The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

Chapter 412 Zhang Jing Returns, Luo Tong Surrenders to Wei

Cao Ren was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry, making him the undisputed number one figure in the Cao Wei military. Putting aside the power he wielded, in terms of status alone, he was on par with Sun Quan, who was the General of the Flying Cavalry.

Luo Tong was only a Jianzhong Zhonglang General, slightly stronger than a captain. Normally, he wouldn't even be entitled to a seat in front of Cao Ren. Now, Cao Ren personally came out of the camp to greet him. How could he not be flattered?

Fortunately, Luo Tong was not a spoiled brat, nor was he a fool who thought he was too arrogant just because he had a stepfather who was the Imperial Censor. When he saw Cao Ren coming over, he quickly bowed and said, "This humble official Luo Tong greets General of Chariots and Cavalry."

Although he was a subject of Eastern Wu and an enemy of Cao Wei, Cao Wei had not yet usurped the Han throne. In other words, he and Cao Ren were both Han subjects, with only a difference in rank. Addressing Cao Ren as "your subordinate" was neither distancing nor deliberately ingratiating, which was just right.

Cao Ren reached out and helped Luo Tong up. Seeing his travel-worn and disheveled appearance, he smiled warmly and said, "You must be tired from your journey. Come, let's go into the tent and talk."

After saying that, he ignored Zhang Jing, who was also covered in dust from his journey, grabbed Luo Tong's wrist, and walked into the camp, making Zhang Jing feel extremely jealous.

General, I'm here too. I just got back from a long and arduous journey. Don't you even have a word of concern for me?

Zhang Jing never dreamed that Cao Ren would value Luo Tong so much, to the point that he had even neglected himself. Just as he was wondering whether he should go back to camp to rest, he looked up and saw Jia Kui waving at him from inside the camp. He quickly ran over and bowed, saying, "Doctor Jia."

Jia Kui stroked his beard and said, "Tell me about the situation in Wushang. Why did you suddenly come back?"

Zhang Jing was sent by him to Wushang to investigate Guan Xing's situation and to steal the steel mill's technology. Now that he has returned alone without permission, something must have happened that caused the mission to fail.

Otherwise, if the mission were accomplished, would they have returned so quietly? They would probably have sent messengers with great fanfare to report the victory long ago.

Zhang Jing dared not conceal anything and recounted in detail the entire process of his battle of wits and courage with Cheng Li and Wang Bin in Wushang. He then said, "This humble servant was originally prepared to withdraw long ago, but suddenly received news that Lü Dai had landed in Yongning and headed straight for Wushang. Thinking that the opportunity had come, I waited a few more days."

"As it turns out, that old bastard Cheng Li was too shameless. After learning of Lü Dai's sneak attack, he directly gave the mines and steel mills a holiday, letting all the miners in the mines and the craftsmen in the steel mills sleep in the factory area. In this way, the entire steel mill was sealed off. During the blockade, people inside the factory could not get out, and people outside could not get in. I had no chance at all and could only bring Luo Tong back first."

"However, when I returned, I heard that Lu Xun had been defeated and captured, and Shen Yi was leading the main force of the Han army to rush to Wushang. Lü Dai is probably finished soon too. Guan Xing is too powerful. He is as swift as the wind and as slow as the forest. He is even more powerful than Huo Qubing, the Marquis of Champion in those days."

He returned three or four days later than Xie Jing set off. By the time he left, Guan Xing's side had already decided the outcome. However, they returned disguised as a merchant caravan, and the terrain along the way was relatively flat, making their journey much faster than Xie Jing's arduous journey over mountains and valleys. Therefore, they arrived almost at the same time as Xie Jing.

Zhang Jing, unaware that Xie Jing had arrived, continued speaking to himself, "Moreover, Guan Xing enjoys a very high reputation among the people. The military songs he composed have already spread from the army to the common people and are widely sung by them."

Jia Kui asked in astonishment, "Military song? What military song?"

Zhang Jing cleared his throat and sang it for him, and the more he sang, the darker Jia Kui's face became.

The lyrics and melody of this song perfectly matched Liu Bei's state of mind. Liu Bei felt invigorated when he heard it, while Cao Cao felt fear because, compared to Liu Bei, Cao Cao lacked the grand ambition of restoring the Han Dynasty.

As a traitor who usurped the Han throne, Cao Cao was already feeling guilty in front of Liu Bei. If he were further provoked by this song, wouldn't he faint on the spot?

Before Zhang Jing could finish singing, he caught a glimpse of Jia Kui's gloomy face. Startled, he quickly stopped singing and lowered his head, saying nervously, "This song is called 'Loyalty to the Country.' Nowadays, not only ordinary people, but even three-year-old children can hum along to it."

Jia Kui didn't ask any more questions and decisively changed the subject. After briefly telling Zhang Jing about the news Xie Jing had sent and Cao Ren's latest decision, he said, "Although you didn't manage to seize the steel mill technology, bringing Luo Tong back is still a great achievement. Come with me to see General Cao, and then follow me to Jiangling."

Jia Kui's trip to Jiangling was a heavy mission. He was to win over the faction under Sun Quan who had surrendered to Cao Cao, but to severely crack down on the faction that had surrendered to Liu Bei who opposed Cao Wei. This naturally included dirty tricks such as poisoning and assassination.

The school administration is a place that specializes in doing dirty work. If Zhang Jing doesn't go to do these low-level tasks, who will?

The two entered the command tent and found Cao Ren chatting idly with Luo Tong, still busy laying the groundwork and not yet getting to the main point. Jia Kui decisively took over the conversation and said, "General Luo, you come from Wushang. You should have already received the news of Lu Xun's annihilation and Shen Yi's support for Wushang, right?"

Luo Tong has been hanging out with Zhang Jing lately, so he naturally knows what Zhang Jing knows. Hearing this, he sighed sadly, "It's not just that. I heard that Zhou Xun's navy has already headed south to Yongning. Lü Dai's retreat has been blocked, and he will probably be captured in the next few days."

"Guan Xing is no less capable than Bai Qi in annihilation battles. Our Eastern Wu suffered a terrible defeat in this battle. We were suppressed by Guan Xing from beginning to end and had no chance to fight back."

Jia Kui's lips trembled as he listened, so he simply cut to the chase: "General Luo is a smart man, so I'll be frank and speak plainly. Do you think Lord Wu still has a chance?"

Luo Tong wasn't stupid; how could he not sense such an obvious olive branch? After a moment's thought, he stood up, stepped back, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and bowed, saying, "This humble general, Luo Tong, is willing to abandon darkness and embrace light to serve the court. I beg the General of Chariots and Cavalry to accept me."

Cao Ren accepted the bow with a smile and helped him up, saying, "General Luo, please rise. On behalf of the King of Wei, I welcome your arrival. From now on, we will serve as ministers in the same palace and must take good care of each other. However, there is an important matter that may require your help. I wonder if you would be willing?"

Luo Tong quickly bowed and said, "General, please give your orders. I will go through fire and water and die without hesitation."

Cao Ren looked at Jia Kui, who briefly explained his plan to go to Jiangling to persuade Sun Quan to surrender, saying, "I have no acquaintances in Jiangling, and I need the general to introduce me. I wonder if the general would be willing to accompany me on this journey?"

Luo Tong clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "I am willing to obey your orders, Doctor."

Although he was a subject of Sun Quan, Sun Quan now only had one option left: to surrender. It was just a matter of who to surrender to.

Luo Tong's mother was a concubine of Hua Xin, the Imperial Censor. Given this relationship, Luo Tong would definitely have surrendered to Wei rather than Han.

Since he had chosen to surrender to Wei, he naturally needed to make contributions as soon as possible to establish himself in Cao Wei. At present, what merit could be greater than persuading Sun Quan to surrender?

Jia Kui said, "Then please rest first, General. We will set off in two hours."

After seeing Luo Tong off, Cao Ren asked Zhang Jing many more questions before saying, "Guan Yu has probably received news of Lu Xun's defeat. Once he receives the news, Guan Yu will definitely be worried about Sun Quan surrendering to Wei, and he is very likely to take the initiative to attack us. So we don't have much time left."

"Liang Dao (Jia Kui's courtesy name), pack your things and set off immediately. Take Xie Jing with you as well. Xie Jing is a Wu general with considerable influence in the army and can help you win over Wu generals."

"Wen Yuan, send more scouts to investigate Guan Yu's movements to prevent him from attacking. Then order the army to switch from offense to defense and gradually withdraw to Lingyang and Yixian. Also, order Zang Ba to return to Jiangbei to personally oversee Ruxukou. Tell Zang Ba that he must hold Ruxukou and not let Guan Yu take it."

Ruxukou is the entrance to the Yangtze River from Chaohu Lake. It is a waterway between Ruxu Mountain and Qibao Mountain. If Ruxukou is in control, the Wei navy will continuously pour into the Yangtze River from Chaohu Lake and set foot on the south bank of the Yangtze River. If Ruxukou is lost, the Wei navy will be blocked in Chaohu Lake and unable to advance an inch.

Ruxukou is a vital passage connecting the north and south. Whoever controls Ruxukou holds the initiative in the attack. Therefore, although Cao Ren was prepared to retreat, he did not intend to give up Ruxukou, which he had finally captured.