pappabearbooks Chapter 102 Xu Gong's Retainers
Chapter 102 Xu Gong's Retainers
It is located forty miles outside Lujiang City.
Yuan Tan mustered his troops and prepared his horses, making it seem as if he was about to head north to Qingzhou.
"My lord, all units have set off covertly in batches according to plan."
Zhao Yun stood aside and reported in a low voice.
Yuan Tan nodded slightly, but his gaze fell on a secret letter on the corner of the desk.
This was sent by Li Cheng, a retainer of Xu Gong, the governor of Wu Commandery.
The signature on it is:
"Xu Gong, Prefect of Wu Commandery, bows deeply and prostrates himself a hundred times."
The letter roughly says that,
Since surrendering to Sun Ce, Xu Gong had been subjected to much oppression. He harbored resentment and was willing to surrender the city of Moling.
They agreed to meet at midnight seven days later at Niuzhu Rock, southwest of Moling, to signal with fire and allow the Qingzhou army to cross the river, coordinating an attack from within and without to jointly defeat Sun Ce!
"Xu Gong?"
Liu Ye stroked his beard, deep in thought, his brows furrowed.
"This man is indeed the former lord of Wu Commandery, and it is no exaggeration to say that he has a blood feud with Sun Ce. However... the timing of this letter is too coincidental. Our army has just returned north, and he has already come to surrender? I fear this is a ruse by Zhou Yu to lure us into dividing our forces to cross the river, so that we can attack him halfway across!"
Jia Xu nodded repeatedly:
"Xu Gong, like a cornered beast, would fight desperately and would seek external help, which is understandable. However, the delivery route was so smooth and the timing so precise, coinciding precisely with our army's feigned movement... Too many coincidences are no coincidences. I fear that Zhou Yu, that brat, knew that my return north was a ruse, and thus set up this trap to turn the tables on me and force me to reveal myself."
Guo Jia gently waved his feather fan:
"Brother Wenhe is absolutely right. It is difficult to verify the authenticity of this letter, but the risk is extremely high. The waters at Niuzhuji are deep and the current is swift, and the terrain on the opposite bank is treacherous. If we fall into an ambush, the troops crossing the river will not return."
"My lord, I believe we should remain calm and observe the situation, ignoring the current conflict and continuing with the original plan to watch the actions of the Qiao family in Lujiang and Liu Bei. We can wait until things settle in Huainan before making our move on Jiangdong."
Opinions within the group are converging: the risk is too high, it appears to be a trap, and it is not advisable to act rashly.
All eyes were on Yuan Tan, awaiting his decision.
Yuan Tan stood with his hands behind his back, listening to the strategists' discussion, but he was unconvinced:
Xu Gong! Historically, he was killed by Sun Ce, and his retainers later ambushed and killed Sun Ce in revenge!
There is absolutely no way this person would cooperate with Sun Ce to feign surrender! This is a blood feud, a life-or-death situation!
At this moment, Xu Gong was truly driven to a dead end, like a drowning man who would desperately grasp at any straw he saw!
Therefore, this is the best time for him to intervene in Jiangdong.
Isn't Sun Ce good at launching sneak attacks?
Then I'll raid his headquarters and see how he reacts.
"You all think this letter is fake, but I believe it is a golden opportunity."
Yuan Tan smiled and said,
"Your suspicions are nothing more than a coincidence of timing, and that it might be Zhou Yu's scheme. But have you ever considered that it is precisely because our army feigned a northward retreat, making Huainan appear undefended, that Xu Gong, a man at the end of his rope, would regard me, the only one who might lend a helping hand, as his last straw!"
He glanced around at the group of strategists and saw that they were all deep in thought, heads bowed, giving off an air of pretentious posturing.
"Zhou Yu's schemes are a mix of deception and reality, but he could never trust Xu Gong! This is like raising a tiger to cause future trouble, letting it return to the mountains! If Xu Gong gets a chance to breathe, he will surely fight Sun Ce to the death. How could Zhou Yu not know this? Using this scheme is too costly and too risky; it is not the act of a wise man!"
This analysis, to put it bluntly, is about looking at the issue from the perspective of someone who came after us in history.
But if he said it now, his subordinates would think that Yuan Tan had a sharp eye.
Sure enough, these three wise men of the time fell into deep thought.
"This is Heaven's will to destroy Sun Ce, granting me a golden opportunity!"
Yuan Tan's voice was impassioned, and he spoke with great enthusiasm, spitting as he spoke.
"Have you not heard the saying, 'Strike when the enemy is not looking'? Zhou Yu calculated that I wouldn't dare cross the river at this time, but I'll do the opposite!"
"My lord!"
Liu Ye still felt it was risky.
"Even if Xu Gong is sincere, our main force needs to deter Huainan. How should we divide our troops? Who should we send? If our forces are insufficient, even if we can cross the river, we will find it difficult to shake Sun Ce's foundation!"
"The quality of an army is more important than its quantity!"
A ruthless glint flashed in Yuan Tan's eyes.
"What I want isn't necessarily to conquer Moling, but a sharp dagger plunged deep into the heart of Jiangdong! To wreak havoc! To leave Zhou Yu and Sun Ce unable to defend themselves on both ends!"
He looked down from the tent:
Where is Yan Liang?
A burly man entered from outside the tent in response to the call, his voice booming like a bell:
"Your subordinate is here!"
It was Yan Liang, a valiant general from Hebei.
"Yan Liang! I will give you three thousand elite soldiers, all dressed in the white robes of merchants, concealing sharp blades within their goods. Prepare many fast boats, disguised as a grain caravan heading south. Tomorrow at dusk, they will quietly depart from Ruxukou, heading west along the river, hiding by day and moving at night, heading straight for Niuzhuji!"
"promise!"
Although Yan Liang was brave, he knew that this mission was dangerous, but he still accepted the order without hesitation.
Yuan Tan stared at him, speaking slowly and deliberately:
"Remember, your mission is not a decisive battle! It's a surprise attack! Upon reaching Niuzhu, if you see a signal fire and confirm it's Xu Gong's troops, immediately land, seize the beachhead, and march straight for Moling! If you don't see the signal, or encounter an ambush... do not linger in battle. Immediately drift eastward with the current, disperse into Taihu Lake, or retreat back to Liyang! What I want is a surprise attack, not total annihilation! Understand?"
"Your subordinate understands! Crossing the river in white robes, we must strike with deadly precision! Even if we cannot capture the city, we will at least let those Jiangdong brats know the might of the elite warriors of Qingzhou!"
Yan Liang said in a deep, muffled voice.
"Alright! Go and prepare! Zilong, allocate the ships, select the best soldiers, and ensure a stealthy and swift operation!"
"promise!"
Zhao Yun accepted the order and quickly left the tent with Yan Liang.
Inside the tent, Guo Jia, Jia Xu, and Liu Ye exchanged bewildered glances. Their lord's move could be described as a risky gamble.
But Yuan Tan's absolute confidence inspired them.
"Filial piety,"
Yuan Tan looked at Guo Jia,
"Once Yan Liang starts this fire, Zhou Yu's plans in Lujiang will likely be thrown into chaos. You and I need to be prepared to welcome our guest."
"I hope that, Mr. Qiao, I won't end up playing a one-man show in this 'luring the tiger away from the mountain' charade."
……
In just a few days, the area around Wancheng, the capital of Lujiang Prefecture, was filled with an atmosphere of impending doom.
In taverns, teahouses, and bustling streets, all sorts of horrifying news spread like wildfire:
"Have you heard? On his way back to Langya, Commander Yuan was ambushed by Lü Bu and his entire army was wiped out!"
"More than that! A caravan from the north says that Qingzhou and Linzi have both changed hands and are now under the banner of Lü!"
"It's all over! With Magistrate Yuan dead, what will become of Lujiang...?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Liu Yuzhou is still in the city!"
The rumors spread like wildfire, and the details became increasingly believable.
Some even claimed to have witnessed the rout of Qingzhou soldiers.
Panic hung over Lujiang like a dark cloud.
The people were filled with anxiety, shops closed early, and pedestrians hurried along the streets.
Inside the prefect's residence, Liu Bei frowned, gazing at the fallen leaves in the courtyard, remaining silent for a long time.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stood on either side, their faces solemn.
"Big brother!"
Zhang Fei could not contain himself any longer, and his voice boomed like a bell.
"Rumors are flying everywhere outside, someone must be stirring up trouble! Let me, Old Zhang, lead the troops out to patrol, arrest a few rumor-mongers and chop them up, let's see who dares to talk nonsense again!"
"Third brother, we must not be rash." Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes and stroked his beard. "Rumors are indeed malicious, but they are baseless. If we suppress them by force, it will only give others ammunition to criticize us and make us appear guilty. The most urgent task is to defend the city and observe the situation."
Liu Bei nodded slowly:
"Yun Chang is absolutely right. Yuan Xiansi... is a lucky man, how could Lü Bu be so easily harmed? This must be a scheme by treacherous people to sow discord among our people. Second brother, third brother, you two must be extra vigilant, strictly guard the four gates, and maintain strict military discipline. Without my order, no one is allowed to move! In particular, keep a close eye on... the movements of those local powerful clans."
"Don't worry, brother!" Guan Yu and Zhang Fei bowed and accepted the order.
However, many people viewed Liu Bei's "wait and see" approach as proof of helplessness and resignation.