Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 740 Fury

After hearing what Jia Changsheng said, the captives began to whisper to each other. After a while, many captives stood up and expressed their willingness to surrender. Jia Changsheng looked at the surrendered captives and said, "Okay! From today on, you are a member of our army. Zhao Yun, arrange for someone to put them into the team and train them so that they can get familiar with the rules of our army as soon as possible."

Zhao Yun took the order and took the captives away for arrangement. Most of the remaining captives also expressed their willingness to follow Jia Changsheng's arrangement to repair the city and reclaim wasteland. Jia Changsheng ordered the generals to treat the captives well, not to beat or abuse them, and to ensure their basic living needs.

After dealing with the prisoners, Jia Changsheng discussed the defense and development of Jinheng City with Zhao Yun and others. Jia Changsheng said: "Jinheng City is geographically important. We must strengthen its defense to prevent Sun Quan from sending troops to retake it. Zilong, you continue to train soldiers and improve our army's combat effectiveness. At the same time, arrange manpower, strengthen the city, and store food and grass."

Zhao Yun said: "My lord, rest assured, I will make proper arrangements. However, the city has limited manpower now. If Sun Quan's army attacks, I'm afraid..."

Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment and said, "I will dispatch some more troops. In addition, we can mobilize the people in the city and organize militias to help defend the city. As long as our army and people are united, we will be able to defend Jinheng City."

Jia Changsheng said to the other generals: "You must work closely with Zhao Yun and perform your respective duties. At the same time, pay attention to appeasing the people in the city, so that they can feel our sincerity and be willing to protect Jinheng City with us."

All the generals responded in unison: "We will obey the orders of our lord!"

Under Jia Changsheng's careful arrangement, Jinheng City gradually stabilized, the people lived and worked in peace, and the army's defense was strengthened. Jia Changsheng's series of measures not only consolidated Jinheng City as an important stronghold, but also established a good image among the local people and the enemy, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent development of the war.

After learning that Jinheng City had also fallen into Jia Changsheng's hands, Sun Quan was furious. His eyes were red as he yelled at the ministers in the hall: "What the hell is going on? How did we lose another city? What do you do for a living?"

The ministers lowered their heads one by one, not daring to breathe, and the whole hall was filled with a depressing atmosphere. Sun Quan's eyes swept through the crowd, and finally stopped at Zhou Yu, and shouted angrily: "Mr. Zhou, tell me, how did this Jinheng City get lost? Aren't you responsible for coordinating the defense?"

Zhou Yu hurried forward, knelt on one knee, and said with a guilty look on his face: "My lord, it was my negligence. I didn't expect Zhao Yun to subdue the bandits and use this ingenious strategy to capture Jinheng City. Now the enemy is gaining momentum, and we must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible."

Sun Quan paced back and forth, gritting his teeth and said, "A countermeasure? What I want is a practical solution! Jinheng City is strategically important and must not be given up easily. We must take it back!"

Lü Meng stepped forward, clasped his fists and said, "My lord, I am willing to lead the army again to recapture Jinheng City and defeat Zhao Yun."

Sun Quan looked at Lu Meng and said, "Ziming, you went to attack Jingkou last time but failed. Are you sure we can send you there again this time?"

Lü Meng said with a firm face: "My lord, the last time we attacked Jingkou, Jia Changsheng had already prepared for it, which resulted in my failure. But this time I have learned in detail about Zhao Yun's military characteristics, and I will not underestimate the enemy again. As long as my lord gives me another 20,000 elite soldiers, I will be able to avenge my previous defeat and recapture Jinheng City."

Sun Quan pondered for a moment and said, "Okay, I will give you another 20,000 elite soldiers. But you must remember that you can only win and not lose! If you lose again, you will be punished by military law!"

Lu Xun stepped forward and said, "My lord, we cannot rely on brute force this time. Zhao Yun is resourceful, and Jinheng City has just been captured by him, so the defense must have been strengthened. We can send people to sneak into the city and get in touch with the forces in the city that are still loyal to us, as an internal support. When General Lu attacks the city, we can cooperate with the internal and external forces to increase our chances of victory."

Sun Quan nodded and said, "This plan is feasible. Lu Xun, this matter is left to you. Be careful and don't reveal your whereabouts. Once you get in touch with the insider, inform Lu Meng in time."

Lu Xun accepted the order and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I will definitely get this done."

Sun Quan then said to Zhou Yu: "Gongjin, you continue to coordinate the overall situation and pay close attention to the movements of Jia Changsheng's other armies. We must not let them have another chance to break through our defenses."

Zhou Yu said, "Don't worry, my lord. I have already strengthened the defenses of other lines and will not give Jia Changsheng any chance to take advantage of us."

Sun Quan looked at everyone and said seriously: "Retaking Jinheng City is of vital importance. It is related to the morale and future battle situation of our Dongwu. You must go all out. If you fail, our Dongwu will fall into an even more difficult situation."

Everyone responded in unison: "We will obey the Lord's orders!"

Sun Quan looked at Lu Meng and said, "Ziming, you must gather 20,000 elite soldiers immediately and prepare for the expedition. Lu Xun, you must arrange for someone to infiltrate Jinheng City as soon as possible. All actions must be carried out according to orders and there must be no mistakes."

After receiving the order, Lu Meng and Lu Xun hurriedly withdrew. Sun Quan looked at their departing backs and swore secretly: "Jia Changsheng, I will make you pay the price for taking my city!" Then, he turned to other ministers and said: "Strengthen the collection of food and grass and the forging of weapons at home to ensure sufficient supplies for the front line. At the same time, appease the people and stabilize their hearts. Don't let the people panic because of the war."

The ministers followed the orders and went to carry out the tasks assigned by Sun Quan. Sun Quan was in the hall, anxiously waiting for news from the front. A fierce battle for Jinheng City was about to begin.

After Zhao Yun successfully captured Jinheng City, Jia Changsheng's morale was greatly boosted, and the troops under his command were unstoppable and advanced all the way. At the same time, Shi Xie, who was allied with Jia Changsheng, was also not idle. He paid close attention to the situation on the battlefield and waited for the best time to attack.

Shi Xie knew that when Sun Quan put most of his energy into dealing with Jia Changsheng, it was a good opportunity for him to take action. He summoned Cheng Pu, a capable general in the Jiaozhou army, and said seriously: "General Cheng, Jia Changsheng is making good progress now, and most of Sun Quan's troops have been attracted there. We must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch Sun Quan off guard. I order you to lead 10,000 elite soldiers to attack Anning City, a small city in Sun Quan's defense line. Although this city is small, it has an important strategic location. If we can capture it, it will be very beneficial to our battle situation." Cheng Pu knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and said: "My lord, rest assured, I will not fail in my mission and will definitely capture Anning City."

Shi Xie nodded and said, "We must be careful on this trip. Although Anning City is small, Sun Quan must have some defenses. You can send people to find out the troop deployment and defense situation in the city and make a detailed battle plan. In addition, this operation must be kept secret. Once Anning City is captured, the news must be blocked immediately to prevent Sun Quan from noticing it too early."

After receiving the order, Cheng Pu quickly selected 10,000 elite soldiers to form an elite division. He first sent several scout teams to secretly go to the vicinity of Anning City to inquire about the situation in the city. After several days of careful investigation, the scouts brought back detailed intelligence about Anning City. Cheng Pu learned that the garrison of Anning City was about 5,000 people. Although the city defense had a certain foundation, the defense here was relatively weak because most of Sun Quan's troops were transferred to fight Jia Changsheng.

Based on the intelligence, Cheng Pu developed a detailed battle plan. He decided to launch a surprise attack at night to catch the enemy off guard. Before the expedition, Cheng Pu said to the soldiers: "Brothers, this time the Lord has given us a difficult and glorious task. We must capture Anning City when Sun Quan is completely unprepared. This is not only for the honor of our Jiaozhou, but also for the great cause of the alliance with General Jia Changsheng. Do you have confidence?"

The soldiers shouted in unison: "Yes!" The sound echoed throughout the camp and morale was high.

As night fell, Cheng Pu led 10,000 elite soldiers and marched towards Anning City like a ghost. Under the cover of night, the team approached the city gate silently. When they were still hundreds of meters away from the city gate, Cheng Pu waved his hand, and the soldiers quickly divided into several teams and carried out the action according to the predetermined plan.

Some soldiers were responsible for quietly eliminating the sentries near the city gate, while others prepared ladders and waited for the opportunity to attack the city. At the moment when the sentries at the city gate were eliminated, Cheng Pu gave an order: "Attack the city!" The soldiers quickly put the ladders on the city wall and began to climb up like tigers descending from the mountains.

The defenders on the tower were still asleep at this time, and had no idea of ​​the danger. When they found that the enemy was attacking the city, many soldiers of Jiaozhou had already climbed up the city wall. A fierce hand-to-hand combat unfolded on the city wall. Cheng Pu led the way, holding a long sword, charging left and right in the enemy formation, and no one could stop him. Under his leadership, the morale of the Jiaozhou army was greatly boosted, and they fought bravely.

After a fierce battle, the Jiaozhou army successfully controlled the tower and opened the city gate. The army outside the city poured into the city like a tide. The Sun Quan defenders in the city were hasty to fight and could not organize an effective resistance. Under the fierce attack of the Jiaozhou army, the Sun Quan defenders gradually lost their strength.

At dawn, Cheng Pu successfully captured Anning City. Some of Sun Quan's defenders in the city were annihilated, and some surrendered. Cheng Pu immediately arranged soldiers to block the city gates according to Shi Xie's instructions, strictly prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving. At the same time, he posted notices to appease the people in the city, telling them that the Jiaozhou army came for the people and would not harm innocent people.

Afterwards, Cheng Pu sent people to set up sentries around Anning City to closely monitor the surrounding movements to prevent the news from leaking out. He also secretly sent people to deliver the news of the capture of Anning City to Shi Xie.

Shi Xie was overjoyed when he received the victory report. He knew that the capture of this small town was like driving a nail into Sun Quan's defense line, creating favorable conditions for subsequent operations. He immediately wrote back to Cheng Pu, commending Cheng Pu and his soldiers, and once again emphasized the need to keep the news strictly, wait for the right time, and then coordinate with Jia Changsheng's army to deal a fatal blow to Sun Quan.

With the tacit cooperation between Jia Changsheng and Shi Xie, Sun Quan's situation became increasingly serious. The news that Shi Xie secretly took over Anning City was like a sharp blade hidden in the dark, ready to deal a heavy blow to Sun Quan at any critical moment.

Sun Quan was anxiously waiting for news of Lü Meng's recapture of Jinheng City. At this moment, a soldier rushed into the hall in a panic, fell to his knees with a plop, and said in a trembling voice: "My Lord, something terrible has happened!"

Sun Quan's heart tightened, and he shouted: "Why are you so panicked? Tell me quickly!"

The soldier was so scared that he was shaking all over and stammered, "Report... report to the lord, Shi Xie... Shi Xie's army secretly took over Anning City while we were concentrating on dealing with Jia Changsheng, and also... blocked the news. We just discovered it."

After hearing this, Sun Quan felt a surge of anger rushing to his head. He was furious and roared: "What! How dare Shi Xie, an old man, stab me in the back!" After that, he suddenly drew the sword from his waist and stabbed the soldier who delivered the message. The soldier fell in a pool of blood before he could even scream.

The ministers in the hall were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe. Sun Quan's eyes were red, like an angry lion, and he yelled at the ministers: "What do you do for a living? Why did you only know such important news now? One by one, think of a way to recapture Anning City and deal with this damn situation!"

Zhou Yu hurried forward and said, "My lord, calm down. Being angry now will not help. The most urgent thing is to discuss a countermeasure. Shi Xie's move is indeed insidious. He attacked us while we were too busy. But we can't lose our composure."

Sun Quan panted heavily, stared at Zhou Yu and said, "Then what do you think we should do? We haven't recaptured Jinheng City yet, and now we've lost Anning City. Are we just going to let them be so arrogant?"

Lu Su also stood up and said, "My lord, we are now facing a pincer attack from Jia Changsheng and Shi Xie. It is a taboo to disperse our forces. General Lu Meng is currently attacking Jinheng City. If we divide our forces to retake Anning City at this time, I am afraid it will be difficult to take care of both places."

Sun Quan frowned and said impatiently: "Then according to your opinion, should we give up Anning City?"

Lu Su hurriedly said, "My lord, you misunderstood. I think we can first send people to the vicinity of Anning City to find out the truth and understand Shi Xie's troop deployment and defense situation in the city. At the same time, we can contact General Lu Meng, inform him of the current situation, and ask him to speed up the attack on Jinheng City. If we can recapture Jinheng City first and then concentrate our forces to deal with Anning City, we may have a greater chance of winning."

Sun Quan pondered for a moment and felt that what Lu Su said made sense, so he said, "Okay, let's do as you say. Immediately send someone to Anning City to get the news, and make sure it's detailed. Also, send a fast horse to inform Lu Meng to have him fight and make a quick decision."

At this time, Lü Meng's messenger arrived and knelt down to report: "My lord, General Lü sent me to report that Jinheng City is well defended and Zhao Yun is well guarded. Our army has failed to capture the city after several sieges. I hope you can send more reinforcements."

(End of this chapter)