Chapter 1730

"Gongjin, you fought beautifully on this route," 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 already occupied a portion of the northern territory. However, if we want to thoroughly 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 old lair and also their final line of defense. This battle will surely be exceptionally difficult. We need to make full preparations 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 defenses, as well as sufficient troops; to capture it, they had to formulate meticulous strategies and tactics. At the same time, they also needed to continue contacting their northern allies to seek more support.

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

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

This battle was exceptionally fierce, with both sides trading blows and locked in a stalemate. Sun Ce and Zhou Yu personally took to the field, leading from the front and fighting bravely; under their leadership, the soldiers were also high in spirits and charged 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, Commander! Something terrible has happened! There is urgent military intelligence from the north!"

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's expressions changed upon hearing this, 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 exchanged a glance, both seeing the solemnity and worry in each other's eyes. They knew that this battle had only just begun, and the true challenge was still waiting for them...

"My lord, Commander! 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 down: the entire army is to retreat immediately; we must first escape our current predicament."

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

Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu: "Gongjin, it seems our plan must change."

Zhou Yu nodded: "Indeed. The most important thing right now is to stabilize our footing first, and then plan for the future." ===== CHAPTER 1731 =====