Chapter 1742

"My lord, rest assured," Zhuge Liang lightly waved his feather fan, his tone firm. "The foundation of an alliance lies in mutual trust and mutual assistance. We will surely fully consider Jiangdong's interests, ensuring that in the battle to resist Cao, Jiangdong can not only preserve itself but also take advantage of the situation to develop and grow."

Zhou Yu also nodded in agreement: "Precisely so. I am willing to take the alliance treaty between Jiangdong and Jingxiang as a mirror and advance and retreat with Jiangdong. In future wars, whether it is strategic deployment or post-war interest distribution, we will uphold the principle of fairness and justice."

Upon hearing this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Sun Quan's eyes. He knew well that forming an alliance with these two wise men was undoubtedly more beneficial than harmful to Jiangdong. Moreover, Cao Cao's threat could indeed not be ignored; if they could not unite the power of all parties, Jiangdong would sooner or later fall into crisis.

"Good," Sun Quan stood up and slammed the table, his voice resonant and powerful. "Since this is the case, Quan is willing to form an alliance with the two gentlemen to jointly resist Cao. May our three parties be as firm as a rock, share weal and woe in the wind and rain, and create brilliance together."

Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang looked at each other and smiled, both breathing a sigh of relief. They knew that forming an alliance with Sun Quan meant that the power of the anti-Cao alliance had increased by one more point. Next, what they had to do was to further consolidate the alliance and formulate more detailed strategic plans.

In the days that followed, Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sun Quan met frequently to jointly discuss the great plan to resist Cao. They analyzed Cao Cao's troop deployment, strategic intentions, and possible attack routes, formulating corresponding defense and counterattack strategies. At the same time, the three parties also strengthened exchanges and cooperation in military, economic, cultural, and other aspects, making the alliance's power grow day by day.

However, just as the alliance was developing vigorously, an undercurrent was quietly surging. Cao Cao did not sit and wait for death but secretly dispatched envoys, attempting to alienate the relationship within the alliance. He used Sun Quan's worry about Jiangdong's interests, as well as some strategic differences between Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, to cleverly sow discord, intending to disintegrate the alliance.

One day, Zhou Yu received an anonymous letter; the words in the letter were sharp, pointing directly at Zhuge Liang having ulterior motives in the alliance, attempting to annex Jiangdong and Jingxiang under the name of resisting Cao. After reading it, Zhou Yu was furious, but he immediately calmed down. He knew that this was very likely Cao Cao's scheme of sowing discord.

Thus, Zhou Yu immediately summoned Zhuge Liang and handed him the letter to read. After Zhuge Liang read it, he just smiled slightly and said: "The Commander need not worry; such petty tricks, how can they deceive us? Cao Cao's move is nothing more than wanting to disintegrate our alliance. We only need to be more united as one, and his conspiracy will naturally collapse without being attacked."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu felt relieved in his heart. He knew well Zhuge Liang's character and wisdom and that he would never do such a despicable thing. Thus, the two cooperated even more closely to jointly respond to Cao Cao's provocation and alienation.

Meanwhile, Sun Quan also sensed Cao Cao's conspiracy. He knew well that at this critical moment, the stability of the alliance was of vital importance. Thus, he took the initiative to find Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, expressing his firm belief in the alliance and his full trust in them.

"Two gentlemen," Sun Quan's expression was solemn. "Quan knows Cao Cao is cunning and will surely try every possible means to disintegrate our alliance. But Quan believes that as long as our three parties think in one place and exert strength in one place, nothing can block our path forward."

Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang felt deeply gratified upon hearing this. They knew that Sun Quan's words were not only trust and support for them but also a firm belief in the future of the alliance.

In the days that followed, Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sun Quan united even more closely to jointly respond to Cao Cao's challenge. They not only strengthened cooperation in military terms but also carried out in-depth exchanges in economy, culture, and other aspects. The alliance's power grew day by day, morale was high, and it became the biggest obstacle to Cao Cao marching south.

Finally, after a long period of preparation and waiting, the anti-Cao alliance ushered in the moment of a decisive battle with Cao Cao. In a campaign of unprecedented scale, the alliance army launched a fierce attack on Cao Cao's army with the momentum of a thunderbolt. Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sun Quan personally took to the field to command, and the soldiers fought bravely, advancing like a hot knife through butter.

Although Cao Cao's army was vast in number, under the fierce attack of the alliance army, it appeared vulnerable. They retreated step by step and suffered heavy losses. Finally, in a decisive battle, the alliance army defeated Cao Cao's army with fewer troops. Seeing that the situation was gone, Cao Cao had no choice but to lead his remaining troops to flee back to the north, and from then on, he dared not march south easily.

After the battle, the anti-Cao alliance ushered in an unprecedented period of brilliance. Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sun Quan stood side by side on the city tower, looking at the river in the distance, their hearts filled with the joy of victory and longing for the future. They knew that this victory did not just belong to the three of them, but even more to the entire alliance and the countless soldiers who struggled for it. And in the future, there were more challenges waiting for them to conquer and create brilliance. ===== CHAPTER 1743 =====