Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

Lu Su bid farewell to Zhou Yu in Jiangling and rushed back to Wu County day and night without daring to delay for even a moment. He knew that the matter of Jingzhou was a matter of great importance, and Zhou Yu's grand plan to conquer Shu and his strategy of marriage alliance to control the region had to be reported to Sun Quan as soon as possible so that it could be implemented quickly, lest things get complicated.

As Sun Quan entered the Wu Hou residence, dusk was approaching, and the lights in the hall were just beginning to illuminate his grim face. He was deep in thought, staring at the map on the table, his gaze lingering on the Jingxiang region, his brows furrowed with anxiety and calculation.

After Liu Bei submitted a memorial recommending him as General of Chariots and Cavalry and Governor of Xu Province, Sun Quan outwardly accepted the offer, but inwardly he harbored a deep resentment. Liu Bei wanted to exchange a mere title for real benefits in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, taking full advantage of the situation. If Liu Bei truly refused to return Jingzhou, how could Sun Quan be content with that? However, due to Cao Cao's watchful eye, he dared not easily break ties with Liu Bei and could only endure it for the time being.

Upon seeing Lu Su enter, Sun Quan immediately looked up, his tone urgent: "Zijing, how did the trip to Gong'an go? Is Liu Bei willing to return Jingzhou?"

Lu Su bowed respectfully, not daring to conceal anything, and first truthfully reported the matter of the written agreement in Gong'an: "My lord, Liu Bei is a man of broken promises. When I negotiated with him in Gong'an, he refused to cede Jingzhou. After discussions among his advisors, they drew up a written agreement that only stated 'return of the borrowed land,' without mentioning the word 'Jingzhou' at all. At first glance, I did not notice the flaw, until after I went to Jiangling to visit Governor Zhou, who pointed it out in one sentence, and I realized that Gu Sulin had tampered with the document."

"Gu Sulin?" Sun Quan raised an eyebrow, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, his eyes filled with confusion. "I've never heard of this person. Who is he? What are his qualifications?"

"My lord, this man was originally unknown. He only recently joined Liu Bei's ranks. He has only been in the service for a short time and is very young. He has no distinguished reputation."

"snort!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan slammed his fist heavily on the table, causing the cups and saucers to rattle. Though he didn't rise, his expression was fierce, and his eyes burned with rage.

"Liu Bei has Zhuge Liang under his command, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun are already a given. But now even an unknown and insignificant brat dares to look down on Jiangdong and make fun of me!"

This Gu Sulin clearly thinks that there's no one left in Jiangdong!

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, his chest heaving, but he managed to restrain himself from losing his composure and leaving his seat. He simply said in a deep voice, "Zijing, you too! You failed to notice such a subtle detail in time, and instead have to come back to suffer this humiliation!"

Lu Su blushed and quickly bowed to apologize: "My lord, please forgive me. I did not carefully examine the hidden meaning in those words and was deceived by their apparent fairness. Fortunately, the commander-in-chief had sharp eyes and saw through this childish trick."

Sun Quan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and asked in a deep voice, "Gongjin, what are your plans?"

"The Commander-in-Chief says that Gu Sulin's tricks are nothing but petty cleverness, not worth mentioning," Lu Su said in a deep voice. "The Commander-in-Chief has already made up his mind—to soon launch a western expedition to conquer Shu and take Yizhou from Liu Zhang. After pacifying Ba and Shu, we will have the advantage of Jing and Yi, and then return to settle old scores in Jingzhou. At that time, Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and Gu Sulin will all be turtles in a jar."

Sun Quan lowered his head again, looking at the map before him, his fingertip hovering over the land of Ba and Shu, lost in thought. He knew all too well that Yizhou was a strategically important and prosperous region, and if it were under Jiangdong's control, it would be enough to rival Cao Cao. This temptation was hard for him to resist.

"However..." Lu Su continued, "The commander-in-chief is worried that Liu Bei will be hampered in Jingzhou and Xiangyang when the army marches west. Therefore, he has offered another plan to completely stabilize Liu Bei."

What plan?

"A honey trap," Lu Su whispered. "Liu Bei lost his wife in middle age and has not remarried. Your sister is young and beautiful. The commander-in-chief asked you to betroth her to Liu Bei and invite him to Nanxu to complete the marriage. Once he enters Jiangdong, he will be like a bird in a cage, indulging in comfort and unable to interfere in the affairs of Jingzhou and Xiangyang. Then our army can focus on attacking Shu."

Sun Quan paced back and forth in silence.

On one side is his sister's lifelong commitment, on the other is the overall situation in Jiangdong; on one side is Liu Bei, a powerful and unruly figure, on the other is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conquer Shu.

He thought of the document that the nameless boy Gu Sulin had tampered with, and of Liu Bei's conquest of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, his anger surging again.

"Very well." Sun Quan suddenly stopped, his eyes flashing with cold light. "We will follow Gongjin's plan!"

"Let Liu Bei and Gu Sulin be smug for a few more days. Once Liu Bei enters Nanxu and falls into my hands, I will settle all scores, old and new!"

Lu Su bowed: "My lord is wise."

"Regarding the dispatch of envoys, who should be sent?"

"Lü Fan is calm and composed, and is capable of undertaking this task."

"Granted. Order Lü Fan to immediately prepare gifts, cross the river to Gong'an to propose marriage, and only mention the eternal alliance, without revealing any intention to attack Shu."

"Here you are."

Several days later, Lü Fan arrived at the Public Security Bureau.

When Liu Bei heard that the envoy from Eastern Wu had come again, he was alarmed and immediately summoned Zhuge Liang, Gu Sulin, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and others to meet him.

Lu Fan entered the hall, and after paying his respects, he spoke loudly: "Imperial Uncle, my lord, the Marquis of Wu, admires your benevolence and virtue, and wishes to strengthen the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei. The Marquis of Wu has a younger sister who is virtuous and kind, and is a suitable match for you, Imperial Uncle. He has specially sent me to propose marriage. However, the Marquis of Wu wishes to officiate the wedding himself, so he humbly requests that you, Imperial Uncle, condescend to come to Nanxu and establish a lasting alliance between us."

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.

Liu Bei's smile froze instantly.

Nanxu...that's the heart of Jiangdong.

Going alone is no different from walking into a trap.

This is no marriage alliance; it's clearly an attempt to take advantage of the situation and kill Liu Bei!

He forced himself to remain calm: "This matter is of great importance. I am already quite old and may not be worthy of a princess. Please allow me to think it over."

Lü Fan smiled calmly: "Uncle, please consider this carefully. This is a win-win situation. I will await good news at the post station."

After the messenger left, Zhang Fei could no longer contain himself and slammed his fist on the table, exclaiming, "Brother! This is clearly Zhou Yu's treacherous scheme! We mustn't go! Nanxu is a den of dragons and tigers; if you go, you might not come back!"

Guan Yu also said in a deep voice, "What Third Brother said is absolutely right. The land of Nanxu is full of tigers and wolves. Elder Brother must not take any risks lightly."

Liu Bei looked at Zhuge Liang and sighed bitterly, "Kongming, if I go, it will be dangerous; if I don't go, the alliance will break down, and Cao Cao will reap the benefits. I'm in a dilemma... What should I do?"

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, smiled slightly, and turned his gaze to Gu Sulin, who remained silent to the side: "Zimao, what do you think of this situation?"

All eyes turned to him.

Gu Sulin stepped forward, her tone calm and resolute:

"My lord, we have no choice but to go to Nanxu."

Zhang Fei immediately exclaimed, "Mr. Gu! You're sending our lord into danger!"

Gu Sulin calmly replied, "Sun Quan and Zhou Yu's aim is to keep our lord under control and stabilize Jingzhou, not to harm him. If our lord dies, Jingzhou will surely descend into chaos, and Cao Cao will seize the opportunity to march south, turning Jiangdong into a sitting duck. They cannot kill him, nor dare they. We only need to be wary of him being placed under house arrest and delayed; our lord's safety is assured."

It hits the nail on the head.

Whether Zhou Yu was preparing to attack Shu or resist Cao Cao, he would be wary of Liu Bei hindering him from the rear. This strategy was merely to keep Liu Bei in check and prevent him from making any hasty moves.

If we were to kill Liu Bei, Jingnan would descend into chaos. The alliance would break down, and Cao Cao would inevitably march south. At that point, Jiangdong would be attacked from both sides, making things even more complicated.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were both taken aback, then suddenly realized.

The weight that had been hanging over Liu Bei's heart instantly lifted.

Zhuge Liang's smile deepened, and he nodded slightly.

Gu Sulin bowed slightly and said no more.

These few words alone were enough to make everyone realize that this young strategist's insight was far superior to that of ordinary people.

Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately made a decision:

"In that case, I'll feel at ease making the trip to Nanxu."