183. Sun Jian's Retreat

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Liu Bei showed a smile after Ju Shou finished saying that, He appointed Ju Shou and Wang Xiu to handle the people of Pingyuan, while Jian Yong will act as his ambassador and go to Yuan Shao to 'gift' Pingyuan and maybe make an alliance with him if it can be done.

Ju Shou and Wang Xiu cupped their hand, receiving the order while Jian Yong laugh loudly promising that it would be done. Liu Bei began to feel confident, with the addition of a top advisor like Ju Shou at his side.

As for generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei alone can hold his army standard, and Sun Guan who is an experienced leader, the army under him will be stronger than his previous army.

After that, Ju Shou was appointed to become the Head of the Internal department, to help Liu Bei in governing and handling Qing Province's internal affairs.

Liu Bei feels that the future ahead of him is bright, while on the other hand far in Jing Province, at Changsha Commandery, the Sun Clan under Sun Jian has been going through a brutal war against Liu Biao.

Sun Jian at first managed to take 3 Commandery to the east of Changsha, bordering Yang Province from Liu Biao's hand. Liu Biao feels threatened by Sun Jian's aggressive move and is afraid that he will lose, and send the bulk of his army toward Changsha.

Sun Jian and his veteran generals anticipated the move, so they had a naval battle that will be recorded in history as one of the biggest naval battles in the Han dynasty.

Sun Jian led the naval of the Sun Clan, fighting against the naval force under Cai Mao and Huang Zu. Sun Jian's eldest son, Sun Ce joined the battle at the age of 16 years old.

Different from history where Sun Jian Passed away, Sun Ce received much guidance under Sun Jian. Alongside Sun Ce, is the young Zhou Yu who has begun to show his excellence in military tactics.,

Sun Jian: "Bofu and Gongjin, this will be the first time the two of you going to battle. I have promised your mothers that I will bring you back home safely, so follow me from the back always okay?"

Sun Ce: "Don't worry Father, Gongjin and I will always follow behind you, you don't need to be concerned about the two of us as we have been honing our martial arts since little alongside you."

Zhou Yu: "Bofu don't be too overconfident, Uncle is not wrong for worrying the two of us, and being overconfident at battle can get you killed."

Sun Jian: "Haha Gongjin you are smarter than this son of mine, I will be rest assured with you beside him."

Sun Ce: "Father!"

Sun Jian gave out a loud laugh, followed by Zhou Yu who just smiled while Sun Ce threw a small tantrum toward his father. Right now they are standing at one of the command ships, waiting for Liu Biao's navy.

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu have begun to learn about the leading navy under Sun Jian and some of his veteran generals since they were 10 when they were intrigued by how different it is compared to land warfare.

Sun Jian was happy that his eldest son and his friend whom Sun Jian considered a nephew or even another son, the Sun Clan had a history of navy leaders and Sun Jian wanted to keep it that way.

While they were talking, suddenly a navy was seen on the horizon. Sun Jian seeing this immediately ordered his men to enter their position, as if they lost this battle they would lose Changsha, and have to relocate to a frontier town near Yuzhang which was under Liu Yao.

Liu Biao Navy, which was under Huang Zu sailed from Jiangxia while under Cai Mao from Jiangling. So they were attacked from two fronts, due to Changsha's position between the two of this major port town.

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu both stand beside Sun Jian, they see that Liu Biao's navy has more numbers than theirs, and their navy isn't a weak one but a strong one, especially the one under Huang Zu.

Huang Zu and Cai Mao's navy slowly approached Sun Jian's navy, and thus the battle known as Changsha's Navy Clash began.

Arrow after arrow was shot between each side, riddling each ship that was hit with arrows and killing some of the unlucky people who got shot.

Sun Jian commanded the prepared small ships to ramp up Huang Zu and Cai Mao's ships, burning their ship and jumping off it before hitting their target.

This tactic works, as some of Huang Zu and Cai Mao's ships burst into flame being burned and with the strong wind, the fire can't be put out.

Cai Mao and Huang Zu seeing this, commanded their ships to stir away from the ships that were burned, whole this affected their range of attack, but with the number they had this was just a small casualty.

Sun Ce: "Father the plan works! But it just caused a small amount of casualty for them!"

Sun Jian: 'This has been predicted, both Huang Zu and Cai Mao are top talent in naval warfare, and Liu Biao having them can be said to rule the Yangtze River in Jing Province."

Zhou Yu: "Uncle don't worry about that, in the future I will become just like Huang Zu and Cai Mao, much better than the two of them!"

Sun Jian: "Haha Gongjin I trust in you then, in the future when Bofue succeeds me he will be your guidance, he is brash while you are calm and cautious which complements him well."

Huang Gai: "My Lord! There's a bad news! We are attacked through land by Liu Biao's army! Looks like they focused the bulk of our army here, while they take the lands in our rear!"

Sun Jian hearing this cursed as he didn't foresee this, looks like they transported their troops from Jiangling across to Wuling, and attacked them from there.

He had long known that in terms of the amount of troops and territory he had compared to Liu Biao was small, but for him, an eye had to be paid with an eye so he proceeded to declare war on Liu Biao at that time.

Unfortunately, he can't ask for help or make any allies, as to the east and west are Liu Yan and Liu Yao, which considered to be Liu Biao's family due to them being Imperial Scion, while to the south Shi Xie only hole up on his territory.

He had thought of Lie Fan but at that time Lie Fan had a problem to handle, and he had a favor that he hadn't repaid, which was a life-saving favor.

At this time, Huang Zu and Cai Mao's navy attack began to be intensified, as it looked like they received the same news as him. Sun Jian knows that he will lose his Changsha any moment now, decides to retreat to the frontier town near Yuzhang.

Fortunately, he brought all of his family alongside him and put them in the harbor, Sun Jian told his trusted generals Huang Gai and Han Fang to face the combined navy of Huang Zu and Cai Mao.

Then he ordered Cheng Pu to lead their retreat process, as he would lead the navy to blockade the enemies while Cheng Pu led the retreat toward the frontier town.

Everyone shouts that they've received the order, and they leave to do their assignment. Under Huang Gai and Han Dang's lead with Sun Jian overseeing the bigger picture, the Sun Clan navy began to make a blockade.

Huang Zu and Cai Mao see that Sun Jian wanted to retreat, from the formation of ships that were made. They began to order boarding attacks, to hold Sun Jian's navy here, and even destroy all of them if they could.

Sun Jian and the Sun Clan without their navy is not a threat to Liu Biao, which can be big merit for them in the eyes of Liu Biao. Huang Gai and Han Dang saw this, so they ordered their men to shoot fire arrows at the sails of Huang Zu and Cai Mao's ship.

The bloody battle ensued, while Cheng Pu rounded the families and relatives of the Sun Clan and all of its retainers, they began to board ships that were prepared for them, and when everyone had boarded they began to set sail.

Due to the mobility of the ships of this era, they could only set sail slowly. Sun Jian seeing this, ordered his navy to begin retreat slowly while receiving attacks from Huang Zu and Cai Mao.

Huang Zu and Cai Mao seeing that the Sun Clan begins to retreat and abandon Changsha, don't pursue them as aggressively as before.

Huang Zu's navy follows them from behind, sometimes attacking them, and when they leave the territory of Jing Province Huang Zu finally stops his 'pursuit' and returns toward Jiangxia.

The news of Sun Jian's defeat arrived at Lie Fan's ear through the Oriole, Lie Fan feels that in the future after defeating Yuan Shu he needs to stop allying with Cao Cao and search for a new ally.

He conveyed this to Jia Xu and Chen Qun, who both agreed at that time Cao Cao would have the same amount of power as him, and the purpose of their military alliance had been achieved.

Lie Fan seeing that the two of them agreed, asks what about allying with the Sun Clan next, which Jia Xu and Chen Qun were skeptical of as Sun Jian had just lost his land.

Lie Fan seeing that they are confused, takes out the Vision map and opens it on his table, he says according to the news they receive The Sun Clan under Sun Jian retreated to a frontier town near Yuzhang.

This means that they were at the border between Jing and Yang Provinces, Liu Yao was not as competent as Liu Biao and had inferior troops and navies than Liu Biao, which was an easy target for the Sun Clan.

Jia Xu and Chen Qun after hearing Lie Fan's words, began to see what Lie Fan meant. Their engine-like minds begin to work at a fast rate and envision what Lie Fan has just said but with the larger picture.

Jia Xu especially can see that, if Sun Jian managed to conquer Yuzhang from Liu Yao, then the Sun Clan have a chance to rise in Yang Province, even becoming more powerful than before, as Liu Yao right now was fighting Sheng Xian, so he agrees with the alliance with Sun Clan next.

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Three Heroes Who Defeat Lu Bu

Age: 24 (191 AD)

Level: 15

Next Level: 1.588.000

Renown:  605

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 8)

SP: 371.700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 884 (+20)

VIT: 440 (+20)

AGI: 428 (+10)

INT: 435

CHR: 93

WIS: 359

WILL: 257

ATR Points: 0