Chapter 174

Plus the low morale of the army.

Although they brought the main army of Huainan back, they still couldn't defeat Sun Ce.

The battle situation thus fell into a stalemate.

Sun Ce had the upper hand.

The three Liu, Guan, and Zhang brothers and the Huainan aristocratic families had the lower hand.

But just at this moment.

A piece of news that no one expected came flying toward the Huainan land!

Whether it was Liu Bei or Sun Ce, both were shocked!

Huainan region.

Sun Ce’s marching camp.

At this moment, Sun Ce was holding a meeting in the tent.

"Yuan Shu?"

"Dispatched Ji Ling to lead fifty thousand troops to station in Xiacai City, Lujiang?"

After listening to the news sent by the messenger.

A strange look appeared in Sun Ce’s eyes.

Not long ago, after the second Guandong Allied Forces’ failed attack on Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu did not suffer heavy losses like the other warlords.

Why say this?

Because in Gu Yi’s plan, the value of Yuan Shu had not been completely squeezed dry.

Rather than rushing to eliminate Yuan Shu.

It was better to cripple the more threatening forces like Cao Cao and Yuan Shao first!

Keeping Yuan Shu was also playing a big game of chess.

If this big game of chess took shape.

The Yuzhou aristocratic group and the Nanyang aristocratic group, and even all the aristocratic families in the Guandong, would suffer a devastating blow!

Therefore.

Briefly feeding Yuan Shu some bait.

Was more conducive to the arrival of the moment to close the net!

During the first Guandong warlords’ attack on Dong Zhuo.

Yuan Shu’s overall strength could almost be called the top three in the Guandong region.

In terms of economic strength, supported by the Yuzhou aristocratic group and the Nanyang aristocratic group, he was the well-deserved number one!

But after the first Guandong Allied Forces’ failed attack on Dong Zhuo.

Yuan Shu’s power was greatly damaged.

Afterwards, Yuan Shu was again embroiled in a bitter war with Sun Jian and Sun Ce for a long time.

Yuan Shu’s ability to lead troops to fight.

Strictly speaking, it couldn't be considered bad, but incompetent to the extreme!

If it weren't for the full support of the Yuzhou aristocratic group and the Nanyang aristocratic group.

I’m afraid Yuan Shu would have been killed by Sun Jian and Sun Ce, who were known as the "executioners of aristocratic families," long ago.

And with the full support of the two major aristocratic groups behind him.

Yuan Shu managed to hold on.

And occupied fifty percent of Yuzhou’s land with Sun Ce.

As for the northernmost part of Jingzhou, Nanyang Commandery near Yuzhou.

Yuan Shu only occupied less than twenty percent, while the other eighty percent was captured by Liu Biao. (See Chapter 74 for details)

Equivalent to.

Ever since the first warlord alliance’s failed attack on Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu had been going downhill.

The Yuzhou aristocratic group and the Nanyang aristocratic group behind him also suffered heavy losses due to the slaughter by Sun Jian and Sun Ce.

Therefore.

Before the start of the second warlord alliance’s attack on Dong Zhuo.

Yuan Shu’s strength had fallen to a second-rate warlord.

Only one level higher than Zhang Yang, Kong Rong, and others.

Even compared to Tao Qian, he was inferior.

Roughly on the same level as Liu Bei, who had just occupied the Huainan region and had not yet firmly established himself.

Compared to this.

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others.

Because they received support from the Hebei aristocratic group and the Yingchuan aristocratic group.

The territory and military strength under their command were thriving.

This led to Yuan Shu’s voice becoming soft during the second warlord alliance meeting.

There was no way!

With no strength in hand, who would care about him?

If he were still like before, getting angry and wanting to "fork people out," I’m afraid Yuan Shu himself wouldn't have the confidence.

However.

Things suddenly took a turn here.

First was what happened to Sun Ce, Yuan Shu’s "mortal enemy."

In order to avoid the edge of the allied forces, Sun Ce took the initiative to withdraw his troops from Yuzhou.

This led to the land in Yuzhou that was originally occupied by Sun Ce being instantly vacated.

How could Yuan Shu, who liked to take advantage of small things, let go of this once-in-a-lifetime good opportunity?

He quickly sent troops to incorporate the land originally occupied by Sun Ce into his pocket.

The other Guandong warlords, because their territories were not close to Yuzhou.

Or because of other factors, could only watch helplessly as Yuan Shu ate this benefit.

For example, Cao Cao, although his territory, Yanzhou, was very close to Yuzhou.

The original shareholders under his command were the Yingchuan aristocratic group led by Xun Yu.

But in the recent Battle of Sishui Pass, the grain and forage under Cao Cao were burned to the ground by Gao Shun with the Trap-Array Camp.

The soldiers under his command were on the verge of running out of food, and whether they could successfully return to Yanzhou had become a problem.

Under such circumstances.

Even if Cao Cao wanted to take the opportunity to take that part of Yuzhou’s land, he was powerless.

Immediately after.

The allied forces encountered Zhang Liao’s surprise attack outside Hulao Pass and suffered heavy losses!

Tao Qian died.

Zhang Yang and Kong Rong were defeated and captured.

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei also suffered losses of troops and generals.

Only Yuan Shu suffered the least loss, which could even be ignored.

Zhang Liao and the generals at Hulao Pass deliberately did not focus their targets on Yuan Shu.

This made Yuan Shu the only winner in the second Guandong warlords’ attack on Dong Zhuo, apart from the Dong Zhuo force!

After all.

After the various warlords retreated.

That piece of land in Yuzhou all fell back into Yuan Shu’s hands.

Although.

After three years of slaughter by Sun Jian and Sun Ce.

Yuzhou had become a scorched earth, and its overall strength was not as good as before.