Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Talent of a General

Yuan Shao sighed and said, "Cao Ahman and I have been friends since childhood. When we were young and playful, who could have imagined we would become rivals? Don't blame me for disregarding old ties... If he is willing to surrender to me, then let him live."

In Xiliang, Ma Teng held the imperial edict in his hands. The gathered generals stood silently in the camp. The rewards from Sun Jian were not important offices, but after weighing the pros and cons, Ma Teng still chose to accept the decree.

This campaign, even if Sun Jian expands his power, does not affect them much; the real headache lies with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Lü Bu. After all, Sun Jian is based in Jingzhou, while they are far away in Liangzhou. If Sun Jian wishes to conquer Liangzhou, he must first defeat Lü Bu.

For Ma Teng, the threat posed by Lü Bu is far greater than that of Sun Jian at present.

What Ma Teng wants is to reclaim his lost territory.

Since joining forces with Sun Jian can achieve this goal, why not go along?

"Chao’er, deliver this letter to the envoy, and present some of the pastries from the Western Regions as tribute to His Majesty."

"Yes, Father. I will see to it at once."

Inside the grand hall at Chang’an, Jia Xu squinted as he took the memorial from the envoy’s hand.

The envoy sent by Yuan Shu bowed to Jia Xu and said, "My lord says that if General Lü agrees to this alliance, he shall be titled King of Qi. Once the great enemies are swept away, the world can be divided with the King of Qi."

Jia Xu nodded as he read the memorial, saying, "I have understood the wish of His Majesty of Zhongguo. Please, envoy, rest at the post station for now."

Jia Xu straightened his robe and set out to visit Lü Bu’s residence.

Yuan Shu, seeking to win Lü Bu over, offered him the title of King of Qi. The lure of kingship and high office is great for anyone.

If it were the current Han Emperor bestowing the title, one would be moved to tears and bow to the ground. But a king’s title from a false emperor...

Moreover, in terms of military strength and territory, Yuan Shu is far inferior to Lü Bu.

Lü Bu holds Sili, as well as the great cities of Xuchang and Chenliu in Yanzhou. In recent years, after recruiting the Yellow Turban forces in these regions, he commands an army of two hundred and fifty thousand!

Yuan Shu controls only Yuzhou, and even the strategic city of Lujiang in Yuzhou remains in Sun Jian’s hands. Yuan Shu has only Runan and Shouchun as his strongholds, with a force of just one hundred and fifty thousand.

To dare proclaim himself emperor with such strength—Jia Xu could hardly resist mocking this so-called "Four Generations Three Excellencies," truly the greatest fool in the land.

Yet Jia Xu would not reject Yuan Shu outright. After all, both sides face the same predicament.

Now, all the lords stir beneath the surface, each waving the banner of punishing the false emperor, but in truth, all are eyeing their own share of the spoils.

---

Yuzhou, where Yuan Shu resides, is already encircled by Sun Jian and Liu Bei. With only two strongholds, the other lords would find it nearly impossible to seize a piece of the pie.

Jia Xu now had to ponder whether to sit back and watch the flames from across the river, or to ally with Yuan Shu.

An alliance with Yuan Shu could help him resist Sun Jian and Liu Bei, and with such support, he could confidently face Cao Cao and Ma Teng.

But Jia Xu could not predict how long Yuan Shu could withstand the two. Sun Jian had previously slain Dong Zhuo and pleased the emperor in a feat that shook the world, and then subdued Yan Baihu in Wu within a year—a record of unbroken victories. Such a man must have an extraordinary strategist behind him.

Jia Xu never expected Yuan Shu to win. Yuan Shu, being such a fool—if he could defeat Sun Jian, that would be a real joke.

"I must consult with Lord Chen Gongtai," Jia Xu said, boarding his carriage. "To the Secretariat."

In Xiangyang, at the Prime Minister’s residence, Sun Jian reviewed the letters offered from various regions: Jin Xuan, Han Xuan, Zhao Fan, and Liu Du had responded to Yuan Shu, deploying eighty thousand troops from Dongting Lake eastward, marching through Chibi to attack Jiangxia.

Yuan Shu himself sent out a hundred thousand to attack Lujiang. Lü Bu deployed twenty thousand from Xiangcheng, advancing through Lushan to threaten Wancheng!

Altogether, two hundred thousand troops!

In the past, Dong Zhuo alone commanded two hundred thousand, and Sun Jian, with only twenty thousand, never feared him. Now Sun Jian himself commanded two hundred thousand, with countless valiant generals and brilliant strategists under his banner—there was nothing to fear!

"This military report is already known to you all," Sun Jian said, adjusting his armor. "Now that I have enthroned the Han Emperor to rally the realm against traitors, those lords who sit on the fence may resent the Han Emperor, but in name, they must still support him."

"This battle will decide the fate of the empire. If I win, the lords will fear and continue to support the Han Emperor. If Yuan Shu wins, it will prove that the Han dynasty’s mandate is truly exhausted, and who knows how many will proclaim themselves emperor or king among the lords?"

"For the sake of restoring peace to the realm, we must win this battle. So, who among you can drive Yuan Shu from Lujiang?"

"I am a native of Lujiang and know the terrain best. I volunteer for the task!" Zhou Yu stepped forward and bowed to Sun Jian.

"A mere youth! The Prime Minister’s banner is full of brave generals; how can a junior interfere in such a crucial military affair?" A burly, elder general strode forward with a furious rebuke. "I, Cheng Pu, request command of fifty thousand to drive Yuan Shu from Lujiang!"

Zhou Yu maintained a calm expression, bowing to Cheng Pu but not returning to the ranks, instead standing his ground.

Jiang Wen stood at Sun Jian’s side, observing Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu below. Zhou Yu’s magnanimity was astonishing—this slight would not linger in his heart.

To campaign against Yuan Shu was a first-class merit.

Though Zhou Yu held the title of Military Advisor and General, Sun Jian had granted him the office mainly due to Sun Ce’s influence.

Having learned from Jiang Wen’s precedent, Sun Jian now highly valued such talents.

Naturally, such positions granted by connections carried no real power.

True authority in the army remained in the hands of Sun Jian and the veteran generals.

---

If Zhou Yu succeeded in defeating Yuan Shu, he would claim a first-class merit. If, because of rewards, their military authority was stripped away, it was something the old generals did not wish to see.

Another concern for all was whether Zhou Yu could indeed defeat Yuan Shu.

Lu Su bowed to Sun Jian, then addressed Cheng Pu, "General, since ancient times, one cannot judge a person by appearance. In the campaign against Yan Baihu, without General Zhou, our army would not have won easily. While warfare requires fierce commanders to charge into battle, it also cannot lack those who excel in strategy. General Zhou was appointed as Military Advisor by the Prime Minister, yet General Cheng Pu considers him a mere youth—is that not to question the Prime Minister himself?"

Cheng Pu glared, about to retort angrily.

A young man stepped forward ahead of him.

"Superior warfare is strategy," Sun Quan said disdainfully. "Has the captain ever led troops? Does he know the intricacies of military command? Has he studied a few lines of strategic warfare and now believes he can direct at will?"

"Pfft, hahahaha!"

"Who laughs?" Sun Jian demanded coldly.

Gan Ning strode out from the ranks, laughing as he bowed to Sun Jian, "Prime Minister, forgive my bluntness, but the young lord has never led troops either, yet here he comments on military affairs. Is this not mere talk on paper?"

"Gan Ning! The lord is the ruler, you are the subject—how can a subject insult his ruler!"

...

Both sides quickly erupted into a heated quarrel, almost to the point of pulling beards and tugging ears.

"Silence!" Sun Jian shouted angrily. "We are discussing affairs of state—how can you indulge in such chaos? Anyone who speaks carelessly again will be executed!"

The ministers glared at each other, faces flushed, bowing to Sun Jian, "We acknowledge our fault!"

Sun Jian watched the conflict between the veteran generals and Sun Ce’s faction, as well as their retainers.

The cause was a memorial from the captain of the cultivated fields.

Sun Jian had to admit the resourcefulness of his officers—thousands of acres of fertile land in Jiangxia, all occupied by these generals, leaving the people with no fields to farm.

Sun Jian chose not to speak; this was a good opportunity to sow discord between Sun Ce and the veteran generals.

Sun Jian wished to cultivate Sun Quan, recognizing his own son’s intelligence. Moreover, Sun Quan’s handsome features were remarkable, while Sun Ce was best suited to be a martial commander!