My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

In February of the fourth year of Jian'an (199 AD), in Shuntian, at the Yan Duke's residence.

The spring chill lingers, and the snow begins to melt.

The news of Ji Xuanyuan being enfeoffed as the Duke of Yan spread like wildfire throughout the land. In Shuntian City, lanterns and decorations adorned the streets, and the people excitedly shared the news. However, inside the main hall of the Duke of Yan's residence, the atmosphere was far more somber than the festive celebrations outside.

Ji Xuanyuan sat in the main seat, dressed in a black official robe, his face calm and serene.

His gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the hall—Guo Jia, Pang Tong, Zhou Yu, Xun You, Tian Feng, Ju Shou, and the generals who had rushed back from various places to report on their duties.

Everyone wore solemn expressions, for they knew that being granted the title of Duke was not the end, but a new beginning.

"Gentlemen,"

Ji Xuanyuan spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "The Yan Kingdom has been established, but the world is not yet at peace. Cao Cao occupies Yanzhou, and Liu Bei occupies Jiaozhou. If these two are not eliminated, the world will not be at peace. Today, I have summoned you all for two reasons: first, to reward those who have made contributions, and second, to discuss the matter of the southern expedition."

He stood up, walked to the map, and traced the location of Yangzhou with his finger: "Xiang Yu, since raising his army, has fought in the south and the north, and has made outstanding contributions. His pacification of Jiangdong and the subjugation of the former Sun family forces are even greater achievements. In my opinion, Xiang Yu should be appointed as Grand General, Governor of Yangzhou, and Marquis of Wu, and given overall command of the military and political affairs of Yangzhou."

Guo Jia nodded: "With the General stationed in Yangzhou, we can both deter the powerful families of Jiangdong and be ready to march south to Jiaozhou at any time, achieving two goals at once."

Ji Xuanyuan continued, "Zhou Yu, since joining us, has repeatedly offered brilliant strategies, pacifying Jiangdong and recovering Yuzhou, his contributions are invaluable. He is hereby appointed Governor of Yuzhou, leading troops to guard Huainan. A temporary wartime position is also created—Grand Commander, in charge of all military affairs in the southern expedition. Even generals holding the imperial insignia must obey the orders of the Grand Commander."

Zhou Yu rose, solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Your subject will certainly not fail the great trust placed in you by your lord!"

Ji Xuanyuan looked at Pang Tong: "Shiyuan, you deserve the greatest credit for the pacification of the four commanderies of Jingzhou. You are hereby appointed as Minister of Works, to advise on military affairs, and to oversee all government affairs in Jingzhou."

Pang Tong smiled slightly: "Your subject obeys."

Ji Xuanyuan continued, "Zhao Yun led the army into Shu, stabilized Yizhou, and made great contributions to the country. He was appointed General Who Guards the South, in charge of the defense of Yizhou, and assisted Liu Yan in governing Shu."

Zhao Yun clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Yes, sir!"

Ji Xuanyuan's gaze fell on Li Cunxiao: "Eighth brother, you have been guarding Shuntian for many years, training troops and preparing for war, and your merits are great. You are hereby appointed as General of the Cavalry and given command of the Shuntian Imperial Guards."

Li Cunxiao smiled憨厚ly: "Don't worry, brother, I will definitely take good care of the house for you!"

Ji Xuanyuan nodded, then looked at the other brothers: "Guan Yu, be appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry, and garrison Xuzhou; Zhang Fei, be appointed General of the Guards, and assist in the defense of Xuzhou; Yang Zaixing, be appointed General of the Vanguard, and garrison Liangzhou; Lü Bu, be appointed General of the Rear, and garrison Bingzhou; Taishi Ci, be appointed General of the Left, and garrison Qingzhou; Zhang Liao, be appointed General of the Right, and garrison Youzhou. Each shall be in his proper place and perform his duties."

All the generals rose in unison, clasped their hands in greeting, and said, "Yes, sir!"

Ji Xuanyuan finally looked at Ran Min: "Yongzeng, since its establishment, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has repeatedly made outstanding contributions. As its commander, you have made invaluable contributions. You are hereby appointed as Grand Marshal, while continuing to lead the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

These words caused a slight commotion in the hall. The Grand Marshal was one of the Three Dukes, holding a position of great power and influence. Ran Min was both the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Grand Marshal, his power was practically at its zenith.

Ran Min's expression remained unchanged; he simply rose, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Your subject obeys."

Guo Jia smiled slightly. He knew that Ji Xuanyuan needed a sharp blade to pave his way. Ran Min was that blade.

After the rewards were bestowed, Ji Xuanyuan returned to his seat and looked around at everyone: "Gentlemen, the rewards have been decided. Next, we should discuss the southern expedition."

He looked at Zhou Yu: "Gongjin, you are the Grand Commander, in charge of all military affairs in the southern expedition. Tell me your strategy."

Zhou Yu stood up, walked to the map, and traced the location of Jiaozhou with his finger: "My lord, since Liu Bei marched south to Jiaozhou last year, he has occupied the three commanderies of Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and Rinan, and has also incorporated Shi Xie's former troops. Now he has 20,000 soldiers and his power is gradually growing. If we do not eliminate him as soon as possible, he will surely become a future threat."

He paused, then continued, "I believe that the southern campaign against Jiaozhou should be carried out in two steps. First, we should use Yangzhou as a base to assemble a large army by land and sea, and march south along the coast to directly attack Jiaozhi. Second, we should use Jingzhou as a base to march south by land and launch a combined attack on Jiaozhou. With both routes advancing simultaneously, Liu Bei will have no chance to escape."

Ji Xuanyuan nodded, then looked at Xiang Yu: "Second brother, what do you think?"

A cold glint flashed in Xiang Yu's double pupils: "Jiaozhou may be far away, but it's nothing more than a minor ailment. Give me 30,000 elite troops, and within half a year, I will surely take Liu Bei's head."

Ji Xuanyuan shook his head: "Second brother, you are brave, but you must not underestimate the enemy. Jiaozhou is a strategically important location, rife with miasma, and Liu Bei is adept at winning people's hearts. If we launch a direct attack, the casualties will be heavy. It would be better to appoint Zhou Yu as the Grand Commander, giving him full command. Second brother can stay in Yangzhou as backup."

Xiang Yu had no objection and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

Ji Xuanyuan then looked at Guo Jia: "Fengxiao, what's your opinion on Cao Cao's side?"

Guo Jia's peach blossom eyes curved into a smile, yet carried a hint of coldness: "My lord, since Cao Cao took in Sun Ce, he has been preparing his troops for self-preservation. Although Yanzhou is small, it is a place of constant warfare, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we launch a strong attack, the casualties will be heavy. It would be better to besiege it without attacking, and wait until the southern campaign is over before dealing with him."

Ji Xuanyuan nodded, his gaze distant: "Then let's go south first, then north. Let Cao Cao cause trouble for a few more days."

He stood up, walked to the map, and traced his finger between Yanzhou, Jiaozhou, Yizhou, and Jingzhou, saying loudly:

"Order: Zhou Yu is appointed Grand Commander, in charge of all military affairs for the southern expedition. Xiang Yu is appointed as the rear guard, stationed in Yangzhou. Pang Tong is stationed in Jingzhou to secure the supply lines. Zhao Yun is stationed in Yizhou to defend the southwest. Li Cunxiao is stationed in Shuntian, commanding the Imperial Guards. Ran Min leads the Embroidered Uniform Guard to oversee the entire realm. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are stationed in Xuzhou to contain Cao Cao. Yang Zaixing is stationed in Liangzhou to defend against the Qiang and Hu tribes. Lü Bu is stationed in Bingzhou to pacify the northern frontier. Taishi Ci is stationed in Qingzhou, and Zhang Liao is stationed in Youzhou. Each shall remain in their proper place and perform their duties."

The generals responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

A few days later, in Yangzhou, Wu County.

Xiang Yu stood atop the city wall, gazing south, silent. Behind him, Zhou Yu, clad in military attire, stood with his hand on his sword.

"Gongjin," Xiang Yu spoke, his voice low, "tell me, how will Liu Bei fight?"

Zhou Yu smiled slightly: "Liu Bei is good at defending cities, but not good at open-field battles. If he holds the city and defends it to the death, we will surround it without attacking, cutting off his supply lines. If he comes out of the city to meet us in battle, it will be exactly what we want."

Xiang Yu nodded, a cold glint flashing in his double pupils: "Then let's fight. Let him know the consequences of going against our elder brother."

Yuzhou, Shouchun.

Inside Zhou Yu's large tent, maps were spread out on the floor. Generals such as Yuwen Chengdu and Zhang Liao sat around them.

"Grand Commander," Yuwen Chengdu pointed to Jiaozhi on the map, "Liu Bei's main force is in Jiaozhi, while Shi Xie's old troops are in Jiuzhen and Rinan. If our army marches south along the coast, we can take Jiaozhi first and cut off their base."

Zhou Yu shook his head: "No. We should first take Jiuzhen and Rinan to weaken their forces, and then besiege Jiaozhi. Liu Bei is good at defense; if we attack the city directly, the casualties will be heavy. It is better to clear the outer perimeter first, cut off their supply lines, and wait until they run out of food and reinforcements before launching a decisive attack."

Zhang Liao nodded: "Grand Commander, your insight is excellent. Then this humble general requests the order to lead the navy south along the coast and directly seize Jiuzhen."

Zhou Yu waved his hand: "No rush. First, send someone to Jiaozhou to spread the word that the imperial army is marching south, and those who surrender will be pardoned, while those who resist will have their entire families executed. Most of Liu Bei's men are former subordinates of Shi Xie, and they may not truly be loyal to him. As long as they waver, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Yuwen Chengdu and Zhang Liao clasped their hands in unison and said, "Yes, sir!"

Yanzhou, Changyi.

Cao Cao sat in his study, a detailed report on Ji Xuanyuan's conferment of the title of Duke and the rewards he had received laid out before him. After reading it, he remained silent for a long time before handing the report to Xi Zhicai.

"Zhicai, look at this. Ji Xuanyuan has appointed the Duke of Yan, and so many generals and governors. What is he trying to do?"

Xi Zhicai took the document, read it through, and said with a grave expression, "My lord, Ji Xuanyuan is about to make his move. He has appointed Zhou Yu as Grand Commander, in charge of all military affairs for the southern expedition, with Xiang Yu as his backup. This is clearly a plan to conquer Jiaozhou and deal with Liu Bei."

Cao Cao nodded, his gaze distant: "If Liu Bei is defeated, I will be next."

Xi Zhicai said, "My lord, we cannot sit idly by and wait for our demise. We should take advantage of Ji Xuanyuan's southern expedition to contact Liu Bei and coordinate our efforts from the north and south. If we can hold back Ji Xuanyuan's main force, perhaps we will still have a glimmer of hope."

Cao Cao stood up, walked to the window, looked south, and murmured, "Liu Bei... will he agree?"

Xi Zhicai said, "He will definitely agree. Because he has no other choice."

Jiaozhou, Jiaozhi.

Liu Bei sat in the governor's mansion, a secret report from Ji Xuanyuan appointing him as a duke laid out before him. After reading it, he remained silent for a long time before handing the report to Jian Yong.

"Xianhe, look. Ji Xuanyuan has been enfeoffed as the Duke of Yan and is about to launch another southern expedition."

Jian Yong took the document, read it through, and said with a grave expression, "My lord, Zhou Yu is the Grand Commander, and Xiang Yu is the rear guard. This means they're going to attack Jiaozhou from two directions. What... what should we do?"

Liu Bei stood up, walked to the map, and traced the locations of Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and Rinan with his finger: "Jiaozhou is a strategically important location, shrouded in miasma, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If Zhou Yu launches a strong attack, we may not be able to win. But if he besieges us without attacking, cutting off our supply lines, we won't be able to hold out."

He paused, his gaze deep and thoughtful: "Therefore, we cannot wait. We must take the initiative."

Jian Yong was taken aback: "Take the initiative? My lord, we only have 20,000 men, Zhou Yu has 50,000, and Xiang Yu has 30,000. This…"

Liu Bei waved his hand: "It's not about fighting Zhou Yu head-on. It's about exploiting the time difference. It will take Zhou Yu at least a month to send troops from Yangzhou by sea. It will also take Xiang Yu half a month to send troops from Yangzhou by land. If we can capture Jiuzhen and Rinan within these half a month and secure our rear, we will have the strength to deal with Zhou Yu."

Jian Yong's eyes lit up: "Does my lord mean..."

Liu Bei smiled slightly: "Send out the order to assemble the troops and march on Jiuzhen tomorrow."

Shuntian, the Yan Mansion.

Ji Xuanyuan stood by the window, gazing south, silent. Guo Jia entered and said softly, "My lord, Zhou Yu has already dispatched his troops. Xiang Yu is also making preparations. Liu Bei is also mobilizing his forces."

Ji Xuanyuan nodded, his gaze deep and thoughtful: "Let them fight. We'll make a decision after they've determined their outcome."

He turned to Guo Jia and asked, "Fengxiao, tell me, who will win this battle?"

Guo Jia pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Zhou Yu is good at strategy, Xiang Yu is good at battle, and Liu Bei is good at defense. Each of the three has its own strengths. In terms of strength, Zhou Yu and Xiang Yu have the advantage. However, Jiaozhou is a strategically important location, rife with miasma, and Liu Bei is adept at winning people's hearts. If Zhou Yu underestimates his enemy, he may not be able to win."

Ji Xuanyuan smiled slightly: "Then let Zhou Yu try. If he wins, we'll have peace of mind. If he loses..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Guo Jia understood what he meant.

Outside the window, a spring breeze brings a touch of warmth. But beneath that warmth lies an unfathomable chill. A new war is about to begin.