Your Majesty, please spare Diao Chan; your yang energy is too strong.

"Moreover, wouldn't retreating at this time be irresponsible to our allies?"

"How are you going to expect them to think?"

“If we do that, I’m afraid all the lords who participated in the siege will hate us to the bone.”

Cao Cao sighed.

This was the first time I truly grasped how difficult the situation was.

In many wars, you can't just withdraw whenever you want.

You are now engaged in a major battle with Yuan Shu.

The battlefields of the two sides have become intertwined.

If we retreat now, the enemy will inevitably take the opportunity to press forward, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

The most crucial thing is..........

This is a proclamation issued by me, Cao Cao, to suppress bandits.

I will lead you all to besiege Yuan Shu.

As a result, at this point, when the fight was going well, I, the leader, ran away first.

Are you kidding me?

This is not the same as selling them all.

What are you going to tell them to think?

However, just as he was thinking about how to find a way to achieve the best of both worlds...

Guo Jia's words caused his expression to change drastically once again.

"Do you think this is the real seriousness of the matter?"

"You underestimate Zhou Heng."

"In my opinion, this is just the beginning; the real difficulties lie ahead."

Guo Jia sighed and said.

What does Fengxiao mean by this?

Everyone's expressions changed drastically.

"Let alone the fact that we cannot easily retreat at this time, even if we could manage to return to Yanzhou unscathed."

"Do you really think we can take over Ji Province?"

"I can tell you very clearly, it's absolutely impossible."

"Even before Yan Liang's army has arrived in Ji Province."

"Even if we have taken over the entire territory of Ji Province, it is absolutely impossible for us to occupy Ji Province."

"Because Zhou Heng will not allow such a thing to happen."

Guo Jia said.

"you mean.........."

Everyone was shocked.

Everyone turned their gaze to Guo Jia, who was standing to the side.

I don't understand why he said such a thing.

Let me put it this way!

"Don't be fooled by Zhou Heng's current strategy, which seems to be designed to cause us and Yuan Shao to both suffer heavy losses."

"But in reality, it's impossible for it to seriously damage us."

"It can even be quite beneficial to us."

"Thanks to Zhang Yan's help, and with our 200,000 troops under our command."

“We have an army of nearly 300,000 or even 400,000.”

"With the combined efforts of inside and outside forces, Yuan Shao would be no match for them."

"The most likely scenario is that we will be forced to evacuate Jizhou."

"Even if the enemy withdraws 100,000 troops from Youzhou, it will only delay the inevitable."

"Furthermore, Yuan Shao withdrew his army from Youzhou, giving Gongsun Zan a chance to regroup."

Do you think Gongsun Zan won't take this opportunity to launch a counterattack?

"If that's the case."

"That would be equivalent to the three major warlords—Zhang Yan, Gongsun Zan, and ourselves—besieging Yuan Shao at the same time."

"The total number of troops exceeds 800,000."

"Such terrifying military strength..."

"Even if Yuan Shao had extraordinary abilities, he was destined to perish."

There is no other way to go.

"But this would not align with Zhou Heng's plan."

"So there's absolutely no way he'd give us that chance."

"I suspect that the other side will definitely inform Yuan Shu to launch a fierce attack on our Yan Province when we enter Ji Province."

"That's why I say this is just the beginning."

Guo Jia sighed.

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying Zhou Heng seemed.

They've calculated almost everything.

"what?"

Everyone's expressions changed drastically.

Since things had already progressed to this point, they thought that since they couldn't explain it, they would resort to violence.

At worst, we can just go directly to Jizhou.

Even if they lose a significant number of troops, it won't be without its benefits for them.

But after hearing what Guo Jia said...

That would be a real problem.

"That's unlikely. Our retreat, though it gave Yuan Shu an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

"But the other side also has to deal with other feudal lords."

"How could they possibly take advantage of this situation to attack our Yanzhou?"

The crowd still had some doubts.

After all, for Yuan Shu at this moment, the most important thing is to deal with the traitor Sun Ce.

And Lu Bu, Liu Bei, and others.

Not Cao Cao.

After all, you should pick the softest persimmon.

How could they possibly choose to attack Yanzhou at this time?

"It's not that it's unlikely, it's that it's inevitable."

"If I remember correctly, Yuan Shu has now formed a marriage alliance with Zhou Heng."

“Strictly speaking, Yuan Shu could already be considered Zhou Heng’s father-in-law.”

Guo Jia said.

"Even if they are related by marriage, Yuan Shu would not choose to attack us when his own internal situation is not yet stable, would he?"

The crowd still disagreed with Guo Jia's statement.

Arrangements for marriage are quite common throughout the world.

How could that be? Just because you two are married, I'm not going to give you my kingdom to help you?

In any case, they didn't believe Yuan Shu would be so stupid.

"Who said Yuan Shu attacked us because of our marriage ties?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Zhou Heng will definitely give Yuan Shu a reason that he can't refuse."

"I ask you, now that Yuan Shu has declared himself emperor, what is the biggest problem?"

Guo Jia did not answer directly, but instead asked a question in return.

"Territory, population, military strength? None of them."

"His biggest problem is that he is not legitimate."

“But we do have someone who can legitimize his actions.”

The crowd exclaimed in surprise, "You mean Emperor Xian of Han?"

"good."

Guo Jia nodded.

“Yuan Shu’s problem in declaring himself emperor was not his military strength or territory, but his reputation.”

“If the name is not proper, then the words will not be correct.”

"The only way for him to get rid of this reputation problem is to put Emperor Xian of Han under his own control."

"That solves the problem."

"Whether he forced Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate or for other reasons, it was all of great benefit to him."

"Because Emperor Xian of Han was in his hands, other feudal lords could not launch an attack on him under the pretext of legitimacy."

Do you think he can still hold back?

"Not to mention, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu now control three parts of the country."

"We are Yuan Shu's greatest adversary."

"By taking this opportunity to attack our Yanzhou, he can not only get rid of the problem with his reputation, but also eliminate us, this major threat, and take revenge for himself."

Do you think he will refuse?

"As for the surrounding lords, whatever their intentions may be, even if Liu Biao intervenes."

“Yuan Shu can also withstand their pressure for the time being and get Emperor Xian of Han into his hands first.”

"Therefore, it is not that he cannot attack us, but that he will inevitably attack us."

"Because he had no choice."

"Do you still think that retreat is the biggest problem now?"