Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 292 No one knew how to shoot tigers better than Sun Quan, and no one knew how to divine better than Sun Quan.

Jiangling.

Although it was wartime, everyone knew that this battle between Han and Wu, or the second Battle of Yiling, would be protracted. It would be pointless to be on edge and live in constant fear, and it would be detrimental to morale.

Even the Han army besieging Yiling had been engaged in various activities such as dice games, pitch-pot, cuju (ancient Chinese football), and trade in the past few days, not to mention Jiangling, which was far from the front line of Yiling.

Eat and drink as you please, play and have fun as you please.

Sun Quan had long heard that there was a tiger at Youjiangkou, which was also known as Gong'an, the temporary capital of Liu Bei's rule over the four southern commanderies of Jingzhou after the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Yesterday, I was inexplicably very depressed, but because the roads were blocked, I couldn't find out any news about Yiling. So I ordered my guards to arrange a tiger-hunting vehicle to go to Youjiangkou to search for tigers in order to relieve this negative mood.

No one knew how to fight tigers better than Sun Quan.

Using the feces and urine of the rutting tigress, the male tiger, which had been entrenched in the dense forest northwest of Youjiangkou for over a year and had devoured countless people, found Sun Quan in less than half an hour, facing the southeast wind.

Upon seeing the tiger-hunting chariot draped in tiger skin and exuding a strong tigress scent, the male tiger flew into a rage, unleashing its ferocity, and charged at the chariot.

Sun Quan stood high in the chariot, but instead of shooting the tiger, he took pleasure in striking it with his spear.

After Sun Quan had thoroughly toyed with the tiger until it was covered in wounds, and after he had enjoyed himself to the fullest, he finally ordered the tiger guards under the chariot to fire their crossbows and shoot the tiger dead under the chariot.

Just as Liu Shan captured a deer in Guanzhong, Sun Quan shot a tiger at Youjiangkou, both actions naturally carried strong political metaphors.

Now that we have obtained the tiger, we must feast and drink to our hearts' content with all the civil and military officials of Jiangling.

During the banquet, Chen Xiu, Sun Quan's supervisor, bestowed upon the civil and military officers and generals, based on their seniority, achievements, and closeness to Sun Quan, tiger skin, tiger bones, tiger penis, and tiger meat.

Among those present were Confucian scholars such as General Lu Xun, General Hu Zong, who wrote the sacrificial text to Heaven for Sun Quan when he ascended the throne, Attendant-in-Ordinary Shi Yi, and Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat Lü Yi.

The military commanders included Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, Liu Zan, He Da, and Song Qian.

Next, Zhuge Ke, son of Zhuge Jin; Bu Chan, son of Bu Zhi; Lu Yan, son of Lu Xun; and Zhou Yin, son of Zhou Yu, were seated at the end.

Among them, Zhou Yin was the eldest. He married Sun Ce's daughter and became the Commandant of Xingye, leading a thousand soldiers to garrison Youjiangkou. He was seated at the front of the table.

Fine wine and delicious meat, a feast fit for an emperor.

After all, with the Emperor of Wu here, there is no such thing as frugality. The Mandate of Heaven is already highly questionable. If even the most basic dignity is lost, then the so-called imperial majesty will be completely gone.

Liu Shan did not have this kind of trouble.

After several rounds of drinks, all the officials were in high spirits.

Well… at least that’s how it seems on the surface.

But having been a monarch for so many years, how could Sun Quan not see the deep-seated worries hidden beneath the forced smiles of his civil and military officials?

Eating, drinking, and having fun ultimately belong to those ignorant and short-sighted fools and commoners.

Wuxian and Zigui were lost within a month.

The imperial clansman Sun Shao, and the powerful ministers Pan Zhang and Pan Jun, all died defending the country. Zhou Fang and Sun Huan have disappeared without a trace, and their fate is unknown.

Zhu Ran, the Right Commander-in-Chief of the Chariots and Cavalry, is currently trapped in Yiling.

As for the Left and Right Generals Zhuge Jin and Bu Zhi, they were defeated and captured last year. It is said that they have now arrived in Chang'an and become guests of Zhuge Liang.

With the situation so dire, anyone would be filled with anxiety and worry about the future of Sun Quan's Wu kingdom, as well as their own and their family's future.

“If the Grand Historian Wu Fan were here, how could things on the western front have come to this?” Seeing that the ministers had been silent for a long time, Sun Quan suddenly sighed, breaking the slightly strange atmosphere of the banquet.

Lu Xun, Shi Yi, Hu Zong, and other Confucian officials who shared the same ideals looked at each other in bewilderment.

Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, Liu Zan, and other generals had a different idea.

The people of Jingchu (present-day Hubei and Hunan) are fond of witchcraft and ghosts, while those of Jiangnan (souther

Witchcraft is a low-level spell popular among the lower classes.

The so-called "divination arts" are advanced Taoist techniques such as observing qi and stargazing, which are very popular among the upper classes.

Whenever Wu's army was at war, Sun Quan would always invite a person skilled in divination to predict good or bad fortune in advance. Among them, the most skilled in divination was Wu Fan, the Grand Astrologer mentioned by the Emperor of Wu.

Wu Fan is dead.

The generals could tell that the Wu emperor, who sat in the main seat with a slightly worried expression, was truly lamenting that there was no one in the army like Wu Fan, who was skilled in observing the stars and predicting good and bad fortune.

Not only Sun Quan, but also generals such as Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, and Liu Zan held Wu Fan in high esteem.

Back then, he was recommended as a virtuous man and sent to Luoyang, but due to the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, he could not go. Just then, Sun Quan rose to power in the southeast, so he devoted himself to serving him. Whenever there was a disaster or auspicious omen, although he did not see it in person, he could make a prediction based on divination and report the situation to Sun Quan. Most of the predictions came true, so he became famous.

Sun Quan launched a campaign against Huang Zu.

Wu Fan advised against it, saying, "It would be unfavorable to launch a military campaign this year; it would be better to do it next year. Next year is the year of Wuzi, when Liu Biao of Jingzhou will die and his kingdom will perish."

Sun Quan was displeased, but still sent troops to attack Huang Zu, and as expected, he could not conquer him.

The following year, when the army marched westward, Wu Fan observed the stars and the weather, and personally went to Sun Quan's ship to congratulate him and urge the army to advance quickly.

As soon as the army arrived in Jiangxia, they defeated Huang Zu, who then fled under cover of night.

Sun Quan, fearing he could not capture him, publicly asked Wu Fan for advice. Wu Fan replied, "He is not far away; he will surely capture Zu alive."

By dawn, Huang Zu had indeed been captured.

However, Liu Biao died, and Jingzhou was divided.

In the year of Ren Chen, Wu Fan reported again: "In the year of Jia Wu, Liu Bei will surely capture Shu."

When Lü Dai returned from Shu, he reported that Liu Bei's troops had scattered and nearly half had died, making it impossible for him to conquer Shu.

Sun Quan questioned Wu Fan, who replied: "What I speak of is the Way of Heaven, while what Dai sees is merely human affairs. How can human affairs compare to the Way of Heaven?"

In the end, Liu Bei indeed gained control of Shu.

Sun Quan and Lü Meng plotted a surprise attack on Jingzhou. They consulted with their close ministers, but the general consensus was that it was not feasible. Sun Quan then asked Wu Fan in public, and Wu Fan said that it was possible.

After Guan Yu's defeat, he retreated to Maicheng and sent envoys to Wu to surrender. Sun Quan asked Wu Fan, "Should Guan Yu surrender?"

Wu Fan then observed the celestial phenomena and said, "Yu's aura is shifting; this indicates a feigned surrender."

Sun Quan then sent Pan Zhang to intercept them via a side road. The scouts who came to investigate reported that Guan Yu had already left.

Wu Fan observed the qi again and said, "Though he departs, he cannot escape."

Sun Quan asked about the appointed time.

Wu Fan said, "Tomorrow at noon."

Sun Quan immediately set up a wooden gnomon for measuring the sun's shadow and placed a water clock to keep track of time.

If he did not arrive by midday, Quan inquired about the reason.

Wu Fan said, "The time is not yet exactly midday."

A moment later, a breeze stirred the curtains, and Wu Fan clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Yu has arrived!"

Shortly afterward, the outside world proclaimed "Long live the Emperor!" and rumors spread that Yu had been obtained.

After Sun Quan became the King of Wu of Wei, Wu Fan said:
Judging from the prevailing atmosphere, the Wei people appear friendly on the surface, but in reality they harbor schemes; we should be prepared for them.

Liu Bei deployed a large army at Xiling, and Wu Fan said:
"Later, a marriage alliance will be formed."

In the end, Wu Fan's predictions came true.

All of these factors made this master of Taoist arts and divination a weathervane in the eyes of the soldiers of the Wu army.

The law follows the words spoken.

Unfortunately, this Grand Astrologer died the year before last.

During his lifetime, renowned scholars and virtuous men from Jiangdong, such as Kan Ze and Yin Li, repeatedly humbled themselves to seek his teachings, but Wu Fan kept it a secret.

Sun Quan had consulted him many times, wanting to learn these mysterious arts, but Wu Fan kept it a secret and refused to tell Sun Quan the core principles of the Taoist arts, which caused Sun Quan to resent him.

Previously, this master said that there was a royal aura in Jiangnan, and that Sun Quan should be made a king.

Sun Quan said that if this were true, he would grant him the title of Marquis. When he finally became the King of Wu of Wei, Wu Fan asked Sun Quan in public if he remembered this matter. Sun Quan laughed it off and granted him the title of Marquis in public.

Even on his deathbed, this Taoist master was restless, wanting to demonstrate the wonders of his Taoist arts one last time to Sun Quan:
"The Emperor will one day lose his strategist."

Sun Quan was greatly puzzled and asked, "I have no military advisor; how could I have lost him?"

The master replied, "Your Majesty always requires my advice before leading troops into battle; therefore, I am Your Majesty's military advisor."

On the day he was told, he indeed died.

Sun Quan, in remembrance of his father, ordered the three provinces of Jing, Yang, and Jiao to recommend someone as knowledgeable in divination and numerology as Wu Fan.

If it is proven that the Taoist arts are indeed profound, then the person who recommended them will be granted the title of Marquis of a Thousand Households.

In the end, nothing was gained.

Sun Quan lamented, "If the historian Wu Fan were here, the situation on the western front would not have come to this." This sentiment echoed Cao Cao's lament after his defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, saying, "If Fengxiao (Guo Jia) were here, I would not have come to this."

Guo Jia did offer some advice and strategies to Cao Cao, but Wu Fan, a master of Taoist magic, relied entirely on his Taoist magic and divination techniques, which revealed the people of Jiangnan's reverence for auspicious omens, prophecies, witchcraft, and divination.

Even the Gu, Lu, and Zhang families, prominent clans in Wu County, all possessed the "Book of Changes" in their family traditions, and their members were well-versed in astronomy, numerology, yin-yang divination, and other arts.

The former Yellow Turban Taiping Dao and the current Zhang Lu Five Pecks of Rice Dao have successively become some of the most popular academic disciplines in the Jiangnan region.

When choosing their courtesy names, many sons of powerful families in Jiangnan began to abandon the Confucian virtues of "filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, benevolence, and courage," and instead chose the character "之" (zhi), which now seems somewhat incongruous but contains the essence of the Celestial Masters sect.

Returning to the present, it is self-evident why the Emperor of Wu would suddenly mention the enlightened master Wu Fan at the banquet for dividing tigers.

As expected, after a strange silence among the ministers, the Wu emperor, sitting in a somewhat unrestrained posture, suddenly looked at the star-gazing master sitting at the end of the table, who had been the most influential figure in the Jiangnan region since Wu Fan's death.

This Taoist master could predict the date of any floods, droughts, or banditry in advance, and his predictions always came true.

Sun Fu found it strange and appointed him as his military advisor.

The soldiers in the army all revered him and called him a god.

"The Grand Astrologer is proficient in Taiyi, able to observe the changes in celestial stars to deduce the affairs of the world, and understand the essentials of celestial phenomena. His calculation skills are no less than those of Wu Fan."

"Why don't you do a calculation for me? Now that the war between Han and Wu has resumed, what is the fate of Wu?"

Taiyi divination is one of the highest-level predictive sciences today, and together with Qimen Dunjia and Liuren Shenke, it is known as the "Three Styles".

Its main functions are to predict celestial phenomena and national fortune, as well as to predict disasters such as floods, droughts, wars, and plagues, and even to predict major historical changes.

Because it could determine the dynasty's fortune and the laws of nature, it was regarded as the study of emperors.

Previously, when Sun Quan was about to declare himself emperor, it was Liu Dun, who was proficient in the Taiyi Daoist arts, who observed the stars and qi for Sun Quan.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Liu Dun stood up, his movements somewhat slow. He first bowed deeply to Sun Quan on the throne, and then slightly raised his head.

He was inside a room, and it was broad daylight, so he couldn't possibly be stargazing. Yet, he frowned slightly, his fingers calculating in his sleeve, a mixture of confusion and awe on his face, and he remained silent for a long time.

Sun Quan did not urge him, but gripped his wine cup tightly, his gaze fixed intently on Liu Dun's face.

During the banquet, Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, Liu Zan, and other generals, under the oppressive atmosphere of the Wu Kingdom's successive defeats, could not help but hold their breath and wait for the Grand Astrologer, who was proficient in the art of Taiyi, to make his deductions and judgments.

Lu Xun lowered his eyes, staring intently at the tiger bone bestowed by Sun Quan on the table, showing neither joy nor sorrow. Meanwhile, Bu Chan and Zhuge Ke, the sons of surrendered generals, wore expressions of grief and indignation mixed with trepidation.

Finally, Liu Dun seemed to have completed his deduction, withdrew his gaze from the rooftop, and bowed deeply to Sun Quan once more:
"Your Majesty, I have recently been observing the stars at night and have indeed seen something."

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, or perhaps recalling the recent changes in the celestial phenomena.

"The Emperor Star of the Purple Palace sits firmly in the central palace."

"Although its light was obscured by thin clouds, its foundation remained unshaken."

"However... a guest star is invading the territory beside the Emperor Star. Although its light is not very intense, it has the potential to disturb the main position."

“Especially in the southern constellations of Well and Ghost, a comet suddenly appears, its color red, sweeping from west to east, signifying a great war and a powerful guest oppressing the host.”

Is the guest dominating the host?

Sun Quan seemed to be deep in thought. The powerful guest was naturally Liu Shan.

Regardless, the ruling planet remains in its position.

Without giving it much thought, Liu Dun continued:

"What I find most perplexing is the Big Dipper."

"The Jade Balance is the pivot that controls the balance of the four directions."

"Although the handle of the Big Dipper points southeast according to the order of the four seasons, the two stars, Tian Shu and Tian Xuan, shine brightly within its rim, overshadowing the other five stars, implying a sense of killing and warfare..."

"And the direction of the spoon is neither south nor east."

"But it vaguely points to the northern corner."

"Pointing straight to the northern corner? What does this mean? Grand Historian, please explain it to me clearly." Sun Quan's curiosity had been piqued.

Even Lu Xun raised his head, wanting to see what kind of nonsense Liu Dun could come up with.

Liu Dun then said solemnly:
"Considering all the celestial phenomena and astrological signs, and after repeated deductions, I have concluded that this conflict between Wu and Shu is a matter of shifting stars and changing fortunes, affecting the fate of the entire world."

"Its ultimate manifestation is... it is an omen of 'the emperor conquering the north from the south, and the true Son of Heaven emerging victorious.'"

"The Emperor is leading an expedition from the south to the north?" Sun Quan leaned forward slightly, his eyes filled with even more doubt.

"Shu is in the southwest, I am in the southeast, and only Cao Wei is in the north."

"From the south to the north...from the south to the north...Does the Grand Historian mean that Cao Wei will intervene in this war between Wu and Shu to prevent the Shu people from gaining power and dominance?"

"And I will lead my troops north, taking advantage of the conflict between Wei and Shu to defeat them?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan realized that the true Son of Heaven who had triumphed in the southern campaigns and northern expeditions was none other than the Emperor of his Great Wu. If Cao Wei were to intervene and contend with Shu, his Great Wu would ultimately be able to march north and capture Xiangfan, which would indeed be a rather ideal situation.

Faced with Sun Quan's expectant question, Liu Dun did not give a direct answer. Instead, he lowered his head again to avoid Sun Quan's burning gaze and said:
"Your Majesty, the celestial phenomena indicate the general trend of the dynasty's fortunes shifting."

"The comet rises in the south and points to the north, and the handle and mouth of the Big Dipper also tilt to the north, all indicating this change of events, and the opportunity for a southward invasion of the north has already become apparent."

Just then, Liu Dun paused, then said calmly:

"I have heard that Liu Bei rose to power in Youzhou."

Upon hearing this, there was a moment of silence at the table, followed by everyone looking at each other in bewilderment, and then one by one they seemed to suddenly understand.

"Indeed!" Sun Quan clapped his hands and laughed, the gloom on his face truly dissipating. "Liu Xuande was born in Youyan, which is the northern land! Although that brat Liu Shan was born in Jingchu and grew up in Western Shu, tracing his origins, he is undoubtedly a northerner!"

"The Grand Historian has a profound understanding of the will of Heaven, which greatly pleases me!"
"Come, my lords, let us drink this cup to the brim!"
"May our great Wu army conquer Shu and achieve victory soon!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"Congratulations to Dawu!"

Regardless of their inner thoughts, everyone at the table responded in unison, raised their glasses, and drank together, creating an eerily lively atmosphere.

Liu Dun, the Grand Historian, calmly returned to his seat without changing his expression.

If Sun Quan wins, that's fine. But if Sun Quan loses, this story will be passed down to future generations, and they can defend him by saying that he only came up with the excuse that "Liu Bei and Liu Shan were born in Youyan" in order to survive under Sun Quan's rule.

If Liu Shan wins this battle, his prophecy that "the emperor will conquer the north from the south and the true emperor will be victorious" will surely be passed down through the ages and recorded in the history books of Shu Han.
After everyone had drunk their fill, Sun Quan suddenly looked at Zhao Da, the Grand Historian beside Liu Dun, pondered for a moment, and then asked:

"The Grand Historian is proficient in the Nine Palaces Calculation and can understand the subtle meaning of heaven and earth, and can respond to situations and make decisions immediately."

"Since we have discussed destiny and fortune today, why don't you use the tiger bone from Youjiangkou to calculate for me how many years my reign will last after I ascend to the throne and rule the world?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room immediately turned their attention to Zhao Da.

Zhao Da was taken aback. He first looked up at Sun Quan quietly for a moment, then said "Yes," and silently picked up the tiger bones that Sun Quan had bestowed upon him from the table. He weighed them in his palm and frowned slightly.

As if he felt that these counting rods were not enough to bear the weight of the emperor's destiny, he turned to the side and silently extended a hand to Liu Dun beside him.

They were all charlatans, and everyone knew who was who. Liu Dun immediately understood and pushed the thicker tiger bone from his own table over as well.

Zhao Da placed the two tiger bones side by side on the table, no longer looking at anyone. He was completely immersed in a mysterious state, and his hands moved the tiger bones on the table in a unique rhythm, sometimes horizontally and sometimes vertically, outlining the nine palaces.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, and the other generals held their breath and focused their attention on Zhao Da's pretentious performance. Lu Xun also shifted his focus from Liu Dun's earlier statement that "the true Son of Heaven is conquering the north from the south" to Zhao Da's charlatanry.

After about half an incense stick's time, Zhao Da's fingers, which were fiddling with the tiger bones, suddenly stopped. He stared at the final bone array, pondered for a moment, as if trying to decipher the secrets of heaven contained within it.

Just as everyone was growing impatient, he finally looked up and faced Sun Quan:

"Report to Your Majesty.

"I have calculated according to the Nine Palaces and investigated it based on mathematical principles."

"In the past, Emperor Gaozu of the Former Han Dynasty established the era name, which lasted for more than 12 years. Now Your Majesty has seized control of the southeast, opened up Wu and proclaimed yourself emperor. According to my calculations, Your Majesty's reign will last twice as long."

"Double it?" Sun Quan was delighted.

Twelve years doubled, that is twenty-four years.

He is now forty-seven years old. If he enjoys another twenty-four years of rule, his lifespan will be seventy-one.

A monarch who can live to seventy and remain on the throne for so long is truly a rare breed.
"Hahaha! Excellent! A perfect doubling!" Sun Quan clapped his hands and laughed, then suddenly raised the wine cup he had just filled. "The Grand Historian is a divine strategist! I shall share this blessing with all of you, and forever secure the Great Wu!"

The civil and military officials below the throne, whether they truly believed in these divination words or not, dared not be negligent when they saw Sun Quan so happy.

"Long live your Majesty!"

"May God bless Great Wu!"

dusk.

When everyone in the room had finished enjoying themselves, they left.

Apart from Chen Xiu, who was in charge of relieving troubles, only Lu Xun, Shi Yi, and Hu Zong remained at the official residence.

Sun Quan then asked Lu Xun:
"Boyan, many generals in the army are eager to fight and relieve the siege of Yiling. I wonder what your plans are?"

After much deliberation, Lu Xun finally spoke slowly:

"Your Majesty, to determine the current situation, we should analyze it from three aspects: the opportune time, the advantageous location, and the harmonious relationships among the people."

"People and people."

"First, military strength."

"Our Great Wu has now gathered more than 50,000 troops in Jiangling, another 50,000 in the north to guard against Cao Wei, and Yi Feng still holds 8,000 troops in Xiling."

"The Shu people have divided their troops everywhere, and it is estimated that the Shu army's eastern invaders number no more than 40,000."

"With 60,000 troops from Wu against 40,000 from Shu, Wu's military strength is far superior."

"Secondly, let's discuss the advantages of location and timing."

"Our Great Wu has completely withdrawn from the high mountains and steep ridges of Wuxia, leaving hundreds of miles of mountainous terrain where our forces are difficult to deploy to the Shu army. This is one advantage."

"The waters of Xiling and Jiangling are wide and the currents are gentle, making them more suitable for the large ships of our Great Wu navy to fight, rather than for the small ships of the Shu army. This gives our Great Wu another advantage in naval warfare, and these are the two advantages."

"The grain supply route for the people of Shu stretches for thousands of miles, but the river is raging."

"Our Great Wu's grain route is only three hundred li long, and the river is calm and gentle; these are the three advantages."

As for the timing.

"It is now nearly March, and the river has already risen. Once summer arrives in April and the rains fall heavily, the river will rise even more dramatically, by more than four or five zhang (approximately 10-15 meters). In this case, the natural barrier of the Yangtze River will finally be formed."

"At that time, the people of Shu will be the first to have their supply lines disrupted, just like Liu Bei did back then."

"The food supplies in Xiling City are sufficient to last until the autumn harvest. If our Great Wu can hold out until the end of summer or the beginning of autumn, the Shu people will have run out of food supplies and can retreat without a fight."

Sun Quan frowned slightly.

Regardless of how much he believed in so-called divination, he knew that war could only be won through strategy, supplies, and real combat.

As Lu Xun said, it seems that all the favorable conditions—timing, location, and popular support—are on the side of Great Wu.

But if that were truly the case, how could the war on the Western Front have deteriorated to this extent?!
Lu Xun then changed his tone and said:

"Your Majesty, as I just said, 'harmony among men' is firstly about military strength."

"The reason why our Great Wu is now strictly guarding against Jiangling and avoiding war is due to the two factors of people, namely, 'the people's hearts and morale'."

"The people of Shu have won one victory after another, their morale is high, and they are eager to win."

"Our Great Wu must win. We have no choice but to temporarily avoid the sharp edge of the Shu people. We must wait for them to be complacent, then concentrate our forces and find an opportunity to defeat them, just like we did in the Battle of Xiaoting with Liu Bei back then."

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan finally nodded.

At this point, Lu Xun sighed and said:
“If necessary, even Yiling can be abandoned. Your Majesty can secretly order Yifeng to abandon Yiling if things cannot be resolved.”

"Abandon Yiling?" Sun Quan was dumbfounded, and immediately showed displeasure and confusion.

Lu Xun, seemingly oblivious to Sun Quan's displeasure, continued:
"That's right, abandon Yiling."

"However... I do not expect the Shu army to launch a hasty attack on Yiling at this time. Even if they do launch a hasty attack, it will not be to the point of no return within two months."

"Taking advantage of these two months, Your Majesty should redeploy the river defenses in Jiangling, stabilize the morale of the three armies, and wait in comfort for the enemy to tire themselves out."

"Once summer arrives, the sweltering heat will be unbearable for the people of Sichuan. Their fighting spirit will inevitably weaken and they will lose their momentum. This is also the opportune time."

"At that time, the Shu people will have lost all the advantages of timing, location, and popular support, and it will be time for our Great Wu to launch a counterattack against them."

During the Battle of Yiling, the weather was so hot that even the people of Shu could hardly withstand it, which forced Liu Bei to order his navy to abandon their boats and move to land, setting up camps deep in the mountains and forests, near streams, to rest and regroup.

They originally planned to wait until autumn when the weather cooled down before launching another attack, but Lu Xun took the opportunity to set a large fire.

Lu Xun remained silent.

Sun Quan also weighed the pros and cons.

Gangneung City.

Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, He Da and other generals set off together, intending to head to the main camp outside the city. However, not far inside the Jiangling city gate, they encountered a person who should never have been there.

Zhu Ran was in a panic and in a sorry state.

"General of Chariots and Cavalry?!" Xu Sheng was stunned for a moment, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

The civil and military officers around Xu Sheng who heard the noise and saw the scene were all greatly alarmed.

Liu Dun and Zhao Da, who had just divined Sun Quan's fate, looked at each other in surprise and quickly tried to make themselves less noticeable, slipping away from the crowd of civil and military officials as if their feet were greased.

...

"I will entrust the defense of Jiangling entirely to Boyan. As for Yifeng, I will secretly send elite soldiers to Xiling in the next few days. We will defend Xiling as long as we can, and if things go wrong... we will send another unit to Xiling to meet up with Yifeng."

Lu Xun, Shi Yi, and Hu Zong stayed behind to chat with Sun Quan for about half an hour before leaving together, one by one, and bidding farewell to Sun Quan.

However, as soon as they stepped out the door, the three people in front of them were all taken aback.

Liu Zan, Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, He Da, and the other generals, who had left together about half an hour ago, all returned in a panic.

"What's wrong?" Lu Xun asked first, his heart skipping a beat, a terrible premonition rising within him.

"General Shang!"

"Oh no! Yiling! Yiling is gone!"

Xu Sheng strode forward, his voice trembling.

It was only then that Lu Xun noticed that Zhu Ran, Zhu Ji, Luo Xiu, and the others were covered in dust and looked utterly disheveled, kneeling on the street outside the official temple.

Behind Lu Xun.

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan took a few steps forward and came to Lu Xun's side. Looking at Zhu Ran and Zhu Yifeng, who were in a sorry state on the street, kneeling and weeping, his legs finally trembled and his vision went black again.

(End of this chapter)