With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

puff!
The longsword pierced Zhang Zhao's body, instantly penetrating his heart.

Liu Biao moved closer and whispered in his ear again, "If the emperor wants your life, no one can save you!"

The intense pain contorted Zhang Zhao's face into a grotesque grimace. At that moment, he truly understood the meaning of "the majesty of Heaven is inviolable."

Surrender when you want, refuse when you want? Are you kidding me? You dare to play tricks on the emperor.

At first, Zhang Zhao thought that the emperor was far away and that this was Jiangdong. Even if he refused the emperor, the court's influence would not reach here.

As long as he apologized to Sun Quan, he could still be given an important position. In Jiangdong, Zhang Zhao was very confident in his prestige and ability.

However, the emperor issued an order to kill his entire family at all costs. Zhang Zhao still harbored a glimmer of hope, thinking that since this was Sun Quan's territory, they couldn't kill him.

However, Zhang Zhao was wrong, terribly wrong. In this world, there was nothing Liu Xie couldn't do!

At the moment Zhang Zhao's body collapsed, at the moment his eyes dimmed, he saw a gleaming longsword pierce through his grandson's body.

After a while, once he was sure that everyone had been killed, Liu Biao ordered a retreat.

Before they could leave, the back door couldn't hold them back any longer, and Liu Kui was killed by Sun Kuang's gun. Liu Biao hurriedly led his men to rush towards the front door.

Wei Zhi was still holding out, but he didn't have many men left. Wei Zhi had lost his left hand and was covered in blood. Liu Biao and his men immediately joined the battle, and together they fought their way through.

But Sun Kuang had caught up from behind. Wei Zhi dragged his blood-soaked leg to Liu Biao and handed him the Hundred-Refined Blade. Liu Biao was stunned.

"What are you doing?"

Wei Zhi laughed, coughing up blood. "Commander, my injuries are too severe, and I can't move easily. If I go with you, I'll only be a burden. Why don't you let me stay?"

Liu Biao was deeply moved and didn't know how to respond.

Letting him stay would seem heartless. But taking him with him to break through the encirclement was also true; his leg was badly injured, and he walked with a limp, making it very difficult for him to escape.

This is Chaisang. Leaving Zhang Zhao's home, this is only the first step in a long journey.

Next, enemy reinforcements will surely arrive in droves, and the difficulty of breaking through their formidable defenses is self-evident.

"Commander, please give my regards to His Majesty and tell him that I have not disgraced him."

Wei Zhi forcibly threw the Hundred-Refined Blade to Liu Biao, picked up a knife from the ground, roared, and charged at Sun Kuang, who was chasing after him.

Liu Biao glanced at him again, nodded vigorously, and hurriedly led his men to continue their breakout.

Sun Kuang and Zhou Shanbing joined forces and continued their pursuit, but Wei Zhi and his men held them off. By the time Sun Kuang finally managed to cross the alley, Liu Biao and the others had already fled far away.

Wei Zhi had two spears stuck in his chest, and his body had more than a dozen knife wounds.

Zhou Shan used a lot of effort to pry open his fingers and snatch the weapon from his hand. After examining it for a few moments, Zhou Shan couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and muttered, "Why does it feel different?"

From the very beginning, he had his eye on Wei Zhi's Hundred-Refined Blade, a treasured blade that could cut through iron like mud. It had easily broken his own blade, but now this blade was quite ordinary.

Zhou Shan was greatly frustrated and couldn't figure it out.

Little did he know that Wei Zhi, knowing he was unlikely to survive, handed the Hundred-Refined Blade to Liu Biao. How could such a fine weapon fall into the hands of the Jiangdong people?
Liu Kui died in battle, Wei Zhi died in battle, and of the more than 300 Dragon Guards, only a little over 100 survived.

Sun Quan went mad and ordered a city-wide investigation.

They would search high and low to find him, but Long Wei seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Because they had already found a hiding place before taking action.

For example, they could dig a secret room or a hiding cave in the courtyard, break people up into smaller groups, and mix them with the city's residents.

Of course, one could also seek refuge in the homes of those who had already submitted to the imperial court; for example, more than a dozen people came to Yu Fan's house.

The leader of these people was Zhan Fei, which terrified Yu Fan.

Zhan Fei said to him, "We just killed Zhang Zhao's entire family and can't leave the city for the time being, so we've come here to take refuge for a while."

Yu Fan was both shocked and terrified, and couldn't help but ask, "Did you really kill Zhang Zhao's entire family?"

Zhan Fei nodded dismissively, "Of course, not a single one was left."

Yu Fanxin said: These people are too powerful. There is nothing in the world that they dare not do.

Yu Fan had no choice but to hide them in the backyard, even though it was very dangerous.

Just as they had hidden the man, Sun Kuang led his men toward them. Yu Fan quickly went to greet him and asked, "General Sun, what brings you here?"

Sun Kuang glanced at him and asked, "There have been thieves committing murder and causing trouble. I was ordered to search the area. Have you seen anyone suspicious?"

Yu Fanxin thought to himself: "The suspicious person is hiding in my house," but he dared not say it aloud, for if he were discovered, he would be finished too.

Yu Fan quickly shook his head, "I haven't seen it. I've stayed at home all night and haven't gone out at all."

Sun Kuang stared at him for a few moments, and Yu Fan smiled, "If the general doesn't believe me, he may come in and search."

"Forget it, how could I not believe you?" Sun Kuang waved his hand, bid farewell to Yu Fan, and continued his investigation.

In the middle of the night, after confirming that the surroundings had returned to calm, Yu Fan came to see Zhan Fei and the others, and even had his trusted men prepare some food for them.

Yu Fan was very cautious in his actions, because if these people were exposed, he would not fare well either.

Ignoring everything else, Zhan Fei began to eat heartily. Yu Fan couldn't help but ask, "I'm very curious, knowing that Zhang Zhao's house is heavily guarded and reinforcements could arrive at any time, why did you still insist on taking the risk?"

Zhan Fei swallowed the soup dumpling in his mouth in a big gulp, glanced at Yu Fan, and laughed, "Are you asking a question you already know the answer to? Does His Majesty need me to explain what it means to target Zhang Zhao?"

Yu Fan shuddered. Even though Sun Quan sent people to protect him, Zhang Zhao was still dead, and his whole family was not spared. This undoubtedly sent a very terrible signal.

If the emperor wants someone to die, that person has no chance of escaping.

Even in Sun Quan's territory, the emperor's orders still work!
In this way, those who had previously refused the court with wishful thinking will now be filled with anxiety and unable to eat or sleep. Even those who support Sun Quan will have to think twice.

Even if they continue to support Sun Quan, their loyalty will be greatly diminished, and their morale will waver once a crisis occurs in Jiangdong.

Liu Xie ordered the Dragon Guards to take action, and he had already considered the costs and rewards of doing so.

Many people will indeed die, but this is definitely not a losing proposition.

Even Zhang Zhao is dead. Many people will waver. They will feel that if the emperor wants to deal with them, they will die even more miserably than Zhang Zhao and will definitely not survive.

…………

Meanwhile, Zhou Yu first sent some men to infiltrate Jiangling, and then, with the help of both inside and outside forces, he successfully captured Jiangling after a night of fierce attack.

The next morning, the good news was sent to Chaisang. Zhou Yu stood on the city wall, looking at the Jiangdong banner fluttering in the wind, feeling triumphant and full of pride.

Lu Su was also sincerely impressed and praised, "Gongjin, I am truly impressed. I thought that taking Jiangling would result in many deaths and injuries, but I did not expect that it would be so easy under your planning."

Zhou Yu smiled faintly, "This is not entirely my achievement. First, I must thank Lord Wu for his trust; second, I must thank the army for their bravery; and third, it is thanks to the discord between the emperor and Cao Cao that we were able to find a good opportunity."

Zhou Yu always kept a clear head, never taking credit for his achievements or becoming complacent.

"Zijing, prepare a feast immediately. I want to entertain Liu Bei and Zhang Song."

Lu Su nodded in agreement, "Okay, I'll prepare right away."

Despite losing Jiangling, Cao Cao remained unchanged and did not send anyone to retake the city, seemingly unconcerned.

At the banquet, Zhou Yu smiled at Liu Bei and said, "Cao Cao is now preoccupied with being wary of the court. The ruler and his minister are at odds and are like fire and water. This is a golden opportunity for us."

Liu Bei smiled obsequiously, but in his heart he thought, "Cao Cao, you've played too big a game. First you lost Jingnan, and now you've given Jiangling to Zhou Yu. Is it really worth it?"
Liu Xie and Cao Cao have reconciled, and Liu Bei has already informed Liu Xie in a letter, asking Liu Bei to cooperate closely.

Zhou Yu was full of confidence, and Liu Bei was outwardly respectful but inwardly felt some sympathy for him. No matter how capable he was, he was completely fooled.

Zhou Yu then said to Zhang Song, "I am truly ashamed to have kept you here for so long, Zhang. Don't worry, I will soon send someone to escort you back to Xichuan."

Zhang Song sighed helplessly. He had been away from Xichuan for more than half a year, and the way he had handled this mission was so bizarre that it could fill a book.

"However, Prefect Zhang, I've mentioned this to you before."

Zhou Yu walked over and personally toasted Zhang Song, saying, "Liu Zhang is weak and incompetent, not a wise ruler. I wish to help Lord Wu seize Xichuan. I wonder if you can lend me a hand?"

Zhang Song was somewhat troubled. He turned to look at Liu Bei. To be honest, although Zhou Yu often tried to persuade him, Zhang Song was unwilling to hand over Xichuan to Sun Quan.

Zhang Song's gaze towards Liu Bei carried a hint of reproach.

Initially, Zhang Song was going to Xuchang to see the emperor, but somehow he ended up following Liu Bei to Jiangdong, and now Zhou Yu has his eye on Xichuan.

Zhou Yu smiled and said, "Prefect Zhang, I know that you were initially ordered by Liu Zhang to hand over Xichuan to the court, haha, but times have changed."

Zhou Yu stood up. "Now we have occupied Jiangling, cutting off your connection with the court. Zhang Lu in Hanzhong is to the north, also cutting off your connection with the outside world. The situation is very clear. Even if Liu Zhang and his son wanted to offer land to the court, it would be impossible."

"Lord Wu is diligent and ambitious, having successively seized Jingnan and Jiangling. Even Cao Cao is struggling to protect himself, and his conflict with the Emperor is bound to erupt sooner or later. A wise man knows when to yield, and Zhang Biejia is a smart man. If you are willing to cooperate, my lord will certainly not treat you unfairly after we take Xichuan. I have heard that you have several friends who also want to make a name for themselves in this chaotic world. Now the opportunity is right in front of you. As long as you help me take Xichuan, I will do my best to recommend you to Lord Wu."

Zhang Song hesitated, but Zhou Yu smiled and said, "How about this, you write to them first, and then give me an answer after you've discussed it."

Their conversation was not kept from Liu Bei.

Zhou Yu himself had no ambition; he did all this for Sun Quan's sake.

But Liu Bei was still deeply shocked. He saw a strong desire and confidence in Zhou Yu's eyes. Liu Bei believed that even if Zhou Yu conquered Xichuan, he would still not be satisfied.

He will continue his advance, seizing Hanzhong and Jingzhou, until he helps Sun Quan conquer the entire world.

Zhang Song couldn't make the decision alone, so he nodded in agreement for the time being. After the banquet ended, he hurriedly wrote a letter to Fa Zheng Mengda.

Liu Bei also secretly wrote a letter and sent it out, telling Zhou Yu what he was going to do.

Liu Bei's letter was not sent to Xuchang, but to Xiangyang.

Liu Xie had entrusted the affairs of Jingzhou to Cao Cao. If Liu Bei's letter were to be sent to Xuchang, the back-and-forth travel would take too much time.

Cao Cao took Liu Bei's letter, read it carefully, and was very pleased with himself. He laughed and said, "Things are unpredictable. Liu Bei actually agreed to cooperate with our actions one day."

Guo Jia succinctly pointed out the crux of the matter: "Liu Bei is not cooperating with us, but obeying His Majesty's orders! Expecting him to willingly cooperate with you, my lord, is as difficult as climbing to heaven!"

Cao Cao laughed loudly, "Fengxiao is still more accurate in judging people. It seems that Liu Bei and I were born to be rivals. Even though we both serve His Majesty, we still can't stand each other."

Guo Jia read the letter and said, "His Majesty once said that Zhou Yu was eyeing Xichuan. Since he wants to take Xichuan, we might as well grant his wish. Xichuan is a crucial position, and Liu Zhang and his son will not easily give it to Zhou Yu. Even if Zhou Yu can find an inside accomplice to help him, a major battle is inevitable. In my opinion, Zhou Yu will definitely take command and lead his troops into Xichuan."

Cao Cao nodded in agreement.

Guo Jia then said, "If Zhou Yu wants to enter Sichuan, we can help him. We can have His Majesty send an order to Liu Zhang, asking him to make some concessions. In the early stages, we can relax our vigilance and not fight too hard. Once Zhou Yu's army enters the heart of Western Sichuan, we can then trap him like a dog in a jar. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Moreover, after Zhou Yu left, he couldn't just hand over Jiangling to someone else. This place is also a big fish. If we plan properly, we can catch two big fish at once."

Guo Jia laughed heartily, and Cao Cao was amused by him as well.

"Very well, I can't wait any longer. I'll write a letter to His Majesty right away."

Cao Cao acted immediately, ordering someone to bring paper and pen. He quickly wrote the letter and it was soon delivered to Xuchang.

On New Year's Eve, news of the loss of Jiangling and the killing of Zhang Zhao reached Xudu almost simultaneously.

Liu Xie was gathered with Xun Yu, Jia Xu, Zhuge Liang and others. It was snowing heavily outside, and they were warming themselves by a charcoal fire and eating hot pot inside the house.

And you know what? Even though hot pot is a simple meal, everyone still enjoyed it immensely.

At this time, iron pots did not yet exist; they only became popular during the Song Dynasty. People had to use earthenware pots instead. (End of Chapter)