The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 569 Speaking out
"Youjie, have I ever wronged your people since I ascended the throne?"

Sun Xiu no longer had the good expression he had before.

He was usually calm, but at this moment his expression was fierce and ferocious.

The main reason was that what Lu Kai did was so disheartening.

You are a dignified General who conquered the north. You have never suffered any persecution, and no one wants to kill you. Your cousin just received a reward, and then you ran away. What does this mean?

Lu Kai's escape had a huge impact on the entire Wu State.

Lu Kai was an upright person who advised the emperor many times and was deeply respected by his ministers.

As a result, such people finally ran away.

What does this mean? Is Wu State intolerant of upright people? Only villains will continue to assist Sun Xiu?

When Sun Xiu heard the news, he almost fainted.

What a shame.

He immediately wanted to order the arrest of the entire Lu family.

But his reason told him that if he dared to do so, the Wu Kingdom would really be destroyed.

Sun Chen had so much power at the time, but Sun Xiu saw clearly what the outcome would be when he took action against the powerful families.

The reason Sun Chen was defeated so quickly was not just because he was too weak. Didn't he not know how to control the emperor? The main reason was that he was very harsh towards the powerful families.

When all the major families stood on Sun Xiu's side, Sun Chen lost control over the emperor.

The middle and lower levels and even officials from all over the country began to stand on Sun Xiu's side. What other ways did Sun Chen have to resist?
He was completely powerless to resist.

By the same token, if Sun Xiu had been too harsh on the powerful families, it might have caused them to resist, and then Sun Chen's fate would have been the same as Sun Xiu's.

Sun Xiu suppressed his anger and stared at Lu Kang in front of him.

He wanted the other party to give an explanation.

Lu Kang looked at the young emperor in front of him and said, "Your Majesty has never treated anyone unfairly since he ascended the throne."

This is also true. After Sun Xiu came to power, he won over many powerful families and promoted a large number of these people. Lu Kai's title of General Zheng Bei was given by Sun Xiu.

Sun Xiu gritted his teeth and asked again, "Then why did your brother betray me?"

Lu Kang calmly replied, "I really don't know."

"Then what did he say to you when he saw you before he left?"

"My elder brother said: Today, the court is plagued by constant strife. There are powerful enemies outside, but the whole court is unable to unite. All of them are driven by their own selfish desires. Meritorious soldiers are not treated fairly, while those without merit are promoted to high positions due to favoritism. If this continues, the court will be destroyed."

Sun Xiu was stunned.

He suddenly grasped the hilt of the sword at his waist.

He had thought of many answers from Lu Kang, but he had never thought that it would be this answer.

This guy is talking to me, why is there a hint of intimidation in his tone?
Seeing the furious Sun Xiu, Lu Kang said again, "Your Majesty, I have been favored by the court for generations and have never considered betraying it. However, the Wu Kingdom is now in great danger."

"The construction of the lake farms has caused great dissatisfaction among the people. A rebellion has already broken out in Jiaozhou, but the government has not stopped this. Now, people are still being conscripted from all over the country to build the lake farms."

"I believe that in this critical moment, if we fail to win the support of the people, the situation will only get worse. Even if the lake fields can increase their production by tens of millions of dan, it will not be able to make up for the loss of public support!"

"Zhang Bu and Puyang Xing have no talent to begin with, yet Your Majesty favors them out of personal affection. They exclude dissidents from the court and support their own confidants, doing whatever it takes to enhance their own prestige!"

"The result was that the ministers became alienated and unwilling to offer advice."

"The soldiers on the front lines have made numerous military achievements, but His Majesty has never rewarded them. Wu Yan died in battle, and His Majesty only posthumously conferred him the title of General! Shouldn't he have been granted a nobility title?!"

"He died on the front lines, yet Your Majesty promoted Puyang Xing to Prime Minister. What merits did Puyang Xing have?!"

"Old generals like Shi Ji and Ding Feng have fought bravely for Your Majesty. Has Your Majesty ever considered rewarding them? The battle has just ended, and Your Majesty is sending for them to return. Is this how you treat meritorious service?"

"Your Majesty is young and strong, yet he never handles state affairs. He leaves all important matters to his trusted associates, spending his days hunting and reading. This has caused the government affairs of the court to become increasingly chaotic. Your Majesty is happy every day, but how long can this happiness last?!"

Lu Kang stared into Sun Xiu's eyes and asked a series of questions.

At this moment, Sun Xiu could no longer bear it. He stood up suddenly, pulling out most of his sword.

He stared at Lu Kang angrily, his chest heaving violently.

After a moment, he put away his sword and slowly sat down.

Sun Xiu started coughing.

"How could I not know this?"

"Do you think I'm unwilling to deal with important matters at court? I'm ill, and even reading your letters has left me feeling extremely unwell. And can the harm done by your clansmen compare to that of Zhang Bu and his men?"

"Their private armies are already larger than my own. They've seized farmland and controlled official positions. I have to argue with them for ages just to appoint a county governor. I just appointed a member of the royal family to Jiaozhou when a rebellion broke out. The people I sent there died. Do you dare to say that there weren't others helping me?"

Sun Xiu also spoke out everything that was in his heart.

The atmosphere suddenly grew quiet. Both of them were silent for a long time before Sun Xiu looked at Lu Kang and asked, "Do you also think Wu will perish?"

Lu Kang shook his head. "I don't know. But if the enemy wants to destroy Wu, it will definitely happen after I die."

Hearing this, Sun Xiu was stunned.

He was stunned for a long time before he slowly saluted Lu Kang.

"It's my fault, Mr. Lu. I won't hold you responsible anymore. You will continue to serve as the General of the Zhen Army. I'll leave all the important matters on the front line to you. I'll also ask for your opinion on matters at the court. My health is getting worse. If I'm gone, please take good care of my son, General."

Lu Kang was also a little surprised. He said, "Your Majesty, you are still young. Don't say such things."

"No problem. I will take Zhang Bu and the others in. However, you must also help me suppress those powerful people. The Wu Kingdom cannot be destroyed by us."

The king and his minister looked at each other without saying anything for a long time.

Luoyang.

Cao Mao was sparring with other soldiers when he saw Yang Zong running towards him in a hurry, looking extremely panicked.

But Cao Mao ignored it and continued to practice.

At this moment, the person standing opposite him, holding a wooden sword and accompanying Cao Mao in training was Luo Xian, a Lang of the Ministry of War.

Luo Xian held a sword and looked at Cao Mao in front of him with complicated eyes.

To be honest, now is really the best time to assassinate. Even though the sword in my hand is wooden, it can also kill people.

This is simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But, the Shu Kingdom was destroyed!
Duke Anle had become the emperor's guest of honor, so was it still necessary for him to assassinate Cao Mao?

Just as Luo Xian was daydreaming, Cao Mao easily knocked the wooden sword out of his hand.

"Come again!"

Luo Xian picked up the wooden sword and quickly drew his sword. At the same time, Cao Mao dodged his attack as nimbly as a monkey. He did not draw his sword, but just stood aside with a smile, "Come again!"

Luo Xian attacked again, but Cao Mao seemed to be playing a trick on him. He did not attack but just dodged in various ways. However, even so, Luo Xian did not manage to stab him once.

Cao Mao was very agile. He could easily avoid the opponent's attack by just turning around and taking a step back.

Luo Xian stabbed for a long time, and when he finally got close to Cao Mao, the wooden sword in Cao Mao's hand was already at Luo Xian's neck.

Luo Xian panted and slowly put away the wooden sword.

It seems that even if I really want to assassinate him, it will be a bit difficult.

This emperor actually has such superb swordsmanship and martial arts skills, how did he develop these skills?
Cao Mao laughed at this moment.

"General Luo, please don't blame me. This is the latest movement technique I've learned, passed down from my grandfather. I couldn't help myself just now, and I definitely didn't mean to tease you."

Luo Xian shook his head, "Your Majesty's skills are great, I am convinced."

"General Luo's swordsmanship is also quite good."

The two of them flattered each other for a while.

At this moment, Luo Xian also made a decision.

Even if I wanted to stab him, I couldn't do it at the moment. I'd better wait and be patient. I should pretend to continue assisting the Holy King until I have mastered my swordsmanship!

Cao Mao threw the wooden sword in his hand to the soldier beside him, jumped over the guardrail very casually, and walked quickly to Yang Zong.

He snatched the silk cloth from the eunuch's hand, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and asked, "Mr. Yang, what happened?"

"General Hu sent someone."

"It is said that Wu's General Lu Kai, the Northern Expedition General, has come to surrender."

"who??"

"Lu Kai??"

Cao Mao was indeed surprised for a moment, but then he laughed again, "It would be great if he brought his cousin with him."

Yang Zong glanced at Cao Mao. He knew that his emperor had a serious habit of collecting talents. No matter who the talent came from or whether he was hostile to him, he wanted to get him into his pocket.

His behavior was different from Zhong Hui's. Zhong Hui was obsessed with celebrities and didn't want everyone. But it was different for the emperor himself. As long as someone was talented, he would want them regardless of height, weight, or anything else!
Yang Zong said helplessly, "Lu Kai must have come here because he knew that Wu was about to fall, and the Lu family had no roots in Wei. So he came here to prepare, lest the country and family be destroyed, and perhaps he could really take his cousin into his pocket."

Cao Mao laughed and immediately ordered, "Let all places publicize this matter. The fact that Wu's General Zhengbei has surrendered is enough to prove that Wu's fate is imminent. A unified world is just around the corner!"

"Have the Ministry of Rites prepare to welcome Lu Kai with the highest standards."

"only!!"

"Go and call Zhong Hui over to me. I need to discuss this matter with him."

(End of this chapter)