With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

"Abandoning darkness for light? Zijing, have you truly surrendered?"

Sun Quan was shocked and stumbled back several steps.

Zhou Yu's death was already hard for him to accept, but Lu Su added insult to injury.

Lu Su was filled with shame and avoided eye contact with Sun Quan.

Judging from Lu Su's expression at that moment, how could Sun Quan not understand?

"So, Jiangling has also been lost?"

Wang Kui's voice rang out again, "Not only Jiangling, but also the four prefectures of Changsha, Lingling, Guiyang, and Wuling have all submitted to the imperial court."

One piece of bad news after another, Sun Quan was unable to process so much information at once, and Zhang Hongyu and the others were also shocked. Some of them had already begun to make their own plans.

Take Yu Fan for example. He was very happy at the moment, secretly glad that he had the foresight to surrender in advance.

Zhang Hong's face was covered in wrinkles that had formed into knots. What should he do?
With Zhou Yu dead, Lu Su surrendering, the Jiangdong army that had entered Sichuan annihilated, and the four southern commanderies lost, the predicament of Jiangdong was unimaginable. Panic quickly spread and rose in everyone's hearts!

Sun Quan swayed several times, feeling a churning sensation in his internal organs, and almost vomited blood on the spot, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

As the ruler of Jiangdong, Sun Quan absolutely could not fall. He knew all too well what it would mean if he collapsed.

He took a deep breath and then looked at Lu Su again.

Lu Su noticed that Sun Quan's expression had become very serious, and his eyes were frighteningly cold. His previous friendly demeanor had completely disappeared.

"Zijing, oh no, I should call you Lu Su now. Tell me, what is the purpose of your visit?"

Sun Quan's sudden change made Lu Su feel both unfamiliar and heartbroken.

Wang Kui coughed again, and Lu Su quickly straightened up and said, "Lord Wu, I have been entrusted by His Majesty to go on a mission to Jiangdong. I hope you can prioritize the overall situation and lead your people to surrender as soon as possible. This will not only save the people of Jiangdong from war, but also bring stability to the country sooner."

Lu Su spoke mechanically, his expression pained and sorrowful, as if he was in a hurry to finish reading the manuscript. As for how Sun Quan would respond, Lu Su had no control over it.

"His Majesty is kind-hearted and will certainly not mistreat Marquis Wu. I hope Marquis Wu will reconsider and consider the well-being of the nation and the people of Jiangdong."

After waiting for a while, Sun Quan gave him a cold look and said in a completely emotionless voice, "Are you done?"

Lu Su nodded, and Sun Quan sneered, saying in a steady and powerful voice, "Jiangdong has endured many years of hardship to achieve its current state. My ambition is to protect this land and its people, and I will never submit. Go back and report to your master."

Sun Quan's last words sent another sharp, agonizing pain through Lu Su's heart.

Wang Kui couldn't stand it any longer. "Lord Wu, what kind of attitude is this? Are you saying you're stubborn and determined to fight to the end?"

It's choking!

No sooner had Wang Kui finished speaking than Sun Quan angrily drew his sword. With a flash of cold light, the sword pierced Wang Kui's body with a soft thud.

"Huh?" Everyone in the hall was stunned; this scene was too crazy.

Lu Su stared wide-eyed in astonishment at Sun Quan, as if he suddenly didn't recognize him.

The Sun Quan before him seemed so cold and full of murderous intent.

Because Sun Quan is under immense pressure due to the repeated blows he has suffered.

Zhou Yu died, Lu Su surrendered, territory was lost one after another, and so many Jiangdong soldiers died.

At this critical moment, many of those standing around him were already considering surrendering, and Sun Quan was about to face a situation of being abandoned by his people.

Therefore, he must act decisively and never back down.

No matter how scared or flustered you are inside, you must not show it on your face.

Wang Kui coughed violently, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. He stared wide-eyed at Sun Quan, then suddenly laughed—a laugh of utter disdain.

"The dignified ruler of Jiangdong can only vent his anger and establish his authority by taking it out on a nobody like me. But no matter how hard you try to hold on, it won't make a difference."

“I think what you did was foolish. I may have a worthless life, but His Majesty will make you pay tenfold or a hundredfold.”

As he spoke, Wang Kui suddenly stretched out his hands and gripped Sun Quan's sword tightly. Sun Quan mistakenly thought that he was going to take his sword and was frightened.

Unexpectedly, Wang Kui grabbed the blade and forcefully plunged it into his own body a considerable distance.

"You wanted to kill me? I'll help you! I'll go first and wait for you in hell."

After saying that, Wang Kui sneered, licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, and then slowly collapsed.

Sun Quan was startled and quickly took a step back, as if he had seen a ghost.

Lu Meng quickly stepped forward and extended his strong arm to support Sun Quan.

Sun Quan stared intently at the fallen Wang Kui, never expecting that such an insignificant soldier could possess such a frenzied spirit.

Sun Quan had seen people risk their lives before, but he had never seen anyone risk their life like this.

Zhang Hong and the others were also terrified. Lu Su paused for a moment and said, "Lord Wu, by doing this, you will undoubtedly push Jiangdong to the brink of destruction. The emperor will be furious, and the court will send troops to punish you."

Sun Quan waved his hand at him, "You don't need to worry about these things. Come on, see the guest out!"

Originally, Lu Su didn't have much hope, because he still had some attachment to Jiangdong and felt guilty and loyal to Sun Quan. However, Sun Quan's actions made Lu Su feel somewhat disheartened.

Wang Kui was just a lowly soldier who had come with him, but Sun Quan, in a fit of rage, killed him in front of everyone.

Lu Su shook his head, glanced at Sun Quan with reluctance, sighed, and left helplessly.

Lu Meng quickly ordered Wang Kui's body to be carried out, so as not to upset Sun Quan.

Sun Quan turned around and looked at Zhang Hong and the others, "The situation in Jiangdong is worrying. What are your thoughts?"

Nobody's stupid. Sun Quan made it clear that he was going to fight to the death. He did this to shut everyone up and prevent anyone from asking him to surrender.

What else could people say? In fact, most people wanted Sun Quan to surrender.

With Wang Kui killed and Lu Su driven away, Sun Quan's resolve was clear, and everyone could only remain silent. Zhang Hong thought for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "My lord, if we want to hold out, we must make plans early. Soon the imperial army will be pressing in. If we don't send troops to resist, even the natural barrier of the Yangtze River will be of no use."

Sun Quan nodded, his gaze instinctively turning to Lü Meng.

This time, not only did Zhou Yu die, but none of the fierce generals he brought with him returned. Sun Quan's losses were too great, and he now had to face the predicament of having few soldiers and generals.

"Ziming!"

"Here!" Knowing the weight of his responsibility, Lü Meng hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his hands in a fist salute.

"I'm giving you 15,000 men. Head to Chibi immediately. No matter how many of them come, you must hold them off."

Lu Meng nodded vigorously. Sun Quan had shown him great kindness, and Lu Meng was willing to give his life for Sun Quan.

Lü Meng immediately mustered his troops and marched to Chibi.

Two days later, Cao Cao led his army to Wulin.

The two sides faced each other across the river, recreating the scene of the past. Cao Cao sent some small boats to approach the south bank to scout out the strength of Jiangdong. He learned that the enemy's forces numbered only a little over 10,000. Cao Cao hurriedly went to see Liu Xie and asked for instructions: "Your Majesty, the enemy's troops are few and their generals are few. They are not worth worrying about at all. Please give the order so that I can lead the army to attack and vow to defeat Lü Meng and crush Jiangdong."

Liu Xie asked with concern, "May I ask, Prime Minister, do you have a navy under your command?"

Cao Cao frowned, looking somewhat embarrassed. "To be honest, Zhou Yu and I fought against each other before, specifically targeting our navy. As of now, the Jingzhou navy is almost wiped out."

It must be said that Zhou Yu was also a rare military genius. It's just a pity that the enemy he faced was too powerful, but at least Zhou Yu successfully destroyed the Jingzhou navy.

"Prime Minister, I must remind you that although the Jiangdong troops on the other side are few in number, they at least have a navy. Perhaps we should make further preparations and find a more reliable method."

In fact, Liu Xie already had a plan in mind. If all else failed, he would wait for Gan Ning to arrive.

However, Cao Cao did not take Lü Meng seriously and spoke again: "Your Majesty, the people of Jiangdong are in a state of panic and their morale is low. Even if they have a navy, they have no fighting spirit. Your Majesty, please let me give it a try."

Guo Jia, Cao Ren, and Xiahou Dun also pleaded for leniency, as the credit for pacifying Jiangdong was right before their eyes, and everyone was getting impatient.

Liu Xie thought for a moment and had no choice but to nod.

The mighty Yangtze River surges and roars, and between the water and the sky, war clouds gather.

Cao Cao led an army of 20,000 across the river by boat. The boats bobbed and swayed on the river. These soldiers could not be called a navy at all. They were just crossing the river by boat. Facing the surging river and the unknown battle, many soldiers were tossed and turned by the boats, and their eyes revealed fear and unease.

Upon learning that Cao Cao had led his army across the river, Lü Meng immediately mobilized 10,000 men, with Ling Cao, Ling Tong, Xu Sheng, and He Qiquan all accompanying him.

On the riverbank, ten thousand soldiers stood in neat rows, their eyes fixed on Lü Meng. Lü Meng stood on high ground, his posture upright and imposing.

He roared, “Brothers! Today, Cao Cao is leading his troops to cross this river. It seems that the enemy outnumbers us, but in my opinion, no matter how many of them there are, they are just a rabble who are not good at naval warfare.”

Lu Meng continued, "Therefore, you need not be afraid. We are an iron-blooded army that has been tempered by countless battles in this surging river! Our army will surely win this battle!"

He Qi, Xu Sheng, and others shouted in unison, "Victory is certain! Victory is certain!"

Lu Meng raised his sword and was the first to leap onto the ship, followed closely by Xu Sheng and the others.

Lü Meng's navy, with its warships neatly arranged, resembled a sharp sword pointing directly at Cao Cao's army. The soldiers were all in high spirits; they were seasoned naval warriors, agile and swift, their eyes filled with determination and confidence.

The war drums thundered, and the battle cries shook the heavens. Lü Meng stood at the bow of the ship, long sword in hand, exuding an imposing aura. At his command, the warships shot towards Cao Cao's fleet like arrows released from a bow.

Arrows rained down on the river, and soldiers on both sides were constantly struck and fell into the water. Lü Meng's naval warships skillfully maneuvered among Cao Cao's fleet, cleverly avoiding enemy attacks and delivering fatal counterattacks.

One after another, Han army warships were smashed to pieces, and soldiers fell into the water, their cries for help drowned out by the roar of the waves and the shouts of battle. The river was stained red with blood, a scene of utter carnage.

Lu Meng personally commanded the flagship, relentlessly attacking Cao Cao's core forces. The Jiangdong troops cooperated closely, and Xu Sheng and others displayed extraordinary bravery and fearlessness, demonstrating formidable combat power.

In the end, Cao Cao's army was utterly defeated under the fierce attack of Lü Meng's navy. Many soldiers and their armor were lost, and countless wreckage and floating corpses were left on the river.

Cao Cao was initially full of confidence, but unexpectedly, his first attempt at fighting back resulted in a humiliating defeat. Liu Xie personally watched the battle from the shore, and after a while, he shook his head in disappointment and waved his hand, ordering, "Sound the retreat!"

Without a navy, how could this battle be fought? The entire river would become a target for the Jiangdong troops, and going there would only mean certain death.

Suddenly, drums and gongs sounded, and Cao Cao, hearing the noise, had no choice but to retreat hastily.

Upon reaching the shore, Cao Cao did not defend himself, saying, "Your Majesty, I never imagined that after Zhou Yu's death, there would still be a capable person in Jiangdong who is skilled in commanding naval battles."

He was referring to Lü Meng. Liu Xie sighed. He was confident that he could defeat Sun Quan, but based on his understanding of Lü Meng, Lü Meng was extremely loyal to Sun Quan, and such a person would be difficult to subdue.

Liu Xie waved his hand and ordered the three armies, "From now on, no one is allowed to lead troops across the river without my order."

The emperor gave the order, and naturally no one objected. A dozen days later, Liu Bei also arrived from Xichuan with his men.

Liu Xie personally came out to greet him, and as soon as they met, Liu Bei took the initiative to lift his long robe and kneel on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I, the guilty subject Liu Bei, pay my respects."

For Liu Bei to do this in front of so many people shows that he made a great decision.

Liu Xie looked at Liu Bei with mixed feelings. Over the years, Liu Bei had indeed suffered a lot of injustices and his luck had not been good, but these were not excuses. Liu Xie gave him chances time and time again.

He also disappointed Liu Xie time and time again. When Liu Xie needed him the most, Liu Bei was unable to help him at all.

Take the capture of Xuchang as an example. At that time, what was Liu Bei doing? He was plotting to seize Runan. He valued Runan and the 30,000 Yellow Turban soldiers under Liu Pi and Gong Du more than anything else.

It was Lu Xun, Taishi Ci, Jia Xu, and Liu Biao who helped Liu Xie seize Xuchang.

That was one thing, but then Liu Bei fled to Jingzhou, was framed by Cao Cao, and then fled to Jiangdong. All these years, he just messed around aimlessly, and in the end, he and his two brothers were still single and had nothing.

Liu Xie remained silent for a long time, then glanced at Guan Yu. Guan Yu's eyes were also filled with self-reproach. He felt sorry for Liu Bei, but he still had hope in his eyes, hoping that the emperor could forgive his elder brother.

Finally, Liu Xie waved his hand and said, "Xuande, get up. I know everything about what happened in Xichuan. Your performance was not bad."

After a pause, Liu Xie continued, "I have a message for you today."

"Do not do evil because it is insignificant, nor neglect good because it is insignificant! From now on, whatever you do, think thrice before you act, and be extremely cautious!" (End of Chapter)