Can I get to the other side?

Yangzhou, Shouchun.

On the city wall, the Cao-shaped flag fluttered in the wind, snowflakes fell from the sky, corpses were lying inside and outside the city, and the blood on the ground had not yet frozen.

Apparently a battle had just ended.

Cao Cao stood on the city gate tower, looking at the soldiers carrying corpses outside the city, and sighed deeply: "After attacking for a month, we finally captured Shouchun before winter."

It took several months to finally capture a lot of territory, but many soldiers were killed and injured during the period.

Especially Shouchun, the seat of Yangzhou, he even went to the front line to supervise the battle in person, but even so it took a whole month to capture it.

Beside Cao Cao, Xun Yu and Xun You stood by.

Xun You smiled and said, "Shouchun is a strategic location. After we capture this place, we can attack or defend. It is worth paying some price for this."

"Besides, although the casualties this time are not light, Zhou Yu's soldiers also suffered heavy casualties. In general, we still have the advantage."

Xun You's advice was very useful.

After listening to this, Cao Cao's expression eased a lot, and he smiled and said, "After all, Sun Quan is still young. Even with Zhou Gongjin's assistance, it is not enough to accomplish anything."

Xun Yu nodded and said, "Zhou Yu's wisdom is indeed rare in the world, but Sikong, don't worry, when human power is exhausted, he alone can't change the situation."

He also admired Zhou Yu's methods.

But that's all.

The Jiangdong gentry did not obey Sun Quan at all. This was not something Zhou Yu could change. As long as he conquered two more counties, those gentry would definitely turn against him when they saw that the situation was not good.

Cao Cao nodded slightly, but the worry between his eyebrows was still there. He said: "What I am most worried about now is not that we can't conquer Jiangdong, but the situation in Jizhou."

"I heard that Lu Bu has already captured four counties and defeated Yuan Shao step by step. He is now attacking Hejian County and fighting Yuan Shao."

"If Hejian County is also captured, Jizhou will basically belong to the pseudo-emperor... the whole three states."

The battle of Hejian County is really too important. This battle not only determines the ownership of Jizhou, but also determines the ownership of the north.

If Yuan Shao loses, Jizhou will be lost, and he can only retreat to Youzhou, ending up in the same situation as Gongsun Zan before, and Bingzhou will be lost soon.

How can only Youzhou be left to resist the emperor with the power of four states?

I just don't know who will win the battle of Hejian.

As soon as this thought came to Cao Cao's mind, Xu Chu hurriedly ran up to the city gate tower and reported: "My lord, there is news from Jizhou that Yuan Shao was defeated and captured in Hejian County!"

Instantly, the faces of Cao Cao, Xun You, and Xun Yu all changed drastically!

Yuan Shao... was defeated and captured? !

"How could it be so fast! How could Yuan Shao not even survive the winter!"

Cao Cao's face was pale and his mind was shocked.

His face kept changing, as if he had made a decision in his heart. He gritted his teeth and said: "Send a message to Kuaiji. I want to meet Sun Quan!"

The impact of the news that Yuan Shao was captured was so great that it made Cao Cao feel a fear from the bottom of his heart.

Because he only thought that Yuan Shao would be defeated and then retreat to Youzhou, becoming like Gongsun Zan at the beginning, but he didn't expect Yuan Shao to be captured!

"If Yuan Shao is captured, his remaining forces will surely fall apart, and it won't be long before the entire north will be unified by the emperor."

"Then the next target must be me!"

Cao Cao gritted his teeth.

If Yuan Shao had not been captured, he could still occupy Youzhou and continue to contain the emperor's army's southward advance, but how could he contain it if he was captured?

As long as the emperor unified the north, there was no doubt that the next target would be the two Central Plains hinterlands of Yanzhou and Yuzhou!

His situation was already extremely dangerous!

Xun You also reacted at this time and heard the words: "Sikong, meet with Sun Quan...Are you going to negotiate peace with him?"

"That's right."

Cao Cao took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, and the breath turned into white mist and dissipated in the cold air, making his gloomy face a little blurry.

"I can't continue to fight with Sun Quan for Yangzhou. If I continue to fight like this, even if I can take Yangzhou, I will pay a huge price."

"When the false emperor's troops go south, what can I do to resist? The only way is to wait for death!"

How could he want to negotiate peace with Sun Quan?

But now the situation has changed too much. It is the most unwise behavior to continue fighting. In the end, he and Sun Quan will become the two snipe and clams fighting each other!

Xun Yu was deeply worried and said with an ugly face: "But Sikong, even if we negotiate a peace alliance with Sun Quan, once the false emperor occupies Youzhou and Bingzhou, he will have five states. I am afraid we can't resist it."

Cao Cao's face was as cold as iron, and he said lightly: "I have my own plan. I can send a letter to Sun Quan and ask him to meet at the border of Huainan County."

After that, he walked down the city gate tower directly.

...

Kuaiji County.

Zhou Yu looked at the letter sent by Cao Cao in his hand, frowned tightly, and fell into deep thought.

Sun Quan at the side could not help but ask: "General, what conspiracy is Cao Cao playing? Is he trying to trick me and then kill me?"

He also read the letter, and the content of the letter was very simple.

It was just asking him to meet and negotiate peace.

But Cao Cao's previous offensive was very fierce, and now that he had just captured Shouchun, he suddenly said he wanted to negotiate peace. No matter how you look at it, it seems like a conspiracy.

He felt that Cao Cao wanted to kill him in the name of peace negotiation.

"My lord, you don't know."

Zhou Yu put down the letter in his hand and said solemnly: "Not long ago, the Emperor of Yecheng defeated Yuan Shao in Hejian County and captured him alive."

This news shocked Sun Quan. He said in disbelief: "How is this possible?"

He had heard of Yuan Shao's reputation.

He is the world's largest vassal!

He is the overlord of Hebei!

How could such a person be defeated by the Emperor of Yecheng and captured alive?

Zhou Yu nodded slowly and said: "The news just came to Jiangdong, and Cao Cao's proposal for peace talks is also directly related to this matter."

"Because the Emperor of Yecheng defeated Yuan Shao, he would definitely unify Hebei; and after that, the next target must be Yanzhou and Yuzhou, so Cao Cao proposed peace talks, but the ultimate goal should be to form an alliance with the lord."

He saw Cao Cao's purpose at a glance.

It's nothing more than wanting to unite and keep warm together.

"So should I go or not?"

Sun Quan put away his shock and cast an inquiring look at Zhou Yu. In such a major event, he still chose to listen to Zhou Yu's opinion.

Zhou Yu sighed: "This is also the problem I hesitated...Cao Cao is insidious and cunning. It is tantamount to seeking the skin of a tiger to negotiate an alliance with him."

"Also, although I think he is unlikely to take the opportunity to ambush the lord, I am afraid of the possibility. After all, Cao Cao likes to act unreasonably."

"If he does something crazy, how can I explain to Bo Fu?"

Zhou Yu was worried about the risks of forming an alliance with Cao Cao.

Second, he was worried about Sun Quan's safety.

After all, Sun Quan was the only one in the Sun family who was capable of inheriting Jiangdong. If Sun Quan got into trouble, the power of Jiangdong would fall apart in an instant, so he was reluctant to make a decision.

"I think I should go there."

After thinking for a moment, Sun Quan suddenly looked up at Zhou Yu and said firmly: "General, although you don't say it, I know what our current situation is."

"It was okay when Lu Bu was in Yangzhou, but since the war with Cao Cao, the major aristocratic families in Jiangdong have begun to waver, and they can only rely on the general to barely maintain the situation."

"Negotiation and truce are the best options at the moment. As for whether to form an alliance or not, let's see what conditions Cao Cao will give."

If the emperor hadn't captured Yuan Shao, he would have chosen not to go; but after hearing about this, he felt that Cao Cao was unlikely to take action against him.

After all, the lips and teeth are cold.

Of course, risks still exist, but where in the world is there a sure thing?

Since he is the lord, he should bear some responsibilities.

Negotiation and peace with Cao Cao is the best option at the moment.

He needs time to gain power and time to gain the loyalty of the Jiangdong aristocratic families.

Zhou Yu's expression was a bit complicated. He looked at Sun Quan's face, which was still a little immature. He seemed to overlap with Sun Ce in a trance.

After a long time, Zhou Yu retracted his gaze and nodded slowly, saying: "Since the lord has made up his mind, I will not stop you."

"I will go to see Cao Cao with the lord."

He was still worried about letting Sun Quan go alone to meet Cao Cao. Sun Quan was too immature and could easily be deceived by Cao Cao, so he needed to escort him.

"Okay!"

Sun Quan nodded again.

...

The border of Huainan County.

In a pavilion by the river, Cao Cao was waiting in the pavilion. There was a table in front of him, and wine was being boiled on the stove.

The aroma of wine was overflowing.

Xu Chu stood by with a knife, but he looked up from time to time and saw that no one appeared in the distance. He couldn't help but say: "Lord, Sun Quan, that kid, didn't get scared temporarily, so he broke the appointment?"

They had been waiting here for an hour.

But there was no sign of Sun Quan.

Cao Cao frowned. Although he did not speak, he could not help but feel a little worried in his heart - could this boy really be so timid?

"My Lord, look."

At this moment, Xu Chu exclaimed and pointed to the river.

Cao Cao looked up and saw a small boat coming from the river. A young man in a brocade robe stood on the bow, looking extraordinary;

Behind him stood a handsome Confucian scholar in a white robe and a burly guard.

It was Sun Quan and Zhou Yu!

As for the guard, it was Sun Jian's former guard Chang Sun He. After Sun Jian died, he followed Sun Ce, and continued to serve Sun Quan after Sun Ce died.

The three of them came by boat across the river, and after stopping at the shore, they walked straight into the pavilion. Then Sun Quan bowed to Cao Cao and said, "Yanzhou Mu has been waiting for a long time."

"No problem."

Cao Cao waved his hand indifferently, looked up and down at Sun Quan, and then smiled and praised: "As expected of the son of Jiangdong Tiger and the brother of the Little Overlord, he is really handsome and has the demeanor of a brother and father."

"Please take a seat."

Sun Quan did not bother to be polite with him, and sat down with Zhou Yu directly. The maid next to him took the opportunity to pour wine for each of them.

However, Sun Quan just glanced at him, but did not move, and said directly: "Yanzhou Mu, just say whatever you want to say. It's windy by the river, and it's not suitable to sit for a long time."

He didn't want to chat with Cao Cao.

Today, he came to negotiate peace.

If things can't be negotiated in the end after talking about this and that for a long time, then staying here is a waste of time and there is no point. They are enemies.

Cao Cao didn't care about Sun Quan's rudeness. He drank a sip of wine, smacked his lips and said, "Today, you and I came here to make peace. If you don't drink this cup, there is no need to talk anymore."

"My dear nephew, do you think I poisoned the wine?"

Negotiations are all about making a good first move.

The rule he set was to talk after drinking.

If Sun Quan refused, it would mean he had no sincerity at all, so what was the point of continuing the negotiation?

Zhou Yu frowned and wanted to drink the wine on behalf of Sun Quan, but Sun Quan just picked up the wine bottle and drank it all.

"Let's talk."

Sun Quan put down the wine bottle and looked normal.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and looked at Sun Quan. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he covered it up well and smiled: "It is indeed a young man with heroic spirit. Then I will get straight to the point."

"I believe my nephew has already known that the Emperor of Yecheng defeated Yuan Shao in Hejian County and captured him alive, otherwise he would not have been invited here today."

"Yuan Shao is the overlord of the north. If he is captured in this battle, all the northern states will fall into the control of the Emperor of Yecheng. His rise is unstoppable."

"Once the Emperor of Yecheng unifies the north, he will inevitably march south. At that time, you and I will not be able to escape his army's conquest."

"So I invited my nephew to come here today, not only to negotiate peace, but also to form an alliance, help each other, and advance and retreat together in order to protect ourselves."

Cao Cao slowly stated his purpose.

Then he smiled and looked at Sun Quan.

Sun Quan said, "There is no problem with peace talks, but if the governor of Yanzhou wants an alliance, I have a condition."

"Oh? What condition?"

"Return the three counties in Jiangbei!"

Sun Quan looked directly at Cao Cao and said word by word, "As long as the governor of Yanzhou returns the three counties in Jiangbei and never gets involved in Yangzhou again, I will agree to the alliance!"

Cao Cao's smile slowly disappeared from his face.

His expression gradually became cold.

"I came here with sincerity today, but I didn't expect my nephew to tell me some jokes. It's really boring."

He spent a lot of effort to get the three counties in Jiangbei. How could he return them just because of Sun Quan's words? It was just a joke!

"Come with sincerity? I don't think so."

At this moment, Zhou Yu on the side suddenly spoke up, looking at Cao Cao with a dim look in his eyes.

"If the emperor marches south, the governor of Yanzhou will be the first to be attacked. There is no need to say how critical the situation is."

"At this critical moment, the governor of Yanzhou is still holding on to the three counties in Jiangbei and is unwilling to give them up. I wonder where the word sincerity comes from?"

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and looked at him: "Who are you?"

Zhou Yu smiled and said: "I am Zhou Yu."

Hearing this, Cao Cao raised his eyebrows and suddenly smiled: "I was wondering who it was. It turned out to be Zhou Gongjin. I have long heard of your great name. I am fortunate to meet you today."

Zhou Yu smiled and did not change the subject. He continued: "We have the natural barrier of the Yangtze River in Jiangdong. Even if the emperor marches south, we can still live in peace."

"And before that, there is still the governor of Yanzhou to resist the emperor's conquest for us, so we have enough time to prepare."

"So the governor of Yanzhou is anxious, but we are not."

Zhou Yu knew their advantages and Cao Cao's urgent psychology very well, so he wanted to make good use of this to gain benefits.

"I'm anxious? Hahaha——"

However, when Cao Cao heard this, he laughed as if he had heard a big joke, slapping his thighs and laughing.

Sun Quan looked a little unprepared, frowning and said, "What are you laughing at, Mu of Yanzhou? You set up a fake emperor, and Yanzhou is adjacent to Jizhou. Will the emperor let you go after unifying Hebei?"

Cao Cao's territory is not only adjacent to Jizhou.

More importantly, he has committed crimes.

Just the fact that he set up a fake emperor is enough for Cao Cao to be killed by the emperor a thousand times. After defeating Yuan Shao, the next person to be killed will be Cao Cao.

"I think you misunderstood."

Cao Cao stopped laughing and said leisurely: "It was Dong Cheng who supported the false emperor. What does it have to do with me, Cao Mengde?"

"I was just deceived by him."

"Don't you see that Dong Cheng has escaped from Xu County with the false emperor, and his whereabouts are unknown now? If the emperor wants to punish, he should punish Dong Cheng."

At this point, Cao Cao glanced at the two people, "I'm not in a hurry, because I can still surrender to the emperor and still retain my title of nobility."

"But you...what your Sun family has done, do you think the emperor will let you go?"

After the voice fell, Sun Quan and Zhou Yu's faces suddenly changed.

Cao Cao sneered.

He had already left a way out for himself. The reason why he wanted to form an alliance with Sun Quan was that he was unwilling to surrender to the emperor and give up the fight for the world.

Because he had already won over some of the Jiangdong gentry, if he could form an alliance with Sun Quan, he could slowly erode the power of Jiangdong and eventually annex it.

At that time, he could completely abandon Yanzhou or even Yuzhou, shift the focus to Yangzhou, and then plot Jingzhou.

Once the matter is accomplished, he can rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to compete with the emperor!

In addition, the false emperor of Xu County is still alive, but has fled to the territory of Liu Biao in Jingzhou, so even if he is defeated by the emperor of Yecheng in the end, he can use the excuse of not being able to distinguish the real emperor from the fake emperor to save himself.

You can attack when you advance, and you can defend when you retreat!

But Sun Quan does not have so many choices as him. Since Sun Jian privately kept the imperial seal, the Sun family is destined to be purged.

"You have to understand that this is the opportunity I give you to form an alliance, not me begging you to form an alliance."

"I can surrender to the emperor, what about you?"

Cao Cao said sarcastically, with a playful look on his face.

Sun Quan clenched his teeth, his eyes were filled with anger, and his fists were clenched tightly, wishing to go up and punch Cao Cao's hateful face!

But under the table, Zhou Yu held his hand tightly, his expression remained calm, and he cast a deep gaze at Cao Cao.

"How to form an alliance? Who will be the leader after the alliance?"