Chapter 83: The Yuan brothers have come to an end, and the battle with Jiangdong begins
Inside the big tent, Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu and other generals suddenly heard that Liu Wu had led a large army to attack Jizhou, and now, with the cooperation of brothers Shen Pei and Shen Rong, had occupied Jizhou. In addition, Guan Yu, who had stationed his troops in Xiangyang, had mobilized an army of 100,000 to march north to Jizhou, and Zhao Yun, commanding the army of Runan, was heading towards Shouchun. They instantly became uneasy.

To be more precise, Liu Wu’s sudden dispatch of troops made them feel a strong sense of crisis.

You know, Jiangdong’s army is now in Xuzhou.

Yangzhou is very empty.

If Liu Wu let Zhao Yun lead the Runan troops to directly capture Shouchun and Jiujiang counties, then they would be directly cut off from Jiangdong.

Then, their entire Jiangdong forces are facing the crisis of being breached at any time.

This made Zhou Yu nervous.

“When Lu Su went to Xiangyang as an envoy, he specifically asked for the imperial edict in order to guard against Liu Wu’s sudden attack on us. Now that Liu Wu has taken action, does he not take the imperial edict seriously at all?”

Zhou Yu forced himself to calm down, but he was quite worried about this matter.

“Grand Commander, we should immediately send an envoy to negotiate with Liu Wu and protest.”

“At the same time, we must report this to Marquis Wu!”

Cheng Pu said to Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu nodded naturally when he heard this. He would do all these things, but he wanted more.

Since Liu Wu suddenly seized Jizhou and led his army towards Shouchun.

I was afraid that Liu Wu was going to overturn the table, or that his appetite had worked up.

Jiangdong has become passive.

At this time, Zhou Yu felt he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

He had clearly captured Xiaopei and most of Xuzhou’s territory, but under the threat of Liu Wu’s army, if he did not withdraw, he would face the crisis of having his retreat cut off.

But if he retreated, then he would lose all the Xuzhou territory that he had fought hard with the three brothers of the Yuan family to conquer.

“Liu Wu!”

Zhou Yu looked fiercely at Liu Wu who was in Yecheng, and two words popped out of his mouth.

Zhou Yu still chose to retreat.

Or, to be more precise, Zhou Yu did not dare to gamble. If his retreat was really cut off by Zhao Yun, Jiangdong would be left empty and Huang Zu would take advantage of the situation to advance eastward, then everything would be over.

However, even though Zhou Yu made a bold move and gave up the territory of Xuzhou, a scene that made him anxious and angry occurred next.

Zhao Yun led the Runan army eastward and actually stopped outside the territory of Shouchun.

Zhao Yun did not advance any further.

However, the impact is huge.

Zhou Yu was furious. What was Liu Wu doing? He was attacking and not attacking at the same time.

Let him lose Xuzhou which was already in his hands.

It has to be said that Zhou Yu felt that he had a good temper and was so angry that he became furious.

However, the only thing that made Zhou Yu feel fortunate was that Zhao Yun did not really cut off Shouchun and Jiujiang, otherwise, he would really have no way out.

The troops were stationed in Shouchun and Jiujiang, while Zhou Yu negotiated with Zhao Yun and protested.

On the other hand, report to Hefei urgently.

……

Hefei, Wuhou Mansion.

Since Zhou Yu led his army into Xuzhou, he moved his government seat to Hefei so that he could command Xuzhou and Yangzhou.

In the hall.

“Liu Wu, what exactly does he want to do? Attacking his allies, is he ignoring the imperial edict?”

When Sun Quan received the urgent report from Zhou Yu, he was so angry that he threw the wine jar to the ground and cursed loudly.

Xuzhou, which was in our hands, was lost.

When he learned that Jizhou had been taken by Liu Wu, Sun Quan was so angry that he exploded.

Inside the hall, Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Lu Xun, Yu Fan, Lu Su and others all looked unhappy.

Lu Su stepped forward, bowed to Sun Quan and said, “My lord, Liu Wu’s actions have violated morality and infringed the interests of our allies. I will go to see Liu Wu immediately.”

Sun Quan heard this, took a deep breath and said:

“Okay, go see Liu Wu immediately.”

Lu Su bowed and left.

That day, Lu Su set off directly.

Lu Su headed north and first went to Zhao Yun’s camp outside Shouchun.

In the rolling camp, tens of thousands of soldiers are training.

The sun shone through the clouds, shining on the soldiers’ armor, flashing a cold and dazzling light. They were lined up in a neat square formation, with firm and powerful steps, and every step seemed to be stepping on the heartbeat of the earth.

The slogans were earth-shaking, resounding through the sky like thunder, and a strong military might.

The spears are like a forest, pointing straight to the sky; the shields are like mountains, indestructible.

The archers’ eyes were sharp as if they could pierce the clouds. Their arrows flashed coldly in the sunlight, ready to shoot at the enemy at any time.

Lu Su frowned as he watched the soldiers under Zhao Yun training. He was also familiar with military affairs and could clearly see that these soldiers were all well-trained and strong, and were skilled in military affairs, so they were not a weak army.

He could even see that among every ten or even dozens of soldiers there was a strong and sturdy veteran who had experienced many battles as the backbone.

This is difficult.

Zhao Yun quickly had Lu Su, who was watching the soldiers’ training, invited into the central military tent.

“Mr. Zijing, please take a seat. I wonder why you have time to come to Yun’s place. Yun has heard from the general that Mr. Zijing is a wise man of the time and should be respected when meeting him.”

Zhao Yun smiled at Lu Su.

When Lu Su heard this, he felt that Zhao Yun was cunning.

First, he was allowed to watch the training of his soldiers, which was obviously intended to show the strength of his army to Jiangdong.

Now he is in a friendly manner again. No matter what you say to him, Mr. Zijing is a wise man of the time and you should respect him when you meet him.

Lu Su’s face was not looking good, and he said to Zhao Yun solemnly:
“General Zilong, Su has heard of you. You were so loyal and righteous when you joined Liu Xuande. You were admired by everyone. Why did you suddenly do something so disloyal today?”

Zhao Yun’s expression did not change when he heard this. He looked at Lu Su and said with a folded hand:

“Yun doesn’t know what Mr. Zijing means by this.”

Lu Su looked at Zhao Yun who was pretending to be stupid and snorted coldly:

“At the beginning, you, Zhao Zilong, were also a general with great martial arts, loyalty and courage. You were not a subordinate of Liu Bei, but a subordinate of Gongsun Zan. But after you came into contact with Liu Xuande, through observation and understanding, you gradually discovered that Liu Bei was a wise leader with great morals, talents and lofty ambitions.”

“Liu Bei also tried to win you over, so you two made a pact as king and subject.”

“And your lord, Gongsun Zan, you found out that Gongsun Zan was not a truly benevolent ruler, but just a vassal fighting for territory for his own selfish interests. This disappointment prompted you to leave. For the sake of that promise, you joined Liu Bei’s army. No matter how miserable he was, you never left him.”

“Su knows all this and admires you, Zilong, a warrior. But what you did today, is it really what a loyal and righteous man should do?”

Lu Su was very dissatisfied with Zhao Yun and even mentioned the agreement between Zhao Yun and Liu Bei, which was an excellent quality.

When Zhao Yun heard what Lu Su said, he naturally understood why Lu Su said that, and he also understood that Lu Su was expressing his indignation for stationing troops here for him.

Zhao Yun shook his head and said:
“Mr. Zijing, I think you are mistaken. Yun joined Uncle Liu not because of an agreement between them.”

“It is because Yun and Emperor Liu both have the common ideal of supporting the Han Dynasty and saving the people from danger. In the second year of Chuping (191), Yun hoped to join a wise ruler to realize his ambitions, and Emperor Liu regarded himself as a “relative of the Han Dynasty” and took “supporting the Han Dynasty” as his mission. Yun’s ideals coincided with those of Emperor Liu.”

“When they first met, whether it was Uncle Liu’s “deep respect and love” or the “holding hands and shedding tears” when they parted, Yun’s heart was deeply moved.” “At the beginning, after leaving Gongsun Zan, Yun did not immediately surrender to Uncle Liu, but after a long period of observation and judgment. In the end, he determined that Uncle Liu was the wise leader that Yun wanted to be loyal to.”

“So, Yun joined Uncle Liu because they had similar aspirations and because of his reputation for benevolence, not because of any agreement. As for loyalty, I don’t dare to claim it.”

Lu Su listened to Zhao Yun’s words, but he opened his mouth. Seeing Zhao Yun’s serious expression, he knew that he had introduced the wrong topic, so Lu Su said directly:

“Zilong, Uncle Liu is a loyal man, and so are you. However, what you did was quite disloyal. When Sun and Liu formed an alliance, His Majesty issued an imperial decree. But after I defeated the Yuan brothers in Jiangdong, you led your troops to threaten Shouchun and Jiujiang. The Marquis of Wu was quite angry about this. Do you know the impact of this?”

Lu Su looked angry, but Zhao Yun frowned when he heard that.

“Mr. Zijing, why do you say that? When will Yun attack Shouchun and Jiujiang?”

“Mr. Zijing, you must have misunderstood. Yun led the army on a forced march, a normal military exercise. How could he attack Shouchun and Jiujiang? Have you ever seen any of my soldiers enter Shouchun?”

Zhao Yun asked Lu Su in a puzzled voice.

When Lu Su heard this, his expression froze as he looked at Zhao Yun’s upright and loyal face.

He had never seen such a shameless person?
“Zhao Zilong, when you say this, do you think I, the civil and military officials of Jiangdong, am a three-year-old boy?” Lu Su said to Zhao Yun in a cold voice.

Zhao Yun heard this and bowed to Lu Su, saying, “Zi Jing, how could I treat Jiangdong’s civil and military officers as children? Since I have been training here and caused you to misunderstand me, I deeply apologize. I will immediately order the army to retreat ten miles. How about that?”

Zhao Yun then shouted to the messenger outside: “Inform the army to gather immediately and retreat ten miles!”

“Yes!” The messenger immediately bowed and left.

“You, you, Zhao Yun, why do you have to tease me like this!” Lu Su was so angry that his face turned red, and he shouted directly to Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun frowned again when he heard this and said, “It seems that Mr. Zijing is still not satisfied. Well, it doesn’t matter where you practice.”

As he spoke, Zhao Yun shouted to the messenger outside:

“Immediately order the army to assemble and retreat thirty miles!”

“Yes!” The messenger immediately bowed and left.

Lu Su looked very ugly.

On the surface, Zhao Yun seemed to be quite cooperative. In order to avoid misunderstandings in Jiangdong, he withdrew his troops ten miles at one time and thirty miles at another. However, Zhao Yun had already stationed troops on the border of Shouchun, and the threat to Jiangdong had already arisen.

How could it be eliminated just because Zhao Yun withdrew his troops thirty miles away?

As long as Zhao Yun is at the border of Shouchun, Jiangdong will need to station troops there for one day to defend it.

Otherwise, if Zhao Yun really took advantage of the situation and sent troops to attack Shouchun and Jiujiang, then their northern expedition army would have no way to retreat.

“Yun, we should retreat thirty miles. Mr. Zijing should have no objection now, right?” Zhao Yun asked Lu Su again.

Lu Su knew that nothing would come of this conversation with Zhao Yun, so he bowed to Zhao Yun and said, “Goodbye!”

Zhao Yun looked at Lu Su’s back, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Zhao Yun admired Liu Wu.

In just two or three years, Liu Wu has led them to new heights.

Although he was a little puzzled by Liu Wu’s sudden attack on Jiangdong, it did not prevent him from cooperating with Liu Wu’s actions.

After bidding farewell to Zhao Yun, Lu Su went to Jizhou. He wanted to find Liu Wu and ask for an explanation.

Just as Lu Su was heading north to enter Jizhou, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also entered Jizhou with an army of 100,000.

……

Yecheng, the residence of the General of Cavalry.

In the meeting hall.

Liu Wu met Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi who had returned from Xuzhou.

“Hurry up and meet the general!”

Wei Yan shouted from the side.

This scared Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi.

Although Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi were reluctant in their hearts, they were faced with Liu Wu’s current prestige.

The two men still saluted Liu Wu and said:
“Greetings, General of the Cavalry!”

Liu Wu looked at Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi and said:
“I think you should also know the current situation in the world.”

“Cao Cao fled westwards. This general followed the orders of His Majesty to sweep across the empire and restore the prestige of the Han Dynasty. Your Yuan family has always been presumptuous.”

“However, this general has always believed that it is the greatest virtue to admit one’s mistakes and correct them. If one can atone for his sins with merit, he can be given preferential treatment.”

“Yuan Shang, you have a good subordinate. The Shen family has done their best to leave a way out for you. This general has agreed. In the future, I can make you the Marquis of Ye. Are you willing?”

Liu Wu looked at Yuan Shang and said.

When Yuan Shang heard Liu Wu’s words, he forced a smile and said:
“Thank you, General. I am willing to do so.”

Yuan Shang figured it out on his way to Yecheng.

The Yuan family was really finished. In order to protect him, Shen Pei offered Jizhou to Yuan Shang. Yuan Shang was very angry at first, but then he thought that even if Shen Pei did not offer Jizhou, he would not be able to keep Jizhou and might even be in trouble.

The best outcome that Liu Wu could give was the title of Marquis of Ye.

Yuan Shang was a little afraid of Liu Wu who suddenly appeared.

Zhou Yu, the general under Sun Quan, defeated the three brothers miserably.

However, Liu Wu was the one who was behind the scenes and forced Zhou Yu to withdraw his troops and give up Xuzhou which he had already obtained.

Yuan Shang felt that Liu Wu was definitely no worse than Cao Cao.

Can’t fight.

It’s not bad to be able to become Marquis of Ye.

It’s better than Yuan Tan, who even lost his life.

Yuan Shang was willing.

Liu Wu nodded, then looked at Yuan Xi beside him.

After robbing Zhen Mi, Liu Wu actually wanted to seize Youzhou.

Because now is the best time.

“Yuan Xi, this general can give you the title of Daihou, the fief of Daixian, and a lifetime of wealth. Are you willing to give up Youzhou?”

Liu Wu asked Yuan Xi.

When Yuan Xi heard Liu Wu’s words, his face turned red. He was unwilling to accept this because that was his Youzhou.

However, under Liu Wu’s indifferent gaze, Yuan Xi finally thought of Liu Wu’s strength and was defeated. He hung his head and said dejectedly:

“Following the orders of the General of the Cavalry, Xi is willing to offer Youzhou.”

Liu Wu, Gan Ning, Huang Zhong and Wei Yan who were sitting in the main seat all had happy smiles on their faces.

After Jizhou, Youzhou was also obtained.

Now Liu Wu’s territory includes five states: Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Yanzhou, Jizhou and Youzhou.

However, the land struggle in Kanto is not over yet.

The Yuan brothers have come to an end.

Next, it was the battle with Jiangdong.

(End of this chapter)