Chapter 150

To put it nicely, it was asking them for their opinions.

To put it bluntly, it was wanting the five of them to provide some grain and fodder to Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan.

However, as the saying goes.

Even a landlord's family has no surplus grain!

What's more, among these five warlords, Kong Rong and Zhang Yang were just mascots making up the numbers.

Tao Qian and Liu Bei had also become paupers due to external reasons.

Yuan Shu did have money and grain.

But... why should Yuan Shu lend grain and fodder to Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan?

He wasn't running a charity.

With our Brother Mishui's personality, he wouldn't be willing to do such a thankless job as lending grain and fodder.

Seeing that everyone was silent.

How could Yuan Shao not know what these people were thinking in their hearts?

He had no choice but to speak as the alliance leader:

"Gentlemen, Mengde and Bo Gui are important members of our coalition."

"Now, their grain and fodder have all been burned by Dong Zhuo's army."

"If they cannot receive timely support, I am afraid our coalition's strength will be greatly discounted."

"I ask you all to please lend a helping hand."

"This alliance leader thanks you all on behalf of Mengde and Bo Gui."

Yuan Shao said with a smile.

However.

Who among the five warlords present didn't have a bit of a scheme?

Don't look at how high-sounding Yuan Shao's words were.

But in reality.

Including himself, they were extremely resistant to the idea of lending grain and fodder to Gongsun Zan and Cao Cao.

Grain and fodder, these things, the more you eat, the less you have!

Lending it to Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan meant that their own soldiers would very likely go hungry because of it.

Let the fellow Daoist die, not the poor Daoist.

At this moment, this principle was vividly displayed by the various warlords!

"Alliance leader, you know."

"The Beihai Commandery under my rule has been plagued by the remnants of the Huang Jin for the past two years."

"Qingzhou was not as wealthy as Yuzhou and Jizhou to begin with."

"Under the scourge of the Huang Jin, it is even more difficult to move forward."

"Participating in the coalition this time, the little remaining grain and fodder is only enough for my Beihai soldiers to eat."

"If I lend it to others, what will my Beihai soldiers eat and drink?"

The one who spoke was none other than Kong Rong.

Beihai Commandery was the seat of Qingzhou and also Kong Rong's old nest.

However, Kong Rong's influence was only limited to this one commandery of Beihai.

Other commanderies in Qingzhou were mostly occupied by local powerful clans and remnants of the Huang Jin.

And among the remnants of the Huang Jin.

The most famous one was Guan Hai, who led the crowd to attack Kong Rong last year!

If it weren't for the rescue by Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others, I am afraid Kong Rong would have already died at the hands of Guan Hai.

The unlucky Guan Hai met Guan Yu, who was holding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

In the end, he died under Guan Yu's Green Dragon Blade.

The siege of Beihai was also lifted as a result.

After Guan Hai died, the Qingzhou Huang Jin were leaderless.

But this fool Kong Rong, instead of seizing the time to expand his strength.

He actually held some kind of "Pure Talk Meeting" in Beihai, wasting money and manpower.

It can be said that Kong Rong was a very failed warlord.

It was fortunate that he was born in Qingzhou.

If he were placed in those states where the competition among Guandong warlords was most intense.

I am afraid he would have already become cannon fodder like Kong Zhou and Qiao Mao.

And now.

Hearing Yuan Shao instigating the various warlords to lend grain and fodder to Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan, Kong Rong immediately stood up to cry poverty.

Following closely behind, Zhang Yang and Tao Qian also stood up.

Zhang Yang and Kong Rong's territory were about the same size, both the area of one commandery.

Moreover, Zhang Yang's Shangdang Commandery was within the territory of Bingzhou, which was even poorer compared to Beihai in Qingzhou.

Shangdang Commandery in the late Han era might not be very famous.

But if it were placed at the end of the Warring States period.

A battle that determined the future direction of history once broke out on this land: the Battle of Changping!

However.

Bingzhou was not as wealthy as other states to begin with.

Coupled with the fact that Zhang Yang was also a warlord with very average ability, there was naturally not much surplus grain under his rule.

Compared with Zhang Yang and Kong Rong, Tao Qian's scale was naturally much larger, as he was at least the governor of a state.

But the battle that broke out with Cao Cao not long ago had already dragged Tao Qian down, and now he was also a real pauper.

Yuan Shao also knew the situation under the rule of these three warlords.

Therefore, he didn't intend to set his target on these three people from the beginning.

In the blink of an eye.

Only Yuan Shu and Liu Bei remained who had not yet expressed their stance.

"Hmph, I don't have any surplus grain in Yuzhou."

Yuan Shu snorted coldly.

Asking him to lend grain and fodder to Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan for no reason, such a sucker's errand, he naturally could not agree.

"I do have the heart to lend, but... my army doesn't have much grain and fodder."

Liu Bei frowned tightly.

If it were to help Gongsun Zan, he could go and help.

After all.

Gongsun Zan and he had a good friendship.

Previously, they were even fellow disciples and had an old superior-subordinate relationship.

The reason why Liu Bei was able to start his career, Gongsun Zan's help to him was not small.

But Liu Bei had occupied Huainan for a short time.

Most of the grain harvested in Huainan before was in the hands of the local noble families in Huainan.

This time on the expedition, the grain and fodder Liu Bei carried were only enough for his soldiers to eat.

Lending it to Gongsun Zan... was really forcing someone to do something difficult.

After hearing the five people express their stances one after another, Yuan Shao sighed faintly.

However.

Even if he was the nominal alliance leader of the warlords.

He could not forcibly compel other warlords to provide grain and fodder at this moment.

But if he were to let Yuan Shao alone provide grain and fodder for Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan, he was naturally unwilling.