Chapter 1020

Gu Yi led the army forward, but his heart could not help but ripple. He knew deeply that this showdown with Liu Bei was not only a military contest but also a collision of will and wisdom. He recalled the scene when he first started, at that time he was full of curiosity and longing for the general trend of the world, and now, he had already stood in the center of the stage of these chaotic times, becoming the person who decided the fate of others.

"Liu Bei, although you and I are enemies, I admire your unyielding spirit," Gu Yi said silently in his heart, a trace of complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He understood that the reason Liu Bei could become a feudal lord was definitely not accidental; the resourcefulness, courage, and the friendship for his brothers behind him were all things that ordinary people could not reach.

At the same time, Guan Yu's harassment action encountered unprecedented challenges. The elite troops sent by Gu Yi were like ghosts, always appearing at the most critical moments, causing Guan Yu's troops to suffer setbacks repeatedly. Although Guan Yu was incomparably brave, facing this guerrilla tactic, he also appeared a bit powerless.

"Big Brother, this Gu Yi is indeed cunning, our actions are repeatedly blocked," Guan Yu sent a request for help to Liu Bei during a rare breathing opportunity. His voice revealed a trace of fatigue, but more of unwillingness.

After Liu Bei received the letter, his brows locked. He knew deeply that if Guan Yu's harassment action failed, their entire plan would fall short of success. He had to find a way to break this stalemate.

"Yunchang, you continue to harass, but remember not to linger in battle. I have my own wonderful plan," Liu Bei's reply was short and powerful, but revealed an unshakeable firmness.

And on the other side, Zhang Fei searched everywhere for opportunities to raid in Yuzhang, but failed to find a suitable location. Gu Yi's defense line was like a copper wall and iron wall, making it impossible to start. Zhang Fei was anxious, but also knew that he couldn't be anxious, so he could only continue to scout with patience.

"Big Brother, I found a possible breakthrough," Zhang Fei's voice sounded in Liu Bei's ear, carrying a trace of excitement. He described in detail a weak point in Gu Yi's defense line; it was a small path covered by mountain forests, not easily noticed by people, but it was a shortcut to Gu Yi's main camp.

Hearing this, Liu Bei's eyes flashed with a refined light. He quickly summoned all the generals and formulated a bold and thorough raid plan.

Night fell, and Liu Bei took an elite force and set off quietly. They followed the small path Zhang Fei found and moved forward in the dark. Along the way, they carefully avoided Gu Yi's patrol teams and finally arrived near the main camp.

"Kill!" Liu Bei gave an order, and the soldiers charged toward Gu Yi's main camp like tigers descending from the mountain. They used the cover of night and terrain to quickly disrupt Gu Yi's deployment.

Gu Yi was awakened from his dream, listening to the sounds of killing outside, his heart sank. He quickly put on his battle armor, picked up his weapon, and rushed out of the tent. He saw fire soaring into the sky, soldiers fleeing everywhere, a scene of chaos.

"Liu Bei, you dare to be so bold!" Gu Yi roared and slashed at the incoming enemy. He knew deeply that the current situation did not allow him any hesitation, and he had to quickly stabilize the military morale and repel Liu Bei's raid.

However, Liu Bei's offensive was like a tide, one wave higher than the other. Although Gu Yi was incomparably brave, facing this overwhelming offensive, he also appeared a bit powerless. He understood in his heart that if things continued like this, his grand army might be completely wiped out.

"Retreat!" Gu Yi gave the order to retreat at the critical moment. He knew deeply that as long as the green hills remained, there would be no worry about firewood. As long as the grand army was preserved, he would have a chance to make a comeback.

Liu Bei watched Gu Yi's grand army fleeing in a sorry state, his heart relaxing. He knew that this victory was not easy to come by; it was exchanged with the lives and blood of his brothers. He prayed silently in his heart, wishing that this peace could continue for a long time.

However, in chaotic times, peace is always short-lived. Liu Bei knew deeply that his contest with Gu Yi was far from over. In the days to come, they would continue to write their own legends on this land.

Gu Yi, on the way to retreat, felt full of unwillingness and anger. He recalled every confrontation between himself and Liu Bei; every time he seemed to have the upper hand, but in the end, he was always reversed by Liu Bei with a strange plan. He could not help but start to reflect on his tactics and strategies, whether they were too radical, and whether he ignored some details.

"I will never admit defeat like this," Gu Yi vowed silently in his heart. He knew deeply that he still had a long way to go and many enemies to face. And Liu Bei was just a stepping stone on his path to growth.

"Pass the order down: immediately reorganize the team and count the casualties," Gu Yi's voice sounded exceptionally calm in the night. Although his heart was surging, he maintained the calmness and decisiveness that a general should have. The deputy general beside him responded quickly, and while conveying the order, he could not help but steal a glance at Gu Yi's locked brows, feeling admiration in his heart for this young commander's unyielding spirit.

Liu Bei, in the main camp, looked at the gradually subsiding war fire in the distance, his heart not feeling any relaxation at all. He turned to Zhuge Liang beside him and said: "Kongming, although this battle was won, Gu Yi is definitely not an ordinary person; he will definitely make a comeback in the future, we need to prepare early."

Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan lightly, his gaze profound: "What the Lord said is very true; Gu Yi is a person who has more bravery than wisdom, but his resourcefulness cannot be underestimated. We should take advantage of this victory to strengthen the defense line; at the same time, we can also consider sending envoys to write letters to unite other forces to jointly resist Gu Yi."

"Good, just follow Kongming's plan," Liu Bei nodded in agreement, then revealed worry again. "It's just that in these chaotic times, who is a friend that can be completely trusted?"

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and comforted: "My Lord, don't worry; everything in the world complements each other. The enemy of an enemy is our friend. As long as the interests are consistent, allies will naturally come."

At the same time, in Gu Yi's military camp, there was a busy and orderly scene. The wounded soldiers were quickly settled, materials were redistributed, and although morale was frustrated, under Gu Yi's encouragement, hope sparks ignited in the soldiers' eyes again. Gu Yi stood on a high platform, looking at the soldiers below, his voice firm and powerful: "Today's defeat is not the fault of the war, but the result of my underestimating the enemy. From now on, we must not only practice excellent martial arts but also learn to fight with our brains! Liu Bei can win against us for a while, but he cannot win against us for a lifetime!"

Below the platform, the soldiers shouted in unison: "Swear to follow the General to the death and create brilliance together!"

A few days later, Liu Bei's camp welcomed an uninvited guest. The envoy wore gorgeous clothing, held a scepter, and claimed to be a feudal lord from the east, willing to form an alliance with Liu Bei to jointly resist Gu Yi. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang looked at each other, although they had doubts in their hearts, they did not show it on the surface and warmly received this envoy.

"I am an envoy of Eastern Wu, here on behalf of my Lord to plan major events with General Liu," the envoy said straight to the point, his words sincere. "Gu Yi is ambitious and intends to swallow the world; this is our common enemy. If the General is willing, I, Eastern Wu, am willing to form an alliance with the Shu region, share resources, and jointly resist foreign enemies."

Liu Bei heard this, pondered for a moment, and asked: "What specific plan does your Lord have?"

The envoy smiled slightly, took a map from his bosom, and unfolded it slowly: "This was drawn by my Lord, marking Gu Yi's possible attack route and our defense strategy. If the two armies join forces, we will definitely be able to make Gu Yi unable to look after both ends."

Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang carefully studied the map, and gradually had a plan in their hearts. Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan lightly and laughed: "This plan is excellent, but the alliance is a major matter and needs to be discussed in the long run. Please let the envoy return first; after we discuss it, we will definitely give your Lord a clear answer."

The envoy nodded to show understanding and bid farewell. Liu Bei watched his back, turned to Zhuge Liang and said: "Kongming, how do you see this matter?"

Zhuge Liang's expression was solemn: "Eastern Wu's move has both sincerity and selfishness. But as the envoy said, Gu Yi is our common enemy, and forming an alliance to resist him is the best choice at present. It's just that we need to act cautiously; while using Eastern Wu's strength, we must also guard against the calculations behind it."

Liu Bei deeply agreed and decided to send an envoy to Eastern Wu to further discuss the details of the alliance and secretly send spies to investigate Eastern Wu's true intentions.

And Gu Yi's side also received news of the alliance between Liu Bei and Eastern Wu. He did not panic, but summoned his strategists to calmly analyze the situation. "Liu Bei's move is intended to strengthen himself, but Eastern Wu is not sincerely helping; they just want to use our hands to consume Liu Bei's strength. Why don't we use their plan against them, use this point, and design a bigger trap?"

Hearing this, the strategists nodded one after another and began to offer suggestions. A cold light flashed in Gu Yi's eyes; he already had a plan in his heart. The game of these chaotic times had just begun.

In the days that followed, the alliance between Liu Bei and Eastern Wu seemed smooth, but in reality, undercurrents were surging. While cooperating, both sides were also testing each other, looking for the other's flaws. And Gu Yi used this time to secretly train an elite force, preparing to catch Liu Bei and Eastern Wu off guard.

Finally, on a windy and rainy night, Gu Yi's army suddenly launched a counterattack. They used the night and bad weather as cover to launch a surprise attack on the allied forces of Liu Bei and Eastern Wu. This time, Gu Yi learned from the previous lessons, no longer fighting head-on, but adopting flexible guerrilla tactics, making the allied forces exhausted.

Liu Bei and the generals of Eastern Wu were caught off guard and fought in a hurry. Although they resisted desperately, under Gu Yi's clever layout, the allied forces gradually fell into a disadvantage. Liu Bei looked at the chaos on the battlefield, his heart extremely anxious; he knew deeply that if he could not quickly reverse the situation, this war would completely change the power comparison of the three parties.

"Kongming, is there any good strategy?" Liu Bei looked at Zhuge Liang, his eyes full of anticipation.

Zhuge Liang frowned, pondered for a moment, and then spoke slowly: "My Lord, it is not appropriate to resist hard at this time; we should seek an opportunity to retreat and preserve our strength. At the same time, send an envoy to Eastern Wu to expose Gu Yi's true intentions, urging Eastern Wu to cooperate more closely with us to jointly resist Gu Yi."

Liu Bei heard this, although he was unwilling, he also knew that this was the best choice at present. Thus, he ordered a retreat and at the same time sent an envoy, carrying Zhuge Liang's personal letter, to Eastern Wu to seek help.

Gu Yi watched the back of the allied forces retreating, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He knew that this war was far from over, but at least, he had regained the initiative. In the days to come, more contests of wisdom and courage would be staged on this land, and he, Gu Yi, swore to be the final winner of this chaotic game.