Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 742 No Consciousness
Jia Changsheng nodded slightly and said, "Yuanzhi, you are thoughtful, but don't worry too much. We have deployed spies in key positions and will keep track of their every move in a timely manner. As long as they do not participate in our fight with Sun Quan, we will focus on the war at hand. Sun Quan is our biggest enemy now. As long as we defeat Sun Quan and occupy Yangzhou, our foundation will be more solid. At that time, even if other forces take action, we will have enough strength to deal with it."

Another strategist, Pang Tong, also said, "My lord, that being said, we can also use the conflicts between the various forces to our advantage. For example, we can send someone to secretly contact Yuan Shao and instigate the relationship between him and Cao Cao, so that they have no time to care about the south. In this way, we can focus more on dealing with Sun Quan."

Jia Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "Shi Yuan's plan has merit. But we must be cautious and not let Sun Quan know of our intentions, lest he use this opportunity to alienate us from other forces. You can select smart people and secretly go to Yuan Shao to act according to the situation. But remember, everything must not affect our current war."

Pang Tong took the order and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I will make careful arrangements."

Jia Changsheng said to Xu Shu again: "Yuanzhi, you continue to pay attention to the movements of various forces, especially Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. If they show signs of jointly sending troops south, report to me immediately. At the same time, strengthen our connection with Shi Xie to ensure the stability of our alliance. Sun Quan is now under attack from all sides and will definitely try his best to alienate our relationship with Shi Xie. We cannot let him succeed."

Xu Shu replied, "Don't worry, my lord. I will pay close attention and strengthen communication with Shi Xie."

Jia Changsheng went on to say: "Now that we have captured several cities in a row, our morale is high. But Sun Quan will not give up easily and will definitely fight to the death. We must pursue our victory and not give Sun Quan a chance to breathe. Huang Zhong must strengthen the defense in Jingkou to prevent Sun Quan from sending troops to recapture it; Zhao Yun must continue to train soldiers in Jinheng City and be ready to go out at any time; as for Shi Xie, we must encourage him to increase his offensive and form a closer cooperation with us."

Xu Shu said: "My lord, General Huang Zhong and General Zhao Yun are both loyal and righteous men, and they fight bravely. They will definitely complete the tasks assigned by my lord. However, although Shi Xie has formed an alliance with us, he is still a local lord after all. We still need to do more work to ensure that he can fully cooperate with us."

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "I have also considered this. I will write another letter to Shi Xie, sincerely expressing our importance and expectations of him, and at the same time promising to share the interests of Yangzhou with him after defeating Sun Quan. This will surely make him more determined to cooperate with us."

The counselors nodded in agreement with Jia Changsheng's decision. Jia Changsheng looked at everyone and said firmly, "Everyone, we are now at a critical juncture. As long as we work together and focus on the battle at hand without being distracted by other forces, we will surely defeat Sun Quan and achieve our great cause. Everyone should perform their duties and not slack off."

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

Therefore, under the command of Jia Changsheng, everyone got busy. Jia Changsheng focused his main energy on the war with Sun Quan, while cleverly dealing with the potential threats from various forces, and steadily moving towards his goal.

After analyzing the situation and arranging the response strategies of all parties, Jia Changsheng set his sights on Guangling, another important city of Sun Quan. Guangling is located at a strategic point and has a prosperous business. Taking Guangling can not only further weaken Sun Quan's power, but also obtain rich resources, which is of great significance to turning the tide of the war.

Jia Changsheng immediately summoned his generals, including Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Wei Yan, etc., to the general's tent. After everyone took their seats, Jia Changsheng pointed to Guangling City on the map and said with a serious look: "Generals, our war with Sun Quan is now at a critical stage. I have decided to launch an attack on Guangling City. This city is extremely important to Sun Quan. Once we take it, we will have greater initiative."

Huang Zhong stood up first, clasped his fists and said, "My lord, I am willing to be the vanguard and lead the troops to charge into battle. We must kill him before Guangling City is even a single piece of armor left!"

Jia Changsheng nodded in approval and said, "Han Sheng is brave and I can trust him to be the vanguard. But Guangling City is high and deep, and its defense is strong. Sun Quan must have sent a large number of troops to guard it. The vanguard army must not rush to attack, but must act cautiously and wait until the main army is assembled before launching an offensive together."

Zhao Yun also stood up and said, "My lord, I am willing to lead an elite force to bypass Guangling City and cut off the enemy's retreat route to prevent Sun Quan from sending reinforcements or the defenders in the city from breaking out."

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "Zilong is very thoughtful. This is a very good plan. You lead 5,000 light cavalry and set out at night. You must act secretly and not alert the enemy. When the siege begins, immediately cut off the enemy's retreat and attack from both sides with our army."

Wei Yan then said: "My lord, I am willing to lead an army to be responsible for the construction and command of siege equipment. I will ensure that we provide strong support to the army during the siege."

Jia Changsheng said, "Wen Chang, siege equipment is related to the success or failure of the war. It is a heavy responsibility, so I will leave it to you. Make sure to build ladders, catapults and other equipment as soon as possible, ensure quality, and complete it on time."

After arranging the tasks for the generals, Jia Changsheng said to his adviser Xu Shu: "Yuanzhi, you are responsible for collecting detailed intelligence on Guangling City, including the enemy's troop deployment, food reserves, and city defense weaknesses. At the same time, pay close attention to the movements of Sun Quan's other cities to prevent them from sending troops to rescue."

Xu Shu accepted the order and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I will do my best to ensure that the intelligence is accurate and timely."

Jia Changsheng continued, "Pang Tong, help me develop a detailed siege plan, combine intelligence from all sides, and analyze the best time and strategy for the siege."

Pang Tong bowed and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I will definitely fulfill my mission."

After the meeting, the generals and counselors immediately took action. Huang Zhong selected 3,000 elite soldiers as the vanguard, and trained them day and night to familiarize themselves with siege tactics. Zhao Yun carefully selected 5,000 light cavalry, all of whom were skilled in riding and agile. They prepared dry food, water bags and necessary equipment, waited for nightfall, and set out on a journey to bypass the enemy.

Wei Yan led the craftsmen to cut down trees near the camp and build ladders. Soldiers assisted in carrying materials, and the manufacture of catapults was also carried out in an orderly manner. The craftsmen carefully assembled each component according to the design drawings to ensure the sturdiness and practicality of the equipment.

Xu Shu sent several scout teams to sneak into the area around Guangling City. They disguised themselves as civilians and vendors and gathered information everywhere. Some sneaked into the city and talked with the civilians to obtain information about the enemy in the city; some observed the fortifications outside the city and recorded patrol routes and shift changes. After several days of investigation, Xu Shu compiled the intelligence he had collected and presented it to Jia Changsheng.

Based on the intelligence, Pang Tong and Jia Changsheng studied the siege plan. They repeatedly deduced on the map and analyzed various possible situations. Pang Tong said: "My lord, according to intelligence, the defense of the east gate of Guangling City is relatively weak, and the nearby terrain is conducive to our gathering of troops and deployment of siege equipment. We can concentrate the main siege force here. At the same time, arrange decoys at other gates to bluff and distract the enemy's attention." Jia Changsheng nodded in agreement and said: "Shi Yuan is right. In addition, we can also use the cover of night to send a death squad before the siege to quietly approach the city gate and destroy the city gate's defense facilities to create favorable conditions for the army to attack the city."

After several days of preparation, everything was ready. Jia Changsheng gave the order and the army set out towards Guangling City. Huang Zhong, the vanguard, took the lead and led the soldiers to march quickly. They were wearing light armor, holding sharp blades, and their eyes revealed firm determination.

When the army approached Guangling City, night had already fallen. The light cavalry led by Zhao Yun had already circled behind the city and ambushed at the designated location. Wei Yan commanded the soldiers to quietly push the siege equipment to the vicinity of the east gate and prepared for the siege.

Jia Changsheng looked at Guangling City in front of him and silently prayed that this operation would be successful. He said to the messenger beside him: "When the time comes, immediately send out the siege signal." A fierce siege battle is about to begin. Jia Changsheng and his soldiers are confidently facing this challenge, vowing to capture Guangling City and take a key step towards defeating Sun Quan.

In the General's Mansion in Guangling City, the garrison commander Wang Wei was holding a banquet with a group of generals. The hall was brightly lit, the aroma of wine and meat wafted in the air, and the sound of stringed instruments and bamboos could be heard. Wang Wei picked up the wine glass, his face flushed, and said loudly: "Generals, come, let's drink this cup! Now that we are defending Guangling, we have a strong city with high walls, sufficient food and soldiers, and even if Jia Changsheng has great abilities, he can't do anything to us."

All the generals responded, raised their glasses and drank them all, and there was a burst of laughter at the table. Lieutenant General Li Hu echoed: "General, what you said is very true. Lord Sun Quan is a man of great talent and strategy, and the foundation of Jiangdong is solid. Jia Changsheng is just a clown, and he dared to go against the lord, which is really beyond his ability."

Wang Wei put down his wine glass, slapped the table and said, "That's right! The lord is a man of extraordinary strategy, with many brave generals and counselors under his command. What if Jia Changsheng and Shi Xie formed an alliance? It's just like an ant trying to shake a tree. We just need to defend Guangling, which is the greatest support for the lord. When the lord defeats Jia Changsheng, he will definitely reward us according to our merits, and we will all enjoy wealth and glory."

At this time, another general, Zhang Bao, said: "Speaking of the lord, it is really admirable. Back then, the lord inherited the great cause of his father and brother, worked hard to govern Jiangdong, and recruited talented people, which led to the current situation. Now the people of Jiangdong live and work in peace and contentment, all thanks to the lord's contribution."

Everyone nodded in agreement, expressing their admiration for Sun Quan. Wang Wei said, "That's right. The lord is not only good at employing people, but also cares about the people and is deeply loved by the people. It is our blessing to have such a lord. Come, let's have another drink for the lord Sun Quan!"

Everyone raised their glasses again and shouted, "Cheers to our Lord!"

After three rounds of drinking, Wang Wei talked more. He said, "Although Jia Changsheng has conquered several cities in recent days, it was just luck. Our Guangling City is not so easy to attack. The city walls are high and thick, and the moat is wide and deep, so it is difficult for siege equipment to get close. Moreover, we have enough food and grass in the city, so we don't have to worry even if we are besieged for a year or two."

Li Hu smiled and said, "General, you are right. If Jia Changsheng dares to attack, he will be beaten to a pulp. We will stay in this city and wait for him to come. He will never come back."

Zhang Bao also said, "Humph, if Jia Changsheng really dares to come, I will make him know how powerful our Guangling defenders are. I will chop off his head with my own hands and present it to the lord."

Everyone burst into laughter again, and the atmosphere was very cheerful. However, they did not realize that danger was quietly approaching.

Halfway through the banquet, a soldier hurried in and whispered something in Wang Wei's ear. Wang Wei's face changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and waved his hand to let the soldier leave.

Li Hu saw this and asked curiously, "General, what happened?"

Wang Wei smiled and said, "It's okay. There were just a few civilians outside the city sneaking around. They were chased away by patrolling soldiers. They must be spies sent by Jia Changsheng. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Zhang Bao said disdainfully: "Humph, Jia Changsheng only has this much ability. What can he do to us by sending a few spies?"

Wang Wei nodded and said, "That's right. Let's continue drinking and ignore these trivial matters. As long as we defend the city, Jia Changsheng will have no way to do anything to us."

So, everyone continued to eat and drink, unaware of the impending crisis. In their minds, Guangling City was impregnable and Jia Changsheng could not shake it at all. They were immersed in the praise of Sun Quan and the blind confidence in their own safety, and did not realize that Jia Changsheng's army had quietly approached and a tragic siege was about to break out. Their underestimation of the enemy and laziness might bring a catastrophe to Guangling City.

After Jia Changsheng led his army to Guangling City quietly, he knew that if he wanted to successfully capture the city, he had to find out the details of the city first. So he selected two teams of elite soldiers and ordered them to climb the city wall at night to investigate the key information such as the defense, troop deployment and food reserves of the East and West cities.

The first team was led by Li Qiang, an experienced lieutenant, and consisted of 20 people. Before departure, Jia Changsheng personally told Li Qiang: "This mission is extremely important, you must be careful. After entering the city, investigate the situation in the east city as detailed as possible, and report back immediately if you have any news." Li Qiang knelt on one knee and said firmly: "My lord, rest assured, I will not fail in my mission!"

The night was as dark as ink, and Guangling City was shrouded in silence. Li Qiang and his companions, dressed in black and carrying light climbing tools, quietly approached the East City Wall. They observed the movements of the patrolling soldiers on the tower, waiting for the best opportunity. Finally, during the interval between patrolling soldiers changing shifts, Li Qiang waved his hand, and everyone acted quickly, skillfully throwing out ropes, hooking the battlements on the wall, and began to climb.

The guards on the city wall did not notice anything unusual and continued to chat and laugh during the handover. Li Qiang and his companions successfully climbed up the city wall and hid in a dark corner. After the patrol team left, they carefully walked down the stairs on the inner side of the city wall to the city.

(End of this chapter)