Chapter Ninety-One's Lunch

  "Has the army left yet?" Sun Ce stood on the city wall of Wancheng, looking at the neat and tidy military formation below. Indeed, it was Lv Bu's army, mostly consisting of elite troops. This formation, the Trap Array, the Bianzhou Wolf Riders - these world-renowned warriors would be great to have under my command, Sun Ce thought to himself.

  Especially the Hebei Wolf Cavalry made Sun Ce drool, war horses were the most scarce thing in Jiangnan, one horse could be exchanged for hundreds of gold, and a cavalry was something that Sun Ce wanted to get the most.

  If he had the state of Ping and the Iron Cavalry, he would have dared to directly invade Cao Cao's territory now, unfortunately he didn't.

  These days' hospitality has made Sun Ce very heartbroken, it's not dozens or hundreds of people, but tens of thousands of people, the consumption of these days can fight a war.

  "Gong Jin, do you think it's really worth it?" Sun Ce asked doubtfully. These past few days have just been spent on hospitality without any results, no conditions, and no benefits, so they got along very pleasantly.

  "Lord!" Zhou Yu looked at Sun Ce with a smile, and Sun Ce was really frightened. Since his father's death, Sun Ce had been treated indifferently by Yuan Shu, and every bit of troops, horses, and grain were precious to him.

  "These days of hospitality are not for nothing, there is no free lunch in the world!" Zhou Yu shook his feather fan and smiled, "Lü Bu's army must pass through Jiangxia when borrowing a road from me in Lujiang. Jiangxia Huang Zu is our old opponent, if he knows we treated Lü Bu's army with great courtesy, what do you think he will think?" Zhou Yu said with a smile.

  "It's inevitable!" Sun Ce continued his words.

  "That's right, it's restless. Huang Zu may not have the ability to attack and take, but he has the power to defend. You and I have won against Huang Zu again and again, but have we ever broken through Jiangxia? And now this Lü Bu, Lü Wenhou is the key for us to open up Jiangxia and even Jingzhou!"

  "As long as we spread the word that we have formed an alliance with Lü Bu's army, the one who will be most afraid is surely Huang Zu. With Lü Bu's large army approaching, the panicked Huang Zu may send troops to confront them. Once Huang Zu and Lü Bu start fighting, our opportunity will arise!"

  "Can Lü Bu defeat Huang Zu?!" Sun Ce furrowed his brow, he had been attacking Jiangxia for a long time, but no matter how hard he tried, he found it difficult to break through, and every time he ended up with heavy casualties and returned without success.

  "A naval battle may not be a match for them, but a land battle? Even ten Huang Zus would not be a match for Lü Bu! " Zhou Yu analyzed, "And what we lack is precisely this land battle strength. When Lü Bu and Huang Zu engage in a land battle, we will advance by water, and under the circumstances, Jiangxia will be ours to take!"

  "If Lü Bu knew we were using him, wouldn't he turn against us!" Sun Ce thought to himself, who would dare to fight with Lü Bu anyway.

  "It won't work!" Zhou Yu smiled and shook his head. "By then, Lü Bu will be beyond control!" Once both sides have conquered Jiangxia together, regardless of whether Lü Bu did it intentionally or not, he would have thoroughly offended Liu Biao of Jing Province. And on the border of Jing Province was Cao Cao's Yan Province, who had long been a mortal enemy of Lü Bu's.

  Lü Bu had offended both Liu Biao and Cao Cao, so if he were to fall out with Sun Ce as well, he would truly have no place to stand. Therefore, in the end, whether Lü Bu was willing or not, he would still form an alliance with Sun Ce.

  And even if Lü Bu turns against us, what can he do? Lu Bu may be good at fighting on land, but Sun Ce's army is the true strong one when it comes to naval battles. How can a group of northerners who are not used to water compete with people from the south?

  "So we'll just wait for the good news from Lord Lü Bu then!" Sun Ce smiled, Jiang Xia was a place he had always wanted to conquer. Looking at the distant horizon, Sun Ce's face was very determined. Father, just you wait, I will avenge you, Huang Zu! And Liu Biao too! A debt of blood must be repaid in blood.

  "Ah!" Zhou Yu also nodded, seeing Sun Ce's determined expression, this was the Sun Ce he knew. As for who had the greatest grudge against the Sun family in Jingzhou, it was Huang Zu. Who fought the most battles with Sun Ce in Jingzhou? It was also Huang Zu. And who was most afraid of Sun Ce in Jingzhou? Still Huang Zu. Now that there was news from Jiangdong, Huang Zu couldn't sit still. He must have known about Lü Bu's expedition to the south, and when he saw Lü Bu's army heading towards Lujiang, Huang Zu initially thought Lü Bu wanted to fight with Sun Ce for territory, which made him happy for a while. But the news he received today made Huang Zu restless.

  Lü Bu's army passed through Shucheng and left for Shiting, heading towards Wancheng. This was all part of Sun Ce's plan to let them pass, while he himself rode out with just two horses, without any guards, to meet Lü Bu fifty miles away.

  Both are princes, to what extent can they be so at ease to welcome each other? Doesn't he fear that Lü Bu will bind him and directly seize his foundation?

  Is Lü Bu already in cahoots with Sun Ce? This is the only possibility that Huang Zu can think of now. With Sun Ce as the Little Overlord of Jiangdong and Lü Bu as a fierce tiger, if these two join forces, Jiangxia will be doomed.

  Don't look at Huang Zu's defeats in Jiangxia for so many years, but it also depends on who he is fighting against. Fighting against Sun Ce, although defeated, is still glorious. And how old is Huang Zu now? He is much older than the late Sun Jian. His ambition has long been worn away, but even so, even if he was defeated, he is a nail that is firmly nailed in Jiangxia, making it difficult for Sun Ce to advance into Jingzhou.

  It can be said that Huang Zu has the strength of a military commander, but he is old and has gone downhill.

  "Are there any of you who have a plan?" Huang Zu asked, scanning the civil and military officials below him.

  Jiangxia is the bridgehead of Jingzhou connecting Jiangdong, and it is also a fortress for resisting the Sun family. In addition to having strong soldiers and horses, Liu Biao also assigned many military generals and scholars to Jiangxia, but at this time these military generals and scholars were all silent.

  Sun Ce alone could defeat these military officers and scholars, now adding Lü Bu to the mix, can they still have a pleasant fight?

  "Father, what's there to discuss? Since ancient times, when the enemy comes, we'll defend; when the flood comes, we'll dam it. What about Sun Ce and Lü Bu? Father, just give me 20,000 elite soldiers and I guarantee that no matter how many come, they will all die!" A young general stood up, clasped his fist and spoke, his heroic and vigorous expression making Huang Zu nod in approval.

  Bravery is commendable, but it also requires real power. This young general is none other than Huang Zu's treasured son, Huang She. He has a good physique, comparable to his father's in his youth, but that's where the similarity ends. In terms of literary and military prowess, he's just an ordinary person. Yet, this unremarkable individual harbors grand ambitions.

  "General, this is not right!" Before Huang Zu could speak, another general stood up. He was wearing a dark yellow armor and had a long beard that reached his chest. A solemn expression emerged from his face.

  "Huang Zhong again!" Huang She slammed his hand on the table, jumped up and pointed at this general, shouting. Huang She was furious, every time he wanted to show off his ambition in front of his father, it was always Huang Zhong who came out to pour cold water.

  He himself also knows that he sometimes talks nonsense, but that has to wait until his father praises him first, you're an outsider, what right do you have to interrupt?

  Huang Zhong completely ignored the young master, although he was a general of Jingzhou, but indeed recognized Liu Biao as his superior. Under Huang Zu's command, it was only because of seeking medicine for his son that he was transferred to Jiangxia.

  "General, Jiangdong's Little Overlord Sun Ce and Wenhao Lü Bu, both are dragons and phoenixes among men. If they form an alliance, it will be a disaster for Jingzhou. The number of soldiers in Jiangdong is tens of thousands, and Lü Bu also has tens of thousands of troops. If the two join forces, our three million soldiers in Jiangxia will not be able to withstand them. Therefore, General, we should hold back our troops and request reinforcements from our lord!" Huang Zhong's analysis was very reasonable. If Lü Bu and Sun Ce joined hands, one would be invincible on water and the other unbeatable on land. Our three million soldiers in Jiangxia would indeed not be enough for them to swallow.

  Only by asking Jingzhou for reinforcements can Jiangxia be defended.

  "Hmph, afraid before the battle? Huang Zhong, you really are an old fool!" Huang Shao didn't give Huang Zhong any face and directly called out his name. Huang Zhong was of the same generation as Huang Zu, "With just 20,000 elite soldiers, I can ensure that Jiangxia will be safe. We haven't even started fighting yet, and you're already asking for reinforcements like in Xiangyang? This is still a general from Jingzhou!" Huang Shao finally said something that made sense. Before the battle has even begun, he's already asking for reinforcements. Afraid before the battle, this is a great taboo for military leaders. If even the general is afraid, how can the soldiers below him fight to the death?

  If someone else said this, people might have listened, but since it came from Huang's mouth, everyone found it hard to believe.

  "Give you 20,000 elite soldiers and lose them all!" Someone below was whispering, the entire Jiangxia had only about 30,000 troops to defend various major cities, and could mobilize only a little over 10,000. If Huang Zu really didn't think it through and gave his son 20,000 elite soldiers, once Lü Bu and Sun Ce attacked, then the officials below would prepare to flee Jiangxia.

  "Who, who is speaking!" Huang She was really furious today, first there was Huang Zhong coming to disturb him and being forced away by his righteous words, now another voice emerged.

  Huang Zhong still gave face, only saying that the general was not suitable, but this tone directly slapped him in the face. What does it mean to give you 20,000 elite soldiers and possibly lose them all? Isn't it clear that Huang is being called a useless person?

  " Gan Ning!" Under Huang She's gaze, he really found the person who spoke, Gan Ning and Huang She were about the same age, but Gan Ning was much stronger than Huang She. People of the same generation are most likely to compare with each other, and compared with Gan Ning, Huang She naturally felt unhappy. Now Gan Ning didn't even give him face and directly interrupted him.

  "A mere military advisor, do you have the right to speak here?" Huang She was slapped in the face and naturally wouldn't give Gan Ning any face now. Gan Ning had been a wandering swordsman before serving under Liu Biao and later under Huang Zu, but all these years he couldn't get promoted and his official position was always above that of military advisor.

  One military officer was indeed a man of no status, while Huang She, as the eldest son of Huang Zu, held the position of Zhangling Taishou, and naturally could scold Gan Ning.

  "You!" Gan Ning was a wandering knight with a naturally bad temper, and being provoked like this made him want to jump out, but he was held back by the general beside him.

  This man named Su Fei was under Huang Zu's command and controlled a single army, with Gan Ning as his military advisor. He had a very good relationship with Gan Ning.

  "Xing Ba Xiude's impulsiveness!" Su Fei intercepted Gan Ning, who was slightly reproachful. You can't just say it directly even if you look down on Huang She, after all, Huang She is also the son of Huang Zu. If Gan Ning had really rushed out earlier, Huang She would have had an excuse to kill him.

  "A thief is always a thief, and can never change!" Huang She was eager for Gan Ning to rush out, so he could behead him. Seeing Gan Ning being stopped by Su Fei, he couldn't help but reveal a hint of resentment and sneered.

  Gan Ning was a wandering knight in his youth, and he really was a pirate. The name of the Brocade Sailors echoed loudly on this lake surface. Later, Gan Ning read books, recognized characters, and understood things, so he surrendered to Liu Biao. However, the fact that he used to be a thief made Gan Ning unwilling to mention it.

  If Yu had been in a normal situation, Gan Ning might have left just like that. However, this was the military council of Jiangxia, and even if we don't mention the generals inside the house, there were still several hundred guards outside. After being blocked by Su Fei, Gan Ning also calmed down.

  He shot Huang a glance and then fell silent.

  Patting Gan Ning's shoulder, Su Fei stood out: "Master, what Shao Gongzi and General said are both reasonable. What General said about asking for reinforcements from Xiangyang and defending firmly is based on the alliance between Lv Bu's army and Sun Ce's army. If it's not, wouldn't the reinforcements we invite be a joke?"

  Huang Zu nodded in agreement, sharing the same concerns as Su Fei. Although Jiangxia belonged to Jingzhou, it was actually under his control. If reinforcements were called in and Lü Bu and Sun Ce didn't form an alliance, it would be easy to invite the gods but hard to send them away. If the army didn't leave, the situation in Jiangxia would be difficult to predict!

  "What the young master said also makes sense, to be intimidated before battle is a great taboo for military families. If Sun Ce's army invades our Jiangxia, we should prepare for war, but 20,000 troops are too many, although Jiangxia is large, it still needs soldiers to defend the city. My lord should send out 15,000 troops and appoint 100 brave generals to repel the enemy outside of Jiangxia!"

  Su Fei took everything into consideration. If Lü Bu and Sun Ce did not form an alliance, that would be for the best. If they did form an alliance, then he would take the initiative to send troops first and attack preemptively, letting a seasoned general lead the defense against the enemy outside of Jiangxia. Advancing could capture Lujiang, retreating could defend Jiangxia, and with 15,000 troops holding out, it was possible to wait for reinforcements from Xiangyang.

  "Hmm!" Huang Zu nodded "Junyi's words are extremely right, Huang Zhong and Su Fei listen to the order!" Huang Zu finally made a decision.

  "Ah!" Huang Zhong Su Fei half-knelt on the ground.

  "With Huang Zhong as the main general and Su Fei as the deputy general, lead 15,000 troops to wait for orders to defend against the enemy outside Jiangxia!"

  "We shall obey your orders!" Huang Zhong and Xue Fei said with clasped hands.

  One side was anxious about Huang She's situation, he was the one who suggested to lead the troops into battle in the first place, now they're kicking him out, and both the main general and deputy general have already been replaced, is this how you treat Huang She?!

  "Father, father!"

  "Shooter?!" Huang Zu also saw his son's eagerness, he too wanted his son to be able to stand on his own and have some ability. This time the army had Huang Zhong and Su Fei in command, so there shouldn't be any big problems, might as well let his son take charge. "Huang She obeys!"

  "In!" At the sound of this voice, Huang Xie excitedly knelt down.

  "You are the chief logistics officer of the army, and all the food and grass for the army's actions have been taught to you!" The logistics officer is a unit that can temper people, and it is also a very important unit.

  "Ah!" Quartermaster? The difference between this and what Huang Xie thought was too big.