Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Upon seeing this, Cao Bao immediately stood up and hurried to Wang Lang's side, anxiously asking, "My Lord, what happened?" Wang Lang collapsed limply, and a waiter beside him hurried to support him. Wang Lang's face was filled with anxiety, and his voice was filled with tears: "It's over, it's all over! General Zuo Rong was not only defeated, but his army was almost completely wiped out. Even Anji County has been lost. What can we do now?"

Cao Bao frowned, his expression grave. He pressed, "Do you know what exactly is going on? Can you let me see the letter?" Wang Lang nodded weakly, trembling as he handed the letter to Cao Bao. Cao Bao took the letter and quickly skimmed through it. He finished reading it in a single glance, and couldn't help but wonder, "These Shanyue people have always lived in the mountains. Could this be a surprise attack from heaven? They even have cavalry! It's unbelievable!"

Wang Lang was so distraught at this moment that he had no time to think about such trivial matters. He clutched Cao Bao's arm tightly and pleaded tearfully, "General Cao, the situation is critical now. I hope you can quickly dispatch troops to help resist the Shanyue. Otherwise, Yong'an will be in imminent danger and will fall into enemy hands at any moment. I hope you will remember our shared struggle against the enemy and save Yong'an!"

Seeing Wang Lang so flustered and distressed, Cao Bao quickly reached out and patted his shoulder. His expression was calm, and his tone was firm and forceful: "Don't be so sad, my lord. This setback is a common occurrence in the military, nothing serious. You can relax. I will immediately gather the elite troops from Danyang and rush to Yong'an to provide assistance. With this elite force, we will surely turn the tide of the battle and protect Yong'an. You can rest assured and do not worry too much."

Wang Lang's panic subsided a little after hearing Cao Bao's words. His eyes welled up with gratitude. He took Cao Bao's hand and thanked him profusely: "General Cao, your help has really helped me out of my immediate crisis. I will never forget your kindness! If you need me to do anything in the future, I will definitely help you with all my strength!"

Cao Bao, fully aware of the urgent military situation, dared not delay even a moment. He allowed the soldiers a brief rest to replenish their rations and water. During this time, he personally inspected the camp, carefully checking the soldiers' equipment to ensure everything was in place.

After everything was ready, Cao Bao arrived at Wang Lang's residence to bid him farewell. Wang Lang's expression remained somewhat apprehensive, yet his eyes were filled with anticipation. Cao Bao bowed and spoke earnestly, "Rest assured, Your Majesty! I will lead the elite Danyang troops to Yong'an and will not allow the Shanyue to succeed." Wang Lang stepped forward and shook Cao Bao's hand tightly, his gratitude evident. "General Cao, be careful on your journey. The people of Yong'an and I are counting on you."

Cao Bao nodded in agreement, turned, and strode out of the mansion. Outside, Danyang's elite soldiers were already lined up in formation, ready for battle. He mounted his horse and, with a single command, the army marched majestically towards Yong'an. The billowing clouds of dust seemed to foreshadow the impending battle.

Cao Bao sat atop his tall horse, his brow furrowed, his mind still brooding over the Shanyue cavalry. He thought, the Shanyue had always been primarily infantrymen familiar with mountainous terrain and skilled in guerrilla warfare, but now they suddenly had cavalry. There must be something fishy going on.

Just as he was thinking about this, his deputy general Zhang Kai beside him couldn't help but speak up, "General, these Shanyue cavalry are really strange. Could they have received some kind of external aid?" Cao Bao's eyes glared, and he said in a deep voice, "I was also speculating. In Jiangdong, various forces are intertwined. Perhaps someone is secretly colluding and providing the Shanyue with war horses and riders."

As they were nearing Yong'an County, scouts ahead reported that a small group of Shanyue troops had been spotted near the forest. Cao Bao curled his lips in a cold smile, "Just in time! I was worried about where to investigate, and now they've landed right on my doorstep." He immediately ordered a select number of elite troops to disperse and conceal themselves, encircling the enemy from the flanks, while he himself led the main force, pretending to advance, to lure the enemy deeper.

Seeing Cao Bao's army advancing, the Shanyue troops, unable to contain themselves, rushed out of the mountains and forests. Cao Bao, secretly delighted, commanded his men to feign defeat and retreat, while simultaneously keeping an eye on the Shanyue cavalry. They charged forward with unstoppable force. Observing them carefully, Cao Bao discovered that while their riding skills weren't particularly impressive, their horses were exceptionally agile, and their equipment seemed familiar.

Just as Cao Bao was puzzled, a Shanyue cavalryman fell from his horse during the melee and was captured alive by elite Danyang soldiers. Cao Bao personally interrogated the Shanyue soldier, who initially remained stubborn but finally confessed under torture. It turned out that the Jinfan bandits had colluded with the Shanyue, providing them with smuggled war horses from the north and training some Shanyue soldiers in mounted combat, hoping to exploit the chaos to establish a separatist presence in Jiangdong.

After Cao Bao learned the truth, murderous intent suddenly rose in his heart: "Hmph, you little Jinfan thieves, how dare you disrupt the situation in Jiangdong? When I resolve the siege of Yong'an, I will definitely catch you all in one fell swoop!" After that, he ordered to speed up the march, vowing to reach Yong'an as soon as possible and resolve the crisis there.

This Shanyue ambush, seemingly a failure, was actually a meticulously planned operation. Following their pre-planned plan, the Shanyue soldiers feigned total defeat on the battlefield, retreating step by step. Their sole purpose was to paralyze the incoming reinforcements.

Although the Shanyue were unaware that the general who came to support them was Cao Bao, they knew that Wang Lang would not sit idly by and would undoubtedly send reinforcements. This ingenious strategy was precisely orchestrated by Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu knew that Wang Lang's refusal to cooperate with Sun Ce meant that reinforcements were necessary. Therefore, he decided to take a different approach, deliberately making the Shanyue appear defeated. This would give the reinforcements the impression that they were not a threat, especially as they would no longer worry about the Shanyue cavalry. Furthermore, he wanted to prevent the cavalry's clues from revealing Sun Ce and his men.

Gan Ning's involvement with the Shanyue was common knowledge. Zhou Yu planned this ambush to obfuscate the situation, so that even if the reinforcements became suspicious of the Shanyue cavalry's sudden appearance, they wouldn't blindly suspect Sun Ce.

Furthermore, Gan Ning's collusion with the Shanyue was well known, and by exploiting this established impression, when the Shanyue cavalry appeared, the enemy would most likely associate them with Gan Ning, rather than Sun Ce. This would conceal Sun Ce's plans to the greatest extent possible, buying more time and space for subsequent actions, and leaving the enemy unaware and passive.

The purpose of encountering them first is to make the reinforcements think that this enemy force is just a facade and let them win first to reassure them. In this way, the reinforcements can completely relax their vigilance, and when they are completely relaxed, they will step into the trap that they have carefully set.

After the Shanyue captured Linshui County and Anji County in one fell swoop, their morale was unprecedentedly high. The army was like a surging wave, advancing steadily towards Yong'an County with an unstoppable momentum. A shocking siege battle was imminent.

Within Yong'an County, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere enveloped every corner like a dense, impenetrable net. Zuo Rong had issued a death order: if the Shanyue were to capture Yong'an again, he would completely lose his place with Wang Lang, and even his life would be in jeopardy. Knowing the gravity of the consequences, he felt like an ant on the hot pot, refusing to rest for a moment, pacing anxiously on the city walls from morning till night. He screamed at the top of his lungs, urging the soldiers to reinforce the fortifications, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, soon soaking his clothes.

The soldiers, equally aware of the precarious situation, wore a look of nervousness and a resolute determination to face death. Their hands gripped their weapons tightly, their knuckles white from exertion, and they trembled slightly, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the city walls, bracing themselves for the ferocious battle that was about to unfold. The city's inhabitants were plunged into a state of utter panic, a suffocating atmosphere of fear permeating the streets and alleys. Elderly people sat in their doorways, their eyes filled with worry and helplessness, mumbling prayers for a swift end to the disaster. Children hid tightly behind their parents, terrified to breathe, their tender faces etched with fear. Young and strong men offered to help carry stones and contribute to the defense of the city, while others scoured the city for news. The entire county was plunged into chaos and anxiety, as if completely enveloped by a haze of fear.

The Shanyue army finally arrived at the city gates, their mighty force unleashing a deafening roar that seemed to rend the very air. The front row, their massive shields held high, formed a tightly packed formation, like a slowly moving steel wall, advancing steadily toward the city gates. Behind them, a group of soldiers armed with ladders, shouting passionately, rushed recklessly towards the city walls. Their eyes burned with madness and fearlessness, as if the towering, sturdy wall before them were merely a fragile barrier.

On the city walls, the defenders reacted swiftly, drawing their bows and arrows. In an instant, a barrage of arrows rained down upon the Shanyue soldiers. Some were tragically struck, falling to the ground with screams of agony. However, many showed no sign of retreat, charging forward with even greater courage. Ladder after ladder was heavily stacked against the wall, and the Shanyue soldiers, like nimble monkeys, scaled it with swift and frantic speed. On the walls, fierce and brutal hand-to-hand combat ensued. The defenders, brandishing their swords with both hands, tried desperately to repel the scrambling Shanyue soldiers. The Shanyue soldiers, relying on their reckless brute force, engaged the defenders in a desperate struggle. For a moment, the cacophony of shouts, the clash of weapons, and the cries of agony echoed over Yong'an County. Blood streamed down the walls, quickly staining the ground beneath their feet.

On the walls of Yong'an County, the cries of slaughter were deafening. Blood flowed down the battlements, staining the mottled masonry red. Zuo Rong's face was bloodstained, his long sword already bent, but he gritted his teeth and held on. The soldiers around him were also wounded, their steps stumbling, but their eyes were filled with despair and unwillingness. The Shanyue's offensive was like a surging tide, wave after wave. Ladders were densely packed on the walls, and the fierce Shanyue soldiers climbed up like ants. The situation was precarious, and it seemed that Yong'an City would be engulfed by this raging tide at any moment.

At this crucial moment, the thunderous clap of hooves suddenly echoed in the distance. Clad in heavy armor and mounted on a towering steed, Cao Bao, majestically leading the elite Danyang troops, approached at lightning speed. Sunlight shone off the soldiers' armor, radiating a dazzling light, like a divine force descending from the heavens. With a resounding shout, Cao Bao swung his spear forward, and the elite Danyang soldiers instantly plunged into the enemy ranks like tigers descending from the mountains. Well-trained and coordinated, their combined swords and spears instantly disrupted the Shanyue army's formation. Caught off guard by this unexpected reinforcement, the Shanyue soldiers' offensive was abruptly halted. The overwhelming attack was instantly repelled, and Yong'an County was finally pulled back from the brink of destruction.