Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 953: Sun and Liu's Dissension
The army rested for a few days, and Liu He also sent reinforcements from Luoyang to make up for the losses in this battle, and then set out to attack Yuzhou.

Zhang Yong commanded 100,000 troops, Gao Shun commanded 100,000 troops, Xu Huang and Qian Zhao each commanded 70,000 troops, plus Zhu Ye commanded 500 Thunder God Cavalry and 5,000 Spear Cavalry, Ye Xiang commanded 20,000 Shenji Battalion and 30,000 infantry, totaling nearly 400,000 troops, divided into three routes, and marched towards Yuzhou.

Qian Zhao captured Qiao County and headed southward, approaching Huainan. Xu Huang also took the border between Runan and Chenjun to join him.

Zhang Yong sent troops from Xuchang and attacked Runan County to the south.

Although Gao Shun also set out from Xuchang, he went southeast and entered Runan.

"Report... Lord, the allied forces of Qian Zhao and Xu Huang have captured the three cities of Xiao County, Hong County, and Longkang..."

"Report... Zhang Yong's army has captured the five cities of Xiping, Dingying, Shangcai, Wufang, and Liyang, and is heading towards Pingyu City..."

"My lord... Gao Shun has already captured our four cities of Zhaoling, Xihua, Ruyang, and Nandun. Now the entire army has turned around and is heading south..."

Listening to the scouts' reports one after another, everyone in the hall of Pingyu County Government, including Cao Cao, had frowned. In the huge hall, you could hear a pin drop.

After a long while, Cao Cao looked up at everyone and said, "The situation is critical now. Please feel free to share your opinions."

"Hey, what else is there to say? They injured Miaocai and he is still bedridden. They also occupied many of our cities. The hatred is so deep that only a battle and their blood can eliminate the hatred in my heart."

Xiahou Dun slammed the table in front of him heavily, his cheeks trembling with hatred.

Xi Zhong looked at the sand table in the middle of the hall and said, "Now Zhang Yong and Gao Shun's two armies are attacking our Pingyu City from the west and north respectively. They will be at the gates of the city in one day at most. And Qian Zhao and Xu Huang will attack Huainan County tomorrow. Huainan County has less than 30,000 defenders in total, which is simply difficult to resist. Then the two of them will march north from Huainan to encircle our rear, and we will be trapped."

Cao Cao glanced at him and asked, "Then what should we do with your ambition and talent?"

Zhicai opened his mouth but hesitated to speak. Cao Cao said, "At this point, what else do you have to worry about? Just speak."

Xi Zhong then said: "In my opinion, our army mobilized at least 70% of its forces to fight in the Battle of Xuchang. Now that we have been defeated, we have not only suffered heavy losses, but also lost all morale. Liu He is very powerful. Although he has suffered heavy losses in this battle, he can be replenished in an instant. Although Pingyu City is high and has deep moats, it can resist the gap in strength between us. Once the war starts, our army will almost certainly be defeated, so..."

He looked around carefully and said, "Therefore, I think that the only way now is to abandon Yuzhou, withdraw to Jingzhou, and rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to compete with Liu He..."

"What? You are talking nonsense!"

Xiahou Dun immediately slammed the table and stood up, frightening Xi Zhong so much that he immediately kept silent.

"Yuan Rang, sit down!" Cao Cao shouted angrily, and Xiahou Dun sat back unwillingly.

Although Cao Cao's face was also extremely gloomy, it was obvious that he was suppressing the pain in his heart.

"Zhongde, Fengxiao, Wenhe, do you also mean this?"

Cheng Yu stood up and said, "My lord, I am incompetent and have no other good ideas."

Guo Jia also shook his head: "I have no plan to turn defeat into victory, please forgive me, lord."

Seeing them all like this, Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh slightly.

However, he soon saw Jia Xu, who was twirling his beard, lowering his head and keeping silent, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"Could it be that Wenhe has other plans?"

Jia Xu replied, "My lord, if my guess is correct, Liu He must have sent three messengers to convey his orders to the three people."

Cao Cao was slightly stunned, but then he quickly understood: "Liu Bei, Liu Yao, Sun Jian?"

"My lord, you are wise." Jia Xu nodded and said, "These three people have always respected Liu He's Luoyang court on the surface. Liu He will pass on the order and order them to send troops at the same time to attack our army. I predict that he will order Liu Bei to attack Pengcheng Xiapi, Liu Yao and Xu Huang to attack Lujiang together, and Sun Jian to send the navy up the river and approach Jiangxia."

After listening to his analysis, even Cao Cao, who was so smart, couldn't help but turn pale.

"Could it be...Could it be that God really wants to kill me this time?"

"Damn it..." Xiahou Dun shouted angrily, "At worst, I'll just fight them."

"Yes, fight them. Even if a man dies, he should kill more enemies to live up to his heroic spirit."

Cao Ren and others stood up and shouted.

Jia Xu smiled slightly and said: "No, Liu Bei and the other three are not our enemies, but they can be our army's lifeblood."

"Ok?"

Cao Cao's face suddenly became more lively and he couldn't help but lean forward.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Yes, Liu Bei and Liu Yao are both relatives of the current royal family. Liu Bei, in particular, has fought against our army many times and is indeed a formidable enemy. Sun Jian also rejected the reward decree sent by the lord before, and obeyed Liu He's orders several times and became an enemy of our army. How could he rebel against Liu He and become our ally?"

All the generals were very confused.

However, Cheng Yu and the others looked relieved: "So that's how it is. Wen He is indeed thoughtful."

Seeing them like this, Cao Cao became even more curious and asked hurriedly, "How can we win over these three people?"

Jia Xu smiled confidently: "Liu Yao is over 40 years old, has no ambition, and is not good at military affairs. I think he is loyal to Liu He and will not form an alliance with our army. However, Liu Bei and Sun Jian..."

"How are they?" Cao Cao asked.

Jia Xu stood up, walked to the sand table, and pointed at Xuzhou and Yangzhou respectively.

"Both of them have great ambitions and are not willing to be subjects. Liu Bei secretly made friends with many noble families in Qingzhou and bought their hearts. He also used various means to prevent Xuzhou talents from going to Luoyang to serve, and kept these outstanding people under his command. In the past, he also pretended to obey many orders of the court." "As for Sun Jian, compared with Liu Bei, it is more obvious. When Liu Yan proclaimed himself emperor, he sent an envoy to confer titles on him and Liu Bei. Liu Bei drove the envoy out of Xuzhou, but Sun Jian simply declined Liu Yan's reward and treated the envoy with courtesy. After entertaining him for several days, he gave him generous gifts in return and sent him back to Yizhou. Over the years, he was ostensibly under the control of Liu Yao, but Liu Yao summoned him several times, but he refused to go. On the one hand, he recruited soldiers and horses, and on the other hand, he used both kindness and force to pacify the Shanyue people. His ambition is not small."

After hearing this, Cao Cao naturally understood.

"Yes, yes, that's true. The ambitions of these two people are definitely not to sit back and watch Liu He unify the world."

"That's right." Jia Xu said, "As the saying goes, lips and teeth are cold. Now, apart from Liu He, you are the strongest among all the princes in the world. If you are defeated, Liu He will seize Yu and Jing provinces, and then he can easily take Qing and Xu. Then he can attack Yang and Yi along the river from Jing province. Finally, with Shi Xie's ability, he will definitely surrender in such a situation. Then Liu He can unify the world within three years without any effort."

"At that time, Liu Bei and Sun Jian would at most be granted the title of county marquis and live in Luoyang, being cautious in everything. How could they have the momentum of being local lords now? Therefore, I think these two are more worried than you. You can retreat and buy time while sending debaters to Xu and Yang to persuade them. When Liu and Sun respond to Liu He's order and raise troops to join forces with Zhang Yong and others, we can suddenly attack them, and our army will fight back to the north. In this way, the enemy will surely be defeated."

"Well, good! Wenhe's words have opened my eyes."

Cao Cao was very happy: "Pass the order, the whole army retreats south, temporarily avoid the sharp edge..."

In the general's mansion in Chaisang City, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, as well as generals such as Cheng Pu and Huang Gai gathered together.

"My lord, you have suddenly summoned me urgently. What's the important matter?" Cheng Pu asked.

Sun Jian looked embarrassed. He picked up a visiting card from the table and handed it out.

Cheng Pu took it and was about to unfold it to take a look when Zhou Yu said, "Is this a visiting card from Cao Cao?"

Sun Jian looked at him in surprise, then nodded and said, "My dear nephew Gongjin is indeed smart. Yes, it was Cao Cao who sent an envoy to form an alliance with our army."

"Alliance?" Sun Ce and many veteran generals were all very surprised. Only Zhou Yu and a square-faced young man around 26 or 27 years old beside him smiled and said nothing.

Sun Jian looked at the two of them and asked, "Could it be that Gongjin and Zijing had already guessed it?"

The man next to Zhou Yu, whose surname was Lu, name was Su, and courtesy name was Zijing, was Zhou Yu's close friend for many years. When Liu He was recruiting talents before, Sun Jian, Liu Bei and others, in the name of complying with the court's decree, also posted notices to recruit talents. Zhou Yu immediately recommended several famous scholars such as Lu Su, Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong to Sun Jian.

Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong were well versed in government affairs, so Sun Jian sent them on tours to appease the people and rectify the local areas. Lu Su's several analyses of the general situation in the world made Sun Jian take notice of him, so he kept him by his side and entrusted him with important tasks.

Seeing Sun Jian asking a question, Zhou Yu smiled but said nothing, but secretly pushed Lu Su. Lu Su was a little confused, but when Zhou Yu winked at him, he finally understood and immediately took a step forward and saluted Sun Jian.

"My lord, I have made a bet with Gongjin about the battle in Xuchang a few days ago."

Sun Jian asked with interest: "Oh? What's the result?"

Lu Su smiled innocently: "Don't be embarrassed, my lord. I believe that Cao's army is well prepared, and the imperial army is caught off guard and will inevitably be defeated. As for the result... Haha, my lord has seen it too."

Sun Jian nodded and said, "Well, the battle of Xuchang was indeed beyond my expectations. Xun You's far-reaching strategy and careful considerations are truly formidable."

Lu Su continued, "When the news of Cao Cao's defeat came, I discussed this with Gongjin. We did not disagree this time. Instead, we both agreed that Cao Cao would try every means to persuade our army to form an alliance with him. The reason is very simple. Otherwise, Cao's army would not only lose Yuzhou, but also Jingzhou and Xuzhou. Therefore, this is the only way for him to protect himself."

Sun Jian slapped his thigh and said, "My two nephews, you are indeed very smart. In your opinion, how should our army respond?"

Gongjin stepped forward and asked Sun Jian, "I dare to ask, what do you think, my lord?"

"This..." Sun Jian glanced at everyone present and didn't say anything else.

At this time, Sun Ce started to yell: "Hey, why hesitate? Once Cao Cao is defeated, the imperial court will soon come to take over all of Yangzhou. By then, my father will at most be granted a title of nobility and live out his old age. How can he still face the south and claim to be the king and achieve great things? In my opinion, now that they have three emperors and the Three Hans are in a three-way confrontation, it would be best for us to profit from it."

"Rebellious son, don't talk nonsense." Sun Jian pretended to be angry and scolded Sun Ce, but Sun Ce didn't take it seriously.

Cheng Pu stepped forward and said, "My lord, although what the young master said was rash, it was not unreasonable. Since ancient times, there have been many cases of people crossing the river and destroying the bridge, and killing the donkey after it has done its job. The current emperor is such a heroic man. Many ministers in the court will be exterminated if they do not follow his wishes. How can he sit back and watch such a hero as my lord continue to be a lord in this area?"

Han Dang also said, "What Demou said is correct. My lord now has a strong military force, and a newly trained navy of 30,000. It is the time to make achievements in Jiangdong. If you completely surrender to the court, wouldn't it be a pity?"

Seeing that everyone had the same opinion, Sun Ce became even more courageous: "Father, there is no need to hesitate. In my opinion, we can conclude this alliance."

Sun Jian drummed his fingers on the table and fell into deep thought.

Zhou Yu said again: "My lord, in my humble opinion, it is not impossible to form an alliance with Cao Cao, but Cao Cao must first agree to it."

Sun Jian immediately asked: "He Nuo?"

Zhou Yu pointed to the northeast and said, "The court has appointed you as the governor of Jingzhou. Since Cao Cao wants to win you over, he should be sincere. In addition to Jingzhou, he also offers you the position of governor of Yangzhou..."

Sun Jian's eyes lit up: "Yes..."

At the same time, Xuzhou and Donghai County also welcomed the same envoy.

However, unlike Sun Jian, Liu Bei did not place him in an inn first to discuss matters privately with his generals and advisers. Instead, he brought the envoy directly to the lobby of his Xuzhou Governor's Mansion.

Except for Taishi Ci who was guarding Guangling County, all the generals and civil officials of Xuzhou gathered here. Jiang Huan, Zhang Fei, Tian Feng, Shen Pei, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Mi Fang, Zhuge Xuan and Zhuge Jin, uncle and nephew, as well as Chen Gui and Chen Deng, father and son, etc., were all present.

Liu Bei sat upright in the main seat in the middle, looking at the envoy from Yuzhou standing below with a somewhat indifferent expression.

"Cao Cao is a traitor to the Han Dynasty. He rebelled against the imperial court and repeatedly plotted to capture the city of Xuzhou. How dare you send an envoy to see me?"

"That's right. Last time, that thief Cao cut off my elder brother's retreat in Pei County and nearly killed him in battle. With such a deep hatred, I, Zhang, haven't even settled the score with him yet, but he still dares to send people here. Come on, come on, that guy, let me, Zhang, stab him a few times. If he survives, I'll listen to you."

After saying that, he raised his Zhangba Snake Spear and was about to stab him, but the envoy remained calm. He just glanced at Zhang Fei and sneered, "Humph, I thought that Envoy Liu was a relative of the Han Dynasty and should be polite and well-mannered, but I didn't expect you to be so rude. In this case, I will wait for death, and General Zhang will stab you."

Liu Bei's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly shouted to Zhang Fei: "Third brother, step back."

Zhang Fei pursed his lips, retracted his snake spear and retreated.

(End of this chapter)