Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Huang Zu's expression softened slightly after hearing what everyone said, but a hint of anger still lingered. He snorted and said, "Hmph, if it weren't for everyone's hard work in the war, this matter wouldn't be over today. In that case, let's discuss it further."

Taishi Ci took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and clasped his fists, saying, "Since you all say so, Taishi Ci will not hold it against you. However, I hope that in future battles, you will consider the safety of our soldiers and not let their sacrifices be in vain."

Everyone nodded in agreement. A conflict that threatened to spiral out of control was temporarily calmed by the crowd's persuasion. Afterward, they gathered together to resume their siege strategy. The flickering candlelight illuminated the solemn faces of the group. Everyone knew that despite the temporary easing of tensions, the challenge of conquering the fortified city of Yuzhang remained.

On the battlefield of Lujiang, the arrival of Yuan Shu's army presented a significant obstacle to Ma Chao's offensive. Initially, Ma Chao led his men in a fierce charge towards the city like a tiger emerging from the mountains, but they were pinned down by Yuan Shu's sturdy defenses and dense crossbow fire, making any progress impossible. Inside the camp, the atmosphere was solemn as the generals gathered in a huddle, brows furrowed, discussing strategies to defeat the enemy.

"Given the current situation, Yuan Shu's army is holding their ground. A direct attack won't be effective." Zhang Liao was the first to break the silence. His eyes gleamed as he surveyed the crowd. "We're not locked in a decisive battle with Yuan Shu. There's no need to worry too much about the gains and losses of this one city. We could try to do what we did with Runan County before. If this one doesn't make it, we can split up our forces and attack other cities to keep him afloat!"

Xu Shu nodded slightly, with a glint of wisdom in his eyes: "Wenyuan is absolutely right. Yuan Shu's forces are scattered, and we can take advantage of this to make him lose sight of the big picture." Xu Huang also echoed, and everyone reached a consensus.

Ma Chao acted decisively, ordering his troops to be divided. Suddenly, Ma Chao's forces, like scattered blades, roared towards the surrounding counties. Upon hearing the news, Yuan Shu panicked and was forced to dispatch a large force to support them. However, his generals were far inferior in bravery and strategy to Ma Chao's fellow generals, such as Zhang Liao, Zhang Ren, and Xu Huang.

Whenever Yuan Shu sent a large number of reinforcements, Ma Chao's divisions would quickly withdraw to preserve their strength; but when reinforcements were scarce, they would attack like hungry wolves, defeating Yuan Shu's army in a crushing defeat. This back-and-forth left Yuan Shu's army exhausted and the entire defense line in chaos.

As the war progressed, tensions in the Lujiang region intensified. Ma Chao's strategy of dividing his forces not only put Yuan Shu's army on the defensive but also caused panic among the local people. However, Ma Chao knew that in these chaotic times, only drastic measures could quickly end the conflict and restore peace to the people. He and his generals continued to plan their next move, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu was furious in the tent. He smashed the teacup in his hand to the ground and roared, "Ma Chao, this kid, how dare you tease me like this! I will make him pay the price!" But no matter how angry he was, he was helpless in the face of Ma Chao's flexible and changeable tactics.

The atmosphere inside the tent was suffocatingly oppressive. Yuan Shu, scowling, paced back and forth in front of his desk. Yan Xiang sighed helplessly, his face filled with worry. "This Ma Chao, truly a general from the borderlands of Western Liang, has battled foreign tribes for years, mastering their guerrilla tactics to perfection. He refuses to engage our army head-on, relying solely on guerrilla warfare. His cavalry is also incredibly elusive, making him a real headache."

Yang Hong nodded slightly, his eyes thoughtful, and added, "My lord, Lord Yan is absolutely right. Ma Chao's actions are quite similar to the lightning strikes of the former champion, Huo Qubing. His swift actions, his comings and goings like the wind, make it difficult for us to predict his movements."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu's already gloomy expression grew even uglier. He interrupted impatiently, "Alright, alright! Stop encouraging others and destroying your own prestige! Don't I know what tactics he's using? The key is how to respond. Why don't you all come up with a plan? All you do is analyze things over and over again, but you can't come up with a single useful idea!"

Yan Xiang and Yang Hong exchanged a glance, a flicker of helplessness in their eyes. Yan Xiang cleared his throat and spoke cautiously, "Don't worry, my lord. Let's think this over carefully. Ma Chao's cavalry is highly mobile, and a direct pursuit will likely be ineffective. In my opinion, we should establish beacon towers throughout the counties. If Ma Chao's army makes a move, word will be quickly relayed, allowing the counties to prepare for defense. At the same time, we should select elite infantry, organize them into small units, and strengthen patrols. If we detect Ma Chao's army, we will divert them while we await reinforcements from the main army."

Yang Hong continued, "Mr. Yan's words make sense. Furthermore, we can send troops to infiltrate Ma Chao's army to learn their true strengths and weaknesses, and learn their battle plans and marching routes so we can prepare for a counterattack. Furthermore, we can also follow Ma Chao's example and send light cavalry to harass Ma Chao's supply lines in the surrounding areas, disrupting their rhythm."

Yuan Shu frowned as he listened to their suggestions, weighing them in his mind. After a moment, he snorted coldly, "Hmph, we'll have to try these methods to see if they're feasible. Make arrangements quickly. If you can't capture Ma Chao, you'll all be in trouble!"

Yan Xiang and Yang Hong quickly obeyed the order, exited the tent, and began to formulate a strategy to counter Ma Chao. Yuan Shu, on the other hand, sat alone in the tent, gazing at the military map on the table, his eyes filled with resentment and resentment. He secretly vowed to make Ma Chao pay for his actions.

As Yang Hong stepped out of the tent, the feigned anxiety on his face instantly faded, replaced by a subtle smugness. Inside the tent, he appeared to be working in unison with Yan Xiang, constantly echoing him, but in reality, he harbored ulterior motives. He knew that with Ma Chao's military prowess and tactical prowess, a simple defeat would be no easy task. By agreeing with Yan Xiang, he was merely subtly diverting Yuan Shu's wrath towards him.

At this moment, Yuan Shu was completely consumed by Ma Chao's turmoil, and his remaining trust in Yan Xiang must have been gradually eroding. The more Yang Hong thought about this, the more cheerful he felt, his steps unconsciously lightening. He recalled the secret letter he had received from Lei Bo and Li Feng the other day, stating that Yuzhang County was fully prepared and ready for evacuation as planned.

Thinking of this, Yang Hong's lips curled up slightly, a sly glint in his eyes. Yuan Shu was already suffering greatly from Ma Chao's torture on the Lujiang battlefield. When the military report from Yuzhang County arrived, revealing the withdrawal of Lei Bo and Li Feng, he would undoubtedly be even more furious. By then, Yan Xiang would be the first to bear the brunt of Yuan Shu's wrath, and he would undoubtedly face a bitter fate.

Yang Hong had already secretly instructed Lei Bo and Li Feng to prepare for a retreat, waiting for Yan Xiang to make a mistake amidst the chaos. If anything went wrong, he would have Lei Bo and Li Feng lead the victorious army into battle and turn the tide. A victory would surely solidify his position in Yuan Shu's favor and elevate his position. By then, how could Yan Xiang even be considered comparable to him in Yuan Shu's eyes?

Yang Hong looked up into the distance, his mind filled with calculations about the future. He could already see himself wielding absolute power within Yuan Shu's camp, while Yan Xiang would be completely trampled underfoot. But he didn't know whether his calculations would truly pan out, given the ever-changing battlefield.

Lei Bo and Li Feng sent the secret letter urgently, but the military report was sent according to normal procedures. Therefore, Yang Hong had received the secret letter for two days before the military report arrived.

The atmosphere inside the tent was oppressive, almost suffocating, a raging fury threatening to ignite the entire camp. Yuan Shu's face flushed red, his eyes wide, a vein bulging on his forehead. He paced frantically in front of the commander's desk, each step heavy, venting the uncontrollable rage deep within him.

"A bunch of trash! All of them!" Yuan Shu roared at the top of his lungs, lashing his whip hard on the commander's desk with a crisp "snap" sound. "Yan Xiang, didn't you say you had a plan? Is this your plan? The small force we sent out was slaughtered by Ma Chao, and he even led his troops to chase them back. Thousands of people, just gone like that!"

Yan Xiang's face was pale, beads of sweat covering his forehead. He lowered his head, not daring to breathe. He had racked his brains to come up with a strategy that he thought would be effective against Ma Chao. But who could have predicted that Ma Chao's generals were so brave and valiant that those strategies would be so vulnerable in actual combat.

"My lord, please calm down," Yan Xiang said timidly, his voice trembling. "Ma Chao's army is indeed powerful. We underestimated them. This is my fault. But please give me some more time. I will definitely come up with a better plan."

Yuan Shu refused to listen to his explanation and angrily interrupted, "Time? How much time do I have left? Zhang Liao has captured the next county over there. Do you know what this means? It means another hole has been torn in our defenses!"

Just as Yuan Shu's rage was at its peak, a burst of hurried footsteps was heard outside the tent. Immediately afterwards, a messenger rushed in in a panic, fell to his knees with a plop, and said in a trembling voice, "My lord, military reports have arrived from General Lei Bo and General Li Feng of Yuzhang Commandery!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu paused, a sense of foreboding welling up in his heart. He snatched the military report and quickly read it. His expression darkened as his gaze shifted. Finally, with a thud, he slammed the report to the ground and roared, "Those two bastards, Lei Bo and Li Feng, are actually planning to evacuate Yuzhang County? What do they think of me, Yuan Shu? Just a backup for them, only to be discarded after their use?"

Lei Bo and Li Feng had reported in a military report that the situation in Yuzhang County was critical and difficult to hold. To preserve their strength, they had decided to evacuate. Yuan Shu was furious. Ma Chao had already been causing him so much trouble, and now receiving this news was like adding insult to injury. He glared at Yan Xiang, as if venting all his anger on him: "Yan Xiang, look at what you've done! How can we continue this battle? What should we do now?"

Yan Xiang was also dumbfounded at this moment. He had not expected the situation to deteriorate to such an extent. The changes in Yuzhang County had made him lose his composure. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, no words came out. He could only groan inwardly, knowing that he was in great trouble.

Meanwhile, Yang Hong stood in the corner of the tent, a subtle glint of pride in his eyes. He had long known about Lei Bo and Li Feng's planned evacuation and had been waiting for this spectacle. Now, everything was just as he had predicted. Yuan Shu's wrath had been thoroughly ignited, and Yan Xiang was about to become its victim.