In truth, Zhou Yu disliked using clever schemes because employing them only highlighted his side's weakness. Zhou Yu preferred leading his troops to decisively crush the enemy in straightforward combat. To reach this level, he diligently honed his command abilities. When he had more soldiers and enough provisions, he would overwhelm the enemy head-on.
"This plan is excellent," the three generals, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang, quickly grasped the benefits of Zhou Yu's strategy. Once the idea was pointed out, everyone could understand it. But before that moment of clarity, the difference between genius and ordinary people could be vast.
"Since that's the case, I'll leave it to you three generals to lead two thousand soldiers each and prepare for rotation. We'll begin tonight," Zhou Yu nodded. "As for Bofu, let him continue leading the assault. I'll keep an eye on him to prevent any rash actions. With Bofu at the front, Lù Kàng won't dare take us lightly."
"Understood!" The three generals saluted Zhou Yu in unison. "We'll go assign the troops and prepare for the rotation."
"If only we had siege crossbows. With these, we could nail bolts into the walls, and hundreds of agile soldiers with internal energy could quickly scale the walls. With archers suppressing the enemy, we would have a good chance of seizing the walls," Zhou Yu sighed. They hadn't brought siege crossbows when they left because Sun Ce had been in such a hurry.
"Gongjin, there's no need for that. We already have a strategy to break this Lùjiāng Commandery," Cheng Pu reassured Zhou Yu. To him, Zhou Yu seemed like a perfectionist. Zhou Yu had it all: good looks, intelligence, talent in both civil and military affairs, and skill in arts and literature. Even his fiancée was extraordinarily beautiful. It felt like Zhou Yu had taken all the good fortune in life.
"Alright then. Let's take Lùjiāng quickly, sweep through Jiangnan, and lay the foundation for our dominance. I've been contemplating how to subdue the Shanyue people. They number over a million and are fiercely courageous. If we fight them, it'll be too troublesome. But if we don't fight, we'll have to find a way to win them over as allies. I think I might have a solution," Zhou Yu sighed. He had many things on his mind lately.
"The Shanyue people…" Huang Gai frowned. He had fought those mountain-dwelling tribesmen before, and the thought gave him a headache. Though their military discipline was lacking, they were fearless in battle and made excellent soldiers. The only problem was that they were difficult to educate.
"Yes, the Shanyue people. They seem formidable in battle, and I've been thinking about how to win them over. Their current leader is Yan Baihu, but he must be eliminated. However, removing him makes it harder to win them over, so I'm conflicted. Moreover, this Liu Xuande's power continues to grow. Although he and Yuan Shao will eventually clash, it still feels like a thorn in my side," Zhou Yu rarely expressed his frustrations, but this was one of those times. With Liu Bei and Yuan Shao's strength and solid foundations, even a significant defeat wouldn't crush them.
"Let's not dwell on that. Have there been any new recruits lately?" Zhou Yu changed the subject to lighten his mood.
"Ziheng has already arrived," Zhou Yu noted, thinking ahead. "He'll likely join us soon, which will strengthen our forces. It's a pity we didn't bring Lu Su with us. Given his abilities, it's clear why Liu Bei trusts and values him so much."
The three generals didn't say more, but their expressions brightened. If Zhou Yu said Lü Fan would come, they knew it would happen.
Over the next three days, Zhou Yu took advantage of his larger force, staging nighttime harassment raids. He mobilized tens of thousands of auxiliary troops, creating the illusion of a full-scale assault. This forced Lù Kàng, a seventy-year-old man, and Lù Jun, who was in poor health, to stay awake night after night. Whenever they began to doze off, Huang Gai and the others would rally their troops and charge toward the city walls, drums pounding.
Lù Kàng and Lù Jun quickly realized this was a tactic to exhaust them, but they couldn't afford to let their guard down. On the first night, Huang Gai, following Zhou Yu's orders, had launched a surprise attack during the chaos. Though they hadn't taken the city, it served as a wake-up call for Lù Kàng and Lù Jun: any lapse in vigilance would give Sun Ce the opportunity to strike, no matter the hour.
Thus, they had no choice but to remain on high alert, patrolling the city walls throughout the night. After three days of this, the once-determined soldiers defending Lùjiāng Commandery were now thoroughly exhausted, their morale worn down by the relentless pressure.
One morning, Sun Ce, riding at the head of his army, approached the city, stopping just out of arrow range. "Lù Jìníng, come out and speak with me!" Hearing this, Lù Kàng instinctively appeared on the walls, only for Sun Ce to ignore him entirely. "Soldiers on the wall, listen up! Capture him, and I, Sun Bofu, will reward you generously. I'll even pardon your previous offenses. But if you fail, when the city falls, you'll all be buried alongside the Lù family!"
This time, the soldiers guarding Lùjiāng couldn't help but glance back at Lù Kàng. Both their physical and mental fatigue, along with the chest of jewels Sun Ce's men had dumped on the ground, made some of them waver.
"Trivial treasures? What Sun Ce has, the Lù family can provide in abundance!" Lù Kàng sneered, then glanced at Zhou Tai beside Sun Ce. As expected, Zhou Tai couldn't meet his gaze, and Lù Kàng breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon after, Lù Kàng ordered his private soldiers to bring out several chests of jewels from the family treasury and scatter them atop the city walls. "Hear me, all of you! Hold out until today's end, and these riches will be yours. Even if you fall in battle, I, Lù Kàng, pledge on the Lù family's honor that your share will go to your families. Your children will have the chance to study and advance, and your parents and wives will be cared for!"
At this critical moment, Lù Kàng wasn't stingy with his wealth. He had long stopped hoarding riches, seeing them only as a means to build connections. Now, with the family's survival at stake, he didn't hesitate to scatter gold and jewels. Even Sun Ce, down below, felt a twinge of envy.
"Sun Bofu, let's see if you can buy off my soldiers. The Lù family once bought off the entire Yangtze region; do you think I'll let you bribe my men here? Soldiers on the walls, listen well! For every day we hold out, I'll pay each of you one tael of silver! If the Lù family falls, you can collect ten boats of salt from our stock in Chaohu Lake as collateral!" Lù Kàng shouted, his beard bristling with rage.
Sun Ce nearly drew his bow to shoot Lù Kàng on the spot, throwing caution to the wind. Luckily, Zhou Tai rushed forward and held him back, knowing that killing Lù Kàng in such a manner would ruin Sun Ce's reputation.
Lù Kàng, perhaps feeling that words weren't enough, ordered his private soldiers to dump several chests of jewels into the moat. The glittering treasures now filled the section of the moat that had been filled in, and Lù Kàng continued to taunt Sun Ce, "Consider this a down payment! Sun Bofu's soldiers, as long as you don't fight too hard, I'll pay each of you a tael of silver every day. I, Lù Kàng, swear it!"