Chapter 259

Yellow River Ferry

Near Liyang

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao met here first.

Don't look at how these two seemed to be far apart during the Battle of Guandu in history.

That was because Cao Cao moved his administrative center from Yanzhou to Xu Chang in Yizhou.

But now Cao Cao did not have the Emperor in his hands, so there was no such thing as moving the capital to Xu Chang.

His base was still in Yanzhou.

It was separated from Yuan Shao's Jizhou by only a single Yellow River.

However, given the gap in strength and reputation between the two sides.

Cao Cao ultimately decided to head north, cross the Yellow River, and form the alliance with Yuan Shao first in Liyang City on the banks of the Yellow River.

Liyang City belonged to Yuan Shao.

As the host, he brought his troops and horses to wait here for Cao Cao's arrival in advance.

At this moment, Yuan Shao, wearing a golden helmet, golden armor, and a jade pendant at his waist, was dressed with great dignity.

Seeing Cao Cao walking toward this side.

He hurriedly put on an eager expression on his face!

"Hahahaha, Meng De, I have finally been looking forward to your arrival!"

After saying that, Yuan Shao walked straight up, intending to give Cao Cao a bear hug.

Seeing this, Cao Cao responded with a smile:

"Brother Benchu, I have kept you waiting for a long time."

If someone who didn't know the situation saw this scene, they would definitely think that the friendship between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao was extremely deep!

In reality.

The two were indeed friends who had known each other for many years.

When they were young, they hung out together every day in Luoyang City.

But... now that everyone was approaching middle age, they were no longer the impulsive youths they were in their teenage years.

Especially after experiencing the failure of the first coalition to punish Dong.

Whether it was Cao Cao or Yuan Shao, they had long since buried the romantic feelings deep within their hearts.

In their hearts, the most important thing was their own hegemony!

Everything else could be sacrificed for it.

"Speaking of which, Meng De, it has been nearly three years since you and I last met after the coalition disbanded."

"Meeting this time, we must drink a pot properly!"

After saying that, Yuan Shao signaled his personal guards behind him to bring a pot of Dukang wine.

He actually wanted to invite Cao Cao to drink fine wine together in front of the three armies.

"Hahaha, Brother Benchu is heroic!"

"Since that is the case, you and I shall not return today until we are drunk!"

Cao Cao accepted Yuan Shao's invitation without hesitation.

The two exchanged cups, and soon there was a sense of drunkenness on their faces.

But... in the words of the two, besides reminiscing about the past, there was more probing.

This meal of wine could be described as having eight hundred hidden agendas!

After three rounds of wine, Yuan Shao sighed:

"Meng De, the old thief Dong Zhuo is powerful."

"Plus there is that executioner Sun Ce as an assistant."

"This battle is difficult!"

These few sentences were Yuan Shao's heartfelt words.

In order to counter Dong Zhuo, who had unified the western border of the Han territory.

Yuan Shao had to stop the war with Gongsun Zan and form the coalition to punish Dong again.

The tragic thing was.

Their goal was not to eliminate Dong Zhuo, but only to weaken Dong Zhuo!

Why not eliminate Dong Zhuo in one battle?

Did Yuan Shao not want to?

Of course he wanted to!

But... Dong Zhuo's faction had already taken shape.

The Dong Zhuo army in its complete state was simply not something the Guandong Coalition could eliminate in one battle!

"Brother Benchu, there is no need to be overly anxious."

"This time, although the number of warlords participating in the coalition is not as many as the last time."

"But everyone's strength has more or less improved compared to the last time."

Cao Cao comforted him with a smile.

During the last Guandong Coalition, many warlords actually held the mentality of just making up the numbers, while taking the opportunity to polish their own reputations.

But this time, except for the two lucky ones, Zhang Yang and Kong Rong, the remaining small-fry warlords had all been eliminated.

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, Tao Qian, Gongsun Zan, and Liu Bei—these six people, each of their strengths was not weak.

Perhaps some people would think that Tao Qian was not very capable and was a "good old man."

But... when Tao Qian was young, he had once campaigned against the Qiang and Di in Liangzhou together with Dong Zhuo.

He had also once partnered with Huangfu Song to quell the rebellion in Bingzhou.

The 10,000 Danyang elite troops under his command were the elite of the elite!

It was just because he was old and encountered Cao Cao, who was developing rapidly, that he appeared somewhat powerless.

Compared to other small warlords, Tao Qian, the master of Xuzhou, could completely be called a behemoth.

After listening to Cao Cao's comfort, the expression on Yuan Shao's face relaxed a lot.

On the surface, it was the eight Guandong warlords against Dong Zhuo.

But... the Guandong warlords had the full support of the Guandong aristocratic group behind them.

Who would emerge victorious was still unknown!

At least, if it came to comparing recovery power.

Dong Zhuo was still not as good as that group of "nurses" from the Guandong aristocratic group at the current stage.

After Yuan Shao and Cao Cao formed the alliance first.

Kong Rong, Tao Qian, and Gongsun Zan also came together.

The diplomatic relations between their three families had always been quite good.

Before, when Kong Rong was besieged in Beihai, he had even thought about requesting reinforcements from Tao Qian.

It was just that it happened to be when Tao Qian and Cao Cao were about to go to war.

Kong Rong had no choice but to dispel this idea and turn to request reinforcements from Gongsun Zan instead.

That was how Gongsun Zan came to dispatch Liu Bei to lead over a thousand elite troops to rescue Beihai.

And now.

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were considered to be wearing the same pair of pants.

Kong Rong, Tao Qian, and Gongsun Zan naturally also huddled together to move.

As for the remaining three, Liu Bei, Yuan Shu, and Zhang Yang, they came with their troops alone.

The eight warlords finally arrived in Suanzao one after another.