Yuan Shao's New Strategy

After the battle, Yun was sitting beside his father at a campfire as they were celebrating another victory against Yuan Shao's troops when Xian says, "You should have killed Liu Bei when you had your chance. He will become a problem sooner or later again."

"It would be a waste of resources to kill him now. I still have use for him and his brothers," says Yun showing his father that he still had use for someone like Liu Bei in the future.

"The Heavens know that you have a plan but that doesn't mean that it will always go as you want. Just look at what happened in the last few months. You can't predict what is going to happen in the future as you have done before," says Xian warning Yun about the future.

"I am not going to be there to clean up all of your messes once my time has come," says Xian a bit powerless as he sighs before saying, "The older I get the harder it is to keep this body of mine in shape and to kill the man across of me."

"Father," says Yun worried about his father when Xian lifts his hand stopping Yun from saying anything else.

"Stop, it isn't like I will die today or tomorrow. I still have some time to spend with my family before I join our ancestors in Heaven," says Xian with resolve in his voice.

"And I still need to see if that Sun brat can take care of my precious granddaughter knowing that your student can take care of my princess," says Xian looking at Wei Yan who was still covered in blood from the previous battle telling stories to the men about how he killed a hundred men when in reality it was only eighty-two men that he killed.

"How did they fare by the way?" asks Xian talking about Fang and Mulan.

"Mulan's weapon still hasn't tasted blood," says Yun making Xian smile because it meant that Mulan was still pure.

"So Fang has killed his first man," says Xian a bit sad that his grandson had to follow their footsteps instead of becoming a scholar.

"He did," says Yun knowing why his father was sad about it.

Yun saw war differently than other young people in his era. They all see honor and glory in battle while he sees what the older people see which is only carnage and death. The older Yun gets the more he feels that he needs to fight harder so his grandchildren don't have to suffer through what he had to go through once they are his age.

"I really think that I slowly understand what you felt when I asked you to send me to infiltrate Guangzong. You must have felt nervous and worried but at the same time proud that I was standing up for myself as I am feeling for Fang," says Yun seriously as he looked at the campfire.

"I was more worried than proud," says Xian having a smile on his face as he puts more dried-up wood into the fire before saying, "But it was nice to see your determination back then. You were someone that was doing things effortlessly showing no drive when suddenly you showed me your determination for the first time. It swayed my decision of sending you back then and I don't regret that I took that decision."

Xian takes a deep breath before looking around the camp and he says feeling warm, "It is good to see that you have this many loyal subjects that are willing to sacrifice their life for you. Don't betray their expectations or they will turn their back on you in the future."

"I am trying my best to keep them all happy," says Yun as Dian Wei returned to Yun's side.

"It seems that Guan Yu left with Liu Bei without saying anything," says Dian Wei after searching the surrounding area with some men.

"He left for Jing. We won't meet him until some years pass. I still don't know if it will be as allies or enemies but we will meet him one day," says Yun as he wasn't worried about Liu Bei turning back to attack Cao Cal while running away.

In the meantime in Yuan Shao's camp, Yuan Shao was furious that he couldn't take Yan Ford and that he lost Yan Liang not knowing that he had lost Wen Chou as well while Liu Bei fled the battlefield.

"How is it possible for him to destroy an army formation with only six riders!? We have the numbers on our side and we are still losing!" shouts Yuan Shao in fury as his remaining officers were shaking in fear that they would suffer the same fate as the table Yuan Shao destroyed in his fury.

"My Lord, I had told you that we should have attacked immediately but you didn't listen. Now we can only hope that Wen Chou and Liu Bei can get their heads before they regroup with Cao Cao at Guandu," says Xun You advising Yuan Shao the best he could trying to calm Yuan Shao down who turns to Xun You in his anger.

"We will move immediately towards Boma and burn the city to the ground with everyone within it," says Yuan Shao in his anger before he felt chest pain.

He almost fell over before one of his officers caught him when everyone asked if he was alright when Yuan Shao stand straight again while saying he was fine.

"We need to strike fast and hard. We can't let Cao Cao gain the upper hand in this war," says Yuan Shao in a calm but still angry tone.

"We should wait. We have more supplies than Cao Cao if we play for time and let Cao Cao use up all of his supplies before we strike," says Xun You giving Yuan Shao advice again trying to make his Lord see reason.

"No, it will only show weakness to do so and everyone will laugh about me if I were to win like that. Nobody will respect me if I win like that," says Yuan Shao not wanting to hear anything that doesn't include fighting Cao Cao.

"There will be nothing if we lose this war!" shouts Zhang He out of nowhere at his Lord thinking that Yuan Shao was making mistake after mistake because he wanted to be respected by everyone when he should be thinking of winning this war as fast as possible.

"You dare to raise your voice against your Lord!" shouts Guo Tu at Zhang He trying to put him in his place but Zhang He just stormed off the gathering thinking that it wasn't worth his time.

"You should punish Zhang He for leaving prematurely or the people will think that you aren't in control of the situation, my Lord," says Guo Tu to Yuan Shao when Xun You interferes.

"Zhang He helped in defeating Gongsun Zan and taking the You Province for you. Punishing him will only drag unwanted attention toward you, my Lord. The soldiers might riot and our war wouldn't be only against Cao Cao but also against our own men," says Xun You trying to help Zhang He knowing the frustration he must be feeling for Yuan Shao because of the mistake he committed in this war.

Xun You was feeling the same frustration but he was keeping his feeling for himself while Zhang He voiced them at his Lord trying to make him do the right thing. But looking at Yuan Shao, Xun You could see that Yuan Shao wouldn't do the right thing.

"I will forgive him since we still have a war to win. But once the war is over I will have his head on a spike," says Yuan Shao feeling that Zhang He might usurp him one day if he is capable of shouting at his own Lord.

"My Lord if you really want to attack we should take Yuanwu and Wuchao. Wuchao could be the best place to store our supplies behind the Yellow River while Yuanwu could be our forward camp. It will be easier for us to attack Cao Cao at Guandu as well," says Guo Tu advising Yuan Shao trying to get his favor while Xun You was only holding his face while shaking his head.

Xun You thought it was a terrible strategy since it would trap them behind the Yellow River in Cao Cao's territory should they be cut off by nature itself when the river water level rises again.

"I like your strategy, Guo Tu," says Yuan Shao who liked the strategy because it allowed him to do what he wanted to do which was to attack Cao Cao until he submits or dies.

"My Lord, we will be cut off in enemy territory if we move our supplies to Wuchao while positioning ourselves in Yuanwu. If the Yellow River raises again we will be stuck in Cao Cao's territory at his mercy," says Xun You trying to make Yuan Shao see that it would be suicide to follow said strategy.

"We still have the men and the supply advantage. We will win this war if we strike hard and fast against Cao Cao. Even General Zhao can win against our whole army with only six riders," says Yuan Shao not even thinking about the consequences when he continues, "We are going to follow Guo Tu's strategy and take Yuanwu as well as Wuchao."

Xun You only sighed in frustration after hearing his Lord's order before the gathering ended and he left to inform Zhang He about the development of the gathering while leaving the part out of Yuan Shao wanting to kill him once the war was over.

Xun You then returned to his tent when he saw a black eagle sitting on top of the entrance of his tent. The eagle landed before Xun You and its peak went for its leg before holding a note in its peak which it laid on the ground before taking flight again.

Xun You was confused by that when he picked up the note and read it. He only the first sentence and turned pale as all hope and will of winning this war left him.

"How can he have such a strong intuition?" asks Xun You to himself as the note was a letter from Yun telling Xun You only two city names which are Yuanwu and Wuchao.

Xun You burned the letter as he couldn't use it as evidence since Yuan Shao could see it as Xun You betraying him. Xun You was only hoping that he could change Yuan Shao's opinion on following said strategy to avoid a disaster from happening.