Chapter 290: Three Opportunities
“The third choice has risks. The risk is that the general will face the powerful General Gan, very likely losing everything, even his life, but there are also opportunities!”
Sun Ben pondered for a long time. “I know the risks, but I want to hear more about the opportunities!”
“There are three opportunities!”
Wei Jing’s thinking was meticulous. He said unhurriedly, “First, Cao Cao arranging for the general to participate in attacking Yuzhang Commandery truly aims to borrow a knife to kill, using General Gan’s hand to eliminate the general. But any matter has opportunities amid dangers. Cao Cao wanting the general to attack Yuzhang Commandery will inevitably provide the general with a certain army. The general can make demands, requesting forty thousand troops. Adding the current eight thousand troops, we will have fifty thousand men, plus the money and grain supplies in Wanling County. The Shanyue People cannot take them all away. The rest will be ours. These money and grain supplies must be requested from Cao Cao.”
“Well said!”
Sun Ben praised repeatedly. He hesitated, “Will Cao Cao give me forty thousand troops?”
Wei Jing smiled. “Forty thousand troops is not much. He Qi’s twenty thousand troops were originally the general’s. At most, they will allocate another twenty thousand surrendered Jiangdong Army troops to the general. To them, it is insignificant. More importantly, without giving the general sufficient troops, how can the general attack Yuzhang Commandery? How can Cao Cao borrow a knife to kill? On this point, Cao Cao will not be ambiguous!”
Sun Ben nodded slowly. “So we must utilize Cao Cao’s intention to borrow a knife to kill to seek our greatest interests!”
“Exactly right!”
The balance in Sun Ben’s heart quickly tilted toward the third choice. The position of Marquis of Wu that he had dreamed of now dimmed in his heart at this moment.
“What is the second opportunity?” Sun Ben asked in a deep voice.
Wei Jing smiled and said in an unhurried tone, “The second opportunity is southern Yuzhang and even Luling Commandery. General Gan’s main force is concentrated in Chaisang. Even if Yuzhang Commandery has garrisons, they are in Nanchang County. The counties south of Nanchang County and even Luling Commandery must be empty. We can attempt to attack Nanchang County. If it doesn’t work, immediately turn south, seize southern Yuzhang Commandery and Luling Commandery, and gain our own foothold.”
“I understand. What about the third opportunity?”
“The third opportunity is Jiaozhou!”
Sun Ben’s eyes lit up. “Jiaozhou!” He awoke as from a dream, his heart surging with uncontainable excitement, as if seeing a vast future.
………….
Cao Cao began withdrawing his army to Hefei. Once the withdrawal started, General Gan immediately received intelligence. This time, he did not raid the Cao Army but monitored the Cao Army step by step retreating eastward.
In the official residence, General Gan stood silently before the sand table, his gaze fixed on Jiangxia Commandery and Lujiang Commandery on the sand table. The vast lands were like an empty hunting ground, temptingly waiting for him, the prey, to enter.
General Gan naturally knew the opponent’s withdrawal intention: to lure him north of the river, to shift the battlefield on the Yangtze River to the land.
Beside him, Lu Su said gravely, “Once we go north, we will face the east-west pincer attack from the Nan Commandery Cao Army and the Hefei Cao Army. Cao Cao has set a trap, his scheme vicious.”
“I know!” General Gan said calmly. “Our goal these two years is Jiangdong. Jiangbei can be set aside for now.”
Lu Su fully agreed. Their current goal was Jiangdong. Dispersing too much energy in Jiangbei would be more loss than gain, affecting their Jiangdong strategy.
At this time, Xu Shu hurried in, bowed and saluted. “Reporting to the Marquis of Chu, Liu Bei has sent special envoy Sun Qian.”
General Gan nodded and said to Lu Su, “Entertain him well. First talk with him and see what Liu Bei’s intention is.”
In the back garden vegetable patch of General Gan’s residence, Sun Shangxiang was watering and fertilizing three robust watermelon vines. Dozens of very small watermelons hung on the vines, visibly growing day by day.
Gazing at these small watermelons, Sun Shangxiang’s eyes were unusually gentle, a rare smile appearing on her face.
Since learning of her elder brother’s assassination and the collapse of the Jiangdong Regime, Sun Shangxiang had completely changed, becoming taciturn, her face losing its smiles. She was emotionally low every day, only showing a smile when watering the watermelons daily.
“Shang Xiang!”
General Gan appeared not far away and slowly walked over. “I knew you were here!”
Seeing General Gan, Sun Shangxiang shyly lowered her head. “General, why have you come?”
General Gan stepped forward and gently put his arm around Sun Shangxiang’s shoulders. “Let’s go! We’ll head back.”
Sun Shangxiang washed her hands clean in the water basin before following General Gan back.
In front of General Gan, she no longer had any proud capital. On the contrary, she felt more inferior, with greater dependence. If even General Gan did not want her and drove her out of the residence, she truly would have nowhere to go.
Her elder brother was dead, the Jiangdong foundation had collapsed. She had instantly fallen from a high princess to a homeless wanderer. All her self-esteem and pride had shattered with the fall of Jiangdong.
General Gan gently held her hand. His palm was warm and strong, giving her a great sense of safety.
The two walked slowly along the garden path. “I’ve inquired about your mother’s situation.”
Sun Shangxiang stopped, gazing at him tensely. Her mother was her only concern, the only person she could not let go.
“Your mother is now in Ye County!”
“Ye County!”
Sun Shangxiang suddenly covered her mouth, tears immediately welling up. Her mother had actually been escorted to Ye County.
General Gan put his arm around her shoulders. Sun Shangxiang weakly leaned into his arms, tears silently streaming down her face.
“How is she now?”
General Gan said gently, “Don’t worry about her life. Though under surveillance, her life is still good, with generous treatment. Later, I will find a way to bring her to Chaisang.”
General Gan’s last words were like a faint light, instantly illuminating Sun Shangxiang’s long-dimmed, despairing eyes.
She turned and tightly grabbed General Gan’s arm, her beautiful large eyes fixed on him, filled with pleading and hope.
“General, can you really bring my mother back?”
General Gan nodded. “It just needs time and opportunity. If I capture important subordinates of Cao Cao, like Cao Ren or Xiahou Dun, I can exchange them for your mother.”
Tears filled Sun Shangxiang’s eyes again. She held General Gan’s hand, her eyes red, tearfully gazing at him. “Thank you! Really, thank you!”
General Gan embraced Sun Shangxiang, discovering she had lost much weight these days, almost skin and bones. A huge sense of pity surged in his heart. He gently rubbed her hair with his chin and said, “Back when I allied with Eastern Wu, you nearly became my wife, but you refused. I was once very angry, thinking we would have no further ties. Unexpectedly, the god of fate sent you to Chaisang again. I don’t know what you think now, but I feel I am still willing to open a door for you. If you don’t want to enter this door, I won’t force you. But I will still help you, help bring your mother back. However, such help would be mere morality, with no other meaning.”
A huge complex emotion surged in Sun Shangxiang’s heart: shame for having despised General Gan in the past, gratitude for his efforts to rescue her mother, but more a mad joy and sweetness of being favored.
She finally mustered her courage, tiptoed and lightly kissed his stubbled chin, her eyes full of gratitude and affection. “I was ignorant in my youth. Only now do I understand what I should truly cherish. General Gan, thank you for still leaving a door for me. I am willing! I am very willing to walk through this door.”
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【Something came up at home, please excuse one chapter, normal update this afternoon】
