Chapter 1695: To Prevent Surprise Attack!

Shen Pei suggested: "Lord, be decisive and do not be chaotic. We should immediately arrest Supuyan and Yan Rou secretly, while strengthening communication with other generals to stabilize the morale of the army. In addition, we can send people to contact Cao Ren and let him speed up the march to prevent accidents."

Yuan Shao nodded, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes: "Good, act according to the plan. Ju Shou, you are responsible for handling the matter of Supuyan and Yan Rou; be sure to do it cleanly and neatly; 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 received their orders and acted quickly. Yuan Shao remained alone in the study, pondering secretly. He knew well that this war not only tested his military talent but also tested his political wisdom and decisiveness. Every decision might determine the future of Jizhou, and even his own fate.

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

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

Xu Huang proposed: "We can divide the troops into two routes; one route led by me will go straight to Henei to cut off Yuan Shao's grain route; the other route led by General Pang will join forces with Zhang Yan's Heishan Army to attack Yuan Shao's main force from the flank, creating chaos."

Pang De nodded in agreement: "This plan is excellent. Although the Heishan Army's combat strength is not strong, they are familiar with the terrain and numerous, enough to contain a part of Yuan Shao's troops."

Gao Shun pondered for a moment and added: "At the same time, we must also pay close attention to the movements within Yuan Shao's camp, 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."

Everyone discussed and agreed, acting quickly. Gao Shun personally led an elite force, ready to respond to possible emergencies at any time.

Ju Shou encountered trouble in handling the matter of Supuyan and Yan Rou. It turned out that these two had already made preparations after learning of Yuan Shao's intentions, not only transferring their families in advance but also secretly contacting some trusted followers, 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 startle the snake for now; we will secretly monitor them, while strengthening contact with other generals to ensure they will not be affected by Supuyan and Yan Rou."

However, the development of things often exceeds expectations. Just when Ju Shou was trying to stabilize the situation, another major event occurred within Yuan Shao's camp—several newly surrendered generals, incited by Supuyan and Yan Rou, actually publicly stated that they no longer supported Yuan Shao and turned to Gu Yi's embrace.

This change caught Yuan Shao off guard, and the already crumbling defensive line became even worse. Yuan Shao was furious but helpless, and could only watch his forces being disintegrated bit by bit.

Gao Shun and the others took the opportunity to launch a full-scale offensive. The troops led by Xu Huang quickly occupied Henei, cutting 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. Yuan Shao's army soon fell into chaos under the pincer attack from both sides.

Yuan Shao personally went into battle to direct, trying to save the defeat, but the morale of the army had already scattered, the morale was low, and coupled with the lack of grain, the soldiers fled one after another. Seeing that the general trend was gone, Yuan Shao could only take a few trusted followers and flee to the north, 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 the Taihang Mountains 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 celebration banquet, Gu Yi raised his glass to Gao Shun and others and said: "Today's victory all depends on the strength of you gentlemen. However, the world is not yet settled, and we still need to continue to work hard. May we work together to realize the great cause of unifying the world as soon as possible!"

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

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

"Although we won today, Yuan Shao fled to the north and will surely seek new allies to make a comeback," Gu Yi's expression was grave, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces, "We need to take this opportunity to consolidate the Jizhou defensive line while plotting greater development."

Gao Shun spoke first: "Lord's words are absolutely correct. Although Yuan Shao was defeated, his foundation in the north still exists, and he has allies like Cao Ren to help, so he cannot be underestimated. We should reorganize the Jizhou army as soon as possible, strengthen training, and at the same time send scouts to strictly monitor the movements of Yuan Shao and his allies."

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 the front line be worry-free."

Pang De added: "Although the Heishan Army has formed an alliance with us, its internal composition is complex and needs to be guided and constrained to prevent it from becoming a hidden danger. At the same time, we can also use the Heishan Army's advantage of being familiar with the terrain to further expand our sphere of influence in Jizhou."

Gu Yi listened and nodded slightly, a flash of approval crossing his eyes: "You have all considered it very thoroughly. Gao Shun, you are responsible for the reorganization of the army and training matters; Xu Huang, you are responsible for appeasing the people and restoring production; Pang De, you are responsible for the contact and coordination work with the Heishan Army. As for me, I will personally go to Youzhou to strive to reach an alliance with Gongsun Zan to jointly resist Yuan Shao's counterattack."

Everyone received their orders and went to prepare separately. Gu Yi took a few trusted followers and embarked on the journey to Youzhou.

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

"Brother Gu, you are now powerful, and even Yuan Shao was defeated by you; it is truly admirable," Gongsun Zan praised with a smile.

Gu Yi waved his hand modestly: "Brother Gongsun is over-praising. Although Yuan Shao was defeated, the situation in the north is still complex; we need to work together to resist external enemies and protect the territory and the people."

Gongsun Zan nodded in agreement: "Brother Gu's words are absolutely correct. Yuan Shao is ambitious; if he is allowed to make a comeback, he will surely be our heart-and-flesh trouble. I am willing to form an alliance with Brother Gu to jointly confront Yuan Shao."

Hearing this, Gu Yi was overjoyed: "That is excellent. We can support each other, share intelligence, and jointly resist Yuan Shao's attack. 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 agreed on the specific matters of the alliance, they sent envoys to their respective territories to announce the news of the alliance. At the same time, they also strengthened border defense to prevent Yuan Shao from launching a sudden attack.

... ===== CHAPTER 1696 =====