Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Time flew by like a fleeting white horse, and in the blink of an eye, Yuzhang County was enveloped in the atmosphere of late autumn. More than a month had passed since Yuan Shu's food supplies were burned and he had sent Lei Bo to escort them. But the food and fodder had vanished without a trace, and the army's food reserves were running low.

Yuan Shu was caught in a dilemma. He couldn't afford to cut his soldiers' rations. After all, they had been fighting hard in Yuzhang County for over a year. The prolonged battle had not only cost them a significant number of troops, but had also left morale extremely low. Furthermore, the ration burning incident over a month earlier—while the forage wasn't completely destroyed—had cast a heavy shadow over the soldiers' minds. Under these circumstances, if Yuan Shu revealed his dire straits, the consequences would be disastrous. The soldiers had been holding on for so long, and any slight disturbance could escalate into an uncontrollable situation. Therefore, he couldn't act rashly, let alone let word of the ration shortages leak out.

Yuan Shu was distraught over the food and fodder crisis, cursing in his tent all day. He repeatedly sent messengers, sternly demanding that Lei Bo deliver the supplies, but all he received was disheartening news. It turned out that two of Lei Bo's food and fodder shipments had been hijacked in Lujiang County by the Wancheng troops led by Zhang Xiu, dispatched by Ma Chao. Thus, the painstakingly collected supplies fell into enemy hands. Faced with these repeated setbacks, Yuan Shu's situation grew increasingly difficult. Looking at the long-standing siege of Yuzhang County, he was distraught but helpless.

Inside the tent, the atmosphere was oppressive, like the dead silence before a storm. Yuan Shu's face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his forehead. He suddenly kicked over the table beside him, and a loud "clang" echoed throughout the tent.

"Is Lei Bo a pig? Being robbed twice in the same place—what's he thinking?" Yuan Shu roared, his teeth clenched, his eyes brimming with rage, as if he wanted to burn everything in sight. His chest heaved violently, each breath a heavy gasp, as if he wanted to vent all his inner rage. "I sent him to escort the grain, but he's so incompetent. Now the army is running out of food. What do you think we should do?" His gaze swept across the senior generals and staff like a knife. Everyone lowered their heads, afraid to breathe.

At this time, Yan Xiang stepped forward cautiously, bowed and said, "My lord, please calm down. Lei Bo has indeed failed in his duty this time, but getting angry at this moment will not help. The most urgent task is to find a way to solve the food problem." Yan Xiang's voice was steady and gentle, trying to calm Yuan Shu's emotions.

"What's the solution? Tell me what you have!" Yuan Shu's eyes widened as he glared at Yan Xiang. "Our food and supplies have been plundered, and the battle ahead is making no progress. Do you expect me to appease the soldiers with these empty words?"

Yan Xiang sighed slightly and said, "My Lord, as for now, we can send more people to urge Lei Bo to be cautious and transport the food and fodder as soon as possible. On the other hand, we can also collect some more food and fodder from the surrounding counties to alleviate the urgent need."

Yuan Shu snorted coldly, "Nearby counties? Do you think I haven't thought about that? They've already gathered almost all the food and fodder they can. What can we gain by going there now?" He paced back and forth irritably, waving his hands. "Without rations, everything else is just empty talk. How can we continue this war?"

The tent fell silent again. Everyone understood that Yuan Shu's anger was not without reason, but faced with the dilemma of food shortage, they really could not think of a better solution.

Yang Hong took a step forward, a ruthless light flashing in his eyes, his voice low but full of determination: "My lord, since we can't raise military rations, then we will rob them! Can the people in the surrounding counties and prefectures not eat food? They are hoarding food, and we can take it away as military pay." As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the tent, and many generals showed surprise on their faces, obviously shocked by this bold and ruthless plan.

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiang's face changed drastically, and he hurried forward to stop him: "My lord, you absolutely cannot do this! Now that we have finally conquered the surrounding counties, it is time for us to show kindness to the people and consolidate our foundation. If we carry out this kind of robbing, the people will definitely hate us to the core. Not only will we lose the people's hearts, but the morale of the army will also be shaken. Most of the soldiers are from these counties. How can they fight with peace of mind when they hear that their families have suffered such a disaster?" He spoke earnestly, and fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, showing that he was extremely anxious.

Yuan Shu's expression shifted after hearing what the two men said, his brows knitted into a frown as he struggled internally. He knew the urgency of rations. If he continued to delay, his army would collapse from hunger, even without an enemy attack. Yet, Yan Xiang's words were also true. If he lost the support of the people and the army, the power he had painstakingly cultivated over the years would be in jeopardy.

"My lord, this opportunity cannot be missed!" Yang Hong, seeing Yuan Shu's hesitation, urged him urgently, "The common people are but a bunch of ants. Preserving the army is the most important thing right now. Once we capture Yuzhang County, and then offer them a small favor, they'll be obedient."

Yan Xiang was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Yang Hong and said, "You are drinking poison to quench your thirst! Such a short-sighted move will surely lead our lord into an irretrievable situation."

Yuan Shu waved his hands irritably, pacing back and forth in the tent, each step heavy and heavy, as if weighing the consequences of two contrasting proposals. His eyes were torn, alternately glancing at Yang Hong, seemingly drawn to the urgent solution of seizing grain; then at Yan Xiang, understanding the principle of long-term stability. After a long pause, he took a deep breath, and spoke slowly, "Let me think about this. This matter is of grave importance; we must not act rashly." The atmosphere in the tent remained tense. Everyone understood that Yuan Shu's decision would determine the future of the entire army and, indeed, the power.

Seeing that Yuan Shu was still hesitating, Yang Hong couldn't help but feel anxious. He stepped forward again, his words becoming more and more fierce: "My lord, as the saying goes, a man without viciousness is not a hero! At this critical moment of life and death, how can you be so hesitant? Those who accomplish great things do not care about trivial matters. Can the so-called people's hearts and morality be used as food at this critical moment? If we miss this opportunity to seize food and grass because of our womanly kindness, and the army collapses from hunger, what can we use to compete with the enemy? By then, not only will we fail to take Yuzhang County, I am afraid we will not even have a place to stand!" Yang Hong spoke passionately, his face full of anxiety, waving his hands in the air, as if he wanted to force his ideas into Yuan Shu's mind.

Yuan Shu was shaken by Yang Hong's words. A hint of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes and his fists clenched unconsciously, as if he was ready to give the order to carry out the plan of seizing food.

Yan Xiang's forehead veins bulged with anxiety, his brows knitted into a knot. He repeatedly glanced at Ji Ling, his eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation. Ji Ling, Yuan Shu's most powerful general, held immense prestige within the army. Yan Xiang desperately hoped he would step forward and show his lord the situation. If he truly followed Yang Hong's reckless advice and forcibly seized food from the people of the surrounding counties, it would be a suicidal act, placing him at odds with the world and tantamount to playing with fire.

Ji Ling understood what he meant. He stepped forward, clasped his fists and said in a loud voice: "My lord, this is absolutely not feasible! Stealing food from the people will lose the hearts of the people and chill the hearts of the soldiers. Without the support of the people and the unity of the soldiers, even if we have food for a while, we will not be able to go far." Ji Ling's voice was like a bell, and his words were full of sincerity and determination.

Yan Xiang then spoke earnestly: "My lord, Yang Hong's plan seems to be able to solve the immediate problem, but it will actually cause endless troubles. We have finally conquered these counties, and now is the time to show favor and establish trust. If we snatch them away like this, all our past efforts will be wasted. Who will support us in the future?" Yan Xiang's words were sincere, and his eyes were full of worry.

Yuan Shu was torn between the two men's arguments. He paced back and forth impatiently, waving his hands and saying, "Alright, alright, stop arguing! You say you won't rob us, but now we've run out of food and supplies. How can we fight this war?"

Yan Xiang sighed helplessly, then pondered for a moment before saying, "My lord, it's already late autumn, and the Yangtze River is calm. If we transport our grain by water, down the river, as long as there are no delays, the food and fodder will arrive in time. Lei Bo, whose grain shipments have been robbed twice in a row, must understand the gravity of the situation and will certainly do everything he can to resolve it. I beg you to be patient and wait."

Yuan Shu frowned, looking at Ji Ling and then at Yan Xiang. These two were his most trusted men of civil and military talents. Since they both said so, it seemed that this was the only way. He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Then let's do as you say. Pass on my orders to calm the soldiers and not leak any word of the food shortage. Don't rush the siege these next two days. Give the soldiers some time and go down to prepare." With that, Yuan Shu sat back on the couch, exhausted, gazing at the sky outside the tent, filled with worry, wondering if the outcome of this wait would be life or death.

The war had dragged on to this day, reaching a stalemate, with both sides exhausted. Yuan Shu's supplies had been plundered, and transport was repeatedly blocked, leaving his army facing an imminent food crisis. Meanwhile, Liu Yao, surrounded by Yuan Shu's vast army, faced an equally difficult situation.

In the city of Yuzhang, a solemn atmosphere settled over Liu Yao's military camp. The soldiers were emaciated, their steps weak even as they patrolled. The camp's rations were running low, and every grain seemed precious. The generals gathered in their tents, their former high spirits long gone, replaced by a look of worry.

Liu Yao paced back and forth in his tent, his brow furrowed, his face filled with annoyance and helplessness. "Our rations are running out. What should we do?" he grumbled, his voice filled with exhaustion and anxiety.

The generals sat around, sighing and groaning, at a loss for what to do. Some bowed their heads, silent, as if overwhelmed by the food shortage; others whispered among themselves, but their words were all clueless, with no solution in sight.

"If we continue like this, we will collapse even without the enemy attacking the city." A lieutenant general couldn't help but speak, his voice full of worry.

The tent was completely silent, with only the heavy sound of Liu Yao's footsteps echoing. Everyone knew that food shortage was the most critical problem, but no one could come up with an effective solution. Liu Yao paused and looked outside the tent, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness. He knew that if this crisis was not resolved quickly, a catastrophe might await them.