“What on earth is going on? How could Lü Meng be so incompetent that he was defeated in battle after battle and was beaten to Jianye by Huang Zu and Gan Ning!!”

In the hall of Wu Hou Mansion, Sun Quan was shocked and angry, and said angrily.

Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Zhang Hong, Yu Fan, Zhuge Jin, Lu Xun, Pan Zhang and more than ten other people all looked pale.

Sun Quan was angry, which was a manifestation of his fear.

However, they were also shocked by the powerful navy under Liu Wu.

Jiangdong’s biggest trump card, which is also their confidence, is the possession of naval warships with good combat capabilities.

Even if the north bank of the Yangtze River was lost and Shouchun, Jiujiang, Hefei and other places were taken away, they could retreat to the south of the Yangtze River. Relying on the barrier of the Yangtze River, they would have a retreat.

But what now?

Their Jiangdong navy was actually defeated by Liu Wu’s navy.

This is very scary.

This means that their strong trump card and confidence are gone!!
No wonder Sun Quan was so anxious and frightened.

All the civil and military officials in the hall were worried.

If their navy is really destroyed, can they still gain a foothold in Jiangdong, and can their family still exist?
“My lord, Lü Meng reports that it is Huang Zu’s three warships. Their speed and attack weapons far exceed our largest ships. The three warships gathered together, surrounded by guard ships, and it is impossible to stop them.”

Pan Zhang reported the situation to Sun Quan and everyone else.

Hearing this, everyone’s faces turned grim.

“What about the spies who infiltrated Jiangling Shipyard? Has any news come back? It’s been so long!”

Sun Quan also understood that Lu Meng’s series of disastrous defeats were not due to Lu Meng’s strategic mistakes in command, but more to the fact that the capabilities of the warships under Liu Wu’s command had been greatly improved.

“My lord, Jiangling is heavily guarded, and many of the spies sent there have been captured. There is no news yet.”

Pan Zhang replied to Sun Quan with a headache.

“Useless, really useless, can’t do anything right. Now, our warships are no good, we can’t defeat the Jingzhou navy, and even the Yangtze River has been cut off. What should we do?”

Sun Quan became angry again. In fact, several months ago, when the giant ship Xiangyang appeared, Sun Quan and the civil and military officials of Jiangdong were shocked.

Many spies were sent out to obtain the blueprints and technology for building the Xiangyang.

However, Jiangling was severely blockaded, especially the core technical part, which was extremely strictly controlled, leaving Sun Quan’s men with no chance.

Now, two new large warships appeared and dealt a heavy blow to the Jiangdong navy in the naval battle. Sun Quan felt a complete sense of crisis.

Yangzhou is divided into two parts: north of the Yangtze River and south of the Yangtze River.

If the Yangtze River was cut off by Liu Wu’s navy, Yangzhou would be directly divided into two, which would be a huge blow to Yangzhou.

“No matter what method you come up with, destroy Liu Wu’s new warship or get the technology to build a new warship, otherwise, we are all finished!”

The Jiangdong civil and military forces dispersed amid Sun Quan’s angry and cold words, and everyone’s faces were ugly and livid. But this was not because of Sun Quan, but because they were worried about the current situation in Jiangdong. Just as Sun Quan said, if their navy was destroyed, the Yangtze River was cut off by the enemy, and Yangzhou was divided into two, then it would really be the end.

……

“Hahaha, Xingba, it’s so satisfying! All the navy and warships under Lu Meng’s command have been routed. The world above the Yangtze River is ours.”

In Jianye New City, Huang Zu and Gan Ning were drinking and laughing.

Obviously, Huang Zu’s pent-up frustration from all the years of fighting with the Sun family disappeared completely, and he felt very happy.

Since the time of Sun Jian, Huang Zu and the Sun family had a deep hatred and the two sides fought constantly.

After Sun Quan took over Jiangdong, the feud between Huang Zu and the Sun family had not yet been resolved and they were constantly at war.

This time, Sun Quan was really suppressed.

Gan Ning was more sober and said:

“We have borrowed the advanced and powerful Xiangyang giant warship and the Thunder warship, but we have only managed to suppress the enemy. It is still far from being able to sweep the enemy. We cannot let our guard down. In addition, we only have three warships at present. If we make a mistake, the situation may be overturned. We must not underestimate the enemy.”

Huang Zu nodded and said with a smile: “Of course, but now that we have suppressed the Jiangdong navy, I wonder how the King of Chu will treat Sun Quan. Sun Quan is not a good guy. He has always been in league with Cao Cao.”

Gan Ning nodded and said, “I have already consulted the king. Let’s wait for his order.”

“Haha, I hope that Your Majesty can take over Yangzhou as well. This way, Chu will have one more state and one less enemy.” Huang Zu laughed loudly, but he was full of expectations. Following Liu Wu, the greater Liu Wu’s power, the more benefits it would bring to the Huang family.

……

Xiangyang City, Palace of the Prince of Chu.

In the main hall.

As the King of Chu, Liu Wu wore a gorgeous crown inlaid with blue jade, a crimson robe embroidered with dragons, phoenixes, mountains and rivers and decorated with yellow edges, and carved leather shoes. Every inch of detail showed his dignity and authority.

At this time, several important figures in Jingxiang in the hall, including Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Cai Mao, Mi Zhu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, and Kuai Yue, were all excited because Huang Zu and Gan Ning led their navy warships all the way to Sun Quan’s newly built capital Jianye on the Yangtze River.

Jiangdong, this is, ruined!

“I believe you have received the good news. Lü Meng was defeated by Generals Huang Zu and Gan Ning. Now Jianye has been captured by our army. Without a strong navy, Sun Quan will no longer be able to act so recklessly. How do you think we should deal with Sun Quan?”

Liu Wu asked everyone with a smile.

Listening to Liu Wu’s questions, everyone’s faces were even more smiling. A month ago, they were still panicking because Huang Zu and Gan Ning were defeated by Lu Meng. Now, the situation has reversed in an instant, and they all admire Liu Wu’s foresight in attaching importance to the new warships.

Cai Mao was the first to step forward, bowed to Liu Wu and said with a smile:

“Your Majesty, Yangzhou was originally declared as the territory of Chu by the Emperor. We didn’t attack Sun Quan before because we were short of food and supplies and needed to recuperate. Now, although food and supplies are still insufficient, we can attack Sun Quan now that the Jiangdong navy has been defeated.”

Cai Mao was the first to express his opinion, believing that it was time to send troops to attack Sun Quan.

Kuai Yue also bowed and said:
“Jiangdong originally belonged to the State of Chu, and the people are eagerly looking forward to returning to the State of Chu. It’s time to fulfill their wish!”

A group of people spoke up, the general meaning of which was that Yangzhou belonged to the territory of Chu State and the people had been looking forward to it.

In fact, except for Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, Mi Zhu, Jian Yong and others who wanted to expand the territory of Chu to benefit their own families, they were indeed not wrong.

When Liu Wu became the King of Chu, he had already announced that the people of Chu would have their taxes reduced by 20%!
The people in various states under Liu Wu’s command actually enjoyed a 20% tax reduction. Food is the most important thing for the people. In addition, this is a time of war and food is precious. A direct 20% tax reduction will be of great help to the people.

Therefore, people from all over the country who have benefited from this policy are all happy and proud of being citizens of the State of Chu.

When the territory of Chu State was specifically demarcated and announced to the world, everyone in Chu was happy and expectant. However, the people in Xuzhou and Yangzhou were not happy.

They were also considered as citizens of the Chu State, but they did not enjoy this treatment because it was Sun Quan who occupied Yangzhou.

Therefore, when the civil and military officials said that the people of Jiangdong were probably all looking forward to returning to the State of Chu, they were actually not wrong.

Upon hearing this, Liu Wu looked at Zhuge Liang and asked:
“Kong Ming, what do you think?”

Zhuge Liang frowned as he listened to Liu Wu’s question and said:

“Although the navy won a great victory, it will not be easy to successfully retake Yangzhou. Your Majesty, please do not ignore Sun Shao of Xuzhou!”

“Hmm?” After Zhuge Liang finished speaking, everyone in the hall fell silent.

Zhang Fei snorted coldly:
“What? Does Sun Shao still dare to be our enemy?”

Whether in the eyes of Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Jian Yong, Cai Mao, Kuai Yue and others, Sun Shao is like a mascot and poses no threat.

Zhuge Liang met Zhang Fei’s unhappy look, waved his feather fan, and smiled confidently at Liu Wu:
“Your Majesty, the three generals, this is related to the foundation of the Sun family. If one is alone, the other will be in danger. I’m afraid that Sun Shao will not let Sun Quan suffer any loss.”

Liu Wu frowned.

Cai Mao, Mi Zhu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Kuai Yue and others in the hall were all dissatisfied.

Liu Wu couldn’t help but look at Dong Zhao who was sitting at the back and asked:
“Kimi, what do you think?”

Dong Zhao may not be as great as Zhuge Liang, but he has his own characteristics, which is that he understands people.

When Zhuge Liang saw Liu Wu asking about Dong Zhao, he didn’t care and still looked at Dong Zhao with a smile.

When Dong Zhao heard Liu Wu’s question, he did not dare to neglect it. He hurriedly bowed to Liu Wu, hesitated slightly, and said:
“If Sun Shao is not stupid, although he does not want to offend the king, he should not sit idly by and watch Sun Quan lose Yangzhou.”

“Haha, so brave!” Suddenly, as Dong Zhao finished speaking, Liu Wu became furious and slammed the table, scaring everyone. They all looked nervously at Liu Wu who was exuding power on the throne.

Liu Wu’s rage was naturally not directed at Dong Zhao.

Instead, it was in response to Zhuge Liang and Dong Zhao both saying that Sun Shao was very likely to help Sun Quan fight against them.

“Since the Sun family is so powerful, let them be so powerful. I have made up my mind. I will send 200,000 troops to Hefei and attack Hefei!”

Liu Wu’s cold and majestic voice resounded throughout the hall, and everyone was shocked.

Cai Mao, Mi Zhu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Kuai Yue and others have not spoken yet.

However, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong and Dong Zhao were getting a little restless.

Zhuge Liang hurriedly advised Liu Wu:
“Your Majesty, although we have accumulated some food in the treasury, we still need to guard against Cao Cao in the west. If we force Sun Shao and Sun Quan to join forces to fight us, and Cao Cao sends troops, then our peaceful situation will be gone in an instant.”

Zhuge Liang was a little impatient, fearing that Liu Wu would act on impulse.

“Who said I want to fight Sun Shao and Sun Quan?”

As soon as Zhuge Liang finished his words of dissuasion, he was refuted by Liu Wu.

“Ok?”

Liu Wu snorted coldly and said:

“Now that our navy warships can suppress the Jiangdong navy and cut off the Yangtze River, Sun Quan will definitely seek out Sun Shao for an alliance. Rather than letting Sun Shao be confused and have an ambiguous attitude, he will definitely side with Sun Quan.”

“It would be better to send troops to force Sun Shao to sever his ties with us and make him clearly state that he is with Sun Quan against me. In this way, I support Sun Shao, but Sun Shao opposes me, and he will lose his reputation. Then we can send troops to Sun family later, and it will be justified.”

“Although I have sent troops to Hefei, I am not going to start a war with them, but to attract Sun Quan to concentrate all the troops in Yangzhou in Hefei. Since the navy can cut off the Yangtze River, we can take over the counties south of the Yangtze River that are undermanned, such as Danyang County, Kuaiji County, Wu County, Yuzhang County, Luling County, Linhai County, Jian’an County, Poyang County, and Linchuan County.”

Liu Wu told us his plan.

Liu Wu also felt that what Zhuge Liang and Dong Zhao said made sense.

In the event that Sun Quan was in danger of being destroyed, Sun Shao would most likely send troops to help Sun Quan deal with him, as they both had the surname Sun.

In this case, Liu Wu felt that it would be a better option to directly force Sun Shao to reveal his camp, so as to avoid Sun Shao stabbing him in the back when fighting against Cao Cao in the future.

Moreover, an army of 200,000 strong marching to Hefei would be so powerful and mighty that Sun Quan would certainly be frightened and would transfer troops south of the Yangtze River to Hefei.

In Jiangdong, the counties and prefectures south of the Yangtze River such as Danyang County, Kuaiji County, Wu County, Yuzhang County, Luling County, Linhai County, Jian’an County, Poyang County, and Linchuan County are empty of military forces. Wouldn’t it be very easy to take them into your possession?

The area south of the Yangtze River is the base of Jiangdong, and it has supported the Wu Kingdom in history. If the 200,000 troops sent out this time are a feint attack, and they can really take over the counties south of the Yangtze River in Jiangdong, then they will make a fortune.

Inside the hall, Zhuge Liang, Dong Zhao, Pang Tong and everyone else looked at each other in bewilderment as they listened to Liu Wu’s plan to send 200,000 troops to attack Hefei. The purpose was to force Sun Shao to reveal his camp, and that the real main attack would be the counties south of the Yangtze River in Yangzhou. However, they could not help but see the gleam in each other’s eyes.

“Your Majesty, you have a broad mind and a big vision. This strategy is an open conspiracy. I admire you!”

Zhuge Liang was the first to express his admiration for Liu Wu, and at the same time, his eyes changed when he looked at Liu Wu.

In the past, although Liu Wu was good at following advice, he was not so good at making such a big strategic decision on his own.

However, now, Liu Wu’s every word and action is filled with imperial majesty, and his strategic and political abilities have greatly increased. He is really becoming more and more like an emperor.

“Your Majesty is far-sighted and I admire you!” Dong Zhao also bowed to Liu Wu and said admiringly, but in his heart he was thinking that there is really a reason behind a great reputation. Liu Wu was able to rise from Xinye and have today’s glory, and he had something behind it.

“Your Majesty is wise!”

Cai Mao, Mi Zhu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Kuai Yue and others all echoed and laughed.

They laughed so happily.

Compared to the northern part of the Yangtze River in Yangzhou, many counties in the southern part of the Yangtze River are also prosperous. If we can capture them this time, we can further weaken the power of the Sun family and expand the territory and power of the Chu State.

“Since you all have no objection, Yunchang, I will appoint you as the Supreme General of Chu State and lead 200,000 troops to attack Hefei!”

Liu Wu looked at Guan Yu and offered him an official position as the Supreme General of the State of Chu.

The official position of Shangzhuguo in the State of Chu was very high.

Shangzhuguo originally meant a senior commander of military forces. It was established by the State of Chu during the Warring States Period. He was in charge of military affairs and was the highest military officer of the State of Chu, second only to Lingyin in status.

Later, Shangzhuguo was also extended to mean an honorary title for meritorious service.

The Shangzhuguo of the Chu State was a high-ranking and powerful official position.

Liu Wu built up momentum for Guan Yu to show the outside world how important it was to send troops to Hefei.

Of course, Guan Yu is the strongest and most prestigious general in the world. With the blessing of the Supreme Pillar of Chu State, he is even more intimidating.

(End of this chapter)