The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 177 Brother Shi Wan: The person who planned the strategy for Henan must be a genius

The conditions offered by Liu Bei were even more favorable than those offered by Li Yi before.

Li Yi only offered 400,000 hu of grain and fodder, but Liu Bei raised it by another 100,000 hu on this basis.

He also understood Zhang Yan's difficulties and knew that he could not control his subordinates.

Therefore, he also proposed to ask for an imperial edict for Zhang Yan. With the excuse of "fighting the enemy in accordance with the emperor's order", he should be able to temporarily calm the restless hearts of his subordinates.

As mentioned before, Zhang Yan came here hoping to seek refuge in Henan.

Especially when Li Yi had put forward an aggressive condition, Zhang Yan was already in a dilemma.

Now Liu Bei made a slight turn on this basis, which undoubtedly gave Zhang Yan a way out.

"We have long heard that General Liu is kind and benevolent, and the people of Xuzhou are happy to respect him."

"Today Zhang has gained some experience."

"Since General Liu is so sincere, Zhang is willing to fight against the enemy for the country!"

"Once you have made a promise, you will never break it?"

"Once you make a promise, you will never break it!"

The two sides hit it off and quickly reached a verbal alliance.

Liu Bei ordered someone to bring some wine and he personally toasted Zhang Yan.

After the two of them exchanged greetings, Zhang Yanfu asked again:
"...Then, when can these 500,000 hu of grain be delivered?"

At this time, Li Yi stood up and said first:
"When General Zhang sends out his troops, the food will be delivered naturally."

Zhang Yan's eyes darkened. The request made by Li Yi was unexpected, yet reasonable.

After all, the Black Mountain Army and Xuzhou only reached a verbal alliance.

As for Xuzhou, if it wants to directly transport grain, it would be like throwing meat buns at a dog.

Therefore, only when the Montenegrin Army actually sends troops and is sure to tie its interests to Henan's.

Only then could Xuzhou feel completely at ease and start sending military rations to Montenegro.

"...Good, when Zhang returns, he will gather troops and attack the counties in the western part of Jizhou."

Zhang Yan stopped hesitating and formally expressed his loyalty to Xuzhou.

The intelligence about Hebei that Xu You and Cao Cao had previously brought back contained errors.

At present, Xuzhou is still unsure whether Yuan Shao is really going to launch an expedition against Gongsun Zan.

It’s a good opportunity to borrow Zhang Yan’s men to give it a try.

The Black Mountain Army is located in the western part of Jizhou, so the cost of trial and error is low.

However, even if Yuan Shao really wanted to destroy Gongsun Zan, Henan should not act rashly.

First, preparatory work was underway, and second, Yuan Shao had a large number of troops stationed on the north bank of the Yellow River.

According to historical records, Yuan's army had at least thirty garrisons on the north bank of the Yellow River and deployed sufficient troops.

Fortunately, Yuan Shao was a man of good plans but lacked decisiveness.

This day in history was before the Battle of Guandu began.

At that time, Cao Cao was threatened by Zhang Xiu in the southwest and the remnants of Yuan Shu in the south.

In the east, Liu Bei had just killed the governor of Xuzhou and once again occupied Xuzhou.

In the base camp Xuchang, there is a little emperor who is making trouble with the imperial edict.

The Xiliang army in Guanzhong had not yet been cut off.

During this period, Cao Cao was running around in Henan and was extremely busy.

At this time, someone suggested that Yuan Shao launch a surprise attack on Cao Cao's base camp.

Especially since Yuan Shao already had a large number of troops stationed on the north bank of the Yellow River, it would be easy for him to mobilize elite troops to the south.

Even Tian Feng, who had always advocated a slow march toward Henan, advised Yuan Shao to move quickly south.

But Yuan Shao refused and missed the best opportunity to fight.

This indecisive character will undoubtedly become a breakthrough for Henan to defeat Hebei.

The older Yuan Shao got, the less he had the courage to do great things, that is, he wanted to do great things but was afraid of losing his life.

So Li Yi was not in a hurry to start fighting and prepared slowly.

Wait for Yuan Shao to take the initiative to attack, so that they will have a more legitimate reason to send troops from Henan.

"Our troops are in the mountains and can deal with Yuan's army."

Zhang Yan promised Liu Bei, "Our army will be able to hold out until the beginning of next spring, but by then, the situation will be critical."

"We need Henan's help!"

Obviously, when the two companies reached a cooperation, the delivery of military rations was just a formality.

If a real fight breaks out, the two families will definitely need to support each other.

Zhang Yan's words sounded almost like a plea.

He was asking Liu Bei and Xuzhou not to abandon the Black Mountain Army.

When they stood completely against Yuan Shao, they had no way out and were completely tied to the interests of Henan.

Once Henan abandons them, they will be used as cannon fodder.

Then what awaits the Montenegrin army is undoubtedly a catastrophic disaster.

Liu Bei said seriously:

"General Zhang, what kind of person is Bei?"

“The sage said: Everyone has died since ancient times, and a man without faith cannot stand.”

"Since the general is sincerely cooperating with our state, how can we just sit there and watch?"

"If Yuan Shao's army arrives, the situation will be very dangerous, and I will definitely lead my troops there in person!"

good!
With Liu Bei's solemn promise, Zhang Yan finally no longer had any worries.

Time was running out, so Zhang Yan didn't want to stay any longer and resigned.

Emperor Liu Bei and his minister Li Yi personally went out of the city to see him off.

Afterwards, Li Yi introduced the two Shanyue commanders, Zu Lang and Fei Zhan, to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei praised the two men for their broad-mindedness and said they were turning from darkness to light.

The two were rewarded for their prodigal behavior and given gifts of gold and hemp.

Zu Lang and Fei Zhan thanked him and said that after returning to Danyang, they would try their best to persuade the remaining commanders to surrender.

If nothing unexpected happens, starting this year, the Shanyue people in Danyang will be able to go down the mountain to farm.

Xuzhou specially sent out curved plows and Han people to guide the farming work.

As long as there are no natural disasters, droughts, thunderstorms or floods, Danyang will be able to achieve net income in a year.

In theory, this income will only get higher over time.

After all, there are many hidden households in Danyang area, all of whom are Shanyue people hiding in the mountains.

And these people are real laborers.

Not only can they increase production, but they can also stimulate consumption in Jiangnan and the development of handicrafts.

Take the refined salt, a specialty of Xuzhou, for example. No matter how good the refined salt is, there must be a market for its dumping.

If the products can be dumped in Danyang, it will undoubtedly expand the market in Xuzhou and boost the economy of Liuying.

Not stated.

……

Yangzhou, Wujun, Fuchun.

Since Sun Ce conquered Jingzhou, he had already achieved great victories and was well on his way to advancing into Jingzhou.

Unfortunately, Sun Ce was careless and unprepared, and was injured by Xu Gong's assassin.

After being seriously injured, the doctor advised him to rest and recuperate, but Sun Ce insisted on going to war with Liu Biao.

I don't want to get too angry and cause the wound to rupture, leading to a serious illness.

After discussion and decision by Zhou Yu and others, they took the initiative to withdraw their troops and gave up the Jiangxia County that they had previously captured.

He returned all of it to Liu Biao, then withdrew his troops back to Wujun to recuperate Sun Ce.

But Sun's expedition was not in vain.

Jiangxia was the first war zone in Jingzhou, when Sun Ce conquered Jiangxia.

More than a thousand ships were seized in one fell swoop, and military equipment, fighting tools, food, fodder, gold and silver piled up like mountains.

This has already achieved the goal that Sun Ce set when he went on the expedition.

But when Sun Ce woke up, he heard that the troops had withdrawn and the Jiangxia area he had conquered had all been recaptured by Liu Biao.

He was still very angry and cursed the generals for daring to make decisions on their own.

However, despite the scolding, Sun Ce also understood the situation.

He, the leader, was unconscious, and the generals had lost their backbone. How could they dare to lead the troops alone to fight against Liu Biao?

Bringing him back to Wujun was almost the best decision.

However, Sun Ce was still unhappy and ate very little every day.

The south is very humid, and the miasma is especially severe at this time.

The wounds on Sun Ce's body seemed to be infected, and his pain became worse, causing everyone to drink less water and eat less.

About half a month later, the old general Cheng Pu returned to see Sun Ce with military supplies.

Unexpectedly, Sun Ce looked haggard and withered, and was shocked:

"I haven't seen you for half a month. Why did you lose your shape?"

Cheng Pu originally intended to blame his servants for failing to take good care of Sun Ce.

After hearing this, Sun Ce took out a mirror and looked at his face.

As expected, he was very thin and didn't look energetic at all.

Suddenly startled, he looked around and shouted:
"Why is Sun Lang so haggard?"

Before he finished speaking, Sun Ce threw the mirror to the ground.

He let out a loud scream, the wound burst open, and he fainted on the ground.

The people around him screamed and rushed forward to rescue him, and helped him into the room.

After a while, Sun Ce woke up. Only Cheng Pu was beside him. He looked up and sighed:

"I cannot be resurrected, so you can ask Brother Quan to come over and I will give him instructions in person."

Cheng Pu accepted the order, bowed and wept before leaving.

At that time, Sun Quan, whose courtesy name was Zhongmou, was only seventeen years old and the second child in the family.

He has a broad mind, is kind and decisive, and values chivalry.

Because he liked to cultivate talented people, he gradually became as famous as his father and brothers.

When Sun Ce was alive, he brought him along to participate in the decision-making of internal affairs.

The talent for leadership he displayed made Sun Ce feel ashamed of himself.

Whenever he entertained guests, Sun Ce would often say to Sun Quan:
"All of these gentlemen are your generals."

That is, Sun Ce believed that Sun Quan had the ability to control people, and thought that these heroes would sooner or later become Sun Quan's subordinates.

I never thought that what I said would come true today. I will die before accomplishing my great cause.

Sun Quan was the most talented person in the clan who was closest in age to Sun Ce, so Sun Ce intended to train him to be a defender.

When Sun Quan was fifteen years old, Sun Ce appointed him as the chief of Shaxian to cultivate his political talents.

I wanted to train him for a few more years, but time is running out.

Sun Quan hurried back to Fuchun, and when he saw Sun Ce in front of his bed, he bowed and said in tears:

"...Brother, I am late!"

Sun Ce sighed:

"I wanted to follow my father's will, lead the people of Jiangdong, and conquer the world, but I didn't expect to die halfway, and I have failed you all."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at the ministers who had rushed over.

Veteran generals such as Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, and new generation generals such as Chen Wu and Lu Fan.

Except for Zhou Yu who was leading his troops outside and did not have time to return, all the important officials of the Sun family had arrived.

Sun Ce looked around at everyone and said with great relief:
"The world is in turmoil. With the people of Wu and Yue and the fortification of the Three Rivers, there is much that can be done."

"Fortunately, there are heroes like Gongjin who are willing to help my brother. Unfortunately, Gongjin is not here, so he cannot teach me important matters in person."

After saying this, Sun Ce turned around, took out the seal and handed it to Sun Quan personally.

"If you gather all the people of Jiangdong, decide the outcome between the two camps, and compete with the world, you are no match for me."

"I am not as good as you in appointing talented people to positions of power and making them do their best to protect Jiangdong."

"You should remember the difficulties your father and brothers went through in starting their business, and try your best to make it happen yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan burst into tears.

He knelt down and took the seal, unable to control himself.

Sun Ce turned back and told his mother, sighing:

"My son has reached the end of his days and cannot serve his loving mother."

"I am now handing over the seal to my younger brother. I hope that mother will teach him day and night."

"Fathers, brothers and old friends, be careful not to neglect them."

The old mother could hardly contain herself, her eyes turned red from crying, but she was still worried about the turbulent situation in Jiangdong.

"I am afraid that your brother is too young to handle important matters. What should I do?"

Sun Ce smiled and said:

"Brother Quan is ten times more talented than me, and is fully capable of taking on this important task."

"I originally wanted to take the six counties of Jiangdong first to consolidate my roots, then attack Jingzhou and take Bashu, so that I could achieve my goal of becoming a king and a hegemon."

"It's a pity that I've met with misfortune. It's fate and time. I can't force it."

After a slight pause, he turned to Sun Quan and said:

"If there is something that Brother Quan really cannot decide, you can discuss it with Gongjin."

"His talent is far superior to mine, and he can be entrusted with great tasks."

"Gongjin and I are as close as brothers. You should treat him as a brother and not neglect him!"

Sun Quan bowed again and nodded repeatedly.

Sun Ce looked around and sighed that Zhou Yu was not here, so he could not tell him about important matters in person. So he said to everyone:

"I have important matters to attend to with you, so you may withdraw first."

Cheng Pu and others took the order and retreated.

There were only two brothers left in the room, Sun Ce and Sun Quan.

Seeing this, Sun Quan stepped forward and bowed and asked:

"Brother, you dismissed the people around you. You must have something important to tell me?"

Sun Ce nodded, feeling pain in his heart again.

Because he knew that the kingdom he left to Sun Quan was a mess.

Many generals in the clan were restless, and the local people and guests still had disloyal ideas.

The situation in Jiangdong is turbulent.

In addition, there were tens of thousands of Shanyue people in Wujun and Kuaiji who were also waiting for an opportunity to cause chaos.

Originally, Sun Ce planned to conquer Liu Biao and then come back to solve these problems.

But now we can only entrust everything to Sun Quan.

"After my death, anyone in the clan who dares to have dissenting thoughts must be killed. Do not be lenient."

"Any family member who commits rebellion shall not be buried in the ancestral tomb."

"You should think of your father and brothers. The foundation was not easy to come by. You should guard it carefully."

Sun Ce reminded Sun Quan that he must suppress the group of people in the clan.

Sun Quan asked in surprise:
"Are our Sun clan generals among them?"

Sun Ce nodded, "Anyone who has different intentions can be killed."

After a slight pause, he added to Sun Quan:
"After I die, I'm afraid you will have trouble pacifying your generals."

"When I started the army, I had military merits and prestige, so no one dared to disobey me."

"Then follow my orders."

At this point, he couldn't help but sigh, "I wanted to take you to join the army and train you for two years."

"...Then I can assign one or two of your troops to you. If everything goes well, you can smoothly take over the military power from me."

"But time will not wait for me. You must find ways to establish your reputation and win the support of the people."

Sun Quan understood the hidden meaning of Sun Ce's words. His elder brother wanted him to start a rebellion immediately after taking over the baton!

If you don't fight a few good battles and have no prestige, you won't be able to control your subordinates.

Sun Ce also knew that this matter would make things very difficult for Sun Quan.

This child is not cut out for conquering the world, and I haven't had the chance to train him yet.

But the situation is like this now, you have to do it even if you are forced to do it.

In particular, Sun Ce set a big trap for Sun Quan, which was the system of granting military service.

Generals can have their own independent troops, which further disperses the power of the lord. Sun Ce dared to use this system because he was anxious to start a business and needed to mobilize the enthusiasm of his generals.

Second, he has enough prestige to control his subordinates.

But Sun Quan didn't.

The solution proposed by Sun Ce was to fight two good battles and take back some military power while all the generals still supported the Sun family.

Then he used the opponent's force to suppress his men.

"If there is a military matter you cannot decide, you can ask Gongjin."

Sun Ce knew that his brother was not a good general, so he reminded him that he could cling to Zhou Yu when necessary.

"...I don't know where to take it?"

Sun Quan asked seriously.

"Liu Bei has firmly established his hold on Xuzhou and is poised to take over the world. It will be impossible to compete with him."

"Xuzhou is definitely not an option."

Sun Ce reminded solemnly.

"Cao Cao has formed an alliance with Liu Bei, and Henan is showing signs of joining forces. Attacking Cao is also attacking Liu, so we cannot compete with him."

"Henan is a land of stability. Brother, you must not go north to fight unless it is necessary."

"We only need to stay in Jiangdong, observe the success or failure of Henan and Hebei, and then wait for the opportunity to act and wait for the times to change."

Having said that, it was clear who to attack after Sun Quan took over.

Now Liu Biao and Sun had a feud that could be said to have killed his father and brother.

Although Sun Ce did not die directly at the hands of Liu Biao, he did die on the expedition against Liu Biao.

The Sun and Liu families are at war to the death.

Sun Ce no longer had the energy to say another word.

He should have died long ago, but he still couldn't let go and was still attached to the world, so he struggled to hold on.

But now, he didn't know what to say.

He just laughed heartily, "I am speechless!"

After he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and passed away.

He was only twenty-four years old.

The Sun family's empire underwent a dramatic change, and Bi Yan'er suddenly rose to power.

After Sun Ce died, Sun Quan cried and collapsed in front of his bed, unable to take care of affairs.

Everyone waited for a long time before they dared to come in and comfort them.

Only Madam Wu, who was the oldest, dared to persuade Sun Quan, saying:

"Your brother has passed away. You should stand up straight and carry on your father and brother's legacy!"

After hearing this, Sun Quan calmed down a little.

Cheng Pujin said:
"Now is definitely not the time to cry. We should take care of the funeral while dealing with military and national affairs."

Sun Quan wiped his tears and left.

After ordering Sun Jing to take care of the funeral arrangements, Sun Quan left the hall and was greeted by all the civil and military officials.

Everyone knows about the affairs of Jiangdong, but the manager has not been decided and someone is needed to take charge of the situation.

Someone reported that Zhou Yu had led his troops back to Wu from Poyang.

Sun Quan said to everyone:
"Gongjin has returned, I have nothing to worry about."

Zhou Yu was defending Poyang. When he heard that Sun Ce did not have much time left, he rushed back day and night just to see him again.

In the end, he failed to catch up, and when he arrived in Wujun, Sun Ce had already died.

After Zhou Yu arrived, he knelt before Sun Ce's coffin and cried, feeling extremely sad.

Mrs. Wu informed Zhou Yu of Sun Ce's last will and wishes.

Zhou Yu then prostrated himself on the ground, raised his head to the heavens and swore:

"Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will still serve my master with all my strength and die for him!"

A few moments,

Sun Quan brought Zhou Yu to see him and said to him:

"I hope you will not forget your elder brother's last words."

Zhou Yu bowed again and said:
"I rushed back this time to repay the late Lord for his kindness, and to serve him with all my strength!"

Sun Quan then felt relieved and followed Sun Ce's last wishes, treating Zhou Yu as an elder brother.

He then asked Zhou Yu for advice:
"Now that I have inherited my father and brother's business, what strategy will I use to maintain it?"

Zhou Yu replied:

"Since ancient times, those who win people prosper, and those who lose people perish."

"For the time being, we must seek the assistance of a wise and far-sighted person, and then Jiangdong can be secured."

Sun Quan then asked Zhou Yu what talents he could recommend.

Zhou Yu replied:
"During the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, many people from Xuzhou took refuge in Yangzhou."

"We had many talented people, but most of them were taken away by Liu Bei."

At this point, Sun Quan was helpless.

After all, Liu Bei was the governor of Xuzhou and the left general of Han, and he had already consolidated the foundation of Xuzhou.

Another order to recruit talented people was issued.

It was natural for many Xuzhou people who fled to Jiangdong to avoid the chaos to run back to Xuzhou.

"Now that the great event has not yet been decided, we should first pacify the Shanyue and govern the interior, and then we can make plans for the exterior."

"I am not talented enough to bear the heavy responsibility entrusted to me, so I would like to recommend someone to assist the general."

"If he can pacify the Shanyue, the internal rebels in Wu and Hui can be suppressed."

Sun Quan hurriedly asked who it was.

Zhou Yu replied:

"This man's surname is Lu, his name is Dai, and he is from Guangling, Xuzhou."

"In my early years, I also fled to Xuzhou to avoid the chaos, so I crossed the river to Jiangdong and settled here."

"He had already taken root there for several years, so he was not recruited by Liu Bei and remained in Jiangdong."

Under Li Yi's arrangement, Liu Bei successfully recalled many people from Xuzhou who had fled to Yangzhou to avoid the chaos.

But some of these people were unable to return.

For example, Lu Dai.

Unlike other people who fled the chaos, Lu Dai fled the chaos earlier. His father's generation had already moved to Yangzhou.

In other words, although Lü Dai's hometown was in Xuzhou, his living habits, literary style and customs had all been adopted from Yangzhou.

Lu Dai himself also considered himself a native of Yangzhou. He had already settled down in Yangzhou, married and had children.

Some of my family members also made a living in Yangzhou and some of them were officials.

Naturally, he rejected the conscription order from Xuzhou.

Earlier, when Zhou Yu passed through Wu, he discovered that Lü Dai was a talented general.

He took advantage of the new king's accession to the throne and recommended him to Sun Quan.

"Now is the time to use people, my lord, why don't you appoint him as a general?"

"Order him to recruit Jiangnan warriors right here and then conquer the Shanyue?"

Sun Quan was overjoyed and immediately sent someone to invite Lü Dai.

This is not only a question of employing people, but more importantly, the new emperor Sun Quan urgently needs to support his own direct generals.

Whether it is veteran generals such as Cheng Pu or new generation generals such as Chen Wu, they all started their businesses by following their fathers and brothers.

Including Zhou Yu, he was also left behind by his brother Sun Ce.

Before his death, Sun Ce had hinted to Sun Quan that he should hold on to power firmly.

Then Sun Quan had to build up his own wings in order to "de-Sun Ce-ize" himself.

Later, Zhou Yu recommended talents such as Lu Ji, Lu Xun, Lu Meng, and Yan Jun.

Among them, Lu Ji and Lu Xun both came from the prominent Lu family in Wu County.

There is no need to introduce Lu Ji Orange Brother.

The person who needs to be emphasized is Lu Xun, he is the nephew of Lu Ji.

Although Sun Ce massacred the gentry, it does not mean that he really did not want to win over the gentry at all.

He simply slaughtered the local "indigenous" nobles for you, and then I supported the nobles myself.

For example, the Lu family is the target that Sun Ce focuses on winning over.

Sun Ce betrothed his daughter to Lu Xun as his wife.

Of course, because she is still young, she has not yet married.

However, because of this marriage relationship, the Lu family has been tied together with the Sun family.

This was also a common method of winning over the powerful families in the late Han Dynasty.

As for Lu Meng, he was from Runan.

His brother-in-law Deng Dang was a general under Sun Ce, so he had actually always been under Sun's command.

And because of the military granting system established by Sun Ce, Lu Meng also had soldiers under his command.

And the display is impressive and majestic.

After Sun Quan came to power, what he wanted to do most was to select some young generals who had fewer troops under their command and could not play much of a role.

Then adjust and merge their subordinates and show them favors.

You can then use him as a general.

So when faced with the young generals recommended by Zhou Yu, Sun Quan was overjoyed and used them one after another.

Zhou Yu strongly recommended Lu Xun again, and Sun Quan followed his advice and summoned him to see him.

It turned out that Lu Xun was actually a man of the same age as himself. Sun Quan was even more pleased. After talking with him, he realized that he was indeed a young talent.

Then he said to Lu Xun:
"Xi Ma Yuan said to Emperor Guangwu: In today's world, not only do rulers choose their subjects, but subjects also choose their rulers."

"Now that Bo Yan has surrendered to me, let's see what I can do."

Lu Xun replied:

"I have seen all the Sun brothers, and although they are all talented, they all did not enjoy long-lasting prosperity."

"But the Lord has a magnificent appearance and an extraordinary constitution, which is a sign of great nobility."

"Now the Lord is kind to the wise and respectful to scholars, accepts the strange and records the unusual, which is rare in the world."

"Why worry that talented people from all over the world won't come to apply?"

Sun Quan was overjoyed and invited Lu Xun into the inner room to drink with him.

At midnight, they lay on the same bed with their feet touching.

On the couch, he asked Lu Xun for advice:

"The Han Dynasty is in danger, and there is unrest everywhere."

"I have inherited the legacy of my father and brother, and would like to do the work of Huan and Wen. How will you teach me?"

Lu Xun replied:

"The reason why Emperor Gaozu wanted to honor and serve Emperor Yi but failed was because Xiang Yu was a threat to him."

"In Henan today, Cao Cao can be compared to Xiang Yu, and Liu Bei can be compared to Guangwu."

"Why do you do what Huan and Wen did?"

Sun Quan was stunned. He never expected Lu Xun to say such a thing.

Lu Xun has a relatively straightforward personality, and he doesn't actually speak in a roundabout way.

It was his true feelings when he praised Sun Quan before, and it is also his true feelings when he says Sun Quan is not as good as Cao and Liu now.

Sun Quan sincerely sought advice from Lu Xun.

Lu Xun will tell you his true thoughts honestly.

As long as Cao Cao and Liu Bei are around, it is absolutely impossible for your brother Quan to become Duke Huan of Qi or King Wen of Zhou.

The two of them were on the northeast side of the river, shining brightly on the area south of the river like the scorching sun.

It is impossible for you to compare with their talents.

Fortunately, Sun Quan was still young at that time, not very conceited, and was willing to listen to advice.

Faced with Lu Xun's "truth", Sun Quan accepted it calmly.

After all, the two brothers have been in business for many years. They are both veterans and old hands in the officialdom.

How old is he?
So Sun Quan did not feel too hurt in his self-esteem when Lu Xun pointed out that he was not as good as Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

He continued to ask modestly:

"When my elder brother was alive, he entrusted me with the important affairs of Jiangdong."

"According to your words, how should I defend myself?"

Lu Xun analyzed methodically:
"Today, the country is in ruins, the king's power no longer exists, and the heroes are ruling on their own."

"Xun secretly predicted that the Han Dynasty could not be revived."

"Cao Cao and Liu Bei are too powerful to be eliminated."

"For my lord's sake, the only way is to stand firm in Jiangdong and wait for opportunities in the world."

"Now, while the north is busy, Cao and Liu are busy with Yuan's affairs."

"You can quickly send troops to take Jiangxia, eliminate Huang Zu, and attack Liu Biao."

"We will take over the lands of Jing and Chu, and hold them as far as the Yangtze River."

"Liu Zhang is weak, so we can plan to conquer Bashu and take over the land of abundance."

"After that, you can establish the title of emperor and rule the world. This is what Emperor Gaozu did."

Sun Quan was overjoyed, turned over and sat up, holding Lu Xun's hand and said:

"Bo Yan's words are similar to what Gong Jin taught me."

"You all advised me to march into Jiangxia immediately, eliminate Huang Zu, and take over the land of Jingchu."

"It is just that I am afraid to mobilize troops rashly as I have not yet completed the mourning period."

Lu Xun said sternly:
"Why wait so long to avenge my grievances?"

Sun Quan still had some hesitation and said:

"I am in charge of important matters for the first time now, and I am afraid that the generals will not obey and it will be inconvenient to mobilize them."

Lu Xun advised again:
"No! Our ancestor has just passed away, and all the generals are in mourning."

"It's a good opportunity to send troops to Jingzhou in the name of revenge against the bandits."

"First, we will take over Jingchu and expand our strength."

"Secondly, to establish prestige and calm people's hearts."

"Third, come and avenge your hatred and stabilize the royal family."

"Fourth, show goodwill to Cao and Liu and stabilize the external situation."

"This move has four benefits. My lord, why are you hesitating?"

What Lu Xun said was reasonable and every word was brilliant.

Especially the political situation of the Sun family, which was reborn in Henan.

It was the Chen court controlled by Cao and Liu that recognized the legitimacy of the Sun family in Wu.

The purpose was to lure him to attack Liu Biao in the west.

What was Cao Liu's purpose?
First, of course, it was to stabilize the situation in the rear so that they could deal with Yuan Shao with peace of mind.

Second, the internal struggles between the Sun and Liu families constantly consumed their own strength.

Liu Biao was stationed in Jingzhou with well-trained soldiers and sufficient food, but he could not concentrate power.

The Sun clan had many talented generals, all of whom were good at fighting, but their territory was vast and sparsely populated, and they had very little military equipment and money and food.

The two families fought each other, and their forces were just equal.

Lu Xun even dared to assert that if one of the two families showed a weaker position, Henan would definitely lend a hand.

Because after resolving the Hebei issue,
Both Cao Cao and Liu Bei hoped to see an exhausted Jiangnan and Jingchu.

This way, no matter who in the North is the last laugh.

He was able to take over the southern land without any effort.

Whoever came up with this strategy must be a tactical and strategic genius.

Moreover, whether it was the Sun family in Wu or the Liu family in Jingzhou, they had to jump into the fire pit.

So does the Sun family have any solution?

Of course!
That is to do as Zhou Yu and Lu Xun said, quickly take over the Jingchu area, and then advance into Bashu.

In short, the goal is to strengthen one's own strength as much as possible in order to deal with the future winner in the north.

Henan hopes to see Jingchu and Wu both suffer losses.

If you want to break the impasse, you must show enough determination and bravery, risk the overall situation, and quickly take over Jingchu!
After Sun Quan hesitated for a while, his eyes became firm, and he held Lu Xun's hand and said:
"...I will follow your advice!"

(End of this chapter)