Zhang Zhao Offers a Plan to Abandon E County

Sun Quan gave a start, immediately asking with vigilance, "A city? General Lan, that is a bold request. Are you asking me to cede territory?"

Lan Tian waved his hand in explanation, "Not at all. How could I be so rude? I do not want a city in Yang Province; I am merely referring to E County, which is currently occupied by your forces but belongs to Jiangxia. It is only right to take it back, is it not?"

"Hmph, General Lan has quite the appetite. I wonder, what is E County worth to you?" Sun Quan countered.

Lan Tian spoke softly, testing the waters, "E County has many lakes and mountains, and the population is sparse. How about three hundred million coins?"

"You want to trade a whole county for three hundred million? It is only three hundred li from Chaisang. General Lan, what exactly are you trying to do?" Sun Quan's expression grew colder.

E County had originally been under the jurisdiction of Jiangxia. Ever since Sun Quan defeated Huang Zu, the area had been controlled by Jiangdong. It served as a forward outpost for Chaisang to enter Jing Province, but because it was isolated in a corner, Sun Quan had never paid it much mind. When Lan Tian made the request, Sun Quan instinctively felt he had ulterior motives.

Lan Tian did not change his expression, smiling slightly, "General Sun, there is no need to overthink this. I only brought up E County as a bargaining chip to make Jiangxia whole again. If you do not agree, we can simply drop it. In truth, that place is too remote to be worth three hundred million; it might even become a burden on Jiangxia Commandery."

Sun Quan's suspicions eased slightly, and he continued to press, "What about the