Han Ji

Sun Quan did not answer immediately. He read through the letter in Liu Bei's own handwriting that Jian Yong had handed him, then passed it to Zhang Zhao, who in turn passed it to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu carefully examined every word of the letter.

Zhou Yu put down the bamboo slips. "Prime Minister, you have defeated Yuan Shao in Hebei, pacified Youzhou and Bingzhou, and destroyed the Wuhuan. Now that you are returning to the Central Plains, your military might will naturally point south. Why do you still want to invite us to fight together?"

Jian Yong said, "Hebei has just been pacified, and the northern frontier must be defended. We cannot concentrate all our forces in the Jingzhou direction."

Sun Quan understood. Liu Bei wasn't incapable of defeating Liu Biao; he simply didn't want to bear the stigma of attacking his colleagues alone. By involving Sun Quan, he could justify his actions.

"What will Sun get in return?"

"The four southern prefectures of Jingzhou".

"What about the north?"

"The northern region will be returned to the Prime Minister."

Sun Quan stood up and walked to the map. Northern Jingzhou consisted of Xiangyang, Jiangling, and Fancheng, controlling the Han River. Southern Jingzhou comprised Changsha, Lingling, Guiyang, and Wuling, a vast but sparsely populated region. Liu Bei wanted the strategically vital northern Jingzhou, offering him only the granaries and population of the south.

Seeing Sun Quan hesitate, Jian Yong added, "The Prime Minister said that if General Sun is willing to send troops, the three counties of Yang'an, Langling, and Anyang in Runan Commandery in southern Yuzhou can be ceded to Jiangdong."

Runan is the ancestral home of the Sun family. Sun Jian served as the governor of Yuzhou during his lifetime and died at the walls of Xiangyang. These three counties are located in the south, bordering Lujiang, and were relatively easy to control in Jiangdong.

Zhang Zhao said in a low voice, "The three southern counties of Yuzhou, plus the four southern prefectures of Jingzhou, are fair enough."

Zhou Yu remained silent. He saw through Liu Bei's scheme and understood that Cao Cao's envoy had also visited. But without sending troops, they wouldn't gain these actual cities and counties. Sending troops, however, would bring them cities, counties, provisions, and manpower.

Sun Quan tapped the corner of the table. "Tell Liu Bei that I am sending troops."

That night, Wu Commandery hosted a banquet for Jian Yong. During the banquet, Sun Quan had someone change into civilian clothes and drank three bowls of wine with him. Jian Yong drank very happily and became quite talkative. Before leaving, he told Sun Quan that the Prime Minister had said, "General Sun is no ordinary man; he is capable of great things."

After Jian Yong left, Sun Quan sat in his study until late at night. He took out the ancient sword he had treasured for many years from the shelf; it was his father Sun Jian's sword.

The blade was slightly narrower than a ring-pommel sword, with cloud patterns engraved on the back. The blade had a few nicks, from when it was carved under the walls of Xiangyang. The sword was heavy; he rested it on his knees, supporting the blade with both hands, and lightly scratched the edge with his thumbs.

Starting tomorrow, the Jiangdong army will prepare for a westward advance.

Juancheng.

Liu Ye, Cao Cao's envoy, stood in the main hall of the Wu Commandery Governor's residence. He was Cao Cao's strategist, eloquent and persuasive. But today, his words carried little weight. He carried a box of pearls and a letter personally written by Cao Cao, proposing an alliance between the two sides to share Jingzhou.

Sun Quan finished reading the letter, opened the box, glanced inside, and closed it again. "I appreciate Cao Cao's good intentions. However, Jiangdong and Liu Bei already have a prior alliance."

Liu Ye said, "The alliance can be changed. Cao Cao controls the Central Plains, and the Chancellor controls Hebei. If General Sun assists the Chancellor, he will become even stronger. If he assists Cao Cao, the world will be divided into three, and General Sun will have sole control of Jiangdong. Why not?"

Sun Quan smiled. "The idea of ​​dividing the world into three kingdoms? The Chancellor is a member of the Han imperial family. My assistance to him in conquering Jingzhou was to reclaim lost territory for the court. To ally with Cao Cao to attack the Chancellor would be to betray the Han. The Sun family has served the Han for generations and dares not rebel."

On his way back to Juancheng, Liu Ye said to his entourage, "Jiangdong rats," and then said nothing more.

Upon hearing Liu Ye's report, Cao Cao did not become angry, but only uttered two words: "Rat." He put down his pen and looked at Jingzhou on the map. The best course of action is to strike first.

July. Xuchang.

Liu Bei set up his southern expeditionary camp south of Xuchang. Xuchang was the capital of Yuzhou, located in the heart of the Central Plains. It was a strategic point that allowed him to travel north to Yecheng and south to Jingzhou and Xiangyang. The camp stretched for several miles from the south gate of the city, with tents lined up one after another and smoke rising from the hearths.

Outside the city, on the training grounds, infantrymen were practicing siege warfare. Slacklines were placed against the city walls, and soldiers climbed them one step at a time. The city walls were the old walls of Xuchang, and the guards on the walls were imposters, throwing sandbags down instead of boiling oil. Those hit by the sandbags fell off the ladders, landing in puddles, getting up covered in dust, cursing a few times, and then climbing back up.

Cavalrymen trained on the banks of the Ying River. Their hooves sank into the sandy ground, then pulled out, sand splashing into their leg hair. Ma Chao's Liangzhou cavalry and Zhao Yun's Hebei cavalry practiced coordinated charges.

The two cavalry units clashed, the sound of their hooves making the river ripple. At the last moment, both sides reined in their horses, their heads brushing against each other, the riders able to feel each other's breath on their faces. Ma Chao reined in his horse, turned back, and shouted to Zhao Yun, "We almost collided!" Zhao Yun replied, "On the battlefield, it's much closer."

The navy was also training. Gan Ning led his navy in boating on the Ying River. The Ying River wasn't wide, not as wide as the Yangtze or Yellow River, but it was good for training troops. The boats were small, each with about ten people. Some rowed, some carried crossbows, and some practiced boarding maneuvers with knives at the bow.

Gan Ning stood at the bow of the boat, a reed stalk between his teeth. He saw Liu Bei on the shore, spat the reed stalk into the water, and jumped ashore.

"My lord, the Ying River is too small to navigate. To practice real naval warfare, we must go to the Han River."

"Once you get to Jingzhou, there will be plenty of water for you to paddle on."

Jian Yong arranged for the transport of provisions in Xuchang. The Xuchang granary held 120,000 shi of grain, and with the grain transferred from various counties in Yuzhou, it was enough to feed an army of 80,000 for half a year. Mule carts transported grain from various counties in Yuzhou to Xuchang, leaving layer upon layer of wheel tracks on the official road.

Xun Yu rushed from Ye City to Xuchang. He brought with him military registers and account books from various counties, and discussed matters with Liu Bei all night. Jia Xu stood before the map, on which Xiangyang, Fancheng, and Jiangling in northern Jingzhou were circled with cinnabar. He traced the various ferry crossings along the Han River with his fingertips.

"Take Xiangyang first. Xiangyang is the northern gate of Jingzhou. Once Xiangyang falls, Fancheng will fall without a fight. Jiangling is an isolated city, and can be taken with a simple proclamation."

"If we don't move, Cao Cao will move too. We can't afford to be slow."

The governor's headquarters in Xuchang. Night.

The headquarters was a two-courtyard complex, with offices in the front and living quarters in the back. An old locust tree stood in the courtyard; its blossoms had just fallen, leaving a layer of dried petals on the ground that rustled underfoot. Four oil lamps burned in the study, their wicks trimmed short so the flames didn't flicker, casting a dim, warm light on the maps and documents piled on the table.

Liu Bei, Jia Xu, and Xun Yu sat around a table. On the table were three maps: a map of Jingzhou, a map of the Han River basin, and a map of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

Xun Yu spoke first. "My lord, attacking Jingzhou is not just about territory. Jingzhou is the heart of the empire. To the north, it controls the Han River, allowing direct assault on the Central Plains. To the south, it connects to the Yangtze River, enabling a downstream attack on Jiangdong. To the west, it links to Bashu, our ancestral home of Yizhou."

To the east lies the Dabie Mountains, beyond which lies Yuzhou. Whoever controls Jingzhou controls the vital artery of the realm. With you, my lord, in control of Jingzhou, Cao Cao was confined to the Central Plains. Sun Quan was trapped in Jiangdong. The southern campaign against Liu Biao, seizing Jingzhou, was the first crucial move.

Jia Xu added, "Liu Biao is no longer a threat. The real threat is Cao Cao. Cao Cao will definitely make a move. We must seize Xiangyang and Fancheng before Cao Cao does. These two cities are strategically located on the north bank of the Han River; whoever takes them controls the Han River."

The three agreed that the main force would feign an attack on Fancheng to lure the garrison of Jiangling north, while a detachment would advance directly into Jiangling via a mountain path through Tongbai Mountain. Another force would be sent to infiltrate Dangyang, cutting off the retreat route south from Jingzhou. They determined not to allow Liu Biao's son to surrender to Cao Cao. The plan was to advance by land and water, aiming for a swift victory. Once Xiangyang fell, Jiangling could be secured with a proclamation.

Liu Bei stood up and walked to the window. The moonlight outside was bright, shining on the withered petals of the locust tree, making them appear white. He gazed southward.

"Take Jingzhou first, then plan to conquer Jiangdong."