"Sun Quan is far inferior to Zhou Gongjin."
Even after being called a "crafty rogue" by Sun Quan in the light screen, Liu Bei still smiled calmly.
Jing Province was vast, yet it could not accommodate both Sun and Liu, let alone Yi Province.
When Lu Su and Sun Quan had jointly lent him half of Nanjun, was it not simply because they wanted a capable blade to use?
"If Jiangdong's troops are as General Huang described, then whether that blue-eyed brother-in-law can even take it is still a question!" Zhang Fei muttered under his breath. "But this Gan Ning, to raid a camp with a hundred men, he is indeed a real man!"
Huang Zhong, who understood Jiangdong far better, stroked his graying beard and considered before speaking.
"Gan Ning… when he served under Liu Jingzhou, I once worked alongside him. Bold and forthright, with both courage and strategy, indifferent to wealth yet generous to his soldiers. He truly is a fine man."
"When we served together, he said that in his earlier years he had been incited by petty men to rise in rebellion against Liu Zhang, which left him unable to return home."
"A native of Ba Commandery?" Liu Bei pondered, silently noting it down.
---
[Lightscreen]
[Sun Quan is the sort of man who, at times, embodies the full calculation of a seasoned ruler. Though he has not yet become emperor, within Jiangdong he already wields the art of balance with complete mastery.
Yet at other times, politically, he can seem almost naïve.
For Sun Wu to enter Shu, they would need to pass through Jiangling. But such a matter, any leader would hesitate over.
"Borrowing a road to destroy a state" is a lesson everyone understands.
Now that his brother-in-law has taken Yi Province, Sun Quan's stance becomes simple:
Then Jing Province should be returned.
Liu Bei's reply:
"I am currently planning for Liang Province. Once Liang Province is settled, I shall return Jing Province in full."]
---
At the mention of "borrowing a road to destroy a state," Liu Bei narrowed his eyes and nodded. This had indeed been his concern.
But hearing the latter part, he suddenly widened his eyes.
His hand trembled, pulling out two strands of beard as he hissed in pain, yet still asked in shock:
"Was it not Nanjun that was borrowed?!"
Indeed, was it not Nanjun?
Everyone turned toward their lord.
Liu Bei rubbed his chin with some distress. "What I negotiated with Sun Quan was indeed the borrowing of Jiangling. In return, after we recovered Nanjun, we would return the entire commandery. How did it become the entirety of Jing Province?"
Zhang Fei cut straight to the point. "Elder brother, you just said Sun Quan is inferior to Zhou Yu. Are you perhaps wary of Zhou Yu?"
Liu Bei fell silent.
If in the original course of history Zhou Yu had been present, perhaps he really might have agreed to such terms.
---
[Lightscreen]
[Objectively speaking, Liu Bei's words were not without basis.
He had, at the very least, made a promise, and what he promised to return was Jing Province.
However, there is a key point often overlooked.
What Liu Bei actually borrowed was only Jiangling within Nanjun of Jing Province. It was not even an entire province, merely part of a single commandery.
The four commanderies of Jing Province were taken by Liu Bei himself.
And yet Sun Quan comes forward asking for all of Jing Province in one demand.
That is quite the appetite.
The fact that Liu Bei did not throw his cup in Sun Quan's face already shows restraint.
Sun Quan's assessment, however, was:
"This is a false promise, merely empty words to delay."
From Sun Quan's perspective, this judgment is not entirely unreasonable.
But then, Sun Quan begins to act.
While Lü Meng leads troops to seize three commanderies, Zhao Yun's rescue of A Dou at the river occurs around this same period.]
---
Guan Yu frowned. "Lü Meng seizes three commanderies?"
Zhang Fei exclaimed, "Zilong rescues A Dou at the river?"
Huang Yueying blinked. "Five?"
The three looked at one another. Huang Yueying gestured for them to continue, then pulled out a sheet of paper and began sketching, ignoring Kongming's pained expression.
"This Lü Meng, is he the one who later ambushed my second brother under Sun Quan's orders?" Liu Bei asked, recalling clearly.
As for A Dou… once, Liu Bei had doted deeply on his only son, but now he felt perhaps it was better to observe further.
Guan Yu glanced at the map. "It must be Changsha, Guiyang, and Lingling."
Wuling Commandery connected both Yi Province and Nanjun. If it had fallen in one stroke, there would be no war left to fight.
"The loss of three commanderies still leaves Nanjun and Wuling. Our troops remain intact. There is still room to recover," Guan Yu judged calmly.
The three commanderies were not major troop concentrations. Losing them, especially under sudden attack, was not unexpected.
"Elder brother, A Dou has been taken!" Zhang Fei said anxiously.
"Could it be that Sun Quan had been preparing in these three commanderies for a long time?" Liu Bei asked, stressing the word "preparing" as he sought Guan Yu's opinion.
Guan Yu thought carefully. "Most likely. These three commanderies border Jiangdong, sharing customs and connections. Many of the officials we recruited have ties to Jiangdong aristocratic clans. It would be difficult to guard against."
"Difficult to guard against," was Guan Yu's final conclusion. "This only shows that Yi Province is even more critical. If we remain confined to Jing's four commanderies, Sun Quan could overturn us at any moment. In the end, we would merely be making a wedding garment for another."
"Elder brother, your only son has been taken!" Zhang Fei was frantic.
Liu Bei snapped, "What are you panicking for? He later surrendered the entire realm! He later buried our foundation! He later enjoyed himself here without longing for Shu!"
"He lives a long life! Why worry about him!"
Liu Bei had already pieced together the dangers of Jing and Yi.
Cao Cao sought to enter Shu through Hanzhong, completely locking down Sun and Liu.
Sun Wu also sought Jing and Yi to attack Cao, while internally divided between Sun Quan and Zhou Yu's differing visions.
In such a situation, only by seizing Yi Province could one truly establish a foundation.
After decades of hardship, was it all just to send A Dou to Cao Wei to attend banquets?
Liu Bei felt the veins at the back of his head throb.
Zhang Fei fell silent, but still muttered, "He is still your son… my own nephew…"
---
[Lightscreen]
[In taking the three commanderies, Lü Meng employed a method he would later use with great proficiency.
Changsha and Guiyang surrendered upon hearing of his approach, but Hao Pu alone held firm in Lingling.
On the surface, Lü Meng mobilized troops frequently, making it appear that Lingling would inevitably fall.
In secret, he contacted Hao Pu's close friend Deng Xuan and told him:
Liu Bei is trapped by Xiahou Yuan in Hanzhong. Lu Su has pinned Guan Yu at Jiangling. Who can come to your aid?
Hao Pu despaired.
When he left the city to surrender, Lü Meng then revealed the truth and even showed him Sun Quan's letter.
This method was ruthless.
To break not just the body, but the will.
Hao Pu was "ashamed beyond bearing."
His misfortune did not end there.
After surrendering to Sun Wu, he encountered Yin Fan, one of Cao Rui's greatest spies sent into Wu.
Yin Fan feigned surrender, rose to the position of Court Inspector, and secretly conspired with Jiangdong aristocratic clans.
When the plot was exposed, Hao Pu was implicated and ultimately forced to take his own life.]
---
"Who is Cao Rui?"
Voices rose in discussion.
"The Emperor of Wei! The son of the short-lived Cao Pi!"
"A feigned surrender… a fine tactic indeed. Hao Pu was unfortunate!"
Zhang Fei said angrily, "Deception is one thing, but to mock a man after forcing his surrender! This Lü Meng is no gentleman!"
The generals all nodded.
If Hao Pu had believed it, it meant that this friend was someone he trusted deeply. Yet after surrendering, he was humiliated face to face.
Huang Zhong frowned. "Could it be that Lü Meng intended to drive Hao Pu to suicide?"
The others exchanged looks.
The more they thought about it, the darker it seemed.
Kongming connected it with earlier records and understood. "At that time, my lord had not yet entered Hanzhong. Yi Province had only just been secured, and Hanzhong was still in Zhang Lu's hands. How could Liu Bei have been trapped by Xiahou Yuan?"
"Hao Pu was unfortunate," Liu Bei sighed for the fate of his former subject.
Loyal, yet meeting such a commander who kills both body and spirit.
"Second brother…" Zhang Fei thought of Lü Meng's later methods and felt uneasy. Could it have been used against Guan Yu as well?
In the end, he simply patted Guan Yu's shoulder.
"Be cautious."