Those Gathering at Xiagu

“So they’ve come at last.”

Bu Zhi, who had been focusing on grasping the situation of the world in Yiyang, let out a sigh upon hearing the news that Zhang Ran had arrived at Jiangling.

In Bu Zhi’s view, the last war was not a difficult battle.

To be honest, although Han had put in their full effort at that time, their main force was deployed to the anti-Wei front.

Their boasted top-tier, highest-ranking generals were all mobilized to face Wei, and they sent out second-tier generals against Wu.

Pan Jun, Wei Yan, and Feng Xu might be special talents of the middle to late period, but that’s how Bu Zhi saw it.

It’s results-oriented, but in reality, Lu Xun did crush them. Because of that, the public perception of them was that they were quite good talents, but not at the level of being representative figures of a country.

So it was difficult to see Bu Zhi’s perception as just his personal opinion.

But the name Zhang Ran is different.

‘One of Shu’s greatest forces in name and reality.’

Among the public, Shu Han’s highest-ranking generals were each regarded as heaven-shaking, earth-moving heroes.

Guan Yu who shook China, Zhang Fei of matchless valor, Ma Chao who illuminated Guanzhong, and General Who Upholds Virtue Zhang Ran.

It’s too much to laugh off as just empty fame, as Wu had already suffered a bitter defeat by them once. And that was just 5 years ago.

‘But now is different from then.’

At that time, the main opinion about Zhang Ran was that she was a rising talent with quite outstanding abilities.

She had performed brilliantly in the Hanzhong campaign as well, but people thought there must be exaggerations since it was a story that started from such a distant place. On top of that, no matter what, the perception that she was a woman was still underlying.

But now it’s not like Bu Zhi thought. Wu no longer underestimates her.

“How far has General Xu Sheng come?”

To Bu Zhi’s question, his deputy Liu Shao answered.

“He should arrive tomorrow.”

“He won’t be late then.”

As soon as Bu Zhi heard from Zhuge Jin to prepare for war, he called for Xu Sheng.

Currently, Wu’s weakness is that their armies are scattered here and there. It would be best if they could block at Jingling County, but in Bu Zhi’s view, that was too unrealistic optimism.

‘If it’s Zhang Ran, she will bypass Jingling County.’

Bu Zhi wasn’t the only one thinking this way. Zhou Fang and Zhuge Jin also didn’t expect that Zhang Ran would just fixate on Jingling County.

Nevertheless, the reason why those with outstanding military talent stayed in Jingling County was because it was the best option among the given choices.

‘Open field battle is suicide.’

In naval warfare, they would gladly engage in a head-on battle, but it’s a crazy idea to engage in an open field battle against Zhang Ran on land.

Against Zhang Ran and the Nanling Army, who had broken even the fierce generals Wei boasts of several times, it was impossible for Wu, who is absolutely lacking in cavalry, to stop them. Unless Lu Xun comes.

Jingling County is not bad for defense. With water at its back, there’s no worry of being attacked from all sides, and in the worst case, they can somehow escape by crossing the river.

In the first place, as long as Zhou Fang is guarding it, Jingling County won’t fall anyway.

However, this also meant that 10,000 troops would be trapped in Jingling County.

‘The limit of Jingling County is to hold down the enemy’s troops.’

It’s impossible for Zhang Ran to completely ignore Jingling County. There’s the issue of supply line safety, and if Jingling County is left alone, Wu would have too many options like counterattacks from Jiangling or rear attacks on the main army.

She would deploy at least 10,000, or generously 20,000, to Jingling County.

‘In the end, the dispersion of troops is the same for those Shu bastards.’

If Zhou Fang blocks the Shu army deployed to Jingling County, and Zhuge Jin and Deng Zong join forces to tie down the Shu army going to Wuling, the enemy’s troops would be halved.

“With about 30,000, we can hold them off even at Xiagu.”

Zhou Huan stationed at Xiagu.

And Bu Zhi himself going as reinforcements, and Xu Sheng who will soon join.

If the three people unite their wisdom and courage, even Zhang Ran would not dare to set foot in Xiagu.

“Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, Zhang Ran, you’ve underestimated us too much. If you wanted to reclaim Jingzhou, you should have brought that ship. You’ll ruin everything by trying to put pressure on those Cao bastards in a half-baked way.”

As Bu Zhi predicted, Zhang Ran had Wei Yan and Yi Yan each lead 15,000 troops, adding 5,000 Jingzhou troops to each, to blockade Gong’an and Jingling.

Almost simultaneously as Zhang Ran and the Shu army were departing from Jiangling, Xu Sheng arrived in Yiyang.

“General Who Pacifies the East! Welcome!”

“General of the Right, you’ve waited long.”

Officially, Bu Zhi was higher ranked than Xu Sheng, but Bu Zhi used mutual honorifics as a sign of respect for Xu Sheng. It was reverence for Xu Sheng’s bravery, who would be included in the Twelve Tiger Generals of Jiangdong in later years.

Unlike Shu, which was full of fierce generals, and Wei, which still had fierce generals like Sima Yi, Zhang Bao, and Zhao Zhi remaining even though many had grown old or died in battle, Wu lacked fierce generals.

The era where a fierce general alone could reverse the war situation had passed, but the existence of fierce generals still had value in itself. Just having fierce generals on their side raises the morale of the soldiers.

Zheng Bao, whom Lu Xun had personally discovered from among Fan Zhang’s subordinates, had not yet greatly raised his fame. With Zhou Tai and Zhang Cheng dead, usually Fan Zhang and Xu Sheng were counted as Wu’s best fierce generals.

Therefore, Bu Zhi didn’t set out first and waited for Xu Sheng. To use him as a trump card against Zhang Ran, who might directly stand at the vanguard relying on her personal bravery if necessary.

“No. I hear that the Acting Governor of Jingzhou and the General Who Conquers the North are blocking them well. Now if we head to Xiagu and block Zhang Ran together with the Governor of Xiagu, we will display our country’s rising momentum to the world.”

Although the distance from Yiyang to Xiagu was almost twice that from Jiangling to Xiagu, Bu Zhi wasn’t worried.

Sun Shao, who was already in Lukou, had led a fleet and come to close proximity. If they diligently followed the waterway, there wouldn’t be much difference from when Zhang Ran arrives at Xiagu.

“By now, the Shu army should be just departing from Jiangling.”

Bu Zhi’s analysis was sharp.

And if his analysis was correct, Zhang Ran would face Xiagu, which had set up solid defenses with over 15,000 troops.

At first, Bu Zhi too had been intimidated, overwhelmed by Liu Bei’s declaration of war and Zhang Ran’s reputation, but now he had completely regained his composure.

Finally joining with Sun Shao’s navy as well, Bu Zhi departed for Xiagu following the waterway according to his plan.

The meritorious service that had promoted him to General of the Right. Just like when he had subjugated Wuling Bay with Deng Zong, everything was proceeding according to Bu Zhi’s expectations.

Or so it seemed.

“General!”

The messenger who came across from a small boat approaching Wu’s naval fleet was pale with fear. He was so rushed that despite the day not being fully broken, his face was covered in sweat.

Seeing this, Bu Zhi instinctively felt that something was flowing strangely.

“Report quickly.”

As Sun Shao and Xu Sheng were also present, Bu Zhi urged the messenger. The messenger shouted in an urgent voice:

“Xiagu is under attack!”

Bu Zhi’s plan wasn’t wrong. While the Shu army disperses, the Wu army unites.

Facing the dispersed Shu army relying on terrain and fortresses at Wuling-Jingling-Xiagu.

Even if control over Jingnan weakens as soldiers are drawn out, it can be recovered as long as they push back the Shu army.

However, Bu Zhi’s plan was wrong from its premise.

The marching speed of the Shu army easily surpassed what Bu Zhi had expected.

Did Bu Zhi underestimate it? That’s not it either. Rather, Bu Zhi had set their marching speed higher than the general level. Nevertheless, the Shu army reached Xiagu much earlier than Bu Zhi had initially calculated.

“No, how, already…”

Bu Zhi stumbled over his words at the too sudden report.

No matter how much they are cavalry-focused troops, there are infantry in the Nanling Army too, and it’s not just the Nanling Army but other soldiers are with them as well. How could they have arrived already!

“If Xiagu falls, our troops will have no suitable place to disembark.”

“Even if there were, they would have placed troops in such places. Considering their boasted Yuan Rong or Jiang Nu, it’s hard to ignore even a small number of troops.”

Sun Shao and Xu Sheng also spoke hurriedly with hardened expressions.

Amidst the surrounding turmoil, Bu Zhi, who rather regained his composure thinking that he shouldn’t waver at a time like this, calmed them down.

“Stay calm. They said Xiagu is under attack, not that it has fallen yet. And even if we become impatient, it’s not like we can do anything about the speed of the ships.”

Rowing is hard labor. It’s not for nothing that slaves were used as rowers in both East and West.

Even if we use soldiers as rowers out of impatience, what will we do afterwards? Exhausted soldiers won’t be able to fight properly.

“Messenger.”

At Bu Zhi’s call, the messenger answered while prostrating.

“Yes, yes, General.”

“Xiagu hasn’t fallen, right. How is Governor Zhou’s defense? How is the morale of the soldiers? Can they hold Xiagu until we arrive?”

“That, the morale in Xiagu is extremely high.”

It was an unexpected answer. If it was at a speed beyond Bu Zhi’s expectation, the soldiers in Xiagu must have been bewildered too.

Moreover, the enemy commander is none other than Zhang Ran. Maintaining morale at normal levels would be admirable enough, but to say it’s extremely high?

Sun Shao and Xu Sheng also looked at him questioningly at the messenger’s words.

“Then why did you come so anxiously?”

“Our army’s morale is high, but it’s because the importance of Xiagu has become much higher than before.”

As Xu Sheng was about to shout unable to hold back, saying what kind of Zen-like answer is that,

The existence of a person no one had expected was mentioned from the messenger’s mouth.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is here!”