Chapter 48: Zhou Yu's Poisonous Scheme, Liu Biao's Worthlessness

"My lord, I have a plan that will inflict grievous harm upon him and leave him exhausted and helpless!" Zhou Yu said, bowing with a shadowed gleam in his eye.

"What plan is this?" Sun Ce asked with keen curiosity.

"Salt!" Zhou Yu narrowed his eyes. "Since the Spring and Autumn period, the state monopoly over salt and iron has been established. But now, with the Han Dynasty in turmoil, that system has long since collapsed."

"Presently, aside from the salt from Yuncheng and the brine wells of Shu, the sea salt from Jiangdong is the most abundant. Chu Feng's domain lies north of the river, far from both sources, making trade between them nearly impossible."

"Thus, he must rely on the salt from Guangling and Jiangdong. My lord, you could send a letter to Chen Deng of Guangling and join hands with him to control the salt merchants, cutting off all exchange."

"If Guangling and Jiangdong refuse to supply salt to Chu Feng, it will be like seizing him by the throat. His people will be without salt, and a people deprived of salt will become weak and desperate—they will flee and descend into chaos."

"In this way, all you need do is send agents into the Jianghuai region to spread rumors of cheap sea salt in the South. Driven by need, the people will flock to you. At that time, you need only station a great general at the river's mouth to gather them, while Chu Feng can do nothing but watch helplessly. This is the art of subduing the enemy without battle."

"Come the spring plowing, his lands will be deserted, his fields barren, and his officers disheartened. My lord can then cross the river and settle the matter with a single campaign—is that not a far better outcome?" Zhou Yu concluded with a refined smile.

Sun Ce's eyes shone with excitement after hearing this. "Excellent! What a brilliant strategy to break the foe without fighting. Gongjin, your plan is worth more than an army of a hundred thousand; I can already see Chu Feng leaping up in fury, humiliated and enraged."

Veterans like Cheng Pu and Huang Gai also nodded with approval; Zhou Yu's strategy was ruthless, cutting off the livelihood of the people north of the river—it was truly fierce.

"You flatter me, my lord," Zhou Yu replied with a gentle laugh.

"Gongjin, who do you think is best suited to go to Guangling?" Sun Ce asked.

"Zhang Hong, styled Zigang, is the best choice. He is a native of Guangling and holds great local prestige. And since Chen Deng is now allied with Cao Cao, he would not likely refuse. At that time, my lord need only spread the rumors," Zhou Yu replied with scholarly grace.

"Very good. Attend me! Take my seal and dispatch Zigang to Guangling to negotiate with Chen Deng," Sun Ce commanded in a loud voice. "Gongfu, you are highly respected in the Jianghuai region—choose a day soon to station your troops at Hengjiang Crossing."

"Understood!" Huang Gai replied.

——

In the blink of an eye, it was early August.

After half a month of reforms, Chu Feng's rule was now secure. Across the land, the people were engaged in work-for-relief projects: repairing canals, digging waterways, restoring city walls, and maintaining roads.

Three thousand women had been assembled into a textile workshop, weaving cloth armor, while over a thousand craftsmen had joined the engineering corps, responsible for making repeating crossbows and curved plows for both military and agricultural use.

As for the army, it had grown from just over thirty thousand at first to fifty thousand after absorbing Liu Xun's forces. Chu Feng then restructured and streamlined, cutting away the dregs. At present, there remained twenty thousand infantry, three thousand marines, and eight hundred cavalry—all drilled day and night, their discipline restored, preparing for the great battles to come.

At this time,

Within the general's mansion in Shouchun.

Chu Feng sat at the head of the hall. Liu Ye had just returned from Jingzhou and sighed, "My lord, Liu Biao of Jingzhou has refused to sell us ships, citing rampant river banditry."

"Refused?" Chu Feng frowned.

"He was adamant. I laid out all the advantages and disadvantages, but he would not listen. It seems our hopes of purchasing warships from Jingzhou are dashed," Liu Ye lamented. In truth, he knew very well why.

"My lord," Lu Su interjected with a wry smile, "I said before Ziyang departed that Liu Jingxuan would never sell us ships. All the heroes of the realm pursue their own interests. Though you are his ally, you could yet turn against him."

"I have offered alliance in good faith to resist Sun Ce together—how could he suspect me of plotting his demise? When Sun Ce takes Yuzhang, he will see the folly of his choice," Chu Feng replied angrily.

"My lord, Liu Jingxuan is but a petty guardian, lacking vision," Lu Su replied with a soft chuckle. "Consider this: if Liu Biao sold you ships, you could cross the great river and destroy Sun Ce with ease. If Jing and Yang were united, and since Jingzhou lies upstream, would a man of your ambition be content to remain subordinate? He fears that once you grow strong, you will inevitably turn against him. How could he risk raising a tiger to threaten himself?"

Lu Su shook his head with another gentle laugh.

Chu Feng was frustrated, angry at Liu Biao's lack of initiative. Such an opportunity for alliance was right before him, yet he chose to ignore it. No wonder, in later generations, Liu Biao repeatedly missed critical moments. Had he possessed any ambition, Cao Cao would never have won at Guandu; he even had countless chances to strike at Xuchang, but simply did not want to.

Chu Feng exhaled and said in a deep voice, "If the Jianghuai region is to be our foundation, how can we go without warships? To build a navy from scratch would take too long—we must seek to purchase them."

"Very well. I will go in person to meet with Liu Biao. If nothing else, I will offer cloth armor in exchange. Jingzhou, land of fish and rice, does not produce much iron. I doubt Liu Biao can refuse."

Chu Feng spoke resolutely. He knew that time was against him; once Sun Ce took Yuzhang, he would be surrounded on all sides, with no strategic depth, and doom would be certain.

Unless he could defeat Cao Cao and seize the Central Plains—but Cao Cao's lands were rich in both civil and military talent, and his armies were strong. How could he win? And Sun Ce would surely attack from behind.

Lu Su and Liu Ye fell silent, for they knew Chu Feng was right. If they did not cross the river now, and Sun Ce took Yuzhang, the opportunity would be lost forever.

"My lord, warships are indeed the immediate priority, but your life is precious—what if..." Lu Su voiced his concern.

"Liu Biao may be a cautious guardian, but he courts the talented and forges ties with the heroes of the land; he would not risk ruining his reputation. Besides, I am the son of Yuan Shu—how would he dare?" Chu Feng frowned.

He did not wish to go personally, but time was too short. Obtaining warships was imperative.

"My lord, Liu Biao may not dare, but there are other treacherous men—such as Huang Zu and Cai Mao. They are not to be taken lightly," Liu Ye cautioned.

"All the heroes of the realm are moved by profit. I have never harmed Jingzhou—why would they trouble me?"

"Have you forgotten? When Duke Yuan was in Nanyang, he took Xiangyang, making enemies. And Huang Zu once killed Sun Jian," Liu Ye pressed.

"Then perhaps I should go and kill Sun Ce—wouldn't that be even better?" Chu Feng said with a hearty laugh. "Enough, my mind is made up. I will set out with a light force to meet with Liu Biao in Jingzhou."

Lu Su and Liu Ye exchanged glances and nodded.

In truth, their warnings were not because they believed anyone would actually assassinate Chu Feng, but rather to urge him to be vigilant—it was out of deep concern for his safety.

At this moment, a guard entered.

"My lord, a burly man has arrived outside the mansion with several dozen followers. He wishes to challenge you to a contest, and says that if you defeat him, he and his kin will pledge themselves to your service."

"Hmph! A mere country ruffian dares to challenge us?" Zhao Fan barked coldly. "My lord, give me leave to deal with this brute."

"Very well," Chu Feng nodded.

With that, he returned to his official duties, reviewing documents from across the realm and administering state affairs, striving to gather strength as quickly as possible—for now, he could afford no policy errors.