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

Zhang Hong hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward. "My lord, I humbly request to resign and return to my homeland."

Zhang Hong was not stupid at all. He knew that Sun Quan was out of control and that his own situation was extremely dangerous.
The governor of Yangzhou and the Marquis of Wu are a hot potato; even if they were given to him, he wouldn't dare to accept them.

Jiangdong now has only one master: Sun Quan!
Sun Quan waved his hand, "You are now the officially appointed Governor of Yangzhou and Marquis of Wu by the imperial court!"

Sun Quan left quickly, leaving everyone in the hall looking at each other, unsure of what to do.

Among these people, Zhang Hong was the most distressed, as he could naturally see that this was a scheme deliberately set up by the imperial court.

The imperial court wanted to divide Jiangdong and completely isolate Sun Quan.

If Zhang Hong had really become the governor of Yangzhou, would Sun Quan have been willing to accept it?
Sun Quan would never allow another person who threatened his existence to appear, absolutely not!
After a while, Yu Fan and the others left one after another. Almost everyone gave Zhang Hong a helpless look before leaving.

Zhang Hong stood in the hall, his face solemn, as if a thousand thoughts were swirling in his mind.

The imperial decree that bestowed upon him the title of Governor of Yangzhou and Marquis of Wu was nothing short of a heavy shackle.

Having once been Sun Quan's subordinate and highly valued by him, how could Sun Quan possibly let this go? Just thinking of the stern and resolute look in Sun Quan's eyes when he killed Mi Heng sent chills down Zhang Hong's spine.

When he got home, Zhang Hong didn't eat a single meal that night. He locked himself in his study, lost in thought, his mind a jumbled mess.

It was late at night, and I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, my mind filled with Sun Quan's sharp, murderous gaze.

The more Zhang Hong thought about it, the more frightened he became. Even though the temperature had already dropped, he quickly broke out in a cold sweat.

After a night of intense struggle, Zhang Hong finally decided to leave this place of trouble.

The next day, he went to visit Sun Quan, hoping to resign his post in person, but Sun Quan refused to see him.

Helpless, Zhang Hong returned home, packed everything up, and left Chaisang with his family.

When he left the city, the guards did not stop him. Zhang Hong had lived a life of poverty and did not carry much wealth. He traveled light and simply wanted to return to his hometown of Xuzhou with his family in peace.

Arriving at a valley, the surroundings were eerily quiet. Zhang Hong felt uneasy, thinking: "I've already given up everything and am going to resign and leave. Will Sun Quan still not let me go?"
Suddenly, shouts of battle erupted, shattering the tranquility.

Zhou Shan's ambush troops emerged from the shadows like ghosts and instantly surrounded them.

Upon seeing Zhou Shan, Zhang Hong's heart skipped a beat. His face turned pale, and his eyes revealed a look of despair and disbelief.

"Am I to resign and return to my hometown, but the Marquis of Wu cannot let me leave?"

Zhou Shan remained expressionless and coldly said, "I am merely carrying out Lord Wu's orders."

Zhou Shan waved his hand, and the men he brought drew their swords and rushed forward.

Zhang Hong's face was deathly pale, utterly powerless to resist. Facing the ravenous ambush, all his efforts were in vain.

Swords clashed, blood splattered everywhere. Zhang Hong watched helplessly as his loved ones fell one by one into pools of blood, his eyes wide with rage and grief.

His son, his daughter-in-law, his wife, his grandson... one after another, they all died in front of Zhang Hong.

Zhang Hong clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms, and blood dripped down.

He looked up towards Jiangdong, his hatred for Sun Quan burning in his teeth. His hateful gaze seemed to pierce through the void and reach Sun Quan's location.

"Sun Quan, how ruthless you are! I have followed you for so many years and never betrayed you. I only wanted to resign and leave, but you wanted to kill me. I, Zhang Hong, will haunt you even as a ghost!"

His roar echoed through the valley, but it could no longer bring back his deceased loved ones, leaving only endless grief and despair.

Zhou Shan strode forward, drew his sword, and slashed down, leaving Zhang Hong lying in a pool of blood!

A few days later, Sun Quan mentioned Zhang Hong in front of his ministers. Sun Quan sighed and said, "Lord Zhang has followed me for many years and is a key minister in my Jiangdong. Yet he insisted on resigning and leaving. How could I bear it? I never thought that he would leave in the end because he didn't want to put me in a difficult position."

Sun Quan looked sadly in the direction of Xuzhou, "It's good that he's gone. I hope he can enjoy his old age in peace and stay away from strife forever."

Sun Quan thought he had done a very discreet job, but after a few days, rumors began to circulate in the streets and alleys of Chaisang.

Some say that Zhang Hong's family died in the woods by the Yangtze River, and that all twelve members of the family died without exception. The story spread quickly.

At this moment, Gu Yong and the others realized that Sun Quan had killed them to silence them.

That day, Yu Fan invited Gu Yong to his home. The two drank and talked, and after several dishes, Yu Fan asked, "Yuan Tan, what do you think of Zi Gang's matter?"

Gu Yong shook his head and sighed heavily.

Yu Fan said earnestly, "We all know that Zigang wants to stay away from trouble. He only wants to take his family back to their homeland, but even such a small wish cannot be fulfilled."

Gu Yong said, "After all, it's just a rumor, and it may not be true."

Yu Fan stared at Gu Yong, "Yuan Tan, we've known each other for quite some time now. If Lord Wu really wants him to leave, he should at least meet him and see him off. I've already inquired these past few days, and there's been no news from the other side of the river. Zi Gang hasn't crossed the river at all. The rumors are probably true."

Gu Yong stared wide-eyed at Yu Fan, “If your words were to reach the ears of Marquis Wu, it might be detrimental to you.”

Yu Fan countered, "You and I are old friends. Now that Jiangdong is in imminent danger, I have no choice but to open up to you. Yuan Tan, the imperial army will soon be at our gates. Don't you want to think about your future?"

Gu Yong feigned anger and questioned Yu Fan, "How could you say such a thing? Are you going to betray Lord Wu?"

Yu Fan stood up. "It's not that I want to betray him. Jiangdong is already in a state of panic. I don't believe that Yuan Tan didn't think about himself or his family."

Yu Fan was originally a timid and honest man, and he shouldn't have taken the initiative to persuade others.

However, the deaths of Zhan Fei and the others deeply affected him. Whenever he went to the backyard and saw the place where Zhan Fei and the others had lived, Yu Fan felt very guilty.

After much thought, since he had already promised the court, he decided to do what he could.

In any case, it was obvious to everyone that Sun Quan was at his limit and was about to collapse.

“Yuan Tan, Jiangdong cannot be defended. Why should we deceive ourselves? Even someone like Zhang Hong could not die a good death. What can we gain by following Sun Quan?” Gu Yong was completely persuaded and fell silent.

Yu Fan seized the opportunity to advise, "The imperial court will send troops to attack Chaisang sooner or later. I believe it won't be long. We must make plans as soon as possible."

Gu Yong nodded and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"We need to make more contact with trustworthy people so that once the imperial army attacks Chaisang, we can cooperate from within and without to help them break through the city."

"Alright!" Gu Yong was finally persuaded.

There was no hope for Jiangdong. Everyone understood that Sun Quan dared to kill even Mi Heng and did not spare Zhang Hong. Continuing to follow him would surely lead to a bad end.

Upon learning of the deaths of Mi Heng and Zhang Hong, Liu Xie let out a cold laugh and gritted his teeth, saying, "What a stubborn little green-eyed fellow! You must not be allowed to live."

Zhuge Liang sighed, "Zhou Yu was killed, Lu Su surrendered, and Jingnan and Jiangling were lost. All of this happened too quickly, making it difficult for Sun Quan to accept. If he doesn't show some strength, the situation will be difficult to control. This is a dilemma."

Pang Tong nodded. "Yes, rationally speaking, he could only surrender, but he was unwilling to do so, so he could only go down this path to the end. By doing so, he was destined to be abandoned by everyone."

…………

Gan Ning led his navy, sailing through the waves, and quietly turned into the Yangtze River, heading towards Wulin.

Gan Ning was impatient and kept urging everyone on the way, hoping to reach Wulin as soon as possible and meet up with the emperor.

However, halfway there, Lu Xun stopped him.

Lu Xun is twenty-four years old this year, just the prime of his life.

He was tall and slender, as upright as a pine tree, and exuded a composed and elegant demeanor in every gesture.

His eyebrows, thick and arched like distant mountains, exuded a heroic spirit, their slightly upturned ends revealing determination and courage. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, with stars seemingly shimmering in their dark pupils.

His high, straight nose, like a towering mountain, accentuated the three-dimensionality of his face. His thin lips were slightly pursed, and a faint smile often played at the corners of his mouth, conveying both approachability and authority.

His jet-black hair was tied up on top of his head and secured with a jade crown, with a few strands falling across his forehead, adding to his dashing appearance. He wore a plain-colored robe, its sleeves fluttering, and as he walked, he seemed to carry a gentle breeze, exuding heroic spirit and elegant demeanor.

"Boyan, what are you thinking? We are going to join His Majesty to deal with Lü Meng together."

Lu Xun smiled, a slight curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Why go after Lü Meng?"

Gan Ning glared at him. "Aren't you just asking a question you already know the answer to? Lü Meng is guarding the Red Cliffs. He has a navy, and His Majesty naturally needs the navy's assistance."

Lu Xun smiled and pointed straight ahead, "Fighting Lü Meng is to deal with Sun Quan, right?"

"That's natural."

Lu Xun smiled mysteriously and said, "Then why don't we go directly to deal with Sun Quan? We came by sea, and Sun Quan doesn't know our whereabouts. Chaisang is right in front of us, so why don't we launch a surprise attack and land directly to take Chaisang?"

Gan Ning slapped his thigh immediately, "Oh? Brilliant! It's truly a brilliant plan. But, wouldn't doing this be considered disobeying orders? His Majesty might still be waiting for us!"

Lu Xun advised, "A general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders. His Majesty is not one to stick to the rules. Even if we are to reprimand him, we must first take down Chaisang."

Gan Ning was eager to try, but he was still a little worried. "Chaisang is, after all, Sun Quan's capital. It must be a fortified city with strong defenses. We came by boat and did not bring any siege equipment. Attacking Chaisang is very different from attacking Tashi County."

Lu Xun nodded. "This battle will certainly be difficult, I don't deny that. However, regardless of whether we can capture Chaisang, Sun Quan will inevitably be filled with anxiety, and Lü Meng will hastily send troops from Chibi to reinforce us. Even if we fail to capture Chaisang, once the troops are divided at Chibi, His Majesty's army can take advantage of the situation to launch an attack. If we do capture Chaisang, General Gan, this will be a feat that will bring you fame for all time. Are you really going to give up this opportunity?"

Gan Ning nodded excitedly, his blood boiling instantly.

"Okay, just do it!"

Gan Ning immediately gathered all the leaders, big and small, together on the large ship to begin pre-battle mobilization, while Lu Xun found paper and pen, buried himself in his work, and wrote many letters.

On a dark and windy night, Gan Ning led his Jinfan Army, stealthily approaching the Chaisang ferry crossing like ghosts.

The river surface shimmered, reflecting the starlight, but it couldn't conceal the surging killing intent of this surprise attack force.

Gan Ning wore light leather armor, held a sharp longsword, and his eyes revealed courage and determination. His signature red turban fluttered in the night wind, like a burning flame.

The Jinfan Army soldiers behind him were all full of fighting spirit. Gan Ning's pre-battle mobilization inspired everyone's enthusiasm. The men acted resolutely, yet they were also agile and nimble.

The Jiangdong garrison at Chaisang Ferry was small in number, and most of them were still fast asleep, completely unprepared. They were utterly unaware that a deadly storm was about to sweep in!

Upon approaching, Gan Ning raised his hand to signal, and the Jinfan Army swiftly sprang into action. A group of soldiers leaped onto the riverbank like nimble cats, quietly eliminating the sentries with clean, swift movements, without making a sound. Another group of soldiers took control of the boats at the ferry crossing, preventing a single enemy vessel from leaving.

With a deep shout, Gan Ning took the lead, leading the main force like a tidal wave rushing towards the enemy camp. Their footsteps were exceptionally clear in the silent night, yet they failed to alert the defenders.

The defenders were only awakened from their sleep when the Jinfan Army stormed into the camp and shouts of battle erupted. However, it was already too late.

The defending troops panicked and hastily picked up their weapons to resist, but they appeared so powerless in the face of the well-trained and highly motivated Jin Fan Army.

Gan Ning brandished his long sword, and wherever he went, enemies fell one after another. His bravery inspired every soldier around him, and the Jinfan Army, like tigers among sheep, slaughtered the enemy, making them scream and cry in agony as if they were falling into hell.

The camp was thrown into chaos. The defending troops were unable to mount any effective resistance and could only retreat under the fierce offensive of the Jinfan Army.

Lu Xun went ashore expressionlessly and ordered sternly, "Leave no one alive! Finish this quickly!"

The garrison at the ferry crossing numbered only a few hundred and was no match for the Jin Fan Army's merciless massacre.

The battle began quickly and ended just as quickly. Then, Gan Ning pointed his long sword and led his men straight to Chaisang City. Overnight, the group arrived in Chaisang at breakneck speed.

Upon reaching the city walls, Lu Xun ordered his men to shout and make a great commotion. All the soldiers brandished their swords and spears and shouted loudly.

This caused chaos throughout Chaisang. The garrison was awakened, and everyone was confused as to how so many people had suddenly appeared outside the city. (End of Chapter)