Tiger Owl

Chapter 244 Two Options
The next day at noon, Qiao An met with Lü Fan. As a veteran of Jiangdong, Lü Fan was firmly opposed to compromising with Cao Cao and strongly advocated resisting Cao Cao. Lü Fan was straightforward and never compromised on principles. Just like he had insisted on eliminating Gan Ning back then, he now also clearly stated his intention to resist Cao Cao's southward advance.

Although his hostility towards Gan Ning was partly due to personal feelings, it concerned the fate of Jiangdong. So he changed his stance from hostile to supportive, and firmly supported joining forces with Gan Ning to resist Cao Cao.

So when Song Kuan wrote him a note saying that the envoy from Western Chu wanted to see him, he agreed without hesitation.

In the guest room, Lü Fan and Qiao An took their seats as host and guest, while Song Kuan sat quietly to the side. He was accompanying Qiao An, but given his status, he also had the right to listen in.

A maid came in and served tea to the three of them. Qiao An took a sip of tea before slowly asking, "How much does Chief Secretary Lü know about the movements of Cao Cao's army?"

Lu Fan's eyes held a hint of bitterness. The intelligence in Jiangdong was handled by Bu Zhi. After Bu Zhi's defection, Wu Hou purged a group of Bu Zhi's confidants and subordinates, which directly led to the complete paralysis of the Jiangdong intelligence system. The intelligence scouts stationed in various places either left or scattered, so they knew nothing about the various movements of Cao Cao's army.

Lü Fan sighed and said, "All I know is the information provided in the letter written by the Marquis of Chu; I know nothing else."

"So, does Lord Wu believe the contents of that letter?"

"Of course I believe that Lord Wu convened high-ranking officials to discuss the letter, but there were huge internal disagreements and no conclusion was reached in the end."

"why?"

Qiao An was genuinely puzzled, "Isn't Lord Wu worried that Cao Cao's army is already at the city gates?"

"No, the main disagreement is whether or not to cooperate with you. Apart from Governor Zhou and me, who advocate cooperation, the other officials are against it, or at least they oppose it conditionally."

"What are the conditions?"

“Bu Zhi!” Lü Fan slowly uttered the name.

"He is the biggest obstacle between us. If the two sides cannot resolve this issue, then there is little hope for cooperation."

At this point, Lü Fan sighed deeply. The Bu Zhi incident was too serious; it had already affected the legitimate status of the Marquis of Wu, and there was nothing he could do about it.

A flash of anger appeared in Qiao An's eyes. He suppressed his strong dissatisfaction and said solemnly, "Chief Secretary Lü, forgive my bluntness, but Cao Cao's army is currently advancing along the Hefei line in the east, not Xiangyang County in the west. His target is Jiangdong, not us. My lord proposed to join forces against Cao Cao, not to beg you, but to help you. Yet you are not grateful and still make unreasonable demands. This is completely unreasonable and shows that you do not understand the current situation at all."

Lu Fan lowered his head and remained silent. In truth, he knew all too well that the compromise faction was too powerful, influencing the will of the Marquis of Wu from every angle. They were so pervasive that even the old lady suggested that they should not resort to force.

Zhang Zhao, who should have been on his side, actually proposed negotiating with Cao Cao to resolve the crisis in Jiangdong. He was neither a proponent of war nor a pure surrenderist; he was simply taking a middle path.

Lü Fan sighed, "What does Mr. Qiao want to discuss with us on this mission? Tell me first, and I will pass it on to Lord Wu."

Qiao An slowly said, "My Lord Chu has proposed two plans: an alliance and a cooperation."

At this point, Qiao An took out a scroll and handed it to Lü Fan. “Both plans are explained in detail. Please pass it on to Lord Wu. If Lord Wu has any questions for me, I am ready to be summoned at any time.”

In the afternoon, Lü Fan hurriedly arrived at the Wu Marquis's residence and found his lord, Sun Quan. He presented him with Qiao An's mission document. Sun Quan looked exhausted. In recent months, Sun Quan had also faced immense pressure. On one hand, signs of Cao Cao's army launching a major southward offensive had emerged, and they had chosen the Hefei route, which was their most feared route. On the other hand, Bu Zhi's defection had caused a great uproar within Jiangdong, with many officials subtly criticizing Sun Quan for listening to slander and framing loyal officials.

This is a huge slap in the face. Since Bu Zhi was Sun Ben's number one henchman, why didn't he go and join Sun Ben? Instead, he defected to Chaisang.

This is a classic case of trying to catch a snake but getting bitten instead. Sun Quan's plan was to wait until Bu Zhi took office for a few months, then secretly send someone to kill him, claiming that he was suffering from acclimatization problems. This way, no one would know. However, Bu Zhi was cunning and shrewd, and he managed to escape using a clever escape tactic.

Sun Quan had not anticipated that the consequences would be so severe; the Bu Zhi incident had shaken his foundation.

Sun Quan's foundation for his rule lay in the unanimous recognition from all levels of Jiangdong that he was the supreme ruler of Jiangdong. To gain the unanimous recognition of the Jiangdong military and officials, he had to demonstrate exceptional wisdom, decisive methods, and problem-solving abilities.

The Bu Zhi incident revealed that his conclusion was wrong, demonstrating his lack of wisdom and incompetence, as Bu Zhi managed to escape successfully.

Without exceptional wisdom and ability, he will inevitably lose the support and recognition of many officials, which will naturally shake the foundation of his rule.

Sun Quan understood this matter very well, which is why he insisted that Gan Ning send Bu Zhi back to Jiangdong. This was not just a gesture, but something he had to do. The Bu Zhi incident was gradually eroding the foundation of his rule, and if it was not resolved, his rule would collapse sooner or later.

It was precisely because of the Bu Zhi incident that he was not enthusiastic about Gan Ning's suggestion to join forces against Cao Cao.

Sun Quan slowly unfolded the document, which contained two plans to resist Cao Cao: one was to form an alliance, and the other was to cooperate. After reading the details, Sun Quan's eyes narrowed into slits. How could this be!

Whichever of the two plans proposed by Gan Ning is chosen, I must agree to allow the Western Chu army to enter Danyang County. I can understand that, after all, the Cao army's goal in crossing the river is definitely Danyang County. But how can I let the Western Chu army enter Danyang County? Isn't that like inviting a wolf into the house?

Sun Quan was a man of deep cunning. Although he was furious, he remained calm and asked Lü Fan, "Has the Chief Clerk seen it?"

Lü Fan nodded, "Reporting to Lord Wu, this humble servant has examined it carefully!"

"So what do you think of these two options?"

Lu Fan bowed and said, "Gan Ning has put forward two plans. The alliance plan is obviously unrealistic. There are too many obstacles between us, and it is impossible to form an alliance. But I think this cooperation plan is worth considering."

"Can we cooperate?"

Sun Quan said calmly, "He intends to station troops in Danyang Commandery!"

Lü Fan then suddenly realized Wu Hou's intentions. The method didn't matter; the key was that stationing troops in Danyang County might have crossed Wu Hou's bottom line.

After a moment of contemplation, Lü Fan said, "Lord Wu, we can have a good talk with them and see if we can find a solution that both sides can accept. Or should I go to Chaisang?"

Sun Quan nodded. "I'll leave this matter to Chief Clerk Lü!"

(End of this chapter)