Sun Ce ordered the messenger from Jingzhou to report. Although Sun Ce was shocked by the news, he was still hesitant. He wondered if Liu Biao was crazy to take out such a big bottom line.
Jiang Xia County. A county was not a big deal as it only had a few dozen counties. However, Jiang Xia's geographical location was different. It was like Fancheng to Xiangyang. Only with Jiang Xia could Jingzhou stop Sun Ce. Without Jiang Xia, what could Jingzhou use to stop the Jiangdong Army?
"Milord, he does not control all of Jiang Xia. Chi Bi and Shiyang are two places. Liu Biao will not give them to Jingzhou." Zhou Yu said to Sun Ce.
"Chi Bi and Shiyang?" Sun Ce thought for a moment and couldn't help but frown. One of these two places is the Southern County of Jingzhou and the other is the Southern County of Jingzhou to Xiangyang. The other one is the Changsha area. These two areas are heavily guarded.
"Haha, there is no need to worry. Liu Biao is used to fighting naval battles. We cannot pass through the waterways, but we can advance on land.
Xiakou was a very important place as it was surrounded by water. After Xiakou was land. The waterways had Chi Bi and Shiyang, but there were none on land. As long as we pass through Xiakou, we can attack from land.
"Haha, after we remove Chi Bi and advance to Changsha, the southeastern part of Jingzhou will belong to Jiangdong." Sun Ce thought. In addition to the navy, Jiangdong's army was also very strong. Although he had only won a few times in the war against Yangzhou, he knew that even Cao Cao was not sure if he could win against Yangzhou, let alone other people.
Compared to Jingzhou's infantry, Jiangdong's troops were the elites. Jingzhou's navy could compete with Jiangdong, but Jiangdong's navy was superior to Jingzhou's navy on land.
"However, Gong Jin, what is wrong with Liu Biao? He actually wants to attack Liu Mang? Didn't they just form an alliance? " Sun Ce was still worried that there was a trap. After all, Liu Biao was going all out to use Jiang Xia in exchange for the destruction of the Yangzhou Navy.
"Milord, you don't have to worry about this. This time, Liu Biao is truly crazy!" Zhou Yu laughed contemptuously and told Sun Ce about what happened in Jingzhou. Liu Biao's actions in Xiangyang could not be hidden from everyone. Liu Mang escaped from Xiangyang and the King Of Shu, Liu Mang, and Liu Biao's actions could not be hidden.
Liu Biao could die now. Liu Mang made him wear a green hat, how could he endure it? Naturally, he had to fight. Even if Liu Biao could endure it, it was before the matter was known to the world. Now that it was known to everyone, if Liu Biao did not do something, he would become the biggest joke in the world.
Why did Zhang Xiu resist Cao Cao in the beginning? It was because Cao Cao went too far. If Cao Cao gave a hint to Zhang Xiu after accepting Zhang Xiu's payment, Zhang Xiu would definitely send Aunt Zou to Cao Cao's mansion for the sake of his future. However, Cao Cao was so brazen that he almost announced it to the world. How could Zhang Xiu endure it? That would be a joke.
Liu Mang ran out of Xiangyang and left Jingzhou. Liu Biao was also afraid that Yangzhou would make a move on him. Therefore, he had to make the first move to gain the upper hand. Either way, Liu Biao had no choice but to go crazy and make a ruthless decision.
"Is Liu Mang the same as Cao Cao?" Sun Ce was puzzled. Cao Cao liked his wife. This was known to everyone. However, Liu Mang, the King Of Shu, did not have many bad records.
Although Sun Ce and Liu Biao had a grudge, he still sympathized with Liu Biao at this time. Liu Biao's wife, Lady Cai, had been eaten by Liu Mang and was pregnant. No one could bear this.
If it was in the past, Sun Ce would not hesitate to borrow troops at this time. He could not wait to make the Jingzhou Army and Yangzhou Army fight. However, Sun Ce had learned to be smart. In other words, he had been cheated too many times. Naturally, there was a shadow in his heart. "Gong Jin, do you think this is a trap?" Sun Ce said cautiously. He was afraid that this was another trap. It might be a trap set by Jingzhou Liu Biao and Yangzhou Liu Mang. If he fell into this trap, he, Sun Ce, would become a joke. This might be a trick. One had to know that Yangzhou and Jingzhou had just formed an alliance. It was too fast for them to fall out with each other.
"It is possible." For some reason, Zhou Yu also became cautious.
"Then, should we refuse?" Sun Ce did not know why he felt a little heartache. Who would not? The entire Jiangxia County was what Sun Ce wanted. Now that it was in front of him, Sun Ce was wavering. If he gave up, he would feel very sad.
"There is no need to refuse!" Zhou Yu shook his head. If he refused, it would show that he was afraid. This was really an opportunity. Jiang Xia was a stumbling block. As long as Jiang Xia was there, the Jiangdong Army would not be able to attack Jingzhou. In the past, there was still Lujiang as a buffer. Now, Lujiang and Jiang Xia had two neighbors that were not easy to deal with. Now, the person in charge of Lujiang was Lü Bu's subordinate, Chen Gong. He was an old fox. He had eaten more salt than you had rice.
How could you gain anything from him? Previously, when Huang Zu was in Jiang Xia, even if he was an old general, he was still defeated by Jiang Xia. Jiang Dong could only wreak havoc while Jiang Xia was beaten up. How could Jiang Xia have the power to fight back?
Now that Jiangxia had a change of leader, it was Wen Pin. However, Zhuge Liang was a headache for Jiangdong. Now, it was the Jiangdong Army that was at a disadvantage against Jingzhou. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How could Jiangdong be willing to give it up so easily?
As for the risk? Riches and honor were found in danger. If they were afraid of risks, then what was the point of conquering the world?
"So, Gong Jin, what do you mean?" Sun Ce did not want to refuse directly. This was a big piece of meat. It was very uncomfortable to not be able to eat it.
"Let's borrow the path first!" Zhou Yu said to Sun Ce. "Let the Jingzhou Navy come over." Zhou Yu meant to let the Jiangxia Navy come over first and watch the Jingzhou Navy attack Yangzhou. "Then, let the Jingzhou Navy attack Yangzhou." When the time was right, when the Yangzhou Navy and the Jingzhou Navy fought, then they would intervene and borrow the troops. In this way, even Liu Biao would have nothing to say. After all, he had already given them what they wanted. It was just a matter of time. When the Yangzhou Navy was destroyed, they would take out Liu Biao's letter. How could Liu Biao deny it?
"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Let's do it this way. " Sun Ce nodded. He was not willing to give up on Jiangxia. Now that there was a way to get the best of both worlds, Sun Ce naturally nodded. If he found out that Jingzhou and Yangzhou were conspiring against him, then he could rein in the horse from the cliff and minimize the losses. If not, then whether it was destroying the Yangzhou Navy or taking down Jiangxia, this was what Sun Ce wanted.
… …
"Hmph!" In Xiakou Camp, Wen Pin received a reply from Jiangdong and could not help but snort coldly.
"General, what's wrong? Is Jiangdong's Little Conqueror not willing to borrow the troops?" Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and asked Wen Pin.
"It's not that he doesn't want to borrow the troops, but this Sun Ce is really good at scheming." Wen Pin's face was sullen as he handed the letter to Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang glanced at it.
It turned out that Jiangdong's Sun Ce wrote in the letter that they could borrow the troops. As for the troops, it would take a few days because of the allocation of provisions.
A few days could be a few days or a few days. It could be a few days or a few days. It all depended on how thick one's face was. Jiangdong wanted to ask Jingzhou to give up Xiakou first.
"Haha!" Zhuge Liang smiled and shook his head. "The Jiangdong Army is cautious. It is natural."
"You want Xiakou without doing anything?" Wen Pin was really unwilling. If they wanted to attack Yangzhou, then attack Yangzhou. Why did they have to involve Jiang Xia? He, Wen Pin, was fighting at the frontlines for Liu Biao's Jingzhou. He wanted Liu Biao to be more stable in his position.
Wen Pin's hair turned white because of Jiang Xia. But now, he had to hand over Jiang Xia to the enemy.
"General, don't be angry. Since the Jiangdong Army is not moving and is only willing to give way, then I can't give them everything. If Xiakou is not possible, then we can give up the few villages in front of Xiakou. This is already showing our sincerity. " Zhuge Liang said, "Give me the money and deliver the goods. Since your Jiangdong Navy is not moving, I will give you the money to pass through."
"Good. Let's do that." Wen Pin sneered. He wanted to let Jiangdong know that even without the Jiangdong Navy, the Jingzhou Navy could still destroy the Yangzhou Navy. When the time comes, don't blame the Jingzhou Navy for not acknowledging the Yangzhou Navy. After all, he gave Jiang Xia the condition of sending troops to help him.
Soon, warships slowly moved out of the Xiakou Navy camp. They followed the Yangtze River towards Lujiang. Along the way, there were no Jiangdong Army to stop them. Even if there were, they were just small boats.
"Did Liu Biao's Jiangxia Navy really move out?" The Jiangxia Navy's actions naturally could not be hidden from the Jiangdong Army. Sun Ce was listening to the report from his subordinates in the camp.
"Reporting to Milord. It is true. Almost a hundred warships came out of the camp. All of them raised their sails and headed towards Lujiang." This was a sentry post.
"A hundred warships?" Sun Ce thought for a moment. Originally, the warships could carry seven to eight hundred people. However, because of the ballistae, 300 people was the limit. A hundred warships could only carry 30,000 people. The Jiangxia Navy had 70,000 people. Where did the remaining forty thousand troops go?
"Did you really see a hundred warships?" Sun Ce asked again.
"Yes, Milord. I counted a few more times. There were only a hundred warships. There were no other warships."
Did the remaining 40,000 soldiers disappear into thin air? Or where did they go? Sun Ce was a bit uneasy because 40,000 soldiers and horses was not a small number. If they were only stationed in the navy camp, they would not need 40,000 soldiers and horses. Could it be that there is a trap? "Let the soldiers sleep in their clothes and be on standby at any time." Sun Ce became cautious.
"Wait!" Zhou Yu stopped Jiangdong's Sun Ce. Although such a high level of tension could prevent the enemy from attacking, once on the battlefield, they would be at a disadvantage. This was because a high level of tension would consume a lot of energy.
"Let me ask you, what flag are those hundred warships from Jing Province flying?" Zhou Yu asked the subordinate who was delivering the message.
"They're using the two banners of Jingzhou language and Zhuge language." Zhou Yu's subordinates told Zhou Yu everything they knew.
"Language? Wen Pin? Zhuge is naturally Zhuge Liang. "Wen Pin actually personally led the battle. This was a good opportunity. Sun Ce was a little moved. If he sent out all the troops to intercept the 30,000 soldiers, then he would be able to catch Wen Pin and Zhuge Liang in one fell swoop. However, Sun Ce dispelled this idea. If these 30,000 soldiers and horses were to go all out, Jiangdong would not have a good time. Injuring the enemy would be equivalent to losing 800 of his own men.
"Did you see the banners of Huo and Li?" Zhou Yu asked.
"This … I did not see them." The messenger thought for a while and shook his head.
Huo Jun was naturally Huo Jun and Li Yan was Li Yan. These two troops could be said to be the elite troops of Jiangxia's military camp. The flags of these two men did not appear, which meant that these two men did not hold the position of commandant in this attack.
"Is there anything special about the Jiangxia Navy on the warships?"
"Something special?" The messenger thought for a long time and said. "If there is something special, then the armor of the Jingzhou Army is very exquisite. It is made of high quality wood and plate armor."
"That's right." Zhou Yu understood. While everyone was still confused, Zhou Yu cupped his fist and said to Sun Ce. "Milord, the Jingzhou Navy is not an outsider. It is Liu Biao's troops, the Xiangyang Navy." The Xiangyang Navy was divided into two parts. One part was in the hands of Cai Mao and the other part was in the hands of Liu Biao. Liu Biao was afraid that Jiangxia would change. Therefore, he transferred the Xiangyang Navy that was absolutely loyal to him to Wen Pin. These troops were raised by their parents. Therefore, their armors and weapons were all of the best quality. This time, the fleet that came out of Xiakou was the Xiangyang Navy.
"Using the Xiangyang Navy? What about the Jiangxia Navy? " Huo Jun and Li Yan's troops were Jiangxia's troops. Because this was their hometown, they were fighting for their hometown. Therefore, this group of people was even more brave and not afraid of death. This gave the Jiangdong Army a headache.
"Milord, if it were you, would you bring the Jiangxia Army to fight?" Zhou Yu asked.
"No!" Sun Ce answered without thinking. This was nonsense. Why did the Jiangxia Army fight so hard? Wasn't it to drive the people of Jiangxia out of Jiangxia? They could fight with their lives on the line against the Jiangdong Army. However, this was different from fighting in Yangzhou. Moreover, after this battle, Jiangxia would have to be surrendered.
If this was known by his subordinates, and if Jiangxia's army knew about this, then wouldn't there be a mutiny?
Therefore, the Jiangxia Army couldn't be used in this battle. At the very least, it couldn't be used before it was dealt with.
Now, it was clear why the Jingzhou Navy only sent out 30,000 men and left 40,000 men behind to defend their home.
"Gong Jin, let's go and see how the Jingzhou Navy will fight this battle." After putting down the burden in his heart, Sun Ce felt much more comfortable. Whether it was Jingzhou or Yangzhou, they were all stumbling blocks in Sun Ce's path to hegemony. It was good to watch them fight. Moreover, he had to observe whether this was a real battle or a trap. This would determine the attitude of the Jiangdong Army in the future.
"Milord, you still have one thing to do!" Zhou Yu said to Sun Ce.
"There is still something to do?" Sun Ce was stunned. What else was there to do?
"Milord, we have been neighbors with the Yangzhou Navy for so many years. The neighbor's house is about to have a guest. Shouldn't we inform them?" Zhou Yu said to Sun Ce with a smile.
When he heard Zhou Yu's words, Sun Ce also laughed. "Of course, of course! Men, send a letter to the Lujiang Navy's stronghold. Tell them that an old friend from Jiangxia has come to visit them. "
"Yes!" The messenger quickly left. Is Sun Ce doing this out of kindness? Of course not. He wanted the Jingzhou Navy and the Yangzhou Navy to fight to the death. However, the Yangzhou Navy had fewer warships and was at a disadvantage. Therefore, he reminded the Yangzhou Navy to not be destroyed by the Jingzhou Navy. If that happened, the Jiangdong Army wouldn't be able to watch from the sidelines. It would be best if both sides suffered. This would be the most beneficial to the Jiangdong Army.
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