Chapter 1059

"Gongjin, your route was fought truly beautifully." Sun Ce patted Zhou Yu on the shoulder and praised him.

Zhou Yu smiled modestly. "It is all due to the lord’s wise leadership and the soldiers’ dedication. What should our next move be?"

Sun Ce’s gaze was firm as he looked into the distance. "Now, we have occupied a portion of the northern territory. However, to completely defeat the Cao clan, we must take their capital, Xu Chang. Only by capturing Xu Chang can we truly control the north."

Zhou Yu nodded in agreement. "Xu Chang is the Cao clan’s lair and their final line of defense. This battle will surely be exceptionally difficult. We need to be fully prepared to ensure victory."

The two began to plan the attack on Xu Chang in detail. They knew that Xu Chang had high walls and thick ramparts with sufficient troops; to capture it, they had to formulate meticulous strategies and tactics. At the same time, they also needed to continue contacting northern allies to seek more support.

In the following days, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu reorganized their troops while sending spies to Xu Chang to gather intelligence. They learned important information such as Xu Chang’s city defenses, troop deployments, and the morale status of the Cao army. At the same time, they actively contacted allies in the north such as Yuan Shang and Gongsun Zan, requesting them to send troops to help.

Finally, on a dark and windy night, the Jiangdong army and the northern allied forces launched a full-scale attack on Xu Chang together...

This battle was exceptionally fierce, with both sides trading blows in a deadlock. Sun Ce and Zhou Yu personally took to the field, leading by example and fighting bravely; the soldiers, under their leadership, were also high in spirit and fought forward. After a night of fierce fighting, the gates of Xu Chang were finally breached!

However, just at this moment, a soldier covered in blood ran over hurriedly. "My lord, Viceroy! Something terrible has happened! There is urgent military intelligence from the north!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu’s expressions changed, and they hurriedly took the secret letter presented by the soldier. Unfolding it, they saw it written: "Yuan Shang of the north has suddenly turned traitor and joined forces with the Cao army! Our army’s rear route has been cut off, and the situation is critical!"

"What?!" Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were both shocked. "Why would this Yuan Shang suddenly turn traitor?"

The two looked at each other, seeing the gravity and worry in each other’s eyes. They knew that this battle had only just begun, and the real challenge was still waiting for them...

"My lord, Viceroy! How should we respond next?" A deputy general asked anxiously.

Sun Ce took a deep breath and said with a firm gaze, "Yuan Shang turning traitor is a situation we did not anticipate. But the more this is the case, the less we can panic. Pass the order for the entire army to retreat immediately and escape the current predicament first!"

"Yes!" The deputy general accepted the order and left.

Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu. "Gongjin, it seems our plan will have to change."

Zhou Yu nodded. "Indeed. The most important thing now is to stabilize our footing first, and then plan for the future."

In the following days, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu continued to fight side by side; they not only consolidated Jiangdong’s defensive lines but also gradually pushed toward the north, forming a greater threat to the Cao clan’s power. However, in troubled times, the conversion between allies and enemies often happens in a single thought. Yuan Shang’s betrayal made Sun Ce and Zhou Yu understand even more that besides one’s own strength, diplomacy and strategy are equally important.

One day, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were discussing the next strategy in the camp. Sun Ce held a map, his gaze wandering over the northern territory. "Gongjin, look, if we can take this place, we can cut off the Cao army’s connection to northern supplies; for the Cao clan, this is undoubtedly pulling the firewood from under the cauldron."

Zhou Yu looked along Sun Ce’s finger; it was an important supply hub for the Cao army—Xuzhou. "The lord’s words are absolutely correct; Xuzhou is the lifeline of the Cao army. If we can take it, the Cao army will surely fall into a passive position. But the Xuzhou commander, Cao Ren, is brave and skilled in battle, and Xuzhou’s city defenses are solid, making it not easy to capture."

Sun Ce smiled slightly, a cunning light shining in his eyes. "Precisely because of this, we must take it through wisdom rather than force. I think it is time to use our diplomatic means again."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu already had some guesses in his heart. "The lord means..."

"Indeed, I want to unite with Liu Biao of Jingzhou and other small forces in the south to form pressure on the Cao army together. At the same time, we can secretly incite some generals within Xuzhou to rebel, working from the inside and outside to capture Xuzhou in one fell swoop." Sun Ce’s words were full of confidence.

Zhou Yu nodded in agreement. "This plan is brilliant, but the matter of inciting the generals within the city needs to be handled cautiously to avoid alerting the enemy."

"I already have a plan in mind." Sun Ce smiled mysteriously. "Leave this matter to you, Gongjin; I believe in your ability."

Zhou Yu accepted the order and immediately began to prepare intensively. He sent spies to infiltrate Xuzhou to secretly contact those generals dissatisfied with the Cao clan, while simultaneously launching secret negotiations with Liu Biao of Jingzhou to discuss the matter of jointly resisting Cao.

Months later, everything was ready. On a stormy night, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu led their army to quietly approach Xuzhou. At the same time, the incited generals within the city acted according to the plan, opening the city gates to welcome the arrival of the Jiangdong army.

Cao Ren was awakened from his sleep and was stunned to see the Jiangdong army pouring into the city like a tide. He hurriedly organized resistance, but it was too late; Xuzhou was already under the control of the Jiangdong army.

After being captured, Cao Ren faced Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, his eyes full of unwillingness. "How did you manage to do this?"

Sun Ce smiled and patted Cao Ren on the shoulder. "The general is brave, but it is a pity you followed the wrong master. In these troubled times, choices are often more important than effort."

Zhou Yu added from the side, "General, you and I are both heroes; why not work together to seek welfare for the people of the world? The Cao clan’s tyranny has already caused heaven’s anger and people’s resentment. If you and I join forces, perhaps we can create a new era."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ren was silent for a long time, finally sighing deeply and expressing his willingness to surrender to Jiangdong and contribute to the peace of the world.

The victory in the Battle of Xuzhou not only cut off the Cao army’s important supply line but also greatly boosted the morale of the Jiangdong soldiers. Sun Ce and Zhou Yu struck while the iron was hot, continuing to push north and engaging in multiple fierce battles with the Cao army, all of which they won.

However, just as the Jiangdong army was advancing like a hot knife through butter, unexpected news arrived—Liu Biao of Jingzhou suddenly passed away from illness, his son Liu Cong succeeded him and announced an alliance with the Cao clan to fight against Jiangdong together.

This change caught Sun Ce and Zhou Yu off guard. Liu Biao’s betrayal not only caused Jiangdong to lose an important ally but also strengthened the Cao clan’s power.

Facing this sudden blow, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu gathered again to discuss countermeasures.

"My lord, Liu Biao’s betrayal is indeed beyond our expectations." Zhou Yu said with a grave expression. "But at this moment, we must absolutely not lose our footing; we need to analyze calmly and find a way to break the situation."

Sun Ce nodded, his gaze firm. "Although Liu Biao has passed, we must absolutely not give up the land of Jingzhou. My mind is made up; I will personally lead troops to attack Jingzhou, while you remain to guard Jiangdong to prevent a sneak attack by the Cao army."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu said worriedly, "The lord personally leading the expedition can certainly boost military morale, but this trip is extremely dangerous; we still need to think thrice before acting."

Sun Ce smiled. "Gongjin, do not worry; I have my own sense of proportion. You only need to guard Jiangdong well and wait for my triumphant return."

Seeing that Sun Ce’s mind was made up, Zhou Yu did not try to dissuade him further, only nodding solemnly. "My lord, take care; I will surely do my utmost to guard Jiangdong."

Sun Ce led his army in a grand procession toward Jingzhou. On the way, he encountered the army sent by Liu Cong to intercept them, and both sides engaged in a fierce battle. Sun Ce was incomparably brave, leading by example, and finally defeated Liu Cong’s army, pressing directly to the foot of Jingzhou city.

However, just as Sun Ce was preparing to launch a full-scale attack, shocking news arrived—Cao Cao was personally leading his army toward Jiangdong, intending to eliminate the Jiangdong power in one fell swoop.

Upon hearing the news, Sun Ce was shocked. He knew Cao Cao’s cunning and bravery well; if Cao Cao succeeded, Jiangdong would surely fall into an irredeemable situation.

At this moment, Sun Ce faced an unprecedented choice: continue to attack Jingzhou, or return to reinforce Jiangdong?

He urgently summoned his generals to discuss this matter. Some generals advocated continuing to attack Jingzhou to capture the city with lightning speed; others suggested returning to reinforce Jiangdong immediately to prevent Cao Cao from taking advantage of their absence.

Sun Ce was silent for a moment, finally making a decision. "Although Jingzhou is important, Jiangdong is our foundation. Pass the order to retreat immediately and return to reinforce Jiangdong!"

Although the generals were unwilling, they understood that Sun Ce’s decision was correct. They quickly reorganized their troops and followed Sun Ce in retreating toward Jiangdong.

However, on their way back, they encountered an interception by Cao Cao’s army. Both sides engaged in a thrilling battle. Sun Ce was incomparably brave, holding his long spear and charging into the fray, invincible. But Cao Cao was no ordinary person either; he commanded with composure, and the Cao army’s morale was high, fighting the Jiangdong army to a deadlock.

Just as the battle was raging, Zhou Yu led the Jiangdong reinforcements and arrived. They joined forces with Sun Ce’s army to fight against Cao Cao’s army together. Zhou Yu was wise and brave, using clever tactics to successfully repel Cao Cao’s attack.

Seeing that the Jiangdong army’s morale was high and that Zhou Yu commanded well, Cao Cao knew that this battle would be difficult to win. He sighed deeply and ordered a retreat.

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu met, and both breathed a sigh of relief. They knew that although they had won this battle, the future of Jiangdong was still full of challenges.

"Gongjin, this time it is thanks to your timely arrival." Sun Ce said gratefully.

Zhou Yu replied modestly, "The lord is peerless in bravery; I was merely adding flowers to the brocade. But this battle also makes us understand that the future of Jiangdong still requires our joint efforts."

Sun Ce nodded, his gaze firm. "Indeed, as long as we are united as one, nothing can stop our progress. The future of Jiangdong must belong to us!"

The two looked at each other and smiled, their hearts filled with infinite longing for the future. They knew that although the road ahead remained bumpy, as long as they moved forward hand in hand, they would surely be able to create a glorious future for Jiangdong.

In the following days, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu continued to fight side by side; they not only consolidated Jiangdong’s defensive lines but also gradually expanded Jiangdong’s territory. They used wisdom and courage to defeat the enemy’s attacks time and again, making Jiangdong a pure land in troubled times.