The night was deep, yet the command tent within the Shanyue Great Stockade burned with light, from which faint sounds could be heard.
"So, what he said is true!"
"The Lu Family Army is the Long Xiao Battalion? The Long Xiao Battalion is the Lu Family Army!"
The speaker was Pan Lin, the leader of the Shanyue, his pupils wide with disbelief as he gazed at the rough-looking man before him.
This man was Yan Long, the son of Yan Baihu!
And also, one of the men recruited by Lu Xun in the past who harbored enmity towards the Little Hegemon Sun Bofu.
It was known that Yan Baihu had extremely close ties with the Shanyue.
He had even styled himself as a "Shanyue King" when he ruled the mountains!
His son, naturally… Pan Lin was not unfamiliar with him!
Lu Xun had ordered him to ascend the mountain stealthily at night to prove to these Shanyue leaders that his words were true.
"Marshal Pan, do you still not believe your nephew?" Yan Long truthfully replied, "The enemy of my father, that Little Hegemon Sun Bofu, was assassinated by us together with Lu Xun!"
"Lu Xun's grandfather perished at the hands of the Sun family, making them sworn enemies. As for… the renowned Marquis of White Horse, Lu Ziyu, he also shares the surname Lu, and his mother is a direct descendant of the Lu clan… with prominent status. Naturally, the Long Xiao Battalion is the Lu Family Army, and the Lu Family Army is the Long Xiao Battalion!"
It was remarkable that Yan Long, a rough fellow, managed to explain the relationship so clearly.
Pan Lin's expression shifted from initial astonishment to midway shock, and finally to utter dismay as the truth settled in. He felt as if he were dreaming.
Great Heavens!
He was merely a Shanyue Marshal. What virtue or luck was it that he, by chance, had the opportunity to join the Long Xiao Battalion! To have the chance to become a fierce general under the Marquis of White Horse, Lu Ziyu!
It was not merely that the Long Xiao Battalion was famous throughout the Thirteen Prefectures of Han!
They were the legitimate, righteous army under the imperial court!
No one is born wanting to be a bandit!
"This… this…"
Pan Lin's voice began to falter, becoming somewhat agitated, so agitated he was nervous!
"Marshal Pan, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With these valiant Shanyue warriors, plus the retainers of our declining clans, such a Lu Family Army is enough to stir up the six commanderies and seventy-two counties of Jiangdong!"
"I've heard that the northern Long Xiao Battalion pacified the Wuhuan and achieved great merit. When people mention the Long Xiao Battalion, they all give a thumbs-up, saying wherever the Long Xiao Battalion's cavalry tread, it becomes Han territory! We… we are part of it, and we take pride in it!"
Uh…
The words had been spoken,
The atmosphere had been built.
Pan Lin could no longer suppress the excitement surging within his heart.
"You should have said so earlier! If I had known the Lu Family Army was the Long Xiao Battalion, and the Long Xiao Battalion was the Lu Family Army, why would we have held out for so long? Why would we have been so troubled and hungry! It's like the Dragon King's temple being flooded by his own dragon!"
Speaking of which…
"Quick…" Pan Lin immediately ordered. "Quick… quickly invite General Lu!"
"No… lead the way. I will personally go to invite General Lu!"
"We, the Shanyue, surrender! Surrender! Haha… Hahahahaha!"
It was rare…
The Shanyue surrendered with such passionate fervor, such exhilaration!
That very night.
Urgent dispatches were sent to the surrounding mountains through the Shanyue's unique methods!
Overnight, all sixty thousand Shanyue warriors, along with their families, over two hundred thousand people… surrendered!
From this day forward, on the surface, they were the Lu Family Army, but in secret… only their Marshal knew that they were the Long Xiao Battalion! That invincible legion that shook the Thirteen Prefectures of Han – the Long Xiao Battalion!
…
…
The zither and sheng played a gentle and elegant movement, sounding the melody of Jiangnan!
But… at this moment, along the Yangtze River, it was the opposite of the music's gentle elegance. The river wind still carried the scent of blood, the river surface was stained with blood, presenting a solemn and murderous scene!
On a high platform by the river, a youth with a purple beard and green eyes was repeatedly whipping a corpse.
—Whipping a corpse!
It was hard to imagine the depth of hatred that would cause one to repeatedly swing a whip at a deceased person.
This youth with a purple beard and green eyes was Sun Quan, the second son of the Sun family of Jiangdong!
His target was his father's murderer, the Sun family's enemy for two generations – Huang Zu!
As for…
The enmity between their Sun family and Huang Zu, it traced back to the campaign against Dong Zhuo!
At that time, Sun Jian led a solitary army into Luoyang. Unfortunately, the allied lords of Guandong had no unified goal and their organization was not in order, rendering the battle's outcome meaningless.
Sun Jian unexpectedly discovered a Seal of the Realm in a dry well in Changle Palace.
From then on, possession of a valuable item brought disaster!
Subsequently… in the expected turn of events, Sun Jian was shot and killed by Huang Zu, a formidable general under Liu Biao of Jingzhou, during his conflict with Liu Biao. His elite troops were absorbed by Yuan Shu!
Sun Jian's life thus came to an end…
And the Sun clan's journey had just begun.
Under the righteous banner of revenge, Sun Ce presented the Seal of the Realm to Yuan Shu, tearfully pleading for Yuan Shu to return his father's former subordinates.
Although Yuan Shu was easily swayed, his methods were not soft. He only returned over a thousand men to Sun Ce, and in various ways obstructed Sun Ce's development.
Among them was an incident closely related to the Lu family of Jiangdong.
In the first year of Xingping, Yuan Shu dispatched Sun Ce to attack Lujiang, promising Sun Ce that if he captured Lujiang, he would be appointed the Prefect of Lujiang. However, after Lujiang was captured, Yuan Shu quickly reneged, and Lujiang was instead governed by his confidant.
At that time…
The Prefect of Lujiang defeated by Sun Ce was Lu Kang, the patriarch of the Lu family, one of the four great families of Wu Commandery!
And the Lu clan of Wu Commandery, since Lu Hong took office under Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, had produced many renowned scholars and possessed a large family!
However, due to Sun Ce's attack, more than half of their clan members perished!
If Lu Kang had not sent Lu Xun and Lu Ji back to Wu Commandery, then perhaps… there would be no Lu family left in Jiangdong! Lu Yu would have no maternal clan!
Tracing back to the root…
All of this was the development and continuation of the animosity between the Sun family and Huang Zu!
Later, Sun Ce left for Jiangdong and carved out a foundation for himself. Subsequently, Sun Ce defeated Huang Zu several times, captured his wife and son, and six thousand ships, killing tens of thousands of his soldiers.
However…
The prime culprit, Huang Zu, remained unharmed.
Just this month…
With Zhou Yu's assistance, Sun Quan, through a suicide squad, braved arrows and rolling stones to break into the city and beheaded Huang Zu, their enemy for two generations, offering him as a sacrifice!
Although the main army still failed to capture Jiangxia.
They brought back Huang Zu's corpse. Upon seeing his deceased enemy, Sun Quan could no longer contain himself and built a high platform by the river to whip Huang Zu's corpse, venting his anger!
"Hoo…"
"Hoo!"
Sun Quan panted heavily.
Finally, he grew tired and could no longer swing. The blood on Huang Zu's headless corpse seemed to have already congealed.
"Thud!"
The whip fell to the ground, and Sun Quan knelt facing the Yangtze River.
"Brother… I have finally avenged Father's hatred!"
Thump…
Sun Quan's head struck the wooden floor. The thudding sound merged with the river waves, adding to Sun Quan's sense of loneliness.
He had done what he had to do!
So… a new question arose. What could he do next…
In Jiangdong, with such an awkward identity? What more could he accomplish?
…
As night fell, within the camp, Sun Quan and Zhou Yu entered together.
Sun Quan took off the cloak he had worn all day, shook it, and threw it on the table. Zhou Yu remained still, watching him complete the task.
"I've been whipping that dog thief Huang Zu's corpse for half the day, my arm is sore!"
Sun Quan sighed…
Zhou Yu opened his mouth and said, "Has Zhongmou's anger been fully vented?"
This…
Sun Quan looked up at Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu's expression became even more serious. "Today, I received good news and bad news. Which would Zhongmou like to hear first?"
"The good news!" Sun Quan replied…
A trace of curiosity arose in his heart.
"The good news is that the reports indicate the Shanyue threat that has plagued Jiangdong has been eliminated!"
Hmm…
Sun Quan was startled, then quickly asked, "Then what is the bad news?"
Zhou Yu shook his head slightly. "Lu Xun went alone to persuade them to surrender, and managed to win over sixty thousand Shanyue warriors without a single soldier lost!"
This…
Sun Quan's eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.
Although the growth of the Lu Family Army meant the strengthening of Jiangdong, in reality… the Sun clan of Jiangdong was divided into two factions!
The Huai-Si expatriate faction and the native Jiangdong clans!
And the only faction Sun Quan could rely on was the Huai-Si expatriate faction… and the fifty thousand troops held by his father's former subordinates…
But…
The situation had now completely changed.
Lu Xun had acquired sixty thousand Shanyue warriors. And the Shanyue were skilled in forest warfare and naval warfare, their combat prowess potentially not inferior to his father's former subordinates!
And in terms of troop numbers, Sun Quan was at a disadvantage!
And this… meant that his ambition to become the lord of Jiangdong was almost entirely impossible!
And what was even more terrifying was not just these things…
From now on, the Jiangdong gentry faction would far surpass his side in terms of troops, finances, and supplies… and in terms of influence in Jiangdong, Sun Quan and Zhou Yu had lost a significant lead.
"Bang!"
After a moment of silence, Sun Quan suddenly swung his hand and punched the table.
Ink and brushes flew across the table.
"Just a little more, only a little more!"
He lamented repeatedly…
Originally, by avenging his father, he had made a great contribution. This merit was enough to gain him more support and greater influence.
But… this "father's revenge" seemed somewhat insignificant compared to pacifying the Shanyue and incorporating them.
After all… the city of Jiangxia had not been captured by Sun Quan and Zhou Yu.
"Zhongmou, I have a document to report to Sun Yi. Zhongmou might as well take a look!"
Saying this, Zhou Yu handed a bamboo slip to Sun Quan…
Sun Quan took the bamboo slip and slowly unfolded it. But the more he looked, the wider his eyes became, appearing incredibly astonished!
"Left Grand Governor of Jiangdong's Army? Gong Jin wants to make Lu Xun the Grand Governor of Jiangdong's Army?"
"That's right!" Contrary to Sun Quan's nervousness, Zhou Yu's expression was very calm. "It is to be written by you, appointing Lu Xun as the Grand Governor!"
"Gong Jin? This… why is this?"
"To show weakness!" Zhou Yu explained. "The current situation is different, and we can only show weakness. Moreover… Cao Cao has defeated the Wuhuan, and his strategic focus will then be southward. Let me ask Zhongmou, can we alone withstand Cao Cao? Can we withstand the Long Xiao Battalion? Can we contend with that Hidden Dragon?"
Uh…
Zhou Yu's words rendered Sun Quan speechless.
Yuan Shao, with the strength of four prefectures, a multitude of strategists, and a rain of generals, could not resist him. What about him, Sun Quan?
It was no exaggeration to say that this was a time of peril. If Jiangdong was not united at this moment, then… then Jiangdong would only face annihilation!
Thinking of this, Zhou Yu continued, "I believe that perhaps Bofu in heaven would not wish Jiangdong to follow the path of the Yuan clan in the north, with brothers fighting each other and disaster arising from within the walls. Moreover… from the perspective of Bofu and the old general, is the third generation of Jiangdong merely for internal strife?"
"Zhongmou, our opponents are not just your third brother, nor Lu Xun. The more terrifying opponents are Cao Cao, and Lu Yu… From this perspective, whether it is Lu Xun, or the Lu Family Army… these are our allies! Trading a Left Grand Governor for the stability of Jiangdong is worth it!"
This…
Sun Quan wanted to speak, but the words at the tip of his tongue did not know where to begin.
Zhou Yu made sense!
He… he, Sun Quan, had reached the point where he had to admit defeat!
"Gong Jin, according to your opinion, can we alone, by uniting with Lu Xun, resist Cao Cao and Lu Yu?"
"Far from enough!"
Zhou Yu replied without hesitation.
"Then…" Sun Quan wanted to ask.
Zhou Yu preempted him, "We still need to unite with Jingzhou…"
Jingzhou!
As these words left his mouth, Sun Quan's brows suddenly furrowed.
"How can it be Jingzhou? Huang Zu has a deep hatred with our Sun clan of Jiangdong, and now I have killed Huang Zu. Liu Biao and we are sworn enemies. How could he unite with us to resist Cao Cao?"
Sun Quan spoke at an extremely rapid pace… clearly, he was very concerned about this matter! He harbored a strong resentment!
He felt even more that uniting with Liu Biao to resist Cao Cao was impossible!
In contrast, Zhou Yu appeared very calm, as if the strategy and deployment that followed had been calculated countless times in his mind.
After filling all the loopholes, he arrived at the optimal solution!
"For the alliance between Jiangdong and Jingzhou, the alliance might not be with Liu Jingsheng!"
Finally, Zhou Yu spoke indifferently. "North of Xiangyang, in Xinye city, is there not another imperial descendant surnamed Liu? I heard that he has invited the Sleeping Dragon, Zhuge Liang, from Nanyang!"
"If this Zhuge Liang can be called the Sleeping Dragon, how can he not understand the deeper meaning of this? How can he not try his best to obtain this Jiangxia junks fleet from Liu Biao!"
"In today's world, in terms of naval warfare strength, besides Zhongmou's tower ship legion, are there not only the junks of Jiangxia city, right? As long as these two elite naval forces join forces, even if Lu Ziyu attacks with cunning and plots without flaw, he will never be able to cross this natural barrier of the Yangtze River!"
Zhou Yu's words carried deep meaning.
Sun Quan's heart suddenly jolted.
The object of Jiangdong's alliance?
Not Liu Biao, but… but Liu Bei?
This…
This idea of Duke Zhou Jin was truly earth-shattering!
And the alliance of Jiangdong's tower ships and junks might truly create a miracle on the Yangtze River!
…
…
Jingzhou, Xinye City!
On the city wall of Xinye at night, the river wind blew… bringing infinite coolness. Under the light of a few torches, the hazy firelight illuminated Liu Bei's furrowed brow.
Beside him, Zhuge Liang was speaking eloquently.
"In today's world, no warlord can contend with Cao Cao and Lu Ziyu on land. Nor can any infantry or cavalry contend with the Long Xiao Battalion, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and that refined steel armor, refined steel halberds…"
Zhuge Liang's words were like a basin of cold water.
But it was the most objective analysis.
"However, if we rely on the dangers of the Yangtze River and engage the enemy with naval warfare, there is a chance to defeat Cao Cao!"
"Military advisor, please elaborate in detail. How to engage in naval warfare, how to find a good opportunity!"
Upon hearing that there was an opportunity.
Liu Bei's spirits were raised to the highest level, and he quickly retorted.
"My lord, let me ask you? What are the two strongest military corps in naval warfare in today's world?" Zhuge Liang did not answer directly but asked Liu Bei.
"As everyone knows, in today's world, the two strongest navies are the navy led by Huang Zu in Jiangxia, Jingzhou, and the navy of the Sun clan under Sun Quan!"
Indeed, as Liu Bei said…
These two fleets were called the apex of naval warfare because they had fought five major battles and countless minor battles from 199 AD to the present.
With the accumulation of so much experience, the combat power of these two fleets had exploded…
In contrast, in the Central Plains, where was there any naval warfare!
It was no exaggeration to say that both Cao's camp and the Long Xiao Battalion were mere amateurs in the field of naval warfare!
"As my lord said, the two strongest navies are currently fighting in Jiangxia. I hear that Huang Zu has already been beheaded by Sun Quan… The current Jiangxia navy is leaderless!"
Hiss…
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei began to understand the implied meaning. "Military advisor, you intend for me to request this navy from Liu Jingsheng, thereby resisting Cao Cao?"
"Yes and no!" Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan. "Although Cao's army is unfamiliar with naval warfare, their advantage lies in their vast numbers of troops and excellent equipment. Moreover, with Lu Ziyu's assistance, perhaps within a year, Cao's army can train a large naval force!"
"It is for this reason that my lord must not only seize the Jiangxia navy but also ally with the Sun clan navy of Jiangdong. Using the Yangtze River as a natural barrier, it is enough to defeat Cao Cao, or at least allow our army to remain invincible!"
Hoo…
Liu Bei exhaled. He had been marveling at Kongming's deployment.
But… he suddenly thought of something.
"The Jiangxia navy and the Jiangdong navy have been fighting for five years? The mutual resentment is deep. How can they unite to resist the enemy?"
Liu Bei posed the question…
"Haha…" Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang laughed. "If it were Liu Jingsheng, then the alliance between the two sides would be impossible. But if it were my lord, with shared interests, uniting to resist Cao Cao is the optimal choice."
Speaking of which… Zhuge Liang narrowed his eyes and looked up at the sky.
"I believe that the Kirin in Jiangdong also thinks this way. Only by uniting Sun and Liu can they fight against Lu Ziyu and Cao Aman!"
"But…" Liu Bei continued, "Liu Jingsheng appears to treat me as an honored guest, but in reality, he is wary of me at every turn… How will he hand over the Jiangxia navy to me?"
Liu Bei's words were precisely the biggest contradiction in this strategy…
Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan.
"This is not difficult!"
"Recently, I heard that Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Biao, is in a rather difficult situation. Both the Cai clan and the Kuai clan… regard him as a thorn in their side, and this… is an opportunity for my lord!"
"This…" Liu Bei was about to speak.
Zhuge Liang preempted him. "In my humble opinion, Liu Qi will likely visit my lord in the next few days to seek advice on how to break the deadlock. My lord might as well pretend to agree reluctantly, and finally lead him to me! I have my own methods to help my lord secure the Jiangxia navy!"
Hoo…
As these words were spoken, a bright light flashed in Liu Bei's eyes.
From Zhuge Liang's confident tone, Liu Bei seemed to see "hope of victory"…
For a man who had spent his entire life in failure, he longed to win this most crucial game!
It is said that whoever obtains the Hidden Dragon can bring peace to the world!
But Liu Bei's vision was that by obtaining the Sleeping Dragon… he could turn the tide and make a comeback against all odds!
…
…