The Three Kingdoms: The entire Cao Cao camp thought I was weak and frail.

Upon hearing the news, Yuan Shu immediately submitted a memorial to the court, denouncing Cao Cao as a traitor to the country in name only, for condoning bandits and plotting to harm court officials. He also demanded that Cao Cao hand over Yan Province.

The two sides clashed several times on the border, each time ending in the defeat of Yuan Shu's army.

Inside the Puyang government office, Cao Cao looked at the battle report, feeling quite pleased.

Meanwhile, another team also embarked on their journey home.

Cao Hong led a thousand elite soldiers to escort Cao Song's large convoy, and they encountered no major dangers along the way. When they reached the territory of Taishan County, just as Xun Hao had predicted, they were attacked by a group of fierce bandits.

But these rabble were no match for Cao Cao's elite troops. Cao Hong's single charge routed the bandits, who fled in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons.

To be on the safe side, Cao Hong sent someone to request assistance from the neighboring Hua County, hoping that the local garrison could help clear out the scattered bandits in the surrounding area.

The magistrate of Hua County was a former subordinate of Liu Dai, the former governor of Yan Province, and was worried about not having an opportunity to show his loyalty to his new lord. Upon receiving Cao Hong's letter requesting assistance, he was overjoyed and regarded it as a godsend.

Without consulting Cao Cao, he took it upon himself to launch a large-scale attack on the border of Xuzhou, using the old man's name as a symbol of his authority.

In an instant, smoke signals rose everywhere in Xuzhou.

Report—Cao Cao's army is pressing in on the border!

When the news reached Xiapi City in Xuzhou, the defending general Zhang Kai was greatly alarmed.

Looking at the dark, menacing Cao army outside the city, he guessed that their plan to receive his father was a pretense, and their real intention was to annex Xuzhou!

"General!" The lieutenant's eyes darted around, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Now, there's only one way! Doesn't Cao Cao want to save his father? Let's 'invite' him here! With the old man in our hands, even if Cao Mengde has a hundred thousand troops, he'll have to hesitate!"

Zhang Kai suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Fine!" he gritted his teeth, squeezing out a single word, "That's it!"

In his panic, he dared not harm Cao Song in the slightest, for Cao Cao was his father. But he dared not allow this "vanguard" to advance unimpeded.

In a moment of desperation, he made what he considered the safest decision.

He personally went out of the city and "invited" Cao Song and his entire entourage into the city.

They claimed that bandits were rampant in Xuzhou and, for the safety of the old master, he should enter the city to rest temporarily, where his army would provide full protection.

The news traveled swiftly, reaching Puyang in a day and a night.

"Crack!" The jade wine cup in Cao Cao's hand shattered with a sound.

Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and other members of the Cao clan were all furious.

"This is outrageous! My lord! I am willing to be the vanguard! If we fail to capture Xiapi within three days, I will bring you my head!"

"Please, my lord, send troops!"

"Crush Xuzhou and rescue the old master!"

Cao Ren, Cao Hong, and the others all knelt on one knee, the clanging of their armor echoing loudly, filling the hall with an atmosphere of killing intent.

"My lord," Xun Yu abruptly stood up, quickly walking to Cao Cao's side, his tone urgent, "The old master is still in enemy hands. Launching a large-scale military campaign now might provoke the enemy and endanger his safety! The best course of action now is to first send envoys to inquire about the situation and ascertain the truth!"

Just then, another rapid sound of horses' hooves approached from afar.

"Report—"

A second messenger rushed into the hall, shouting, "Reporting to the lord! Urgent report from the south! Yuan Shu has mobilized all the troops in Huainan and is marching towards the border of Yanzhou!"

Besieged on two fronts!

In front, Tao Qian of Xuzhou was holding hostages, and behind, Yuan Shu's army was pressing in.

Xiahou Dun and his men, who had just been shouting for war, now had changed their expressions. No matter how brave they were, they knew what it meant to wage war against two states at the same time.

Yanzhou, having just experienced the ravages of war, was in dire need of reconstruction and had no capacity to fight on two fronts.

"My lord," Cheng Yu said with an unprecedentedly grave expression, "Yuan Shu's army is well-trained and well-supplied. What's even more critical is that Sun Jian, the Tiger of Jiangdong, is now under his command. This man is brave and skilled in battle, unparalleled in the world. If he is made the vanguard, our army... I'm afraid we will be unable to withstand him."

"My lord, for now, we can only be patient with Xuzhou. We should first gather a large force to deal with Yuan Shu," Xun You said in a deep voice. "After defeating Yuan Shu, we can settle scores with Tao Qian. There will still be room for maneuver then."

This is the most rational choice.

"My lord, perhaps... things aren't as bad as they seem."

A clear, cold voice reached everyone's ears. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xun Hao, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, had stood up at some point.

"Yanruo?" Cao Cao opened his eyes, his voice hoarse.

"As Cheng Congshi said, Sun Jian is brave and fierce, which is known throughout the land. But in my opinion, this man is not worth worrying about."

These words shocked everyone present. Cheng Yu frowned deeply. He was confident in his ability to judge people, and Sun Jian was by no means an ordinary person. How could Xun Hao have described him as someone who was not worth worrying about?

"What do you mean by that, Yanruo?" Cheng Yu couldn't help but ask in return.

Xun Hao's gaze fell upon the border between Jingzhou and Jiangdong. "May I ask, gentlemen, where is Sun Jian now?"

Xun You pondered for a moment and replied, "A month ago, I received a report that Sun Jian was on Yuan Shu's orders to cross the river and attack Liu Biao in Jingzhou."

"That's right." Xun Hao nodded. "Sun Wentai's military tactics have always been fearless and relentless. He is like an indestructible blade, but precisely because of this, his blade is too sharp and easily broken."

He paused, then continued, "Judging from his actions, this man is brave, but he lacks a strategist who can plan the overall situation and fill in the gaps. Although he has veteran generals like Cheng Pu and Huang Gai by his side, they are all frontline fighters, and no one can pull him back when he gets carried away."

"On the other hand, his opponent, Liu Biao of Jingzhou, though known as a 'guardian dog,' was extremely cautious and prudent. A tiger like Sun Jian could easily fall into an ambush if he ventured deep into enemy territory alone."

"Yuan Shu ordered him to attack Liu Biao, and also ordered him to invade my Yan Province. This is a major taboo in military strategy. If Sun Jian disregards everything and launches a fierce attack on Liu Biao and succeeds, he will surely be severely weakened and unable to invade my territory again. If he divides his forces, he will be weak on both sides. If he fails to conquer Liu Biao after a long siege, he will become impatient and easily fall into the enemy's trap."

"Therefore, Hao asserts that within two months, Sun Jian will surely be defeated by Liu Biao. If he is defeated, Yuan Shu will be like a man with a missing arm. What will we have to fear when our army faces him again?"

Cao Cao calmed down and said, "Wenruo, draft a document immediately and send it to Xuzhou. Sternly question Tao Qian and order him to return the old master immediately. Otherwise, when our army arrives, we will all perish! We must make the right gesture and keep him guessing about our true strength!"

"Yes, sir!" Xun Yu accepted the order.

"Yuanrang, Miaocai!" Cao Cao turned his gaze to the Xiahou brothers. "You two, immediately muster your troops and deploy them on the border between Dongjun and Chenliu, preparing to fight Yuan Shu with all your might! Only defend; do not launch any offensive attacks!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

They resisted Yuan Shu in the south and intimidated Tao Qian in the east.

It was said lightly, but everyone knew that Yanzhou's resources were simply insufficient to support a two-front war. Although Xiahou Dun and the others had accepted the orders, the frustration on their faces was obvious to everyone.

Cao Cao sat back in his main seat, tapping his fingers absently on the table. His gaze swept over the people below, finally settling on Xun Yu.

"Wenruo, have you made up your mind about who the envoy should be?"