Chapter 1675

Every move Liu Bei made in Chaisang was filled with anxiety and unease, while Gu Yi, hundreds of miles away, was meeting two important guests in his camp with composure.

"General Gu, I am Zhuge Jin, here on the orders of my younger brother." Zhuge Jin bowed, his expression carrying a measure of respect and caution. He knew deeply the heavy responsibility of this trip; not only did he have to convey his brother's intentions, but he also had to test Gu Yi's attitude.

Gu Yi smiled slightly and signaled for Zhuge Jin to sit down. "Brother Jin, you have come from afar, you have worked hard. I wonder what advice Kongming has?"

Zhuge Jin informed Gu Yi of Zhuge Liang's worries and plans one by one, while not forgetting to observe Gu Yi's reaction. Gu Yi, upon hearing this, had no ripples on his face, only saying faintly: "Kongming is indeed clever, it's just a pity..."

Before he finished speaking, Gu Yi turned to look at the other guest—Wang Lang. Wang Lang was slightly older, dressed like a scholar, and was holding an exquisite wooden box in his hand, appearing quite mysterious.

"Lord Wang, I heard that although you were defeated in the Battle of Kuaiji, you were defeated with honor, and I admire you very much. I wonder what brings you here this time?" Gu Yi's tone carried a trace of playfulness.

Wang Lang hurriedly stood up and respectfully presented the wooden box in his hand. "General Gu, this is a small token of my sincerity, I hope the General will accept it. My coming here is actually to defect to the General and plot great matters together."

Gu Yi signaled for an attendant to take the wooden box but did not open it immediately, instead laughing: "Lord Wang, you are a famous scholar of Jiangdong, why are you doing this?"

Wang Lang sighed and spoke slowly: "General Gu, the situation is unpredictable. Although the Jiangdong families are strong, it is ultimately not a long-term plan. The General is wise and martial, a hero of the time, and I am willing to serve the General as a dog or horse to plot great matters together."

Gu Yi laughed loudly upon hearing this: "Good! Lord Wang is indeed sensible. However, I have one thing I don't understand. Since you have already decided to defect, why did you take a detour to get here? Could it be that you are afraid of being discovered?"

Wang Lang's expression changed slightly, then he frankly admitted: "I will not hide it from the General, I do have concerns. However, more importantly, I want to take this opportunity to show the General a 'treasure'."

Having said that, Wang Lang took a secret letter from his sleeve and handed it to Gu Yi. Gu Yi took it and looked, his brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed again, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"So that's how it is, Lord Wang is indeed painstaking. However, do you think that with just this letter, you can make me change my mind?" Gu Yi's tone carried a trace of teasing.

Wang Lang's heart tightened upon hearing this, but he still tried to remain calm on the surface: "General, although this letter cannot directly change the situation, it can provide an important reference for your decision-making. Moreover, I have also brought..."

Speaking of this, Wang Lang deliberately paused and took a small jade box from his sleeve again, opening it gently; inside was actually a brilliant night-luminescent pearl.

"This is a treasure I have cherished for many years, and I wish to use this object to express my sincerity." Wang Lang's voice trembled slightly, clearly extremely reluctant to part with this night-luminescent pearl.

Gu Yi looked at the night-luminescent pearl before him, a trace of playfulness flashing in his eyes: "Lord Wang, you have indeed spent a fortune. However, do you think I will change my view of the Jiangdong families because of this?"

Wang Lang's heart sank upon hearing this, but he still tried to argue: "General, that is not my intention. I only hope the General can understand that the Jiangdong families are not a monolith; among them are many people of insight who are willing to cooperate with the General."

Gu Yi laughed loudly upon hearing this: "Lord Wang, you have misunderstood. It is not that I am unwilling to cooperate with the Jiangdong families, it is just that the method of cooperation must be decided by me."

Speaking of this, Gu Yi's gaze suddenly became sharp: "Moreover, I have already decided to take Yuzhang first, then turn back to deal with Wu Commandery. As for the Jiangdong families, if they are sensible, perhaps they can still preserve a trace of their lineage; if not, humph..."

Wang Lang was shocked upon hearing this, but he still tried to remain calm on the surface: "General, Yuzhang is a barren land, why mention it? Why doesn't the General concentrate his forces to take Wu Commandery first, then plot other things?"

Gu Yi sneered: "Lord Wang, you only know one thing, not the other. Although Yuzhang is poor, it is Liu Bei's retreat. As long as this road is sealed, Liu Bei will become a turtle in a jar, and Wu Commandery will naturally collapse without being attacked."

Wang Lang was speechless upon hearing this, secretly regretting in his heart that he had ultimately underestimated this young general.

And at this time, Liu Bei was still anxiously waiting for the return of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, not knowing that his freedom was already running out.

Several days later, when Liu Bei finally waited for the two generals Guan and Zhang and was preparing to set off to flee south, he was surprised to find that Gu Yi's army had appeared on the border of Yuzhang like heavenly soldiers, completely sealing his retreat.

Liu Bei looked at the dense military flags in the distance, his heart filled with despair and unwillingness: "Kongming, I ultimately failed to escape..."

And Zhuge Liang, far away in Chaisang, upon learning this news, also sighed long: "My lord, heaven's will is hard to defy..."

Liu Bei, on the border of Yuzhang, facing the pressure of Gu Yi's army, although his heart was filled with despair, years of battle experience allowed him to quickly calm down. He understood that the current decline was not irreversible; the key lay in how to find a strategy to break the situation.

"Yunchang, Yide," Liu Bei turned to look at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, his eyes flashing with a firm light: "Although we are surrounded, it is not without a chance of survival. Although Gu Yi is strong, he also has weaknesses."

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were energized upon hearing this and asked in unison: "Big Brother, what good strategy do you have?"

Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Although Gu Yi's military strength is numerous, it is, after all, a long-distance raid, and logistical supplies must be difficult. We can use this point to send small groups of troops to harass his grain routes, while looking for opportunities to raid his main camp and disrupt his deployment."

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei looked at each other and smiled; they knew Liu Bei's resourcefulness well, and this tactic of winning against the strong with the weak was exactly what they were good at.

Thus, Liu Bei quickly assigned tasks; Guan Yu was responsible for leading an elite force to harass Gu Yi's grain routes; Zhang Fei was responsible for finding locations within Yuzhang that could be raided, preparing to catch Gu Yi off guard.

And Liu Bei himself took the remaining men and set an ambush in a dangerous place on the border of Yuzhang, preparing to deal with Gu Yi's army at any time.

Gu Yi, upon learning of Liu Bei's movements, sneered: "Liu Bei, oh Liu Bei, you really won't submit easily. However, do you think this can change the situation?"

He quickly adjusted his tactics, strengthened the protection of the grain routes, and at the same time sent an elite force to pursue Guan Yu's harassing troops. As for Liu Bei himself, Gu Yi decided to lead the army personally to meet this former hero.