The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 170 Sun Quan's Ambitious Spirit

Zhuge Jin spoke upon hearing this:
"Kongming wrote to me before, saying that Liu Bei had largely recovered the entire Liangzhou region and also taken Longyou."

"It is said that Shanshan, Kucha, and Khotan each sent envoys to Shu to honor Liu Xuande as the legitimate successor of the Han dynasty."

“Since the reign of Emperor An of Han, communication with the Western Regions has been severed. Now, it is about to be restored.”

"in short."

"The Cao family has effectively lost Guanzhong."

"If Guanzhong is lost, then Guanzhong will be surrounded by enemies, not friends, except for Hedong, which can still provide aid."

"Not to mention from east to west, Guan Yu, Wei Yingwu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and other generals are preparing their troops and secretly plotting to seize Qin territory."

"As the ancients said, 'It is as precarious as a pile of eggs.' The Guanzhong region is now in such a state!"

"I understand," Sun Quan nodded slowly.

"In the future struggle for Guanzhong, the initiative to start the war will lie with the Liu family."

"If the Cao family wants to protect Guanzhong, they can only appease the people first and seek a better future."

After speaking, Sun Quan looked at the next person, General Jianwei Lü Fan.

Lü Fan concurrently served as the Prefect of Danyang, and governed from Jianye.

Although Sun Quan lost the Han River passage because of this timeline, he never moved the capital to Wuchang, which resulted in Lü Fan losing his position as a key minister who remained in charge.

Yet he remained a trusted advisor whom Sun Quan relied on.

Then Lü Fan stepped forward unhurriedly and said:
"I believe that the Cao family's desire to appease the Liu family is not solely due to the loss of Guanzhong."

“Recently, scouts have come south and said that a locust plague has struck Jizhou this autumn, causing great famine among the people. Although the government granaries have been opened, they are still insufficient to provide relief.”

"The Wei emperor wanted to relocate 100,000 households of people from Ji Province to populate Henan Province. Xin Pi, the Chamberlain, repeatedly advised against it, and the plan was later changed to relocate half of the population."

Upon hearing this, most of the Wu ministers and generals who had been silent began to show a strange light in their eyes.

His mind was clearly becoming active.

Lü Fan, however, remained unhurried:
"From this perspective, the locust plague in Ji Province has caused considerable harm. Although the Central Plains is wealthy, it is not enough to simultaneously provide relief to the people in all directions."

"I predict that within the next two years, the Cao family will be able to defend against the Liu family but will not be able to attack them."

"Since Liu Bei has just acquired new territory and still needs to consolidate it, Yizhou will most likely not launch a major military campaign before the autumn harvest next year."

After speaking, Lü Fan bowed and withdrew.

Apart from Zhuge Jin and Lu Xun glancing at him briefly, the others assumed he had said all he needed to say and paid no further attention.

Instead, they rushed to offer suggestions based on this crucial intelligence.

For example, Zhu Huan, the governor of Ruxu, believed that they should take advantage of Cao Wei's weakness and join forces with Guan Yu to launch a major northern expedition.

Because Guan Yu had been lying low in Xiangfan for two years, his troops were well-trained and well-supplied, and he had not participated in the Northern Expedition in Guanzhong this year, making them a fresh force that could be put into battle at any time.

And since Guan Yu had not participated in the Guanzhong campaign, given his fame-seeking nature, he might have agreed to send troops to Wanluo with a little provocation.

After all, it was Guan Yu who first sent a letter inquiring about the Northern Expedition.

It's a perfect opportunity to go with the flow.

Even think about it in a darker way.

If Guan Yu's army was exhausted at Wancheng, wouldn't Liu Bei's northern expedition to Guanzhong the following year be missing a vital force?

Will this allow Cao Cao and Liu Bei to waste more time, thus creating more opportunities for Yangzhou?
It must be said that Zhu Huan's bold idea appealed to some people.

It immediately gained the approval of many generals.

This includes Zhu Ran, who recently received the title of Grand Commander.

However, compared to Zhu Huan, who only cared about the outcome.

Zhu Ran, however, was more concerned with the practical difficulties.

He bluntly stated that after Cao Cao moved 100,000 households westward to Jiangzuo, the area from Wancheng to Hefei became like a treacherous world.

To use Cao Cao's own words, it was truly a place where "not a rooster crows for a thousand miles" and "only one in a hundred of the people survived."

It's hard to say whether Cao Cao himself was truly heartbroken by the thought.

But if an army passes through this place and has nowhere to eat, which leads to disasters such as a mutiny, then they will truly regret it.

Therefore, Zhu Ran suggested that the Northern Expedition could be carried out in two steps.

The first step was to establish large-scale military settlements around Wancheng, utilizing the idle land as supplies for the future northward march of the army.

At the same time, numerous post stations and fortresses were built north of Wancheng.

While protecting the military settlements, it also facilitated future northward advances.

Once everything is ready, the second step of the Northern Expedition can be launched, and the Wu army can avoid the risk of being isolated and deep in enemy territory.

Advance to attack, retreat to defend.

There is no doubt that Zhu Ran's approach is one of taking things one step at a time.

This aligns well with the military strategy of "first make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable."

Sun Quan praised Zhu Ran on the spot, giving the newly appointed "Grand Commander" ample face.

Only after offering praise did he suddenly ask a follow-up question:
“The importance of Wancheng is something the Cao family cannot be unaware of. Since they know it, they certainly will not sit idly by and watch me manage this place.”

"If he sends troops south to obstruct us, how will Yi Feng respond?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Fan and Zhuge Jin both sighed inwardly.

Zhu Ran didn't think too much about it, only that he would fight to the death to defend Wancheng, this important town north of the Yangtze River.

Sun Quan praised him again on the surface, but he was already disappointed in his heart.

I wandered around the group again.

Lu Xun ultimately landed behind Zhu Ran.

He recalled the high regard that Lü Meng and Zhuge Jin held for him.

He couldn't help but ask expectantly:

"Boyan offered many strategies in the past, why is he silent today?"

Lu Xun calmly clasped his hands and said:

"It is not that I am unwilling to speak, but rather that I have doubts and dare not speak lightly."

Sun Quan raised an eyebrow:

"It's okay to have doubts; let's brainstorm together!"

Lu Xun responded with a nod and said:
"As we all know, the world is now divided into three, with Cao Cao being the strongest while Sun Quan and Liu Bei are both weak."

"Although our western neighbor has recently seized control of Kansai, this situation remains unchanged."

"Since the Cao family is so powerful, why should we appease our western neighbor?"

Sun Quan slightly twisted his body and smiled:
"As you all have just made clear, the Cao family is currently facing many troubles and is too busy to fight external battles."

Lu Xun said, "I agree that the Cao family is going through a turbulent period, but I do not believe that they are incapable of fighting external wars."

"Oh, how so?" Sun Quan finally became interested.

Lu Xun said: "The Art of War says, 'Be close to them, but also separate them.' It also says, 'If you defend the left, you will be weak on the right; if you defend the right, you will be weak on the left.'"

"Now Cao Cao has sent envoys to Shu, clearly intending to sow discord. His sword is aimed either west or east."

"If we see that the Cao family is showing weakness to the Liu family, then their troops must be fewer in the west and more prepared in the east!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan immediately stood up.

Lu Xun continued:

"In my opinion, Cao Cao fears that our army will join forces with Guan Yu to launch a northern expedition next year, so he plans to divide and conquer them, stabilize our western neighbor, and attack Jiangdong first!"

"It is precisely the time of autumn, when the rivers are low, which is advantageous for cavalry in the north but disadvantageous for ships in the south. It is the perfect time to launch a military campaign southward!"

pat.

Sun Quan suddenly stopped, looking intently at Lu Xun and said:

"Does Boyan have a plan to repel the enemy?"

Lu Xun exhaled a breath of stale air and said loudly:
"I have a plan that can help Your Majesty defeat the enemy north of the river!"

After a while.

Sun Quan was overjoyed and returned home.

Zhuge Jin deliberately slowed down and pulled Lu Xun back:
"Although Zhu Yifeng's plan is conservative and slow, it is not inadequate to defend against the enemy. Why did Boyan not use it?"

Lu Xun wanted to scoff and say that he was just a deputy governor and had no right to talk about whether or not to use the governor's strategy.

But seeing Zhuge Jin's earnest expression, and knowing that he was the one who had recommended him for reinstatement, he ultimately suppressed his temper and explained:
"With your discerning eyes, how could Ziyu not see the King's ambition and drive?"

"While the Grand Commander's plan is sound, it is not to His Majesty's liking. Even if I did not offer another plan today, His Majesty would have done it himself."

"In that case, why don't we do it for you, just in case?"

As he spoke, he put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky, saying:

"Besides, I need a victory to prove my abilities, so as not to let Ziyu down!"

Zhuge Jin was speechless.

Ultimately, wasn't the reason I recommended Lu Xun precisely because I hoped he could help me in times of crisis?

In fact, he was open to both Lu Xun's aggressive strategy and Zhu Ran's conservative strategy.

What he was really worried about was that victory would come too quickly and too easily.

The thoughts that his king had finally managed to calm down under the walls of Hefei were now hard to suppress.

But then I thought about it.

The current Cao Wei general in the Yangzhou direction.

Cao Xiu, the so-called General Who Conquers the East and Governor of Yangzhou, and Marquis of Anyang, was a recognized valiant general from the imperial clan.

Even if Lu Xun's plan succeeds, it might only be a minor victory?

(End of this chapter)