ATPnovel Chapter 89 Attack on Lujiang
Chapter 89 Attack on Lujiang
Qingzhou, Linzi, the council hall of the governor's office.
Sun Qian, travel-worn and with a worried expression, bowed deeply to Yuan Tan:
"Yuan Qingzhou! Liu Xun of Lujiang has secretly colluded with the traitor Lü Bu and allowed Zhang Xiu's defeated troops to wreak havoc on the border. My lord, Liu Yuzhou, has decided to punish the rebels to ensure the safety of the borders and the people! However, our forces are weak, so I have specially sent you, Yuan Qian, to earnestly request that you, Qingzhou, consider our shared loyalty to the Han dynasty and our joint efforts to punish the traitors and provide assistance! We hope you will send us provisions and weapons!"
Yuan Tan sat high in the main seat, his expression solemn. After listening to Sun Qian's account, he did not immediately reply, but slowly said:
"Mr. Gongyou, you have worked hard. Liu Yuzhou's loyalty and righteousness are evident to heaven and earth. Tan has an inescapable duty to punish the traitor and bring peace to the Jianghuai region."
Sun Qian then continued:
"Qingzhou Mingjian. When Mr. Jia Wenhe passed through Huainan, he had some misunderstandings with our army. However, he is currently in the camp, and our lord treats him with the utmost respect as a guest."
A genuine smile appeared on Yuan Tan's face:
"Mr. Wenhe is a man of unparalleled wisdom and insightful understanding of human nature. I have long admired him! We have been kindred spirits for a long time! Please convey to Governor Liu that Mr. Wenhe is a man of national talent, and I earnestly hope that he will be treated well! Once the war in Lujiang has subsided, I will personally go to Shouchun to discuss the world with Mr. Wenhe over wine!"
This statement is a clear declaration: Jia Xu has already been reserved by Yuan Tan, and Liu Bei should not even think about getting his hands on him.
Sun Qian, being exceptionally intelligent, immediately understood and bowed, saying:
"Qian will convey this truthfully! Our lord is eager for talented individuals and will certainly not fail the trust placed in him by Qingzhou, treating Mr. Wenhe with great respect!"
"good!"
Yuan Tan clapped his hands and resolutely said:
"Please, Governor Yu, advance with confidence! I, Tan, will immediately muster my troops, personally leading 10,000 elite soldiers, along with 30,000 shi of grain and 100,000 arrows, to march south immediately to support Governor Yu and jointly strike at the traitors!"
Sun Qian was overjoyed, bowed again to express his gratitude, and hurriedly left, returning to Shouchun overnight to report the news.
As soon as Sun Qian left, Lu Su immediately stepped forward, his brows slightly furrowed:
"My lord, I have a concern. Liu Bei is a formidable figure, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei capable of defeating ten thousand men. If he were to acquire the wealthy lands of Lujiang, I fear he would be like a dragon entering the sea, his power uncontrollable. If I were to wholeheartedly assist him, wouldn't that be like raising a tiger to cause future trouble?"
Yuan Tan smiled slightly and looked at Guo Jia, who stood calmly to the side: "Fengxiao, what do you think of Zijing's concerns?"
Guo Jia gently waved his feather fan and said leisurely:
"What Zijing is worried about is understandable. However, diverting the disaster eastward is the best strategy." He walked to the map of the Jianghuai region, first pointing to Lujiang with his feather fan, then drawing a line south of the Yangtze River:
"If Liu Bei were to acquire Lujiang, his north would be bordered by Qingzhou and Xuzhou, and his west by Huang Zu of Jiangxia and Liu Biao of Jingzhou—all formidable obstacles. His only path to expansion would be—Jiangdong!"
His feather fan was primarily intended for the Jiangdong region:
"Sun Ce has swept across Jiangdong and is at the height of his power. His ambition is not limited to the six counties of Jiangdong. He must be planning to move north! Lujiang is the gateway to his northward advance. Liu Bei's occupation of it is to block this fierce tiger, Sun Ce, from our army! This is the first point."
Secondly,
A sly glint flashed in Guo Jia's eyes.
"Liu Bei's foundation is shallow. After acquiring Lujiang, he will need to pacify the local area internally and deal with Sun Ce externally. His finances, provisions, and military equipment will inevitably depend on my Qingzhou for a long time. At that time, I can control his lifeline with supplies and, under the guise of 'defense assistance,' gradually infiltrate his military and political affairs. In time, it will be uncertain whether Lujiang will belong to Liu or Yuan!"
"This is a strategy of using someone else's nest to raise an eagle. By assisting Liu Bei, we are essentially creating a southern barrier for Qingzhou to defend against Sun Ce, and firmly binding Liu Bei's forces to our cause. Why not do it?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Su pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized:
"Fengxiao's foresight and wisdom surpasses Su's! In this way, harm can indeed be turned into benefit."
Yuan Tan laughed loudly:
"Fengxiao's words are exactly what I wanted! Issue the order: Zhang He will be the vanguard, Zhao Yun will command the cavalry, and I will personally command the central army. We will march south by sea immediately! Also, inform Gan Ning that the navy will patrol the Yangtze River, and be on guard against any unexpected moves by Sun Ce!"
……
Shouchun, Liu Bei's army camp.
Sun Qian rushed back to camp and reported the good news that Yuan Tan would personally lead a large army to reinforce them.
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei felt a great weight lifted from his heart and excitedly grasped the hands of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei:
"Heaven is on our side! With Young Master Xiansi's full assistance, Lujiang will surely fall!"
He raised his tent and gathered his generals, then proclaimed in a loud voice:
"Liu Xun has sided with the rebels and is causing havoc in the region. It is the perfect time for us to punish him! Guan Yu!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Guan Yu stepped forward in response.
"I hereby appoint you as vanguard, leading five thousand elite troops to seize Lu'an!"
"Yide!"
"I'm here!"
Zhang Fei's voice was as loud as a bell.
"I hereby appoint you as the Empress Dowager, overseeing the grain supplies and protecting the central army!"
"The rest of the generals will accompany the commander on his personal campaign, departing at the appointed time and marching towards Lujiang!"
"promise!"
The generals under his command responded with a resounding roar, their morale soaring.
……
War clouds loomed over the city of Lu'an.
Liu Bei personally led the main force, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei positioned on the left and right respectively. The army was in perfect order and confronted the defending troops on the city wall.
Relying on the city's strong defenses and superior troop strength, Zhang Xun was not particularly flustered and even somewhat underestimated Liu Bei's army.
"Report! General, the enemy is challenging us outside the city. Their leader is a red-faced, long-bearded man, and their attack is very aggressive!"
Zhang Xun climbed the city wall to observe. He saw that Guan Yu's infantry formations advanced and retreated in an orderly manner, firing their bows and crossbows in unison, suppressing the defenders on the city wall so that they could not raise their heads. However, they clearly lacked heavy weapons to break through the city in one fell swoop.
He sneered:
"Liu Bei's army is small and lacks the strength to attack fortified positions; this is merely a bluff! Order all units to defend the cities and wear down their morale! They will retreat when their supplies run out!"
He judged that Liu Bei was the main target of his attack and focused his main efforts on defending Liu'an, believing that as long as he held this place, Liu Bei would be helpless.
Hmph, Liu Bei, that jinx, dares to attack Lujiang with only a few thousand men under his command.
That's incredibly audacious.
Zhang Xun sneered repeatedly, preparing to return to his residence and lie down for a while.
However, at this moment,
"Report! Urgent military intelligence! A large army has landed at Ruxu Port and captured Juchao and Shiting in succession! Their advance is heading straight for Shucheng! Our supply lines are in grave danger!"
The messenger scrambled in, his voice filled with terror.
"What?!"
The command token in Zhang Xun's hand fell to the ground with a thud, and his expression changed drastically.
Juchao and Shiting are the main grain-producing areas in Lujiang. If they are captured, Lujiang will have no grain to eat.
But how could this be?
Liu Bei only had a few thousand men under his command, and it was difficult for him to even attack Lu'an. How could he possibly divide his forces to attack these two places?
Could it be Sun Ce?
But I heard he's been attacking Liu Yao lately, so how come he has the time to get involved in Lujiang?
Is he going to fight on two fronts?
Does he have that ability?
"Nuxu Port? Where did these troops come from? How many are there? Who is their commander?"
"General, we can't make out the enemy's banners, but their forces are definitely no less than ten thousand. Their offensive is extremely fierce, and the defending troops... the defending troops will collapse at the first contact!"
"waste"
Zhang Xun couldn't help but kick the soldier who brought the news into a corner.
All we know right now is that the enemy has over ten thousand men, but we haven't even seen their banners, meaning we don't even know who our opponent is.
Before there was time to speculate further, another angry roar came from outside:
"Report! General, something terrible has happened! Xunyang has fallen!"