My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

Yanzhou, Changyi.

When Cao Cao returned to Changyi with his army, it was already evening.

As the sun set, it bathed the city tower in a dark red hue.

He rode on his horse, gazing at the familiar city, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The campaign to the south against Yuan Shikai lasted for more than two months.

They won the battle and gained territory, but almost lost their own lives.

Sun Jian's earnest entreaties to stay, Liu Bei's heartfelt words, and Zhang Fei's sudden arrival at the city gates—it all felt like a nightmare.

Fortunately, he returned safely.

All of this is thanks to his strategists.

"Our lord is back! Our lord is back!"

The city gate guards, upon seeing Cao Cao's banners in the distance, cheered.

The city gates were wide open, and the people of the city lined the streets to welcome them.

Cao Cao smiled and waved, but felt no joy in his heart.

He dismounted and walked straight into the mansion.

"Where is Zhicai?" he asked the guard who came to greet him.

"Mr. Xi is in the back hall. These days he has been handling government affairs despite his illness. He said that Yanzhou must not be in chaos before the lord returns."

Cao Cao felt a warmth in his heart and strode towards the back hall.

In the back room, Xi Zhicai was bent over his desk reviewing official documents.

His face was still somewhat pale, but he was in much better spirits than he had been a few months ago.

Although Zhang Zhongjing's trip south could not cure his tuberculosis, it did pull him back from the brink of death.

But from then on, he could no longer work day and night as before.

"Zhicai!" Cao Cao strode in.

Xi Zhicai looked up and saw it was Cao Cao. He quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "My lord is back! You must be tired from your journey!"

Cao Cao helped him up and looked him over: "Your body..."

Xi Zhicai smiled slightly: "Thanks to the Lord's good fortune, and thanks to Physician Zhang's miraculous healing skills, I have been spared from death. However, I'm afraid I won't be able to work as hard as before."

Cao Cao held his hand, his eyes slightly red: "It's good that you're alive, it's good that you're alive."

The two sat down, and a maid served tea.

Cao Cao then recounted his southward campaign in detail.

From the fall of Shouchun to Yuan Shu's defeat and escape, from Sun Jian's "earnest entreaties" to Liu Bei's "heartfelt words," from Zhang Fei's sudden arrival at the city gates to his escape amidst the chaos.

Every single thing was described in great detail.

After listening, Xi Zhicai remained silent for a long time.

"My lord."

He slowly spoke: "Sun Jian is not to be underestimated."

Cao Cao nodded: "I know. He has the heart of a tiger and wolf, and with Liu Bei's help, he now occupies most of Huainan. His power is already established. If we do not curb him, he will surely become a great threat in the future."

Xi Zhicai shook his head: "It's not just Sun Jian. Has my lord considered why Ji Xuanyuan issued an imperial edict to recall Zhang Fei when his army was at Qiao County?"

Cao Cao was taken aback: "You mean...?"

Xi Zhicai, with his far-sighted vision, said: "Ji Xuanyuan doesn't not want to fight Sun Jian, but the time is not right. He is waiting for a rift to develop between Sun Jian and the lord and Liu Bei, and for the Southern Alliance to disintegrate on its own. When that happens, he will make his move and achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Cao Cao felt a chill run down his spine.

Xi Zhicai continued, "Now that our lord has returned to Yanzhou, it may seem like he has escaped, but in reality, his situation is even more dangerous than before he went south. To the north, Ji Xuanyuan is watching with covetous eyes; to the southeast, Sun Jian harbors treacherous intentions; and to the southwest, Liu Biao's attitude is ambiguous. If our lord does not want to be annexed, he must find allies."

Cao Cao frowned: "Allies? Sun Jian is untrustworthy, and Liu Bei is barely able to protect himself. Who else can we turn to?"

Xi Zhicai smiled slightly: "Liu Biao of Jingzhou."

Cao Cao was taken aback, then shook his head: "Liu Biao? This man is better at maintaining the status quo than at advancing. He controls seven commanderies in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, with over 100,000 armored soldiers, yet he has never taken the initiative to attack. What kind of ally can such a person be?"

Xi Zhicai stood up, walked to the map hanging on the wall, and pointed to the location of Jingzhou: "My lord, Liu Biao is indeed not an ambitious person, but he has one great advantage: he does not want to be swallowed up."

He turned around and looked at Cao Cao with a burning gaze: "Ji Xuanyuan is powerful, and Sun Jian is expanding. How can Liu Biao not be afraid? The reason he is holding back is just to observe and see who is worth surrendering to and who is worth allying with. If you, my lord, take the initiative to extend an olive branch, he may well accept it."

Cao Cao pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "You mean, we should form an alliance with Liu Biao to jointly resist Sun Jian?"

Xi Zhicai nodded: "It's not just Sun Jian. Has my lord considered what would happen if Liu Biao allied with you?"

He walked to the map and drew a circle with his finger between Yanzhou, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou:

"The alliance of Yanzhou, Jingzhou, Huainan, and Jiangdong is enough to contend with Ji Xuanyuan. Even if they cannot win, they can at least protect themselves. Liu Biao is the most crucial piece in this game."

Cao Cao's eyes lit up, then dimmed again: "But will Liu Biao agree? Why should he trust me?"

Xi Zhicai smiled slightly: "Therefore, my lord cannot go empty-handed."

He lowered his voice and explained his plan in detail.

After listening, Cao Cao remained silent for a long time, then slowly nodded:

"Alright, we'll do as Zhicai says."

Several days later, in Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

Liu Biao sat in his mansion, holding a letter in his hands, his brows furrowed.

The letter was written by Cao Cao.

The words were sincere and heartfelt.

The letter stated that Yuan Shu's declaration of himself as emperor was met with universal condemnation, and although Yuan Shu has been defeated, the south has not yet found peace.

Sun Jian's expansion is aggressive, and Liu Bei is ambitious. If no one stops them, they will endanger Jingzhou sooner or later.

Cao Cao is willing to form an alliance with you, my lord, to jointly protect Jingzhou and Xiangyang and resist powerful enemies.

At the end of the letter, a list of lavish gifts was also attached: one hundred fine horses, one thousand bolts of brocade, and one thousand catties of gold.

Liu Biao put down the letter and looked at Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, and others sitting to the left.

"Gentlemen, what do you think is Cao Mengde's intention in sending this letter?"

Kuai Yue pondered and said, "Cao Cao was trapped by Sun Jian and almost couldn't escape. Now that he has fled back to Yanzhou, he naturally hates Sun Jian to the bone. He wants to form an alliance with our lord, firstly to protect himself, and secondly to restrain Sun Jian. Although this letter has its own selfish motives, it may not be a bad thing for Jingzhou."

Cai Mao shook his head: "Cao Cao is a man with the eyes of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf. He cannot be trusted. He may ally with our lord today, but he may join forces with Sun Jian tomorrow. To ally with such a person is no different from asking a tiger for its skin."

Liu Biao then looked at the others.

Kuai Qi said, "In my opinion, regardless of whether Cao Cao is trustworthy or not, forming an alliance with Yanzhou will be beneficial to Jingzhou. If Sun Jian really marches north, Yanzhou will be the first to be affected. With Cao Cao blocking the way, Jingzhou can rest easy."

Liu Biao nodded, but he still had some hesitation in his heart.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"My lord! News has arrived from Shuntian!"

Liu Biao took the secret report, unfolded it, and his expression changed drastically.

The secret report said that Ji Xuanyuan had sent Pang Tong south to Jingzhou, where he was secretly contacting powerful families and plotting something sinister.

Liu Biao put down the secret report, his face turning ashen.

"Gentlemen."

He spoke slowly: "Ji Xuanyuan has already made his move."

The hall was deathly silent.

Kuai Yue was the first to react, clasping his hands in a fist and saying, "My lord, there is no time to lose! Ji Xuanyuan's sending people south must be an attempt to plant spies within Jingzhou and instigate rebellions among the powerful families. If he succeeds, Jingzhou will be in grave danger! The most urgent task is to form an alliance with Cao Cao as soon as possible, and with the help of Yanzhou, resist Ji Xuanyuan's infiltration!"

Cai Mao's expression also changed, and he nodded repeatedly: "Kuai Yue is right! If Ji Xuanyuan really attacks Jingzhou, we alone are no match for him! Only by joining forces with Cao Cao will we have a glimmer of hope!"

Liu Biao remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Send the order to write a letter to Cao Mengde, saying..."

He paused, then said, word by word, "Jingzhou is willing to form an alliance with Yanzhou to jointly protect Jingzhou and resist powerful enemies."

Yanzhou, Changyi.

When Cao Cao received Liu Biao's reply, he was playing chess with Xi Zhicai.

After reading the letter, he laughed heartily and handed it to Xi Zhicai: "Zhicai, you were absolutely right! Liu Biao has agreed to the alliance!"

Xi Zhicai took the letter, read it carefully, and nodded, saying, "Liu Biao is good at maintaining the status quo but not good at making progress. He agreed to the alliance because he was pressured by Ji Xuanyuan and wanted to use our lord's strength to protect himself. If our lord wants to truly subdue him, we still need to put in some effort."

Cao Cao's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Zhicai, rest assured. I... I know what to do."

He paused, then asked, "Is there any movement from Ji Xuanyuan's side?"

Xi Zhicai shook his head: "Not for now, but given his style, he won't sit idly by and watch us form an alliance with Liu Biao. He will definitely take some action."

Cao Cao, with a far-sighted look, said: "Then let him come. I, Cao Cao, am not afraid of him."