Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

After his advisors arrived, Yuan Shao produced a letter from a spy, informing him of a large-scale military operation in Youzhou, the purpose of which remained unclear. Yuan Shao signaled for everyone to express their opinions. Xin Ping spoke first, "My lord, although we suffered a defeat in this battle with Youzhou, the fighting took place mostly within Youzhou territory, and our army suffered minimal losses. I doubt Gongsun Zan would dare mobilize his entire army to confront Jizhou at this time."

Guo Tu suddenly said: "My lord, no matter what, we must be prepared for the response first. We must send heavy troops to guard the border with Youzhou just in case, and send spies to closely monitor Gongsun Zan's whereabouts. We must be prepared for everything and not be caught off guard by him." Yuan Shao did not comment, because these were normal reactions.

Then Yuan Shao looked at Shen Pei. While the other counselors were more or less selfish, Shen Pei and Tian Feng were single-mindedly devoted to Yuan Shao's foundation and had deep ties to the Yuan family. Furthermore, they had both contributed greatly to his cause over the years. Yuan Shao looked at Shen Pei instead of immediately turning to Tian Feng, as he did have some concerns. Tian Yu, Gongsun Zan's top counselor, and Tian Feng were both from the Tian family. Yuan Shao needed the help of the Tian family and Tian Feng's plans and assistance, and he was also concerned about whether they might be secretly communicating. This was Yuan Shao's character: generous on the outside, yet cautious and indecisive on the inside.

When Shen Pei saw Yuan Shao's inquiring eyes, he looked solemn and said in a steady tone: "My lord, Gongsun Zan is now carrying out a large-scale military operation, and our Jizhou is adjacent to Youzhou, so we must be on guard. In my opinion, we should also deploy troops on the border. In this way, no matter what unusual movements Gongsun Zan makes, our army can respond in time and not fall into a passive position. And we can pay close attention to his movements so that we can adjust the strategic deployment at any time." Shen Pei's suggestion was pragmatic and pertinent, which made Yuan Shao nod slightly.

At this time, Xu You stood up, stroked his beard, and said thoughtfully: "My lord, in my opinion, there may be something strange about this matter. Gongsun Zan's large-scale action, could there be some sudden change in Chang'an? We might as well wait for a while and make a decision after further understanding the situation. If we act rashly at this time, we may fall into unknown risks." Xu You's insights triggered everyone's deep thinking.

Finally, Yuan Shao turned his gaze to Tian Feng. Tian Feng nodded slightly and said, "My lord, what Shen Pei said makes sense, and it aligns with what I've been thinking. Now that Gongsun Zan's army has marched across the border, its rear must be vulnerable. While we deploy troops at the border, we can also allocate a portion of our forces to guard against Gongsun Zan's army. Jizhou is strong and capable, and we are fully capable of raising another force to launch a preliminary exploratory attack on Youzhou. If we succeed, we can bypass the enemy's defenses and strike directly at their rear. Even if the fighting at the front becomes stalemated, we can send troops to attack Gongsun Zan's stronghold, making it difficult for him to take care of both ends and thus effectively contain him. In this way, no matter how the situation develops, our army can seize the initiative." Tian Feng's comprehensive and in-depth analysis left Yuan Shao deep in thought.

After a moment, Yuan Shao slowly spoke, "Everyone's words make sense. Let's follow Shen Pei's advice and first deploy troops along the border to strengthen defenses. At the same time, send more spies to Chang'an to gather information. We must quickly ascertain the situation there. Then, send a small group of elite troops to conduct a exploratory attack on Youzhou. We must proceed with caution and avoid any rash advances."

At this point, Ju Su stepped forward and said, "My lord, while Mr. Tian Feng's plan has merit, we must also be mindful of the risks involved. If our army splits up to explore Youzhou and fails, Gongsun Zan could take advantage. Furthermore, the situation in Chang'an is unclear, and if we act rashly, we could be caught off guard. It would be better for us to follow Mr. Shen Pei's advice and deploy troops along the border, closely monitoring Gongsun Zan's movements. At the same time, we can send more spies to gather information from Chang'an. Once the situation becomes clear, we can make a decision."

Yuan Shao frowned, lost in thought. After a moment, he said, "Everyone's saying makes sense. Let's first deploy troops along the border and strengthen defenses. Send out more spies to quickly ascertain the purpose of Gongsun Zan's actions and the situation in Chang'an. As for whether to test Youzhou, we'll discuss this later." The advisors took their orders and left, but Yuan Shao remained apprehensive, wondering what kind of changes Gongsun Zan's actions would bring to Jizhou.

Yuan Shao's advisors were indeed too powerful, but each one belonged to a different faction, and the relationships between them were complicated. Yuan Shao was indecisive by nature, and in this situation, he failed to give clear instructions, which made his advisors have different thoughts.

Shen Pei urged his friendly general, Gao Lan, to refrain from any rash actions. He knew full well that any inappropriate action would lead to Yuan Shao's punishment. Tian Feng also summoned Zhang He and Gao Lan to explain his intentions. This time, the troops would be deployed on the border primarily with Yan Liang and Wen Chou, with Zhang He and Gao Lan as supporting forces. However, Yan Liang and Wen Chou were arrogant and rarely communicated with their advisors. Furthermore, as Yuan Shao's most trusted confidants, they would certainly not readily heed their advice. Tian Feng summoned the two generals and explained the pros and cons in detail. He advised them that upon reaching the border, they could, as a separate force, conduct a probing harassment of Youzhou to observe its reaction. If this reaction confirmed that Youzhou was vulnerable, they could march straight in and strike directly at its heart. Even if they failed to capture Youzhou, they would still be able to deal a decisive blow to Gongsun Zan. However, it was unclear how much these words would resonate with the generals.

Meanwhile, the brothers Xin Pi and Xin Ping went to Yuan Shao's eldest son, Yuan Tan, to explain the pros and cons and urge him to prepare for the situation. Yuan Shao's foundation hadn't even begun, but his advisors were already harboring their own agendas. Even the Xin family had placed their bets on Yuan Tan, undoubtedly adding further uncertainty to the already complex situation. Under these circumstances, Yuan Shao's future was filled with uncertainty.

Logically, regardless of whether Gongsun Zan intended to attack Jizhou, Yuan Shao's top priority should have been to lead his army to the border. With his family's prestige, personal leadership skills, and unique charisma, a personal visit to the front lines, aided by numerous advisors and generals, would have surely galvanized his troops into unwavering devotion. However, his flawed character hindered his decisiveness, leading to the loss of a golden opportunity. After all, had Yuan Shao, upon learning of the situation, rushed his troops to the border with unstoppable force and launched an immediate attack, he would have at least caught Youzhou off guard.

Meanwhile, in Youzhou, Gongsun Zan led 100,000 Youzhou troops to Chang'an, leaving the province's defenses vulnerable. Even the most capable Gongsun Zan and Tian Yu could not have arranged a foolproof defense. It could even be argued that with the Jizhou army pressing in, conquering Youzhou would be a piece of cake. However, Yuan Shao remained hesitant. Although he dispatched a large army, he did not specify which advisors would be responsible for the plan. These advisors were constantly directing his generals. And how could the generals truly accept their advice? Generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou, the main force, arrived at the border with Youzhou and camped there, awaiting further orders from Yuan Shao. Generals Zhang He and Gao Lan, with their detachments, rushed to the Jizhou border from another direction, confronting Youzhou. Like two swords pointed at Youzhou from different directions, the two sides remained steadfast, without clear orders from Yuan Shao.

Gongsun Xu and Tian Yu had been plagued by anxiety ever since Gongsun Zan's army departed. The two sides had fought numerous battles and were long-standing rivals, undoubtedly employing spies, with various reports circulating between the two regions. In the absence of definitive information, Gongsun Yue and Tian Yu agreed to focus their forces primarily on defending Jizhou. After all, with the prestige of the Han Dynasty and Gongsun Zan's renown on the border, foreign forces would be reluctant to intervene. However, given the reports from the spies, Gongsun Xu and Tian Yu were forced to divide their forces, fighting Wen Chou and Yan Liang on one side and Gao Lan and Zhang He on the other.

Gongsun Xu and Tian Yu were also somewhat panicked, knowing full well that this was tantamount to trying to pull chestnuts from the fire. But now that Gongsun Zan was determined to leave with his army, they had no choice but to set up a false front and bluff.

Tian Yu knew the situation was critical. Gongsun Zan had left with his army, leaving Youzhou depleted of troops. Facing the large forces of Yan Liang and Wen Chou in Jizhou, he had to find a way to stabilize the situation. So he decided to reduce the number of troops and increase the number of stoves.

Every morning, at daybreak, Tian Yu would order the army to the sounds of trumpets and the roar of drums. The soldiers, forming neat lines, hoisted their banners high and marched with resolute steps, with great fanfare, to the barracks. For a moment, the air was thick with billowing dust and a clamor of voices, as if countless armies were gathering. Tian Yu also arranged for soldiers to line the roads, chanting slogans to create the impression of an approaching army.

At night, when darkness fell and everything was quiet, Tian Yu quietly ordered the soldiers to withdraw from the camp in batches. They moved carefully, making no sound. Then, the soldiers would rest in a nearby hiding place and wait for the next day's action.

The next day, the same scene played out again. Soldiers once again rushed to the camp with great fanfare, as if new reinforcements were constantly arriving. Tian Yu also had more stoves set up around the camp, increasing the number daily to create the illusion that Youzhou's military strength was steadily increasing.

Yan Liang and Wen Chou observed the commotion in Youzhou from the border, and they couldn't help but wonder. Yan Liang frowned and said to Wen Chou, "Brother, look at what's happening in Youzhou. Large armies are gathering every day, and the number of hearths is constantly increasing. Could it be that they have a large number of reinforcements arriving?" Wen Chou also looked puzzled and replied, "Brother, this is indeed strange. Our lord has us deploy troops at the border first, just in case. We must not act rashly in this situation, lest we fall into the enemy's trap." Yan Liang nodded in agreement, "Indeed, we should hold our troops in place for now and await our lord's further instructions." Just like that, Tian Yu's strategy successfully frightened Yan Liang and Wen Chou, making them hesitant to start a war.