Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 735 Union
After reaching a cooperation intention with Shi Xie, Jia Changsheng decided to meet with Shi Xie to further discuss the detailed strategy against Sun Quan. The two sides selected a neutral town on the border of Jingzhou and Jiaozhou as the meeting place. On this sunny day, Jia Changsheng brought Xu Shu, Huang Zhong and other confidants to the agreed place early. Not long after, Shi Xie also arrived with several important generals from Jiaozhou.

Jia Changsheng saw Shi Xie from afar and hurried forward to greet him, saying with a smile: "I have long heard of your great name, and it is a great honor to meet you today."

Shi Xie also smiled and responded: "Mr. Jia is too polite. I have heard that you are well-governed in Jingzhou and have a great reputation. It is my honor to work with you today."

After some greetings, everyone came to the meeting room that had been prepared. The guests and hosts sat down, and Jia Changsheng spoke first: "Sir, now that we have formed an alliance, the most urgent thing is to discuss how to defeat Sun Quan in one fell swoop. I wonder what you think about this?"

Shi Xie stroked his beard and said after thinking for a moment, "Mr. Jia, Sun Quan has occupied Yangzhou and has a deep foundation. He has many soldiers and generals under his command. If we want to win, we must use our wits, not force. I think we can first cut off their food supplies, so that their army will be in chaos, and then wait for an opportunity to act."

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly and said, "What you said is very true. But Sun Quan must attach great importance to food and grass, and his defense is very strict. I wonder if you have any clever ideas to cut off his food and grass?"

At this time, a general beside Shi Xie stepped forward and said, "Mr. Jia, our Jiaozhou navy is familiar with the southern water network. We can send an elite navy to sneak into Yangzhou along the waterway and raid Sun Quan's grain and grass storage area. As long as we burn their grain and grass, Sun Quan's army will be in chaos without a fight."

Jia Changsheng looked at the general and said approvingly, "General, this is a great plan. However, the water network in Yangzhou is complex, and the enemy must have set up many checkpoints. We need to find out the waterway conditions in detail to ensure that the operation is foolproof. Xu Shu, this matter will be left to you to arrange. Send someone to find out the details of Yangzhou's waterway defenses and food storage areas as soon as possible."

Xu Shu clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I will definitely live up to your trust."

Jia Changsheng added: "In addition to cutting off their food supplies, we also need to put pressure on Sun Quan on the front battlefield. Our Jingzhou army can be divided into three groups. One group will feint to attract Sun Quan's attention; one group will secretly make a detour to outflank his flank; and another group will serve as a reserve, ready to provide support at any time. Sir, I wonder how the Jiaozhou army is deployed here?"

Shi Xie said: "Mr. Jia's strategy is very clever. When you attack from the front, my Jiaozhou army can attack Sun Quan's defense line from the rear, forming a pincer attack with you. At the same time, I will send another surprise force to disrupt Sun Quan's supply line, making it difficult for him to take care of both ends."

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "That's great. Your Excellency's thoughts coincide with mine. However, during a battle, the cooperation between the two armies is crucial, and we need to maintain close communication. We can agree on a contact signal in advance so that military intelligence can be transmitted in a timely manner."

Shi Xie nodded and said, "Mr. Jia has made thorough considerations. Let's follow Mr. Jia's advice and agree on a contact signal in advance."

Huang Zhong stepped forward and said loudly: "My lord, my lord, I am willing to lead an army as the vanguard, charge into the front battlefield and kill them all!"

Jia Changsheng looked at Huang Zhong and said, "Han Sheng is brave. I will be relieved if he serves as the vanguard. But the vanguard has a heavy responsibility. You must act cautiously and not rush. When the enemy is attracted by our feint attack and a flaw appears on its flank, you can lead the vanguard to attack with all your strength and break through the enemy's defense line in one fell swoop."

Huang Zhong clasped his fists and accepted the order: "My lord, rest assured, I will fulfill my mission!"

Jia Changsheng continued, "Sun Quan has many capable generals under his command, such as Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Lu Meng. They should not be underestimated. While we are formulating tactics, we must also be prepared for their countermeasures. Shi Gong, what do you think of Sun Quan's generals?"

Shi Xie said: "Zhou Yu is resourceful and good at using troops. He is Sun Quan's right-hand man. Lu Su is loyal and far-sighted. He often gives advice to Sun Quan. Lu Meng is young and promising. He is brave in battle and quite strategic. We need to be extra careful when dealing with them. I think we can send someone to sneak into Yangzhou to spread rumors, alienate the relationship between them, and cause internal conflicts."

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "Shigong's plan is similar to the one I used before. Xu Shu, you should also arrange this matter. Select smart people to sneak into Yangzhou and wait for an opportunity to alienate the generals under Sun Quan."

Xu Shu said, "Don't worry, my lord. I have some ideas and will definitely handle this matter."

After discussing this, Jia Changsheng concluded: "Everyone, this time we are forming an alliance with Shi Gong to deal with Sun Quan together. This is related to the rise and fall of our two families. Everyone must go all out and make careful preparations. Once Xu Shu has obtained detailed intelligence, we will act according to the plan."

Everyone responded in unison: "We will follow the orders of our Lord (Shi Gong)!"

Jia Changsheng looked at everyone and said confidently: "With your help, Sun Quan will definitely be defeated. After defeating Sun Quan, the land of Yangzhou will become our common foundation. We will definitely achieve great things in this chaotic world!"

Afterwards, Jia Changsheng and Shi Xie had an in-depth discussion on some details, and it was not until the evening that the two sides reached a complete and thorough battle plan. In this turbulent time, the alliance between Jia Changsheng and Shi Xie, like a new powerful force, is surging towards Sun Quan's forces. A battle to determine the ownership of Yangzhou is about to begin.

After Jia Changsheng and Shi Xie agreed to jointly fight against Sun Quan, they knew that alienating Sun Quan's generals was crucial to defeating the enemy. So they each selected smart and capable people and arranged them to go to Yangzhou to spread rumors in an attempt to disrupt Sun Quan's camp.

After Jia Changsheng returned to Jingzhou, he immediately summoned Xu Shu and said, "Yuanzhi, spreading rumors to alienate Sun Quan's generals is of great importance. You must carefully select the right person to ensure that there is no mistake."

Xu Shu received the order and returned to the camp, where he began to carefully select the troops in Jingzhou. He first selected a counselor named Su Zhe, who was resourceful, eloquent, and had some understanding of the generals under Sun Quan. Xu Shu called Su Zhe to him and said, "Su Zhe, the lord has ordered us to spread rumors and alienate the generals under Sun Quan. This task is difficult. Do you have the confidence to complete it?" Su Zhe bowed and said, "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely fulfill the mission. But please tell me the specific strategy and goals of this operation in detail."

Xu Shu said, "You lead a team to sneak into Yangzhou. The focus of this rumor is on Zhou Yu and Lu Meng. You need to spread the news that Zhou Yu is jealous of Lu Meng's military achievements and slandered him in front of Sun Quan in order to seize Lu Meng's military power. You must spread this news quietly among the army and the people in Yangzhou. You must do it without anyone noticing, so that Sun Quan's camp will be suspicious of him."

Su Zhe nodded to show that he understood. Xu Shu selected ten soldiers with strong martial arts and cautious behavior and asked them to go with Su Zhe. Xu Shu repeatedly reminded them: "You must be careful and cautious when you go there. Don't reveal your identity. If you find any danger, evacuate immediately."

Su Zhe and others took the order and left. At the same time, Xu Shu selected another strategist named Chen Feng. Chen Feng was meticulous and good at disguise, and was a suitable person to carry out such a task. Xu Shu said to Chen Feng: "Chen Feng, your team's goal is to alienate Lu Su and Lu Xun. You have to spread rumors that Lu Su thought Lu Xun was young and energetic and could not be used for a big job, and he repeatedly blocked Lu Xun's promotion in front of Sun Quan. Let this rumor spread among the officials and the army in Yangzhou to destroy the relationship between them."

Chen Feng took the order and also selected ten capable subordinates to set out on the journey to Yangzhou together.

On the other hand, after Shi Xie returned to Jiaozhou, he also quickly made arrangements. He called his trusted adviser Ruan Ping and said, "Ruan Ping, it is urgent to form an alliance with Lord Jia to deal with Sun Quan and spread rumors to alienate his generals. You are smart, so I order you to lead a team to sneak into Yangzhou, and act carefully."

Ruan Ping asked, "My Lord, I wonder which generals you want to target and what kind of rumors you want to spread?"

Shi Xie said: "You should focus on Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao. Spread the news that Zhou Yu has monopolized power and does not take Zhang Zhao and other old ministers seriously. Even slander Zhang Zhao in front of Sun Quan, saying that he is old and confused and cannot be used. Make sure to spread this rumor in Yangzhou City to cause internal conflicts among them."

Ruan Ping took the order and selected 15 soldiers from the Jiaozhou army who were good at stealth and gathering information. They formed a team and quietly marched towards Yangzhou.

Shi Xie called another strategist, Li Yuan, and said, "Li Yuan, your team will be responsible for alienating Lu Su and Zhuge Jin. Spread rumors that Lu Su is jealous of Zhuge Jin's talent and is worried that Zhuge Jin will be favored by Sun Quan, so he is secretly trying to hinder Zhuge Jin from displaying his talents. Remember, let the rumors infiltrate Sun Quan's camp like spring breeze and rain without anyone noticing."

Li Yuan agreed and set out for Yangzhou with fifteen of his men.

The Jingzhou team led by Su Zhe disguised themselves as ordinary business travelers, pushing carts loaded with goods and sneaking into Yangzhou City. In crowded places such as taverns and inns in Yangzhou City, they pretended to casually talk about the "contradiction" between Zhou Yu and Lu Meng.

"Hey, have you heard? General Zhou Yu seems to be not very satisfied with General Lu Meng." Su Zhe deliberately raised his voice in the tavern.

A fellow "businessman" nearby said, "How could that be? Aren't they all capable generals under General Sun's command?"

Su Zhe lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I heard that Zhou Yu was jealous of Lu Meng's military achievements and said a lot of bad things to General Sun in order to seize Lu Meng's military power."

When the people around heard this, they all showed surprised expressions and began to discuss it privately. In this way, the rumor slowly spread to every corner of Yangzhou City.

Chen Feng's team disguised themselves as ordinary people and moved around the officialdom and military bases in Yangzhou. They cleverly spread rumors about the discord between Lu Su and Lu Xun. "Have you heard? Lord Lu Su thinks Lu Xun is too young and incompetent, and he always speaks ill of him in front of General Sun and doesn't allow him to be promoted." Chen Feng said to several soldiers outside the military base. These words quickly spread among the soldiers, and everyone began to doubt the relationship between Lu Su and Lu Xun.

After sneaking into Yangzhou, the Jiaozhou team led by Ruan Ping used their connections and means to spread rumors that Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao were not on good terms. They cleverly revealed the news in the mansions of wealthy families and places where officials gathered in Yangzhou. "Do you know? Zhou Yu is becoming more and more domineering now. He doesn't take Lord Zhang Zhao seriously at all. He even said in front of General Sun that Lord Zhang Zhao is old and confused and can no longer be reused." Ruan Ping said to several servants outside the door of an official gathering. These words soon reached the ears of the officials and caused quite a stir.

Li Yuan's team also spared no effort to spread rumors about Lu Su and Zhuge Jin. They spread the news in the streets and alleys of Yangzhou and places frequented by scholars. "Lu Su is too narrow-minded. He can't stand Zhuge Jin's talent. He always does bad things behind his back and doesn't let Zhuge Jin do his job properly." Li Yuan said to several scholars in a bookstore. The rumor spread quickly in Yangzhou like a plague.

As rumors continued to spread, cracks gradually appeared within Sun Quan's camp. Zhou Yu was depressed after hearing the rumors about himself and Lu Meng, but he could not prove it. When Lu Meng learned about this, he also became suspicious of Zhou Yu. Because of the rumors, Lu Su and Lu Xun became more awkward when they were together. Zhang Zhao was quite dissatisfied with Zhou Yu when he heard Zhou Yu's "slander" against him. Zhuge Jin couldn't help but doubt Lu Su's character when he heard Lu Su's "little tricks" against him.

Sun Quan soon noticed something strange between his generals. He summoned Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lu Meng, Lu Xun, Zhang Zhao, Zhuge Jin and others to inquire about the situation. Although they all said that the rumors were not credible, Sun Quan still saw a subtle change in their expressions. Sun Quan knew that someone must be behind the scenes trying to alienate his camp. However, at this time he was still unclear about where these rumors came from, so he could only try his best to appease everyone and hope that they would not affect their unity.

The rumor-spreading teams arranged by Jia Changsheng and Shi Xie were paying close attention to the reaction of Sun Quan's camp. They knew that these rumors were only the first step. As long as the internal contradictions in Sun Quan's camp continued to intensify, they would be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort when they jointly attacked Sun Quan. In this battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder, rumors were like an invisible blade, quietly weakening the cohesion of Sun Quan's camp and laying the groundwork for the upcoming war.

After Sun Quan noticed that his generals had a rift due to rumors, he knew that this matter was of great importance and if not handled properly, it might have a serious impact on the situation in Wu. So he urgently summoned Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lu Meng, Lu Xun, Zhang Zhao, Zhuge Jin and other trusted ministers to the meeting hall in Jianye to discuss countermeasures.

After everyone arrived, the atmosphere in the hall was solemn. Sun Quan sat in the main seat, looked around at everyone with a serious expression, and spoke first:
"Everyone, in recent days, many rumors have been circulating in the army and the city, causing panic among us. Everyone knows that these rumors are deliberately spread by someone, intending to alienate the ruler and ministers of Dongwu. I have summoned you today to hear your opinions on how to deal with it."

(End of this chapter)