Chapter 1715: Nearly lost

The envoy was soon ready to set off. Yuan Shu personally instructed: "You must express our sincerity to Sun Ce, but also observe his demeanor to see if he has the willingness to form an alliance." The envoy received the order and set off on the road to Jiangdong.

In the days waiting for Sun Ce's reply, Yuan Shu did not remain idle. While continuing to reorganize internal affairs and improve military strength, he closely watched the changes in the world's situation. Cao Cao's power was growing daily in the north, Liu Bei was gradually gaining a firm foothold in Jingzhou, and Sun Quan had consolidated his foundation in Jiangdong. Yuan Shu knew deeply that if he wanted to achieve something in this chaotic world, he had to find reliable allies as soon as possible.

Several days later, the envoy returned to the camp with Sun Ce's reply. Yuan Shu couldn't wait to open the letter and read it carefully. In the letter, Sun Ce expressed his approval of Yuan Shu's willingness to form an alliance and indicated his willingness to consolidate the relationship between the two sides through marriage. However, he also put forward a condition: he hoped Yuan Shu could provide him with support in certain aspects to jointly resist the threat of Cao Cao.

After reading the letter, Yuan Shu was overjoyed. Sun Ce's response was much more positive than he had expected, which was undoubtedly good news. He immediately summoned his strategists and generals to discuss how to respond to Sun Ce's conditions.

"Everyone, Sun Ce has agreed to form an alliance with us and has put forward conditions for jointly resisting Cao Cao." Yuan Shu told everyone the content of Sun Ce's letter. "How do you think we should respond?"

Li Feng spoke first: "My lord, Sun Ce is brave and good at fighting, and he has quite a bit of wisdom. If we can form an alliance with him, it will indeed strengthen our power. As for his conditions, we can consider them according to the actual situation; as long as they are not excessive, we can agree."

Ji Ling also nodded and said: "Li Feng's words are very true. We form an alliance with Sun Ce mainly to resist foreign enemies together. As long as the interests of both sides are consistent, a few conditions are not worth worrying about."

Other strategists and generals also expressed their views one after another, and most people supported forming an alliance with Sun Ce. Seeing that everyone's opinions were unified, Yuan Shu had an idea in his heart.

"Good, then we will agree to Sun Ce's conditions." Yuan Shu made the decision. "But we must also put forward our own requirements, such as mutual support in military matters and joint defense against enemy attacks. At the same time, we must also make preparations to prevent Sun Ce from going back on his word in the future."

Everyone received the order and began to prepare for the matters related to the alliance with Sun Ce. Yuan Shu personally selected a force of elite troops, preparing to support Sun Ce when necessary.

Not long after, Yuan Shu's daughter, surrounded by the crowd, set off on the road to Jiangdong for the marriage. This marriage not only added a layer of solidity to the alliance between Yuan Shu and Sun Ce but also laid a good foundation for future cooperation between the two sides.

However, in a chaotic world, crises always come one after another. Not long after Yuan Shu formed an alliance with Sun Ce, Cao Cao launched an attack on Yuan Shu's territory. Yuan Shu had long been prepared and immediately mobilized troops to resist. At the same time, he also sent a signal for help to Sun Ce.

After receiving the request for help, Sun Ce immediately led his massive army to support. The two sides launched a fierce battle outside Yuan Shu's territory. Although Cao Cao's army was strong and well-equipped, they could not take any advantage under the joint efforts of Yuan Shu and Sun Ce. In the end, Cao Cao had no choice but to retreat, abandoning his plan to attack Yuan Shu.

This battle not only consolidated the alliance between Yuan Shu and Sun Ce but also let the warlords of the world see the strength of their joint efforts. From then on, Yuan Shu's status in the chaotic world became more stable, and he continued to look for more allies and opportunities, hoping to survive in this cruel world.

After the battle, Yuan Shu held a victory banquet again. He raised his cup to thank Sun Ce's envoy: "Today's battle was thanks to Sun Ce's timely support. With an ally like Sun Ce, what do I, Yuan Shu, have to fear from the warlords of the world?"

The envoy responded humbly: "Lord Yuan, you are too kind. Our lord also knows the importance of forming an alliance with you, so he will naturally support you with all his strength. I hope both our sides can join hands and move forward to create brilliance together."

At the victory banquet, laughter and joy continued. The alliance between Yuan Shu and Sun Ce let everyone see hope for the future. They believed that under the leadership of Yuan Shu and Sun Ce, they would surely be able to carve out a world of their own in this chaotic time.

After the victory banquet ended, Yuan Shu remained alone in his camp, but his heart was not completely relaxed. He knew deeply that although the alliance with Sun Ce had temporarily resisted Cao Cao's attack, the world's situation remained confusing. Liu Bei was eyeing them covetously in Jingzhou, Sun Quan was no ordinary person in Jiangdong, not to mention Cao Cao, whose power was growing daily in the north.

"My lord, you seem to have something on your mind?" Ji Ling walked into the camp softly, interrupting Yuan Shu's deep thought.

Yuan Shu looked up at Ji Ling and sighed slightly. "Ji Ling, in this chaotic world, although we have temporarily resisted Cao Cao, the road ahead is still long. I worry whether our ally, Sun Ce, can truly be of one mind with us."

Hearing this, Ji Ling's expression also became solemn. "My lord's words are very true. Although Sun Ce is brave and good at fighting, he also has his own ambitions. Although forming an alliance with Sun Ce can strengthen our power, we must also be on guard against him stabbing us in the back at all times."

"Exactly." Yuan Shu nodded. "We must find a way to bind Sun Ce more firmly to us; only then can we truly cooperate with him with peace of mind."

Ji Ling was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "My lord, perhaps we can consider deepening the relationship by another layer. For example, hand over a portion of our troops to Sun Ce for command, or let Sun Ce set up military camps within our territory to defend together."

Hearing this, a flash of hesitation appeared in Yuan Shu's eyes. Handing over troops to Sun Ce was undoubtedly taking a risk, but if it could make Sun Ce trust him more, it might be worth a try.

"Although this plan is risky, it might be feasible." Yuan Shu pondered for a moment and finally nodded. "But we must make perfect preparations to ensure Sun Ce won't take the opportunity to annex our troops."

Seeing Yuan Shu agree, Ji Ling also let out a sigh of relief. "My lord, rest assured, I will personally go to discuss this matter with Sun Ce to ensure everything is under our control."

Several days later, Ji Ling, carrying Yuan Shu's personal letter, set off on the road to Jiangdong. Seeing Ji Ling, Sun Ce also understood his intention.

"General Ji Ling, you have come this time to deepen the cooperative relationship between our two sides?" Sun Ce asked with a smile.

Ji Ling nodded and handed Yuan Shu's personal letter to Sun Ce. "Exactly. Our lord hopes that through closer cooperation, we can make the relationship between our two sides more solid."

Sun Ce took the letter and read it carefully. In the letter, Yuan Shu proposed the idea of handing over a portion of troops to Sun Ce for command and expressed his willingness to let Sun Ce set up military camps within their territory to defend together.