My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 430 The Zhou Family's Feast at Hongmen

So, through Zu Lang's mediation, Zhou Yu invited the other party to this scenic spot for negotiations.

This place is dozens of miles from Poyang, but only twenty miles from the mountains. Moreover, Zhou Yu and Zu Lang only brought two hundred attendants, which shows their sincerity.

However, if Zhou Yu hadn't acted this way, why would Zu Duan and the others have agreed to come out of seclusion and meet?

Therefore, Zhou Yu treated the other party with great friendliness, and also gave him plenty of face and patience.

However, Zu Duan and his group took advantage of the situation and revealed that they had no intention of negotiating properly.

"Clap."

A large bone was thrown onto Zhou Yu's table, splashing soup that stained his robes. The culprit was none other than Duan, the chieftain of the Yue tribes.

Zhou Yu ignored the stains on his body and simply looked at the other person.

Zu Duan was looking at Zhou Yu with a mocking expression. When he met Zhou Yu's gaze, he chuckled and said, "Prefect Zhou is really generous, giving so many benefits to the brothers, but didn't you think about leaving anything for yourself?"

Zhou Yu frowned slightly; Zu Duan's unyielding attitude was truly annoying.

Although Zhou Yu had also prepared a backup plan, once activated, there was at least a 70-80% chance of capturing all the opponents. The reason he didn't activate it was because Zhou Yu genuinely wanted to persuade the enemy.

If Zu Duan were willing to yield and cooperate with Zhou Yu, his dozen or so mountain tribes alone would encompass at least fifty to sixty thousand mountain tribes. If the smaller tribes influenced by Zu Duan were included, the number could increase by another one or two thousand. Moreover, eliminating Zu Duan would allow for continued military operations, penetrating deeper into the mountains.

A general should not raise an army out of anger, but out of profit.

Zhou Yu was well-versed in military strategy, so naturally he would be aware of these things.

"The calcination rate is a misunderstanding. How could I not benefit from it?"

Zhou Yu chuckled and said, "Being able to persuade Duan Shuai to come out of seclusion is a great achievement in front of the Left General. Besides, in the future, serving as ministers alongside Duan Shuai will naturally allow us to look after each other. Isn't that a benefit?"

Zhou Yu's words caused many of Zu Duan's officers and generals to nod slowly, which was considered as their agreement with Zhou Yu's words.

At the same time, Zu Lang also spoke up: "Brother, Prefect Zhou is genuinely trying to give us benefits and get us to come out of seclusion. In General Zuo's words, it's a win-win situation, you're good and I'm good. Just tell me what you want, and whatever Prefect Zhou can give you, he will do without hesitation. If he can't give you something, he can ask General Zuo for a title on your behalf."

Zu Lang was the chieftain of the Shanyue tribe in Danyang, while Zu Duan was the chieftain of the eastern part of Yuzhang. Both of them shared the surname Zu and were actually related by blood. Moreover, the Shanyue tribes in southern Danyang and eastern Yuzhang had always maintained close ties, and Zu Duan and Zu Lang had known each other for a long time.

"Oh?"

Zu Duan glanced at Zu Lang and said to Zhou Yu, "Prefect Zhou, if I wanted my brother's official position, would you give it to me?"

Zhou Yu was incredibly clever, and he immediately saw that Zu Duan was trying to sow discord, but the method of his provocation was so inferior that even Zu Lang wouldn't fall for it.

As expected, Zu Lang's eyes flashed with resentment when he heard Zu Duan's words, but he took the initiative to say, "Brother, if you really want it, I'll give it to you. It's not worth making such a fuss."

Zhou Yu interjected at the opportune moment, saying, "If Duan Shuai is willing, this is naturally a minor matter. Zu Lang can be transferred to an important position in the Left General's office, and the position of Poyang Commandant can be given to Duan Shuai."

When Zhou Yu said this, the Yue chieftains around Zu Duan were also very surprised. They did not expect that this Han Chinese governor would be so easy to talk to.

They banded together around Zu Duan for two reasons: firstly, Zu Lang's call for the Yue people to come out of the mountains had infringed upon some of their interests; and secondly, they were worried that Zhou Yu would launch a large-scale annihilation campaign. Zu Duan was the most powerful general, so they naturally wanted to curry favor with him.

But now it seems that Zhou Yu, this Han Chinese official, is very easy to talk to, which makes them have some ulterior motives.

Zu Duan also noticed this, but he was not flustered at all, because he had a backup plan.

"Hehe, how can that be? How can I compete with my brother for an official position? What would people say if that got out?"

Zu Duan chuckled and said to Zu Lang, "Brother, don't worry, I won't argue with you."

Zu Lang felt relieved and smiled, thinking that Zu Duan was trying to make amends with him.

But Zhou Yu sensed something was wrong, and his heart sank.

Sure enough, before Zhou Yu could react, Zu Duan immediately turned to Zhou Yu and said, "I've taken a liking to your position, Prefect Zhou. I wonder if you could let me sit here?"

"presumptuous!"

Zu Lang was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage, realizing that Zu Duan had just been playing a trick on him.

"Fuck your mother!"

Zu Duan also suddenly stood up, kicked over the table in front of him, and cursed at Zu Lang: "You bastard, you dare to call your grandfather brother? If you want to be a dog of the Han people, then go ahead and do it, but why are you trying to drag your grandfather down with you?"

Zhou Dao and his men immediately rushed forward and protected Zhou Yu and Zu Lang behind them.

Correspondingly, many Yue warriors also rushed out from Zu Duan's side. These people were also wearing leather armor, and were tall and strong, clearly all elites.

Meanwhile, within Zu Duan's camp, a whistling arrow soared into the sky, its whooshing sound echoing far and wide.

Upon seeing the signal arrow, Zhou Dao and Zu Lang's expressions changed drastically, and they both instinctively moved closer to Zhou Yu.

"Prefect, we can't wait any longer. Zu Duan must have planted men in ambush. We must decide whether to fight or make peace now."

"General, Commandant Zu is right. If we wait for the enemy's reinforcements to arrive, it will be too late."

Zhou Yu's side now has two hundred personal guards, and Zhou Dao and his two trusted centurions are both in iron armor, while Zu Duan's side only has five hundred men, and their best equipment is only leather armor.

The south is humid and hot, and the Yue people in the mountains did not have the technology to maintain iron tools, so it was naturally difficult for them to preserve their iron armor.

The Han soldiers had an advantage over the Yue soldiers, with each one often able to hold off two or three. With just the two hundred personal guards around Zhou Yu, Zhou Dao was confident that he could defeat the five hundred Yue warriors on the other side within half an hour.

At that time, it would be best to capture Zu Duan, but if not, we can still retreat smoothly.

Despite Zhou Dao and Zu Lang's persuasion, Zhou Yu smiled and shook his head: "No rush. I want to see what other tricks Zu Duan has up his sleeve."

Zhou Dao and Zu Lang exchanged a glance, both surprised and suspicious.

They didn't think Zhou Yu had lost his mind; Zu Lang had been severely punished by Zhou Yu before and had experienced Zhou Yu's methods firsthand. And Zhou Dao was Zhou Yu's brother and a general of his own clan, so naturally he wouldn't doubt his own patriarch.

Both men suspected that Zhou Yu had arranged some kind of backup plan, but the current situation was so critical that they were on tenterhooks.

Zhou Yu did not order an attack, which naturally pleased Zu Duan.

For a time, the two sides each held their own positions, clearly divided.

About half an hour later, a group of Yue warriors came running from afar, clearly having been lying in ambush nearby. They rushed over immediately upon hearing the signal arrow. These men numbered 1,500, and together with the personal guards that Zu Duan and his men had brought with them, their numbers exceeded 2,000, giving them an overwhelming advantage over Zhou Yu's forces. Even though the Yue warriors who arrived later were far less well-equipped than Zu Duan's own men, the situation had completely turned in Zu Duan's favor.

Zu Duan then emerged triumphantly from behind the crowd, looked at Zhou Yu, and sneered, "I heard that Prefect Zhou is a general among the Han people, skilled in battle and proficient in both literature and martial arts. I thought he was a hero. But seeing him today is extremely disappointing."

"Oh?"

Zhou Yu, however, remained calm and composed, treating the two thousand-plus Yue people in front of him as nothing. Instead, he looked at Zu Duan with a leisurely air and said, "Since you've been so flattering to me, I'll give you another chance."

Amid the astonished gazes of Zu Duan and the other Yue chieftains, Zhou Yu calmly said, "If you kneel down and beg for surrender now, I can forgive your previous rude behavior."

"What audacity."

Zu Duan was initially shocked, then laughed angrily: "Let me tell you the truth, do you think your little bit of benefit is enough to bribe the men of the mountains? Once I take you down and break through Poyang City, everything will belong to me, Zu Duan. Why would I need your charity?"

Zhou Yu revealed a look of disdain: "Truly a fool, utterly stupid. You think you're worthy of breaking through Poyang City? I doubt you can even make it out of here!"

"Whether or not we can break through Poyang City is not up to you."

Zu Duan sneered, "After I take you down, we'll see if you can still be so stubborn."

"Fuck me!"

Zu Duan shouted, and the Yue warriors behind him, led by their respective leaders, charged towards the two hundred Han soldiers.

The two sides were already at the banquet, and after the standoff, neither retreated much, with only a short distance of about a hundred meters between them.

But this short distance became an insurmountable barrier for the Yue warriors.

A rain of arrows fell from the sky, covering this area and even including the Yue soldiers who had not yet moved out.

Screams rose and fell. The Yue people were already poorly protected, especially the reinforcements who came later. They often only had one or two pieces of leather armor, and some were even wearing animal clothing, which provided very little protection against arrows.

However, the enemy showed no sympathy, and a second volley of arrows followed, completely shattering the already chaotic formation of the Yue people.

Zhou Dao and Zu Lang were overjoyed. Seeing this, even the most foolish person would understand that their side had pulled off a powerful counterattack.

Zhou Yu waved his feather fan and chuckled at Zhou Dao and Zu Lang, "Go on, but remember to spare Zu Duan's life. I still have questions for him."

"Here!"

Zhou Dao and Zu Lang responded in unison. At the same time, they saw many boats emerging from the reeds by the lake, with archers on board raining arrows down on Zu Duan's side. Dozens of small boats carrying armored soldiers sped toward the lake shore.

"Generals and soldiers! Follow me and defeat the enemy!"

Zhou Dao and Zu Lang were greatly encouraged. They drew their swords and pointed them at Zu Duan, declaring, "Whoever captures Zu Duan alive will be the greatest contributor to this battle!"

"Here!"

The morale of the Han soldiers soared, and they charged towards the Yue army with the ferocity of wolves and tigers, following Zhou Dao and Zu Lang.

The battle proceeded very quickly; within a quarter of an hour, the resistance of the Shanyue army collapsed. This was because these Shanyue warriors were all elites carefully selected from various families, and each family had used all of their accumulated military supplies.

The Yue soldiers were completely routed by the Han army, their morale shattered, and they obediently threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground in submission.

Those who were lucky enough to survive survived, while those who were unlucky naturally became the merits of the Han soldiers.

Zu Duan was not on the list, because Zhou Yu specifically requested his men.

This led to Zu Duan being captured after escaping for two or three miles. After all, although Zhou Yu did not have cavalry, he himself had more than twenty warhorses.

"rat!"

When Zu Duan was dragged in front of Zhou Yu, he knew he could not escape death, and he cursed loudly: "You white-faced scoundrel, you are the most untrustworthy! You actually set up an ambush to kill me! I would rather die than submit!"

Zhou Yu burst into laughter: "Your mountain is quite interesting. I set up an ambush to harm you? Where did all these people come from? Did I recruit them to harm you as well?"

Zu Duan choked for a moment, then said, "I just don't accept it. You must have used a trick. I sent people to check these reed marshes long ago, and there were clearly no people hiding there. Where did you get all these people from?"

Actually, it's not really Zu Duan's fault for being careless. He had not only sent people to check the reed marshes, but he had also assigned people to search the entire surrounding area, fearing that Zhou Yu would frame him.

But who could have imagined that Han soldiers would suddenly appear in the reed marshes, which had been thoroughly inspected?

"Your mountain is already captured by me. What difference does it make whether you submit or not?"

Zhou Yu smiled and said, "Why should I answer your questions? Wouldn't it be better to let you remain confused?"

Zu Duan was speechless with anger at Zhou Yu's words, and he felt extremely frustrated, but he just couldn't swallow his pride.

You won't kill me!

Zu Duan suddenly shouted, "At least you won't kill me now!"

Zhou Yu's smile vanished, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Zu Duan did indeed guess what Zhou Yu was thinking. He really didn't want to kill Zu Duan for the time being, otherwise he wouldn't have instructed Zhou Dao and Zu Lang to capture him alive.

Zhou Yu casually asked, "How do you know?"

After a moment of silence, Zu Duan said, "You probably still want to use my power to win over the mountain people."

Zhou Yu was somewhat surprised by Zu Duan's quick wit, then nodded generously and said, "You're quite clever, Shan'er. I do indeed have this intention. So, are you willing or not?"

Zu Duan remained silent for an even longer time this time, but Zhou Yu did not urge him. Instead, he leisurely enjoyed the scenery by the lake.

After a long while, Zu Duan finally spoke: "Tell me where you lost, and I will agree to serve you!"

Zhou Yu's heart stirred slightly. Recalling Zu Duan's previous reaction and decisiveness, it seemed that Zu Duan was indeed a competitive person. Perhaps he could subdue him by starting from this point.

So Zhou Yu feigned disdain and said, "I have treated you with the utmost courtesy and kindness, yet you have set up an ambush here to capture me. You have no integrity whatsoever. Why should I believe your words?"

Upon hearing this, Zu Duan immediately became agitated: "When have you Han people ever been honest and trustworthy when you treat others to meals? You Han people are allowed to chop off the heads of us Shan people every time you treat others to meals, but I'm not allowed to kidnap you even once?"

Zhou Yu was speechless. Just as Zu Duan had said, the Han soldiers had been at the Feast at Hongmen far too many times, especially against the Yue and Jingman tribes. Zu Duan was not lying.

(End of this chapter)