Upon hearing this, Yuan Shang immediately became excited. "Father, why don't we surrender? Losing to the King of Qin isn't shameful. It's fate, after all. We might as well go with the flow and live as wealthy men."
"As long as the Yuan family survives, we might rise again in the future!"
Yuan Shao hesitated upon hearing this.
If he wasn't forced into it, he didn't want to die!
His earlier excitement was merely a moment of despair. Now, faced with the prospect of death, he hesitated again.
Guo Tu, seeing this, immediately understood and advised, "Yes, my lord, the young master is right. As long as we live, we can always rebuild. If the King of Qin has ambitions for the world, he will surely treat you well. Whether we recuperate or plan a comeback, it's a good choice."
"Yes, my lord. As long as we live, there is hope. Even if we become ministers in the same court, with your reputation, you can still restore the Yuan family's glory." "My lord, you mustn't kill yourself!"
Feng Ji also tried to persuade him.
He didn't want to die either.
If Yuan Shao died,
they would surrender to Lu Ming.
Whether there would be a good outcome then was another matter. The group, one after another, quickly swayed Yuan Shao.
Indeed, a miserable life is worse than a good death.
If Yuan Shao were younger, he probably wouldn't be so pathetic. But now he no longer had that energy, no longer had that arrogance that once looked down on all heroes.
Now he only thought about retiring and ending his remaining years.
Ju Shou looked at this group of sycophants, feeling extremely distressed. He wanted to persuade Yuan Shao, but the words caught in his throat. To advise his lord to die was, no matter how you looked at it, an act unbecoming of a subject!
The night was dark, and he suffered from hunger and cold.
Yuan Shao woke countless times from the cold, his stomach growling with hunger, while below the mountain, lights shone brightly, and the aroma of roasted meat wafted through the air.
Seeing the exhausted expressions on his men's faces, Yuan Shao felt he could not delay any longer. He summoned his youngest son, Yuan Shang, and Guo Tu.
"I cannot bear to see my soldiers suffer hunger and cold with me. Xianfu, you lead the soldiers down the mountain and surrender later."
Yuan Shao weakly clapped his hands; he seemed to have caught a cold.
"Father, what about you? Surrender with us. Father was an old friend and colleague of the King of Qin; we don't have much deep-seated hatred."
"Your son is willing to step forward and recommend my father's safety to the King of Qin. If the King of Qin wishes to execute my father, your son is willing to offer his neck to be chopped off!"
Yuan Shang said resolutely.
Although he was a scoundrel and deeply favored, he couldn't disregard his father's humanity.
"My lord, the young master is right. In this way, with the young master's proposal, you can save face, which is a good thing. If the King of Qin wants the world, he must win the hearts of the people. And the gain or loss of the people's hearts depends on your help, my lord. Do not worry."
Guo Tu was overjoyed. He had long wanted to go back, take a hot bath, and then have a good night's sleep. After all, being a strategist is just a job; if the job doesn't work, just find another one.
Yuan's disciples and former officials are all over the country; gathering talent would be easy. The problem is, under the old rules, how easy is it to make changes?
That evening, Lu Ming was having hot pot with Lu Su, Tian Feng, and others. He hadn't summoned his generals, as it was still wartime, not time to relax.
"Niu Fu has already launched a light attack on Ji City, cutting off Gongsun Zan's retreat. We only need Yuan Shao to surrender, then we can march north and annihilate Gongsun Zan in one fell swoop. At that time, Youzhou will be entirely in my hands!"
Lu Ming ate a piece of mutton, wondering if he should go and conquer Goguryeo! After all, he disliked the Koreans and the Japanese.
With Ji City, plus Beihai Commandery, he would have a sea outlet.
He could now build a navy, transporting troops by sea to other places for attacks.
"Now, within a month, the war in Youzhou will be quelled."
Xu Shu nodded; this was also their plan.
Take Youzhou, then begin full-scale governance.
"With enough time to recuperate, we can conquer the Central Plains in less than two years!"
Tian Feng frowned, seemingly unaccustomed to this hot pot, though it was undeniably delicious. He was afraid of eating too quickly and losing his composure.
"My lord, what about the Wuhuan and Xianbei? Perhaps we could recruit some tribes that have been on good terms with Liu Yu and settle them on the border to form a protective barrier."
"This is much easier than stationing troops on the border, and it will also allow us to civilize these foreign tribes, leaving a significant mark on history."
"Let Yuanzhi explain this to you."
Lu Ming stroked his chin. Having conquered Youzhou, who should govern it?
"That's what I want to ask you about after taking Youzhou."
Regarding the selection, Xu Shu raised his wine cup to Lu Ming. "This is something I don't know." "What a joke! Recommending someone is just a polite gesture. To take it seriously is tactless.
When a superior asks such a question, they clearly already have their own judgment, so just keep quiet!
Tian Feng, however, spoke frankly: 'If we can persuade Ju Shou to surrender, having him assist the Governor of Youzhou would be twice as effective. Ju Shou is deeply loved by the people of Youzhou, and when I served under Han Fu, he was already Han Fu's advisor. However, Han Fu was weak, so he was transferred to Yuan Shao.'
'Yuan Shao's ability to establish himself in Nanpi owes much to Ju Shou. He oversees both internal and external affairs, and commands respect throughout the army. Without Ju Shou, Yuan Shao could not have taken Beihai Commandery.'
'This man is a man of great talent, proficient in both literary and military arts, possessing talent no less than mine.'" "Moreover, Ju Shou is loyal, upright, and incorruptible, disdaining to associate with powerful clans and influential families.
"However, this man is utterly loyal to Yuan Shao. I believe we should first persuade Yuan Shao to surrender, and then Yuan Shao should persuade Ju Shou. In this way, subduing Ju Shou will be a sure thing!"
Lu Ming stroked his chin; he also had a deep impression of Ju Shou. It could be said that if it weren't for the severe internal factional struggles within Yuan Shao, he would probably have already unified the land, and Cao Cao wouldn't have had a chance.
Because Ju Shou's strategy back then was also steady and methodical, and compared to Tian Feng's orthodox approach, he had some unconventional tactics that could increase the chances of victory.
This doesn't mean Ju Shou was better than Tian Feng; the two were truly evenly matched, both highly talented.
"Alright, then let's proceed according to Yuan Hao's method." "
Lu Ming nodded. He did indeed need someone like Ju Shou. Capable, loyal, and, most importantly, unrelated to powerful clans.
His goal had always been to weaken the powerful clans, preventing them from seizing power, creating a power monopoly, and ultimately turning the tables on them."