SFS Chapter 1152 Speed is of the essence in war: marching overnight
Chapter 1152 Speed is of the essence in war: marching overnight
Zhang Hong's smile vanished completely, replaced by an almost ferocious ruthlessness. He stared at Sun Shangxiang, his voice as cold as ice: "What did he do? He did far more ruthless than we did!"
"When Sun Ce escaped the ambush at Jiangxia, he was like a frightened bird, looking at us generals from the Jiangdong aristocratic families with suspicion, not even letting us near his camp. He only had Wei Yan and a few other outsiders by his side to protect him as he recuperated on the main ship." He licked his dry lips, a hint of pride in his voice. "At first, his injuries did improve, and he could drink half a bowl of porridge. But no one could get close to him except Sun Quan, who stayed outside the cabin every day, saying he would personally prepare and brew medicine, showing more care and concern than anyone else."
"We're terrified—if he recovers, he'll definitely investigate Jiangxia's affairs, and then none of us will escape!" Zhang Hong suddenly raised his voice. "His condition is improving? That's the best time to make a move! Otherwise, if he fully recovers and decides to kill us, it will be too late! Tell me, at this time, besides Sun Quan who can freely enter and leave his cabin, who else can we make a move against?"
"You're talking nonsense!" Sun Shangxiang trembled with anger, tears welling up in her eyes. "My second brother respects my eldest brother the most. How could he do such a despicable thing! You're slandering me!"
"Slanderous accusations?" Zhang Hong sneered, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. "Sun Ce's arrow wound had already healed, so why did he suddenly 'die of illness'? Why wasn't his body allowed a thorough examination after his death? Zhou Yu sensed something was wrong at the time and wanted to investigate thoroughly, but what happened? He was stopped halfway through the investigation—isn't that a sign of a guilty conscience?"
He turned to the old lady, his tone becoming increasingly sharp: "We told Sun Quan back then that once the arrow is released, there's no turning back! If he doesn't take the throne as the ruler of Jiangdong, all of us who helped him and knew the truth would be doomed sooner or later! He understood this himself, which is why he went all out!"
The old lady clutched her chest, her face ashen, her heart aching so much she could barely breathe. She asked in a trembling voice, "Then...then what happened when Quan'er and Xu'er were assassinated one after another? If it weren't for those assassinations, how...how could I have gradually become suspicious of Zhou Lang?"
"Assassination attempt?" Zhang Hong scoffed, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Madam, don't pretend you don't know. Haven't you considered this? On one side is your own son, and on the other is a general from another family who holds military power. When it really comes down to it, who will you favor?"
He leaned forward, his voice low but clear: "Those so-called 'assassinations' were all staged for you! The clothes and weapons left behind by the murderer clearly point to Zhou Lang—but who is Zhou Lang? He's so meticulous that he can calculate the trajectory of the enemy's arrows, would he leave such stupid evidence?"
"To put it bluntly," Zhang Hong's gaze lingered on the old lady like a venomous snake, "isn't it because you're afraid that the power in Jiangdong will fall into Zhou Lang's hands, and you also feel sorry for your own son, that you turn a blind eye to those flawed 'evidence' and tacitly approve of their schemes?"
"Now that Ma Chao has arrived and is investigating what happened back then, you've all become innocent victims?" Zhang Hong suddenly burst into a maniacal laugh, tears streaming down his face. "Hahahaha... It's actually that simple! Why all the twists and turns? It's just that power-hungry brothers turned against each other!"
His laughter subsided, and he looked up at Ma Chao, a resolute expression on his face: "Ma Chao, King of Liang, I've said everything I needed to say. My life is certainly not going to be saved today. Just give me a quick death. It will also let you see clearly what the true faces of these people you want to protect are really like!"
The hall was deathly silent, save for Zhang Hong's heavy breathing. The flickering candlelight cast distorted and eerie shadows, as if silently mocking this belated reckoning and the kinship and loyalty crushed by power.
The old lady swayed, her vision blurring. The details that had been deliberately buried now pierced her heart like sharp knives—no wonder Quan'er always avoided her after Ce'er's death, no wonder he became increasingly indulgent towards those aristocratic scions, no wonder he only backed down in the face of Jingzhou's provocations... It turned out that such a shameful truth was hidden beneath that veil of tenderness.
“Ce’er… my Ce’er…” A broken sob escaped her throat, her fingers digging tightly into her clothes, her knuckles turning white. When she mentioned Sun Quan, her voice trembled uncontrollably, “How… how could he dare… he’s his own brother…”
Sun Shangxiang was shocked to see this and rushed forward to support her mother's limp body, tears welling up instantly: "Mother! Mother, wake up!" She turned around and glared angrily at Zhang Hong and the others who were being taken away, her eyes burning with hatred, "It's all these people! They've bewitched Second Brother!"
Ma Chao said in a deep voice, "Little sister, please take care of Aunt first. Leave this to me." He turned to the three veteran generals, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Cheng Pu, his gaze sharp as a knife. "You three heard what I just said clearly. Sun Quan murdered his brother to seize the throne, and the powerful families of Jiangdong betrayed their masters, causing chaos in Jiangdong."
The three veteran generals, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang, stood with their hands hanging limply, their faces filled with shame. Cheng Pu sighed, his voice hoarse: "Alas, back then... back then, although we harbored doubts about Sun Quan, we had ultimately watched him grow up, and we always thought perhaps we were overthinking things. As for Gongjin, we inevitably... inevitably wavered at times. Now, thinking back, we have truly let down Gongjin's sincere loyalty."
Huang Gai's eyes also reddened, and he clenched his fists: "Yes, Gongjin insisted on a thorough investigation back then, but we felt that family scandals should not be aired in public, so we advised him to be patient... If we were to see him now, we would have nowhere to put our faces."
Ma Chao stepped forward, patted the three veteran generals on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "Generals, there is no need to blame yourselves. Gongjin has always been a man of high moral character and integrity. Knowing that you have been deceived, he will not hold it against you. The most important thing now is to stabilize the situation and not let those remnants of aristocratic families take the opportunity to cause trouble."
He paused, then continued, "Zhang Hong, Lü Dai, and the others will be imprisoned for now and heavily guarded. We will make a final decision after the old lady wakes up. General Cheng, you will be stationed in Moling, guard the city gates, appease the people, and ensure the stability of the rear."
"From a certain province," Cheng Pu replied, cupping his hands in greeting.
“Generals Huang and Han,” Ma Chao turned to the two men, “you will assist General Cheng in managing affairs in the city, especially those officials who are deeply involved with powerful families. Temporarily suspend them from their duties for investigation, and do not allow them to tip off others.”
Huang Gai and Han Dang replied in unison, "We will obey Your Majesty's command!"
Cheng Pu then remembered something else and said worriedly, "Your Majesty, we are naturally at ease knowing that you are leading the army to Shuxian to join Gongjin. However, Liu Biao... after all, he is the Governor of Jingzhou, and his status is special. How to deal with him still needs to be considered."
Ma Chao frowned, his fingertips tapping lightly on the hilt of his sword. Liu Biao was indeed incompetent, but killing him would be unwise—though he and Liu Bei were sworn enemies, they were ultimately from the same clan. Killing Liu Biao might vent his anger temporarily, but it would also remove a formidable enemy for Liu Bei, leaving Liu Bei without any constraints in Jingzhou. It would be a net loss, and he would unjustly earn the reputation of killing surrendered soldiers.
After a moment's thought, Ma Chao made a decision: "Fine, let Liu Biao stay imprisoned for now. When I return to Chang'an, I'll present him to my senior brother as a 'gift'—I'm sure he has a way to deal with him."
Han Dang laughed upon hearing this, "Your Majesty's idea is excellent! Let Liu Bei deal with that old man's headaches, and we'll have some peace and quiet."
Huang Gai nodded: "In this way, we can avoid damaging the reputation of Jiangdong and also create some chaos in Jingzhou. It is indeed a good solution."
Ma Chao nodded: "There is no time to lose. I will muster the troops and set off immediately. The three generals, hold Moling and wait for me to join Gongjin. After we wipe out the remaining aristocratic forces in Shuxian, we will return immediately."
"Take care, Your Majesty!" The three veteran generals bowed in unison as they saw him off.
Ma Chao turned and walked out of the reception room. Moonlight was filtering through the clouds, illuminating the frost on his silver armor. He mounted his horse and said to his personal guards behind him, "Pass down the order: depart immediately for Shu County!"
The night was as dark as ink. The west gate of Moling City slowly opened, the heavy hinges turning with a distinct sound in the still night. As Ma Chao mounted his horse, the procession behind him had already formed a long, winding line on the official road—this time, he had abandoned the waterway and decided to travel by land to Shuxian.
Gan Ning selected 6,000 elite troops from his 10,000-strong navy. Although they were skilled in naval warfare, they were all elite soldiers personally trained by Zhou Yu. Even in infantry armor, they could still form ranks and fight. The 25,000 men selected from the surrendered naval forces of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, dressed as infantrymen, were somewhat inexperienced, but they still possessed the strength and resilience honed by years of battling the waves. Another 8,000 soldiers captured during the day were selected to form the rear guard, personally overseen by Pang De. Including the 4,000 Xiliang cavalry he personally led, this force of over 30,000 men stretched for miles under the moonlight, their armor gleaming, kicking up dust on the official road.
Cheng Pu rode his horse to escort Ma Chao to the city gate, and Ma Chao said, "I'll trouble General Cheng with all the matters in the city."
Cheng Pu cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, rest assured, with me in Moling, there will be no trouble." He glanced at the newly surrendered soldiers in the ranks, their expressions filled with fear, and whispered, "These people..."
“It’s easier to keep them with us than to leave them in the city.” Ma Chao turned his horse around. “If they dare to cause trouble, my four thousand iron cavalry will be enough to teach them a lesson.”
Cheng Pu nodded in agreement, watching Ma Chao whip his horse forward, the dust kicked up by his iron cavalry instantly engulfing the troops, before turning back to the city to relay the order to the pass.
The procession moved swiftly, with the Xiliang cavalry leading the way, their hooves thundering in the air; Gan Ning's six thousand infantrymen followed in the middle, their swords clashing crisply and rhythmically; the newly surrendered thirty thousand men brought up the rear, their footsteps a jumbled mess, yet they dared not slacken their pace under the pressure of the formations in front and behind.
Pang De rode alongside Ma Chao, glancing at the cowardly surrendered soldiers behind them, and couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty has abandoned the waterway. Although it's more concealed, it will add two days to the journey. If Lü Meng discovers it..."
"Speed is of the essence in war, and we're all about creating a time difference," Ma Chao said. "The reason I'm rushing is to keep Lü Meng completely in the dark that our rear has already been taken over."
He reined in his horse and glanced back at the newly surrendered soldiers: "Besides, with these people here, if we lie and say we are reinforcements, Lü Meng will never guess it's us."
Pang De suddenly realized—using these surrendered soldiers to wear down Lü Meng's 30,000 loyal followers would not only weaken the aristocratic families' military strength but also serve as a way to test people's hearts, truly killing two birds with one stone.
As night fell, the group rested temporarily in a deserted village. The Xiliang cavalry formed a perimeter, Gan Ning's men distributed rations, and the newly surrendered soldiers were confined to the center, with even the lighting of fires being watched. Several soldiers who had once served under Huang Zu tried to slip away in the chaos, but as soon as they reached the edge of the perimeter, they were struck down by the long spears of the Xiliang knights. Their screams terrified the others, and they dared not move again.
Ma Chao sat on a blue stone, studying a map by moonlight. Gan Ning approached and handed him a pot of water: "Your Majesty, judging from the appearance of these men, they will likely be of little use in Shuxian."
“Even if our plan is exposed by Lü Meng, these tens of thousands of men can still wear down Lü Meng’s elite troops.” Ma Chao took a sip of water. “Lü Meng’s soldiers are private soldiers raised by aristocratic families. They must be extremely well-equipped and trained. Let these tough guys gnaw on them. That way, we won’t have to go through the selection and training process. Those who remain will be veterans of countless battles.”
Gan Ning grinned: "The King's calculations are indeed profound."