When it came to celebrating victory, Jiangling City fully displayed its financial strength.
Merchants came in an endless stream to reward the troops. Though they did not clearly understand the full course of the war, the merchants knew one thing well. It was precisely because these brave soldiers had fought to the death that they themselves did not fall into Jiangdong's hands, to be driven and exploited by great clans.
For this reason, Shamoke specifically obtained an order bearing Jiang Wan's seal, requisitioned ships, and personally went to Lexiang to bring over the entire camp of wounded soldiers.
On the return voyage from Lexiang, Shamoke watched the foolishly grinning Zhang Ni and could not help feeling curious.
"Brother Boqi, is General Zilong truly that formidable?"
Since Shamoke asked, and there was nothing else to do aboard the ship, Zhang Ni slowly recounted the deeds of General Zhao that he knew.
Back when he served as a county merit officer, he had once seen Zhao Yun from afar. At the time, admiration filled his heart, but he never imagined that one day they would serve together under the same banner. That was why his joy now was beyond words.
The wounded soldiers from Lexiang entering Jiangling were like clay oxen sinking into the sea, causing not the slightest ripple.
Only the former troops of Han Dang subconsciously kept a subtle distance from the Jiangdong surrendering soldiers beneath Jiangling's walls.
This made both sides feel somewhat awkward.
Jiang Wan noticed this and specifically summoned Shamoke to ask about it. After learning the reason, he fell into thought and quietly made adjustments to his plans for reforming the surrendered Jiangdong troops.
That night, Liu Zhang drank himself into a stupor within his residence, his snoring shaking the rafters.
That same night, Zhuge Guo was hardly affected. She methodically reviewed the herbal data recorded over this period in the glass greenhouse together with her mother.
While comparing notes, the mother and daughter occasionally chatted idly.
"Mother, have the bandits been defeated?" Zhuge Guo asked.
"Yes."
"Then when can we return to Gong'an?"
"Perhaps we will not return."
"Huh?" Disappointment immediately filled Zhuge Guo's face.
Huang Yueying smiled. She knew that Jiangling felt a bit stifling to her daughter, and today's rare sense of ease made her want to tease her.
"Is Jiangling not good?"
"It is good, only…"
By candlelight, Zhuge Guo's dark eyes were filled with seriousness.
"Only Father left from Gong'an. I want to wait for Father in Gong'an."
Huang Yueying's heart softened instantly.
She pulled her daughter into her arms, ignoring the protests, and rubbed her head.
"Your father is too busy. We will go find him instead."
"We will not return to Gong'an. After some time, we will go to Chang'an."
From two rooms away, Zhuge Qiao heard his sister's cheer.
Listening to it, he could not help smiling faintly before turning his gaze back to the crossbow mechanism model in front of him.
It had been made by his mother herself, complete with diagrams, and she required him to be able to disassemble and reassemble it independently without error.
He understood his mother's wish not to see him rush headlong into mortal danger on the battlefield.
He did not reject this unspoken care.
The processed head was placed into a box. Zhao Yun's deputy, Zhang Yi, led a squad of elite cavalry north overnight to report victory to General Guan and Advisor Xu.
As for Zhao Yun himself, he led Zhang Ni and Shamoke the next day in an advance toward Jiangxia.
Before arriving, Zhao Yun had not expected the battle to go so smoothly, and thus Xu Shu had left no specific instructions for this situation.
But Jiang Wan could judge the situation clearly. Almost the moment he saw Lü Meng's head, he made his decision.
Jiangxia must be taken.
This place controlled the ferry where the Han River entered the Yangtze. To the left lay Jingzhou, to the right Jiangdong. It was the eastern gateway of Jingzhou. If held, it could shield Jingzhou from the rear and threaten Jiangdong from the front.
Jiang Wan made his request. Zhao Yun agreed readily.
Meanwhile, Jiangxia was already in complete chaos.
Dong Xi stood atop the pass, his heart heavy with worry.
A rash offensive had cost him his troops, allowing the Hanshou battlefield to profit easily.
Reinforcing Jiangling from the north achieved nothing. With little influence, he withdrew to defend Jiangxia.
This war had not gone smoothly for Dong Xi, yet now he even felt a strange sense of relief.
Thinking it over, if he had remained with the army, when Lü Meng died, he might well have been implicated.
At the time, Lü Meng found him an eyesore for having lost his troops and had sent him to Jiangxia under the pretext of guarding supplies.
By chance, he had escaped disaster.
But now, facing the ferocious advance of the enemy army, Dong Xi felt mostly bewildered.
How did I, a defeated general, end up standing at the point where Jiangdong's fate might be turned?
At this moment, Dong Xi even felt a trace of regret. Perhaps being captured together by Liu Bei's forces would not have been such a bad outcome.
But such thoughts were fleeting.
Feeling the gaze at his back like thorns against his skin, Dong Xi silently cursed his luck.
This General Zhang had fame for valor, but he was known more for cavalry dominance. After suffering a setback, would it not be better to return north directly?
Why insist on helping him defend this city?
Thus, though he stood at the forefront, Dong Xi's thoughts drifted far away.
News of the outcome beneath Jiangling spread to Jiangxia, and Jiangxia's messenger departed by light boat, racing downstream with the current.
When passing Ruxukou, he was captured boat and all by Gan Gui.
Gan Gui rudely tore open the sealed letter. Skimming it in moments, he burst into loud laughter.
"Good. How brave Prefect Jiang truly is."
"This letter should be sent to Marquis Sun to share the joy."
The messenger, who had thought disaster imminent, was released in a daze. Amid laughter across the ship, he continued downstream as if pardoned by heaven.
Gan Gui stood at the bow, face glowing with delight.
"Such intelligence concerns the survival of Jiangdong. How could Marquis Sun keep it secret?"
"Send men along the river to spread the news and support Marquis Sun."
The rest of the journey was remarkably smooth.
Along the river, the messenger encountered warships flying the banners of the Gu, Zhu, and Zhang clans. Each time, he was stopped and questioned.
By the time he reached Jianye, the letter in his hands was filthy and tattered.
Yet compared to that, the battered gates of Jianye shocked him even more, leaving his mouth hanging open.
Still, he remembered his duty.
The letter was delivered into Sun Quan's hands.
Seeing the stains on the paper, Sun Quan frowned. Reading its contents, he nearly fainted.
"How dare those villains leak such secret matters? Guards, execute him."
Lu Yi watched as the messenger was dragged away wailing. He bent down to pick up the fallen letter, and upon seeing its contents, could not help leaning back slightly.
Sun Quan saw this and gave a bitter smile.
"What does Boyan think?"
Jianye had been successfully defended under Lu Yi's suggestion to abandon the outer city and hold the inner city.
The naval forces relied on sturdy ships. Once drawn into alley fighting within the city, Gan Gui and the others held no advantage.
Manpower was freed to repel the Shanyue tribes, though reports came back that the salt fields had been completely plundered and that the Shanyue were even building fortifications.
What truly made Sun Quan want to curse was that Gan Gui, seeing he could not take Jianye, completely revealed his nature as a river pirate.
He sailed along the river looting at will, deliberately targeting the estates of great clans.
For a time, Jiangdong truly experienced the fearsome style of the Brocade Sail Bandits.
Now, as Jianye endured humiliation and awaited news, Lü Meng's army failed to achieve merit.
Sun Quan's mind was in chaos, and he could not help asking Lu Yi what should be done.
The young master of the Lu clan fixed his gaze on Sun Quan, then finally sighed.
"Either make peace, or request reinforcements."
"Marquis Sun should decide as soon as possible."