Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3526 Seeking Skin from a Tiger

What Xu Huang and Zhuge Liang were waiting for was certainly not the Jiangdong soldiers, but someone else.

Jiangdong is now in a situation where it is raining heavily.

The young Emperor Sun faced his biggest crisis.

Zhou Yu died of illness.

Not only did a huge carrot pit appear in an instant, it also meant that the entire Jiangdong situation had undergone a major change.

The early spring in Jiangdong brought green hope, but for Sun Quan, the current situation was not very good.

With Zhou Yu's death, there was one less threat to Sun Quan, but the threats in other areas became greater.

Sun Quan stood on a high platform of a water stronghold by the river, with armor on his back and sword in hand, standing proudly.

In the history of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Quan came to power at a young age, full of vigor and arrogance, but he was repeatedly frustrated in Jiangdong, and eventually he suffered from depression, thinking that "there are always villains who want to harm me"...

This is perhaps a common problem among most people in power.

After all, the taste of power is too addictive and too easy to drive people crazy.

The wind from the river blew Sun Quan's cloak high behind him.

In the water fort, Jiangdong soldiers were patrolling silently.

A piece of linen was tied on the arms of these soldiers as a sign of mourning for Zhou Yu.

Of course, Zhou Yu was only a commander-in-chief. Even if eight or ten commanders died, it would be impossible for the entire army to mourn without Sun Quan's order.

Even after Zhuge Liang's death in history, it was impossible for the whole army to mourn for him. It was only after he arrived in Sichuan and Shu, under the order of Liu Chan, that the whole army officially mourned for Zhuge Liang. The reason why Mr. Luo described the plot of the whole army mourning in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was that Mr. Luo put himself into the perspective of Brother Zhu.

After Zhou Yu's death, Sun Quan did not rush to Zhou Yu's mourning hall to pay his respects immediately, but went to the bank of the Yangtze River to inspect the water fort.

Looking from the top of the water fort, you can see these semi-permanent water forts, which have built a complete defense system on the edge of the river, defending the throat of the Yangtze River north to the Yangtze River east.

The entire defense system of Jiangbei was urged to be built when Zhou Yu was still alive.

Before Zhou Yu died, even Sun Quan was somewhat dissatisfied. After all, building water forts and other defensive facilities not only requires a lot of manpower and material resources, but also costs a lot of money!

Jiangdong is rich, but also poor, which is very similar to the Shandong area of ​​the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, Sun Quan had some reservations about Zhou Yu building these water forts before, but after arriving here, Sun Quan truly felt the importance of these water forts.

If there were no defense systems on these major rivers, the area would be completely open to the north of the river and completely defenseless.

Back then, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu took advantage of the defense loopholes on the Yangtze River, launched a sneak attack, and captured Jiangdong in one fell swoop. Now Jiangdong's defense system has taken shape, but the commander has left forever.

When Sun Quan arrived at the water fort, he naturally wanted to inherit the legacy left by Zhou Yu, but to his disappointment, he was not the only one who coveted Zhou Yu's legacy.

Although the Jiangdong soldiers would salute Sun Quan when passing by the high platform, it does not mean that they would necessarily obey Sun Quan's orders.

The subjects of a monarch's subjects may not necessarily be loyal to the monarch.

The dual centralized system is undoubtedly a rather backward and inefficient system.

Many people also realized this drawback, and after the Tang Dynasty in China, they slowly began to reform this dual system.

Centralization means that there must be a big central government. As for small local governments, once the power of any local government can compete with that of the central government, or even the local laws are greater than the central constitution, it will naturally lead to frequent jokes and extreme chaos.

For the lower-level soldiers, of course, they didn't care too much about who was in charge. Especially for the old soldiers, since the time of Sun Jian, their lords have changed two or three times, not to mention the change of governors. However, for those who joined Jiangdong later, especially the military school non-commissioned officers who were close to Zhou Yu, they were naturally uneasy.

Sun Quan wanted to centralize power in Jiangdong, so it was natural that he would not easily give up the military power and soldiers left by Zhou Yu.

For the veteran generals of Jiangdong, Zhou Yu's inheritance was regarded as military property. And Sun Quan, this pretty boy... oh, the little blue-eyed guy, who was very knowledgeable about military affairs, wanted to obtain Zhou Yu's inheritance. This was not only a huge waste, but more importantly, was it "worth it"?

The main reason is still because of Zhou Yu.

If Zhou Yu had not been there, Sun Shiwan would not have been so embarrassed. After all, among the Jiangdong generals, a considerable number of them were experts in dealing with the interior but not in dealing with the outside world. They were extremely fierce in the face of the weaker Nanyue barbarians, but they would be weak and trembling once they crossed the Jiangbei line. The ones who really made contributions to the outside world in Jiangdong were some poor children and foreign generals.

The general is the courage of the army and the core of the military's heart.

Now that Zhou Yu is dead, the entire Jiangdong army is in a state of being leaderless. Even if Sun Quan comes, he will not be able to hold on.

If the governor cannot be stable, how can the morale of the entire army be high?

Sun Quan's inner torment was also painful.

Logically speaking, at this time, the people of the Sun family should stand up to support Sun Quan and give him courage, and divide the responsibilities for internal and external affairs. But unfortunately, at this moment, no one from the Sun family showed up, and neither did anyone from the Zhou family. It seemed that everyone was waiting to see Sun Quan make a fool of himself.

Part of the reason was that Sun Quan's actions in recent years were not very popular, and another part of the reason was that Sun Quan's position as the lord of Eastern Wu was not in line with organizational regulations and Han customs.

Of course, the most important point is still "the world is bustling"!

If I become the ruler of Jiangdong, I will become the servant of all the people of Jiangdong, including the Nanyue barbarians, and I will have to work hard and serve these people without complaint, without any personal enjoyment or selfish desires, so...

If it were a position like this, who would rush for it?

Who in the Han Dynasty would do this now?

This loyalty and filial piety that has been clamored for three or four hundred years, is it for the loyalty and filial piety of the emperor, or for the loyalty and filial piety of individuals?

If Confucius knew that his disciples would go further and further astray, would he be so angry that he would lift up the coffin and climb out?

Oh, it has been opened a long time ago?

Then it'll be fine.

Anyway, Sun Quan is very troubled now.

What happened to Jiangdong?

What should I do?

If other people are happy, Xiao Sun will be unhappy, but if Xiao Sun is happy, other people will be very unhappy.

But the situation is such that what other choice does he have?

In the distance, several warships appeared on the river line.

Soon, a soldier on lookout came to report that the governor Huang Gai had arrived.

Sun Quan took a deep breath, contributing to global warming, then gritted his teeth, walked down the platform, and went to the water fort dock to meet Huang Gai.

No matter what, when Sun Quan felt that he should bow his head, he would still keep a low profile, even if this low profile might lead to retaliation in the future...

But at the moment, Sun Quan still has to win the support of the veteran generals in the army, which is the most important thing.

……

……

In Wu County, the flames of desire aroused by Zhou Yu's death were burning secretly everywhere at this moment.

Although everything grows and spring is in full swing under the sunshine, the areas where the sun does not reach are still dark and like a ghost town.

In the streets and alleys, messengers running back and forth, servants communicating with each other, passed by each other.

If there were any intra-city express delivery business in the Han Dynasty, it would definitely make a lot of money at this point in time.

The Han soldiers with sullen faces patrolled around Wu County, but just like the United States in later generations, their focus was only on protecting the safety of the rich areas. As for the poor people in Jiangdong, apart from their worthless lives, how much money did they have that was worth others' concern?

Gu Yong sat in the hall, looking at the list, reading it carefully, and after a long while, he half-closed his eyes with a slight tiredness, nodded, and signaled the steward to take it away, "That's it! According to the list, invite everyone to the banquet... If you don't want to come, don't force it." The steward bowed his head and accepted the order, then turned and left.

Gu Shao sat at the lower seat, looking at Gu Yong's tiredness, and said, "Father, should we contact Zhu again? Zhu is not at peace yet, if she turns to others, it will be bad."

Gu Yong waved his hand and said, "No need! The Zhu family is a people who always follow the wind. Even if they are friendly now, I am afraid they will cause trouble the next moment. They have no loyalty at all... It is better to do it in Jiangdong and follow the local sentiments of the people!"

Gu Shao responded, but he still felt a little sorry. "If this Zhu family can really help us, great things will surely be accomplished..."

Gu Yong smiled, "Now it depends on... how the Lord of Jiangdong negotiates with those arrogant soldiers and generals..."

Gu Shao whispered, "What if this... Huang Gongfu... agrees?"

Gu Yong raised his head slightly, "If Huang Gongfu is so stupid... then he deserves to be put on the stage and manipulated like a puppet! Huang Gongfu has always been cautious and naturally knows how to grasp the limit. There is no need to make trouble for himself..."

And there was one thing Gu Yong didn't say, that is, these former generals of Sun Jian were not just Huang Gai, and Huang Gai met with Sun Quan this time only as a representative of these former generals of Sun Jian. Even after finishing the negotiations with Sun Quan, he still had to inform and get the approval of other generals.

Of course, most of the time, other generals would also value Huang Gai's opinions more.

As veteran generals in the army, they actually stood on the side of the Sun family most of the time. In this regard, Sun Quan did not make a wrong choice.

The reason is very simple. Only as long as the Sun family's foundation remains, these veterans of the Sun family will receive better treatment. If anyone else comes to power, these veterans will face an embarrassing situation. However, this does not mean that these veterans will definitely support Sun Quan. After all, if it really doesn't work, supporting other members of the Sun family is also an option, and they may even get more than from Sun Quan.

Therefore, if Sun Quan could not offer better conditions, Huang Gai and others would not give in.

only……

What can Sun Quan give?

The corners of Gu Yong's mouth rose slightly.

Gu Shao saw that Gu Yong had no intention of continuing the conversation, and also saw that Gu Yong had been busy these past few days. He originally didn't want to ask anything more, but after thinking about it, he still asked, "Father... then Jiang Bei..."

Gu Yong's raised mouth slowly calmed down, "Jiangbei... If Prime Minister Cao wins, it must be a tragic victory! He will definitely not have time to look south for a long time, and he may even have to reconcile with us... If Fei Huqi wins... In this Shandong area, it is not so easy for Fei Huqi to cover the sky with one hand and gain a firm foothold! There must be a storm between Hebei and Henan, and in Yingchuan! However... These things are beyond our reach, and we are powerless. We can only wait and see... But if I were to buy a bet, I would rather buy that Fei Huqi wins..."

When Gu Yong said this, there was actually a hint of helplessness in his tone.

The Jiangdong gentry are actually of the same lineage as the Shandong gentry.

After all, the Eastern Han Dynasty was established nearly two hundred years ago, and the cultural influence of Jizhou and Yuzhou was deeply rooted. The study of Modern Confucianism was still focused on Jizhou and Yuzhou, with other regions as embellishments. Especially after the death of the great Confucian scholars in Guanzhong and the north of the previous generation, there were almost no leaders in literature and art.

These aristocratic families in Jiangdong all learned Confucian classics from Shandong, so in many cases, they would tend to favor people from Shandong. But given the current situation in the world, even the Jiangdong navy cannot defeat a small army under the command of the Hussars. So if they don't bet on the Hussars to win, who else can they bet on?

Gu Shao was silent for a moment, then he greeted Gu Yong and left.

After Gu Shao left, Gu Yong sat there for a while, then slowly stood up and walked into the courtyard. He looked up at the sky, which was already dark and a little gray and blue, with a solemn expression.

Unlike the relaxed state he had just spoken to Gu Shao, Gu Yong had actually sensed the tide of change in the world's general situation. Before this storm arrived, he had no idea where he would be swept to...

"After this storm, will this big man... still be the same big man as before?"

……

……

The negotiations between Sun Quan and Huang Gai did not go smoothly.

It can even be said that the two people's goals and needs are very different.

Although Huang Gai was a military commander, at his level, he had to consider more than just charging into battle. Huang Gai also had to consider his subordinates.

The basis for Huang Gai's willingness to cooperate with Sun Quan is that Sun Quan must guarantee their military power, troops, and various resources. Even if we take a step back, at least they cannot be less than before!

But Sun Quan had been worried and frightened for so long during Zhou Yu's time, and he would even wake up from nightmares in the middle of the night. Who would lead troops to remonstrate with him? Or when Zhou Yu arrived, he did not assist Sun Quan, but assisted a stranger whose face was not even clear to be the lord of Jiangdong!

Under such circumstances, Sun Quan certainly hoped to take military power back to the central government and control it himself, rather than continue to allow the troops of various generals to expand disorderly.

Therefore, the positions of Sun Quan and Huang Gai are actually completely opposite!

In a situation of complete opposition, it is extremely difficult to find common ground between the two parties.

If it were before, Sun Quan would not be willing to endure such humiliation, and at most he would just shout, "If you want to play, play. If you don't want to play, get out!"

But now, the economy is bad...

No matter whether it is the small potatoes in the south or the big cabbages in the north, they must be coaxed well. After all, it is obviously very difficult to expand external demand in Jiangdong now. Can we only think about the small money of our own people?

So, at the end of the discussion, Sun Quan gritted his teeth and endured, "Gong Fu, if there were no Sun family, how could Jiangdong be what it is today?!"

Huang Gai also suppressed his anger and did not slam the table, but smiled and said: "It is because of our bloody battles, Zi Bu's collection of food and money, and the soldiers and officers who suppressed the rebellion of Shanyue... How could Jiangdong be so peaceful today?"

Both of them were talking about Jiangdong, but neither of them was talking about Jiangdong.

Sun Quan was silent for a moment, "Gongfu, as a general commanding an army, the rank of governor is already the highest, there is no room for promotion... If he is to be involved in civil affairs and govern the local areas, with Gongfu's ability, it will not be difficult for him to enter the Sanhuai Hall..."

This was actually Sun Quan's empty promise to Huang Gai.

If Huang Gai was younger, he might have drooled at the pie. However, Huang Gai was older and had seen more pie. Naturally, he knew that as a force in Jiangdong that could not be underestimated, he must have a certain influence in the army. Otherwise, Sun Quan would not have to come to Huang Gai and others to negotiate!

It can be said that whichever side Huang Gai joins will influence the success or failure of that side’s struggle in Jiangdong!

Only with the support of military power can Sun Quan's position be consolidated!

To put it more bluntly, if Huang Gai supported other members of the Sun family, he would definitely get greater benefits!

However, if Huang Gai and others really wanted to do so, there would definitely be troubles in the future. After all, Jiangdong is not just composed of Huang Gai and other veteran generals. Therefore, their actual relationship with Sun Quan is still more about cooperation than division, and they will not turn against each other unless it is absolutely necessary.

At the end of the talk, the two had nothing more to talk about, but they couldn't just walk away. They could only sit there and do nothing, and neither of them was willing to give in easily.

As the day turned into evening and the night gradually fell, the two of them drank up all the tea, their stomachs growled with hunger, and they stared at each other, like they were being tortured like hawks. Whoever couldn't hold on any longer would have to bow his head.

At the end, Sun Quan gritted his teeth and said, "Gong Fu... Jiangdong is in danger now, and Duke Zhou's spirit is still resting... How about keeping everything the same and working together to ensure stability and harmony in Jiangdong?"

Neither side was willing to make concessions, so in the end they could only put aside the dispute in order to achieve a republic.

Huang Gai curled the corners of his mouth, smiled, and nodded.

That's all there is to it.

Although Huang Gai had some premonition that this would happen since the beginning of the negotiations, in the end, after spending a whole day, the situation was maintained. Moreover, seeing that Sun Quan's attitude was only temporary, he couldn't help feeling a little sad.

But for Sun Quan, the butt determines the head, and centralization is his lifelong pursuit. Now that he can't take back the military power of Huang Gai and others, he can only rely on his youth and use his years to endure. Doing so is also very painful for Sun Quan.

The two people reached a preliminary agreement and seemed to be happy, but neither of them could laugh because there was another problem facing them.

"May I ask, lord, where does this money and food come from?"

When Huang Gai said this, his tone was even heavier than when he was discussing military affairs just now, and Sun Quan's expression became doubly serious.

If we don’t talk about money, we are still friends. Why talk about money?

However, this problem cannot be avoided and must be solved!