Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

However, as the defending general eagerly anticipated ending this futile resistance and saving the city's inhabitants, he had no idea that his deputy was actually a trusted confidant carefully planted by Sun Xiang. Just as the general secretly contacted Ma Chao and prepared to open the city gates for surrender, a cold, murderous intent suddenly flashed in the general's eyes. Seizing the general's unpreparedness, he swiftly drew the icy blade from his waist. With a single swing of his arm, the blade pierced the general's body in a flash of cold light. "Being traitor to our lord won't be easy!" the general roared at the top of his lungs, splattering scalding blood across the cold ground.

Afterwards, the deputy general looked ferocious, faced the other defenders, and shouted, "This defender is afraid of death and even tried to betray his country and surrender to the enemy. I have executed him on the spot! We must live and die with Pingyu City and resist the foreign enemy!" After some instigation, some defenders who did not know the truth were instigated by him and continued to resist stubbornly.

When Ma Chao learned that the defending general had been brutally murdered, his rage erupted like a raging volcano, unable to be contained any longer. He acted decisively, his eyes flashing with determination as he immediately decided to launch a general attack without further delay.

Clad in gleaming armor, tightly packed like fish scales, and wielding an impossibly sharp spear, its tip gleaming with a chilling gleam, Ma Chao stood majestically at the front. His gaze, piercing everything, swept over his passionate soldiers. Then, in a resounding voice like a bell, he shouted, "Men! Sun Xiang, a traitorous and heartless traitor, not only dared to stand in the way of our righteous army, but now his minions have brutally murdered the garrison commander, who was determined to surrender. This atrocity is anathema to both humans and gods! Today is the day to avenge the garrison commander, capture Pingyu, and rid the people of this evil! Follow me, charge bravely, and kill!"

At Ma Chao's command, the drums began to beat, their passionate roar resembling thunder, shaking heaven and earth. Like tigers descending from the mountains, Ma Chao's army roared and roared, rushing towards Pingyu City like a surging wave.

Xu Huang led the charge, a towering figure with a powerful aura, wielding his great axe with unstoppable force. Undeterred by the rain of arrows raining down from the tower, he swung his axe rapidly before him, forming an impenetrable barrier that deflected the incoming arrows. Roaring like a furious lion, he charged through the enemy's arrow defenses and charged towards the troops near the city gate. Enemy soldiers fell wherever he went, unstoppable.

Zhang Liao followed closely behind. His physique was nimble, his eyes piercing, and his long sword wielded like a nimble dragon, weaving and weaving through the enemy lines with ease. He deftly dodged the enemy's attacks while striking with precision, each strike carrying a fierce momentum, striking directly at the enemy's vital points. The enemy soldiers, terrified by his prowess, retreated. As Zhang Liao fought, he shouted, "Follow me to capture the city and achieve great success!" He galvanized the soldiers behind him forward.

Zhang Xiu, unwilling to be outdone, wielded twin spears with agile movements, weaving through the enemy ranks like a ghost. His spears flashed with cold light, striking the enemy before they could even see him. With his superior martial arts, he quickly broke through the enemy's outer defenses and advanced towards the city gate.

Under their leadership, Ma Chao's army's morale soared, and they stormed Pingyu City like a tidal wave. Atop the city walls, the soldiers, commanded by the lieutenant who had murdered their lord, fought a desperate defense, their arrows raining down upon Ma Chao's troops like a swarm of locusts. Yet, Ma Chao's troops showed no fear, charging forward one after another toward the city gates.

Undaunted, Ma Chao led the charge, his swift agility nimbly dodging the barrage of arrows. Like a flash of silver lightning, he advanced directly on the city gate. "Set fire to the gate!" Ma Chao's command echoed like a resounding bell across the battlefield. Soldiers hurled their torches at the gate. Instantly, flames erupted, the raging blaze spreading rapidly until it engulfed the city. Under the blaze, the gate gradually deformed, emitting a sizzling sound, as if groaning in pain.

Seeing the fierceness of Ma Chao's attack and the cruelty of Sun Xiang's minions, the people in the city were furious and turned against the enemy. Some brave people took advantage of the chaos and quietly opened the side gate to welcome Ma Chao's army into the city.

Ma Chao's troops poured into the city through the main and side gates like a tide, engaging the defenders in fierce street fighting. Shouts and cries of agony mingled, echoing in every corner of Pingyu City. After a fierce battle, Ma Chao's troops, relying on their tenacious fighting spirit and exceptional combat effectiveness, finally succeeded in capturing Pingyu County.

Ma Chao knew that he who won the hearts of the people would conquer the world. Upon entering the city, he immediately set about comforting the people, ordering the opening of granaries and the release of grain to provide relief to those suffering from the war. The people were deeply grateful to Ma Chao and praised his benevolent actions. However, Ma Chao knew that while he had successfully captured Pingyu County, his whereabouts had been exposed, and the rest of his expedition would undoubtedly face even more ferocious resistance from Yuan Shu.

After Ma Chao conquered Pingyu County in one fell swoop, the atmosphere in the tent was heavy. Candlelight flickered, and light and shadows flickered on everyone's faces. Ma Chao, Xu Shu, Zhang Liao, Zhang Xiu, and the others sat together, all with gloomy expressions, pondering their next move.

Xu Shu was the first to break the silence. He frowned slightly and spoke with concern, "My lord, although we have successfully captured Pingyu this time, the road ahead is likely to be even more difficult and dangerous than before. As the end of the year approaches, I suspect Yuan Shu must have deployed a large force in Lujiang, ready to fight. We must carefully consider our next move."

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang slammed the table, stood up with a look of great pride and enthusiasm: "Why should I be afraid of him? Just charge forward bravely. My Xiliang cavalry is unstoppable. Who can stop us?" His eyes were as sharp as torches, as if he had already seen the magnificent scene of the Xiliang cavalry breaking through the enemy's defense line like a tiger descending from the mountain.

Zhang Liao, however, looked worried, shook his head slowly, and advised: "Gongming, you must not underestimate the enemy and advance rashly. Runan is still quite a distance away from the core of Yuan Shu's power, but it has been secretly infiltrated by him, causing our army's way forward to be blocked everywhere. If we continue to move forward rashly, we will surely encounter Yuan Shu's crazy pursuit and blockade. We must not act rashly." After speaking, he turned his gaze to Ma Chao, waiting for his decision.

At this time, Zhang Xiu also spoke slowly: "Everyone, Runan County has a flat and open terrain, which is indeed conducive to our army's marching and deployment. However, the situation in Lujiang County is completely different. The mountains, rivers and lakes in that area are crisscrossed and the terrain is complex. Moreover, Lujiang County is close to Yuan Shu's base camp, and he must have stationed a large number of elite troops here. If our army goes there rashly, not only will we encounter many obstacles on the way and waste a lot of time, I am afraid we will not even be able to spend this Spring Festival peacefully." Zhang Xiu's expression was serious, and his words were full of deep worry.

Ma Chao's expression was calm, his gaze piercing as he listened quietly to everyone's words. After a moment's contemplation, he slowly spoke, "What Yuan Zhi, Wen Yuan, and Zhang Xiu say is all true. Now that our army's whereabouts have been exposed, Yuan Shu will undoubtedly take action. He's undoubtedly worried that if all of Runan falls to us, Lujiang and Jiujiang counties will be directly exposed to our forces, and his headquarters will be in jeopardy. He will certainly not sit idly by. Therefore, he is very likely to withdraw troops to support Jiujiang."

Ma Chao paused briefly, scanning the crowd with a determined gaze before continuing, "While our whereabouts have been exposed, it has also, on the other hand, alleviated the pressure on Liu Yao of Yuzhang Commandery. Now, I intend to lead my army to Wu Commandery to meet with Sun Ce. Bofu is my sworn brother, and he has previously invited me to Wu Commandery for a reunion. I intend to temporarily station my army in Pingyu. Since we've already alerted the enemy, stationing our army in Qingxu County will also provide a deterrent to Yuan Shu and alleviate some of the danger in Yuzhang. Afterwards, I will personally travel to Wu Commandery to discuss strategies for defeating the enemy with Bofu."

When Ma Chao expressed his intention to travel to Wujun to meet with Sun Ce, Xu Shu was startled, his eyes filled with worry. He quickly said, "My lord, the situation is extremely critical. Runan has been thoroughly infiltrated by Yuan Shu and is no longer safe. If we were to travel through Lujiang and Jiujiang counties to Wujun, the journey would be filled with danger and every step would be fraught with peril. Yuan Shu will undoubtedly lay numerous ambushes along the way, waiting for us to fall into his trap."

Xu Shu paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "Let's not even mention the difficulties and dangers along the way. Just consider Wujun itself. Xu Gong and Wang Lang are now independent, and the situation is complicated. We have no way of knowing whether they have been wooed by Yuan Shu and secretly sided with him. If they do, your lord, if you go, you'll be walking into a tiger's mouth. Furthermore, Tao Qian of Xuzhou has long been allied with Yuan Shu. This area is surrounded by wolves and hidden dangers. How can your lord easily go there?"

Ma Chao's expression was solemn, but he showed no sign of retreat. He nodded slightly, expressing his understanding of Xu Shu's concerns, and then slowly said, "Yuanzhi, I understand the danger you're talking about. But let's look at it from another perspective. Although our army has captured Pingyu, Yuan Shu's forces are enormous. If we simply hold on to Pingyu, we will sooner or later be surrounded by his heavy forces and fall into a desperate situation."

Ma Chao's gaze was resolute as he surveyed the crowd, continuing his analysis. "Although the journey to Wujun to join Sun Ce is arduous, it's also a brilliant move within a risky one. Sun Ce is a remarkable warrior, highly respected in Jiangdong, and we share a brotherly bond. Joining forces will undoubtedly strengthen our strength. As for the ambush in Lujiang and Jiujiang counties, we can plan ahead, sending out elite scouts to carefully scout the route, acting accordingly, and avoiding the enemy's sharp edge."

"As for Xu Gong and Wang Lang of Wu Commandery, although they each govern independently, they may not truly be allies of Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu is arrogant and ambitious, and Xu Gong and Wang Lang may not look down on him. If we can explain the pros and cons to them, we might be able to win them over and use them for our own benefit. As for Tao Qian, his alliance with Yuan Shu is more motivated by self-interest. As long as we act cautiously and don't give him any opportunities, he won't rashly become our enemy."

Ma Chao's well-reasoned analysis plunged everyone into deep thought. The tent was silent, with only the occasional crackling of the candlelight as the noise was heard.