Chapter 1034: To prevent a surprise attack!

Shen Pei suggested, "My lord, one must be decisive to avoid chaos. We should immediately arrest Su Puyan and Yan Rou in secret, while strengthening communication with other generals to stabilize morale. Additionally, we can send someone to contact Cao Ren and have him speed up his march to prevent any unforeseen events."

Yuan Shao nodded, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "Good, proceed according to the plan. Ju Shou, you are responsible for handling the matter of Su Puyan and Yan Rou; you must do it cleanly and efficiently. Shen Pei, you are responsible for the city's defense to ensure nothing goes wrong. As for Cao Ren, I will personally write to urge him."

The two men received their orders and acted quickly. Yuan Shao remained alone in his study, pondering in his heart. He knew well that this war tested not only his military talent but also his political wisdom and decisiveness. Every decision could determine the future of Jizhou, and even his own fate.

……

When Gao Shun learned that Su Puyan and Yan Rou were preparing to defect, he was overjoyed. He immediately summoned Xu Huang, Pang De, and others to discuss how to exploit this favorable situation.

"This is a heaven-sent opportunity." Gao Shun’s gaze was piercing. "We must not only take Henei, but also take the opportunity to disrupt Yuan Shao’s entire defensive line, leaving him unable to attend to both ends."

Xu Huang proposed, "We can divide our troops into two paths. I will lead one to take Henei directly and cut off Yuan Shao’s grain route. General Pang will lead the other to join forces with Zhang Yan’s Black Mountain Army to attack Yuan Shao’s main force from the flank and create chaos."

Pang De nodded in agreement. "This plan is excellent. Although the Black Mountain Army is not strong in combat, they are familiar with the terrain and are numerous, which is enough to pin down a portion of Yuan Shao’s forces."

Gao Shun thought for a moment and added, "At the same time, we must keep a close watch on Yuan Shao’s internal movements, especially those newly surrendered generals. If they can stand up against Yuan Shao at this time, that will be the most powerful support for us."

The group reached an agreement and acted quickly. Gao Shun personally led an elite force, ready to deal with any sudden situations that might arise.

……

Ju Shou encountered trouble in handling the matter of Su Puyan and Yan Rou. It turned out that after learning of Yuan Shao’s intentions, the two had long been prepared. Not only had they moved their families in advance, but they had also secretly contacted some of their confidants, preparing to deal Yuan Shao a fatal blow at the critical moment.

"Mr. Ju, what should we do?" a subordinate asked anxiously.

Ju Shou pondered for a moment and said calmly, "Do not alert them for now. We will monitor them in secret while strengthening contact with other generals to ensure they are not influenced by Su Puyan and Yan Rou."

However, the development of events was often unexpected. Just as Ju Shou was struggling to stabilize the situation, another major incident occurred within Yuan Shao’s ranks—several newly surrendered generals, incited by Su Puyan and Yan Rou, openly declared that they would no longer support Yuan Shao and instead turned to Gu Yi’s embrace.

This change caught Yuan Shao off guard, and his already precarious defensive line became even worse. Yuan Shao was furious but helpless, and could only watch as his power was dismantled bit by bit.

……

Gao Shun and the others seized the opportunity to launch a full-scale attack. The troops led by Xu Huang quickly captured Henei and cut off Yuan Shao’s grain route; Pang De joined forces with Zhang Yan to launch a fierce attack on Yuan Shao’s main force from the flank. Under the pincer attack, Yuan Shao’s army soon fell into chaos.

Yuan Shao personally took the field to command, attempting to salvage the defeat, but the morale of the army was already broken and spirits were low. Coupled with the lack of grain and fodder, the soldiers fled one after another. Seeing that the situation was lost, Yuan Shao could only flee to the north with a few confidants, and Jizhou thus fell into Gu Yi’s hands.

Gao Shun and the others returned in triumph and were warmly welcomed by Gu Yi. Gu Yi’s secret layout in Mount Taixing finally achieved a decisive victory. He not only expanded his sphere of influence but also won the heartfelt support of the people of Jizhou.

At the victory banquet, Gu Yi raised his glass and said to Gao Shun and the others, "Today’s victory is all due to your efforts. However, the world is not yet settled, and we still need to continue our efforts. May we work together to realize the great cause of unifying the world!"

The crowd responded in unison, and the atmosphere was warm and solemn. They knew that this was just the beginning, and there were more challenges waiting for them on the road ahead. But as long as they had faith, courage, and wisdom, they would surely be able to overcome all difficulties and realize the dreams in their hearts.

After the victory banquet, Gu Yi summoned a group of generals including Gao Shun, Xu Huang, and Pang De into his tent to discuss the next strategic deployment.

"Although we won today, Yuan Shao has fled to the north and will surely seek new allies to make a comeback." Gu Yi’s expression was solemn as his gaze swept across the faces of the crowd. "We must take this opportunity to consolidate the Jizhou defensive line while plotting for greater development."

Gao Shun spoke first: "The lord is absolutely right. Although Yuan Shao is defeated, his foundation in the north still exists, and he has the help of allies like Cao Ren, so he cannot be underestimated. We should reorganize the Jizhou army as soon as possible, strengthen training, and at the same time send out scouts to monitor the movements of Yuan Shao and his allies closely."

Xu Huang nodded in agreement: "In addition, we also need to appease the people of Jizhou, restore production, and ensure the stability of the people’s hearts. Only when the people live and work in peace can our rear be stable and our front be worry-free."

Pang De added: "Although the Black Mountain Army has allied with us, its internal composition is complex and needs to be guided and restrained to prevent it from becoming a hidden danger. At the same time, we can also use the Black Mountain Army’s familiarity with the terrain to further expand our sphere of influence in Jizhou."

Gu Yi nodded slightly after hearing this, a glimmer of approval flashing in his eyes: "You have all considered things very thoroughly. Gao Shun, you are responsible for reorganizing the army and training matters; Xu Huang, you are responsible for appeasing the people and restoring production; Pang De, you are responsible for liaison and coordination with the Black Mountain Army. As for me, I will personally go to Youzhou to strive for an alliance with Gongsun Zan to jointly resist Yuan Shao’s counterattack."

The group received their orders and went to prepare. Gu Yi took a few personal guards and set off on the road to Youzhou.

……

Several days later, Gu Yi arrived in Youzhou and was warmly received by Gongsun Zan. The two sat down in the tent and began to discuss the alliance.

"Brother Gu, your momentum is now immense, and even Yuan Shao has been defeated by your hands; it is truly admirable." Gongsun Zan praised with a smile.

Gu Yi waved his hand modestly: "Brother Gongsun is too kind. Although Yuan Shao is defeated, the situation in the north remains complex. We need to work together to resist foreign enemies and protect our borders and people."

Gongsun Zan nodded in agreement: "Brother Gu is absolutely right. Yuan Shao is an ambitious man; if he is allowed to make a comeback, he will surely be our heart-and-gut trouble. I am willing to form an alliance with Brother Gu to fight against Yuan Shao together."

Gu Yi was overjoyed to hear this: "That is excellent. We can support each other, share intelligence, and jointly resist Yuan Shao’s attacks. At the same time, we can also take this opportunity to expand our respective spheres of influence and achieve a win-win situation."

After the two decided on the specific matters of the alliance, they each sent envoys to their respective territories to announce the news of the alliance. At the same time, they also strengthened border defenses to prevent a sudden attack by Yuan Shao.

…….