Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Liu Biao, with a certain solemnity, waited quietly in front of the reception room. On one side stood Xun Yue, his highly intelligent advisor, and on the other stood Cai Mao, the Grand Commander-in-Chief who held the utmost military power in Jingzhou.

Soon, Xu You and Yuan Yao arrived side by side. Seeing Liu Biao waiting at the door from afar, Xu You was immediately flattered. He hurried forward, exclaiming, "Oh, how dare I trouble you, my lord, to wait for me at your door? This is truly a disgrace!" Liu Biao, with a seemingly enthusiastic smile on his face, replied hypocritically, "No, no, Mr. Xu You is your advisor, a man of exceptional wisdom and intelligence. How could I be disrespectful to such a person visiting Jingzhou?" After exchanging pleasantries, the two men walked into the house together.

As soon as he entered the room, Liu Biao inadvertently caught a glimpse of a young man following behind Xu You. Judging from his temperament and dress, he was definitely not dressed like an ordinary follower. He couldn't help but show surprise and asked, "Who is this young man...?" Xu You hurriedly introduced with a smile, "This is Yuan Yao, the son of the former General Yuan Gonglu, and also the nephew of my Lord Yuan." Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao hurriedly stepped forward and saluted respectfully, saying sincerely, "Greetings, Your Excellency the Governor." Liu Biao nodded slightly, looked Yuan Yao up and down, and exclaimed in admiration, "Oh, I didn't expect that you are the son of an old friend. You are indeed handsome and talented. My dear nephew, there is no need to be so polite. Your father and I served in the court together in the past, and we had a close friendship. It's a pity that your father died young, and many of his ambitions were unfulfilled. It is really sad and lamentable!" After that, he shook his head with pretended regret, his face full of emotion.

Liu Biao's words were like a sharp knife, piercing the deepest wounds in Yuan Yao's heart. Thinking of his father, Yuan Shu, Yuan Yao felt a wave of grief, his eyes instantly reddening, and his voice choked with anger. "Uncle, you're right! How hateful! That Xiliang Ma Chao..." He didn't even finish his words, his face already filled with grief and indignation.

Xu You watched intently from the side, secretly pondering that Yuan Yao was still too immature. However, Liu Biao's simple words easily stirred his spirits. If he lost his composure in such an occasion, he might have made a serious mistake. Xu You quickly took over the conversation, his tone filled with soothing promises: "Ah, young master, there is no need to grieve. With your uncle Yuan Gong in charge, he will sooner or later defeat Ma Chao of Xiliang and seek justice for your father!"

Yuan Yao felt as if he had grasped a lifeline after hearing Xu You's words, and the grief and anger in his heart were slightly relieved. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and secretly warned himself not to lose his composure in such an occasion, so as not to miss the important task entrusted to him by his uncle.

Liu Biao and Xu You chatted for a few more insignificant words. Seeing that the time was almost right, Liu Biao's expression suddenly straightened. He looked at Xu You and asked directly, "I wonder if Mr. Xu has come here to teach me anything, Mr. Yuan?"

Seeing that he had finally gotten to the point, Xu You's expression grew serious. He spoke in all seriousness, "Lord Jingsheng, Cao Cao is now using the Emperor to control the other princes, unprovokedly raising an army to attack Tao Qian, the ancestor of the Tao family. On the surface, he appears to be supporting the imperial court, but in reality, he is the greatest traitor in the world. My master, Yuan Shao, deeply despises Cao Cao's willful threat to the Emperor, and therefore has resolved to launch an attack. Lord Jingsheng, as the head of the Han royal family, I believe you too have long harbored the intention of suppressing this bandit."

When Liu Biao heard this, he secretly complained in his heart: "This is pure nonsense! Cao Cao's power is huge now, and his development momentum is very rapid. What does the fight between you two families have to do with me?" He looked embarrassed and subconsciously cast his gaze to Kuai Yue on the side, wanting to hear his opinion.

Kuai Yue understood, took a step forward, and said slowly: "My lord occupied Jingzhou, and he only wanted to herd his people in peace and protect this piece of land. He didn't have much intention of expanding outward."

Xu You shook his head in disapproval and retorted, "No, no! As the saying goes, 'I shall not allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed.' Cao Cao is now gaining momentum, acting under the banner of the Son of Heaven. Tao Qian has already lost his entire family fortune because of this. If Duke Jingsheng doesn't make plans soon, disaster is imminent. Cao Cao is extremely ambitious. Once he has dealt with the other factions, his next target may be Jingzhou. By then, Jingzhou will be in imminent danger!"

Kuai Yue frowned slightly upon hearing Xu You's words. After a moment's reflection, he said, "While Mr. Xu's words make sense, this matter is of grave importance. Sending troops from Jingzhou to assist would inevitably cost us a great deal of manpower, material resources, and financial resources. Not to mention Cao Cao's immense power, which is difficult to shake easily, even if what you say is true, the final outcome is uncertain. If my lord rashly sends troops, what if something goes wrong? What will become of the people of Jingzhou?"

Liu Biao also nodded and said helplessly, "Mr. Kuai is absolutely right. Although Jingzhou has some assets now, it cannot withstand such turmoil. Mr. Xu, it's not that I don't want to help, but I really have to be cautious."

Seeing the two men still hesitant, Xu You knew it would be difficult to persuade them without offering some tangible benefits. He smiled faintly and said confidently, "Lord Jingsheng, Mr. Kuai, my master naturally understands the difficulties of Jingzhou sending troops to help, so he has made all the necessary preparations. This time, we are jointly attacking Cao Cao, and we will not let Jingzhou take the risk alone. Our Hebei army will go all out and cooperate closely with the Jingzhou army. Moreover, not only will we send troops, but Lord Jingsheng will also send troops from Jingzhou, and we will also have Young Master Yuan Yao leading his father's former troops to assist. Young Master Yuan Yao will fight bravely to avenge his father's death."

Xu You paused, a glint of cunning in his eyes, and continued, "More importantly, Lü Bu has already agreed to defect in the middle of a battle. Lü Bu is a brave warrior, and he commands elite troops and generals. If we attack him from all sides, Cao Cao will be defeated, no matter how powerful he is. After defeating Cao Cao, my lord has already made arrangements for the territory and treasures he has obtained, and will not let Jingzhou suffer any loss. Lord Jingsheng, this is a rare opportunity. It can eliminate this threat to the Han Dynasty and strengthen Jingzhou's power. Why not take it?"

Liu Biao was genuinely excited when he heard Xu You's words. He subconsciously cast his gaze towards Kuai Yue, his eyes filled with inquiry and anticipation, as if to ask, "Do you think this is feasible? What benefits can we gain from defeating Cao Cao?"

Kuai Yue naturally understood Liu Biao's intentions. He frowned slightly, looked at Xu You and said, "Mr. Xu, this matter is of great importance. The safety of Jingzhou depends on it. You said that all parties should cooperate to attack Cao Cao. But after defeating Cao Cao, what practical benefits can Jingzhou gain?"

Xu You was prepared. Upon hearing this, he immediately smiled and said, "Mr. Kuai, what you say makes sense. To be honest, my master has said that if our joint attack on Cao is successful, he is willing to give the land of Shouchun to Jingzhou. Shouchun is a strategic location with fertile land and a large population. It will greatly benefit the development of Jingzhou."

Upon hearing this, Liu Biao's eyes flashed with surprise, but he still had some doubts. He turned to Yuan Yao and asked, "My dear nephew, is what Mr. Xu said true?" Yuan Yao had already received Yuan Shao's promise, so he agreed without hesitation, "Don't worry, uncle, everything Mr. Xu said is true. My uncle always keeps his word. He promised to give Shouchun to Jingzhou, and he will definitely not break his promise."

Seeing that Liu Biao's attitude had softened, Xu You struck while the iron was hot and continued, "Not only that, Lord Jingsheng, as the head of the Han royal family, after defeating Cao Cao, you will personally support the emperor. This is just like Duke Zhou assisting King Cheng, right and proper! When the time comes, you can raise your arm and all the Han royal family will dare to obey. And with my Lord Yuan as an ally, who in the world would dare to look down on you, and who would dare to look down on Jingzhou? Lord Jingsheng, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

As Liu Biao listened to Xu You's description, the fire in his heart grew stronger and stronger. He could already see himself becoming a minister who would restore the Han Dynasty and command great power throughout the world. But Liu Biao, a shrewd and calculating man, remained calm on the surface. He looked at Kuai Yue again and asked, "Mr. Kuai, in your opinion, is this feasible?" Kuai Yue lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Mr. Xu's words may seem promising, but there are still many variables involved. However, if it can be properly planned, it is worth a try. However, we still need to discuss the details of the deployment, coordination among all parties, and post-war arrangements with Mr. Xu in detail to ensure that everything goes smoothly."

Liu Biao nodded slightly, turned his gaze to Xu You again, and said, "Mr. Xu, in this case, let's talk about the plan in detail." Seeing this, Xu You was secretly happy, knowing that things had taken a turn for the better. He immediately began to discuss in depth with Liu Biao, Kuai Yue and others about the plan to attack Cao.

Liu Biao nodded slightly, and said with a thoughtful look: "Mr. Xu, in this case, you should sit still for a few days. I need to properly deal with the affairs in the country first." Although he said so, as soon as he finished speaking, his brows unconsciously locked together, as if he had a thousand worries in his heart.

Xu You was a shrewd man. Seeing Liu Biao's expression, he took the opportunity to ask, "Lord Jingsheng, what else is worrying you? Feel free to tell me. Perhaps I can offer some advice."

Liu Biao sighed softly and said helplessly, "Jingzhou borders Jiangdong, and our relationship with Sun Quan has always been ambiguous. Although we appear to be on good terms, Sun Quan is erratic and unpredictable. I'm truly worried that while Jingzhou is dispatching troops to attack Cao Cao, he might launch an attack and stab me in the back."

At this point, Liu Biao paused, his expression growing even more gloomy. He continued, "There's another matter. Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, is currently in my Jingzhou. He has the orphan of the previous emperor with him, and he constantly nags me to restore order and enthrone the orphan as emperor to counter Cao Cao's support for Liu Xie. But this is no easy task. If we're not careful, it could spark disputes among all parties. This is giving me a headache, and I don't know what to do."

Xu You's mind raced upon hearing about the late emperor's orphan, but he remained composed and calm as he spoke calmly, "Lord Jingsheng, regarding the matter of Sun Quan, from what I understand, after he succeeded his brother, he and Zhou Gongjin seem to be at odds with each other. Lord Jingsheng, all you need to do is secretly send someone to Jiangdong and use a subtle trick to sow discord between them, forcing them to become distracted. This way, Sun Quan won't be able to easily launch an attack on Jingzhou."

At this point, Xu You paused slightly, his eyes flickering as he spoke eloquently, "As for Liu Bei, Lord Jingsheng, you can fully exploit his impatience. For the time being, why not agree to his support for the late emperor's orphan? Tell him clearly that our concerted efforts to defeat Cao Cao are aimed at ensuring the orphan's legitimate ascension to the throne. Think about it, Liu Bei is determined to restore the Han Dynasty, and he would surely be eager for such a major event. In this way, he will undoubtedly do his utmost to help us."