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

Chapter 284 The Crouching Dragon Gains Water, Kongming Takes Power

Meanwhile, Li Yi and his group, after six months of preparation, launched a surprise attack.

Successfully led his army to the city gates, catching the Wu army off guard.

Faced with the powerful military pressure from the State of Qi, Zhu Zhi, who was then the governor of Lujiang, ultimately chose to surrender the city.

However, in order to exploit an information gap.

Li Yi temporarily placed Zhu Zhi and the others under house arrest in Lujiang, promising to release them all back to Jiangdong in a few days.

All captured soldiers were released.

Zhu Zhi knew it was inappropriate, but since his military power had already been taken away, he could only obediently follow Li Yi's arrangements.

While stabilizing the situation within Lujiang, Li Yi also sent proclamations to the other cities, urging them to surrender quickly.

Because the Sun family's control over Lujiang was not strong, and not all local officials were replaced.

Therefore, upon seeing the change of power in Lujiang, they all cooperated fully and expressed their willingness to obey the arrangements of the "new government".

On this day, Li Yi was working in the prefectural capital.

Suddenly someone reported:

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, all the counties and towns in Lujiang have surrendered."

"Only Juchao County did not surrender; instead, it sent troops to plunder our grain and supplies."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi flew into a rage:
"Wherever my Qi army passes through, the land is pacified within a day."

Who is putting up a stubborn resistance?

The men on either side replied, "It is a Juchao chief named Pan Zhang."

"Not only did he refuse to surrender, but he also insulted the prime minister."

"They say that you, Prime Minister, only know how to use schemes and tricks to get Lujiang by chance."

"...He will never surrender to you unless, unless all the people living in the nest are dead."

Oh?
Upon hearing this, Li Yi was not angry, but instead fell into thought.

Pan Zhang, known in history as a "notorious hound," was most famous for capturing Guan Yu.

The eldest son, Guan Ping, and the governor, Zhao Lei, along with others, were also captured.

Because of this incident, Pan Zhang's skill in later Three Kingdoms games was "Capture".

Pan Zhang is a typical scoundrel.

Like Zhang Fei and Gan Ning, he had a rather violent personality.

For example, military units opened flea markets and made a fortune by reselling war spoils and military supplies.

As a result, Pan Zhang turned around and chopped up these soldiers, taking their valuables.

It can be said that Pan Zhang's character was quite despicable, but Sun Quan took a liking to him because of his character.

Not only was Pan Zhang given important responsibilities, but he was also sent to recruit soldiers in the local areas on his own.

Although Pan Zhang was a person of questionable character, he was surprisingly loyal to Sun Quan.

He dedicated his entire life to fighting for the Wu Kingdom, working diligently and loyally.

Now that he has been appointed as the magistrate of Juchao by Sun Quan, it's no wonder that all the other cities and towns have surrendered, but he hasn't.

"First, have men surround the nest, so that no one can escape, and send out the message."

Li Yi immediately provided corresponding countermeasures and issued orders.

He had just seen the nest defense line that had been handed over.

Because this place is close to dangerous mountains, Sun Quan allocated another sum of money to further upgrade the defenses of Juchao.

With its mountainous terrain, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

No wonder Pan Zhang was so confident and fearless.

Juchao was the first defensive stronghold built by Sun Wu in order to establish a foothold in Lujiang.

There must have been a lot of money, grain, and military equipment stored inside.

Pan Zhang certainly believed that he could hold out until Sun Quan's reinforcements arrived.

In response, Li Yi suggested that they could gradually attack Juchao.

The primary strategy is to lure and entice, with a strong attack as a secondary approach.

After all, once Zhou Yu has taken over Jingbei, it will be time to formally discuss the division of Jingzhou.

Soon, news of the fall of Lujiang reached Jiangdong first.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yu in Jiangling was unaware of the incident in Lujiang.

Because Zhuge Liang had already sent Huang Zhong to lead troops to occupy Xiakou and cut off the Yangtze River.

All the ships coming and going were under Zhuge Liang's control.

It's not that cutting off the Yangtze River directly severed the connection between Jingzhou and Jiangdong.

However, due to the special terrain, traveling by land instead of water would take at least two or three months longer.

Furthermore, it was impossible to transport soldiers and military supplies on a large scale.

That's why we often say that controlling water resources is very important.

Zhou Yu had just pacified northern Jingzhou when he saw Zhuge Liang occupy Xiakou, blocking his way.

Feeling uneasy, he quickly sent Zhu Ran to negotiate and ask Zhuge Liang what he meant.

Zhuge Liang adopted a delaying tactic, while simultaneously appeasing the envoys from Eastern Wu.

It is said that Jiangxia is the hometown of Huang Zu, and although Huang Zu has passed away, his son is still alive.

Jiangxia had many vassals of Huang Zu's forces who planned to overthrow Liu Qi's rule.

Furthermore, during Huang Zu's reign, lax regulations led to rampant smuggling.

Zhuge Liang had no choice but to conduct a thorough inspection of the Yangtze River region.

So while appeasing Eastern Wu,
They even continued to reinforce their troops at Xiakou, strengthening their control over the Yangtze River basin.

Although Zhou Yu sensed something was amiss, he managed to drive Cao Ren away with great difficulty.

Now is the time to seize the opportunity to annex Jingzhou.

Regardless of what conspiracies or schemes the Qi state may have, or what it may be plotting.

There is nothing more important than taking Jingzhou.

So without thinking too much about it, Zhou Yu simply had Zhu Ran continue negotiating with Zhuge Liang.

Let's see what exactly happened in the Yangtze River basin.

He himself led a large army northward, conquering and subjugating various counties and towns.

Then, officials from Eastern Wu were replaced to strengthen control over Nan Commandery.

Clearly, Zhou Yu's series of actions were all preparations for staying in Jingzhou for an extended period.

at the same time,

Sun Quan, who was in Wu, suddenly received news of the fall of Lujiang.

He was immediately horrified and turned to those around him, saying:

"Have the people of Qi deceived me?!"

Everyone looked at each other, unable to answer.

Sun Quan then asked, "Does Gongjin know about this?"

Zhang Zhao stepped forward and answered in response:
“Governor Zhou is currently leading troops in Jingzhou, and he may not know that Lujiang has been lost.”

Sun Quan angrily said:

"I am in Wu, and I already know that Lujiang has fallen."

"Gongjin is not far from Nanjun, how can you say you don't know about this matter?"

"Send someone to inform Gongjin, and tell him to come back quickly to save Lujiang!"

For Eastern Wu, Lujiang was not only a strategic location for advancing into the Central Plains.

More importantly, it is also a key town connecting Jingzhou.

Without Lujiang, there would be no stronghold.

Even if Zhou Yu conquered the entire Jingzhou, it would still be an exclave for Sun Quan.

Unless he boldly delegates authority to Zhou Yu, allowing him to lead troops there alone.

But Sun Quan was a young ruler who ascended the throne. How could he trust a general from another clan to manage both military and political affairs in a foreign land?

Not to mention that the place where they live is even richer than our own.

If Zhou Yu were to govern Jingzhou for several years, even if he had no intention of rebelling...

I'm afraid his subordinates will also try to crown him with the imperial robe.

This situation was something Sun Quan absolutely could not accept.

Even if he were Zhou Yu, it wouldn't work!

Immediately, Sun Quan personally wrote a letter, ordering someone to rush to Jingzhou and urge Zhou Yu to return quickly to rescue Lujiang.

The messenger accepted the order and traveled day and night, heading straight for Nanjun.

As expected, when they were about to cross the Yangtze River at Xiakou, they were stopped and searched by the Jiangxia garrison.

After the soldiers discovered that the man was an envoy sent by Eastern Wu, they quickly reported this news to Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang ordered the garrison to let him pass immediately and gave the messenger some travel expenses to help him on his journey.

When Wu's envoy first saw that Xiakou was heavily guarded and that merchants and travelers were being interrogated and questioned, he thought something was amiss.

Seeing how kind Zhuge Liang was to him, he realized he had misunderstood him.

After thanking Zhuge Liang, the messenger set off and successfully met Zhou Yu in Jiangling.

He then handed over Sun Quan's edict to him.

After reading the letter, Zhou Yu was greatly surprised and said:

"...I have only been gone for a year, how could Lujiang have fallen?"

It wasn't until he heard the news that Lujiang had been lost that Zhou Yu had a sudden realization and understood the situation.

It turns out that Zhuge Liang blocked the news in Xiakou because he was afraid that I would find out.

But there's something strange about it.
That is to say, Zhou Yu did not fail to consider that the Qi people would launch a surprise attack on Lujiang after he left.

But he thought that with Zhu Zhi guarding Lujiang, even if they were attacked, they would be safe.

They will definitely have time to ask themselves for help.

How could it be that Zhu Zhi didn't send anyone to inform me when I left for so long?

Although during this period, Zhuge Liang blocked the communication between Jing and Yang.

But the lockdown didn't last long.
Could it be that the Qi people took over such a large area as Lujiang in just the time it took to blockade it?
Zhou Yu looked on incredulously, wondering who had devised this strategic plan.

How did he manage to balance both sides?

While numbing themselves, they also swept through Lujiang?

"...Li Ziyu".

Zhou Yu frowned, immediately thinking of this person.

"How dare you, you brat!"

"Take advantage of my absence and attack my Lujiang!"

Zhou Yu was furious and drew his sword to strike a stone.

Lujiang is not only a strategic location, but also his hometown.

Li Yi's actions were a double humiliation for him, both politically and emotionally.

Although Zhou Yu was furious, he still had to address the reality of the fall of Lujiang.

Therefore, he immediately sent someone to invite Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Lü Fan and other important officials to discuss countermeasures.

Upon hearing that Lujiang had fallen, all the generals were filled with righteous indignation.

"That Li Yi, how dare he do such a thing!"

"Commander, please give the order immediately so that we can march on Xiakou and retake Lujiang!"

"Yes! Take back Lujiang! Take back Lujiang!"

"The people of Qi have gone too far in bullying us. If we do not resist now, we will surely suffer even greater humiliation in the future!"

All the Wu generals volunteered for battle.

Only a few people remained calm. Lü Fan advised Zhou Yu:
"...Commander, please calm down. All generals, please calm down for now."

"In my opinion, now is definitely not the time to break with the people of Qi."

"Our current enemy is Cao Cao, not Liu Bei."

"Maintaining the Sun-Liu alliance and jointly conquering Cao Wei's territory is the best strategy."

According to Lü Fan and other strategists, the State of Qi was too powerful, and we should not offend it at this time.

Only by clinging to the coattails of the State of Qi and working together to seize Cao Cao's territory can we gradually grow stronger.

That is the best policy.

Now, hasn't Wu Jun conquered Jingbei?
This is the benefit brought about by the Sun-Liu alliance.

If it weren't for Li Yi, Zhuge Liang, and other high-ranking officials choosing to turn a blind eye...

How could Wu Jun have captured Nan Commandery so easily?

"...Lujiang was not originally owned by Wu. Now that we have acquired Jingzhou, it is like getting rich land and discarding worn-out shoes."

"Chen Yuanlong has long coveted the land of Huainan and has long harbored ambitions to annex the Jiangnan region."

"The capture of Lujiang today is also understandable."

"If we were to withdraw our troops now and turn back to attack the Qi people, it would be hard to say what our chances of victory would be."

"And it will divide the troops in Jingzhou. What will we do when Cao Cao comes again?"

"At that time, Lujiang will not be recovered, and Jingzhou will be lost."

“Countless brave soldiers of Eastern Wu lost their lives in vain.”

"Which is more advantageous and which is less advantageous is a matter for the Commander to consider!"

Lü Fan methodically analyzed the current situation for Zhou Yu.

They believed that everyone was acting on impulse and that the Qi people's sneak attack on Lujiang was unethical.

But let's look at it from a different perspective.

The people of Qi made the greatest contribution in the Battle of Red Cliffs.

But in the end, they gained nothing.

Eastern Wu has taken both Huainan and Jingzhou; it can't have both, can it?

Since the people of Qi wanted Lujiang and the entire Huainan region, we gave it to them.

Anyway, we've already gained Jingbei, so we're definitely not at a loss.

The most sensible course of action now would be to send someone to mend relations with the Qi people and acquire ownership of Jingzhou.

Lü Fan meant to persuade Zhou Yu to send an envoy to Xiakou to meet Zhuge Liang.

Through Zhuge Liang, they requested a position as "Governor of Jingzhou" or "Prefect of Nan Commandery".

Such official positions naturally required the approval of the imperial court.

However, the court's approval is also the approval of the State of Qi.

If the State of Qi approves, it means that the people of Wu can secure their hold on Jingzhou.

The emperor was just an emperor, while Liu Bei was the true overlord of the world...

“…What Ziheng said makes sense.”

After calming down, Zhou Yu carefully considered the suggestion made by Lü Fan.

Now is definitely not the time to break ties with the State of Qi.

Wu Jun had not yet gained a foothold in Jingzhou, so he rashly started a conflict.

I'm afraid that if we fail to capture Lujiang, Cao Cao will take Jingzhou back.

That's really unwise.

"...Very well, let's accept Ziheng's plan."

"First, send someone to see Zhuge Liang and mend relations between the two families."

"As for Lord Wu, please allow me to explain to him."

Having made his decision, Zhou Yu sent Lü Fan to Xiakou to meet Zhuge Liang.

He then personally picked up his pen and wrote a letter in reply to Sun Quan.

The book states briefly:

Your subject, Yu, bows deeply and replies:

"I have heard that the matter in Lujiang has caused a great uproar in the court, with everyone wanting to break with Qi."

"I believe this is not a good strategy, and I dare to offer my humble opinion."

"When the people of Qi took Lujiang, it was like a tiger snatching a piece of meat; their momentum was at its peak."

“If I were to fight him immediately, I fear there would be three problems.”

"Lujiang City is well-defended, and Li Yi's army is stationed there personally."

"It may not be easy to eradicate this problem in a short time; this is one of the concerns."

"Jingzhou has just been acquired, but the people's hearts are not yet won over."

"Dividing our forces would be dangerous; this is the second problem." "Cao Cao is in the north, watching us like a tiger eyeing the land. If he takes advantage of our weakness to attack, how can we defend ourselves?"

"These are the three problems."

"Given these three problems, I humbly request Lord Wu to be patient for the time being."

"In the past, Goujian served Wu and eventually destroyed the powerful enemy."

"Emperor Gaozu ceded Hanzhong, and eventually established his imperial dynasty."

"We should follow their example, send envoys to establish friendly relations, and openly cede Lujiang to them."

"We can treat the people of Jing generously on the one hand, and secretly form alliances with the powerful and influential on the other."

"Train an online army and wait for the right opportunity to strike."

"Qi will surely be lax and unprepared, allowing me to focus on my operations."

"Wait for the right moment to act; whether to advance or retreat is up to you."

"If we take Lujiang in the future, it will be as easy as taking it out of a bag."

"If you wish to conquer the Central Plains, you may set sail."

"To start a war now would be to abandon a foolproof plan and take a risky step!"

"I am not afraid of battle, but I am acting in the best interests of the nation."

Zhou Yu bowed again in fear.

"I humbly request Your Majesty to consider this matter."

Spring of the twelfth year of Jian'an.

When Sun Quan received the letter, he was greatly displeased to see that Zhou Yu had no intention of recovering Lujiang.

At least for Sun Quan, Lujiang was more important than Jingzhou.

Because of Lujiang, Sun Quan could directly control it.

As Jingzhou was an exclave, Sun Quan had no control over it.

In addition, Wu's unique system of awarding soldiers meant that the generals themselves had a great deal of power.

How should we understand the composition of Sun Wu's army?

In fact, Sun Wu can be understood as a major warlord.

His generals were all small warlords, both big and small.

These minor warlords outwardly obeyed Sun Quan, but they each had their own independent troops.

These soldiers are responsible for their own equipment and personnel replenishment.

To put it more directly, it can be understood as the relationship between Cao Wei and Zang Ba in history.

Because of the "good deeds" Cao Cao did in Xuzhou, the people of Xuzhou did not submit to Cao Cao's rule.

Cao Cao had no choice but to entrust Xu Province to Zang Ba.

Zang Ba was ostensibly Cao Cao's subordinate, but he actually held both military and political power.

Cao Wei requested that troops be sent, and he genuinely did send troops.

Whether Cao Wei could actually achieve the principle of "if the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die" is another matter.

After all, Zang Ba had troops under his command, and Cao Wei had to consider whether doing so would force Zang Ba to rebel.

This makes it easier to understand the relationship between the Sun family and the Wu generals.

It's understandable why Sun Quan was so worried about Zhou Yu leading troops alone in Jingzhou.

It is true that Sun Quan treated Zhou Yu with the respect due to an elder brother.

But as I said before, this applies when you are in a high position.

One's judgment on many things can be influenced by one's subordinates.

The generals under Zhou Yu all held military power.

"Zhou Lang advised me not to take Lujiang."

What do you all think?

Because we know that Zhou Yu's words make sense, after all, he was genuinely analyzing the situation from a strategic perspective.

However, this did not align with Sun Quan's personal interests as a monarch, so he couldn't openly retaliate.

The only option was to circulate Zhou Yu's letter to everyone and test the ministers' intentions.

My ministers, you look at me and I look at you.

I don't understand what Sun Quan meant.

So they could only say:

"We all agree that what Governor Zhou said is very appropriate."

"The State of Qi is currently at its zenith, and Liu Bei has at least a million men under his command."

"The land of Wu is too small; it is no match for the people of Qi."

"Now that we have obtained Jingzhou, we can cede all of Lujiang to the people of Qi."

"This is to win Liu Bei's favor and show goodwill to the State of Qi."

Ok……

Sun Quan nodded, but there was not a trace of joy on his face.

He sighed inwardly, wondering why there wasn't a single official among all the ministers who understood his thoughts.

Where have all the talented people of my Eastern Wu gone?

"...This matter will be discussed later."

Sun Quan flicked his robe and left.

The ministers were left alone in the hall, looking at each other in bewilderment.

After Sun Quan left, the crowd began to whisper among themselves:

"Did we say something wrong just now, and is Lord Wu dissatisfied?"

"...Jingzhou is much richer than Lujiang."

"Moreover, the Jingzhou navy is the best navy in the world, so why is Lord Wu displeased?"

Everyone shrugged, expressing their confusion.

……

Let me talk about two things.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yu sent Lü Fan as an envoy to Xiakou to meet Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang received them, and both sides exchanged pleasantries.

When Lü Fan saw that Zhuge Liang was dignified and had a magnificent appearance, he was secretly amazed.

This inevitably reminded him of the scene when he first met Li Yi.

At that time, I was accompanying Sun Ce, traveling by boat to Guangling to negotiate with Chen Deng.

When I first met Li Yi, he was just as handsome and refined, with a divine air about him.

I just hope that Zhuge Liang won't be as difficult to deal with as Li Yi.

Lu Fan silently prayed, then got straight to the point and stated his purpose.

However, they preemptively struck by issuing stern rebukes.

"Qi and Wu were originally allies, but now you have attacked my Lujiang without cause. What is the reason for this?"

Zhuge Liang calmly responded:

"This is a proposal from Xiapi; I am but a minor official from Jiangxia."

"If you wish to know the truth, why don't you go to Xiapi and ask him yourself?"

hiss……

With just one sentence, Lü Fan shook his head, already knowing that this person was extremely difficult to deal with.

He thought to himself:
"This trip to Xiapi will take a month, which is clearly a scheme by these people to shirk responsibility."

"I have been ordered to come here; how can I continue to delay any longer?"

"Just do the things the governor has assigned you well, and then we'll discuss them further."

Then, he said seriously:

"No matter what the reasons may be, attacking an allied city is ultimately an act of betrayal."

"However, we Wu people are magnanimous and do not wish to investigate further—"

Before he could finish speaking,
Suddenly, he stood up, flicked his sleeves, and shouted sharply:
"Your statement is incorrect!"

"Our lord Liu Xuande, a descendant of the Han dynasty, has been ordered to govern the east."

"All the counties and prefectures under heaven belong to the Han territory."

"Now that we have taken Lujiang, we are acting on the king's orders to carry out a punitive expedition. How can this be considered a breach of the alliance?"

"Moreover, when Sun Quan rebelled and seized Jiangdong, he did not receive an imperial edict."

"Why are you blaming only the state of Qi now?"

Faced with Lü Fan's challenge, Zhuge Liang immediately positioned himself on the high ground of the Han Dynasty.

Then they brought up your former boss's old grievances.

When Sun Ce raised his army, fighting in Jiangdong was already considered "rebellion".

Liu Yao and Wang Lang were both legitimate officials appointed by the imperial court, sent to local areas by imperial decree.

Your conquest of their land, Sun Ce, was illegal to begin with.

If you want us to return the land of Lujiang, then shouldn't you also give up the entire land of Wu?

Lu Fan was speechless after being rebuked, and he knew in his heart that he could never win an argument with Zhuge Liang.

Moreover, his purpose in coming here was actually to get the State of Qi to agree to his request, that is, to ask the State of Qi for a favor.

If they keep pressuring us, things will become difficult to resolve.

Helpless, Lü Fan could only say:
"...Very well, since Mr. Kongming has said so, I will not say anything more."

"I have not come here for the matter of Lujiang."

"But I came here for the matter of Jingzhou."

"When Governor Zhou was in Xiakou, Mr. Kongming promised that he would never send troops to interfere in Jingzhou affairs."

"I wonder if this statement is still true?"

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and said calmly:
"...That's right, Liang is here on orders and does not intend to interfere in the affairs of Jingzhou."

"Moreover, when Li Xiang was in power, he had already taken most of the troops from Jiangxia with him."

"Kuang Liang has no more troops at his disposal, so he can advance on Jingzhou. You can rest assured."

Lu Fan rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking to himself, "Of course you Jiangxia have no soldiers."

They were all dragged by Li Yi to attack Lujiang.

Although Zhuge Liang did not actually send troops to Jingzhou, it is still necessary to confirm this again.

Lü Fan then said:

"This week, the commander-in-chief and the soldiers of the three armies worked day and night to finally capture Nanjun."

"I wonder if you could submit a memorial to the King of Qi and request the position of Prefect of Nan Commandery for our army?"

When asked about the position of Governor of Jingzhou, Lü Fan hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not say it.

Instead, it was changed to Nanjun.

In fact, if Eastern Wu wanted to, it could easily appoint itself as the governor of Nan Commandery or even the governor of Jing Province.

This is what all the warlords did at the end of the Han Dynasty.

But as I said before, asking Liu Bei for the position of Prefect of Nan Commandery was just a test of his attitude.

In order to maintain the Sun-Liu alliance, should we engage in a trade of interests between Lujiang and Nanjun?
Seeing that Zhuge Liang did not answer, Lü Fan bowed and apologized, saying:
"I am truly ignorant and have offended your honor."

"However, when two countries are on friendly terms, there must be something in between."

"May I ask, Kongming, what does Qi desire?"

What exactly does your Qi state want? Give me a straight answer!

Zhuge Liang slowly waved his feather fan and replied:

"Chen Zhengnan has long admired Huainan."

"Our capture of Lujiang is precisely to unite the lands of Huainan into one."

Seeing that his tone had softened somewhat, Lü Fan felt relieved and asked again:
"Now that Wu's army has captured Jingzhou, should that land belong to us?"

Zhuge Liang calmly replied:
"This is not something I can handle alone; we must wait for the strategic planning at Xiapi."

This is outside my scope of responsibility. You'll have to wait for a reply from the bigwigs in Qi.

How could Lü Fan wait until then to bow and say:

"Since the King of Qi has sent you to Jiangnan, he must have something to ask of you."

"Can you devise a plan for me? I would like to obtain the seal of office of the Governor of Jingzhou or the Prefect of Nanjun."

"If I can return to report to Governor Zhou, I will not fail in my mission."

Zhuge Liang gazed at the river, but smiled without answering.

A sudden gust of wind rose from the river, causing the banners on both banks to flutter and rustle.

Lü Fan was disheartened, never expecting this trip to end like this.

So, he bid farewell to Zhuge Liang in a dejected manner.

Zhuge Liang tried repeatedly to persuade him to stay, but Lü Fan said dejectedly:
As the saying goes, a mission must be accomplished.

"I have failed in my mission, and it is my fault."

So, he bid farewell to Zhuge Liang and returned by boat.

As they walked away, another person approached from behind.

"What are your plans next, sir?"

Zhuge Liang turned around and saw that it was Yi Ji from Yanzhou.

Liu Bei explicitly stated that he would entrust the affairs of Jingzhou entirely to Zhuge Liang.

Therefore, after Zhuge Liang arrived in Jiangxia, he also began to make extensive use of local talents and support his own confidants to rise to the top.

After all, Zhuge Liang simply couldn't control the old ministers of Qi by relying on them all.

I still need to personally promote some people so that I, as the leader, can do my job well.

And Yi Ji is one of them.

He was originally a former official of Liu Biao. After Liu Biao's death, he followed Liu Qi to Jiangxia.

When Zhuge Liang arrived, he was recruited into the government and appointed as an official.

"...What does Uncle Ji think we should do?"

Zhuge Liang took the initiative to give his subordinates a chance to perform, and asked them a question.

Iraqi responded:
"Now that Zhou Yu has taken Jingzhou, Sun Quan must be feeling uneasy in Wu."

“We can have people spread rumors that Zhou Yu intends to hold onto his troops in Jingzhou and become powerful.”

"Then they secretly sent soldiers disguised as Wu soldiers to cut off the water supply at Xiakou."

"To mislead the people of Wu into believing that it was Zhou Yu who did it."

“Sun Quan’s young son ascends the throne, which will surely be a great taboo.”

"At that time, Zhou Yu will have no choice but to come and discuss with us."

Once Sun Quan truly exerts pressure, Zhou Yu will certainly not be able to hold onto Jingzhou.

But it would be a pity to give it away for nothing; in the end, it would only be "sold off" to the State of Qi at a low price.

After all, apart from the State of Qi, no other buyer could take over Jingzhou.

For example, Cao Cao had no land bordering Sun Wu, so what could you offer him in exchange?
The same applies to Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu.

Only Liu Bei possessed a vast territory, spanning both the north and south.

Only he could satisfy Eastern Wu's demand to "sell off" Jingzhou cheaply.

"...Ji Bo's words are exactly what I was thinking."

"When Li Xiang was alive, he also mentioned this matter."

"You may proceed with this matter without any mishaps."

Zhuge Liang recognized Yi Ji's talent and wisdom, and entrusted him with this task.

Since you proposed the plan, you should also be responsible for implementing it.

Finally, a promotion and a raise will follow without a doubt.

“…Here you go.”

Yi Ji gladly accepted the order, bowed, and withdrew.

Then he sent people to spread rumors in Jingzhou, saying that Zhou Yu was holding military power in Nan Commandery and wanted to establish himself as emperor.

For a time, the people of Jingyang were filled with unease.

Some people are going to be very anxious.

……

(End of this chapter)