Chapter 255: The Last Stand
At nightfall, in Lv Fan’s mansion, Zhou Yu who had just rushed back from Jingkou, Cheng Pu who had just rushed back from Dantu, Huang Gai who had just rushed back from Niuzhu, and Zhou Fang who had just rushed back from Jiangcheng County.
These were all key figures of Jiangdong’s War Faction. Of course, besides them, most of the War Faction consisted of military generals, but they had all been deployed to various places. Facing this fateful game that concerned Jiangdong’s life and death, these generals could only write letters expressing their stance, which had little actual effect.
The commanders of the garrison in Dantu County were Xu Kun and Chen Wu. Xu Kun belonged to the Middle Faction, while Chen Wu fully obeyed Sun Quan’s decisions.
At this final juncture of fate, Lv Fan wrote letters summoning back these core great generals of the War Faction to collectively oppose compromising with Cao Cao. This was their last stand.
The hall was brightly lit, and Cheng Pu asked gravely, “Where have the negotiations reached now?”
Cheng Pu had only arrived back in Dantu County half an hour earlier. He had not even returned home and came directly to see Lv Fan.
“The negotiations have already concluded. Tomorrow morning, we will have a final discussion on the negotiation draft, then the Marquis of Wu will sign and seal it before sending it to Yecheng, awaiting Cao Cao’s signature and seal.”
Lv Fan distributed copies of the negotiation document to everyone. “Take a look!”
Everyone lowered their heads to carefully read the draft. Suddenly, Zhou Yu looked up and said, “The Marquis of Wu has been deceived. The opponent’s true aim is to sabotage the alliance between the Gan and Sun families to resist Cao Cao, then fix it in place through the agreement text so we dare not violate it.”
“Gongjin is right. This is Zhang Yi’s strategy of vertical alliances to break horizontal ones. Once we and the Western Chu Army cannot join forces, Cao Cao can defeat us one by one,” Zhou Fang said from the side.
Everyone fell silent. They all agreed on this point: Cao Cao was fundamentally untrustworthy.
After a long while, Cheng Pu asked again, “I heard earlier that Lord Lu went to Chaisang. What is Gan Ning’s stance?”
Lv Fan shook his head. “Gan Ning’s attitude is very positive. He is eager to ally with us, but he cannot accept the Marquis of Wu’s condition. The Marquis of Wu demanded that he hand over Bu Zhi to Jiangdong, and Gan Ning flatly refused.”
Bu Zhi was Jiangdong’s fourth most important figure, after Zhang Zhao, Lv Fan, and Zhou Yu. His defection had indeed dealt a massive blow to Jiangdong, but everyone believed he was not wrong.
“The Marquis of Wu should not view Bu Zhi as part of Sun Ben’s faction. It was too hasty.”
Cheng Pu said gravely, “He is too suspicious, willing to use self-destructive means to strike down dissenters. It is deeply disappointing.”
Cheng Pu’s pent-up dissatisfaction over the past few months finally erupted at this moment. “Just like how he thinks I am also part of Sun Ben’s faction. I followed Bofu on southern and northern campaigns, helping to establish Jiangdong’s foundation. Would I be one of Sun Ben’s people? It is simply a colossal joke. I think he wants to eliminate all us veteran great generals to cover up his own breach of promise. He personally promised in front of us to designate Bofu’s son as successor.”
“General Cheng, do not speak recklessly!” Zhou Yu said with a grim face.
Cheng Pu also knew his earlier words had gone too far, so he fell silent.
Zhou Yu straightened his back and said, “Time is short. Let us discuss countermeasures! How will we oppose the negotiations tomorrow and stop the Marquis of Wu from signing!”
Lv Fan nodded. “Gongjin is right. Talking about anything else now is pointless. The crisis is upon us. We must focus our energy on handling the immediate threat and figure out how to oppose the Marquis of Wu signing!”
The next morning, outside the Marquis of Wu’s official residence in Sun Quan’s manor, sat three great generals—Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Zhou Fang—as well as civil officials like Lu Ji, Yu Fan, and Yan Jun. Everyone looked stern and silently awaited the final outcome.
Inside the official residence sat seven people. Besides Sun Quan, there were Lv Fan and Zhou Yu from the War Faction, Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, and Xu Kun from the Peace Faction, and Sun Jing, who had arrived from Qu’a yesterday.
Interestingly, the Surrender Faction no longer existed. From the moment Jia Xu arrived for negotiations, all surrender faction members became part of the Middle Faction and then the Peace Faction. The two major factions swiftly merged, accounting for over eighty percent of power in Jiangdong’s power center.
Sun Quan was silently reviewing the newly drafted negotiation document on the desk, including the attachment with Sun Ben’s handling opinions.
“Marquis of Wu, please take a good look and listen to the officers and soldiers’ opinions!” Lv Fan said, trembling as he handed the joint letter to Sun Quan.
Sun Quan expressionlessly read through the War Faction joint letter submitted by Lv Fan. It had signatures from over thirty people, almost all generals, but these generals lacked sufficient weight—only about seven or eight carried real influence: Lv Fan, Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Lu Meng, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, Pan Zhang, and so on.
But Sun Quan glanced at another joint letter with signatures from over 130 Peace Faction members, all from Jiangdong’s noble and powerful families.
In comparison, the War Faction’s power was too weak and lacked voice.
Sun Quan took a deep breath. Though he had a faint inclination to compromise with the War Faction, he knew clearly where the foundation of his rule over Jiangdong lay.
“That will be all!”
Sun Quan’s voice was slightly hoarse as he calmly said to Lv Fan and Zhou Yu, “I understand your feelings, but we should respect the majority’s opinion. When confronting Sun Ben later, I will carefully listen to and accept your suggestions.”
Lv Fan and Zhou Yu said nothing. They had nothing left to say. They had lost, defeated thoroughly by the powerful Peace Faction.
Sun Quan took up his brush and signed his name on the agreement. Lv Fan and Zhou Yu silently exited the official residence. Looking at the few people waiting outside, Zhou Yu said wearily, “Let us go! There is no place for us to celebrate here.”
The group silently left the official residence.
The moment they stepped out of the Marquis of Wu’s Manor, Lv Fan looked up at the sky, a glint of heartbroken tears at the corner of his eye.
Perhaps he too should follow Bu Zhi’s example and go elsewhere to realize his ideals and ambitions.
In the afternoon, Jia Xu received the negotiation agreement text signed and sealed by Sun Quan. He finally could not help but smile smugly, like a fisherman pulling a fish out of the water. But Jia Xu knew there was one final step to complete success.
That was for Chancellor Cao to sign and seal the document, then return Jiangdong’s copy to them, at which point this bilateral agreement would formally take effect.
Jia Xu wrote a long letter to Cao Cao, entrusting both agreements along with deputy Wang Xiu, and instructed him, “Be careful on the road. Deliver the agreement to the Chancellor’s hands as quickly as possible, and hand it to him personally.”
“Rest assured, Lord Jia. I will handle the matter securely!”
Under the protection of a hundred soldiers, Wang Xiu boarded a ship and departed from Dantu County. Worried that Zhou Yu and others might intercept Cao Cao’s envoy, Sun Quan specially dispatched Chen Wu with three thousand troops and over a hundred warships to escort them across the Yangtze River. They entered the Zhongdu waterway, watching the envoy ships head toward the Huai River, before the escort fleet returned to Jiangdong.
