Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 158 You, Supreme Being, are you serious?

"Sun Quan and Liu Bei turned against each other?" Cao Rui pondered.

"Since Liu Bei and Sun Quan lost the Battle of Yiling, the two rebels have re-established their alliance for several years."

"The two treacherous barbarians are well aware of the principle that we are like lips and teeth, and that fortune and misfortune are interdependent."

"Liu Shan has just gained control of Guanzhong, how could he fall for a divisive tactic and turn against Sun Quan?"

As Liu Ye just said, he was using Liu Shan's stubborn and headstrong nature to sow discord between Shu and Wu.

But Liu Shan wasn't really a fool, and the Shu Kingdom wasn't under his control. No matter how proud Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang were, they couldn't possibly declare war on Sun Quan at this time.

As for Sun Quan, once he received the news that Liu Shan had personally led an expedition to conquer Guanzhong and recapture Chang'an, his feelings would probably be no less complicated than those of the Emperor of Wei.

One’s own failure is terrible, but the success of allies is even more worrying.

However, upon realizing this, Cao Rui's expression suddenly darkened, and his recently calmed emotions became chaotic and agitated once again.

Liu Ye stepped forward, appearing confident and composed, and slowly said:
"Your Majesty is right. Liu Shan has just seized Guanzhong and it is indeed impossible for him to turn against Sun Quan."

Cao Rui, feeling agitated, tried his best to suppress his emotions and not let them show.

After a moment's thought, he suddenly raised an eyebrow and then nodded slightly: "I understand the Grand Master's meaning."

Even Cao Rui understood it, so how could Chen Qun, Zhong Yao, and Hua Xin, these veterans of three dynasties whose heads were practically buried in the ground, not understand?

Jia Kui, Xin Pi, and Jiang Ji, who had followed Emperor Taizu in his campaigns and were well-versed in military strategy, quickly grasped what Liu Ye was trying to say after a moment's thought.

After exchanging glances and nodding, they turned their gazes to the emperor.

But the emperor calmly spoke:

"This time, the Wu rebels and the Shu bandits joined forces to invade our Great Wei, and the Shu bandits managed to seize Guanzhong."

"Wu, the traitor, has been trying to gain influence for the Shu bandits and has dragged our great Wei into the east, but he has not gained an inch of land or achieved any merit. How can that rat Sun Quan be satisfied with this?"

"As I said before, now that Liu Shan has managed to seize Guanzhong, he will certainly not want to turn against Sun Quan. Sun Quan's vassals must also be well aware of this. What do you think Sun Quan will do next?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Rui seemed to have seen a funny joke. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and his pale face began to regain color.

Jiang Ji continued, "If Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang only take Longyou this time, Sun Quan probably won't make any moves."

"But Liu Shan seized Guanzhong and usurped the old capital of Han, creating the momentum of so-called 'restoring the Three Qin'."

"In this way, Sun Quan, who has never recognized that the Shu bandits inherited the legitimate lineage of the two Han dynasties and thought himself to be on equal footing with Liu Shan, will probably feel like he is sitting on pins and needles and has thorns in his back."

"If the Shu bandits occupy Guanzhong with a large army, then the two Sichuan regions will inevitably be left vulnerable."

"In this way, although Sun Quan may not have the ability to lead troops into Sichuan, he can at least guard against the Shu bandits who are out of Sichuan with their troops depleted."

"In my humble opinion, Sun Quan is very likely to take this opportunity to propose to Liu Shan that two kings coexist, and then establish himself as the King of Wu."

Upon hearing Jiang Ji's words, Cao Rui smiled again.

And the elders such as Chen Qun, Zhong Yao, and Hua Xin finally understood what the so-called attempt to sow discord between Sun Quan and Liu Bei really meant.

The Shu rebels claimed to be inheriting the Han dynasty's legitimate lineage and succeeding the two founding emperors, thus claiming to be Han, not Shu.

Sun Quan never agreed with this view. In order to maintain his independent position, he always addressed the pseudo-emperor Liu Shan as the Lord of Shu.

Now that Liu Shan has wreaked havoc in Guanzhong and seized the former capital of Han, regardless of whether Wei is willing or not, or whether Sun Quan acknowledges it or not, Liu Shan's so-called "restoration of the Three Qin" will, to some extent, cause the people's hearts to lean towards Shu Han.

If Sun Quan does not seize this opportunity to declare himself king, the hearts of the people in Jiangdong will likely waver, and his rule in Eastern Wu will become increasingly weak.

At this very moment, Liu Shan was occupying Guanzhong with a large army, leaving Shu vulnerable and unable to look eastward. Even if Sun Quan were to declare himself king, Liu Shan would be powerless to oppose him.

In other words, if Sun Quan did not declare himself king at this time, and Liu Shan had already established himself firmly in Guanzhong, he would hardly have had such a good opportunity again.

Liu Ye then said:
"Back then, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and his ministers swore an oath by killing a white horse and drinking blood."

"Anyone who is not of the Liu clan and yet becomes king will be attacked by all under heaven."

“Since the pseudo-Han claims to be the legitimate successor of the Han dynasty, if they allow Sun Quan to usurp the throne and declare himself king, wouldn’t they be destroying their own legitimacy?”

"What I just said was a scheme to sow discord, to provoke Liu Shan by taking advantage of his stubborn and fatherly nature, so that the two traitors would turn against each other."

Cao Rui hummed in agreement and nodded in deep thought.

Just as Liu Xie enfeoffed Emperor Taizu as the King of Wei.

If Liu Shan had agreed to Sun Quan's claim to the throne, it would undoubtedly have greatly shaken the legitimacy of the pseudo-Han regime, which was already being questioned by the people.

The few hearts that had just been gathered by recreating the momentum of Emperor Liu Bang's "pacification of the Three Qin" will inevitably be lost as a result.

Given Liu Shan's stubborn and headstrong character as displayed in recent months, it is inevitable that he would not allow Sun Quan to become king.

The only uncontrollable factor was Sun Quan.

But it's not entirely uncontrollable.

Regardless of whether we analyze Sun Quan's personality or his political maneuvering, Sun Quan would certainly have considered declaring himself king at this time.

Once Sun Quan is declared king, then he will not have gained nothing from this battle.

What the Great Wei needs to do now is twofold: first, to urge Sun Quan to declare himself king; and second, to create an environment in which Sun Quan would dare to declare himself king.

This is what is known as the "divide and conquer" strategy.

Thinking of this, Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye:
"What conditions do you think we should offer Sun Quan to entice him to propose the idea of ​​becoming king to Liu Shan?"

Cao Rui already had a plan in mind, but he still wanted to hear the opinions of his ministers.

Liu Ye pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, Sun Quan is still waging war in Xiangfan."

"I believe that we should first ask the Grand Marshal and Jia Yuzhou to lead troops to repel them, and then send an envoy to discuss the matter with Sun Quan."

Sun Quan has been attacking Xiangfan for a month.

However, due to the severe drought in the Guandong region and the significant drop in the water level of the Han River, its only commendable force, the navy, faced difficulties in advancing on the Han River, and its forces could not be deployed effectively, leaving it with almost no opportunity to use its strength.

Once ashore, the so-called "dragon crossing the river" turned into a spineless shrimp, posing no real threat to the cities of Xiangfan.

Otherwise, Cao Rui would not have summoned Cao Xiu and Jia Kui, who were on their way to the Xiangfan battlefield, back to Luoyang to oversee the situation.

Jiang Ji also said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Grand Master of the Palace's suggestion is correct. We should take the lead in defeating Sun Quan and lifting the siege of Xiangfan."

“If Sun Quan truly desires to become king, he urgently needs a great victory. In his haste, he will make mistakes. Our Great Wei can take advantage of this and devise a plan to defeat him.”

Cao Rui nodded in agreement, then looked at Jia Kui and said earnestly, "Minister Jia, I entrust the Xiangfan battlefield to you and the Grand Marshal."

Jia Kui immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subject will certainly not fail in your mission."

Cao Rui pursed his lips and nodded, then turned to look at Liu Ye:

"After driving out the Wu invaders, should we press our advantage and pursue them to Jiangling for a test? Or should we cease hostilities with the Wu traitors and devise a plan to make the two traitors fight each other?"

Liu Ye said, "If we can press our advantage, I think we should. If we cannot capture Jiangling, we can send another envoy to sow discord between Sun Quan and the enemy." Cao Rui glanced at Jia Kui, and seeing that Jia Kui also nodded in agreement, he nodded as well.

Just then, he saw the Luo River had dried up, and immediately thought of the prophecy that "when the Luo River dries up, a sage will appear." He also thought of Liu Shan across the Wei River, and a nameless fire rose in his heart once again.

In fact, the Wei navy on the Han River had already trained to a considerable standard.

If Cao Zhen hadn't been executed, Zhang He hadn't suffered a major defeat, and Sima Yi hadn't been transferred to Guanzhong, Cao Rui would have had a very complete and highly successful battle plan for Jiangnan.

First, Cao Xiu was dispatched to Huainan with an army of 100,000 to march out of Ruxukou as a feint, directly attacking Jiangbei, and luring Zhu Ran of Jiangling and Lu Xun of Wuchang to come south along the Yangtze River to provide support.

Then, Hu Zhi, the governor of Jiangxia who had almost captured Sun Quan, was appointed as a general to enter the river and cut off the return route of Lu Xun, Zhu Ran and other generals.

Finally, Sima Yi led the navy to capture Jiangling, which was the true main force of Wei. Once Jiangling was captured, the demise of Sun Wu was imminent, and the unification of the world was in sight.

This was a strategy for unification that Sima Yi had devised for Cao Rui two years prior, and it was also the main reason why Cao Rui appointed Sima Yi as the military commander of Jing and Yu provinces.

In the original timeline, Grand Marshal Cao Xiu fell for Wu general Zhou Fang's feigned surrender at this time, resulting in the near annihilation of his 100,000-strong army and ruining Cao Rui and Sima Yi's original plan.

Cao Xiu wrote a letter to apologize, and Cao Rui bestowed upon him even greater honors.

Xiu was filled with shame and resentment, and died after developing boils on his back.

Now that Cao Xiu had not suffered such a defeat, the Emperor of Wei could only vent all his resentment and anger on Liu Shan.

These past few days, he had been drinking and taking poison, living a life of drunken stupor, and in his drunken stupor, he spoke to his eunuch:
Once the world is unified, Liu Bang's serpent-slaying sword must be used to cut off Liu Shan's head, which will be made into a wine vessel and stored in the armory along with Wang Mang's head, to be passed down for generations as a warning to usurpers.

Lost in thought for a long time, Cao Rui's mind was still filled with the image of him and Liu Shan facing each other across the Wei River, then firing an arrow from afar, and finally discarding his bow in the Wei River. At this moment, Liu Ye finally spoke, pulling the emperor back to reality from his reverie:
"Your Majesty, Sun Quan is a two-faced scoundrel."

"If we wait for him to be defeated and flee, and if our Great Wei cannot capture Jiangling, we only need to send an envoy to lure him into becoming king, and then send troops to Tongguan and Hedong to threaten Liu Shan, so that Liu Shan will not dare to divide his troops to return to Shu."

"Once Sun Quan sees that Liu Shan has no time to look south, he will surely send an envoy to discuss with Liu Shan the matter of becoming king."

"Next, our Great Wei will just have to watch the two dogs, Shu and Wu, fight it out."

Zhong Yao, Hua Xin, Yang Fu, and several other senior officials nodded in understanding upon hearing this.

Beside them, Chen Qun suddenly seemed to remember something and stepped forward, saying:
"Your Majesty, when Liu Bei died, we often wrote letters to Zhuge Liang to persuade him to win the hearts of the people. We had corresponded with him before."

"He also consulted Huang Gongheng (Huang Quan) and the surrendered generals from Shu who had also submitted to him."

"It is known that Zhuge Liang's governance and conduct were guided by the principle of 'being pragmatic and effective while abandoning empty fame'."

"If Sun Quan really uses the promise of becoming king as a condition to coerce the false Han dynasty."

"Zhuge Liang himself would not have cared about the so-called Han system that 'only those of the Liu family could be kings,' in order to maintain the alliance between the two countries and their strategic position."

Everyone was stunned when they heard this.

Yes, the true ruler of Shu was still Zhuge Liang. Although Liu Shan's influence increased due to his victory in the campaign, his opinions might not have any effect in the short term, and at least it would be difficult to shake Zhuge Liang's authority.

Xinpi said:

"I disagree with what Lord Chen said."

"As the Grand Master of the Palace just said, since Liu Shan's northern invasion, his military strategies and tactics have been quite similar to his father's, showing signs of being reckless and arrogant."

"As the saying goes, there can be no two suns in the sky, and no two rulers in a country."

"Since Liu Shan is so brave and stubborn, and has also won such a great victory by chance, he will surely be complacent and compete with Zhuge Liang in the court and seize power in the army."

"If Zhuge Liang had agreed to Sun Quan's claim to the throne, the Shu Kingdom would have been in uproar."

"Especially in the Shu Kingdom's military, veteran generals such as Zhao Yun and Wei Yan, who were Liu Bei's most outstanding generals, still led the charge."

"This time, Liu Shan has once again won a raid, and the generals will surely gradually support Liu Shan."

"If Zhuge Liang agrees to let Sun Quan become king, it will be the perfect opportunity for Liu Shan to seize back the power of the pseudo-Han regime."

"If that's the case, there's no need to wait for Liu Shan and Sun Quan to fight each other; a power struggle between Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang, the ruler and his minister, will probably break out first."

After Xin Pi finished speaking, all the emperor and his ministers present suddenly understood, and some even became slightly excited.

If Sun Quan were to declare himself king at this time, it would truly be a great service to the Great Wei and a blessing to the world. It would be a great fortune for the Great Wei and the world.

Cao Rui gradually came to his senses, and after thinking for a moment, nodded slightly:

"Just as the Commandant of the Guards said, Liu Shan's capture of Guanzhong was like drinking poison to quench his thirst, leading to his own destruction."

"If Liu Shan does not allow Sun Quan to declare himself king, then the alliance between the Sun and Liu families cannot continue."

"If Liu Shan agrees to Sun Quan's claim to the throne, then Liu Shan and the pseudo-Han dynasty will sever their ties with the world."

"If Liu Shan were to contend with Zhuge Liang over Sun Quan's claim to the throne in the court and in the military... well..."

Cao Rui suddenly curled the corners of his mouth and sneered.

The Great Wei has already sent troops to help Sun Quan threaten Liu Shan. If Sun Quan still doesn't dare to declare himself king, then this is the end of his life.

Furthermore, becoming king was not just Sun Quan's personal matter. So many powerful families in Jiangdong were supporting him, providing troops and supplies. Didn't Sun Quan need to fulfill his political obligations?
Sun Quan never acknowledged that Shu Han was part of the Han dynasty, not only for his own benefit.

This is also because all the insightful people, including the people of Eastern Wu, all agreed on the vague and ethereal concept of "Mandate of Heaven".

Cao Wei usurped the Mandate of Heaven; they were traitors.

The Shu Han state, which falsely claimed to be under Heaven's mandate, was also a traitor.

The true destiny was broken with Liu Xie.

If Cao Cao, Cao Rui, Liu Bei, and Liu Shan could claim to have continued the Mandate of Heaven, then why couldn't Sun Quan do the same?

Those who supported Sun Quan, let alone wanting him to become king, wished that he would immediately defeat Cao Wei, proclaim to the world that the Mandate of Heaven was with Wu, and then immediately offer sacrifices to Heaven and declare himself emperor!
But now... Liu Shan has suddenly recaptured Guanzhong and returned to the old capital, showing a momentum reminiscent of Emperor Gaozu of Han's "pacification of the Three Qin regions".

Whose destiny is it?

It seems that destiny is in Shu!

Therefore, the civil and military officials of Jiangdong would certainly agree with Sun Quan's decision to discuss the matter of becoming king with Liu Shan at this time, to plan for two kings to coexist, to establish a republic with Zhou and Zhao, and to jointly attack the usurper Wei and regain the Mandate of Heaven.

In this way, the legitimacy of Shu Han was weakened, while the legitimacy of the Jiangdong regime was established.

Most importantly, we can realize a political benefit from Sun Quan!
People invest in you because they want you to become a high-ranking official.

You started out as the Governor of Yangzhou, a figure who violated the Three Mutual Laws of the Han Dynasty.

Later, he exchanged titles with Liu Bei and became the governor of Xu Province, which finally made him legal.

As a result, after Liu Bei became emperor, you actually became the King of Wu of Wei, becoming a laughing stock for the world.

Afterwards, he made peace with Liu Bei and relinquished his title as King of Wu of Wei, asking everyone to call him Supreme.

What exactly is the Supreme Being?
Is the official under the emperor serious?
Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the world? We who contribute troops and provisions are too embarrassed to tell our ancestors during sacrifices that we have become officials under the supreme ruler.

Supreme... Heh!

(End of this chapter)