Late Han Zhao Tang

October 20th, Wancheng.

With the help of Yuan Mi, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of Chen State, Huang Yi, Yuan Yin, Deng Xi and other high-ranking officials learned of the surrender conditions offered by Zhang Yu, and all of them expressed their willingness to cooperate with Guo Tu.

Guo Tu stayed in Wancheng for two days and saw that everyone was willing to surrender and that the soldiers had no intention of resisting. He felt that the time was ripe and asked to see Yuan Yao.

Inside the hall, Yuan Yao and all the ministers of Chen State were present, and their faces showed an unconcealable sadness.

"The Tang envoy, Lord Guo, has arrived!"

At the loud shouts of his attendants, Guo Tu, impeccably dressed and with a dignified appearance, strode into the hall.

"Tang envoy Guo Tu, on the orders of the Tang Emperor, pays his respects to Your Highness!"

Guo Tu slightly bent his body and only symbolically bowed, saying, "On the eve of my mission, Lord Yuan instructed me to tell you that he is safe and sound, and to take good care of yourself."

Such impolite behavior would have angered the ministers of Chen in the past, who would have reprimanded them. However, times have changed. Their king is in Zhang Yu's hands, and they will surrender to him soon. How could they dare to rebuke Guo Tu now?

Yuan Yao, clearly fearing Guo Tu, coughed and said, "Thank you, King Tang, for treating my father so kindly. Guo Tu, what orders have you received from King Tang?"

Guo Tu cupped his hands and said, “In the past, during the Battle of Yu County, the Tang King captured Yuan Gong and annihilated your country’s army. Now, the Three Chu regions have no soldiers left, and the people are in turmoil. My lord, mindful of the long period of turmoil in the world, cannot bear to see another war break out. Therefore, he sent me to Wancheng to persuade your country to respect the legitimate calendar.”

"If our country upholds the legitimate calendar, what promises has the Tang Emperor made?" Yuan Yao hesitated for a moment before asking.

"Our king has already enfeoffed Lord Yuan as a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households and wishes to take Lord Yuan's youngest daughter into the palace to establish a marriage alliance with the Yuan family. As for the young master and the other gentlemen who have recognized the situation and surrendered, they will all be rewarded, and those who are virtuous and capable will be allowed to remain in office," Guo Tu said.

As he spoke, Guo Tu's tone changed slightly, and he said, "The Han dynasty lost the empire, and many heroes vied for it. Today, the fate of the nation rests in the hands of the Tang dynasty. I hope your country can recognize the situation and surrender quickly."

Seeing Guo Tu's tough attitude, Huang Zhong felt dissatisfied and said in a deep voice, "The envoy is arrogant, but do not forget that although our Chen Kingdom is weak, it still has tens of thousands of troops. If we ally with Cao Cao in Jiangzuo, I'm afraid even the Tang King will be worried about us!"

Guo Tu sneered and said, "Cao Cao was no match for Lü Bu, so he led his troops south across the Huai River. Cao Cao of Jiangzuo is no match for Lü Bu, so how can he protect your country now?"

"The army's advance has reached Yingchuan, and the Han army will soon march out of Shangyong. My lord could have forced your country to surrender, but he does not wish to cause further conflict. That is why he has ordered Tu to make his way. Tu is powerless, but when the tigers and wolves arrive at the city, the situation will be different."

Yuan Yao quickly reassured him, saying, "I am already aware of the Tang King's intentions. May I discuss this with you all now, and then inform the envoy later?"

"good!"

After Guo Tu was sent away, Yuan Yao took a deep breath and asked, "His Majesty has been captured by Zhang Yu, and Zhang Yu has no intention of slaughtering anyone. What do you all think? Should we surrender?"

During this period, Yuan Yao was urged by his younger brother and sister and persuaded by those around him, and he had long harbored the idea of ​​surrendering.

Huang Yi cupped his hands and said, “Your Highness, although our army has tens of thousands of soldiers, their morale is low and they are afraid of the Tang people. If we contact Cao Cao for help, I fear that our army will be destroyed by the Tang people before Cao Cao even reaches Nanyang. If we submit to Cao Cao, why not submit to the legitimate dynasty?”

"General Huang is right!"

Yuan Mi cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty has pacified the Three Chu regions and your army is strong. Now you have been captured by the Prince of Tang. This shows that the Mandate of Heaven is with Tang."

"The prince is wise!"

With the two men leading the way, the crowd readily expressed their willingness to submit. Even Cai Mao, who had previously advocated for contacting Cao Cao, now echoed the sentiment of submission among the crowd.

Seeing that everyone was willing to submit, Yuan Yao no longer hesitated and said, "Send Minister Yuan Mi as envoy, and Yuan Yin and Huang Yi as deputy envoys, to present the letter of surrender to the Tang King, and to issue an order to all prefectures to surrender to the Tang King and not to fight against the Tang army again."

"I will obey the Crown Prince's order!"

Looking at the assembled officials who appeared relieved, Yuan Yao sighed sadly.

To be honest, he had dreamed of turning the tide against all odds, but dreams and reality are different. In this crisis, since he took charge, he had seen too many people who were outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. Now that everyone had lost the will to serve Chen and Yuan, what could he possibly rely on to defeat Zhang Yu?
From this day forward, he and his father will be prisoners. Meanwhile, the high-ranking officials will rely on currying favor with the powerful and influential to perhaps gain Zhang Yu's favor.

Not to mention that under Guo Tu's leadership, Yuan Mi, Yuan Yin, and Huang Yi went north to submit a memorial to Zhang Yu and surrender. At present, in Zhuge's mansion in Wancheng, there are several young scholars sitting and discussing the state of the world.

"The Tang Emperor captured Yuan Gong in a single battle; there has never been such a military tactic in history."

Pei Qian remarked with emotion: "Now that the Yuan family has submitted their petition and surrendered, the world may soon be unified. To rule the world at the age of thirty, even Emperor Shizu would be somewhat inferior to him."

"Yes!"

Meng Jian sighed and said, "Ten years have passed since Dong Zhuo entered the capital and caused chaos. The Tang emperor rose from Hebei and unified the Central Plains with unprecedented force. Now that the Tang dynasty has secured the Central Plains, there is a great shortage of officials. You and I are displaced southerners, and this is an opportunity for us to take office and establish ourselves!"

Zhang Yu's reputation was constantly evolving. Initially, when he occupied Bingzhou, his reputation was not good, and many scholars looked down on him. However, as he conquered Guanzhong and Youzhou, his reputation gradually grew, and he was able to be ranked alongside figures like Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao. After Zhang Yu defeated Yuan Shao and annexed Hebei, the scholars who had fled to Jingzhou praised him highly, and many became optimistic about his future. On the eve of Yuan Shu's campaign, Pei Qian, Meng Jian, and others all favored Zhang Yu's victory, but the brilliance of Zhang Yu's victory and the devastating defeat of Yuan Shu's army truly surprised everyone.

As he spoke, Meng Jian looked at the man with the feather fan and silk turban, who was full of heroic spirit, and said, "Brother Kongming has a good reputation in officialdom. You and your brother can take advantage of this opportunity to not only enter the Central Plains, but also go further."

Zhuge Xuan was originally an official of the Yuan family. When Yuan Shu dominated the Three Chu regions, Zhuge Xuan was recruited by Yuan Shu to serve as the Prefect of Yuzhang. After the unsuccessful campaign against Cao Cao, Yuan Shu reassigned Zhuge Xuan to the position of Minister. Just two years ago, Zhuge Xuan died of typhoid fever. In order to support his family, Zhuge Jin, relying on Zhuge Xuan's connections, became a Gentleman Attendant when Yuan Shu declared himself emperor.

Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "My elder brother has entered officialdom, but I have not yet completed my studies and have no intention of entering officialdom in China."

"That's such a pity!"

Pei Qian said, "Kongming is exceptionally talented and well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge. Now that the Tang emperor has entrusted him with such a worthy person, he will surely give him an important position."

Shi Tao laughed and said, "Kongming compares himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, how could he possibly look down on a minor official in a prefecture or county?"

"How dare I even entertain such a thought!"

Zhuge Liang sipped his tea and smiled, saying, "As Han Feizi said, 'A prime minister must rise from the ranks of local officials, and a fierce general must emerge from the ranks of soldiers.' How can those who do not serve as officials in prefectures and counties understand the key to governing the world? Now that you gentlemen have returned to the Central Plains, you can advance to the positions of governor or prefect!"

"Kongming has no intention of taking up an official post for the time being. I wonder what his ambitions are?" Pei Qian asked.

"China has many officials, but few who know the affairs of the world. Perhaps I will travel around to learn from them," Zhuge Liang said with a smile.

Shi Tao asked, "Kongming said that we could advance to the positions of governor or prefect. May I ask what official position Kongming himself held?"

Zhuge Liang smiled without saying a word, simply sipping his tea. His ambitions could not be satisfied by the positions of provincial governor or prefect; he aspired to be prime minister, governing and pacifying the provinces and prefectures. It was only a pity that Zhang Yu rose to power too early, and he had not yet met him.

Seeing that Zhuge Liang remained silent, Shi Tao gave up on further mocking him. In Shi Tao's eyes, although Zhuge Liang was talented, Guan Zhong and Yue Yi were outstanding figures far superior to him.

The group chatted for a while until Zhuge Jin returned from the Ministry of Personnel, at which point they bid farewell and left.

Upon seeing his wise and resourceful younger brother, Zhuge Jin smiled and said, "Just as Kongming said, although Cai Mao advised the Crown Prince to contact Cao Cao, when the Tang envoy arrived in Wancheng, he was the first to send a ceremonial audience. Now that the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat has gone to present a memorial, peace in the Central Plains should not be far off."

Zhuge Liang said, "Cai Mao is greedy for wealth and status, and now all he seeks is wealth and status."

Zhuge Jin hesitated for a moment, then said, "The Huang family sent someone to inquire, saying that they have a daughter of marriageable age. I wonder what Kongming thinks?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said, "An elder brother is like a father, and I am willing to listen to my elder brother's opinion!"

Zhuge Jin said, "Now that the Central Plains are about to be unified, Kongming should first get married and then enter the service of the Central Plains. In this way, I will have nothing to worry about!"

Zhuge Liang said, "I am willing to get married, but I have no intention of pursuing an official career for the time being."

"Why?"

"My studies are not yet complete; I wish to first travel throughout China before considering any official career!"

Zhuge Jin frowned slightly and said suspiciously, "Does Kongming intend to go east to Jiangzuo, or south to Jingnan, or even west to Bashu, to seek out a lord to serve?"

After a pause, Zhuge Jin said solemnly, "Liu Bei and Cao Cao were like stray dogs in the Central Plains, yet they were able to achieve great things in remote places. Now, the Prince of Tang has defeated Yuan Shao in one battle and captured Yuan Shu in another, shaking the Central Plains with his might. With such martial prowess, who in the world can match him?"

"Don't try to be a phoenix among chickens; you'll only be able to strike a rock with a soft object. How can you expect to achieve the accomplishments of Guan Zhong and Yue Yi?"

As the elder brother who grew up with him, Zhuge Jin understood Zhuge Liang's thoughts perfectly. Guan Zhong and Yue Yi met enlightened rulers and achieved hegemony. Zhuge Liang hoped to meet an enlightened ruler and assist him in achieving hegemony. However, the problem was that China was about to be unified, and the destruction of other warlords was only a matter of time; how could there possibly be another opportunity to achieve hegemony?

Zhuge Liang laughed and said, “I am not someone who does not understand the general situation. The Sun family of Bashu has great talent, but Hanzhong has been seized and they are controlled by others. The Liu family of Jingnan supports the Han and fights against the rebels. Although they have a great cause, they are difficult to defeat Cao Cao in the east and difficult to enter Bashu in the west. They have no hope of dividing the world. My brother is now traveling to study for the sake of learning!”

Compared to the historical period when Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times, the political situation in the world is vastly different. Zhang Yu now controls the Central Plains, Hebei, and Guanzhong, and even extends his influence into the Han River basin. Furthermore, Chen Yuan is about to surrender to Zhang Yu, and the Han River basin will soon fall under Zhang Yu's control.

Therefore, without Hanzhong, Bashu lacked the foundation for separatism; the area north of the Han River and Yangtze River in Jingzhou would fall to Zhang Yu, making it difficult to preserve Jingzhou. Looking at the southern regimes, only Cao Cao possessed a secure territory and a basis for separatism. However, whether Cao Cao could withstand Zhang Yu's attacks remains questionable.

Against this backdrop, the young Zhuge Liang saw no hope of dividing the world into three kingdoms, so why would he actively seek to serve a wise ruler? Unless Zhuge Liang acted on emotion, he would not have done something he knew was impossible.

Zhuge Jin said, "Brother, your wisdom and strategy are superior, and your future achievements will surely surpass yours. Let's wait until the Tang King enters Jingzhou before discussing the marriage with Lady Huang. Lately, I should avoid contact with outsiders to prevent bringing trouble upon myself."

"Yes, sir!" (End of Chapter)