Three Kingdoms: Li Shimin, dressed as Liu Shan, forcibly abducts Sun Shangxiang.

Chapter 28: Sun Quan's men have arrived!

"You hold this letter..."

"Leave Shangyong,"

"Crossing the Guandu River, we descended straight down the Shennong Stream...to Baidi City!"

"remember!"

"Even if it means death, I will deliver this letter to the Emperor's bedside!!!"

"Here you are!" The guard bowed and took the cloth bag, then turned and left without hesitation.

Watching his personal guards disappear from sight, Meng Da subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, but then he thought of the contents of Liu Shan's letter to him...

His breathing instinctively became heavy again...

Gather an army of 40,000!

Control both banks of the Yangtze River!

Furthermore, we have the assistance of two great talents, Ma Liang and Huang Quan!

Most importantly, even now, no one in Jiangdong has noticed? This truly shows that Heaven is helping Liu Bei, not Sun Quan!

However, this crown prince remained calm.

Even after accomplishing such a momentous task, he still remembered to remind himself not to let word of it reach Liu Bei's ears.

That's right.

After all, the Han emperor was already terminally ill.

If one were to learn of the great deeds Liu Shan had accomplished...

The emperor was startled and suddenly passed away, throwing Yizhou into chaos. Wouldn't that be a hindrance to Liu Shan?

Upon realizing this, Meng Da's expression became complicated: "This Han prince is hiding his true intentions very well!"

When I was an official in Shu Han, I had seen His Highness the Crown Prince before.

A certain court meeting,

The Han emperor ordered Liu Shan to attend court and observe the government. However, the crown prince was snoring loudly in front of all the civil and military officials in the court!

The court session was only halfway through when the emperor stormed off in anger...

Meng Da still remembers it vividly.

How could such a mediocre talent suddenly become outstanding and have unparalleled strategies?

That leaves only one possibility...

For so many years, Liu Shan has been hiding his true abilities and blending in with the world!

After all, Liu Bei's forces were not a monolithic entity.

Take Liu Feng for example. He was originally Liu Bei's adopted son, and he had already achieved numerous military exploits at a young age, making him highly respected in the army...

When I captured Shangyong,

The emperor's appointment of Liu Feng to oversee the military affairs of the three commanderies was clearly an act of granting him military power! It is likely that Liu Bei at that time also harbored the deep intention of cultivating him as his successor.

At that time, the position of crown prince was vacant.

Liu Shan harbored great ambitions, but lacked a solid foundation; therefore, biding his time and concealing his abilities was naturally his best option...

If it weren't for the Battle of Yiling, the Han dynasty would have faced a sudden and drastic change!

It's possible that people were actually fooled by him!

But none of that matters.

Importantly, Liu Shan wanted to use him to send a message to Yong'an Palace, thus reconnecting with this wise ruler of the Han Dynasty.

Moreover, his own son was still in Bashu, receiving support from the Shu Han court.

Based on that alone, I have to deliver that letter no matter what.

As for sending troops...

Meng Da calmed down instantly.

He himself believed that what Liu Shan said was true and was willing to return to the Han Dynasty...

War is a matter of life and death, a matter of life and death!

This is not just a matter concerning one's own family or clan; it involves the entire three prefectures of Shangyong and the future of tens of thousands of soldiers under one's command.

How can one feel at ease without seeing it with their own eyes?

"Someone come here!"

Meng Da made a quick decision: "Call Xian'er over!"

……

Several days later, on the north bank of the Yangtze River.

"drive!"

"drive!!"

In the distance, billowing dust rose as dozens of riders galloped wildly toward Yiling City.

"Young Master, we'll reach the walls of Yiling City in about a few miles!"

"understood."

The young man at the head of the group was none other than Meng Da's nephew, Deng Xian!

After he came of age, he traveled around with his uncle.

He was present when Meng Da led Liu Bei into Sichuan.

He was also present when Meng Da captured Shangyong.

When Meng Da betrayed the Han dynasty and defected to the Wei dynasty, he didn't even care about his own son, Deng Xian, who still followed Meng Da.

Over the years

Deng Xian had long been his uncle's most trusted confidant, so naturally, it was his nephew who was sent to Jiangbei to investigate the situation.

only……

Meng Da didn't hide Liu Shan's letter from him; Deng Xian had already read it.

But the more he thought it was so, the more absurd and outrageous it seemed.

In his early years in Chengdu, he had met the Crown Prince with his uncle, and he knew all too well what kind of person that prince was.

Now the Yizhou edifice is about to collapse, the Han dynasty is on its last legs, and its fate is sealed.

Can that mediocre crown prince really turn the tide?

Zhan Buzhi

Capture Sun Huan,

Occupy Yiling

With an army of 40,000, we will take control of Yiling!

Even if Zhuge Liang himself were here, he might not have been able to accomplish such a thing. Yet Liu Shan was able to do it all by himself.

As the outline of the city grew clearer in the distance, Deng Xian was filled with doubts…

But since we're already here, we have no choice but to go and see for ourselves.

In a short while,

Yiling City is approaching!

Sizzle~

The riders reined in their horses.

He shouted at the soldiers guarding the city walls, "Quickly inform your lord, Huang Zhenbei!"

"Tell me that my former colleagues in Chengdu have sent a special envoy to inquire after my well-being!"

"Wait a moment."

The guards hurriedly left.

Below the city walls, Deng Xian gazed at the flags atop the walls, his expression filled with astonishment and uncertainty: "This…"

As far as the eye can see,

A large banner bearing the character "Wei" filled his field of vision.

Didn't they say that the Han crown prince occupied Yiling City? Why are they all under the banner of Cao Wei?

Could it be that Huang Quan had already surrendered to Cao Wei and was trying to lure his uncle here under the guise of the Han crown prince?

That doesn't make sense.

His maternal uncle was already an important minister of the Wei Dynasty and was highly regarded by Emperor Cao Pi.

What use is it for him to have surrendered to Cao Wei and tricked his uncle into coming here?

What use is it for him to have surrendered to Cao Wei and tricked his uncle into coming here?

Deng Xian's mind was in complete chaos; he had no idea what was going on in the current situation...

crunch~

Just then, the tightly closed city gates finally opened slowly.

Two riders galloped up to meet them...

"General Xingguo? General Anguo?"

"Hehe, Mr. Deng, how have you been?"

Those who come out to greet,

It was Zhang Bao and Guan Xing.

When Deng Xian was in Chengdu, he and Guan Xing and Zhang Bao were only nodding acquaintances, but they often met.

These two young generals were highly regarded by the emperor because of their fathers' lineage.

Since the two of them are here, the Crown Prince of Han must also be in the city!

Deng Xian tentatively cupped his hands in greeting: "I am overjoyed to see old friends again today. May I ask, Generals, about the Crown Prince...?"

"Mr. Deng, please come into the city for further discussion."

"Uh, okay, that's fine too..."

Left with no other choice, Deng Xian could only ride into the city with the two men.

What I saw along the way

The army was quite large, but strangely, these soldiers were all flying the Cao Wei flag, which was really puzzling.

A moment later,

The three had arrived at the garrison general's residence.

People were already standing in front of the mansion waiting...

It was Huang Quan himself who came to greet us!

Deng Xian hurriedly dismounted and bowed, saying, "Deng Xian greets General Zhenbei and inquires about your well-being."

"install."

Huang Quan chuckled and helped Deng Xian up: "Nephew, it's been a long time! You're still as dashing as ever... How is your uncle?"

"My uncle is doing well, but he often thinks of his old friends in Chengdu."

During the Shu Han period, Deng Xian met many high-ranking officials and dignitaries with his uncle, including Huang Quan.

Seeing Huang Quan there, the last bit of unease in his heart finally dissipated completely.

Huang Quan didn't stand on ceremony: "There is a distinguished guest waiting for you in the mansion. Please follow me."

"Yes."

The group entered the mansion and soon arrived at the main hall.

Behind the main table, a figure was already sitting upright.

Deng Xian looked up.

He froze on the spot...

It's him!

Sure enough it was him!

He is Liu Shan, the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty!

There was no mistake about this face; it was all too familiar to him, exactly the same as the Crown Prince he had seen back then…

Do not,

They just look exactly the same.

There was something in the Crown Prince that I couldn't quite put my finger on; it seemed, it seemed, that he had changed.

The Crown Prince of that year,

Ordinary appearance

Although he exuded an air of nobility in his every move, he was nothing more than a wealthy young master.

The current crown prince still has the same face.

But just sitting there,

It makes people feel that it is outstanding, even... even extraordinary, divine and majestic!

At this moment,

Liu Shan raised his eyes and looked at Deng Xian.

Those eyes, as bright as stars in an autumn night, instantly sent a shiver down Deng Xian's spine.

He almost instinctively knelt down and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble servant pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Han Dynasty!"

"Your humble servant, Meng Da, on behalf of the guilty, humbly inquires of His Highness the Crown Prince's well-being!"

"In the past, the disgraced official Meng Da was defeated by the domineering and rebellious minister Liu Feng, and had no choice but to..."

As he spoke,

Before Liu Shan could even speak, Deng Xian began to plead guilty and defend his uncle, pouring out his heart like beans spilling from a bamboo tube…

In the blink of an eye, Deng Xian had figured it out.

The Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty is here, and he has seen the troops in the city. It seems that what the Crown Prince said in his letter to his uncle was not unfounded.

Since that's the case, what's there to hesitate about? Let's get our stance clear!

Liu Shan, who was at the head of the table, was about to speak when

Suddenly, a guard rushed in:

"Your Highness!"

"People from Jiangdong have arrived."

wow~

A strong wind was blowing from the river.

The wind blew so hard that dark clouds gathered high in the sky.

The lightning flashed white.

It flashed faintly through the dark clouds.

It resembles a white dragon churning!

Liu Shan suddenly stood up...

it is good!

Jiang Dong finally realized what was happening!

He killed Bu Zhi and captured Sun Huan!

They controlled both sides of the Yangtze River and gathered tens of thousands of Han soldiers!

They even captured Yiling City, practically threatening Eastern Wu, and Jiangdong finally realized something was wrong!

The real show has finally begun...

Jianye's uncle would surely be overjoyed to know that his nephew had secretly crossed the river to visit him...

That's more interesting!!

Liu Shan: "Who is this?"

"Look at the flags of the ships coming up the river..."

"It seems to be the Governor-General of Public Security."

"General Zuo,"

"Zhuge Jin!!"

……

……

On the great river,

The white waves are towering!

A fleet of ships was sailing steadily on the river, with four large flags aboard, each bearing the inscription:

[General Zuo]

Marquis of Wanling

[Governor-General of Public Security]

Zhuge Liang

One person at the bow of the boat.

He stood there, wearing a tall hat and wide belt, stroking his beard with a furrowed brow.

That person was none other than Zhuge Jin, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty and the elder brother of Zhuge Liang!

Looking at the opposite bank, which was almost completely shrouded in river mist,

"well……"

This important official from Jiangdong couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

After he submitted his military report on Bu Zhi on the south bank to Jianye, Sun Quan's decree arrived in just one or two days.

He ordered him to go to Yiling in Jiangbei to investigate the truth of the matter!

Meanwhile, the urgent report Lu Xun sent to Jiangdong was also delivered to Zhuge Jin by Wu Hou...

In his letter, he said,

This hit Zhuge Jin right where he was most worried!

If the south bank is lost, how can the north bank be at peace?

How could Yiling possibly be unharmed?

If this western gateway to Jiangdong is lost,

Jianye,

The entire Eastern Wu...

Zhuge Jin murmured softly, "Bu Zishan, Sun Shuwu... I hope, I hope it's just my overthinking."

"Sir, there's a boat ahead!"

really,

Then a large ship appeared, slowly emerging from the thick fog.

Who?

Could they be people from Yiling City?

As Zhuge Jin's thoughts raced,

The two large ships were drawing ever closer when a man on the bow of the opposite ship bowed to them and asked, "Is that Mr. Zhuge Ziyu in person?"

Huang Quan,

Huang Gongheng!

Zhuge Jin's heart skipped a beat.

Logically speaking, this great Han general who guards the north should be trapped by the Jiangdong army at this moment, and there is absolutely no way he could be on this great river.

But then he showed up!

Zhuge Jin dared not go onto the other ship.

He simply returned the greeting from across the boat: "Greetings, General Zhenbei!"

"However, the waves on this great river are turbulent, making it inconvenient to talk by boat..."

Let's talk from across the boat.

"Mr. Tzuyu is wrong."

"Wrong?" Zhuge Jin was taken aback.

The other party nodded slightly: "I am now the General Who Guards the South of the Great Wei, not the General Who Guards the North of the Han. Are you not mistaken, sir?"

General Zhennan of the Great Wei Dynasty!

It goes without saying which south the town is located in...

Huang Quan indeed surrendered to Cao Wei!

Zhuge Jin's face instantly turned ugly.

However, before Huang Quan could finish speaking, bad news came one after another to Zhuge Jin!

"I know Mr. Ziyu has come today to ascertain the true situation on both sides of the Yangtze River, so I will speak frankly..."

"The South Bank Steps are dead!"

"His more than ten thousand soldiers have already come to serve our Great Wei..."

wow~

The river wind howled, and the waves surged.

The large boat bobbed up and down, and Zhuge Jin felt a sudden unsteadiness under his feet.

Although he had a premonition that Bu Zhi's situation was probably not good, hearing Huang Quan admit it with his own ears was still a shock...

Bu Zhi had indeed met with misfortune, and his more than 10,000 elite troops from Jiaozhou had also fallen into the hands of Cao Wei!

The south bank has been lost...

But Zhuge Jin still clung to a last glimmer of hope.

North Shore

There's also the north bank of the river!

Yiling City was fortified with high walls, and when Liu Bei was defeated and fled, most of the Han army's supplies and provisions captured by Jiangdong were stored in Yiling City.

Sun Huan is a seasoned general on the battlefield, and he also defends the city; he will surely be able to...

Huang Quan seemed to have seen through Zhuge Jin's thoughts, and he ruthlessly shattered the last illusion of his sworn brother, Zhuge Jin!

"The Great Wei army has entered the Jiangbei region!"

"The defending general, Sun Huan, has also been captured by me!"

Yiling is lost?

Sun Huan has been captured!

Boom~

The roaring sound in Zhuge Jin's ears almost drowned out the roar of the great river.

now,

Suddenly, complete silence fell between the two of them; it seemed that apart from the roaring waves, there was no other sound.

"Huang Zhennan!"

After a long silence, Zhuge Jin finally broke it: "Yiling may not be a large city, but it is certainly a fortified city!"

"The city has abundant grain reserves, and Sun Shuwu is holding it firmly. Even Liu Bei personally led a large army to conquer it but failed. How could this be possible..."

Before he could finish speaking, Huang Quan across from him waved his sleeve.

A figure, bound hand and foot and gagged with a rag, was staggered and pushed out of the opposite cabin.

It was Sun Huan!

"Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"

"Waaaaah..."

Sun Huan spotted Zhuge Jin opposite him, his eyes widened instantly, and he started yelling incoherently.

Huang Quan was annoyed by what he heard.

With another wave of his hand,

Several soldiers immediately pushed him back into the cabin.

Zhuge Jin's throat was already dry, and he stood there blankly on the bow deck...

Sun Shuwu!

That was a man praised by the King of Wu as a steed of the Sun family, a member of the royal family named Yan Yuan! He ambushed Guan Yu, forcing Guan Yu to flee north with only a few riders.

Battle of Yiling

He even set up an ambush at Shimen Mountain and almost captured Emperor Xuande of Han with his own hands!

If nothing unexpected happens, this person will surely become a pillar minister of the Jiangdong imperial family in the future... But now, he has indeed been captured!

Huang Quan: "Well? Is there anything else you'd like to know, Mr. Tzuyu?"

"Sun Quan, King of Wu of the Great Wei, is there anything else you would like to know?"