My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Chapter 116: How can tigers and wolves compare to dragons and phoenixes! Don’t use my brother to pressure me, I will surrender to Cao, and you can die if you don’t obey!

Xun Yu and other counselors all looked surprised.

Just now he was calling Sun Quan a waste, but in the blink of an eye he said that if he had a son, he would be like Sun Zhongmou. What is going on?
"Everyone, take a look."

Cao Cao stopped laughing and showed everyone the letter written by Sun Quan.

After reading it, Xun Yu and others suddenly understood and started discussing it.

Surrender and submit!

In the letter, Sun Quan clearly stated his intention to submit to Cao Cao and said he was willing to offer his sons and nephews to Xu Du as hostages to show his sincerity in surrendering.

However, in view of the fact that Jiangdong had suffered three defeats at Xiakou and suffered heavy losses in troops and generals, it was no longer able to attack Liu Bei alone. Sun Quan requested Cao Cao to send tens of thousands of troops south to support Jiangdong.

At that time, the Jiangdong army would attack by water, and the Cao army would attack by land, and then they would attack Jiangxia by land and by water, using the strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao, to lift the siege of Jiangling and prevent Liu Bei from taking Jingzhou.

"In exchange for the Prime Minister's help, Sun Quan was able to endure humiliation and submit to the Prime Minister. He was so flexible and resilient that he truly resembled Gou Jian..."

Xun Yu was amazed, and his brows were full of admiration.

"Sun Jian and his son, Sun Ce, were both incredibly brave and valiant. They were good at battle but weak at political schemes and inflexible."

"Although Sun Quan's military talent was mediocre, his ability to strategize and assess the situation was truly remarkable."

"This person's style of behavior is totally unlike that of a Sun family member."

Cheng Yu also sighed with emotion and expressed surprise.

Cao Cao stroked his thin beard and sighed:

"Only those who can bend and stretch can be called true men. That is why I say that if I had a son, I would want him to be like Sun Zhongmou. Sons like Liu Biao are both like dogs and pigs."

After everyone praised Sun Quan, the next step was to discuss whether to accept Sun Quan's request for surrender.

Cao Cao was so cunning, and Xun Yu and Cheng Yu were so wise, how could they not see that Sun Quan's surrender was just a temporary measure, only to exchange for Cao Cao's reinforcements to deal with Liu Bei.

If Sun Quan really surrendered, he should come to Xudu alone to pay a visit, hand over the military and political power of Jiangdong, and let officials appointed by Cao Cao take over the power.

Now Sun Quan only talks about sending his sons and nephews as hostages, but does not mention coming to Xudu to pay a visit. The subtext is naturally that he only wants to surrender in name, but in fact still control Jiangdong and hold power.

The opinions of the counselors soon split into two factions.

One faction believed that Sun Quan was not trustworthy and should not accept his surrender, so they sent a large army south to provide assistance.

What if Sun Quan went back on his word and withheld the imperial reinforcements? Wouldn’t that mean tens of thousands of soldiers would be lost in vain?
After all, Sun Quan had a dark history of stabbing Liu Bei twice.

The other faction advocated trusting Sun Quan once and for all to prevent Liu Bei from swallowing up Jingzhou. They sent troops south to provide support and join forces with the Jiangdong navy to attack Xiakou.

The two factions of advisers each had their own reasons and the argument could not be resolved for a while.

"Wen Ruo, what do you think?"

Cao Cao's gaze finally fell on Xun Yu, his former strategist.

Even now, when he was the prime minister, he showed more and more disrespect for the emperor and had differences with Xun Yu, but it had not yet reached the point where a rift appeared.

For such an important decision, Cao Cao naturally had to rely on Xun Yu's judgment.

"If Liu Biao's son is a dog or a pig, and Sun Quan is a tiger or a wolf, then Liu Bei is a dragon among men!"

"Ever since he got Xiao He, he has been invincible, unstoppable, like a dragon soaring into the sky."

"If we allow Liu Bei to capture Jiangling and completely control Jingzhou, giving him a foothold, I'm afraid his rise will be difficult to suppress."

"Although Sun Quan is a tiger and a wolf, his ambition is only to seize control of a corner of the world. Liu Bei, like a dragon and a phoenix, aims to swallow up the whole world!"

"Liu Bei is the greatest threat to the court and the Prime Minister!"

Xun Yu's expression became increasingly solemn. Suddenly, he stood up and bowed solemnly to Cao Cao:
"Prime Minister, I believe the court should grant Sun Quan's surrender and immediately dispatch elite troops south to Jiangdong to join forces with Sun Quan's navy in a hasty attack on Jingzhou. We must spare no effort to lift the siege of Jiangling!"

Cheng Yu also jumped up and supported Xun Yu's advice.

Cao Cao took Sun Quan's hand again, read it for a long time, and pondered in silence.

"Snapped!"

Cao Cao slammed the letter on the table and said with emotion:
"If what Wen said is true, Liu Bei is a grave threat to me. I absolutely cannot allow him to swallow up Jingzhou and become powerful."

"I will grant Sun Quan's surrender and quickly reply to the envoy. As soon as his son and nephew hostages arrive in Xudu, I will immediately send troops to Jiangdong to help him attack Jiangxia again and besiege Wei to save Zhao!"

...

Chaisang, in the mansion.

Apart from Sun Yu, Zhou Yu, Lu Meng and Lu Su, there were no other generals present.

Sun Quan then took out Cao Cao's handwritten letter and announced to everyone his decision to surrender to Cao Cao and send his sons and nephews to the court as hostages in exchange for Cao Cao sending troops to help.

Lu Su's face changed drastically, and he was completely stunned.

I was clearly advising Cao Cao to make peace with Liu Bei, so how come in the blink of an eye, it became Sun Quan asking for surrender to Cao Cao?
Isn't this a thousand times more humiliating than surrendering to Liu Bei?
"My lord, you are the ruler of Jiangdong and an equal to that thief Cao. How can you, out of fear of Liu Bei, submit to Cao Cao?"

"Who persuaded the lord to do this? This person should be killed!"

Zhou Yu's reaction was even more intense. He jumped up and protested angrily.

The words "This man should be killed" made Lu Meng shudder.

Sun Quan didn't expect Zhou Yu to be so furious, and was frightened for a moment. He just lowered his head and coughed dryly, not daring to respond.

"Lü Ziming, were you the one who instigated our lord to surrender to Cao Cao, bringing shame upon our lord and upon Jiangdong?"

Zhou Yu quickly turned his attention to Lu Meng.

Lu Meng could only cough dryly a few times and pretend to be calm:

"I believe what the Commander-in-Chief said is correct. Cao Cao is the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty and represents the imperial court and the Son of Heaven. If you submit to Cao Cao, you are submitting to the imperial court and the Son of Heaven."

"My lord is the Marquis of Wu of the Han Dynasty. Submission to the emperor is a natural and righteous act of loyalty. How can it be said to be a disgrace?"

Zhou Yu flew into a rage and shouted:

"Don't try to make excuses here. Everyone in the world knows that Cao Cao, in name only, is a Han traitor. The emperor in Xudu is just a puppet in the hands of Cao Cao."

"Submitting to Cao Cao is equivalent to being a traitor to Han. You are not ashamed of this, but proud of it. How dare you call yourself loyal and righteous?"

Lu Meng was left speechless after being confronted by Zhou Yu. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he could only look at Sun Quan helplessly.

At this time.

Lu Su, who had recovered from his shock, looked at Sun Quan with a serious expression:

"Even if you are unwilling to ask for peace with Liu Bei out of pride, you should not turn to Cao Cao and surrender."

"Putting aside Cao Cao's identity as a traitor, Cao Cao's cunning and strength far surpass Liu Bei's. My lord, if you surrender to him, it would be like inviting a wolf into the house and seeking the skin of a tiger."

"From a short-term perspective, it may be profitable, but in the long run, it will definitely sow great trouble for Jiangdong."

"Lord Lu Su, please think long-term and don't be so short-sighted!"

Lu Su still used the same old trick, putting the cause of resisting Cao first in everything.

Sun Quan originally felt that he was in the wrong, but after being "taught a lesson" by his two ministers, Zhou Yu and Lu Su, he became more and more angry!

"boom!"

Sun Quan slammed the table and shouted angrily:
"Zhou Gongjin, Lu Zijing, how dare you two confront me like this!" "I want to ask you, am I, Sun Quan, the lord, or are you the lord?"

Lu Su's heart trembled, and he suddenly realized that his words had crossed the line and touched Sun Quan's bottom line.

Zhou Yu ignored Sun Quan's questioning, met Sun Quan's angry eyes, and said sternly:

"The ruler of Jiangdong is naturally you, my lord. However, your Jiangdong foundation was founded by Bofu through hundreds of battles."

"I have been entrusted with the care of my lord by Bofu, so I shall do my utmost to assist him. How can I sit back and watch you go astray without offering your sincere advice? Wouldn't I be..."

Sun Quan clenched his fists gradually, and the resentment that had been suppressed for many years burst out at this moment.

When Sun Ce entrusted his son to him, everyone in Jiangdong thought that he was inferior to Sun Ce and could not bear the heavy responsibility of being the lord of Jiangdong. There were countless people who were dissatisfied.

It was thanks to the support of Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu that he was able to quell rebellions from all sides and secure his position as the lord of Jiangdong.

But even though he worked hard to make Jiangdong prosperous, everyone still thought he was inferior to Sun Ce in their hearts, even though they didn't say it.

Sun Ce is his Achilles' heel.

At this time, Zhou Yu was in a desperate situation and wanted to use Sun Ce to suppress him, which touched his sore spot.

"shut up!"

Sun Quan could no longer bear it, slammed the table and stood up, angrily saying:

"My eldest brother has been dead for many years. Don't use him to pressure me. I am the Lord of Jiangdong. I can do whatever I want!"

"If you, Zhou Yu, are dissatisfied, then you can go to the underworld and find my elder brother, and continue to be his subject!"

There was a sudden silence in the lobby.

Lu Su widened his eyes and looked at Sun Quan in disbelief. He never expected that he would say such a thing.

This is clearly disrespectful to Sun Ce and shows deep resentment towards Zhou Yu.

And what does it mean when Zhou Yu is asked to go to the underworld to find Sun Ce?
Translated, this is equivalent to saying:

go to hell!

Zhou Yu was also confused.

He stood stiffly on the spot, leaning on a crutch, looking at Sun Quan in astonishment and shock, and for a moment he thought he had misheard.

"what--"

Suddenly, Zhou Yu let out a loud and tragic cry, spat out a mouthful of liquid food towards the sky, staggered back a few steps, and fell to the ground.

The qi and blood attacked his heart and he was so angry that he fainted.

"Gong Jin!"

Lu Su and others were horrified and rushed forward in panic.

When Sun Quan saw that Zhou Yu was so angry that he vomited blood and fainted, the anger on his face instantly turned into tension, and a hint of regret appeared in his eyes. He realized that what he had just said was indeed a bit too much.

Just when he was about to go down the stairs to check on Zhou Yu, he hesitated.

After hesitating for a moment, Sun Quan still did not go on. He just sighed, flicked his sleeves and turned away.

...

In the spring of the 14th year of Jian'an, Sun Quan formally submitted a letter of surrender, surrendering to Cao Cao in the name of submitting to the imperial court, and sent his sons and nephews to Xudu as hostages.

Cao Cao then sent three generals, Cao Hong, Xu Huang, and Li Dian, to lead 30,000 Cao troops from Hefei south to Jiangdong to meet Sun Quan at Ruxu Fort.

The Cao-Sun coalition forces, with a combined force of 50,000, advanced by land and sea, heading towards Jingzhou again.

...

South of Jiangling City, Liu Jun’s main camp.

Liu's army of nearly 50,000 infantry and cavalry had besieged Jiangling City for more than two months.

Jiangling City was originally the second largest and most fortified city in Jingzhou, and it was also where Liu Biao stored grain. The grain stored in the city was enough to support an army of 100,000 for one or two years.

After learning of Cai Mao's death, Liu Cong, at Kuai Yue's suggestion, retreated all of Wen Pin's troops in Dangyang in the north, the garrisons in Yiling and other places in the west, and the surviving soldiers who had been defeated in Jianli into Jiangling to defend it.

At most, there are nearly 20,000 Jingzhou defenders in the city.

Kuai Yue’s strategy was very clear. He relied on the solidity of Jiangling City and its abundant food and grass to hold on and wait for help.

After Liu Bei won a great victory in Baqiu, he joined forces with Zhang Fei's northern army at the foot of Jiangling city.

The army laid siege to the city and attacked from all sides for a month, but they could not shake Jiangling City at all.

Inside the Chinese military tent.

"I never thought that Sun Zhongmou would be so flexible and resilient that he would even send his sons and nephews to Xudu to surrender to Cao Cao in exchange for Cao's army coming south to support him."

"This man's ability to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens is truly rare in ancient and modern times. He is truly as extraordinary as Gou Jian."

Liu Bei looked at the information in his hand and couldn't help but sigh.

There was a lot of discussion in the tent.

"We certainly couldn't have anticipated Sun Quan's audacity to surrender to Cao Cao. It seems like what Military Advisor Bo Wen said is true: Sun Quan has no bottom line."

Xu Shu changed the subject and pointed at the map:
"However, the alliance between Cao and Sun is a foregone conclusion. According to spies, Cao Cao's 30,000 infantry and cavalry have already entered Ruxukou and will link up with Sun Quan's navy. They should soon advance by land and sea to attack Jingzhou again."

"The joining of Cao's army just makes up for the weakness of Jiangdong's army in attacking the city. General Yunchang's pressure on Wuchang will definitely increase twice as much."

"My lord, I'm afraid we'll have to mobilize at least 20,000 infantry to reinforce the Wuchang front to ensure the safety of the eastern front."

Liu Bei nodded slightly, approving Xu Shu's proposal, but then said:

"Wuchang does need reinforcements, but if 20,000 troops are withdrawn, my army to attack Jiangling will only have 30,000 or so."

"Liu Cong's army still has over 20,000 soldiers in the city. I'm afraid the difficulty of capturing Jiangling will be doubled."

Xu Shu sighed and said:

"In this case, it is unrealistic to attack Jiangling by force. The only option is to take it by strategy. But Liu Cong is hiding in the dark, so how can we take him by strategy..."

Xu Shu thought hard but could not come up with any good idea.

At this moment, everyone's eyes, as if instinctively, turned to Xiao He.

At this time, Xiao He didn't say a word from beginning to end. He just played with the tea bowl in his hand and looked at the map thoughtfully.

"Bo Wen, have you come up with a good plan to quickly capture Jiangling?"

Liu Bei's eyes narrowed slightly, and he saw some clues from Xiao He's familiar expression.

Xiao He withdrew his thoughts and smiled:
"I have thought of a plan, but my lord, you may need to wait patiently for a few more days for someone who can help us quickly capture Jiangling."

The one who quickly captured Jiangling?

Liu Bei's eyes were blank, and he couldn't hear the hidden meaning in Xiao He's words at all.

Just as I was about to ask again, the guard came in and reported:

"My lord, there is a scholar outside the camp who claims to be Zhang Song, the deputy governor of Yizhou. He is passing through Jiangling on his way back to Shu and has come to pay a visit to you."

(End of this chapter)