Chapter 594

"Wenchang, your surprise attack on Yuzhang this time was a success, occupying Nanchang City and achieving great merit!"

Wei Yan cupped his hands,

"It is all thanks to my lord's brilliant strategy and tireless efforts in drawing Sun Ce's attention that we were able to launch a surprise attack on Nanchang City."

Wei Yan was a man with a great spirit of adventure, the exact opposite of Zhuge Liang's steadiness.

Winning by surprise has both advantages and disadvantages; it can lead to a great victory, but it can also lead to total defeat.

The Ziwu Valley strategy was never implemented, so no one knows if it would have succeeded.

Liu Bei looked around the room,

"What do you all think our army should do now to deal with Sun Ce?"

Wei Yan cupped his hands,

"My lord, I suggest sending troops to attack Geyang City first. From that city, our army can launch a raid on Kuaiji Commandery in Jiangdong."

Huang Zhong, however, said,

"My lord, Sun Ce has stationed his troops in Panyang City. As long as we can pin him down there, Jiangdong will surely collapse without a fight!"

Pang Tong stepped out,

"Sun Ce is brave and fierce, and Panyang City's defenses are not weak. If our army attacks, we will surely fall into a bitter struggle, and the powerful clans of Yuzhang, seeing that our attack is not going well, may not be willing to defect to us."

Guo Jia also said,

"My lord, I also agree that we should not attack the city for now, but focus on recovering the other counties of Yuzhang and pacifying the powerful clans and the Shanyue."

Liu Bei looked at Lu Su,

"Zijing, you are the Governor of Yuzhang. What are your thoughts on how we should act?"

Lu Su already had a plan in mind,

"My lord, we can issue a broad invitation to heroes, inviting the powerful clans of Yuzhang and the Shanyue chieftains to visit Nanchang City. Additionally, we can send troops south along the Gan River, dispatching soldiers and civil officials to govern the local areas."

Liu Bei nodded,

"Let it be done."

"Since Sun Ce likes to defend cities, then let him stay in Panyang City for a good long while."

Guo Jia added,

"My lord, from what I have observed, Sun Ce's relationship with the Jiangdong scholar-gentry is poor. However, his younger brother Sun Quan, although terrible at fighting, gets along well with the Jiangdong gentry and is a man of great forbearance. If Sun Ce dies, he is very likely to inherit Sun Ce's position."

Although Sun Quan had not yet earned the 'reputation' of 'Sun the Hundred Thousand' at this time, it was already acknowledged in Jiangdong that he was no good at fighting.

Previously, when he was a County Magistrate in Danyang Commandery, he was beaten by the Shanyue people until he fled in a panic; fortunately, Zhou Tai saved him.

Later, he was ordered to lead tens of thousands of men to attack Guangling in Xuzhou. His forces were ten times those of Chen Deng, yet he was ambushed by Chen Deng and suffered a crushing defeat!

The following year, he continued the attack and was defeated by Chen Deng again!

As for the Battle of Red Cliffs, that was fought by Zhou Yu!

Pang Tong frowned,

"I have received intelligence that Sun Ce's third brother, Sun Yi, is brave and fierce, very much like his brother Sun Ce."

Liu Bei laughed,

"Sun Yi may be brave, but when it comes to playing power politics, he is no match for Sun Quan. If we pin down Sun Ce, Sun Quan will be our next opponent."

"Half a month ago, I already ordered Leng Bao and Pang Xi to bring thirty thousand Yizhou troops by boat. By then, our army will have one hundred and twenty thousand men. If Sun Ce does not want to return to Jiangdong, then he shall never return again."

Xing Daorong said boisterously,

"My lord, when the time comes, send me to duel with Sun Ce. Within three moves, I will surely cut him down from his horse!"

Everyone laughed!

Zhang Fei roared with laughter,

"Xing Daorong, would you die if you didn't brag?"

Xing Daorong was depressed. He was being so serious; how was that bragging!

Liu Bei laughed,

"Daorong, I will give you eight thousand troops. Go along the Gan River and take the other cities of Yuzhang for me."

Xing Daorong cupped his hands,

"My lord, rest assured, I will surely be like a hot knife through butter!"

Liu Bei and Guo Jia and the others discussed how to lure Sun Ce out of the city.

Over the next few days,

The powerful clans of Yuzhang and the Shanyue chieftains received the invitations, and most of them set off for Nanchang City.

Since the world-renowned Lord Xuande had invited them, how could they not show him respect?

Lord Xuande had newly acquired Jingzhou and now occupied Nanchang City; he had already gained more than half of the world. If they did not defect now, when would they?

The heads of the powerful clans, such as Xiong Xun and Xiong Zhao of the Xiong family of Yuzhang, and the heads of the Yang and Nie families, arrived in Nanchang City one after another.

There were also the Panyang bandit leaders Peng Hu and You Tu, who led several thousand troops to defect.

Even the Shanyue chieftains from the mountains of Danyang Commandery, such as Tong Zhi and Jiao Yi, sent people to deliver gifts.

Liu Bei began a major reshuffle, appointing the talented descendants of these powerful clans as local County Magistrates and other posts.

He enfeoffed Peng Hu and You Tu as Captains, to take orders under Wei Yan.

He also gave official titles to the chieftains of Danyang Commandery, letting them continue to resist Sun Ce's tyrannical rule!

Everyone was overjoyed!

Liu Bei, while eating, drinking, and having fun with everyone to build rapport, was secretly mobilizing troops and generals, preparing for a grand plan.

Panyang City,

Sun Ce felt he had been guarding in vain. He reinforced the city's defenses, waiting for Liu Bei to come and attack.

He wanted to give Liu Bei a head-on blow, but Liu Bei was holding grand banquets in Nanchang City, winning over the hearts of the people of Yuzhang.

In less than half a month, Sun Ce felt he had already lost Yuzhang. The fruits of the countless manpower and resources he had spent on the expedition seemed to have vanished.

"Bang!"

Sun Ce slammed the table in anger,

"Liu Bei has lowered the land tax in Yuzhang by half. The powerful clans and the commoners of Yuzhang are all overjoyed. That eared thief is too good at buying people's hearts!"

Lu Meng cupped his hands,

"My lord, Liu Bei's reinforcements from Yizhou have arrived. His troops in Yuzhou have reached one hundred and twenty thousand, while our army has less than seventy thousand. We are now trapped in the area of Panyang City and the Peng Ze water fortress..."

Sun Ce also knew that continuing like this was not a solution.

Zhou Yu also wrote to him, urging him to make a quick decision and abandon Yuzhang.

But Sun Ce was not reconciled. Should he just give up Yuzhang, which he had worked so hard to conquer, to Liu Bei?

"Report~!"

A guard brought up a bamboo slip.

Sun Ce took one look,

"Not good! Liu Bei has sent Huang Zhong, Leng Bao, and Pang Xi to lead fifty thousand troops east to attack Geyang City, where Cheng Pu is stationed!"

Everyone looked at the map.

Ling Tong cupped his hands,

"My lord, once Liu Bei breaks Geyang City, he can send troops to cross the mountains and attack our Kuaiji Commandery."

Everyone was terrified by Liu Bei's habit of crossing mountains and launching sneak attacks!

Dong Xi said worriedly,

"General Cheng Pu only has ten thousand men; he may not be able to hold them off, and Kuaiji Commandery does not have many troops either."

He was from Yuyao in Kuaiji, so naturally, he feared his hometown would be occupied by Liu Bei. Whether to fight or surrender would be a difficult dilemma.

Kuaiji Commandery had always been Jiangdong's rear base and granary. If it were occupied by Liu Bei and used to besiege Wu Commandery, the Sun army would be in danger!

Sun Ce frowned,

"Order He Qi to lead the army to hold Dingyang City in Kuaiji, and guard against a surprise attack by Liu Bei from Yuzhang Commandery."

He thought for a moment and had no choice but to make the decision to abandon Panyang City. There was no point in continuing to guard this place.

"Gentlemen, I intend to lead the thirty thousand men here to attack Huang Zhong's fifty thousand-strong army. What do you think?"

Lu Meng cupped his hands,

"My lord, Liu Bei is exceptionally cunning. Our army must deploy scouts widely to guard against being ambushed."

Sun Ce nodded; this was only natural.