Chapter 351

"Are they mocking my great defeat?!"

"Or is it that these people have long been in secret contact with Liu Bei!"

There were very few people Sun Quan could trust now, besides Zhou Yu, Zhou Tai, Zhuge Jin, and old ministers like Zhu Zhi, Cheng Pu, and Huang Gai; there was basically no one else.

Zhang Zhao? If you ask him, he’ll say surrender!

Zhuge Jin cupped his hands, "Master, Liu Bei is recruiting troops on a large scale in Danyang. It is said that Liu Bei has already recruited over twenty thousand Danyang elite troops."

Sun Quan slapped the table in anger,

"These unruly people! I only recruited a few thousand!"

Zhuge Jin paused,

"Master, Liu Bei has also taken the Xu clan as a concubine. It is said that the people of Danyang are very supportive."

Sun Quan was about to crack. This Liu Bei was too shameless. Intercepting his Bu Bu Lianshi wasn't enough; he even received his third brother’s widow!

Zhuge Jin sighed,

"The Xu clan is a remarkable woman. It is said that she divined her marriage with Liu Bei herself. Now, it is spreading secretly throughout Jiangdong that Liu Bei has Dragon Qi and has two lives."

Sun Quan was furious,

"This Liu Bei is building momentum for himself! He is the greatest rebel!"

Cheng Pu rushed in, his expression worried,

"Master, it’s bad! Huang Zhong and Shamoke have broken He Qi, occupied Dingyang City, and the grand army is pressing on Kuaiji Commandery!"

Sun Quan was shocked. Liu Bei was advancing from both Danyang Commandery and Kuaiji Commandery; the Yangtze River defense line was effectively non-existent.

Zhou Yu’s thirty thousand elite naval troops could not play any role; it could be said he was bound to lose!

"What is to be done?!"

Zhou Yu also rushed back at this time,

"Master, I have brought news from Dantu."

The dusty Zhou Yu had a look of joy on his face,

"Master, great joy."

Sun Quan really didn't know what he had to be happy about. Could it be that Liu Bei had suddenly gone mad and died?

If Bu Bu Lianshi had achieved merit, Sun Quan’s joy in his heart would also far exceed his sorrow.

Zhou Yu cupped his hands,

"Master, Ding Yuan Shao is critically ill and has died!"

"What?! Ding Yuan Shao is dead!"

Sun Quan was stunned for a moment, then went into a frenzy of joy.

Once Ding Yuan Shao died, Liu Bei’s focus would inevitably be on competing with Cao Cao for the three provinces of Hebei, giving Jiangdong a chance to catch its breath.

The Jiangdong of this time was not the densely populated and economically developed region of later generations.

It was only because of the wars in the Central Plains in recent years that a large number of people had migrated south, which caused Jiangdong’s prosperity.

The population and economic center of the Han Empire were still in the north.

The three provinces of Hebei had a population of nearly nine million, Jizhou’s mulberry fields were flourishing, and there was the great city of Ye. Liu Bei naturally wanted to obtain it.

Cheng Pu was also overjoyed,

"Master has a chance to catch his breath. By the time Liu Bei comes to Jiangdong again, the situation may not be like this."

Zhou Yu, however, frowned,

"Master, although Liu Bei wants to obtain Hebei, he has left behind fierce generals like Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and Xu Huang, and has military advisors like Ju Shou, Xun You, and Jia Xu. He may not be in a hurry to rush back."

"Perhaps he will wait until he takes Jiangdong before returning."

Sun Quan had no idea what to do now,

"Then what should we do? Our army’s troops are too few now."

Cheng Pu cupped his hands,

"Master, even if I have to die, I will not let Liu Bei succeed!"

Zhou Yu had long had a plan in his heart,

"Master, if Liu Bei returns north, that’s fine. If he doesn't, we can only show weakness to the enemy. Liu Bei is extremely lustful; we can arrange for him to take Miss Sun Shangxiang as his wife."

Sun Quan??

"Zhou Gongjin, isn't Sun Shangxiang supposed to marry Cao Pi?!"

Everyone was also a bit confused,

Zhou Yu sighed long,

"Master, times have changed. Cao Cao’s heart is entirely on Hebei; he has no intention of rescuing us. In our moment of life and death, we can only rely on ourselves. My plan is..."

Sun Quan was shocked,

"Let me surrender to Liu Bei and have him take Sun Shangxiang? And then kill him when he lets his guard down?"

Zhuge Jin frowned,

"Zhou Gongjin, Liu Bei is lustful, but he is meticulous; he may not fall for the trap. Zhao Fan used this plan back then and suffered a crushing defeat."

Zhou Yu nodded,

"Ziyu is right. Therefore, we must plan meticulously, not let the news leak, and the implementers must be brave, skilled in battle, and reliable! Master should try to cooperate to make Liu Bei believe it."

"It’s just that we have to talk to the Empress Dowager and Miss Sun Shangxiang again..."

Sun Quan knew this was his last chance and naturally was unwilling to let it go,

"Keep this from them for now. Just act as if I have truly surrendered. Doesn't Sun Shangxiang want to marry Liu Bei? This time, I will fulfill her wish."

Zhou Yu felt a chill in his heart for no reason. Sun Quan usually loved this sister very much, but at the critical moment, he sacrificed her without blinking an eye. Although this was a necessary character for a king, yet...

He thought of Sun Ce. If Sun Ce were still alive, he would very likely not have agreed to his plan, but Sun Quan agreed without hesitation. The difference between the two was indeed very great! ### CHAPTER 618

Danyang Commandery,

Liu Bei’s recruitment was very smooth. He originally only wanted to recruit fifteen thousand men,

but the people of Danyang were so enthusiastic about serving, and the quality of the recruits was so good,

that Liu Bei waved his hand and recruited thirty thousand!

These days, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Taishi Ci, and others mingled in the military camp, using force to conquer these Danyang elite troops.

Liu Bei also made a trip, single-handedly challenging twenty of the bravest among the Danyang elite troops, shocking the entire Danyang Commandery.

These proud soldiers only respected the strong. Liu Bei had previously been a legend, but now that he had truly used his martial prowess on them, they were instantly won over by the three thousand Danyang elite troops.

Bu Bu Lianshi and the Xu clan also became more and more radiant, both with smiles on their faces, often exchanging tips on how not to be "pear blossoms in the rain."

Miss Zhu Rong, Lü Lu Lingqi, and the Lady Cai also rushed to Danyang.

Liu Bei also received the news of Ding Yuan Shao’s death and urgently summoned everyone to discuss,

"Everyone, Ding Yuan Shao is suddenly critically ill and has died. What should our army do now?"

Ma Chao cupped his hands,

"Master, Hebei is the most prosperous land in the Han Empire; our army must get it into our hands!"

Guo Jia was also very supportive,

"Jizhou has a population of six million, similar to Jingzhou, and it is densely populated with many plains. If our army doesn't take it and Cao Cao gets it, the grain and fodder problem that has plagued him for years will be completely resolved!"

Zhang Fei also said,

"Big Brother, Ding Yuan Shao is gone; we can just march back to our old home in Zhuo Commandery."

Pang Tong, however, cupped his hands,

"Master, I believe we should take the south first and then the north. Sun Quan has already been beaten to a pulp by us. We should completely occupy Jiangdong to resolve our worries, and then decide the battle with Cao Cao."

Lu Xun also stepped out,

"Master, although Sun Quan has no courage, he has means. If we give him a chance to catch his breath, clear out dissidents, and turn Jiangdong into a solid block, it will be difficult for our army to take Jiangdong later."

Lu Xun’s meaning was to strike while he was down!

"Master, if you don't kill the snake, you will suffer its harm!"

Wen Pin also cupped his hands,

"Master, I also believe we should take Jiangdong first."

Liu Bei nodded. He wanted to take Hebei, and he wanted to take Jiangdong. The northern soldiers valued Hebei, and the southern soldiers valued Jiangdong.

He looked at Lu Su,

"Lu Zijing, tell me your opinion." ### CHAPTER 619