Chapter 37

Turning back time to the early summer of the 20th year of Jian’an (215 AD). Just as Chang-ran was advancing to defeat the Pa tribe, Liu Bei was also caught in another storm of war. It was none other than Jing Province.

Last year, after Liu Bei took control of Yi Province, Sun Quan demanded the return of Jing Province. However, Liu Bei refused, promising to return it only after securing Xiliang. Enraged, Sun Quan sent governors to Changsha, Guiyang, and Lingling, but Guan Yu, who was managing Jing Province, drove them out.

Sun Quan’s anger reached its peak. He appointed Ye Meng as the commander and mobilized a large army with numerous generals to capture Changsha and Guiyang, and then aimed to take Lingling, where He Bao was stationed. However, Ban Jun quickly sent reinforcements and thwarted the plan.

Liu Bei was not idle either. He led a massive army of 50,000 with Zhao Yun and Pang Tong, stationing at Gong’an, while Guan Yu launched a counterattack. After receiving Liu Bei’s reinforcements, Guan Yu headed to Yiyang in Changsha Commandery.

This led to the Yiyang Standoff.

Facing each other across the river were the commanders Lu Su and Guan Yu. They built fortresses named “Lu Su Fort” and “Guan Yu Thunder” respectively, and a stalemate ensued.

The logic of both camps was as follows:

Liu Bei’s side argued that the four southern commanderies of Jing Province were conquered by their own efforts, and only Nan Commandery was borrowed from Sun Quan. On the other hand, Sun Quan claimed that since Liu Bei had taken control of the southern regions with his tacit approval after the Battle of Chibi, it was as if he had lent the land.

Even Lu Su, who valued the Sun-Liu Alliance, found himself at odds with Guan Yu, and the situation inevitably worsened.

In the original history, Liu Bei retreated upon hearing of Cao Cao’s invasion of Hanzhong and reached an agreement. But this time, things were different.

Liu Bei had captured Yi Province nearly half a year earlier, leading to the Yiyang Standoff erupting sooner. Frightened, Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao even more quickly.

If Sun Quan hadn’t been so fixated on Jing Province, Cao Cao wouldn’t have been able to seize Hanzhong so smoothly.

Originally, Cao Cao would have taken Hanzhong after a careful plan, but he immediately sent Zhang He. By the time Liu Bei heard the news, Zhang He had already set out.

Upon hearing that Zhang He was leading tens of thousands of troops toward Paju, Liu Bei was shocked and let out a scream.

Although Liu Bei had placed Zhang Fei, his second-in-command after Guan Yu, as a precaution, his opponent was Cao Cao. Except for the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei had always been on the losing side.

Liu Bei faced a dilemma: should he choose Yi Province, cede Jing Province to Sun Quan, and retreat? Or should he hope that Zhang Fei could fend off Zhang He’s attack while maintaining the Yiyang Standoff?

If Cao Cao had launched a full-scale offensive, Liu Bei might have boldly abandoned Jing Province to protect Yi Province and let Sun Quan exploit Cao Cao’s weaknesses.

Cao Cao’s forces were perfectly timed, making Liu Bei suspect it was a calculated move. It was a clear crisis, but there was a glimmer of hope that it could be stopped.

As Liu Bei agonized over the situation, Pang Tong advised him:

“My lord, do you remember Zhuge Liang’s Three Kingdoms strategy?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Then why hesitate? The insects cling to the peach tree’s roots; let the plum tree die in its place.”

The peach tree symbolized Liu Bei’s forces, a metaphor drawn from the Oath of the Peach Garden sworn by the three brothers. But it also literally meant a peach tree.

This was the 11th stratagem of the 36 Stratagems: “Sacrifice the plum tree to save the peach tree.”

The original poem praised the beautiful sacrifice, but in military strategy, it meant sacrificing the plum tree to save the peach tree from the insects.

The insects represented Cao Cao, and the plum tree symbolized Sun Quan’s forces. In other words, Pang Tong suggested empowering Sun Quan to maintain peace while pushing him to confront Cao Cao.

“Losing Hanzhong is a crisis for us, but an opportunity for Sun Quan. If we retreat to defend Hanzhong, Sun Quan will surely take advantage of Cao Cao’s absence to attack Hefei. If that happens, Cao Cao will find it difficult to focus on Hanzhong.”

“How much should we concede to Sun Quan?”

“Give him the Jiangxia estuary and fully transfer control of Nan Commandery. If we offer to cede the regions Sun Quan has occupied, he won’t refuse.”

Liu Bei wasn’t the only one aware of the precarious situation. Sun Quan also understood that he couldn’t oppose Cao Cao alone.

Especially now, with Lu Su, who highly valued the Sun-Liu Alliance, in control of military authority. Even if Sun Quan was inwardly dissatisfied, he would eventually yield to Lu Su’s persuasion.

Liu Bei nodded but couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“That may be the best course, but it’s still regrettable. If it weren’t for Sun Quan, we could have even aimed for Hanzhong…”

Structurally, it was territory they couldn’t hold. Sun Quan wanted Jing Province, and although Liu Bei had captured Yi Province, Sun Quan’s power was still stronger.

Moreover, an alliance was indispensable to confront the formidable Cao Cao, so Jing Province was destined to be divided.

Though Liu Bei understood this intellectually, the emptiness in his heart was unavoidable.

“My lord, land is secondary. Even if we lose it now, we can reclaim it someday. So, focus on what’s more important.”

“What’s more important?”

Pang Tong smiled and said:

“Public sentiment.”

§

The Yiyang Standoff ended.

Sun Quan was somewhat uncomfortable with the proposal from Liu Bei’s side, but with Lu Su, who had become the top military figure after Zhou Yu’s death, actively pushing for it, the two sides held a meeting.

The agreement largely followed Pang Tong’s suggestion.

Nan Commandery and Jiangxia were fully exchanged, and Liu Bei recognized Sun Quan’s control over Jing Province. Additionally, a few counties were swapped to make the borders more efficient, but these were minor details.

Although Sun Quan didn’t gain as much as he had hoped, he still achieved some gains and withdrew, looking forward to the next opportunity. Liu Bei, knowing it wasn’t the time to clash with Sun Quan but to focus on Hanzhong, quickly proceeded with the concessions.

Thus, Changsha and Guiyang Commandery fell into Sun Quan’s hands.

The officials who had been driven out by Guan Yu and now returned held their heads high as they took over the commandery’s official residences. But soon, their expressions changed completely.

“Hey, have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Lady Son caused chaos, and Lady Xiao stopped her, right? They say this invasion was all about revenge.”

“Ah, I heard that too. They say Lady Xiao took advantage of Cao Cao’s fight to invade.”

“Tsk… Despite being the hero of Chibi, in the end, it’s still the Sun family, isn’t it? Even Sun Ce was said to be ruthless back in the day.”

In truth, Sun Quan had already claimed sovereignty over Jing Province before Chang-ran left with the Paser Army, but the common people had no way of knowing such details, nor did they care.

Rumors spread easily, but correcting them was incredibly difficult.

Moreover, Liu Bei was a decent ruler in the eyes of Jing Province’s people. He valued public sentiment highly, implemented benevolent policies, and had a well-organized administrative system.

Beyond these practical aspects, Liu Bei was also a familiar and beloved figure to the people. Once an image is established, it’s hard to change. Similarly, Chang-ran was also famous in Jing Province.

The tales of Lady Xiao spread like folklore in Jing Province, and the story of a beautiful girl disciplining the oppressive villains was more than just a simple tale to the people.

Liu Bei and Chang-ran were seen as weak but kind, while Sun Quan and Lady Son were perceived as strong but evil. The underdog effect wasn’t exclusive to the 21st century.

Of course, the main power base of this era was the aristocrats, not the common folk. But the people paid taxes, became soldiers, and shaped public sentiment. Where public sentiment turned away, even with the cooperation of the aristocrats, efficiency would inevitably suffer.

Upon hearing this, Lu Su muttered in dismay:

“In the end, this is just a temporary fix.”

Whether it was Sun Quan or Liu Bei, they would inevitably clash over Jing Province again. The rumors Liu Bei spread before leaving were seeds planted for the future.

The relationship was already strained. The bond, once broken, was tied back with a clumsy knot, but the connection was loose. The next time it unraveled, they would discard it entirely and forge a new bond.

Thus, the alliance between Liu Bei and Sun Quan maintained only a superficial shell, while internally, it began to crumble steadily and swiftly.