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

Chapter 36: The Wind Blows from the Southeast! Heaven Helps the Han!

"If nothing unexpected happens..."

"Lu Xun's vanguard has probably already reached Yiling!"

Liu Shan's words were cruel.

But it revealed something that everyone subconsciously didn't want to think about, and that was...

From the moment Zhuge Jin met Huang Quan, Lu Xun may have already guessed the truth about the whole country!

With Lu Xun's decisiveness,

It's likely that before Sun Quan even issued his order, he had already ordered the troops to return east.

Calculate the time,

Lu Xun's vanguard may have already reached the gates of Yiling!

In a flash,

The atmosphere inside the cabin became extremely heavy. Guan Xing, Zhang Bao, and the others remained silent, only subconsciously gripping the ring-pommel swords at their waists.

"Your Highness!"

Shamoke broke the silence with some annoyance: "Let's ignore Lu Xun for now."

"Right now, we need to deal with those blue-eyed thieves on the other side..."

The barbarian king's words brought everyone back to their senses.

Yes,

As long as the situation in Xiakou is settled first, Lu Xun's threat will naturally cease to be a threat.

But this brings us back to the original problem...

Sun Quan was, after all, a powerful ruler who dominated the southeast; how could he bow down so easily?

"Although Sun Quan was a powerful ruler..."

Liu Shan remained expressionless and continued, "But considering what my uncle has done..."

"To call someone from Jiangdong a rat is not necessarily to tarnish their reputation."

How did this turn into talking about those Jiangdong rats again?

Ma Liang, Huang Quan, and the others were stunned.

They had absolutely no idea what the Crown Prince meant by saying these things.

"His previous betrayal and crossing the river in disguise goes without saying..."

"Given the current situation, with our army at the city gates, it's possible that he launched a surprise attack on our forces."

"But to say that he still has the courage to confront us openly and directly after learning about the current situation..."

"I do not believe it!"

On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs,

Although Sun Quan intended to resist Cao Cao, he ultimately wavered when it came to making a decision.

Fortunately, Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu took turns to analyze the disadvantages of Cao Cao's army and the advantages of the allied forces for Sun Quan, which enabled Sun Quan to make up his mind to prepare for the decisive battle at Red Cliffs!

The same was true before the Battle of Yiling.

Faced with the overwhelming momentum of the Shu Han army, the ruler of Jiangdong subconsciously wavered once again.

He even sent someone to negotiate peace with Liu Bei, offering to return Jingzhou and even his younger sister, Lady Sun, in exchange for the withdrawal of Shu Han's troops...

When Sun Ce passed the throne to Sun Quan on his deathbed,

He was even more incisive: "In leading the troops of Jiangdong, making decisive moves between two armies, and contending with the world, you are no match for me."

"In recommending the virtuous and capable and ensuring that everyone does their best to protect Jiangdong, I am not as good as you."

all in all,

Sun Quan was good at maintaining the status quo but lacked ambition.

This person may be very steady, but he lacks the courage of his father and brothers!

At this point,

All the civil and military officials in the cabin understood Liu Shan's meaning.

But the more this was the case, the more uncertain everyone felt. Although His Highness the Crown Prince's words made a lot of sense, this was a gamble!

I'm betting Sun Quan will back down!

What if...

Ma Liang opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't hold back: "What Your Highness says is very reasonable, but..."

"In case Sun Quan is unwilling to abandon Jingzhou, he also has a large army gathered under his command!"

"What should we do if he takes a risky gamble?"

Liu Shan didn't hesitate at all: "Then let's fight!"

Whoosh~

He suddenly stood up.

A strong wind was stirred up.

The direct wind inside the cabin caused the oil candles to distort, and even Liu Shan's enormous shadow swayed inside the cabin!

"If there is no news before dark,"

"Then we'll wait until nightfall, then the army will launch a direct attack on the city, and I will personally oversee the battle!"

His Highness the Crown Prince's gaze

Looking down from a high position

Scanning every face in the cabin,

Guan Xing,

Zhang Bao,

Ma Liang

Huang Quan,

Shamoko...

Those sharp, falcon-like eyes shone as brightly as stars in the night sky, extinguishing even the oil candles in the cabin.

Liu Shan: "You are all aware of the current situation."

"Defeat means certain death!"

"Victory will not only bring back seven prefectures and ninety-three counties in Jingchu, but also three prefectures and eleven counties in Mengda East!"

Jingchu has seven prefectures and ninety-three counties...

The three eastern prefectures and eleven counties...

Guan Xing, Zhang Bao, and the other young men were already flushed and breathing rapidly!

Make great achievements and establish a career!

That's an achievement that could surpass their fathers'!

Ma Liang and Huang Quan, these old men who witnessed the founding of the Shu Han dynasty, were in a daze...

They initially followed the Han emperor.

Entering Yizhou

Take Hanzhong!

That was already the peak of the Shu Han state's power...

Even when Shu Han was at the height of its power, it never simultaneously possessed the seven commanderies and ninety-three counties of Jingchu, and the three commanderies and eleven counties of Dong!

Now, His Highness the Crown Prince actually wants to...

What a grand gesture!

What a grand vision!

"General Gongheng!"

Liu Shan suddenly called out a name, and Huang Quan, who was still lost in thought, subconsciously replied, "Your subject is here."

"At that time, I will surely submit a memorial to the Emperor, reporting on General Gongheng's past actions as Marquis of Hanshou..."

"He was appointed General of the Vanguard, granted the authority to command troops, and placed in charge of the affairs of Jingzhou."

The story of Guan Yu

Dong Du oversees affairs in Jingzhou!

hum~

Huang Quan suddenly felt his whole body become burning hot.

What are the stories of Guan Yu?

That is, to seize complete military and political power in Jingzhou!

previous years,

Guan Yu had almost complete autonomy in Jingzhou, and could mobilize troops, appoint and dismiss officials, and handle foreign affairs without having to consult Chengdu on every matter.

When Guan Yu launched the Battle of Xiangfan, he had full command of more than 30,000 troops, and the emperor did not interfere at all from beginning to end!

This is what they call "Supervising the Affairs of Jingzhou"!

He can truly be called the most important minister of Shu Han!

"Minister Ma, once we return to Baidi City, I will recommend you for the position of one of the Three Dukes."

"By appointing Meng Da, the Great General Who Guards the South, and concurrently the Prefect of Wuling..."

"Shamoke, when the time comes, I will make you a king of the Han Dynasty, and you won't have to go back to your poor, desolate mountains as a savage chieftain..."

Advancement, advancement to the position of one of the Three Dukes?!

Ma Liang tried his best to calm his trembling hands.

The Yuan family of Runan

The Yang family of Hongnong...

The names of top-tier Han Dynasty families flashed through Ma Liang's mind.

Ma Jichang took a deep breath.

Has the Ma family of Jingzhou finally reached this point? Will they finally rise to the ranks of the top aristocratic families of the Han Dynasty under my leadership?

Shamok, standing next to him, was even worse off.

He was completely stunned, muttering to himself repeatedly, "A Han king of a different surname, a Han king of a different surname..."

This is a legitimate royal title from the Han Dynasty!

Even the nobles of the Central Plains whom he once looked up to, had to bow respectfully when they encountered this title!

This isn't some random, chaotic situation where I'm stuck in a mountain village and a bunch of savages randomly elect me as their leader!

Shamok was even somewhat apprehensive.

Am I truly destined for such good fortune in this lifetime?!

"My two elder brothers, Anguo and Xingguo!"

"Your Highness, this..."

Guan Xing and Zhang Bao were filled with trepidation and were about to rise to pay their respects when Liu Shan pressed them back down to sit.

He earnestly patted the two men's shoulders: "Back then, my father and I, my two uncles, swore an oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden!"

"The three of them worked together to support the Han Dynasty, and were bound by life and death."

"Finally, in this land of Sichuan, we will re-establish the Han dynasty's foundation..."

Upon hearing His Highness the Crown Prince mention the loyalty and righteousness of their fathers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Liu Shan's expression was solemn: "I attacked Shimen, passed Zigui, and went straight to Yiling! This journey was like entering a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, and you all followed me all the way!"

"My two elder brothers, whose names were known to all in the world back then as the sworn brothers of the Peach Garden?"

"We must never dishonor the glory of our forefathers..."

"Today, I will rely on my two elder brothers."

Now that we've come to this point,

The two men bowed down with a resounding thud: "Yes, sir!"

"This humble general dares not disobey even unto death!!"

……

Not long after Liu Shan and his ministers made their decision in the cabin.

One military order after another

The order has already been issued to all departments.

Ugh~

dong dong dong~

The sound of drums and horns echoed once again across the great river.

The massive Wei naval force has begun to move!

All the warships were arranged in a "goose wing" shape, expanding outwards to form a battle formation.

Boom~

Large winged warships, like small hills

Crushing the waves,

They slowly deployed their defenses towards the outer perimeter of the fleet, like a mobile fortress.

The densely packed Mengchong warships sailed towards the forefront of the fleet, like sharp arrows, ready to charge at any moment.

And countless small boats,

They moved nimbly between the various warships, large and small, operating with incredible speed, whether relaying military orders or gathering intelligence...

In an instant,

Outside Xiakou City, on the Yangtze River.

An aura of iron-blooded ruthlessness permeated almost the entire river surface!

Liu Shan stood on the deck of the flagship, listening to Guan Xing and Zhang Bao report on the military situation: "All naval and land forces are in position and ready for battle."

"We await Your Highness's command; our army is ready to seize Xiakou at any time!"

Liu Shan remained silent.

At this moment, the sun is setting in the west.

The remaining rays of the sunset spilled onto the river.

Amidst the rising and falling waves,

Half the river is green, half is red!

But as time went by, the bright red on the river was fading, and the sky was getting darker and darker, soon to be completely dark.

The city gate tower opposite, Xiakou, was also in complete chaos.

"No rush..."

Liu Shan's eyes remained calm: "It's not dark yet, let my uncle think about it for a while longer."

Just then,

Call ~

A sudden gust of wind arose!

The wind was so strong it was almost impossible to open one's eyes.

"This wind..."

Liu Shan seemed to sense something and looked up at the great banner above his head.

In the midst of the strong winds,

The great banner fluttered northwestward, pointing directly at Xiakou City across the way!

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhang Bao, standing nearby, watched this scene, his voice trembling: "The wind is coming from the southeast! This is..."

"It's a southeast wind!"

"It's the will of Heaven! The will of Heaven belongs to our great Han Dynasty!!"

Southeast wind,

It was precisely because of this southeast wind back then,

That's how the great fire at Red Cliffs happened, how Zhou Yu achieved his great feat, and how Cao Cao's path to unifying the world was halted...

At this very moment, a southeast wind has risen again!

"Heaven is on my side!"

Liu Shan was greatly encouraged.

Looking back at Xiakou City across the street, it was like looking at a lamb that had been skinned.

"Pass on the order to the isolated army..."

"Tonight, fire attack!!"