Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 103 Zhu Zhi's Plan
Zou got up and went to the next room to change into a clean robe. When he came back, he found a young Confucian scholar wearing a hat standing in the hall.

The scholar bowed and said politely, "I am Shen Yu, a disciple of Zhangfu, and I pay my respects to Mr. Zou."

Zou stared at Shen Yu with murderous eyes and asked coldly, "What's your purpose in coming here?"

Shen Yu smiled faintly. "I'm here for the lives of Lord Zou and all the soldiers in the city. Our army is about to attack the city and will conquer it soon. All the soldiers in the city are the children of their parents and their wives and children. If you let your family be destroyed because of a single thought, how could you bear it? My lord is kind and cannot bear to hurt innocent people. If you can judge the situation and submit to my lord, you can not only save the lives of the soldiers, but also enjoy wealth and prosperity. This is a win-win plan. I hope you will consider it."

Zou Ta suppressed his anger and asked, "How much wealth and honor does your master promise me?"

Shen Yu said solemnly, "My Lord is willing to recommend Mr. Zou as the Captain of Changning, and to give him three hundred acres of fertile land, one thousand pieces of silk, and fifty catties of gold."

Zouping couldn't help but ask, "What will your lord do with my tribe and my personal property?"

Shen Yu said calmly, "Your Excellency may retain a garrison of soldiers for protection, and the rest of the soldiers must be dismissed and returned to their fields. Your family and followers will not be touched by my lord. As for the various treasuries in the city, both public and private, they must all be brought under the unified management of the treasury."

Zou Ping's eyelids twitched, and he frowned and asked, "Is there any room for negotiation?"

Shen Yu said sincerely, "This is already the greatest sincerity of my Lord. Zou Jun should know the current situation of Qian Tong."

Zou frowned, this condition was far from what he expected.

He was silent for a long time, his face growing increasingly gloomy. Suddenly, he lowered his finger, a sneer playing on his lips: "You little brat, you dare to try to persuade me to surrender? Since you've come to me on your own, don't blame me for being cruel. Come on, drag him out and cook him!"

Two bodyguards rushed into the house aggressively.

Shen Yu was slightly startled, but quickly calmed down and said in a deep voice, "I am just a nobody. If Zou Jun wants my head, you can take it. However, my master has something to tell me, and he wants me to tell Zou Jun."

Zou said expressionlessly, "What are you talking about?"

Shen Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes gleaming coldly, as if frost had condensed in them. He spoke slowly, "My Lord has said that if Mr. Zou dares to harm anyone close to my Lord, including me, the day the city falls, the entire Zou clan will be killed." He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold, "No one will be spared!"

The last four words were so resounding that they echoed in the hall, giving people a chill.

Zou was almost mad with rage, shouting, "Drag him out and hack him to death!"

Zou Ping was startled and said quickly, "General, calm down. When two armies are fighting, envoys should not be killed." He shouted to his two guards, "Send this man out of the city immediately!"

The two guards cast a questioning look at Zou Ta. Seeing that he didn't say anything, they immediately understood what he meant and shouted at Shen Yu, "Get out of here!"

Shen Yu's face was also very ugly. He was very unhappy that he had not completed the task assigned by Yan Yi. He snorted coldly and left.

Zou He watched his departing figure, his left hand trembling violently. He suddenly turned around and glared at Zou Ping: "Where is Zhu Zhi's army?"

Zou Ping felt his entire body crawl under his nervous gaze and quickly said, "Yan Yi has surrounded the city tightly, making it difficult for scouts to pass on information. Don't worry, brother. Zhu Zhi is a famous general from Jiangdong and will surely be able to break the siege. I believe reinforcements will arrive soon."

"You're right, Zhu Zhi is famous in Jiangdong, he will definitely be able to save me!"

Zou took two breaths, his expression gradually calmed down, and his eyes were full of hope.

Now he could only place all his hopes on Zhu Zhi. Zhu Zhi, whom Zou had high hopes for, had already received a letter of request for help from Rencheng.

boom!
After reading the letter, Zhu Zhi slammed the bamboo slips on the table, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the military tent, angrily saying, "Idiot, you are not worthy of being my advisor!"

Previously, when he wrote to Zou He, he told him not to go out of the city to fight, and to wait until he arrived to discuss everything. Unexpectedly, this man still fell into Yan Yi's trap and almost his entire army was wiped out.

Now the defenders of Rencheng are less than 3,000, most of whom are civilians. You can imagine their fighting capacity, and they are in imminent danger.

If Rencheng falls, the good situation will immediately fall into a passive position.

There were more than ten trusted generals in the account. After they circulated the bamboo slips one by one, they were all furious.

Zhu Hai, the commander of the detachment, looked at Zhu Zhi and said in a muffled voice, "Father, should we speed up our march to lift the siege of Rencheng?"

Zhu Hai's original surname was Zhang. He was born with a strong body like an ox and a broad back. He was one of the top three generals in Zhu Zhi's army. Because of his bravery in battle and outstanding military achievements, he was adopted as an adopted son by Zhu Zhi and given the surname Zhu.

Zhu Zhi walked back to the table, spread out the map, and asked, "Where are Xu Sheng, Yan Yu, and Fan Yan?"

Military Commander Chen Xian pondered for a moment before replying, "Based on the positions of the three armies an hour ago and their marching speeds, Xu Sheng's army should be almost at Lion Mountain. Yan Yu's army is over twenty miles away, and Fan Yan's army is about thirty miles away."

Zhu Zhi looked at the map and muttered, "Shishan is strategically located. Several official roads converge here, making it convenient for military mobilization and supply. The surrounding hills make it difficult for a large army to deploy. The enemy must be camping here. If they control the nearby key roads and high ground, it will be difficult for our army to pass through."

The generals knew that he was thinking and did not dare to disturb him.

Zhu Zhi pondered for a full quarter of an hour before retracting his gaze. He straightened his body, looked around at the generals, and said in a deep voice, "Captain of Military Affairs, I will make the following arrangements. You will record them."

Military Advisor Dong Yue hurried to the desk and opened a blank scroll.

Zhu Zhi pondered, "Zhu Hai and Zhang Gong, you two will lead your two thousand troops and march quickly to Shishan to prevent Xu Sheng's troops from building a camp. Tie them down and don't engage them in a decisive battle. Chen Xian, you will lead five hundred cavalry and harass Yan Yu's troops along the way to slow their advance. Once our central army reaches Xipingli, rendezvous with them. Sun Yu, you will lead one thousand troops to Maozhushan to build a camp and intercept the reinforcements from Yuncheng."

The generals trusted him very much and responded loudly without asking the reason.

Zhu Zhi said in a deep voice: "Rencheng is beyond saving. Our army's goal in this battle is to completely annihilate Xu Sheng's troops and eliminate Yan's elite forces!"

The generals looked serious and nodded.

Zhu Zhi continued, "Send a letter to Wu Jingjun, instructing him to arrive in Yong'an within ten days."

Dong Yue quickly responded.

Zhu Zhi looked at a man whose eyes were always narrowed habitually and whose gaze was as cold as a snake, and asked with concern, "How are the arrangements going with the Shi family?"

The man's surname was Bu Rang, and he was about thirty years old. He was thin but brimming with explosive strength. He was a former military officer under Sun Jian, specializing in intelligence and assassinations. Upon hearing this, he said expressionlessly, "Yan Yi has sent men to surround Shi's residence. It will be difficult to rescue them in such a short time."

Zhu Zhi clenched his fists, his expression as cold as a knife: "Yan Yi, if you dare to touch Shi, I will make you live a life worse than death!"

(End of this chapter)