Yangzhou, Shouchun.
After the Battle of Red Cliffs, the region most fiercely contested between the Wei and Wu was not Jingzhou, but instead Yangzhou to the southeast, while Shouchun has always been the primary focus of the Wei state in Yangzhou.
Shouchun is situated in the middle of the Huai River. When using troops in the southeast, it is impossible to do without river shipping, relying instead on the convenience of the Huai River. This naturally gives Shouchun a stranglehold on southeastern affairs.
The Wei state would often use Shouchun as a forward base for its southward advances. However, the Eastern Wu was unable to break through Huaihe, not even able to touch the edges of Shouchun.
In short, Sun Quan can only have the qualifications to touch Shouchun after first conquering Hefei.
The current commander-in-chief of the Wei state based in Shouchun was the Grand Marshal Cao Xian.
Last night, the commander of the Ancheng area escorted two Eastern Wu men to Shouchun.
These two men had crossed the Yangtze River illegally from Eastern Wu, and were supposedly close relatives of Zhou Fang, the governor of Poyang in Wu. They also brought along a letter from Zhou Fang expressing his surrender.
The commander of Ancheng did not dare to delay and quickly sent the two men to Shouchun by fast horses, with the horses galloping at top speed, taking less than two days and nights.
When Zhou Fang's envoy arrived in Shouchun, it was already late at night. The commander on duty dare not delay and quickly reported the matter to the Grand Marshal Cao Xian's chief historian, Feng Ping Feng Bo Ying.
The next morning, as Cao Xiu was having his breakfast, Feng Ping informed Cao Xiu about Zhou Fang sending messengers to surrender.
While Cao Xiu was having breakfast, Feng Ping reported to him the contents of Zhou Fang's letter: "General Feng, do you think this person is trustworthy?"
Feng Ping shook his head slightly: "The report to the Grand Marshal, Zhou Fang has sent envoys to surrender, regardless of whether their words are true or false, it is not of much use to us."
Seeing that Cao Xiu was listening attentively, Feng Ping continued: "Firstly, Zhou Fang's letter says that he hopes you, the Grand Marshal, will lead the army across the river, and he himself will welcome us on the south bank. Not to mention that Zhou Fang's Poyang city is five hundred miles from Ancheng city, even if Zhou Fang sends messengers to guide us across the river in Pengze, which is over two hundred miles away, how many troops and supplies can we actually cross? Are we to rely solely on the logistics provided by Zhou Fang to establish a foothold on the south bank of the Great River?"
"Secondly, Zhou Fang has only sent envoys, not himself. The current policy of the court is clear: Zhou Fang will be granted a title and honored if he crosses the river. Since Zhou Fang wants to betray Eastern Wu, it is only for fame and status. Why does he need to invite the Grand Marshal to cross the river to achieve his goals?"
"Thirdly, the underling believes that the truth is still unclear at this point. But since a county has come over, Grand Marshal may as well first see the two envoys and then report to the court."
At this moment, Cao Xiu had just finished his meal, nodded after putting down his chopsticks, and said, "Then let them come in." The guards standing by promptly and skillfully took away the dining plate.
Cao Xiu sat motionless in the hall, with four guards on either side leading the two people into the hall. As soon as the two saw Cao Xiu, they immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
The guards of the Grand Marshal's residence were strict, and the defense guards were all veteran soldiers who had accompanied Cao Xiu on numerous campaigns. This air of severity, coupled with the two men being relatives of Zhou Fang, having never seen such high-ranking officials before, and having been on their way to surrender from Poyang for several days, now filled them with terror.
Cao Xiu did not speak, but simply looked coldly at the two men. Feng Ping, the secretary standing to Cao Xiu's left, looked at them and said, "Get up. Tell me your background in detail."
The two messengers quickly stood up, both of them being in their twenties. The one on the left was taller, and with a slight tremble, he bowed his hands and said, "Grand Marshal Cao Xian, we are the family members of Governor Zhou. Six days ago, we set out from Poyang and secretly crossed the river to around Ancheng city. After encountering the patrol soldiers of the Great Wei yesterday, we arrived in Shouchun today."
Feng Ping looked at the letter from Zhou Fang in his hand: "Who is Dong Cen, and who is Hao Nan?" The letter from Zhou Fang already mentioned the names of the two envoys.
The taller man with a slight tremble spoke in a respectful tone: "I am Dong Cen, and the man beside me is Hao Nan."
"Governor Zhou of my family, moved by the heavenly might of the Great Wei, has sent me and my companion with secret letters across the river. Grand Marshal Cao Xian is renowned in the east and his power overwhelms all. It is a privilege to meet you in Shouchun today. The troops of the Great Wei that I have seen along the way are well-disciplined and truly fit for a king's army…"
Before Dong Cen could finish his praise, Cao Xiu raised a hand to stop him.
Cao Xiu gave a subtle indication to the leader of his guards and coldly said to the two people below: "These flatterers will definitely have some scheme. Take down the tall man and cut him. Leave the short one to return with the news."
The two guards standing next to Dong Cen did not hesitate to clasp his hands and drag him out of the hall. The sound of armor colliding with metal, mixed with Dong Cen's pleas, made Hao Nan, who had just stood up, kneel again in fear.
Feng Ping understood that Cao Xiu was putting on a show to deceive the two of them a bit, to see if he could bluff out anything.
Feng Ping looked at Hao Nan, who was kneeling on the ground, and slowly said, "Zhou Fang sent you here to surrender to the Grand Marshal. You have used this deceptive strategy of pretending to surrender. If you tell the truth, your companion Dong Cen will be beheaded. But if you confess, the Grand Marshal is merciful and will definitely spare your life."
Hao Nan thought that Dong Cen, who had just been taken out, was already dead, and his voice trembled as he said: "Grand Marshal Cao Xian, Grand Marshal Cao Xian, I dare not pretend to surrender! I am the nephew of Governor Zhou. The day before we set out from Poyang, Governor Zhou had us leave the city at midnight to avoid being seen by Jie Muan's chief of supervision Hu Zong."
"This is all true!"
Hao Nan kept kowtowing until he hit the ground with such force that it even made a loud thud.
Feng Ping asked again: "Isn't Zhou Fang working together with the chief of supervision Hu Zong to suppress the Yan over there? How could he have found the chance to go north and receive help?"
Hao Nan said respectfully, "I beg the Grand Marshal to understand. Governor Zhou found out that Chief Hu Zong was to be transferred to the Jialing region for battle, and that's why he sent us here."
Feng Ping looked at Cao Xiu, saw Cao Xiu nod, and said to Hao Nan: "Whether the truth of this matter is true or false is not important. You will first reside in the Shouchun camp for several days, and wait for the Grand Marshal to make a decision before sending a reply to your family's governor."
Hao Nan kept thanking, and was then carried out by the guards. As soon as Hao Nan went out of the hall, he saw that Dong Cen, who had just been taken out, was slumped on the ground outside the door, and Hao Nan's legs suddenly went weak…
Cao Xiu took the secret letter from Zhou Fang from Feng Ping's hand. Zhou Fang was indeed peculiar; there were seven sheets of paper in the letter pouch, detailing his reasons for surrender, the movements of Eastern Wu's forces, and the injustices he had suffered in Eastern Wu.
According to Zhou Fang's account, Zhou Fang hopes Cao Xiu will send 10,000 troops southward across the river. And Zhou Fang himself will be waiting at the southern edge of the river to assist, presenting Poyang in its entirety.
Even more specifically, Zhou Fang even asked Cao Xiu for some seals, mentioning that he needed to incite the rebellion of the people and soldiers in Poyang. According to Zhou Fang's letter, the rebellion required fifty military seals for generals, two hundred for captains, and two hundred for lieutenants.
Assuming the standard of a captain for a thousand men, Zhou Fang's request for these seals would be enough to gather an army of 400,000. Even selling all the people of the Eastern Region from Sun Quan to common people, it would still not be enough to gather 400,000 troops.
Zhou Fang's letter seemed sincere and not like a deceptive surrender. Didn't Sun Quan just surrender La Zong and Zhai Dan recently? If Zhou Fang also surrendered, it would be normal.
However, there are some suspicious points in Zhou Fang's letter. Zhou Fang has written so clearly and in detail about Eastern Wu's plan to attack Cao Wei and his suggestions for how Cao Xiu should advance, which is not very reasonable. Where is the logic of just encountering each other and throwing all the details out in the open?
Cao Xiu couldn't determine the truthfulness, looked at Feng Ping beside him and said, "General Feng, as you said, report this matter to the court and ask the emperor for his decision."
"Oh, the original copies of these letters should also be sent."
