Cai Mingyi put down the letter he held in his hand: "Your Majesty, I think the forms of attacking and defending are always relative. Attacking can be turned into defending, and defending can also be turned into attacking."
"If what Zhou Fang said in his letter is true, then Sun Quan has the intention of launching a northern attack, and there are warnings in Xiangyang, Hefei, and Guangling. If he attacks these three places, it is likely that Sun Quan's deployed forces will not be fewer than a hundred thousand. How to respond to this in Jingzhou and Yangzhou is something that must be considered."
"If what Zhou Fang said is false, then if we make the Great Wei believe his words, Sun Quan will still make an attack in Xiangyang, Hefei, and Guangling, creating the appearance of a vulnerable heartland. This is to lure the Wei into making a mistake."
"But I'm afraid that Sun Quan will only feign strength in these three places, and the actual deployment of troops will be concentrated on the army led by Zhou Fang, who is drawing the southern campaign."
Cao Rui nodded, acknowledging the truth in Sima Yi's analysis: "What Marquis Sima said is indeed correct. Sun Quan has given us a difficult problem, and he is forcing us to continue gambling."
"Whether Zhou Fang's words are true or false, we must prepare our army for battle on the border. The only question is whether we should accept his request."
At this moment, Cao Zhen said, "If so, Your Majesty might let the Grand Marshal deal with it first, and then we will see how Eastern Wu reacts."
Cao Rui smiled softly, "General Cao is playing a trick within a trick! As General Cao suggests, let's see what tricks Zhou Fang and Sun Quan can come up with on their end."
...
The unanimous opinion reached at the meeting was that Sun Quan's intention was to launch a northern campaign against Wei. Wei must respond accordingly.
The key issue is where both sides place their actual strong forces!
If what Zhou Fang said is true, then Cao Xiu would indeed lead a million men south. This would force the heavy army of Eastern Wu to deploy along the route Cao Xiu was heading.
If we do not respond to Zhou Fang's request, then Wei will only be able to passively wait for Sun Quan's attack, and then rely on the central army for support, which would again lead us down the same old path.
Meanwhile, in Poyang, Sun Quan and Zhou Fang are still acting out a play with telepathic harmony.
In the capital city of Eastern Wu, Wuyang, Zhou Fang's fraud in surrendering was only known by the close advisors of Sun Quan and Lu Xun, Guan Yong, and Zhu Yu. As for Poyang, only Zhou Fang and Hu Zong knew about it.
Previously, the two relatives of Zhou Fang who were sent to Cao Xiu's place, Dong Cen and Shao Nan, also thought that Zhou Fang was truly surrendering. Zhou Fang did not speak the truth to anyone except for Hu Zong.
Sun Quan and Zhou Fang were also keeping everyone in Jiangdong in the dark.
As the saying goes, "If the king is not secretive, he will lose his ministers; if the ministers are not secretive, they will lose their lives; if things are not kept secret, harm will occur." Military affairs are of great importance to the state and Sun Quan cannot afford to be careless.
At this moment, Zhou Fang was sitting quietly in the governor's office. Just then, Zhou Fang heard that his subordinates reported that a envoy from Wu's King of Wuchang was waiting outside the city gate, and they had sent someone to the gate of the governor's office to call for Zhou Fang to come out of the city.
Even though Zhou Fang knew in his heart that this was a play between him and King Sun Quan of Wu, the taste of being reprimanded was indeed hard to bear.
Just a few days ago, the envoy sent by King Sun Quan from Wuyang directly arrived at Zhou Fang's Poyang Prefecture, summoned all the officials in the Prefecture, and publicly read King Sun Quan's edict, asking Zhou Fang why he was not able to fight effectively.
Zhou Fang knew in his heart that this was an act by Sun Quan, but Zhou Fang's failure in battle was indeed true! The rebellion led by Pen Yi, a suspicious and cunning man, had been going on for more than two years in Poyang. The official army entered the mountains and Pen Yi would retreat to the lake; when the official army withdrew, Pen Yi would return to the mountains. This is not something that Zhou Fang can easily settle.
Zhou Fang could only kneel in public and confess to the envoy, admitting that his performance in battle was indeed lacking. He expressed his determination to work doubly hard in the future and asked for a chance to atone for his sins by achieving merit.
Zhou Fang was momentarily confused even as to whether Sun Quan was truly blaming him for his poor performance in battle, or if he was just pretending to do so as part of a show.
The envoy who had come for the first time saw Zhou Fang admitting his fault, so he smiled warmly: "Marquis Zhou need not blame himself too much. The King sent me to Poyang, the very intention is to ask Marquis Zhou to make himself better."
Zhou Fang could only nod continuously.
Yesterday, when the envoy sent by Sun Quan for the second time arrived, he stood outside the Prefecture Office without entering. Unlike the first time, this envoy summoned all the officials in Poyang Prefecture and made a big show, attracting many onlookers.
The second envoy was much harsher in his criticism. He publicly read King Sun Quan's edict and scolded Zhou Fang for not being loyal to King Sun Quan, for being negligent and careless about the matters entrusted by King Sun Quan, and for allowing Pen Yi to still be at large after two years.
Under the eyes of everyone present, Zhou Fang had no choice but to kneel outside the Prefecture Office and publicly apologize to the envoy, swear an oath of his loyalty to King Sun Quan, and use his family and life as a guarantee that he would completely subdue Pen Yi within half a year.
Such a scene is quite relatable, and Zhou Fang felt even greater pressure at that moment.
Yesterday and today, from the escalating reproaches by Sun Quan's two envoys to Zhou Fang, it can be said that a prefectural governor has suffered enough humiliation.
Upon hearing that another envoy from Wuchang was coming to Poyang and demanding that Zhou Fang personally go to the city gate to apologize, Liao Xing, a civil officer in Zhou Fang's household, almost broke down in tears.
Liao Xing, with a crying voice: "Marquis, why is King Sun so harsh on you? Pen Yi's rebellion has been going on for two years. The King himself sent a man to quell the trouble, yet nothing was achieved. Why must the shame fall solely on you?"
Zhou Fang looked at Liao Xing, his loyal civil officer who had followed him for more than ten years since Danyang. Zhou Fang's eyes were slightly moist, but he still held back the desire to pour out his heart.
Zhou Fang sighed deeply: "If the king does not believe me, transfers me away from Poyang or demeans me, I have nothing to say."
"If the king thinks I am disloyal, then just execute me according to the laws of the country. Why must you send people to humiliate me repeatedly?"
Zhou Fang stood up and looked at Liao Xing: "Let's go, follow me to the city's western gate. Let's see what words the King's envoy has today."
Half an hour later, Zhou Fang gathered all the officials in his household, the military guarding the city, and many of the common people to the west gate of Poyang City as required by the envoy.
The envoy from King Sun at this time was Huai Xu, a Junior Secretary. Huai Xu sat on his horse, with four knights following behind him. They stood quietly outside the western gate, waiting to confront Zhou Fang.
Huai Xu looked at Zhou Fang kneeling on the ground, did not dismount, nor did he produce the edict of King Sun. Instead, he began to criticize Zhou Fang on horseback.
Huai Xu loudly scolded in public: "King Sun has raised you better than a pig dog! You have done nothing at all in Poyang for two years. Do you collude with the rebel leader Pen Yi inside and out? Do you also conspire with the Wei traitor?"
After saying these words, Huai Xu seemed not to be satisfied, and he even whipped Zhou Fang with his riding whip above his head.
Zhou Fang felt a thunderous sound above his head. The humiliation he felt made him fall to tears instantly.
Zhou Fang kept lowering his head in succession: "If the King blames me, I have no words to defend myself. Please let Marquis Zhou make atonement with his life."
After that, Zhou Fang drew his sword from his waist. The people around him were shocked and alarmed.
