Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 49: The Meeting of the Two Heroes at the End of the Han Dynasty! Sun Quan Meets Cao Cao!

At the confluence of Chao Lake and Ruxu River, before Cao Cao arrived at Chao Lake, Sun Quan stood on the Tower Ship, his feet beneath a large banner with the character “Sun,” gazing northward.

“Xingba, I’ve noticed some commotion coming from the direction of the Cao army warship where Cao Hong is.”

“Could it be Cao Cao who has arrived?”

In the prime of his life at thirty years old, Sun Quan raised his arm and pointed northward as he spoke. As he talked, he turned to look at a mighty and extraordinary general by his side. Upon hearing the inquiry from their lord, Sun Quan, Gan Ning squinted his eyes and gazed into the distance for a moment…

“Report to our lord! It should indeed be Cao Cao who has arrived.”

As someone who once dominated the waters of the Yangtze River, the fearless pirate under the nickname “Jinfan Thief,” Gan Ning possessed exceptional aquatic skills and extraordinary eyesight surpassing that of an average person.

Others might have their vision distorted by the rising mist and vapor on rivers, lakes, and seas, which could lead to misjudgments. However, for Gan Ning, that possibility might exist… But it was very, very slim.

Hearing Gan Ning’s affirmation, a chuckle echoed from the ranks of the various Jiangdong generals standing ahead. “Hehe, Cao Cao has come!”

“It seems that he still hasn’t learned his lesson from the defeat at Chibi four years ago. He remains unyielding in his intentions toward our Jiangdong.”

“By doing this, he’s underestimating me, Sun Quan, and the might of our Jiangdong army.”

“Four years ago, we forced his 800,000-strong army to retreat on the great river’s banks. Now, he’s coming with merely 200,000 soldiers. How can that be a cause for fear?”

As Sun Quan spoke, his expression exuded confidence. Coincidentally, he had every reason to be confident.

Cao Cao, who had dominated the world and defeated the likes of Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, and Lu Bu, had been defeated by Sun Quan, who was leading Jiangdong in his early twenties. The realm’s people had no right to speak these words, but Sun Quan alone had the authority.

Moreover, it had been four years since the Battle of Chibi. Sun Quan suppressed dissent within his territory with the aura of a great victory and forged Jiangdong into a stronghold like an iron bucket. His confidence was stronger than ever before. And it wasn’t just Sun Quan. After Sun Quan finished speaking, the generals who accompanied him northward from Jiangdong—Cheng Pu, Gan Ning, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, Xu Sheng, Ling Tong, and others—all burst into laughter.

Amidst the laughter was a touch of disdain towards the Cao army. There was no trace of the cautiousness they had felt four years ago, facing the 800,000-strong Cao army lined up along the great river. The formidable enemy of that time. Facing today’s defeated opponents, in the face of such enemies, the Jiangdong commanders would never feel fear.

Once the laughter of the generals subsided, Sun Quan issued a direct command.

“Spread the word!”

“Move the Tower Ships forward. I intend to meet Cao Cao on the surface of Chao Lake, between the two armies’ formations.”

“Ask him why he’s needlessly encroached upon Jiangdong.”

Soon after, the flagship of the Jiangdong Navy slowly set into motion, heading toward the flagship of the Cao army. After traveling for a while, it stopped on the lake’s surface when the Jiangdong Tower Ship carrying Sun Quan was about five hundred zhang away from the Cao army’s navy. Standing on the deck, Sun Quan gazed at the distant visage of Cao Cao surrounded by his generals. A slight smile appeared on Sun Quan’s lips.

“Someone, come forward! Send someone on a light boat to Cao Cao’s location and tell him…”

“I, as the ruler of Jiangdong, wish to meet Cao Cao at the heart of this lake and ask if he dares to join me.”

As Sun Quan spoke, the Jiangdong generals behind him were suddenly alarmed.

“Lord, you must not!”

“Absolutely not!”

“As the ruler of Jiangdong, if something were to happen to you…”

Unexpectedly, facing their objections, Sun Quan halted them directly. He turned around to look at the generals behind him. Smiling, he said, “Generals, do you think that with the protection of you and my Jiangdong navy…”

“I could still be captured in front of everyone by Cao Cao?”

After finishing his words, Sun Quan disregarded the generals’ reactions and turned to an attendant beside him. He said, “Why are you just standing there?”

“Go quickly!!!”

A while later, Cao Cao and his companions, contemplating the sudden approach of the Jiangdong Tower Ship, suddenly saw a light boat approaching them from the opposite side.

“Interesting!”

“Is Sun Quan fearing the might of my Cao army and sending surrender documents?”

Cao Cao’s jest prompted laughter from the generals behind him. Cao Pi, on the other hand, rolled his eyes in exasperation. Knowing the outcome of Cao Cao’s dual expedition to Chao Lake against Sun Quan in history, he wasn’t about to believe his father Cao Cao’s joking words.

Rather than a surrender document, Cao Pi was more inclined to believe that this was a provocation from Sun Quan to Cao Cao. Cao Cao’s orders had already been given as he was thinking this.

“Spread the word! Do not shoot arrows to kill the incoming person. Bring him to me.”

“I want to see what tricks Sun Quan is playing.”

The Jiangdong messenger on the light boat was brought before Cao Cao a moment later. To say he was “before” Cao Cao wouldn’t be entirely accurate. It would be more appropriate to say they were at least ten steps apart. Right here, a group of Cao army soldiers and officers stood vigilantly next to the Jiangdong messenger.

Under such circumstances, even if it were the reincarnations of Zhuan Zhu and Jing Ke, they wouldn’t be able to shed a drop of Cao Cao’s blood, not in the slightest.

“Lord, these are the letters we found on him. It’s from Sun Quan, written to you.”

Cao Cao took the letters from the Jiangdong messenger, which had been retrieved from him by Cao Hong. After opening and reading them, he burst into laughter.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Unexpected!”

“Sun Quan dares to invite me for a meeting in the middle of the lake?”

“This is quite surprising.”

“If I, Cao Cao, don’t go, wouldn’t that make him underestimate me?”