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

Chapter 29: Liu Bei: A Dou is still alive! (Long chapter, 5,000 words.)

Sun Huan, bound hand and foot and gagged with a rag, was pushed out.

Huang Quan then posed a probing question:

"how?"

"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?"

Upon hearing this,

Zhuge Jin fell completely silent.

He already knows everything he needs to know, so what else could he possibly want to know?

Step-by-step is finished.

Sun Huan is finished.

Yiling is finished too!

At present, the elite main force of Jiangdong is still in Zigui, while Cao Wei has already occupied both sides of the Yangtze River and can block the river at any time.

If it really comes to that, Jiangdong...

Huang Quan completely disregarded Zhuge Jin's life or death, and his voice continued: "When Master Ziyu returns east this time, may he clearly inform the King of Wu!"

"Our army has swept across the north and south of the Yangtze River, and is now firmly established at Yiling!"

"Now, both banks of the great river are entirely the territory of our Great Wei..."

"I know that the main force of Jiangdong, numbering 100,000, is in Zigui City, but the Great Wei army has already stationed a large force on the south bank, cutting off Lu Boyan's route back east!"

"As long as our army holds the south bank, the 100,000 troops in Jiangdong will find it difficult to sustain their food supplies..."

"Heh heh, by then the Shu army will be gathering in Baidi City to the west, eyeing us covetously, while our Great Wei army will be keeping a close watch on us to the east. I wonder whether Lu Boyan will advance or retreat?"

Enter?

Which way do we go?

Enter Baidi City?

Not to mention that Baidi City is strategically located, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and with Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun stationed there, it is not so easy to enter.

retreat?

How can we withdraw?

The Wei army has already blocked the south bank. As long as they hold their ground and do not come out, Lu Xun will surely collapse in the long run!

The most important thing is!

Without supplies, what good is an army of 100,000?

What awaits Lu Xun is nothing but inability to advance or retreat!

If it really comes to that,

Back then, Cao Cao dreamed of conquering Jiangdong, even with an army of 800,000 from the Central Plains, but to no avail...

It seems that this will be realized during the reign of his son, Cao Pi!

Thinking of this,

Zhuge Jin felt as if the surrounding river mist was about to suffocate him on the great river!

"General Zhennan, you're celebrating a bit too soon!"

Zhuge Jin spoke again,

His voice was frighteningly hoarse: "Grand Commander Lu Boyan may not be able to return to Jiangdong for the time being..."

"But Baidi City might not be able to defeat our main force from Jiangdong!"

The Battle of Yiling

The corpses of Yizhou's elite troops nearly blocked the river.

Where could Shu Han possibly organize any decent resistance now?

"Moreover, Jiangdong still possesses a navy, and recently we even incorporated the Jingzhou navy!"

When mentioning the Jiangdong Navy,

Zhuge Jin seemed to grow more confident as he spoke: "With the naval forces of Jing and Yang joining forces, who on this great river can stand against us?"

"Even facing the combined forces of Wei and Han, the outcome for Jiangdong is still uncertain!"

"Two armies?"

Huang Quan suddenly chuckled: "Mr. Ziyu must have miscalculated; it's clearly three armies..."

"Don't forget, there's still a large army in Shangyong!"

Mediocre?

Zhuge Jin blurted out instinctively, "What Shangyong?"

"Although Huang Quan only recently surrendered to Wei, many people from Shu Han had already abandoned Han and joined Wei before him!"

"Otherwise, Mr. Ziyu, who do you think introduced me to Wei?"

It's Meng Da!

Zhuge Ziyu suddenly woke up.

good……

Since Huang Quan had already surrendered to Cao Wei, Cao Pi, who had long coveted Jiangdong, was unlikely to let go of this great opportunity.

With tens of thousands of elite troops under Meng Da's command in Shangyong, how could they not move?

"In the past, Meng Zidu was the governor of Yidu, and Yiling was originally a county under his jurisdiction."

"He started from Yiling, traveled upstream along the Yangtze River, arrived at Zigui, and then changed course to Zhaojun Creek..."

Huang Quan, in front of Zhuge Jin,

He drew a long line in the air from bottom to top with his finger, which was the very route Meng Da took when he set out from Yiling to attack Shangyong!

Zhuge Jin stared intently at Huang Quan's fingers.

It seemed that with each line drawn by the other's finger, the crisis in Jiangdong would intensify...

suddenly,

Suddenly, Huang Quan's finger traced the path backwards!

"...Now, Meng Da is simply retracing this marching route in reverse."

"The former governor of Yidu was very familiar with this marching route."

"Mencius only needs to send troops from Fangling, advancing by both land and water, and they can reach Zigui in just three to five days!"

At that time, the Han army at Baidi City blocked Lu Xun's advance!

"Wei troops on the south bank have cut off Lu Xun's retreat!"

"Moreover, Meng Da led tens of thousands of elite troops southward from the north, heading straight for Zigui..."

"With your main force in Jiangdong surrounded on three sides and cut off from supplies, you're on the verge of total annihilation!!!"

Surrounded on three sides

Jiangdong's main force has been wiped out!

Zhuge Jin opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Because he knew very well that this was no exaggeration.

The Wei army has already arrived here.

The situation on both sides of the Yangtze River is already like this.

Lu Xun's main force and Jiangdong have been forcibly separated.

"Zigui, the city still has a considerable amount of grain and supplies stored up, and the Grand Commander is knowledgeable in military affairs..."

"Zhuge Jin! Why do you deceive yourself?"

Huang Quan was already impatient.

He ripped off Zhuge Jin's pale face covering: "Even if Zigui still has grain and fodder, how much military rations can it store?"

"The army of 100,000 men and horses are being fed and cared for daily, and the supply lines to the south bank have been cut off!"

"Can Lu Boyan's main force in Jiangdong really last long?!"

At this point, the General of the Southern Wei Dynasty laid his cards on the table: "I want to inform Mr. Ziyu."

"The imperial court of the Great Wei Dynasty has finalized its plan..."

"Now Shu Han is nothing but fish on a chopping board, with no power to fight back. The Wei emperor's intention is to target Jiangdong."

"After defeating Lu Xun and the main force of the Wu army, the main force will immediately march eastward!"

"The royal army marched straight to Jianye and captured Sun Quan alive!"

"The Great Wei will conquer Jiangdong and then swallow Bashu!"

"The Emperor of Wei will rule the world, unify the land, and bring the world back to unity in the blink of an eye!!!"

wow~

The waves were towering and surging.

The boats on the river were rocking and swaying more and more violently!

The river fog all around grew thicker and more pervasive!

Zhuge Jin was already drenched in cold sweat.

He doesn't understand,

The Battle of Yiling was clearly a great victory for Jiangdong!

Just as Jing and Yang were about to be unified, the Sun family seized control of the southeast...

How come?

How could Jiangdong have reached such a critical point of survival in such a short time?

How could Cao Wei suddenly be about to conquer Wu and Shu, and unify the world?

Zhuge Jin's mind was churning with countless thoughts, like the surging waves on the river...

Boom!

The river wind is getting stronger and stronger.

The waves are getting worse and worse.

After another long silence, Zhuge Jin finally spoke again: "Before the Battle of Yiling, Jiangdong had already submitted a memorial to the Great Wei, pledging allegiance..."

"The Emperor of Wei also conferred upon my lord the title of King of Wu and bestowed upon him the Nine Bestowments."

"Jiangdong was made a vassal state of the Great Wei."

"How can an emperor seize the lands of his subjects? If he did, how could the Wei emperor win the hearts of the people?"

Having said that,

Zhuge Jin understood perfectly that in this encounter, the entire Jiangdong region had already fallen behind!

He made no attempt to conceal his intentions: "General Gongheng, what exactly is the Wei Emperor's intention? Please tell me plainly!"

Zhuge Jin bowed his head...

It's done!

Huang Quan's hands, hidden within his wide sleeves, clenched tightly...

Although His Highness the Crown Prince now controls both sides of the Yangtze River, if Jiangdong were to launch a full-scale attack, I fear the Han army might not be able to withstand it.

But now,

His Highness the Crown Prince devised a plan.

Based on just a few words,

Did they really scare Jiangdong?!

Huang Quan was somewhat dazed. He subconsciously recalled Liu Shan's instructions before he set off...

—At that time,

Inside the General's Mansion, only Huang Quan and Liu Shan remained.

Where is there any Wei emperor?

From beginning to end, it was the Crown Prince of Han who was issuing the orders.

"Has Your Highness given any explanation for this meeting with Zhuge Jin?"

"You only need to ask him for one thing."

"What is it?"

Liu Shan gazed at the dark clouds overhead, which resembled mountains, and slowly spoke: "Jingzhou."

"Jing, Jingzhou?!"

Huang Quan stared in disbelief, almost thinking he had misheard...

The heroes of this world have caused countless troubles over Jingzhou!

The alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei was forged because of the blood feud over Jingzhou!

The emperor laid the foundation for his imperial rule because of Jingzhou.

And because of Jingzhou, the fate of the Han Dynasty was almost extinguished!

Why did Jiangdong grit its teeth and fight this battle against Shu Han at Yiling? Wasn't it all for Jingzhou?

Now the Crown Prince is asking Jiangdong to cede Jingzhou to him... How could Sun Zhongmou possibly agree to this?

Back then, Cao Mengde had 830,000 troops, but he still couldn't take Jingzhou!

How many people do they have now?

If we anger Jiangdong, then...

"Your Highness."

Huang Quan cautiously asked, "What if... what if Zhuge Jin doesn't agree?"

"You won't agree?"

If you don't agree, then forget it.

Liu Shan, with his hands behind his back, slowly walked towards the inner hall.

Before Huang Quan could even breathe a sigh of relief,

His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly stopped under the eaves, turning his head slightly: "If my uncle is unwilling to cede Jingzhou, then let us raise the entire army!"

"Starve the main force of Jiangdong to death in Zigui City!"

"Then they marched eastward, heading straight for Jianye!!"

……

Baidi City

Forbidden City

Beside the imperial road.

The eunuch led Zhuge Liang, the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, to Yong'an Palace to inquire about his illness.

He was reporting the emperor's condition to him: "The imperial physician changed the prescription today, and after taking the medicine, Your Majesty slept for half an hour longer than usual..."

"At the beginning of the Wei hour (1-3 PM), His Majesty drank half a cup of honey water..."

"However, His Majesty's health remains poor..."

Every day when he entered the palace to inquire about the emperor's illness, Kongming would almost always ask the eunuchs about the emperor's condition.

There's no way around it.

The people of Yizhou are now wavering.

The Emperor managed to suppress the thoughts of all parties despite his illness. If the Emperor were to fall ill, he would have to make arrangements as quickly as possible to stabilize the situation.

But today, Zhuge Liang had no interest in listening to the emperor's illness.

His mind was filled with the official documents he had recently processed at the Prime Minister's residence...

Lu Xun reappeared on the walls of Zigui, conducting his routine patrol of the camp; the morale of the Zigui army had stabilized!

The rebellion in the south is escalating; all counties except Yongchang have rebelled!

Li Yan has submitted three memorials in succession, urging the Emperor to quickly establish an heir apparent to reassure the court officials!

【…】

A series of documents,

One battle report after another,

They practically filled the entire desk in the Prime Minister's residence!

Furthermore, with the emperor seriously ill and the crown prince missing, rebellions broke out in Yizhou...

The survival of the people and soldiers of Sichuan and Liangchuan

The rise and fall of the Han dynasty's destiny

This immense burden rested entirely on his shoulders!

Even if, as Mr. Shui Jing said, Zhuge Liang was comparable to Jiang Ziya, who brought prosperity to the Zhou Dynasty for eight hundred years, and Zhang Liang, who founded the Han Dynasty for four hundred years, so what?

The two rivers are exhausted and surrounded by powerful enemies.

Internal and external troubles are about to erupt!

Even if Jiang Shang were truly resurrected,

Zhang Liang reborn

Faced with this situation, they can probably only sigh in vain...

Even back in Xinye, Cao Mengde's army relentlessly pursued them!

Even back in Jiangdong, Zhou Yu's murderous intent never ceased!

He always remained calm and composed, never showing the slightest panic.

But ever since the Battle of Yiling,

He then suffered from insomnia every night and became increasingly distressed and exhausted!

The once spirited and ambitious Mr. Zhuge Liang, who compared himself to the talents of Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, will never return...

Tread~

Step~

Zhuge Liang suddenly stopped, a brief look of confusion flashing in his eyes...

He recalled the days when he studied in a thatched hut.

He recalled the days in Longzhong when he, Cui Zhouping, Shi Guangyuan, and Xu Yuanzhi, were full of vigor and discussed the affairs of state.

He recalled the days he spent on Wolonggang, tilling the land with farmers by day and playing the zither and reciting poetry by night...

"It all feels like a dream..."

Kongming muttered to himself unconsciously.

"The Prime Minister?"

"Oh, it's nothing, seeing the Emperor is the important thing."

In a short while, the two had entered Yong'an Palace.

At the bedside,

Zhuge Liang bowed deeply and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

"Prime Minister, Prime Minister, no need for formalities."

Liu Bei took a deep breath and then spoke with difficulty, "Yi, Yizhou, the overall situation..."

"Thanks to the Emperor's great blessings, although the people of Yizhou are restless, the overall situation remains stable."

"Although there is a rebellion in the south, it is, after all, a frontier inhabited by barbarians. It is nothing more than a minor ailment and not worth worrying about."

Liu Bei's breathing eased slightly: "Prime Minister, you've worked hard."

"A Dou, message?"

Zhuge Liang remained silent.

These days,

He kept sending out scouts, but still no news came from His Highness the Crown Prince.

After a long silence, he replied in a low voice, "Forgive my bluntness..."

"At this juncture, the best news is that His Highness the Crown Prince has not sent any message."

The best news is that there's no news of A Dou!

Liu Bei instantly understood Kongming's meaning...

A Dou has already sneaked to Yiling, which must be extremely dangerous, no different from walking on a steep cliff.

If news were to arrive at this time, it would likely be a bad omen.

The fact that no news came at all at least indicates that Wu Jun had not yet discovered A Dou's whereabouts.

Thinking of this,

The Han emperor's tense nerves relaxed slightly: "What the Prime Minister says is very true..."

"Your Majesty, I hereby report."

Suddenly, a eunuch rushed in to report: "Prefect Meng Da of Shangyong has sent an urgent message to Baidi City!"

Meng Da?!

Meng Da sent a message to Baidi City?!

Zhuge Liang turned his head in surprise.

Liu Bei was also stunned on the couch.

During the Battle of Xiangfan, when the battle was at a stalemate, Guan Yu repeatedly sent messengers to urge Liu Feng and Meng Da to send troops to assist, but the two declined and refused to send troops.

Ultimately, Guan Yu was defeated at Maicheng, and he and his son died for their country!

Meng Da, fearing the wrath of the Han emperor, led four thousand troops and defected to Wei... Liu Bei harbored deep resentment towards him!

"Good, good, good traitor!"

Upon hearing Meng Da's name, the emperor was immediately enraged, his anger reaching the heavens.

He even had to force himself to get up despite his illness!

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

"Traitor! Traitor! How dare he show his face to me again?!"

The Han emperor's face was flushed, and his breathing became increasingly rapid, like a broken bellows...

He did not resent Meng Da for defecting to Wei.

It's a shame that Meng Da conspired with Liu Feng and dared to refuse to send troops to support his second brother!

As a result, my second brother suffered a crushing defeat and was killed by that blue-eyed brat!

If it weren't for this scoundrel, how could my second brother have died? If it weren't for this scoundrel harming my second brother, how could my third brother have perished?

Upon realizing this, Liu Bei trembled uncontrollably with immense rage.

"Come here, someone, take... cough, cough, cough cough cough..."

"Your Majesty! Please, Your Majesty, quell your wrath."

Zhuge Liang helped Liu Bei lie down comfortably, but his mind was already racing...

At times like these,

Yizhou is in crisis, and the Han emperor is seriously ill.

Why would Meng Da, a former traitor, suddenly send a message to Baidi City?

It's really inexplicable.

That doesn't make sense!

Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment, then asked the eunuch, "Did the visitor say that he came to see the Emperor as an envoy of Cao Wei?"

"Or should we seek out an old friend in Mencius's personal capacity?"

"This... the messenger did not mention it, only that this letter was extremely urgent and must be presented to the Han emperor in person."

Urgent!

Must I personally present myself to the Han emperor?

What kind of letter could possibly make Meng Da disregard his past status as a traitor and the wrath of the Han emperor, and rush to Baidi City?

Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei exchanged a glance almost simultaneously, both noticing the confusion in each other's eyes.

"His Majesty?"

Liu Bei had calmed down considerably at this moment.

He nodded slightly.

Zhuge Liang understood and looked at the eunuch: "Summon him in."

In a short while,

Then a person entered the hall.

Holding the cloth bag,

He knelt respectfully on the ground: "Meng Da, the Prefect of Yidu of the Han Dynasty, has sent a messenger with a letter!"

Prefect of Yidu, Han Dynasty?

This scoundrel actually has the nerve to call himself a Han official?

Liu Bei nearly laughed in anger, and stammered, "I never knew that Meng Zidu was still... was he still a Han official?"

The visitor didn't dare to respond to this question.

They just lowered their heads even further.

He raised the cloth bag in his hand even higher: "We, a group of more than ten people, have been sent by our lord to deliver this letter to Baidi City, traveling day and night!"

"Four strong horses died of exhaustion along the way, and three companions fell off cliffs while hiking in the mountains!"

"Finally, this letter has been presented before His Majesty!!"

Four horses died from exhaustion, and three people fell to their deaths, all just to deliver this letter?

It must be delivered to me personally!

What exactly is Meng Zidu up to?

Liu Bei's eyes flickered with uncertainty, but he finally looked at Zhuge Liang: "Prime Minister..."

"Yes."

Zhuge Liang understood and stepped forward to take the cloth bag.

Take out the bamboo slips,

wow~

The bamboo slips were unfolded, and Kongming's gaze had barely swept over them...

I froze completely!

Splash splash splash~

The bamboo slips trembled more and more violently; it was Zhuge Liang's hand shaking even more severely.

Liu Bei's cloudy eyes turned to Kongming.

His strategist's eyes were red-rimmed, and his lips trembled as he spoke...

Since I returned to Baidi City, I have never seen the strategist so out of control!

This,

What exactly did Meng Da say in this letter?

The Han emperor could no longer contain himself: "Military Advisor..."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

Liu Bei watched helplessly as Kongming's tears fell onto the bamboo slips.

"Your Majesty! My Han Dynasty still has its destiny!"

As he spoke,

He had personally handed the bamboo slips to Liu Bei.

The Han emperor strained his eyes to see.

I only saw the very first sentence before a deafening roar filled my ears...

"Your subject, Chan, bows a hundred times before Your Majesty..."

A Dou!

"Ho, ho, ho..."

Liu Bei trembled.

Looking at Kongming again,

He couldn't utter a single word, but Kongming understood everything.

Alive!!

A Dou is still alive!!!