Chapter 1056: Outnumbered

"Indeed," Sun Ce said, his brows locked in a tight frown as he paced back and forth. "We must re-evaluate the situation in the north and what impact it will have on our Jiangdong."

Zhou Yu said in a deep voice, "My lord, Cao Pi’s survival means that a stable power has returned to the north. He may take retaliatory action; we must be fully prepared."

"Retaliation?" Sun Ce’s eyes sharpened. "If he dares to come, my Jiangdong lads will ensure he never returns!"

Zhou Yu nodded, though his expression remained grave. "Do not be careless. Having survived this time, Cao Pi will surely be even more cautious. We must guard against whatever schemes he might employ."

As the two were deliberating, a messenger hurried in. "Reporting to my lord and the Viceroy: an envoy from the north requests an audience."

"An envoy from the north?" Sun Ce and Zhou Yu exchanged a glance, both feeling a stir in their hearts. "Bring him in at once."

The envoy was soon brought into the main tent. He was burly and wore an arrogant expression. He cupped his hands in a salute and said, "I am an envoy under the command of Wei Wang Cao Pi. By the order of Wei Wang, I have come to Jiangdong to deliver a state letter."

Sun Ce took the letter and unfolded it. He saw that Cao Pi expressed a desire to reconcile with Jiangdong and plot the grand strategy of the world together, proposing an alliance to jointly resist other warlords.

"An alliance?" Sun Ce sneered. "What is Cao Pi plotting?"

Zhou Yu took the letter and read it carefully. His brows furrowed slightly. "My lord, I fear Cao Pi has ulterior motives. Proposing an alliance the moment he survives clearly shows he wants to stabilize us so he has time to reorganize the north."

Sun Ce nodded. "That is what I think as well. However, why don't we play along, pretend to go through the motions, and probe his true intentions?"

Zhou Yu agreed. "An excellent plan. We can accept his request for an alliance, but secretly strengthen our defenses while continuing to send scouts to probe the true situation in the north."

Thus, Sun Ce smiled at the envoy. "Please tell Wei Wang that Jiangdong is willing to form an alliance with Wei to plot our grand strategy. However, the matter of an alliance requires careful deliberation; I ask that Wei Wang wait patiently."

The envoy cupped his hands. "I shall certainly convey my lord's intentions to Wei Wang."

After the envoy left, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu discussed the details further and decided to dispatch a force of elite troops to the northern border to guard against any sudden move by Cao Pi. At the same time, they continued to send secret agents deep into the north to uncover Cao Pi's true intentions.

Days passed. On the surface, the relationship between Jiangdong and the north seemed to ease, but in reality, undercurrents were surging. Zhou Yu and Sun Ce kept a constant watch on the movements in the north, while Cao Pi also seemed to be preparing something in the shadows.

One day, while Zhou Yu was studying a map in his study, a secret agent suddenly came to report: "Viceroy, important news has arrived from the north."

Zhou Yu’s spirit lifted. "Speak."

The agent said in a low voice, "According to our scouts, Cao Pi is secretly mobilizing a large army, appearing to prepare for an attack on Jiangdong."

"Just as expected." Zhou Yu sneered. "That cunning fellow Cao Pi—he pretends to ally with us on the surface, but in reality, he wants to catch us off guard and swallow Jiangdong in one stroke."

He immediately reported this news to Sun Ce. Upon hearing it, Sun Ce was furious. "That despicable villain Cao Pi, to dare scheme against my Jiangdong like this!"

Zhou Yu said in a deep voice, "My lord, calm your anger. Since Cao Pi dares to come, we shall ensure he never returns. However, we must plan carefully how to deal him the heaviest blow with the least cost."

The two began to discuss their counter-strategy, deciding to adopt the tactic of luring the enemy deep, drawing the Cao Army into the heart of Jiangdong, and then using the terrain to annihilate them in one fell swoop.

With the plan set, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce began to mobilize their troops with great intensity. They deliberately left a gap in their border defenses to lure the Cao Army into invading. Seeing this, Cao Pi fell for the trap and led his main force deep into their territory.

However, when the Cao Army reached the heart of Jiangdong, they suddenly found the terrain complex and the mountain roads rugged, making it difficult for a large army to advance. Even more shocking to them, the Jiangdong Army seemed to descend from the heavens, swarming in from all directions to surround them completely.

"Oh no, it's a trap!" Cao Pi was struck with terror.

At this moment, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce appeared before the Cao Army with their troops. Both were all smiles as they looked at Cao Pi. "Cao Pi, you have finally fallen into our snare."

Cao Pi gritted his teeth. "Zhou Yu, Sun Ce—you two treacherous villains!"

Zhou Yu sneered. "All is fair in war; that is what you said yourself. Today, you shall taste the might of Jiangdong!"

With a wave of his hand, the Jiangdong Army launched a fierce assault. Under the onslaught, the Cao Army retreated step by step, suffering countless casualties. Seeing the situation was dire, Cao Pi tried to break through, but was blocked by Zhou Yu and Sun Ce leading their troops personally.

"Cao Pi, you cannot escape today!" Sun Ce shouted, leveling his spear to charge directly at Cao Pi.

Cao Pi resisted with all his might, but being outnumbered, he was eventually captured alive by Sun Ce.

"Hahaha!" Sun Ce laughed. "Cao Pi, oh Cao Pi, so you have a day like this too!"

Zhou Yu also laughed. "My lord, this great victory is entirely due to your wise decision-making. Jiangdong has finally held its head high and let the world know our strength."

Sun Ce waved his hand. "This is all Gongjin's credit. Without you, how could Jiangdong have today's glory?"

The two looked at each other and laughed, their hearts filled with anticipation for the future. They knew that although the world was not yet settled, as long as they worked together, Jiangdong would surely rise to become the hegemon of this chaotic age.

The news of Cao Pi’s capture spread rapidly throughout Jiangdong and even the entire world. Warlords everywhere were shocked; they had not expected Jiangdong to defeat and capture such a northern titan as Cao Pi in such a short time.

In the Jiangdong camp, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were discussing how to handle Cao Pi.

"My lord, although Cao Pi is captured, we cannot let our guard down." Zhou Yu said with a grave expression. "He has deep roots in the north after all; if handled improperly, it could trigger a backlash from the north."

Sun Ce nodded, his gaze sharp. "Gongjin is right. We must consider not just Cao Pi himself, but the entire situation in the north. How do you think we should dispose of him?"

Zhou Yu pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "I believe we can first imprison Cao Pi as a warning. At the same time, we should send envoys to the north to proclaim our victory and warn those warlords attempting to take advantage of the chaos. Then, we can decide Cao Pi's ultimate fate based on the north's reaction."

Upon hearing this, a hint of admiration flashed in Sun Ce’s eyes. "An excellent plan. It displays our strength while providing a deterrent to the north. However, we must be careful in selecting the envoys."

Zhou Yu nodded in agreement. "My lord, rest assured. I will personally select shrewd and capable envoys to go. At the same time, I will strengthen Jiangdong's defenses to prevent the north from attacking while we are occupied."

With the plan decided, the two began their preparations. Cao Pi was imprisoned in a heavily guarded, secure tent. Meanwhile, Zhou Yu personally selected several experienced envoys to go north to proclaim the victory and warn the warlords who were attempting to stir up trouble.