"The Shanyue actually managed to take Yangxian?"
At this moment, Sun Quan was unusually clear headed. Almost instantly, he caught the scent of something abnormal beneath the surface.
The conflict between the great clans of Jiangdong and the Shanyue tribes had existed for a very long time. On this matter, although Sun Quan himself was an outsider by origin, he had studied it with care.
For the Shanyue, retreating into the mountains ensured basic self sufficiency. Yet there were many things the mountains could not produce. Among them, the most critical was salt.
The Shanyue people lived in concentrated settlements across Danyang, Xindu, and Kuaiji. Adjacent to these regions, Jiangdong had established two major coastal salt works. One was at Haichang, the other at Wu County.
These salt works followed Cao Cao's tuntian model. Registered households were assigned to produce salt, and the profits flowed directly into Jiangdong's coffers.
It could be said that wresting these two salt works from the mouths of the great clans was tangible proof that the Sun clan of Jianghuai had truly planted its feet in Jiangdong. Sun Quan could not afford to neglect them.
Among the two, Haichang had been established earlier. However, because it lay in a remote area and was easy to defend and hard to attack, its presence was relatively understated.
The Wu County salt works were entirely different. Situated on the shores of Zhenze Lake, the conditions there were exceptionally favorable. The salt produced in a single year exceeded Haichang's output by more than tenfold.
In the past two years, despite constant warfare, Sun Quan had still been planning in an orderly manner, intending to open a third salt works along Zhenze's shores. This alone spoke volumes about the immense profits involved.
From the Wu County salt works to Jianye, there was only one route connecting the two. It was a narrow corridor wedged between Zhenze Lake and the Yangtze River. One would leave Wu County, pass through Nansha, Piling, and Shenting, reach Jurong, and finally arrive at Jianye.
To prevent this fragile route from being harassed by the Shanyue, Sun Quan had deliberately established Yangxian and Yongping counties to the south as a protective barrier.
And now, Yangxian had fallen.
If Piling were to fall as well, then Wu County's massive salt works would almost certainly suffer plunder. Untold effort and planning would be reduced to nothing.
For a brief moment, regret surfaced in Sun Quan's heart. If he had Lü Meng's fleet, patrols could have been conducted on the Yangtze north of this route. How could matters have come to this?
But that regret lasted only an instant before Sun Quan forcefully suppressed it.
Compared to securing everything south of the Yangtze under Sun control, what was the gain or loss of a single area?
His father and elder brother had both earned great reputations. He refused to fall behind them.
Sun Quan silently made up his mind.
Jianye would be held. The salt works would not be exploited by the Shanyue.
The output of the Wu County salt works was not only enough for the Shanyue to squander. It was enough for them to transport salt to Jiaozhou and exchange it for iron tools. That would be the true disaster.
Sun Quan did not bother to conceal his thoughts. Every shift in his expression was clearly observed by Lu Yi.
Thus, at this moment, Lu Yi spoke at just the right time.
"In my view, the Jingzhou fleet is nothing to fear."
Sun Quan immediately adopted an intrigued expression.
The long standing feud between the Sun clan and the Lu clan was something Sun Quan understood perfectly. Yet having no capable men to employ was a far more pressing problem.
Watching Lu Yi lay out his views on the situation with clear logic and careful structure, even offering corresponding analyses, Sun Quan's expression remained unchanged. But deep inside, he suddenly thought of Lu Su.
Back then, when Yuan Shao and Cao Cao contended and the whole realm watched with bated breath, the situation was as murky as a flood of silt. Yet Lu Su had been able to declare with certainty that Cao Cao would prevail, and he urged Sun Quan to strike first.
Sun Quan followed that advice, sent out troops, destroyed Huang Zu, and seized Jiangxia. Then the Yuan clan collapsed, Cao Cao marched east, Lu Su proposed an alliance with Liu, and Zhou Yu ignited the flames that lit the skies of Red Cliffs.
But how had things gradually become what they were now?
Sun Quan's face was calm, but a heavy sigh was buried deep within his heart.
Setting aside these tangled old matters, his thoughts drifted instead to Cao Cao.
At Guandu, had the difficulties faced by the Chancellor been like those before him now?
Back then in Jiangdong, Zijing had been able to declare with certainty that Yuan Shao would be defeated at Guandu. How would he judge the situation unfolding before their eyes today?
As the saying went, where there was joy, there was also sorrow.
Small boats packed with soldiers departed from Wu'an County and headed north. This force would first sail to Hepu, then split into two columns, entering Jingnan by way of Cangwu and Yulin respectively.
From a higher vantage point, Shi Hui watched it all, his heart so elated he nearly burst into song.
He was Shi Xie's third son. Having lived long in Jiaozhou, his skin was somewhat darkened, yet his speech and bearing still carried the unmistakable air of a Han scholar.
Greedily taking in the sight of the marching troops a few more times, he turned back and laughed loudly.
"Master Lu truly is a great talent."
Gan Ning laughed heartily at his side. Lu Su returned a measured and proper smile.
Lu Su understood Shi Hui quite well. Jiangdong's ambitions toward Jiaozhou were plain for any discerning eye to see.
Bu Zhi's involvement had merely been the most conspicuous example. Before and after him, envoys from Jiangdong had never ceased arriving.
Some directly promised benefits to Shi Xie. Others tried to win over his relatives. Still others attempted to collude with different high level figures, all striving to gain a foothold in Jiaozhou. Yet Shi Xie had dissolved each effort with soft deflection and firm countermeasures.
After Zhou Yu's death, Lu Su's duties had included strategizing toward Jiaozhou. The Shi family's details were as familiar to him as counting his own fingers.
Thus, when Gan Ning brought Shi Hui back that day, it truly startled Lu Su. But he quickly understood the situation.
Jiangdong knew the Shi family well. The Shi family, however, likely knew little of Jiangdong beyond its envoys. They had never truly met face to face.
Gan Ning's intent was simple. The plan had changed.
Traveling the Zangke route was long and arduous. The old matron might not endure the hardship of boats and horses.
Going to Cangwu to contact Wu Ju might result in being shut out. Living under another's roof was never ideal.
Since they had run into Shi Xie's own son, Gan Ning felt it was worth playing a little trick and borrowing momentum to return to Yizhou.
Lu Su, with his extensive intelligence network, understood even more.
Shi Hui was not the eldest son, but he was the most intelligent.
Shi Xie himself had studied under the famed Liu Tao and possessed a deep scholarly lineage.
After chaos engulfed the realm, scholars from the Central Plains fled south in droves. Several hundred sought refuge in Jiaozhou, all receiving Shi Xie's generous hospitality.
These men strengthened Jiaozhou's civil administration and ensured that Shi Xie's sons did not limit their vision to Jiaozhou alone. Shi Hui was one such example.
Yet constrained by Jiaozhou's poverty, the ambitious Shi Hui could only stare northward in frustration.
He never imagined that the turning point of his life would arrive so swiftly.
It was merely a leisurely outing. The imposing Gan Yi praised him openly in the street, declaring that he bore the aspect of a man of destiny. Pleased, Shi Hui exchanged a few words and found Gan Yi's speech extraordinary.
Delighted, Shi Hui wished to invite Gan Yi to become his retainer, only to be politely refused.
"Among my fellow townsmen, I dare not claim talent."
So it was a buy one get one deal. Shi Hui was even more excited and immediately insisted on paying a visit.
Gan Yi had spoken the truth. That Lu Meng was radiant in spirit, his bearing elegant, his speech refined yet scholarly. He was nothing like the men who had taught Shi Hui his classics.
What displeased Shi Hui slightly was Lu Meng's opening line.
"Young lord, you are about to die, yet you do not even know it."
But soon after, Lu Meng unfolded the chaos within Jiangdong in calm detail. He spoke fluently of the Sun Cao alliance and analyzed the great trends of the realm in a way that left Shi Hui's horizons blown wide open.
As for Jiaozhou's path to survival, Lu Meng casually laid out three strategies, upper, middle, and lower. To Shi Hui, who had agonized over this question daily, it was an astonishing delight.
How could a young man like Shi Hui withstand such a display?
Almost instantly, he became convinced.
The day I ride the wind and rise has arrived.