The Eastern Wu took advantage of Cao's defeat in Nanyang to launch a surprise attack in Jiangbei. Although Zhou Yu captured Lujiang, Sun Quan suffered a defeat in Hefei.
Although Huang Gai accidentally killed Huang Zu in revenge, Guan Yu was in a dominant position in Jiangxia, and many of the Eastern Wu's plans were completely disrupted.
For the Eastern Wu, it was like killing an old wolf but attracting a ferocious tiger. Not only was there no hope of taking Jiangxia, but they had to worry about Guan Yu crossing the river to attack.
At this time, Cao Cao sent Cao Ren to lead 50,000 elite troops to rush to support Huainan and Xiahou Dun to guard Guangling, and the plan of occupying Huai River and defending Jiang also came to nothing.
Sun Quan had no choice but to withdraw from Chaohu Lake, ordered Zhou Yu to return to Chaisang, sent Sun Yu to guard Lujiang and Zhu Huan to guard Ruxu, and then returned to Jiangdong.
After the Battle of Hefei, the prestige that had been hard-earned over the years plummeted. Sun Quan regarded it as a shame in his life and vowed to take revenge. However, he was worried about retaliation from Cao's army, so he moved the capital from Wu County to Jingkou and defended along the river.
Upon hearing that Liu Qi was inspecting southern Jing, stabilizing Jingzhou, making peace with Cao Cao, and re-arranging a wedding for Zhang Fei, Sun Quan was worried and asked Lu Su and Zhang Zhao to discuss the matter.
Lu Su said with emotion: "Liu Qi made a stunning debut and defeated Cao's army. I'm afraid the world has never expected it! Although Cao and Liu have mutual exchanges, it's just that Liu Qi has hostages in his hands. Cao thief has been humiliated and he hates him very much. He must be thinking of revenge. Liu Qi is a noble of the Han Dynasty. He also claims to inherit Liu Xuande's ambition to revive the Han Dynasty. He must put eliminating the thieves and serving the king first. Although the two sides seem to be in harmony, they must be fighting secretly!"
Zhang Zhao sneered and said, "Although Liu Qi shines brightly, I think he is just a flash in the pan. We should destroy him before he can fully develop his wings."
Sun Quan frowned and said, "Liu Qi ordered Guan Yu to pacify Jiangxia, which is no match for Huang Zu. He also trained the navy in Dongting Lake. It will take time to go upstream and attack Jingzhou. Once the troops are dispatched, Cao's army will surely come to retaliate. What should we do?"
Zhang Zhao stroked his beard and smiled, "Liu Qi arranged a marriage for Zhang Fei just to win over Guan and Zhang's hearts. It can't be considered an alliance. In terms of marriage, my lord and the Cao family are the closest relatives. Cao wanted me to send my son to the court before, why not let him go and make peace with the Cao family? Cao Cao stationed troops in Xuchang, and he must be eager to destroy Liu Qi and avenge him. It is agreed that the two armies will divide Jingzhou together. My lord will take the land south of Jing, cross the Yangtze River and guard the south of the Yangtze River, which is enough to protect the foundation!"
Sun Quan was displeased and said, "I declined the envoy earlier, and now I have taken the land of Huainan. I have already broken with Cao. If I negotiate peace again, wouldn't I become a treacherous villain who is indecisive?"
"Why would someone who is going to accomplish great things be so concerned about trivial matters?" Zhang Zhao clasped his fists and said, "I am willing to go to Hebei to meet the emperor in person and persuade Cao Cao with my eloquence. This will not only save Jiangdong from danger, but also show the lord's loyalty to the emperor. I will kill two birds with one stone."
Sun Quan hesitated and looked at Lu Su who was silent. "Zijing, what do you think?"
Lu Su said: "To make peace with Cao is like trying to get the skin of a tiger. I think it is better to ally with Liu and fight against Cao together."
Sun Quan stared in amazement and shouted coldly: "Liu Biao and I have a grudge against each other for killing our fathers. Liu Biao and I are sworn enemies, so how can we join forces?"
Lu Su clasped his fists and said, "Now Huang Zu has been killed by Huang Gai. The former lord has been avenged, which is enough to comfort his heroic spirit! Liu Qi worked hard to destroy the Cai family. The lord is far more heroic than Gou Jian, the King of Yue. His demeanor should be the same."
Zhang Zhao sneered, "Although Huang Zu is dead, Liu Biao is still alive. If we unite with the Liu family, wouldn't that be like recognizing an enemy as our father? Liu Qi is a young boy who won by chance. How can he compare to the hero of the Marquis of Wu?"
Lu Su said slowly: "Jingzhou and Jiangdong are closely connected. If Cao Cao gets Jingzhou, half of the country will be in his hands. How can Jiangdong, a small country, be safe?"
"Why do you say that?" Sun Quan's face turned pale. He was furious and said, "I inherited my father and brother's foundation and worked hard for seven or eight years. I have a well-trained army and sufficient food. Why should I be afraid of Cao Cao?"
Lu Su lowered his head and remained silent, Zhang Zhao stroked his beard and sneered, Sun Quan took a deep breath, asked the two to retreat temporarily, and thought alone.
At night, Sun Quan sent someone to invite Lu Su to his study room secretly, and said, "I hope you won't mind my rudeness during the banquet today."
Lu Su laughed and said, "I knew that the Marquis of Wu was feigning anger, so I sent someone to invite Gongjin to come and discuss matters!"
Sun Quan was stunned: "How did Zi Jing know this?"
Lu Su said: "In the current situation, if we don't ally with Liu, we should make peace with Cao. The lord did not allow Zi Bu to meet the emperor, which shows that he may not be willing to serve Cao. What he said during the banquet is just to appease the people of Jiangdong!"
"The one who understands me best is Zi Jing!" Sun Quan sighed, "Since my brother was assassinated, I have tried my best to stabilize the tribes in Jiangdong and employ their talents, but people's hearts are different and they only seek their own interests. After the defeat in Hefei, I don't know how many people have been frightened by Cao Cao and secretly traveled to Jiangbei. I must be on guard."
Lu Su sighed, "Cao Cao suffered a heavy loss in Nanyang and moved the capital to Yecheng. His prestige plummeted. This shows that we may not be unable to win! The people of Jiangdong only want to protect their own family business. If you want to achieve great things, you still need your lord to be strong and independent."
Sun Quan shook his head helplessly and frowned, "In the past, I discussed the world's affairs with Zi Jing on the bed. Zi Jing suggested taking Jingzhou and occupying the Yangtze River to observe the world's situation. Why do you want to unite with Liu Qi now? If Jingzhou is not taken, it will be difficult to form a tripartite situation!"
Lu Su replied, "In the past, Liu Biao was incompetent and his two sons were useless. If we had taken advantage of the fact that the north was not pacified and Cao Cao had no time to look east, we could have taken Jingzhou and then Bashu to compete with Cao Cao. Now Liu Qi has risen and has recruited powerful generals such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Jingzhou is urgent and difficult to take. Now that the north is pacified, Cao Cao will intend to take the south. The timing is different, so we should come up with a better strategy."
Sun Quan frowned and said, "But if we ally with Liu Qi, won't we be laughed at by the world?"
"Since ancient times, success has made kings and failures have made bandits. If you want to achieve great things, why should you be afraid of what others say?" Lu Su said, "If you succeed in becoming a king or a hegemon, people will praise you for your ability to bend and stretch, and to judge the situation. Just like Gou Jian, the King of Yue, if he fails to restore his country, people will probably laugh at him for not knowing his own strength and making a fool of himself, and he will be laughed at for eternity!"
"Zi Jing's words have opened my eyes!" Sun Quan's eyes lit up and he straightened his chest: "My elder brother once said: If you are unsure about foreign affairs, ask Zhou Yu. When Gongjin arrives tomorrow, we will discuss important matters together."
The next day, Zhou Yu sailed to Jingkou overnight, met Sun Quan, and said with a big smile, "Congratulations, my lord. Congratulations, my lord."
Sun Quan was stunned and asked, "Where does the joy come from?"
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "Yesterday, the spy reported that Liu Qi had taken advantage of Cao's wedding to trick Cao Cao into giving him the Qingguang Sword and captured Wuguan Pass. Cao and Liu are in harmony, but they are not. They are falling apart without any attack. We can just sit back and watch. Isn't this a joy?"
Sun Quan glanced at Lu Su and said with a smile, "Cao Cao has been deceived by Liu Qi again, so he will surely be angry and raise an army. I will take advantage of the situation to divide Jingzhou. I believe that Liu Qi, even if he has three heads and six arms, will not be able to take care of both ends."
"Absolutely not!" Zhou Yu waved his hand to dissuade him, "Since Cao and Liu are fighting, you should not send troops to Jingzhou. Instead, you should take the opportunity to march north and conquer the Yuan Dynasty to achieve hegemony!"
"Liu Biao and I have a grudge for killing my father. This is a heaven-sent opportunity. How can I miss it?"
Sun Quan then told Zhang Zhao what he had said yesterday and asked, "What do you think of this plan, Mr. Zhang?"
Zhou Yu was furious when he heard this and asked, "Old bald man Changru, do you want to surrender to Cao?"
Lu Su asked with a smile: "I wonder what the Grand Commander has to say?"
Zhou Yu smiled proudly: "If Liu Qi dies soon, Cao Cao will go south, which will be very disadvantageous to Jiangdong. Why not treat him as a gatekeeper to contain Cao Cao? I have a good plan. Sooner or later, my lord will get his revenge and take Jingzhou easily."