"Grand General, you must not!"
At these words, Ju Shou's expression changed at once, and he hurriedly urged, "Gongsun Zan's army is attacking now, and Hejian Commandery is Ji Province's first line of defense. If we withdraw our troops now, wouldn't we be giving Gongsun Zan an opening?"
"Although the Second Young Master has seized Ye City, he has no troops. What harm is there in letting him have Ye City for now? Once we repel Gongsun Zan, we can take Ye City back whenever we wish!"
Shen Pei also urged, "Gongyu is absolutely right. My lord, you must consider the bigger picture. You must not lose the greater prize for the sake of the smaller."
Faced with Ju Shou and Shen Pei's remonstrations, Yuan Shao remained silent for a long time, his expression dark. In his heart, he wavered between leading his troops back to attack and continuing to resist Gongsun Zan.
On the one hand, he utterly hated Yuan Xi's defiance;
on the other, a powerful enemy stood before him, and he could not ignore it.
After wavering repeatedly, reason finally overcame his anger. Yuan Shao suppressed his fury and snorted coldly. "Once I have dealt with Gongsun Zan, I'll deal with that unfilial son!"
Ju Shou and the others all breathed sighs of relief.
At that moment, Yan Liang said, "Grand General, you have traveled a long way. You should get some proper rest first. I have already prepared a separate residence for you."
"Mm."
Yuan Shao nodded wearily. He had not stopped once during his flight to Lecheng. At his age, his body had already reached its limit, and he needed a good rest now.
After reaching the separate residence, Yuan Shao had only just removed his outer robe and had yet to lie down when