Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

At this critical moment, Liu Yao's advisor Xu Shao stepped forward quickly, his face showing a gentle yet anxious expression. He raised his hands to the air and shouted, "You two, please stay calm! We are facing a formidable enemy now, and we must not allow internal strife to arise!"

He first turned to Liu Yao, leaning slightly to the side. His voice was lowered but earnest, "My lord, you have always been a man of great righteousness. You must understand the current situation. Only when we join forces with General Huang can we barely contend with Sun Ce. If we were to fall apart now, with only our five thousand remaining men, it would be like an egg against a rock. We would have no chance of survival."

Then, Xu Shao bowed respectfully to Huang Zu and spoke tactfully: "General Huang, it's not that my lord is unwilling to contribute to the overall situation, but the matter of cutting off the rear is of great importance, and the soldiers are bound to have concerns. Do you think you can reconsider it so that both parties can feel at ease and work together to overcome this difficulty?" Xu Shao's words were like a spring breeze and rain, and the two people who were originally on the verge of a fight gradually relaxed their expressions, and the hostility in their eyes quietly faded away.

Seeing that Xu Shao's words had eased the atmosphere, Kuai Liang quickly stepped forward, a warm smile plastered on his face. He bowed to Liu Yao and said in a gentle voice, "Lord Liu, please don't be anxious for now, and listen to us. We don't intend to leave you here in danger. We simply want to ask some of your soldiers to stay and resist Sun Ce. Their perseverance will create an opportunity for us all to retreat. And you, Lord Liu, will naturally return to the county city with us. After all, we have suffered heavy losses and traveled thousands of miles to fight in Yuzhang County, all to assist you and help you achieve your great cause."

After hearing this, Liu Yao's originally tense expression relaxed a little. Although his brows were still furrowed, the anger in his eyes was no longer as fierce.

Seeing this, Kuai Liang struck while the iron was hot, his expression tinged with concern and a hint of worry as he analyzed, "Lord Liu, you might want to reconsider this. General Taishi Ci, under your command, previously stayed at Sun Ce's place and has a history with him. Although he serves you now, people's hearts are unpredictable, and there's no guarantee they won't collude with us from within. If such a situation were to arise, we wouldn't be able to escape. Isn't this a potential threat that's staring us in the face?" At this point, Kuai Liang paused slightly, then emphasized, "What's more, with my lord backing you, a mere 5,000 troops are nothing. As long as we safely retreat to the county seat, we can later mobilize troops from Jingzhou to revive our military might."

As Liu Yao listened to Kuai Liang's words, his expression changed and he was struggling fiercely in his heart.

At this moment, Xu Shao quietly added fuel to the fire, nodding slightly and speaking sincerely, "Indeed, Taishi Ci often mentions Sun Ce's strengths and praises him highly. Even if the two of them aren't colluding, this is the perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate his loyalty to our lord. If he can lead his men to a desperate resistance against Sun Ce, buying a chance for retreat for our lord and the others, his loyalty will be self-evident."

After listening to Xu Shao's words and thinking about Kuai Liang's previous analysis, Liu Yao was silent for a long time. Finally, he nodded slowly with a complicated expression, wondering whether it was helplessness or compromise.

Liu Yao and Xu Shao returned to the tent, heavy-hearted. The atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating. Liu Yao paced back and forth in the tent, his brow furrowed. Finally, he stopped, sighed, and said to Xu Shao, "Now that things have come to this, we can only do as they say. General Zi, go and summon Taishi Ci."

Soon, Taishi Ci strode into the tent, his expression normal. He bowed and said, "My lord, what is the matter with you that summoned me?"

Liu Yao looked at Taishi Ci, a flicker of pity in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by helplessness. He gritted his teeth and said, "Ziyi, the situation is critical now. Huang Zu and Kuai Liang have discussed and decided that you will lead the remaining troops to stay and resist Sun Ce, buying us time to retreat."

Upon hearing this, Taishi Ci took a step back, his face filled with disbelief. His eyes widened as he darted back and forth between Liu Yao and Xu Shao, as if trying to confirm whether they were joking. After a long pause, he stammered, "Lord... Lord, how... how can this be possible? Using my remaining forces against Sun Ce's army is like throwing an egg against a rock. How can we possibly withstand it?"

Liu Yao avoided Taishi Ci's gaze and said guiltily, "Ziyi, I know this task is arduous, but there's really no other way. You have a history with Sun Ce, and everyone is worried... worried that you might defect in the middle of a battle. This is your chance to prove your loyalty."

Upon hearing this, Taishi Ci felt a pang of pain in his heart. He knelt on one knee and spoke passionately, "My lord, I, Taishi Ci, have been loyal to you ever since I surrendered to you. As the sun and the moon bear witness to this, how could I possibly commit such a treasonous act? How could you, based on such groundless suspicion, condemn me and my brothers to certain death?"

Liu Yao listened to Taishi Ci's words, feeling a pang of guilt. However, the situation at hand forced him to remain unmoved. He turned his head away and said gravely, "Ziyi, I don't want to do this either, but this is the decision of the people. If you can stop Sun Ce this time, I will reward you handsomely, and I will never doubt your loyalty again."

Taishi Ci knelt on the ground, his heart aching with mixed emotions. The tent was completely silent, broken only by the sound of his heavy breathing. After a long moment, he slowly stood up, the disbelief on his face gradually giving way to determination. "Since my lord has made his decision, I will obey your command." With that, he turned and strode out of the tent, his steps heavy yet resolute.

Back in his tent, Taishi Ci looked at his exhausted yet trusting soldiers, and a pang of sadness welled up in his heart. He informed them of the mission, and the soldiers were immediately in an uproar.

Taishi Ci returned to the tent and informed his soldiers of Liu Yao's order. When everyone heard it, they were instantly in an uproar.

"What kind of lord is this Liu Yao!" A bearded man stabbed his spear into the ground and roared, "He abandoned us once before, and after returning, he was suspicious of us and treated us unfairly. Now he's abandoning us again, leaving us to die. Why should we protect him? We might as well rebel!"

"Yes, rebellion!" Everyone echoed in excitement, and the tent was noisy.

Taishi Ci looked at his brothers, their hearts aching. He dropped to his knees with a thud, clasped his hands, and addressed the soldiers, "Brothers, I, Taishi Ci, feel so sorry for you all. I've caused you so much injustice and suspicion. But we are all passionate men with a sense of justice. If we rebel now, we would be considered disloyal and unjust, and our reputations would be ruined."

He raised his head, his eyes scanning everyone earnestly, tears welling in his eyes. "I know this journey is dangerous, but when we enter the battlefield, who doesn't hang their heads on their belts? Today's battle is not for Liu Yao, but for our own dignity, for the innocent people behind us. We cannot let Sun Ce's iron hoof trample on this land wantonly. Brothers, fight with me to the death. If you can survive, there will be a better way out in the future!"

The soldiers were stunned for a moment as they looked at the kneeling Taishi Ci. The big man's eyes reddened as he quickly stepped forward and helped Taishi Ci up. "General, we were foolish! You're willing to sacrifice your life, so why would we be so afraid? We'll obey you and fight Sun Ce!"

"Fight! Fight!" the crowd chanted again. This time, their voices were no longer filled with resentment or unwillingness, but with a resolve to die and a faith in Taishi Ci. Taishi Ci took a deep breath, fighting back the tears, and calmly began to lay out his battle plan. A brutal battle of life and death was about to begin on this land.

The night fell, a blur of ink. Huang Zu's camp was completely silent, save for the flickering of a few campfires, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Kuai Liang paced back and forth in the camp with a solemn expression. As he walked, he directed his men: "Hurry up and make these straw men properly. Make sure they look real so that Sun Ce won't find any flaws." Under his command, the soldiers worked in a flurry but orderly manner, placing the straw men around the camp and covering them with worn armor. From a distance, they looked like soldiers standing guard.

Huang Zu stood aside, watching the scene before him, his brows furrowed. He asked worriedly, "Mr. Kuai, can we really fool that kid Sun Ce by doing this?"

Kuai Liang paused, raised his head, and gazed in the direction of Sun Ce's camp. A glint of confidence flashed in his eyes. "General, don't worry. Sun Ce is young and full of vigor, and he will surely be eager to attack. We deliberately left these 'soldiers' and the bonfire behind. He will surely think we are still in the camp and are keeping our troops in place. By the time he discovers the truth, we will have already evacuated."

Afterwards, Kuai Liang ordered his men to raise all the flags in the camp, which fluttered in the night wind. At the same time, he ordered all the pots and pans in the camp to be brought out and placed on the campfire, with some stones and water added to them. As the fire grew stronger, the water began to boil, making a gurgling sound. From a distance, it sounded like the soldiers were preparing a midnight snack.

After everything was arranged, Kuai Liang and Huang Zu led the main force and quietly evacuated from the back door of the camp. They followed a hidden path towards the city of Yuzhang, the sound of their horses' hooves muffled by the thick cotton cloth, making almost no sound.

Meanwhile, in Sun Ce's camp, the soldiers were closely monitoring the movements in Huang Zu's camp. Standing before his tent, gazing at the flickering bonfires and the shadowy figures of "soldiers" in the distance, Sun Ce felt a vague sense of aversion, though he couldn't quite place it. He instructed his men, "Keep a close watch on Huang Zu's camp. Report any signs of trouble immediately." A battle of wits and courage quietly unfolded in the stillness of the night.

The early morning light shone through the camp. Taishi Ci stood before the camp, gazing at the army of less than five thousand men. A sense of unease welled up within him. He turned to look at his brother beside him, his brow furrowed slightly as he asked in confusion, "Where is General Yu Mi? Why is he nowhere to be seen?"

The soldier beside him also looked bewildered and shook his head: "General, I haven't seen General Yu Mi since last night. I don't know where he went."

Taishi Ci's heart tightened, and he had a bad feeling. He immediately ordered, "Send someone to look for him quickly. We must find General Yu Mi."

Soon, the soldier who had gone to search for him hurried back, looking panicked. He knelt on one knee and said in a trembling voice, "General, General Yu Mi is not in the camp. I asked around and found out that he and his guards were taken away by Liu Yao and Xu Shao, and are now escorting Liu Yao's retreat."