Jingzhou in Turmoil 2

Jiangling city fell into chaos.

After Mi Fang’s surrender, when the interior of Jiangling city was being controlled by Lu Meng, Liu Bei’s army, which was thought to have given up, along with additional soldiers who appeared from nowhere, suddenly attacked Sun Quan’s army.

Amidst the noise of clashing weapons, shouts, and screams, Fu Jun calmly walked towards the government office.

Even while crossing the middle of the battlefield, Fu Jun’s consciousness was focused on recalling past conversations rather than the fighting around him.

It was after the battle for Hanzhong had ended, when Zhang Ran had settled in Shangyong. That’s when Pang Tong visited Fu Jun.

Although Pang Tong’s visit was somewhat unexpected, as they had no connection other than both being from Jingzhou, it wasn’t too surprising.

Having heard about the placement of two military advisors, Zhuge Liang in Yizhou and Pang Tong in Jingzhou, Fu Jun had expected that he, in charge of Jingzhou’s administration, would meet Pang Tong someday.

However, he didn’t expect him to come with a letter from Zhang Ran.

‘When discussing the grand plan for Jingzhou, Mingxing specifically told me to consult with you. She said you’re material for one of the Three Excellencies and would surely be of great help.’

‘Mingxing said that…?’

It was truly moving.

That those words from before, saying he was talent for high office, weren’t empty words. And that she trusted his ability and recommended him to a big shot like Pang Tong.

Of course, although he had risen to one of the highest positions in Jingzhou, that was limited to administrative roles and wasn’t a position to discuss national affairs.

Fu Jun tried to live up to Zhang Ran’s expectations. He actively participated in the plan based on Zhang Ran and Pang Tong’s predictions. Even to the point of volunteering for dangerous roles like now.

‘Mingxing, in your letter you asked me to protect Jingzhou.’

Fu Jun wasn’t satisfied with just that. If it was simply about protecting Jingzhou, he could have just eliminated the traitor Mi Fang in advance and strengthened the defenses of Gong’an and Jiangling.

However, Fu Jun suggested drawing them into Jingzhou. When Pang Tong heard this, he exclaimed that they thought alike, and that it was just as Zhang Ran had foreseen.

‘Lu Meng’s purpose in coming to Jingzhou is conquest, not suppression. This is very significant.’

‘As you say, Military Advisor. Lu Meng is a wise man. Knowing the importance of public sentiment, he will never commit the blunder of plundering the people.’

Pang Tong and Fu Jun trusted Lu Meng. They believed he would surely focus on protecting the people and winning their hearts.

Based on this belief, they selected only those with exceptional loyalty and hid them throughout civilian houses.

When Guan Yu requested reinforcements, Fu Jun pretended to send soldiers from Jiangling city, but secretly had them return to inside Jiangling city. It was an operation that showcased Fu Jun’s excellent administrative and leadership skills, as well as Mi Fang’s incompetence.

If Lu Meng had allowed the plundering of civilian houses, Fu Jun’s preparations would have been in vain.

But what’s the point of hypotheticals? Look at the result. Sun Quan’s army, caught off guard by Liu Bei’s forces pouring out sporadically from places they hadn’t prepared for at all, was truly helpless.

The unexpected surprise attack even disrupted the surveillance of the soldiers they had already captured, and Jiangling city was falling back into Liu Bei’s army’s hands.

“I’ve done all I can. The rest is up to others now.”

Fu Jun, entering the government office of Jiangling city with the soldiers escorting him, muttered as he saw Wu Fan glaring at him from across.

Just three days after Lu Meng had taken Jiangling city.

Jiangling city fell back into Liu Bei’s hands due to Fu Jun.

Unaware of the turmoil occurring in Jiangling city, Lu Xun had reached the threshold of Yiling. On the way here, Lu Xun was gripped by a sense of déjà vu that he couldn’t shake off.

Taking Yidu and Zhijiang was as easy as eating cold porridge. There was some resistance, but it was a completely one-sided fight, like twisting a child’s wrist. Even though everything was going smoothly according to plan, Lu Xun couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling.

Lu Xun found a clue when he was contemplating whether to attack Zigui County, where defeated soldiers were gathering, after occupying Yiling. It came in a letter that arrived.

The letter from Meng Da, stationed in Zigui County, contained content about surrendering.

A letter detailing the reasons for defection, saying that Liu Bei favored his beloved niece Zhang Ran and gave her opportunities for military achievements like attacking Shangyong, while neglecting him.

It even included an active plan to cooperate from the inside when Lu Xun arrived to eliminate the resistance forces.

Of course, Lu Xun couldn’t move his army based on just one letter, so he demanded more reliable evidence.

And Meng Da tried to actively prove his sincerity by detailing the number of officials and soldiers currently gathered in Zigui County, as well as the amount of supplies.

Lu Xun read Meng Da’s letter carefully, very attentively.

And when he found a strangely discordant phrase in the letter, he finally grasped the identity of the déjà vu that had been bothering him.

“We’ve fallen into a trap.”

A thunderbolt-like thrill ran down his spine.

Finally realizing the full story, Lu Xun barely held onto his fading consciousness. But an undisguisable sense of dismay escaped Lu Xun’s lips in a long sigh.

“What do you mean a trap? What are you saying, Vice Admiral?”

Shi Zhen, who had come as Lu Xun’s lieutenant, asked.

“Their response is too quick. I should have noticed when we occupied Yidu and Zhijiang.”

“Wouldn’t they have simply gotten scared and retreated? Didn’t they abandon Yiling and flee to Zigui County?”

“That’s right. Even that Meng Da guy in charge of Zigui County sent a letter saying he would surrender to our army, like Mi Fang…”

“Meng Da is using the Empty Fort Strategy. He must be pretending to surrender to lure us in deeper.”

Lu Xun mentally visualized the surrounding terrain, and further, the entire terrain of Jingzhou and Yizhou.

Lu Xun’s brain, which never forgot anything once seen, immediately unfolded a virtual map.

And he pondered over the phrase in the letter that had been the clue to realizing this was all a trap.

“It doesn’t make sense for the Prefect of Fangling to be mentioned. Wang Ping, who was in charge of that place, followed Zhang Ran. So it should have been empty, why was the Prefect of Fangling mentioned?”

Although it had become nominal during the period of warlords, a prefect was originally an administrative official without military authority. So why specifically mention the Prefect of Fangling?

Lu Xun thought it was to divert attention towards Fangling. Isn’t it saying – the Prefect of Fangling is here, so there’s no need to worry about Fangling?

Lu Xun’s consciousness moved further west from Fangling.

Shangyong, Xicheng, and then Hanzhong.

“The one in charge of Hanzhong is Zhang Fei…”

Lu Xun estimated the flow of the war if he had gone all the way to Zigui County as planned.

After going deep into Zigui County, attack believing in Meng Da’s surrender. But Meng Da’s promise to cooperate from the inside is a lie. Instead, they receive a counterattack, and Liu Bei’s army comes down from Fangling to block Yiling.

They would be isolated between Zigui and Yiling.

‘No, this is strange. It’s far from Fangling to Yiling. They could time it expecting our arrival. But to avoid being discovered by us, they’d need a quick and secret march. In that exhausted state, if the Admiral in Jiangling city sends reinforcements, if he sends…’

Would Pang Tong not think of that? That Fengchui?

No. They must have anticipated even that. So we must assume they’ve devised some plan to prevent reinforcements from being sent from Jiangling city.

And the most likely thing is the strategy Meng Da intended to use, the Empty Fort Strategy.

“Was it from the beginning…!”

Mi Fang, Shi Ren, Fu Jun.

The defectors who handed over Jiangling city and Gong’an city. Lu Xun didn’t think all of them were people who had plotted the Empty Fort Strategy.

When it comes to psychological warfare, Lu Meng, Lu Xun, and Wu Fan are all experts in their own right. Wasn’t the starting point of this operation Lu Xun’s letter to induce Guan Yu’s carelessness?

Mi Fang, whom he had personally confirmed, could not possibly be the culprit. Then there’s only one suspect left.

“Fu Jun…”

Although he didn’t know the exact method of how they would keep Lu Meng in check, there was no doubt that they were prepared for Sun Quan’s army’s betrayal.

So thoroughly that they even planted someone using the Empty Fort Strategy among the real traitors.

“We retreat.”

“Vice Admiral! That’s too hasty a decision.”

“Meng Da might genuinely be trying to surrender!”

“That might be true. So we’ll pretend to retreat.”

If Meng Da leads his troops to pursue them, that would mean it was a false surrender, and if he truly intended to surrender, he would look for another chance to betray from behind the pursuing forces.

“If they come after us, we’ll surround and annihilate them in reverse.”

Lu Xun’s prediction was not wrong.

When Meng Da heard of Lu Xun’s retreat, he instantly sensed that his Empty Fort Strategy had been exposed. Fearing he might miss the opportunity for great merit that had come, he took the lead in organizing a pursuit force to chase after Lu Xun.

And the result was devastating.

Just as Cao Cao had suffered a crushing defeat by Xu Rong while pursuing Dong Zhuo in the past, the pursuing force led by Meng Da was literally slaughtered by Lu Xun.

The difference between Meng Da and Cao Cao was that Cao Cao had Cao Hong to save him, but Meng Da had no one.

Looking at Meng Da, who had been captured alive and dragged before him, Lu Xun indifferently ordered as if he were worthless:

“We wasted effort on something useless. There was no need to capture him alive. Behead him.”

Reading Lu Xun’s firm resolve, Meng Da understood there was no way to survive anymore. Although he had resigned himself, it was still frustrating to die like this.

Meng Da spoke, intending to make Lu Xun look back at him at least once, who was treating him like a roadside pebble:

“Blinded by merit, I missed the opportunity, how shortsighted. It’s my own fault, who else can I blame? But Lu Xun, you’re too late too. The Wei Vice Admiral who departed from Hanzhong would have already reached Yiling by now.”

Despite Meng Da’s desperate attempt, Lu Xun didn’t look back. Only after Meng Da’s blood soaked the ground following his execution did he quietly monologue:

“As expected.”

Unlike the smooth journey here, the way back would be arduous and grueling.

The direction of the war, which had seemed so clear to Lu Xun, was now becoming so chaotic that he couldn’t see even an inch ahead.

‘In the worst case…’

Lu Xun tightly closed his eyes as he recalled the gloomy assumption.

It was dark.