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

Chapter 221 Entrusting the Orphan to the Quarry
It is late autumn.

The wind and frost on Niuzhu Rock are pure and lofty, and the rocks are revealed when the water recedes.

This place was later known as "Caishiji".

The Yangtze River narrows, becoming less than two miles wide at its narrowest point, with numerous islands and shoals along the way.

It has been an important ferry crossing for travelers coming from the north and south since the Spring and Autumn Period.

Furthermore, this place is only a hundred li away from Jianye, the capital of Wu, and the south bank is mostly flat, which is conducive to military marches.

Therefore, since the time of Sun Ce, this place has been the strategic throat of the Jiangdong regime's river defense.

Lu Xun sailed down the Yangtze River from Wankou, passing important river defense points such as Ruxu and Wuhu.

Finally, on a late autumn morning, we arrived at Niuzhuji Ferry.

Looking out, the river is filled with boats like walls and masts like a forest.

On the opposite bank, at Dongkou (Dongpo), there is a newly built crescent-shaped fortress, which, together with the fortress on the south bank, forms a fortress flanking the river.

Lu Xun couldn't help but recall the Northern Expedition of last autumn and winter.

If King Wu had not been reckless, such a naval force would have been enough to wipe out another 100,000-strong Northern army.

Unfortunately……

With a silent sigh, Lu Xun heard someone calling him from the shore.

Turn around and look.

Zhang Zhao, Sun Shao, Gu Yong, and other veteran officials who remained in Jianye were all present.

Lu Xun dared not delay and immediately urged the boatmen to dock, then went forward to greet them one by one.

It is worth mentioning that although Sun Shao's surname was Sun, he was from Beihai in Qingzhou and had served as a clerk under Kong Rong, the prime minister of Beihai State.

They are not members of the Sun clan of Jiangdong.

After the battles of Hefei and Ruxu, many of the generals from the Sun clan were either old or dead.

Now, only Sun Huan, who is disabled and living at home, remains.

It can be said that talent is dwindling.

Upon realizing this, Lu Xun understood why his lord had suddenly summoned his important ministers, and a look of unease inevitably crossed his face.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Zhao, the most senior general in Suiyuan, sneered:

"At a time of national crisis, the general looks as if he has lost his parents. Is this the demeanor of a high-ranking official?"

Lu Xun then realized that he had lost his composure and quickly apologized.

But Zhang Zhao, not one to back down, launched into a scathing attack, citing classical texts and allusions.

Chief Secretary Sun Shao hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him, but Zhang Zhao not only ignored him but also cursed even more fiercely.

Until Minister Gu Yong suddenly spoke:
“In the past, when Yuan Shao was defeated by Cao Cao, his advisors, such as Feng Ji, Guo Tu, and Xin Ping, did not think of how to improve their abilities. Instead, they attacked virtuous and capable people, ruined Ji Province, and finally destroyed the five-generation foundation of the Yuan family.”

"Now that the Jiangdong region has been ruled by three generations, and we have no good strategies to help our lord conquer the Central Plains, is Lord Zhang so eager to follow in the footsteps of the Yuan family?"

Gu Yong was known for his prudence and taciturnity.

Even Zhang Zhao held him in high esteem.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhao fell silent and stormed off.

Lu Xun breathed a sigh of relief, expressed his gratitude to Sun and Gu, and then went to the central command tent together.

Upon arriving at the tent, a strong smell of medicinal soup wafted over.

There was also a stench of rotting flesh mixed in with it.

General Lü Fan of Jianwei was already waiting at the tent entrance.

Seeing the crowd arrive, he stepped forward and gestured for them to be quiet, then led them to a secluded spot before speaking in a deep voice:
"The king had a carbuncle on his back, and the pain kept him awake for several nights. In the morning, the doctor applied acupuncture and moxibustion, and he also swallowed some anesthetic powder with wine before he was able to sleep."

Zhang Zhao asked anxiously, "How could you suddenly have a carbuncle on your back?"

Lü Fan sighed, "A year of military service, constantly wearing armor, makes one prone to developing boils."

“Since the beginning of summer, the war has been going poorly and was once on the verge of collapse. The king even dared not remove his armor at night, which naturally caused him to develop gangrene.”

"Perhaps this is also due to a sense of injustice..."

Everyone sighed with sorrow as they recalled the various misfortunes that had occurred this year.

However, just as everyone was about to move to another tent to rest.

Suddenly, Sun Quan's loud laughter came from the direction of the main tent.

Everyone was startled and turned around.

Before long, Sun Quan, whose face was ashen, was seen inside the tent.

I couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Sun Quan, however, was completely unaware of anything amiss. Instead, he pointed to his back and laughed smugly:

"That doctor has miraculous skills! With one round of acupuncture and one dose of medicine, the carbuncle was almost completely healed. I am no longer in pain!"

Upon hearing this, many people's expressions relaxed slightly. Only Lü Fan, who had been supervising the boatmen and interacting frequently with the physicians, was more alarmed than pleased by the news.

"Does Your Majesty feel no pain at all? The physician says the pain-relieving powder will only stop the pain for one hour..."

Sun Quan was visibly taken aback, then laughed even louder:

"Doesn't that mean my carbuncle on my back is completely healed?"

Having said that, he stopped dwelling on the topic and turned to Lu Xun:
"Boyan has come from Wancheng. What is the situation in Jiangbei? Can Zhu Yifeng hold out?"

Lu Xun hurriedly said:
"Thanks to the bravery of the soldiers, the Wei army has been besieging the city for months without success, and their morale has been low."

"Recently, our western neighbor reported a victory, saying that Guan Yu has captured Wancheng and taken all of Nanyang."

"Given the safety of Luoyang, the Wei army will certainly not dare to exert any more force in Huainan."

"Before I went east this time, I led a light cavalry north to Shiting and Guache to conduct reconnaissance."

"Apart from the rebel army's camp, there are no more Wei army flags to be seen there. It seems that Jia Kui's troops have already begun to move west to Yuzhou to go back and resist Guan Yu."

Upon hearing Lu Xun's description, everyone present finally showed a relieved expression.

When Sun Quan heard that Guan Yu had taken all of Nanyang, his expression became quite complicated.

After pondering for a long time, he finally focused his gaze and asked:

"If we cross the river now, can we recapture Ruxu Dock?"

"Your Majesty, you must not raise an army again!"

Before Lu Xun could speak, Minister Gu Yong stepped forward to stop him.

"Jiangdong has been waging war for a year, and the people's strength has long been exhausted!"

Chief Secretary Sun Shao also advised:
"After a year of conscription, many people in the villages had fled. In addition, the war was not going well, and the Yue people in the mountains were restless and colluded with the fleeing people."

"I fear that if the fighting continues, the enemy's momentum will become uncontrollable!"

Sun Quan remained silent again, but his gaze did not leave Lu Xun.

Lu Xun recalled the gains and losses of the past two years, and at this moment, his mind suddenly calmed down:

"Ruxu, like Wancheng, is a vital strategic point for the country. Your Majesty's desire to wage war is perfectly justified."

“But I have recently been reading history and heard that when Marquis Wen of Wei claimed that he had the strength of mountains and rivers, Wu Qi replied: ‘It is virtue, not terrain.’”

“If we do not cultivate virtue now, the millions of people in Yangzhou will likely become enemies in the future.”

"Even with formidable passes and strong fortified cities, how could we have preserved our foundation?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan's face darkened completely.

But Lu Xun had already put aside honor and disgrace, life and death, and showed no sign of backing down.

After a long while, Sun Quan suddenly burst into laughter three times, laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face. He pointed at Lu Xun and said:

"Only today do I realize that Boyan possesses not only military wisdom, but also the talent to govern a country!"

"Back then, Lü Ziming only recommended you to be the military commander based on your strategic acumen. Wasn't that a sign of poor judgment in judging people?"

After laughing, Sun Quan turned to his ministers, his smile vanished, and he said through gritted teeth:
My mind is made up.

"The northern barbarians are fierce; we cannot act rashly."

"Our western neighbor is growing stronger; we must not underestimate him."

"I have submitted to the North and maintained friendly relations with the West, seeking only to be able to move freely between the two sides and advance or retreat at will, without letting my reputation burden my reality."

"If that's the case, then we should continue to maintain good relations with Cao Cao and Liu Bei, observe the outcome, and then devise a plan for survival."

"In order to preserve the foundation of Jiangdong, I hope that you gentlemen will join me in enduring hardship and humiliation, and be inspired to act bravely after knowing shame!"

All the ministers agreed.

Sun Quan then ordered a eunuch to bring a prepared imperial edict to announce the new personnel appointments.

He appointed General Zhang Zhao of Suiyuan as Grand Tutor.

Sun Shao was appointed as the Right Chancellor of the King of Wu.

Gu Yong was appointed as the Left Chancellor of the King of Wu.

Lu Fan, the prefect of Danyang, was promoted to Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Zhu Ran was then appointed General Zhenbei and continued to be stationed in Wancheng, north of the Yangtze River.

Apart from Zhang Zhao's appointment as Grand Tutor, which was somewhat conspicuous, the other appointments were more or less predictable to most people.

What was truly surprising was Lu Xun's transfer.

General Lu Xun was promoted to General Who Conquers the North, granted the Yellow Axe, and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Jing and Yang provinces. He was also given the title of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince.

In short, Lu Xun had replaced Zhu Ran and become the de facto Grand Commander of Wu.

Faced with such a promotion, the courtiers either openly congratulated him or secretly envied him.

Lu Xun, however, recalled Lü Fan's earlier concern about Sun Quan's illness and felt not joy but sorrow.

Is the King of Wu really going to endure hardship and bide his time?
It's clearly an entrustment of an orphan!
(End of this chapter)