Xi Zhicai was very optimistic about Liu Hong, and he was not a loyal minister like Xun Yu who was loyal to the Han Dynasty.
It was just an invitation from Xun Yu to see if Cao Cao was worthy of taking refuge.
The one he was most optimistic about was Yanzhou Mu Liu Hong.
Now that things have come to this, he doesn't want to use his skills everywhere, so it is not unacceptable to take refuge in Liu Hong.
Liu Hong was slightly startled when he heard the other party's name.
Playing Zhicai?
He once heard a saying that if one's ambition is not dead, Guo Jia will not be born.
Although this sentence is somewhat ridiculing, it also proves that Xi Zhicai is indeed a talent.
Good guy, he has directly found a top resourceful strategist!
Seeing that the other party was submissive and that he was a top counselor, Liu Hong's attitude naturally changed.
However, Liu Hong also realized that although Zhicai was convinced, he was not convinced.
Obviously quite dissatisfied with his methods.
"Zhongde, take Zhicai to visit Yanzhou."
Liu Hong smiled slightly and said slowly to Cheng Yu beside him.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t accept it.
After seeing the details of Yanzhou, I naturally know what it means to be convinced.
"Sir, why is this?"
Xi Zhicai frowned slightly, not understanding what Liu Hong wanted to do.
"After you come back from Yanzhou, if you still want to leave, I will let you go."
Xi Zhicai was stunned when he heard this, and looked at Liu Hong with piercing eyes, as if he wanted to see through the other person's thoughts.
"Sir, are you so confident that I won't leave?"
Liu Hong smiled slightly and waved his hand.
"We'll know when the time comes."
After saying that, Cheng Yu left with Xi Zhi.
After Liu Hong returned to his mansion, a soldier came to report in a hurry.
"Sir, a letter from Qingzhou."
Letter from Qingzhou?
Liu Hong frowned, took out the letter, and glanced at it.
Cao Cao’s letter?
Looking at the contents of the letter, Liu Hong showed surprise.
He never expected that Cao Cao would invite him to visit Xuzhou together.
I originally thought that this guy would get angry, send troops to Xuzhou, and fight to the death with Tao Qian.
When the time comes, he will reap the benefits.
Unexpectedly, Cao Cao suppressed his revenge for killing his father.
He also invited him to conspire with Xuzhou.
"Is this Xun Yu's plan?"
Liu Hong knew in his heart that the only people who could make Cao Cao listen and persuade him were only a few counselors.
Among these counselors, Xun Yu's status naturally ranks first.
However, it would be beneficial to Cao Cao to jointly plan for Xuzhou, which was of greater benefit to him, so he had no reason to refuse.
If this thing succeeds, it is true that Cao Cao can occupy half of the state, but he will get more!
What he got was not only the obvious things, but also hidden income such as luck value.
What's more, with the soldiers and horses under Cao Cao, it is still unknown whether they can capture half of Xuzhou if they really capture it.
The biggest beneficiary was him.
This kind of cooperation would benefit both sides, and he had no reason to refuse.
However, in this way, Cao Cao can be regarded as trapped in the abyss.
Although Cao Cao originally had the title of State Shepherd, he was trapped in the three counties of Qingzhou and was controlled by him, unable to advance or retreat.
To put it bluntly, if he really wanted to crush Cao Cao to death, not to mention it would be like crushing an ant to death. As long as he paid a certain price, it wouldn't be a troublesome thing.
However, once Cao Cao captures half of Xuzhou, he will naturally have another opportunity to operate.
The consequences are endless.
Liu Hong was indifferent to this.
Anyway, as long as he is given a chance to develop, in three to five years at most, he will be able to push forward with an army and crush Cao Cao to death effortlessly.
His goal is to calm down the troubled times at the lowest cost.
What he wants is not a big man with ten rooms and nine empty rooms, but a complete big man.
If you want to win over the states without any bloodshed, you must use absolute strength to directly defeat these feudal lords occupying one side without giving them a second chance.
Once a protracted war begins, with the ambition and temperament of these princes, they will inevitably make a comeback.
Unless we fight to the last soldier, we will never give in.
At that time, it will still be the common people who are unlucky.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Hong wrote directly back to Cao Cao, agreeing to travel to Xuzhou with him.
"ridiculous!"
Liu Hong shook his head helplessly.
Driven by interests, former life-and-death enemies can also shake hands and unite, stabbing friendly forces in the back.
This is human nature.
For Cao Cao, when necessary, morality is just a dispensable thing.
the other side.
Youzhou.
Gongsun Zan's younger brother Gongsun Yue accidentally killed thousands of Han people on the border of Youzhou under the misguidance of someone with good intentions.
Under the persuasion of the newly recruited counselors, in order to avoid being punished, these people were simply reported as taking credit for the barbarians.
At the same time, Liu Yu, the shepherd of Youzhou, also received a secret letter stating that the people Gongsun Yue killed were not barbarians, but Han commoners, and he became furious.
After verifying the truth, he immediately reprimanded Gongsun Yue and wanted to imprison him directly for questioning.
But the arrogant Gongsun Yue was not convinced.
"I know that you and my eldest brother have always been at odds with each other. It's just that some people died. Liu Yu, don't bully others too much!"
Gongsun Yue was originally dissatisfied with Liu Yu, but now he wanted to accuse him because of some people. In Gongsun Yue's view, it was just using power for personal gain.
He immediately resisted in anger, but was killed by the military commander Xian Yuyin with a sword.
"Xian Yuyin, why did you kill him?"
Liu Yu felt dizzy as he looked at Gongsun Yue who was dying.
"My lord, this guy is not good for you... If I have done something wrong, you can use my head to make amends with Gongsun Zan."
Xianyu Yin rubbed his neck and spoke in a dull tone without any regret.
He is Liu Yu's confidant, and it is his duty to protect Liu Yu.
If you dare to attack Liu Yu with swords, you will deserve to die.
"Forget it, Gongsun Yue is dead, this matter must not be spread!"
Liu Yu was terrified. He knew Gongsun Zan's temperament, which was brave and reckless.
He had never dealt with him in the first place. If Gongsun Zan knew that his brother died in his hands, he would definitely not let it go.
"My lord, why don't you send a message for Gongsun Zan to come? We will deploy five hundred swordsmen and axes in advance. When Gongsun Zan comes in, my lord will throw a cup as a signal. By then, even if Gongsun Zan has three heads and six arms, he will never get out alive."
Xian Yuyin looked at Liu Yu's appearance and stepped forward to speak.
"That's all!"
Liu Yu nodded and immediately asked the envoy to deliver the letter.
Only two people knew about this matter, and it turned out to be a seamless plan.
However, Yuan Shao's advisers seemed to have known about this for a long time, and sent people to inform Gongsun Zan in advance of the matter, who was still in the dark.
When Gongsun Zan learned about this, he was furious.
"I have always treated my father-in-law with courtesy, but now for a trivial matter, he killed my brother for no reason and made me go to the Hongmen Banquet alone."
Looking at the envoy delivering the message in front of him, Gongsun Zan without any hesitation drew out his sword and stabbed the envoy to death.
