Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 212 The sword is unsheathed
Xu Sheng's impassioned and powerful voice echoed in front of the army formation, and was relayed through the various commanders and messengers, reaching the ears of thousands of soldiers.

It's unclear when exactly, but the restlessness and unease in the soldiers' eyes began to fade, replaced by focus and calmness. Even the soldiers maintaining order showed expressions of attentive listening.

This situation arose not because Xu Sheng's voice had any magic, but because the content of his words was as deafening as thunder, impacting the hearts of every soldier.

Yan Yijun's treatment was extremely generous, not only in terms of material benefits but also in the respect and care shown to his soldiers, which contrasted sharply with Yuan's army.

From the moment Yuan Shu raised his army in Nanyang, he frequently expanded his forces by forcibly conscripting soldiers, disregarded the law, and plundered for resources, causing great suffering to the people and making their lives miserable.

Many soldiers in Yuan's army were victims of forced taxation and extortion. For them, the treatment of Yan Yi's army was something they could never have imagined.

Moreover, the other party promised to bring their families to their territory and allow them to leave freely, and would even provide them with grain upon departure.

In comparison, Yuan Shu was nothing but a pile of dog shit!

"Can our young lord really bring our families over?" a soldier asked.

Xu Sheng fastened his sword back to the saddle, jumped off his horse, walked to the soldier who had asked the question, looked at the other soldiers around him, and said loudly, "Young Master never deceives his soldiers. Whatever he says, he will do!"

Everyone felt a reassuring sincerity and confidence in his words.

Another soldier asked somewhat nervously, "If...if we don't want to stay, can we really leave safely?"

"Of course!" Xu Sheng nodded without hesitation: "It is a rule set by the young lord himself that one can leave or stay before joining the army! If anyone does not want to stay, they can go to the granary official to record their name, collect their rations, and then leave."

As Sun Ce rode on his horse, watching Xu Sheng chatting and laughing with his soldiers, his expression grew increasingly serious, and he gripped his whip tighter and tighter.

Many of Yan Yijun's military regulations and systems were things he had never heard of or even imagined.

But upon closer examination, he discovered that these regulations were insightful and profound, every word a gem, as if they were truths tested through countless practices.

He had always believed that the military management methods he had learned from his father were mature and comprehensive enough. Who knew that today, compared with Yan Yijun's rules and regulations, they suddenly paled in comparison.

The more Sun Ce looked, the more alarmed he became, a growing unease rising within him that his beloved possession was about to be taken away.

Once these soldiers are branded with Yan's mark, it will be extremely difficult to win them back.

“Bo Fu, the regulations formulated by the young lord seem to be watertight, but to implement them, they require the support of a huge amount of military funds and a large number of experienced officers. Otherwise, it will be like trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog, burying hidden dangers.”

Seeing that Sun Ce's expression was somewhat unpleasant, Lü Fan guessed what he was thinking and said with a smile.

Sun Ce understood the unspoken meaning in his words: he doubted whether Yan Yi could support the army.

His mood did not improve; instead, he became increasingly worried: "But what if it goes smoothly?"

Lu Fan paused slightly, his smile froze, turning into a bitter smile, and said no more.

"We'll think about the future later; let's finish what's in front of us first."

Sun Ce composed himself, gently spurred his horse on, and galloped toward the army formation that had regained order.

Currently, there are only 6,000 enemy troops around Dazhai, posing a limited threat and providing our army with a rare opportunity to rest and recuperate. Once the other enemy units arrive, this relaxed environment will no longer be possible.

The reorganization of the army must be completed today.

Three hours later, the red sun gradually sank in the west, and twilight, like a light veil, began to spread across the fields.

The complex reorganization of the army was initially completed over time.

More than 2,100 soldiers chose to leave, and 2,000 soldiers did not meet the conscription requirements. The 14,000 troops in Guangde Dazhai were suddenly reduced to 10,000.

A hint of weariness flashed across Sun Ce's brow. He reached up and rubbed his throbbing temples before riding alongside Xu Sheng back to the main camp.

The two arrived at the commander's tent, had a quick dinner, and were about to discuss the next steps in military affairs when a guard suddenly came to report that Zhou Jun was requesting an audience outside the tent.

Zhou Jun was Zhou Yu's cousin and an outstanding figure among the younger generation of the Zhou family. The two thousand troops that the Zhou family lent to Sun Ce were led by him.

Sun Ce stood up from the mat, sighed slightly, and stepped towards the tent entrance, vaguely guessing Zhou Jun's intentions.

Xu Sheng stood up thoughtfully.

Zhou Jun walked into the tent with somewhat heavy steps. His posture was as upright as ever, but his expression was somewhat gloomy.

Sun sought refuge with Yan Yi without consulting him beforehand or revealing any information to him, which annoyed him.

He bowed to Sun Ce and Xu Shu, then looked at Sun Ce with a complicated expression: "Bo Fu, I am truly ashamed. I just received a letter from home; my clan urgently summoned me, and I had no choice but to come."

The Zhou family had close ties with the Yuan family. Although they did not completely submit to the Yuan family, they were bound to be hesitant and constrained in their actions while operating in Yuan Shu's territory.

Now that Sun Ce has abandoned Yuan Shao and joined Yan Yi, the Zhou family's position is extremely awkward, and they are eager to extricate themselves.

Sun Ce's expression fell, and he asked in a low voice, "When shall we set off?"

Just as Zhou Jun was about to answer, Xu Sheng suddenly asked, "Does Lord Zhou intend to take the two thousand clan soldiers with him?"

"Exactly!"

Zhou Jun sensed a hint of coldness in Xu Sheng's tone, and his expression immediately became somewhat tense.

Xu Sheng gave him a deep look and said in an unquestionable tone, "Zhou Jun cannot leave."

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Zhou Jun suddenly looked up, a hint of hostility flashing in his eyes, and stared directly at Xu Sheng: "What do you mean by that?"

Xu Sheng's gaze suddenly turned cold. He first glanced at Sun Ce, who was frowning and silent, then stared intently into Zhou Jun's eyes and said, word by word, "The Zhou family has been a distinguished family for generations, with a tradition of poetry and propriety. Young Master has long admired you and wishes to see you. Please stay a few more days."

Zhou Jun clenched his fist, his face as cold as frost, and said in a deep voice, "Young Master himself said that he is free to come and go, how can you go back on your word?"

Xu Sheng said expressionlessly, "The freedom to come and go only applies to soldiers. Lord Zhou is a distinguished guest and is not included in this category."

Zhou Jun's face turned extremely ugly, and he turned to Sun Ce: "Bo Fu, what do you have to say?"

Sun Ce looked troubled. Yan Yi's actions clearly indicated that he wanted to detain Zhou Jun and had some ulterior motive. Sun Ce was caught in the middle and was in a real dilemma.

If Zhou Jun is kept, it will surely incur the wrath of the Zhou family; but if Zhou Jun is released, there will be no way to explain it to Yan Yi.

He carefully considered his words and slowly said, "Wenxiang, Zijun has urgent business in his clan. Why don't you let him go back first? After he has finished dealing with the clan affairs, he can come to pay his respects to the young lord."

Xu Sheng knew that Yan Yi wanted to use Zhou Jun and his two thousand clan soldiers to sow discord between the Yuan and Zhou families. This was a matter of great importance, so how could he give in?
While keeping his eyes fixed on Zhou Jun, he said firmly, "I dare not disobey the young lord's request."

Sun Ce vaguely sensed Zhou Jun's gaze directed at him, and feeling helpless, he frowned and said, "Could you please let Zijun leave for my sake?"

Xu Sheng said coldly, "I'm afraid I cannot comply."

Suspicion crept into Zhou Jun's eyes as he scanned Sun Ce and Xu Sheng back and forth. The more he looked, the more uneasy he felt, the more he sensed that Sun and Xu were conspiring to put on an act for him. His heart sank. "You treacherous Sun Bofu! You two-faced beast! My Zhou family helped you so much, and you betrayed me like that!"

Sun Ce met his resentful gaze and his heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "This is bad. This man probably hates me too."

His heart was filled with bitterness. He cast an apologetic look at Zhou Jun, and was about to explain when the other man turned away.

Xu Sheng had been watching Zhou Jun closely. Seeing him turn to leave, he immediately strode to the tent flap, his hand on his sword hilt, his threat unmistakable: "Where does Lord Zhou intend to go?"

Sun Ce knew that Yan Yi must have made full preparations and that Zhou Jun would have no chance of escaping. Worried that he would suffer a loss, he quickly stepped forward and gently took his arm: "Zijun, it's getting late. Why don't you stay another day? I will go to see the young lord tomorrow and give you an explanation."

Zhou Jun abruptly shook off his hand, his disdainful gaze falling on his face as he sneered, "Your fox tail is showing?"

Sun Ce's face turned pale and then red, so frustrated he felt like vomiting blood. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth, took two steps forward, and stood between Xu and Zhou, glaring at Xu Sheng with his fierce eyes: "Wen Xiang, get out of the way!"

Xu Sheng's face was ashen, his sharp gaze fixed on Bo Fu: "Bo Fu, do you know the consequences of your actions?"

Sun Ce hesitated again when he thought of his relatives in Qiantang.

Zhou Jun couldn't stand it any longer and strode towards the tent entrance.

Xu Sheng suddenly sprang up, his left hand gripping Zhou Jun's right wrist like an iron clamp, his right hand forming a claw aimed straight for his throat, and his knee thrusting out, striking Zhou Jun's knee.

Before Zhou Jun could even draw his sword, he was forced to kneel on one knee by the immense force. Xu Sheng spun around, his robes fluttering, and bound Zhou Jun's arms behind his back with the sash of his robe, securing him tightly.

"Sun Bofu is a greedy and treacherous man! Xu Wenxiang is a shameless scoundrel!"

Zhou Jun pressed his cheek to the ground, struggling desperately, but he couldn't move an inch. In his anger and frustration, he started cursing.

Sun Ce's face twitched slightly, his heart heavy with unbearable frustration. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Wen Xiang, do not harm him."

Xu Sheng nodded slightly: "Bo Fu, rest assured, the young lord has already given instructions that he will not harm them in the slightest."

Sun Ce breathed a slight sigh of relief.

As the three were entangled, Zhao Cuo strode over and looked at Xu Sheng: "Wenxiang, Zhou's two thousand troops are heading towards the east gate."

Xu Sheng summoned two guards to watch over Zhou Jun, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Sun Ce, and strode away with Zhao Cuo.

Sun Ceze thought for a moment and followed.

The three men rode out of the east gate and traveled less than a mile when they saw two groups of troops facing off under the light of hundreds of torches.

On one side were two thousand clan soldiers of the Zhou family, and on the other side were eight hundred cavalrymen of the Longxiang Camp.

Sun Ce spurred his horse and arrived at the front of the two armies. He suddenly pulled on the reins, and his warhorse reared up. He shouted, "Put away your weapons and return to the camp immediately!"

The two sides seemed oblivious to each other, hundreds of bloodshot eyes fixed intently on one another, the air thick with a suffocating tension.

Sun Ce's pent-up frustration instantly turned into rage. Just as he was about to summon the troops in the camp, he suddenly saw flames shooting into the sky from the southeast. Countless torches formed a fiery dragon, tearing a blood-red rift in the night and rapidly approaching, forming a battle formation a few hundred paces away.

At the center of the formation, a large banner with the character "严" (Yan) on a black background and gold thread fluttered in the night wind, each wave of which seemed to proclaim the formidable power of its master to all directions.

Everyone's expression changed; they all knew what this large banner meant.

A junior officer carrying a flag rode up on his horse, raised the command token in his hand high, and shouted: "By order of the young lord, all officers of the rank of garrison commander and above in the Zhou division must immediately report to the central command tent! Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy!"

Sun Ce looked at the Zhou army formation that was in chaos and couldn't help but sigh slightly, knowing that these two thousand soldiers were already a cooked duck and could no longer fly away.

Right now, his only option is to do everything in his power to protect this troop; otherwise, he will have a hard time explaining himself to Zhou Yu.

Half an hour later, a camp that was beginning to take shape rose up on the plain about a mile away from the main village of Guangde.

Inside the central command tent, thirty-six bronze lamps were lit simultaneously, illuminating the vast tent as if it were daytime.

Yan Yi sat upright on the head couch, his black fox fur cloak draped over his shoulders and hanging in front of him. In his hand, a scroll of bamboo slips recording the details of the army's reorganization gleamed with a bluish-white luster under the lamplight.

On either side below, more than ten generals, led by Sun Ce and Xu Sheng, sat solemnly.

After Yan Yi finished reading the bamboo slips, he gently placed them on the table and looked at Sun Ce with a gentle gaze: "I intend to use 10,000 troops from the Guangde camp to launch a surprise attack on Yongping fortress, cut off the enemy's retreat and supply lines, and then launch a pincer attack on Zhang Xun's army from the north and south. What do you think, Bofu?"

“Young Master’s idea of ​​cutting off the enemy’s supply lines is excellent.” Sun Ce’s face showed a thoughtful expression, his gaze deep and serious. “However, I believe that the 10,000 troops in the Guangde camp may not be able to accomplish such a heavy task.”

Yan Yi shook his arms slightly, letting the cloak fall from his shoulders. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned towards Sun Ce's direction: "Bo Fu, please explain in detail."

Sun Ce turned slightly to face him and sat down, pondering, "To defend and intercept in the enemy's heartland, only an absolutely elite force with a tenacious fighting spirit can be competent. The 10,000 troops in Guangde Village, if they take advantage of the fortified terrain, will certainly have no problem in terms of combat strength, but there will be a great hidden danger in terms of their fighting spirit."

Yan Yi looked thoughtful and asked, "In your opinion, how should we use these 10,000 troops?"

Sun Ce said slowly, "We should fight with the momentum of the battle, not with the disadvantage of the battle; we should defend, not attack."

"Bo Fu's words truly capture the essence of this army's situation." Yan Yi sighed and looked around: "Gentlemen, please speak freely about any strategies you have for defeating the enemy."

After a moment of contemplation, the generals each offered their opinions, some advocating fire attack, others a surprise attack, and still others a defensive strategy. Voices rose from all sides in the military tent.

Xu Sheng finally stood up and said, "Young Master, Yuan Shu's grain and fodder stockpiled in Danyang were all destroyed in the Battle of Guzhang. Now the enemy's old grain is almost exhausted, and the transportation of new grain is too far. If we can cut off their supply lines, their army will collapse in less than half a month."

"With Bo Fu and Wen Xiang, what do I have to worry about not defeating Yuan's army!"

Yan Yi laughed loudly, already having made up his mind. He slowly rose, one hand on his sword, his gaze sweeping over the historically famous figures, and solemnly said, "Pass on my military orders!"

"Immediately order the Qiantang Navy to rush to the Yangtze River, blockade Jiujiang Port and other river areas, and prevent Yuan's army from crossing the river even with a single sail, so as to cut off Yuan's army's supply lines!"

"Bo Fu, De Mou, and Yi Gong will lead 10,000 troops to garrison the Guangde Great Fortress!"

"Yi Xiu led three thousand troops to garrison the Mingling Basin to protect our army's supply lines."

"Wen Xiang led the Longxiang Battalion to provide support to the various units."

"The rest of the generals followed me to set up camp five li southeast of the Guangde Great Camp at Taoyang Pavilion."

"Each unit must hold its position firmly and wait for the enemy to run out of food before seeking an opportunity to defeat them!"

The generals in the tent rose abruptly, their armor clanging like thunder, and their clasped fists in response made the candlelight flicker: "As you command!"

Yan Yi stepped over the table and slowly walked to the tent flap. He reached out and lifted the curtain, facing the biting night wind. Looking up at the star-studded night sky, he murmured, "There's only one month left until the winter solstice."

The Qiantang Navy was a sharp sword hidden deep within him. Now, it was time for this sword to break free and reveal its brilliance!

(End of this chapter)