Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The atmosphere in the tent was as heavy as lead. Everyone looked at Ma Chao, his brow furrowed, and understood the critical situation. Xu Shu spoke first, his voice filled with sincerity: "My lord, the situation is extremely urgent. We cannot sit idly by and wait for death. We must make plans."

Zhang Liao clasped his fists and said, "Yes, my lord. Although Baishan is high, if it is surrounded by water, our food and fodder will be scarce, and our morale will be shaken. We cannot stay here for long."

Zhang Ren also stepped forward and said, "My lord, we brothers are willing to follow you. No matter what decision you make, we have no complaints. We only hope to escape this dangerous situation."

Ma Chao listened to everyone's words, his expression becoming increasingly serious. He asked anxiously, "Do you have any plans to defeat the enemy? We are really unwilling to retreat like this."

Fa Zheng sighed helplessly, "My lord, Yuan Shu is fully prepared, and our army has no navy. A direct confrontation would be difficult to win. Furthermore, they have heavily defended the surrounding area, making it difficult to find a loophole anytime soon."

Xu Shu continued, "My lord, time is of the essence. If we wait for Yuan Shu to breach the dam, we will be stranded. Breaking through now might offer a glimmer of hope."

Ma Chao was torn between two options. He knew that retreating would mean all his previous efforts would be in vain, but he also knew he couldn't risk his men's lives. After much deliberation, he finally made up his mind and said solemnly, "Why don't we break out before they break the siege? While it's frustrating to fail here, we can't afford to risk our men's lives. The consequences would be too serious. Pass the order down! Reorganize the troops and prepare for a breakout. We must be extremely cautious and don't allow Yuan Shu any opportunity." Everyone took command and sprang into action.

Everyone took command and sprang into action. However, this was a last-minute decision, so how could it be easy? The entire camp erupted in a flurry of activity, with soldiers hurriedly packing their bags, organizing their weapons, and moving supplies. Horses neighed, voices clamored, and the frantic activity continued until evening, when the preparations were finally complete. Ma Chao, observing this hectic yet somewhat chaotic scene, sighed inwardly and decided to break out the next day.

In the tent at night, lights flickered, and Ma Chao's brow furrowed, his face filled with worry. He thought that if he didn't retreat, once Yuan Shu broke the floodgates, the army would be in dire straits, and all his previous efforts would be in vain. But he was unwilling to retreat now, and a mixture of helplessness and resentment filled his heart, making him restless.

As he was hesitating, he suddenly heard a commotion outside the camp. Ma Chao's heart tightened, and just as he was about to ask, Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, and the others rushed into the tent. Ma Chao frowned slightly and scolded Xu Huang, "Gongming, why are you so flustered and impatient? You don't behave like a great general at all."

Xu Huang's face was filled with excitement, and he panted, "My Lord, look who's coming. After you see it, I wonder if you can still be so calm."

At this moment, Zhou Yu emerged from behind the crowd, beaming with joy. Ma Chao's heart surged with emotion the moment he laid eyes on Zhou Yu. It was the first time the brothers had met after such a long separation, and a thousand words flooded his mind. He quickly stepped forward and gave Zhou Yu a big hug, his voice trembling as he said, "Gongjin, why are you here? I missed you so much!"

Zhou Yu's face was equally filled with emotion, his eyes slightly red. He hugged Ma Chao back, and the two of them held each other tightly, as if to pour out all the longing they had felt during their separation. After a while, Zhou Yu finally released his hand and said, "Brother, the rainstorms this year have been incredibly severe. I knew the battle here would be difficult for you, so I came to help you."

Ma Chao looked at Zhou Yu, his heart filled with emotion and relief. He took Zhou Yu's hand, walked him to the center of the tent, and sat down. He asked anxiously, "Gongjin, you've arrived just in time. The situation is critical. Yuan Shu is trying to breach the Zhang River and trap me. I'm planning to break out. Do you have any good plans?"

Everyone took their seats. Zhou Yu sat on the left, standing tall and straight, with a calm expression. He spoke eloquently, "Brother, it's precisely because of the heavy rain this year. The troops you lead are all from the Western Liang cavalry, but they are not familiar with the terrain and climate of the south. Therefore, the heavy rain has flooded both land and water, making it difficult for the Western Liang cavalry to exert their advantages."

Ma Chao nodded slightly and said with emotion, "Yes, my dear brother, you are absolutely right. The climate and terrain of the south have indeed caused our army a lot of hardship."

Zhou Yu continued, "This year's torrential rains have been so severe, the water levels have risen rapidly, and your generals are all from the north, unfamiliar with southern naval warfare. While in Jiujiang Commandery, I was concerned about your plight, so I entrusted the battle to Cheng Pu and Han Dang, who were in charge. I, with half of the navy, commanded by Huang Gai and Zu Mao, have come to assist you."

Ma Chao's heart warmed when he heard this, and he asked with concern, "What's the situation in Jiujiang County now? Is it safe?"

Zhou Yu's lips curled up, revealing a confident smile. "That Yuan Shu wasted his time trying to get that old Tao Qian to station his troops in Wujun, forcing me to return for assistance. But Tao Qian was already frightened by our brothers' last action, and now he only dares to station troops on the border, not attacking at all. Therefore, Wujun is safe, and I in Jiujiang County have not been greatly affected. Speaking of which, that little Zhang Ying was defeated by me and was forced to retreat on the defensive. If I don't attack him, how dare he take the initiative to provoke me?"

Ma Chao smiled, his eyes filled with relief, and said sincerely, "Gongjin, when it comes to charging into battle and leading cavalry, I'm confident I'm as good as anyone. But when it comes to strategic decisions and deployment of troops, I'm far inferior to Gongjin."

Zhou Yu simply smiled modestly, shook his head slightly, and continued, "Brother, you are too kind. I have hurriedly led my army to rendezvous with Brother Bofu. His navy has almost completed its training. Since I've just arrived and don't have a clear understanding of the current situation in Lujiang, I sent out scouts to bypass Yuan Shu's army's core and infiltrate your area to gain a better understanding of the situation. Upon learning that you had retreated to Gushan and that Yuan Shu had built high dikes around the counties, I immediately understood they were planning a flooding scheme. Furthermore, the Gan River's water level is rising steadily, and I suspect the day they'll breach the river is not far off. Therefore, after discussing and agreeing with Brother Bofu, I hurried to meet with you, both to reassure you and to offer you advice."

Ma Chao frowned slightly, and asked Zhou Yu with a hint of urgency in his tone, "Bofu, what is our plan now?" Xu Shu and Lu Su on the side were also looking at Zhou Yu expectantly. It was not because they thought they were inferior to Zhou Yu in strategy, but it was because neither of them had ever experienced a naval battle, and the soldiers under Ma Chao were all Western Liang cavalry. Facing this vast waterland, even if they came up with a plan, it would be difficult for these northern soldiers who were not familiar with naval battles to carry it out, so they all eagerly wanted to hear what Zhou Yu had to say.

Zhou Yu looked calm, a faint smile on his face, and slowly said, "Since we're trapped in Baishan, we can safely set up camp here and wait for Yuan Shu to divert the water from the Zhang River to flood the area around Baishan. Just hold on." Ma Chao was slightly startled by this, and even Zhang Liao, Zhang Ren, and other generals in the hall were stunned. Zhang Liao couldn't help but say, "Gongjin, it's not that I don't know your good plan, but if we remain trapped here for too long, our food and fodder will be depleted, and the soldiers will easily fall ill in this humid environment. If this continues, I'm afraid we will end up defeated." Zhou Yu smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Hey, Wenyuan, listen to me. Don't be impatient." Everyone's eyes turned to Zhou Yu again.

Zhou Yu cleared his throat and continued, "Brother, simply defend the camp. With your talents and those of the other generals, Yuan Shu's army will be powerless to attack. Furthermore, Baishan is strategically located, and with our commanding position, Yuan Shu will surely not dare to attack rashly and will only encircle you. Then, Bofu and I will lead our navy down the Gan River, and when Yuan Shu breaches the dikes and releases the water, we'll ambush him. Yuan Shu's army will then be blocked by the surrounding highlands, unable to reach other waterways, forcing us to engage in a decisive battle here in the vast ocean. With the strength of Bofu's navy and mine, we're more than capable of crushing Yuan Shu's navy here. Once Yuan Shu's entire army is deployed, exposed to the vast ocean, and defeated by us, he'll have no more troops to mobilize. In this way, a decisive defeat for Yuan Shu is imminent."

After hearing Zhou Yu's thorough and detailed plan, Ma Chao and the others were stunned at first, then their faces showed expressions of sudden enlightenment, and they shouted in unison: "What a brilliant plan!"

Zhang Liao's face was filled with admiration, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He clapped his hands and exclaimed in praise, "Gongjin's plan is so well-crafted! It's incomparably brilliant! He's capitalized on Yuan Shu's flooding plan and cleverly turned it into an opportunity to defeat the enemy. It's truly brilliant! This way, we can not only resolve our current predicament, but also turn defeat into victory and crush Yuan Shu!"

Zhang Ren nodded excitedly, "Yes, this plan is a stroke of genius! We were originally worried about food and epidemics, and we were worried that we would be trapped in Baishan and face a desperate situation. Now, with Gongjin's plan, all these problems have been solved. All we need to do is hold our camp and wait for the right moment to strike a fatal blow to Yuan Shu!"

Xu Shu stroked his beard, his eyes full of admiration. "General Gongjin is truly resourceful and has a thorough analysis of the situation. This strategy is truly unexpected. Utilizing the terrain and naval advantages to force Yuan Shu to suffer the consequences is truly admirable."

Ma Chao's eyes glistened with tears, his heart filled with gratitude and relief. He gripped Zhou Yu's hand tightly, his voice trembling slightly, "Gongjin, thank you for coming to our aid and pointing the way forward for us. With your plan, our army will surely be able to turn this crisis into safety and defeat Yuan Shu! How could I, Ma Chao, be so fortunate to have a brother like you!"

Zhou Yu continued, "While you hold the camp, send men to closely monitor the surrounding water levels and the movements of Yuan Shu's army. Also, arrange for food and fodder wisely to minimize unnecessary losses, and have military doctors conduct disease prevention and control. Bo Fu and I will prepare in advance upstream of the Zhang River. If Yuan Shu breaches the dike, we will immediately lead our navy to attack. We will surely defeat Yuan Shu and lift the siege."

Ma Chao pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Gongjin, this is a brilliant plan. We can hold Baishan, leveraging the terrain to protect our camp. And if you and Bofu lead the navy, Yuan Shu will be hard-pressed to resist. I wonder how strong Bofu's navy is right now?"