Chapter 753: The Three Lius Divide Yuan?

"Shouchun is right here. If you’re confident, then attack." Seeing the silence of the crowd, all captivated by Fa Zheng’s aura, Zhou Yu stepped forward, speaking as if he were the one in charge.

"Zhou Yu of the Song, the legendary beauty admired by all—Zhou Gongjin, is it?" Fa Zheng asked with a slight smile. Although phrased as a question, his certainty was evident in his tone.

"It is I. What of it? Shouchun is here!" Zhou Yu replied, calmly staring at Fa Zheng below the city walls.

"Zhou Yu... I came all the way from the north to the south, only to meet such a Zhou Yu. How amusing," Fa Zheng sneered, but Zhou Yu remained silent, merely gazing at Fa Zheng with steady composure.

After a long pause, Fa Zheng laughed aloud. "Such self-control! You must already know what my presence here signifies, yet you can still maintain such a calm demeanor."

"It’s nothing more than the loss of Huaibei, and ten thousand troops trapped in Xuzhou. Chen Yuanlong in Xuzhou must have already prepared a scorched-earth defense," Zhou Yu responded evenly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Very well, then. How about we use the Huai River as the boundary? Everything north of the Huai belongs to my lord Liu Xuande, while everything south belongs to the Governor of Yu Province," Fa Zheng proposed, unfazed by Zhou Yu’s insight into the situation. His appearance here had already made the situation clear, and Zhou Yu’s deduction was only logical.

This was the ultimate slap in the face. On one hand, Fa Zheng addressed Yuan Shu as the Governor of Yu Province, while on the other, he proposed dividing the land at the Huai River. A glance at the map would show that much of Yu Province lies south of the Huai River. What’s more, Fa Zheng wasn’t even speaking directly to Yuan Shu—he treated the governor as though he were irrelevant.

"Tiger, stand down!" Yuan Shu, naturally enraged by Fa Zheng’s words, immediately saw Ji Ling preparing to leap off the city wall to fight. The code of honor dictates that a subject dies to defend their lord’s honor, and Ji Ling didn’t hesitate for a moment. But Yuan Shu stopped him just as he took his first step.

"My lord!" Ji Ling's eyes were filled with determination as he looked at Yuan Shu. While others might fear Gan Ning, Ji Ling had no such fear. As long as Yuan Shu still believed in him and stood behind him, he would fight without hesitation.

"Stand down," Yuan Shu commanded softly. He understood Ji Ling’s strength—it wasn’t extraordinary, but when fighting for Yuan Shu, Ji Ling wouldn’t be easily defeated unless the opponent was overwhelmingly stronger.

Ji Ling cast a furious glare at Gan Ning below but slowly retreated, saying nothing. However, his knuckles turned white as he gripped his spear, his expression far from calm.

"Before we talk about dividing at the Huai River, let's see if the Prime Minister of Qi has the ability to enforce it!" Zhou Yu's eyes showed no hesitation as he glared coldly at Fa Zheng, sneering at the proposal.

"Then there’s nothing left to discuss. Let’s see whose skills prevail. I’m only here to send a message. Rest assured, you’ll have time to consider my proposal later." Fa Zheng showed no fear of Zhou Yu’s murderous gaze. Instead, he wore a faint smile. His ability to taunt Zhou Yu without fear, even as his opponent burned with anger, was itself a skill.

"Xingba, let’s go." After speaking, Fa Zheng paid no further attention to those on the city wall. He smiled as he returned to his carriage, gesturing to Gan Ning.

Watching Fa Zheng retreat into the carriage and Gan Ning lead Liu Bei’s army in a well-formed retreat, Yuan Shu and the others on the wall exchanged puzzled glances. The enemy left no openings, maintaining a tight formation, which left them unsure of how to react.

"Send someone to follow and test them. Letting them retreat so easily will damage our morale," Zhuge Jin suggested as he watched the army’s orderly withdrawal.

"No, there’s no point. Their formation is solid. Even if we tried to swallow them up, it wouldn’t be easy. Judging by their current retreat, they’ve likely prepared for any pursuit," Zhou Yu shook his head, rejecting Zhuge Jin’s proposal as it had little strategic value.

"Lord Yuan, please have the city defenses fortified while we await more accurate intelligence," Zhou Yu said respectfully to Yuan Shu. The remaining forces in Shouchun were not large, and Zhou Yu would not squander such an opportunity unless necessary.

"Come to my residence. I have something to ask you." Yuan Shu didn’t turn his head, his eyes still fixed on Liu Bei’s army retreating in perfect order. Their discipline was beyond his expectations.

"Ziyu, come with me." Zhou Yu nodded, then turned to Zhuge Jin.

Zhuge Jin asked no further questions, silently following Zhou Yu down the stairs. He had already guessed what Zhou Yu wanted to discuss.

"Ziyu, where do you think Liu Bei's army came from?" Zhou Yu casually plucked a leaf from a tree, unaware of the irritation growing in his heart.

"They came from Yanzhou, likely pushing through in one decisive strike," Zhuge Jin remarked with a sigh. "I met Fa Xiaozhi once before. I didn’t expect his brilliance to shine so brightly today!"

"Do you think Pingyu has fallen?" Zhou Yu tossed the leaf aside, turning to Zhuge Jin with a question.

"Doesn’t Gongjin already have an idea?" Zhuge Jin replied. Although his own mind was in turmoil, he wasn’t as flustered as Zhou Yu, who was worried about Sun Ce.

"Should we attack Pingyu or sweep through Liu Biao's forces?" Zhou Yu asked with a bitter smile.

"Why ask me when you’ve already made up your mind, Gongjin?" Zhuge Jin replied, looking at Zhou Yu.

"If we don’t counterattack Pingyu, the fate of everything north of the Huai is sealed. Moreover, the ten thousand troops trapped in Xuzhou will be abandoned. If we can recover Runan, our territory will be whole again." Zhou Yu spoke quietly. Though his analysis was thorough, his tone revealed his uncertainty.

"Pingyu in Runan is a well-fortified city. Without special means, it’s impossible to take it in less than a month. Even if we capture Runan, our forces would still be spread thin. We must abandon that idea," Zhuge Jin reminded him.

"I know. My real concern is Bo Fu in Jing and Yi Provinces. If I were Fa Xiaozhi, I would certainly divide my forces to attack Bo Fu!" Zhou Yu's face darkened. This move was forcing him to abandon everything north of the Huai, including the ten thousand troops in Xuzhou. His opponent had perfectly judged his priorities. In Zhou Yu’s heart, none of these things were more important than Sun Ce.

"The Three Lius dividing Yuan—how ironic. The Yuan family once sought to divide the Lius, and now their retaliation comes swiftly. No need for conspiracies or negotiations; the situation will naturally unfold. I hate playing this kind of game, especially when I’m forced to move according to someone else’s plan!" Zhou Yu’s usually refined face twisted with frustration.

"Liu Xuande claims Huaibei, Liu Jingsheng takes Jingbei, and Liu Jiyu restores Hanzhong. What a brilliant plan!" Zhuge Jin, despite the dire situation, couldn’t help but praise the mastermind behind this strategy. Should the scenario unfold as predicted, the imperial clan would rise again in power.

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