Chapter 026: Do You Mean to Become a Treacherous Minister of the Realm, a Traitor to Han?!
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It was the fifth year of Jian’an. Cao Cao had yet to unify the north, and Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were locked in confrontation at Guandu.
Sun Ce had just been assassinated and killed, while Sun Quan was still in the early days of his succession. Recommended by Zhou Yu, Lu Su had entered Sun Quan’s service.
Sun Quan took to him at once. As the two shared a couch and drank together, Lu Su seized the opportunity to present his grand strategy to Sun Quan.
Because the proposal had been offered upon a couch, it later became known as the Couchside Strategy.
What astonished Lu Su was that this strategy was a closely guarded secret. Neither he nor Sun Quan had deliberately publicized it, and only a handful of people in Jiangdong knew of it.
So how had Xiao He, a nameless mountain recluse in Jingzhou, a thousand miles away, learned of it?
It was not only Lu Su who was bewildered. Even Liu Bei stared at Xiao He in utter confusion.
“My Couchside Strategy was known only to a very few in Jiangdong. How could he possibly know of it? Could he merely be spouting nonsense?”
After his initial shock, Lu Su made a deduction according to common sense and quickly regained his composure.
“What Couchside Strategy? I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what you mean, Mister Xiao.”
With that, Lu Su gave a hollow laugh and pretended not to understand.
Seeing through his feigned ignorance, Xiao He picked up the wine jug, rose, and stepped forward to pour Lu Su a cup.
“Destroy Huang Zu, attack Liu Biao, seize Jingzhou, contend for control of the Yangtze, and occupy all the lands south of the river. Indeed, it is the finest of strategies.”
“Jiangdong has no shortage of heroes, yet men with Brother Zijing’s far-reaching vision are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.”
“I deeply admire your foresight and strategic insight, Brother Zijing. I raise this cup to you.”
Xiao He held the cup before Lu Su and, in the same breath, quietly revealed the first half of the Couchside Strategy.
Lu Su’s expression changed drastically. His hand jerked, and he nearly dropped the cup.
“What he has just said is precisely what I told my lord that day—almost word for word!”
“He is not speaking recklessly. He truly knows!”
“But how is that possible?”
Lu Su’s heart churned like a storm-tossed sea. He stared at Xiao He in disbelief, mouth agape, unable to utter a word.
“However, Brother Zijing’s conviction that Cao Cao cannot be destroyed and the Han dynasty cannot be restored is rather too pessimistic.”
“My lord still lives, and General Sun still lives. If our two houses join forces with one heart, how can we know that Cao Cao cannot be defeated?”
“Besides…”
The smile faded from Xiao He’s face, and he said reproachfully:
“General Sun is a subject of the Great Han, yet you advised him to seize the lands south of the Yangtze, proclaim himself emperor, and establish a new reign. Could it be that you wish to see General Sun follow in Yuan Shu’s footsteps?”
Clang!
Lu Su could no longer hold his wine cup. It slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
His face went deathly pale, and cold sweat broke out across his brow.
Xiao He had exposed the second half of his Couchside Strategy.
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As powerful as Cao Cao was—controlling two-thirds of the realm—he still raised the banner of restoring the Han dynasty.
You, Lu Su, are a Han subject, yet you incited your lord to imitate Yuan Shu and usurp the throne!
What are your intentions?
Do you wish to become a traitor to the realm and a rebel against the Han?
“Mister Xiao, I… you… I…”
Lu Su gazed at Xiao He in stunned horror, stammering helplessly, unable to form a coherent sentence.
But Xiao He’s expression suddenly changed, and he burst out laughing.
“I merely heard a few rumors. General Sun and Brother Zijing are both loyal subjects of the Great Han. How could Brother Zijing possibly urge General Sun to imitate that traitor Yuan Shu?”
As he spoke, he picked up the wine cup from the table, filled it, and placed it back in Lu Su’s hand.
“What I truly meant to say is that with your knowledge and strategic vision, Brother Zijing, you should be able to see that we possess the impregnable city of Fancheng, with the Han River as a natural barrier. Repelling Cao Cao should be well within our power.”
“If General Sun truly wishes to contribute, rather than obsessing over sending troops into Jiangxia, he would do better to move his forces to Huainan and launch an all-out assault on Hefei.”
“What do you think, Brother Zijing?”
Holding the wine cup, Lu Su sat rigidly in a daze, like an ignorant youth who had just received a patient lesson from an old scholar.
After remaining stunned for quite some time, Lu Su shuddered and suddenly came to his senses.
“This Xiao Bowen is as though he possesses the sight of Heaven itself. Truly, this is beyond belief.”
“I wonder where Liu Xuande found such an extraordinary man.”
“No wonder he is so confident. Even without military aid from Jiangdong, he believes he can hold Xiangfan and repel Cao Cao. So he relies on the counsel of this remarkable strategist…”
Lu Su suddenly understood why Liu Bei dared to act with such complete assurance.
After weighing the matter for a long while with the wine cup in his hands, Lu Su could only sigh.
“I had heard that Liu Yuzhou had appointed Zhuge Kongming as his military adviser. I did not expect him to have another extraordinary man like Mister Xiao in his camp.”
“As for Liu Yuzhou’s wishes, I shall return to Jiangdong at once and report them to my lord, General Sun.”
Liu Bei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiao He’s display had intimidated Lu Su into backing down, forcing him to abandon his plan to send Jiangdong’s army into Jiangxia.
The negotiations came to an end, and the banquet once again grew relaxed.
Liu Bei continued chatting and laughing with Lu Su, discussing the affairs of the world.
Lu Su, however, was distracted. From time to time, he secretly glanced at Xiao He, racking his brains to determine the man’s true origins.
When the banquet ended, Lu Su cited the urgency of the military situation and announced that he would leave Xiangyang that very day to return to Jiangdong and report to Sun Quan.
Liu Bei did not attempt to detain him. He personally escorted Lu Su from the city to the ferry and watched as Lu Su boarded a ship and sailed away.
“Bowen truly is a divine man! Every move and intention of Sun Quan and his ministers has been foretold by you!”
As he watched the vessel recede into the distance, Liu Bei turned toward Xiao He with a look of admiration.
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“My lord is too kind. Divine man or no, I could never presume to claim such a title.”
Xiao He gave a self-mocking smile, then continued:
“Still, Sun Quan should give up on sending troops into Jiangxia. At most, he will station forces at Chaisang and wait to see how matters unfold. The threat faced by Liu Qi in Jiangxia should therefore be temporarily lifted.”
“From here on, my lord can have no worries behind him and devote himself entirely to dealing with Cao Cao in the north.”
Liu Bei felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders and let out a long breath.
Then he suddenly remembered what had happened at the banquet.
“Bowen, earlier at the banquet, you mentioned the Couchside Strategy of Lu Zijing. What was that about?”
“Why did Lu Zijing seem so astonished when he heard your words? And why did his attitude change so completely afterward?”
Liu Bei looked at Xiao He with undisguised curiosity.
“Well… that is a long story. My lord, the grilled fish I left atop the north gate tower is still waiting for me. It would be a waste not to eat it.”
“Did you not promise me ten perch? Just have General Chen deliver them to the north gate tower…”
With that, Xiao He cupped his hands in farewell. Before Liu Bei could react, he had already mounted his horse and galloped away in a cloud of dust.
“A few words were enough to make Lu Zijing break into a cold sweat and force him to yield. Kongming was right—Bowen truly is unfathomable…”
Watching Xiao He’s departing figure, Liu Bei fell into thoughtful silence.
…
Several days later.
Jiangdong, Moling City.
“How could Liu Xuande be so confident? Without defensive support from our Jiangdong army, how dare he boast that he can hold Xiangfan and withstand Cao Cao’s army of one hundred and fifty thousand men by his own strength?”
In the main hall of the military headquarters, the lord of Jiangdong sat high above the others. His green eyes and purple beard gave him a formidable appearance as he stared at Lu Su in puzzlement and suspicion.
“First, Xiangyang has ample provisions. Second, Liu Bei has recently acquired a general named Huo Jun, who is exceptionally skilled at defending cities. With only five thousand troops, he has repelled several fierce assaults by Cao Cao and held Fancheng as securely as an iron fortress.”
“As for the third…”
Lu Su’s expression grew solemn. He said gravely:
“Besides Zhuge Kongming, Liu Xuande has also acquired an extraordinary man named Xiao He.”
“Although his origins are unknown, his intelligence and stratagems are extraordinary. He even knew of the Couchside Strategy I once presented to my lord!”
“Liu Xuande dares to claim that he can resist Cao Cao alone because he has this man to devise strategies for him.”
Sun Quan’s expression trembled, and his green eyes suddenly widened.
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