Chapter 1589: Biting the Bullet

After a fierce battle, Cao Cao's navy finally defeated Sun Quan's navy, occupying vast swathes of Jiangdong's territory. Seeing that the situation was lost, Sun Quan had no choice but to surrender to Cao Cao. Liu Bei, upon learning the news of Sun Quan's defeat and surrender, was also scared out of his wits and hurriedly dispatched messengers to seek peace with Cao Cao.

After defeating Sun Quan, Cao Cao did not immediately attack Liu Bei. He knew that although Liu Bei's forces were weak, they still possessed a certain combat effectiveness. If he attacked by force, he would surely suffer heavy losses. Thus, he decided to adopt Guo Jia's "soft" policy to appease and win over Liu Bei.

He dispatched messengers to Jingzhou to propose an alliance to Liu Bei, promising to grant Liu Bei certain territory and power. Liu Bei, upon learning of this, though unwilling in his heart, knew he was powerless to contend with Cao Cao. Thus, he accepted Cao Cao's proposal and formed an alliance with him.

However, the alliance was only temporary. Cao Cao knew well that Liu Bei was a man of great ambition and would never be content to live under another. Thus, he began secretly preparing for an offensive against Liu Bei, intending to annihilate him at the appropriate time.

Liu Bei also knew of Cao Cao's ambition, but he was powerless to resist. He could only secretly accumulate strength and wait for an opportunity. However, just as he was waiting for his chance, an unexpected piece of news arrived: Cao Cao had suddenly passed away from illness.

Upon learning this, Liu Bei was overjoyed. He knew that Cao Cao's passing meant that the political and military situation of Cao Wei would experience a massive upheaval. This was the perfect opportunity for him to counterattack Cao Wei and reclaim Jingzhou and Jiangdong.

Thus, he immediately began preparing a plan for a counterattack. He united with Sun Quan of Jiangdong and other anti-Cao factions, forming a coalition army, preparing to launch an offensive against Cao Wei. However, just as they were about to launch the offensive, an even more unexpected piece of news arrived: Guo Jia was actually still alive and had taken over the military and political power of Cao Wei.

Upon learning this, Liu Bei was shocked. He knew that Guo Jia was a man of extraordinary strategy and was fiercely loyal to Cao Wei. If he were in charge of Cao Wei, then the counterattack plan would likely be difficult to implement. However, the situation had reached this point, and he could only bite the bullet and discuss countermeasures with Sun Quan and the various anti-Cao factions. At the meeting, the atmosphere was solemn; everyone knew that Guo Jia's wit could not be underestimated, and his taking control of Cao Wei's power undoubtedly cast a heavy shadow over the coalition's path ahead.

"Gentlemen," Liu Bei began slowly, his voice steady and firm, "though Guo Jia is wise, he is not invincible. When Cao Cao was alive, we were still able to maneuver against him; now, Cao Wei's internal situation must be turbulent, which is the perfect time for us to take advantage of their weakness. The key is that we must unite as one and plan together to achieve victory."

Sun Quan nodded in agreement, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes. "Brother Liu's words are reasonable. Though Guo Jia is wise, he cannot hold up the overall situation alone. My Jiangdong soldiers are willing to fight side-by-side with Brother Liu and face this national crisis together."

The remaining generals also expressed their stance, vowing to fight Cao Wei to the death. The meeting ultimately decided that the coalition would be divided into three routes, led respectively by Liu Bei, Sun Quan, and another highly respected general, launching attacks on Cao Wei from three directions simultaneously, hoping to disperse Guo Jia's forces and defeat them one by one.

However, just as the coalition was busily preparing for war, Guo Jia seemed to have long since anticipated their actions. He utilized Cao Wei's deep foundation to quickly stabilize the internal situation, while simultaneously mobilizing heavy troops and setting up a net of heaven and earth, waiting for the coalition's arrival.

In the first battle, the coalition encountered the stubborn resistance of Cao Wei's elite troops. Despite the soldiers fighting bravely, facing Cao Wei's elite troops and solid defensive lines, the coalition was unable to make any breakthrough progress. The situation was deadlocked, and both sides fell into a bitter struggle.

Liu Bei knew that if they continued to consume resources like this, the coalition would likely be defeated without a fight. Thus, he decided to adopt a surprise attack tactic, personally leading an elite unit to bypass Cao Wei's frontal defensive line and strike directly at their heartland, intending to destroy Cao Wei's command center in one stroke.

However, Guo Jia seemed to have long since seen through Liu Bei's intentions. Just as Liu Bei led his troops deep into Cao Wei's heartland, Guo Jia suddenly mobilized heavy troops to encircle and suppress Liu Bei. Liu Bei's troops fell into layers of encirclement and were plunged into a bitter struggle.

At the critical moment, the Jiangdong navy led by Sun Quan arrived in time, relieving Liu Bei. The two armies joined forces and finally repelled Cao Wei's pursuit, but they suffered heavy losses, and morale was low.

Liu Bei and Sun Quan met in the camp tent to discuss countermeasures. Both knew that if this continued, the coalition would likely be unable to hold on. At this time, an advisor proposed a bold plan: unite with certain separatist factions in the north to jointly resist Cao Wei, so as to disperse Guo Jia's attention.

Liu Bei and Sun Quan heard this and both felt the plan was feasible. Thus, they immediately dispatched messengers to the north to make contact with those separatist factions. After much effort, they finally succeeded in persuading several factions to join the coalition, greatly increasing the coalition's strength.

However, just as the coalition was preparing to launch another offensive, Guo Jia suddenly launched a counterattack. He utilized Cao Wei's powerful military strength to launch a fierce attack on the coalition. Although the coalition was numerous in number, due to the lack of tacit cooperation between the various factions, coupled with the valor of the Cao Wei army, the coalition was forced into a passive position.

Seeing this, Liu Bei and Sun Quan were anxious. They knew that if this continued, the coalition would likely be wiped out. Thus, they decided to personally lead their troops into battle to boost morale.

In a heart-pounding decisive battle, Liu Bei and Sun Quan joined forces to defeat Cao Wei's massive army, successfully turning the tide of the war. However, just as they were preparing to pursue the victory, Guo Jia suddenly withdrew his troops.

It turned out that Guo Jia, upon learning that the coalition had united with northern separatist factions, realized that his forces were insufficient to deal with attacks from multiple sides simultaneously. Thus, he decided to temporarily retreat to preserve his strength. At the same time, he began secretly preparing a counterattack plan against the coalition.

Liu Bei and Sun Quan, after defeating Cao Wei's massive army, did not immediately pursue. They knew that Guo Jia was a man of extraordinary strategy and would never give up easily. Thus, they began strengthening the coalition's defenses while preparing a counterattack plan against Cao Wei.

Both sides fell into a stalemate. However, just then, an unexpected piece of news arrived: a certain separatist faction in the north had suddenly betrayed the coalition and formed an alliance with Cao Wei.

This news was like a bolt from the blue, catching Liu Bei and Sun Quan off guard. They knew that the betrayal of this separatist faction would deal a massive blow to the coalition. However, the situation had reached this point, and they could only bite the bullet and fight Cao Wei to the death. ===== CHAPTER 1590 =====