Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 216 People are iron, rice is steel

Xu Gong's subordinates were dwindling in talent, and whenever a crucial matter arose, he would make decisions unilaterally, rarely consulting his subordinates' opinions.

Although Li Yi occasionally offered advice, he was repeatedly reprimanded. Over time, he learned to obey orders without question and dared not utter a single word of his own.

“Zu Lang is just a commoner, and he has a long-standing feud with Yuan Shu. He will certainly not lend us any grain. Now that Yuan Shu’s supply lines are cut off, his defeat is inevitable!” Xu Gong felt a strong desire to recapture Qu’a and solemnly ordered, “Closely investigate the battle situation in Guangde and report three times a day!”

"Yes, sir!" Li Yigong accepted the order.

Xu Gong picked up a scroll of books from the table, got up and left the guest hall, returning to his study. Still feeling uneasy, he ground ink and picked up a brush, and in Liu Yao's name, sent a decree to Zu Lang, strictly forbidding him from lending grain to Yuan Shu.

However, he still overlooked one place: Lujiang County, which is separated from Danyang by a river.

Lujiang Commandery was established during the Chu-Han Contention, when it was under the jurisdiction of Jiujiang Commandery. In the second year of the Yuanshou era of the Former Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu reorganized Lujiang Commandery by combining the eastern part of the former Hengshan Commandery and the southwestern part of Jiujiang Commandery, with its capital at Shu County.

Shuxian County is the legacy of the ancient Shu Kingdom, a land of poetry, books, fish, and rice, with beautiful mountains and rivers and abundant resources.

The county was home to numerous aristocratic families, with a long line of officials and nobles throughout the ages. Its refined culture was comparable to that of the Central Plains.

Among the aristocratic families, the Zhou, Shu, and He families were the most famous, and there were countless other prominent families.

However, after Sun Ce led his army to conquer Shu County, the Zhou family took advantage of Sun Ce's power to seize the property of other powerful families and expand their territory, taking over seven out of ten fields in the county.

By this time, the Zhou family had combined the prestige of a noble family with the wealth of a powerful clan, developing into a behemoth.

For months, the entire Zhou family has been immersed in jubilation, celebrating wildly and holding banquets every day.

However, the two key figures of the Zhou family, Zhou Shang and Zhou Yu, showed no joy today. Their faces were shrouded in sorrow, making them appear exceptionally solemn.

Zhou Shang was Zhou Yu's cousin and the grandson of Zhou Xing. He was not originally ranked in the Zhou family, but after the deaths of former Grand Commandant Zhou Zhong and Zhou Yu's father Zhou Yi, he rose to become one of the core decision-makers of the Zhou family.

In a pavilion in the backyard of the Zhou residence, two maids knelt on a mat in the west corner of the pavilion, playing the zither and singing.

The pavilion has a pyramidal roof with upturned eaves and green tiles. It is surrounded by bamboo and flowers, with a winding stream and a small bridge connecting them, capturing the elegant charm of "floating wine cups on a winding stream".

Zhou Yu wore a moon-white robe, his hair tied up with a jade hairpin, his eyes slightly closed. Zhou Shang wore a crimson gauze robe over a fox fur cloak, his fingertips lightly tapping out the rhythm.

Both were fond of music and skilled in playing the zither. Although they were a generation apart, they shared similar interests and often gathered together to discuss the variations of the five notes of the pentatonic scale.

Zhou Yu was also known for his refined taste, as the saying goes, "If the music is wrong, Zhou Yu will notice." Later generations, when discussing the elegance of the Three Kingdoms period, would invariably say, "Of all the arts, Zhou Yu was the master of music."

After a long while, the maidservant's delicate hand left the strings, the music gradually faded away, and a paulownia leaf fell outside the pavilion.

Zhou Yu tilted his head back, his eyelids slightly closed, and three fingers of his left hand hovered in the air. He gently tapped the notes as the sound lingered, savoring the moment.

Zhou Shang also had an expression of enjoyment on his face. Only after the music completely disappeared did he slowly open his eyes and say, "You may leave."

Two beautiful maids, carrying a zither and its stand, rose gracefully, bowed respectfully to the two men, and left quietly.

Zhou Shang picked up the nautilus cup from the table, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip of wine: "Gongjin, how should we deal with Yuan Shu's request for grain?"

The nautilus glass is a unique drinking vessel shaped like a nautilus shell. It has multiple compartments inside, and the liquor can flow into each compartment through small holes, making it less likely to be drunk in one gulp.

A lingering echo of the zither's melody still lingered in Zhou Yu's clear eyes, making him appear even gentler than usual, but his words carried a hint of sharpness: "Last year, Yuan Gonglu came to borrow grain, and he has yet to repay it. Now he comes again to demand it. Does he consider the Zhou family to be Yuan's granary? This trend must not be encouraged. Let's respond with five thousand shi of aged millet and send these wolves away."

“Times have changed. What Yuan Gonglu wants is the life-saving grain for the Guangde army. If we deal with it carelessly, it may cause trouble once the Guangde army is defeated.” Zhou Shang raised his finger and pointed to the gloomy sky outside the pavilion, saying in a low voice, “This sky still belongs to Yuan, after all.”

Zhou Yu picked up the iron tongs and added two pieces of charcoal to the wine warmer: "Two thousand tribal soldiers are still under Yan Yi's command, what should we do?"

Zhou Shang's face suddenly darkened, he slammed his wine cup on the table, and sighed, "Sun Bofu has brought great suffering to my clan."

His tone contained both resentment and melancholy.

The Zhou family regarded Sun Ce as a rare commodity and originally intended to follow the example of the Lü family to create another way out for their clan. Who knew that this newly built burrow for the cunning rabbit would be completely destroyed by the storms of Jiangdong before it even saw the light of day.

Zhou Yu frowned slightly, put down the iron pliers, and gently stroked the wine cup with his slender fingers: "Bo Fu's closest relatives are trapped in Qiantang, like a dragon trapped in shallow water. Now, I have done everything I can to ensure the safety of my clan's two thousand troops."

Zhou Shang knew that he had a very good relationship with Sun Ce, so he didn't say anything more and asked in a low voice, "What should we do now?"

Zhou Yu picked up the bronze wine vessel and took a sip: "Since Yuan Shu has asked our clan to mobilize all the clans in Lujiang to raise grain, we will do as he says. However, we don't need to send people to urge the major clans in the counties, nor do we need to press the local strongmen. By the time all the clans have prepared their grain, the Qiantang naval forces should have already blocked the Lujiang waterway. Even if Yuan Shu blames us afterward, we will have no grounds to complain. We can also use this grain-raising opportunity to test the attitudes of the various clans towards our clan."

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Shang nodded slightly in agreement, and then asked about another matter: "Yan Yi specifically asked you to go to Guangde in person before he would discuss the release of my tribe's troops. What are your plans?"

Zhou Yu shook his head without hesitation: "No, no, if I go I won't come back."

Zhou Shang frowned slightly: "Does Gongjin have another good plan to get Yan Yi to release my tribe's troops?"

“Yan Yi is cunning and scheming. If we go along with his wishes, we will only sink deeper into trouble.” Zhou Yu shook his head again, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. “Since he is so generous in supporting my tribesmen, let him support them. Let us observe quietly for a few months and wait for things to change. Haven’t you heard the old man who lost his horse, who knows if it was a blessing in disguise?”

Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, Zhou Shang felt much more at ease and stopped talking.

Zhang Xun's Camp in Guangde County.

The midday sun hung high above the camp, casting countless golden rays. The shadow of the watchtower shrank to a tiny blob, like an ink stain, clinging tightly to the bottom of the wooden palisade. Banners with tassels hung limply, motionless in the still air.

Squads of soldiers, carrying bows and halberds, patrolled listlessly around the camp.

Zhang Xun paced anxiously back and forth in the central command tent, his hands behind his back. When he saw Zhou Ping, the military strategist, rush in, he asked impatiently, "How is the matter of arresting the families of the rebels going?"

With repeated setbacks at the front and the enemy shifting from defense to offense, the morale of the rebels in Guangde Dazhai was rising, and all signs made him uneasy.

Zhou Ping took a couple of breaths, presented the sweat-dampened bamboo slips with both hands, and said in a low voice: "The Qiantang Navy has suddenly entered the heart of Shouchun, causing turmoil in the Jianghuai region and panic among the people. Considering the instability of the people, Your Majesty did not dare to conduct a large-scale search of the surrounding areas, but only secretly arrested one hundred households, who are currently being escorted away."

Zhang Xun took the bamboo slips and flipped through them, saying, "One hundred households is barely enough." He suddenly stopped speaking.

He frowned, his gaze fixed on the bamboo slips: "Why were they escorted from the direction of Chun Gu?"

Chungu County is located in the western part of Danyang. It is named Chungu because its climate is suitable for the growth of early rice.

However, this city is within Zulang's sphere of influence.

Zhou Ping observed his expression and cautiously said, "The Qiantang Navy has blockaded most of the river area around Danyang, with only the Chun Valley route still passable. If we bypass this route, we will have to detour through Jing County." Jing County is Zu Lang's stronghold, heavily fortified and surrounded by strategic passes. It would be virtually impossible to send over a hundred people here quietly through Jing County.

However, Chungu was not much better off, as it was the largest copper-producing area in Danyang and was known as "Jia Tong" and "Shan Tong". It was also a key military garrison for Zulang.

Zhang Xun's face turned ashen, his hair and beard stood on end, and he gripped the bamboo slips in his hand so tightly they rattled. Finally, unable to contain his anger, he threw them to the ground.

He had hoped to turn the tide by turning the 10,000 rebels against the enemy, even going so far as to threaten his relatives with implicated. However, he never expected that even this matter would be so difficult to advance.

"How is the matter of provisions going?" After a long silence, he asked with a gloomy face.

Zhou Ping wiped the sweat from his forehead and said tremblingly, "We have already forcibly requisitioned 30,000 shi of rice from Qu'a, Yongping and other places, and it is being delivered day and night."

The so-called forced requisition was nothing more than plundering from the people. In order to collect these 30,000 shi of military rations, Qu'a and other places were almost turned upside down, and countless families were destroyed and people died.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xun breathed a slight sigh of relief. With these 30,000 shi of rice, the entire army could sustain itself for a while longer.

Zhou Ping's face was full of sorrow, and his voice was low: "Now all the supply lines have been cut off, and Xu Gong and Zu Lang are unwilling to lend us grain. This 30,000 shi of rice is the last bit of grain for the entire army. The general needs to make plans as soon as possible."

Zhang Xun's anxiety increased even more. He had followed Yuan Shu in his campaigns across the country, and he had never been forced into such a desperate situation due to a shortage of food.

The crisis doesn't end there; in just half a month, it will be the winter solstice. The entire army lacks even warm clothing, and they will either starve or freeze to death.

This battle was so damn frustrating!
Zhang Xun's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, when suddenly he heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the tent. Immediately afterward, the tent flap was lifted, and a guard rushed in: "Reporting to the general, the enemy is launching a fierce attack on Lei and Chen camps."

Zhang Xun was startled. He grabbed his sword from the table, threw open the tent, and rushed out. Before he could even put on his armor, he sternly ordered his generals to muster four thousand elite troops and head towards Lei Bo's camp, three miles away.

Chen Lan and Lei Bo are currently each leading 5,000 troops to garrison two small fortresses to the west and south. Chen Lan is confronting Sun Ce, while Lei Bo is responsible for intercepting Yan Yi.

If it weren't for an urgent military situation, Lei Bo would never have bothered him; it must have been Yan Yi personally leading his troops to attack.

When Yan Yi and Sun Ce launched their joint attack, Yan Yi's troops almost always initiated the offensive first and gained a certain advantage before Sun Ce's troops followed up. Therefore, as long as Yan Yi's troops were defeated, the situation on the front line could be stabilized.

Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Xun led his troops to the vicinity of Lei Bo's camp. From afar, they could see a two-zhang-tall banner with the character "Yan" on it, which reflected a dazzling golden light under the sunlight.

Compared to half a month ago, Zhang Xun now felt an overwhelming fear of the great banner.

Beneath the great banner, Yan Yi stood on horseback, outside the enemy's firing range. Within a hundred paces, there were layers upon layers of elite armored soldiers.

He held the reins with one hand, his eyes fixed on the battlefield ahead. Suddenly, he saw a cloud of dust rising behind the enemy camp, realizing that enemy reinforcements had arrived, and ordered a retreat.

Yuan Shu's 20,000 elite troops were indeed a seasoned army, with formidable fighting power. He certainly wouldn't engage in a direct confrontation with the enemy, thus incurring unnecessary casualties.

Dangdang Dangdang!
A dense chorus of gongs and drums resounded.

Upon hearing the order to retreat, the three thousand soldiers who had attacked the fortress orderly shrank into a square formation, protecting the wounded soldiers as they slowly withdrew from the battlefield.

When Zhang Xun entered the camp, the enemy troops had all withdrawn, and all he could see in front of him was a dense mass of dark shadows.

Zhang Xun breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not be careless in the slightest. He ordered the entire army to reinforce the camp and treat the wounded.

Half an hour later, Yan Yi sent a messenger to request the return of the bodies of the fallen soldiers.

Zhang Xun agreed without hesitation. He was aware of his dangerous situation and dared not push things too far.

Soon after, all the corpses in front of the camp were taken away, leaving only dark red mottled marks on the ground, like blood-soaked sores, which were particularly glaring under the sunlight.

The next morning, as the sun lazily rose into the sky, Yan Yi and Sun Ce's forces launched another tidal wave of attacks.

The enemy's sudden increase in attack frequency quickly caught Zhang Xun's attention. Instead of leading his troops back to the central camp, he directly moved into Lei Bo's camp to participate in the defense.

Unexpectedly, the enemy did not withdraw this time, but launched an attack every hour, showing no sign of giving up until they broke through the camp.

Even Sun Ce's forces on the western front launched a massive, uncharacteristic attack.

Zhang Xun felt as if facing a formidable enemy, the pressure mounting, and he continuously drew reinforcements from the central military camp. His face was ashen, his brow furrowed all day.

As the sun set and dusk approached, the enemy troops finally sheathed their fangs and slowly retreated.

Exhausted, Zhang Xun walked back to the main tent. Before he could even take off his armor, he plopped down on the ground, panting slightly.

Lei Bo personally directed the operation at the front line, his voice almost hoarse from shouting. As soon as he entered the main tent, he grabbed a wooden cup and started gulping down water.

He wiped the water from the corner of his mouth, staggered over and sat down next to Zhang Xun, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise and turned to look at Zhang Xun: "Mr. Zhang, I don't think I saw the Longxiang Camp today."

In the past, when the enemy attacked the stronghold, the Longxiang Battalion would always be stationed at the rear to support the retreating troops.

"The cavalry is not good at attacking fortified camps, so they have probably been sent elsewhere."

Zhang Xun lazily adjusted his sitting posture, then suddenly his whole body tensed up, and all 36,000 hairs on his body stood up, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, leaping up abruptly.

Lei Bo was startled by his sudden action and broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding: "What are you doing?"

Zhang Xun's face turned deathly pale, his forehead instantly beaded with cold sweat, his lips trembled uncontrollably, and he suddenly let out a scream: "Yan Yi, you son of a bitch!"

Lei Bo's expression grew increasingly alarmed: "What happened?"

Zhang Xun muttered, "It's over, it's all over!"

"The whole army attacks!"

On the official road thirty miles south of Yongping, Xu Sheng held his eighteen-foot spear horizontally, his face reflecting the blood-red sunset. Suddenly, he pointed the spear tip forward.

Eight hundred iron cavalrymen, like a black tide bursting its banks, surged toward the enemy lines in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Before them stood two thousand panicked soldiers protecting the grain.

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(End of this chapter)