Fa Zheng hurriedly said, "Then wouldn't taking Western Sichuan become nothing but a pipe dream?"
Xun You said, "Western Sichuan is important, but it cannot compare to the Central Plains. That is my lord's foundation."
Fa Zheng sighed. "Sun Ce's attack on Hefei may not be a full-scale assault. He may merely be drawing Duke Yan's troops away, creating a secure external environment for Liu Bei to seize Western Sichuan. I dare say Liu Bei and Sun Ce must have reached some sort of agreement."
The generals at the banquet seemed unconvinced.
After all, Liu Bei and Sun Ce had been fighting over Jingzhou so fiercely they were practically tearing each other apart.
Bai Xiaowen nodded. "That makes sense. Perhaps Liu Bei has already promised the Sun Clan that once he takes Yizhou, he will cede the remaining half of Jingzhou to Jiangdong. That way, Jiangdong and Western Sichuan can join forces against the imperial army and prevent us from unifying the realm."
Bai Xiaowen's perspective was broader than that of native strategists like Xun You.
He knew of Zhuge Liang's diplomatic abilities, and he knew that Jiangdong had top-tier Awakened involved.
It would hardly be surprising for the two sides to cooperate or even form an alliance.
After his nearly flawless performances through countless major battles, Bai Xiaowen's far-reaching strategic vision had become common knowledge among his generals. Once they heard him confirm the Sun-Liu alliance, none of them doubted it any longer.
"Then Duke Yan's intention is..." Fa Zheng asked quietly. He felt that Bai Xiaowen had been too calm after receiving this news, doing no more than furrowing his brow slightly.
Either Duke Yan possessed astonishing composure despite his youth, remaining unruffled even if Mount Taishan collapsed before him, or he had long been mentally prepared and