As dusk fell, the wind in Jiangdong carried a hint of dampness. Zhuge Liang stood at the bow of the boat, gazing at the distant city of Jiangdong, but he had no leisure to appreciate the scenery.
On his way to Jiangdong, Zhuge Liang kept thinking of countermeasures.
The death of Guan Yu was like a heavy hammer blow, shattering the peace between Sun Quan and Liu Bei.
With the alliance broken, he must seek justice for the fallen heroes.
As the boat docked, Zhuge Liang, accompanied only by Zhao Yun, entered the council hall of Jiangdong.
Inside the banquet hall in Jiangdong, the lights were bright and the place was resplendent with gold.
The scholars gathered together, creating a tense and solemn atmosphere.
Zhuge Liang entered the hall, dressed in plain clothes, holding a feather fan, with a smile on his face, and calmly walked to the center of the debate.
Sun Quan had been waiting for a long time. When Zhuge Liang arrived, he smiled slightly. When their eyes met, there was an undercurrent of tension between them.
"Mr. Kongming, you have come from afar. May I ask what advice you may have?" Sun Quan spoke first.
Zhuge Liang remained calm and replied, "Lord Sun, the world knows of General Guan's death. This was an act of Jiangdong; shouldn't they give us an explanation?"
Sun Quan sneered, "Guan Yu died on the battlefield; how can he be held responsible for Jiangdong's death?"
A sharp glint flashed in Zhuge Liang's eyes: "Lord Sun, you are mistaken. There was already an alliance between Sun and Liu against Cao. Jiangdong's actions are undoubtedly a betrayal of trust. I have come today not for personal revenge, but for the greater good of the world."
Sun Quan's face darkened, but seeing that he didn't respond, Zhuge Liang continued, "I've come today for no other reason than to demand the return of the three counties of Jiangzhou. This land was originally my territory, and I will return it today to uphold the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei."
Inside the council hall, the scholars discussed the matter, some with troubled expressions, while others watched coldly.
Zhuge Liang surveyed his surroundings, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over everyone present.
"Gentlemen, today's matter concerns the fate of the world. If Jiangdong can return the three commanderies, Yizhou is willing to form an eternal alliance with Jiangdong to jointly resist Cao Cao. Otherwise, Yizhou will raise its army and wage war against Jiangdong at all costs!"
Zhuge Liang's words were powerful and resonant, each word striking the hearts of the people like a heavy hammer.
Inside the council hall, the murmurs of the scholars gradually subsided, their gazes shifting back and forth between Zhuge Liang and Sun Quan.
Sun Quan looked at Zhuge Liang with deep resentment. This Zhuge Liang had actually forced him to hand over the three counties of Jiangzhou.
"Mr. Kongming, our Jiangdong was originally going to attack Wancheng, but General Taishi died on the battlefield!"
“Zhou Yu originally intended to retreat to Jiangdong, but the garrison in Nanyang refused to open the gates, so he attacked Nanyang!” Zhang Zhao retorted.
Zhuge Liang snorted coldly and said, "The Jiangdong army and Cao Cao's army are fighting a major battle at Wancheng. How could our army know whether it is the Jiangdong army or Cao Cao's army coming? Of course, we cannot open the gate casually!"
"Furthermore, who can believe that Zhou Yu, leading an army of 100,000, was defeated by Cao Ren with only 20,000 men?"
Zhuge Liang's words left Zhang Zhao speechless.
An elderly scholar stood up and asked in a loud voice, "Zhuge Liang, the loss of Jingzhou was caused by Guan Yu's underestimation of the enemy. Have you come here today to try to reclaim the lost territory through verbal disputes?"
Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and replied, "No. Guan Yu's failure was due to his trust in the alliance, but you have betrayed your faith. How dare you speak so arrogantly?"
The old scholar's face twitched a few times; he hadn't expected this young man to be so eloquent.
"What a silver tongue!"
Another scholar spoke up, staring at Zhuge Liang and saying, "Zhuge Liang, stop making baseless accusations. If my Jiangdong army hadn't been forced into a desperate situation, we wouldn't have been able to attack Nanyang!"
"You were the ones who broke the alliance first, trying to reap the benefits without lifting a finger!"
Zhuge Liang immediately rebuked, "Even if we assume you only wanted to retreat and were forced to attack Nanyang, what will happen after you take Nanyang?"
Why did they pursue Guan Yu all the way to Nan Commandery? And why did they kill Guan Yu at Maicheng?
"Do you have any shame in doing this?"
Zhuge Liang's words were so powerful that they seemed to freeze the air in the entire council hall, leaving it completely silent—you could hear a pin drop.
Sun Quan's gaze turned cold; Zhuge Liang's words pierced his very soul!
Seeing this, the Confucian scholars looked at each other, speechless for a moment. However, the debate did not end there.
Another scholar stood up, his tone even more provocative: "But the three counties of Jingzhou have already fallen into the hands of Jiangdong. What ability do you have to make us return them?"
Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "If you hadn't broken the alliance, how could the three counties of Jingzhou have been forcibly seized by Jiangdong?"
"I was sent here today to demand the return of the three counties through words alone. If they are not returned, the next ones to come will be the soldiers of Yizhou!"
The scholar sneered and asked, "You have just fought a great battle with Cao Cao's army. If you were to start fighting now, you might not be a match for Jiangdong!"
Zhuge Liang remained calm and composed, smoothing his feather fan as he said, "You also know that our army inflicted a great defeat on Cao Cao's army in Hanzhong. This time, our army recaptured Hanzhong, killed Cao Cao's general Xiahou Yuan in battle, and captured tens of thousands of Cao Cao's soldiers!"
Upon hearing Zhuge Liang mention this battle, everyone present couldn't help but gasp.
"Let me ask you this: if I, Yizhou, were to mobilize all my troops, could Jiangdong withstand me?"
"My Yizhou has several hundred generals and a million armored soldiers. Can the mere Jiangdong region possibly defeat us?"
"Our army has Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong, who is unparalleled in the world, riding a white horse and wielding a silver spear. Can Jiangdong be his match?"
Zhuge Liang's three questions stumped the Confucian scholars, leaving them blushing with shame and unable to answer.
"What a silver tongue you have!"
Another scholar, not to be outdone, followed up: "The three counties of Jingzhou are strategically located and not yours alone. If we're talking about geographical advantages, Jiangdong also has a right to contest them."
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