Chapter 277: Yuan Shao

"Wenxian, this is our last chance. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Once I am defeated, how long can you hold out? The potential of Sili is not as good as Ji Province. Furthermore, at the Imperial Court, Wenxian, you cannot be the sole decision-maker; so many people are holding you back. Just look at the Battle of Chenliu to see."

"Those aristocratic families have their own plans. They don't care who sits in the highest position, as long as their family's interests are not diminished, then it doesn't matter to them."

"But Wenxian, can your Yang clan afford that?"

Yuan Shao looked at Yang Biao and said earnestly.

In fact, coming to persuade Yang Biao at this moment meant that Yuan Shao was truly at his wit's end. If he didn't unite with Yang Biao, he would not have a single chance of winning.

Previously, he had dispatched the strongest assassin of his family, but after such a long time without news, Yuan Shao knew the operation had failed.

Losing such a trump card, Yuan Shao didn't care too much, but failing to achieve his goal was quite disappointing.

Relying on the army alone, he could no longer block the Xuzhou forces.

Yuan Shao was very clear about this point. After fighting for two years, although he had won, his losses were greater.

Although he still had a million troops, he knew even better what those troops were like.

The original elites had been exhausted to the bottom during the battles with the Xuzhou forces; he had no choice but to choose this method.

And he felt that relying on his own side alone was not even possible, which was why he had sought out Yang Biao.

"Benchu, this matter of yours is not small. I need to consider it, and that Lv Fengxian is not someone I can mobilize with a single word."

Yang Biao hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.

He was quite surprised by Yuan Shao's arrival, and even more astonished by the other party's intent.

As an old rival, Yang Biao was very clear about the Yuan clan's foundation. He had been quite shocked when Yuan Shu was defeated back then.

Now it looked like Yuan Shao was also going to be defeated; otherwise, the other party would not have come to find him, to join forces with him, and to implement this final plan.

This all went to show that Yuan Shao could no longer hold on.

How long had it been?

He had not gone to the battlefield and did not know how powerful the Xuzhou forces were.

The fighting in Chenliu had always been Lv Bu attacking, while the Xuzhou forces defended. Although the other party blocked the advance of Lv Bu and Cao Cao,

Yang Biao didn't pay much attention to it. He felt it wasn't that the Xuzhou forces were too strong, but that Lv Bu and the others were always being restrained by other forces of the Imperial Court.

Previously, he had always believed that relying on them, and uniting with other warlords, blocking Xuzhou would be no problem.

But now it seemed he had truly underestimated the other party's strength.

However, Yang Biao also had hesitations in his heart regarding Yuan Shao's proposal.

First of all, this could be considered breaking the bottom line. After all, choosing to assassinate the opponent's leader because you couldn't beat them on the battlefield—

what was this?

As the current head of the Yang clan, Yang Biao still cared very much about his face.

Secondly, wanting to assassinate the other party was not so simple. The other party had already encountered two assassination attempts and would inevitably be more cautious. Moreover, this time, needing so many people to go and launch a strong attack, he feared the other party would also be well-prepared.

The other party possessed quite a few experts.

Their family did indeed possess quite a few experts, but if they really participated, it would be fine if they succeeded, but once they failed, the result would be something their Yang family could not bear.

After all, this was different from a normal confrontation.

Their Yang clan had not participated in the contention for the world and was now just controlling a portion of the Imperial Court's power.

Even in the future, if that person from Xuzhou defeated the Imperial Court's army, their Yang clan would be suppressed, but they could still survive.

But once he agreed to Yuan Shao's proposal, it would be an existence of life-or-death. If they failed, that person would inevitably launch a bloody revenge against their Yang clan.

And in the end, the aristocratic families would likely not say anything.

This was the point Yang Biao hesitated about the most; he could not easily make a decision.

After all, the Yang clan was different from the Yuan clan. The Yuan clan had participated in the contention for the world, so naturally, they had to fight for their lives. If they failed, Yuan Shao would be very miserable.

But their Yang clan was different.

"Wenxian, don't forget, if that person wins the world, your Yang clan will inevitably suffer the greatest blow. Although this person is quite peaceful toward aristocratic families, looking at Xuzhou and Yu Province, the larger the aristocratic family, the more ruthlessly he suppresses them."

Yuan Shao naturally saw Yang Biao's hesitation.

Of course, he could not let Yang Biao withdraw. The Yang clan's foundation was no worse than their Yuan clan's; the Yang clan's experts even exceeded theirs now.

And most importantly, the current Lv Bu was married into the Yang clan; Yang Biao could mobilize Lv Bu.

His final desperate plan—to go there with absolute power and behead that person—required power that their Yuan clan no longer possessed.

Having experienced the previous assassination, he knew that the protection around that person would be even stronger. With the Yuan clan's current power, going to assassinate him, he didn't have much confidence.

Who knew how much power that person still had around him?

Once they failed, the Yuan clan would truly be doomed.

So he had to have complete assurance.

Seeking Yang Biao was also for this reason, because at present in the world, only Yang Biao had such strength, especially since the Yang clan could influence Lv Bu.

Yuan Shao was very clear about Lv Bu's strength. If he could add him, and then have some other forces, he believed that in the end, they could kill this person in one fell swoop.

And in this process, if they could weaken the power of other parties, it would be killing multiple birds with one stone.

"Unfortunately, that Sword Saint has disappeared. Otherwise, if we added him, it would definitely be a ten-out-of-ten certainty."

Yuan Shao sighed inwardly. The death of Dong Zhuo back then had a great deal to do with that Sword Saint.

Previously, that Sword Saint had always guarded Liu Bian, which also made Dong Zhuo have a trace of awe toward the royal family.

It was just that after Dong Zhuo died, the other party disappeared.

"Benchu, this matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with the clan elders within the family. Once discussed, I will give you news."

Yang Biao finally had not made a decision.

"Wenxian, you must consider carefully where the Yang clan will go in the future. However, I also hope you can decide on a policy as soon as possible; this matter cannot be delayed."

Yuan Shao also knew that letting Yang Biao make a decision immediately was unrealistic. Such a matter concerned the future of the family; no one dared to make a decision.

"I understand."

Yang Biao nodded upon hearing this.

"Since that is the case, I will not disturb you."

Yuan Shao nodded. He had to seize the time now; Yang Biao was just one of his targets, and he wanted to persuade more people to participate.

The more aristocratic families that participated, the greater their power would be, and the greater the chance of success would be. Naturally, he could not easily let it go. ===== CHAPTER 278 =====