Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Xu Gong staggered as blood spurted out, his body swaying, and his attendants hurried to support him. Filled with resentment and panic, he gazed at the Shanyue camp outside the city. Fear gripped his heart like a vine. Recalling the instant annihilation of Lieutenant General Zhao's eight thousand elite troops, Xu Gong knew his chances of victory against this cunning and fierce enemy were slim.

"Pass the order down immediately!" Xu Gong's voice was hoarse, but it revealed an unquestionable ruthlessness. "All the troops that can be mobilized will rush to Jiaxing County. Defend the city gate to the death and do not retreat even a step!" The attendants took the order and left in a hurry. Xu Gong shouted to the generals behind him: "Anyone who dares to take a step back will be punished by military law and will not be tolerated!" The generals looked solemn and clasped their fists to accept the order.

At this time, Zhang Yu, an aide, leaned forward and whispered, "Sir, the situation is critical now. We alone cannot resist the Shanyue. In my opinion, shouldn't we join forces with Wang Lang? Although we have some conflicts, we are facing a formidable enemy. If we can join forces, we may still have a chance of survival."

Xu Gong gritted his teeth, his face turning pale and blue as he struggled internally. Wang Lang, his sworn enemy who had been secretly competing for territory for years, was unwilling to ask him to bow down and sue for peace. But now, the Shanyue troops were at the gates of the city, and the situation was extremely urgent. If he didn't join forces with Wang Lang, if Jiaxing County fell, he feared his life would be in danger and everything would be lost.

After a long silence, Xu Gong sighed and said helplessly, "Never mind, you're right. I can't care about that now. Go and prepare a letter quickly. Be sincere and tell him that the Shanyue are threatening Wu Commandery, and invite him to put aside past grudges and join us in an expedition to annihilate the Shanyue."

Zhang Yu accepted the offer with a bow. Just as he was about to leave, Xu Gong reminded him, "Remember, make sure Wang Lang knows. This cooperation is a matter of life and death for both of us. Tell him to gather his troops and meet up in Jiaxing County immediately."

After Zhang Yu left, Xu Gong slumped in his chair, his eyes hollow. He had never imagined the situation would deteriorate so drastically. He had once believed he could easily control Wu Commandery, but now he was forced to beg for help from his mortal enemy. Gazing out over the mountains outside Jiaxing County, the tents and flickering campfires stretched like a pair of prying eyes. Xu Gong was filled with apprehension, unsure if his alliance with Wang Lang could avert the catastrophic situation before him.

Inside Jiaxing County, Xu Gong paced back and forth in his tent like a trapped beast, his eyes fixed on the closed city gates. The Shanyue people challenged him daily outside the city walls, their war drums pounding at the top of their lungs like hammers, hammering at his heart. But he gritted his teeth, determined not to order his troops out of the city to fight, even as his anxiety burned. He knew that with his limited forces, going out would be a death sentence. His only hope was that Wang Lang, mindful of the mutual danger of losing one's teeth, would agree to join forces.

Far away, Wang Lang was leisurely sipping tea in his study, enjoying the rare tranquility. Suddenly, a guard rushed in, presenting a letter with both hands. "Sir, an expedited letter from Xu Gong." Wang Lang frowned slightly, put down his teacup, and took the letter. Unfolding it, his expression instantly darkened. "Hmph!" He slammed the letter heavily on the table. "This Xu Gong, who used to fight with me for territory and resources, neither side yielded. Now that he's gotten himself into trouble with the Shanyue, he has the audacity to come to me and ask me to clean up his mess? This is simply ridiculous!"

Seeing this, the staff member who was serving nearby carefully picked up the letter, quickly glanced through it, and said with a bow, "Your Excellency, please calm down. Although Xu Gong's actions are indeed somewhat shameless, the Shanyue people's momentum has spread like wildfire. If we don't curb them, I'm afraid we will not be able to escape unscathed."

Wang Lang snorted coldly, stood up, and paced back and forth in the study. "Xu Gong acted recklessly and provoked the Shanyue people. Why should I help clean up the mess? Maybe this is a trap he set to drag me into the quagmire and weaken my strength."

At this time, another senior staff member stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Excellency, please understand. The Shanyue have always been ambitious and have been eyeing our Wujun territory. If we can join forces with Xu Gong to repel the Shanyue, we will not only resolve the urgent need, but also seize the opportunity to expand our influence. However, if we refuse, after destroying Xu Gong, the Shanyue will most likely target us next. The principle of "lips and teeth are cold" is something you should consider carefully."

Wang Lang paused, his gaze heavy, lost in thought. He knew his advisors were right, but he was reluctant to let go of years of grudges and collaborate with his sworn enemy, Xu Gong. The Shanyue threat hung like a blade overhead, poised to strike at any moment. After a long pause, he sighed, "Never mind. Let's just cooperate with him this time. Send my orders; gather all the generals and gather immediately in the council chamber to discuss this matter."

Not long after, Wang Lang's generals arrived at the meeting hall, and the atmosphere inside was solemn. After Wang Lang circulated Xu Gong's letter, he asked, "Xu Gong has requested an alliance to fight against the Shanyue. What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to speak frankly."

A young and energetic general stood up first, clasping his hands together and saying, "Sir, Xu Gong is treacherous and treacherous, and must not be trusted. However, the Shanyue people are indeed extremely fierce and have become a serious threat. If we can seize this opportunity to eliminate them in one fell swoop, it will greatly benefit our hegemony."

Another veteran said worriedly, "That being said, we have a long-standing grudge against Xu Gong. If he harbors ill intentions and plots something behind our backs, wouldn't we be attacked from all sides and be in dire straits?"

For a moment, the generals held their own opinions, arguing endlessly. Wang Lang listened quietly, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. After a long moment, he raised his hand to signal silence and slowly said, "This cooperation concerns our survival, so we must proceed with extreme caution. First, select an eloquent and thoughtful person to take my handwritten letter to negotiate with Xu Gong. During the negotiations, it is imperative to clarify the responsibilities and obligations of both parties, divide the combat tasks, and agree on non-aggression after the war, maintaining the existing territorial structure. In addition, we must retain a portion of elite troops stationed in the rear to prevent Xu Gong from plotting."

After hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Wang Lang then carefully selected an experienced advisor, and, armed with a detailed negotiation strategy and his own handwritten letter, rode off at full speed to Xu Gong's place.

In Xu Gong's tent, representatives from both sides engaged in a heated negotiation. Xu Gong's side was anxious, desperate for Wang Lang to dispatch troops as soon as possible to jointly fight against the ferocious Shanyue people outside the city. Meanwhile, Wang Lang's representatives were calm and experienced, sticking to their guns and demanding numerous concessions from Xu Gong, from material supplies to the distribution of post-war profits, ensuring fairness in cooperation and their own safety. The two sides argued back and forth, neither conceding, and the arguments became heated.

After two days of arduous negotiations, the two sides finally reached an agreement: Wang Lang sent 20,000 troops to join forces with Xu Gong to jointly resist the Shanyue; during the battle, the two sides would cooperate with each other and not act on their own; after the war, the two sides would maintain their existing territories and not invade each other.

When the negotiation results were reported back to Wang Lang, he carefully reviewed the terms and nodded slightly. "Since we've reached an agreement, let's dispatch our troops as agreed. I hope this cooperation will successfully repel the Shanyue. Otherwise, Wujun will never have peace, and our years of hard work will be wasted."

In this way, under the powerful pressure of Shanyue, the two old enemies Wang Lang and Xu Gong had to temporarily put aside their prejudices, shake hands and make peace, and work together to face this battle that would determine the fate of Wujun.

Inside the Shanyue camp, the flickering candlelight stretched the figures of the people in the tent, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter. Ma Chao, Sun Ce, Shamoke, and the others sat together, their expressions solemn.

"The news of Wang Lang and Xu Gong joining forces has just arrived, and it's a real headache." Zhou Yu frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping across everyone's faces. "But from another perspective, this is also a perfect opportunity."

Sun Ce asked anxiously, "Gongjin, what do you mean?"

Zhou Yu stood up and walked to the center of the tent. He reached for a branch and drew a rough topographical map of Wujun in the dust. As he drew, he said, "Wang Lang and Xu Gong may be allied, but how can they easily resolve their years of resentment? They are suspicious of each other, and coordination of command and dispatch is difficult. If we can defeat this coalition in one fell swoop, Wang Lang will be severely weakened and unable to cause trouble again in a short time. Xu Gong, on the other hand, will be in disarray with his rear empty. We can take advantage of this chaos and defeat them one by one."

Ma Chao nodded slightly, a flicker of appreciation in his eyes. "Gongjin is absolutely right. But the coalition forces are quite numerous. How can we achieve a surprise victory?"

Zhou Yu's lips curled up in a confident smile. "Xu Gong is hiding in Jiaxing County, and Wang Lang's reinforcements haven't arrived yet. We can feign an attack on Jiaxing to draw Xu Gong's attention. At the same time, we can send an elite force to ambush Wang Lang's reinforcements along their route. Once Wang Lang's men arrive, we'll catch him off guard and annihilate his reinforcements. Then, we can turn back and attack Jiaxing with all our might. Xu Gong will be isolated and helpless, and his defeat is inevitable."

Upon hearing this, Shamoke rubbed his hands in excitement, stood up, and shouted, "Great plan! We Shanyue warriors are willing to lead the charge. We will show Wang Lang and Xu Gong how powerful we are!"

Sun Ce thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "This plan is feasible. Gongjin, you can make the arrangements. We will fully cooperate."

Zhou Yu then quickly deployed his forces and ordered Shamoko to lead a group of Shanyue warriors to pretend to attack the city outside Jiaxing, creating momentum and attracting Xu Gong's full attention.

On the other hand, Zhou Yu personally selected elite soldiers and generals such as Ma Chao and Sun Ce, led a light cavalry unit, and took advantage of the night to quietly rush towards the route that Wang Lang's reinforcements must take.

They set up an ambush on both sides of a valley. The valley was dangerous, with steep peaks on both sides and a narrow road in the middle, making it an ideal location for an ambush. The soldiers held their breath and waited quietly for Wang Lang's reinforcements to arrive.

A few hours later, a dull sound of horse hooves and footsteps was heard in the distance. Wang Lang's 20,000 reinforcements were marching towards the valley in a mighty procession.

Zhou Yu lay in the grass, staring intently at the ground below, and whispered an order: "Everyone listen to my orders. No one is allowed to act rashly without my order." The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, waiting nervously and excitedly.

When Wang Lang's troops had all entered the valley, Zhou Yu shouted, "Shoot!" In an instant, thousands of arrows were unleashed, raining down upon Wang Lang's army. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Wang Lang's soldiers were thrown into chaos.

At the same time, Ma Chao, Sun Ce and others led ambushes from both sides and engaged in a fierce battle with Wang Lang's army. The valley was filled with shouts of killing, the flashes of swords and sabers, and the ground was dyed red with blood.

Wang Lang's generals tried to organize a resistance, but it was all in vain under Zhou Yu's carefully planned ambush. After a fierce battle, Wang Lang's 20,000 reinforcements were almost completely wiped out, with only a few lucky escapes.