Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Sun Ce suffered a setback at Yuzhang County, and Yuan Shu's army fled without a trace. Fury blinded him, and he relentlessly attacked the city for two days. However, facing the impregnable city and the fierce resistance of the allied forces of Liu Yao and Huang Zu, his attacks were like hitting a fortress, achieving little success and only causing casualties.

The night in Yuzhang County was filled with a sense of tension amidst the quiet. Inside the city's largest mansion, dimly lit, Liu Yao and Huang Zu sat opposite each other, the atmosphere oppressive and suffocating. Liu Yao's face was filled with anxiety, his folding fan already warped from his grip. He slammed it heavily on the table with a resounding "snap," breaking the silence. "General Huang Zu, although Sun Ce suffered a loss in the previous battle, he still firmly controls the southern counties of Yuzhang. This is a grave threat! We can no longer sit idly by. We must march out of the city and fight to reclaim all lost territory!" He spoke, rising to his feet and waving his hands in the air, as if that would instantly reclaim the lost territory.

Huang Zu, however, looked indifferent. He slowly picked up the teacup, blew away the hot steam, took a sip, and responded slowly: "General Liu, I understand your feelings, but isn't it too hasty to attack rashly at this time? Although our army has just won a victory, the soldiers are exhausted and need a good rest." There was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, but there was a perfunctory look in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yao was so anxious that veins popped out on his forehead. He paced back and forth in the tent, his shoes rubbing against the ground and making a rapid sound: "If we rest any longer, Sun Ce will probably have gathered his strength and made a comeback! By then, it will be extremely difficult for us to regain the lost territory!" He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice unconsciously rose by several decibels.

Seeing that Huang Zu remained unmoved, Liu Yao, like grasping at a lifeline, cast his gaze towards Kuai Liang, his tone full of expectation: "Mr. Kuai, you are resourceful and have always had good plans. Please help us think of a solution!"

Kuai Liang understood what he meant, and his face instantly turned angry. He turned around abruptly, pointed his finger at Huang Zu, and said righteously: "General Huang, now is a good time to send troops, but you keep delaying. What is your intention? Do you want to watch Sun Ce grow stronger and threaten our territory?" As he spoke, he took a step forward, acting as if he was going to lead an army to hold him accountable.

Huang Zu was not willing to be outdone. He stood up with a "swoosh", put his hands on his hips, and shouted at the top of his voice: "Kuai Liang, stop pointing fingers here! A general is not subject to orders from his king when he is away from the court! I have been fighting on the battlefield for so many years, don't I know the situation clearly? Sending troops at this time is tantamount to hitting a rock with an egg. Going there is just seeking death!" His face flushed red, and the blue veins on his neck were clearly visible, as if he was really angered by Kuai Liang's words.

The two exchanged barbs, neither willing to yield, their voices growing louder. Kuai Liang's face flushed with rage, his fists clenched and trembling. Huang Zu, on the other hand, puffed his beard and glared, his spit flying. The air in the tent seemed to be ignited by the fierce argument. The other generals dared not breathe, their heads lowered, fearing that the flames of the fighting would spread to them.

The argument continued for a while, until Kuai Liang finally sighed in frustration, shook his sleeves, and turned to leave. He approached Liu Yao, his face tinged with fatigue and resignation. "General Liu, General Huang Zu has made up his mind. There's nothing I can do." Liu Yao looked at Kuai Liang, his disappointment and hatred growing stronger. He gritted his teeth, his fists clenched, and his resentment towards Huang Zu reached its peak.

Huang Zu knew that Sun Ce's army was formidable. Although he had repelled Sun Ce's two sieges, a decisive battle outside the city would be unpredictable. Furthermore, he had recently learned from soldiers transporting grain that Liu Biao had already dispatched troops from Jingzhou to garrison the subsequent counties they had just captured. This meant that even if he remained silent, he would have already achieved a significant feat.

Sun Ce sat upright in his tent, his brow furrowed, his expression solemn. Two consecutive failed sieges had forced him to suppress his inner anxiety and resentment, concentrating on pondering a strategy to defeat the enemy. The flickering candlelight within the tent illuminated his exhausted yet resolute face.

He slowly stood up, paced around the tent, and said, "This siege has been thwarted. Everyone, tell me, what should we do now?"

Wei Yan was the first to step forward, clasped his hands together, and said in a loud voice: "My lord, Yuzhang County is a strategic location, how can we give it up easily? Although the coalition forces of Liu Yao and Huang Zu are on guard, our army's morale is still there. We should continue to fight against them and take over the entire Yuzhang County in one go!" His eyes were firm and full of fighting spirit, as if he had seen the dawn of victory.

Sun Ben nodded in agreement. "That's right, my lord. If we give up now, all our previous efforts will be wasted, and our soldiers will be resentful. As long as we adjust our strategy, we will surely capture the city."

However, Lü Meng, Quan Cong, Xue Zong, Lü Dai, and other generals who had defected from Wu Commandery disagreed. Lü Meng stepped forward, his expression respectful yet sincere. "My lord, we understand your determination to capture Yuzhang County. But our army has already achieved remarkable success, and half of Yuzhang County is already in our hands. This city is incredibly strong, and continuing to attack it will inevitably result in countless unnecessary casualties. In my opinion, it would be wise to negotiate with Huang Zu and his men and divide Yuzhang County into two equal parts."

Quan Cong then added: "General Lu is absolutely right. Peace talks can not only preserve the strength of our army, but also avoid more casualties and consolidate the existing results. I hope my lord will think twice." Xue Zong and Lu Dai also nodded slightly to express their agreement.

Inside the tent, the debate among the generals was still going on. Wei Yan's face flushed, but he was still arguing: "It is cowardly to give up the siege at this time. The soldiers are holding their breath, we will definitely be able to take Yuzhang!" Lu Meng patiently advised: "Forced siege will result in too many casualties. Peace talks can allow our army to obtain the greatest benefits at the lowest cost. I hope my lord will understand." The two sides insisted on their own opinions and refused to give in to each other, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

Sun Ce watched all this calmly, his brow furrowed, as if troubled by the argument, but within, he was secretly plotting. He keenly sensed that this internal division might be the key to defeating the enemy. By exploiting this discord, creating the illusion of disunity within Sun Ce's army, he could paralyze Huang Zu and Liu Yao. If Huang Zu, believing he had an opportunity, fled the city to engage in battle, without the protection of the fortress, he would be no match for them.

But how to cleverly convey this "news" and convince the other party was a difficult problem for Sun Ce. He pretended to listen to the generals' arguments while pondering the matter over and over again in his mind.

Suddenly, a plan struck Sun Ce. He sighed heavily, raised his voice, and declared, "Enough! Let's put this matter aside for now and discuss it tomorrow!" The generals froze in their tracks. Sun Ce waved his hand, dismissing all but his trusted advisor, Sun Ben.

When only two people remained in the tent, Sun Ce lowered his voice and laid out his plan. Sun Ben's eyes flickered with admiration, "Great plan, my lord! But we need a reliable source to pass on this information." Sun Ce pondered for a moment and said, "Isn't there a soldier in the army who surrendered to Huang Zu? He's been fairly honest. Let's do this..." The two men conferred in low voices for a long time, and a detailed plan gradually took shape, ready to be put into action when the time was right.

In the stillness of the night, Sun Ce summoned Huang Zu's usually honest surrendered soldier into his tent. Upon entering, the surrendered soldier trembled with fear and fell to his knees. Sun Ce soothed him gently and detailed his plan: "Return to Huang Zu and tell him that there's been a dispute in the army over the attack on Yuzhang. Wei Yan, who advocates an assault, and Lü Meng, who advocates peace, have nearly drawn their swords, causing great disarray." He then thrust a heavy bag of gold into the surrendered soldier's hand and said, "Take care of this matter, and I'll ensure you have food and clothing for the rest of your life. If you dare to leak this secret, I'll destroy you." The surrendered soldier, pale with fear, kowtowed in agreement.

The next day, Sun Ce deliberately berated Lü Meng outside his tent, his words so harsh that they drew the attention of the surrounding soldiers. Lü Meng responded, his face aggrieved but unwilling to be outdone, arguing with Sun Ce in a voice so loud that it could be heard from the surrounding tents. Meanwhile, Wei Yan, standing in front of his own tent, angrily complained to his soldiers, saying that those who advocated peace talks were cowards and had ruined the situation.

The commotion was so intense that the surrendered soldier took advantage of the chaos to slip out of the camp and ran all the way to Huang Zu. When he saw Huang Zu, he described everything he had seen and heard breathlessly and exaggeratedly.

Huang Zu listened to the news brought by the surrendered soldiers, his face full of suspicion. He snorted, his eyes full of disdain: "With just this little talk, you think you can trick me out of the city? How could Sun Ce fall into internal strife so easily? There must be a trick."

Liu Yao, however, seemed to have discovered a golden opportunity. His eyes lit up, and he spoke eagerly, "General Huang Zu, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If Sun Ce is truly experiencing internal strife, if we don't attack now, when will we attack?"

Kuai Liang, standing aside, looked solemn. He cupped his hands and advised, "Envoy Liu, General Huang, in my opinion, this matter is extremely suspicious. Sun Ce has always been cunning and resourceful. Although he suffered setbacks in previous sieges, his strength remains. How could he suddenly cause his army to fall apart over a disagreement? This is probably a decoy tactic by the enemy. We must not act rashly."

Liu Yao was extremely anxious and argued, "Mr. Kuai, you are too cautious. If you assume the worst of everything, how can we fight this war? How can we trust such a poor plan? I think there is something wrong with Sun Ce and his men. If we send our troops now, we will surely win a great victory."

Liu Yao turned to Huang Zu and said, "General Huang, the opportunity for battle is fleeting. Even if there are risks, it's worth a try. We can't just watch this great opportunity slip away!"

The three men exchanged arguments, each refusing to yield, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Huang Zu folded his arms across his chest, adamantly refusing to send troops. Liu Yao, on the other hand, paced anxiously in the tent, sweat beading on his forehead.

Ultimately, the argument ended in acrimony. Liu Yao gritted his teeth and said, "Since General Huang is unwilling to send troops, I will not force him. Even if I only have my own troops, I must seize this opportunity and not let Sun Ce underestimate me!" With that, he turned and strode out of the tent, leaving Huang Zu and Kuai Liang staring at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing Liu Yao storming out of the tent, Xu Shao thought to himself that something was wrong and hurriedly took small steps to chase him. He shouted as he ran, "My lord, please stay!" But Liu Yao was so anxious that he didn't stop and ran straight towards where Yu Mi and Taishi Ci were. Xu Shao had no choice but to chase him.