My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 161 The Lion Roars East
Just as Sun Ce had predicted, Liu Yao traveled westward without lingering in Jurong or Moling, and only stopped at Niuzhu.

In fact, Liu Yao's situation at this time was much better than in history.

Historically, it was the Zhou family's betrayal that directly led to the loss of more than 10,000 elite troops at Niuzhu, as well as a large amount of military supplies and equipment, which in turn relieved the Sun family's supply pressure.

Although Qu'a has been lost and it seems like the old base has been lost, that old base is actually just an empty shell. It has no money, no food, and not even any army hostages.

Therefore, upon seeing Liu Yao in person, Liu Yao's army quickly calmed down and there were almost no disturbances.

But what happened next turned out to be troublesome.

The Niuzhu army naturally wanted to launch an eastern expedition against Qu'a, since many of them were powerful figures from Wu County.

Although the fall of Qu'a wouldn't prevent them from returning home, they could still detour through the mountains below Danyang County to Kuaiji County, and then take the Qiantang River back to Wu County.

However, their concerns about Wu County led them to support an immediate counterattack on Qu'a.

There are not many internal problems within the Niuzhu Army. Even the powerful clans of Danyang County can support them, after all, they understand the principle of mutual dependence.

However, Xue Li and Zuo Rong encountered a significant problem.

They didn't directly refuse, but rather had their own ulterior motives.

Within these ten days, Liu Yao had sent three or four groups of envoys to Xue Li and Zuo Rong's camps to invite them to come and discuss important matters.

Both of them made various excuses and gave numerous reasons, but they couldn't actually come.

"It should be the position of Prefect of Wu Commandery."

Xu Shao was very good at judging people. He had long seen that Xue Li and Zuo Rong were not honest people, especially the latter, who was the source of trouble.

If it weren't for the immense pressure from Yuan Shu and the Sun family, he would have long ago suggested that Liu Yao join forces with Xue Li to eliminate Zuo Rong first.

Xue Li and Zuo Rong are now holding back, deliberately delaying the inevitable, clearly indicating their interest in the position of Prefect of Wu Commandery. They intend to use one enemy to eliminate another, hoping Sun Ce will get rid of Xu Gong, the Prefect of Wu Commandery, so they can then legitimately present their demands to Liu Yao.

"What a despicable person, what a vile person."

Liu Yao himself could have thought of this, not to mention that it came from Xu Shao's guess, so of course he believed it completely.

Liu Yao couldn't help but curse, "It's because of these scoundrels in power that the court is in such a difficult situation."

But despite the criticism, the problem still needs to be solved.

Niuzhu only has a little over 10,000 people; even if they were all taken away, it wouldn't make a difference.

Moreover, Liu Yao was not at all at ease with Xue Li and Zuo Rong behind him.

"My lord, this trend must not be encouraged."

Although Xu Shao was physically ill, his mind was still very clear.

Aside from a few scholars from Qingzhou and Yuzhou, Liu Yao's most staunch supporters were none other than the local gentry and powerful clans of Yangzhou.

Although Xu Gong and the local scholars of Yangzhou had a very unpleasant falling out and had a deep-seated grudge, this did not mean that Liu Yao would betray them.

After all, Xu Gong still supports Liu Yao, providing him with money, provisions, weapons, and manpower. He is also very compliant with Liu Yao and the court's system.

If Liu Yao is willing to betray even a subordinate like this, what will the gentry and powerful families of Yangzhou think of him?

Therefore, Liu Yao not only could not abandon Xu Gong, but also had to rescue him.

"My lord, firstly, you should quickly send someone to inform Xu Gong that Wu County should be defended if necessary, and if it cannot be defended, it can be retreated to Youquan County. If all else fails, it can be retreated to Qiantang. It must be firmly stated that the prefecture will absolutely not give up Wu County and will definitely send troops to restore it."

Xu Shao straightened up and offered a solution: "Secondly, Your Excellency can select a brave and strong man to personally visit Xue Li. Although he and Ze Rong both command troops and are self-reliant, Xue Li is outwardly fierce but inwardly weak, and his ambition is not great. We can first persuade him with reason. As long as Xue Li can submit to orders, Ze Rong will not dare to disobey orders alone."

"At that time, Your Excellency can draw upon these two men and their 6,000 troops, and then draw another 4,000 troops from Niuzhu, and gather several thousand more from the powerful clans of Danyang, for a total of more than 10,000 troops to march from west to east. At the same time, you can also order Wang Lang, the governor of Kuaiji Commandery, to assist Xu Gong. By attacking from the south to the north, you can recover Wu Commandery."

After pausing for a short while, Xu Shao added, "If this still fails to subdue Sun Ce, then you will have no choice but to seek help from the north or west."

"This……"

Liu Yao naturally accepted Xu Shao's previous opinions in their entirety, and he was also fully aware of the meaning behind Xu Shao's last words.

Xu Shao was implying that if he couldn't handle it himself, he should ask for help as soon as possible.

Other matters can be discussed after the Sun family issue is resolved. After all, Yuan Shu, who is behind the Sun family, has already recommended Hui Qu as the governor of Yangzhou, which clearly means he no longer recognizes him.

Liu Yao could clearly distinguish between the importance of Liu Bei and Liu Biao's recognition of him as the governor of Yangzhou.

Liu Yao looked at Sun Shao and the Teng brothers, and seeing that they also agreed with Xu Shao's words, he nodded in agreement and said, "Good, let's do as you say."

**************
A tremendous change had taken place in Jiangdong, and Liu Feng, on the other side of the Yangtze River, was naturally paying close attention.

Just as he had predicted, after Sun Ce landed, he captured Dantu and Qu'a, forcing Liu Yao to flee, and his momentum greatly increased.

Many local powerful figures and wandering knights immediately came to join them.

Sun Jian's rise gave boundless hope to the local strongmen and wandering knights of Jiangdong; he was practically an inspirational role model.

In addition, Sun Jian had long served as an official in Jiangdong and was renowned, which led to Sun Ce attracting hundreds of people from the surrounding area to join him in just over ten days after conquering Qu'a.

If more time passes and the news spreads far and wide, even more people will flock to him, and some local powerful families in Yangzhou might even be tempted to place bets.

Liu Feng was actually somewhat worried about this.

When to cross the river, and when to intervene in Jiangdong.

This timing is very important.

If we enter too early, I'm worried the Sun family won't be able to hold out.

He arrived late, and worried that the Sun family had already grown too powerful.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the strength of one's own abilities.

If we could send 50,000 elite troops to Jiangdong, then we could follow Sun Ce and cause trouble in Jiangdong, going whenever we wanted.

In the following period, Liu Feng focused all his attention on Jiangdong, sending spies across the river to investigate, and reporting back to Guangling immediately upon receiving any news.

***********
Half a month later, in Jiangxia, Jingzhou, at the naval camp.

Governor Su Fei was reviewing documents in the hall.

Before long, footsteps could be heard outside the hall, but the guards outside did not dare to stop them.

Su Fei looked up and smiled.

Sure enough, a moment later a burly man dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a flowered hat walked in.

This man was none other than Su Fei's good friend, Gan Ning, the former Prefect of Shu County and a powerful figure in Yizhou.

"Brother Yude, is there something you need from me?"

Gan Ning reeked of alcohol and walked with a swagger. He didn't stand on ceremony with Su Fei and plopped down opposite him.

Su Fei, however, loved his generous and righteous nature, and didn't care at all about the other party's rudeness.

"Xingba, your chance has come."

Upon hearing Su Fei's words, Gan Ning was immediately startled and quickly looked at him.

Su Fei held up a piece of silk in his right hand: "The prefecture has issued an order for Lord Huang to select elite troops to escort the envoy south to Jiangdong. Guangling, this is your opportunity."

It turns out that half a year earlier, Liu Feng had received Liu Bei's approval and sent someone to Jingzhou to find Gan Ning and inform him of the intention to recruit him.

It was only because Gan Ning was still under the command of Liu Biao and Huang Zu at that time that he could not be directly recruited; Liu Bei could only show his appreciation for talent.

Gan Ning's rebellion failed in the early years of Xingping, and he was forced to flee to Jingzhou, where he suffered the contempt of Liu Biao and Huang Zu.

Fortunately, Su Fei, the governor of Jiangxia, appreciated him. However, despite repeated recommendations, Huang Zu did not approve of him. Instead, Huang Zu secretly seduced Gan Ning's troops to defect.

Liu Feng truly couldn't understand Huang Zu's thought process.

You said you felt Gan Ning was incompetent and didn't use him, which is indeed blind, but at least it's understandable.

It's truly perplexing that someone would both feel Gan Ning lacks ability and yet covet his troops.

If Gan Ning were incompetent, how could he have trained such a good retinue?
To make matters worse, although Huang Zu looked down on Gan Ning, he was very wary of him. He not only restricted Gan Ning's movements but also placed him in the central army camp, making it impossible for him to leave.

Otherwise, Gan Ning would have long ago gone down the river to join the Sun family in Jiangdong. However, half a year ago, things changed. Liu Bei, the governor of Xuzhou, actually sent someone to express his goodwill, valuing him highly and even writing a letter of condolence, hoping that he would have the opportunity to visit Xuzhou.

He further stated that the Xuzhou navy was under construction and lacked a capable general, which greatly appealed to Gan Ning.

Subsequently, Gan Ning told Su Fei about the matter, and after Su Fei inquired around, he told Gan Ning what he knew.

Liu Bei had only recently entered Xuzhou, and the region was in turmoil, making the situation far from optimistic.

Although Gan Ning was somewhat discouraged, he did not give up his ambition.

For him, a mentor is far more important than ability.

Liu Biao dominated the Jiangnan region; his power was considerable, wasn't it?
The problem was that neither Liu Biao nor Huang Zu took him seriously and openly seduced his troops and soldiers. If Su Fei hadn't persuaded him, he would have really turned against Huang Zu.

He, Gan Ning, was not willing to suffer such humiliation a second time.

However, Huang Zu kept a close watch on him, and Gan Ning was unable to leave.

Otherwise, whether to seek refuge with the Sun family or to go to Xuzhou first, either option would be a good one.

Next, Su Fei and Gan Ning were both quite curious about Liu Bei and wanted to find out more about him.

Unexpectedly, Xuzhou has been making quite a few big news stories, one after another.

After capturing Danyang and pacifying Langya, he recently marched south to Guangling to contend with Yuan Shu.

This is hardly a weak governor; he is clearly a rising dragon emerging from the abyss, his potential for power evident.

Gan Ning deeply resented Huang Zu for stopping him. If he had joined Huang Zu back then, he would have become a meritorious official long ago.

Unfortunately, Liu Shijun had already gained power, while Gan Ning was still trapped in Jiangxia and could not go to him. He could only relieve his resentment with wine day and night.

To Gan Ning's surprise, three months later, Liu Bei sent another letter. The letter was kind and gentle, full of sincere feelings. Liu Bei not only sympathized with Gan Ning's situation but also affirmed his abilities and showed great concern for him.

At the end of the letter, he also urged Gan Ning not to give up on himself and to read more of the philosophers to encourage himself, which impressed Gan Ning deeply.

By this time, the option of choosing the Sun family had been eliminated from Gan Ning's mind.

Gan Ning was not magnanimous; he could only tolerate Liu, the Prefect of Xuzhou.

"Xingba, as you know, I have recommended you several times, but the lord has not been willing to give you a chance. Time flies, and life is short. You have long had other plans, and Fei knows this. It's just that the lord is too wary, and you haven't had the opportunity."

Su Fei handed the silk scroll to Gan Ning: "This is an official document from the prefecture. It will be sent directly to my office. I can take this opportunity to bypass the lord and report directly to the prefecture to arrange for you to take up this position. After the envoys are sent off, you can decide where to go."

Gan Ning, having finished reading the silk scroll, looked up at Su Fei with excitement: "Brother Yu De, how can I ever repay your great kindness?"

Su Fei sighed with regret: "It is my regret that I cannot go to the battlefield with Xingba."

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning's tiger-like eyes turned bloodshot. He took a step back, bowed deeply, and said, "Brother Yu De, I cannot express my gratitude. If you ever need anything in the future, just give me a scroll of silk, and I will repay you with my life."

"Why did it have to come to this!"

Su Fei quickly got up, walked around the table, and helped Gan Ning up: "Xingba, we are brothers, why be so formal? However, the prefectural government's order is urgent, and we will be leaving the day after tomorrow. Please prepare well tomorrow, and I will host a farewell banquet for you tonight."

Gan Ning was overjoyed and grabbed Su Fei's hand, saying, "Alright! Tonight, we're brothers, we won't leave until we're drunk!"

Two days later, Gan Ning, with more than 400 men and more than ten boats of various sizes, met the entourage of envoy Liu Xian and the renowned scholar Xun You from Yuzhou. They then set sail eastward, traveling down the river towards Jiangdong.

************
At this time, a major battle had just broken out in Jiangdong.

Following Xu Shao's advice, Liu Yao led eight brave warriors to Moling, entered Xue Li's tent, and rebuked him with righteousness, ordering him, in the name of the Governor of Yangzhou, to send three thousand elite troops to attack eastward.

Under Liu Yao's reprimand, Xue Li remained silent and bowed in obedience.

Subsequently, Xue Li selected three thousand elite troops and handed them over to Liu Yao.

Liu Yao led his three thousand elite troops, along with three thousand men gathered by the powerful clans of Danyang, and four thousand elite troops drawn from the Niuzhu defense line, directly to the doorstep of Zuo Rong's family.

Zuo Rong had no choice but to leave his camp to welcome Liu Yao and respond to his summons, immediately handing over three thousand elite troops to Liu Yao.

Subsequently, Xue Li and Zuo Rong were invited into Liu Yao's tent, where he gave them detailed instructions, telling them to pay close attention to the direction of Niuzhu and to rush to its aid immediately if anything happened.

Xue Li and Zuo Rong were intimidated by Liu Yao and had no choice but to agree.

Subsequently, Liu Yao led an army of 13,000 men eastward to attack Sun Ce.

At this time, Wu Jing was launching a fierce attack on Wu County, while Xu Gong was holding out with great difficulty.

Sun Ce only had 6,000 followers, plus the more than 1,000 heroes who joined him during this period, totaling no more than 7,000 people, which was barely half the size of Liu Yao's army.

Everyone originally thought that Sun Ce would hold the city and it would be a contest of who could hold out longer.

If Wu Jing had captured Wu County first and then turned back to aid Sun Ce, then the Sun family would have won.

If Liu Yao captures Qu'a first, then Liu Yao will win.

Liu Yao even discussed with his confidants Zhang Ying and Sun Shao whether to take Qu'a first or Dantu first.

Liu Yao and others judged that Sun Ce would definitely withdraw his main force to Qu'a, because if Qu'a fell, Wu Jing would become a bird in a cage and a fish in a net.

At that point, Wu Jing will have nowhere to run, and with morale in disarray, even self-preservation will be a problem.

Conversely, although Dantu was lost and the situation was just as serious, the Sun family at least had room to wait for Wu Jing to reunite with them.

Even if Wu Jing fails to capture Wu County, once he returns and joins Sun Ce, they will still form a large military force, ready to launch a counterattack on Dantu at any time.

Therefore, Liu Yao and his men were very careful in making their decision. They decided to directly besiege Qu'a without diverting troops to Dantu, and they did not seek to capture Qu'a. Their only goal was to force Wu Jing back and relieve Xu Gong from the siege.

At that time, Liu Yao and his men could retreat to Jurong and hold their ground, thus confining Sun Ce's army to the northern Wu region.

The area between Wu County and Qu'a is dotted with numerous rivers and lakes. Although the distance is not far, it is extremely difficult to march between them.

As long as Liu Yao sends out more spies and scouts, there is no need to worry about Wu Jing being able to retreat quickly. Even if Wu Jing retreats to Piling, he will have enough time to retreat back to Jurong.

Between Qu'a and Jurong, there is a river called the Fragrant Grass River.

This river flows from north to south and is only about 40 to 50 li away from Qu'a.

Liu Yao's army doesn't even need to return to Jurong. Once they withdraw across this river, Sun Ce's army will no longer be able to threaten Liu Yao's army. How can Wu Jing possibly catch up with him?

Liu Yao, Zhang Ying, Sun Shao, and others had considered almost every possible scenario, but unfortunately, they overlooked one.

That was Sun Ce's personality.

Sun Ce was just like his father, brave and fierce, how could he be so conservative?

Therefore, no one expected that Sun Ce would abandon Dantu and gather all his troops in Qu'a.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Sun Ce actually marched out of Qu'a and, thirty miles west of Qu'a and ten miles east of the Xiangcao River, arrayed his troops to meet Liu Yao.

Caught off guard, Liu Yao's army hastily engaged in battle after marching for half a day and just crossing the Xiangcao River, only to be outmaneuvered by Sun Ce, who had been waiting in a well-rested state.

Subsequently, Sun Ce personally led a surprise attack, charging into the enemy lines four times in half a day, breaking seven spears, changing four horses, and finally defeating Liu Yao's army, killing and capturing three thousand.

Liu Yao was defeated and retreated ten miles. After crossing the Xiangcao River, he set up camp and gathered his defeated troops.

Unexpectedly, Sun Ce used the prisoners as a vanguard to trick Liu Yao into opening the camp gates, stormed into Liu Yao's camp, and set fires everywhere.

After suffering a crushing defeat, Liu Yao was then ambushed in his camp. He was almost powerless to fight back and could only suffer another crushing defeat.

Zhang Ying fought desperately to carve out a path and ultimately escorted Liu Yao to Jurong.

After suffering two defeats in one day, the 13,000-strong army was reduced to just over 3,000, losing more than half of its strength in one fell swoop.

Apart from the nearly four thousand who were killed or captured by Sun Ce, most of the others escaped.

The hastily assembled troops of the powerful clans naturally fled straight home, while the troops of Xue Li and Zuo Rong, naturally, would not be foolish enough to go looking for Liu Yao again, and simply bypassed Jurong and fled westward.

Only those who fled with Liu Yao, the garrison at Niuzhu, and some relatively loyal retainers of powerful clans came to Jurong with him.

When Liu Yao saw the army in such a sorry state in Jurong, he immediately lost his composure and burst into tears. He was so heartbroken that he fainted, which caused Zhang Ying and the others to panic.

In the Battle of Xiangcao River, Sun Ce defeated Liu Yao twice in a single day, killing and capturing nearly four thousand people, which shocked the entire Jiangdong region. At the same time, the battle spread rapidly in all directions from Danyang as the core.

The full impact of the Battle of Vanilla River will take a long time to materialize, but the immediate effects are already significant.

(End of this chapter)