Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In the gloomy tent, candlelight flickered. Yuan Shu sat dejectedly in the main seat, his expression drooping. His advisors and generals gathered around him, their faces filled with worry, whispering soothing words to him, urging him not to grieve too much. Yuan Shu slowly raised his head, his once sharp eyes now dull as he glanced blankly at the generals surrounding him.

At that moment, his gaze fell on Li Feng and Lei Bo, who were kneeling in the distance. Recalling their previous actions, Yuan Shu's eyes flashed with a fierce gleam, a gaze that seemed to penetrate people. Li Feng and Lei Bo were already feeling uneasy, and now, feeling Yuan Shu's piercing gaze, their bodies trembled violently, a flicker of fear in their eyes, and they shuddered involuntarily.

The two men didn't dare to delay even a moment, and hurriedly crawled on their knees to Yuan Shu's side, each step cautious and careful. When they reached Yuan Shu, they all bowed down, their voices trembling, "Lord, please calm down. We acknowledge our sins and hope you will show mercy and spare us this time." Their voices were filled with pleading.

Yuan Shu looked at the two fearful men before him, his fury rising once more. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white from the strain, his face flushed crimson, clearly preparing to punish them. Just as the atmosphere was tense, Yan Xiang trotted out from the side. With a sincere expression on his face, he bowed to Yuan Shu and said, "My lord, now is the time to employ men. Although Generals Li Feng and Lei Bo have made mistakes, they have also made many contributions in the past. I hope that, for the sake of their past friendship, you will show leniency and give them a chance to redeem themselves." He lowered his head slightly, quietly awaiting Yuan Shu's response.

Yuan Shu's face was gloomy, his eyes filled with deep anger. He slammed the table and shouted, "Don't beg for mercy anymore! Mr. Yan Xiang, you are well-read, don't you understand the importance of food and grass to our army? Lei Bo is a general in charge of transporting food and grass, but he has lost it time and time again. What's the use of keeping such an incompetent person?" The voice echoed in the tent with unquestionable majesty.

Yan Xiang frowned slightly, a trace of anxiety on his face. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, please reconsider. Although Lei Bo has made mistakes, punishing him severely now might shake the morale of the army. We can let him make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence, and see how he performs. The situation is turbulent right now, and it's time to use people. Punishing him would not only be difficult to recover the losses, but it might also be useless."

At this time, Yang Hong's mouth corners slightly raised, a sneer of contempt appeared on his face, and he said sarcastically: "Mr. Yan Xiang said it lightly. But don't forget, a good cook cannot cook without rice. Now it is icy and snowy, the weather is freezing, and there is no food. How can the soldiers survive? How can they fight?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his eyes full of disdain.

Yan Xiang's expression changed slightly. He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond. He lowered his head slightly, a look of helplessness on his face, as he pondered how to resolve the impasse. The atmosphere in the tent grew increasingly tense. Everyone watched in silence, no one daring to speak out to break the silence.

Lei Bo was terrified, his legs trembling. He knew full well that Yuan Shu was furious, and he feared Yuan Shu would lose control of his wrath and take it out on him. His face was as pale as paper, his forehead covered in sweat, and he kowtowed repeatedly, the sound resonating clearly in the silent tent. He wept, "My lord, I have followed you for many years, and I have served you wholeheartedly in the past. For the sake of our past friendship, please spare my life! I am willing to form a death squad and personally lead them to the forefront of the battlefield, storming Yuzhang County. If we fail, I am willing to die as an apology, and I only ask for my life!" His voice was filled with endless pleading and fear, and his body twitched slightly with extreme tension.

Yuan Shu looked at Lei Bo, a man with a face full of misery and fear, and his mind couldn't help but recall the memories of their past battles together. Those images flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern, and the intense fierceness in his eyes faded slightly. He was silent for a moment, his eyes sweeping over Lei Bo and the equally trembling Li Feng beside him. He slowly said, "Lei Bo, considering your past merits and your determination today, I will spare your life. However, while the death penalty may be waived, the living punishment cannot be escaped. Effective immediately, you will be demoted three ranks to the rank of Lieutenant." He then looked at Li Feng and said coldly, "Li Feng, you are also to blame. You will be demoted to the rank of General Yamen. If you make any more mistakes, I will not forgive you!"

Lei Bo and Li Feng felt relieved when they heard Yuan Shu's verdict. They kowtowed again in gratitude, saying, "Thank you, lord, for sparing our lives. We will fight to the death to repay your kindness!"

Yan Xiang watched this scene with a sigh of relief. He knew that in this difficult situation, being able to avoid excessive internal punishment and retain useful personnel was a blessing for Yuan Shu's forces. The tense and oppressive atmosphere in the tent gradually eased with Yuan Shu's decision.

Yang Hong watched Yuan Shu punish Lei Bo and Li Feng, secretly feeling that the punishments seemed a bit lenient. However, he also understood that it wasn't appropriate to dwell on this issue any further. As Yuan Shu's advisor, Yang Hong had always been somewhat dissatisfied with Yan Xiang, the chief advisor, who consistently held a higher position than him. Furthermore, his numerous suggestions were rejected by Yan Xiang, a resentment that had long festered in his heart.

Take the matter of grain and fodder, for example. Sun Ce had twice previously sent grain and fodder to Yuzhang. Yang Hong, keenly sensing an opportunity, urged Yuan Shu to send troops to plunder, but each time, Yan Xiang refused, citing the need for Lei Bo to escort the grain and fodder from various locations. Now that Lei Bo and Li Feng had failed to return with the grain and fodder, Yang Hong felt the time had come and decided to bring up the matter again, hoping to sow discontent with Yuan Shu towards Yan Xiang.

Yang Hong stepped forward, a look of worry on his face. He addressed Yuan Shu, "My lord, our army is in dire straits. It's freezing cold, the soldiers are short of food and clothing, and we're running low on rations. What can we do? I suggested sending troops to plunder Sun Ce's rations sent to Yuzhang, but I held off, believing the rations Lei Bo and Li Feng were on time. Now, the army is exhausted, the horses are tired, and the rations are running low, and they haven't been able to bring them back. If the soldiers knew the truth about our lack of rations, they would probably mutiny. How would our army then cope with this crisis?"

Every word Yang Hong spoke struck the hearts of those in the tent like a hammer. Yuan Shu's expression darkened, and he turned his gaze to Yan Xiang, a hint of doubt and dissatisfaction in his eyes. Yan Xiang's heart tightened. He knew Yang Hong was deliberately trying to make things difficult for him, but now he had to defend himself to deal with this sudden crisis...

As expected, Yuan Shu frowned, looked at Yan Xiang sharply, and said, "Mr. Yan Xiang, as Yang Hong said, the current situation is so serious. What should our army do?"

Yan Xiang's heart trembled, knowing that his answer at this moment was crucial and that any mistake could affect the overall situation. He lowered his head slightly, narrowed his eyes, and quickly calculated the situation in his mind.

The current situation was indeed grim. Yuzhang County had previously received two rounds of food and fodder from Sun Ce, boosting the morale of the defenders. Their strength was now far superior to what it had been previously. Meanwhile, their own army was starving and cold, starving, and attempting to storm Yuzhang would undoubtedly be an arduous undertaking, with little hope of success.

Even more worrying was the constant harassment from Ma Chao and Zhou Yu in the rear, like thorns in the side, tying down considerable forces and preventing the army from launching a full-scale attack. Furthermore, Sun Ce in Kuaiji Commandery remained inactive, lurking like a tiger in the shadows, his movements difficult to predict.

After weighing the pros and cons, Yan Xiang decided that since it was difficult for the army to achieve military success here, a continued stalemate would only increase losses. It would be better to withdraw, consolidate the defense, and hold on to the existing territory. This was the safest approach.

Yan Xiang bowed slightly, carefully considered his words, and slowly said: "My lord, in my opinion, Yuzhang County is now heavily guarded, and our army is short of food and grass. A strong attack may not succeed. Moreover, Ma Chao and Zhou Yu are constantly harassing us from the rear, and Sun Ce's movements are unknown. It is not appropriate for our army to stay here for a long time. It is better to withdraw temporarily, return to defend our territory, and consolidate our foundation. It will not be too late to make plans when there is sufficient food and grass and the situation is favorable in the future. I hope my lord will think twice." After that, he waited quietly for Yuan Shu's response, secretly praying in his heart that Yuan Shu would adopt his suggestion.

After hearing Yan Xiang's words, Yuan Shu's face darkened instantly, his eyes filled with resentment and anger. He slammed the table with a loud "bang" that echoed throughout the tent, shaking the cups and plates on the table slightly.

"Mr. Yan Xiang, what are you talking about! My army has been on the march for more than a year. In the beginning, we were unstoppable and made rapid progress. We finally reached the outskirts of Yuzhang County. Now we have been trapped for more than half a year. How can we return empty-handed? In this case, wouldn't it be as you said, a tiger with a head but a snake with a tail? Where is my face, Yuan Shu? How can I convince the soldiers in the future?" Yuan Shu's voice was full of unquestionable majesty, and his eyes flashed with anger.

Seeing this, Yang Hong was secretly delighted, feeling that the dispute he had provoked had paid off. He stepped forward and added fuel to the fire, "My lord, you are absolutely right! Mr. Yan Xiang, you only see the immediate difficulties, but fail to consider our army's morale and my lord's reputation. If we retreat now, the soldiers will surely think you are cowardly, and once morale drops, it will be difficult to restore it. Besides, if we just give up like this, won't we be a laughingstock to the Yuzhang defenders and Sun Ce and the others?"

Yan Xiang's face was solemn. He knew that Yuan Shu and Yang Hong were overwhelmed by their emotions and would not listen to his advice. However, he still gritted his teeth and bowed again, saying, "My lord, Mr. Yang Hong, I am not retreating out of cowardice. It's just that the situation is now clear. A sudden attack on Yuzhang is hopeless, and there are many hidden dangers in the rear. If we insist on a stalemate here, once the food and supplies are exhausted and the army is in chaos, that will be a real crisis. Retreating now will preserve our strength and we will still have the opportunity to make a comeback in the future. I hope my lord will put the overall situation first!"