Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

At the same time, at the mouth of the lake where Pengli Lake flows into the Yangtze River at its northernmost point, Sun Quan stood by the dock with his hands behind his back, looking at the fleet that was already prepared, his mind filled with thoughts.

"Wei Ze, I entrust the affairs of Wuhu to you." Sun Quan looked at Hu Zong standing in front of him and said softly, "This is a national crisis. Wei Ze is one of my trusted men. Just do your best!"

A day and a half later, Sun Quan looked much more haggard than he had been in Qiyang the day before. As the ruler of a country, Sun Quan's attire and demeanor were impeccable, but his reddened eyes from overthinking, his puffy eye bags, and his slightly stiff expression betrayed his true condition.

At this point, Sun Quan stopped telling Hu Zong to fight bravely, defend Wuhu, or help defend Ruxu. He only told Hu Zong to act according to circumstances and do his best. This slightly desolate and helpless sense of bleakness, coupled with the gloomy and drizzly weather, made the atmosphere in the vicinity even more unpleasant.

When Sun Quan lightly patted Hu Zong's shoulder a few times, completely lacking his former arrogance, Hu Zong felt a pang of pity, and tears welled up in his eyes at the same time.

"Your Majesty, please take care. I have no choice but to fight to the death!"

These were the words Hu Zong said, but there was another sentence he didn't utter. This was a sentence he absolutely mustn't say.

'How did Great Wu become like this?!'

It's no wonder Hu Zong was so distraught; in just a few days, only bad news arrived. Not only had 50,000 Wei troops arrived near Ruxu, but with Ruxu's fortified defenses, even 100,000 troops would be safe for the time being, enough to hold out until Sun Quan's reinforcements returned. However, Dantu, downstream from Jianye, was besieged; He Da's naval forces had been completely annihilated; Wei troops had crossed south to Dantu and could potentially advance on Jianye at any moment, with a force of as many as 50,000… This was unacceptable to Sun Quan and his key ministers who were aware of the situation.

Where did the Wei army's ships come from? When did Wei acquire such a large navy? How many troops did Wei deploy in Yangzhou? Why was Wei's military activity so extensive this year? How many troops did Wei mobilize in total, and why did they launch such a large-scale invasion?
The Yangtze River, which Sun Quan had regarded as an insurmountable barrier for the past thirty years, was breached by the Wei army without proving to be of any use. Once the Wei army crossed the river, given the long-standing duplicity of the Wu County gentry, Sun Quan was absolutely certain that they would surrender, lead the way, transport supplies, and cheer as soon as the Wei army arrived.

Moreover, Gu Yong exaggerated the situation further, claiming that the Wei army might send cavalry to press on Jianye at any moment, thus necessitating a scorched-earth policy and clearing the area around Jianye in preparation for an enemy invasion… This is Sun Quan's capital, the heartland of the capital! How could it be in such a state of panic?

But Sun Quan remained completely speechless. Clearly, Gu Yong had done everything within his decision-making capabilities that was correct. The Wei army's advance was too overwhelming; the forces near Jianye and Dantu were insufficient to stop them—this was the best possible outcome.

These are all unspeakable pains.

When Hu Zong led his army away, Sun Quan handed over his 10,000-strong central army to Hu Zong, ordering him to take command of the army. He also promoted Ding Feng, who had performed well in the battle a few days earlier, to lead 5,000 of the troops.

Sun Quan stood quietly on the dock, letting the river wind blow, causing his outer robe to cling tightly to his body. He watched Hu Zong and Ding Feng bid him a deep farewell, and then watched the ships set sail one by one downstream. A bitter feeling welled up in his heart.

Xu Xiang approached from Sun Quan's side, but stopped two steps away. Sun Quan could hear Xu Xiang's footsteps, so he turned around and glanced at Xu Xiang's cautious face, then asked helplessly, "Ziming, what is it now?"

"Your Majesty, please do not be angry," Xu Xiang said cautiously.

"You haven't even said what it is, how can I be angry? What time is it? Just say it directly, don't beat around the bush. Say what you have to say!" Sun Quan sighed weakly. "Your Majesty," Xu Xiang still hesitated, "Prefect Lü is dead."

"Who?" Sun Quan didn't react for a moment.

Xu Xiang whispered, "Prefect Lü Yi of Zhuyai."

"How did he die?" Sun Quan's face contorted almost instantly, veins bulging on his forehead, as he gritted his teeth and asked Xu Xiang.

"It was said that they were bitten by a snake and poisoned. Governor Lü of Jiaozhou did not believe the conclusion of the prefecture and personally led two thousand soldiers to investigate the matter at Zhuyai. He also conducted a thorough search of the prefecture and all the cities in the neighboring prefectures. Only a merchant caravan from Jianye to Lingnan was the most suspicious. In their report to the local government, they said that they were a caravan temporarily purchasing South Sea pearls and coral for the palace. After the incident, this caravan disappeared without a trace and could not be found again."

Sun Quan finally lost his composure, drawing his sword from his waist and wildly slashing at the air like a madman, completely disregarding Xu Xiang beside him. Xu Xiang stumbled back several steps, falling to the ground, before finally avoiding Sun Quan's sword.

"They've rebelled! They've rebelled! They've all rebelled!" Sun Quan swung his sword forcefully, shouting angrily from time to time.

Xu Xiang got up from the ground and stood helplessly to one side, not daring to offer any advice. Lü Yi had previously committed countless crimes in Jianye, and his enemies could stretch from the east gate of Jianye to the west gate of Lou County in Wu County.

Sun Quan didn't even need to think; judging by the timeline, this must have been the work of some powerful family in the court or Wu Commandery after his assassination attempt! This was a provocation, a demonstration, a challenge to him as emperor!
If Cao Rui could see this scene from here, he would most likely feel some pity for his father-in-law and sigh, "When fortune smiles, heaven and earth lend their strength; when luck turns, even heroes are powerless."

If this is the case, then Sun Quan himself instigated and tacitly approved Lü Yi's previous rampant behavior, and Sun Quan should bear at least half the responsibility for his crimes. Otherwise, what about the dozens of officials, both high and low, who were killed by Lü Yi in the past few years? And who can Lu Mao, who was personally killed by Sun Quan, seek justice from?

It's all just a matter of drinking and eating. The king has the sword to kill, and the minister has the blade to respond; that's all.

Thousands of miles away, in Liyang.

Between the cities of Liyang and Xianxi, several dozen miles southeast of Liyang, lies Hengjiang Ferry, a nearly natural ferry crossing that faces Caishiji across the river. Here, the river is blocked by Tianmen Mountain and turns, hence the name Hengjiang (meaning "crossing the river"), creating a strategically important location where two mountains encircle the river.

The most important battle before Sun Ce occupied Jiangdong was the battle against Liu Yao's general Fan Neng and others at Hengjiang.

There were actually quite a few ferry crossings on both sides of the Yangtze River. However, considering the need for ships to transport supplies, and the requirement for sufficient ferries to carry troops and provisions across the river, Ruxu appeared so treacherous, highlighting the cautious and prudent approach of the Wei Dynasty, which had spent years building ships and assembling a navy of 50,000 before daring to cross the river. (End of Chapter)