Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 747 Union
These soldiers dressed in black and holding short knives sneaked into the water gate like ghosts. The guards of the water gate did not notice the danger approaching at all and were quickly dealt with by Huang Zhong's soldiers. Then, Huang Zhong gave an order and the land army attacked the city with all their strength. Chen Wu realized that he had been tricked, but it was too late. Inside and outside the city, shouts of killing shook the sky. Huang Zhong led the soldiers to fight bravely. After a fierce battle, Mingshui City was breached by Huang Zhong, and Chen Wu was killed in the melee.

While Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong won the victory, Wei Yan left a part of his troops to help defend Guangling City, and personally led 10,000 troops to attack Guning City in the north. The walls of Guning City were tall and thick, easy to defend but difficult to attack. After careful observation, Wei Yan found that some bricks and stones in the northeast corner of the wall of Guning City showed signs of loosening due to years of rain erosion.

Wei Yan ordered his soldiers to build a large number of catapults and focus on attacking the northeast corner of the city wall of Guning. After several days of bombardment, many cracks appeared on the city wall. At the same time, Wei Yan arranged for his soldiers to dig tunnels and prepare to attack the city from underground. After the defenders of Guning City realized Wei Yan's intention, they strengthened the defense of the city wall and tunnels.

But Wei Yan was not discouraged. He pretended to give up digging the tunnel and transferred the main force to other directions, making it look like he was going to attack the city from another place. Seeing this, the defenders of Guning City relaxed their vigilance against the tunnel. At this time, Wei Yan ordered the death squad that had been prepared to sneak into the city through the tunnel and open the city gate. The army rushed in, and the defenders of Guning City were immediately in chaos. After a fierce fight, Wei Yan successfully captured Guning City.

Meanwhile, another of Jia Changsheng's generals, Zhou Tai, was in charge of attacking Pinglu City, which was further east. Pinglu City was open and had no strategic location to defend, but the city had well-trained soldiers and sufficient food. Sun Quan sent the experienced general Zhang He to garrison the city. Zhou Tai knew that he could not attack by force, so he adopted a siege tactic.

Zhou Tai surrounded Pinglu City tightly, cutting off the city's food supply and contact with the outside world. At the same time, he constantly sent people outside the city to shout and provoke Zhang He, trying to anger him and lure him out of the city for a decisive battle. Zhang He knew Zhou Tai's intentions and held his ground.

As time went by, the food and grass in Pinglu City gradually decreased, and the morale of the soldiers began to decline. Zhou Tai saw that the time was ripe, so he sent an elite force on a rainy night to quietly approach the city gate. The soldiers took advantage of the rainy night to get rid of the guards at the city gate and opened the city gate. Zhou Tai's army rushed in, and although Zhang He fought hard, he was powerless. Pinglu City eventually fell into Zhou Tai's hands.

In just two months, generals such as Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, and Zhou Tai each used ingenious strategies to successively capture the four cities of Anxing City, Mingshui City, Guning City, and Pinglu City, greatly weakening Sun Quan's power and enabling Jia Changsheng's territory to expand rapidly and his reputation to spread far and wide.

Sun Quan sat in the tent, his face solemn, his eyes revealing unprecedented anxiety and uneasiness. In just two months, Jia Changsheng's army was unstoppable, and he lost four cities in succession. Now he has lost nearly half of his territory. He knew that if he did not take effective measures, Dongwu might be in danger of destruction.

Finally, Sun Quan broke the suffocating silence in the tent and slowly said, "Everyone, the situation in Dongwu is critical now. Jia Changsheng is coming with great force. We are losing territory one after another. If this continues, the day of destruction may not be far away. Does anyone have a good plan to help Dongwu out of its predicament?"

Zhou Yu frowned, thought for a moment and said, "My lord, Jia Changsheng's power has greatly increased. It is difficult for us to fight him with the power of Dongwu alone. Although Cao Cao and Liu Bei have conflicts with us, they are inseparable. If Jia Changsheng annexes Dongwu, his power will further expand and pose a threat to them. Perhaps we can try to contact Cao Cao and Liu Bei to fight against Jia Changsheng together."

Sun Quan nodded slightly, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, and said: "What Gongjin said is exactly what I want. But Cao Cao is treacherous and suspicious, and Liu Bei has great ambitions. How can they easily join forces with us?"

Lu Su stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "My Lord, this is difficult, but not impossible. We can send eloquent men to the camps of Cao and Liu to explain the pros and cons. We can explain to Cao Cao that if the Eastern Wu is destroyed, Jia Changsheng will occupy Jiangdong and confront him from north to south, and Cao Cao will face a greater threat. For Liu Bei, we can emphasize that if the Eastern Wu is destroyed, Jia Changsheng's next target may be him. Only by joining forces can we protect our respective forces."

Sun Quan looked at Lu Su and asked, "Zi Jing, who do you think can take on this important task?"

Lu Su thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Zhuge Jin is a calm and eloquent person. If he is sent to Cao's camp, and Mr. Kan Ze is sent to Liu's camp, the two of them will surely accomplish their mission."

Before Sun Quan could reply, Lu Meng looked worried and said, "My lord, this move is extremely risky. Cao Cao and Liu Bei have been holding grudges against us for a long time. Even if they agree to join forces, there is no guarantee that they will not plot against us behind our backs. Once the war situation takes a slight turn for the better, they might take the opportunity to seize our territory."

Sun Quan sighed and said, "I know there are risks involved. But the situation is critical now, and this is our only way out. If we don't try, Dongwu will perish. As long as we are cautious in our cooperation and act according to circumstances, we may be able to resolve this crisis."

Lu Xun also said: "My lord, what General Meng said makes sense. We have to be on guard. While communicating with Cao and Liu, we also need to strengthen our own defense and reorganize our armaments. We cannot pin all our hopes on others. Only by becoming strong can we survive in this chaotic world."

Sun Quan nodded and said, "Bo Yan is right. On the one hand, we will send people to contact Cao and Liu, and on the other hand, we will strengthen the defense of each city, recruit new soldiers, and train soldiers. We must improve the combat effectiveness of our army in the shortest possible time."

Afterwards, Sun Quan summoned Zhuge Jin and Kan Ze and said solemnly: "Now that Dongwu is in danger, I want to send the two of you to Cao's camp and Liu's camp respectively to persuade Cao Cao and Liu Bei to join forces with us to fight against Jia Changsheng. Both of you are my Dongwu's right-hand men. This trip is a heavy responsibility, which is related to Dongwu's survival. I hope you can do your best to complete the mission."

Zhuge Jin and Kan Ze looked at each other, then knelt on one knee at the same time and said in unison: "Don't worry, lord. We will live up to your trust!"

Sun Quan looked at the two men, his eyes full of expectation and trust, and said, "Okay! You two will set off immediately. When you meet Cao Cao and Liu Bei, you must speak sincerely, convince them with reason, and lure them with benefits. As long as it can promote an alliance, all conditions can be discussed as appropriate."

Zhuge Jin and Kan Ze took the order and left. Sun Quan looked at their departing backs and prayed silently in his heart, hoping that this contact would be successful and bring a glimmer of hope to Dongwu. The generals in the tent also knew the severity of the situation and secretly made up their minds to do their best to protect Dongwu. A diplomatic and military action concerning the fate of Dongwu began.

Zhuge Jin was ordered to go to Cao's camp, knowing that this trip was a heavy responsibility and related to the survival of the Wu Kingdom. He carefully selected more than ten followers, all of whom were smart and skilled in martial arts, in case of emergency during the journey. Before leaving, Zhuge Jin repeatedly considered his words, striving to persuade Cao Cao with the most appropriate words when he met him to form an alliance with the Wu Kingdom to fight against Jia Changsheng.

The group of people left the camp of the Eastern Wu and set out on the road to Cao Cao's territory. It was midsummer, the sun was scorching, and the earth seemed to be put into a steamer, the heat was unbearable. But Zhuge Jin and others did not dare to slack off, and galloped day and night.

Along the way, they crossed mountains and rivers. The mountain road was rugged and the horses' hooves slipped from time to time, so they had to move forward carefully. When crossing the river, the river was turbulent and the boat shook violently in the waves, which was extremely dangerous. However, these difficulties did not stop them.

When they entered the edge of Cao Cao's territory, Zhuge Jin and his companions became more cautious. Cao Cao's territory was heavily guarded and there were many checkpoints. Every time they passed through a place, they had to undergo strict inspection. Zhuge Jin showed Sun Quan's letter and token, explained his purpose, and said that he was ordered by Sun Quan to see Cao Cao for an important matter. Although the guards were stern, they let Zhuge Jin and his companions pass after confirming their identities. As they went deeper into Cao Cao's territory, Zhuge Jin observed that Cao's army had strict military discipline and the people's lives seemed stable and orderly. He couldn't help but secretly sigh that Cao Cao was a good ruler.

Finally, they arrived at Cao Cao's main camp. From a distance, the camp was huge, with endless tents and fluttering military flags, showing the power of the overlord. Zhuge Jin tidied his clothes and walked steadily towards the camp gate with his entourage.

The guard at the camp gate stopped them and shouted, "Stop! This is Cao Gong's camp, no outsiders are allowed to approach!"

Zhuge Jin cupped his hands and said, "Please inform Lord Cao that Zhuge Jin of Dongwu wishes to see you. He has something important to discuss."

The guard looked Zhuge Jin up and down, and seeing that he had an extraordinary bearing and spoke sincerely, he said, "Wait a moment!" and turned into the camp to report.

Soon, the guard came out and said, "Lord Cao allows you to enter alone. The others will wait here."

Zhuge Jin winked at his followers, signaling them to wait patiently, and then followed the guards into the camp. The soldiers in the camp were lined up neatly, patrolling in an orderly manner, and their weapons flashed coldly in the sun, making people feel an invisible sense of oppression.

Arriving in front of Cao Cao's tent, Zhuge Jin took a deep breath, calmed himself, and bowed to enter the tent. Inside the tent, Cao Cao sat high in the main seat, with a group of counselors and generals standing on both sides, looking majestic.

Zhuge Jin stepped forward, bowed respectfully and said, "I am Zhuge Jin of Dongwu, I pay my respects to Lord Cao. I have heard of Lord Cao's great reputation for a long time, and it is a great honor to meet him today."

Cao Cao nodded slightly, looked at Zhuge Jin, and said, "Zhuge Jin, you have come all the way here, why? Is it possible that Sun Quan has some other plan?"

Zhuge Jin hurriedly said, "Lord Cao has misunderstood. Now that the Eastern Wu is facing a life-or-death crisis, I have come to ask for help from Lord Cao. Jia Changsheng is ambitious and has recently gained power in Jiangdong. He has conquered several cities in the Eastern Wu, and most of the territory of the Eastern Wu has fallen into his hands. If we allow Jia Changsheng to develop, Lord Cao, who do you think his next target will be?"

Cao Cao stroked his beard and thought, but did not answer.

Zhuge Jin continued, "If Jia Changsheng annexes Dongwu, his power will surely expand. By then, he will occupy the land of Jiangdong and confront Cao Gong from north to south. Cao Gong will probably face a more powerful opponent. If Dongwu is destroyed, Cao Gong will also lose an important buffer and face the threat of Jia Changsheng directly. Therefore, Lord Sun Quan hopes to form an alliance with Cao Gong to fight Jia Changsheng together to resolve the danger of Dongwu and eliminate a major hidden danger for Cao Gong."

Cheng Yu, who was standing beside Cao Cao, stepped forward and sneered, "Zhuge Jin, that's easy for you to say. Sun Quan and I have always had a grudge against each other, and we have had many frictions before. Now that he is in trouble, he wants to drag us down with him. How can it be so easy?"

Zhuge Jin said calmly: "Mr. Cheng is right. In the past, there were indeed conflicts between Sun and Cao. But the situation is different now. Jia Changsheng has become a common threat to everyone. Moreover, this alliance will only benefit Cao Gong and will not cause any harm. After defeating Jia Changsheng, Dongwu is willing to share his sphere of influence with Cao Gong to show its sincerity."

Cao Cao frowned slightly and asked, "Share it together? Is Sun Quan so generous?"

Zhuge Jin said, "Lord Cao, the situation is pressing. If Dongwu does not form an alliance with you, it will surely perish. By then, Jia Changsheng will be the only one in power, and it will be even more difficult for you to deal with him. Lord Sun Quan sincerely hopes to join hands with you to overcome the difficulties. I hope you will think twice."

The tent fell silent for a moment. Cao Cao was lost in thought, weighing the pros and cons of an alliance with the Eastern Wu. Zhuge Jin quietly waited for Cao Cao's reply, silently praying that Cao Cao would agree to the alliance and bring a turnaround for the Eastern Wu.

Kan Ze, shouldering Sun Quan's earnest expectations, took a team of carefully selected followers and embarked on a difficult journey to Liu Bei's territory. The mountain road to Liu Bei was winding, sometimes passing through dense forests, and sometimes crossing deep valleys. Kan Ze knew that his mission was important, and he kept on going all the way, thinking repeatedly in his mind how to explain the pros and cons to Liu Bei after meeting him and promote an alliance.

After many days of arduous journey, they finally stepped into Liu Bei's territory. As soon as they entered, they felt the difference between the local customs and customs of this place and the Eastern Wu. At the same time, they also noticed that Liu Bei's military discipline was strict, and the soldiers at the checkpoints along the way were extremely vigilant. At each checkpoint, Kan Ze patiently stated his identity and purpose, and showed Sun Quan's handwritten letter and token. After careful inspection, the guard let him pass, but the scrutinizing look made Kan Ze understand that Liu Bei's camp was still vigilant against the people of Eastern Wu.

Finally, they arrived at the city where Liu Bei was. In front of the city gate, the tall tower stood majestically, and the soldiers lined up neatly, with extraordinary momentum. Kan Ze tidied his clothes, stepped forward to explain his purpose, and asked to pass on Liu Bei. Soon, the city gate slowly opened, and a general led Kan Ze and others into the city.

Entering the city, Kan Ze noticed that the people lived a stable life and the streets were clean and orderly, and secretly admired Liu Bei's good governance. Under the leadership of the generals, they came to Liu Bei's mansion. Although the mansion was not luxurious, it exuded a solemn and steady atmosphere.

Entering the main hall, Liu Bei sat in the main seat, with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang and other civil and military officials standing on both sides. Liu Bei had a kind but dignified face, and when he saw Kan Ze coming in, he nodded slightly.

(End of this chapter)