Seeing that Zhou Yu had a plan in mind for such a thorny matter, Sun Quan hurriedly asked for countermeasures.
Zhou Yu first asked: "Since Cao Cao destroyed Yuan Shao and pacified Hebei, he has been feared by the world and has always wanted to attack the south of the Yangtze River. If Liu Qi had not appeared, Jingzhou would have been divided between our two families. In this situation, who would benefit more?"
Lu Su replied, "If we divide Jingzhou, Cao Cao will definitely get Nanyang and Nanjun. Jiangxia alone cannot be defended, and I can only get the land south of the Yangtze River. Cao Cao has already occupied Jingzhou, and his power is already strong. It is difficult to resist him from the east and west to take Jiangdong."
Sun Quan had also carefully thought about what Lu Su had said before, and nodded when he heard it, saying, "If Cao Cao gets Jingzhou, it will be like adding wings to a tiger. If I get Jingzhou, it will only be icing on the cake, like inviting a wolf into the house!"
Zhou Yu chuckled and said, "Although Liu Qi has some strategies and has Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who are capable of fighting ten thousand men, he has just taken Jingzhou and is not feared by the people of the country. With only Jingzhou, he cannot stop Cao's army alone, let alone covet the land of Jiangdong."
Sun Quan said: "If we just stand by and watch, Liu Qi will be destroyed sooner or later, and Jiangdong will be in danger!"
Zhou Yu said: "Although Cao Cao suffered a defeat in Nanyang, the north has vast territory, abundant food, and a wealth of talented people. If we don't attack its foundation, it will still be difficult to compete with it, and we must not let it dominate. We should take advantage of Cao Cao's revenge and send troops from Huainan to contain Cao's army so that it can't take care of both ends. I will act according to the situation and slowly plan for the Central Plains. When both Cao and Liu are defeated, Cao's army is exhausted, and Liu Qi is defeated, then we will take advantage of the situation to attack him, and Jingxiang can be obtained."
"This is a brilliant plan!" Sun Quan laughed and clapped his hands, "If we can take Jingzhou without spending too much manpower, with Wu and Chu being so powerful, why should I fear Cao Cao?"
Lu Su said, "Cao Cao has many soldiers and generals, and he is good at using them. He was invincible in defeating Lu Bu and conquering Yuan Shao. Although Liu Qi won by chance, I'm afraid he can't hold out alone and won't be able to hold out for long."
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "As long as Liu Qi is fully committed to fighting Cao, he will not have to worry about the consequences. With the wealth of Jingzhou and the bravery of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, he will be able to support the country for three to five years."
Lu Su immediately understood: "Gongjin's intention is to unite with Liu Qi to fight against Cao?"
Zhou Yu clasped his fists towards Sun Quan and said, "My lord, you still have a younger sister who is still unmarried. She is about the same age as Liu Qi. If we can marry, Liu Qi will have no worries and will do his best to fight against Cao Cao."
"What?" Sun Quan stood up in shock, waving his sleeves and saying, "I have already endured humiliation by not avenging my father, how can I marry my younger sister to the daughter of my enemy? Even if I am not afraid of other people's criticism, how can my father rest in peace in the afterlife?"
Zhou Yu said, "When Liu Biao sent out his troops, it was because our ancestor was ordered by Yuan Shu to attack Jingzhou. He had no choice but to do so to protect himself. Moreover, Huang Zu is dead and the revenge has been taken. My lord should put the overall situation first! Lu Boyan can still marry Bo Fu's daughter, serve the Sun family, and marry Liu Qi to fight against Cao. Why not?"
"This..." Sun Quan wandered around the hall with his hands behind his back, frowning.
After Sun Ce was assassinated, in order to win over the Jiangdong families, Sun Quan changed his high-pressure stance and adopted a conciliatory policy. He appeased the families, employed their sons and daughters, and even allowed each family to have their own private armies in order to stabilize the territory.
When Sun Ce was ordered by Yuan Shu to attack Lujiang, more than a hundred members of the prefect Lu Kang's clan died in the city. He betrothed Sun Ce's daughter to Lu Xun in order to resolve the feud with the Lu family.
They all serve their own masters and have no choice. Since they can reconcile with the Lu family through marriage, why can't they make peace with Liu Biao
Seeing Sun Quan's hesitation, Zhou Yu said, "There is another deeper meaning here: your sister is extremely brave and skilled in archery and horse riding, although men are not as good as her. Liu Qi is weak and must be afraid of him. If you can control Liu Qi, wouldn't Jingzhou belong to Jiangdong? Even if you can't do that, if Liu Qi is defeated in the future, he will have no choice but to flee to Jiangdong. Then, my lord, you can take Jingzhou with you, and it will be easy and legitimate."
Suddenly, Lu Su said, "I heard that Liu Qi will marry the daughter of Xi from Xiangyang, and the engagement has already been made. Gongjin, don't you know?"
"Is this really true?" Sun Quan was just beginning to be interested, but his heart trembled when he heard this.
His sister is even afraid of herself. If she can secretly give instructions and control Liu Qi, it will be a huge profit.
"I had already inquired about the news of Jingzhou when I came here, how come I didn't know about this?" Zhou Yu said with a smile: "But it is common for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Yao married two daughters and Shun married two daughters to observe their virtues. What's wrong with marrying your sister?"
Lu Su said: "Liu Qi is a noble of the imperial family. Even if the young lady becomes a concubine, it will not be a disgrace to her. However, Liu Biao is still alive, so I am afraid Liu Qi cannot make the decision."
Zhou Yu said: "Since Liu Qi defeated Cao Cao, Liu Biao has been obedient to him. We just need to convince Liu Qi."
Sun Quan paced back and forth for a long while before saying, "Shangxiang is strong-willed and willful, and your parents love her very much. Let me discuss this with my mother before making a decision."
Zhou Yu nodded and said, "We need to send someone to Jingzhou to meet Liu Qi and test his intentions."
Lu Su clasped his fists and said, "This is about the alliance between Sun and Liu and the great cause of Jiangdong. Although I am not talented, I am willing to go to Jingzhou to tell Liu Qi that they have put aside their past grudges and are of one mind to defeat Cao Cao together."
Sun Quan was overjoyed and said, "With Zi Jing going there in person, great things can be accomplished!"
Zhou Yu said, "I have been at odds with Liu Biao for many years. If I go there rashly, I am afraid Zijing will be in danger. Can you send Zhuge Ziyu to go with me? His brothers and sisters have all settled down in Xiangyang. My second brother Zhuge Liang is highly valued by Liu Qi and will not make things difficult for the two of them. If we can take this opportunity to persuade Kongming to come to Jiangdong, it will be better than two Jingzhous."
Sun Quan was surprised and asked, "What virtue and ability did Ziyu's brother have to deserve such high praise from Gongjin?"
Zhou Yu sighed, "There is a children's song in Jingzhou: Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick. If you get one of them, you can pacify the world. Although I have never seen Kong Ming, I am quite close to Pang Shiyuan. I know that he has unique knowledge and is a genius in the world. No one in Jiangdong can compare to him. It was said that Kong Ming's ability is even better than his. But the Phoenix Chick left without saying goodbye. If we can get Crouching Dragon to come, it will be a blessing for you and Jiangdong!"
Sun Quan was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands: "Such a talent was actually used by Liu Qi, which is really a waste of talent. Zijing, please go to Zhuge's house and ask Ziyu to go to Jingzhou and persuade Wolong to come to Jiangdong. I will treat him as a teacher!"
Just as Lu Su was about to leave, Zhou Yu suddenly said, "Liu Qi is cunning and treacherous, while Zi Jing is a loyal and honest man. Be careful when you go there, so as not to be schemed against by him."
Lu Su shook his head and laughed, "How can I be like Xiahou Mao's rich son? I have no desire or ambition when I go to Jingzhou. What can he do to me?"
Zhou Yu laughed and said, "If you have no desires, you will be strong. Zijing, you will surely achieve success. I will wait for good news in Chaisang."
After Lu Su left, Sun Quan sighed, "Since Liu Qi started from Xiangyang, he has obtained the two generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and also recruited the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix. He is leading the people of Jingzhou. In the long run, he may become a big threat! The governor and Zi Jing once planned to take Jingzhou and form a tripartite alliance. It may be difficult for them to advance to Bashu!"
Zhou Yu looked around, waved away the attendants, and smiled mysteriously: "Don't worry, my lord. People say that Liu Qi is amazing and can turn a golden scale into a dragon. He is the one who can revive the Han Dynasty. In my opinion, he is just a drunkard and a womanizer. It is difficult for him to accomplish great things."
Sun Quan was surprised and asked, "How did Gongjin know this?"
Zhou Yu whispered, "I have to report: Liu Qi is lustful by nature. He was previously trapped by Cai's beauty trap and nearly lost his life. Although he later turned back, his heart is hard to change. Not only did he keep the maid, he also took another concubine in Guiyang. He is so absurd before they even got married. Sooner or later, he will ruin the family business and become the master's property."
"God is really helping us..." Sun Quan clapped his hands and shouted, then frowned and said, "Won't this harm Shangxiang?"