Chapter 1090: A Fatal Blow

"General Gongsun, General Sun, we have been ordered by Mr. Gu to come and offer a strategy to defeat the enemy." As soon as the two envoys entered the tent of Gongsun Zan and Sun Jian, they got straight to the point.

Hearing this, Gongsun Zan raised his eyebrows and exchanged a glance with Sun Jian, both feeling surprised. Gu Yi—this name was not exactly famous in the Allied forces, but the few times he had won by surprise had made many people look at him with new eyes. At this moment, the sudden visit of the two envoys undoubtedly piqued the interest of Gongsun Zan and Sun Jian.

"Oh? What good strategy does Mr. Gu have? Let's hear it." Gongsun Zan spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.

One of the envoys smiled slightly, took a secret letter from his bosom, and offered it with both hands, "This was written by Mr. Gu himself, detailing the strategy to break Dong. Mr. Gu says that if this plan is coordinated by the two Generals, it will surely turn the tide of the war."

Gongsun Zan took the secret letter and read it carefully with Sun Jian. In the letter, Gu Yi analyzed the current situation in detail, pointing out that the reason the Allied forces had been unable to win for so long, besides the lack of unity, was the lack of a clever move to break the stalemate. He proposed that they could use the internal conflicts within Dong Zhuo's army, as well as the selfish motives of certain feudal lords in the Allied forces, to set a trap. This would not only cause Dong Zhuo's army to fall into chaos but also expose the true colors of certain forces within the Allied coalition.

After reading the secret letter, Gongsun Zan pondered for a moment and looked at Sun Jian, "Brother Wentai, what do you think?"

Sun Jian stroked his short beard, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, "Although this plan is risky, if it succeeds, it is indeed possible to turn the tide of the war in one stroke. However, why did Mr. Gu choose us? There are many powerful feudal lords in the Allied forces."

The other envoy replied, "Mr. Gu says that General Gongsun is brave and good at fighting, and General Sun is both wise and brave; both Generals are the best among the Allied forces. Moreover, both Generals have an irreconcilable hatred for Dong Zhuo and will surely execute this plan with all their hearts. Furthermore, this plan requires secret action, so the choice of personnel naturally needs to be cautious."

Gongsun Zan nodded, having already made up his mind, "Good! I, Gongsun Zan, am willing to listen to Mr. Gu's command. However, we still need to discuss the specific implementation of this plan in detail."

Thus, the two envoys explained Gu Yi's strategy in detail. It turned out that Gu Yi intended to use the conflict between the Xiliang faction and the Bingzhou faction within Dong Zhuo's army, passing false intelligence through spies to make Dong Zhuo mistakenly believe that the Allied forces were about to launch a surprise attack on the rear of the Xiliang Army. At the same time, certain feudal lords in the Allied forces who had secret dealings with Dong Zhuo would also be secretly monitored; once they made a move, their true colors would be immediately exposed, thereby disintegrating the internal conflicts of the Allied forces.

After hearing this, Sun Jian couldn't help but praise, "This plan is wonderful! It can both cause Dong Zhuo's army to fall into chaos and clean up the scum within the Allied forces. However, executing this plan requires extreme secrecy; once the news leaks, the consequences will be unimaginable." ===== CHAPTER 1781 =====

Gongsun Zan deeply agreed, "Brother Wentai is absolutely right. We must act immediately and deploy according to Mr. Gu's strategy. At the same time, we must also strengthen the defense of the camp to prevent a sudden attack by Dong Zhuo's army."

Just as the two were discussing, a soldier suddenly came to report, "Reporting to the two Generals, there seems to be unusual movement in the Allied camp. Xu You has quietly left the camp, and his whereabouts are unknown."

Gongsun Zan and Sun Jian looked at each other, both feeling surprised. Xu You leaving at this time—could it be related to Gu Yi's strategy? Or did he have other schemes?

Sun Jian pondered for a moment and said, "This Xu You has always been cunning and resourceful. His departure at this time must be suspicious. However, we should still act according to Mr. Gu's strategy. As for Xu You, let's send people to follow him secretly and see what his intentions are."

Gongsun Zan nodded and immediately arranged for people to follow Xu You. At the same time, he and Sun Jian began to deploy secretly according to Gu Yi's strategy.

On the other side, under the cover of night, Xu You sneaked all the way and finally arrived in front of Hulao Pass. Looking at the towering gate tower, he felt secretly proud. If he could successfully persuade Dong Zhuo this time, not only would he be able to make a great contribution before Yuan Shao, but he might also be able to use this opportunity to climb the big tree that was Dong Zhuo, and his future success would be just around the corner.

Just as Xu You was about to step forward and call out, a rain of arrows suddenly shot from the gate tower. He was shocked and hurriedly dodged. Fortunately, the rain of arrows was not dense, and he luckily escaped a disaster.

"Who is breaking into Hulao Pass at night?" a shout came from the gate tower.

Xu You steadied himself and answered loudly, "I am Xu You, a strategist under Yuan Shao, here specifically to pay a visit to Grand Tutor Dong to discuss important matters."

There was silence on the gate tower for a moment, then the drawbridge was slowly lowered, and a general led several soldiers down. They looked Xu You up and down, and after confirming there was no mistake, they brought him up to the gate tower.

Xu You arrived before Dong Zhuo and bowed, "Greetings, Grand Tutor Dong."

Dong Zhuo squinted at Xu You and sneered, "Yuan Shao sent you here—for what purpose?"

Xu You's heart tightened, but he remained calm on the surface, "Grand Tutor, please see clearly. Although Yuan Shao is the leader of the Allied forces, in reality, everyone has their own ulterior motives. I have come here to conspire with you on a great matter."

Hearing this, a glimmer of interest flashed in Dong Zhuo's eyes, "Oh? Conspire on a great matter? Tell me about it."

Xu You then laid out Yuan Shao's intentions as well as the purpose of his own trip. He claimed that Yuan Shao was extremely disappointed with the Allied forces and was willing to join hands with Dong Zhuo to pacify the world together. Of course, he also put forward his own conditions, which was that Yuan Shao hoped to receive the four provinces of Hebei as a fief after the war.

After listening, Dong Zhuo laughed heartily, "Yuan Shao, that little brat, actually wants to join hands with me? Does he think I, Dong Zhuo, am a fool? However, your coming here is not without gain. Go back and tell Yuan Shao that if he is truly willing to surrender, I, Dong Zhuo, can consider giving him a way out. As for the four provinces of Hebei, humph, that depends on whether he has the ability to take them."

Xu You's heart tightened, knowing that Dong Zhuo did not fully believe his words. But he had already achieved half of the purpose of his trip; at the very least, he had successfully conveyed Yuan Shao's "intentions" to Dong Zhuo. As for how things would develop later, that was not something he could control.

Xu You took his leave of Dong Zhuo and left Hulao Pass. What he did not know was that every move he made had already been seen by spies within the Allied forces, who had quickly passed the news to Gongsun Zan and Sun Jian.

Gongsun Zan and Sun Jian were shocked to learn that Xu You had privately gone to Hulao Pass to conspire with Dong Zhuo. They realized that Gu Yi's strategy might have already quietly unfolded, and Xu You's betrayal was undoubtedly a part of it.

"Ziyuan (Xu You's courtesy name) is actually so foolish! Does he not know that colluding with Dong Zhuo is a capital crime?" Gongsun Zan said angrily.

Sun Jian was much calmer, "Brother Gongsun, do not be angry. Xu You's move must have its purpose; perhaps he is exactly a chess piece in Mr. Gu's strategy. We just need to act according to the strategy and wait and see what happens."

Hearing this, Gongsun Zan nodded. He knew well that this was not the time to be impulsive and that he must respond calmly. Thus, the two continued to deploy according to Gu Yi's strategy, waiting for the arrival of the opportunity.

And at this time in the Allied camp, the various feudal lords were all indignant about Xu You's betrayal. Yuan Shao was even more furious; he had not expected that the strategist he trusted would betray him. But he also knew that this was not the time to pursue responsibility and that he must stabilize the morale of the army as soon as possible to prevent internal turmoil within the Allied forces.

However, the undercurrents within the Allied forces had already quietly surged. Those feudal lords who had secret dealings with Dong Zhuo began to panic, fearing that their conspiracies would be exposed. Meanwhile, Gongsun Zan and Sun Jian secretly monitored their every move, preparing to deliver a fatal blow at the critical moment. ===== CHAPTER 1782 =====