Chapter 1099: Remain Calm

Gongsun Zan's words carried an unquestionable determination. His eyes were burning, as if he would rush out of the tent in the next second to save Yan Gang single-handedly. Sun Jian stood beside him, his expression equally solemn. Although he did not speak, his tightly clenched fists already indicated his support for Gongsun Zan's words—his general Zu Mao was also in Dong Zhuo's hands.

Yuan Shao sat upright behind the desk, his face gloomy, his eyes narrowed, examining the two anxious feudal lords before him. Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered, reflecting on everyone's faces, adding a bit of tension and uneasiness. He tapped the desk lightly, silent for a moment, before slowly saying, "General Gongsun, General Sun, I understand your feelings. But this matter concerns the overall situation of the Allied forces and cannot be acted upon rashly."

"The overall situation? What is the overall situation?" Gongsun Zan was emotionally agitated, his voice involuntarily raised a few notches, "Could it be that our brothers are to be sacrificed in vain by that thief Dong Zhuo? They were the ones who fell into prison for the Allied forces, for the future of the Great Han!"

Hearing this, Yuan Shao frowned slightly. He understood Gongsun Zan's anxiety, but as the leader, he had to consider more comprehensively. "General Gongsun, you and I both know that Dong Zhuo intends to anger us and force us to make impulsive decisions. If we act rashly, we will fall right into his trap. Dong Zhuo is just worrying about having no excuse to further expand the war. Once cracks appear within us, it will be the best time for his counterattack."

Sun Jian then stepped forward, his voice low and firm, "Leader Yuan, we are not people who do not know the importance. But Yan Gang and Zu Mao are both pillars of our army. Their morale affects the entire army. If we sit idly by, the morale of the army will be scattered, and that will be the real crisis."

Yuan Shao nodded, expressing understanding, and then stood up, pacing to the center of the tent, his gaze deep. "How could I not know this principle? But exchanging prisoners is no small matter. We need to ensure that this move will not weaken the strength of the Allied forces, and even more so, will not give Dong Zhuo an opportunity to exploit."

Just as everyone was lost in thought, hurried footsteps came from outside the tent. A messenger hurried in, knelt on one knee, and reported with cupped hands, "Reporting to the leader, a secret envoy has sneaked out of Hulao Pass and brought important news!"

Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Yuan Shao's eyes, and he hurriedly signaled the messenger to bring the secret envoy in. A moment later, a man in ragged clothes and a haggard face stepped into the tent. He was the secret agent arranged by Gu Yi to sneak out and send the letter.

"I have been entrusted by Mr. Gu Yi to inform you of an important matter." The secret agent's tone was urgent, obviously having experienced dangers along the way, "Mr. Gu Yi says that he has persuaded Dong Zhuo to be willing to use Yan Gang and Zu Mao as chips to exchange for a person of vital importance to the Allied forces. But this person needs to be decided by the Allied forces themselves, and it must be guaranteed that after the exchange, it will not cause major losses to the Allied forces."

As soon as these words came out, the tent exploded. Gongsun Zan and Sun Jian exchanged glances, both seeing the light of hope in each other's eyes. Yuan Shao quickly calculated the candidates who could be exchanged in his mind, wanting to make Dong Zhuo feel it was worth it without really weakening the combat effectiveness of the Allied forces.

"Leader, I think this plan is feasible." Sun Jian spoke first, breaking the brief silence, "But the person to be exchanged must be chosen carefully, both to make Dong Zhuo feel that we have compromised and not to let him really succeed."

Gongsun Zan nodded in agreement and asked eagerly, "Then according to General Sun's opinion, who is suitable?"

Sun Jian pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, finally settling on Yuan Shao, and said slowly, "Perhaps, we can propose to exchange a certain strategist in Dong Zhuo's army who has high intelligence value to us but whose actual combat effectiveness is not significant. For example, a certain strategist under Dong Zhuo, or someone who holds important secrets but is not a combatant."

Hearing this, a trace of appreciation flashed in Yuan Shao's eyes, and then he turned to the generals and said loudly, "General Sun's words are very much to my liking. We must not only save Yan Gang and Zu Mao but also take this opportunity to teach Dong Zhuo a lesson, letting him know that the Allied forces are not soft persimmons that can be pinched at will."

Next, the Allied high-level officials began to discuss the details of the exchange intensively, and finally decided to propose the exchange of an important strategist under Dong Zhuo—Li Jue. Although Li Jue was not a martial general, he had a high status in Dong Zhuo's army and held many military secrets. To the Allied forces, his value far exceeded that of an ordinary general.

Inside Hulao Pass, upon learning of the exchange conditions proposed by the Allied forces, Gu Yi's mouth curled into a faint smile. He had long expected that the Allied forces would not easily give up Yan Gang and Zu Mao, and proposing the exchange of Li Jue not only showed the wisdom of the Allied forces but also gave Dong Zhuo a difficult problem.

Dong Zhuo was furious upon hearing the news and stood up, slamming the table, "Li Jue is my strategist; how can he be easily exchanged!"

Gu Yi was calm and composed, speaking softly, "My lord, calm your anger. Although Li Jue is important, if Yan Gang and Zu Mao remain in our army's hands for a long time, they will inevitably become a source of morale for the Allied forces. And although Li Jue is wise, he is not irreplaceable. We can take this opportunity to probe the bottom line of the Allied forces, and at the same time, we can secretly lay out a plan to let Li Jue 'accidentally' die, which can not only avoid the exchange but also frame the Allied forces and intensify internal conflicts."

Hearing this, the fierce light in Dong Zhuo's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of deep thought. He sat down slowly, staring at Gu Yi, secretly admiring him in his heart. This young man was not only resourceful but also meticulous, truly a rare talent.

"Just follow what you said, but this matter must be done cleanly and neatly without leaving any trace." Dong Zhuo finally gave the order, and at the same time, he already had a plan in his heart. Once this matter was settled, he would definitely reward Gu Yi heavily, and even...

In the Allied camp, Yuan Shao and others were anxiously waiting for Dong Zhuo's response. Gongsun Zan paced back and forth, Sun Jian tightly gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze firm. Finally, a scout returned quickly, bringing Dong Zhuo's reply—agreeing to the exchange, but the time and place of the exchange needed to be decided by both parties, and it must be guaranteed that there would be no ambush during the exchange process.

Hearing this, Yuan Shao felt a little relieved in his heart, and then began to prepare for the exchange with the generals. They knew that this was a war without smoke, and every step needed to be taken with caution. A slight carelessness could lead to a total loss.

On the day of the exchange, outside Hulao Pass, the two armies confronted each other, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. Yan Gang and Zu Mao were escorted to the front of the formation. Although they were imprisoned, they were firm and fearless. On the Allied side, Li Jue was also "invited" out, looking blank, obviously not knowing why he had become the object of the exchange.

As the signals from both sides were issued, the exchange officially began. Under the gaze of the Allied soldiers, Yan Gang and Zu Mao walked slowly toward freedom, while Li Jue was escorted away by Dong Zhuo's army. Just as the exchange was about to be completed, suddenly, a rain of arrows flew from Dong Zhuo's army formation, pointing directly at the Allied formation.

Yuan Shao was furious and was about to order a counterattack, but saw Gu Yi ride out and shout loudly, "This is Dong Zhuo's plan to disrupt the exchange. The Allied forces must not fall into the trap!"

It turned out that all this was a trap designed by Gu Yi and Dong Zhuo in advance, intending to probe the reaction of the Allied forces while creating chaos. But Gu Yi had other plans in his heart; he took advantage of the chaos to quietly pass an important message to the Allied forces—Dong Zhuo's army was not monolithic and could be exploited.

Hearing this, the Allied generals were all moved, understanding that this was Gu Yi helping in secret. Yuan Shao looked at Gu Yi, a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes, and then ordered the Allied forces to remain calm and continue to complete the exchange.