flstandardbreds Chapter 249 Sun Quan: What exactly are you two here for?
Chapter 249 Sun Quan: What exactly are you two here for?
Seeing the two envoys separated, Sun Quan also had the idea of setting up a life-or-death arena and simply killing one of them.
He's been really depressed lately; bad news from Jiangdong keeps coming one after another, and there's nothing that's going well for him.
What he found most unacceptable was that Zhu Zhi defected to Guan Yu. Zhu Zhi was an old general who had followed Sun Jian in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. Sun Quan trusted him so much that he appointed him as the governor of Wu Commandery, the head of the six commanderies in Jiangdong. But this old guy defected to Guan Yu without even firing an arrow.
Now that Guan Yu has occupied the fortified city of Jianye and controlled the plains of Wu Commandery, with food, soldiers, and fortified cities, how can he launch a counterattack against Jiangdong?
What frustrates him even more is that Zhu Zhi has an adopted son named Zhu Ran, who is still on the front line of Yiling guarding against Liu Bei. His father surrendered to Guan Yu in the rear. What about Zhu Ran? Will he also surrender?
In this situation, the best solution would naturally be to replace Zhu Ran, but the question is whether he dares to do so.
Zhu Ran was not the only one or two who had the same experience; there was a whole group of them. You should know that Zhang Zhao's son, Zhang Cheng, also defected to Guan Yu.
There's also the Zhu family, the head of the four great families of Wu Commandery. Zhu Huan, the patriarch, surrendered to Cao Ren, while his younger brother Zhu Ju and son Zhu Yi remained in Jiangling. And then there's...
These generals were the backbone of his forces, yet all of them had members of their clansmen who had defected to Guan Yu or Cao Ren, making him unable to trust any of them.
He couldn't believe it, but the real problem was that he didn't dare to replace any of them. Removing any one of them could lead to a mutiny in the army, leaving him helpless.
Sun Quan was now filled with regret for crossing the river in disguise, but there was no way to undo the mistake. He could only shake his head to clear his mind and say, "Please rise, both of you."
Fei Yi and Jiang Ji stood up without hesitation, and then nothing more happened. They stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak first.
This is also a game of strategy; whoever speaks first loses.
Sun Quan saw through their intentions and, unwilling to waste time, turned to Fei Yi and said, "Doctor Fei, you've been in Jiangling for some time now. What exactly does Liu Bei want from you?"
What are you here for, or what does Big Ears want me to do? Just tell me! You can't just sit in the inn all day doing nothing and freeload. Does Big Ears need your food?
Sun Quan's biggest wish right now is to exchange Jiangdong with Guan Yu and restore the situation to what it was when the Xiang River was the boundary.
Jiangdong has a great terrain. To the north is the Yangtze River, to the east is the Great River, and to the south are mountains. As long as he can defend Jingzhou and Ruxukou, he can rest easy in Jianye.
In contrast, Jingzhou was surrounded by Liu Bei to the west and Guan Yu to the east. Not only did it face attacks from both sides at any time, it also had to constantly guard against the Wei army from Xiangyang coming to plunder. It was really too difficult.
In short, he wanted to return to Jiangdong. He was willing to give Liu Bei more money and supplies as long as he could go back.
Moreover, exchanging Jingzhou for Jiangdong would also benefit Liu Bei. He originally thought that Fei Yi had come to discuss this matter, but that damned Fei Yi didn't say a word after arriving in Jiangling, leaving Liu Bei still wondering what Liu Bei's purpose in sending Fei Yi was.
Sun Quan seriously suspected that Fei Yi had originally intended to exchange Jingzhou for Guan Yu, but after arriving in Jiangling, he found that Guan Yu's position in Jiangdong was becoming increasingly secure, so he abandoned the idea.
That damned Fei Yi not only wants Jingzhou, but also his own Jiangdong. Aren't you afraid of overindulging yourself?
As soon as Sun Quan finished speaking, everyone in the hall looked at Fei Yi. Even Jiang Ji was full of curiosity. What was this guy here for?
Surely he didn't come here specifically to beat me up; he has no grudge against Fei Yi.
Fei Yi felt his scalp tingle from the stare. He had no idea what he was there for, and how was he supposed to explain himself in this situation?
Seeing everyone staring at him, Fei Yi knew he wouldn't get through this day without saying something, so he gritted his teeth and said, "General Guan Yu has now successfully occupied Jiangdong, and my king has also led his troops on a northern expedition. Soon he will be able to recover Guanzhong and return it to the old capital. The great cause of restoring the Han Dynasty will soon be completed. Therefore, Lord Wu, I have come here specifically to persuade you to surrender."
"Lord Wu should understand the principle that it is better to provide help in times of need than to add flowers to brocade. Surrendering now would have a completely different effect than surrendering after my king's northern expedition is successful. Therefore, I urge Lord Wu to consider this carefully."
These words caused an uproar. Everyone looked at Fei Yi as if he were an idiot, with anger, resentment and mockery in their eyes.
You're already dreaming of taking Guanzhong when Liu Bei has only just set out on his campaign? You're really underestimating Cao Wei.
Jiang Ji immediately retorted sarcastically, "Uncle Liu has just set off, and he probably hasn't even left the Baoxie Road yet, and you already want to take over Guanzhong? Fei Wenwei, aren't you taking yourself too seriously?"
Fei Yi looked up at the sky and ignored him. He hadn't expected Sun Quan to agree; he was just dealing with Sun Quan's question. Now that he had dealt with it, the rest was none of his business.
Sun Quan glared angrily at Fei Yi for a moment, then turned and winked at Gu Yong.
Gu Yong stepped forward and said, "Doctor Fei, it is not impossible to persuade the Marquis of Wu to surrender to the King of Hanzhong, but shouldn't the King of Hanzhong first show some sincerity, such as asking General Guan to send the two young masters of Denglu back so that the Marquis of Wu and his son can be reunited?"
"It is only natural for fathers and sons to reunite. Liu Bei is known for his benevolence and righteousness, so he should be able to understand Wu Hou's longing for his son."
What a joke! Young Master Denglu is a hostage. Do you think we can release him so easily?
Gu Yong knew that Fei Yi would never agree, so why did he still bring it up?
Because these words weren't meant for Fei Yi at all, but for Jiang Ji who was standing next to him. "Look, Chief Clerk Jiang, we're already preparing to negotiate peace with Liu Bei, aren't you Cao Wei in a hurry? If you're in a hurry, then hurry up and offer us some benefits to win us over."
Who was Jiang Ji? How could he not see through this trick? Hearing this, he ignored it and looked down at his toes.
This difficult problem was then thrown back to Fei Yi, since it was ultimately his responsibility to ask.
Fei Yi didn't mince words and immediately shifted the blame, saying, "I need to consult the King of Hanzhong and General Guan. The King of Hanzhong is known for his benevolence and righteousness, so he will definitely agree. But as you all know, the King of Hanzhong has gone on a northern expedition and may not be able to contact him for a while."
I will definitely agree, but when is the question?
Sun Quan finally understood Fei Yi's purpose in coming to Jiangling. This kid had no intention of having a proper talk with him; he just wanted to get something for nothing.
That damn Fei Yi is trying to get something for nothing!
Sun Quan, too lazy to waste any more time with him, turned to Jiang Ji and asked directly, "Chief Clerk Jiang, what brings His Highness the Prince of Wei here?"
Jiang Ji looked up at Sun Quan and solemnly said, "This humble official has come on the Emperor's orders. His Majesty has decreed..."
As he spoke, he took out a scroll from his sleeve that was entirely black but embroidered with a dragon pattern. Upon seeing the scroll, Sun Quan immediately stood up, ran to Jiang Ji, and bowed deeply. Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, and even Fei Yi did the same.
This was an imperial edict from the emperor. No one, including Sun Quan and Fei Yi, dared to disrespect it. Even if Fei Yi wanted to kill Jiang Ji, he would have to obediently bow his head when Jiang Ji produced the edict.
Jiang Ji was very satisfied with everyone's performance. Full of pride, he strode to Sun Quan's desk, faced the crowd, unfurled the imperial edict, and leisurely read aloud: "I have heard..."
Jiang Ji recited classical Chinese phrases for most of the day, which can be translated as follows: "I have heard that Guan Yu, the Marquis of Hanshou, has disregarded the laws of the court and openly raised troops to invade Jiangdong. This is treason and rebellion. The court will never allow such a traitor as Guan Yu to act recklessly in Jiangdong. I have already ordered General Cao Ren to lead an army to suppress him. Now I order General Sun Quan to send troops to support Cao Ren in recovering Jiangdong."
This imperial edict essentially defined Guan Yu's attack on Jiangdong, completely labeling him as a traitor, which infuriated Fei Yi to the point that he almost ground his teeth to powder.
That damned Cao Cao is so shameless! He dares to act recklessly in the name of the emperor. What does Guan Yu's attack on Jiangdong have to do with you, Cao Cao? Why are you fussing over this?
Although Fei Yi was seething with hatred, he didn't utter a word in rebuttal. How could he refute an imperial edict? To refute it would be tantamount to arguing with Emperor Liu Xie, but what good would arguing with Emperor Liu Xie do? The imperial edict was issued by Cao Cao.
Sun Quan bowed and said, "Your subject Sun Quan accepts the decree."
These words sounded weak and were clearly just a perfunctory response. You think I'll send troops just because you tell me to? Does war cost nothing?
Although he dared not openly disobey the emperor's orders, there was a difference between giving one's all and merely going through the motions.
You think you can get me to send troops without offering me benefits? Dream on.