The End of the Battle for Jingzhou

Even after the successful negotiation with Cao Cao, Zhang Ran and Guan Yu had no time to rest.

The threat to Jingzhou was not yet fully resolved. The biggest threat, Cao Cao, had retreated, but Sun Quan’s army still remained.

Although a ceasefire had been concluded, to prepare for any contingency, Guan Yu left Guan Ping in Fancheng and Liao Hua in Xiangyang city, while he and Zhang Ran set out on another journey.

Guan Yu, who had a navy, decided to take the waterway towards Qingni to face Zhang Xun. On the other hand, I, with many cavalry, was on my way to provide support via land route.

“General, may I ask you one thing?”

It was a question from Liu Yin, who was riding at the front with me.

I could roughly guess what kind of question he would ask. Liu Yin glanced at my waist, stealing looks at the thing hanging there.

When I gave him permission, Liu Yin asked exactly as I had expected.

“Why did you accept the White Wall Sword?”

“Didn’t Dexin tell you that much?”

“Yes. He only said that it was a situation where you had to accept it.”

“The reason is simple. If you’re worried about it being a trick to cause internal strife, I trust in the loyalty between our lord and us, so there’s no need to worry. And the smaller concern for me is not against reason, so there’s no need to mind it.”

“What do you mean by reason…?”

In the past, when I met Pang Tong, I quoted a passage from the Huainanzi to go under him.

The passage saying that the phoenix gives birth to the luan bird, and the luan bird gives birth to all other birds.

“According to that, even a sparrow is born from the luan bird, so what problem could there be if I accept it?”

Depending on how it’s interpreted, this could even be used as propaganda on our side.

Something like: Cao Cao returning the White Wall Sword modeled after a sparrow to me, the luan bird, is returning what he had taken.

“Rather than that, worry about where we should go among this complex battlefield. It will depend on how the war situation progresses by the time we arrive.”

“No matter where we aim for, we have to pass through Dangyang first, don’t we?”

Currently, there are three battlefields in Jingzhou:

Dangyang, where Pan Zhang and Pang De are facing each other.

Yiling, where Wei Yan is holding Lu Xun.

And Gong’an, where Pang Tong and Lu Meng, the highest commanders of each force, are clashing.

Geographically, Dangyang comes first if we keep going down. But in my view, Dangyang isn’t a big problem.

Pan Zhang might be different, but Zhu Ran is a commander who can read the war situation. There’s a high chance he’ll withdraw when he sees us.

If he doesn’t withdraw, it’s welcome news for us, because the one in charge of Dangyang is that White Horse General, Pang De.

He’s conducting a defensive battle due to numerical inferiority, but if we join forces, Pang De will come out of the city gates and demonstrate why he was called the strongest warrior of Liangzhou.

During a short break time, we held a meeting. Among the gathered generals, Wang Ping was the first to express his opinion.

“There’s a high probability that Pan Zhang and Zhu Ran will retreat to Jiangling.”

“The junior officers think the same.”

The opinion that they would retreat to Jiangling was dominant.

Only Ma Chao mentioned the possibility of battle, citing Pan Zhang’s violent and hasty personality, but even he didn’t seem to rate its credibility very highly.

As a result, the direction of the meeting was mainly about where to go after passing Dangyang, rather than the battle at Dangyang.

Should we go to Jiangling or to Yiling?

Objectively judging, the former was correct. Although it seems like Jiangling city and Gong’an city are trapping Lu Meng right now, when you look into the details, it’s not entirely a good situation.

Unlike Lu Meng, who had nearly 20,000 troops, Jiangling city had only a few thousand. Gong’an city had over 10,000, but the majority were Wuling barbarians, so their combat power should be considered lower than that.

The reason Gong’an city is holding out in such a situation is because its commander is none other than Pang Tong, and because Lu Meng can’t concentrate his forces solely on Gong’an city due to Jiangling city in the rear.

If Pan Zhang and Zhu Ran join Lu Meng and block the Jiangling city side, Lu Meng might be able to capture Gong’an city. Although Pang Tong is great, Lu Meng is also a commander who will dominate an era.

But I couldn’t easily say we should go to Jiangling.

‘If I miss this chance, I don’t know when I’ll be able to catch that guy.’

It was because of Lu Xun.

The only existence comparable to Zhou Yu in the lineup of Wu’s Grand Commanders, who were all incredibly capable.

Others don’t know the danger of Lu Xun yet. Even though he showed remarkable achievement by seeing through Meng Da’s Empty Fort Strategy and killing him in reverse, almost all the attention of our country and everyone watching this war was focused on Lu Meng.

They believe that the battle between Lu Meng and Pang Tong will determine the outcome of this war.

‘If I divide some of my troops to Shengming to check Pan Zhang and Zhu Ran, and if General Pang can show the activity of the White Horse General…’

Wouldn’t it buy time until I can catch Lu Xun?

As the generals silently waited for my decision, seeing me deep in thought, a report came that finally made me say Jiangling city.

It was news that a follow-up force led by Sun Shao had appeared.

“And, it’s said that Sun Quan is also moving with them!”

A bold move. Sun Quan, who hadn’t gone senile, certainly had the ability as a ruler of troubled times.

Realizing that at this rate, Lu Meng and Lu Xun would be trapped in Jingzhou and die, he led all his remaining forces to clash.

His determination to at least retrieve his subordinates could be felt even from here, a thousand li away.

It was regrettable. But now, even if it’s unfortunate, there’s nothing we can do.

If I go to Yiling to kill Lu Xun, it looks like Gong’an and Jiangling will fall. I can’t lose Pang Tong and Fu Jun just to eliminate Lu Xun.

“We’re going to Jiangling city. Prepare a messenger to send to General Pang. Tell him that we’ve concluded a ceasefire with Wei, so he no longer needs to watch the Wei prisoners. Tell him to come to Jiangling city together.”

As the generals withdrew to prepare for departure again, I turned my head and looked across to a place far from the direction we were going.

I had a bitter taste in my mouth. If only Meng Da had succeeded in luring Lu Xun just to Zigui County as planned, I wouldn’t have to worry like this.

Now, regretting further would only hinder focusing on the present. I forcefully shook off my thoughts about Lu Xun.

§

How did it come to this?

Lu Meng asked himself as he swallowed back the blood rising in his throat.

Even looking back on the process until now, there hadn’t been any major mistakes, and yet, why?

“Admiral… Our lord is coming. Please hold on.”

That encouragement from his aide tore Lu Meng’s heart even more fiercely.

How should he explain this situation to his lord, Sun Quan, who had trusted him and entrusted him with the position of commander-in-chief?

Should he bow his head and confess his guilt? Or should he make ugly excuses? And if so, what excuses should he make?

Lu Xun, whom he saw as his successor, was trapped in Yiling and it was unknown whether he was dead or alive. Pan Zhang and Zhu Ran, whom he had trusted and sent, were blocked by Fu Jun and attacked in the rear by Zhang Ran and Pang De, escaping as if fleeing.

He hadn’t occupied a single piece of land. The only achievement Lu Meng had was preventing Liu Bei’s army from taking more after their great victory at Fancheng.

“Hahaha, Ameng, Ameng… You’ve ignorantly tarnished our lord’s reputation. You fool…”

The saying “Wu’s most foolish person” was indeed right. Lu Meng himself must be the most foolish person in Wu.

But even in his self-deprecation and lamentation, Lu Meng was still grasping the surroundings without missing anything.

He had tried to attack Gong’an city to somehow leave some room, and didn’t miss even small reports.

On the opposite side, strong enemies like Zhang Ran and Pang De were rampaging, but thanks to the hard fighting of generals like Pan Zhang, Zhu Ran, and Lu Dai, they were somehow maintaining the front line.

Even Pang Tong’s command, who had held out this far with the Wuling barbarians unfamiliar with defensive battles, was starting to falter.

At this rate, it might be possible to secure Gong’an city, exchange Pang Tong and Lu Xun, and based on the strategic point of Gong’an city, even consider reaching for Wuling in the south.

Lu Meng was barely maintaining a thread-like spark of hope by burning his life force as fuel.

Obsessed with the compulsion to make a comeback, Lu Meng frowned and pressed his aide when he noticed that the aide had received a report but wasn’t relaying it to him.

“Why does Adjutant Si receive a report but not relay it to me!”

“Th-that is…”

Si Yi, who had been asked by Lu Meng to evaluate the plan to subjugate Guan Yu and had actively agreed to join, hesitated to speak even after receiving Lu Meng’s anger.

Of course, this irritated Lu Meng, whose nerves were on edge.

“Speak immediately!”

When he pressed as if about to draw his sword, Si Yi dropped his head low and said weakly:

“General Zhang Xun… is said to have died in battle against Guan Yu. The cause of death is presumed to be illness.”

The one who was Sun Quan’s subordinate General Zhang Xun and was blocking Guan Yu was Zhang Xun, counted among the Twelve Tigers of Jiangdong.

Zhang Xun, who had joined the campaign despite suffering from a chronic illness, recognizing the importance of this matter and wanting to burn his last flame along with Lu Meng.

His death meant there was no one left to hold Guan Yu back.

Si Yi had tried to hide the fact, fearing that Lu Meng might be shocked by the news.

Tragically for them, Si Yi’s concern was accurate.

“Kuhek! Kek… Kuluk, kuluk!”

Lu Meng staggered, spewing out the blood he had been barely holding back.

“Admiral!”

“Admiral!”

Si Yi succeeded in catching Lu Meng’s falling body without missing, but couldn’t hold onto Lu Meng’s consciousness.

As Lu Meng, the commander-in-chief, collapsed, confusion spread through Sun Quan’s army.

There was no time to hide it. Lu Meng had been directly commanding from the front lines, and the soldiers’ morale plummeted.

It was a matter of moments before the front line that had been barely maintained collapsed.

In his gradually blurring vision, what Lu Meng saw was none other than the girl he had seen fleetingly 10 years ago.

The girl, now grown enough to be called a woman, mounted on a horse, leading the vanguard and sweeping through Sun Quan’s army.

When the only man Lu Meng respected more than his lord wanted to take that girl as his daughter-in-law, how had Lu Meng himself viewed it?

The memory of inwardly dismissing it as overestimation flashed by.

“You…”

However, only now, on the brink of death, did Lu Meng acknowledge. That he was wrong again, and Zhou Yu was right.

“You were right, Admiral.”