Zhou Yu laughed and said, "Liu Qi thought that he could enter the Central Plains directly and reach Yecheng first because of the geographical advantage of Nanyang. Little did he know that Cao Cao had already prepared for it. He had already laid many defense lines in Yuzhou. Zhang Liao was stationed in Kunyang, and Cao Ren was injured and retreated to guard Xuchang. This is Cao's heartland. How can it be easily broken through?"
Sun Quan knew Zhang Liao's bravery very well, and nodded, saying, "The defense of Yuzhou is as solid as a rock, but if I march from Xuzhou, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven. I'm afraid it won't be easy."
"If not, how could Liu Qi agree to the alliance?" Zhou Yu smiled proudly: "My lord, don't forget that we still have the advantage of the navy. The sea is vast and there is a lot we can do."
Huang Gai asked, "Is Gongjin going to use his old trick again and launch a surprise attack from the east along the coast?"
Sun Quan frowned and said, "Since the surprise attack on the Huai River estuary, Cao's army has strengthened its defense along the coast of Xuzhou. There are cavalry patrols in the morning and evening, and military camps have been set up in the East China Sea area. If we go further north, we will be alone and deep in the enemy territory. It is unlikely that the navy alone will succeed."
Zhou Yu said: "If the navy advances northward from the sea, it will be difficult to succeed without a foothold. But as long as we build a water fortress on the sea, even if Cao's army gets wind of it, they will be powerless."
Sun Quan frowned and said, "It is hard to predict the consequences of a disaster at sea. The governor's move is too risky."
Zhou Yu laughed and said, "If I am not sure, how can I dare to send troops easily? Even if I am willing to sacrifice my life for Jiangdong, I will not be able to repay those tens of thousands of soldiers."
Sun Quan's eyes lit up: "So, the commander-in-chief already has a plan?"
"That's right!" Zhou Yu said, "I went to Xiangyang this time and met Mi Fang. I asked him about the islands in the East China Sea. It happened to be east of Tan County, there is a large island called Yuzhou Island. When the Central Plains was in turmoil, the Mi family moved part of their property here to avoid the chaos and kept more than 2,000 retainers and refugees. When Liu Bei was defeated by Lu Bu, he was able to rise with the support of Mi Zhu, relying on the financial and material resources on this island."
Sun Quan was so overjoyed that he sat up and asked, "Will the Mi family lend us this island?"
"No!" Zhou Yu shook his head and said, "Since Brother Mi Zhu fully supported Liu Bei, he moved his family and all the supplies on this island have been moved away. According to what Mi Fang knows, Yuzhou Island is now occupied by the remnants of the Yellow Turbans. When Cao Cao conquered the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, some of the remnants fled across the sea and gathered here."
"Hahaha, God is really helping me!" Sun Quan was overjoyed and grabbed Zhou Yu's arm. "It's easy for the commander to defeat such a villain. If we take this place, we can go straight to the heart of Xuzhou."
"It is not my intention to take Xuzhou!" Zhou Yu shook his head slowly, and calmly withdrew his arm. He pointed to the map on the table and drew a circle in the empty space east of Xuzhou. "Yuzhou Island is probably located here. If we take Xuzhou, Cao's army has already prepared for it, so it will not be easy. We can use this island as a water fortress and continue north to take Qingzhou directly."
"Qingzhou?" Sun Quan and Huang Gai exclaimed and looked at Zhou Yu in disbelief.
"That's right!" Zhou Yu's eyes were slightly stern, full of the heroic spirit of swallowing up the world, and he said with emotion: "Liu Qi wants to enter the Central Plains, and I will also attack Xuzhou. The main force of Cao's army is in the Central Plains, and Hebei must be empty. If I can get Qingzhou, I can march westward and take Yecheng directly. Once I go to the king, Cao's reputation will be ruined and people's hearts will be scattered. Liu Qi will act according to the agreement, and the lord will be crowned king and divide the land, and the south will conquer the world in no time!"
Huang Gai was surprised and said: "The Yellow Turban bandits were able to cross the sea from Qingzhou to this island. If our Jiangdong navy uses this as a base, wouldn't it be easy to enter Qingzhou?"
"Hiss—" Sun Quan's blood boiled with excitement after hearing these words. He stood up and rubbed his hands excitedly. He walked back and forth for several circles before sitting down. He took a deep breath and asked, "Jiangdong is thousands of miles away from Qingzhou. We can only take Qingzhou with the navy without any support. How confident are you, Gongjin?"
"At least 70%!" Zhou Yu pointed his finger and saw Sun Quan's expression change slightly. He said, "But my lord, don't forget that we have been dealing with Gongsun Kang of Liaodong for several years. If he is willing to send troops to help us, we can divide Hebei and take Qingzhou easily!"
"Gongsun Kang?" Sun Quan frowned and said, "Gongsun Kang is guarding Liaodong, and we are just doing some trade with him. I'm afraid we dare not offend Cao Cao easily."
Zhou Yu said, "Gongsun Kang defeated Goguryeo last year and captured its capital. He also attacked Han Ye and set up Daifang Commandery. He has long relied on being far away to resist. Recently, I heard that Cao Cao withdrew from Huainan because of the Xianbei invasion in the north. He wanted to go north to fight personally. He may have intended to attack Gongsun Kang. Now is the time to send someone to tell him. Gongsun Kang will become suspicious and respond."
Huang Gai stroked his beard and smiled, "Gong Jin is right. Gongsun Kang and his son occupied the counties of Qingzhou and Donglai in their early years and set up the governor of Yingzhou. Unfortunately, they were defeated by Cao Cao. This time they have found a new way, which is quite clever."
Sun Quan finally made up his mind, patted his thigh, stood up, and laughed: "Gongjin's plan has captured the essence of forming alliances and making friends with people far away and attacking those near. I have Gongjin, who is comparable to Zhang Su and Han Xin. Why should I worry about not accomplishing great things?"
Huang Gai's beard was already shaking with excitement. He stood up, clasped his fists and said, "Huang Gai is willing to be the pioneer in this great cause of opening up new frontiers."
"No!" Zhou Yu stood up and motioned for the two to sit down, saying, "This matter concerns the great cause of Jiangdong. You must act cautiously and must not alert the enemy. This time I will lead the troops alone, and only bring young generals with me. The old generals are not allowed to be deployed. You should follow the lord to Huainan to fight against Cao's army to avoid suspicion."
Sun Quan was stunned again: "I will personally take charge?"
Zhou Yu nodded and said, "Only if you personally lead the army can you show your determination to enter the Central Plains. Only then will Liu Qi send out his troops with all his strength. This war will definitely change the situation in the Central Plains. If you don't participate, won't you regret it for the rest of your life?"
"This..." Sun Quan was eager to try, but he felt a little guilty, "Gongjin, do you think it's feasible?"
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "My lord, you are a man of both military and civil skills. You took charge of Jiangdong at the age of 18 and appointed talented people to important posts. How many people in history can match you? Although you had some setbacks before, victory and defeat are common in the military. What's the big deal? Cao Cao was badly defeated in Puyang, Xuzhou, and Nanyang, and was almost unable to recover. Yet, he managed to fight again and again and survived. If my lord can conquer the world in one battle, you will naturally win the praise of the world."
"The governor's plan should be fully supported by the whole of Jiangdong!" Sun Quan smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "Gongjin has gone deep into the East China Sea and risked his life. Even if I fail three or five more times, what's the harm?"
Zhou Yu laughed and said, "My lord, why do you say that? Zhang Liao is in Runan, Cao Cao is heading north, and there is only Xiahou Dun in Huainan. My lord, you have Lu Meng and others as generals, and Lu Su and Lu Xun as military advisors. What's the point of talking about Xiahou Dun, a general who is often defeated?"
Sun Quan's confidence increased immediately, he nodded and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Gongjin, if we can take the opportunity to march into Xuzhou, I will not hesitate. But you will be in great danger on this journey, please take care of yourself, Jiangdong cannot do without Zhou Lang!"
Zhou Yu clasped his fists and said, "I have been entrusted by Bofu to assist my lord in achieving his great cause. I will do my utmost to serve Jiangdong faithfully, even if it means risking my life."
Sun Quan suddenly found an opportunity to rule the Central Plains. He was a little impatient. For a moment, he didn't know where to start. He asked hurriedly: "What should I do first?"
Zhou Yu said, "We should first sign an alliance with Liu Qi, and then contact Gongsun Kang. I will stay in Chaisang to recuperate. When my injury is slightly healed, I will secretly go to Qu'a and dispatch elite troops to the north. My lord, you should personally lead an expedition to Huainan and wait for an opportunity to take the Central Plains to contain Cao's army. Once I have taken Yuzhou Island, I can act accordingly."
Sun Quan was overjoyed and immediately sent people to Jiangxia to contact Liu Qi, agreeing to meet at Fankou the next day to discuss important matters.