Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Wang Lang's army surrounded Linshui County with an impenetrable barrier, strictly adhering to Wang Lang's orders and refusing to venture out. Every day, Zuo Rong personally inspected the siege line to ensure no loopholes were missed, leaving Linshui County completely isolated and helpless.

Gan Ning stood on the city wall, gazing at the dense enemy swarms outside, his brow furrowed, a hint of anxiety in his eyes. The city's food and supplies were steadily depleting, while supplies were still arriving. He knew that if this continued, the city would be plunged into chaos even without an enemy siege.

"If we keep wasting time like this, we won't be able to hold out for much longer," a Jinfan soldier beside Gan Ning said worriedly. Gan Ning nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "I understand. We must find a way to ask for help." With that, he turned and quickly walked down the city wall, returned to his tent, and quickly wrote a letter requesting help.

In the letter, Gan Ning described in detail the current predicament of Linshui County, including the siege by Wang Lang's army, the depletion of food and supplies within the city, and the difficult situation he himself faced. He earnestly requested support from Ma Chao, Sun Ce, and others, hoping that they would send troops as soon as possible to lift the siege of Linshui County.

After writing the letter, Gan Ning selected several of his most elite Jinfan warriors. These warriors were not only skilled riders but also familiar with the surrounding terrain, capable of avoiding Wang Lang's patrols. He handed them the letter and said solemnly, "This mission is of paramount importance. We must ensure that this letter is delivered safely to Generals Ma Chao and Sun Ce. You must be cautious and avoid the enemy. No mistakes are allowed."

Several warriors nodded solemnly, took the letter, mounted their horses, and quietly left the city under the cover of night. They moved forward cautiously in the darkness, cleverly avoiding patrols of Wang Lang's army, and galloped towards the territory of Ma Chao and Sun Ce.

Gan Ning anxiously awaited word from within the city, knowing full well that the arrival of reinforcements would be crucial to their ability to hold out. Meanwhile, he didn't sit idly by, but instead continuously strengthened the city's defenses, boosting the morale of his Jinfan troops and preparing for even tougher challenges. Meanwhile, Wang Lang's army, still like a dormant beast, quietly awaited changes within the city, waiting for the opportunity to breach it in one fell swoop.

Elsewhere in Wujun, the situation unfolded quietly according to the carefully orchestrated plot by Ma Chao, Sun Ce, and their allies. Having previously jointly dealt with the mortal threat of Xu Gong, Shamoke then led his Shanyue troops in a swift and decisive campaign against the local aristocratic families. Suddenly, the situation in Wujun was in turmoil. The once powerful and well-established aristocratic families crumbled under the fierce assault of the Shanyue, their former glory vanishing in an instant.

After the influence of the aristocratic families had been largely eliminated, Ma Chao and Sun Ce finally emerged from hiding and began their "performance." First up was Sun Ce, who feigned a crushing defeat against the Shanyue, leaving his armor and weapons behind in a disastrous retreat. This "defeat" was deliberately publicized, leading everyone to believe that Sun Ce's forces had been severely weakened by the Shanyue's attacks.

Soon after, Sun Ce's forces launched a grand display, creating the illusion of a continuous flow of troops from Kuaiji County. Numerous military flags fluttered in the wind, soldiers were busily mobilized, and the clamor of carriages and horses stirred up clouds of dust, as if a major battle was about to break out. Meanwhile, Shamoke's Shanyue tribe closely coordinated with this "performance," displaying their deep fear of Sun Ce's troops from Kuaiji County. They retreated steadily on the battlefield, gradually giving up their previously occupied territory.

To others, the situation seemed to be heading for the rise of Sun Ce's righteous army. Seizing this veneer, Sun Ce led the seemingly imposing Kuaiji County troops on a grand campaign to reclaim Xu Gong's territory. Each advance seemed to declare victory, while the "retreat" of the Shanyue tribes only made it seem perfectly logical. In reality, this was all a carefully orchestrated stunt by Ma Chao, Sun Ce, and Shamoke. Their true intentions were concealed, and they skillfully manipulated the situation in this turbulent world, waiting for the perfect opportunity to realize their greater ambitions.

Gan Ning's letter, sent at top speed, finally reached the tents of Sun Ce, Ma Chao, and the others. They were gathered together, discussing their next move. Upon seeing Gan Ning's letter, the atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

Sun Ce slammed the table suddenly, with a heroic look on his face, and said loudly: "Hmph, this old man Wang Lang actually dared to send troops to resist, brother! Gan Ning is trapped now and the situation is critical. In this case, we must speed up the pace and quickly recover all of Xu Gong's territory. Only in this way can we free up our hands to launch an attack on Wang Lang and lift the siege of Gan Ning!" Sun Ce's words were full of dominance and determination, and his eyes revealed disdain for Wang Lang.

Shamoke scratched his head and said with a grin, "Oh, we have been performing for so long, why don't we just pretend to be conquered by you, and save ourselves so much trouble." His voice was rough and a little honest.

Ma Chao shook his head slightly and said calmly: "Now is not a good opportunity. We must make full use of the influence of Shanyue, treat them as enemies, and let Wang Lang relax his vigilance. Only in this way can Sun Ce surprise Wang Lang and deal a head-on blow to maximize the results of the battle. Otherwise, rash actions will only lead to failure." Ma Chao's words were clear and well-organized, showing his strategy.

Zhou Yu frowned, lost in thought. After a moment, he slowly spoke, "We truly cannot subdue the Shanyue at this point. Shamoke, you must continue your retreat, gradually reducing your forces and pretending you're going to reinforce Linshui. We must publicly demonstrate our defeat of the Shanyue. Afterward, we will contact Wang Lang and paralyze him." Zhou Yu's eyes gleamed with wisdom, and every word was carefully considered.

Shamoko's eyes widened, and he asked in confusion, "How long will our performance last?"

Zhou Yu smiled faintly and explained, "Continue as planned. Act as if you're reinforcing Linshui but are defeated. Then, Wang Lang, seeing how we're locked in battle with the Shanyue, will undoubtedly see an opportunity. Once we contact him, he'll likely form an alliance with us. Then, we'll attack the Shanyue from both sides. While he's off guard, we'll suddenly attack Wang Lang, leaving him unable to react."

Lu Su nodded repeatedly and continued, "This is a brilliant plan! Wang Lang doesn't understand the situation and will definitely fall into our trap. Once he forms an alliance with us, we can surprise him and strike him a fatal blow."

Ma Chao added, "While this plan is a good one, it requires careful planning. If we follow this plan, we won't be able to deal with the other aristocratic families in Wu Commandery for the time being. We must focus our efforts on dealing with Wang Lang first."

Sun Ce frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "That's the only way. Old Wang Lang is so arrogant now. If we rely solely on the Shanyue forces, we will probably not succeed. We must plan carefully to defeat him in one fell swoop."

Everyone sat together and continued to plan the next action in depth.

Zhou Yu's gaze was determined as he spoke, "If we want to pretend that our army has defeated Brother Shamoke's Shanyue people, we need to stage a spectacular show on the battlefield. First, we must spread the word that Bofu has assembled a large number of elite troops in Kuaiji County and is preparing to launch a general attack on the Shanyue. Let Wang Lang and other factions know about this, creating a tense atmosphere that war is imminent."

"When the time is right, Brother Shamoke can first dispatch a small contingent of Shanyue troops to engage General Sun Ce's vanguard. In this battle, the Shanyue troops should feign a heroic resistance, but ultimately retreat due to being outnumbered. During their retreat, they should deliberately reveal flaws to allow the enemy to detect their weaknesses," Zhou Yu said, gesturing with his hands. "Afterward, General Sun Ce can pursue and expand his victory. As they retreat, the Shanyue troops should systematically abandon some of their baggage and weapons, creating the appearance of a hasty escape, further solidifying the illusion of defeat."

Shamoke scratched his head and asked in a gruff voice, "Then how can we pretend to abandon Xugong's territory and go to reinforce Linshui County?"

Lu Su smiled and took over. "Don't worry, Brother Shamoke. This isn't difficult. After feigning defeat, you can spread the word throughout Xu Gong's territory, stating that the Shanyue tribes were unable to withstand Sun Ce's army and were forced to withdraw their forces to Linshui County. At the same time, have the soldiers create chaos in the various strongholds, such as burning abandoned tents and deliberately discarding food and supplies to create the appearance of a hasty retreat."

"Also, during the retreat, we need to arrange for some soldiers to deliberately stand in conspicuous places for Wang Lang's spies to see them marching towards Linshui County," Ma Chao added. "To make this more realistic, Brother Shamoke can periodically send out scouting teams during the march, pretending to spy on Wang Lang's army's movements. This will make Wang Lang think the Shanyue are also wary of him."

Sun Ce nodded slightly, a sly glint in his eyes. "This way, Wang Lang will surely think the Shanyue troops, defeated by our army, have abandoned Xugong and are going to reinforce Linshui County, thus lowering their guard against us. While we appear to be engaged in a fierce battle with the Shanyue, we are secretly gathering strength, waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Wang Lang."

"Indeed, once we've contacted Wang Lang, he'll see that the Shanyue troops have gone to reinforce Linshui County and will undoubtedly feel the need for an alliance. Then, we can naturally strike a deal with him and paralyze his nerves." Zhou Yu's eyes gleamed with wisdom. "Once he's completely let down his guard, we'll launch a surprise attack and completely crush his forces."

Everyone agreed and then began to discuss the details of the operation, striving to make the scene realistic and ensure the smooth implementation of the plan. The entire military tent was filled with an atmosphere of tension and excitement as everyone made final preparations for the upcoming operation.