Chapter 839 Eventful Autumn

  No matter how slow Lu Xun was to the many calculations in the court, he could vaguely understand the prince's worries.

  Because no one has been in the house since ancient times, and the successor is outside all the year round.

  The one who favors follows the owner, which is a serious threat to the successor.

  Even if the owner does not have this intention, and even the favored person does not have this intention, but who can guarantee what the people below will think? How to do it?

  Don't look at the fact that the crown prince is getting close to the third prince now, it's because the third prince is still young.

  As time went by, the crown prince became more and more estranged from His Majesty when he was outside; the third prince became closer to His Majesty when he was inside.

  In addition, the birth mother of the third prince is also His Majesty's favored concubine, no one can say whether the third prince will have a feud with the crown prince in the end because of the throne.

   After all, people's hearts are unpredictable!

   Not to mention it is a matter of the heavenly family.

  Don't say anything else, just talk about Jiangxia where the prince is now.

  This place was where Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Biao, took refuge.

  Liu Biao favored his second son Liu Cong and underestimated his eldest son Liu Qi, forcing Liu Qi to stay away from Jiangxia.

  Finally, the brothers Liu Qi and Liu Cong turned against each other, and the foundation was given away. Is it sad? Sad?

  The land of a state is like this, let alone the throne?

  His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, whether he really wants to give way to the Third Prince, or to test His Majesty, or to prevent his brothers from becoming enemies, to leave a way out for himself.

  Lu Xun feels that he has an obligation to prevent this situation from getting worse.

  The matter of the state reserve, if it is not handled properly, it will lead to national turmoil, which is not the blessing of the country.

  With this in mind, he hurried back to Jianye, and asked to see Sun Quan immediately.

   Hearing that Lu Xun had a military report, Sun Quan quickly received Lu Xun.

   After reading the military report submitted by Lu Xun, Sun Quan sighed:

   "The officials of Shu are in a dangerous situation, but they can still fight hard and defeat the bandits of Wei. Look at me, a minister of Wu, who bears the emperor's order, but wastes money and food, and wastes the lives of soldiers..."

  Lu Xun was taken aback.

  He didn't understand why His Majesty would suddenly say such words.

  Because he is in charge of everything in the east of Yuzhang, so the only war in the west at present is the rebellion of the Wuxi barbarians in Wuling.

   Now that Lu Dai and Pan Jun have led the army to squeeze the rebellious barbarians into Wuling, they will succeed in suppressing the rebellion, so it is impossible to use words that waste the lives of soldiers on them.

   As for the east, there should be no fighting.

  Because if His Majesty wants to use troops against Hefei, he will definitely communicate with himself. There is no reason why the war has come to an end, and he still does not know.

  Although he saw the puzzled look on Lu Xun's face, Sun Quan didn't want to say more.

  He put the silk cloth on the desk and asked:

   "Bo Yan, as soon as this urgent message arrives, the letter from the emperor of Shu will follow soon."

  He smiled wryly, "I'm afraid you will show off to me again, what do you think should be done?"

  Sun Quan, who has been in charge of Jiangdong since the age of eighteen, and finally ascended to the position of great treasure, has experienced many trials and hardships.

   Logically speaking, no matter whether it is the emperor of Wei or the emperor of Shu, he is just a junior to him.

   What's more, how can a mere letter of credence make him worry?

   But Sun Quan is the emperor after all, his vision is naturally different from that of ordinary people.

  In the past, why did I have the confidence to ask Liu Bei for Jingzhou again and again?

   One is that the Wu state was stronger than the Shu people at that time, and the other is that during the Battle of Chibi, Jiangdong was the main contributor.

  So even if Liu Bei took several counties in Jingnan himself, he still had to give the territory that should be given to Soochow.

   Now the Wu-Shu alliance, the agreement to divide the world equally is the same.

  If the Shu people make a lot of efforts to defeat the Wei thieves, when they ask for Yuzhou, will they give it to them?

   "In the battle of Xiaoguan, I'm afraid that Liangzhou has become the possession of the Shu Kingdom. At that time, the Shu people will no longer have to worry about it, and they will be able to concentrate their forces. If they go down to Guanzhong from Longyou, the Wei thieves may not be able to defend it!"

   Speaking of this, Sun Quan frowned even more, because he thought of a possibility.

  If the Shu people win Guanzhong, they can send troops directly from Guanzhong. If they really want to let them take the land of Wanluo and Yuzhou again, what should I do?

   Is it possible to borrow Wanluo and Yuzhou from the Shu people just like Liu Bei borrowed Nanjun from himself back then?

  Thinking of this possibility, Sun Quan suddenly panicked!

  What I did to Liu Bei back then, is it possible to reverse it?

   At this point, Sun Quan subconsciously stood up, gritted his teeth and said:

   "Hefei and Xiangyang must be captured, otherwise, our country of Wu can only shrink to the south of the Yangtze River forever!"

  Lu Xun was still thinking about who His Majesty was referring to in the beginning of the sentence "wasting money and food, wasting the lives of soldiers", but Sun Quan suddenly went hysterical and said this.

   He couldn't help being stunned: "Your Majesty..."

   "Oh, nothing, nothing..."

  Sun Quan realized that he had lost his composure, sat down again, and calmed down his emotions:

   "Bo Yan, the Wei thieves suffered a terrible defeat in Guanzhong, which is comparable to the loss in Longyou. Tell me, can we respond from the east like the battle of Shiting?"

  As soon as Lu Xun heard this, he immediately understood that His Majesty did not want the people of Shu to focus on their beauty.

  He hastily persuaded:

   "Your Majesty, no! The battle of Shiting was the result of the concerted efforts of all the people in Wu Kingdom, who planned for a long time to achieve a big victory. If we rush to the north at this time, I'm afraid there will be some omissions."

   "And now that the barbarians in Wuling are still in chaos, Jingzhou must not move rashly; and the Wei thieves guarding Hefei are veterans who are full of favor."

   "This person followed Cao Cao in his early years, unlike Cao Xiu, so this matter still needs to be discussed in the long term."

  Sun Quan naturally knew what Lu Xun said made sense, so he nodded and said:

   "I also know that Hefei should not be underestimated, but the people of Shu defeated the bandits of Wei in Xiaoguan. Thinking about it, Wei Guoding's hearts are fluctuating now. In my opinion, we should try it out first. It should be okay if we think about it."

   "Otherwise, not long after the Wu and Shu countries swore an alliance, the Shu people won a big victory, but there is no movement in my Wu country, which is a bit unsightly."

  Sun Quan put Lu Xun in Wuchang. Apart from Wu, Lu Xun was the only one who could guard Jingzhou, and also because he knew that he was not clear about many things in the court.

  So he explained to Lu Xun what he was thinking.

  After Lu Xun listened, he finally understood.

  Your Majesty is worried, and as a subject, he naturally has to try his best to share his worries.

   I saw him pondering for a while, and then said:

   "If Your Majesty wants to test it out, I have a plan."

   Sun Quan was overjoyed when he heard it:

   "I know Bo Yan is good at fighting, please come quickly."

   "I think that Wei Guo is now just as His Majesty said, and people's hearts are fluctuating. I think Cao Rui has learned the lesson of the Battle of Shiting, and he will not let the Hefei Wei thief attack easily."

   Lu Xun thought about it, and said slowly:

   "If Your Majesty threatens to capture Hefei, and at the same time pretend to be a gesture to scare the Wei thieves. In this way, you can test out the arrangements of the Wei thieves in the Jianghuai area after Cao Xiu's death."

   "At the same time, it can also show to the Shu people that our country, Wu, also has the heart to go north."

  Sun Quan sat up straight, stroked his beard, a little confused:

   "Just threatening and posturing? I'm afraid it may not be able to hide it from Zhuge Kongming."

  Lu Xun smiled slightly:

   "What is false is true, and what is true is false. This is the first time His Majesty has sent troops to the north after he ascended the throne. The Wei thief must not dare to take it lightly."

   "At that time, His Majesty will only wait for the Wei thieves to gather, and then pretend to retreat. If the Wei thieves also retreat, His Majesty will raid Hefei again, and the Wei thieves will be caught off guard."

   "If the Wei thief sees through His Majesty's intention to retreat, His Majesty will simply show the thief his weakness, and really retreat, to slow down the thief."

   "When the thief's heart slows down, His Majesty will send someone to feign surrender. The Wei thief will fall into the trap seven or eight times out of ten."

  Sun Quan was overjoyed when he heard this:

   "This plan is great! The battle with Shiting is wonderful! If Man Chong is really fooled, then Hefei will be in my hands!"

  The shadow left by Zhang Liao on Sun Quan is so strong that even today, Hefei is still a hurdle that he cannot overcome.

  So he didn't say anything, but he wanted to take Hefei all the time in his heart to get a glimpse of the Central Plains.

  Lu Xun quickly took the opportunity to say:

   "Your Majesty, eliminating thieves is not a one-day achievement. The country should be enriched for a long time. The people of the mountains and the mountains will cause disasters for the country for a long time, and the local officials will not be able to bear it."

   "Therefore, the matter of conquering Shanyue should be done sooner rather than later. Now that Zhuge Ke is willing to lead the army, why don't your majesty agree to it?"

   "If it can be done, it will be a disaster in our country of Wu. If it doesn't work, Zhuge Ke is not a veteran in the army, and it won't hurt the popularity of the people."

  Sun Quan said: "I'm afraid it will be a waste of money and food."

  Lu Xun persuaded again: "Three years ago, I went to your Majesty to persuade the lieutenants and soldiers to open up fields in Jingzhou. In addition, there are new farm tools passed down from Shu. Now Jingzhou has no shortage of grain."

   "The minister heard that Zhuge Ke's strategy to subdue Danyang Shanyue was to use both suppression and suppression, which is quite different from the previous blind suppression."

   "How about ordering him to stay in the border county for a long time, and with the new farm tools, he will be able to raise food by himself soon, and then let him enter the far distance of Danyang?"

  Sun Quan saw Lu Xun's rare initiative to insist on supporting a person, and then remembered that Zhuge Jin was old, and he felt something in his heart:

   "Since you have said so, it doesn't matter if I let Zhuge Ke have a try."

   "Thank you, Your Majesty."

   "If Zhuge Ke can really accomplish this, it means that he is also considered a good talent. What you have done today can be regarded as a talent for the country, and I should thank you."

  Sun Quan laughed.

  After the two of them finished talking, Sun Quan entertained Lu Xun in the palace again, and then released him from the palace.

   When Lu Xun came out of the palace, he didn't go back to his own mansion directly, but turned around and went to the prime minister's mansion.

  The Prime Minister of Wu State at this time is Gu Yong, who is taciturn, impartial and selfless in dealing with affairs, and is highly valued by Sun Quan.

  Lu Xun knew that when it came to knowing the strength of troops, he was as confident as anyone in Wu.

   But when it comes to court affairs, he is somewhat lacking, so he did not easily mention the prince in the palace.

   For such a major matter, it is still necessary to consult the important ministers in the court.

  He thinks that he has state affairs in mind, so he believes that Gu Yong will not refuse his request as a person.

  Gu Yong heard that the great general came to visit, so he hurriedly came out to greet him:

   "Why did Boyan come here suddenly?"

  The four surnames in Jiangdong are Lu, Zhu, Gu, and Zhang. The four families have been in contact with each other.

  In addition, the representatives of the Lu family and the Gu family are Lu Xun and Gu Yong, so they are officials in the same dynasty, and they have a good personal relationship.

   But Gu Yong is old, so Lu Xun generally treats him as an elder.

   "Xun has been away from Jianye for a long time, and it is rare to come back this time, so I came to visit the prime minister."

   "Come in and talk first."

  One is the top general who guards half of the territory, and the other is the prime minister who manages the entire country. The two naturally had some exchanges, and each talked about the affairs of the court and Jingzhou.

   After Lu Xun asked Gu Yong to push everyone away, he brought the topic to the prince.

  He would never say that it was the prince who initiated it, but instead said that it was his concern for the prince:

   "Since ancient times, it has never been heard that the prince is away all year round, and the master is inside. Now that His Majesty has arranged this way, I personally think that it is a bit inappropriate."

   "For the sake of the country's stability, I ask the prime minister to persuade Your Majesty, and I am willing to join you."

  Gu Yong frowned when he heard this, but he didn't agree immediately. After a while, he sighed:

   "Bo Yan's words are justified, but he chose a bad time!"

  Lu Xun was stunned: "Xun doesn't understand what the prime minister said."

  Gu Yong shook his head and said in a low voice:

   "Bo Yan knows that, a few days ago, His Majesty just killed someone?"

   "But the Wei thief secretly worked as a secret agent?"

  Lu Xun thought for a while, then remembered something.

   This person, Yinfan, came across the river to vote because of his extraordinary bearing, coupled with his eloquence and good communication skills.

  First gained the trust of His Majesty, and then had extensive contacts with important officials in the court.

  Below Self-Defense General Quan Cong, many courtiers treated him with respect.

  Even Zuo General Zhu Ju claimed that he had the talent of Wang Zuo.

  Even Tingwei Hao Pu publicly complained about him, saying that he was only in the Tingwei, and he would like to be under him.

   Unexpectedly, in December last year, Yinbo plotted to cause chaos, but fortunately they were discovered in advance, so that they did not cause chaos.

   Even so, many ministers in the DPRK were also implicated.

   The first to be affected was Ting Wei Hao Pu, who was reprimanded by Sun Quan:

   "You have been praising Yinbo and blaming the imperial court for him, saying that it was the imperial court who made him lose his talent, which made Yinfan rebel, and it was all your fault!"

  So Hao Pu, one of the nine ministers, was forced to commit suicide.

   "As for the second person implicated, it is Zuo General Zhu Zifan (that is, Zhu Ju). Alas, it should be called the former Zuo General now. Now he is confined at home and is not allowed to go out."

   Speaking of this, Gu Yong's face became a little ugly:

   "This matter has already caused everyone in the court to feel insecure. I never thought that a few days ago, Wei Wen and Zhuge Zhi, who His Majesty sent overseas last year, happened to come back again."

   "Wei Wen and Zhuge Zhi are back?"

  Hearing the news, Lu Xun was a little surprised.

  When Sun Quan sent two people to lead the fleet to sea, he was strongly opposed by Shangshu.

   "It's good to be able to come back, so it's not a waste..."

   Speaking of this, Lu Xun suddenly remembered what Sun Quan said to him when he entered the palace.

   "What the hell!"

  Gu Yong shook his head and smiled wryly:

   "At the beginning, more than ten thousand soldiers went to sea, but now only half of them come back, and only thousands of wild people in Yizhou returned. It was a waste of money and food, and a waste of soldiers' lives!"

   "Your Majesty was furious and ordered the two to be imprisoned. Two days ago, they were punished on the grounds that they had violated the edict and had no merit."

  After hearing this, Lu Xun couldn't help but lose his voice:

   "I didn't expect so many things to happen in the court these days?"

   No wonder His Majesty agreed to Zhuge Ke's affairs so easily. I think there is part of the reason for this.

  After all, when His Majesty sent more than ten thousand soldiers to sea, it was on the grounds that the people who plundered overseas would make up for Wu.

   Now that so much money and food and the lives of soldiers have been spent, but only thousands of wild people have been exchanged, it is better to let Zhuge Ke let it go. At any rate, he also promises that he will get 40,000 soldiers.

   "Yes, the court is a little chaotic now, and His Majesty has always been in a bad mood. If you mention this kind of thing at this time, I'm afraid it will backfire!"

   Gu Yong shook his head and said.

  When Lu Xun heard this, the worry on his face became even worse:

   "What should I do? After all, if the prince's matter remains unresolved for a long time, I'm afraid..."

  Gu Yong pondered for a while, and said: "Although the matter of the prince should not be brought up rashly now, there is one person who can test it for the prince."

"who?"

   "Second Prince."

  (end of this chapter)