Chapter 1710

Yuan Shu sat alone in the dim study, the candlelight flickering, reflecting on his face, which was changing between light and shadow. He held the Imperial Seal that had once made him think he could control the world tightly in his hand; at this moment, it felt like a hot potato, making him feel unprecedentedly heavy.

"My lord, my lord!" Hurried shouts came from outside the door again, interrupting Yuan Shu's contemplation. He frowned unhappily, placed the Imperial Seal on the table, and said in a low voice: "What matter is so urgent?"

The door was pushed open violently, and Ji Ling rushed in with an anxious face: "My lord, something terrible has happened! Sun Ce has suddenly dispatched troops, captured our Lujiang Commandery, and is now pressing toward Shouchun!"

"What?!" Yuan Shu stood up abruptly, a trace of terror flashing in his eyes. He never expected that just as he had recovered from Cao Cao's blow, Sun Ce would give him another heavy blow.

"This... how is this possible? Isn't Sun Ce in an alliance with me? Why would he suddenly break the alliance?" Yuan Shu asked in disbelief.

Ji Ling shook his head, his expression stern: "It is said that Sun Ce learned that the lord had obtained the Imperial Seal and believed that the lord intended to ascend the throne, threatening his status, so he decided to strike first."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu felt a bitterness in his heart. He had originally thought that this Imperial Seal would be a help for him to achieve a great cause, but he never expected that it would instead become the root cause of his betrayal and abandonment.

"My lord, what should we do now?" Ji Ling asked anxiously.

Yuan Shu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He understood that panic at this moment would only make the situation worse. After pondering for a moment, he spoke slowly: "Pass the order down: the entire army is to prepare for battle and get ready to meet Sun Ce. At the same time, send people to seek help from Liu Biao, Liu Bei, and other gentry of the East of the Pass, letting them know that I, Yuan Shu, am not fighting alone."

Ji Ling received the order and left, while Yuan Shu sat back down at the desk, looking at the Imperial Seal with a complex gaze. He understood in his heart that this battle was not only to preserve his territory and troops but also to prove his ability and determination. He could not be defeated by Sun Ce like this, and he could not let the world laugh at him, Yuan Shu, for being a man of courage but no strategy.

However, Yuan Shu's plan did not go as he wished. Sun Ce's army was like a hot knife through butter, capturing several cities in succession and pressing straight toward Shouchun. As for Liu Biao, Liu Bei, and other gentry of the East of the Pass, although they agreed to send troops to help on the surface, they were actually harboring ulterior motives and were reluctant to send troops.

Yuan Shu was anxious but could do nothing. He could only watch helplessly as Sun Ce's army approached step by step, while he himself was at his wit's end.

Just then, Yang Hong stood out again. He advised Yuan Shu: "My lord, we have reached a life-and-death moment; we must think of a foolproof plan. In my opinion, it is better to offer the Imperial Seal to Sun Ce in exchange for his withdrawal. In this way, we can not only preserve Shouchun but also avoid a head-on conflict with Sun Ce."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu struggled in his heart. He knew deeply that this Imperial Seal was of extraordinary significance to him and was a symbol of his achievement of a great cause. However, the current situation did not allow him to think much. He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "Good! Follow your words. You go to Sun Ce's camp immediately, offer him the Imperial Seal, and tell him that I, Yuan Shu, am willing to form an alliance with him and jointly plot for the world."

Yang Hong received the order and left, while Yuan Shu sat alone in the study, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He did not know if what he was doing was correct, but he had no other choice at this moment. He could only hope that Sun Ce would keep his promise and let Shouchun off the hook.

However, Yuan Shu's hope was dashed again. After Yang Hong went to Sun Ce's camp with the Imperial Seal, Sun Ce did not withdraw his troops as Yuan Shu had wished. On the contrary, he became even more determined to attack Shouchun. He believed that Yuan Shu's move was a sign of weakness and that it was the perfect time to eliminate this greatest threat in one fell swoop.

When Yuan Shu learned the news, his heart turned to ash. He understood that he had truly reached a desperate situation this time. Looking at the Imperial Seal that had once made him yearn, his heart was filled with endless remorse and helplessness. He finally understood that the real world was not obtained by an Imperial Seal, but required wisdom, courage, and unremitting effort. However, all this realization came too late.

On the day Shouchun City fell, Yuan Shu fled to Runan with his remnants. He wandered from place to place, and his former glory and honor had long since vanished. His heart was filled with endless remorse and unwillingness, but none of this could be undone.

Yuan Shu's life in Runan was not easy. He had lost most of his troops and territory and could only barely maintain his livelihood by relying on his remaining forces. Whenever the night was deep and quiet, he would sit alone in the camp, recalling the glory and honor of the past, his heart filled with endless remorse and unwillingness.

"My lord, my lord!" A rush of footsteps broke Yuan Shu's contemplation. He raised his head and saw Ji Ling running in, sweating profusely.

"What matter is so urgent?" Yuan Shu asked unhappily.

"My lord, something terrible has happened! Liu Bei has suddenly dispatched troops, captured our Runan Commandery, and is now pressing toward our camp!" Ji Ling said, panting.

"What?!" Yuan Shu stood up abruptly, a trace of terror flashing in his eyes. He never expected that just as he had escaped from Sun Ce's blow, Liu Bei would give him another heavy blow.

"This... how is this possible? Isn't Liu Bei in an alliance with me? Why would he suddenly break the alliance?" Yuan Shu asked in disbelief.

Ji Ling shook his head, his expression stern: "It is said that Liu Bei learned that the lord had lost most of his troops and territory and believed that the lord had lost the ability to compete for the world, so he decided to take advantage of the situation to seize our territory."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu felt a bitterness in his heart. He had originally thought that although he had lost most of his influence, he at least had Liu Bei as an ally to rely on. He never expected that Liu Bei would also kick him when he was down at this time.

"My lord, what should we do now?" Ji Ling asked anxiously.

Yuan Shu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He understood that panic at this moment would only make the situation worse. After pondering for a moment, he spoke slowly: "Pass the order down: the entire army is to prepare for battle against Liu Bei. At the same time, send people to seek help from other gentry of the East of the Pass, letting them know that I, Yuan Shu, have not completely failed and still have the strength for one battle."

Ji Ling received the order and left, while Yuan Shu fell into contemplation again. He understood in his heart that this battle was not only to preserve his life and remaining forces but also to prove his ability and determination. He could not be defeated by Liu Bei like this, and he could not let the world laugh at him, Yuan Shu, for being a useless failure.

However, Yuan Shu's request for help was like a stone sinking into the sea, receiving no response. He understood in his heart that those gentry of the East of the Pass had already seen his decline and were unwilling to form an alliance with him again. He could only rely on his own strength to meet Liu Bei's army.