Chapter 239 Cao Cao Divides the World into Four
Even more terrifying things are yet to come for Yuan Shao!
Yuan Shu's stomach growled, but he was not embarrassed at all. He said generously, "Brother, I haven't had a full meal for many days. Can you treat me to a feast?"

Yuan Shao suspected that there must be something wrong with his ears today, otherwise how could he hear Yuan Shu calling him brother?
Even if the sun rose in the west, Yuan Shu would never call him brother!

Seeing Yuan Shao's hesitation, Yuan Shu retreated and said, "My brothers are almost starving to death. If you are in trouble, could you please reward us with a full meal with meat?"

Yang Hong, who was standing by, burst into tears and knelt down crying, "My Lord!"

Yuan Shu's tone was no different from begging for food. Forcing a general to beg for food made Yang Hong want to die.

Of course, it is the kind of impulse of a man dying for his confidant!
Yang Hong no longer thought that he had followed the wrong lord.

On the other side, Yuan Shao guaranteed that today would definitely be the most embarrassing day of his life!
It's really shocking!

Yuan Shu actually spoke to him in this tone!

Yuan Shao was worried that if he reacted too slowly, the image he had built up throughout his life would be in danger of collapse.

"What are you talking about?"

Yuan Shao said almost at the same time as Yang Hong yelled, "You and I are one family, why do we have to talk behind each other's back?"

"Don't worry! There will be plenty of good wine and food. Your brother is my brother!"

Yuan Shao did not mind the sour smell on Yuan Shu's body. He stepped forward and grabbed Yuan Shu's arm, pretending to be angry and said, "I just want to know who made you like this?"

Hearing this, Yuan Shu's true colors were revealed, his eyes were filled with tears, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Jin Mao, you little bastard!"

"Don't worry, we will definitely avenge you!"

Although he said this, Yuan Shao was actually worried, so he deliberately brought in all the princes.

Everyone present was a smart person, and they all knew that Yuan Shao's words were only meant to deceive simple-minded people.

But Yuan Shu was fooled by this and said with emotion: "Brother! I was wrong before."

"From now on, I, Yuan Shu, will follow my brother's lead!"

Yuan Shao was both happy and surprised. He was happy that the Yuan family had finally united. From now on, he could let go and do something big.

What shocked him was that Yuan Shu changed so quickly, and Yuan Shao was worried about who would take the dominant position in the future.

In the past, Yuan Shu didn’t have to worry at all about killing himself.

Yuan Shao now felt scared of Yuan Shu, who was afraid that he would be killed by him.

"The hot soup is ready." Yuan Shao still wanted to be a competent brother on the surface, and said: "Gonglu go take a shower and change clothes first, don't come back until you are drunk tonight!"

Unexpectedly, Yuan Shu asked shyly: "Brother, can you let us have a good meal first?"

"The brothers haven't had a good meal for ten days."

Yuan Shao laughed and said, "How difficult is this?"

After that, he started to make arrangements.

But Yuan Shao was suspicious in his heart whether Yuan Shu had received guidance from an expert and was using a new method to seize the position of the leader of Guanzhong.

However, all doubts disappeared after the meal started.

Yuan Shao deliberately placed some food and meat that Yuan Shu had particularly hated in the past, but Yuan Shu wolfed them down without even blinking.

This is enough to show that Yuan Shu has really changed.

As a result, Yuan Shao began to worry again, thinking that Yuan Shu was the most terrifying person.

After Yuan Shu had eaten and drunk his fill and went downstairs to bathe and rest, Yuan Shao quickly summoned all his advisers to discuss countermeasures.

Soon, Xu You, Shen Pei, Feng Ji and Guo Tu all arrived.

"Greetings, my lord."

"No gift."

Yuan Shao couldn't wait to get to the point and said, "Have you all seen the transformation of Yuan Gonglu today?"

"Tell me, what do you think?"

The four of them immediately understood Yuan Shao's intention.

Xu You weighed the pros and cons secretly.

Shen Pei and Feng Ji looked at each other.

Guo Tu was the first to step out and said, "My Lord, I think the big change in Yuan Gonglu is a good thing for us."

"Oh?" Yuan Shao said with great interest, "Whatever it is, you can tell me what it is."

Guo Tu thanked him and said, "It has been more than two months since the Guandong coalition army went to fight Dong Zhuo, but they still cannot break through Hulao Pass. Instead, Sun Jian, a mere man, has taken all the limelight."

"The coalition urgently needs change!"

Guo Tu didn't dare to talk about the last disastrous defeat, as that was the last thing Yuan Shao wanted to mention.

Yuan Shao nodded and said, "That makes sense."

Guo Tu then continued, "If the general turns over a new leaf, we only need to conceal the fact that he was defeated and make it known to the world, and the reputation of the coalition forces will greatly increase."

"The traitor Dong Zhuo in Luoyang will surely be terrified."

"When the time comes, whether to fight or make peace will all depend on the Lord's will."

Yuan Shao suddenly stood up and shouted, "Shut up!"

"Don't say such things again in the future!"

Guo Tu knelt on the ground as if frightened, but he was secretly happy in his heart. Yuan Shao did not blame him, which meant that Guo Tu had guessed Yuan Shao's thoughts.

The Guandong coalition forces were not as well-off as Jinmao. After two months of fighting, they were already running out of food and supplies.

The various princes have long been clamoring to go home and fight again next year.

It's easy to break up, but hard to get together again.

Yuan Shao didn't want to give up halfway.

Now that Guo Tu had reminded him of this, Yuan Shao also had the idea of ​​negotiating peace in his mind, but he could not say it out loud.

"What do you think, Ziyuan?"

Xu You stepped out and said, "My Lord, I don't have any ideas, but I do have a little trick that may win the favor of the rear general."

Xu You is different from Guo Tu. Although Xu You is greedy for money, his thinking is wild and unconventional, and he always has amazing ideas.

Yuan Shao liked Guo Tu, but he also needed talents like Xu You.

"tell me the story."

Xu You bowed and said, "General Hou and Jin Mao have a grudge against each other, and Jin Mao is on good terms with Sun Jian. If Sun Jian also has a grudge against General Hou, my lord, why don't you write a letter in the name of the leader of the coalition army, ordering Sun Jian to join forces to fight against Dong Zhuo."

"If Sun Jian obeys the order, then you can let the rear general return to Yuzhou to take charge of the overall situation."

"If Sun Jian disobeys orders, he can be kicked out of the coalition. No matter how many military exploits Sun Jian wins in the future, people will only think he is a common man!"

The strategy was simple, it was the same one that Yuan Shao had used on Jin Mao before.

But Sun Jian is not Jin Mao, and without the name of the previous emperor's will, Yuan Shao can do whatever he wants to him.

"Ziyuan is indeed insightful!"

Yuan Shao asked: "Who should be sent as an envoy to handle this matter?"

Xu You glanced at Guo Tu; the two did not get along.

However, Guo Tu was one step ahead and suggested: "My lord, this matter was raised by Xu You, so it should be resolved by Xu You."

Seeing Yuan Shao looking over, Xu You bowed inwardly and said, "This is easy, my lord, just send a messenger."

Yuan Shao nodded and said, "That makes sense."

Then, Shen Pei and Feng Ji expressed their opinions respectively, and the four counselors agreed that making friends with Yuan Shu would do more good than harm.

So Yuan Shao put aside his worries and decided to be honest with Yuan Shu.

...

Cao’s army camp.

Yuan Shu's great change shocked not only Yuan Shao, but also Cao Cao.

They all grew up together, so they know each other very well.

"Fengxiao, what do you think of Yuan Gonglu?" Cao Cao's territory is in Chenliu, Yanzhou, and he will definitely use it as a foundation for development in the future.

If Yuan Shu, the boss of neighboring Yuzhou, turned out to be difficult to deal with, that would not be what Cao Cao had expected.

Guo Jia pondered and said, "No matter how much a person changes externally, his essence will not change."

"How can Yuan Shu be compared with my lord?"

Cao Cao sighed and said, "You don't understand."

"I am not afraid of Yuan Shu as a person. What I am worried about is the aristocratic family behind him!"

"Yuan Shu in the past was like a withered bone in a tomb, a piece of mud that can't be propped up against a wall. Once people recognize his true face, they will naturally abandon him."

"Now, Yuan Shu has put on a cloak of hypocrisy, which is very different!"

Cao Cao stared at Guo Jia and said seriously, "You know, when I look at Yuan Shu now, I feel like I'm looking at Yuan Shao when he was young!"

Guo Jia was stunned: "My lord, you think too highly of Yuan Shu, don't you?"

Cao Cao shook his head and said, "No, as long as Yuan Shu keeps the status quo, it is not impossible for another Yuan Shao to appear in the future!"

"Even stronger!"

Cao Cao got a headache when he thought of Yuan Shu's identity as his legitimate son, because this was much stronger than Yuan Shao's innate ability.

Ever since Dong Zhuo massacred Yuan Wei, Yuan Ji and other members of the Yuan family in Luoyang, Yuan Shu became the person with the purest Yuan family bloodline in the world.

If Yuan Shu had such ability earlier, the position of leader of the coalition forces would never have fallen to Yuan Shao.

I have to say that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao really grew up together, and even their thoughts and ideas are so similar.

After hearing what Cao Cao said, Guo Jia had a certain understanding of the current situation.

Guo Jia was good at understanding people's hearts, but weak at politics. It cannot be said that he did not understand the disputes between these aristocratic families, but he could only say that his understanding was vague and not detailed enough.

After hearing what Cao Cao said, Guo Jia, who was very intelligent, immediately understood.

Guo Jia asked with a smile: "Yuan Shu has become stronger. Isn't this a good thing for the lord?"

Cao Cao was puzzled and asked, "What does Fengxiao mean?"

Guo Jia stood up and scribbled on the ground, outlining the outlines of the thirteen states of the world. He pointed to the south and said, "Jin Mao occupies the four states in the south of the Yangtze River."

"Which prince in the world today can have such ability?"

"My lord, instead of worrying about Yuan Shu, it would be better for you to pay more attention to Jin Mao."

Guo Jia said earnestly: "This man has great ambitions, he must be a hero in the world, he should never be underestimated!"

Cao Cao looked at the map in silence. Jin Mao was indeed powerful, but he chose not to talk about it for fear of damaging his Taoist integrity.

And everyone knows that Jinmao has no cavalry and cannot pose a threat to the open Central Plains in the north.

This is also the reason why Cao Cao automatically ignored it.

"Feng Xiao, what you said is not right."

Cao Cao pointed to Yizhou and Jiaozhou and asked, "Jinmao occupies two states, how did it become four states?"

Guo Jia smiled and said, "My Lord, you ask this question even though you know the answer. Are you testing me?"

Cao Cao laughed and said, "The one who knows me well is Feng Xiao!"

With Cao Cao's intelligence, he could see that Liu Yan and Liu Biao would be swallowed up by Jin Mao sooner or later, it was just a matter of time.

The reason I say this is to introduce the following passage.

"Have you ever thought about what to do if one day there is a rift between me and Yuan Shao?"

Cao Cao's smile froze as he asked, "Could it be that he is going to join Yuan Shu?"

Guo Jia's mind moved, and he asked, "My lord, do you want to use Jin Mao as a support?"

Cao Cao shook his head and said, "You should be called Yangzhou Mu."

He pointed at the map and said, "It will take a long time for Yangzhou Mu to swallow up the northwest."

"During this period of time, great changes will definitely take place in the Central Plains!"

"Dragons and snakes rise together to fight for supremacy in the Central Plains!"

Cao Cao looked up at the top of the tent and said, "If I occupy a state, I can only survive in the cracks. No matter how powerful the governor of Yangzhou is, what does it have to do with me?"

"If I occupy two states, I will be targeted by Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu."

Cao Cao pointed at the map and sighed, "Which of the five states of Yan, Qing, Xu, Yu, and Sili is not a place of war?"

"No matter which two states I occupy, it is imperative to form an alliance with Yangzhou Mu!"

In Cao Cao's view, Yuan Shu had undergone tremendous changes, so Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao became natural allies.

But in front of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao lost his value and could be abandoned at any time.

With the power of the Yuan family, occupying half of the thirteen states in the world, six states, or even seven states would not be a big problem!

If that day really comes, Jin Mao will occupy four states, Cao Cao will occupy two states, and the Yuan brothers will occupy seven states.

Then the weakest Cao Cao must seek out the strongest Jin Mao to form an alliance.

Of course, these are all things to follow.

All of Cao Cao’s concerns have been expressed.

Guo Jia finally understood what he meant. He chuckled and said, "My lord, you have a long-term vision. I admire you."

“I still think it’s better to focus on the present.”

Cao Cao bowed and said, "I'm all ears."

Guo Jia pointed at Hulao Pass and said, "The allied forces are running out of food and grass. I'm afraid this expedition against Dong will be a failure. My lord, you should make plans early."

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Feng Xiao is right. I have had this idea for a long time."

Now the coalition forces have only 130,000 to 140,000 troops in total, half of whom are militia. Cao Cao was defeated last time, and now he has less than 2,000 troops, and his voice is not as strong as before.

Therefore, he had already begun to think about quitting and wanted to return to his hometown and start over.

Guo Jia smiled and said, "My lord, please speak."

Cao Cao declined, saying, "Feng Xiao speaks first!"

The two spoke almost in unison and smiled at each other.

Then, Guo Jia said, "The governor of Qingzhou is dead, why don't you ask leader Yuan for the position of governor of Qingzhou?"

"Firstly, you are legitimate and can be considered a local lord. Secondly, the Yellow Turbans are rampant in Qingzhou. I'm afraid that Leader Yuan is eager for you to take over this mess."

This is asking for benefits from Yuan Shao.

Cao Cao had not thought of this and could not help wondering, "Qingzhou?"

"That's a million Yellow Turbans!"

"I only have 2,000 men and horses. How can I compete with them?"

Guo Jia shook his head, pointed at Yanzhou and said, "He is called the governor of Qingzhou, but he is actually going to Yanzhou!"

"Yanzhou?"

Cao Cao frowned. Zhang Miao, the prefect of Chenliu County, Qiao Mao, the prefect of Dongjun County, and Yuan Yi, the prefect of Shanyang County, were all prefects in Yanzhou.

Cao Cao had a good relationship with Zhang Miao, Yuan Yi was Yuan Shao's cousin, and the only one he was not familiar with was the Dongjun Prefect Qiao Mao.

It seems very feasible!
In addition, Dongjun is located in the north of Yanzhou and borders Qing, Ji and Sili states. This location is not very good for Cao Cao, but for Yuan Shao it is definitely a position that must be defended.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Yuan Shao was planning to attack Jizhou, and therefore Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou who had been providing food and fodder, cut off the food and fodder supply to the coalition forces.

To the west of Jizhou were the Black Mountain Army, to the east were the millions of Yellow Turbans from Qingzhou, and to the north was Gongsun Zan, so Jizhou was faced with both internal and external troubles.

If another enemy emerges from the south, Jizhou will become a place of war on all sides.

Therefore, even if Cao Cao failed to become the governor of Qingzhou, he could still get the position of prefect of Dongjun.

Thinking of this, Cao Cao praised Guo Jia highly: "Feng Xiao is worthy of being my son Zifang. This plan is very much to my liking!"

(End of this chapter)