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

Chapter 285 Eastern Wu Suffers a Complete Defeat, Zhuge Liang's Governance of Chu Benefits Qi
Now, Zhuge Liang officially took power in Jiangxia, whereas before he was in Xuzhou.

Suppressed by his predecessors, he never got to drink water in his life.

Today we arrive in Jiangxia, where we have the waters of the Yangtze River, a time when we are like dragons soaring into the sky.

Of the nine commanderies in Jingxiang, Zhuge Liang currently only has Jiangxia.

But next, he will help Liu Bei take over the remaining eight counties.

After hearing that Prime Minister Li had captured Lujiang and Zhou Yu had captured Nanjun.

Zhuge Liang immediately dispatched spies to spread rumors in Jing and Yang regions, saying:
"—Zhou Yu occupied Jingchu, intending to establish himself as emperor."

"His generals all admired Zhou Yu, but did not respect Sun Quan."

Rumors spread like wildfire.

The rumors grew increasingly rampant and reached the Wu region.

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan was filled with suspicion and fear, and was greatly alarmed.

He hurriedly sent someone to Jingzhou to investigate whether this was true.

When the scouts arrived at Xiakou, they encountered men disguised as "Wu troops" sent by Zhuge Liang, who had cut off the Yangtze River waterway.

The envoy was not allowed to pass and had no choice but to report the matter to Sun Quan.

Sun Quan was even more astonished and suspicious.

In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient and information was scarce.

Sun Quan couldn't simply call Zhou Yu to confirm the matter.

Once an information gap exists, even if there are no existing conflicts, they will inevitably escalate into conflicts.

Regardless of whether it was Zhuge Liang's scheme to sow discord or not, even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, Sun Quan dared not gamble.

Because Zhou Yu had been leading troops in the field for a long time, his soldiers all respected him.

And they rarely felt Sun Quan's "great favors," so over time, they could easily be sidelined.

Sun Quan felt increasingly uneasy, and said to his attendants:

“In the past, Bai Qi was highly meritorious, and the King of Qin was suspicious of him.”

"Now that Gongjin's power is awe-inspiring in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, what if he is held hostage by his subordinates?"

Therefore, he secretly summoned Gu Yong, the Left Sima, to discuss the matter.

Gu Yong was a prominent family in Wu County, one of the four major surnames.

Sun Quan, who held a high position in Wu, confided his worries and difficulties to him.

Gu Yong immediately offered a suggestion:
"Your Excellency should issue an imperial edict immediately, ordering Gongjin to return to reinforce Lujiang."

"If they hesitate, their signs of rebellion will be clear."

“Furthermore, one could secretly send someone to inform the army, saying, ‘Wu is in danger, your parents, wife and children are waiting for you to return.’”

"Most of the soldiers on the western expedition were from Wu, and they would certainly lack a firm will."

"In that case, it will not be difficult to regain control of the military."

Sun Quan clapped his hands in approval and immediately issued a series of urgent dispatches.

They urged Zhou Yu to return east.

When Zhou Yu was in Jiangling, he received a handwritten edict from Sun Quan and sighed deeply:
"His Majesty has repeatedly issued edicts urging me to return; he must be suspicious of me!"

So he summoned his generals to discuss the matter and said to them:
"Now that Lord Wu has summoned me back to save Lujiang, if I do not return, it would be disloyal."

"If we abandon Jingzhou and return, the Wei people will surely take advantage of the situation and retake it."

"What do you all think we should do?"

All the generals advised:
"If the governor leaves, Jingzhou will be difficult to defend. It would be better to stay for now and plan for the future."

Zhou Yu pondered for a long time, then shook his head and rejected everyone's suggestion.

Sun Quan was simply not comfortable leaving him in Jingzhou to lead the troops. If he continued to stay there, wouldn't that confirm his rebellious intentions?

"...I know you are all reluctant to part, but please be patient."

"I have a plan that can solve this problem."

The generals hurriedly asked, "What plan do you have?"

Zhou Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed, pacing back and forth a couple of times.

He slowly and methodically explained his strategic plan.

"Now that the emperor is suspicious, if we return hastily, Jingzhou will surely be lost."

"I have a plan that can turn this crisis into an opportunity—"

"We should break the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei and form an alliance with Cao Cao in the north."

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback.

This plan is completely contrary to the previous strategy of allying with Liu Bei against Cao Cao.

That's politics; for the sake of interests, anything can be easily changed.

Zhou Yu explained to everyone in an orderly manner:
"Although we have just captured Jingzhou, we have incurred the wrath of the Cao family."

"However, Liu Bei was the true culprit in the feud at Red Cliffs."

"Cao Cao's greatest enemy has always been Liu Bei, not my Eastern Wu."

"Given Cao Cao's wisdom and strategic acumen, he would certainly not hold grudges."

"If we send envoys to make peace, we can agree to share Jingbei."

"If I gain control of Nan Commandery, they will occupy Nanyang, and we will join forces to attack Liu Bei."

"In this way, the troubles on the northern border can be resolved, and troops can be dispatched from Jingzhou to recover Lujiang."

If Sun Quan hadn't been pressing him so hard, Zhou Yu would have wanted to conquer all of Jingbei.

But now it can only be divided equally between Cao Cao and the other two families.

After all, if you don't show some sincerity, why would anyone cooperate with you?
After the plan was proposed, all the military officers were taken aback, and some asked:

"Qi is strong and Wu is weak, what can be done?"

Everyone was worried that breaking the alliance with Qi would offend Liu Bei.

Could Eastern Wu really withstand the one-sided offensive from Qi?

Zhou Yu pondered for a moment and said:
"Although Qi is strong, the combined forces of Wu and Wei are enough to contend with it."

"Moreover, the struggle in Jiangnan lies in naval warfare."

"Although the people of Qi have the Huainan Navy, they are not yet capable of dominating the Jiangnan region."

"If they want to master the skills of sailing on the river, it will take more than three to five years."

"Three to five years is enough time for my Eastern Wu to pacify the Jiangnan region."

It is true that the State of Qi possessed the best army in the world.

But his online army is at best among the top three.

Indeed, given the formidable national strength of the State of Qi.

It is not difficult to conquer the Jiangnan region and build a navy that can dominate the rivers and seas.

But that will definitely take several years.

These past few years have been a chance for Dongwu to catch its breath and develop.

Seeing the hesitation on everyone's faces, Zhou Yu further explained:

"Now that I have commanded the Eastern Wu navy and also acquired the Jingzhou fleet, I am well able to roam freely across the rivers and seas."

"Although we lack ambition, we are more than capable of self-preservation."

"Although Liu Bei swept across China, he was invincible."

"But how could they possibly use horses from the north to trample the Yangtze River?"

"I hope you gentlemen will have no doubts; this plan can be implemented."

Having made his decision, Zhou Yu wrote a secret letter.

He presented a plan to "sever ties with Qi and form an alliance with Wei," and secretly sent his trusted generals to Wu.

The envoy crossed the river at night to Xiakou, where he suddenly encountered patrolling warships.

Zhuge Liang had spies lying in wait at key points, who intercepted the secret letter. Upon reading it, the letter roughly stated:
"Your humble servant Yu dares to submit this memorial: Jingzhou has just been pacified, and the generals and commanders yearn to return home."

"However, Liu Bei was eyeing Jiangdong with a tiger's gaze, while Cao Cao was looking south of the Yangtze River with a wolf's gaze."

“If we carelessly abandon the vital points, it may not be a foolproof plan.”

"I humbly believe that we should ally with the Cao family in the north to jointly resist the powerful Qi..."

After reading the letter, Zhuge Liang said to his attendants:
"Zhou Yu intends to sever the alliance with Wei. If this plan succeeds, it will be extremely detrimental to our lord!"

So he ordered someone to bring him pen and ink, and he studied Zhou Yu's handwriting.

Then he personally took up the pen and revised the wording.

Its brief description is as follows:
"—Yu told Lord Wu: The strategic importance of Jingzhou is now in my hands."

"The soldiers are willing to risk their lives and are all ready to die for their cause."

"If we hastily recall Yu now, I fear the morale of the army will be unstable."

"Besides, Lujiang is a small prefecture, not worth mentioning."

"Our great cause lies in Jingzhou and Xiangyang; how can we abandon it lightly!"

"I hope my lord will no longer have any doubts. Once I have pacified Jiangbei, I will return to the capital with my official seal..."

After the book was completed, it was sealed with the original seal.

He secretly dispatched someone to impersonate an envoy from Wu and rushed to Wu under the cover of night.

Sun Quan received the letter, but before he could finish reading it, his expression changed, and he angrily threw it to the ground, saying:
"How dare you, you brat, be so arrogant!"

Gu Yong picked it up and examined it, then offered his opinion:
"The writing style of this book is arrogant and unruly; it may be a fraud."

Sun Quan slammed his fist on the table and roared:

"The handwriting and seal are genuine; there is no deception involved!"

"Summon Lu Ji and Zhang Zhao immediately for a meeting!"

Soon, the ministers of Eastern Wu, led by Zhang Zhao, entered the room.

Discuss countermeasures with Sun Quan.

Zhang Zhao advised:
"Gongjin is in charge of Jingzhou, and his ambitions are hard to fathom."

"Now that they want to ally with Wei to contain Qi, why don't we in Wu do the opposite?"

"It would be better to send an envoy to Qi to reconcile and unilaterally renew the alliance."

"If Gongjin has no disloyal intentions, he will surely return to Wu once the alliance is established."

"If he insists on staying in Jing, he will be cutting himself off from Wu, and his rebellious intentions will be obvious."

Lu Ji, who was standing nearby, immediately chimed in in agreement:

“…Zibu’s words are very good.”

"Liu Bei is afraid of an alliance between Wei and Wu. If I make the first move to befriend them, they will surely agree happily."

"At that time, Zhou Yu faced Qi troops in front of Jingzhou, but lost Wu reinforcements behind him."

"Even if they have different intentions, they are powerless to do so."

Sun Quan pondered for a long time, then clapped his hands in approval:
"...Your words are exactly what I think."

He then secretly dispatched an envoy to Lujiang to negotiate with Li Yi.

Li Yi, of course, accepted the olive branch extended by Sun Quan without a doubt.

Soon, the news reached Jiangling.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu was greatly alarmed and exclaimed:

"...I am ready to fight the Qi people to the death, why does the Lord of Wu want to make peace first?"

Seeing that Sun Quan had already renewed the alliance with Qi, the plan to "sever ties with Qi and ally with Wei" had fallen through.

If Zhou Yu does not return to Wu, then his rebellious intentions will be confirmed.

"……Ugh."

Knowing that the situation was hopeless, Zhou Yu walked to the riverbank and couldn't help but take one last look at Jingzhou, which he had fought for nearly a year to conquer.

Gazing at the rolling waters of the Yangtze River, Zhou Yu sighed as he stood by the river:

"These past few days, while governing Jiangling, I have deeply felt the hardships of life."

"Like that ceaseless river, though it aspires to flow eastward to the sea, its course is slow and its journey arduous."

"However, rivers eventually flow into the sea."

"However, one's ambitions in life are often difficult to realize, leaving one with lifelong regrets."

As he spoke, he cut off his robe and threw it into the river.

"The Battle of Red Cliffs, the Bloody Battle of Jiangling."

"The soldiers' bones are not yet cold, yet we are handing them over to others."

"How can I face the elders of Jiangdong?"

After speaking, he burst into tears, and all the generals present choked with sobs.

The veteran general Huang Gai sighed, leaning on his halberd:

"Do not worry, Commander; we will surely take it again in the future."

Will there really be a future?

Zhou Yu gave a helpless, bitter laugh.

Everyone knows that this is just a comforting remark.

The world situation was originally one of Qi being strong and Wu being weak.

If we take Jingzhou, and rely on the Jiangnan region, we can then ally with Cao Cao.

If the two countries join forces, they still have a chance to resist the State of Qi.

Now that Jingzhou has been lost, Eastern Wu will also completely lose the opportunity to conquer the world.

In the coming years, the people of Wu will be forever trapped in the Jiangdong region, unable to make any progress.

As for when it will be destroyed by the Qi people, that depends entirely on the mood of Liu Bei and Li Yi.

It depends on their strategic priorities...

After expressing his feelings, Zhou Yu ordered his men to prepare boats, as he intended to personally travel to Xiakou to negotiate with Zhuge Liang.

Kongming, oh Kongming, you've won in the end...

Zhou Yu arrived at Xiakou in a depressed and unhappy mood.

Zhuge Liang had already led a group of civil and military officials to wait by the river, seemingly having anticipated Zhou Yu's arrival.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Yu let out another long sigh.

"Governor Zhou, I have been waiting here for a long time."

Zhuge Liang lightly waved his feather fan and greeted Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu forced a smile, disembarked from the boat, and bowed to Zhuge Liang, saying:
"Thank you for waiting, sir. Please come inside and talk."

The two entered and exchanged greetings.

Zhou Yu knew what Zhuge Liang wanted, and Zhuge Liang also knew that Zhou Yu knew what he wanted.

Both were shrewd individuals, and Zhou Yu spoke first:
"Your strategies are brilliant; you have captured Jingzhou without firing a single arrow. You are truly remarkable."

"I admire you greatly!"

Zhou Yu never expected that Zhuge Liang would actually keep his promise not to fire a single arrow at Jingzhou.

Unfortunately, he had no choice but to give up Jingzhou in the trade.

We have to take it out.

With Sun Quan pressing too hard from the rear, Jingzhou has become a hot potato.

Before giving up, Zhou Yu could only try to use it to gain as much benefit as possible for the Wu people.

Zhuge Liang feigned ignorance and asked while stroking his fan:

"Why do you say that, Commander? I have never intended to take Jingzhou."

"Could it be that the Commander-in-Chief has come here to hand over Jingzhou?"

Zhou Yu didn't engage in much verbal sparring with Zhuge Liang, but simply asked:

"I fought alongside my soldiers, risking our lives, to win this land."

"How can we so easily abandon it? If we give up Jingzhou, what will your country offer in return?"

Zhou Yu's greatest desire was, of course, to reclaim the land of Lujiang.

As a second-best option, they took Jingnan.

However, given Zhuge Liang's wisdom and talent, this goal would likely be difficult to achieve.

In particular, Zhou Yu didn't have many cards to play.

As expected, Zhuge Liang rose leisurely and spoke calmly:
"The Prefect of Yuzhang, Taishi Ziyi, recently contracted an epidemic and resigned to return to his hometown, Xuzhou, to recuperate."

"Yuzhang lacks a good governor."

"Today, I present you with Yuzhang as a token of my gratitude for the Governor's merits."

Zhou Yu's expression suddenly changed, and he said sternly:

"Yuzhang originally belonged to Jiangdong, why bother to give it to me!"

"Kongming is going too far!"

The area north of Yuzhang belonged to Eastern Wu, while the area south of Yuzhang was occupied by Taishi Ci and separately designated as Luling Commandery.

Zhuge Liang's intention was to merge the two prefectures into one and cede the entire territory of Yuzhang to Eastern Wu.

But Zhou Yu was not buying it. He offered half of Yuzhang in exchange for the wealthy Nanjun, which was simply treating people like fools.

Not to mention that Zhuge Liang never mentioned Lujiang.

Seeing that Zhou Yu refused, Zhuge Liang stood up with a flick of his sleeve and coldly said:

"...Since the governor has no sincerity, why bother saying more?"

Please leave!

Having said that, he lifted his robe and prepared to leave.

Knowing the situation was irreversible, Zhou Yu could only suppress his anger and plead with his hands clasped:

"Kongming, wait!"

"Even if Jingzhou cannot be salvaged, can Lujiang be returned?"

"The Wu army has just lost territory, and the soldiers are all resentful."

"If Lujiang is not reclaimed, I will have no face to see Lord Wu when I return to Wu."

Zhuge Liang spoke gently but with displeasure, and said sternly:

"Lujiang was originally Han territory, but it was seized by Cao Cao and later taken over by Wu."

"Now, Prime Minister Li is acting on the king's orders to recover lost territory, which is a move to rectify the situation and get to the root of the problem."

"And what is there to say about returning it?" Zhou Yu argued logically, immediately refuting the claim.

"In exchange for the land of Jingzhou, we can exchange it for Luling."

"Truly a laughingstock to the world!"

Trading the prosperous Jingzhou for the pestilential Luling—not to mention any politician would do such a thing.

Even young children would not do such a thing.

It should be noted that Zhou Yu has only taken Nan Commandery so far, but he directly said that he would trade Jingzhou with you.

Was Zhou Yu deliberately trying to embellish his own image?
Actually, no.

As mentioned before, Jiangling is the heart of Jingzhou.

Taking Jiangling is equivalent to taking the entire Jingzhou.

Historically, the famous story of Liu Bei borrowing Jingzhou actually refers to borrowing Jiangling.

At that time, Eastern Wu actually occupied Jiangxia and Nanjun, which was also Zhou Yu's strategy.

With these two territories, the route connecting the three prefectures of Jing, Yang, and Yi was opened up.

Zhou Yu could also set off from Jingzhou to attack Yizhou directly.

The so-called "borrowing of Jingzhou" by Liu Bei actually refers to the borrowing of Jiangling.

Once Jiangling was attacked, Nanjun followed suit.

This severed the connection between Eastern Wu and Yizhou.

Zhou Yu's plan to conquer Shu naturally fell through.

So people often wonder, didn't Liu Bei have Jingzhou at that time?
Why is it said that Liu Bei "borrowed" Jingzhou?

It was because Jiangling was in the hands of Eastern Wu at that time, and this place was very important.

As long as you have Jiangling, you can say you have Jingzhou.

Therefore, when Zhou Yu said he was offering Jingzhou in exchange for your money, it wasn't an exaggeration on his part.

Zhuge Liang also knew that he couldn't get rid of Zhou Yu with just Yuzhang.

He then made a slight concession and asked Zhou Yu what else he wanted.

Zhou Yu then said solemnly:
"Since Yuzhang is not worth discussing, I dare to request to exchange it for Jingnan."

"In the Battle of Red Cliffs, the people of Wu shed blood that flowed like rivers; how could we have contributed nothing?"

"Now that your country has gained control of northern Jing, it is not impossible for our Eastern Wu to take southern Jing."

Zhuge Liang's expression changed drastically, and he shouted:

"The nine prefectures of Jing and Xiang were originally one."

"If we try to govern separately now, the consequences will be endless! This idea is absolutely unacceptable."

Seeing that Zhuge Liang was unwilling to yield an inch of land, Zhou Yu finally understood.

From the very beginning, Qi's policy toward Wu was to confine them to the area south of the Yangtze River.

They were forbidden from continuing their expansionist policies.

Zhou Yu sighed inwardly:

"Only today do I realize the deep schemes of the State of Qi! They have trapped Wu in Jiangdong, preventing it from expanding its territory."

"Once you have devoured the world, my Wu will be nothing more than a fish in a pond."

"Li Yi's schemes extended as far as ten years into the future."

"It is a pity that our Eastern Wu has been confined to its territory for many years and has never been able to step out of Yangzhou."

Zhou Yu finally understood Li Yi's strategic plan.

He allowed Eastern Wu to entertain itself within its own territory, but forbade it from expanding outwards.

You are not allowed to lay a finger on Huainan, nor on Jingzhou.

Because Eastern Wu could not expand its territory, it could not develop.

However, the State of Qi, relying on its national strength, was able to gradually annex other states in the world.

When he turned around, he grabbed a handful of the Eastern Wu and strangled it to death.

I won't even need to use one hand; I'll truly wait until that day.

When Liu Bei, with the air of "ruling the world," once again came before the people of Wu.

Given the attitude of ministers like Zhang Zhao, they would probably have directly advised Sun Quan to surrender.

The river wind howled, stirring the military tent, and the oil lamp on the table flickered.

Left with no other option, Zhou Yu had to try to secure other locations, pointing to the area around Danyang on the map.

"Danyang is the gateway to Jiangdong."

"We must not leave it in the hands of Qi, lest the people of Qi seize it, and our Jiangdong will be wide open."

"Wouldn't that leave us at their mercy? We beg you to cut us off!"

Since the Qi people were determined to trap the Wu people in Jiangdong, Zhou Yu had no choice but to demand the entire territory of Jiangdong.

Danyang was never actually a key development target for the State of Qi.

It was more like an autonomous region for the "Shanyue" ethnic minorities. The State of Qi used it primarily to recruit soldiers from Danyang and replenish its military manpower.

But Danyang has also always played another extremely important strategic role.

That was the "stepping stone" from Qi to Jiangdong.

If the Sun family were to truly annex the entire Jiangdong region, relying on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, they would be quite a formidable opponent.

Therefore, the State of Qi has always retained the land of Danyang.

I don't care if you're given a high degree of autonomy, as long as you keep it for me.

So that when I really need to manage the Jiangdong region in the future, I won't have to obediently cross the Yangtze River.

Zhuge Liang, of course, disagreed with this:
"The governor is mistaken."

"...Our country has been in control of Danyang for over ten years; how can we easily concede it?"

Zhou Yu insisted repeatedly that Eastern Wu must possess Danyang.

Zhuge Liang couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he slowly said:

"Why is the Governor so insistent?"

"...Very well, let's set up Xindu County in the southern part of Danyang, with Lishui as the boundary."

"In this way, Wu will have a strong defense over the river, and Qi will also be able to secure the north bank."

"Isn't this a win-win solution?"

Zhuge Liang agreed to establish a new prefecture in Danyang and assign it to Eastern Wu.

However, the north bank of Danyang must be left to the State of Qi.
On the one hand, the State of Qi needed a springboard in Jiangdong.

On the other hand, the northern border of Danyang is actually much wealthier than the southern border.

For example, Moling, north of Danyang, is close to the mouth of the Yangtze River and is much wealthier than other places.

Historically, Sun Quan established his capital at Moling and renamed it Jianye the following year.

That is the Nanjing of later generations.

After more than an hour of back-and-forth, the negotiations finally came to an end.

The negotiation process has actually been quite fast.

However, everyone present felt that the process was extremely long.

In the end, Qi and Wu barely reached an agreement.

The two parties agreed that:

The counties north of Lishui and Danyang remained under the jurisdiction of Qi.
The newly established prefecture governed five cities, including Wanling and Jingxian, and was brought under the control of Wu.

The Dongwu river defense naval forces are not allowed to cross the border to the north.

Five days later, the flag change will take place in Gangneung, realizing the exchange of territories.

With the treaty finalized, Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang together took up their brushes and ink, outlining the new borders on a sheepskin map.

When the book was finished, a sudden gust of wind from the river blew out half of the lamps and candles in the tent.

……

In the twelfth year of Jian'an, on the day of Jiazi in the fifth month of summer.

The Wu banners on the walls of Jiangling were slowly lowered.

Qi's military commander Fei Guan led 300 armored soldiers, holding red banners, to accept the surrender.

Fei Guan was a native of Jiangxia, and was appointed as a military advisor by Zhuge Liang.

At noon, Zhuge Liang rode in a plain carriage drawn by a white horse into the city.

The elders of the city welcomed him with food and drink.

Wu general Ling Tong presented the seal of the Prefect of Nan Commandery, and the Qi army beat drums three times and played the music of "Changwu".

The Qi and Wu sides officially completed the Jiangling Flag Change.

Zhuge Liang also moved the capital of Jingzhou to Jiangling.

The original capital of the prefecture was in Xiangyang, and moving it to Jiangling was actually intended to dilute the influence of the old Jingzhou forces.

Upon learning of this, Liu Bei immediately issued an order.

He instructed Zhuge Liang to divide Nan Commandery and establish Jiangling Commandery.

This means that the Jiangling region was separated and established as a prefecture, which governed seven cities including Bianxian and Huarong.

The purpose of this was also to help Zhuge Liang increase his influence in the Jiangling region.

Then he submitted a memorial recommending Zhuge Liang to be appointed as the Prefect of Nan Commandery, concurrently serving as Military Advisor and General of the Central Army, and overseeing the four commanderies of Jingnan.

Troops can be mobilized from four locations: Wuling, Changsha, Lingling, and Guiyang.

Of course, whether or not the transfer can be carried out is another matter, but the power must be delegated first.

Liu Bei's actions were a declaration, both internally and externally:
He had officially handed over the Jingzhou region to Zhuge Liang.

As for why not directly appoint Zhuge Liang as the governor of Jingzhou?

At this time, the governor of Jingzhou was Liu Qi, who, although nominally in power, still had to maintain appearances.

The worst thing for a politician is to not even bother to "act".

In addition to making political arrangements for Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei also provided him with military support.

After the establishment of Jiangling Commandery, Liu Bei officially appointed General Huang Zhong as the Prefect of Jiangling.

This series of actions not only resulted in one of the only four generals of Qi remaining in Jingzhou.

Both are from Jingzhou and are junior members who joined later.

Both Zhuge Liang and Huang Zhong rose to prominence like rockets.

It's not that the two men hadn't made any contributions, but rather that their contributions weren't enough to justify their high positions.

Liu Bei arranged for these two men to work together, hoping they would combine their literary and military talents and support each other.

For Huang Zhong, a native of Jingzhou, half of his life is already buried in the earth.

And wouldn't you also like to spend your later years in your hometown?
Not to mention that he has now achieved great success and is very popular in front of his fellow villagers.

Therefore, Huang Zhong was extremely pleased and satisfied with Liu Bei's arrangement.

He repeatedly submitted memorials to express his gratitude.

As for Zhuge Liang, the first thing he did after officially taking office in Jingzhou was:

They appeased the old officials from Jingzhou and promoted new people to higher positions.

They then gathered all the civil and military officials to discuss long-term plans.

Suddenly a man came up to the hall and offered his advice. Upon closer inspection, it was Yi Ji.

"If Your Excellency wishes to devise a long-term plan, why not seek out wise men to consult?"

Kongming asked, "Where are the wise men?"

The Iranian immediately recommended:
"The Ma family of Jingxiang had five brothers, all of whom were renowned for their talent."

"The youngest was named Su, and his courtesy name was Youchang."

"The most virtuous among them had a white hair between his eyebrows. His name was Liang, and his courtesy name was Jichang."

There's a saying in the village: "Of the five Ma family members, Bai Mei is the best."

"When justice is needed, why not seek out this person and consult with him?"

Zhuge Liang was overjoyed and immediately ordered someone to invite him.

When Ma Liang arrived, Zhuge Liang treated him with great courtesy.

After the two talked for a while, Zhuge Liang was overjoyed and greatly admired Ma Liang's talent.

They immediately discussed strategies for protecting Jingzhou and Xiangyang.

“Liang was ordered by the King of Qi to come here to manage the affairs of Jing and Chu.”

“Ji Chang has lived here for a long time and is familiar with the geography. He can be a good advisor.”

Ma Liang immediately said:
"The Jingxiang region, bordering the Han River to the north, possesses a territory of thousands of miles and commands more than 100,000 armored soldiers."

In my humble opinion, the key to Jingzhou and Xiangyang lies in the four rivers and three roads.

"Controlling the Han River means controlling Xiangyang."

“Those who govern the Yuan and Xiang rivers govern the Baiyue region.”

"By controlling Jiangling, one can lock down Wu and Chu."

"With these three essentials, Jingzhou will surely not fall,"

“When Liu Jingsheng was in power, he was not capable enough in dealing with the Jingchu region.”

"Your Majesty may order your son Liu Qi to recuperate here, and summon your old retainers to guard the place."

"He was appointed Governor of Jingzhou to stabilize the people's hearts."

"Then we marched south to conquer the four prefectures of Wuling, Changsha, Guiyang, and Lingling, accumulating wealth and grain to build our foundation."

"...This is a long-term plan."

Zhuge Liang echoed:

"...Liang also had this idea."

"However, as Ji Chang said, Jingzhou and Xiangyang have been in turmoil for a long time, and it is not advisable to start a war immediately."

"The forces of Eastern Wu have been driven out of Jingzhou."

"The land south of Jing is safe for the time being."

"We can first send out a proclamation to pacify the area, and then launch a campaign."

"Let's settle domestic affairs first, and then discuss foreign affairs."

Jingzhou can be considered Lao Liu's rear base.

Given Lao Liu's current strength, he doesn't need Jingzhou to play a too heavy military role.

You can focus on developing domestic affairs first and help Qi consolidate its rear.

So Zhuge Liang and Ma Liang discussed the matter for a night and formulated a series of policies for the development of Jingzhou.

Everyone believed that Liu Jingsheng's control over Jingzhou was too weak and that reforms were necessary.

Three days later, the Jiangling region officially issued an announcement.

The new government announced that it would implement the following policies:

First, the system of military colonies.

They recruited refugees and reclaimed the silted land of Yunmeng Marsh.

They diverted water from the Ju and Zhang rivers to build twelve ponds to irrigate farmland.

Each soldier was assigned to cultivate fifty mu of land, and in times of war, they served as soldiers to protect their homes and country.

This move was also a strategy decided upon based on the fact that Jingzhou had suffered from turmoil for many years, and a large number of people had been displaced.

By recruiting displaced people, social order can also be stabilized.

Second, prepare for naval operations and develop a navy.

The Jingzhou Navy was known as the best navy in the world.

Following a series of political upheavals, the navy was also affected to some extent.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang gave an order.

A shipyard was established at Jiangjin Port, and the multi-story ships were converted into vehicle ships.

We encourage people to learn to swim so that everyone can swim.

Third, the city's defenses were strong.

To strengthen the defenses of Jiangling, an "inner city" was built.

At the same time, the north gate of Xiangyang was set up as a barbican.

Beacon towers were set up along the river, one every thirty li.

In addition, academies were established in the Jingxiang area to develop education.

Zhuge Liang personally took charge of the Jingxiang Academy and encouraged students to study there.

Of course, the most important thing is to revise the "Chu Ke".

It turns out that Liu Biao's old policies were too lenient, and the local powerful clans in Jingzhou and Xiangyang frequently engaged in the practice of "subordinates overthrowing superiors."

Therefore, Zhuge Liang took strong measures to crack down on the local powerful clans.

Of course, it's just about striking, not annihilating.

For example, conducting a thorough investigation of household registrations and strictly investigating "hidden households and their cronies."

Simultaneously,

Those who steal three bushels of grain will have their faces tattooed.

Anyone who privately mints coins shall be executed on the spot.

Officials who accept bribes will be punished with double the amount of the bribes.

Because many "barbarian" people still live in the Jingnan area.

Zhuge Liang also stipulated that barbarians who commit crimes should be punished the same as Han Chinese, without any favoritism.

A system of hostages for chieftains was established, stipulating that local chieftains must send members of their families to the local prefecture as hostages.

On the day the law was promulgated, Zhuge Liang personally went to the gate of Jiangling City.

The servant of the Kuai family, who had violated the rules, was publicly flogged.

More than 300 "bamboo talismans of pardon" were found in Liu Biao's treasury and burned in front of everyone.

The fire burned for three days straight.

As a result, the customs of Jingxiang changed drastically.

……

(End of this chapter)