binnovel Chapter 508: Kuaiji's Past and the Rise of Sun Ce
Chapter 508: Kuaiji's Past and the Rise of Sun Ce
With Gan Ning by their side, the journey, both by land and water, was smooth and unimpeded. They sailed down the river, passing through Danyang and then leisurely entering Poyang Lake, finally arriving in Wujun without any problems, as if entering an uninhabited area.
Ma Chao had truly suffered a great loss this time. He had been wholeheartedly devoted to serving his country, but he hadn't anticipated the current state of warlord separatism, the weakening of the Han court, and its diminished influence. Those supposedly neutral factions harbored ulterior motives, secretly leaning toward one particular warlord. Ma Chao was baffled as to which side they were siding with.
Ma Chao's fame spread far and wide from a young age. His martial prowess was so impressive that he commanded immense confidence. However, on Yuan Shu's territory, he nearly met his end. Yuan Shu's mediocre generals nearly cornered him. The situation was incredibly close. Had Gan Ning not intervened, Ma Chao would have suffered the tragic fate of Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu, who committed suicide by slashing his throat at the Wujiang River.
Along the way, Lu Su's face was full of worry, and he advised Ma Chao earnestly: "As the saying goes, a son of a wealthy family will not sit in the hall; a gentleman will not stand under a dangerous wall. General, you have an important responsibility, and you must not take such risks." However, Ma Chao turned a deaf ear to these words and did not take them to heart.
Ma Chao, despite having lost a dozen or so of his personal guards, was heartbroken. These guards had been with him day and night, like brothers, and their deaths pierced Ma Chao's heart, like a sharp blade piercing his heart. Little did he know, however, that this was only the beginning. In the future, his carelessness would lead to a devastating setback, a devastating loss that would shake the faith and pursuits he had steadfastly upheld for so many years.
Of course, these painful experiences served as a key, truly unlocking his path to power. Previously, Ma Chao's desire for power was still in its infancy, with only a vague fantasy of high office, yet he hadn't truly grasped its importance. But after this battle, the harsh reality made him realize that only by holding power tightly could he control his destiny and protect those around him.
Of course, these matters, concerning future twists and turns of fate and the path to power, remained distant. At this moment, Ma Chao's mind wasn't immersed in the unfolding events yet to come. The thought of soon meeting his sworn brothers, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, filled him with a surge of joy, as if dispelling the gloom brought on by the loss of his personal guards, and his steps unwittingly lightened.
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were equally eager to meet Ma Chao. With the fifteenth day of the first lunar month fast approaching, Ma Chao should have appeared by now, according to their previous agreement. Yet, he had yet to show up, leaving Sun Ce and Zhou Yu worried. After all, Ma Chao's journey from his base to Wujun would require him to overcome numerous obstacles. They both missed their long-lost elder brother.
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were now in high spirits, unrivaled in their positions of power. Ma Chao's generous support had initially provided them with the capital to start their business. After parting ways with Ma Chao, they had originally planned to march south to Changsha to avenge their previous defeat. However, after further investigation, they discovered that Changsha was now under the control of Liu Biao, the governor of Jingxiang. His power was so immense that it would be difficult to capture. After much investigation, they learned that their mother had taken her younger siblings to her uncle's home in Wu County, Wu Commandery, to seek refuge. This finally freed Sun Ce and Zhou Yu from any worries.
At that time, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu focused their sharp gaze on Kuaiji County. In this Wu County, Yan Baihu and other factions, each leading over 10,000 men, were stationed in their respective territories like powerful local lords, maintaining strong defenses and seemingly determined to resist any invading enemy to the bitter end.
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu knew that to capture Kuaiji, they had to first eliminate Yan Baihu, the thorn in their side. So, they meticulously planned, deployed their troops, and launched a fierce offensive against Yan Baihu's forces. With a determined and confident expression, Sun Ce declared to Zhou Yu, "Yan Baihu and his ilk are nothing more than a ragtag group of bandits, lacking ambition and possessing short-sightedness. With our capabilities, capturing them will be easy." With these words, he decisively led his troops across the Zhejiang River and advanced directly onto Kuaiji County.
In Kuaiji City, Prefect Wang Lang learned of Sun Ce's incoming attack and was discussing countermeasures with his ministers. Meanwhile, Gong Cao Yu Fan, concerned, stepped forward and advised, "Prefect, Sun Ce's momentum is immense and his power is at its peak. Our army may struggle to confront him head-on. It would be better to temporarily avoid his attack and seek a strategy to defeat him." Wang Lang, however, remained stubborn and refused to listen to Yu Fan's advice. Determined to hold his ground, he deployed a large force at Guling, preparing for battle to stop Sun Ce's advance.
Sun Ce launched several fierce attacks, his men charging forward like tigers descending from the mountains. However, Wang Lang's defenses were impenetrable, repelling Sun Ce's attacks each time. For a time, the battle reached a stalemate, and Sun Ce frowned, lost in thought.
At this moment, Zhou Yu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and offered a plan: "The enemy's defense is tight, and a frontal attack is unlikely to be effective. We can adopt the tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. The terrain of Chadu is hidden. If our army advances from here, we will be able to catch the enemy by surprise and attack them when they are unprepared." After hearing this, Sun Ce's eyes lit up, and he said it was great, and immediately acted according to the plan.
That night, darkness as black as ink enveloped the land. Sun Ce ordered torches to be lit throughout the front lines. For a moment, flames shot up into the sky, and the cries of battle were deafening. This served to confuse and distract the enemy, tricking Wang Lang into thinking Sun Ce was still attacking with all his might. Meanwhile, he quietly detached a group of elite soldiers and, under cover of darkness, advanced silently along the Chadu Pass.
Wang Lang fell for Sun Ce's ruse, completely unprepared for his surprise attack. Upon learning that Sun Ce had already advanced from Chadu, he was horrified and, in a panic, hastily dispatched Zhou Xin to lead his troops to meet the enemy. Though valiant, Zhou Xin's hasty response was no match for Sun Ce's preparedness. After a fierce battle, Sun Ce decisively slew Zhou Xin, and his army surged forward like a tide.
Wang Lang's defenses collapsed instantly, and his army was completely defeated. Desperate, he fled to Dongye by boat with Yu Fan. Sun Ce would not let them go easily, and immediately dispatched He Qi to pursue them. Ultimately, Wang Lang was left with no other options and surrendered. Kuaiji County was thus successfully pacified and brought under Sun Ce's sphere of influence.
After Sun Ce had established himself firmly in Kuaiji County, his uncle Sun Jing and his cousin Sun Ben, along with others, arrived with their troops to assist him. Sun Jing was a man of extraordinary wisdom, often offering brilliant strategies in every battle; Sun Ben was a fierce warrior, charging into battle and unstoppable.
At the same time, Sun Ce recruited a number of powerful generals including Yu Fan, Chen Wu, and Dong Xi.
For a time, Sun Ce had many talented people under his command and his power increased greatly. He was able to gain a firm foothold in Jiangdong and became famous.
During this time, the angelic beauty of the two Qiao sisters attracted the attention of some of the reclusive sons of the local aristocratic families. Upon hearing this, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were enraged and immediately led their troops to attack the aristocratic families who harbored evil intentions. After a fierce battle, they successfully rescued Qiao Gong and the two Qiao sisters.
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were rising to prominence, their fame spreading far and wide. Furthermore, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and the two Qiao sisters had already developed a secret affection for each other since their youth. Mr. Qiao, already fond of these two talented and valiant young men, now saw their sincere requests for marriage and happily agreed, betrothing his two daughters to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu respectively.
By this time, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had already acquired vast tracts of land in Kuaiji County, their careers flourished, and they each married beautiful women, achieving a perfect harvest in both love and career. Not only were their reputations known far and wide throughout Jiangdong, they also established happy families, becoming a legendary figure.
However, in Wu County, Wu Commandery, Sun Ce's uncle, Wu Jing, was in dire straits. The local Shanyue people were rampant, and their leader, Shamoke, repeatedly launched invasions, causing great distress to Wu Jing. Meanwhile, Sun Ce had occupied Kuaiji Commandery, and his prestige was growing. Zhu Zhi, the commander of Wu County, was a former subordinate of Sun Ce's father, Sun Jian. After Sun Jian's tragic defeat, it was Zhu Zhi and his subordinates who escorted Sun Jian's mother, siblings, and children to Wu Jing's refuge.
Zhu Zhi, fully aware of Sun Ce's extraordinary bravery and strategic prowess, discussed this with Wu Jing: "Sun Ce is now the bravest of the three armies, and his reputation is far-reaching. If we invite him to come, he will surely be able to repel the Shanyue's attack."
Wu Jing was slightly taken aback, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Seeing this, Zhu Zhi continued, "Not only that, if Sun Ce can come, we can seize the opportunity to plan and see if we can capture Wujun in one fell swoop, expand our influence, and completely escape our current predicament. With Sun Ce's current strength and reputation, coupled with our existing foundation in Wujun, this may not be impossible." Wu Jing's gaze gradually firmed, and he nodded solemnly. "You are absolutely right. Without further delay, we will write to him immediately."
Uncle Wu Jing's proposal was a timely relief, perfectly suiting Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's needs. Having recently secured Kuaiji County, they were ambitiously planning to expand their influence into the surrounding areas. They knew that Wu County was vast and geographically crucial, possessing inestimable value both strategically and in terms of resource reserves. They viewed the current governor, Xu Gong, as incompetent and unlikely to achieve great things. Now, with Uncle Wu Jing acting as their internal support within Wu County and the opportunity to march under the pretext of conquering the Shanyue, they possessed the perfect combination of time, location, and people. Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were unwavering in their pursuit of such a golden opportunity, and they readily accepted Wu Jing's invitation.
Meanwhile, Wu Jing diligently negotiated with the prefect, Xu Gong, to facilitate this initiative. He appealed to both reason and emotion, explaining the threat posed by the Shanyue to Wu County and emphasizing Sun Ce's bravery and strength, promising that his presence would surely relieve the predicament. Wu Jing's tireless efforts finally persuaded Xu Gong, who reluctantly agreed to allow Sun Ce to come to Wu County and help them defeat the Shanyue.
At this time, Ma Chao's messenger arrived at Sun Ce's camp at top speed, bearing a proposal to discuss a joint campaign against Yuan Shu and lift the siege of Yangzhou. Since the death of his father, Sun Ce had been separated from his mother, siblings, and brothers and sisters, enduring the bitterness of separation. By this point, Sun Ce had set his sights on Wu Commandery, intending to quell the Shanyue rebellion first. Upon entering Wu Commandery, he would be able to express his feelings of separation to his mother, something he longed for.
Upon learning that it was his sworn brother Ma Chao who had requested the meeting, Sun Ce understood this was more than just a show of brotherly love; it was also an opportunity to expand his power. To jointly defeat Yuan Shu, both sides would need to carefully plan, meticulously discussing how to attack from both sides and when to deploy their forces. Coincidentally, Sun Ce's mother, having heard of Ma Chao's heroic act, also wished to meet this hero. Thus, the two happily agreed to meet in Wu County.
On this expedition, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu not only led elite troops to fight against the Shanyue, but also brought their wives along. Sun Ce thought that since his marriage, his mother had never met her daughter-in-law, so this reunion would be a good opportunity for his mother to meet Da Qiao and put her mind at ease.
Sun Ce eagerly awaited a reunion with his mother, siblings, and siblings. The family had been separated for so long, and his longing for them surged like a surging tide. Everything was now arranged, and he only waited to meet with his eldest brother, Ma Chao, to discuss the campaign against Yuan Shu, hoping to achieve great success and restore the family's prestige.