Jingzhou in Turmoil

At the very moment Fancheng finally fell to Guan Yu’s hands.

Lu Meng was leading his army into Jingzhou. The neutralization of the observation posts that Guan Yu had set up to guard against Sun Quan’s army stationed in Lukou went according to plan.

Now it was a race against time. Lu Meng didn’t particularly like Guan Yu but acknowledged his abilities. Moreover, because Zhang Ran had stopped Xu Huang, Guan Yu had the leisure to focus solely on Fancheng.

‘Fancheng will fall. If Guan Yu captures Cao Ren as a prisoner, he’ll have a negotiating tool. Cao Cao can’t be trusted. Once you betray once, the second time is easy.’

It would be best if Cao Cao kept Guan Yu pinned down until the end as per his agreement with Sun Quan, but there’s nothing more foolish than relying on others’ actions.

So before Cao Cao could make any false moves, before Guan Yu could return.

‘Occupy Jingzhou and isolate Guan Yu.’

Due to Zhang Ran, the plan to capture Guan Yu had been disrupted. Even in the worst case, they could abandon Jingzhou and cross over to Hanzhong through Shangyong.

‘But there’s still a chance to gain Jingzhou.’

As Gong’an city began to come into view, Lu Meng steeled his resolve. A man entering middle age approached Lu Meng.

With a clean-cut impression more like a scholar than a military officer. Tall stature approaching 8 chi and a lofty spirit. If a stranger saw them, they might mistake this man for the commander-in-chief rather than the sickly-looking Lu Meng.

In fact, he had shown amazing abilities, leading Lu Meng to designate him as his successor.

This was Lu Xun. He was the one who later succeeded Lu Meng to stand at the pinnacle of Wu’s military authority and burned Liu Bei’s final dream.

Lu Xun, who participated in this war as vice admiral, gave a formal report to Lu Meng.

“Admiral, it’s Gong’an city.”

“I see. Bring Wu Fan.”

Wu Fan was tasked with persuading Mi Fang, the Liu Bei army general guarding Gong’an, to surrender.

While Wu Fan headed towards Gong’an city with a white flag signaling an envoy, Lu Meng began the work of surrounding Gong’an city.

Since Gong’an city had served as Liu Bei’s residence in the past and had decent fortress functions, it was important to obtain Mi Fang’s surrender without fighting if possible.

“Wu Fan has entered the city.”

“Hmm… he must do well.”

“Mi Fang has been despised by Guan Yu and fears him because he failed to properly manage the supplies. If he grasps the situation, he will surely surrender.”

As Lu Xun said, Wu Fan, who was in the midst of persuading Mi Fang inside Gong’an city, was confident of his mission’s success.

“Have you seen any messengers or beacon fires while our Sun family’s great army approached Gong’an? If it’s not heaven’s will, surely someone within your ranks has intentionally blocked it. If it’s the former, you’d be going against the mandate of heaven, and if it’s the latter, you’d meet a futile death in a hopeless battle, so please consider carefully, General.”

Look at Mi Fang’s anguished face at Wu Fan’s eloquent persuasion.

If he had truly resolved to remain a loyal subject of Liu Bei, there would have been nothing to worry about, but Mi Fang was sighing, closing his eyes, and groaning.

And finally, Mi Fang hung his head low and said:

“I will surrender.”

Shortly after, the gates of Gong’an city opened.

Wu Fan, who had impressively opened the first act of the Jingzhou occupation, greeted Lu Meng with his shoulders proudly squared.

“You have achieved great merit.”

“I merely fulfilled my duty.”

It’s a good start. Lu Meng was pressed for time. He felt that what was even more fearful than Guan Yu was closely following behind him.

As Lu Meng hurriedly tried to pass through Gong’an and head up to Jiangling city, Wu Fan mentioned something that had been nagging at him.

“Admiral, although Mi Fang has opened the city gates, we can’t rule out the possibility that this is a ruse. We should take Mi Fang with us and leave our troops in Gong’an city.”

Lu Meng acknowledged his own hastiness at Wu Fan’s advice and immediately took action. He entrusted Gong’an city to one of his lieutenants and proceeded directly to Jiangling city with Mi Fang.

Sun Quan’s army, which rushed to Jiangling city not far from Gong’an in one go, didn’t even prepare to surround it unlike at Gong’an city. They simply sent Mi Fang, who had surrendered first.

At first, the people of Jiangling mocked the surrendered Mi Fang, but soon they were so dumbfounded by the unbelievable scene unfolding that they forgot even to stop it.

Jiangling city, the core of Nanjun, the most important area in Jingzhou. The person Liu Bei trusted and placed in this important position was Mi Fang, a founding contributor who had followed him from Xuzhou and was also his relative by marriage.

However, now Mi Fang was personally opening the city gates and welcoming Lu Meng.

Mi Fang’s behavior of bringing out a wine table to welcome Lu Meng was so immediate that it seemed as if he had been waiting for this day.

Wu Fan remained cautious until the end. He argued that they should quickly enter Jiangling city and completely block any counterattack, regardless of the banquet Mi Fang had prepared upon surrendering.

Lu Meng thus instantly occupied the government offices and military camps inside Jiangling city.

“Yu Jin and the Wei army are not here.”

“I heard the prisoners are being managed by Pang De in Dangyang.”

Although it was regrettable not to secure the Wei army prisoners, Guan Yu’s family members who hadn’t managed to evacuate remained in Jiangling city.

Upon hearing the news that Guan Yu’s wife and daughter had been captured, Lu Meng went to see them personally.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of harming you.”

“Traitor…”

Unlike Guan Yu’s wife, seeing Guan Yu’s daughter glaring at him with sharp eyes, Lu Meng suppressed a smile as he was suddenly reminded of a connection from long ago.

“Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are generals like tiger and bear. They’re sworn brothers without a drop of blood relation, yet their daughters are quite similar.”

Guan Yue, Guan Yu’s daughter who didn’t hide her rough and strong personality even though taken hostage, resembled Zhang Ran somehow.

Guan Yue, who was the same age as Zhang Ran’s younger sister Zhang Yan, spat venomously at Lu Meng.

“Do you think you’ll be safe when my father and sister come?”

“They won’t be able to come. Cao Cao will catch them for us. Even if they manage to roast and boil Cao Cao and come, it doesn’t matter. By then, they will have already lost all their cities, what could they do?”

Although Lu Meng sent a sneer, as he said earlier, he didn’t harm Guan Yu’s family in any way.

Not just them, but he also allowed the people of Jiangling city to continue their daily lives as usual without touching them at all, and even went so far as to release relief rice or provide supplies. In the meantime, he didn’t use any of the government’s wealth at all.

However, Guan Yue’s words to him stimulated his latent anxiety. He ordered his forces to set out to occupy the area, except for the troops needed to control Jiangling city.

“Lu Bayen, march west as is and block the path to Yizhou.”

He assigned Lu Xun 15,000 troops with the mission of blocking Yiling, which connects Jingzhou and Yizhou.

“Zhu Yifeng, attack Pang De in Dangyang with Pan Zhangru to secure the Wei army prisoners.”

He had Zhu Ran and Pan Zhang attack Pang De in Dangyang.

Sun Quan’s army’s occupation of Jingzhou proceeded smoothly like dominoes falling one after another. Lu Xun instantly occupied Yidu County and Zhijiang County, dominating the Yidu Commandery area, and then rushed to Yiling, his initial goal, in one breath.

Everything is going smoothly. If there’s anything to be wary of, it would be the developments in the north. Lu Meng concentrated most of his reconnaissance towards the north, in the direction of Fancheng.

However, some strange sense of discomfort was irritating Lu Meng’s nerves. Suddenly, Lu Meng remembered a name he had forgotten and jumped up from his seat. Why had he forgotten that name?

“Fengchui, what is Pang Tong doing?”

“Wasn’t he stationed in Qingni?”

As Wu Fan recited the information obtained before departing from Lukou, Lu Meng irritably pressed him.

“Then why is there no reaction! No, was Pang Tong really in Qingni to begin with?”

Just as Lu Meng was about to quickly take measures based on his uneasy feeling, a piece of news arrived before that.

“Gong’an city is under attack…?”

The counterattack of Liu Bei’s army began from the south with the appearance of Pang Tong.

“What forces could there be south of Gong’an city… No way! The Wuling barbarians! They’ve brought in the Wuling barbarians!”

The method of recruiting barbarians as allies to fight was an unfamiliar strategy in Sun Quan’s army. Unlike Liu Bei, who chose to make peace and coexist with ethnic minorities, Sun Quan treated ethnic minorities as subjects to be thoroughly subjugated and suppressed.

That’s why he couldn’t think of it. The idea was completely different. Feeling dismayed, Lu Meng asked to grasp the situation.

“How many are there?”

“It seems to be about 10,000!”

The combat power of ethnic minorities was generally weaker than that of Han Chinese armies. This was because of the inferior quality of weapons and lack of systematic military systems. However, the number 10,000 was more than enough to occupy Gong’an city.

Moreover, Gong’an city had only been occupied recently, and unlike here in Jiangling, Lu Meng didn’t even have the opportunity to pacify the public sentiment by directly comforting them. If internal support occurs, Gong’an city would fall immediately.

“If Gong’an city is taken, our army’s retreat path will be blocked.”

Lu Meng thought. Among the generals remaining in Jiangling city now, there was only one who could match Pang Tong.

That was Lu Meng himself.

“I must go personally.”

“But if you go, what about Jiangling?”

“I’ll leave Jiangling to Wu Fan. I’ll leave Sun Shumu behind, so consult with him to govern Jiangling city.”

Wu Fan closed his mouth at the words that he would attach Sun Huan, a capable general from Sun Quan’s family.

Before Lu Meng hurriedly left Jiangling in this urgent situation, he left one word of caution to Wu Fan.

“Keep a close eye on Mi Fang and Shi Ren. If they show any strange behavior, don’t hesitate to kill them.”

However, Lu Meng’s caution was not heeded.

It wasn’t because Mi Fang and Shi Ren had sincerely surrendered to them.

Rather, if we look at the result, Lu Meng’s words were fulfilled.

It’s just that the subject who carried it out was not Wu Fan, but someone else.

After Lu Meng left Jiangling city, two men were facing each other in Mi Fang’s quarters.

One was naturally the owner of the room, Mi Fang, and the other was Mi Fang’s colleague who had agreed to surrender to Sun Quan and hand over Jiangling city. No, someone he had considered a colleague.

Mi Fang couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t accept the current reality where the person who had been planning betrayal with him, cursing Guan Yu until just recently, was now looking at him with contempt in his eyes.

“Weren’t you of the same mind as us…? You too were despised by Guan Yu, Shengming!”

The face of Fu Jun reflected in Mi Fang’s wavering eyes was only cold.

“Could it be… he and Shi Ren were also pretending…?”

Fu Jun, with a cynical sneer, didn’t answer Mi Fang’s question and threw out an unexpected statement.

“They say those who helped the General Who Protects the North in Hanzhong are called the Eight Wings of Luanling.”

Mi Fang just stared at Fu Jun as if he didn’t understand what he was talking about.

“Isn’t it funny? It wasn’t them who built a friendship with the General Who Protects the North and Mingxing before anyone else.”

The comrade who had cursed Guan Yu together and plotted rebellion to hand Jingzhou over to Sun Quan was no longer there.

“If we were to list the people who have entered Mingxing’s inner circle, surely I should come first. Isn’t that right?”

Fu Jun, who valued friendship with his close friends more than the humiliation received from Guan Yu, was never their comrade from the beginning, Mi Fang realized far too late.

Looking down at Mi Fang, who was trembling with shock, sense of betrayal, and fear, Fu Jun declared:

“Therefore, this Fu Jun could be called the One Cap of Luanling (Luanling Yize).”

That he had been together from the beginning for this moment.