Chapter 1043: "All Kinds of People"

At this moment, Dong Zhao, known for his low-key approach and self-preservation, didn't retreat. Instead, he took a step forward. After all, in his eyes, nothing was more important than his own safety. He was much like Jia Xu in this regard.

"I humbly request, my lord, to reappoint Zhen Yi and Yuan Bo. Both generals possess the talents of top commanders, and if we are to revive the prestige of the Yuan family, these two are the best choices!" Dong Zhao boldly stepped forward with a fearless spirit, offering his direct counsel.

To be honest, Dong Zhao was not well-suited for this kind of confrontation. Such an action could easily earn Yuan Tan’s ire, potentially leading to his sidelining. But compared to his own survival, these concerns were insignificant. In this moment, Dong Zhao was as firm in his counsel as if Tian Feng had possessed him.

Being a top-tier strategist, Dong Zhao clearly understood that with Yuan Tan’s current mindset, any indirect approach would be ineffective. The only option was to take a gamble on direct advice. If it succeeded, he would have plenty of time to find a new patron. If it failed, at least he would earn some favor with Zhang He and Gao Lan.

In simple terms, based on Yuan Tan’s behavior, Dong Zhao no longer saw any possibility that Yuan Tan could defeat Liu Bei. If Yuan Shao's loss to Liu Bei could be considered somewhat unexpected, then Yuan Tan's defeat was something Dong Zhao could already foresee.

"Hmph, the Yuan family has countless retainers and over a thousand capable generals. Why should we use such top commanders to deal with the likes of Gongsun Du?" Yuan Tan snorted coldly, his expression clearly showing some displeasure toward Dong Zhao. However, after taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and said, "Gongren, stand down for now. I already have a plan for handling Gongsun Du."

Dong Zhao remained calm, completely unfazed by the strange looks others gave him. Internally, he had already marked Yuan Tan as a lost cause. He was ready to make contact with Zhang He and Gao Lan and prepare for his exit.

"Send orders to my cousin, Yuan Cai, to muster the troops of Bingzhou and head to Youzhou to defend against Gongsun Du of Liaodong," Yuan Tan quickly shifted the conversation to how to deal with Gongsun Du.

"But doing so would leave our defensive line in Bingzhou, which guards against Cao Mengde, exposed. Additionally, the northern defensive line against the Xianbei would have a significant gap. If the Xianbei attack, the border between Youzhou and Bingzhou could become a wasteland," Xu You spoke up hesitantly, but still voiced his concerns.

"Hmph, Cao Mengde is, after all, our ally. And with my cousin withdrawn from the north, isn’t Lu Bu still there?" Yuan Tan dismissed the concerns, then thought back to his hatred for Zhang He and Gao Lan. "Since Xu Zhizhong is worried about potential issues, I’ll send two of our Hebei's Four Courts to assist."

Shen Pei and Xun Chen exchanged glances, but before they could advise Yuan Tan against such actions, he had already made up his mind. "Pass my command: Order Zhang He and Gao Lan to head to Bingzhou immediately to transfer command with Gao Gan. Then, order Gao Gan to gather all the troops in Bingzhou and head to Youzhou to defend against Gongsun Du!"

Yuan Tan had long wanted to send Zhang He and Gao Lan away but hadn't found the right opportunity. Now that he had a legitimate excuse, he was eager to take advantage of it and send them far away.

Last time, Yuan Tan had planned to send Zhang He and Gao Lan away after their transfer with Gao Gan. He had even issued the order, but it was stopped by others, and at the time, Yuan Tan chose to save face. This time, the others had no choice but to give Yuan Tan the face he wanted.

After this, even if Shen Pei and the others had been oblivious before, they now clearly saw Yuan Tan’s true feelings toward Zhang He and Gao Lan. Besides, they were all sharp individuals.

After thinking briefly, Shen Pei made up his mind. Preserving Zhang He and Gao Lan was crucial, and sending them to Bingzhou, farther from Yuan Tan, would allow him to cool down. It would benefit both sides. Shen Pei was confident that with his help and that of the others, Zhang He and Gao Lan could quickly rally elite troops in Bingzhou.

Thus, the order was sent to Bingzhou without considering Gao Gan's opinion. On the other hand, Zhang He and Gao Lan, who Yuan Tan regarded as traitors, received numerous comforters.

"General Zhang, General Gao, although you are being sent to Bingzhou under the guise of exile, once you arrive, the lord will secretly send you funds and provisions. You must quickly rally elite cavalry. We are surrounded by internal and external threats, and you two are our trump cards!" Shen Pei personally visited Zhang He and Gao Lan to inform them of the "truth" and the "reality."

Zhang He and Gao Lan, upon learning the "truth," were moved to tears. As military generals, they had been deeply pained by the death of their former lord, Yuan Shao, for which they felt responsible due to their absence. Now that Yuan Tan had let go of his resentment and was willing to use them again, they were determined to repay this trust with their lives!

Under the well-crafted web of lies spun by Shen Pei, Xu You, and Xun Chen, Zhang He and Gao Lan offered incense to Yuan Shao’s spirit and then left Zhao County.

Zhang He had originally wanted to meet Yuan Tan and express his loyalty, but when Xu You informed him of the intelligence network that Taishan had woven across the land, Zhang He immediately abandoned the idea. He knew that the hope for avenging his former lord rested on this plan, so how could he afford to be careless?

Upon arriving in Bingzhou, Zhang He and Gao Lan were greeted with regular shipments of money and provisions from Shen Pei, Xu You, and Xun Chen, which filled them with renewed vigor and confidence. They attributed Yuan Tan’s anger entirely to strategy, and they threw themselves fully into their preparations for the coming battle.

"This should work," Shen Pei said as he watched Zhang He and Gao Lan leave, then turned to Xu You and Xun Chen.

"Those two are our best generals right now. Under any circumstances, we must protect them. Sending them to Bingzhou to rally elite cavalry is indeed the best strategy," Xun Chen agreed, nodding. After observing for some time, he had confirmed that Zhang He and Gao Lan’s loyalty to Yuan Shao was beyond question.

"Liu Bei's intelligence network is incredibly strong. Since that's the case, let them uncover the truth on their own," Xu You said with a cold smile. While they were wary of Liu Bei, they were far from willing to admit defeat.

"Rest assured, they won’t see through it. Zhen Yi and Yuan Bo will certainly exceed all our expectations," Shen Pei said, his eyes gleaming with determination.

If possible, Shen Pei would have preferred not to activate his spiritual talent, as its activation meant that the situation had become dire. The more desperate the situation, the stronger his talent became, increasing his ability to boost both himself and his troops.

Unfortunately, Shen Pei’s spiritual talent had been passively activated, a sign that the crisis had reached a critical level. His first move upon activation was to push forward this grand deception.

"Let's go. Don't let a fourth person know about this. We must also keep it from Gongren and Zhou Ping; I worry there may be a problem with one of them," Shen Pei said bluntly as he turned to Xu You and Xun Chen.

"Right now, the only people I trust, who can provide significant help, are the two of you. Please continue to give me your full support. As for Youzhou, don’t worry—unless Liu Bei fields the same level of troops as before, he won’t be able to take it!" At this moment, Shen Pei was filled with confidence. The purpose of his spiritual talent was to turn the tide in adverse situations.

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