Chapter 324: Seeking External Support

In the city of Ye, within the courtyard of the Yuan residence
Yuan Shao leaned back on a soft pillow, his face pale. Ever since he rushed back from Hongnong, his body has been unable to handle the strain. Coupled with Liu Xie's passing and the constant threat of Lü Bu, he is mentally tense and anxious. Finally, he has fallen ill again.
"Gong Yu, how is the situation outside? Have all the troops been moved to Wei County? Has Lu Bu deployed his troops? Is there any unusual activity from Gong Sun Bogui's side?" Yuan Shao's tired appearance showed signs of nervousness.
Ju Shou said, "My lord, rest assured. All the troops and horses in Jizhou have been completely transferred to Weijun, and Lv Bu has not yet sent out his army. There is also no news from Youzhou."
"That's good! That's good!"
Yuan Shao breathed a sigh of relief, but Tian Feng sighed heavily and said, "My lord, this is definitely not a long-term solution!"
"And what can be done about that? Lu Bu has accused me of such crimes and sworn to rebel against me. Right now, I can only focus on protecting Wei County and find a way out later."
"Do you think we can hold onto Wei County? Since that proclamation spread throughout Ji Province, there has been much discussion and wavering loyalties. Many people may already be considering joining Lu Bu."
Aside from the unpredictable human heart, today Jifen also delivered him some bad news. However, given Yuan Shao's current state, Tian Feng did not dare to speak it aloud.
Yuan Shao's face grew even paler as he angrily asked, "Who wants to surrender? Investigate and execute them without mercy! Also, who is spreading rumors behind my back? A reward will be given for reporting anyone who speaks ill of me. They will all be arrested!"
"To silence the people is more detrimental than silencing Chu.. By doing so, it will only further distance people's hearts from our lord."
"Then what do you suggest? What should we do? Cough cough cough..." Yuan Shao's emotions grew more heated as he finished speaking, but then he covered his mouth and started coughing intensely.
Yuan Tan, the eldest son, hurried forward to pat his back and comforted, "Father, don't be angry, your health is the priority!"
Yuan Shao's emotions became even more agitated, coughing as he spoke, "I... cough... have been deceived and betrayed by that scoundrel Lu Bu. He plotted against the emperor but blamed me for it. And that Zhang lady, she deceived me from the very beginning, cough... can you imagine, she is none other than Wang Situ's daughter! She has been deceiving me since we were in Luoyang..."
"What about Cao Mengde? Why didn't he tell me earlier that she was a woman? If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have been deceived by her at Jie Bridge... wouldn't have let her go... Mr. Zhang, the daughter of Minister Wang, the little doctor, they are all the same person..."
Tian Feng and Ju Shou looked at each other, even if that gentleman is a woman, she is Lu Bu's wife. Whether it is Luoyang, Sishui Pass, or Jieqiao, she is actually helping her own lord. During the time at Jieqiao, if it weren't for her saving General Qu Junyi's troops with smoke, I'm afraid Sun Jian would have broken through the camp at that time. What does she have to do with this incident? Why is our lord involving her?
Tian Feng said, "My Lord, whether this matter was orchestrated by Lu Bu or not, the fact remains that it has occurred. We have no evidence to point towards him. If you want to stabilize people's hearts, you should write a confession letter stating that the incident that day was an accident."
Ju Shou disagreed and said, "How can this be done? This is equivalent to admitting it ourselves."
Tian Feng asked in return, "Can we pretend that it didn't happen if we don't admit it?"
He looked at Yuan Shao and said, "My lord, you can say it like this. Just say that the Emperor fled Chang'an, and he originally sent a secret decree for you to go and welcome him. Unexpectedly, Lu Bu learned about the news in advance and abducted the Emperor. The Emperor sought your help, but Lu Bu refused to release him. Both of you had no choice but to resort to military action. In the midst of the battle, the Emperor's horse got startled accidentally, which led to the unexpected incident. You can admit that you made a mistake in this matter, but the bigger mistake lies with Lu Bu."
Yuan Shao calms down after listening and asks, "Can people believe it?"
"My lord, you come from a prestigious family background, and you have previously opposed Dong Zhuo. No matter how much Lu Bu tries to wash himself clean, his past as Dong Zhuo's son-in-law cannot be changed. It is not surprising for him to commit acts similar to Dong Zhuo's, such as holding the emperor hostage. I believe that more people will trust you, my lord. Furthermore, this self-confession book is only meant to express an attitude and stabilize people's hearts. With the emperor now deceased and no one to succeed the Han Dynasty, everything depends on power," replied the person respectfully.
Yuan Shao nodded, but then said, "The problem is that nowadays, my Jizhou is no match for Bingzhou. How can we speak based on strength? Even if we restore our reputation this time, Lu Bu will still send troops. Can we defend Wei County?"
Tian Fengdao, "To be honest, we can't defend without seeking outside help!"
"Outside help?" Yuan Shao smiled bitterly, "Cao Mengde is busy with his own affairs, who else can be an ally for me?"
"Apart from Lord Cao, there are actually quite a few people who can be allies to you, my Lord. It just depends on whether you can swallow your pride."
The first one is your younger brother, Yuan Goulu. He now controls two states and commands over ten thousand troops. As long as you are willing to ask him for help, he can send troops from Henan to attack and disrupt Henei, which can alleviate some of the military pressure from Lv Bu.
Yuan Shao looked unwilling. "This brat has been at odds with me since childhood. Since the year I became the leader of the alliance and gained control of Ji Province, he has become even more hostile towards me. Seeking help from him would only bring humiliation upon myself. He won't help me."
"It's already at this point, and the Lord still cares about face? If you don't try, how do you know he won't help?" Tian Feng said coldly.
Yuan Shao's face stiffened, "Tell me about the others!"
Tian Feng continued, "Secondly, Li Su, the archenemy of Lu Bu. Now that the Emperor has passed away, Guanzhong has been plunged into chaos by him and Li Jue, making it a desolate land. He is currently without support or allies. If Lu Bu takes over Jizhou, will the next step not be to deal with this traitor? Whether it's to seek a powerful ally or a partnership, if our lord shows him kindness at this time and asks him for military support to attack Hedong Commandery, he surely won't refuse!"
Yuan Shao nodded and said, "Yes, it is possible. However, this counselor is insatiable. If we don't give him some benefits first, he may not immediately send his troops. This year there are both drought and insect infestations in Guanzhong, so what he must want most is grain. Unfortunately, Jizhou is far away and we cannot transport grain to him."
田丰叹了口气道，“主公便是想给他送粮，咱也没有多余粮食可送了。”
“怎会无粮？”袁绍诧异，“我冀州乃产粮大州，今年虽遭了虫灾，也断不会缺粮。”
Tian Feng shook his head helplessly and exchanged glances with Ju Shou before choosing to tell the truth.
"Three years ago, a wealthy merchant from Bingzhou came and bought a large amount of raw materials for hemp production in Jizhou, causing a hemp planting frenzy among the people. In the past two years, grain cultivation has decreased by nearly 30%, and in some areas, even half of the land has been used for hemp cultivation. In addition, our lord has been mobilizing troops to Bingzhou in the past year and supplying grain and fodder to Cao Cao. We are also facing a famine this year, and the state treasury's food reserves are almost depleted. It's not just about providing grain and fodder to Li Su, if we don't replenish it, even our own army won't make it to next year's autumn harvest."
"How could this be?" Yuan Shao exclaimed in disbelief, "What was Fengji doing? What was he eating? Why didn't he notice anything? He let the people grow hemp and let those spies disrupt the economy of my Jizhou province?"
Tian Fengdao, "Yuantu realized last year that if there were no insect disasters this year, it could still be maintained. But unfortunately, the heavens do not provide food to eat, and there happens to be a famine. Now the grain prices in the Guanzhong and Guandong areas have soared, even if you have money, you cannot buy grain!"
Yuan Shao originally had the idea that if he couldn't resist Lu Bu, he would defend Yecheng and hold on for a year or two. Lu Bu's army would then be exhausted and have to retreat. But now, without any provisions, how can he defend? Yuan Shao felt dizzy and unable to catch his breath.
Tian Feng saw the situation and hurriedly said, "Master, do not worry, I have a third ally in Jizhou, Liu Jing Sheng of Jingzhou."
Yuan Shao listened carefully and said, "Master should first write a self-guilt confession, explaining the fall of the Emperor. Liu Jing Sheng is already in alliance with me, so he will surely provide some support. At that time, we only need to send someone to the Wuguan in the south of Jingzhao and directly deliver the grain to Li Ju. Invite him and Li Jue to send troops to Hedong."
"If both Yuan Gonglu and Li Su's troops disturb the rear of Bingzhou, the lord will rise up and make an effort to hold onto Wei County, there is still hope."