Chapter 1067

“My lord, this great victory is truly the result of destiny, and even more so the fruit of the joint efforts of the three of us and all our soldiers.” Zhuge Liang gently shook his feather fan, his gaze profound, his tone carrying a touch of emotion and pride. He turned to look at Zhou Yu; their eyes met, and without a word, that tacit understanding and trust had already been quietly built through countless battles fought side by side.

Zhou Yu smiled slightly, patted Zhuge Liang on the shoulder, and said: “Kongming is absolutely right. Thinking back to when Cao Cao’s army pressed upon our borders, how perilous it was; yet now, we can stand here together and admire this post-victory river view—it is truly not easy. Behind this lies not only the wise decision-making of our lord and your peerless strategy, Kongming, but even more so the blood, sweat, and sacrifices of countless soldiers.”

Hearing this, Sun Quan felt surging emotions in his heart. He looked toward the distance with a firm gaze, his voice steady and powerful: “Gongjin, Kongming, although we have won this battle, the world is not yet settled, and our road ahead is still long. Though Cao Cao is defeated, his foundation in the north remains; we must not lower our guard. From now on, we must unite even more closely, not only to guard our respective territories but to strive for the unification of the world and the end of this chaos.”

Zhuge Liang nodded in agreement, waving his feather fan lightly, and continued: “My lord’s words are most correct. Next, we should strike while the iron is hot, strengthen the integration within the alliance, and at the same time set about restoring production and soothing the hearts of the people to lay a solid foundation for the next strategic move. Furthermore, we must closely monitor the movements in the north to prevent Cao Cao from making a comeback.”

Zhou Yu added: “Kongming is quite right. Militarily, we should continue to strengthen our naval forces; after all, Jiangdong excels in water warfare, and this is our advantage in confronting Cao Cao. At the same time, we can consider appropriate northward expansion to gradually compress Cao Cao’s living space and prepare for the future decisive battle.”

After listening, Sun Quan pondered for a moment and then slowly said: “I deeply agree with the strategies of you two gentlemen. However, while we expand, we must also pay attention to the stability of our internal affairs, especially in handling relations with all parties to avoid internal conflicts. I propose establishing an alliance council, with the three of us and all the generals participating to make decisions together, so as to ensure the stability and development of the alliance.”

Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu looked at each other and smiled, both feeling this proposal was excellent. Zhuge Liang said: “My lord’s plan is brilliant; it can both enhance the cohesion of the alliance and pool our wisdom to avoid decision-making errors. Although the three of us are the leaders, the strength of the alliance comes from every member. Only by letting everyone participate in the decision-making can we truly achieve unity from top to bottom.”

Zhou Yu also nodded in agreement: “Indeed. Moreover, through the council, we can also discover and resolve potential problems in a timely manner, preventing enemies like Cao Cao from exploiting our internal conflicts again.”

With the three of them in agreement, the development blueprint for the anti-Cao alliance gradually became clear. In the days that followed, they followed the established strategy: while strengthening military training to improve combat effectiveness, they vigorously developed the economy and improved people’s livelihoods; at the same time, through the alliance council, they strengthened internal communication and collaboration, giving the entire alliance unprecedented vitality and cohesion.

However, just as the alliance was steadily moving forward, a new force quietly rose in the southern borderlands. It was a coalition composed of ethnic minorities who, taking advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains, intended to seize the opportunity to expand their sphere of influence, posing a new threat to Jiangdong.

Facing this sudden challenge, Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sun Quan gathered again to discuss countermeasures. Sun Quan said with a grave expression: “Although this force is not as powerful as Cao Cao, it cannot be underestimated. If we let them grow, they will surely become a stumbling block on our path to unification.”

Zhuge Liang gently shook his feather fan, pondered for a moment, and said: “We can adopt the strategy of ‘befriending the distant while attacking the near,’ first concentrating our strength to pacify this force and stabilize the south, then planning our northward advance. At the same time, we can send envoys to establish friendly relations with surrounding tribes, win over more allies, and isolate the enemy.”

Zhou Yu nodded in agreement and added: “Militarily, we should quickly organize an elite force, led by me personally, to strike swiftly and strive for a quick victory, so as not to let the war drag on and consume our strength.”

After listening, a flash of approval crossed Sun Quan’s eyes. He stood up, his tone firm: “Good! Let us act according to the plan of you two gentlemen. We children of Jiangdong have never feared any challenge. As long as we are united, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome!”

Following Sun Quan’s order, the Jiangdong army quickly assembled. Zhou Yu led the army on the expedition, while Zhuge Liang remained in the rear, responsible for coordinating the overall situation and ensuring logistics were worry-free. Sun Quan personally sat in the center, coordinating resources from all sides to provide strong support for the front line.

After a series of fierce battles, Zhou Yu finally pacified the southern rebellion and returned in triumph. This victory not only consolidated Jiangdong’s southern frontier but also cleared away worries for the alliance’s northern expedition.

At the victory banquet, Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sun Quan raised their cups to drink together, celebrating this series of victories. They knew well that the road ahead was still long, but as long as the three of them moved forward hand in hand, nothing could stop their progress.

“Come, let us toast to our shared future and our friendship!” Sun Quan held his cup high, his voice impassioned.

Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang looked at each other and smiled, raising their cups in response: “Cheers!”

At that moment, the hearts of the three were filled with infinite longing for the future and firm belief. They knew that no matter what challenges they faced in the future, as long as they were united, nothing was impossible.