Shuhan

The air on the Wanxian battlefield was filled with a strong smell of blood. The battlefield was in a mess, with broken limbs scattered all over the ground. The blood dyed the earth red, flowing like a small river.

The bloody scene attracted countless flies and vultures to circle at low altitude. Their shrill cries added a bit of desolation to this tragic battlefield.

In the distance, dust was flying as the Han Emperor Liu Chan, under the strict escort of his imperial guards, slowly came to the camp outside the city.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty originally had some joy on his face, after all, the Han army had won a victory. However, when he saw the Shura hell-like scene outside the city of Wanxian, the joy on his face quickly disappeared. Instead, his face became heavy and his eyes revealed deep worry.

The prosperity of the people will be miserable, and the destruction of the people will be miserable.

When you couldn't conquer the State of Wu, you wished that all the people of Wu would die.

But now you can conquer the State of Wu, and almost everyone who died on this battlefield is your people.

This is my loss!
I still have to rely on these people to go to the Northern Expedition!

They can't all die out!

Although Liu Chan was young, he was well aware of the heavy responsibility of being the king of a country. Every decision he made was related to the life and death of thousands of soldiers and the survival of the Han Dynasty.

In front of the tent, a group of soldiers have gathered. They have just experienced a fierce battle, chasing the enemy for a day and a night. Although they are tired at the moment, there is still a determination in their eyes.

Yu Jin, A Huinan, Wei Yan, Shamoke, Wen Pin and others were all brave generals who had experienced hundreds of battles. They saluted Liu Chan respectfully, and although they were exhausted, they still maintained their courtesy.

"General, I will pay my respects to your majesty. May your majesty live forever!"

"General, I will pay my respects to your majesty. May your majesty live forever!"

"General, I will pay my respects to your majesty. May your majesty live forever!"

Liu Chan looked around at the generals and asked in a deep voice, "No need to be polite, what are the casualties in this battle?"

His voice was calm, but it was hard to hide his concern.

If there are too many casualties, it may have some impact on the subsequent Northern Expedition.

Yu Jin immediately stepped forward and reported in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, our army won a great victory in this battle. We killed more than 13,000 Wu soldiers and captured 34,511 Wu soldiers. There were countless civilians and brave men. We also captured 100 Wu generals and 31 officials of the King of Wu."

He paused for a moment and continued, “Among them, there are Zhang Zhao, the Marquis of Wu, who came from the Jiangdong noble family, and Gu Yong, the Minister of the Chancellery, both of whom were captured by our army.

Our army suffered more than 5,700 casualties, and the casualties among the civilians and militiamen were around 10,000. As for the supplies and baggage captured, there was not much food and grass, only 100,000 dan, but the rest of the equipment was not small.”

After all, the State of Wu was short of food and fodder. Even if the entire country was mobilized, the amount of food and fodder collected would not be much.

This food and grass cannot be conjured up. You will have as much as you plant. If you don’t plant it, then there will be no food.

It seems
If they wanted to launch a northern expedition against Wei from Wu, they would also need to transport food and fodder from Jiangling.

"It seems that our army has won a great victory in this battle. It is a pity that thousands of our brave men died here. All compensation should be handed over to the various states and counties for implementation. The Prime Minister's Office and the Secretariat will be responsible for this matter, and the Military Affairs Department will be responsible for supervision."

This victory was hard-won, and every casualty was a pain in his heart.

But war is cruel, and all he can do is to minimize casualties and achieve victory.

And they provided compensation to the fallen soldiers so that the surviving Han soldiers would be able to fight bravely and fight to the death.

At this time, there was another noise outside the tent. It turned out that the Han army was dealing with prisoners of war and dead Wu soldiers.

A trace of pity flashed across Liu Chan's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

He knew that as the Son of Heaven, he could not be too soft-hearted, but had to be responsible for the country and the people of the Han Dynasty.

The generals also noticed Liu Chan's complicated emotions, but they did not say much. They just waited quietly for Liu Chan's next instructions.

On the battlefield, no matter whether it is the emperor or the soldiers, they all need to have the qualities of being firm and unyielding, and not being distracted by all kinds of thoughts.

"For the captives, those with serious injuries that are difficult to treat will all be killed quickly. Those with minor injuries who are willing to surrender will be treated, and those who are unwilling to surrender will be executed on the spot. The Wu troops who are willing to surrender will be handed over to the Discipline Department for management until they can memorize the three books and become soldiers of our great Han, and then they can be reorganized and sent out."

There were more than 30,000 surrendered soldiers from the Wu army. After training and screening, it was estimated that there would be 15,000 of them, which would satisfy Liu Chan. The key was still to train them.

The lights were on inside the big tent.

Emperor Liu Chan sat upright on the dragon throne, his golden dragon robe shining brightly under the light, his eyes flashing with ambition.

Looking around, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty spoke slowly: "My Lords, now that the Wu army has been defeated, how can we seize the opportunity to pursue the victory and take down Dongwu in one fell swoop?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ah Huinan stepped forward. He was wearing armor, with an excited look on his face after the battle. He said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, now the main force of the Wu army has been destroyed. We only need to lead the troops to Jianye directly, and we will be able to destroy Wu in one fell swoop!"

As Ah Hui muttered, his fists were clenched and his eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

After the main force of Wu was destroyed, Wu was like a beautiful woman whose clothes had been stripped off, and the burly man of Han could do whatever he wanted with her.

Still need a plan?
If we lead our troops directly to Jianye, will the State of Wu be able to resist?
Upon hearing this, Liu Chan nodded slightly, but did not express his opinion immediately.

It is true that the State of Wu can be destroyed in a snap of the fingers, but how to destroy it is a technical job.

At this time, Yu Jin stood up, his face showing calmness and consideration, which was in sharp contrast to A Huinan's passion and excitement.

“Your Majesty, it is easy to conquer Jianye, but it is not easy to conquer the entire Wu Kingdom.

I think the best way is to make Wu surrender, or more precisely, to make the nobles of Jiangdong submit to us.”

His words revealed a longer-term consideration, which focused not only on military victory but also on political stability and integration.

"If we can make Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong return to the right path, the influence of these two people in Wu will surely help Your Majesty integrate Wu and recover Wu at the lowest cost!"

Huo Yi pondered for a moment and also put forward his own opinion: "Your Majesty, I think we can let Wu exist for the time being and not destroy it. We can support the crown prince Sun Deng as the king of Wu, and actually make him a puppet of our Han Dynasty, and then order him to send troops to the north."

His suggestion was more clever, intending to control the entire Wu State by manipulating its internal affairs.

The State of Wu was to be destroyed, but when it would be destroyed was something that Liu Chan could decide.

Now destroy.
I'm afraid there is still resistance within the Wu State.

At this time, the Han State needed to send troops to suppress it.

The blitzkrieg has turned into a security war, and all Americans in the future will be trapped in it.

Although Liu Chan was not afraid that the blitzkrieg would turn into a security war, his priority now was not to destroy Wu, but to destroy Wei.

And
To be honest, at this point, although the Wu Kingdom had not been destroyed, was there any difference compared to being destroyed?

After listening to the advice of the three important ministers, Liu Chan had made up his mind.

He nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction on his face: "You are all right. I have already made up my mind."

After saying this, he stood up and ordered the summons of important Wu officials such as Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong who were captured in this battle.

Soon, Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong and others were brought into the big tent.

Although they were captured, their appearance was tattered and their faces were gray, but because they were valuable captives, they were not treated rudely by the Han army, and their demeanor still maintained the dignity of scholars and officials.

Liu Chan looked at them carefully, trying to read something from their expressions.

Zhang Zhao had a worried look on his face, and was obviously deeply concerned about the future of Wu; while Gu Yong looked calm, as if he had already come up with a plan to deal with the situation.

Liu Chan smiled slightly and spoke slowly: "You two, now that the Wu Kingdom has been defeated, I wonder what you think about the future of the world?" Although his tone was calm, his words revealed an irresistible majesty.

Yu Jin snorted coldly and said, "Humph! A wise bird chooses a tree to roost in, and a wise minister chooses a master to serve. If you don't see the opportunity early, you will regret it too late!"

A Huinan was even showing off his muscles, looking ferocious, as if he wanted to eat someone.

Zhang Zhao took a deep breath, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, although Wu was defeated this time, the people are innocent. I hope Your Majesty can sympathize with the people and not vent your anger on the people of Wu."

Liu Chan nodded upon hearing this and said, "All the people in the world are subjects of the Han Dynasty, and all of them are my subjects. How could I not treat my subjects well?"

Then, he turned to Gu Yong: "Gu Qingjia, what do you think?"

Gu Yong replied calmly, neither servile nor overbearing: "Your Majesty, although Wu has been defeated and its foundation has been lost, its integrity remains. If Your Majesty wants to enslave the people of Wu, I'm afraid the people of Wu will not agree, and neither will we!"

"Hahaha~"

Liu Chan laughed loudly and said, "What do you mean by that, Lord Gu? Do I have any intention of enslaving the people of Wu?"

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty stood up from the dragon throne and looked around at everyone: "I want to unify the world, but I am also willing to give Wu's subjects a chance and time. Sun Quan is vicious and unwilling to obey the king's rule. He is no longer suitable to be the King of Wu of the Han Dynasty. I want to make the crown prince Sun Deng the King of Wu of the Han Dynasty and let him be a vassal of the Han Dynasty. If you obey, I may be able to save Wu. If you do not obey, sending troops to destroy him is just a piece of cake for me."

After saying harsh words, you should also say some nice words appropriately.

Liu Chan's tone softened a bit, and he said, "Of course, I will also listen to your opinions and ensure the stability of the people of Wu."

The conditions offered to them by the Han Emperor were better than they had imagined.

They are not even in a hurry to destroy the country.

"You all come from aristocratic families in Jiangdong. Even if you join the Han Dynasty, you can still prosper your family. When I am in the court, I will also open the door to people from Jiangdong, of course."

Liu Chan's eyes flickered, and the meaning was self-evident.

I can provide a convenient door for your Jiangdong family and preserve the wealth of your Jiangdong family.

So what do you, the Jiangdong family, have to give me in exchange for such a huge benefit?

Everyone present is smart.

Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong, whose half bodies were buried in the loess, were the most cunning of the mortals.

They immediately understood what Liu Chan meant.

"If Your Majesty keeps your promise, then our Jiangdong Zhang family will fully support Your Majesty!" Zhang Zhao looked at Liu Chan with burning eyes.

It's nothing more than an exchange of interests.

Since Sun Quan is unreliable, it's no wonder they turned against him.

This has nothing to do with loyalty, it's only about interests.

To remain loyal in this situation is nothing but blind loyalty.

"Your Majesty's word is as good as gold. Do you think you are a rat from Jiangdong who has repeatedly broken the alliance?"

Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong were choked by Shamoke, their cheeks flushed with shame, but they could not refute at all.

"We, the Jiangdong Gu family, are willing to fully support Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will keep his promise!"

"it is good!"

Liu Chan slammed the document in front of him.

With the support of Jiangdong nobles such as Gu Yong and Zhang Zhao, the obstacles he faced in entering Jianye and slowly infiltrating the State of Wu would be much smaller.

So he let Sun Deng be a puppet for a few years.

Once he has complete control over the Wu Kingdom, it will be time to destroy the Wu Kingdom both in name and in fact!
The main task now is to attack Wei!

"With your two assistances, why should I worry about the instability of Wu?

Draft edict:

Since ancient times, Jiangdong has been full of talented people. Today, I have heard that there are two people in the Jiangdong noble family, Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong, who are both virtuous and talented, and their reputations are far-reaching. Since I ascended the throne, I have been eager to seek talents and have searched for talents in Jiangdong, hoping to work together with them on national plans and stabilize the country. Now that I have these two people, it is a blessing for the country and the country.

Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong are of noble character, profound knowledge, and well versed in the ways of governing a country and maintaining peace. After much deliberation, I have decided to promote them to the title of Shizhong. I hope they will be loyal, diligent in the king's affairs, speak out their opinions, point out my mistakes, and discuss national affairs with me.

In addition, in recognition of their virtue and talent, Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong were granted an additional fief of 300 households each as encouragement. Zhang Zhao was appointed as the Grand Tutor of Wu State, and Gu Yong as the Grand Master, respectively, hoping that they would educate the people and stabilize Wu with their noble character and profound knowledge.

Admire this! "

Upon hearing this, Gu Yong and Zhang Zhao were so happy that they could not hide their faces. They immediately bowed to Liu Chan and said, "We thank you for your great grace!"

He basically cleared the obstacles to the destruction of Wu.

Then the next step is to attack Jianye!
He immediately issued an order:
"The army will rest here for three days. Three days later, we will advance by land and sea to Jianye!"

Jianye City, the capital of the Wu State, has lost its former prosperity due to the tense atmosphere in recent days.

The news of the vanguard's defeat was like a huge rock, causing huge waves on the originally calm lake.

In the city, the people were worried, discussions were heard one after another, and people were in panic.

The atmosphere inside King Wu's palace was even more solemn.

Sun Quan sat on the throne, his eyes were bloodshot and his eye sockets were sunken. He was obviously exhausted and had not had a good night's sleep for a long time.

His eyes revealed deep worry and uneasiness, and the royal seal tightly held in his hand seemed to carry his heavy mood at the moment.

"The main forces have been completely destroyed. The Wu Kingdom can no longer hold on." Sun Quan murmured to himself, his voice revealing endless bitterness.

Surrender or retreat?

These two choices were like two sharp swords hanging over his heart.

Surrender means giving up the independence of Wu and leaving the fate of the country and the people to be decided by others.

This was a result that Sun Quan could not accept. As the King of Wu, how could he easily hand over his ancestors' foundation to others?
However, retreating to the southernmost point is not easy.

The journey is long, not to mention the various difficulties that may be encountered along the way, even if you succeed in arriving, what can you do?
Are we just going to watch the empire that our ancestors worked so hard to build fall?

Besides, who would retreat with him to the southern barbarian land?
Sun Quan fell into deep thought.

His eyes flashed with determination under the light of the palace lanterns, as if looking for a ray of light in the darkness.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the palace.

A guard rushed into the hall and knelt down in front of Sun Quan: "Report! King, the enemy troops are outside the city. Please make a decision!"

Sun Quan stood up suddenly, a gleam of determination in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Pass the order down, all troops prepare for battle! I swear to live and die with Jianye!"

The worst that can happen is death! (End of this chapter)