Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 161 A tiny little country, a barbarian in the southwest!

"Sima Zhao?" Liu Shan frowned.

Meanwhile, Guan Xing, Zhao Guang, and other generals around Liu Shan all showed displeasure.

General Zhao Tong, holding the Shangfang sword, rebuked:
“What right does a mere child have to meet the Emperor of the Han Dynasty?”

"In my opinion, it is clearly the stubborn and unyielding Emperor Cao Rui who wants to use this son to humiliate our great Han Dynasty! Just kick him out!"

Zhao Tong's words were not without reason. If Cao Rui did not send the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers with imperial credentials, what qualifications did others have to meet the ruler of a country?
Not to mention, Cao Wei was the defeated side.

As a result, Mi Wei, Guan Xing, Zhao Guang, and Feng Hu and others beside Zong Yu showed even deeper resentment on their faces.

Liu Shan, however, discerned something different and suddenly wanted to chuckle, but due to certain historical reasons, it was inconvenient for him to laugh:

"Besides deceiving oneself by saying 'I will not send an envoy to a small country,' there is probably another reason."

When Cao Cao died, the late emperor, upon hearing the news, sent his military advisor Han Ran with a letter of condolence and gifts.

"Cao Pi ordered Pei Qian, the self-proclaimed governor of Jingzhou, to kill Ran, thus ending his mission."

"Now that Cao Rui has sent Sima Zhao, in my opinion, he is merely judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person. He thinks that sending the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers would risk being beheaded by our Han Dynasty, so he sent Sima Yi's son instead."

"If this is used to send my Han people to my side, and if it can provoke me into a fit of anger and kill Sima Yi's second son, then it will truly be in accordance with Cao Rui's wishes."

When the emperor mentioned this, Zhao Tong, Guan Xing, Feng Hu, and the others, who had just been somewhat angry, suddenly understood, and their displeasure subsided.

Thinking about it this way, Cao Rui's plan was quite clever.

Sima Yi had just suffered a crushing defeat and lost Guanzhong. Now, fearing that the Han Dynasty might execute his envoy, he sent his son on a perilous mission to the Han Dynasty in an attempt to salvage some of Sima Yi's prestige.

If Sima Yi's second son were truly executed, Tongguan would likely become even more difficult to capture. Among Sima Yi's protégés, former officials, and generals, there are always those who believe in the saying "a subject dies for his lord's disgrace."

Sima Yi was truly willing to sacrifice.

Suddenly I found it a little funny.

If the army of the Han Dynasty were to raise the banner of righteousness, and if they were as petty and narrow-minded as Cao Pi, killing unarmed envoys, wouldn't they damage their own prestige and become a laughingstock like Cao Pi?
Zong Yu shook his head and chuckled, then said slowly:
"There is a bird in the south called the phoenix, which will not perch except on the parasol tree, will not eat except for the fruit of the lotus, and will not drink except from the sweet spring."

"The owl caught a rotten rat and saw a phoenix chick passing by. It looked up at it and said: 'Hah!'"

"Now the false Wei regime acts with arrogance and cunning. They regard rotten rats as delicacies and assume that everyone in the world loves rotten rats. How laughable!"

Feng Hu, however, had eyes filled with fury:
“The Nanyue people killed the Han envoy and slaughtered them, dividing the area into nine prefectures.”

"The King of Wan killed the Han envoy and his head was displayed at the northern gate."

“The Korean envoy who killed the Han envoy should be executed immediately.”

"The Wei rebels killed our Han envoy; their country deserves to be destroyed!"

Even Feng Hu knew that killing a mere envoy would not make him appear powerful, but would only make him a laughingstock. The equivalent of killing an envoy was never killing the envoy, but destroying the country.

As long as the Han Dynasty still exists, and the Han people generally believe in the Gongyang School's theory of great revenge, Han officials and generals have always had this ambition.

When we have sufficient strength, those who offend our mighty Han will be punished no matter how far away they are.

Even if one lacks the strength, a feud that spans generations can still be avenged.

Liu Shan praised with a smile:

"The destruction of Wei is only a matter of time. Shan Ju is ambitious and determined. Once the world is unified and the four seas are at one, he will become my Fu Jiezi and Ban Zhongsheng."

Feng Hu cupped his hands in greeting: "As long as I live to see that day, I will surely ride into battle and take up my spear to conquer thousands of miles of territory for Your Majesty and subjugate the Western Regions!"

Liu Shan smiled and nodded, then looked at Zong Yu:

"Cao Zhen and Zhang He are both dead, and Guanzhong is completely lost."

"Cao Rui has lost both men and territory, causing shockwaves throughout Guandong. Given the unfavorable situation, there is no room for negotiation or compromise between him and our Han Dynasty; only war is possible."

"He sent an envoy, and even sent Sima Zhao, who had no status or position. He was obviously trying to deceive himself by sending an envoy from a weak country, and wanted to humiliate and provoke me."

"But since an envoy has been sent, it can't really be just to provoke me into killing Sima Zhao, can it? Sima Zhao must have a real mission."

"If I'm not mistaken, it's highly likely that they want to retrieve the bodies of Cao Zhen, Zhang He, and others from my Great Han."

"Then we'll exchange them for surrendered captives such as Guanqiu Jian, Xiahou Ru, and Lu Pan."

"In fact, I do not want to leave the corpses of Cao Zhen and Zhang He in Guanzhong, and I also want to bring back Guan Yu's loyal head and heroic body from the pseudo-Wei, in exchange for some of the Han Dynasty's ministers."

"In that case, let's discuss this with Sima Zhao at the Huayin meeting."

Mi Wei, Zhao Guang, and the other generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

Generally speaking, the return of prisoners of war is only carried out after a ceasefire and peace talks. For example, Sun Quan received the seal of "King of Wu of Great Wei" and then sent Yu Jin and others back to Cao Wei.

The Han Dynasty and the puppet Wei Dynasty are still at war, and it is clear that the Han and the traitors cannot coexist. There is absolutely no possibility of making peace with Cao Wei. Why would Cao Rui take the initiative to retrieve the corpses and exchange prisoners at this time?

But the Emperor said, "Since he has come with imperial credentials, I will appoint him as the General Who Protects the Qiang with Imperial Credentials to discuss this matter with him. What do you think?"

Seeing that the emperor had no intention of condescending to meet a mere child from an enemy state, Zhao Tong, who was holding the imperial staff to protect the Qiang, immediately agreed to the matter.

And since no one else objected, Liu Shan then addressed Zhao Tong:
"Let him tell Cao Rui that if Cao Rui intends to retrieve the bodies of Cao Zhen and Zhang He in exchange for the surrendered generals Guanqiu Jian and Xiahou Ru, he can do so."

"I then sent envoys out of the pass to Mangshan to welcome Guan Yu's loyal head and Dangyang to welcome Guan Yu's heroic body, along with Huang Gongheng, the former General Who Guards the North of the Han Dynasty, and the generals and officers who accompanied the General Who Guards the North to Wei."

"Apart from the former General Who Guards the North and his eldest son, other generals and officers who covet the power of the puppet Wei and are unwilling to return to Han will not be forced to do so."

"Of course, in contrast, Wei generals who have already submitted to the Han Dynasty, if they do not wish to return to Cao Wei to be executed, or do not wish to be humiliated to death by the false emperor like Yu Jin, I will certainly protect them."

Huang Quan, as the leader of the scholars in Yizhou, was appointed as the General Who Guards the North by the discerning Emperor Zhaolie, and led an army in Jiangbei. He was both famous and capable.

Guanqiu Jian and Xiahou Ru are not useful to the Han Dynasty, and they are of little use. It is certainly worthwhile to exchange them for Huang Quan.

Even though Huang Quan's heart was no longer with the Han, Liu Shan still wanted to take this opportunity to propose welcoming Huang Quan back to the Han, because of Liu Bei's words, "I have failed Huang Quan, but he will not fail me."

When Zhaolie said that, he truly felt guilty.

Since he achieved his goals by standing on Zhaolie's shoulders, he has the responsibility and obligation to make up for Zhaolie's regrets.

As for the generals and officers who followed Huang Quan to Wei, it is said that forty or fifty of them were enfeoffed as marquises. So many years have passed, and many of them have long since pledged their allegiance to Wei. But it doesn't matter anymore; whether they return or not is up to them.

Just then, on the outermost edge of the crowd, Huang Chong, the newly appointed Tiger Cavalry Supervisor who had not been very noticeable until now, had a complicated expression and his eyes gradually reddened.

Ever since his father surrendered to Wei, the Huang family has suffered much criticism and cold treatment in Shu.

He also felt guilty towards the country and refused to accept the various rewards bestowed by the emperor. He also rarely interacted with the sons of court officials, and would simply attend court to listen to matters and then close his door after returning home.

On the day the emperor personally led the expedition, he was on leave. However, the emperor made a special trip to the old Zhenbei Prefecture to select him to accompany the expedition. Afterwards, he was treated with great favor. Although he did not achieve any great merit, he was still promoted to the position of Tiger Cavalry Supervisor to serve by the emperor's side.

This debt of gratitude is difficult to repay.

Now they're proposing to bring his father back to China.

How can we repay such great kindness and favor?

After a moment of silence, Liu Shan said to Zhao Tong:
"Hunyi, I... also have my second elder sister. She was separated from the late emperor at Changbanpo. I want to bring them back to the Han Dynasty."

Upon hearing the emperor's words, the generals and ministers were either astonished or solemn.

The two daughters of Zhaolie were captured by Cao Cao's army and were said to have been given to Cao Chun by Cao Cao.

This matter was too humiliating, and it was a taboo subject in the Han Dynasty, almost never mentioned, and many of the younger generation had never even heard of it. For example, Zhao Tong, Zhao Guang, Huang Chong, and Feng Hu, who were present, had never heard their fathers mention it.

Only Miwei was five or six years old at the time, and because his aunt had passed away and his two older cousins ​​had been kidnapped, he knew about the matter.

But after so many years, he had almost forgotten about his two older cousins.

Before long, the generals received their orders and dispersed, resting in the official residence.

Liu Shan also prepared to return to the hall to bathe and rest. After several days of riding around on horseback, he was indeed quite tired.

However, before Zhao Guang and his men could clear out the rooms behind the hall, Mi Wei returned, his iron hooves clattering on the blue bricks with a slightly dull thud.

"Buwu, what is it?" Liu Shan took a damp handkerchief from Long Xiangji Bachi, wiped his face, and stood up to ask.

Mi Wei looked somewhat conflicted: "Your Majesty... I was just thinking, what should we do if the two princesses are unwilling to return to their country?"

"Why are you unwilling to return to your country?" Liu Shan didn't say it too directly, but his puzzled expression was enough to convey his meaning.

Zhaolie's two daughters were abducted by Cao Chun, and most likely became his concubines. After Cao Chun's death, they probably didn't have a good life, and may have even passed away.

Just as Huo Qubing rescued Huo Guang, if the two older sisters still had offspring, Liu Shan, as their uncle, should have taken them back to the Han Dynasty. Instead of raising them in the palace, they could have been sent to be raised by the brothers Liu Yong and Liu Li.

Mi Wei hesitated, then said, "I am worried... Will Cao Wei detain the eldest princess's offspring as a concubine? If so..."

Liu Shan shook his head: "Bu Wu is overthinking it. If we really reach an agreement with the pseudo-Wei, I will send envoys to welcome the two princesses and my nephew. Moreover, the initiative for the exchange lies with Han, not Cao. If we really have to abandon the exchange of prisoners because of such a despicable thing, Cao Rui will truly become a laughing stock in the world. How will he face the consequences?"

...

The next day.

Posthouse.

Sima Zhao, who was on his way with imperial credentials, suddenly received news that an envoy from the Han Dynasty would be meeting with him.

Although he came in anger over his elder brother's death, he was at a loss for what to do.

We can only seek out another messenger at the post station:
“Huang Sanqi, the general of Huayin Town of Shu settled us here yesterday. Wasn’t he going to deliver a message to their emperor?”

"Why didn't you lead us into Chang'an? Instead, you sent an envoy with imperial credentials to see us?"

The Huang-surnamed cavalryman frowned slightly and said, "The Great Wei sent an envoy with imperial credentials to discuss matters here, and the Shu Kingdom responded with its own envoy with imperial credentials. This is indeed reasonable, and the envoy need not overthink it."

Sima Zhao felt indignant, but seeing that the older Gentleman Attendant seemed unconcerned, he said nothing more.

Before long, the two arrived at Huayin Official Temple under the arrangement of the Han military officer.

Sima Zhao entered the main hall of the official temple with his imperial insignia, where he saw a young general in silver helmet and armor, with a sword at his waist, sitting in the center of the hall.

The sharp, angular features of his face were accentuated by the armor, making him appear even more imposing. His sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards towards his temples, and his eyes were as cold and sharp as iron.

The left side of the official residence was already filled with Han generals.

The two seats furthest inside belong to two equally outstanding-looking young players, but one younger.

The leader was also clad in silver armor and helmet, but when Sima Zhao looked at him, he saw that the man was looking at him with a rather casual gaze.

For some reason, Sima Zhao suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were a mouse instinctively uncomfortable in front of a cat.

He instantly shifted his gaze to the second seat and noticed that the person there bore a striking resemblance to the young general in the center.

Sima Zhao didn't think too much about it. He quickly scanned the main hall, finally looking at the seats reserved for the two of them on the right. After a moment, anger rose in his heart, but he forced a smile and said:

“Before I came here, someone told me that Shu was just a tiny country, a barbarian state in the southwest. I thought it was true that it was a tiny country, but I was not necessarily a barbarian state.”

"Having met you here today, I realize that this tiny little country is indeed real, and this barbarian tribe in the southwest is also real."

Sima Zhao finished speaking and chuckled.

He thought these words would anger the young military officers in the hall.

However, the generals in the hall merely frowned slightly and watched him silently.

However, it must be said that the Han generals in the hall today are all only in their twenties, so it doesn't seem too abrupt that Sima Zhao is undergoing his coming-of-age ceremony ahead of time.

But Sima Zhao gave a cold snort:
“I have come here today bearing the imperial seal of the Great Wei, which is as if the Emperor of the Great Wei had come in person. You have tried to intimidate my envoy of the Great Wei with your petty tricks of showing off your power.”

"Isn't it only the weak who need to show off their power in front of the great powers and make themselves look strong?"

"And you just said that you would have your envoys, who are holding imperial credentials, negotiate with our envoys from the Great Wei."

"Those who hold the imperial staff do not receive the staff, and those who propose to send envoys do not receive the envoys. They want to use this petty trick to elevate our Great Wei by a level. What are they if not barbarians?!"

"A tiny, insignificant country, a barbarian tribe in the southwest, truly a laughingstock to those of great wisdom!"

Sima Zhao seemed to have gotten into the zone, displaying a passionate and enthusiastic demeanor.

Sitting in the center of the hall, Zhao Tong, clad in full armor, suddenly smiled, stood up abruptly, and, with his sword in hand, walked forward to greet Sima Zhao.

Upon reaching Sima Zhao, he drew his sword from his waist with a clang and held it horizontally in front of Sima Zhao's chest.

Sima Zhao narrowed his eyes and chuckled:
"Is this how the Shu Kingdom treats its guests? If you want to kill me, the envoy of the Great Wei, then go ahead and do it."

"I was prepared to die for the Great Wei before I came here. This will only prove that what I said is true. You Shu people are indeed barbarians and should be laughed at by the world."

"To die for the Great Wei? To become a laughingstock for the world?"

Zhao Tong couldn't help but smile suddenly.

"When Cao Cao died, the late Emperor of our Han Dynasty sent envoys to offer condolences and pay respects."

"I never imagined that Cao Pi would be so petty and narrow-minded as to kill my Han envoy. If that's the case, then your pseudo-Wei is exactly the barbarian you speak of."

Sima Zhao paused, his eyes somewhat confused.

He didn't know about this.

Zhao Tong suddenly retracted the Shangfang sword that was held across Sima Zhao's chest, then held it upright with the tip pointing to the sky, stroking the sword with his finger and saying:

“I am a charioteer of the Han Dynasty, protecting the Qiang people. This is the Shangfang sword bestowed upon me by the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, and it is my chariot token.”

The Imperial Horse-Slaying Sword?
Sima Zhao's expression froze for a moment, clearly indicating that he had also heard of this sword.

Upon closer inspection, the sword indeed bears inscriptions, confirming it to be the Shangfang Horse-Slaying Sword.

Slay the horse...slay the horse?
But the Han envoy snorted coldly and rebuked:

"And who is your identity? You are neither one of the Three Dukes nor one of the Nine Ministers. Cao Rui actually sent you, a lowly envoy, to see the Emperor of my Great Han. Who is the barbarian here?"

Zhao Tong sheathed his sword and pointed to the seat to his right: "If you have something to discuss, please take your seat. If you have nothing to discuss, you may leave."

Sima Zhao was taken aback.

A moment later, he looked at the Attendant Gentleman of the Palace beside him and saw that the Attendant Gentleman of the Palace had just moved his gaze back from the person at the upper left of the hall and his expression was slightly strange.

"Angel, please take a seat," said Huang Yong, the Gentleman-in-Attendance.

After saying this, he walked to the right seat in the court.

(End of this chapter)