My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Chapter 40: With this sharp sword, Liu Bei will sooner or later become a great threat to Jiangdong!
Zhao Yun's reminder made Liu Bei alert again.

Xiao He’s evaluation of Sun Quan that day is still fresh in my mind.

That blue-eyed girl from Jiangdong is a man without any stance, cunning and fickle, a pure opportunist.

So as Zhao Yun said, seeing an opportunity to take advantage of Xiakou, Sun Quan might suddenly turn his back on the alliance and take a bite out of it. This kind of disgusting thing might not be impossible for him to do.

"Bo Wen, what Zilong said must be taken seriously."

Liu Bei frowned deeply and looked at Xiao He with vigilance.

Xiao He secretly praised Zhao Yun for his vigilance.

Looking back to the past, if Zhao Yun had been assigned to guard Jingzhou, how could Sun Quan have had the opportunity to steal?

"My Lord and Zilong are right to worry. Sun Quan is as fickle and untrustworthy as Lu Bu. It's not that he might betray the alliance, but that he will definitely do so!"

Xiao He did not add any more rhetoric and directly pulled down Sun Quan's underwear.

Then he changed the subject and said:

"But Sun Quan is very calculating. Even if he breaks the alliance, he will choose the most advantageous time."

"He believes that the timing must be when Cao Cao retreats north, temporarily eliminating the threat to Sun Quan."

"At this critical juncture, in He's opinion, the possibility of Sun Quan betraying the alliance is not high."

"And now Lu Su has returned to Jiangdong. Sun Quan already knows about General Yunchang's victory in capturing Yu Jin alive and completely destroying Cao Cao's navy."

"So, as I speculate, Sun Quan is very likely to withdraw troops from Chaisang and march north to seize Hefei."

After hearing Xiao He's judgment, Zhao Yun's worries gradually disappeared.

Liu Bei felt relieved again.

"But we can't completely let our guard down regarding Sun Quan."

"He believes that the Lord can send Wen Chang to Xiakou to assist Master Liu Qi in defending Jiangxia."

"With Wen Chang's military prowess, even if Sun Quan were to launch a surprise attack, leaving behind 5,000 soldiers would be enough to hold Xiakou."

Xiao He always had a suspicion towards Sun Quan.

What's more, the one stationed in Chaisang was Zhou Yu, the leader of the radical faction.

Even if Sun Quan didn't act rashly, who could guarantee that Zhou Yu wouldn't act like a general on the side of the emperor and disobey his king's orders, and seeing an opportunity to exploit Xiakou, would he take the initiative to launch a surprise attack?

Xiao He then recommended Wei Yan again.

Back then, this young Guan Yu was the prefect of Hanzhong appointed by Liu Bei, specifically to stop Cao Cao and guard the north gate of Yizhou.

In terms of the ability to defend the city, Wei Yan may not be as good as Huo Jun, but in terms of comprehensive ability, he is far superior to Huo Jun.

Liu Bei felt reassured when he heard this and said happily:
"Okay, let's do as Bowen said and send Wenchang to Xiakou to assist our nephew Gongwei in defending Xiakou."

"After drinking this cup of Yuanzhi's welcoming wine today, we will follow Bowen's plan and do our own thing!"

Liu Bei raised his glass high.

Everyone no longer had any doubts, and they stood up suddenly, all drinking it all in one gulp.

In the palace hall, bursts of loud laughter echoed.

...

Jiangdong, Moling.

Late at night, a small boat landed and Lu Su entered Moling, exhausted.

"Zijing, you're finally back. How's the battle going in Xiangfan?"

In the mansion hall, Sun Quan, who had already fallen asleep, learned that Lu Su had returned and hurried to see him without even having time to put on his clothes.

Lu Su stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile:
"A few days ago, Guan Yu annihilated Cao Cao's navy at the Han River and captured his general Yu Jin alive, completely thwarting Cao Cao's attempt to cross the river."

"Liu Xuande holding the Han River defense line should be no problem. My lord, you can rest assured."

Upon hearing this good news, Sun Quan was both surprised and happy.

Liu Bei was delighted that he had defended the Han River, but Guan Yu was shocked that not only did he completely destroy Cao Cao's navy, he also captured Yu Jin, a loyal general, alive!
Guan Yu's ability in water battles really shocked him.

"Yu Jin and Guan Yu are both from the north, so their naval combat abilities should be comparable. Even if Yu Jin was defeated, how could he have been defeated to such an extent?"

Sun Quan's blue eyes widened and he asked in disbelief.

A look of admiration flashed across Lu Su's face, and he sighed, "My lord, you don't know this. Although Guan Yu is from the north, he is gifted in water warfare!"

"In Su's opinion, Guan Yu's ability in water warfare is unmatched among all the generals in Jiangdong..."

Lu Su then described the Battle of Yukou to Sun Quan in detail.

The more Sun Quan listened, the wider his blue eyes became, and he took a deep breath when he heard the last sentence.

"How could Guan Yu, a northerner, master such formidable water combat skills?"

"Liu Bei actually has such a great naval commander under his command. I'm afraid he will be a serious threat to Jiangdong in the future..."

Sun Quan's brows were furrowed, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

We have to form an alliance with Liu Bei now out of necessity, but sooner or later he will turn against us and try to seize Jingzhou.

What is the most important thing when a war breaks out between Jiangdong and Jingzhou?
It's just a water battle.

First, he boasted that Jiangdong had many naval generals and absolute advantages in naval battles. Wouldn’t it be easy for him to break into Jingzhou and cut off the Yangtze and Han rivers in the future?
Now, a brave man who is proficient in water battles suddenly appears under Liu Bei's command. If he turns against Liu Bei in the future and wants to seize control of the Han River and the Yangtze River, it will not be so easy.

"Guan Yu is secondary. The real sword in Liu Xuande's hand is still that Xiao and Xiao Bowen!"

Lu Su changed the subject and interrupted Sun Quan's thoughts.

Sun Quan looked slightly confused and asked hurriedly, "Why do you say that, Zi Jing?"

Lu Su took a deep breath and said:

"My lord, you may not know that Liu Xuande originally wanted Guan Yu to defend Fancheng, but it was Xiao Bowen who insisted that Guan Yu lead the navy. He also firmly believed that Guan Yu was gifted in naval warfare and would be able to defeat Yu Jin."

"Also, Huo Jun was recommended by Xiao Bowen. Even Liu Xuande's plan for a surprise attack on Xiangyang was proposed by Xiao Bowen, with Zhuge Kongming formulating the specific plan."

"Besides that, Xiao Bowen has a strange item in his hand that can..."

Lu Su spoke eloquently and told all of Xiao He's extraordinary deeds.

"Liu Bei has such a remarkable person under his command?"

Sun Quan was greatly surprised and asked anxiously:
"Zi Jing, what is the origin of this Xiao He? If he is such a powerful figure, why was he unknown before?"

When mentioning Xiao He's origin, Lu Su's eyes became a little more confused.

"According to my detailed inquiries, there are rumors that Xiao Bowen is a disciple of a hermit who has lived in seclusion in the mountains since childhood, practicing Buddhism. Therefore, he is not well-known."

"There are even rumors that his master is an immortal in the mountains, and that Xiao Bowen is a disciple of that immortal, and that he has learned the ability to tell fortunes and predict the future."

"Anyway, there are all kinds of rumors, and it's hard to tell the truth from the false."

"In short, Xiao Bowen's strategies and tactics are unfathomable. Liu Xuande will find him a natural fit under his tutelage. Cao Cao is very likely to return north with disgrace."

Sun Quan was immersed in Lu Su's description, and the image of a mysterious and otherworldly master was vividly portrayed on the paper.

After a while.

Sun Quan just recovered from his shock and couldn't help but sigh:

"Jingzhou is truly a land of outstanding people and talents. Liu Bei's luck is truly extraordinary, to have met such a remarkable person."

"Liu Bei first got Kong Ming, and now he has Xiao Bowen, and also a brave general like Guan Yu who is proficient in water warfare. I am afraid that he will be a great threat to Jiangdong in the future."

Lu Su did not comment on Sun Quan's fear.

After coughing a few times, Lu Su said comfortingly:

"We can only talk about the future in the future. Now that Liu Xuande has Xiao He's assistance, it's no problem for him to hold the Han River defense line. This is a good thing for us."

"My Lord, I think we can temporarily withdraw some of the troops from Chaisang so that we don't waste any more money and food."

Sun Quan nodded slightly, then walked to the map, stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the map in silence.

After a long time, a glimmer of confidence flashed in Sun Quan's blue eyes.

"Since Cao Cao's main force has been pinned down by Liu Bei in Xiangfan, the Huainan front must be undermanned, providing an opportunity to exploit."

"Also, our spies have reported back that Cao Cao has only sent two generals, Zhang Liao and Li Dian, with 5,000 troops to defend Hefei."

"Li Dian is a mediocre general, and Zhang Liao is just a commoner from the north. Neither of them is a concern."

"I would like to seize this opportunity to personally lead my army across the river to seize Hefei and open the gates of Huainan. What do you think, Zijing?"

Sun Quan raised his hand and pointed at the word Hefei, a look of determination burning between his brows.

(End of this chapter)