Chapter 41: Since Sun Quan is going to throw, let's hurry up and farm Cao Cao!

Lu Su’s expression shifted with a start, and he hesitated, words failing on his lips.

Sun Quan waved a hand and offered a magnanimous smile:
"Zijing, you and I share a bond of absolute trust as lord and vassal, with nothing left unsaid. Whatever thoughts you harbor, speak them freely without reservation."

Hearing these words, Lu Su felt as though his heart had been anchored.

He cupped his hands and stated bluntly:
"Huainan is much like Xiangfan; capturing it opens the path northward and secures an opportunity to vie for dominance over the Central Plains. Huainan is currently undefended, and Your Lordship seizing the momentum to attack is indeed a superior strategy, except..."

With a sudden pivot in his tone, Lu Su turned serious:
"I believe that although Li Dian cannot be called a legendary commander, he is certainly no mediocrity. His military command is remarkably steady and seasoned, and he has long held the loyalty of his troops."

"As for Zhang Liao, he is a former subordinate of Lü Bu, skilled in commanding cavalry, and fiercely valiant. Cao Xing once suffered at his hands back in the day."

"Such a man is by no means comparable to a mere reckless brute. Your Lordship must never underestimate him."

Seeing that Sun Quan’s words hinted at underestimating the enemy, Lu Su naturally felt compelled to offer timely counsel and warning.

"Zijing's warning, I have committed to memory."

Sun Quan first acknowledged the advice sincerely, then offered a confident smile:
"However steady and seasoned Li Dian may be, his forces amount to no more than five thousand odd men. And however skilled Zhang Liao is at commanding cavalry, the available horsemen within Hefei city number at most eight hundred."

"Mere puny infantry of five thousand and eight hundred cavalry—what kind of waves can they possibly stir? They can do nothing more than cower within the city walls and refuse to give battle."

With that, Sun Quan walked over to the map and raised a finger to point:
"Hefei is built alongside the water, and our Jiangdong naval forces are invincible under heaven. We may truly be said to hold every advantage."

"I intend to personally command an army of forty thousand, march northward from Ruxukou, enter the Fei River via Chaohu Lake, and land at Xiaoyaojin to the west of Hefei city."

"With the two generals Zhang and Li commanding few troops, they will inevitably cower inside and refuse to come out. My grand army will then disembark at leisure, encircle Hefei so tightly not a drop of water can leak through, and launch a furious assault from all four directions."

"I have already dispatched secret agents to thoroughly scout Hefei's city defenses, and the walling along the eastern gate is comparatively old..."

Sun Quan unspooled his strategy for attacking Hefei in a continuous stream of eloquence, describing every detail with meticulous thoroughness.

He had even factored in such minutiae as the exact number of paces archers should stand from Hefei’s walls when loosing their arrows.

Even a blind man could see that this young master of Jiangdong had done his homework beforehand and was burning with impatience to display his prowess.

The more Sun Quan spoke, the more excited and confident he became, while Lu Su’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

"Zijing, what do you think of this strategy of mine to capture Hefei?"

Sun Quan looked at Lu Su with eyes full of anticipation, clearly expecting an enthusiastic and positive response.

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Su cupped his hands and said:
"Your Lordship’s strategy for capturing Hefei is indeed exquisite and comprehensive. I believe Your Lordship could summon Gongjin back to lead the troops northward; employing forces according to Your Lordship’s plan would surely take Hefei in a single battle."

Sun Quan’s brow furrowed, and the anticipation on his face turned to disappointment.

I spent several sleepless nights crafting this masterpiece, eagerly waiting for you to shower it with lavish praise, and instead you turn around and advise me to let Zhou Yu attack Hefei?

"Gongjin has long experience in the fires of war. Ever since he followed General Bofu, he has campaigned east and west for the Sun family across dozens of battles, large and small, and has emerged victorious in every single engagement."

"I believe that if Gongjin commands the troops northward to carve out territory for Your Lordship, while Your Lordship remains stationed in Moling to allocate provisions and stabilize Jiangdong, Hefei will undoubtedly be taken."

Lu Su rattled off a long list of benefits to having Zhou Yu command the army.

How could Sun Quan fail to read between the lines of Lu Su’s words?

It was nothing more than a tactful hint that he lacked personal experience in leading military campaigns and would do better not to bite off more than he could chew.

The professional business of fighting wars should be left to a professional like Zhou Yu, while he, a lord of civil bureaucratic origins, should stay safely in the rear and play the role of the man standing behind Zhou Yu.

"Zijing, what you say is certainly not without reason."

"Yet in this era of fierce contention, whether it be Cao Cao or Liu Bell, who among them does not keep their armor unremoved and their saddles unbuckled, personally experiencing every single battle?"

"Zijing, you and I speak heart-to-heart; you ought to understand me."

Sun Quan tactfully laid bare his hidden grievances, his disappointed gaze mixed with a hint of helplessness.

Lu Su suddenly saw the light.

When the world is at peace, a sovereign can naturally sit comfortably within the capital and remotely direct his generals as they conquer the four quarters.

Yet when the realm is in chaos, whoever holds the troops wields supremacy.

If you, as lord, cannot fight wars and never lead armies, possessing neither illustrious military achievements nor authority among the soldiers, how could you hope to sit securely upon your lordly throne?

And Sun Quan, having long served as Sun Ce’s subordinate stationed in the rear year after year, had maxed out his administrative experience while his military command experience was still stuck in the novice village.

After coming to power, although Sun Quan had promoted many trusted aides to military rank, the Jiangdong army was still dominated by veterans like Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu.

Sun Quan was hoping to seize the opportunity of personally commanding troops to capture Hefei as a way to rack up military merits and establish his authority within the army.

"It is my dullness; I failed to perceive Your Lordship’s hidden distress."

Lu Su sighed softly, a trace of shame flashing across his face.

After weighing the matter repeatedly, the hesitation faded from Lu Su’s eyes, and he cupped his hands:
"Since this is so, I support Your Lordship in leading the army to capture Hefei. However, I beg Your Lordship never to underestimate the enemy—especially that Zhang Liao. In all military operations, one must prioritize stability above all else."

Having won Lu Su’s endorsement, Sun Quan breathed a sigh of relief, his expression clearing up.

"Rest assured, Zijing; I am well-versed in military strategy. How could I not understand the principle that a proud army is bound to be defeated?"

Regaining his confidence, Sun Quan smiled:
"Besides, in this battle our forces outnumber the enemy tenfold. I merely need to disembark at Xiaoyaojin step by step, have the grand army calmly encircle the city, and launch a fierce assault. What mishaps could possibly occur?"

Try as he might, Lu Su could find no flaw in Sun Quan's tactical plan for capturing Hefei.

Therefore, his tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed, and he smiled, cupping his hands:
"Then I wish Your Lordship an immediate victory upon the unfurling of your banners, instant success upon the arrival of your horses, and let all the world witness the martial might and majesty of our Jiangdong's lord!"

Sun Quan stroked his purple beard and laughed heartily.

...

Xiangyang, Prefecture Office.

"Reporting to Your Lordship, intelligence reports have just arrived from the secret agents in Chaisang and Jiangdong."

"Seventy percent of the garrison in Chaisang has withdrawn, and the Jiangdong forces are also gathering troops, funds, and grain at Ruxukou, moving them aboard warships."

"All intelligence indicates that Sun Quan is assembling an army of over forty thousand to personally lead a campaign to attack Hefei!"

Yi Ji raised the silk intelligence report high and rushed excitedly into the hall.

The assembled company, who had been gathered around the map in discussion, instantly burst into joyful celebration.

Liu Bell’s eyes lit up. He snatched the silk scroll offered by Yi Ji and eagerly unrolled it to read closely.

"Just as Boweng anticipated, Sun Zhongmou is indeed personally campaigning against Hefei. Jiangxia is safe!"

Overjoyed, Liu Bell cast a gaze filled with admiration and a smile toward Xiao He.

The others passed the silk scroll among themselves, every one of them delighted and thrilled as the hall erupted in jubilation.

"Brother Boweng’s divine foresight is something I, Shu, have witnessed once again. That blue-eyed youth’s every thought has truly been completely fathomed by Brother Boweng."

Xushu praised him with clicking tongue and made a slight bow toward Xiao He.

"You flatter me too much; I merely made a lucky guess and happened to have decent fortune."

Xiao He laughed self-deprecatingly with some embarrassment, then smoothly shifted the topic:
"Since the threat to Xiakou is temporarily lifted, Your Lordship should promptly request Young Master Liu Qi to dispatch troops northward, so we may swiftly execute Yuanzhi’s strategy and use Yu Jin to trick Cao Cao."

"After all, Yuanzhi has been back for several days. If we keep holding onto Yu Jin indefinitely, I fear the longer the night drags on, the more suspicious Cao Cao will grow."

Deeply convinced, Liu Bell immediately issued orders to proceed according to the original plan.

With the grand strategy settled, Guan Yu gazed thoughtfully at the silk scroll in his hand and sighed softly:
"Sun Quan is attacking Hefei with an army of forty thousand, while Wenyuan has only five thousand men. I fear his fortunes are grim this time."

Guan Yu shared a deep friendship with Zhang Liao, and though they each served different masters, seeing Zhang Liao in peril still stirred unavoidable concern in his heart.

Without giving it much thought, Xiao He chuckled casually:
"General Guan worries needlessly. The one facing grim fortunes is likely Sun Quan; he is practically delivering merit on a silver platter to Zhang Liao."

Guan Yu was momentarily stunned.