Three Kingdoms: I switched to Liu Bei, why are you crying, Cao Cao?

Chapter 93: First meeting with Zhou Yu, the plan to break the city

Under Qin Zhen's plan, Liu Bei naturally did two things under the cover of night.

First, he sent someone north to order Guan Yu to go south.

Second, send spies to the south to find out the news about Sun Ce’s hometown in the south.

Only after finishing these two things did Liu Bei go to bed.

The next morning, he followed Qin Zhen's suggestion and invited Sun Ce and Lu Bu to come to the camp to discuss matters again.

The three families gathered together again, but before Liu Bei could ask anything, Lu Bu blurted out, looked at Sun Ce and Zhou Yu and asked:

"I wonder if Bofu could think it over after he went back yesterday?"

"You must know that there is a severe drought in Huainan right now, and we have limited food and supplies. If we have to make a decision, we should make it as soon as possible so that we can attack."

"If this continues, I'm afraid that even when our army runs out of money and food, we won't be able to take Shouchun City!"

Obviously, Lu Bu was more anxious than Liu Bei.

Facing Lu Bu's question, Sun Ce glanced at Zhou Yu and said with a smile:
"Marquis Wen is right. Actually, after discussing this with my brother yesterday, I think this is not a bad idea!"

"After all, it is difficult for the three of us to take the city. Since the two of you want Shouchun and are willing to cooperate with us in Hefei, how can I refuse?"

"We have already agreed on the plan. We will follow Marquis Wen's advice. After Shouchun falls, I will not take a penny. This place will belong to you two!"

After saying this, he looked at Liu Bei and smiled meaningfully:

"But you two must know that although Ce is young, he is not someone who can be easily bullied!"

"If we really take Shouchun this time, you two must go south to help our army take Hefei. Otherwise, it will be bad if your reputation is ruined and we three families become resentful of you!"

Liu Bei smiled and said nothing when he heard this, but Lu Bu said with dissatisfaction:
"We are all trustworthy people. How could we take advantage of your youth? Don't worry!"

Seeing this, Sun Ce nodded again and smiled:

"In that case, let's discuss how to capture Shouchun!"

"Logically speaking, this time, the envoy is the master, so you shouldn't ask me!"

"But now our army has also contributed its strength, and we need to know what arrangements you two have made."

Lü Bu listened, then looked at Liu Bei and said:
"Bofu is right. Although we have agreed to take the city, we have not yet decided on the strategy for taking the city."

"In my opinion, why not have the three of us attack one side each, and surround three of us with one missing? Is that okay?"

Seeing his appearance, Liu Bei nodded and smiled:
"Marquis Wen is good at fighting, and everyone in the world knows it. This strategy is perfect!"

He remembered Qin Zhen's instructions yesterday, and asked again:
"But if we surround three sides but lack one, we don't know which three sides to surround and which one is missing. How should we choose among the three sides?"

Seeing this, Lu Bu frowned. This strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one behind is used when attacking by force.

But to use it this time, we must ensure that the three parties advance and retreat at the same time, and we must exert strength on three sides.

Although they had agreed to have three parties take the city, if Sun Ce did not try his best, the pressure would overwhelm him and Liu Bei.

Moreover, attacking a city by force would cause extremely serious damage to the army. There was a difference between which side of Shouchun City was easier to attack and which side was harder to attack.

If he is unlucky and chooses a difficult side to attack, that will not be a good thing for him.

Considering this, Lu Bu immediately said:
"We don't know how the enemy is prepared right now, so we can go to the city and observe before we act!"

Seeing that Lu Bu took the initiative to bring it up, Liu Bei nodded and smiled, then looked at Sun Ce and Zhou Yu and said:
"We are new here, and we are not as familiar with the area as you two. Could you lead the way and take us around the city?"

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu both served under Yuan Shu. When it comes to understanding Shouchun, no one knows it better than them, so they nodded at the same time.

So everyone took their troops and led the generals out of the camp and headed down to Shouchun City.

Speaking of Shouchun City, it also has hundreds of years of history.

This place originally belonged to the ancient "Zhoulai". It was built by the State of Chu due to the struggle for hegemony between Wu and Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period.

When it was first built, it was used to control the Huaihe River Basin and was only used for stationing troops.

Later, because the Chu State moved its capital here, this place ushered in tremendous development. Until the Qin and Han Dynasties, it became the largest city in Huainan.

After Yuan Shu occupied the city, although he did not build any new walls, he did carry out some repairs!
When they looked around, they saw that the moat was very wide and the water in it was very deep, making it difficult to approach the city.

I also saw that the city walls were high and wide, and there were urn cities inside the four gates. Soldiers were constantly coming and going on the walls, and the defenses were extremely strict.

It seemed that Liu Bei and Lu Bu both got a headache when they saw it.

Because it is extremely troublesome to attack such a city by force.

Since the moat outside the city was wide and deep, if one wanted to get close to the city, one had to first fill the moat under the rain of arrows.

Now that we have an access passage, we can get into the city!
The existence of the city wall not only increases the difficulty of climbing up the city, but also increases the difficulty of seizing the gate!

After breaking into the city gate, you have to break through another gate under the rain of arrows before you can enter the city.

What is even more despairing is that Shouchun City is extremely large.

Street fighting can also be carried out in the city. The only way to storm the city is to fight for the city walls and exhaust the city's military strength.

So after looking around, Lu Bu said in a deep voice:
"If you want to take this city, you must not attack it by force!"

"If we attack by force, we will suffer heavy casualties!"

As soon as he said this, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu nodded secretly.

In fact, this is also the reason why they didn't speak just now.

Both of them knew very well how big Shouchun City was. It could be said that it had no defensive weaknesses at all. This kind of city was surrounded on three sides and lacked one side, so it required four times the number of troops to take action.

Now, upon hearing Lü Bu's emotion, Sun Ce looked at Liu Bei and said:

"Does Envoy Liu have any plan to capture the city?"

Seeing this, Liu Bei shook his head and said:

"There is no such plan! I think you two know the layout of Shouchun City, so you should have a countermeasure!"

After hearing this, Sun Ce smiled and said:

"If the envoy wants to ask us what strategy we have, I'm afraid it will be difficult to succeed!"

"This city is difficult to take, and everyone in the world knows it."

"Besides, Ji Ling is quite capable of defending the city. If he is determined to hold on, I'm afraid we will have no choice but to storm!"

After saying this, he looked at Zhou Yu and asked:
"Does Gongjin have a plan to capture the city?"

Seeing Sun Ce's expression, Zhou Yu knew that he was unwilling to offer his advice, so he simply smiled and said:
"Your Excellency and Marquis Wen are both good generals, but they still don't have a plan to break the city. How can I have a plan?"

Since he had already decided to turn against Liu Bei, he would naturally use up some of his strength. While he was thinking, he suddenly had an idea and said to Liu Bei:

"I heard that you have a military advisor under your command who is very resourceful."

"Now that there is no solution, why not call him to see me?"

He thought that since he had been plotted against by Qin Zhen this time and had never met this person, he could take this opportunity to meet him.

Zhou Yu had no idea that this was exactly what Liu Bei wanted. Seeing Zhou Yu actively asking for a meeting, Liu Bei pretended to be hesitant and said:

"But my military advisor has just recovered from a serious illness, so he doesn't know the details and may not have a plan!"

When Zhou Yu heard this, he was surprised. Is Qin Zhen sick?
Real disease or fake disease?

While he was thinking, Lu Bu said:
"Hey, Xuande, what are you talking about? Now that we want to take the city, we should use our wisdom. I see that Wang Ziye is very talented and must have a good plan!"

"You can call him to see us. If you have a good plan, we can help you." "If you don't have a good plan, he can go back and rest. It won't be a big deal!"

When Zhou Yu reminded him, he remembered that Liu Bei still had Wang He under his command!
Although he doesn't like this guy, it is undeniable that Wang He is indeed capable!
Now that we are in trouble, it is time to find a military advisor.

Chen Gong, one of his subordinates, was not there, and Wang Kai and Xu Si were of little use, so he had to send a professional like Wang He.

Seeing the two of them like this, Liu Bei pretended to sigh:

"Well, for now, I should ask the military advisor to come and see me."

As he said this, he ordered Guan Ping to go and fetch Qin Zhen.

While they were outside investigating the enemy situation, Qin Zhen had already made preparations. When he saw Guan Ping coming, he let Guan Ping push him all the way out of the camp.

When they reached a gentle slope, they saw Liu Bei and others leading their troops sitting quietly and chatting.

Qin Zhen watched and secretly sized up Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, and couldn't help but admire inwardly, it seems that the aesthetic standards for handsome men in ancient and modern times are similar in some sense.

Sun Ce himself is a handsome man with a heroic look, while Zhou Yu has a fair face and no beard, with an upright posture, and looks like a typical popular young actor.

If he were born in the future, I wonder how many girls would go crazy.

After looking at them like this, he slowly stood up and walked forward. He walked all the way to the distance where the crowd was. Before he arrived, he burst into a violent coughing fit.

When everyone heard the voice, they all turned around. When Liu Bei saw him, he stepped forward and asked with concern:
"I wonder if the military advisor feels better today?"

When Qin Zhen saw this, he thought that Lao Liu's acting skills were good, so he coughed a few times and said with a smile:

"Don't worry, my lord. I'm fine now!"

While the king and his ministers were talking, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu in the distance were looking at Qin Zhen carefully.

Seeing him wearing a tall hat and a wide belt, with an elegant and handsome appearance, they couldn't help but look at each other.

They always heard about Qin Zhen's talents, but they didn't expect that Qin Zhen also had an extraordinary appearance.

The only thing is that his face is pale and he looks quite ill. He doesn't have the bearing to command the country.

The two were looking at each other, but Lu Bu stepped forward and said with a smile:

"So the master hasn't recovered yet. I thought Xuande didn't want me to wait to see him!"

Seeing that Lu Bu was talking to him, Qin Zhen bowed and said with a smile:
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Wen. I am fine, but the Lord insisted that I rest in the camp, so I cannot come."

"Ahem, ahem, I hope Lord Wen will forgive me!"

When Lu Bu saw him like this, he thought to himself, how can you be okay even though you are so sick?
Don’t let him die of illness in this army, otherwise Liu Bei will suffer a great loss.

While thinking this in his heart, he waved his hand and smiled:

"Sir, you don't have to do this. I see that you are still ill and Xuande is right. You should take good care of yourself!"

Qin Zhen listened, smiled but said nothing, coughed a few times, turned to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu and said with a smile:
"I see two of you, you must be Sun Lang of Wujun and Zhou Lang of Lujiang!"

"I have heard of you two for a long time, but I didn't expect to meet you today. Please forgive me for not being able to give you a complete reception!"

After saying this, Youyou bowed towards the two of them.

When Sun Ce and Zhou Yu saw this, they naturally hurried to return the gift.

After returning the gift, Zhou Yu sighed in his heart. He had originally wanted to use this excuse to test Qin Zhen's attitude and see if he could reveal Qin Zhen's identity and cause resentment between the Liu and Lu families.

He didn't expect Qin Zhen to appear like this. Looking at him like this, it was difficult for him to make trouble!
So, is this person really sick or faking it?
If it was a real illness, it would be fine. But if it was a fake illness, then he really couldn't figure out what this person was planning.

Thinking about this, Zhou Yu stepped forward and said with a smile:

"If Yu had known that you would do this, I would definitely not have asked Envoy Liu to invite you to come and offer advice."

"Sir, you are ill, can you still give me some advice?"

Looking at Zhou Yu's warm face, Qin Zhen turned his head and smiled:

"Oh? So it is Zhou Lang who wants to offer me some advice?"

If Liu Bei asked him to come, that would be his plan. If Zhou Yu asked him to come, then that would be something to talk about!
When Liu Bei saw this, he stepped forward and told him what had just happened, and then said:
"It was Gongjin who mentioned the military advisor, so we just called him here. I wonder if he has any plan to break the city?"

"So that's how it is. Zhou Lang actually thinks so highly of me?"

Qin Zhen looked back at Zhou Yu and became more alert!

It was obvious that Zhou Yu was not asking the question casually, but was preparing to cause trouble.

Fortunately, he pretended to be sick in advance, otherwise it would be a bit difficult to deal with.

Thinking of this, his smile became brighter and brighter, and he said to Zhou Yu:
"I didn't expect this to happen. When I was in Yanzhou, I often heard that Zhou Gongjin had extraordinary talent!"

"Furthermore, I heard that Gongjin is still under Yuan Shu's command, so he must know everything about Shouchun. Now he is at a loss. Could it be that he is specifically looking for me to show off my ugliness?"

When Liu Bei and Lu Bu heard this, they were both surprised. They often heard of Zhou Yu's name in music, but had never heard of Zhou Yu's extraordinary talent.

But Qin Zhen's words are not without basis, which means that Zhou Yu is hiding his abilities!

When Zhou Yu saw this, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He thought that Qin Zhen was in the open and he was in the dark, and Qin Zhen should not know about him, a "nobody".

Why does Qin Zhen look like he knows him very well?

Moreover, Qin Zhen's words sounded like flattery. If he admitted that he had a plan, Lu Bu would definitely be angry. If he denied that he had a plan, Qin Zhen might attack again.

Thinking of this, he could only smile awkwardly and said:

"Sir, what are you talking about? If we talk about the strategy of taking the city, I can always come up with a few plans after thinking about it."

"But I think that you are a talented person, so I shouldn't make a fool of myself!"

"Gongjin must be hiding his incompetence!"

Without waiting for Zhou Yu to deny, Qin Zhen turned around and said with a smile:

"Well, even if Gongjin is hiding his incompetence, I will offer you a plan!"

As he spoke, he arrived in front of Shouchun City, pretended to take a look, then turned around and said to everyone:
"I have a plan to break into the city, but it is against the will of nature, so I'm afraid you won't dare to act!"

Hearing this, Lu Bu laughed and said:
"Sir, what are you talking about? Yuan Shu is a usurper and has taken over the city. It is the righteous cause for us to attack him. Why are we afraid to act?"

Sun Ce and Liu Bei frowned when they heard this. What kind of plan would be against the harmony of nature?

Only Zhou Yu saw this, his expression changed, and he said in a deep voice:
"Sir, are you planning to dig the Huai River to flood the city?"

As soon as he said this, everyone's expression changed, except Qin Zhen, who smiled and said:

"It can be seen that Gongjin is not without a plan, but he just doesn't want to tell you, cough cough cough."

"The only problem we have now is that Ji Ling won't fight us. If that's the case, we can divert water to flood the city and force him to fight. If he does, how can we not take the city?"

"It must be that Gongjin didn't want to be the villain, so he let me be the villain, right?"

When Zhou Yu heard this, he suddenly felt as if his inner thoughts were being explored.

Just as Qin Zhen said, he did think of this method, but he didn't want to tell Liu Bei and others.

I didn't expect that Qin Zhen would point it out directly.

Can this person really understand people's hearts, or is he deliberately deceiving him?

Looking at that warm smiling face, the ominous premonition in his heart became stronger.

(End of this chapter)