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

Chapter 282 Talented individuals emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yu personally crossed the river and arrived at Xiakou to probe the Qi Kingdom's attitude towards Nanjun.

The Qi state leadership had already made a decision and immediately replied to Zhou Yu that since they had won the Battle of Red Cliffs, they would no longer interfere in Jingzhou affairs.

And he assured that if Zhou Yu sent troops to Nan Commandery, the Qi army would absolutely not come to steal the spoils.

Although deception and treachery were commonplace among the feudal lords.

However, Liu Bei's camp was no longer simply a warlord's camp.

It has become a major Eastern power with its own system and economic culture.

If one goes back on one's word, one will be ridiculed by the world.

Upon hearing that the State of Qi had no intention of interfering in the affairs of Jingzhou, generals from Eastern Wu and other states volunteered to lead the troops.

"Since Zhuge Liang has promised not to interfere in the affairs of Jingzhou, we should not delay and should quickly take Nan Commandery!"

Zhou Yu frowned and said:
"The art of war says: When things are weak, make them strong; when things are strong, make them weak."

"What the people of Qi are really thinking is still unknown."

After some deliberation, Zhou Yu dispatched three thousand men and ordered Zhu Ran to lead them.

They were stationed at Shaxiankou to monitor the movements of the Qi army.

Let's see if they really will withdraw to Xuzhou, and report any unusual activity to me immediately.

Zhou Yu himself led his troops straight to Jiangling.

Over the next two days, the Qi army in Jiangxia began to be redeployed to distant places.

Led by Chen Deng, the entire Huainan navy sailed down the Huai River and headed straight for Runan.

Zhu Ran, who was stationed at Shaxian, immediately informed Zhou Yu after learning of this news.

To win over Jiangnan, a strong navy is the most important asset.

As a result, the Qi army was the first to withdraw its naval forces from Huainan, and it seemed that they had no intention of continuing to conquer Jingzhou.

However, out of caution, Zhou Yu still ordered Zhu Ran to continue keeping an eye on things.

Two days later, Zhao Yun's troops and Gao Shun's troops also gradually withdrew from Xiakou.

At this time, Jiangxia's army numbered less than 20,000.

As usual, Zhu Ran reported this news to Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu asked:
"How many soldiers remain in Xiakou?"

Zhu Ran replied:

"There are fewer than 20,000 left, and the remaining troops are continuing to evacuate."

"If another ten days pass, the army guarding Jiangxia will have at most 15,000 men."

Fifteen thousand men is just the right number of troops to defend a city.

They were good enough at defending the city, but not enough at advancing.

From any perspective, it seems that the Qi people have withdrawn their influence from Jingzhou.

Zhou Yu then addressed the crowd:
"With the people of Qi gone, I can take Nanjun with a snap of my fingers."

"Now that the Qi army has completely retreated, I have nothing to worry about!"

He then formally allocated manpower to prepare for an attack on Nanjun.

He appointed Chen Wu as the vanguard and Ding Feng and Lü Fan as his deputies.

He dispatched 5,000 elite troops to cross the river first, while he himself led the main army to follow and provide support.

With the allocations finalized, Zhou Yu then sent someone to invite Cheng Pu to lead his troops to Jiangling with him.

As the commander-in-chief, Zhou Yu should have directly given orders to his generals, so why did he need to ask for permission?
It turns out that Cheng Pu, relying on his status as a veteran of three generations of service, often acted arrogantly due to his age.

Taking advantage of his age and seniority, he bullied Zhou Yu on multiple occasions.

Although the novel embellished Zhou Yu's story, making him the "Grand Commander" who seemed to wield absolute power, the novel presents a different picture.

However, Zhou Yu never actually served as Grand Commander; he was only the "Left Commander," while Cheng Pu was the "Right Commander."

Both men had the authority to lead troops independently.

In Cheng Pu's view, Zhou Yu was of such high caliber that he could command the same number of soldiers as him.

You don't really think you can command me, Cheng Pu, do you?

As mentioned above, Cheng Pu dared to be so arrogant because he was a veteran official of three dynasties.

His seniority was so high that even the generals of the Wu army had to respectfully address him as "Master Cheng".

Among the twelve tiger generals of Jiangdong, Cheng Pu was undoubtedly the number one.

No wonder he was unwilling to be controlled by Zhou Yu.

But precisely because Cheng Pu was so senior, Zhou Yu chose to tolerate him.

Cheng Pu was able to command an army of 10,000 men on his own, and had several generals under his command.

Zhou Yu knew in his heart that if he got into a fight with Cheng Pu, it would definitely ruin important national affairs.

Eastern Wu was already weak; how could it withstand internal turmoil?

Therefore, when facing this senior, Zhou Yu, as a junior, took the initiative to show weakness.

When the envoy arrived at Cheng Pu's camp, he conveyed to Governor Zhou's intention to invite him.

After learning that Zhou Yu was going to attack Nan Commandery, Cheng Pu said to everyone:

"Young Master Zhou, how could you know anything about military affairs?"

“I will personally lead the army to attack Nanjun to repay my lord.”

Seeing this, everyone offered their advice:
"Now that this is a matter of great national importance, and Governor Zhou has invited me, why should I, Governor, bother to compete with him?"

Although both were governors, their positions differed from the Western Han dynasty's system of right being superior to left.

During the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, the left was considered superior, so Zhou Yu's position as Left Commander-in-Chief was actually higher than Cheng Pu's.

Cheng Pu crossed his arms over his chest and hummed softly:
Why should I compete?

"The Battle of Red Cliffs is known to all, and it was Li Yi's scheme."

What business is it of Zhou Yu?

"Since I have not seen any talent that surpasses mine, how can he be in a higher position than me?"

After much persuasion from everyone, Cheng Pu reluctantly agreed.

He led his troops to Jiangling to join Zhou Yu's forces.

……

Meanwhile, Cao Ren, in Nan Commandery, lived in constant fear.

Because he received a task that was even more arduous than the one he had undertaken to defend Runan years ago.

—Defend Jingzhou!

When he was defending Runan, he at least had reinforcements behind him.

If Guan Yu hadn't dug up the Huai River and drowned the soldiers of the seven armies, he wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat.

Now, the situation in Jingzhou is even more severe than it was in Runan back then!
Cao Ren only had two isolated cities, Xiangyang and Jiangling, at his disposal!
While Nanjun and Nanyang may seem to still be in Cao Cao's hands, in reality, the other cities are simply beyond his control.

With no reinforcements from outside, Cao Ren felt a great sense of responsibility on his shoulders.

Every day, he sent people to gather intelligence on the river and inquire when the Qi army would return.

On that day, a scout reported that Zhou Yu of Eastern Wu was leading his army to attack Jiangling.

Cao Ren hurriedly asked:

"Has the Qi army arrived?"

The answer was, "The future."

Oh?
The people of Qi didn't come, but the people of Wu did?
Cao Ren frowned, wondering what the Qi army was up to.

However, he still ordered his men to increase security.

Zhou Yu led his army to Jiangling, surveyed the terrain, and saw that Jiangling was a high city with deep moats, not easy to take.

He then pointed to the map and said to the generals:
"Yiling is the throat of Jiangling."

"If we obtain it, we can subdue Cao Ren."

Zhou Yu abandoned his plan to directly attack Jiangling and instead ordered Ling Tong to lead 3,000 elite troops.

They went upstream to capture Yiling.

Due to the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao lost control of Jingzhou.

Most of the local garrison commanders of the remaining cities and towns in Jingzhou lost their courage.

Hearing that the Wu people were coming to take Yiling, he voluntarily abandoned the city and left.

So when Ling Tong arrived with his troops, Yiling was already an empty city.

Ling Tong gained credit without shedding a drop of blood.

Just as they were about to report to Zhou Yu, a general suddenly appeared from the west.

Ling Tong ordered him to be stopped, and only after asking did he learn that the man's name was Xi Su, a general from Yizhou.

Having committed a crime in Yizhou and finding himself with nowhere else to go, he led his troops to surrender to Jingzhou.

Ling Tong accepted Xi Su's offer and reported it to Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu, citing Xi Su's recent surrender and the uncertainty of his intentions, planned to incorporate Xi Su's troops into the command of General Lü Meng.

Of course, while it was called a reorganization, the real intention was to strip Xi Su of his military power.

At the same time, he also took care of his subordinates.

Lü Meng firmly declined, saying:
“Xi Su is a man of great courage and resourcefulness. Now that he has come from afar out of admiration for righteousness, we should only increase his troops, not take them away.”

In Lü Meng's view, there was nothing to doubt about Xi Su.

Since he came to surrender voluntarily, we should have given him more troops. Why should we take away his military power?
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu greatly appreciated the suggestion and returned all of Xi Su's troops to him.

Xi Su was very grateful and joined forces with Ling Tong to defend Yiling.

Someone had already informed Cao Ren in Jiangling about the fall of Yiling.

Cao Ren hastily gathered his generals to discuss the matter:

"Although Yiling is a small town, it is actually located upstream of Jiangling."

"If we lose it, our army will be attacked from both sides."

"Who dares to rescue Yiling?"

General Niu Jin volunteered, and Cao Ren gave him 5,000 elite troops.

Niu Jin led his troops away, surrounded the city on all sides, and launched a fierce attack on Yiling.

Seeing that the enemy outnumbered them, Ling Tong hurriedly ordered his soldiers to hold their ground and sent his trusted men to break out under cover of night to seek reinforcements.

Yiling was in dire need of help. Zhou Yu gathered his men for a discussion and said to them:
"The reason I took Yiling was to cut off Cao Ren's pincer movement, so that I could concentrate on taking Jiangling."

"Cao Ren knew my intentions, so he ordered Niu Jin to lead troops to launch an attack."

"I intend to go personally to rescue Yiling."

Cheng Pu quickly stopped him:
“Yiling is a small town; it can be abandoned.”

"We must concentrate all our efforts to resist Cao Ren's main force!"

Lü Meng hurriedly said:

"Ling Gongji's people are still trapped in Yiling City; they must be rescued!"

Zhou Yu nodded, then turned to Pu and said:
"Cheng Gongke can defend the main camp, and I will personally go to his rescue."

Cheng Pu sneered:

"A mere child, rashly mobilizing a large army; if defeated, how will he face Lord Wu?"

Upon hearing this, everyone around him turned pale.

Zhou Yu was not offended, and then asked Lü Meng who could guard the main camp.

Lü Meng then advised:
"The Commander-in-Chief can leave Lu Boyan to guard the main camp, and I would like to go with you to rescue Yiling."

"The relief and relief will not last long."

“Meng Baobo said he could hold out for ten days.”

Zhou Yu agreed with his words and addressed the generals:

"The siege of Yiling will be lifted within ten days."

He then left Lu Xun to guard the camp, while he personally led 8,000 elite troops to rush to the rescue under cover of darkness.

Upon reaching Yiling, Zhou Yu climbed to a high vantage point and, seeing the Cao army's formation scattered, exclaimed with delight:
"This is a golden opportunity!"

That very night, he ordered Chen Wu to lead three hundred elite soldiers to infiltrate the enemy camp and set it on fire.

He then ordered Lü Meng to ambush troops in the east, while he himself led the main army to attack from the west.

Caught off guard, Niu Jin suffered a crushing defeat and fled, leaving behind more than three hundred warhorses.

In this battle, the Wu army achieved a great victory.

This not only lifted the siege of Yiling, but also allowed Zhou Yu to control the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Having rescued Ling Tong, Zhou Yu encouraged him to be loyal and brave.

Then, taking advantage of the situation, they crossed the river, stationed their troops on the north bank, and engaged in a stalemate with Cao Ren.

Cao Ren suffered a defeat, and seeing that Zhou Yu had established a firm foothold in Yiling, he had no choice but to abandon the upper reaches of the river.

Instead of engaging in battle, they decided to defend the city.

The war between Eastern Wu and Cao Wei thus entered a stalemate.

Not to be discussed.

……

Just as the war between Eastern Wu and Cao Wei was raging, the State of Qi was also stepping up its own preparations.

Li Yi ordered his men to hasten the withdrawal of troops from Jiangxia to lull Zhou Yu into a false sense of security.

On the one hand, he also instructed the Huainan army, which had already arrived in Runan, not to roam the borders of Lujiang and Runan, so as to prevent the Wu people from becoming suspicious.

Instead, the Huainan army was sent directly back to Jiujiang, so that when the time came to deploy troops, they could depart directly from Hefei.

Entering from Feishui, one can go directly down to Lujiang.

As for Runan, Li Yi sent a letter to Liu Bei to remonstrate.

It is hoped that he can provide Runan with another troop of soldiers.

He also stated that as long as Liu Bei sent enough people...

Li Yi was confident that he could force the Wu people of Lujiang to surrender without losing a single soldier, solely through military pressure.

When Liu Bei heard that Li Yi had ordered the withdrawal of his troops while he was in Xuzhou, he was stunned.

Just as he was about to send someone to ask Li Yi why he did this, Li Yi unexpectedly sent someone to him.

He immediately asked, "I sent the Prime Minister to accompany Kongming south to assist him in taking Jingzhou."

As a result, the Prime Minister did not take Jingzhou, but instead took Lujiang. Why did he abandon the fundamental and pursue the trivial?
Li Yi then personally wrote a letter in reply to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei obtained the letter, which stated in brief:
"Your subject Yi bows twice and respectfully reports to Your Majesty the King of Qi:"

"Judging from the situation of the world, if we want to control Eastern Wu, we must first take Lujiang."

"Lujiang is the throat of Wu and the key to Jingzhou."

"Now Zhou Yu has led his troops westward to compete with Cao Ren for the land of Jing and Xiang, leaving Jiangdong vulnerable. This is a golden opportunity."

"Zhu Zhi, the prefect of Lujiang, although he held a strong city, was timid and lacked strategic thinking."

"If Your Majesty were to add another army to my ranks and station it in Runan, thus demonstrating your military might, we could subdue them without a fight."

"When they see the army pressing in, with no reinforcements from within and no way to return from without, they will surely surrender."

Liu Bei was puzzled, wondering why he should let Li Yi continue to increase his troops when he already had 50,000 troops under his command.

Does war cost nothing?

Li Yi explained that the reinforcement of troops was to put pressure on the Wu people.

Although it would cost more money and supplies, if we could take Lujiang without losing a single soldier, wouldn't that be equivalent to indirectly "buying land with money"?

This aligns with the principle in "The Art of War" that "to subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence."

In the latter half, Li Yi begins to explain why he did not take Jingzhou but instead attacked Lujiang.

"If we take Lujiang, we will cut off Zhou Yu's return route, leaving his Jingzhou army stranded on the north bank of the river."

“Sun Quan ascended the throne as a young ruler, and military power did not belong to him. He would certainly not dare to allow Zhou Yu to monopolize power in Jingzhou.”

"In this way, we will control the gateway to Jiangdong, and in the future we can attack or defend as we please." "Even if Zhou Yu manages to seize Jingzhou by chance, he will become a tree without roots."

"How could the Sun family allow their general to command troops abroad?"

"If Zhou Yu does not return Jingzhou, it would be tantamount to treason."

"It is our unworthy act of sending troops that has caused chaos within the Sun family."

"If we return Jingzhou, our army can easily take it back. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

"Therefore, I request reinforcements, not for the sake of reckless fighting, but to subdue the people with my might."

"A large army makes a strong force; a strong force makes the enemy fearful; and a fearful enemy will surrender."

"May His Majesty observe this!"

"Your subject Yi is filled with trepidation and respectfully submits this memorial."

Winter of the eleventh year of Jian'an.

After reading Li Yi's letter, Liu Bei clapped his hands in praise.

If Li Yi's plan succeeds, he can obtain Jingzhou without bloodshed.

They could also take over the entire Huainan region.

Double happiness!
Liu Bei was overjoyed and took Li Yi's letter, passing it on to his trusted confidants.

"...Ah, reading Li Xiang's writing is like drinking fine wine, making one unconsciously intoxicated."

Liu Bei stretched his waist, as if showing off to everyone, and lavishly praised Li Yi.

It's as if they're saying, "Look at my Prime Minister."

We've known each other for over ten years, and even now he holds a high position of power.

Even in their letters, the writing remains respectful, cautious, and well-organized.

This is Ziyu, this is my Prime Minister!

After showing off, Liu Bei gathered everyone to discuss who would go and cheer for Li Yi.

This can be considered a windfall.

After all, Li Yi made it clear that this trip was only for "flexing muscles," not for fighting.

In this way, the generals would not damage their weapons and equipment, nor would any of their men die.

Once we take Lujiang, it will be a military achievement.

This job is undoubtedly a great opportunity.

Therefore, all the generals volunteered, expressing that supporting Li Xiangwu was their duty!

Liu Bei, of course, knew what everyone was thinking, and immediately summoned Guan Yu, saying:
“Yun Chang can lead the Qingzhou troops to Runan.”

After the victory in the Battle of Runan, Guan Yu's army did not rush back to Qingzhou.

Instead, the three brothers stayed in Xuzhou first to catch up.

I didn't expect it to come in handy so soon.

Liu Bei had a good reason for sending Guan Yu.

Guan Yu was previously in charge of military affairs in the south, specifically in Runan.

Moreover, the fact that the man flooded the seven armies and his might shook the land perfectly met Li Xiang's requirement to "intimidate the Wu people".

Seeing that Liu Bei had sent Guan Yu, the others decided not to argue any further and gave up.

Guan Yu received the military order and immediately led his 20,000 troops from Qingzhou to Runan.

As for Xiakou, most of the troops have already withdrawn.

Including Taishi Ci's troops, seeing that the matter in Jingzhou was settled, they also bid farewell to Li Yi and Zhuge Liang.

Just as he was about to reorganize his troops and return to Yuzhang, he suddenly felt dizzy and unwell, and could barely stand.

Just as the people around him were about to ask him the reason, Taishi Ci suddenly cried out and fainted to the ground.

Everyone was shocked and quickly rescued him.

He then urgently reported the matter to Zhuge Liang, who immediately ordered a physician to treat him, but his condition did not improve.

He reported this to Li Yi, who comforted Zhuge Liang, saying:
“Jiangnan is prone to epidemics, and Yuzhang is a place of miasma.”

“Ziyi has lived here for a long time and has fallen ill several times. I have come here to have Physician Zhang accompany me.”

“He can be sent to treat Ziyi.”

Therefore, they urgently summoned Zhang Zhongjing, the Sage of Medicine, to examine him.

A group of high-ranking officials from Jiangxia, including Liu Qi, came to visit him with gifts.

This was because Taishi Ci was considered a high-ranking official at the city level in the State of Qi.

With officials of this rank, if something happened in Jiangxia, Liu Qi and the others would find it difficult to shirk responsibility.

Everyone stood outside the door, quietly waiting for the diagnosis results.

Inside the room, Zhang Zhongjing took the pulse for a long time, then frowned and said:
"This miasma has entered the body, so one must rest quietly."

After saying this, he picked up a pen and wrote several prescriptions, then ordered the boy to fetch the medicine.

Historically, Taishi Ci died young.

Li Yi was also afraid that Taishi Ci would die like this, so he was quite concerned about his illness.

I've put my work on hold for the past few days and am focusing on waiting for the results.

After hearing Zhang Zhongjing's reply, Taishi Ci knew that his life was no longer in danger, and he was relieved.

"Thank you, the miracle doctor."

Li Yi thanked Zhang Zhongjing and then said to him:
"The divine physician is advanced in years, and now he is following my army south to suffer the hardships of wind and frost."

"Ling Yi, you are quite ashamed. How about I send someone to escort the divine physician back to Xiapi?"

Xiapi was the capital of the State of Qi, and one of the largest cities in the country.

Going back there would definitely be more comfortable than staying in Jiangxia.

Zhang Zhongjing, however, said:
"Now that General Taishi has contracted the plague, other diseases have suddenly appeared in Jiangxia."

"I must not leave at this time."

Li Yi then comforted Zhang Zhongjing, saying:
"There are many students in the Divine Doctor Military Academy, and I have observed that he also knows medicine."

"There are people here who can manage things. It would be best for you, Divine Physician, to return to Xiapi first."

Zhang Zhongjing was about to refuse, but Li Yi insisted repeatedly.

Zhang Zhongjing then agreed and ordered his servants to pack their bags.

As a result, Li Yi issued another order:
"Zhi Ziyi is to go to Xuzhou immediately to make adjustments, and military operations in Yuzhang are temporarily suspended."

“He traveled with Zhang Zhongjing.”

Upon receiving the order, Zhang Zhongjing suddenly realized what was happening.

No wonder Li Yi was in a hurry to send him back to Xiapi; it turns out he wanted Taishi Ci to go back and recuperate.

The journey was long, and they were worried that others wouldn't take good care of them, so they devised this scheme.

Zhang Zhongjing was both amused and exasperated, and also somewhat helpless.

But then I thought, Taishi Ci was also a patient.

Moreover, as a local official, he had served on the frontier for ten years, making great contributions.

It is truly a shame that such a person should have died.

Without saying anything at the moment, he had someone bring Taishi Ci along.

However, Taishi Ci himself was somewhat unwilling, and despite his illness, he went to Li Yi to advise him:
"The people of Yuzhang have long been deprived of the king's rule."

"If I flee now, I fear I will be taken over by the Yue people again."

"Only the Prime Minister thinks of it."

Seeing that Taishi Ci was still thinking about Yuzhang, Li Yi felt sorry for him.

That's true, after all, I've worked there for over ten years, so I've developed an attachment to it.

The sudden decision to leave suggests that they are truly reluctant to part ways.

Li Yi then took his hand and comforted him with a smile:

"You have managed Yuzhang for ten years, opening up fields, building city walls, and defeating the Yue tribes in the mountains, making great contributions to the King of Qi."

"...However, this place is shrouded in miasma, and many soldiers fall ill."

"Judging from your sick appearance, it is clear that this is not a place for you to stay for long."

The Art of War states: "Only by leaving some things undefended can one defend what must be defended."

“Yuzhang is not worth regretting even if it is abandoned.”

Li Yi had never personally visited Yuzhang.

But it was undoubtedly a malaria-ridden place.

It looks like such a big area on the map, but the population is pitifully small.

There are few habitable places, and a lot of swamps and lakes.

Almost every year, a large number of soldiers get sick and are then replaced or transferred elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Yuzhang is far away, making scheduling very troublesome.

Sometimes, lower-level officials are not attentive, which delays the deployment of soldiers.

This resulted in a large number of soldiers dying from illness and tragic deaths.

Furthermore, due to the influence of topography and climate, agriculture in Yuzhang has never been able to develop.

A large number of Yue people live in seclusion in the mountains, hiding their population, which makes it difficult for the government to collect taxes.

Li Yi then had Taishi Ci conduct a "field measurement" experiment there to summarize the experience.

This offended many wealthy and powerful families, making them even less cooperative with the government.

For more than a decade, Yuzhang has been a bleeding wound in the State of Qi.

Every year, Huainan has to give Yuzhang a lot of money.

Danyang, which is closer to Yuzhang, can barely achieve self-sufficiency and cannot provide it with any financial support.

It wasn't that Taishi Ci wasn't diligent, but rather that he had too few resources at his disposal.

It wasn't that Liu Bei was unwilling to give Taishi Ci more resources.

Rather, it is the land of Yuzhang that is not worth investing so much manpower and resources in for development.

There are so many fertile lands in the world that an army could easily conquer, so why should Liu Bei bother to develop Yuzhang?

Over the years, Taishi Ci has devoted himself wholeheartedly to Yuzhang, cooperating with the decisions of the Qi state's high-level officials and conducting numerous experiments.

Now that Taishi Ci is suffering from the plague, it gives Li Yi an opportunity to arrange for him to leave.

Having spent so many years on the border, I've accumulated enough experience.

Then came the great victory at Red Cliffs, and the person in charge fell ill.

Li Yi ostensibly sent Taishi Ci back to Xiapi to recuperate, but in reality, he wanted to transfer him back to the capital to serve as an official.

It's worth noting that Xiapi offers very good welfare benefits.

It even reached the point where strict control over outsiders was necessary.

It is unknown how many high-ranking officials from other places are planning to transfer their children's household registration to Xiapi.

Li Yi's decision to send Taishi Ci back to Xiapi to serve as an official is absolutely out of good intentions.

From then on, Taishi Ci also experienced firsthand that the lord of Xiapi was indeed the lord.

Thinking of this, Li Yi then took out the official document and showed it to him:

"Your achievements are already remarkable; you should be transferred to Xiapi as an official."

"But if one wishes to assume a new mission, one must first cure one's deep-seated ailments."

“In the past, Sun Shu’ao was ill for three years and then the state of Chu rose to power. You should take good care of yourself, for the future is long.”

"King Qi will certainly not treat you unfairly."

The implication is that Li Yi has already helped you establish connections in the capital, and the Prince of Qi is aware of this matter.

From now on, Ziyi, all you need to do is focus on recovering.

If you truly recover, you'll have a long and happy life ahead of you once you return to Xiapi!
Taishi Ci accepted the order with tears in his eyes, repeatedly bowing to express his gratitude to Li Yi for his great kindness.

Li Yi dispatched Guan Ping with 300 elite guards to escort Taishi Ci back to Xiapi.

In this way, all personnel arrangements in Xiakou have been completed.

Everyone asked Li Yi, "Old man, are you going to stay in Xiakou and keep an eye on Zhou Yu?"

Li Yi pondered for a long time before saying:
“Zhou Yu is wise and resourceful. If I continue to stay in Jiangxia, he will surely become suspicious.”

"I think it's better for me to leave."

Therefore, he entrusted Jiangxia to Zhuge Liang, officially handing over all power over Jiangnan to him.

With Li Yi gone, Zhuge Liang was undoubtedly the most powerful person in Jingzhou.

Zhuge Liang understood this principle and was deeply grateful for Li Yi's kindness during the time they spent together.

Although Li Yi can be domineering at times, he can't help but swear when he's in a bad mood.

But all that Li Yi did was ultimately so that Zhuge Liang could smoothly take over Jingzhou.

After all, he was an official in Hebei, and no matter how much he did in Jiangnan, he wouldn't gain much more benefit.

Knowing his good intentions, Zhuge Liang personally saw him off at the riverbank.

Upon reaching the riverbank, in front of all the civil and military officials, Li Yi personally presented the official seal to Zhuge Liang.

"From this day forward, all matters concerning Jiangnan shall be entrusted to Zhuge Liang."

After saying this, Li Yi disarmed himself and boarded a boat, intending to return north to Xuzhou.

Everyone was stunned, even though it seemed to make perfect sense.

However, after spending a long time with Li Yi, everyone knew that he was an extremely power-hungry person.

Unexpectedly, when it came time to truly return power to Jiangnan, the process was so simple and straightforward.

Zhuge Liang was taken aback, then hurriedly chased after Li Yi to the riverbank, grasped his sleeve, and wept, saying:
"Why did you leave so suddenly?"

Over the course of nearly a year, Zhuge Liang came to regard Li Yi as his mentor.

Knowing he was leaving, I felt extremely reluctant to part with him.

Upon seeing this, Li Yi was also moved, and patted his back, sighing:
“My nature is stubborn and I have always been strict with you, but jade cannot become a vessel without being carved.”

“When Guan Zhong shot the arrow, Bao Shu recommended him.”

“My rebuke today is truly for the purpose of cultivating talent.”

Li Yi genuinely hoped that Zhuge Liang would become even better.

It's not that I'm underestimating Zhuge Liang, it's just that the Zhuge Liang in this world has been subjected to too much external suppression.

They lacked many opportunities to exercise.

Unlike the hellish start in history, when Zhuge Liang received that script, he could only go all out.

But now that Zhuge Liang has this script in his hands, Li Yi has no choice but to play the role of a "strict teacher".

We hope that Zhuge Liang could, like in history, dedicate himself to his work with 200% effort.

As for why...

A sudden gust of wind rose from the river. Li Yi took a deep breath, pointed to the rushing waves, and said:
"This water flows eastward, but my will remains in the north."

"King Qi and I rose from humble beginnings and fought for more than ten years."

"By sacrificing their lives, they have achieved the greatness of the Qi Kingdom today."

"I will eventually grow old, and sooner or later I will have to entrust important matters to others."

"Therefore, I cannot bear to see this foundation entrusted to the wrong person."

“You are ten times more intelligent than me, but you lack decisiveness, which is why I pressured you in the past.”

Li Yi rarely spoke to people like this, and when he spoke to Zhuge Liang like this, it was absolutely his true feelings.

Zhuge Liang stood there, stunned.

Li Yi had already boarded the light boat and was softly reciting a poem on board:
"Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years."

……

(End of this chapter)