Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 205 How can one live under the same roof as an enemy?
Qingyang Pavilion in Guangde, the Sun family's camp.

Centered on Qingyangting, a heavily fortified camp stretched for three or four miles, filling a small basin called 'Qingluo'ao' to the brim.

The camp is surrounded by mountains, among which Qingluo and Niutou Mountains are the most famous. At the foot of each of the two peaks is a natural pass, forming a natural barrier for the southeast of the camp. To the west and north of the camp, the Jiaocun River and Meicun River meander through, forming a natural moat that encircles the camp.

The layout and location of the camp alone demonstrate that Sun Ce, who built it, possessed extraordinary military talent and ability, and was virtually invincible before the great battle even began.

However, Sun Ce's carelessness not only landed him in a predicament but also plunged this seemingly impregnable camp into crisis and chaos.

Since Cheng Pu returned to the camp, the entire camp has been under martial law. The remnants of the cavalry that followed Cheng Pu back were confined to a small area on the east side of the camp, forming their own camp, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

That night at 9 PM, when all was quiet, a heavily concealed supply wagon silently entered the south gate of the camp and headed straight for Sun Ce's central command tent.

Sigh...
The driver gently pulled on the reins, and the carriage slowly came to a stop on the uneven, gravelly ground.

The curtain was then lifted, and a slender figure stepped down from the carriage and, with dozens of guards covering his tracks, quickly entered the main tent.

The tent was dimly lit by only two oil lamps, and the flickering candlelight cast long, thin shadows on Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Lü Fan.

“Youtai”.

"Master Sun."

Upon seeing the slender and unkempt Sun Jing enter, Cheng Pu and the other two quickly stood up to greet her.

Sun Jing nodded slightly to the three of them, walked without stopping to the head couch, adjusted the slightly loose belt around her waist, lifted her lower robe, and sat cross-legged: "I know everything, now tell me what I don't know."

Looking at his casual and lazy demeanor, Cheng Pu and the other two did not feel slighted at all. Instead, they felt that "this is how this person should be." Their brows, which were originally furrowed due to the urgent situation, relaxed a little without them.

Sun Jing was broad-minded and did not covet power. Even during the two years when Sun Jian was at the height of his power, he did not ask Sun Jian for an official position. Instead, he lived in seclusion in his hometown of Fuchun, seemingly living a life of seclusion.

However, his status within the Sun clan was second only to the deceased Sun Jian and the current Sun Ce, and he was always present whenever a major event occurred in the Sun clan.

For example, when Sun Jian first raised his army, it was Sun Jing who gathered several hundred members of his clan to serve as Sun Jian's core retinue.

Now that the Sun family has encountered misfortune, the first person Cheng Pu notified was Sun Jing.

When Sun Jing arrived, Cheng Pu and the others felt relieved. Although they were Sun's right-hand men, they were still just subjects, and they were bound to be constrained in many situations.

With this member of the Sun clan now in charge, it's like having a backbone, and some previously undecided decisions can now be discussed and resolved.

“After Bo Fu’s accident, I immediately sent someone to Guangde to try to redeem him, but Yan Yi only replied with one sentence.”

"What?"

"No need to discuss."

Cheng Pu's first words made the usually calm and collected Sun Jing frown: "Isn't he greedy for money? Is it possible that even with the wealth of the entire Sun family, this boy can't be tempted?"

Cheng Pu rubbed his throbbing temples, his eyes bloodshot, and shook his head with a wry smile: "Before he said no talk, I had already taken it upon myself to quote him a ransom of three thousand gold, which was later increased to five thousand gold."

Sun Jing sat up straight, realizing that the situation was far more complicated than he had imagined. A sense of pressure gradually rose in his heart, and he muttered to himself, "Bo Fu has no grudge against him and has never had any contact with him before. Why is he so fixated on Bo Fu?"

Cheng Pu and others were also completely baffled by this problem.

Putting aside the exorbitant ransom of five thousand gold coins, which anyone would agree to without hesitation, just consider the ambush against Sun Ce. Sending out so many assassins at once—what kind of deep-seated hatred, resentment, and conflict of interest would drive someone to do something like that?

That wasn't just assassination; it was seizing any opportunity to kill someone, regardless of the cost.

When did Bo Fu get involved with such a madman? Did they have some kind of grudge from a past life?
"Can I assume that redeeming Bo Fu is already an extremely difficult task?" Sun Jing asked abruptly after a long silence.

Cheng Pu already had the answer in his heart. What he needed to do now was to make Sun Jing face reality as soon as possible, so as not to waste time and energy on this and delay other decisions.

He nodded and said in a low voice, "It's no longer a matter of redeeming Bo Fu, but about finding a way to save his life."

Sun Jing was slightly taken aback. Considering the hostile relationship between the two sides, which was about to engage in a major battle, she nodded slightly with a grim expression, agreeing with Cheng Pu's statement.

"There is also good news: Boyang is still alive." Seeing the atmosphere was too heavy, Lü Fan interjected at the right time: "The envoy went to see him. Although he is still seriously injured and unconscious, his life has been saved."

Sun Ben was indeed still alive. When the assassins were chasing Sun Ce, their primary goal was to kill Sun Ce. Because Sun Ben did not pose a significant obstacle to this goal, and because of his prominent status and value as a captive, he was fortunate enough to escape with his life.

A hint of surprise flashed in Sun Jing's eyes, followed by a thoughtful expression. She picked up a wine cup from the table, took two sips, and suddenly looked up at Cheng Pu and the others, asking, "If Bo Fu were to meet with misfortune, who do you think should succeed him?"

Cheng Pu and the other two were taken aback by the sudden question. They exchanged glances and remained silent.

In their hearts, they had long regarded Sun Ce as the most ideal person to serve, and had never considered anyone else.

But this is an unavoidable issue because it concerns the rise and fall and continuation of a family, and personal feelings seem somewhat pale and powerless in this matter.

Sun Jing's fingers gently traced the patterns on the wine cup as she pressed on, "Quan'er or Yi'er, who do you think is more suitable?"

Sun Jian had four legitimate sons: Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi, and Sun Kuang. Sun Kuang was only four years old, so he was not considered as a successor by Sun Jing.

Cheng Pu and Han Dang exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of unease in each other's eyes. Sun Yi was ten years old, and Sun Quan was twelve. These two little brats, barely out of their teens, could they shoulder such a great responsibility? They were probably going to be devoured, leaving not even a bone fragment.

As Sun Ce's staunchest supporter, Lü Fan knew that now was not the time to back down. If the Sun family were to establish a new heir, wouldn't Sun Ce's situation become even more difficult?

He stood up, moved the mat next to Sun Jing, and sat down again. He said bluntly, "Lord Sun, I believe that neither Quan Shaojun nor Yi Shaojun are suitable for this important task. Bo Fu is the only candidate!"

Sun Jing slightly raised her eyelids and glanced at him: "Why?"

A strand of hair fell across Lü Fan's forehead, which he didn't bother to brush away. He said in a deep voice, "The world is in turmoil, surrounded by wolves. Quan Shaojun is only twelve years old. Even if he is intelligent, he is still immature. How can he control the situation? By the time he comes of age, it will be seven or eight years from now. Even if Lord Sun can wait, can the Sun family wait? In seven or eight years, will there still be a place for us?" Sun Jing put the wine cup back on the table and asked calmly, "Will there still be?"

Lü Fan leaned forward, picked up the wine cup on the table, tilted the cup, and the clear wine slowly flowed out, filling the cup.

He slowly set down the wine cup, the bottom striking the lacquered table with a dull thud: "The most urgent task is to protect the troops left behind by Bo Fu. In three or four days at the earliest, seven or eight days at the latest, the news of Bo Fu's capture will surely spread. With Yuan Shu's methods, do you think that the two young lords, Quan and Yi, and we alone can protect these troops?"

clap clap clap!
Sun Jing's suggestion was rejected, but she didn't get angry at all. Instead, she clapped her hands and laughed: "Ziheng is right."

Lu Fan was slightly taken aback, then realized that Sun Jing herself was probably hesitant about whether to establish a new successor, and her words just now were probably just a test of his, Cheng Pu's, and Han Dang's attitudes.

In particular, Cheng Pu and Han Dang are the only two remaining veteran generals of the Sun family, and their attitudes can directly influence the Sun family's decisions.

"To be honest, what Ziheng said is exactly what I'm worried about." After seeing through Cheng Pu and the others' attitude, Sun Jing stopped mentioning the matter of succession and changed the subject without any hesitation: "Bo Fu and Bo Yang are trapped in the enemy camp, and Wu Jing has lost the hearts of the army and can hardly stand firm in the army. As for me, I am just a recluse in the mountains. How can I bear such a heavy burden? I'm afraid that the efforts of my Sun family over the years will be gone within a month."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Pu and the others felt disheartened, realizing that the current situation was even more difficult than when Sun Jian passed away.

At that time, although the Sun family had lost Sun Jian as their pillar, Sun Jian's former subordinates were still there and still had value to Yuan Shu. Therefore, Yuan Shu did not seize all of the Sun family's troops and left them with some leeway.

Now, the Sun clan is either too old or too young, and there are no suitable candidates to support the situation. Moreover, most of Sun Jian's old troops have been lost. Why would Yuan Shu continue to keep the Sun clan? He will probably squeeze out the last bit of value from the Sun clan and then kick them aside like a worn-out shoe.

The foundation that Sun Jian painstakingly built will likely be destroyed soon.

Lu Fan sighed inwardly and comforted him, "There's always a way out. Lord Sun, there's no need to worry too much."

Cheng Pu had been recruited by Yuan Shu, but after refusing, he was discarded by Yuan Shu like a worn-out shoe. He knew Yuan Shu's thoughts and tricks very well, and immediately said, "Lord Sun, we can no longer stay here with Yuan Shu. Since we have no place to stand now, we might as well temporarily seek refuge elsewhere and wait for a change of opportunity."

Sun Jing had already considered this issue on her way here.

Since Sun Jian raised his army, the Sun family had long been dependent on Yuan Shu, and the clan was not averse to relying on others. If Yuan Shu hadn't acted so excessively, why would the Sun family have been so eager to break free from his control and establish their own power base? Now that they had just begun to make progress, they were dealt a heavy blow, and everyone's spirits were dampened, and their morale was greatly diminished. Now, as long as they could preserve this foundation, they might as well go back to their old ways.

"Master Cheng's words are very much to my liking." Sun Jing pondered for a moment and then asked, "Do any of you have a suitable place in mind?"

Han Dang had a deep impression of the Battle of Yanzhou and immediately said, "Cao Mengde is courteous to the virtuous and has many soldiers and generals. Although he is currently troubled by the rebel army, he is bound to succeed. If our army goes to surrender now, it will be like sending charcoal in snowy weather, and we will surely be treated well."

Lu Fan shook his head and said, "The journey to Yanzhou is long. Even if our army reaches Yanzhou, less than one-tenth of our troops will survive. It would be better to find another place."

"How is Tao Qian?"

"No, this is a dying man, how can we go to him?"

"What about Xu Gong and Wang Lang? They are powerful and might be able to rescue Bo Fu."

"No, these two are not skilled in military affairs and are no match for Yan Yi."

"This won't work, that won't work, are we perhaps going to join someone like Zhou Shu?"

As everyone was discussing, they suddenly heard footsteps approaching and immediately fell silent.

"What is it?" Cheng Pu asked.

A guard stood at the tent entrance and whispered, "Reporting to the general, Li Feng has arrived."

The people inside the tent immediately showed expressions of surprise and doubt.

“It must be something that happened yesterday that aroused this fellow’s suspicion. Lord Sun, let me go out and deal with this fellow.”

Cheng Pu picked up his sword from the table, blew out a candle, and strode out of the tent.

It took him almost half an hour to return, his face ashen, clearly indicating that he had had some argument with Li Feng.

"That fellow has become suspicious and is sending people around to gather information. If I hadn't stopped him, he would have already barged in." Cheng Pu's brows furrowed with both annoyance and worry.

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned, knowing that once Sun Ce's affair was exposed, their thousands of troops would likely be unable to leave even if they wanted to.

Han Dang paced back and forth in the tent in a hurry, then suddenly stopped and said in a low voice, "This matter cannot be delayed for a moment. We should set off tomorrow, first attack and occupy Yuhu in the west as a base, and on the surface pretend to be allied with Yuan Shu, while we can plan for the future."

Cheng Pu thought for a while and shook his head, saying, "This is not a long-term solution. Yuhu is just a small town. How can it support eight thousand troops?"

"We can just ask Yuan Shu for more grain, or we can buy grain elsewhere ourselves," Han Dang said without hesitation.

Cheng Pu said in a muffled voice, "Do you think Yuan Shu is a fool who would give you grain for nothing?"

"That's still better than sitting here and watching Yuan Shu tear our troops apart."

"Lord Sun, it would be better to remain here for the time being and keep a close watch on the troops. With a major battle imminent, it will be difficult for Yuan Shu to make a move in the short term. Let's join forces with Yuan Shu to besiege Guangde and force Yan Yi to hand over Bo Fu."

“No, if Yan Yi is cornered and kills Bo Fu, it will be too late to regret it. Besides, Yan Yi has already moved all the people of Guangde away, clearly preparing to evacuate Guangde at any time. How can it be so easy to surround?”

Seeing that Cheng Pu and Han Dang were getting more and more heated, Sun Jing couldn't help but cough lightly.

Cheng and Han reluctantly shut up.

After the two of them quieted down, Sun Jing picked up a wine cup from the table, drank it all in one gulp, and frowned more and more, as if she was thinking about something extremely difficult.

After a long silence, he glanced at everyone, his cheek muscles twitching slightly, and said something that shocked Cheng and Han: "What do you think about going to talk to Yan Yi?"

Cheng Pu knew perfectly well what he meant by "talking around," and his face immediately darkened: "How can I live under the same roof as my enemy when I haven't avenged my great grudge?"

(End of this chapter)