Chapter 108: Feigned Surrender and Requests for Reinforcements

“Lord, please dispatch reinforcements immediately!”

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce’s eyes widened instantly, his chest tightening with a sudden surge of frustration. Already feeling stifled, he now seemed ignited with fury, his chest heaving as he trembled with anger.

Danyang—how could everything west of Danyang be lost?

Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of blood, then fainted outright, the words “Lord” echoing incessantly in his ears.

——

After a long while, Sun Ce regained consciousness. Defeat weighed heavily upon him. In just three short years, he had hoped to conquer all of Jiangdong, yet now, he had suffered a crushing setback at the hands of Chu Feng.

It was unbearable.

“Gentlemen, do we have any wise strategies to aid me?” Sun Ce’s eyes shone with earnestness as he addressed his generals.

The generals lowered their heads in shame; none had a good plan. Yu Fan pinched his chin thoughtfully, while only Zhou Yu stepped forward, clasping his fists.

“My lord, only the lands west of Danyang have fallen so far. If we fail to contain this, places like Dandong will soon fall as well. When Chu Feng’s forces unite and seize Niuzhu, then the entire stretch from Danyang to Wujun will be lost, and Wu Commandery itself will be imperiled.”

Zhou Yu’s analysis was sharp and to the point.

From his perspective, Chu Feng’s current retreat was a ploy to tie down Wu’s forces in Wujun, forcing Danyang’s troops to bear the brunt of the attack and shifting the pressure onto them.

If Chu Feng focused on Biling, he would advance boldly, but if Wu split their troops to defend Danyang, Chu Feng would threaten Wuxian instead. This was a ruthless tactic, forcing Sun Ce to make a difficult choice.

“Gongjin, if that is so, what is your proposed course of action?” Sun Ce asked anxiously, his impatience rising—if they could not defeat Chu Feng, all of Jiangdong would be lost.

Zhou Yu pondered briefly. “My lord, I have two plans that can relieve our current predicament.”

“Gongjin, speak quickly!”

Sun Ce’s eyes burned with urgency. The other generals leaned forward in curiosity, eager to hear what brilliant schemes Zhou Yu had devised. Yu Fan narrowed his eyes; he guessed one of the plans but was surprised to hear there were two.

“First, we must seek aid from Cao Cao.”

“There is no chance of border conflict between Your Lordship and Cao Cao in the near term, and our families are bound by marriage ties. He will not stand idly by while Chu Feng grows strong.”

Zhou Yu stated plainly.

In truth, he had considered appealing to Cao Cao before, but relying too heavily on Cao Cao’s power would make them dependent, and he also wished to test Chu Feng’s strength. Now, however, it was clear they had no choice.

Chu Feng had entrenched himself in Wujun and begun encroaching on Danyang; next would be Kuaiji. Soon, the three commanderies Sun Ce had painstakingly built would all be lost.

“My lord, Gongjin’s assessment is correct; Cao Cao will surely come to our aid. Moreover, Chu Feng has concentrated his forces in Niuzhu, Danyang, and Wujun,” Yu Fan added, “so Shouchun must be vulnerable. If Cao Cao leads a campaign in person, Chu Feng will have to return his troops, naturally weakening Wujun’s defenses—then we can strike decisively.”

Sun Ce nodded repeatedly after hearing their counsel. “Then seek Cao Cao’s help. Yu Fan, this matter concerns the fate of Jiangdong; I entrust you to go in person! No matter what, we must ensure Cao Cao dispatches forces to Shouchun.”

“Understood,” Yu Fan replied solemnly.

“And what of the second plan, Gongjin?” Sun Ce inquired.

Zhou Yu’s eyes darkened coldly as he spoke in a low voice, “Feign surrender to lure the enemy deep and then annihilate them.”

“What do you mean?”

“My lord, when Chu Feng marched, he loudly proclaimed your death in battle. We can turn his scheme against him—declare your death but keep the news secret, seize control of the army, and plan a retreat to rule Jiangdong!”

“General Sun Jing, your uncle, would never agree to such a betrayal. Therefore, have him feign surrender to Chu Feng and explain the circumstances. Chu Feng might suspect, but at most, he will only harbor doubts.”

“Meanwhile, Your Lordship will dispatch forces under the guise of defecting, creating the illusion of fragmentation. Chu Feng, eager to conquer Wujun, will seize this opportunity without hesitation.”

“He will surely lead his army to pursue and engage them.”

“At that moment, with a prepared ambush, we will strike and capture Chu Feng in one decisive battle!” Zhou Yu declared grimly.

Sun Ce’s heart leapt with joy at this proposal. Finally, a chance to avenge his disgrace!

“Gongjin, this plan is excellent, but Chu Feng’s cunning is no empty reputation. Can we truly deceive him? What if he sees through it?”

Sun Jing frowned, worry creasing his brow. After all, if the ruse failed, he would be the first to die.

“Chu Feng is indeed crafty, but even the wisest can slip up. You were publicly unhorsed by him; how could he suspect you would forgo the opportunity to capture Wujun?”

“Even if we retreat a step, our troops’ morale is low, and this stalemate only wastes resources. If Chu Feng does not come, we will withdraw to Wuxi, regroup, and wait quietly for news of Cao Cao’s border invasion. There will be no delay in joining forces once Cao Cao advances north,” Zhou Yu said gravely.

He believed this plan feasible in both rationale and sentiment.

Sun Ce nodded again and again, then fixed his gaze on Sun Jing. “Uncle, Jiangdong stands at death’s door. Whether the Sun family’s legacy endures depends entirely on you!”

Sun Jing was speechless.

“Bofu, rest assured. I will handle this matter,” Sun Jing nodded, already contemplating how to proceed.

Frankly, the risk was not great, but for him, it was almost a death sentence—too harsh!

“Very well,” Sun Ce acknowledged.

“Gongjin, I entrust you with full authority to manage this. I am unwell. All generals must cooperate fully!”

“Understood!” the generals replied in unison.

Finally, Sun Ce’s army held a brief meeting to discuss details: which rebel generals to deploy, where to stage ambushes, and so forth, before dispersing.

——

Days passed.

The camp of Sun Ce’s army was eerily silent.

Suddenly, a scout galloped in, shouting urgently, “My lord, there is unrest in Sun Ce’s camp—likely a mutiny among the soldiers. It seems to be quite serious.”

At the first rank, Chu Feng put down his military manual, surprised. “Strange—why would Sun Ce’s army break into mutiny now?”

“My lord, perhaps some of Sun Ce’s generals see the tide turning against him and are seeking to surrender!” Liu Ye laughed heartily.

“Haha, the strategist speaks wisely!” the other officers laughed boisterously.

Chu Feng was unconcerned, ordering the scout to continue gathering intelligence while he returned to his reading, his mood buoyant—everything west of Danyang was already his.

In fact, all the lands west of Wuhu had been taken, and soon many territories in the southwest, in Kuaiji, would surrender without a fight. This move would gnaw away at Sun Ce’s strength to nothing.

But not long after, the scout returned again, shouting urgently, “My lord, General Sun Jing requests an audience!”

“Sun Jing? What brings him here?”