Chapter 75

Paper cannot wrap fire, and Yuan Fang had no intention of concealing it. If Gongsun Xu was dead, then so be it; there was nothing to hide.

Within a dozen days, the news of Gongsun Xu's death had spread throughout the north and south of the Yellow River.

The news soon reached Youzhou.

Zhuo County, the General's Mansion.

"Yuan Fang, that little bandit, actually dared to kill my beloved son! How hateful! If I don't kill you with my own hands, I will not be a man!" In the hall, Gongsun Zan, upon learning of his son's death, was filled with grief and hatred, wishing to tear Yuan Fang to pieces immediately.

In front of the hall, the civil and military officers, including Guan Jing, Zou Dan, and Wang Men, dared not speak a word in the face of their lord's rage, fearing they might anger Gongsun Zan.

At this moment, a general at the end of the line stepped forward, clasping his hands and said, "My lord, please calm down. I believe Yuan Fang is a man of his word and would not betray his promise to harm the young general. Perhaps there is another reason for the young general's death."

The man speaking was Zhao Yun.

Gongsun Zan, in his fury, not only refused to listen to the advice but also pointed at Zhao Yun and scolded him, "You still dare to speak for that boy! If it weren't for your failure to protect Xu, how could Xu have fallen into that boy's hands, and how could he have suffered such a fate!"

Zhao Yun, who had meant to offer a well-intentioned reminder, was left speechless by Gongsun Zan's tirade and could only remain silent, stepping back to one side.

The strategist Guan Jing, seeing Gongsun Zan's intense anger, said with righteous indignation, "Yuan Fang, that little boy, dared to kill the young general, an unforgivable crime. I request that my lord mobilize all the troops of Youzhou, march to Qingzhou, and kill that boy to avenge the young general."

Guan Jing's call to arms was quickly followed by Zou Dan, Wang Men, and the other generals, who all stood up, calling for war, vowing to avenge the young general Gongsun Xu.

Gongsun Zan, in his extreme grief and anger, seeing his subordinates' support, immediately slammed the table and declared, "The death of my son is an irreconcilable hatred. Pass my orders to mobilize the entire army to march south. I will kill Yuan Fang with my own hands to avenge my son and clear my name."

Gongsun Zan, determined to launch an attack, had Guan Jing suggest sending envoys south to Xu Province to ally with Tao Qian to attack Yuan Fang, and to divide Qingzhou after the victory.

Without hesitation, Gongsun Zan adopted Guan Jing's suggestion and sent envoys with rich gifts to Xu Province to form an alliance with Tao Qian.

The order was issued, and the generals stationed in Fan Yang, Guang Yang, and other counties of Youzhou, as well as in Bo Hai and Hejian counties of Ji Province, began to gather, preparing for a large-scale southern advance.

For a time, the clouds of war spread from Youzhou, quickly enveloping Qingzhou.

...

Xu Province, Tan City.

In the state capital hall, the important civil and military officials of Xu Province were all gathered.

"Gongsun Bo Gui, to avenge his son, has mobilized his entire army to attack Qingzhou. He has sent a message inviting our forces to march north and attack Yuan Fang, to share Qingzhou. Liu Xuande of Langya has also advised me to take advantage of the situation and launch an attack. What do you think?"

Tao Qian showed Gongsun Zan's letter to his advisors and officials.

For a moment, the hall was filled with debate, with differing opinions on whether to launch an attack.

However, compared to a month ago, this time, the officials of Xu Province, who were primarily focused on self-preservation, were more inclined to support the attack.

The most senior official, Chen Gui, stroked his white beard and said, "Yuan Fang has stationed Zang Ba in Dongwu, seizing the northern part of Langya, threatening our Xu Province. Now, while he is preoccupied, we can launch an attack to drive out Zang Ba and reclaim our lost territory."

Before he finished speaking, Cao Bao said proudly, "Uncle Chen is too cautious. Now that Gongsun Zan has mobilized his entire army from Youzhou, and Yuan Shao is tied up by the Black Mountain bandits, how can Yuan Fang resist Gongsun Zan's army with his limited forces? This is a heaven-sent opportunity. We should not only reclaim our lost territory but also take the opportunity to divide Qingzhou."

The words "divide Qingzhou" invigorated the officials of Xu Province, their eyes shining with excitement.

Capturing Qingzhou would mean more positions such as state governors and prefects, waiting for them to divide, a benefit that could not fail to move them.

At this moment, Chen Gui added, "Recently, Cao Cao has subdued 300,000 Yellow Turbans from Qingzhou, greatly increasing his strength. If Yuan Shao defeats the Black Mountain bandits and captures Bingzhou, his power will increase dramatically, posing a significant threat to our Xu Province. I believe we should take action against Yuan Fang to curb Yuan Shao's momentum."

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were allies, while Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, Yuan Shu, and Liu Biao had secretly formed an alliance.

Seeing that the representatives of the Chen and Cao families both supported the attack, Tao Qian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"Since all of you support the attack, what more doubts can I have!"

Tao Qian made his decision and immediately issued orders, appointing Cao Bao as the commander to lead the troops of Xu Province to attack Qingzhou.

...

Qingzhou.

The news of Gongsun Zan and Tao Qian's invasion was quickly obtained by the Mi family's intelligence network. Mi Huan immediately sent the information to Yuan Fang in Pingyuan.

Upon receiving the intelligence, Yuan Fang immediately took action.

In the south of the Yellow River, Yuan Fang ordered Zang Ba to lead his 4,000 troops to garrison Dongwu, and Zhu Ling to lead 3,000 troops to garrison Duchang as Zang Ba's support.

These two forces were ordered to hold their positions and not engage in battle, waiting for Yuan Fang to defeat Gongsun Zan before joining forces in Beihai to defeat Tao Qian.

After dividing 7,000 troops to the south, this meant that Yuan Fang had only 13,000 troops available to face Gongsun Zan.

Yuan Fang immediately ordered Yan Liang, Taishi Ci, and Guo Huai, who were still in Beihai, to lead the remaining troops to Pingyuan to join him.

Yan Liang, leading 800 cavalry, arrived in Pingyuan first, while the rest of the troops were still on the way.

In Pingyuan, Yuan Fang convened Hao Zhao and Yan Liang to discuss military affairs.

"According to the current intelligence, Gongsun Zan will mobilize at least 40,000 Youzhou infantry and cavalry, plus his brother Gongsun Fan's 5,000 Bo Hai troops, totaling nearly 45,000 troops, heading towards our Pingyuan. Gongsun Zan is serious this time," Hao Zhao pointed to the map, his tone grave.

"When I left Beihai, I heard that Tao Qian, with Cao Bao as the commander and Liu Bei as the deputy, has mobilized 30,000 troops from Xu Province to attack north. Our forces in the south will also face significant pressure," even the fearless Yan Liang's tone carried a hint of caution.

Yuan Fang's brows furrowed deeply, his eyes fixed on the map, a trace of gravity appearing on his face.

No one understood the severity of the situation better than he did.

Gongsun Zan, convinced that Yuan Fang had killed his son, had mobilized his entire army, driven by a desire for revenge, ready to fight to the death.

Tao Qian of Xu Province wanted to take advantage of the situation, not only to reclaim the northern part of Langya but also to divide Qingzhou, a ambition that could not be underestimated.

Moreover, Liu Bei was stirring up trouble, eager to counterattack Qingzhou and avenge his repeated defeats at the hands of Yuan Fang, making the southern enemy formidable.

As for Yuan Shao, he was tied up by the Black Mountain bandits, facing a critical battle, and would likely not send troops to aid him, his illegitimate son.

And Yuan Shang, seeing Yuan Fang's growing power in Qingzhou, which had already surpassed Yuan Xi and even Yuan Tan, was probably already wary and unlikely to offer assistance this time.

Considering all these factors, Yuan Fang realized that he would likely have to fight this battle alone, facing a powerful enemy.

"Capturing Qingzhou was easy, but holding it will be extremely difficult. It seems this will be a very dangerous and fierce battle..."

Yuan Fang sighed, his brows growing even more furrowed.

Faced with such an unfavorable situation, Hao Zhao was at a loss, and Yan Liang could think of no better strategy than a decisive battle.

The hall fell silent, the atmosphere heavy.

At this moment, Yuan Gui hurried in, clasping his hands and said, "My lord, there is someone outside who wishes to see you."