Liu Bei sent Zhuge Liang to Jiangdong as an envoy.
At this moment, Sun Yi and Sun Quan were not in good spirits.
Because...
After receiving the letter from King Cao Cao of Wei, which boasted of his ambition to conquer the land like a tiger, Sun Yi and Sun Quan first discussed the matter privately, and then... convened a court deliberation.
This was nothing unusual in itself.
But what surprised Sun Yi and Sun Quan was that when their subordinates saw this letter, the court deliberation, which was originally about how to resist Cao Cao, took a huge turn.
The question of whether to fight or not turned into a question of whether to surrender or not.
The surrender faction, led by Zhang Zhao, had a firm stance... and many civil officials had already expressed their opinions. This was no longer just the eight great families of Jiangdong intending to surrender, but rather... the entire civil official group intending to surrender.
Now...
This was the first time Zhou Yu and Lu Xun participated in the court deliberation, and Liu Bei's envoy Zhuge Liang was also present. This was an opportunity, an opportunity to reverse the unfavorable situation of the court deliberation.
"Tap, tap."
As Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu walked in.
Zhang Zhao seemed to sense something and narrowed his eyes, blocking Zhuge Liang's path.
Zhou Yu introduced, "Kongming, this is the long envoy of Jiangdong, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Zibu!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhao was polite and cupped his hands in greeting. "I am a humble person from Jiangdong, Zhang Zhao. I have long heard that you, sir, live in seclusion in Longzhong, are known as the Crouching Dragon, and compare yourself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi. Is this truly the case?"
"This is just a small comparison in my life, sir. You need not mind."
Zhuge Liang appeared very humble.
Zhang Zhao, however, did not back down. "I heard that Lord Liu invited the Crouching Dragon to emerge from his seclusion only after three visits to his thatched cottage. Afterwards, Lord Liu was like a fish in water, preparing to sweep through Jingxiang and achieve great things alone. But now... why has Jingxiang fallen into Cao Cao's hands? May I ask, at this moment, is the fish still in the water, or is it in a pot of soup?"
As these words left his mouth, everyone looked at Zhuge Liang with interest, their eyes filled with a hint of mockery.
Only Lu Xun, with his deep gaze, saw Zhuge Liang's calm and composed demeanor, and immediately felt that his elder brother was right; this was a formidable opponent not to be underestimated.
Speaking of which...
Lu Xun should have stood on the same side as Zhuge Liang in this court deliberation, but he did not rush to his aid. Instead, he wanted to test his mettle.
Just then, Zhuge Liang opened his mouth and said, "If my lord wished to take Jingxiang, it would be as easy as flipping his hand. Liu Biao had repeatedly ceded it to him, and my lord could not bear to take the foundation of a fellow clansman, which is why Cao the thief was able to steal Jingxiang. Now, my lord is stationed in Jiangling, and Liu Qi, the eldest son, is stationed in Jiangxia. It is like a dragon entering the sea and a phoenix soaring into the sky, with other grand plans. Mr. Zibu, please do not worry!"
"Haha..." Zhang Zhao retorted. "Sir, you compare yourself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi. Guan Zhong assisted Duke Huan of Qi, dominating the princes and unifying the world. Yue Yi supported the weak Yan and, with one burst of strength, captured seventy-two cities of Qi. These two can be called talents who can revive a nation and save the world! I heard that when Lord Liu obtained you, he was overcome with emotion... saying he was like a fish in water, like Cao Mengde obtaining Lu Ziyu, he would surely turn the tide against the wind and salvage the situation... But what is the reality?"
"Sir seems to only know how to sit idly in a thatched cottage, laughing at the wind and moon, and besides hugging his knees and sighing, he has no other skills. Before obtaining you, Lord Liu had never won a single battle, and was defeated by Lu Ziyu, losing his armor and fleeing in disarray. But... after obtaining you? He lost even more troops and fled at the sight of the enemy, unable to avenge the Son of Heaven to bring peace to the common people, nor able to suppress the rebel army and defend the territory. In less than half a year, he abandoned Xinye, lost Fancheng, was defeated at Dangyang, fled to Xiakou, and rushed north and south, aimlessly wandering east and west... yet he has no place to stand!"
"I venture to ask, in the current situation, does Lord Liu still dare to utter the words, 'Obtaining you is like Cao Mengde obtaining Lu Ziyu'? And do you still dare to compare yourself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi!"
"I speak frankly, sir, your magnanimity is appreciated, I hope you will not be offended!"
Zhang Zhao spoke with a smile.
As he spoke, the entire court began to laugh.
Zhou Yu narrowed his eyes, looking at Zhuge Liang with interest. Lu Xun did the same... These two Grand Commanders of Jiangdong both wanted to witness Zhuge Liang's prowess.
Then, Zhuge Liang lightly waved his feather fan.
"A roc soars ten thousand miles, and sparrows cannot comprehend its ambition. I originally thought sparrows should be in the woods, but I did not expect them all to gather under the eaves today... My lord was indeed defeated in Runan and his sneak attack failed. He then sought refuge with Liu Biao, at which time... his troops were less than ten thousand, with only Guan and Zhang as generals. However, when the dreaded Lu Ziyu led his troops to attack, my lord, knowing it was impossible, did so anyway. He set an ambush at Bowang, but was burned by the enemy at Bowang. He set an ambush at Xinye, but was outmaneuvered by Lu Ziyu!"
"Even so, on the road to Dangyang, with pursuers behind and ambushes ahead, the common people, carrying their elders and young, followed my lord. They traveled no more than twenty li a day. My lord endured swords and blades rather than abandon the people. Has such a benevolent lord been heard of in a hundred generations? Or, in your eyes, should heroes be judged by temporary successes? Do you not realize how long my lord delayed Lu Ziyu, giving Jiangdong so much time to prepare to resist the enemy? Are you all closing your eyes and ears, turning a blind eye, and merely seeking fame and reputation? What use is that? Can you employ troops in battle, or can you do what is known to be impossible?"
Zhuge Liang spoke...
His words were firm and his arguments logical!
He directly refuted Zhang Zhao, making him blush and retreat dejectedly. However, this was just the beginning.
Jiangdong civil officials continued to stand up, and Zhuge Liang continued to refute them... Precisely, every word he spoke struck at the weaknesses of Jiangdong.
His demeanor inspired Zhou Yu's admiration...
Even a sense of respect.
In a debate against the scholars, he silenced every Jiangdong civil official.
But...
Zhuge Liang's words could not change the stance of the Jiangdong civil officials.
At this moment, whether it was the eight great families, Sun Yi and Sun Quan, or Zhou Yu... all their gazes turned to Lu Xun.
This Grand Commander, who controlled over forty percent of Jiangdong's troops, this leader of the eight great families, who held Jiangdong's richest resources and possessed absolute supply...
His words were probably worth ten, or even a hundred of Zhuge Liang's words!
"Cough, cough..."
After much anticipation, he finally came...
Lu Xun finally spoke.
"I have listened to your debates for a long time, and this Grand Commander has also understood some of the reasons. How about this... I will summarize for everyone first, how about it?"
Lu Xun took a step forward, turned around, and asked Sun Yi for his permission.
Sun Yi narrowed his eyes, appearing somewhat nervous.
He quickly asked.
"Is Boyan in favor of war, or peace?"
...
...
Donghai Commandery, port, on a cliff.
Huang Xu and Huang Zhong stared blankly into the distance.
Huang Zhong immediately took out a "thousand-mile eye" from behind him.
Training the Divine Archer Battalion required this... he carried it with him at all times.
Ships...
Not just ships, but also the enormous warships of the Yamatai Kingdom, one, two, three... impossible to count, over a hundred ships in total.
This was rarely seen at sea in this era...
In fact, ships that could sail at sea were extremely rare in this era. If they were cargo ships, their hulls were usually not very large, as losses would be substantial if intercepted.
Unless...
Encountering enemy attacks?
It couldn't be an attack from the Yamatai Kingdom, could it?
Due to the great distance, even with the "thousand-mile eye," it was impossible to see clearly. As the large ships gradually approached, Huang Zhong saw the large characters "Long Xiao" on the ships!
At this moment...
His breath almost froze.
His head buzzed... as if the sound of the vast waves and the tide suddenly became silent.
"Long Xiao Battalion... It's the navy of the Long Xiao Battalion!"
He shouted excitedly.
Then, he was inexplicably moved... They were back. When they set sail, there were only six or seven ships, but now... they were back, with a hundred large ships.
"Long Xiao Battalion?" Huang Xu was startled...
He took his father's thousand-mile eye and gazed towards the horizon where the sea met the sky. They were back... the navy of the Long Xiao Battalion was truly back.
For several months, there had been no news, and everyone missed and worried about them!
Just then...
Huang Xu saw a figure on the deck of the leading large ship. Wasn't that... wasn't that the deputy commander of the Long Xiao Battalion navy—Gan Ning?
He... he brought the navy of the Long Xiao Battalion back triumphantly?
Of course...
Huang Xu thought so, but in reality, for Gan Ning, he had merely gone to the country of Yamatai, where people lived quite comfortably, for a vacation... ah, no, for a vacation in a country where people lived quite comfortably.
This trip... killing some Japanese, relaxing, and even bringing back a group of their most beautiful women, it seemed... this journey was quite pleasant for both body and mind!
...
Gan Ning, leading the navy of the Long Xiao Battalion, had experienced a thousand-mile voyage and was now... slowly approaching the port of Donghai Commandery.
Countless people rushed to the deck. No matter how good other countries were, their own homeland, their own hometown was still the best!
At this moment, every soldier of the Long Xiao Battalion had become like a wanderer returning from a long journey.
They hugged the masts and wept profusely.
"We're back, we're back, we're back..."
This homeland was right before their eyes.
Even though the navy of the Long Xiao Battalion had been well-prepared for this trip, and it was only a minor engagement, the food could not be as abundant and delicious as on land...
Everyone ate mostly dry rations.
Of course, these were not the most important things. The most important thing was that in the vast, boundless sea, people were like duckweed, without roots. That indescribable sense of loneliness gnawed at their hearts like a swarm of ants biting bone.
Now...
They were finally back.
Even a hardened man like Gan Ning wept.
"Report..." a naval soldier stepped forward, choked with emotion, and reported, "General, the port of Donghai Commandery has dispatched ships to escort us."
Gan Ning fiercely slapped the ship's railing. "Pass the order, follow the escort ships and enter the port!"
"But General..." a sailor asked, "Aren't we supposed to sail south along the coast and then upstream along the Yangtze River?"
"Heh heh..." Hearing this, Gan Ning laughed. "When sailing south and going upstream, don't we still need supplies? Let the brothers have a good meal first!"
"Yes..." A group of sailors immediately cheered!
The large ships slowly entered the harbor... The port was crowded with people.
These soldiers of the Long Xiao Battalion... had brought so many ships. They were heroes... heroes who dared to challenge the sea. Fishermen by the sea often looked upon those who could conquer the ocean with boundless admiration.
Before long...
People from the ships boarded the gangplanks and began to disembark in order.
And amidst the crowd, Gan Ning and Huang Zhong exchanged glances...
Their relationship had always been good.
"You've been at sea for months, you've worried me to death!" Huang Zhong patted Gan Ning's shoulder.
Gan Ning smiled and said, "Quickly prepare some food, get some meat... but no fish! The brothers are sick of fish!"
Upon hearing this...
The two exchanged glances, and then... they burst into hearty laughter.
"By the way..." Gan Ning asked, "Has Jingzhou been conquered yet? Did we return at the right time?"
Before Huang Zhong could speak...
Huang Xu beside him quickly said, "Jingzhou has already been conquered. My teacher sent a letter back a few days ago, asking about you. My teacher said... in the next battle, they will cross Yunmeng Marsh and station themselves at Wulin Port, confronting the Jiangdong navy across the river at Chibi!"
As he spoke...
Huang Xu drew a simple map on the sand.
The Yangtze River between Jiangling and Xiakou did not have a stable channel, but flowed eastward in a fan-shaped branching pattern. South of the Yangtze River was the nascent Dongting Lake, and north of the Yangtze River was a vast expanse of connected lakes and marshes known as Yunmeng Marsh.
Huang Xu had always lived in Jingnan...
These were not difficult for him...
"General Gan, please look..."
Huang Xu pointed to a round dot on the map. This was the most difficult path in Yunmeng Marsh, known as Huarong Road. "My teacher said that Cao's army will avoid Huarong Road and instead enter Wulin Port by land and water. Chibi is where the decisive battle will take place!"
Chibi...
Upon hearing these two words, Gan Ning's eyes flashed with brilliance. "Young Master Huang, in your opinion, if I take this fleet upstream along the Yangtze River, then..."
Before Gan Ning could finish speaking...
Huang Xu immediately said, "Then it will be a pincer attack... making it impossible for the Jiangdong navy to respond to attacks from both sides!"
Whoosh...
Gan Ning let out a sigh. "That's settled. Hansheng... quickly, get some meat... let the brothers fill their stomachs, resupply, and then head out to conduct a pincer attack and completely surround these Jiangdong rats!"
He spoke with great urgency...
Huang Zhong smiled and replied, "We can eat meat, but this time, you must bring our Divine Archer Battalion!"
"Ah..." Gan Ning was taken aback.
"What?" Huang Zhong asked with a smile, "Are you, Gan Xingba, the only one allowed to achieve merit? Am I, Huang Zhong, not allowed to be old but still strong? To make a final heroic charge?"
Uh... After a brief moment of stunned silence, Gan Ning retorted, "Can your old bones still be hard?"
"Heh heh..." Huang Zhong did not answer, but instead drew his bow and arrow, shooting an arrow that hit the mast of the black "Long Xiao" flag on the ship.
Accompanying it was his firm voice.
"One hundred paces, hitting the target!"
Heh... Gan Ning did not expect that at his age, Huang Zhong's archery skills were still so remarkable.
Perhaps...
The Long Xiao Battalion paired with the Divine Archer Battalion was like fine wine matched with green plums, complementing each other perfectly.
...
...
Wujun, at the court deliberation.
Lu Xun was speaking eloquently.
"Firstly, Zhang Changshi's opposition is that resisting Cao Cao is equivalent to resisting the imperial court, which is morally unacceptable! But in reality, Cao Cao has already established the Wei Dynasty. Does he still care about the imperial court? We are fighting against the Great Wei, and against the high ancestor's decree: 'Those who are not surnamed Liu and claim kingship will be attacked by all under heaven!' Moreover, Cao Cao has been wielding the Son of Heaven to command the princes for a long time. Resisting him is acting on behalf of Heaven, and it is irreconcilable with the Han rebels. Morality is on our side."
"Secondly, the Great Wei's forces appear strong, but in reality, they are all northerners. Northerners conquer the world on horseback. If they have to go into the water, if they have to fight naval battles, they are amateurs. Abandoning horseback riding and boarding warships is unwise! Even if Lu Ziyu is involved, how can he make the Great Wei army proficient in naval warfare?"
"Thirdly, it is now entering winter, and the transportation of grain and fodder is a problem. It is expected that they will not transport grain and fodder through Yunmeng Marsh. Therefore... there is only one supply route, which is by water! As long as we can intercept Cao's army's water route, then... Cao's army will be short of food and will emulate Yuan Shao's collapse in the Battle of Guandu, fleeing for a thousand miles. This is our chance of victory."
"Finally, northerners fighting in the southern region will inevitably suffer from unfavorable climate and soil. Such troops are most prone to epidemics. With such sick troops? No matter how numerous they are, what is there to fear?"
Lu Xun's words were well-reasoned and clearly organized... making Sun Yi and Sun Quan's blood boil.
Of course...
Two people were surprised!
The first was Zhuge Liang, and the second was Zhou Yu. To their surprise...
Lu Xun actually... actually supported resisting Cao! And... he was encouraging Sun Yi and Sun Quan so much... This was too unexpected.
...
...