Chapter 767: Yuan Shu's Request

Zhuge Jin was utterly stunned. It wasn’t that he was prone to overreacting, but Zhou Yu's command was simply too shocking. This was a force of 100,000 soldiers, not some insignificant detachment, and yet it was being handed over to someone whose name he didn’t even know.

Based on Yuan Shu’s current military strength, there were only four people with the qualifications to command such a large force: Yuan Shu himself, Ji Ling, Sun Ce, and Zhou Yu. Even the current campaign against Xuzhou wasn't led by one person commanding the entire army, but rather split into seven separate forces.

"This is simply a matter of expedience," Zhou Yu said, shaking his head. "Among the generals attacking Xuzhou, he's the one I trust most—he has good ability, and more importantly, a good temperament. He’s more reliable than Zhongye."

"If that’s the case, then we have no other choice," Zhuge Jin nodded in agreement. As soon as Zhou Yu left, he planned to send someone to gather intelligence on Li Tong, as he had a strong suspicion that many capable generals who had emerged in the past two years were secretly Zhou Yu’s plants within Yuan Shu’s army.

"Give him my sword and have him find Huo Jun, Lai Min, Lai Jingda, Li Yan, and Li Zhengfang," Zhou Yu continued. "I have confidence in Li Zhengfang, but giving him command of 100,000 soldiers... that’s a different story." Zhou Yu seemed somewhat troubled. Of all the people he had mentioned, he had the highest hopes for Li Zhengfang, but Li Yan’s personality was a complication.

These were all capable individuals Zhou Yu had recruited back when he was stationed in Jingzhou. At the time, Sun Ce’s forces were weak, so Zhou Yu placed them under Yuan Shu’s command, confident in his ability to control them later.

However, reality often differs from expectations. Before Sun Ce and Yuan Shu had a chance to clash, Zhou Yu had no need to activate these “pieces” he had planted. Now, however, he had no choice but to bring them into play, especially since he trusted these men more than some of the ragtag commanders currently in Yuan Shu’s army.

Unfortunately, these individuals hadn’t been under Yuan Shu's command for long. In this campaign against Xuzhou, the highest-ranking among them, Li Tong, commanded only 5,000 soldiers, and that was due to Zhou Yu’s support.

"Li Zhengfang? If you think so highly of him, he must be someone extraordinary," Zhuge Jin commented curiously.

"Li Yan’s internal energy and mental strength have both reached critical points, but breaking through in one area would hinder his progress in the other. If he continues to hesitate, he risks missing his chance, and in the worst case, he could end up with nothing at all," Zhou Yu explained, shaking his head. He had high hopes for Li Yan, but Li Yan’s indecisiveness was holding him back.

"Both at the critical point?" Zhuge Jin remarked, his expression becoming more curious. "That sounds like an extraordinary talent."

"He’s not exactly a genius. Back in the day, if I had wanted to, I could have reached critical points in both areas as well, but there’s no real benefit to it. Human effort has its limits," Zhou Yu said, dismissing Zhuge Jin’s praise. He didn’t elaborate further, but no one understood the drawbacks better than Zhou Yu. You could train both simultaneously, but you had to break through your limits before a certain age, or else you’d never succeed.

Zhuge Jin didn’t press the issue further, but he made a mental note to seek out Li Yan if the opportunity arose, wanting to meet the person who had managed to achieve such dual mastery.

"Give the sword to Li Wenda, and have him gather these three men under his command. If the situation becomes too dire, let him try out Li Zhengfang’s plan," Zhou Yu instructed, rubbing his temples.

Zhou Yu believed that letting Li Yan act freely could complicate matters further. More concerning was the feeling that Li Yan might be even more troublesome than the petty-minded Liao Li, which is why Zhou Yu had always wanted to toughen him up. Sending Liao Li to Jingzhou was a decision Zhou Yu now regretted.

"You seem more wary of Li Zhengfang than of Liao Gongyuan," Zhuge Jin commented, intrigued. "It feels like you’re even more cautious of him."

"You’ll understand once you meet him. He has the potential to become a great figure, but before that happens, I hope he doesn’t ruin himself," Zhou Yu replied with a hint of helplessness.

"I’m sure I’ll meet him soon enough," Zhuge Jin chuckled. "But if that’s the case, what about Zhongye and Derun?"

"They’re more mature. The people I mentioned earlier may be highly skilled, but their temperaments are still rough around the edges. Compared to Zhongye and Derun, they may even surpass them in ability, especially Li Zhengfang, but their personalities still have issues," Zhou Yu said, shaking his head.

"Just make sure to explain everything to them clearly. Li Wenda and Huo Zhongmiao have much more stable temperaments. Write a letter explaining the situation," Zhou Yu added, smiling.

"...," Zhuge Jin couldn’t help but smirk. Zhou Yu was clearly setting a trap for these people, but since it wasn’t his problem, Zhuge Jin had nothing more to say.

Their conversation was quick and efficient, without the need for lengthy explanations, and soon enough, they had wrapped up their discussion. Meanwhile, Yuan Shu had just arrived at the government office in Shouchun.

While Zhou Yu enjoyed a high degree of autonomy, he still followed most of Yuan Shu’s orders unless they conflicted with his goals. Even now, Zhou Yu could have simply led his troops directly to Jingzhou, but he planned to make a show of reporting to Yuan Shu first before departing. Whether Yuan Shu approved or not, Zhou Yu would leave swiftly regardless, but it was a matter of respect.

This time, however, when Zhou Yu entered the government office, he immediately noticed something different. Instead of a large gathering of officials and generals, only Ji Ling and Yan Xiang were present. All the other officials and military officers had been sent away, and even the noble families that supported Yuan Shu were conspicuously absent.

"Lord Yuan, I intend to lead my troops to Jingzhou and resolve General Sun’s return to the east," Zhou Yu said directly, not bothering to ask why there were so few people present.

"I trust that General Sun can handle his own matters. There’s something more important that I need you to take care of. As for Huaibei, it can be abandoned if necessary. Gongjin, I have a favor to ask of you," Yuan Shu said as he bowed slightly toward Zhou Yu.

At the same time, Ji Ling and Yan Xiang also bowed deeply, leaving Zhou Yu no room to refuse.

"Please, there’s no need for such formality, General. If there’s anything I can do, I will do my utmost. There’s no need to ask for a favor with such a grand gesture," Zhou Yu stammered, startled by the situation. He had no choice but to agree, but only with a promise to try his best.

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