Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Huang Zu tilted his head slightly, his eyes revealing the confidence and composure of a veteran. A faint sneer played at the corner of his mouth. He slowly bowed and replied, "General Liu, just sit back and relax. Conquering cities and territories is the job of military commanders like us. You will stay in the rear and coordinate the overall situation. I will make arrangements immediately, and we will definitely capture Chaisang City." With these words, Huang Zu turned and strode towards his men, methodically deploying their troops and preparing for the siege. He stood tall and straight, commanding with confidence, issuing clear and forceful orders to his soldiers, displaying the demeanor of a great general. In an instant, the entire army was swiftly mobilized, and a fierce siege was about to begin.

Huang Zu stood at the front of the battle line, gazing solemnly at the heavily fortified city before him. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the assault. Immediately, drums beat, and soldiers, shouting, rushed toward the city gates, setting up ladders to scale the walls. Undeterred, the Chaisang defenders retaliated with powerful bows and crossbows, raining arrows down upon Liu Yao's army. Scalding oil and boulders rained down from the city walls. Despite their valor and fearlessness, Liu Yao's troops suffered heavy casualties under this fierce resistance, and their advance was repeatedly blocked. It took several days, at great cost, to finally capture Chaisang County.

After conquering Chaisang, Huang Zu's army rested briefly before continuing their advance towards Luling County. Along the way, the soldiers, still reeling from the devastation of the Battle of Chaisang, speculated on the fierce resistance in Luling County. However, upon reaching Luling County, they found a situation that defied all expectations. The city's defenders offered minimal resistance, unable to mount an effective defense against Huang Zu's approaching force. Huang Zu, puzzled, dismissed this concern and quickly commanded his troops to seize the opportunity and storm the city. With minimal effort, the army successfully entered Luling County.

After entering the city, Huang Zu learned that Lei Bo and Li Feng had drawn troops from the northern counties to defend the county seat. Most of Luling County's elite troops had been transferred, leaving only a few old and weak soldiers to defend the city, completely unable to resist Huang Zu's attack. Liu Yao could not help but feel delighted, believing that this was a sign of divine assistance, but he had no idea that Lei Bo and Li Feng were hiding a more complex scheme.

Huang Zu and Liu Yao were stationed together in Luling County. Within the tents, flickering candlelight illuminated the solemn and diverse expressions of the troops. Huang Zu wore a barely concealed scornful smile, his tone shrouded in icy frost, his every word dripping with sarcasm. "With such a limited force, Yuan Shu was able to defeat General Liu, resulting in the loss of his troops and the loss of cities and territory. I had always thought General Liu was truly capable, but it seems this land of Jiangdong isn't so easy to defend."

As soon as these words left his mouth, they were like an incredibly sharp dagger, piercing Liu Yao. His face instantly turned horrible, red and white, like the mess after an overturned palette. He gritted his teeth, his hands subconsciously clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white from the exertion. The rage within him suddenly flared up, but he racked his brains and couldn't find a single word to refute it. After all, the previous defeat was a foregone conclusion, and it made him feel as if a huge rock was blocking his chest. His face burned, as if he had been slapped hard in public.

Meanwhile, Kuai Liang seemed oblivious to the tense situation. He sat at his desk, relaxed and at ease, sipping his tea, as if he were watching a brilliant joke. Occasionally, he would glance between Huang Zu and Liu Yao, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth, as if silently lamenting the amusement of this farce, completely detached from it.

Just as the awkward atmosphere threatened to freeze and suffocate, a sudden, chaotic sound of footsteps echoed outside the tent. Immediately afterwards, a soldier rushed in, barely bothering to salute, shouting at the top of his voice, "Report! Unknown forces are advancing upon us!" Huang Zu's previously arrogant expression suddenly changed. He no longer cared to argue with Liu Yao. He abruptly stood up and shouted in a voice as resounding as a bell: "Assemble the troops immediately!" With that, he strode out of the tent with a swift and powerful demeanor, ready to face the unknown battle. Liu Yao also hurriedly arose and followed, secretly grateful that this sudden change had interrupted this extremely awkward conversation, but at the same time, he was filled with a subtle apprehension about the impending battle.

Huang Zu arrived at the top of the county wall, his gaze fixed on the unidentified troops outside, a solemn expression on his face. The soldiers around him stood in formation, weapons tightly gripped. The atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to explode at any moment. Liu Yao quickly followed and stood beside Huang Zu, his brow furrowed, filled with confusion and vigilance.

Outside the city, Taishi Ci, anxious and desperate, rode his horse at top speed to join the enemy, only to be stopped. Seeing Huang Zu and his soldiers on the wall, their faces brimming with fear, he cried out in anger, "I am Taishi Ci, and I have come to join General Liu Yao to fight the enemy together. Why are you stopping us?" Huang Zu's soldiers, however, didn't recognize Taishi Ci at all and thought he was a spy sent by the enemy. No matter how Taishi Ci explained, they refused to let him go.

Just as the stalemate reached a critical juncture, Taishi Ci, with his sharp eyes, immediately recognized Liu Yao standing next to Huang Zu. Overjoyed, he shouted at the top of his voice, "My Lord! I am Taishi Ci!" Upon hearing the familiar voice, Liu Yao took a closer look and saw that it was indeed Taishi Ci. His surprise was beyond words, and he hurriedly said to Huang Zu, "General Huang, this is my general, Taishi Ci. Let him go!"

Huang Zu frowned slightly, his mind thick with suspicion. Although Liu Yao was certain of Taishi Ci's identity, he still felt something was amiss and couldn't let his guard down. After pondering for a moment, Huang Zu said gravely, "Envoy Liu, within Yuzhang County, the forces are either Yuan Shu or Sun Ce. Your general's sudden arrival is truly unsettling. We must be on guard."

Liu Yao was speechless for a moment. He understood Huang Zu's caution, but he also had some doubts. In his eagerness, he didn't know how to refute him. He could only helplessly ask, "Then, according to General Huang Zu, how can we prove his identity?"

Huang Zu's gaze blazed as he looked at Taishi Ci, who was still anxiously waiting outside the city walls. Without hesitation, he said, "In that case, have him ride up alone and explain everything clearly. If he's truly sincere, why would he be afraid of a simple foray into the city for a meeting? If he has ulterior motives, we can prepare for it in advance and avoid being caught off guard."

Liu Yao looked apprehensive. Sending Taishi Ci on his own was a risky undertaking, but he had no other options. He dispatched a messenger outside the city to convey Huang Zu's request to Taishi Ci. Without hesitation, Taishi Ci unsheathed his sword, handed it to a subordinate, and then mounted his horse, slowly advancing toward the city gate.

Atop the city walls, Huang Zu closely watched Taishi Ci's every move, his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to respond at any moment. Liu Yao, on the other hand, was filled with worry, his eyes never leaving Taishi Ci. Taishi Ci approached the city gate, looked up at the walls, and shouted, "General Huang, my lord, Taishi Ci has come here today with sincerity. I sincerely wish to clear up any misunderstandings and discuss the plan to recapture Yuzhang County!"

Huang Zu saw that Taishi Ci looked calm and composed, not someone with ulterior motives. His suspicions eased slightly, but he remained vigilant. He ordered his men to lower the hanging basket and hoist Taishi Ci up to the top of the city wall.

Although Taishi Ci felt a mixture of shame and indignation at being so unjustly questioned for his sincerity, he suppressed his unhappiness when he thought of his lord Liu Yao's great cause. He took a deep breath, climbed onto the hanging basket, and slowly ascended to the top of the city wall.

Upon seeing Liu Yao, Taishi Ci's eyes became red, and he fell to his knees with a thud, his voice choked with sobs: "My lord, Taishi Ci has finally waited for you to come. Since we parted that day, Taishi Ci has been thinking all the time about you bringing troops to recapture Yuzhang County." Liu Yao looked at the loyal Taishi Ci, and his doubts were slightly alleviated. A touch of emotion appeared on his face, and he quickly reached out to help Taishi Ci up.

At this moment, Huang Zu stepped forward and said coldly: "General Taishi Ci, tell me, in Yuzhang County now, apart from Sun Ce's army, there is also Yuan Shu's army. I don't know where you have been living these days and how you have been living?" Huang Zu's eyes were as sharp as an eagle. He stared at Taishi Ci, his hands clasped on his chest, and his whole body exuded an air of distrust. It was obvious that he was still very wary of Taishi Ci.

Taishi Ci slowly stood up, his expression calm, and he spoke calmly, "Since General Huang has such questions, I will explain them in detail. Since parting with my lord, I have been well aware of the complex situation in Yuzhang County, so I have hidden myself in the mountains and forests, gathering my old subordinates and secretly training the troops."

Huang Zu took a step forward with a rage, his eyes wide open, and pressed Taishi Ci straight in the face: "Humph, gathering old subordinates and training troops in the mountains? That's easy to say, but how can the soldiers survive without food and fodder? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child who can be fooled so easily?" His voice echoed in the tent, carrying with it an unquestionable sense of oppression.

Taishi Ci remained calm, unhurriedly raising his hand to gesture, pleading with Huang Zu to remain calm. "General, please listen to me. I later heard that Sun Ce, also known as General Sun Bofu, had arrived at Yuzhang City, confronting Yuan Shu's forces. Since General Sun Ce and I had previously been friends, lending each other soldiers and food, the situation forced me to temporarily take shelter in his tent in order to preserve our strength against the scoundrel Yuan Shu."

When Huang Zu heard this, a smug smile suddenly appeared on his face, as if he had seen through the truth. He then raised his head and laughed: "Hahahaha, you've really exposed your true colors! Since you have already defected to Sun Ce, why are you now defecting to Liu Shijun? Are you trying to deceive us so that you can work together inside and outside to trap us? Left and right, catch this spy for me!" As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers on both sides surrounded him like wolves and tigers, with cold light flashing in their weapons, pointing directly at Taishi Ci.

Taishi Ci's face darkened, but he was not panicked. He suddenly shouted, "Wait! General Huang, you are so arbitrary. Don't you want to listen to what I say? If I were really a spy, why would I take the initiative to confess all this?" After that, he swept his eyes over everyone present in turn, and finally stared at Huang Zu, with both anger and unwillingness in his eyes.

As Liu Yao heard Taishi Ci's explanation, a flicker of suspicion and fear inevitably crossed his eyes. His former trust, under Huang Zu's relentless pressure and this startling "confession," began to waver. He looked at Taishi Ci, his lips moving slightly, but no words came out.