In the prefect's mansion, Liu Cong met Liu Ba and Xu Feng who were sleeping in the open air.
"Lord." Liu Ba bowed to Liu Cong.
Liu Cong walked over quickly and said, "Zi Chu, why do we need so many courtesy between you and me?" Then he said to Xu Feng, "Shan Rong has worked hard too. From now on, you will be the leader of my five hundred personal guards."
"Thank you, lord." Xu Feng knelt down and thanked him. Liu Ba looked at this scene with satisfaction. His lord could always conquer people's hearts without realizing it.
Liu Cong and others sat down, and Liu Cong said, "How about Zichu's mission?"
Liu Ba recalled for a while, thought for a while and said: "My lord, Jiangdong Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Cheng Pu Handang, Zhou Tai and other generals are all here."
"But everyone in Jiangdong underestimated the enemy and led the battle. Sun Quan knew that my lord had arrived in Jiangxia, and he asked me for six counties and food and grass."
Liu Cong and Pang Tong looked at each other, and Pang Tong said: "It seems that this battle is inevitable. My lord, Sun Quan has always had the ambition to annex Jingzhou. We will hurt him this time to let him know that Jingchu is stronger than Jiangdong."
Liu Cong asked worriedly: "What should we do if the losses to Jiangdong are too heavy and Cao Cao's thieves go south?"
Liu Badao: "My lord, I was sent as envoy to Jiangdong, and I once said that my lord would lead an army of 20,000 people!"
"If we use three generals, Wei Yan, Huo Jun, and Xu Feng, one general every day, and lead three thousand troops to each county, and then return to Jiangxia at night, Sun Quan will think that our army has arrived in a few days."
Liu Cong was a little confused: "What's next?"
Liu Ba continued: "We can order Zhang Yun's navy to continue to confront the river and contain the Jiangdong navy."
"Then, choose a brave general, lead 10,000 troops, and set out from Jiangbei to bypass the battlefield and go straight to Chaisang!" At this time, Pang Tong also answered.
Liu Cong thought for a while, Jiangxia's army now numbered 34,000, and the 10,000 people who made the surprise attack could not move, leaving only more than 20,000.
Pang Tong seemed to see Liu Cong's worries and said: "My lord, it is easier to defend the city than to attack it. Although there are risks. But if it succeeds..."
Pang Tong didn't say anything, and Liu Ba said: "My lord, Shi Yuan still has backup, please don't worry, my lord."
Liu Cong finally stopped hesitating and stood up and said: "Just follow Shi Yuan and Zichu's plan."
Liu Ba and Pangtong looked at each other and said at the same time: "But I am going to use my lord as bait."
Liu Cong laughed: "Without fragrant bait, how can there be big fish?"
In the backyard, in Sun Shangxiang's room, two female soldiers were accompanying Sun Shangxiang. "Miss, you are finally willing to eat."
Sun Shangxiang's female soldiers were all beauties, and they burst into tears with excitement. Sun Shangxiang waved his hands and said, "Okay, okay, isn't this good for me?"
Suddenly he saw the dumplings on the table and asked, "What is that?"
The two female soldiers looked back and said, "That was invented by Mr. Liu to let the young lady eat. He said it was called dumplings. We have never tasted anything so delicious."
Sun Shangxiang remembered the scene just now, and her face couldn't help but blush again: "Yue'er, go get it, let me have a taste."
Sun Shangxiang has twenty female soldiers. The two leaders are the leaders and Sun Shangxiang's maids. One is called Yue'er and the other is Ping'er.
"No." The maid named Yue'er went over and picked up the dumplings, not forgetting to bring the dipping sauce. "Miss, you want to eat them with dipping sauce. It's so delicious."
Sun Shangxiang picked up a dumpling that was still warm, dipped it in, put it in his mouth and chewed it.
"He did this? Did he do it for me?" Sun Shangxiang asked with disbelief on his face.
The two of them nodded like chickens pecking at rice, and Ping'er said, "I just went to the kitchen to ask, and they said that Mr. Liu said that eating dumplings symbolizes reunion, and that he hoped that the young lady would return to Jiangdong as soon as possible and reunite with her family."
Yue'er nodded, grabbed a dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth, and said vaguely: "Yes, yes, miss, this plate is cold. I'll ask the kitchen to make it again for you."
As he was about to pick it up and turn around, Sun Shangxiang quickly said: "No need."
Yue'er looked at her doubtfully and asked, "Miss, aren't you hungry?"
Sun Shangxiang curled his lips: "Of course I'm hungry."
"Then why?"
"Because I can't eat too much."
"Why?"
"I don't know, that's what he said."
"He said that?"
In Xiangyang, in the study room of the Prefecture Mufu, Liu Biao, Cai Mao, and Kuai Yue were discussing the affairs of Jiangxia.
Liu Biao handed over Liu Cong's letter with satisfaction. After reading it, the two looked at each other and said, "Congratulations, lord."
Liu Biao waved his hand with a smile: "In your opinion, whether to send troops to support Jiangxia and who to send."
Kuai Yue thought for a while and said: "Jiangxia is not that easy to conquer. Although Sun Quan has 50,000 troops and Huangzu Zhang Yun also has 30,000, his subordinates think that there is no need to support them. It is better to conserve their strength and deal with Cao Cao."
Liu Biao was a little dissatisfied, but he did not show it. Instead, he asked Cai Mao: "Degui, what do you think?"
Cai Mao cupped his hands and said: "My lord, the young master is also in Jiangxia. For the safety of the young master, for the sake of safety, it is better to send Wang Wei to lead 20,000 troops to support."
Liu Biao put his hands on his hands and smiled: "De Gui's words won my heart deeply."
After leaving the Prefecture Mufu, Kuai Yue asked Cai Mao: "Why do you suggest that my lord support Jiang Xia? Could it be that you want to bet on Liu Cong?"
Cai Mao shook his head and said: "Wouldn't it be more conducive for Cao Gong to unify the feudal princes in the south?"
Inside the military tent at Fankou, Zhou Yu was explaining the march plan to Sun Quan and others.
Zhou Yu pointed at the map and said: "Lord, we march along the river, conquer E County, Xia Zhi, Sha Xian, and finally Jiang Xia."
Lu Su asked curiously: "Where are Zhang Yun's navy and the eleven counties on the north bank?"
Sun Quan also looked at Zhou Yu with the same confusion. Zhou Yu said: "My lord, we have captured the counties on the north bank. Cao's thieves can't hold them even if they go south. Don't worry about it. You can order Cheng Pu to station 10,000 troops outside Anlu City on the north bank."
, to contain Jiangxia and divide the troops to guard the northern counties."
"We will take out 15,000 men from our 20,000 navy troops. We can leave Zhang Yun's navy army with 5,000 men to hold him back. When we conquer Jiangxia and then send troops to Xiakou, we can block him in the Yangtze River."
!”
"After that, send troops to the north, conquer the counties, and move the people on the north bank to Jiangdong to increase our strength in Jiangdong!"
Sun Quan laughed: "Gong Jin, you are worthy of being called the hero of Jiangdong!"
Lu Su asked again, "Then when will we send troops?"
Zhou Yu thought for a while and said: "Wait another five days to see if there are really 20,000 reinforcements, but we can ask Cheng Pu to lead 10,000 troops to surround Anlu on the north bank!"
"good!"
Sun Quan and others thought they had won, but they didn't know that Liu Cong had already used Pang Tong's ultimate move. In this era, intelligence transmission was too backward.
The next day, Jiangxia City, inside the prefect's mansion.
"The last general, Zhang Yun, pays homage to the young master." Zhang Yun knelt on the ground.
Liu Cong stood up and helped him up and said, "Cousin, why are you so polite to me?"
Zhang Yun was Liu Biao's nephew, so Liu Cong called him his cousin.
Zhang Yun has a standard Chinese character face: "Young Master, etiquette cannot be discarded."
Liu Cong looked at Zhang Yun, and the more he looked at him, the more satisfied he became. He was worthy of being the naval commander who had made Zhou Yu fearful in history. He indeed had his extraordinary qualities: "Cousin, please take your seat first and listen to Shi Yuan's deployment of troops."
"promise."
Liu Cong took off his sword and handed it to Pang Tong: "Shi Yuan, if you hold my sword, anyone who disobeys my order will be killed without mercy!"
Pang Tong was also commanding a battle for the first time. He took Liu Cong's sword and said excitedly: "Thank you, Lord!"
"Everyone will obey the order!"
"Zhang Yun and Gan Ning lead a navy of 5,000 men, and Gan Ning has 2,000 men, a total of 7,000 men. Contain the Jiangdong navy and act expediently. If there is a fighter opportunity, handle it yourself."
"No." Zhang Yun and Gan Ning came out and said.
It was Liu Cong's idea to allocate Gan Ning to the navy. Gan Xingba, who was roaming the rivers, should display his talents on the Yangtze River.
"Huo Jun listens to the order." I order you to lead three thousand troops and garrison Anlu on the north bank.
"promise."
"Prefect Huang."
"The general will be here at the end." Huang Zu came out and said.
Pang Tong smiled and said: "I order you to lead five thousand troops to garrison E County. This is the first line facing Jiangdong's army. If Huang Taishou doesn't dare, I can..."
Huang Zu interrupted Pang Tong and said: "As a soldier, how can I, Huang Zu, be afraid of death? I just have a request."
Pang Tong asked curiously: "Please tell me."
Huang Zudao: "I want to take She'er with me. The young master is right, a good man should make meritorious deeds."
Pang Tong looked at Liu Cong. Liu Cong asked hesitantly: "General Huang, you only have such a son."
Huang Zu said in a muffled voice: "This is what he asked for himself. Please fulfill it, young master!"
Liu Cong thought about it for a moment, nodded and said: "Remember, if the army is defeated, neither you nor your son will die."
Huang Zu said excitedly: "Thank you, young master!"
Pang Tong continued: "Except for Anlu Huojun's three thousand men, no troops or horses are stationed in the counties on the north bank. All the beacon towers along the river have been abandoned."
"Prefect Huang, take this bag of advice and act according to the plan after you go to E County. The generals will retreat and act according to the plan. Wei Yan will stay."
Pang Tong looked at Wei Yan and said with a smile: "Wei Yan, do you know why all the generals have tasks and you are left alone?"
Wei Yan said curiously: "Please tell me clearly from the military advisor."
Pang Tong said nothing.
Liu Cong stood up, walked to Wei Yan, and said, "Wei Yan, I have the most important task for you."
"I'll give you 10,000 men! Jiangxia's 500 cavalry, together with the 1,500 cavalry and 3,000 horses we brought, will all be given to you."
Wei Yan was shocked: "My lord, you only have about nine thousand or less than ten thousand people left by your side?"
Liu Cong patted him on the shoulder and said, "So my fortune and life are all on you."
Wei Yan excitedly knelt down and knelt down and said: "The last general will definitely live up to my lord's high expectations!"
Liu Cong helped him up and said, "Shi Yuan will follow you. You decide the battle. Ask Shi Yuan how to fight."
"The general will obey your orders."
For several days, Liu Cong sent Xu Feng to lead his troops out of the city during the day and back at night. Jiangdong had to believe that Jiangxia indeed had 20,000 reinforcements and began to march!