Sun Quan held his delicate pocket under his armpit with one hand, pressed the long knife around his waist with the other hand, stepped into the tent, bowing to Sun Ce.

"Your Majesty, I am fortunate to be unwilling to be the last one. I have defeated the Shu army and captured the city."

Sun Ce looked at Sun Quan, whose face was covered in dust and steaming on his head, and his face could not hide his joy. He laughed silently. "I didn't expect Zhongmou to be so brave and brave, breaking the city so quickly, which is a joyful congratulations. Is it hot? After taking off his armor, drink a glass of water."

Ling Tong, who was beside him, came forward and handed a glass of water to Sun Quan. Sun Quan took the water cup, drank it all, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and the dust on his cheeks revealed his fair skin. "Thank you Your Majesty to give water. However, the soldiers are still cleaning the battlefield, and I dare not untire him. Your Majesty, Chen Mi is here, please take your Majesty to take a look."

Sun Ce nodded and ordered someone to escort Chen Mi in.

Chen Mi lowered her head and tied her hands behind her. Her helmet was gone, her hair was scattered, and her body was covered with dust. He came to Sun Ce, knelt down with his legs, and put his head against the ground without saying a word.

"Is Captain Chen unsatisfied?" Sun Ce said lightly with the armrest of the chair.

Chen Mi's body was slightly stiff, and then slowly relaxed. "The criminal minister dared not. Your Majesty was wise, the Great Wu was mighty, and the criminal minister was defeated and convinced."

"Is that?" Sun Ce laughed twice. "If it were me, I wouldn't have been convinced. After all, if there were no stone throwing machines and powerful crossbows, your city would be small and not easy to conquer. Although you are defeated now, it is not a battle, but you are just unlucky."

Chen Mi was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to answer Sun Cecai.

Guo Jia gently shook the feather fan. "Captain Chen claimed to be a criminal minister. Is he willing to surrender?"

Chen Mi replied, "I wish to surrender."

"Your family is still in Chengdu, aren't you afraid that they will be implicated?"

"The strength is very different, I am defeated by fighting hard, and surrendered with helplessness. I believe the King of Shu can understand it, and the disaster will not be as good as his family."

"I surrendered helplessly? I'm not willing to say so." Guo Jia looked at Chen Mi with a smile. "I heard from Gan Xingba, are you the best friends?"

"I thanked Xingba, and I have been in contact for many years, but I have not been in opposition to Wu and Shu, and the differences between the noble and the inferior are similar. I am very lucky to be guilty of the crime."

Guo Jia turned to Sun Ce and said, "Your Majesty, since Chen Mi is the best friend of Xingba, if he surrenders due to defeat and implicates his family, it is difficult to explain to Xingba in the future. It is better to let Chen Mi go back to Sichuan, allow him to settle his family, and then discuss it."

Sun Ce nodded. "Person Chen, what do you think?"

Chen Mi was silent for a moment, and then bowed. "I thank Your Majesty for not killing you. I am grateful to you for your inexplicable gratitude."

Sun Quan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have a word, I beg your Majesty to think twice."

"explain."

"Your Majesty is magnanimous. Thinking of the old friendship between Gan'andong, he has made the righteous resignation of Chen Mi to return to Shu to protect his family. This is a kind heart and holy virtue. I dare not argue. But the war has not stopped and the enemy and we have not understood it. Will you follow this routine in the future? Gan'andong was originally from Ba County. He has been in Shu for many years and has many relatives and friends. Will he be arrested and then surrendered in the future?"

Sun Ce frowned slightly. "What should we do with Zhongmou's opinion?"

"Stay Chen Mi in the camp and act as a prisoner and coolie. After breaking Shu in the future, we will discuss where he will go. After being captured but not surrendered, Cao Cao naturally has no reason to kill his family. Otherwise, who would be willing to fight for him?"

Sun Ce thought for a moment, nodded and ordered people to take Chen Mi to the prisoner camp to detain him. Then he ordered Sun Quan to rest, wash, prepare for discussions, and discuss the next stage of the war.

Sun Quan bowed and took the order and retreated.

Sun Ce, Ju Su, and Guo Jia exchanged a wink, and shook his head with a wry smile.

The conquest of Jiangnan small town proved that the large stone thrower and heavy crossbow on board the tower ship were irreplaceable, and the subsequent battles would inevitably rely on these powerful tools.

After discussion, Sun Ce decided to attack Zigui first.

Zigui is in the basin, suitable for garrison and space to expand its forces. The nearby arable land can also solve the supply of some military rations and reduce the pressure of logistics supply. Taking down Zigui City, cutting off the upstream, Danyang City, and Kui City have no help. The warships they own cannot balance with the Wu army, so they can only hide in the valley and dare not enter the river. It is a matter of time before surrender.

But the cost of conquering Zigui is not small.

The small city in Jiangnan is only 210 steps in its circumference, but Zigui City is two miles, which is nearly ten times larger in terms of area. The troops in the city are not comparable to those of the more than 500 soldiers from Yizhou under Chen Mi. Thousands of subordinates from Wenbu, Deng Kai and others in the city are all nearby barbarians, familiar with the terrain, and have strong motivations for fighting. During the ten years of confrontation between Wu and Shu, Wu and Shu continued to exchange control, but the big tribes in the city have not changed. They are the real masters.

Protecting Zigui means protecting their own interests.

After being ravaged by the Wu army's stone throwing machine, Wenbu also sent people out of the city to negotiate surrender, but the condition was to guarantee their interests, and to be granted the marquis like the King of Shu, and to recognize their privileges politically.

Of course, Sun Ce could not agree, so he directly sent someone to bomb the envoy back and asked him to tell Wenbu, Deng Kai and others to surrender before siege the city, so that you can't die, otherwise you will be punished by the clan.

Sun Ce knew that doing so might shock Wen Bu and others, and he might also force them to resist stubbornly. However, he did not expect to win quickly, and he did not intend to compromise with these big clans, so naturally he had nothing to worry about.

As expected, Wenbu and others did not reply, but the fortifications were stepped up in the city, and only half of the city towers were completely demolished to strengthen the city wall. I don’t know who gave Wenbu the idea, but he actually built a horse-rewarding horse on the top of the city. Although the horse-rewarding horse could not completely block the arrows, it could cause many obstacles to the infantry's attack.

Seeing all this from the lookout, Sun Ce ordered people to draw a drawing to let the generals think about how to crack it.

Some people proposed to use a stone thrower to throw iron balls and smash these horse-rejecting horses. The plan seemed feasible, but after a simple test, it was found that the price was extremely high. To open enough channels for infantry attacks, at least tens of thousands of iron balls were needed. Not to mention how much impact the iron balls on the ground would have on the attacking infantry, nor to say whether the Wu army had so many iron balls. Just transporting these iron balls to the front of the formation was a headache.

One iron ball weighs ten kilograms, and ten thousand kilograms are 100,000 kilograms, and it requires several fully loaded building ships.

It's not impossible, it's just that the price is too high.

After listening to the analysis of the craftsmen of the baggage camp, several generals looked at each other. They knew that the combat costs were costly, but they did not expect that the cost would be so high, and they were simply turning upwards exponentially. After all, siege of the city became the most cost-effective choice.

The generals were divided into two factions and had different opinions. They stood firm and held their own opinions and argued against each other, and no one was willing to give in easily.

Sun Ce remained silent and asked the Military Affairs Office and the Military Information Office to discuss internally, and not express opinions to the outside world for the time being, so that the generals could fully argue, even if they were anxious, they would not care about all the martial arts.

It’s not clear whether it’s just a matter of reason. Give you space to perform.

After winning the first battle, Sun Quan's mentality suddenly relaxed a lot and no longer became tense every day. In addition to participating in discussions among the generals, he would occasionally ask Sun Ce to talk about his views.

When Sun Quan came to find Sun Ce on this day, Sun Ce was about to set sail. When he saw Sun Quan coming, he invited him to go with him.

"Brother of the emperor went out to patrol the camp?"

"According to the current situation, it is unlikely to take down Zigui before the flood season. Danyang City is not very good. You need to find a port to moor warships. The Military Intelligence Department has selected several locations to take a look. In addition, Ji Zuo was bored in the camp and wanted to go sketching and take him to see the scenery. Will you go?"

"Is Ji Zuo here?" Sun Quan felt a little disappointed. His fourth brother Sun Kuang arrived at the camp but didn't even go to see him.

"Brother Wang." Sun Kuang walked out from the side and bowed.

Following him, Xu Hua and another girl saluted Sun Quan together. Sun Quan couldn't remember who it was, but he only felt familiar. He must have seen him before. After hearing the girl's self-reporter, he realized that it was Xiahou Yuan's sister Xiahou Xian, and he couldn't help but take a look at him again.

Many years ago, he met Xiahou Xian, but at that time, Xiahou Xian was only six or seven years old, thin and small, and very inconspicuous. Now he has red lips and white teeth, a rosy face, a slim figure, and a little baby fat. He is clearly a flower girl who is about to bloom.

Seeing Sun Quan staring at Xiahou Xian, Xu Hua was very unhappy. "King, Sister Xian is going to get engaged to the Fourth Uncle Wang."

Sun Quan was stunned and quickly withdrew his gaze. "Is that true?"

"Of course, I came to see Your Majesty this time, just to ask Your Majesty to give you a marriage. Your Majesty has already been approved."

Sun Quan smiled a little reluctantly. "That's what you are wrong. Since she is going to marry your uncle, that's your aunt. How can you call your sister? Wouldn't it be a mess of your generation?"

"Uh..." Xu Hua was speechless and then turned his neck. "They were not married yet. When they were married, it would not be too late for me to change my words. Sister, let's go and see the scenery." After that, he pulled Xiahou Xian out.

Sun Quan shrugged helplessly and laughed twice with self-deprecating words. "I didn't expect Ji Zuo to get married. I, the brother, am really ashamed."

Sun Ce glanced at him and signaled him to go to the terrace outside to sit together. There was an umbrella on the terrace, but it was a green-covered umbrella dedicated to the emperor. Sun Quan did not dare to sit, so Sun Ce issued a special order, and Sun Quan could only sit there.

The tower ship left the navy camp, and the escorted central navy was already waiting outside the camp. When they saw the emperor's ships leaving the camp, they saluted in the direction of the ships and cheered long live. There were canyons on both sides, and the cheers were obviously louder, long and endless, which made people shake their hearts.

Sun Quan was in a trance for a moment.

Sun Ce leaned on the recliner and looked at Sun Quan quietly, with a meaningful smile on his lips.

After a long time, the cheers had stopped, and only the river was surging. The river was swelling. Sun Quan suddenly woke up and turned his head to look at Sun Ce subconsciously. He was frightened and sweated in a cold sweat. He quickly stood up and saluted, just about to apologize, but realized that it was inappropriate to do so, and he suddenly froze there.

Sun Ce didn't say anything, looked at Sun Quan, and smiled even stronger at the corner of his mouth.

Beads of sweat slid down Sun Quan's forehead and dripped on the raised sleeves, swelling into a ball.

"Are you fascinated by the king's rule and the people cheering?"

"Your Majesty, I..." Sun Quan swallowed, his voice hoarse. He stammered for a long time, but in the end he could not say a complete sentence, so he could only stand there.

Sun Ce sighed secretly, waved his hand, and signaled Sun Quan to return to his seat. He thought that the relationship between the two had eased these days, but now it seems that this younger brother is too cunning and has too heavy knots to be honest in the end.

Sun Quan returned to his seat, but did not dare to sit down. He just sat a little by the chair and was ready to get up again at any time. Sun Ce turned his gaze and looked at the mountains on both sides. In the early summer, the green mountains on both sides were dripping green, full of greenness and vitality. From time to time, birds passed by the sky, leaving behind a crisp or gentle chirping, but what I heard the most was Zigu's cry.

The place names of Zigui are usually derived from Qu Yuan's daughter, but the other is related to Zigui. Zigui is also the cuckoo bird, also known as Du Yu, which is said to be transformed by the soul of Emperor Shu Du Yu. It is most common in June and July, and it is not stopped day and night, and the sound is so sad, just like waiting for Zi to return.

At this time, when he heard Zigui crying in the gorge, Sun Ce felt a special sigh. With those poems related to Zigui, what came to his heart was the soul who had received the enlightenment of humanities in the 21st century.

Once upon a time, he had gradually forgotten that era, and somehow, it appeared quietly at this moment.

There is also the memory of Sun Ce who he thought had dissipated.

In two different eras, souls of different personalities are mixed together, memories are like tides, rising and falling, and blending with each other, making him feel as if he is in a dream, and he does not know who is a guest.

Unfortunately, there is only memory, not soul. He often wondered, if Sun Ce knew what Sun Quan did later, would he still hand over his foundation to Sun Quan?

Sun Ce was unable to answer him, and he could not make a decision. According to the imperial technique, he naturally used thunderous means to find a reason to deal with Sun Quan to prevent future troubles. On the battlefield, there were many opportunities, and there were also people who proposed this, but he had never made up his mind.

This question is too complicated. There has been no satisfactory answers to the conflict between morality and interests, human nature and politics for thousands of years. It is natural to point fingers from the moral high ground, and once you are in it, you will inevitably be trapped in the situation.

It’s better to go back!

"Zhongmou, in the battle of Jiangnan, the battle was good, and the original agreement was naturally effective." Sun Ce took the lead in breaking the silence, crossed his legs, crossed his fingers, placed his chest, and wrapped his thumbs around each other. "Next, you must be prepared to take on greater responsibilities. If you have excellent performance, you will be the leader in the fight against Kuicheng."

Sun Quan did not dare to look directly at Sun Ce, but only dared to look at Sun Ce's expression from the corner of his eyes. Seeing that Sun Ce was speaking calmly, it was not as if he was deliberately trying him, so he stood up and saluted. "Thank you Your Majesty, I will do my best."

"How did Shen Mi do this during this period?"

“Always settled.”

"Is it useful?"

Sun Quan pondered for a moment. "Compared with our army, it is naturally far inferior. But the victory lies in enduring hardships, and there is no problem in doing some chores."

"He was captured by you, so he should be assigned to your command. Those who stayed in Changsha were also transferred here. The casualties of attacking Zigui will not be small. You need to replenish your manpower. The parts that are insufficient in armor and military equipment will be allocated by the Central Army."

Sun Ce paused and turned to look at Sun Quan. "Zhongmou, commanding 3,000 people seems to be similar to commanding 1,500 people, but it is actually different. You must adapt as soon as possible and prepare for commanding more people to fight in the future. If you don't understand, come and ask me, which military advisor you like, you can also tell me and I will arrange it for you."

Sun Quan choked up and bowed again. "Thank you, my brother."
Chapter completed!