Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In Nancheng County, Sun Ce had already dispatched his cousin Sun Ben to lead his own troops to comprehensively reinforce and defend the county. Sun Ben, fully aware of the arduous task, dared not slack off. He led his men to work day and night, constructing fortifications, stockpiling supplies, and laying traps, making Nancheng County impregnable. Then, he prepared for the allied forces of Huang Zu and Liu Yao to fall into his trap. According to the pre-determined plan, he would give them a seemingly tenacious but cunning resistance, creating the illusion of isolation and helplessness.

Soon, the allied forces of Huang Zu and Liu Yao advanced aggressively towards Nancheng County. From the outset, they encountered fierce resistance, and the tenacious fighting spirit of Sun Ben's troops made it difficult for them to break through. While fighting on the battlefield, Huang Zu keenly noticed the flags and equipment of the defending troops, recognizing them as Sun Ce's direct troops.

The fighting paused, and Huang Zu hurriedly summoned Liu Yao, Kuai Liang, Xu Shao, and others for a meeting. Huang Zu frowned, his face filled with confusion as he said, "I see that the troops defending the city are Sun Ce's direct line, but aside from Sun Ben, we haven't seen any other generals. They're fighting on their own, and it seems there's real internal strife within Sun Ce's army."

Liu Yao nodded slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "If that's true, then this is a godsend opportunity. They're in chaos, and we can take advantage of it!"

Kuai Liang, however, looked solemn. He stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "Although it may seem so, Sun Ce has always been cunning and scheming. We must not take it lightly and must make long-term plans to prevent any deception."

Xu Shao also echoed, "Mr. Kuai is absolutely right. It's better to be cautious."

However, Huang Zu, who was eager to win, refused to listen to any advice. When he thought of the possibility of internal strife in Sun Ce's army, he decided that this was a perfect opportunity to take over Nancheng in one fell swoop. His greed and ambition instantly swelled, and he insisted on increasing the intensity of the attack, completely disregarding the potential risks.

Huang Zu gazed at the long-standing siege of Nancheng County, his anger and resentment blazing like a raging fire, igniting a fierce resolve. He was furious, veins bulging on his face, his eyes red as he hysterically barked orders: "Capture Nancheng at all costs! Anyone retreating will be executed!" Under his command, the coalition forces surged towards Nancheng like a surging tide, wave after wave, showing no sign of retreat.

Sun Ben, fully aware of the weight of his responsibility, led the charge, standing atop the city wall, his arms raised and shouting, "Brothers, defend the South City! For our lord, for our homeland, we will fight to the death!" His voice resounded like a bell across the battlefield, buoying the morale of his men. Each soldier fought bravely, their eyes filled with determination. Facing the frenzied coalition attack, not a single one flinched.

From the city walls, sharp arrows whistled like locusts, hurling themselves at the enemy with a whistling sound. Each arrow was imbued with the defenders' fury and determination. Huge rocks rolled down, crashing into the ranks of the attackers with a dull thud, instantly unleashing a bloody hail. Shouts and screams mingled and echoed, the battle raging to the utmost. Every inch of the wall was stained with blood, every position a battle of life and death. Allied soldiers erected ladders and bravely climbed, only to be cut down by the defenders' swords as soon as they emerged. Some attempted to ram the city gates with battering rams, but Sun Ben, observing this, immediately mobilized his soldiers to douse them with hot oil. The scalding oil poured down, sending screams of agony echoing from below.

But ultimately, Sun Ben's forces were vastly outnumbered by the allied forces. Despite their tenacious resistance, the coalition's relentless onslaught gradually weakened their defenses, and the soldiers wore out with fatigue. The defenders on the city walls dwindled, and casualties mounted. Some soldiers, pierced by arrows, lay in pools of blood; others were hacked to pieces in close combat. Sun Ben, gazing at his slain comrades and the relentless onslaught of the allied forces, was forced to make the difficult decision to abandon the city and flee.

As Sun Ben led the remaining troops in retreat, the South City Gate was slowly breached by the coalition forces. Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Huang Zu entered the city with the air of a victor, his horse brimming with triumph, his face brimming with elation. However, he was unaware of the danger lurking behind this seemingly assured victory.

The first thing Huang Zu did after entering Nancheng County was to frantically order the capture of several prisoners. He kicked aside a chair, strode over to the prisoners, and with his hands on his hips, he roared fiercely, "Tell me! What's going on in your army?"

The captive trembled with fear, fell to his knees with a plop, and cried out, "Sir, spare my life! Those generals who had recently defected to General Sun in Wujun outside Yuzhang City have been fighting among themselves because the war was going badly, and have taken their troops and fled."

Huang Zu frowned and asked, "What about Sun Ce? What is he doing?"

"Lord Sun Ce can only lead his own troops to garrison in the south." The prisoner paused, swallowed, and continued.

Huang Zu glared and shouted, "I'm asking you where Sun Ce's men are now?"

The prisoner waved his hands quickly, his voice trembling, "I really don't know! I heard they were chasing after the generals who had left with their troops."

Huang Zu snorted coldly and continued to press on: "How many troops does he have left? How many people are stationed in the remaining counties?"

The captive replied tremblingly, "Those generals who were involved in the internal strife and unrest took away almost half of the troops. Now that Sun Ce has gone after them, there really aren't many troops left in the county."

After hearing this, Huang Zu showed a smug smile on his face, and thought to himself: This is a godsend opportunity. It seems that taking over the southern part of Yuzhang will be easy.

Huang Zu's eyes flashed with unquenchable eagerness as he listened to his captive's words, as if he had already captured all the cities south of Yuzhang. Meanwhile, Liu Yao, upon hearing the news, arrived and attempted to discuss the upcoming military arrangements with Huang Zu. But Huang Zu had no interest in hearing him. He casually offered a few words and sent Liu Yao on his way.

As soon as Liu Yao left, Huang Zu immediately dragged Kuai Liang into the tent for a private meeting. His face was brimming with excitement, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Sir, this is a godsend! We must immediately divide our forces and capture those counties as quickly as possible. By the time Sun Ce returns after rallying his disorganized forces, it will be too late. Even if he possesses immense power, he won't be able to turn the tide!"

Kuai Liang's face was still filled with worry, his brows knitted into a knot. He said slowly, "General, we still need to think carefully about this matter. Although this is a good opportunity, Sun Ce has always been treacherous. What if there is a trick..."

Huang Zu interrupted him impatiently: "Sir, if you are always hesitant when facing a battle, how can you achieve great things? Opportunities are fleeting. If you don't fight now, when will you?"

Kuai Liang had no choice but to suggest, "Should we discuss this with Liu Yao and the others? After all, we are allies, advancing and retreating together. Having one more person to plan will help us be more thorough."

Huang Zu waved his hand dismissively and sneered, "What are you discussing? I'm just trying to get rid of them this time. If we can capture Yuzhang County and achieve this unprecedented feat, I'll make Liu Yao look like nothing to the lord! With such a great feat, we'll surely be able to shine before the lord, and promotions will be a given!"

When Kuai Liang heard this, he was moved and thought of the future glory and wealth, and finally nodded.

Xu Shao and Liu Yao, who had clearly been evaded, stood outside the tent, their faces filled with frustration. Xu Shao frowned and whispered, "Looking at Huang Zu's expression, he seems to have more than a simple mind. I'm afraid he wants to shrug us off and take all the credit."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yao was immediately filled with anxiety: "What should I do? Is the credit that is so close to being achieved going to be snatched away by him like this?"

Xu Shao sighed: "Now we are dependent on others and have to rely on their military strength. We can only wait and see what they plan to do next. We don't have any other choice now." Liu Yao could only worry, but he was helpless. He could only watch Huang Zu and Kuai Liang plotting in the tent, secretly praying that the situation would not get too out of control.

Early the next morning, Huang Zu strode into the camp with a determined look on his face. He said, "I have come here today to discuss the division of our forces."

Liu Yao's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he was filled with reluctance. Before he could say anything, Huang Zu spoke again eagerly, "Right now, Sun Ce is busy pursuing the rebels, and his forces are at their weakest. If we don't divide our forces and capture the cities quickly, when he gathers his rebels and returns, we'll have nothing but a bitter battle to face Sun Ce's army. Recapturing these cities by then will be harder than climbing to the sky. You all know Sun Ce's bravery. Without strong cities to defend, I wonder how much manpower and time it will take to capture them!"

Liu Yao frowned, his heart tangled, but he still said, "Mr. Kuai Liang once said that concentrated strength is more powerful and more intimidating. It is better for us to go together." As he spoke, he looked at Kuai Liang as if asking for help. "Mr. Kuai Liang, what do you say?"

Kuai Liang had already been persuaded by Huang Zu. After a moment's hesitation, he finally spoke to Liu Yao, "General Liu, your generals, Yu Mi and Taishi Ci, are both formidable. If they were to lead the troops and attack separately, we would surely be able to capture the city quickly. Furthermore, this is truly a rare opportunity; it would be a pity to miss it."

Liu Yao felt a pang of disappointment upon hearing this. He knew that further opposition would be futile at this point, but he was also deeply concerned about the situation after the division. But seeing the resolute expressions of Huang Zu and Kuai Liang, he could only sigh inwardly and reluctantly acquiesce to the decision to divide the troops, hoping that things wouldn't turn out the worst.

Liu Yao felt helpless for a moment and asked with a wry smile: "Then according to General Huang, where should we attack?" Huang Zu had a look of concern on his face, and said without hesitation: "General Liu, your military strength is weak after all. Anping State was once a strong defensive position and is relatively remote. However, because of this, its defense must be weak, and Sun Ce will not send too many troops. You go to Anping State first, and after you take it, support us from the side, and then we will meet in Haifeng State." Huang Zu said it confidently, as if everything was in his careful plan.

Liu Yao's mind was clear as a mirror. Huang Zu was clearly trying to relocate him to a distant branch. According to Huang Zu's plan, by the time he finally reached Anping, regardless of whether he could capture it, the remaining easily captured cities would likely have already been captured by Huang Zu. By then, he would have lost all power and no standing within the coalition, helpless to be manipulated. But at the moment, he lacked the confidence to refute Huang Zu. Liu Yao could only grit his teeth, suppressing his dissatisfaction and nodding in agreement, while mentally calculating how to secure a chance of survival in this game of chess.