If the hard bone is too tough to crack, then go for the soft persimmon first!

"My Lord, your strategy was sound and your commands were well-ordered, displaying the very essence of the military arts. By all rights, our army should not have suffered defeat in this battle."

Lü Meng flattered and comforted Sun Quan for a moment, before changing the tone of his voice:

"The crux of our defeat in this battle was that our various camps were far too slow to react upon receiving Your Lordship's orders. They failed to fall back and close ranks in a timely manner to form proper battle arrays.

"Because of this, gaps opened up between our various divisions, giving that Zhang Liao an opportunity to exploit."

Hearing Lü Meng's explanation, Sun Quan felt much more at ease inside.

My command and leadership were completely fine; the problem lay with the subordinates beneath me.

According to Lü Meng, if only you had all reacted a bit faster and rallied to my central army in time, how could I have ever been flanked on the left by Zhang Liao's outflanking maneuver, which directly caused the center to collapse?

"Ziming, to be able to instantly perceive the true cause of our army's defeat in this battle—such insight is truly precious.

"Earlier during the retreat, you also rendered the meritorious service of protecting your sovereign. I have always been fair in dispensing rewards and punishments; how could I fail to reward you?"

Sun Quan showered Lü Meng with lavish praise, and on the spot promoted him to the rank of General of the Household Minor, augmented his forces by one thousand personal troops, and bestowed upon him ten million coins.

Lü Meng was overjoyed, and hastily prostrated himself in gratitude, expressing his profuse thanks and unwavering loyalty.

"Ziming, from your perspective, should I reorganize our banners and drums, and attack Hefei once more?"

Sun Quan stroked his purple beard, seeking Lü Meng's counsel.

Lü Meng feigned deep thought while secretly observing Sun Quan's facial expression, trying to guess what was on his mind.

From Sun Quan's eyes, he could detect a lingering trace of lingering fear.

It was plainly obvious that Sun Quan had been terrified by Zhang Liao.

After this battle, the losses and casualties suffered by the Jiangdong army were not severe enough to break their bones or tendons.

If they took time to regroup, and once morale had recovered slightly, encircling Hefei again was not entirely out of the question.

The crux of the matter was that scene when Zhang Liao's eight hundred iron cavalry charged the battle array—it was simply too terrifying.

Sun Quan had watched with his own eyes as a force ten times their number was easily crushed as if made of paper.

Had he retreated even a fraction of a beat slower, Zhang Liao's cavalry would likely have ridden right up to his face.

Sun Quan was not Sun Ce; where had he ever witnessed such a perilous scene? It would be a wonder if it didn't leave some psychological shadow in his heart.

Lü Meng rolled his eyes a few times, then cupped his hands and said:

"My Lord, in my humble opinion, our army has not suffered a crippling blow. If we take time to rest and recover, besieging Hefei once more should present no major problem.

"However, Hefei is a fortified city. Should Zhang Liao and Li Dian resolve to hold it to the death, our army might struggle to capture it without a siege lasting three to five months."

Saying this, Lü Meng raised a hand and pointed to the west:

"Right now, Cao Cao has lost four hundred thousand *hu* of grain and forage, his army's morale has suffered a severe blow, and having failed for so long to take Fancheng, he is very likely to retreat northward.

"At that time, when Cao Cao hears that Hefei is under siege, he will inevitably turn his forces around and march his main army south to Huainan for rescue.

"Should that happen, Your Lordship would instead be helping Liu Bei by pinning down Cao Cao's main force.

"Once Liu Bei's northern threat is removed, he will surely turn south to capture Jiangling, annihilate Liu Cong, and swallow Jingzhou whole while the opportunity presents itself.

"If things come to that, hasn't Your Lordship expended countless wealth and grain, suffered the deaths of many soldiers, yet gained not a single inch of territory, while Liu Bei instead fishes in troubled waters and steals Jingzhou?"

This argument struck straight at Sun Quan's core interests.

The more Sun Quan listened, the more irritated he became. His face grew increasingly unsightly, filled with the unpleasant sensation of having been taken advantage of.

"That Liu Bei is a hero among warlords, and his grand ambitions far surpass Liu Cong's. If he is allowed to steal Jingzhou, how could Your Lordship ever hope to take it back from his hands?

"If so, would not Your Lordship's grand strategy of controlling the reaches of the Yangtze and possessing the entire South be ruined at the very last hurdle?"

After dissecting the pros and cons, Lü Meng cupped his hands and said with a solemn expression:

"Therefore, in my view, My Lord can openly continue a feigned attack on Hefei while secretly reinforcing Chaisang in the shadows.

"Once the time is ripe, Your Lordship can order Governor Zhou to immediately sail up the Yangtze to the west, and with the speed of a thunderbolt striking before one can cover one's ears, launch a surprise attack on Xiakou, capturing Jiangxia Commandery at a single stroke.

"With Jiangxia Commandery in our hands, our army can cut off the Han River by moving north, and cut off the Yangtze by moving west. The fatal weaknesses of Liu Bei and Liu Cong will then be held firmly in Your Lordship's grasp.

"By then, how to conquer the entirety of Jingzhou—the initiative will rest entirely in Your Lordship's hands!"

Lü Meng spoke eloquently and at length, presenting Sun Quan with a blueprint for seizing Jingzhou.

In short: make a feigned attack on Hefei while secretly seizing Xiakou, and act according to circumstances.

The dark clouds on Sun Quan's face gradually dissipated, the veins on his forehead throbbed, and an expression of growing excitement flickered between his brows.

"Crack!"

Sun Quan patted Lü Meng on the shoulder and praised him loudly:

"Ziming, oh Ziming! I truly never expected you to possess such strategic vision and breadth of mind. You truly make me look at you in a completely new light."

Lü Meng did not dare to be arrogant, and hastily responded with modesty:

"Your Lordship flatters me too much. It was Your Lordship who once instructed me to read more books. I kept Your Lordship's exhortations firmly in mind, and having read quite a few books over recent years, I have only just managed to make a little progress."

Hearing that Lü Meng's progress was related to his own guidance, Sun Quan's mood became even more joyous.

"Good, good, good! Ziming, you are truly a youth worthy of instruction. In the future, those capable of bearing great responsibilities in our Jiangdong will be none other than you!"

Sun Quan showered Lü Meng with extravagant praise, then cast his gaze toward the direction of Jingzhou.

"Zijing's strategy of allying with Liu Bei to resist Cao Cao, though formulated for the long term, considers things far too far into the future. Seen from the present moment, it appears somewhat ethereal and illusory.

"The strategy to seize Jingzhou put forward by Gongjin and yourself is far more practical, capable of expanding our territory and strengthening Jiangdong's power in the shortest possible time."

After pondering and weighing options for a long time, Sun Quan's eyes were left with only a cold, stern resolve.

"Bang!"

Sun Quan slammed his fist against the ship's parapet and said fiercely:

"My mind is made up! Since that hard bone Zhang Liao cannot be cracked, I will first squeeze Liu Bei, this soft persimmon!

"Ziming, proceed immediately to Chaisang, convey my orders to Gongjin, and command him to make ready at any moment to sail west up the river and launch a surprise attack on Xiakou!"

Lü Meng gladly accepted the command.

Without delay, Lü Meng boarded a ship and set off first, heading straight for Chaisang.

Sun Quan led his army to fall back ten miles and make camp, putting up the outward appearance of reorganizing their forces to attack Hefei once more.

In secret, however, thousands of Jiangdong troops began to withdraw to the Yangtze River, covertly redeploying toward Chaisang.

...

Several days later, in Chaisang City.

Lü Meng arrived in Chaisang and reported the details of the Hefei campaign to Zhou Yu.

"Eight hundred horsemen broke our force of forty thousand? This Zhang Liao is actually so formidable?"

Zhou Yu's expression changed, and he was genuinely startled.

Previously, he had indeed felt uneasy about Sun Quan commanding troops to attack Hefei, and harbored lingering wariness toward Zhang Liao.

Yet he truly had not anticipated that Sun Quan would be defeated with such speed, or that Zhang Liao would achieve victory with such ease.

For a moment, Zhou Yu found it hard to tell whether Sun Quan was simply too weak, or Zhang Liao too strong.

"However, after this campaign, My Lord has resolved to change the direction of our advance: making a feigned attack on Hefei while actually taking Xiakou, and thereby plotting to seize Jingzhou!"

As Lü Meng spoke, he produced Sun Quan's handwritten secret order.

Zhou Yu's eyes lit up, and he eagerly took it to read closely.

Then, he burst into hearty laughter.

"Good, good, good! That My Lord can alter his strategy in the wake of this defeat can be called a blessing in disguise.

"My Lord truly possesses grand talents and great vision; he has finally realized that taking Jingzhou is the supreme strategy!"

The dark clouds in Zhou Yu's heart completely vanished. Filled with exhilaration and joy, he heaped unstinting praise upon Sun Quan.

Lü Meng seized the moment to clearly lay out his tactical plan for a surprise attack on Xiakou to Zhou Yu.

"Ziming, this surprise attack strategy of yours coincides precisely with my own thoughts.

"Liu Bei will not permit our army to station forces in Jiangxia. If our main army marches west openly, it will inevitably arouse Liu Bei's vigilance and cause him to reinforce Xiakou.

"Thus, if we wish to successfully take Xiakou, we must seize the brief window right after Cao Cao retreats northward and before Liu Bei has time to look south, launching a surprise raid on Xiakou to shatter it in one blow!"

Having laid out his own strategy, Zhou Yu abruptly changed his tone:

"However, the man Liu Bei sent to Xiakou to assist Liu Qi, that Wei Yan, possesses considerable military talent.

"This man has constructed dozens of beacon towers along both banks of the river downstream from Xiakou. This move is clearly intended to guard against a surprise attack by our forces.

"If we wish to succeed in a sudden raid on Xiakou, I fear we must deliberate carefully on how to dismantle these beacon towers of Wei Yan."

Zhou Yu furrowed his brow slightly, his tone and expression making it evident that he had not yet devised a countermeasure.

"Beacon towers..."

After pondering for a moment, Lü Meng's eyes suddenly brightened:

"Governor, this subordinate has a plan that may just shatter Wei Yan's beacon towers!"