"Since you don't want to go to Youzhou, I won't force it. If Yuan Tan and Yuan Shanggou jump off the wall in a hurry, they will take action against you. You can come to Youzhou. When you arrive in Youzhou, no one dares to do anything to you. Yuan Xi said very sincerely.

"Thank you, second son."

The two clasped their fists and replied.

rested overnight at Zhen's house.

Yuan Xi also met Zhen Mi's four sisters separately. They are called Zhen Jiang, Zhen Tuo, Zhen Dao, and Zhen Rong, all of whom are first-class beauties. Zhen Dao and Zhen Rong are waiting for the boudoir. Zhen Tuo and Zhen Dao are married. married to a family surnamed Cui in Youzhou. Yuan Xi asked Zhen Yan, and Zhen Yan said that the family surnamed Cui is the third largest family in Hebei, second only to the Zhen family and the Lu family in strength, and has a very high prestige.

Moreover, Cui Yan, a strategist under Yuan Xi, has a very high status in the family surnamed Cui, and he is almost a man of his word.

In this way, Yuan Xi has now won the support of the two major families.

Yuan Xi, who was in a good mood, prepared to return to Yecheng the next day. Before leaving, he told Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao that they could go to Jixian County, Youzhou to wholesale all kinds of furniture and sell it to Jizhou.

Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao should go down.

But...

They didn't take it to heart, and they didn't think that there would be a good market for furniture.

It's just that it's not good to save Yuan Xi's face, so he agreed to go to Youzhou to have a look, and then just wholesale something. Think of it as supporting Yuan Xi's career. A little money, they don't look at it.

With such thoughts, he watched Yuan Xi leave.

A few days later.

News came from the Liyang front.

The army stationed in Liyang had already handed over Cao Ren to Cao Cao. Cao Cao also sent Yuan Shang, Gao Lan, and Ma Yan to Liyang and made a deal. However, Cao Cao did not believe that Li Dian, Yu Ban, and Le Jin had already taken refuge in Yuan Xi, and then sent an envoy Xun Yun to Yecheng to negotiate.

There is also Chen Deng, the Taishou of Dongjun, who was also included in the list of prisoners and asked to be returned.

"Xi'er. These captives that Cao Cao wanted, except for Chen Deng, are all in Yecheng, what do you think should be done? Should I promise Xun Yun to exchange prisoners with Cao Cao? ”

After listening to the advice of the strategists, Yuan Shao couldn't pay attention to it, and then talked to Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi said: "Father must not return these generals to Cao Cao. ”

"Oh? Why is that? Cao Cao's current strength is stronger than ours. According to the report, he went through the battle of Guandu, and his troops increased unabated, and if he became angry and used troops against our Hebei, it would be quite troublesome. Yuan Shao said.

"Father, don't worry." Yuan Xi looked outside the study and saw that no one was eavesdropping, so he said, "It is precisely because Cao Cao's strength has increased that we can't give him prisoners." There are three reasons for this. On the one hand, after giving it to him, he would think that his father was weak and afraid of him, and return the captive. will make him have no scruples and use troops boldly. Both, my father had just experienced the defeat of Guandu, and he should respond to Cao Cao with a tough attitude and give confidence to the civil and military people in Hebei. If Cao Cao sent an envoy and his father would return the captives immediately, what would the civil and military men of Hebei think? The three, these generals of the Cao Army, all of them are talents, and the children are willing to recruit them, but they are really reluctant to take them out. I hope that the father will give them to the child to be disposed of. ”

"Hmm...."

Yuan Shao nodded with feeling.

His current situation is the same as what Yuan Xi said. Not only did he want to respond to Cao Cao with a tough attitude and save some face, but he was also afraid that Cao Cao would use troops against Hebei, and the soldiers in Hebei would not be able to fight.

It was a dilemma.

After listening to Yuan Xi's suggestion, he said: "Guo Tu, Shen Pei, etc., all persuaded me to negotiate peace with Cao Cao and return the captured generals. Unexpectedly, Xi'er's remarks were the opposite of them. It's just that.... ”

"Father is worried about Cao Cao's use of troops against Hebei, right?" Yuan Xi asked.

"Hmm."

Yuan Shao's face was sad.

Yuan Xi smiled slightly: "Father, don't worry. Although Cao Cao's soldiers and horses have increased, most of them are the incorporated Jizhou army, does he dare to use the Jizhou army to invade Jizhou? In addition, the more soldiers and horses, the more food is needed. It is difficult for him to even raise troops now, how can he dare to go to war? Although the father destroyed his prestige, the child assured him that he had been aggrieved and did not dare to lose his temper. ”

Yuan Xi thought secretly in his heart. The reason why Cao Cao was able to eliminate Yuan Shao and occupy Hebei in history was because in the Battle of Wuchao, he obtained a large amount of grain and defeated all the main forces of Yuan Shao.

And now?

All the food in the black nest was burned. Yuan Tan's Qingzhou army was not damaged at all. How dare Cao Cao use soldiers?

Besides.

In the battle of Guandu, only 10,000 Youzhou troops appeared, and there were still more than 100,000 troops in Youzhou and Korea. In addition, his mammoths and King Kong giant apes are extremely brave.

Yuan Xi was sure that Cao Cao would not dare to go on the Northern Expedition!

Yuan Shao was immediately relieved, and laughed: "In this way, I don't have to be afraid of Cao Cao at all?!" ”

"My father is the lord of Hebei, with a sound that shocks the world, is famous in the sea, and has hundreds of thousands of armor, of course, there is no need to be afraid of Cao Cao. On the contrary, he should be afraid of his father. Yuan Xi hurriedly patted a sycophant.

"Hmm."

Yuan Shao said happily: "Xi'er, I really can't bear you to leave Yecheng. Why don't you just stay with me and give me advice? Don't worry, after a hundred years, my place will be yours. Only you can compete with Cao Cao. ”

"Uh..."

Yuan Xilian rolled his eyes.

Unexpectedly, the talent he inadvertently revealed made Yuan Shao excited again.

Yuan Xi smiled bitterly and said, "Father, haven't we already discussed this issue?" The child wants to go back to Youzhou, accumulate some experience in governing counties and counties, and guard the border for his father.... ”

After Yuan Xi's repeated pleading.

Yuan Shao still dispelled the idea of keeping Yuan Xi and said, "Okay." If you want to go back to Youzhou, it's hard to stop you as a father. It's just that.... Promise to be your father. When you get to the place, don't fight with Tan Er and Shang'er, they can't fight you. When that day comes, you'll have to show mercy. This is the only thing the Father asks of you. ”

"Father is too worried, child..."

"I want you to promise me!" Yuan Shao said very seriously.

"Yes."

Yuan Xi glanced up at Yuan Shao and was quite surprised.

Yuan Shao was smarter than he thought. It can be seen that there must be a vicious battle between him, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang. Moreover, he could not stop it. Because the families in Hebei all supported Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, he could not order their dismissal for fear of setting off a terrible storm. I am even more afraid that Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang will be forced to be in a hurry and do some bad things.

can only rely on Yuan Xi, who is brilliant and good at fighting, to stop this future turmoil.

After leaving Yuan Shao's study.

Yuan Xi broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn't until now that he understood that Yuan Shao looked easy-going and foolish on the surface. Actually, I know it better than anyone else. Fortunately, he didn't promise Yuan Shao to stay in Yecheng, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable. Yuan Xi made up his mind, it was better to return to Youzhou earlier, and when he arrived in Youzhou, he would have the final say!