Three Kingdoms: Madam, I am a decent person

Chapter 786 Zhou Yu: Before retreating from Nanjun, I will give the General a bloody gash!
While Zhang Sui arranged for Liu Ye to lead the three armies to continue south.

Zhou Yu and Pang Tong had just arrived at the entrance of Hulu Valley with their army.

Just as the army was about to pass through, a rider came galloping up from behind, shouting, "Report! Something has happened at Maicheng! Something has happened at Maicheng!"

Zhou Yu was discussing with Pang Tong how to set up a defensive line along the river after defeating General Zhang Sui's army from Chaisang when he heard shouts from behind.

Zhou Yu and Pang Tong both stopped their warhorses.

A soldier rode up at full speed on his warhorse, stopping in front of Zhou Yu and Pang Tong. He almost tumbled off his horse and said urgently, "General, Liu Bei has ordered Wen Ping to open the city gates and surrender!"

Zhou Yu and Pang Tong were greatly alarmed.

Zhou Yu shouted sternly, "Have you gone mad? Liu Bei calls himself the Imperial Uncle, how can he surrender to a usurper?"

"Before I left, I thought he was a true hero for covering the retreat of his soldiers, but I never expected him to be such a coward!"

Pang Tong's expression was also extremely grim. "Wen Ping agreed too? He didn't stop it?"

The soldier said, "The general ordered the people to call out to the Jingzhou soldiers along the moat, and the defenders of Maicheng were all crying."

"Then, Wenping opened the city gates and surrendered."

"Liu Bei committed suicide and fell to his death from the city walls."

Zhou Yu and Pang Tong were still furious.

Both men were stunned when they heard the soldier say that.

After a long while, Zhou Yu asked incredulously, "You're saying that Liu Bei committed suicide and fell from the city walls?"

The soldier responded.

Zhou Yu hurriedly asked, "Why are you so upset?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment and said, "I haven't found out the details, and neither do the others. But it seems that the general sent over his second brother's head."

Zhou Yu then sighed.

Although this was his first time meeting Liu Bei in person, he had already heard about Liu Bei's deeds and knew that he had two good subordinates who were like brothers.

But no one expected that Liu Bei would actually go to such lengths for his subordinates.

He couldn't help but think of Sun Ce.

Thinking of how Sun Ce had plotted against him before his death, even considering eliminating him and the Zhou family to pave the way for his younger brother Sun Quan, Zhou Yu clutched his chest, feeling breathless.

He and Sun Ce were childhood friends.

When Sun Ce's father, Sun Jian, went north to fight against Dong Zhuo, in order to prevent Dong Zhuo from harming his family, he personally went to bring his family to Shuxian County in Lujiang. He treated his mother as his own mother, providing her with food, drink, and everything else just like he would.

At that time, although his father had some reputation, he was only the prefect of Changsha.

As for his own Zhou family, it was a prestigious clan with two generations of high-ranking officials.

She was so tolerant of them and so deeply affectionate towards them.

But now, compared to Liu Bei's affection for his two subordinates, Sun Ce's feelings for him seem like a joke!
When Pang Tong heard about Liu Bei's fate, his anger vanished and turned into sorrow.

But Zhou Yu was seen clutching his chest, his face pale.

Pang Tong offered no words of comfort.

He guessed what Zhou Yu was thinking.

Pang Tong sighed inwardly.

In fact, Sun Ce's scheming against Zhou Yu is the true face of what is called emotion in this world.

Someone like Liu Bei must be a rare treasure, right?

It has a strong sense of a modern-day "Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi" (a legendary friendship between two great figures).

Patting Zhou Yu on the shoulder, Pang Tong said, "We need to speed up our journey to Jiangling County."

"If Maicheng surrenders, the general's eight thousand cavalry will likely arrive immediately."

"On land, we were completely powerless against these eight thousand cavalry."

Zhou Yu then came to his senses.

Forcibly suppressing his resentment and unwillingness, Zhou Yu then left with Pang Tong, ordering the army to abandon their provisions and supplies, speed up their march, and head straight for Jiangling. Hearing of Maicheng's surrender, and knowing that General Zhang Sui's eight thousand cavalry would likely pursue them, the army mustered all their strength and charged forward.

They are afraid too!
They were fearless in naval warfare.

But these are cavalry!

And a full eight thousand people!
And they were all elite cavalry!
Gao Shun's Trapped Camp, Xu Rong's Flying Bear Army, and Cao Chun's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were all renowned.

There was only one enemy I had never heard of: Chen Dao's White Feather Army.

However, being able to launch an attack alongside three other renowned elite cavalry units, their strength is definitely not weak!

Fortunately, the army rushed all the way and finally arrived safely in Jiangling County.

Zhou Yu immediately ordered the scouts to report on the situation in the rear.

Upon learning that General Zhang Sui's cavalry had not immediately pursued them, Zhou Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Yu gathered together generals such as Pang Tong, Lü Meng, Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, Huang Gai, Chen Wu, and Dong Xi. He then used a twig to draw a map of the terrain around Nan Commandery, Chaisang Commandery, and Yuzhang Commandery on the ground, saying, "Now that Liu Bei is dead and Wen Ping has surrendered, the enemy forces, consisting of only Jingzhou troops, are conservatively estimated to number around 50,000."

"Plus eight thousand cavalry."

"They also have trebuchets."

"It will be very difficult for us to hold Nanjun."

"Although we are unwilling, all our long-term planning has ultimately resulted in us losing both our money and our lives."

"However, now that we face a powerful enemy, all we can do is try our best to protect our existing territory and then look for other opportunities."

Everyone looked extremely grim, but they could only nod.

Zhou Yu continued, "However, we cannot so easily give away the territory we have worked so hard to acquire."

"Even if we retreat, we will make them suffer a great defeat, and let them understand that it is a pipe dream to think that they can bypass the generals and annex my Jiangdong."

Everyone nodded again.

Zhou Yu looked at Pang Tong, Huang Gai, and Dong Xi and said, "Pang Tong, Huang Gai, and Dong Xi, listen to my command!"

The three of them responded in unison, "Present!"

Zhou Yu said, "I appoint Pang Tong as acting governor of Nan Commandery and concurrently commander-in-chief, Huang Gai as commandant of Nan Commandery, and Dong Xi as deputy commandant."

"You will lead five thousand elite troops from Chaisang to garrison Jiangling County and set up defensive fortifications."

"Use every means at your disposal, even the most heinous ones, to deliver a crushing blow to General Zhang Sui's army right here!"

"After the city is breached, you will retreat to Wulin Port, and from Wulin Port to Pengze Port in Chaisang County."

Pang Tong, Huang Gai, and Dong Xi all said in unison, "Yes!"

Zhou Yu then looked at the three men and said, "Lu Meng, Chen Wu, and Pan Zhang, listen to my command!"

The three generals shouted in unison, "Here we are!"

Zhou Yu said to the three men, "I appoint Lü Meng as the commander-in-chief of the Wulin army, and Chen Wu and Pan Zhang as his deputies. I will leave you three thousand elite troops from Chaisang."

"You are responsible for receiving Pang Tong and the others."

"At the same time, defensive measures were set up in Ulin Port."

"When you and Pang Tong's army withdraw from the port, you must tear a bloody hole in the General's army and let them know that Jiangdong has tough bones to bite!"

With his gaze falling on Chen Wu and Pan Zhang, Zhou Yu said in a deep voice, "Although Lü Ziming is young, he is quite talented. The two generals should not neglect him because of his youth."

"With a formidable enemy at our doorstep, we must set aside our prejudices and unite against them!"

Lü Ziming is Lü Meng.

Ziming was Lü Meng's courtesy name.

Chen Wu and Pan Zhang looked at Lü Meng and nodded to him.

Zhou Yu then turned to the others and said, "Everyone else, now follow me and withdraw from Jiangling County to Chaisang County!"

(End of this chapter)