Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 91 Sun's Warriors
Wei Kuan's words were like a bolt from the blue, hitting Zou's heart and leaving him stunned on the spot, unable to speak for a while.

After a long silence, Zou He slowly extended his right hand and pointed at Wei Kuan, his lips trembling with anger. "Do you know what you're talking about? Zhu Zhi also covets my inheritance. He's clearly a hungry wolf. How can I let a wolf into my house?"

There was one question that Zou kept deep in his heart and never asked: Wei Kuan, have you been bribed by Zhu Zhi?
When faced with internal and external difficulties, some people will surrender to the enemy in order to protect their lives and wealth. Zou was convinced of this.

Wei Kuan knew Zou's current state of mind and said quickly, "General, please allow me to finish my words. You are now in a dangerous situation, with wolves in front and tigers behind. Zhu Zhi is the wolf, fierce and cunning, and Yan Yi is the tiger, ambitious. Only by taking advantage of the greedy nature of the tigers and wolves, driving the wolf to devour the tiger, and making both sides suffer, can you have a chance of recovery."

Zou pondered for a moment, then realized it made sense. As if grasping a lifeline, he slapped his thigh and shouted, "What a way to drive away a wolf and devour a tiger! I've been so worried lately that I hadn't thought of this. If it weren't for the public order reminding me, I would have made a big mistake!"

He walked around the banquet with his hands behind his back, his face full of excitement. Suddenly, he said anxiously, "Zhu Zhi has just arrived in Qiantang and his roots are still shallow. He can't compare to the Yan family who have been cultivating for many years in Wucheng and have deep roots. I'm afraid he is no match for the Yan family. What can we do?"

Wei Kuan let out a sardonic smile, which vanished in an instant. He said in a deep voice, "Zhu Zhi has fought for many years and is renowned for his formidable reputation. He is no ordinary man. He and Yan Yi will fight. No matter which side wins, they will have no energy left to attack Rencheng. What the Marshal needs to do is to lure the two of them into a fight. Otherwise, all this will be in vain."

Zou nodded and said, "Your Excellency's words make sense. The key is to make these two fight each other. This matter requires careful planning."

He has calmed down from his excitement.

Wei Kuan's advice was brilliant and insightful, the only strategy that offered a glimmer of hope. However, its implementation was extremely difficult. Yan Yi and Zhu Zhi were no ordinary men, so how could they possibly fulfill his wish so easily?

However, there was no better way at the moment, so Zou could only bite the bullet and give it his best.

That night, several messengers took advantage of the darkness and galloped out of the south gate of Rencheng, heading towards Qiantang.

Soon after the messenger left, the situation was quickly reported to Zou's general Li Bian and military chief Xie Rui.

Li Bian was once a bandit leader, entrenched in the Yunchao Mountain area. Two years ago, he brought more than a thousand bandits under his command to join Zou Ta, which was considered as joining the group with money. He had a certain say in Zou Ta's army.

Xie Rui was from Yuhang. Three years ago, he served as a military officer under Xu Zhao. Taking advantage of his position, he teamed up with Zou Ta to intercept and kill a group of horse traders who were trading with Xu Zhao, and took away hundreds of war horses. After the incident was exposed, he defected to Zou Ta and served under him as a strategic advisor.

These two people actually sent people to monitor Zou He, which shows how divided the people of Rencheng are.

The next morning, the two met on their way to Zou's house for a meeting, and they got on the same carriage tacitly.

Li Bian's tall body swayed constantly as the carriage moved. He said hatefully, "Wei Kuan, that scoundrel, relies on the Marshal's favor to look down on us. Sooner or later, I'm going to kill him!"

Xie Rui smiled and said, "This man is self-righteous and disdains to associate with us. He has a sullen face all day long, as if everyone owes him money. In fact, he is just a mediocre person who talks big but does nothing. Now Rencheng is surrounded by wolves. The situation is hopeless and there is no way to turn it around. How can a mere trick save it? If he angers Yan Yi and Zhu Zhi, I am afraid he will even lose his life."

What Wei Kuan didn't expect was that as soon as he left, Zou summoned several counselors including Xie Rui to discuss the so-called strategy of driving the tiger to devour the wolf.

Li Bian sneered, "What a bullshit! If we can't defeat one family, won't the next one die even faster? If I were Yan Yi, I would discuss with Zhu Zhi and divide Rencheng in half."

Xie Rui lowered his voice, his tone tentative, "General, which of these two is your favorite, wolf or tiger?" Li Bian said casually, "I'm just a warrior, not as knowledgeable as you. Which one do you prefer?"

If Zou were here, he would probably be furious on the spot. The city of Rencheng is intact, and the 5,000 soldiers are still there. They are defending the city and have the strength to fight. However, the two civil and military officials under his command are already discussing a retreat.

Xie Rui stroked his short beard with his hand and chuckled, "In my humble opinion, both companies have the potential to win. It's really hard to say who will win. Rather than saying which one we favor, it's better to say which one is more suitable for us."

Li Bian agreed and nodded, saying, "In that case, we should choose Zhu Zhi. After all, he is the commander of Wu Commandery and has no conflicts with us. However, the Yan family has been fighting with us for many years, and the two sides have long been hostile to each other. I'm afraid they won't tolerate us."

Xie Rui shook his head and said, "That's wrong. Haven't you seen the fate of Wan Bing, Fan Yi, Zhou Chao, and Su Ma?"

Zhou Chao and Su Ma were horse thieves eliminated by Zhu Zhi in Changsha and Lingling, and both were killed by Zhu Zhi.

Wan Bing and Fan Yi served under Yan Yi. Due to the lack of talent around Yan Yi, both of them were appointed to a certain extent.

Li Bian had a thoughtful look on his face, and he was really undecided.

The carriage fell silent as the double-axled carriage slowly moved forward on the desolate street towards the Zou Mansion.

Compared with the panic-stricken and oppressive atmosphere in Rencheng, Yongping, 250 miles away, was a hell on earth with piles of corpses and flowing blood.

"Beat the drums to cheer us on! Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy. We must conquer Yongping today!"

Wu Jing, the cavalry commander and prefect of Danyang, stood in the formation, his eyes as sharp as torches, staring at the towering city walls in front of him and the soldiers clinging on the walls like ants, his expression revealing a hint of coldness and determination.

He was about forty years old, wearing a heavy black armor and a helmet with tassels. His face was long and thin, with a sickly look, his eyes were sharp like an eagle, and he had a beard about a foot long under his chin, which fluttered in the wind. He had the determination of a warrior and the elegance of a scholar.

The three brave generals standing side by side with Wu Jing were also staring intently at the tragic battlefield.

Any one of these three brave generals is a famous and feared figure in Jiangdong!

The first brave general, whose surname was Sun and name was Ben, with courtesy name Boyang, was from Fuchun, Wujun. He was the son of Sun Qiang, Sun Jian's elder brother from the same mother, and the cousin of Sun Ce. He was currently the commander of Danyang and was personally appointed as the General of Conquering the Enemy by Yuan Shu.

The second brave general was named Xu Kun, a native of Fuchun, Wujun. He was the nephew of Sun Jian and the cousin of Sun Ce. He was appointed as the General of the Central Army.

The third brave general was named Huang Gai, with the courtesy name Gongfu. He was from Quanling, Lingling. He was an old subordinate of Sun Jian and a veteran of the Sun family. He was appointed as the commander of Wufeng.

In a mere Yongping County, not only did Wu Jing and Sun Ben personally lead their troops to fight, but even Huang Gai and Xu Kun, who had recently followed Sun Ce to fight in Lujiang, also appeared here!
If Yan Yi knew about this situation, he would definitely be alert.

(End of this chapter)