Zhou Yu was very satisfied. He felt that it was a great thing for him to force Liu Bei to agree to send Guan Yu to Juebei Road.
It was done, Zhou Yu captured Jiangling and took Nanjun into his pocket.
No, he, Zhou Yu, suffered no losses. With a little more effort, he might be able to capture Nanjun.
The one who suffered the loss was Liu Bei. He only used a few words to fool Liu Bei. It was simply wonderful.
Sure enough, as long as Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi are not with Liu Bei, then Liu Bei has nothing to worry about.
On Liu Bei's side, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were also very dissatisfied.
With Lu Meng's cooperation, Guan Yu, who finally captured Cao Yong's camp, had just withdrawn his troops and returned to the camp. Before he could take a rest, he was called by Liu Bei.
Liu Bei informed Guan Yu about the mission of Juebeidao. Guan Yu thought about it carefully and raised questions about Xu Shu.
It's not that I have any questions about Juebei Road, but I have questions about why I want to do this.
"Military advisor, how can we risk our efforts and let Zhou Lang reap the benefits?!"
Guan Yu also has some strategic vision. He can see that this matter is Zhou Yu's fault and not his own loss, so Guan Yu doesn't understand.
As for Zhang Fei.
"Military advisor, why do you want me to obey Zhou Yu's orders here, while my second brother leads an army to kill the enemy? Second brother, how about we switch?!"
Zhang Xi couldn't stand Zhang Fei's yelling anymore, and quickly dragged his former boss back.
There is no way, Zhang Fei has this character, everyone is used to it, even Xu Shu did not respond to Zhang Fei, but turned to Guan Yu and said, "Although the matter of Juebei Road is beneficial to Zhou Lang, Nanjun is not inferior, Jiang Xia is always there. When Cao Jun is threatening, it will be good for us to help him succeed!"
Guan Yu thought for a moment silently, but still couldn't understand.
"We helped Zhou Lang achieve great achievements, but he only assigned a few small counties to his elder brother. With such help, I am afraid that in the future when Jiangdong becomes the empress, there will be no place for us." Guan Yu said with a frown.
Guan Yu was far-sighted and could see the problem.
It’s okay to help, but how to help? The amount you pay is not proportional to your income at all.
The most important thing is that once Zhou Yu captures Nanjun, Jiangxia's position will become very awkward, and the expansion of land in a few counties will not help at all.
However, Xu Shu smiled and did not answer Guan Yu immediately. Instead, he looked at Zhang Xi and asked, "Does Yuan Chang have any opinions on this matter?!"
What can Zhang Xi think? How could Zhang Xi not know about such an important matter as Juebei Road?
Juebei Road was a very outstanding military command in Guan Yu's military career. It was the success of Guan Yu's Juebei Road that allowed Zhou Yu to capture Nanjun.
But for Liu Beijun, Juebei Road was just a cover.
"Brother Yuanzhi's plan is probably not in Juebei Road, but in the four counties of Jingnan!" Zhang Xi smiled and gave his answer.
Xu Shu was slightly startled, but then smiled.
"Yuan Chang has made great progress recently. Yes, the four counties of Jingnan!" Xu Shu smiled and nodded to confirm Zhang Xi's judgment.
Zhang Xi felt ashamed in his heart.
If he hadn't known it in advance, Zhang Xi would never have guessed that Guan Yu's vigorous North Road was just a cover for Liu Bei to march into the four counties of Jingnan.
Liu Bei smiled happily and expressed satisfaction that he had more and more outstanding counselors under his command.
At first, Liu Bei didn't understand why Xu Shu spoke for Zhou Yu and sent troops to help Jiangdong fight. If he hadn't trusted Xu Shu's ability, Liu Bei might not have agreed with Xu Shu's suggestion on the spot.
But Liu Bei was fed up with the lack of advisers, so he respected Xu Shu, Zhuge Liang and others. Since Xu Shu told Zhou Yu so, Liu Bei agreed for the time being. Only when he came back and asked did he know how powerful Xu Shu's strategic vision was. Excellent.
Now that Zhang Xi can see through Xu Shu's strategic vision, Liu Bei will naturally be happy, and no one will dislike the fact that he has many talents.
It doesn't matter if Guan Yu and Zhang Fei don't understand, Xu Shu will explain it to them.
In fact, Liu Beijun's current situation is indeed better than before the Battle of Chibi, but the good is only limited.
Before the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei's main enemy was Cao Cao. Cao Cao attacked Jingzhou and might attack Jiangxia at any time. Liu Bei was indeed in danger at that time.
Cao Cao was defeated in the Battle of Chibi. Now Cao Cao has led his army back to Xudu, but before retreating, Cao Cao almost gave up the four counties of Jingnan and reduced his troops to defend Xiangyang and Jiangling.
For Liu Bei, without the pressure to survive, his life would certainly be better than before.
But it's not much better, because Cao Cao left and Sun Quan came.
In the battle of Chibi, Zhou Yu's fire attack greatly defeated Cao's army. It can be said that most of the Jingzhou army was destroyed with a fire.
Zhou Yu, who seized this opportunity, immediately moved from the south of the Yangtze River to the north of the Yangtze River and attacked Nanjun. At this time, Liu Bei's army had just finished finishing Cao Cao's middle route army in Jingling and returned to Xiakou.
If Zhou Yu really captures Nanjun, and then turns around to capture the four Jingnan counties, Liu Bei will face a very complicated situation.
On the south side of Jiangxia are the four counties of Jingnan and Jiangdong. These two places can be connected together.
To the west of Jiangxia is Nanjun. If Zhou Yu captures it, it will also be Jiangdong's territory.
To the north of Jiangxia is the Dabie Mountains, and across the mountains is Runan, Cao Cao's heartland.
To the east of Jiangxia is the Huainan area controlled by Cao Cao.
In other words, if Sun Quan occupies Nanjun and Jingnan counties, Jiangxia will be surrounded by the forces of Cao Cao and Sun Quan.
Sun Quan is an ally and cannot fall out of favor for the time being. Cao Cao is an enemy, but he can attack.
It would be too difficult to cross the Dabie Mountains, even after 1,800 years, it would be a feat, so attacking northward was unrealistic.
On the contrary, we can develop from the east and attack the Huainan area. Then Sun Quan will be very happy. Isn't this free troops to help him attack Hefei? !
Once the situation reaches that point, Liu Bei in Jiangxia will have no possibility of development and will be completely locked in Jiangxia.
This is obviously in line with Zhou Yu's plan for Liu Bei, but it is seriously not in Liu Bei's interests.
Xu Shu saw this problem, so he suggested to Guan Yu to avoid the North Road in front of Zhou Yu.
Xu Shu did this to paralyze Zhou Yu and make Zhou Yu think that the main force of Liu Bei's army was diverted to Juebei Road and there would be no new moves in a short time.
In fact, Liu Bei was asked to lead his elite troops across the river, one step ahead of Zhou Yu, and capture the four counties in Jingnan.
Once the four counties of Jingnan are in Liu Bei's hands, things will fundamentally change, and the one who feels uncomfortable will become Jiangdong.
At that time, Nanjun was bounded by Liu Beijun's Jiangxia to the east, Liu Beijun's Jingnan County to the south, Cao Cao's Xiangyang to the north, and Yizhou Liu Zhang to the west.
Even if Zhou Yu captures Nanjun, it will become an enclave far away from Jiangdong. All transportation supplies must be transported long distances through the Yangtze River, and he will have to face the threat of Cao Jun in Xiangyang alone. Those who were suffocated to death, It will be replaced by Zhou Yu.
Therefore, the four counties in Jingnan are the key to Liu Bei's strategy.
After understanding Xu Shu's strategic vision, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stopped talking.
However, Xu Shu and Zhang Xi began to discuss the details of marching into the four counties of Jingnan.
"Although Zhou Gongjin was deceived this time, we need to move south to capture the four counties quickly. If the move is delayed, it will not be easy for Zhou Lang to go south to argue with our army after pacifying Nanjun." Xu Shu said to Liu Bei. .
Liu Bei was also a little embarrassed and said, "On the battlefield, I am afraid that everything will not go as expected. Military advisor, Chief Yuan, do you have any other concerns?!"
Zhang Xi thought for a while and said, "My lord, why don't you ask Young Master Liu Qi to be the governor of Jingzhou and march into the four counties of Jingnan in the name of Young Master Liu Qi?!"
When Liu Bei heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up.
I just thought about it from a military perspective, but now I think about it from another perspective and find that Zhang Xi's idea is really a good idea.
Liu Qi is the son of Liu Biao. By reporting Liu Qi as the governor of Jingzhou, I am telling the four counties in Jingnan that I, Liu Bei, am here on behalf of the son of your old superior.
Your old superior has died of illness. Cao Cao was very powerful at that time, so it is understandable that you should surrender to Cao Cao.
But now that Cao Cao was defeated and escaped, and now that the son of your old superior has inherited his position and returned, do you still want to be Cao Cao's loyal ministers? !
You can't be so shameless as a human being.
Of course, the four governors of the four counties in Jingnan have never been expected to be loyal ministers. This is not to persuade them, but to give them a step up.
Just like Wenpin, if you surrender so quickly, it won't sound good and you will be despised by others.
But now that there is a way to return to the service of the old lord's son, there is no shame in surrendering.
To put it bluntly, the four counties in Jingnan are just four small warlords. They are not subordinate to each other and have conflicts with each other.
Moreover, Jingnan has never been a prosperous place in Jingzhou. There are many barbarians in the surrounding areas. It is not very stable and its own strength is not enough, so it has always been a grassroots. As long as one's own interests are guaranteed, who can be the herdsman of Jingzhou? It will be all right.
So no matter who attacks the four counties in Jingnan, they will choose to surrender. But now that they can gain dignity by surrendering, they will naturally choose a more honorable way of surrender.
After Liu Bei thought about this clearly, he immediately made a decision. He wrote a handwritten letter as soon as possible and sent it back to Jiangxia for sealing. Then he sent someone to Xudu to present to the emperor and invite Liu Qi to be the governor of Jingzhou.
Of course, it is impossible for the emperor to see this memorial, and it is impossible for Cao Cao to agree, but who cares.
All Liu Bei needs is a name, he can just go through the process and ask for it. After all, the whole world knows that he and Cao Cao are on the same page.
Then Liu Bei left Zhang Fei, Zhang Xi, and a thousand soldiers to obey Zhou Yu's dispatch, and then returned to Jiangxia on the pretext of preparing weapons and food for Guan Yu from the North Road.
Originally, Liu Bei didn't want Zhang Xi to stay. After all, he now needs people everywhere. Zhang Xi can give ideas and lead troops. Liu Bei also wants to take him to recover the four counties in Jingnan.
But Zhou Yu refused to let go, and appointed Zhang Fei and Zhang Xi to stay together. He also said that they had worked together in Lukou. Liu Bei couldn't force him.
There was nothing Zhang Xi could do about it. After defeating Cao Cao, Governor Zhou's reputation and status increased rapidly, and the two sides were allies, so it was difficult for them to become too rigid, so Zhang Xi agreed to stay and help Zhang Fei come up with ideas.
However, before parting, Zhang Xi still found Liu Bei and recommended a talented person to him.
"My lord is going to Jingnan, so there will be no serious problems. There is just a general in Changsha. Please pay more attention to me. His surname is Huang, his given name is Zhong, and his courtesy name is Hansheng. In the past, he followed Liu Jingsheng's son Liu Pan to guard Changsha. Although I am already fifty years old, I am still brave and courageous, and my courage is extraordinary. I am afraid that I am not inferior to the three generals, but I hope my lord will pay close attention to me."
(End of chapter)
