Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 203 Ambush
The news that Yan Yi had dispatched a large force to garrison Huai'an caused a great uproar in the six counties of Dannan.

Danan, a region with only six cities, is home to nearly twenty powerful factions. For years, these factions have existed outside of Jiangdong, forming their own independent territories, constantly wary of each other and engaged in endless struggles. Now, suddenly targeted by a powerful enemy, they have all become like frightened birds, thrown into chaos.

Meanwhile, Zulang, who controls the Dansi region, has been restless and unusually irritable lately.

He was originally a powerful figure in Danxi, and together with Yan Baihu, he was known as one of the two great generals of Jiangdong. He was somewhat like the "Northern Qiao Feng and Southern Murong" in later novels. He had no shortage of fame and territory, and lived a very comfortable life.

Unexpectedly, within a month, the situation changed drastically, and two powerful neighbors, Yan Yi and Sun Ce, suddenly appeared in his life. Neither of them was someone he dared to provoke.

Sun Ce, in particular, had long been his mortal enemy.

At the beginning of the year, when Sun Ce went to Danyang to recruit soldiers, Zu Lang led his troops in a surprise attack and nearly killed Sun Ce. With such deep-seated hatred, how could Sun Ce not seek revenge?

Zu Lang was filled with worry and tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He often dreamt of Sun Ce chasing him with a sword, hacking at him relentlessly. In his anxiety, he remembered that he and Yan Baihu were both bandits by origin and had some kinship ties. Finally, on the advice of his strategist, he sent an envoy to form an alliance with Yan Yi, attempting to eliminate one of the threats along the way.

It was at this time that Yuan Shu recalled 20,000 elite troops from Chen State, led by generals Zhang Xun, Lei Bo, and Chen Lan, and left Shouchun, heading straight for Danyang with murderous intent.

This news that stirred up a storm first reached the neighboring county of Xiapi, causing a stir of secret joy among the military and political circles there.

Better to die than to die myself; let Yuan Shu wreak havoc on Yangzhou.

"Brother, fantastic news! Yuan Shu has sent troops to Danyang!"

In the backyard of the official temple in Xu County, Liu Bei, who was ordered to inspect Xiapi, was practicing his swordplay when he suddenly heard a loud roar, like a black bear splitting rocks, coming from outside the courtyard wall, making his ears ring.

With a flick of his wrist, Liu Bei sent his sword flying in a silver arc through the air before it was sheathed with a clang.

He exhaled a breath of stale air, tossed the sword to a nearby attendant, and looked toward the courtyard gate with a restrained gaze.

A gentle breeze suddenly swept across the cobblestone path in front of the courtyard gate, causing the flowers and plants on both sides of the path to rustle slightly.

Two burly men walked side by side, laughing loudly.

The burly man walking on the left side of the road was over eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He stood like an iron tower and moved like thunder. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and his beard was bristling like steel needles. As he walked, a menacing aura pressed down on people's brows.

The burly man on the right was nine feet tall, towering like a mountain about to topple. A green robe draped his imposing figure, exuding the air of a scholar-general. His face was like a red date, his long beard reached his chest, and his phoenix eyes, like a cold moon concealing a sharp edge, radiated an imposing aura without anger.

"Second brother, third brother!" Liu Bei greeted them with a smile. When he reached the two men, he slightly frowned and scolded the dark-faced man, "Third brother, how many times have I told you to keep your composure in the face of trouble and not to shout?"

Zhang Fei looked unconcerned, his smile unwavering: "Brother understands."

The three walked to a secluded spot. Guan Yu stroked his long beard, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and advised Liu Bei again: "Governor Tao has twice tried to entrust Xuzhou to you, but you insisted on refusing. Now that Cao Cao's troops have retreated and Yuan Shao's army has gone to Danyang, all external threats have been eliminated. Next time Governor Tao offers Xuzhou to you, you must not refuse again."

Zhang Fei eagerly chimed in, "Second Brother is absolutely right. Xuzhou is right before our eyes, how can we refuse? That old man Tao Qian has offered it to us time and time again, and the people are kneeling and begging you to accept the seal, Brother. If you still refuse, wouldn't you be breaking everyone's hearts!"

Liu Bei looked around warily, repeatedly saying, "Be careful what you say! Be careful what you say!"

Seeing his cautious demeanor, Zhang Fei became so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat and shouted, "I'm a rough man and don't understand those complicated things! But I know that my eldest brother is benevolent, my second brother is loyal and righteous, and I, Old Zhang, have this strength. How could the three of us brothers not be able to control a mere Xuzhou?"

Liu Bei was already more than willing. He volunteered to lead his troops to inspect Xu County, precisely to observe the movements of Yuan Shao's army. As Guan Yu said, with Cao Cao's troops returning north and Yuan Shao's army heading south, Xu Province was free from external threats and supported internally by the Mi and Chen clans. Taking Xu Province was now risk-free, a truly opportune moment.

It's time to seize Xuzhou. A province that fell from the sky—only a fool wouldn't take it!
Looking into the eager eyes of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei's heart, which had been suppressed for many days, surged with immense emotion. His deepest desire to achieve great deeds grew wildly like weeds.

He was already thirty-three years old and didn't want to wait any longer, nor did he want to live a life of wandering and dependence on others. He wanted to climb to the top step by step!
"Tao Gong is bedridden with illness, how can I plot against his foundation at this time?" Liu Bei tried to control his slightly rapid breathing, a trace of worry on his face, as if he was very concerned about Tao Qian's condition: "My two virtuous brothers, immediately assemble the troops and come with me to the prefecture to visit Tao Gong."

Zhang Fei, his face full of impatience, was about to persuade him again when Guan Yu grabbed his arm. He turned his head and saw Guan Yu with a slight smile on his face, shaking his head slightly at him.

Zhang Fei gradually came to his senses and said excitedly, "Brother, wait a moment, I'll go and gather the troops right away!"

Two days later, news of Yuan Shu's military expedition had spread throughout Danyang.

The various envoys who went to Guangde to congratulate Yan Yi on his great victory all turned back halfway. They came and went in a flash, and were nowhere to be found in an instant.

Those who had already arrived in Guangde immediately took their leave for various reasons, and left without a second thought.

Zulang had originally intended to form an alliance with Yan Yi, but now he was relieved that the delegation had not gone far and hurriedly sent someone back.

Everyone knew that Yuan Shu was serious this time. His 20,000 elite troops, who had fought against Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, Cao Cao and other forces, were far superior to the city garrison led by Qiao Rui and Yue Jiu. In addition, Sun Ce led 14,000 troops. How could Yan Yi possibly resist them?

When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer; it's best to stay far away.

The tense atmosphere in Guangde City seems to confirm this.

At midnight, when all was quiet, Yan Yi was still awake, wearing a robe, writing furiously at his desk.

The flickering candlelight illuminated his slightly furrowed brows, casting an intermittent glow.

"Lord Jingsheng, please consider this: Yuan Shu of Huainan is a wolf with ambitions. He has now coerced Sun Ce into becoming his henchman and is raising an army to invade our borders. Although I hold only the small territory of Danyang, I am aware of the greater good of the nation and am willing to defend this border for the Han Dynasty."

"However, the army is as numerous as ants, and the enemy's forces are as sharp as blades. The isolated city is running out of food and arrows and stones. I have heard that Your Excellency is stationed in Jingzhou and Xiangyang with 100,000 armored soldiers. If you would be willing to send a detachment out of Xiakou to feign an attack on Shouchun, then Shu will surely return to defend himself, and the siege of Danyang can be lifted."

Yan Yi slowly put down his brush, placed the completed bamboo slips aside, and then took a blank bamboo slip and spread it out on the table.

"Your Excellency Yuan Gong, please take heed: Yuan Gonglu of Huainan has defied human ethics. Now he has coerced Sun Ce to lead the vanguard and has launched a full-scale attack. The isolated city of Danyang is in grave danger. Although I am not talented, I know to be loyal to defend the land. However, we are outnumbered and weak, and I fear we cannot hold out for long."

"Your family has produced three high-ranking officials in four generations, and you are highly respected throughout the land. If you would write to Jing Sheng and persuade him to send troops to Xiakou, then Shu will surely send troops back to reinforce it."

"Jing Sheng deeply respects your authority, and if he receives a letter from you, he will certainly not dare to disobey. Moreover, if the technique gains control of Danyang, its power will only grow stronger, which is not what you desire."

After Yan Yi finished writing the two letters and waited for the ink to dry, he sealed them with clay and ordered them to be sent out immediately.

This time, in an effort to persuade Liu Biao to send troops to contain Yuan Shu, he even sent a letter to Yuan Shao, who was far away in Ji Province, trying to get Yuan Shao to influence Liu Biao's decision. Whether his 'elder brother' is reliable or not depends on this.

Since the three parties formed an alliance, he has received the least benefit from Yuan Shao, far less than the amount of aid he received from Liu Biao. This "elder brother" is a bit weak.

Yan Yi muttered a few complaints to himself, blew out the candle, and tossed and turned until he fell asleep.

The next morning, not long after dawn, he issued an order: to organize all the people of Guangde to immediately relocate to places such as Qiantang, Rencheng, and Yuncheng to escape the war.

At the same time, a decree was promulgated: all private property of the people of Guangde, including fields and houses, shall be registered and included in the public treasury, and the same amount of land shall be given to the people of Guangde in Rencheng and other places. If the people of Guangde wish to return to Guangde to live in the future, they can exchange the land in Rencheng and other places for the land in Guangde.

This move was beneficial to both Yan Yi and the people of Guangde. Yan Yi could gain access to several thousand households to develop the wasteland in Rencheng and Yuncheng, and the people of Guangde, after migrating to Wu County, would also have land to cultivate and would not go bankrupt.

Once the decree was issued, inspired by the reputations of Yan Yi and Zhou Xin, and driven by the fear of impending war, the vast majority of Guangde residents responded positively and began to migrate to Wu County in an organized manner.

Soon after, Guangde was left with only ten thousand soldiers stationed there, and it almost became a ghost town.

At the same time, the armies of Sun and Yuan advanced side by side, sweeping through Guangde and gradually closing in.

Before Yuan Jun arrived in Yongping, Sun Ce had already set out with his army, which was only about forty li away from Guangde.

It wasn't that Sun Ce was willing to be the vanguard, but rather that Yuan Shu personally ordered Sun Ce to lead his army into battle immediately.

Sun Ce did not dare to openly disobey Yuan Shu's orders for the time being. After discussing with Lü Fan, Cheng Pu and others, he immediately led his troops to attack Guangde.

This fellow had fallen into his old habit of reckless risk-taking again. After the entire army had set up camp, he led more than thirty riders, including Sun He, Chen Wu, Sun Ben, and Xu Kun, to the front line to survey the terrain.

It can only be said that Sun Bofu has made some progress; this time, he actually brought more than thirty riders, which is unprecedented.

In his view, with these thirty elite riders, they could go anywhere, from the heavens to the earth, from the four seas to the eight wastelands!
“Bo Fu, this place is very good. The two official roads are enough for each unit to quickly leave the battlefield. As long as we send two or three squads of soldiers to intercept the mountain pass behind us, the enemy will have a hard time breaking through in a short time. It will take at least half an hour to chase them down by detour.”

Xu Kun led his horse up a low hill, turned to face Sun Ce and the others, and pointed to a basin hidden in the mountains ahead.

Sun Ce was quite satisfied with the small basin before him, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack. His purpose in coming out this time was to find a suitable place to fight Yan Yi.

This place must be easy to defend and difficult to attack, and also convenient for retreat and escaping enemy pursuit.

If Zhang Xun had overheard their conversation, he would probably have exploded on the spot: 'You bastards! The Lord ordered you to attack Guangde, not to defend it!'

However, in the upcoming great battle, Sun Ce did indeed plan his tactics as if he were on the defensive.

The specific battle plan is as follows: Sun Ce will entrust the defense of various passes and key roads to Zhang Xun's army in order to reduce the number of Zhang Xun's main forces. When the battle begins, Sun Ce's army will feign defeat and retreat from the selected positions, gradually disengaging from the battlefield, creating conditions for Yan Yi's army to concentrate its forces and launch a surprise attack on Zhang Xun's army. The rest will be left to Yan and Zhang to play their own game.

It has to be said that this move is indeed very cunning. If executed well, one of Yan and Zhang will most likely fall, and the other will suffer heavy losses. At that time, it will be Sun Ce's time to shine.

However, Sun Ce was unaware that while he was personally surveying the terrain to achieve this strategic goal, a team of over 120 assassins was silently closing in on him.
"Sun Ce led more than thirty cavalrymen and appeared near Mingling Valley?"

When Yan Yi heard this news from Yin Li, he was slightly taken aback. Sun Ce, that kid, really doesn't know the meaning of death. Only twenty-odd days have passed, and he's already out partying again.
Yin Li nodded emphatically, confirming the authenticity of the news. Recalling Yan Yi's eight-character evaluation of Sun Ce: "wise and brave, unprepared and careless," he couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly.

It wasn't just careless and unprepared; it was practically no different from a woman who always liked to strip naked and flaunt herself in front of men.

"Xu Sheng! Where is Xu Sheng?" Yan Yi threw down the scroll of bamboo slips he hadn't finished reading, took a few steps toward the door, and shouted, "Immediately order Xu Sheng to lead all the cavalry to Mingling Valley and bring me back Sun Ce's head!"

"Here!"

Sensing the urgency and excitement in Yan Yi's words, Yuan Sui, the supervisor of the sect, dared not delay and ran out immediately.

Soon, thousands of riders galloped out from the north gate of Guangde, kicking up clouds of dust, and headed straight for Mingling Valley!
"Zilie, quickly escort Bofu away!"

"Whoever takes Sun Ce's head will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold!"

The valley, with its jagged rocks, was filled with a strong stench of blood, and the sounds of fighting and shouting echoed between the rock walls.

Dozens of corpses stretched from the valley entrance into the valley, with broken limbs and weapons scattered in the thick pools of blood.

Sun Ce was ambushed twice.

The first ambush occurred on the small hill where he was scouting the terrain. In this ambush, twenty-one of the thirty riders who followed Sun Ce died.

Relying on his bravery and strength, Sun Ce fought his way out of the enemy's encirclement, which outnumbered him several times over, and charged towards Mingling Valley on horseback.

Mingling Valley was the shortest route back to the camp. Under the pursuit of assassins, Sun Ce and his men rushed in without thinking twice.

They rushed in, only to find they'd fallen into a trap. There was an ambush of seventy or eighty men inside the valley, and the ground was covered with caltrops.

With ambushes ahead and pursuers behind, Sun Ce and his men were trapped in the valley and had no choice but to press on.

Sun Ce realized at this moment that in the face of the enemy's carefully prepared ambush and more than two hundred skilled desperados, no matter how powerful a person is, he has to kneel down!

"what!"

A short, familiar scream reached my ears.

Sun Ce swung his sword diagonally, killing an assassin in front of him, and then quickly glanced back.

That one glance made his blood freeze instantly, and an unprecedented surge of anger and pain filled his heart.

Xu Kun was surrounded by more than ten assassins, covered in blood and wounds. A short sword was stuck diagonally in his chest near his heart. As he was about to fall, more weapons slashed at various parts of his body until his head was severed.

Xu Kun is dead!
(End of this chapter)