Chapter 766: Zhou Yu’s Backup Plan

"Enough of that, there's no need to dwell on it. I was originally worried that Zhou Yu would take a few days to mobilize troops, but now, he doesn’t need to. So let's get moving quickly. As long as Zhou Yu's navy isn't on the Huai River when we arrive, we’ll divert to Zhongli!" Fa Zheng laughed.

"Zhongli..." A glint flashed in Gan Ning's eyes as he instantly understood what Fa Zheng intended to do.

"Cutting off the supply line is nothing compared to the thrill of personally defeating an army of 100,000 in battle!" Fa Zheng’s face lit up with excitement as he spoke to Gan Ning.

"If I dared to charge into a camp with a hundred cavalry, what would stop me from leading 3,000 troops against 100,000?" Gan Ning laughed heartily in response.

"Exactly, so let's get moving. The farther we run, the less likely he is to target us first. Let’s move quickly." Fa Zheng continued to laugh. As long as Zhou Yu didn’t bring his navy to attack him, Fa Zheng had no qualms about leading 3,000 men to strike at the rear of Yuzhou's army. His and Gan Ning’s shared love for daring strategies made them a perfect match.

"All troops, head toward the Huai River!" Gan Ning shouted with a grin.

Though Gan Ning understood that Fa Zheng’s plan carried significant risk—one misstep could spell disaster for them both—he couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement stirring within him.

Whenever he ventured into perilous situations, seeking victories that bordered on the miraculous, Gan Ning’s heart would surge with adrenaline. And it was precisely at these moments of peak excitement that his normally cool head would work in perfect harmony with his frenzied emotions.

This delicate balance, teetering between a miraculous victory and total defeat, was what captivated him. The feeling of personally shaping history thrilled every fiber of his being.

Likewise, Fa Zheng was also a lover of daring strategies. His plans were often ill-suited for calm and steady generals, but when paired with a fierce and wild commander like Gan Ning, their synergy was flawless.

Gan Ning had his own sharp mind and clear judgment of the situation. It was this clarity that had kept him alive through countless narrow escapes, allowing him to repeatedly achieve miraculous victories.

The thought of his 3,000 elite soldiers potentially accomplishing a legendary feat made Gan Ning tremble with excitement.

If Guan Yu lived to embody loyalty and righteousness, and Zhuge Liang lived to embody wisdom, then Gan Ning lived to savor the essence of life—walking the fine line between life and death, betting his own life to deliver victory to those who believed in him.

After Fa Zheng’s departure, though Zhou Yu had his concerns about Sun Ce, and Zhuge Jin’s mental talents made him aware that Fa Zheng had bluffed them, the matter of Fa Zheng was no longer Zhou Yu’s primary concern. What weighed on him now was the danger Sun Ce faced in Jingzhou and Yizhou.

"Aren’t we going to deal with Fa Zheng?" Zhuge Jin frowned as he asked, "Our navy is near Shouchun. We could sail downstream and have a high chance of blocking them. Moreover, we have Yuan Tan and General Han guarding Jingzhou—nothing will happen to the lord. Why rush things?"

"It's not a matter of rushing," Zhou Yu replied, pursing his lips. "Sailing downstream is fast, yes, but we may not catch up to Gan Ning and Fa Zheng in time. During the naval battle on the Yangtze River, I outmaneuvered Gan Ning, but it wasn’t a quick victory. While we could block their path, capturing them would be a different story." His words left no need for further explanation.

Seeing Zhou Yu’s resolve, Zhuge Jin had to admit he had a point. While it was easy to block Fa Zheng, capturing him and Gan Ning would be much harder. Without a decisive victory, there would be little benefit in engaging Fa Zheng and his forces, so Zhuge Jin dropped the idea of eliminating that particular threat.

"Ziyu, I’ll lead the troops to Jingzhou today. The rest is up to you. If you can counterattack in Huaibei, do so. If not, just focus on saving as many of the 100,000 soldiers attacking Xuzhou as you can." Zhou Yu began giving orders once Zhuge Jin stopped protesting.

"I can manage that. Although the absence of the navy will make it harder for our troops to cross from Xuzhou to the south, we should still be able to withdraw around 30,000 elite soldiers. It’s just a shame to lose so much armor and weaponry," Zhuge Jin replied calmly. Liu Bei was renowned for his virtue, and no one among the warlords would expect him to execute prisoners, meaning their armor would likely fall into his hands.

"Armor and weapons are nothing," Zhou Yu said, shaking his head. "Yuan Shu has stockpiled plenty of resources. Yuzhou has been the Yuan family’s stronghold for decades, and they’ve been hoarding supplies all this time. Equipment is plentiful, and even if it falls into Liu Bei’s hands, he may not even want it."

"In the future, we’ll need to streamline and strengthen our forces," Zhuge Jin remarked, recalling the elite soldiers he had seen in Taishan and nodding in agreement.

As for giving up Huaibei, Zhuge Jin was disappointed but not devastated. For Yuan Shu’s forces, losing Huaibei wasn’t a fatal blow—just a painful one. When Yuzhou had first been attacked by Liu Bei, many scholars and officials had already been moved out, and after Yuan Shu returned to Runan, he moved the capital from Runan to Shouchun, further relocating many people southward to Huainan.

Even after Liu Bei and Yuan Shu had both meddled with the region, Huaibei still had nearly two million people. Compared to the sparsely populated Yanzhou, it was still densely inhabited.

"We can talk about streamlining the military later. If possible, I hope we can issue a recruitment decree like the one in Taishan. Take this sword of mine." Zhou Yu handed his sword to Zhuge Jin.

"Huh? What do I need this for? As for issuing a recruitment decree, that will require Lord Yuan’s approval. We shouldn’t provoke any conflicts with him now." Zhuge Jin accepted the sword, puzzled. He was already a trusted advisor in Sun Ce’s ranks, much like Lu Su in Taishan, and had long since passed the point of needing external tokens of authority.

"The sword isn’t for you. It’s for you to give to one of the generals attacking Xuzhou—it’s a sign from Lord Sun Ce." Zhou Yu shook his head, explaining.

"Give it to one of the Xuzhou generals?" Zhuge Jin quickly understood what Zhou Yu meant, and a strange expression crossed his face. Zhou Yu, as expected, was always full of schemes.

While Yuan Shu had granted Sun Ce considerable authority, Zhou Yu had never intended to rely solely on others and had always harbored ambitions of his own. His peaceful approach so far had kept his true intentions hidden, but now, some of those cards were being revealed.

"Exactly as you think," Zhou Yu said, exasperated. "Give this sword to Li Tong, Li Wenda, and delegate authority to him. Have him take command of the Yuzhou army and prepare for a retreat to Jiangdong, instead of focusing on Xuzhou."

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