As expected. While Cao Cao was struggling to figure out how to deal with the strong rise of the Jin state, Xu You, an envoy sent by Yuan Shao of Hebei Province to form an alliance, arrived at Chenliu, the seat of Yanzhou governance.

Xu You, everyone knows that he was mixed in Luoyang when he was young, and he was friends with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, who were also born in the first class. Later, he became a famous anti-bone boy and helped Cao Cao get rid of Yuan Shao, but he was proud of his achievements and was killed by Xu Chu with a sword.

In fact, Xu You is a very resourceful person. Historical records record that Yuan Shao led an army of 100,000 to besiege Cao Cao in Guandu, when the battle of Guandu entered the strategic stalemate stage, Cao's army was exhausted because of the long-term defense of Guandu, and the soldiers were exhausted, and saw that the army was running out, so Cao Cao hurriedly sent an envoy to Xudu to ask for help and take measures to get grain and grass. As a result, the secret envoy was captured by Xu You, and Cao Cao's letter urging grain was exposed.

So Xu Yu offered Yuan Shao, analyzed Cao Cao's army to Tunguandu, and Yuan army held on for a long time, Xu Du must be empty, if the division of troops all the way to attack in the starry night, then Xu Du can be taken in one fell swoop, and Cao Cao can also be captured. It's a pity that Yuan Shao didn't adopt this strategy because he suspected that Xu Yu was colluding with Cao Cao. If Yuan Shao used Xu Yu's strategy to attack Xu Du, and then turned to attack Guandu, then Lao Cao would be completely dealt with by Yuan Shao, and he would not have the capital to turn the tables at all.

Putting aside the old Huang calendar, let's just say that this time Yuan Shao appointed Xu You to come to form an alliance with Cao Cao, also because Yuan Shao knew that Xu You, Cao Cao and himself were old acquaintances, it was convenient to talk, and the goal of the alliance was easier to achieve.

Cao Cao heard that his subordinates reported that the deceased Xu Yu asked to see him outside the tent, so he hurriedly withdrew the people on the left and right, and personally went out to greet him.

"Since Luoyang, I haven't seen my brother Ziyuan for nearly ten years, and it's really a blessing to see him today!" Cao Cao welcomed Xu You into his tent with a smile on his face.

"Jizhou Mu Yuan Benchu is engaged in meeting Cao Gong!" After the two guests and hosts were seated, Xu You got up and saluted Cao Cao solemnly.

"Ziyuan doesn't have to be polite, you and I are old friends in Luoyang, this time I must have something important to discuss, there is no need to do more red tape, and the meaning of this trip will be said. Cao Cao and Xu You were not polite, and directly asked Xu You about the intention of coming. In fact, Lao Cao's heart is like a mirror.

"What does Gong Cao think of the Jin Kingdom?" asked Xu You.

"The power of one country can cover several states in the Northland. Cao Cao replied truthfully.

"What does Gong Cao think of Zhao Xing?" Xu Yu asked again, "He has both civil and military skills, and he has far-sighted plans, and he can be safe if he is not a country." Cao Cao replied again.

"The next day, Zhao of the Jin Kingdom raised an army to invade Jizhou, can Yuan Benchu resist with the land of a state?" Xu Yu asked again.

"I thought Yuan Benchu would be difficult to contend with. Cao Cao replied.

"On the day of Yuan's original demise, Cao Gong may sleep peacefully?" Xu Yu also asked.

"Don't hide it from Ziyuan, don't say that on the day of Yuan's original destruction, I am now unable to sleep and eat. Cao Cao replied truthfully.

"Jizhou and Yanzhou are separated by a river, and the lips are dead and the teeth are cold, why not secretly form an ally and work together to fight against the Jin State!" Xu You finally said the purpose of the trip.

"Ziyuan's words are very good, I don't know what specific strategy Yuan Cao has for the alliance?" Cao Cao directly asked Xu You how to form an alliance that is in line with the interests of both parties, that is, to let Jizhou show sincerity and practical actions.

Xu You saw that Cao Cao was not playing sloppy with himself, so he replied in an orderly manner: "First, after the alliance, there will be no permanent army between Jizhou and Yanzhou, and Jizhou will concentrate on deploying its troops in the north in the adjacent places with Liu Dai in Youzhou and before Huguan, so as to prevent the Jin army from breaking through the land of Hebei; second, in the future, Yanzhou can trade with the Gongsun family of Liaodong through Jizhou, in exchange for war horses, and arm their own cavalry troops; third, Qingzhou Kong Rong and Xuzhou Tao Qian are both mediocre people, and they have been stealing from the two states for a long time, and the Yuan and Cao families can design a ...... of conspiracy."

After listening to Xu You's conditions, Cao Cao nodded and expressed his appreciation, and then asked: "There is no white food to eat in the world, what does Jizhou need Yanzhou to do?"

Xu You, who was well prepared, replied to Cao Cao: "Since the two families have formed an alliance, they will advance and retreat together in the future, once the Jin State raises troops to attack Jizhou, Yanzhou needs to send heavy troops north to support Jizhou." Qingxu and Xuzhou are vast and rich, and Cao Gong cannot be swallowed alone. Jizhou only takes the land of Qingzhou Plain County, Le'an State, Qi State, and Jinan State, and the rest are all returned to Yanzhou. ”

After listening to Xu You's words, Lao Cao sneered in his heart, Yuan Shao's conditions looked very fair on the surface, Qingxu Erzhou, he only needed a quarter of the territory, but in Cao Cao's opinion, those territories were all territories that he could win in the future.

Although Cao Cao was not happy in his heart, as Xi Zhicai said, in order to give Yuan Shao courage, there is no loss to Yanzhou if he agrees verbally now. So Cao Cao did not speak out against it, but accepted Xu Yu's conditions in full.

In the end, Xu You put forward a very key suggestion, that is, in order to prevent the two sides from breaking the oath covenant, Yuan Shao sent his second son Yuan Xi to exchange with Cao Cao's third son, Cao Pi, to put it bluntly, to exchange protons with each other.

At that time, Cao Cao already had a large number of heirs, such as his eldest son Cao Ang, second son Cao Shuo, fourth son Cao Zhang, and fifth son Cao Zhi, so he was not very opposed to the proposal to exchange protons. After all, Yuan Shao is only two sons now.

After the two sides finalized the specific matters of the alliance, Cao Cao retained Xu Yu to stay in Chenliu for a few days, and staggered every day, recalling the years of cage birds, dogs and chickens in Luoyang.

After sending Xu You away, Cao Cao gathered his advisers, analyzed Yuan Shao's situation again, and then focused on discussing whether Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu's brothers really did not deal with each other as rumored by the outside world. After discussion with everyone, everyone felt that no matter whether the two Yuan were secretly colluding or not, it was impossible to have any intentions for Yanzhou for the time being. After all, Qingzhou, Xuzhou and Yuzhou have a few pieces of big fat meat on the lips of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Yuan Shu and others, and everyone will not be able to fight in the nest for a while.

After setting the general direction of the alliance with Yuan Shao of Jizhou, Cao Cao set his eyes on the outward expansion of Xuzhou in the east and Yuzhou in the south, of course, it was just a concern, before there was no chaos in the world, whoever rashly made a move would be looking for his own death.

In the end, Cao Cao consulted with several strategists and decided to appoint Xun You as a plenipotentiary envoy to go to the Crouching Tiger City of the Jin State to have a showdown with Zhao Xing, and to rescue General Cao Hong and 5,000 Yanzhou soldiers no matter what. Xun You's envoy to the Jin Kingdom was accompanied by hundreds of retinues, all of whom were craftsmen and children of families selected by Cao Cao from all over Yanzhou, who would remain in the Jin Kingdom to learn various skills and statecraft.

Cao Cao sent people who studied art to the Jin Kingdom so openly, wasn't he afraid of being kicked out by Zhao Xing? This has to start with the new policy introduced by Zhao Xing. In order to improve the status of the world's craftsmen and promote the development of science and technology, Zhao Xing specially announced some favorable conditions to recruit skilled craftsmen from all states in the world, and Taihang Academy was open from the beginning, so Cao Cao did not have to worry about causing Zhao Xing's expulsion.

For Zhao Xinghai's open-mindedness, Lao Cao is still convinced from the bottom of his heart. Especially when Zhao Xing resisted the great plague that rampaged in the north for the Han Dynasty and saved the lives of hundreds of people, Cao Cao admired Zhao Xing's righteous actions from the bottom of his heart. If it were him, he would not have been able to help the world so much, and he would not take the opportunity to suppress the surrounding forces, or ask for many benefits from the states.