"Lord, this..." Hu Zong retracted his hands back, waiting for an explanation.
Sun Quan said displeasedly: "Although I am injured, I can still pick up the wooden box. Since it is a gift from Cao Pi, I should open it with my own hands."
After losing troops and generals in this battle, he was worried about turning back to Jiangdong. If Cao Pi could be persuaded, he could borrow the donkey from the slope and return to Jianye first.
Hu Zong took a deep breath and held up the wooden box with both hands: "General Lu was trapped in the East China Sea and unfortunately died. This is the head sent by Cao Jun..."
"What?" Sun Quan's expression changed drastically. He grabbed the wooden box and opened it. He saw that Lü Meng had several arrow feathers stuck in his head, and he was dead in a miserable state.
"Ziming——" Sun Quan shouted, blood spurted from his mouth, and he fell straight on the bed and passed out.
Hu Zong was busy teaching the doctor and sent the wooden box out of the camp. Huang Gai and other generals came after hearing the news. They were all sad and angry when they saw the head, and clamored to avenge Lu Meng.
Although Lu Meng is the leader of the new generation of military generals in Jiangdong, he joined the army as a teenager and followed his brother-in-law Deng Dang to follow Sun Ce. He was also brave and good at fighting, and he was highly regarded by the generals.
Especially after Sun Quan encouraged him to learn the art of war, his popularity changed drastically. He was both civil and military, and even Lu Su praised him. After the surprise attack on Xuzhou, he became even more famous. He seemed to be Zhou Yu's second in the army. Unexpectedly, he led the army for the first time. When the soldiers marched north, they ended up like this.
Hu Zong drove the angry generals aside to prevent them from disturbing Sun Quan, while Lu Su and Lu Xun stood silently in the distance, shaking their heads and sighing.
When Sun Quan insisted on attacking Shouchun, the two of them had tried to dissuade him. However, Sun Quan saw Liu Qi's growing power and became impatient, so he defeated one of his generals.
Lu Xun frowned and sighed softly: "My lord is eager to make achievements, but little does he know that haste makes waste!"
Lu Su's expression was complicated. The Sun Zhongmou who was calm, wise and fluent in his advice no longer existed. The Marquis of Wu in front of him was increasingly irritable, eager for quick success and even paranoid. He was somewhat similar to Sun Ce.
But Sun Ce has the aura of a king and is brave and heroic in commanding troops. How can he compare with Sun Quan in his determination before the battle?
"A minister does not criticize a king, a son does not criticize his father, and an uncle speaks carefully." There were thousands of words in Lu Su's heart, but they turned into a single piece of advice when he spoke it out.
Lu Xun calmed down and soon saw the doctor go out. Everyone hurriedly entered the room to visit, only to see Sun Quan pale, lying on the bed, breathing unsteadily, and chanting Lu Meng's name.
After finally cultivating a useful person, he died in the first battle. Now it was time to hire someone, how could Sun Quan not be angry?
Lu Su walked into the bed and advised: "People cannot be resurrected after death. Major events in Jiangdong still need to be presided over by the Lord. A good life will nourish the body."
"Revenge, you must take revenge!" Sun Quan clutched the quilt tightly, looked at Lu Su and gritted his teeth: "I and the Cao family are at odds with each other."
Huang Gai and others had calmed down at this time, and Lu Meng's entire army was wiped out. It would be even more unfavorable for Jiangdong to send troops again, so they all stepped forward to comfort him.
At this time, there was a sudden noise outside the camp. Sun Shao led three people into the tent. They saw that their clothes and armor were in tatters and dusty. It was Ling Tong and Zhu Ran who were returning to the camp. Deng Guang fell to the ground crying.
Lu Su ordered someone to help him up and asked: "What is the situation in the East China Sea?"
Ling Tong then told Lu Meng's plan to deal with Cao's army and wait for an opportunity to capture Xuzhou, but was deceived by Sima Yi and pretended to be Zhu Ran's subordinate to trick them out of the city.
Deng Guang told Sun Quan what Lu Meng said before leaving. In order to protect them from escaping, Deng Guang pretended to surrender, but in the end he fought alone and died in the battle.
Everyone was moved after hearing this, and they all gnashed their teeth and cursed Sima Yi. He drowned Shouchun twice, and this time he killed Lu Meng, making him the second most public enemy in Jiangdong after Huang Zu.
"Sima is a thief, I wish I could eat your flesh!" Sun Quan was so angry that he sat up from the bed again, his eyes were cracked, and he growled: "I will not be a human being unless I avenge this!"
Lu Su and others tried hard to persuade each other, while Ling Tong and the other two silently wiped their tears aside. Lu Meng fought desperately to rescue them. This kind of kindness cannot be repaid. I really hope that Sun Quan will send troops to Xuzhou immediately to avenge Sima Yi.
"Sima thief!" Sun Quan pounded the bed with his hand and said to Hu Zong in a deep voice: "Reply to Cao Pi immediately. If you want to retreat alone and make peace, there is nothing wrong. Sima Yi needs to be taken to Hefei to plead guilty."
Hu Zong originally wanted to persuade Sun Quan to think twice, but seeing that he was angry, he had to accept the order and leave the tent, but did not rush to reply and waited for Lu Su to come out to discuss separately.
Sima Yi was close to Cao Pi. At this time, he was already famous among Cao's army and was highly regarded by Cao Ren. How could he give it away so easily?
Once the peace talks fail, with Sun Quan's temperament, no matter what the consequences, he will stick to his mistakes and hold on to them to the end, shaking the foundation of Jiangdong, with unpredictable consequences.
Not long after, Lu Su and others withdrew, all with solemn expressions. Although there was no Cao army to suppress the situation, the situation in Jiangdong was more critical than the previous Battle of Ruxu.
Zhou Yu successfully set foot in Qingzhou, but the war in Huainan was unfavorable. The military situation of the lone army outside was unknown. Most of Jiangdong's elite troops were lost, leaving only a few thousand defenders in Ruxu. When Cao Ren escaped from Shouchun and took advantage of the situation, how could he resist?
The news of Lu Meng's heroic death spread in the camp, which once again dealt a blow to the morale of the Wu army. The entire Hefei camp was lifeless, as if it had returned to the scene of the failure of the Battle of Hefei.
It had been raining and falling for days, and Sun Quan was sleeping deeply in his palace. Lu Su did not dare to retreat on his own initiative. The troops and horses were unable to advance or retreat in Hefei, and their morale was low.
On this day, someone from Jianye suddenly came, but it was because Wu Guo had been waiting for Sun Quan for too long and was worried about his injury and condition, so he sent his confidants to urge him in person. If he didn't come back within half a month, the queen of the country would have to cross the river to visit in person.
Sun Quan was a filial man, and he immediately reported to Lu Su and others that they were discussing the withdrawal of troops, and planned to leave Huang Gai to guard Huainan, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge, and had no intention of negotiating peace with Cao Pi.
While they were discussing, another urgent report came from Danyang. Shanyue heard that the Wu army had been defeated. The new leader Fei Zhan took the opportunity to start an uprising and gathered 30,000 troops to attack the county government.
Sun Quan was so shocked and furious that he became delirious with anger and asked Lu Su urgently: "What good plan does Zijing have?"
Lu Su said: "He Qishan, the governor of the new capital, attacked Shanyue. It has not been long since the pacification of Yi, She and other places. The thieves will be afraid of them, so they can mobilize their troops to fight against the rebellion. If the territory is sufficient and the soldiers are well-prepared, Shanyue is not a concern. , My lord, you should pacify the territory, accumulate grain to feed the people, and train your troops diligently in anticipation of changes in the world."
Sun Quan sighed leisurely: "Does Zijing still remember the Chaisang Hui Alliance? Gu and Gongjin conspired to expand the Central Plains and expand their foundations east of the Yangtze River. Now Gongjin has taken Qingzhou. If we don't go north to support him, he will fight alone. Surrounded by powerful enemies, it may be difficult to hold on for a long time. Wouldn’t all the previous efforts be wasted?”
Lu Su clasped his fists and said, "Gong Jin is the best at planning. If we don't send troops, we can use the Haidai land in Qingzhou to defeat Cao's army by relying on the favorable geographical location and gathering people. My lord now has the land in Huainan. We should enrich the territory and wait for the opportunity to move." Echoing Gongjin's north and south, we will eventually achieve great things."
Sun Quan lay on the bed and stared at the roof in silence for a long time, then sighed: "If Guan Yu conquers Yuzhou and Yanzhou, how can I compete with Liu Qi again?"
Lu Su said: "Sun and Liu got married and worked together to defeat Cao Cao. They were originally intended to support the Han Dynasty and re-establish the royal family. Why should my lord care about gains and losses?"
Sun Quan's eyes gleamed slightly, his mouth moved, and finally he waved his hand and said: "Get ready to retreat!"
