Tiger Guards

Chapter 561 Zhou Yu Returns North
Qingzhou, Linzi.

The spring plowing progress here is similar to that in Xuzhou. With a gentle spring breeze, Sun Ce led dozens of cavalrymen out for a hunting trip.

He galloped away on his horse, a prized steed from the Western Regions, a gift from Zhao Ji. The horse was incredibly fast, and his own riders couldn't keep up, gradually losing track of Sun Ce's figure.

Grass sprouts everywhere, and all things are full of vitality.

A flock of eagles circled overhead. Sun Ce controlled his horse and advanced at a steady pace. He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed at the gray-brown figure that flashed by in the withered grass, and decisively released it.

The arrow embedded itself firmly in the low, withered grass. Sun Ce gripped the horse with both legs, and the steed, which he had already tamed, slowly slowed down, carrying him to where the arrow had disappeared.

Upon approaching, Sun Ce saw that the arrow had struck the rabbit's abdomen and embedded itself more than a foot deep in the ground. The arrow was obscured by weeds and was difficult to spot.

He turned sideways on his horse, stretched out his arm, grabbed the arrow, and pulled it out along with the rabbit.

Once firmly seated on his horse, Sun Ce pulled an arrow from the rabbit, wiped the arrowhead with the rabbit's fur, and then put it back in the quiver.

Seeing that the rabbit was injured but not dead and its powerful hind legs were still thrashing, Sun Ce picked up the rabbit and slammed it to the ground. The rabbit immediately quieted down after the hard slam.

Sun Ce once again spun his horse in place, hid in the stirrups, stretched out his arm and grabbed the rabbit. This time, he held the rabbit in his hand, tied it securely with a cowhide rope, and then hung it around the horse's neck.

After he finished his work, Han Dang and Song Qian each led more than ten riders to Sun Ce's location, slowing down gradually so that they arrived near Sun Ce almost at the same time.

Han Dang and Song Qian dismounted together, stepped forward and bowed. Song Qian looked up and earnestly advised, "My lord, how could you forget what Master Zigang said?"

"The people inside and outside Linzi are all my soldiers, officers, and their families. If I have to worry about these things, where in this world can I find happiness?"

Sun Ce responded with a smile, gesturing for Han Dang and the other man to mount their horses. He also lowered his tone, saying, "It was just the gentle spring breeze that made me careless. I'll be more careful next time."

Han Dang and Song Qian exchanged a helpless glance.

Sun Ce, seeing that they were no longer nagging, gently spurred his horse forward, while his attendants scattered to disturb the prey that were foraging and hiding in the dry grass.

After hunting for half a day, Sun Ce returned to the city with more than ten pheasants and rabbits, which hung full on both sides of his horse's neck.

On the way back to the city, Sun Ce also untied these pheasants and rabbits and threw them to soldiers and civilians who looked pleasing to him by the roadside.

As he said before, Linzi is indeed his base of operations.

The dilapidated state of Qingzhou was not merely literal; even ancient metropolises like Linzi were largely deserted.

Many of the powerful clans of Qingzhou who had rebelled against Sun Ce and submitted to Yuan Shao had already migrated to Pingyuan County or the Dongjun area north of the Yellow River through negotiations.

Sun Ce abandoned the relatively prosperous Licheng in Jinan and the relatively populous Beihai, and instead chose Linzi as his base.

His troops, slaves, and the troops and families of his generals were all settled around Linzi.

Inside and outside Linzi City, all the inhabitants were former subordinates of the Sun family; there were no local bullies among them.

In Sun Ce's view, what problems could possibly arise inside or outside Linzi?
If something goes wrong, it must be because he did something wrong. Given his easygoing personality, if something really goes wrong, he can just accept his fate.

After he returned to the general's mansion in the city, his brother-in-law Hongzi came to see him and handed him a letter: "Bofu, take a look at this first."

Sun Ce was changing into casual clothes. He spread his arms and was attended to by his concubines. He reached out and took the letter. It was a neatly folded silk book, made of luxurious plain silk, as if it were a layer of moonlight.

He casually unfolded the book, and upon seeing the handwriting, his face immediately lit up with joy: "It's Gongjin?"

"Yes, Zhou Gongjin dispatched an envoy to set sail from Danyang, bypassing Guangling and the East Sea, only replenishing the water supply at Langya, and then going around Donglai directly to the mouth of the Ji River."

Hong Zi recounted, "According to the messenger, Liu Zifang, the governor of Yangzhou, is lenient and easygoing, making it difficult to control the province. Heroes are rising up everywhere in the province, and the Liu brothers each occupy large counties, gathering heroes and intending to launch another southern expedition against Jiangdong." Sun Ce simply nodded upon hearing this, and after his concubines had fastened his belt, he waved them away.

Only after carefully reading Zhou Yu's handwritten letter did he look pleased: "With Gongjin's assistance, Qingzhou will no longer be a dead end!"

He desperately needed a capable and reliable partner to keep the army in check; even someone as strong as Zhao Ji constantly recruited strong generals from outside to maintain the stability of the army.

A stable military ensures that military power is firmly in one's grasp and avoids unnecessary internal strife.

After reading Zhou Yu's handwritten letter, Sun Ce carefully folded it and said, "Jiangdong is rich in resources. The north bank has been ravaged by Yuan Shu. Now Liu Xun and others have gathered troops and become powerful. Their only shortage is money and food, just like the poverty of our army back then."

Even if Liu Xun and other generals who betrayed Yuan Shu were shameless, they would not besiege Yuan Shu.

Those who followed Yuan Shu shared a common characteristic: they valued chivalry and believed in acting swiftly and decisively.

He would rather break away from Yuan Shu than turn against his former master.

To feed the army, they must cross the river and find food on the east bank.

Even when Liu Ai, the governor of Yangzhou, sought help and appealed to the imperial court, it was to no avail.

In order to suppress Yuan Shu, the court and Lü Bu allowed Yuan Shu's former generals to turn against him and expand their own power; the rise of Liu Xun and others was a scene that the court was happy to see last year.

The army is currently starving, and the imperial court has no surplus grain.

Even if Lü Bu were to send troops to conquer these armies... what would be the point?
It will disrupt the spring planting in Lü Bu's area and also damage the last bit of vitality in the Huaihe River region.

Even if the campaign succeeds, after defeating Liu Xun, Chen Lan, Lei Xu, and other generals, will you kill the big ones and let the small ones go, or will you annex them all? Or will you massacre them all?

Many problems can be solved by one side making concessions, but how can we make concessions on strategic resources like food that are essential for survival?
Now that the robber has eaten his fill, what will he do when he sees you weak?
Therefore, Lü Bu and the imperial court will not forcefully intercept or punish the generals of Huainan; the powerful clans and gentry of Jiangdong have already suffered enough at the hands of Sun Ce, and will definitely persuade Liu Ai to resolutely resist.

For Jiangdong, as long as they defend and maintain a stalemate, the generals of Huainan, without logistical support, will only face certain death!
When the starving army mutinied and killed the generals of Huainan, these troops had no choice but to surrender and attach themselves to powerful families in Jiangdong in order to get a bite to eat.

In Sun Ce's eyes, the new round of chaos that was about to break out in Yangzhou was unstoppable.

It was reasonable for Zhou Yu to lead his clan, fellow villagers, and retainers to Qingzhou to escape the chaos.

Zhou Yu's clan and fellow villagers fled to Jiangdong to escape the chaos. These people were from Huainan and Jiangbei. Now, the generals of Huainan were sharpening their knives, ready to repeat the old story of Sun Ce. Caught between the generals of Huainan and the powerful families of Jiangdong, Zhou Yu and his nephew, along with their fellow villagers of similar status, had no other choice.

Danyang County is located on the front line of the Jiangdong battlefield. If the generals of Huainan show any signs of crossing the river to launch a strong attack, the powerful families of Jiangdong will definitely take action first to deal with wandering and exiled people like Zhou Yu.

At that time, Sun Ce's army that crossed the river numbered less than 10,000. It was only after he conquered Jiangdong and absorbed various northern refugees that he was able to grow rapidly!
Therefore, if a civil war breaks out in Yangzhou, the natives south of the Yangtze River in Yangzhou will definitely attack the Xu and Yang people and the people from the Central Plains who are fleeing the chaos in Jiangnan!

When it comes to survival and ancestral industries, how could the natives of Jiangnan possibly hold back?

Zhou Yu's early withdrawal was a dignified way of exiting the situation.

Sun Ce was fully aware of the inside story of the changes in Yangzhou, and at this moment he only hoped that Zhou Yu would come to Qingzhou to help him as soon as possible.

He felt the situation was becoming increasingly urgent, especially after Zhao Ji's great victory in his campaign against the various Hu tribes.

Sun Ce could hardly imagine how many cavalry would appear when Zhao Ji once again led his troops to Guandong.

As for admitting defeat... he didn't want to lose to the younger Zhao Ji.

(End of this chapter)