Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 230 Liu Ye Offers Advice
An hour later, the battlefield outside the north gate of the camp was cleared. The broken palisades were re-erected, and the rammed earth-reinforced fence stood as imposing as ever.

One after another, carts carrying the corpses of the bandits drove to the riverbank, where they were gathered and burned. Only dark red stains of blood remained on the empty battlefield, the strong stench of blood gradually dissipating in the north wind.

Although the battle was not large in scale, the spoils were plentiful, with a total of six or seven hundred warhorses. These warhorses did not meet the requirements of the Longxiang Camp, so they were all handed over to the supply camp, some for transporting military equipment and supplies, and some for sale.

As darkness fell, leaden clouds pressed heavily down on the earth. The distant mountain ranges blurred, resembling frozen giants lying prostrate on the horizon.

The campfire crackled as the soldiers sat around it, wolfing down millet porridge from earthenware bowls, occasionally gulping down a mouthful of cheap, spicy liquor to ward off the cold.

Zhou Yu and Liu Ye, dressed in cotton robes and cloth armor, sat together in front of a campfire, slowly chewing their food and discussing the details of the battle they had just fought.

"Gongjin, when the camp was suddenly attacked, you not only showed no panic, but also responded swiftly. Taking advantage of the terrain, you lured the bandits into the narrow area between the gate and the outer fence, first using cavalry to cut off their head and tail, causing confusion, and then gathering them together to annihilate them. Have you ever seen such a mighty army and skillful tactics in the Jianghuai region?"

Liu Ye grabbed the wine flask, took a big gulp of wine, choked until his face turned red, but didn't care. He casually tossed the wine flask aside, picked up the wooden chopsticks, and gestured animatedly, becoming more and more excited as he spoke, his spittle mingling with the lingering smell of wine, flying in the firelight.

Zhou Yu, speechless, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the saliva from his cheek. His tone was somewhat helpless: "Ziyang, instead of speculating about the battle here, we should first think about how the two of us can return to Lujiang."

As he expected, his worries became a reality. Ever since his meeting with Yan Yi that day, this unpredictable young commander had kept him and Liu Ye by his side at all times.

Yuan Huan repeatedly and politely offered to take them back to Lujiang, but Yan Yi refused each time with various excuses.

Yuan Huan was eager to return to Shouchun to report back, so he had no choice but to return first, leaving the two of them alone.

"Why go back to Lujiang? Young Master has treated us so well, offering us clothes and food. It's fine to stay here." Liu Ye tilted his head back and finished the rest of the wine in his bag, letting out a burp.

Zhou Yu sighed inwardly and reminded him, "Don't forget, our clansmen are all in Lujiang."

Liu Ye waved his sleeve dismissively and said, "To outsiders, we are forced to stay here because of the young lord's coercion. Yuan Shu will not harm our relatives in the short term."

His relatives weren't as prominent or conspicuous as the Zhou family, making it relatively easy for him to leave Lujiang. The reason he hadn't yet revealed his allegiance to Yan Yi was actually for Zhou Yu's sake. He worried that pledging allegiance to Yan Yi would arouse Yuan Shu's suspicion towards Zhou Yu and the Zhou family.

Zhou Yu was fully aware of Liu Ye's good intentions. This loyalty and camaraderie alone were enough for him to consider Liu Ye a close friend.

Although the two have only known each other for a short time, they have already formed a deep friendship.

"Gongjin, although the young lord's background is not as illustrious as Yuan Shu's, his wisdom and intelligence far surpass those of Shu. Today, the world is in chaos, and heroes are rising up. There must be a man destined to bring peace to the world. This is someone a wise man should carefully select."

"Those who gain a master prosper, those who lose a master perish. Yuan Shu, whose family has held high office for four generations, has a large army and ample provisions, and seems capable of great things. However, in your opinion, what kind of person is Yuan Shu? He is extravagant, licentious, and deceitful to the people; he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Although his army is large, it cannot last long, and he will surely perish sooner or later. Young Master, your wisdom and strategy are unparalleled, almost a gift from Heaven. You have been invincible in your campaigns, conquering north and south. One day, you will conquer the counties of Jiangdong, establish your foundation in this strategically important place, and then your great cause will be accomplished. I urge you to consider this carefully."

“Your family has lived in the Jianghuai region for generations, and is a prominent clan in the state. For generations, they have held official positions and their family has been distinguished. Why would you stoop to the status of the Yuan family? Those who achieve extraordinary feats must do extraordinary things. With your wisdom, do you not understand the will of Heaven? I urge you to quickly persuade the elders of your family to break free from this entanglement and find a good place to live.”

Seeing that Zhou Yu was trapped by his clan, like a bright pearl covered in dust or a wise sword hidden in its sheath, Liu Ye couldn't help but clench his fist and offer his advice.

How could Zhou Yu, a man of such wisdom and understanding, not recognize the advantages and disadvantages involved? However, the Zhou family had been officials for generations, and the family property accumulated over several generations was all under Yuan Shu's rule. Many of Zhou family members also served under Yuan Shu, and they were deeply intertwined with the Yuan family. It would not be an easy task to get the entire family to abandon Yuan Shu and join Yan Shu.

In addition, Yan Yi's forced summons and detention of him also fueled his resentment.

Just as the two were talking quietly, Yin Li walked over silently and stood behind them like a ghost, startling them.

"Have you two finished your meal? The young lord is discussing matters in his tent and has specifically ordered me to come and invite you."

As the old saying goes, "What one desires but cannot obtain, one longs for day and night." Zhou Yu and Liu Ye are now Yan Yi's darlings, even having Yin Li personally handle the relay of messages. Such treatment makes others extremely envious.

The two stood up, straightened their clothes, and followed the stern-faced Yin Li toward the commander's tent.

Yan Yi's military style was somewhat similar to that of Huo Qubing; he never skimped on his clothing, food, or lodging. Each time he led his troops on campaign, he would bring brocade tents, ivory beds, gold vessels, and jade cups—precious items were essential in his baggage train. For the kitchen staff alone, he selected twenty carefully chosen men, each with their own expertise: some skilled in roasting, some in slicing, and some in preparing pastries.

Therefore, the decorations inside the commander's tent were extremely luxurious. It contained everything imaginable, including gilded lamps, Shu brocade curtains, patterned velvet carpets, and seven-treasure screens.

What's most amazing is that even the top of the tent has a hidden mechanism: when it's hot, the gauze curtains can be opened for ventilation, and when it's cold, the mink wool curtains can be lowered to keep warm.

Even Zhou Yu, who came from a noble family, was secretly amazed, while Liu Ye was like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, looking around with great interest.

"Gongjin, Ziyang, come sit next to me."

Yan Yi had specially ordered two mats to be placed beside him. When he saw Zhou Yu and Liu Ye enter the tent, he smiled and waved.

Under the envious gazes of the generals in the tent, Zhou and Liu walked over and sat down beside him.

"Now that Zhou Bo and Dian Chao have joined Wang Lang, they cannot be allowed to live any longer. I intend to eliminate these two traitors in Yuhang to cut off Wang Lang's support. What do you all think?"

Yan Yi's first words made Zhou Yu's eyelids twitch, and he instantly understood the other party's intention: to force him to submit, to make it a fait accompli.

"Based on the information provided by Huaiyuan, Zhou Bo and Dian Chao should arrive in Yuhang by noon tomorrow at the latest." Si Qing was instructed by Yan Yi to participate more in military affairs to accumulate military merits, so he was the first to speak: "Although our army is all elite, there are only three thousand men, which is not enough to encircle and annihilate the enemy. In my humble opinion, Xu Zhao should lead his troops to provide support in this battle."

Chen Xian clasped his hands and said, "Xu Zhao has occupied Yuhang for many years and knows the terrain of Yuhang like the back of his hand. I suggest that our army continue to stay in Shugu and lure the two bandits here. After the two bandits approach Shugu, let Xu Zhao lead his troops to cut off their retreat and attack them from both sides with our army. In this way, the two bandits can be defeated."

Cheng Pu, mature and prudent, stroked his beard and pondered: "Eliminating the two traitors is not difficult; the difficulty lies in how to lure them to Shugu. We must know that Zhu Yong's death will surely alarm the two traitors, and they may not dare to come to Yuhang again."

A brief silence fell over the tent. Cheng Pu's words had hit the nail on the head. Now that Zhu Yong was dead and the remaining enemy forces had scattered, news of the incident would soon reach Zhou Bo and Dian Chao's ears. Trying to lure the enemy into a trap now would be like letting a frightened bird fall back into a snare—extremely difficult.

Haha!

A clear laugh suddenly rang out inside the command tent. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Liu Ye laughing uncontrollably.

Seeing the crowd's gaze, Liu Ye abruptly stopped smiling, straightened his clothes, stood up, bowed to the generals in the tent, and said solemnly, "I have a plan that can make the two traitors walk right into our trap. The young lord has just been assassinated. We might as well spread the word that the assassin succeeded and that the young lord is seriously injured and wants to return to Qiantang to heal. Tomorrow, our army will pretend to be in a hurry and proceed slowly towards Qiantang. The two traitors, greedy for merit, will surely come in droves to pursue us."

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of surprised or approving gazes were cast upon Liu Ye, and no one dared to underestimate this young man anymore.

Clap clap! Yan Yi clapped his hands and laughed, then suddenly stood up. His brocade robe fluttered as he walked to Liu Ye's side, took his hand, and said, "With Ziyang's plan, why worry about the two traitors not falling into our trap? Let's act according to Ziyang's strategy!"

The generals responded in unison.

Liu Ye felt a little awkward at Yan Yi's intimate gesture. He composed himself and reminded him, "I heard that Young Master wants to bring Lord Ling's relatives to the camp. This is absolutely not allowed. The bandits are cunning, and such unusual behavior will surely arouse their suspicion."

Upon hearing this, Ling Cao stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Young Master, defeating the bandits is of utmost importance! The young men in my manor are all skilled in martial arts, archery, and horsemanship. It will be extremely difficult for the enemy to break through without two or three thousand men. It will not be too late to settle my relatives after the banditry is quelled.”

“In that case, the Huaiyuan relatives shall remain at the manor for the time being.” Yan Yi pondered for a moment, then instructed Yin Li: “Send twelve capable scouts to guard the Ling family manor day and night. If they spot any thieves, report back immediately.”

After arranging everything, he wrote a letter and sent it by fast horse to Xu Zhao, inviting him to join forces to suppress the bandits.

Upon receiving the letter, Xu Zhao dared not delay and immediately summoned his trusted officers to his residence to make arrangements overnight.

The next morning, as the frosty sky broke into dawn, the first light of day appeared.

In just one night, news of Yan Yi's assassination attempt and serious injury spread throughout Yuhang and the surrounding counties, causing an uproar.

Upon hearing the news, the cities of Qiantang and Yong'an were thrown into chaos. At dawn, rows of armored soldiers and the sound of galloping hooves filled the city gates. Troops hastily assembled and marched towards Yuhang to bring Yan Yi back.

Around noon, the news reached Wu County.

Xu Gong gripped the bamboo slips tightly with all ten fingers, his knuckles bulging, his chest heaving violently, and his forehead, with its prominent veins, flushed red with excitement.

"Even this scoundrel has met his end! What a pity! What a pity! That this wretch escaped death."

Xu Gong sighed deeply, his face filled with resentment, his gaze fixed on a line of text on the bamboo slip: 'Yi is severely wounded, his energy depleted, his life hanging by a thread. He is traveling day and night, driving his carriage back to Qiantang.'

"We absolutely cannot let this scoundrel return to Qiantang alive! It would be best if he succumbed to his injuries on the way."

Xu Gong muttered to himself, pondered for a moment, then bypassed Wang Lang and issued an order, commanding a messenger to send a message to Zhou Bo and Dian Chao by fast horse. He instructed them to kill Yan Yi at all costs, taking advantage of the chaos. If that failed, they were to delay until Yan Yi died on the return journey.

Shanyin is quite far from Yuhang, and the news hasn't reached Shanyin yet. But he believes that if Wang Lang learns of this, he will make the same decision as him. There's no time to lose; he has no choice but to take the initiative.

Even Xu Gong believed it wholeheartedly, let alone Zhou Bo and Dian Chao, who were eager to make a name for themselves.

As the saying goes, it's easy to believe a lie the first time, but doubt a second time. This was the first time Yan Yi had used the trick of feigning injury, and coupled with the unusual movements of the troops in Qiantang and other cities, his panicked appearance was genuine, which immediately convinced Xu Gong and his men, who were eager to kill Yan Yi, that it was real.

That afternoon at noon, Yan Yi's troops abandoned a lot of supplies and hastily retreated to Xiushui Pavilion, ten miles east of Shugu Pavilion.

Zhou Bo led his troops to Qingxi Pavilion, five li south of Xiushui, and remained stationary. Dian Chao, on the other hand, led his troops to Qixia Long, where they formed ranks seven li north of Xiushui.

The two armies, like vultures, stood in a pincer movement, one to the south and one to the north, echoing each other. They dared not advance rashly, yet were unwilling to retreat. They secretly watched Yan Yi's troops, like hungry eagles eyeing a dying beast.

In the late afternoon, Zhou Bo and Dian Chao received letters delivered by Xu Gong on horseback.

With only a little over an hour left until dusk, if they didn't act soon and gave Yan Yi a chance to catch his breath and regroup with reinforcements from other cities, the whole affair would be over.

Without further hesitation, Zhou Bo and Dian Chao boarded the drum cart and began to beat the drum as they advanced.

Boom boom boom!
The sound of drums reverberated across the land. Two groups of nine thousand bandits responded to the call and surged forth like a tidal wave, sweeping towards Yan Yi's forces.

Once gone, it was like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone forever.

Two hours later, the outskirts of Yuhang were shrouded in deep night. Frozen clouds hung low, obscuring the stars and moon. Only the north wind could be heard blowing through the forest, like the wailing of a vengeful ghost, sweeping over the corpses within a three-mile radius of Xiushui Pavilion.

Zhou Bo was covered in blood, his armor tattered, and he knelt on one knee. His right hand held a ring-pommel sword that was stuck three inches into the ground, the blade trembling in the firelight, supporting his burly body as he swayed precariously.

All around him, the frozen ground was already soaked with blood, and corpses lay strewn about, layer upon layer, leaving no room to stand. Among them, a body riddled with arrows stood out, none other than Dian Chao, who died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

The person he intended to kill stood before him like a pine tree, looking down at him, showing no sign of being seriously injured or dying.

"Young Master's military prowess is truly legendary." Zhou Bo raised his blood-stained face and roared in a low voice, "A defeated general only seeks death. Give me a quick death!"

"If I don't kill you, you traitor from Kuaiji, how will you know the sharpness of my sword? I'll leave you with a whole corpse."

Yan Yi indifferently flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

boom!
A muffled thud came from behind him, and Zhou Bo's slightly twitching body collapsed to the ground.

Two notorious bandits, who had dominated the Wu and Hui prefectures for five or six years and whose reputations were second only to Yan Baihu and Zu Lang, were killed in this battle.

Upon returning to Xiushui Pavilion, a burly man in a brocade robe approached. He smiled before speaking, clasped his hands, and said loudly, "Young Master has just arrived in Yuhang and has already presented me with such a generous gift! The bandits in Yuhang were able to be wiped out entirely thanks to Young Master's might. On behalf of the people of Yuhang, I thank Young Master."

Yan Yi returned the greeting with a smile and said, "I am grateful for Mr. Xu's help."

Xu Zhao took two steps closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Lord Sheng is traveling with me and is currently in the back room, where the lights are still on."

Yuhang is Xu Zhao's territory, so Sheng Xian certainly couldn't sit in Yuhang City waiting for Yan Yi to come and pay his respects. Given Yan Yi's current power, the fact that he personally went to Yuhang was already giving Sheng Xian a lot of face. If Sheng Xian remained in the city, he would truly be showing a lack of manners.

Yan Yi remained calm, as if he had expected this. He straightened his clothes and said, "Since my teacher is here, I should go and pay my respects immediately."

The two walked hand in hand toward the backyard. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Xu Zhao's steps faltered slightly, and he fell half a step behind without leaving a trace.

(End of this chapter)