Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In Yuzhang County, Lei Bo and Li Feng were anxiously awaiting news from Lujiang County. Although they were attacked from both sides, they had managed to withdraw their forces in time and, thanks to the strong fortifications of Yuzhang County, had been able to hold out until now.

During this time, the two men had no appetite, their minds and eyes filled with news from Lujiang County, and they would ask their scouts countless times every day. Finally, after a long wait, they first received a secret letter from Yang Hong, and then, soon after, the military order from Yuan Shu.

Lei Bo and Li Feng eagerly opened Yang Hong's secret letter, which stated that he had already made all necessary arrangements in Lujiang County, awaiting their safe withdrawal. The letter also specifically urged Lei Bo and Li Feng to cede Yuzhang County to the coalition forces of Liu Yao and Liu Biao, as previously agreed.

The two men opened Yuan Shu's military order again. The content of the order was much simpler and more direct. There were not too many arrangements. It just clearly required them to immediately lead the large army to retreat back to Lujiang.

Lei Bo and Li Feng exchanged a glance, each a flicker of relief. Yuan Shu's military order landed lightly on the table, devoid of a single word of reprimand. This detail clearly indicated that Yang Hong had spoken on their behalf before his lord. It seemed that the loss of the city, a crime so grave as to be no longer pursued, finally brought relief to the two men.

"I'm finally relieved," Lei Bo raised his hand to wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead, his tone full of relief at having survived a disaster, "Thanks to Mr. Yang Hong, otherwise we would have been in big trouble this time."

Li Feng nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on the military order, his expression solemn: "Don't be too happy too soon. The key is how to implement Mr. Yang Hong's follow-up plan."

The two men immediately fell into discussion, their brows furrowed in concentration. Meeting Sun Ce's fierce attack was no easy task. Sun Ce's troops were elite, and their offensive was fierce. A single mistake could lead to annihilation.

"We have to find a way to contain Sun Ce and confuse him about our intentions." Li Feng pondered for a moment and spoke first. "We should allocate a portion of our forces and feign a gathering east of the city. We should create the illusion of an offensive and divert Sun Ce's main force."

Lei Bo rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and then continued, "This plan is feasible, but we must keep some backup plans. Send another troop of light cavalry to ambush south of the city. If Sun Ce sees through our feint, we can respond in time."

Having solved the problem of dealing with Sun Ce's attack, the next challenge was to cede the city. They had to quietly surrender Yuzhang County to the armies of Liu Yao and Liu Biao without letting Sun Ce know. Any misstep could trigger a joint attack from both forces.

"Why not open the north gate at night while Sun Ce's attention is drawn to the east of the city, and quietly let Liu Yao and Liu Biao's troops in." Lei Bo proposed the idea with caution in his eyes.

Li Feng hesitated. "This is too risky. If Sun Ce's scouts discover us, we'll be attacked from both sides and in great trouble. I think it would be safer to send someone to secretly contact Liu Yao and Liu Biao's armies first, agreeing on a time and a signal for action."

After some discussion, the two finally came up with a preliminary plan. However, evacuating the entire force presented another challenge. The transportation of food and supplies, as well as the deployment of soldiers, required meticulous planning. Any slight confusion could delay the evacuation and even lead to a desperate situation.

"Let the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled go first, along with the food and supplies, and the elite troops will cover the rear." Li Feng frowned, his tone firm, "We must ensure that the evacuation route is unobstructed. There cannot be any mistakes."

Lei Bo nodded heavily and breathed a sigh of relief: "There is no time to lose, let's start preparing now, and hope everything goes well." After that, the two of them stood up and rushed to their posts. A tense and secret operation began.

Under the cover of night in Yuzhang County, two nimble soldiers, carrying their bags and leading their horses, quietly slipped out a side gate. They were envoys carefully selected by Lei Bo and Li Feng, entrusted with a crucial mission that would determine the fate of the army. Moonlight shone upon them, illuminating their expressions of intense determination. Not daring to slack off, the two mounted their horses and galloped towards the camp of the allied forces of Liu Yao and Huang Zu. Along the way, the sound of horse hooves was especially clear in the stillness of the night. They vigilantly observed their surroundings, constantly on guard against scouts from Sun Ce's army.

Dawn had just broken when the envoys arrived at the allied camp. The guards at the gate immediately drew their spears and shouted, "Stop! Who are you?" The envoys quickly dismounted, clasped their hands, and declared, "We are envoys sent by Generals Lei Bo and Li Feng, under Yuan Shu. We wish to see Generals Liu Yao and Huang Zu on an important matter." The guards exchanged bewilderment, and then one of them hurried into the camp to report.

A moment later, the envoy was led into the central military tent. Inside, Liu Yao and Huang Zu sat at the head of the tent, flanked by advisors like Kuai Liang and Xu Shao. Upon seeing the envoy enter, their eyes filled with surprise. Liu Yao frowned slightly, sizing him up, and spoke first, "Your Yuan Shu army has been holed up in the city. Why are you sending an envoy here today?" His voice was low and scrutinizing.

Huang Zu also snorted coldly, crossed his arms and asked, "Are you here to feign surrender?"

The envoy remained calm and composed. He bowed to the crowd, then straightened up and said, "Generals, my generals Lei Bo and Li Feng have sent us here with the sincere intention of discussing matters with you. The war is now at a stalemate, and our army has no desire to fight any further. We are willing to offer the city of Yuzhang to you, generals, in exchange for a safe evacuation."

As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar erupted in the tent. Kuai Liang's brow furrowed even deeper, and he and Xu Shao exchanged a glance, both eyes filled with suspicion. Huang Zu, with a look of disdain on his face, shouted, "Hmph, how could such a good thing happen? You must be scheming!"

The envoy calmly bowed again, explaining earnestly, "Generals, please allow me to report that the battle in Lujiang has reached a critical juncture. If our army continues to be trapped in this isolated city of Yuzhang, we will not only be unable to withstand your attacks, but will also be unable to return to Lujiang to provide support. Ultimately, our army will be annihilated, which is truly futile. Therefore, after careful consideration, my general has decided to offer Yuzhang County to you two, as a way to find a way out for our army."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yao and Huang Zu exchanged a meaningful glance. Capturing Yuzhang County without bloodshed was indeed a tempting proposition. However, the two counselors, Kuai Liang and Xu Shao, wore solemn expressions, their eyes filled with doubt.

Kuai Liang stepped forward, staring at the messenger with a sharp gaze, and asked coldly, "You sound nice, but how can you convince us that this isn't a ruse? What if we temporarily suspend our attack on the city and you secretly deploy troops, or collude with Sun Ce's army? Wouldn't that mean we're walking into a trap?"

Xu Shao also echoed: "Yes, this matter is too strange, we must be on guard."

The envoy had anticipated this question and responded calmly, "You two gentlemen are right to be concerned. We understand that empty words are not enough. Therefore, my general proposes that if you two agree to temporarily suspend the siege and allow us to quietly withdraw to the north, we will then open the gates and surrender the city. If we violate this agreement in any way, you two generals can ally with Sun Ce's army and wipe us out. Furthermore, if we truly intended to collude with Sun Ce's army, why would we have gone to the trouble of coming to discuss the surrender of the city with you?"

After these words, everyone in the tent fell into deep thought. Liu Yao and Huang Zu exchanged a few words in low voices, their expressions somewhat hesitant. Seeing this, the envoy struck while the iron was hot: "Generals, this is a win-win situation for both sides. Our army can evacuate safely, and you can successfully capture Yuzhang County. Why not? If you don't agree, our army may be forced to cede the city to Sun Ce's army. I'm sure this is not the outcome you two generals want to see."

After intense ideological struggles and repeated discussions, Liu Yao and Huang Zu were finally persuaded. Kuai Liang and Xu Shao were still somewhat concerned, but seeing their lord's determination, they did not try to forcefully stop him.

Liu Yao cleared his throat and said sternly, "Alright, we agree to your request. But let me be frank: if you dare to play any tricks, don't blame us for being rude!"

The envoy was overjoyed and quickly knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you both generals for your trust. My general will definitely abide by the agreement without hesitation."

After reaching an agreement with Liu Yao and Huang Zu to surrender the city, Lei Bo and Li Feng, fearing no slack, immediately began preparing for the evacuation. With so many people and supplies within Yuzhang, an orderly evacuation proved to be no easy task. While arranging the soldiers to systematically organize food and supplies, they also coordinated the deployment of troops from various battalions and planned the evacuation route, leaving them extremely busy.

Liu Yao and Huang Zu stood on a high point north of the city, watching Yuan Shu's troops steadily withdraw from the city. Though a little uneasy, they suppressed their anxiety at the thought of Yuzhang City, which was about to be captured. Seeing such a large-scale troop movement, they knew that if they rashly blocked it, it would likely trigger a chaotic battle, which might not end well for them. It would be better to wait and see, waiting for the moment to capture the city without bloodshed.

After some discussion, Lei Bo and Li Feng decided that Lei Bo would lead the majority of the troops to evacuate first, setting up camp in the north of Yuzhang County, awaiting Li Feng's follow-up troops. Li Feng would leave behind a small number of elite troops to resist Sun Ce's attack in the south of the city, ensuring that Sun Ce remained in the dark about the events within the city.

Lei Bo knew full well that this evacuation mission was arduous, a matter of life and death for the entire army. Therefore, he remained vigilant throughout the evacuation, personally covering the rearguard to ensure every soldier's safe exit. His gaze was firm and steady, constantly monitoring the surroundings, his spear tightly gripped, ready to respond to any emergency.

Li Feng faced considerable pressure. He had to organize his forces to resist Sun Ce's attacks while also being ready to assist the evacuating troops. He knew that if Sun Ce detected any disturbances within the city and launched a fierce attack, his side would be trapped, vulnerable from both sides. Therefore, he constantly boosted his soldiers' morale while cleverly utilizing the terrain and fortifications to repeatedly thwart Sun Ce's attacks.

Finally, Lei Bo's troops successfully established themselves outside the city, their tents spread out in a row, their flags flying. As agreed, they notified the allied forces of Liu Yao and Huang Zu to move inside to relieve the enemy. Lei Bo's main force, stationed outside, created a delicate balance of power, and the allied forces of Huang Zu and Liu Yao were hesitant to resort to any ruse. They knew that violating their agreement would inevitably lead to a pincer attack from Lei Bo and Li Feng, resulting in a loss that would outweigh the gains.