The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 281 Ace vs. Ace, Heavenly Pivot Crouching Dragon vs. Zhou Yu

Meanwhile, Cao Cao, by "leading the people," crossed Huarong Road, successfully shaking off Zhou Yu's army and escaping his predicament.

As night fell, they approached Nanjun, and the Wei soldiers lit their torches.

Suddenly a group of people came and blocked their way.

Cao Cao was greatly alarmed and called to his attendants:
"Is this not the will of Heaven to destroy me?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of scouts rushed over. Cao Cao looked at them and saw that they were Cao Ren's troops.

Only then did they feel a little relieved, and the two armies joined forces and entered Nanjun to rest.

Back in the city, a number of officers and soldiers were injured.

Cao Cao was filled with sorrow and was very depressed.

Cao Ren prepared wine to cheer him up, and all his strategists were present.

Suddenly, Cao Cao looked up and burst into tears, overwhelmed with grief.

The strategists hurriedly asked:

"Duke Wei escaped a great calamity from the tiger's den without any fear."

"Now that we have arrived in the city, the people have been fed and the horses have been given their fodder."

"This is the time to reorganize the army and seek revenge, why are you weeping instead?"

Cao Cao then addressed the crowd, saying:

“I do not weep for others, but only for Guo Fengxiao.”

“When Fengxiao was alive, he once advised me that it would be better to lose one city than to gamble with the whole situation.”

"I did not listen at the time, which led to this defeat."

"If you had listened to me then, I would never have suffered such a great loss!"

After saying this, he beat his chest and wept bitterly.

"Alas, Fengxiao!"

"Alas, Fengxiao!"

"What a pity, Fengxiao!"

"..."

Cao Cao's solitary weeping for Guo Fengxiao only caused all his strategists to fall silent and feel ashamed.

It turns out that the great defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs was due to Cao Cao's poor decision-making.

He had to pay the price for this mistake, and by secretly weeping for Guo Fengxiao, he was actually implying that everyone else was incompetent.

The implication is that if Guo Jia could think of this, why couldn't you? Please help persuade them.

What's the point of keeping you strategists around?
In this way, Cao Cao could easily absolve himself of any blame.

It wasn't that Cao Cao was afraid of sticking to the pot; it was just that the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs caused Cao Wei to lose the opportunity to compete for Jingzhou.

This would greatly damage Cao Cao's prestige as a ruler.

This is the only way he can make up for it; otherwise, if he loses his prestige, how will he lead his subordinates in the future?

The next day.

Cao Cao summoned Cao Ren and instructed him:
"I will now return to Xu County to prepare the troops."

"I will surely take revenge in the future, and you can protect Nanjun."

"I will give you a plan, keep it here secretly, and do not open it unless you are in a hurry."

"Just follow the plan, and the Qi army will not dare to look directly at Nanjun."

Cao Ren asked, "Who will defend Xiangyang?"

Cao Cao replied:

"I entrust the entire administration of Nan Commandery to you, and I have already dispatched Xiahou Dun to guard Xiangyang."

"These two places are of utmost importance. As long as we hold them, I will have a foothold in Jingzhou."

“If the Qi and Wu bandits invade in the future, you must devise a plan to protect this place.”

"But if there is any emergency, a report can be sent immediately."

Now, there is no place for Cao Cao to stand in Jingzhou, so he can only return to Xu County to reorganize his troops.

As for Nanyang and Nanjun, Cao Cao only controlled the cities of Jiangling and Xiangyang.

The other counties and towns only nominally submitted to him.

But he truly controlled only these two cities.

Fortunately, these two cities happen to be the two most important cities in Jingzhou.

Although Cao Cao had completely lost control of other regions, as long as he held these two cities...

He still has a chance to make a comeback.

At this moment, Cao Cao can only hope that Cao Ren will defend these two fortified cities for him.

Cao Ren also felt a great responsibility and repeatedly agreed.

Having made his arrangements, Cao Cao mounted his horse and led his troops back to Xuchang.

Of the civil and military officials who had been demoted from Jingzhou, some were taken back to Xuchang for reassignment, while others remained in Jingzhou.

……

Meanwhile, Zhou Yu led his army to pursue Cao Cao and stopped at the Huarong Pass.

Seeing that they could not catch up, they withdrew their troops, reviewed their achievements, and reported to Sun Quan.

They then took the captured surrendered soldiers and sent them across the river back to Eastern Wu.

Then they rewarded the three armies and discussed the strategy for advancing into Nanjun.

The army set up camp by the river, dividing into five camps.

In Zhou Yu's army, he discussed the strategy for the campaign with his civil and military officials, and said to them:
"Now that Cao Cao has been defeated, I predict that he will surely return to the Central Plains."

"The remaining isolated city of Jingzhou cannot be defended, and Nanjun is within easy reach."

"I wish to obtain it for the Marquis of Wu, but I fear it will not be easy to acquire."

Everyone was a smart man and understood that Zhou Yu meant Nanjun was not easy to conquer, but rather that it was not difficult to obtain.

Instead, they were worried that the State of Qi also wanted Nanjun.

After all, this is the political, economic, and cultural center of Jingzhou.

Attacking Jingzhou without attacking Nanjun is tantamount to fighting for nothing.

If it were just a matter of naval power, Sun Wu could barely contend with Qi.

After all, they've been exploiting Jingzhou for so many years, so their online army is quite strong.

But behind the Huainan navy was the powerful state of Qi.

With the backing of a superpower in the East, it can continuously provide resources to the people of Huainan.

It is no exaggeration to say that even if Zhou Yu performed exceptionally well and annihilated the Huainan navy,

This does not mean that Eastern Wu can monopolize Jingzhou.

Under Li Yi's leadership, Qi's handicrafts and shipbuilding industries had become quite developed.

As long as Liu Bei gives the order, the shipbuilding bureaus of all counties and prefectures will be at full capacity.

Like dumplings being boiled,
They produced a continuous stream of all kinds of warships and fighting ships!
Leaving aside the powerful Qi state led by Liu Bei and Li Yi, let's just talk about the current weaker side, Eastern Wu.

I didn't dare to openly confront them, so I could only rely on them for a little something.

Therefore, from a purely strategic perspective, Zhou Yu was unwilling to break ties with the State of Qi.

But if it were a peaceful negotiation, why would the State of Qi give up the two lucrative regions of Nanjun and Nanyang to Eastern Wu?
Just as they were hesitating and unable to make a decision, someone suddenly reported that an envoy from the State of Qi had arrived.

Zhou Yu hurriedly ordered that he be brought in for an audience. The man who came was Chen Jiao, a native of Dongyang County, Guangling.

He was then serving as the Chief Clerk in Chen Deng's household, and was sent as an envoy from Jiangxia.

Zhou Yu invited them in, and both sides exchanged greetings.

Chen Jiao ordered someone to deliver gifts, and then thanked him, saying:

"I have come on the orders of Prime Minister Li to express my gratitude to the Governor."

"Without the assistance of the commander-in-chief of Eastern Wu, it would have been impossible to achieve such a great victory at Red Cliffs."

"I have a small gift to offer you, and I hope that the Commander will not refuse it."

In the Battle of Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu's Eastern Wu navy did indeed contribute significantly.

What surprised Zhou Yu was that Li Yi, who was always arrogant, would send someone to thank him.

However, out of friendship and due to the need for etiquette, Zhou Yu still bowed and thanked him.

"...Thank you for your trouble, Your Excellency. I also have a small gift to reciprocate."

"Please convey my gratitude to your Prime Minister on my behalf."

Easy to say.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Yu tentatively asked:

"Where is your prime minister now?"

Chen Jiao replied:

"The troops have withdrawn and returned to Xiakou."

Zhou Yu asked in surprise:
Is Li Xiang himself also in Xiakou?

Zhou Yu was so shocked because he did not expect that Li Yi would actually withdraw his troops and return to Jiangxia.

Logically speaking, after the great victory at Red Cliffs, the state of Qi should have been the one most eager to annex Jingzhou and the one with the greatest strength to do so.

Now that Li Yi has taken the initiative to withdraw his troops back to Jiangxia, isn't it obvious that he is going to hand over Jingzhou to Eastern Wu?
Zhou Yu didn't believe Li Yi would be so kind, so he repeatedly confirmed with Chen Jiao.

Chen Jiao, without changing his expression, nodded in reply:

"After the great victory at Red Cliff, Prime Minister Li ordered all his generals and officers to withdraw their troops."

"Now, all the troops of Qi that marched south of the Yangtze River have returned to Jiangxia."

Zhou Yu was skeptical, but after thinking for a moment, he smiled and said:
"You should return first, and I will personally go to Xiakou to thank Prime Minister Li."

So he accepted the gifts, gave some in return, and sent them back to Chen Jiao.

Seeing this, Lü Meng asked Zhou Yu:

"Now that the Qi army has withdrawn its troops and returned to Xiakou, it is the time for us to take Jingzhou."

"Why does the Commander-in-Chief still need to go to Xiakou to see Li Yi instead of setting off immediately?"

Zhou Yu frowned and said in a deep voice:
"Li Yi is a man whose schemes are unfathomable."

“I know that he is renowned throughout the world for his wisdom and strategy. Now that he has defeated Jingchu at the Battle of Red Cliffs, does he not have the ambition to swallow up the south of the Yangtze River?”

"Now they have withdrawn their troops and returned to Xiakou, showing no intention of advancing westward. How can people not be suspicious?"

At this moment, Huang Gai interjected:

"General! We have been fighting Huang Zu for years to take Jingzhou."

"We have spent so much on troops and horses, and so much money and grain."

"At present, Nanjun is within easy reach, and Li Yi has taken the initiative to withdraw his troops back to Jiangxia."

"If you don't go get it now, you'll definitely regret it later!"

After a slight pause, Huang Gai added:

"If Li Yi is truly wicked and harbors any sinister schemes, let him have them!"

"Then let me, Huang Gai, live!"

After he finished speaking, Han Dang, Chen Wu and other generals drew their swords and vowed to seize Jingzhou.

Regardless of whether they were veteran generals like Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, or younger generation generals like Chen Wu and Ling Tong, their opinions were surprisingly consistent.

That is, we must capture Jingzhou!

That's exactly what they came here for—to be a mere accomplice to the State of Qi throughout the Battle of Red Cliffs.

We suffered heavy losses, but now we have won the war.

The people of Wu felt they deserved some benefits.

Faced with his generals who were full of fighting spirit, Zhou Yu maintained the composure of a statesman.

He spoke up to reassure the crowd:
"...Gentlemen, please calm down and let us discuss this matter."

Everyone asked:
"Now that things have come to this, what's the point of further discussion?"

Zhou Yu stroked his chin and pondered for a moment:
"Li Yi is cunning and treacherous; we must be cautious."

"Let me go to Xiakou myself to speak with him, ostensibly to express my gratitude, but in reality to probe his true intentions."

"Let's see if Li Yi really intends to take Nanjun."

Everyone agreed, so they gathered a group of online trolls.

About three thousand people went straight to Xiakou.

Jiangxia, Xiakou.

Chen Jiao returned to Li Yi and told him that Zhou Yu would come in person to thank him.

Li Yi then asked Zhuge Liang, who was standing beside him:

"What does Kongming think is Zhou Yu's purpose in coming here?"

Zhuge Liang lightly waved his feather fan and replied with a smile:
“Zhou Gongjin would never accept such a small gift as thanks; he came specifically for the matter of Nanjun.”

Li Yinai then ordered all the high-ranking military officers from Xiakou to come to a meeting.

Knowing that Prime Minister Li was about to give a speech, everyone rushed over in time.

It turned out that after Li Yi ordered the troops to withdraw and return to Xiakou, many generals in the army were dissatisfied.

Having finally endured the war and achieved victory, everyone was eagerly anticipating the realization of the fruits of victory.

As a result, Li Yi issued a military order, summoning everyone back to Jiangxia.

Seeing that Zhou Yu's Eastern Wu army had already set up camp by the river, everyone was extremely anxious and went to find their respective generals.

They hoped that they would quickly step forward and persuade Li Yi to send troops.

Otherwise, Jingzhou would surely be seized by Eastern Wu!

In a short time, generals such as Chen Deng, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and even Gao Shun all paid their respects to Li Yi.

Li Yi dismissed everyone with the excuse that "the time is not yet right."

Li Yi benefited from his years of service to Liu Bei, his numerous military achievements, and his extremely high prestige.

Therefore, such an order, which was opposed by the entire army, was managed to be suppressed.

Apart from Liu Bei and Li Yi, anyone else would have already incurred public wrath.

Even so, rumors were rampant in the military.

Furthermore, perhaps due to enemy infiltration, there were rumors that Li Yi was amassing an army and acting arrogantly in Jiangxia.

They wanted to wait for a better price and ask Liu Bei for benefits.

Not only did Liu Bei not believe such rumors, but many high-ranking military officers also did not believe them.

After all, Li Yi's base of operations was in Hebei, so he had no need to monopolize power in Jiangnan.

Moreover, although Li Yi seemed to hold power, in reality, most of the orders and decisions were made by Zhuge Liang.

It was clearly a ploy to let Zhuge Liang earn military merit and prestige.

When everyone arrived at the main hall, Chen Deng was the first to ask a question:
"Prime Minister! What did we seek after our bloody battle at Red Cliff?"

"This is indeed the land of Jingzhou!"

"Now that Cao Cao's army has just suffered a defeat and its morale is low, it is the perfect time to take them down in one fell swoop."

"Isn't our retreat from Xiakou tantamount to handing over Jingzhou to Eastern Wu?"

Chen Deng asked the question that all the generals wanted to ask.

Li Yi's gaze swept around, surveying the generals.

After a long silence, he spoke slowly:

"...Initially, I ordered all the generals to withdraw their troops and return to Xiakou."

"I know you are quite dissatisfied, but I have my own plans here, so please do not doubt me."

As he spoke, Li Yi stood up, slowly opened the map, and pointed to it, saying:

"I did not explain at first because this matter is of great importance."

"Furthermore, with the war just settled, people in various places are restless, and there are many petty villains."

"I was afraid that military secrets would be leaked, which is why I did not tell you gentlemen."

The group exchanged glances, then bowed in unison and said:
"What are your plans, Prime Minister? We are willing to follow your lead."

Li Yi then pointed to the Nanjun region and analyzed:

"...Gentlemen, please observe that Cao Ren and Man Chong still command elite troops to guard the cities of Xiangyang and Jiangling."

"These two places are fortified and moated, with ample food and weapons, and cannot be taken in a day or two."

He then ordered his servants to bring two ladles of river water and place them on the table.

“This ladle represents the Huainan navy, and that ladle represents the Eastern Wu navy,” Li Yi said, pointing to the two ladles.

"Although our army won the Battle of Red Cliffs, our naval warfare skills are indeed inferior to those of the Wu people."

“They were born in the Yangtze River, grew up on boats, and fought against Huang Zu for many years, so they were quite skilled in naval warfare.”

"Our army is mostly composed of northern soldiers, who have been engaged in land battles in recent years. They are good at riding horses but not at playing on the water."

"As for Yuanlong's navy, although there are many fierce generals, each one is a strong man."

"However, for the past ten years, he has been stationed in Huainan for the King of Qi and has rarely fought in battles."

"If we were to make a real comparison, I'm afraid they might not be as good as the Eastern Wu navy."

Thanks to Li Yi's foreign policy, Qi's diplomatic situation in Jiangnan has been quite stable in recent years.

This meant that Chen Deng, who was stationed in Huainan, had almost no military pressure and could focus on developing domestic affairs.

As a result, millions of bushels of grain were handed over to the central government every year.

The downside is that it is too peaceful.

The Huainan navy lacked practical combat training.

Although Huainan had many skilled watermen such as Gan Ning, Jiang Qin, and Zhou Tai.

No matter how well a general trains, it can never compare to the progress made in actual combat.

In contrast, Eastern Wu also had many excellent naval commanders such as Zhou Yu and Lü Meng.

However, they had been fighting Huang Zu for many years and were all very strong and vigorous.

Speaking solely of waterborne operations, they are indeed among the top naval forces in the world.

However, this is also due to the differences in the two countries' systems.

The State of Qi was a typical example of a steady and pragmatic approach, focusing on developing its domestic affairs while minimizing the expenditure of its national resources on external wars.

The military expenditure was actually quite high due to the constant fighting in the north.

Liu Bei could only try to maintain the Huainan navy while ensuring that the Qi army's land and naval forces were not overly specialized.

But there's really no need to continue allocating more funds to online trolls.

After all, Liu Bei wouldn't need it in the short term, and the benefits of conquering Jiangnan were far less than those of Hebei.

Upon hearing Li Yi's words, the expressions of the generals in Huainan naturally turned sour.

After all, this is relying on the morale of others to diminish our own prestige.

But the generals also knew in their hearts that if they faced the Eastern Wu navy, they wouldn't necessarily lose.

But you definitely won't get much of an advantage.

In the end, it will be a lose-lose situation, and it will be their Huainan faction that suffers the most damage...

Everyone remained silent, listening intently.

Li Yi continued:

"Although I am in Hebei, I am now traveling south of the Yangtze River."

"The strength of the southern navy was also compared."

"The strongest naval forces in the world are none other than those of Jingzhou, Eastern Wu, and Huainan."

"If we launch a direct attack on Jingzhou, we will surely suffer heavy losses."

"I cannot bear to see this happen."

After he finished speaking, the tent fell silent.

Li Yi glanced at everyone and held up three fingers.

"Now I have three strategies to present to you."

"Firstly, let Eastern Wu attack the city and exhaust their elite troops."

"Secondly, we should cultivate our army's morale and wait for them to be exhausted."

"Thirdly, we should forge alliances with the gentry of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, thus subduing the enemy without a fight."

As he spoke, he suddenly threw the command arrow to the ground, his voice like thunder:

"The art of war should be like raising a hawk—"

"Use them when hungry, and let them go when full!"

"Now the Cao family is like a trapped beast, and Eastern Wu is like a hungry eagle."

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we just stood by and watched, reaping the benefits without lifting a finger?"

As the saying goes, "A skillful strategist brings the enemy to victory rather than being brought to victory by the enemy."

"If we launch a strong attack now, we will only gain a ruined city."

"By taking a strategic approach and proceeding slowly, we can ultimately reap the benefits of complete victory."

Li Yi then revealed his true purpose.

They believed that Jiangling and Xiangyang were the most fortified cities in the land, with high walls and deep moats.

They didn't need to fight to the death; they could simply let Eastern Wu and Cao Wei fight each other and reap the benefits.

Moreover, ancient siege warfare was inherently difficult.

Siege warfare is also the battle that best diminishes the combat effectiveness of individual soldiers.

No matter how strong an individual's abilities are, they will appear insignificant in the face of towering city walls.

Everyone agreed with Li Yi's idea.

However, some people had doubts about this approach, and Zhao Yun suggested:
"The Prime Minister is wise and resourceful, but Zhou Yu of Jiangdong is no easy man to deal with."

"Seeing that we have withdrawn our troops and are not fighting, how can we sit idly by and watch?"

"Moreover, if the Wu people were to take Nanjun first, it would be difficult to attack it again."

"Now that Cao Cao's army has just suffered a defeat, we can take them down in one fell swoop. Why retreat?"

In Zhao Yun's view, Li Yi's plan had two difficulties.

First, Zhou Yu isn't stupid; why would he willingly be used as a pawn by us?
Secondly, if we let Zhou Yu take Nan Commandery, we'll just have to fight it all over again.

Why go through all that trouble when we'll still suffer losses?

Li Yi smiled slightly, not in a hurry to answer.

Xu Sheng stood up and said resolutely:

"We fought a bloody battle at Red Cliffs; how could we possibly do it for someone else?"

"If we avoid battle now, but attack Nanjun later, our casualties will be twice as high as they are now!"

Li Yi stroked his beard and pointed to the river, saying:
"Have you seen fishermen? Without using hooks and bait, how can you catch big fish?"

He then ordered the fetching of maps depicting the defenses of Xiangyang and Jiangling, and pointed them out, saying:

"Cao Ren's defenses are excellent. If we launch a strong attack, our soldiers will suffer losses of no less than 10,000."

"I have a plan that can subdue the enemy without fighting."

"Make sure Zhou Yu obediently hands over Nan Commandery."

Everyone asked, given Zhou Yu's domineering and forceful personality, how could he possibly give up Nan Commandery after taking it?

Li Yi clapped his hands and laughed, then ordered a servant to bring a huge map and hang it on a pole.

He outlined it with a pen and analyzed it as follows:

"...Gentlemen, look! My retreat from Xiakou is not out of cowardice, but rather a strategic maneuver to 'show our strength in the east while attacking in the west'!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the strategic location of Huainan.

"We can announce to the outside world that we are here for Liu Qi."

"Now that Cao Cao has been driven out, the affairs of Jingzhou should be resolved by the people of Jingzhou themselves."

“The next day we will make a big show of it and pretend that we are going to return to Xuzhou in the north.”

"Then send 30,000 elite troops to pass through Runan and descend swiftly down the Ru River. They will reach Lujiang in less than three days."

At this moment, Zhuge Liang was the first to react, exclaiming in surprise:

"Brilliant! Lujiang is the gateway to Jiangdong. If we lose it, even if Zhou Yu gains Nanjun, he will be an isolated army!"

Lujiang is a crucial location connecting Jingzhou; once it falls into the hands of the Qi army...

The Nan Commandery and Nanyang that Zhou Yu conquered immediately became exclaves.

Zhou Yu could certainly have established a foothold there and continued to pursue his ambition—to conquer Yizhou.

It's just unknown whether Sun Quan, who is stationed in Jiangdong, would feel comfortable letting Zhou Yu lead troops in Jingbei year-round.

In particular, communication between the two places is difficult because the key routes they take have been cut off by the Qi army.

Xu Sheng hesitated slightly and asked:
"What if Zhou Yu disregards Lujiang and insists on forcibly occupying Nanjun? What should we do?"

Li Yi sneered:

“In the past, Sun Ce used the imperial seal as collateral to borrow troops from Yuan Shu, which shows that Jiangdong was most afraid of having its retreat route cut off.”

"Now that I have taken Lujiang, it is as if I have strangled its throat."

"Would Sun Quan rather have the isolated city or the foundation of the Three Wu regions?"

"Even if Zhou Yu insists on occupying Nan Commandery, we only need to intercept his envoy at a crucial point."

"Then he ordered someone to imitate Zhou Yu's handwriting and rewrite the arrogant words."

"When Sun Quan sees this, he will surely be furious and will definitely summon Zhou Yu back to Jiangdong."

Everyone was overjoyed and bowed down to Li Yi.

When it comes to cunning and scheming, Prime Minister Li is the best!
Such freebie-getting skills are simply beyond our reach!

After praising Li Yi, a messenger reported that Zhou Yu and Lü Meng had arrived with their troops.

Li Yi was overjoyed:

"Zhou Lang's arrival has truly relieved my sorrow!"

"The plan can now be launched!"

I'm not afraid of Zhou Yu coming; I'm afraid he won't come.

If Zhou Yu hadn't come, how would the people of Wu have known that I was "not interested" in Jingzhou?

Therefore, Li Yi ordered Zhao Yun to lead several riders to meet them.

Zhao Yun accepted the order and led more than a hundred White Horse Cavalrymen out of the city.

Zhou Yu saw a group of cavalry approaching from afar. Seeing that the soldiers were strong and the horses were powerful, he said to his men:

"Are these northerners or horses?"

The person answered yes.

Zhou Yu, seizing this opportune moment, sighed:

“We are from Jiangdong and are skilled in boats. If we were to engage in naval warfare, we could certainly compete with the State of Qi.”

"If it comes down to horsemanship, I'm afraid we have no chance of winning."

Zhou Yu was very uneasy, but he still led his men to the camp gate.

Li Yi and Zhuge Liang came out of their tents to greet him and welcome him inside.

After everyone had exchanged greetings, a banquet was held to entertain them.

Zhuge Liang raised a cup to thank Zhou Yu for his service at the Battle of Red Cliffs, and Zhou Yu returned the toast.

After several rounds of drinks, Zhou Yu tentatively asked:

"Now that Master Kongming has stationed his troops at Xiakou, could it be that he intends to take Nanjun?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present sneered.

We thought to ourselves, "We've already retreated to Xiakou, how can we possibly take Nanjun now?"

Zhuge Liang waved his fan and laughed, saying:
“If I want to take Nanjun, the governor will have no chance whatsoever.”

"Now that we have withdrawn our troops and returned to Xiakou, we naturally intend to return to Xuzhou."

Oh?
Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow, seemingly skeptical of what he was saying.

"King Qi prepared an army of 50,000 to march south of the Yangtze River."

"The expenditure on food supplies and military expenses is enormous."

"Now, the great victory at Chibi has defeated Cao Cao, and the people of Jingzhou are terrified."

"This is a golden opportunity to take Jingzhou. Instead of advancing now, you retreat to Xuzhou."

"What does this mean? I really can't understand it."

Zhuge Liang said calmly:

"Back then, Liu Qi, the young master of Jingzhou, had his father poisoned by the treacherous Cai Mao."

"Therefore I call upon my Lord for help."

"Our lord, mindful of our shared kinship, has sent Liang down to the south to assist Liu Qi."

"As the governor said, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are now both dead."

"As for Cao Cao, who coveted Jingzhou, he was severely weakened in the Battle of Red Cliffs."

"I have no regrets about this trip to Jiangnan."

"I should return to Xuzhou."

What……?
Zhou Yu frowned, his mind racing.

Are there really any feudal lords in this world who send troops purely out of morality?
Back when Liu Bei was in Pingyuan, he did indeed save Kong Rong out of a sense of righteousness.

He was described by his contemporaries as "Lord Xuande, whose benevolence and righteousness are known throughout the world, and who can save people in times of crisis."

Could it be that after all these years, Liu Bei still possesses this chivalrous heart?
Zhou Yu was completely baffled, and then asked:
"If you leave, what will become of the people of Jingzhou?"

Zhuge Liang said solemnly:

"The people of Jingzhou shall decide the matters concerning Jingzhou."

Zhou Yu hurriedly said:

"If I advance my troops into Nan Commandery, do you intend to send troops to attack my Eastern Wu?"

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan:
"The situation in Jingzhou is complex and cannot be resolved in a day."

"And the Southern Commandery still has a large army stationed by Cao Ren and Man Chong, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"It would be best for the governor not to get involved in this mess."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu thought to himself, "Could it be that the Qi people really don't want to continue their westward advance?"

It has been some time since the people of Qi went south of the Yangtze River.

The land of Qi was originally vast, spanning from north to south.

So many people have left their hometowns, they should indeed have a longing to return home.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yu said:

"...Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Kongming, but I have received great favors from Lord Wu, how can I not think of repaying them?"

"No matter how fortified Nanjun is, I will take it."

"But if we wait until the time comes, I hope you will not come to compete with me."

Zhuge Liang chuckled and said:
"...Governor, please rest assured, I will never contend with the Wu people for Nanjun."

Is this statement true?

Zhou Yu frowned and asked in a deep voice.

"There's no reason not to take it seriously; a gentleman's word is as good as his bond."

“...Liang can assure the governor that only the governor can take Nanjun.”

"Our Qi soldiers will never fire a single arrow at Nanjun!"

Zhuge Liang was already a high-ranking figure in the State of Qi, and in political situations, one must keep one's word.

Seeing Zhuge Liang's confident assurances, Zhou Yu felt much more at ease.

"...Good, with Mr. Kongming's words, I can rest assured."

"I must say that I am preoccupied with official duties and cannot see you off."

"Please take good care of yourself on your journey, Mr. Kongming."

After speaking, he bowed to Li Yi, who was standing to the side, and said:
"...Please take care of your health, Prime Minister Li."

Li Yi returned the courtesy and, together with Zhuge Liang, escorted Zhou Yu out of the tent.

Once outside the tent, Lü Meng hurriedly came up and asked:

"...Commander, how is the matter progressing?"

"Are the people of Qi willing to cede Nanjun to us?"

All the Wu generals rushed forward, concerned about Qi's attitude toward Nanjun.

Zhou Yu took a deep breath, gazed at the Yangtze River, and fell into deep thought.

……

(End of this chapter)