Chapter 335

Chapter 335

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, The Time of Hunting Chapter 335: Borrowing Troops from Jing Province

“General…” Huang Gai was about to speak to stop Sun Ce, urging him to reconsider Zhou Yu’s words before leaving, but Sun Ce raised his hand, signaling him not to say more.

“I have it all figured out. I’ve already had the terrain around Jing County thoroughly surveyed. We’ve clashed with them several times during the winter, and now that spring is approaching, they’ve returned to the county city. This is the perfect time for a siege.”

“Besides, I’ll be taking you, General Han, and General Ling along on this campaign. If there are any issues, we can discuss them during the battle.”

Huang Gai looked at Sun Ce, finding it hard to detect any hint of deception on his sharp, determined face. This was clearly not a casual remark meant to placate them.

After some thought, Huang Gai decided it was best not to say more.

After all, Sun Ce was the leader of a powerful faction. Constantly reminding him not to act rashly or to avoid provoking other factions would only undermine his authority.

The fact that Sun Ce hadn’t grown resentful or impatient despite repeated admonitions was a testament to his high tolerance and broad-mindedness.

“Alright then!” Huang Gai declared loudly, “I’ll lead the way for you, my lord, and give Zu Lang a good show.”

He then turned to Zhu Ran, patting the boy’s head, and said, “I’ll leave Huang She for you to deal with.”

“Huang Gai,” Sun Ce couldn’t help but laugh, “just now you were the one advising caution, and now you’re already dividing the spoils. What kind of behavior is this?”

“Isn’t this what you taught us, General?” Ling Cao, who was also part of the expedition, chimed in.

Indeed, without Sun Ce, the spirited young general, how could there be such a relentless, tireless force that had fought across Yang Province?

And now, their target was—

Zu Lang!

Just like the night raid on Nanchang to capture Huang Zu, when Sun Ce gathered his troops to march on Jing County, the cavalry’s advance shook the land of Wu and Yue with the cry of “Victory!”

Perhaps it was this overwhelming slogan that, after Sun Ce paid his respects to Zhu Zhi and set out from Guzhang County, passing through Wanling and then turning to Jing County, made everyone in the ranks feel swept up in an unstoppable torrent.

It surged into the narrow mountain valley from the northeast entrance of Jing County, charging towards the city walls with even greater speed and force than on the open plains!

Zu Lang, who had earned the title of “Grand Marshal of Jing County,” had long fortified the county into an impenetrable stronghold. Yet, in the face of such a fierce assault, the defenders of Jing County, lacking in weaponry, were no match for Sun Ce.

Ling Cao, following Sun Ce into battle, took advantage of the distraction at the east gate to lead a group of fierce soldiers in a surprise attack on the north gate.

Amid the thunderous sound of battering rams and the hiss of arrows, Sun Ce suddenly heard a loud shout from the north gate.

The voice was clear even in the chaos of battle.

It was the cry of “First to ascend!”

The city gate had been breached!

With one breach, Jing County became a paper fortress for Sun Ce’s forces, who poured into the city and quickly took control of the government offices.

But upon entering, Sun Ce’s men were stunned.

The defenders were not Zu Lang’s men, and Huang She was nowhere to be found.

Instead, it was another group of mountain Yue forces, allied with Zu Lang.

“Zu Lang said this was to form an alliance with us to resist that brat Sun Ce,” a captured soldier said.

But they had no idea that Zu Lang’s so-called alliance was merely using them as live targets in Jing County. Upon further questioning, they had only been in Jing County for less than ten days.

The mountainous terrain had allowed Zu Lang’s deception to go unnoticed by Sun Ce.

Thus, the smooth siege of Jing County turned into a case of the Yang Province army beating up a scapegoat.

What kind of mess was this…

“Damn it!” Ling Cao, who had thought he had secured the first merit, gritted his teeth. “Zu Lang is truly cunning!”

No wonder they had encountered less resistance than expected during the siege—Zu Lang had already moved his main forces.

Zu Lang’s move was not just cunning; it stoked the flames of anger against him.

If even Ling Cao, who had no direct grudge against Zu Lang, felt this way, how much more so for Sun Ce and Zhu Ran!

When Huang Gai looked at the two, he saw the same expression on their young faces.

They were going into the mountains!

If they didn’t drag Zu Lang out of the mountains, not only would they fail to avenge themselves, but they would also become the clowns in Zu Lang’s game.

“General Zhou, good news—”

Zhou Yu had just finished inspecting the city’s defenses when a horse galloped up from the south. Seeing Zhou Yu, the rider immediately called up to the city wall, eager to report: “General Sun has taken Jing County and is beginning to encircle Zu Lang’s forces in the mountains. He sent us to inform you.”

Without pause, the messenger continued: “All military supplies and rations have been delivered to Jing County, and reinforcements are being arranged to prevent any mishaps during the mountain search. General Sun says everything is ready, so there’s no need to worry!”

The words “no need to worry” were shouted particularly loudly, almost as if in response to Zhou Yu’s earlier advice to Sun Ce before leaving Yang Province, echoing around the city gates.

Hearing this, Zhou Yu’s attendants were the first to rejoice, saying, “General, you see, you were indeed overthinking General Sun’s situation.”

Zhou Yu had worried that Sun Ce’s rashness might lead to trouble in his attack on Zu Lang, and even his subordinates had been anxious. But fortunately, although Sun Ce hadn’t waited for Zhou Yu’s return before launching the attack, he had secured the first victory against Zu Lang.

With Zu Lang losing his stronghold in Jing County, he must have suffered significant losses. What could he possibly do to mount an effective counterattack against Sun Ce?

At this rate, Sun Ce might have Zu Lang’s head before the battle in Xuzhou was even over.

If they returned quickly, they might even make it in time for Sun Ce’s victory banquet.

But when the attendant looked at Zhou Yu’s face, he saw no trace of joy—only a brewing storm.

“Did no one tell Bo Fu not to recklessly venture deep into the mountain Yue territory?” Zhou Yu almost immediately started to leave. “The mountain Yue are not just descendants of the ancient Yue people.”

The unique environment of Jing County had allowed Zu Lang to become the Grand Marshal of Jing County, and it was naturally the hardest to conquer.

Sun Ce’s swift victory in Jing County might sound similar to his capture of Yuzhang, but Zhou Yu’s instincts were sounding alarms.

Something was wrong—it was too easy!

Zu Lang, who had survived to this day by leveraging the terrain, would never easily abandon Jing County. At most, he might temporarily retreat due to the season, but not lose the city outright.

Zhou Yu calculated the time since he had arrived in Yang Province and felt even more uneasy.

It was too fast. The timing suggested that Jing County had held out for less than half a day.

This was not the level of resistance Zu Lang’s troops were capable of!

Rather than believing Zu Lang was truly defeated, Zhou Yu was more inclined to think that Zu Lang had received some advice and was setting a trap.

And the prey being lured into this trap was none other than Sun Ce, driven by a thirst for revenge!

The death of Huang Zu and Huang She’s provocation had fueled Sun Ce’s impulsiveness, and they lacked anyone to rein him in.

“Retreat!” Zhou Yu made the decision without hesitation.

He had to return to ensure the situation didn’t take a turn for the worse.

Xuzhou could be retaken, and the stalemate with Jia Xu, the old fox, could continue. But if something happened to Sun Ce, who would lead Yang Province?

“Pass the order: we are returning to Yang Province immediately.”

“General?” The attendant didn’t quite understand Zhou Yu’s sudden urgency, but following the principle that military orders were absolute, he relayed the message.

But while the journey there had been easy, the return was not!

Zhou Yu had been focused on Zhang Fei, and Zhang Fei had been equally vigilant.

As Zhou Yu’s army began to move, Zhang Fei, under Chen Gui’s guidance, launched a decisive river crossing attack!

Zhou Yu’s rear guard, unprepared, was no match for Zhang Fei’s forces.

Liu Bei had maintained a central force, and Chen Gui had advised Zhang Fei to adopt a defensive posture, which now proved effective.

Seeing the advantage, Zhang Fei, who had been frustrated by Pei State’s betrayal and the early attacks in southern Xuzhou, finally found an outlet for his pent-up emotions. Amid the chaos of Zhou Yu’s rear guard, he even led a detachment to pursue Zhou Yu’s main force.

Fortunately, Zhou Yu was in command, quickly reorganizing his troops and retreating to the city, using the city’s defenses to temporarily halt Zhang Fei’s pursuit.

But the situation was not favorable for Zhou Yu.

Zhang Fei’s morale was high, and he crossed the river to camp at the city’s base.

Within a day, Liu Bei’s direct forces from Donghai County, led by the Governor of Xuzhou, arrived at the breach, leaving Zhou Yu no opportunity to counterattack.

All he could do was send a letter under the cover of a cavalry escort.

One letter was sent to Sheyang, requesting aid from Jia Xu.

But this might not be a request for aid.

The distance from Huaiyin to Sheyang wasn’t far. If Liu Bei’s forces broke through the center and took Huaiyin, Sheyang would be next!

Rather than asking Jia Xu to rescue Zhou Yu, it was more about securing the Huai River defense line.

The other letter was sent to Danyang County.

In the letter, Zhou Yu didn’t mention being trapped in Huaiyin, to avoid causing Sun Ce to rush or retreat hastily and fall into Zu Lang’s trap. He simply reiterated that Sun Ce should not pursue too deeply into the mountain Yue’s territory.

Be cautious, be cautious!

“What’s there to worry about? Gong Jin is just being too cautious,” Sun Ce said, looking up at the sky as several gray pigeons flew overhead.

In the Han Dynasty, pigeons were considered auspicious symbols, so to Sun Ce, even though these weren’t eagles or magpies, they still signified that his campaign would be victorious. He would use Huang She’s head to avenge Zhu Zhi and capture that scoundrel Zu Lang who had tricked him.

He immediately ordered the advance, marching from Jing County into Yi Mountain, determined to drag Zu Lang and Huang She out of hiding.

Yi Mountain might sound unfamiliar, but during the Tang Dynasty’s Tianbao era, it was renamed—

Huang Mountain.

Located between Jing County and Yi County.

The swift capture of Jing County had given Sun Ce immense confidence, making him oblivious to the fact that once Zu Lang and his forces retreated from the mountains surrounding Jing County into the Huang and Jiuhua Mountains, they became true mountain Yue.

The impulse to avenge his subordinates, coupled with seeing his younger self in Zhu Ran, made Sun Ce overlook this issue.

In his view, with their overwhelming numerical advantage, it didn’t matter whether the final battle was fought in a siege or in the mountains.

But he was unaware that the noble families of Yang Province, already at odds with him over the appointment of the Yuzhang County Prefect, had allied with Huang She and were ready to avenge Xu Gong’s death by targeting Sun Ce.








The debt-ridden Xu Gong’s retainers, along with their family’s private soldiers, were all lent out.

He had no way of knowing that the gray pigeon flying overhead was not an auspicious sign, but rather a signal that he had taken another step into the trap, prompting someone to send another message to the capital.

This letter, carried by a pigeon instead of traveling by land, arrived at the newly established outpost in Luoyang after several days of flight and was then delivered to Qiao Yan.

Qiao Yan slowly unfolded the letter.

Although she knew there should be no surprises in the letters she received, especially since this one came from Yang Province, she still felt the wheels of history turning with each move on the chessboard.

Now, this rolling wheel was about to stir up a new wave.

“Wenruo, quickly draft a memorial for me. Say that there may be sudden changes in Yang Province, and I will leave Luoyang for a while. If Yang Province falls, Xuzhou will lose its support and Liu Bei will surely take over the entire region. The favorable situation will collapse overnight. I must personally go and advise Sun Ce. Only His Majesty and the three dukes need to know. If news spreads before I successfully reinforce the area, Minister Wang must give me an explanation!”

Don’t ask why she’s singling out Wang Yun.

It’s because this guy not only caused trouble for her when the world was still unstable, but also made a fuss last year when she didn’t inform him in advance about her plan to seize Yizhou, and even got involved with Liu Yang.

Watching these fools team up is quite amusing, but that doesn’t mean Qiao Yan can’t give them a little warning.

This time, she informed them, but if something goes wrong because of this, Wang Yun must take full responsibility.

Xun Yu replied with a “Yes,” and then Qiao Yan walked out decisively, saying, “Fengxiao, send an order to Hanzhong for me, advancing towards Jing Province along the Han River. No need to cross the border, just stop at the boundary.”

“Also, write a letter to Cao Mengde for me, saying that spring plowing is approaching, and I intend to meet him at Hulao Pass in a month to discuss matters over wine.”

She paused for a moment, then added, “This time it’s wine, not milk tea, and there won’t be any ten-mile farewells.”

“If I haven’t returned in a month, say I’m busy with trivial matters and will delay for half a month.”

This meeting in a month isn’t important. What’s important is that she wants to make Cao Cao and others think she’s still staying in Luoyang, and any movement would at most be towards Chang’an.

But according to the memorial Qiao Yan had Xun Yu write to Guanzhong, how could she still stay in Guanzhong?

There are changes in Yang Province, and Xuzhou is affected. She must personally handle it—in short, she’s going to Yang Province!

As for how to get there, the order sent to Hanzhong makes it clear enough.

She’s going to pass through Jing Province!

Jing Province is south of the capital, and even spring seems to arrive earlier than in the north.

The Han and Yangtze Rivers have already resumed their busy water transport.

Since water transport is a significant source of revenue for Jing Province, and Liu Biao is still a diligent governor, he made a trip to the Yiling ferry in Nan Commandery.

This was supposed to be a routine external inspection.

But when he returned, he saw Cai Mao anxiously approaching him, as if some sky-falling trouble had occurred.

It’s no wonder Liu Biao made such a judgment upon seeing Cai Mao.

After all, Cai Mao is from a prominent family in Xiangyang, and Liu Biao’s second wife is from the Cai family, adding another layer of relationship security. After Liu Biao took the position of Governor of Jing Province, Cai Mao’s status rose even higher.

Moreover, Cai Mao isn’t entirely relying on nepotism for his position. He’s considered an outstanding commander in Jing Province, so he usually maintains a very composed demeanor, rarely showing such panic.

But the current situation is truly different.

And Liu Biao didn’t misjudge.

Before the two could get close enough to speak, he heard Cai Mao say urgently, “My lord, something has happened.”

Something happened? What happened?

Thinking of Qiao Yan’s recent troop movements, he quickly asked, “Has war broken out in Yu Province?”

But even if war had broken out in Yu Province, it shouldn’t have much to do with Jing Province.

After all, he even sent his own general Huang Zhong to assist in Yingchuan, and the taxes he’s paid to the Chang’an court over the years have been more than sufficient. By all accounts, he’s a qualified Governor of Jing Province.

The Governor of Yizhou, Liu Yan, had a useless son, which led to Qiao Yan using the Yinping Road to swiftly take Chengdu and regain control of Yizhou. Liu Biao even sent his eldest son to Chang’an. If he were to be held accountable for this, the problem lies with Qiao Yan.

The Liu clan isn’t someone she can just kill, especially those who haven’t taken the wrong side.

But Cai Mao’s next words made his feet feel as if they were tied with iron chains, stopping him in his tracks, “It’s not war… it’s the Grand Marshal herself who has arrived.”

Liu Biao was stunned for a while before grabbing Cai Mao’s collar and whispering, “What is she here for?”

What a joke!

What did Liu Biao do wrong to warrant Qiao Yan personally coming to hold him accountable?

Currently, the situation in Xuzhou is tense, and to the north, Yuan Shao and Qiao Yan’s subordinates are facing off at the border of Ji and You Provinces. Even if we ignore Yuan Shao, Cao Cao should still be the priority.

While everyone is guessing whether Qiao Yan’s reinforcements will go to You Province, the capital, or Xuzhou, why has he become the chosen lucky one?

“I don’t know either,” Cai Mao replied苦恼ly, “What’s even more bizarre is that she only brought a few hundred elite soldiers.”

This doesn’t look like she’s here to punish anyone.

Especially for someone of Qiao Yan’s status, suddenly appearing in another province’s territory, or more accurately, directly entering someone else’s provincial office, is even more baffling.

Cai Mao thought he was somewhat smart, but now he feels like a fool being led by the nose.

But compared to Cai Mao, Liu Biao is clearly more worried.

In a voice only he and Cai Mao could hear, he asked, “Do you think she’s here to replace me?”

Liu Biao is indeed a bit intimidated by Qiao Yan’s strength, and he knows very well that with his territory only bordering the Chang’an court, choosing any other stance would be of no benefit to him. Jing Province’s geographical location also dictates that it can’t be as independent as Jiaozhou in the far south.

But if Qiao Yan insists on dealing with him to ensure there’s no second voice in Jing Province, then Liu Biao isn’t a pushover!

He hasn’t lost his courage yet.

After all, Jing Province is his territory.

Besides, he doesn’t believe Qiao Yan would abandon all her allies just to make enemies everywhere!

“It doesn’t seem like it,” Cai Mao replied, “She didn’t make a big deal about her arrival, as if she’s not worried you’d directly surround the provincial office with troops. Instead, she first asked the second young master about his studies in Jing Province, then summoned Kuai Yidu and others to inquire about the military preparations here.”

Liu Biao’s brows were almost knitted together, and Cai Mao added, “As for the rest, she said she’d wait until you returned to discuss. So, are you going to meet her or not?”

Liu Biao didn’t really have the option to refuse.

Qiao Yan didn’t immediately accuse him of treason, but instead showed concern for his son like a senior, and only made routine inquiries about the inspection. If he didn’t meet her, it would make him look guilty.

What would not meeting her even mean?

“Meet! I want to see what medicine she’s selling in this gourd by coming to my Jing Province while battles are raging elsewhere!”

After psyching himself up, Liu Biao hurried to the reception hall in the provincial office.

Qiao Yan was there.

Thinking of the several times Qiao Yan’s subordinates passing through had given him a scare, Liu Biao couldn’t help but feel a lingering impression when he saw Qiao Yan in person.

The woman sitting majestically in the Hall of Enlightenment indeed had an imposing presence.

During the selection of the Du Liao General in Luoyang, Liu Biao and Qiao Yan had once crossed paths. Then one went north, the other south, each taking up the roles of Governor and Inspector, and since then, their only communication had been through official decrees.

Liu Biao didn’t know that Qiao Yan had a hand in the death of Sun Jian, which truly made him and Sun Ce blood enemies. What he saw was Qiao Yan, sitting in the host’s seat without any of the passive restraint of a guest in someone else’s territory, leisurely sipping the famous tea offered by Liu Biao’s subordinate, before turning her gaze to him as he entered.

“Governor Liu, inspecting the four directions before spring plowing shows your love for the people, a blessing for Jing Province. I came uninvited, hope you don’t mind?” Qiao Yan said, “Just now, Kuai Yidu spoke highly of you, but I’m not here to hold you accountable, so no need to be so nervous. It seems the pressure you put on your subordinates is too great.”

“…Grand Marshal, what are you talking about?” Seeing her polite tone, Liu Biao breathed a sigh of relief.

But he couldn’t help but grumble inwardly, saying he puts too much pressure on his subordinates, making Kuai Yue speak well of him, is simply a wrong accusation.

It’s clearly Qiao Yan’s sudden arrival that has put immense pressure on Jing Province.

Especially on the noble families of Jing Province.

The past alcohol prohibition incident only involved a few families in Nanyang, near the capital, who had some dealings with her. Kuai Yue is from the Kuai family in Nan Commandery, so he must be worried about Qiao Yan’s attitude.

Liu Biao glanced at Kuai Yue and indeed saw him giving him a look, essentially asking Liu Biao, as the head of Jing Province, to get to the bottom of this situation.

He composed himself and sat down below Qiao Yan, asking, “Now that I’m here, Grand Marshal, can you tell us the purpose of your visit?”

Qiao Yan said, “Since Governor Liu has asked, I’ll be straightforward. I want to borrow ships.”

Borrow ships?

Why would she need to borrow ships?

Everyone knows that during the You Province campaign, Qiao Yan sailed from Hailing in Xuzhou across the East Sea to Liaodong, capturing Gongsun Du in one fell swoop.

If she could cross the sea, the quality of her ships must be top-notch.

Why would she need to borrow ships from Liu Biao?

She lightly tapped her cup on the saucer, bringing Liu Biao’s wandering attention back to her, “To be specific, I want to borrow Jing Province’s navy.”

“Grand Marshal, are you joking with me?” Liu Biao looked at Qiao Yan’s expression, feeling he might have misheard, but her calm and resolute face showed no sign of jest.

“Why would I joke with you? Back then, you, Liu Jingsheng, entered Jing Province alone and volunteered to be the Governor to deal with the bandit problem, borrowing soldiers from local powerful families. I’m just following your example.”

As Qiao Yan raised her hand, Dian Wei, who had been guarding the door, suddenly closed it and took a step forward with his sword.

Though Qiao Yan’s expression was calm, just lightly stroking the black fur trim of her cloak, Liu Biao suddenly felt a chill.

He vaguely remembered a rumor from Qiao Yan’s youth, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, where she took advantage of the three rebel leaders gathering in Yanzhou, decisively killing two and supporting the third.

When it comes to decisive action, ten years of tempering haven’t mellowed her, but rather made her even more ruthless!

She said, “Please lend me Jing Province’s warships, otherwise I’d have to mobilize ships from Hanzhong’s shipyard, which would be too troublesome.”

Liu Biao forced himself to maintain composure and asked, “May I ask, Grand Marshal, where will these warships be used?”

Qiao Yan smiled and replied frankly, “There are sudden changes in the Yang Province campaign. Sun Ce is young, and I fear he might fall into a trap. The situation in Xuzhou is tense, and if it’s not resolved before spring plowing, it might harm the people’s livelihood.”

“Speed is crucial in war, but sufficient military preparation is also necessary. If a thousand ships sail to Jiangdong, and Jing Province’s navy stands ready by the river, I reckon… the two provinces can be pacified.”

Liu Biao was stunned, with only Qiao Yan’s final words echoing in his mind, “Governor Liu, will you lend the ships or not?”