Xun You wiped his mouth with his sleeve and took a moment to recover before saying, "My lord, are you so confident we can capture Shou County?"
Cao Cao nodded. "Naturally. With Lü Bu and Yuan Shu facing off along the Huai River, Shou County's defenses must be thin. This is our best chance to strike straight at it!"
Ever since the campaign against Wan City ended, he had been following the fighting in Yang Province.
He had refrained from sending troops earlier not because Yang Province held no appeal, but because he did not want to be the bird that stuck its head out;
Now Lü Bu had already worn down most of Yuan Shu's forces for him, and the two sides were fighting a decisive battle on the Huai River.
If he did not strike at such a golden opportunity, what was he waiting for?
Once he took Shou County, he could cut off Yuan Shu's retreat.
The fifty thousand troops advancing by water were not an isolated force thrusting deep into enemy territory. On the border of Yu Province, the army led by Xiahou Dun was also resting on its weapons, ready to march. Once Shou County fell, it would advance into Yang Province, forming a pincer with Cao Cao's army and swallowing the forces of Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, and Lü Bu in a single stroke!
It was truly a plan to kill three birds with one stone!
Looking thoughtful, Xun You asked, "Then who do you think will win this battle, my lord-Yuan Shu or Lü Bu?"
"What does it matter to me who wins or loses?" Cao Cao said with utter indifference. "Whichever of them wins, I will be the final victor. Those two brutes are merely sewing my wedding robes for me!"
"Coo,