▁sout he astern ▁and ▁southern ▁China , ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁any ▁aff irm ative ▁steps ▁one ▁way ▁or ▁another , ▁leaving ▁his ▁options ▁open . ▁ ▁An ▁armed ▁conflict ▁between ▁Li u ▁Bei ▁and ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁quickly ▁material ised , ▁because ▁in ▁late ▁ 2 1 9 ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁had ▁sent ▁his ▁general ▁Lü ▁M eng ▁to ▁in va de ▁J ing ▁Province ▁and ▁se ize ▁the ▁territ ories ▁from ▁Li u ▁Bei , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Li u ' s ▁general ▁Gu an ▁Yu . ▁To ▁avoid ▁having ▁to ▁fight ▁on ▁two ▁front s , ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁formally ▁paid ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁C ao ▁Pi , ▁express ing ▁his ▁willing ness ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁v ass al ▁under ▁Wei . ▁C ao ▁Pi ' s ▁strateg ist ▁Li u ▁Ye ▁suggested ▁to ▁reject ▁and ▁instead ▁attack ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁on ▁a ▁second ▁front . ▁This ▁would ▁effectively ▁partition ▁Sun ▁Qu an ' s ▁domain ▁with ▁Sh u , ▁and ▁would ▁eventually ▁allow ▁C ao ▁Pi ▁to ▁destroy ▁Sh u ▁as ▁well . ▁C ao ▁Pi ▁decl ined ▁this ▁suggestion , ▁in ▁a ▁f ateful ▁choice ▁that ▁most ▁histor ians ▁believe ▁do omed ▁his ▁emp ire ▁to ▁r uling ▁only ▁the ▁northern ▁and ▁central ▁China ; ▁such ▁an ▁opportunity ▁would ▁not ▁come ▁again . ▁Indeed , ▁against ▁Li u ▁Ye ' s ▁advice , ▁C ao ▁Pi ▁granted ▁Sun ▁Qu an ▁the ▁title ▁" K ing ▁of ▁Wu " ▁( <0xE5> <0x90> <0xB3> 王 ) ▁and ▁the