly when he saw the two men looking at him, and casually stroked his beard.

"Gentlemen, over the years I have been searching far and wide for renowned doctors to cure my son's illness. Now that Lord Qin says that Master Hua Tuo is with him, I will certainly not let this opportunity pass me by."

"While we're at it, let's see how the people of Xuzhou are doing. If Qin Xuan is a diligent and benevolent official, then submitting to him wouldn't be a problem!"

If Hua Tuo could truly cure his son, what difference would it make if he submitted to him? It wouldn't matter who he served.

"This~~~~"

Gan Ning and Wen Pin fell into deep thought after hearing Huang Zhong's words. They hadn't expected that the other party would have the idea of ​​joining Qin Xuan. But thinking about it, Huang Zhong's son had been suffering from illness for many years, and now that he had met a famous doctor, he would naturally not let go of this opportunity.

"Gentlemen, think it over carefully. Anyway, Lord Qin has given us a rather long deadline. As for Lord Qin's threats..."

Huang Zhong paused for a moment, then analyzed with some uncertainty:

"I think... I think it's unlikely."

Huang Zhong had never met someone as decisive and ruthless as Qin Xuan; in other words, he didn't believe Qin Xuan would do such a thing.

After saying this, Huang Zhong rode his horse away from the governor's mansion and returned to the inn where he was staying to take care of his seriously ill son.

"Xingba, let's go. We still have plenty of time. Let's do as General Hansheng says!"

Wen Ping patted Gan Ning on the shoulder and said.

"Ugh!"

Gan Ning sighed heavily, and the two then mounted their horses and returned to the inn.

During the time the three stayed, Qin Xuan asked Meng Guang about the ins and outs of the matter. After all, poaching people is not an easy task, let alone recruiting someone who is already employed.

Through Meng Guang's explanation, Qin Xuan finally understood how the Black Ice Guard had tricked the three of them into coming to Xuzhou.

Huang Zhong cared most about his son. Upon hearing that there was a famous doctor in Xuzhou who could cure his son's illness, he resigned from his official post without hesitation.

Gan Ning was originally a river pirate. Even after joining Liu Biao, he was not given important positions and was instead ostracized at every turn. When he heard that the Black Ice Guard was recruiting him, he immediately led his comrades and men to Xuzhou.

Wen Ping, on the other hand, was forcibly brought here by the Black Ice Platform.

"Young master, if they truly refuse to submit, are you really going to annihilate them?"

Meng Guang dared to ask.

"That's right, I won't let them go. They are extremely capable, and those who don't serve me will only face death!"

Qin Xuan's voice was as cold as ice, and the chill it contained sent a shiver down Meng Guang's spine. He thought to himself:

"The young master's methods are so ruthless, revealing the true nature of a great ruler. The revival of our Great Qin is in sight!"

···········

In October of 195 AD, Qin Xuan had completed all pre-war preparations and officially ordered Li Jing to lead his army to attack Qingzhou.

On the fifth day of the tenth month, Li Jing appointed Yuwen Chengdu as the vanguard and led three thousand iron cavalry and two thousand infantrymen from Zhucheng to attack Beihai Kingdom and Donglai County.

He personally led the remaining troops to attack Le'an, the state of Qi, from the direction of Pixiang.

In an instant, the land of Qingzhou was engulfed in flames of war. When the news of Qin Xuan's attack on Qingzhou and his falling out with Yuan Shao reached the ears of the various warlords, two or three days had already passed since the troops were dispatched.

"Damn it! Qin Xuan has gone too far, daring to send troops to invade Qingzhou!"

Inside the General's Mansion in Ye City, Ji Province, Yuan Shao was in a rage. On the table in front of him was an urgent report that had just been delivered, detailing the battle situation in Qing Province.

The civil and military officials inside the hall were terrified at the sight of Yuan Shao's furious outburst. They lowered their heads like ostriches, not daring to utter a sound, for fear that Yuan Shao would take his anger out on them.

"Speak up! You're all usually so talkative, why are you all suddenly silent?"

The book "Three Kingdoms: Rise from Hijacking Liu Bei" is full of classic quotes, offering a chance to find resonance.

Seeing the civil and military officials in the hall with their heads bowed, Yuan Shao became even more furious and threw the urgent report to the ground.

"My lord, getting angry now won't do any good. The most important thing is how to deal with this!"

"In my analysis, the reason why Qin Xuan attacked Qingzhou at this time is very likely to give Gongsun Zan a chance to catch his breath. According to our scouts, Gongsun Zan has sent people to seek help from all sides."

"But there wasn't much response, so we didn't take it seriously!"

"I never expected Qin Xuan would attack Qingzhou for Gongsun Zan!"

Ju Shou stepped out of the queue and came to the center of the hall. He picked up the urgent report that Yuan Shao had left behind and slowly revealed his guess.

"My lord, although Ju Shou's words make sense, I do not see it that way."

Just as Ju Shou finished speaking, Xu You, whose ideas differed from his, immediately stood up to refute him.

"Oh, Xu You, tell me your opinion. Why couldn't this be Qin Xuan's strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao'?"

Yuan Shao initially leaned towards Ju Shou's analysis, believing that Qin Xuan's attack on Qingzhou was a preparation to rescue Gongsun Zan. After all, he had the emperor in his hands, and Qin Xuan would not engage in a direct conflict with him unless it was an extremely critical moment.

Now, however, Xu You's opinion piqued his curiosity.

Xu You cupped his hands and analyzed:

"My lord, Qin Xuan's attack on Qingzhou was not a ploy to relieve the siege of Wei, but a premeditated plan, and it has little to do with Gongsun Zan!"

"Think about it, how much would Gongsun Zan have to pay to persuade Qin Xuan to send troops? Gongsun Zan only has one isolated city left to hold on to, and he simply doesn't have much leverage to persuade Qin Xuan."

"Moreover, if Qin Xuan wants to develop, Qingzhou will be his target sooner or later. It's just that he dares to take advantage of the fact that we are focusing all our energy on destroying Gongsun Zan and our forces are stretched thin."

"This~~~~"

Yuan Shao fell into deep thought. Xu You's words made sense. Qin Xuan must have seized this opportunity, and with Gongsun Zan's request for help, he decisively sent troops to Qingzhou.

"So what should we do? Should we send some troops to reinforce Qingzhou, or should we focus all our efforts on destroying Gongsun Zan, and then march south with our main army for a final battle?"

This is the real problem facing Yuan Shao. Don't be fooled by the urgent report that Qin Xuan, with Li Jing as his commander, is leading 10,000 troops to attack Qingzhou. Who knows if Qin Xuan has any backup plans?

If troops are dispatched to reinforce Qingzhou, the number must be large, not small. That would lighten the pressure on Gongsun Zan, and he might even use this opportunity to cause trouble for himself.

As for the idea of ​​"holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords" and ordering others to attack Qin Xuan, that was simply impossible. Yuan Shu and Cao Cao would never have so readily sent troops. As for the other feudal lords, by the time they received the news, it would be too late.

They might have just received the imperial decree and mustered their troops to set off when Qin Xuan had already reached their doorstep, leaving them no time to do anything.

The large council hall fell into a silent silence. The civil and military officials racked their brains to find a way out of the impasse. After a long while, Ju Shou was the first to speak up and share his thoughts.

"My lord, I suggest sending someone to negotiate peace with Qin Xuan and dividing up Qingzhou to minimize losses in time."

"The one who's most pleased right now is probably Gongsun Zan. He's probably just waiting for us to send troops and have a big battle with Qin Xuan so he can have a chance to catch his breath!"

"Actually, we all know that after Qin Xuan's rise, Qingzhou is impossible to protect. Our top priority now is Youzhou, which is much more important than Qingzhou."

"Please, my lord, consider the greater good!"

After Ju Shou finished speaking, Yuan Shao turned his gaze to Shen Pei, Guo Tu, and the others, wanting to hear their thoughts.

To Yuan Shao's surprise, these strategists now held a remarkably consistent view, all agreeing with Ju Shou's suggestion.

"Is this the idea you all share?"

Yuan Shao confirmed this again.

"My lord, Lord Ju's suggestion is exactly what we were thinking. The importance of Qingzhou is far beyond what Youzhou can compare to."

"Qingzhou is now impoverished, suffering severe population loss and food shortages. Qin Xuan's occupation of Qingzhou has only left him with a mess!"

Xu You cupped his hands and said, "We know the situation in Qingzhou. It's a hot potato with no strategic value whatsoever. It's far less important than Youzhou."