Tiger Owl

Chapter 268 True Intentions
After seeing Xun You off, Lu Su said in a deep voice, "Shouldn't this be a case of diplomacy before force? I have a feeling that Cao Cao might abandon his original plan to attack Jiangdong and instead attack us."

Gan Ning smiled faintly, "Isn't this exactly what we hoped for? To use Queyue City to restrain Cao Cao, preventing him from launching a full-scale attack on Jiangdong, and ultimately causing him to abandon his original plan and instead attack us from the west."

"But we still have some risks," Lu Su said with some concern.

Gan Ning laughed, "I know we are facing great risks, but these risks are in our own hands and we can control them. If Jiangdong falls, we will lose control of the risks."

Lu Su nodded silently. He fully understood his lord's words. After a long while, he sighed, "It's just that Sun Quan got off easy."

Gan Ning once again displayed a calm expression. "No one benefits. I've said it before, Jiangdong is just a dish, the only difference is who gets the final piece of the dish."

"Yes! Our lord did say that."

Lu Su pondered for a moment and said, "If Cao Cao turns against us, he will definitely support Sun Ben in attacking Eastern Wu. What if Sun Ben takes over Jiangdong?"

Gan Ning sneered, "I only said that Jiangdong is a dish, not that Sun Quan is a dish. It would be better if Sun Ben took over Jiangdong, so that I could swallow this dish in the end with a clear conscience."

Lu Su felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly realized that his lord was not helping Sun Quan resist Cao Cao, but was actually vying with Cao Cao for control of Jiangdong.

However, this thought was hidden too deeply, and it is only now that it is gradually being revealed.

Lu Su took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Whatever decision my lord makes, I will fully support him!"

Xun You took a fast boat and quickly returned to Hefei, where he gave Cao Cao a detailed account of his trip to Chaisang.

Cao Cao's face turned really ugly. He paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back. At this moment, Cheng Yu spoke up: "Prime Minister, it is the right thing to do to let Sun Ben deal with Sun Quan and for our army to turn around and deal with Gan Ning. This will also restrain Gan Ning and prevent him from supporting Sun Quan in dealing with Sun Ben. It is also a way to support Sun Ben."

Xun Yu also said, "Prime Minister, Military Advisor Cheng is right. Our purpose in dealing with Gan Ning is not necessarily to engage in a fierce battle with him, but rather to use it as a strategic deterrent to restrain and suppress him, creating an opportunity for Sun Ben. Once Sun Ben takes over Jiangdong, we can send officials to take over Jiangdong, or even directly take over Sun Ben's army. In this way, Gan Ning will not be able to launch a counterattack on Jiangbei."

It must be said that Cheng Yu and Xun Yu were both top-notch strategists. Gan Ning's counterattack strategy against Jiangbei was easily countered by them. The key was Sun Ben. Cao Cao had not paid attention to Sun Ben's role before, so he did not expect that Sun Ben was the key to solving the problem.

Cao Cao nodded, then looked at Xun You. Xun You pondered for a moment and said, "I agree with the opinions of the two strategists, but there is a problem here. How do we move to the west? Cao Ren has already rebuilt Xunyang County, which is directly opposite Chaisang, separated only by the Yangtze River. We can move our army here. Moving by land is easy, but the key is moving by water. Will our warships be intercepted by Gan Ning? Prime Minister, this is a practical problem that we must consider."

Cao Cao understood Xun You; since he had raised this question, he must have already come up with an idea.

Xun You pondered for a moment and said, "This humble servant is not very knowledgeable about naval warfare, but I think we can consult generals who are knowledgeable about naval warfare, such as Cai Mao, and Zhang Yun, who has long been in charge of the Jingzhou navy. They may have a plan."

This single sentence reminded Cao Cao, who immediately ordered, "Bring Cai Mao and Zhang Yun to me!"

Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were transferred from Nan Commandery last year and were both given the title of general without real power. This time they also followed Cao Cao south and are currently in Hefei County.

Before long, the two were brought in, and they bowed together, saying, "Greetings, Prime Minister!"

Cao Cao waved his hand gently and said, "Generals, you may dispense with the formalities!"

After the two men straightened up, Cao Cao continued, "If I want to move a thousand warships from the Liyang naval camp to Xunyang County, but don't want to be intercepted by Gan Ning's navy, is there any good way?" Cao Cao had indeed asked the right person. Cai Mao pondered for a moment and said, "We can go by inland waterway, without going through the Yangtze River!"

Cao Cao's eyes lit up. "Is there an inland river leading to Xunyang County?"

Cai Mao nodded. "From Hefei, we can take the Hangbu River to the Wan River. Then, downstream of the Wan River, there are two rivers that lead to Pengli Lake. We can establish a naval camp in Pengli Lake in the northern part of the Yangtze River. It is only twenty li away from Xunyang County. We can reach Xunyang County directly via the Xunyang River."

Cao Cao was overjoyed. With that, he was no longer worried. At this moment, Zhang Yun also took the opportunity to say, "Back then, when I was preparing to join forces with Huang Zu to seize Yuzhang County, I specifically studied Pengli Marsh. I know where is the most suitable place to station a naval camp."

Cao Cao originally intended to appoint Zhang Liao as the naval commander, but Zhang Liao was burned during the attack on Queyue City last year and was still recovering. Cao Cao was not going to wait any longer. He immediately appointed Yu Jin as the naval commander, and Cai Mao and Zhang Yun as the left and right deputy naval commanders, and ordered them to set up a naval camp at Pengli Lake.

Cao Cao had already made his decision. Two days later, Jia Xu came from Guangling County. Cao Cao immediately sent someone to summon him. Before long, Jia Xu hurriedly arrived, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Prime Minister!"

"Strategist, please have a seat!"

Jia Xu sat down, and Cao Cao pondered for a moment before saying, "There's something I'd like to discuss with the strategist."

Jia Xu sensed something big was about to happen, and he felt a little uneasy as he waited for the Prime Minister to speak.

Cao Cao then slowly said, "I have decided to change the strategy for the southern expedition. Sun Ben will deal with Sun Quan, and I will lead the army to the south to attack Gan Ning."

Jia Xu was stunned. This—

Before he could object, Cao Cao said calmly, "It's already decided!"

"I understand!"

Jia Xu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and asked again, "That agreement?"

“That agreement can be executed. You go to Sun Quan on my behalf and tell him that I am very willing to marry my seventh daughter, Xiaoya, to him. I will send my daughter to Jiangdong to get married next year, and then my son, Cao Zhi, will decide to marry his sister.”

Jia Xu immediately understood that the Prime Minister had no intention of marrying his daughter to Sun Quan; he was merely offering him a pie in the sky, just like the old story of quenching thirst by looking at plums.

"Does the Prime Minister truly intend to arrange for Prince Zhi to marry the sister of the Marquis of Wu?"

"Of course! I've heard that there are four beauties in Jiangdong, all of them stunningly beautiful. Gan Ning has already married three of them, leaving only the sister of the Marquis of Wu. I'll leave this one to my son!"

Jia Xu was sweating profusely. He hadn't expected that his lord was really going to marry Sun Shangxiang for his son. He thought it was just to break the Sun-Liu alliance, so he hadn't told his lord about Sun Shangxiang's disappearance.

Seeing that he could no longer hide it, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the sister of the Marquis of Wu has gone missing."

(End of this chapter)