Chapter 27: With Such an Extraordinary Talent, Liu Bei Is Like a Tiger with Wings!

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“Zijing, is this really true?”

“That Xiao… Xiao He, did he really mention your strategy by your bedside?”

Sun Quan’s face shifted from shock to skepticism in an instant.

“This matter is grave; how could Su dare to joke? On that day…”

Lu Su’s expression grew solemn and serious as he recounted in full the conversation he had with Xiao He during his mission to Xiangyang.

Sun Quan’s eyes widened again, and the doubt in his brows gradually turned into astonishment.

“This bedside strategy of yours is known to few in Jiangdong. Who exactly is this Xiao He? How could he have been present, hearing it with his own ears?”

Naturally, Sun Quan was bewildered.

“That was exactly what shocked me at the time,” Lu Su nodded gravely and said, “Jingzhou is home to many heroes, yet I had never heard of a figure named Xiao Bowen, indicating this man’s reputation was obscure before.”

“When I left Xiangyang, I made inquiries and learned rumors that this Xiao He was a reclusive hermit from the mountains who had only recently joined Liu Xuande’s banner and was highly trusted and favored by him.”

Sun Quan suddenly stood, stroking his purple beard, pacing the hall.

“Xiao He, Xiao Bowen, a mountain recluse…”

After racking his brains for a long time, Sun Quan still could not recall this person’s background.

He then turned to Lu Su and asked again,

“In your opinion, how could this man have known your bedside strategy?”

“I do not know,” Lu Su shook his head and sighed softly.

“This man’s background is mysterious and unfathomable; I cannot guess how he managed it.”

“But I am certain this man is no ordinary figure. His wisdom and strategy must be on par with Zhuge Ziyu’s younger brother, Zhuge Kongming, otherwise Liu Xuande would not have trusted him so deeply.”

“With such a person assisting him, Liu Xuande might indeed stand alone against Cao Cao.”

Sun Quan furrowed his brows, a trace of apprehension flashing through his emerald eyes.

Liu Biao had died, and Liu Bei had suddenly risen from obscurity; Jingzhou was very likely to fall into his hands.

As a potential enemy whose ranks had suddenly gained a strange and talented adviser, how could Sun Quan not be wary?

“Liu Bei is like a tiger with wings…”

Sun Quan sighed quietly, then turned to ask,

“In your opinion, Zijing, should I agree to Liu Bei’s conditions or refuse?”

Without hesitation, Lu Su cupped his hands and said,

“Since Liu Bei is determined to stand against Cao Cao alone, we cannot forcefully send troops into Jiangxia without his consent; we must accept his terms.”

Sun Quan’s face darkened displeasedly.

“Zijing, your earlier plan was for our army to station in Jiangxia, ensuring we could strike Jiangling at any time and cut off the Yangtze.”

“Now, not a single soldier of ours has set foot in Jiangxia. This is a far cry from your previous strategy.”

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Sun Quan’s words revealed clear dissatisfaction with Lu Su’s diplomatic outcome.

Lu Su sighed lightly, showing some helplessness.

“First, I did not anticipate Liu Xuande would act so uncharacteristically, launching a surprise attack to break Xiangyang—I do not know who advised him.”

“Second, I did not expect that a certain Huo Jun, with merely five thousand troops, could hold off Cao Cao’s assault of 150,000 soldiers—I also do not know who recommended this extraordinary talent to Liu Xuande.”

“These two points were my miscalculations. Now that Jingzhou’s situation has changed, we can only adapt accordingly.”

Sun Quan pondered deeply.

After a moment, his displeasure faded, and he waved his hand.

“Enough, this cannot be blamed on you, Zijing. No one could have foreseen these developments.”

With that matter closed, Sun Quan asked for Zhou Yu’s opinion.

Lu Su, on his way back to Jiangdong via Chaisang, naturally sought Zhou Yu’s counsel.

“Gongjin’s opinion is that we should not ally with Liu Xuande but instead forcibly seize Xiakou and take Jiangxia Commandery.”

“Then, while Liu Bei is engaged with Cao Cao, we should first eliminate Liu Cong, capture Jiangling, cut off the Yangtze, and reclaim the four southern Jingzhou commanderies.”

Lu Su conveyed Zhou Yu’s views.

The plan was straightforward—one word: strike.

Sun Quan frowned slightly and asked,

“If I were to attack Xiakou forcibly, and Liu Bei had to pull troops south to aid Liu Qi, weakening Xiangfan’s defense and allowing Cao Cao to break through, what then?”

Lu Su smiled bitterly, somewhat helpless.

“Your concerns were also raised with Gongjin, but you know his nature—he dismissed them with disdain.”

“Gongjin said, ‘Our Jiangdong navy is invincible; if Liu Bei falls, we will face Cao Cao head-on and defeat him!’”

Sun Quan drew a deep breath.

This Commander Zhou was truly overconfident, apparently treating Cao Cao as if he were a weakling like Huang Zu.

“That is Cao Cao, who crushed even the mighty Yuan Benchu, commanding countless strategists and generals and leading 150,000 troops!”

“Gongjin is indeed a bit arrogant, underestimating Cao Cao.”

Sun Quan stroked his purple beard with a sigh, subtly expressing displeasure at Zhou Yu’s hubris.

“I share your view, Lord; Cao Cao must not be underestimated. Given Jiangdong’s current strength, it is not yet time to face Cao’s forces directly.”

Lu Su nodded in agreement and seized the moment to advise,

“Therefore, in my opinion, prioritizing resistance against Cao Cao, we should revise our strategy: accept Liu Xuande’s terms to form an alliance, using him to block Cao Cao.”

“Your Majesty can order Gongjin to continue stationing troops at Chaisang, constantly monitoring the developments at Xiangfan. If Liu Xuande is defeated, we will immediately march west to seize Xiakou, capture Jiangling, and cut off the Yangtze.”

“In short, unless absolutely necessary, we must not provoke Cao Cao into war.”

Sun Quan remained silent, pacing the hall.

After careful consideration, he sighed and said,

“Very well, under current circumstances, we can only adapt as events unfold.”

“Zijing, then you must make one more trip to Xiangyang to reply to Liu Bei, and instruct Gongjin to hold his position, continuing to watch the Xiangfan battle!”

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Lu Su breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to take his leave.

“Wait!”

Just as he was about to issue orders, Sun Quan raised his hand to stop him.

“On your trip to Xiangyang, you must thoroughly investigate the true background of that Xiao He, Xiao Bowen!”

“Understood!” Lu Su replied.

…

North of Fancheng, Cao Cao’s camp.

Inside the central command tent, Cao Cao was raging with fury.

“Cai Mao is a useless wretch! He commands thirty thousand troops but can’t capture a small city like Yicheng. Worse, he’s repeatedly outwitted by that rustic Zhuge! Truly the worst kind of incompetence!”

“And that blue-eyed foreigner—despite my gracious efforts to win him over, he refuses my kindness and even dares to ally with Liu Bei!”

“That bastard! Once I’ve destroyed Liu Bei and taken Jingzhou, I will crush Jiangdong and annihilate the Sun clan!”

Cao Cao slammed the intelligence reports onto the ground with great force.

Cheng Yu, his strategist, embarrassed by the failed plan, lowered his head and coughed quietly, saying nothing.

“I’ve heard that Zhuge Liang is exceptionally clever, known as the Crouching Dragon, and Zhang Fei possesses the courage to face ten thousand enemies. It’s not surprising Cai Mao was defeated when advancing north.”

“As for Sun Quan, this matter shows he is ambitious and unwilling to remain subordinate—he clearly harbors designs on Jiangdong.”

“Therefore, his alliance with Liu Bei to resist the Chancellor is understandable.”

Liu Ye picked up the silk scroll from the ground and voiced his assessment.

Cao Cao’s anger subsided somewhat, and stroking his fine beard, he muttered gloomily,

“Now that Zhongde’s plans have failed and Liu Bei faces no southern threats, with the protracted siege of Fancheng, do you have any good solutions?”

The advisers exchanged glances but had no effective strategies.

Liu Ye returned the scroll to the table and said,

“At this point, we can only wait for Wen Ze to bring the navy to break the deadlock with river warfare.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the tent flap was lifted.

Yu Jin, weary and dust-covered, hurried in.

“Reporting to the Chancellor, I have brought five thousand naval troops from Wancheng. They are currently stationed east of Fancheng, on the western bank of the Yu River. Please give orders, Chancellor!”

Cao Cao’s spirits soared, and the dark clouds vanished from his face.

“Excellent, excellent, Wen Ze, you have finally arrived!”

Cao Cao stood, pounding the table and laughing wildly.

“I order you to lead the navy immediately into the Han River, strike and destroy Guan Yu, sever the Han River, and cut off the connection between Fancheng and Xiangyang!”