Ji Han Liu Zhang

At night, a crescent moon hangs high in the sky, and the clear moonlight flows all around. At this time of autumn and winter, there are no sounds of insects or birds, only a sense of coolness.

Yuan Shao stopped at the corridor, watching the withered grass and trees and the cold moonlight. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Life is short and time flies by. I have wasted this year without making any achievements. My hair and beard have only turned white in vain."

Tian Feng was accompanying Yuan Shao. When he heard this, he understood clearly that Yuan Shao had returned empty-handed from his expedition to Hedong this year and was feeling this way because of the decline he saw before him.

"My lord, although I am leaving this year, we still have a long time to come. There is no need to sigh like this." Tian Feng comforted him indirectly to prevent Yuan Shao from being too sad.

"You are right. There is a long way to go." Yuan Shao nodded in response. Then he looked at Tian Feng and said, "It is cold here. I am not feeling well. Please come inside and have a chat with me."

After the meeting of civil and military officials ended, Yuan Shao left Tian Feng alone. He wanted to discuss all matters of the four directions in detail with Tian Feng, so he led Tian Feng to the house on the left wing.

As soon as he sat down, Yuan Shao expressed his worries: "Just as the deputy driver said in the previous meeting, if Liu Zhang and Cao Cao join forces, the harm will be great... In your opinion, it is somewhat possible for Cao and Liu to join forces."

Cao Cao pretended to be the emperor and appointed Liu Zhang as the King of Qin, showing signs of Cao and Liu joining forces, which inevitably made Yuan Shao worried. Although he ruled the four states of Hebei, was invincible and the first-class prince in the world, he was not comparable to Cao and Liu.

But Liu Zhang is located in the strategically important Guanzhong area, and Cao Cao can use the emperor's orders. If the two join forces and combine their strength, Yuan Shao will be wary and cannot be underestimated.

"Two or three out of ten." Tian Feng tried to comfort Yuan Shao, saying, "Cao Cao pretended to be the emperor and made Liu Zhang the King of Qin. It seemed that the two sides were in harmony and had some conspiracy, but in fact, he was diverting the disaster to the west and putting Liu Zhang in the fire. It was not a sign of alliance."

Just when Yuan Shao's solemn expression relaxed a little because of Tian Feng's words, Tian Feng's next words made Yuan Shao's expression become solemn again.

"But both Cao and Liu are extraordinary people. Although they have not made an alliance, no matter which one you attack, the other will take advantage of the opportunity to harm you."

"When you were marching into Hedong this year, rumors spread in Ye that Cao Cao wanted to attack Ye City. After careful verification, it was confirmed that Cao Cao did have this intention."

Yuan Shao nodded heavily, and he sighed softly, "You are right. I rule the four states of Hebei. In terms of strength, I am not comparable to Cao and Liu. However, it is inevitable that I will make mistakes."

"If a rift arises between Cao and Liu, and they invite troops to attack each other..." Yuan Shao looked forward to this. In his vision, if Cao Cao and Liu Zhang fought against each other, it would be a good thing for him, as he could take advantage of the opportunity to destroy Cao and Liu.

Tian Feng shook his head when he heard this. He refuted Yuan Shao's idea: "If it weren't for you, Cao and Liu would have fought. But now that you are here, Cao Cao and Liu Zhang are afraid of your power. How could they be willing to fight? How dare they fight? This matter is out of the question."

"Hmm." Yuan Shao responded silently. He also knew that this idea was not very practical. Cao Cao and Liu Zhang were currently staring at Hebei and would not have the idea or possibility of engaging in a war for the time being.

"Cao Cao and Liu Zhang, if I attack one, the other will be a threat. However, I cannot just sit and wait for the right opportunity and waste my years. In your opinion, who should I attack first?"

Yuan Shao, whose hair was turning gray as he grew older, was unwilling and unable to wait for the God-given opportunity for Cao Cao and Liu Zhang to become suspicious of each other and engage in a war.

Tian Feng stroked his beard. Under Yuan Shao's concerned gaze, he hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Guanzhong is solid with mountains and rivers, Tongguan and Puban are dangerous, and Hedong is a barrier. It is difficult for a large army to achieve success if it advances westward. This time, your army was blocked by Yubi for months, which is a clear proof."

Yuan Shao nodded, and he asked tentatively: "Do you think it is better to attack Cao Cao?" When it was Tian Feng's turn to nod, he continued: "From Yecheng to Xu, there are few obstacles. The only obstacle is the river. However, there are many ferry crossings on the river, so it is easy to cross the river."

"Also, Cao Cao occupied the Central Plains, but in reality it was only the land of Yanyu, such as Qing and Xuzhou, which were entrusted to Zang Ba, Sun Guan and others, and were beyond Cao Cao's control."

"The land of Yuzhou and Runan is your hometown. The hearts of the scholars and common people are eager to go to Yecheng and look to you. In terms of people's support, you are better than Cao Cao."

At this point, Tian Feng concluded his speech by saying, "If we go south, the geographical advantages and the people's support are all in your hands... What you should worry about is that the southern troops are strong and brave, Cao Cao is good at using troops, and he can use the emperor's orders to command the four directions, so you should not underestimate him."

"If our army moves south, Liu Zhang will not sit idly by and will definitely take advantage of the opportunity to launch an attack to prevent Cao Cao from being defeated. If the Central Plains is taken by you, Guanzhong will not be able to hold out alone."

“Therefore, we should think carefully about the matter of going south and act according to the situation.”

Yuan Shao nodded repeatedly. After Tian Feng finished his speech, he clapped his hands and sighed, "Your words are like clearing away the clouds and mist to reveal the blue sky. Without you, I would be at a loss as to what to do."

"You are too kind, my lord." Tian Feng said modestly, and then he continued, "It is early this year and the end of the year is approaching. We can put the matter of going south aside for now... Hebei is facing a heart disease, and my lord should take care of it first."

"What?" Yuan Shao asked with his brows furrowed.

Tian Feng said slowly: "First, the Black Mountain bandits. Although the Black Mountain bandits have been defeated by our army many times and their power is exhausted and cannot be revived, Zhang Yan is still wandering around Yanmen and Changshan, causing chaos in the prefectures and counties and often being harmed by the bandits. We should take advantage of our free time to eliminate them and put an end to the scourge forever."

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Yuan Shao smiled and said, "Don't worry. I have already sent Liu Bei to fight Zhang Yan. Liu Bei is a man of both civil and military abilities. He should be able to do what I want, kill Zhang Yan and conquer Black Mountain."

"Liu Bei does have both civil and military talents, but I'm afraid he is not up to the task." Tian Feng refuted, "Gongsun Zan studied with Liu Bei under Lu Zhi, but was killed by you, and his son Gongsun Xu is in Zhang Yan's army..."

"You are right. I should change the commander-in-chief." Before Tian Feng finished speaking, Yuan Shao seemed to understand and quickly made the decision to change the commander-in-chief.

"Secondly, the Xiongnu live in Taiyuan and the Wuhuan live in Youyan. They are governed by your kindness and generosity, and have become their subjects. However, these barbarians are ugly and will eventually cause trouble. We should take their wives and children with us and intimidate them. When we go on a campaign, order the Xiongnu and Wuhuan to join us in the campaign, so as not to cause future trouble." After Tian Feng made the second point, he waited quietly for Yuan Shao's response.

Yuan Shao nodded in agreement: "It is just as you said."

"My Lord, your decision is wise and decisive, and I, your subject, obey your orders." Seeing Yuan Shao's readiness to accept advice, Tian Feng gave him a rare compliment. At the same time, Tian Feng suppressed his intention to speak further.

In Tian Feng's mind, there is still a major concern in Hebei, which is Yuan Shao's division of the state among his sons and nephews. If Yuan Shao is still there, everything will be fine. But if Yuan Shao makes a mistake, civil strife in Hebei will be foreseeable.

Tian Feng thought about it carefully and gave up the idea at this moment, planning to wait for an opportunity to persuade him later. Having just been released from prison and having won the favor of Yuan Shao, he had no intention of spoiling Yuan Shao's mood at this moment. (End of this chapter)