Chapter 49

Gu Yi said with a smile.

In reality.

Gu Yi never believed a single word of the empty promises Xu You proposed from the very beginning.

Of course.

If not for Xu You's night visit tonight, Gu Yi still had another backup plan.

That backup plan was none other than Sun Jian!

Gongsun Zan chose to exchange the captured Yan Gang for the captain of the Changshan volunteer soldiers and three hundred White Horse Followers.

Yet, there was no one Gu Yi wanted in Sun Jian's camp.

Therefore, the way to get Zu Mao back was to make Sun Jian a mole within the coalition!

When the Dong Zhuo army launched the decisive battle against the Guandong coalition, Sun Jian would immediately defect.

Falling out with the Guandong coalition meant Sun Jian would only be able to cozy up to Dong Zhuo.

Otherwise, there would be no place left for him in the entire world.

And as a reward.

After the Guandong coalition was defeated, Dong Zhuo would appoint Sun Jian as the Inspector of Yizhou in the name of the imperial court.

Yes, not the Inspector of Jingzhou or the Inspector of Yangzhou, but the Inspector of Yizhou!

Compared to the other members of the Guandong aristocratic families, Sun Jian was an outlier.

His background was neither high nor low.

He was not a commoner, and could be called a powerful local magnate, but he could not enter the ranks of the aristocratic families.

People like Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao had actually always looked down on Sun Jian in their hearts.

The incident at Sishui Pass, where Yuan Shu fell out with Sun Jian and cut off his grain supplies, was enough to see the clues.

And after being appointed as the Inspector of Yizhou by Dong Zhuo.

Whether for the sake of territorial expansion or survival, Sun Jian would have no choice.

He would have no option but to continue being an enemy of Yuan Shu.

Sun Jian, whose hands were stained with the blood of Han officials, would stir up a storm of blood in Yizhou, the old nest of the aristocratic families!

When Sun Jian and Yuan Shu fought until both sides were severely injured.

The Yizhou aristocratic families would likely have been slaughtered to near extinction as well.

At that time, Gu Yi and Dong Zhuo would lead their army into Yizhou.

They would incorporate this land into their territory at the fastest speed!

Some handsome readers might feel very confused.

After defeating the Guandong coalition, looking at the world, who else could be an enemy of Dong Zhuo?

In reality, even if the entire Guandong coalition died out, the world would not be unified by Dong Zhuo.

It is very simple; the current Guandong coalition is like the six great powers of the Warring States period.

What is terrifying is not the Guandong coalition.

It is the Guandong aristocratic family group behind them!

Almost every warlord, before joining the coalition, had already left behind sufficient troops and heirs within their own territories!

Even if the entire Guandong coalition died.

These warlord heirs, with the help of the local aristocratic families, would quickly gather a force not even weaker than the current one!

This is precisely the reason why the powerful Qin state spent several years to completely eliminate the six states.

What was formidable was not the monarchs of the six states, nor their generals.

It was the foundation of the six states and their supporters behind them!

And now, the biggest problem Dong Zhuo faces does not come from the outside, but from within.

Struggles between factions are often the most fatal and terrifying!

For example, the Cao Wei regime did not perish because of Shu Han and Eastern Wu.

It was replaced from within by the Sima family, which led to its downfall.

For the Dong Zhuo faction.

At this stage, it does not possess the ability to occupy the Guandong region.

Taking large strides forcefully would instead exacerbate the internal contradictions of the Xiliang Army, leading to its demise.

Therefore, at this stage, what Dong Zhuo needs most is time!

While dealing with internal contradictions.

Watch the fire from the other side and sit back to watch the various warlords of Guandong fight to the death!

When they and the Guandong aristocratic family group behind them are completely in a state of near-death.

Then, reap the benefits of the fisherman!

…….