Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 163 The son is unscrupulous and inconsistent in virtue.

After Sima Zhao left, Zhao Tong, the Protector of the Qiang, stepped down from his seat, bowed to the emperor, and solemnly apologized.
"Your Majesty, I am foolish and incompetent, unable to emulate Su Qin and Zhang Yi in using eloquent rhetoric to defeat the enemy at the banquet. I humbly beg Your Majesty to punish me."

"The man who, without ever leaving the confines of a wine vessel, could resolve disputes a thousand miles away—this is the essence of Yanzi."

The phrase "折冲樽俎" likely refers to negotiating amidst feasting and drinking, while simultaneously achieving victory from afar.

Liu Shan stood up from his seat and gently patted the dust off Zhao Tong's armor.
"The prestige of the nation lies solely in the edge of the sword. Hunyi's words just now, 'This is the Guanzhong Plain of the Great Han,' have already surpassed countless words."

"And Hunyi is not a Confucian scholar or debater, so why should he imitate Su Qin and Zhang Yi and engage in verbal debate with Sima Zhao?"
"As for Sima Zhao, he was nothing but a young boy who harbored resentment and anger. His words were mostly vulgar and uncouth, with hardly anything worthy of being spoken in a refined manner. He revealed a petty and narrow-minded nature."

"If I had known earlier that the son of the false Wei general was so incompetent, why would I have bothered to argue with him as a mere whip-wielding horseman? Sending a whip-wielding servant would have sufficed."

After saying this, Liu Shan smiled.

Upon hearing the emperor's words, Zhao Guang, Guan Xing, Mi Wei, and the others grinned.

The loss of soldiers and generals, and the loss of territory are real. They also did not show any great power demeanor in the negotiations. If Sima Zhao were to actually go to Chang'an to meet with Fei Yi, Chen Zhen and others to discuss the matter, he would probably be left speechless by their arguments.

But this is destined not to happen.

To argue with a mere child, even if you win, is not worth mentioning.

Guan Xing presented the silk scroll containing the list of Cao Wei prisoners to the emperor:
"Your Majesty, I believe that Sima Zhao's purpose in coming here to exchange for the heads of Cao Zhen and Zhang He, as well as a group of surrendered captives, is secondary."

"Xu Miao's son-in-law, Wang Jun, is probably the real purpose behind the pseudo-Wei sending Sima Zhao here. And sending Sima Zhao here is probably also meant to make us underestimate this prisoner exchange proposal."

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

They also looked at the list, but they all focused their attention on Cao Rui's confidants, aristocratic family members, and members of the Cao Wei imperial family, such as Guanqiu Jian, Xiahou Ru, Wang Guan, and Linghu Yu.

They forgot that Wang Jun, this minor official in Hedong, was actually the son-in-law of Xu Miao, the governor of Liangzhou.

Liu Shan nodded:

"That's what I think too."

"Xu Miao served as an official in the puppet state of Wei for more than 30 years, holding positions in the three ministries of the Ministry of Personnel. He was known for his integrity and incorruptibility and was hailed as a capable minister."

"Cao Rui entrusted him with the responsibility of protecting the Qiang people and governing Liangzhou, which shows how much he trusted him."

"Now he is isolated in the far west of the world, having completely lost contact with Cao Wei in the east, and is also being eyed by the mighty forces of our Han Dynasty."

"The reason why the pseudo-Wei regime reclaimed Wang Jun was probably not because Wang Jun was particularly capable, but rather to demonstrate its benevolence and strengthen Xu Miao's resolve to defend Liang against the Han."

After a moment of contemplation, the generals all understood.

After all, the Han and Wei dynasties were irreconcilable, and there were two typical examples of Pang De and Yu Jin. Being captured instead of fighting for one's country was, to some extent, equivalent to treason.

Cao Rui could have used this as an excuse to let these surrendered Wei generals fend for themselves in the Han Dynasty.

Since Xu Miao was a man of high moral character, even if he knew that Wang Jun had been captured by the Han Dynasty, how could he allow himself to lose his integrity and bring shame and suffering to the entire Xu family because of a son-in-law?
In other words, even if Cao Rui did nothing, Xu Miao would still defend Liangzhou for the puppet Wei regime simply to make himself appear more virtuous.

Cao Rui, however, "condescended" to come; how could he not appear benevolent? If Xu Miao knew of this, how could he not feel something?
"Your Majesty, what should be done with Wang Jun?" Mi Wei asked.

Liu Shan thought for a moment, then slowly said:
"It is certainly possible to exchange the prisoners and the corpses of Cao Zhen, Zhang He and other Wei generals."

"But it requires one general for one general, one colonel for one colonel, one commander for one commander, and so on..."

"As for Wang Jun, if he is willing to return to Wei, he can go back. He is just a minor official in Hedong. I would not detain him, nor do I expect to force Xu Miao to surrender by detaining him. It is neither possible nor the right way, and I will not do it."

"But Sima Zhao is not qualified to discuss this matter with our Han Dynasty. Discussing national affairs with a mere child would damage the dignity of our Han Dynasty."

"Let Sima Zhao go back and tell Cao Rui that if he is sincere in coming to talk, then send one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers into the pass. Sima Yi, the General of Chariots and Cavalry, is also acceptable. Our Han Dynasty acts with integrity and uprightness, and will not do what Cao Pi did by beheading envoys."

After saying this, Liu Shan shook his head and chuckled.

No matter how fiercely Cao Rui proclaimed it, he could not conceal the fact that he had sent envoys with many political objectives.

Sending Sima Zhao was purely a gamble, as the Han Dynasty was eager to welcome back Guan Yu and Huang Quan and other generals, and thus readily agreed to the task.

This mentality... it seems that Cao Rui really hasn't learned his lesson from his defeats and still thinks he can consistently look down on the Han Dynasty from a superior position.

Seeing that the emperor and his generals were about to leave, Huang Chong, who was standing on the periphery, suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty... the person sitting below Sima Zhao just now seems to be my elder brother, Huang Borong."

When Huang Quan and Huang Yong went to Beitou, Huang Chong was only thirteen or fourteen years old, still a young boy. After so many years, Huang Yong had become thin and looked different, so Huang Chong was not entirely sure.

"Zhong Shang's elder brother?" Liu Shan asked in surprise.

Mi Wei glanced at Huang Chong and said to the Emperor:

"Your Majesty, I also felt that the person below Sima Zhao just now looked somewhat familiar, but I didn't think of Bo Rong at the time. After Zhong Shang mentioned it, it seems that it really is Bo Rong."

Liu Shan immediately realized.

No wonder he felt that the man's expression was a bit strange after he took his seat, and he didn't say much during the meal. He must have recognized Huang Chongqi's brother.

Guan Xing had some doubts:

"Cao Rui sent Zhong Shang's elder brother to come with Sima Zhao, but Zhong Shang's elder brother was almost silent during the banquet. What is the purpose of his visit?"

After saying this, Guan Xing suddenly raised an eyebrow, thinking of the most likely possibility:

"Your Majesty... could it be that Cao Rui foresaw Sima Zhao's failure and thus sent Zhong Shang's brother? Perhaps Zhong Shang's brother is the true envoy of Cao Wei?"

"What?" Huang Chong was stunned.

He then finally realized that his elder brother, who had always taught him to write in the Chengdu mansion, was indeed, like his father, already holding a high-ranking official position in Cao Wei and working for Cao Wei.

But... why did Cao Rui send him?
Moreover…why did Cao Rui dare to send him?
Has he truly become a loyal dog of Cao Wei?!
Liu Shan pondered for a moment, then looked at Huang Chong:
"Zhongshang, go and tell Sima Zhao in person what I just said, that Sima Zhao is not worthy of discussing matters with the Han Dynasty."

Huang Chong said "Yes" and left, accepting the order.

Liu Shan watched Huang Chong's departing figure and sighed softly.

Cao Rui was a really interesting person. After losing the battle, he took the initiative to ask for an exchange of prisoners' corpses, and then he took the opportunity to disgust himself.

Once Huang Chong had completely disappeared from sight, Guan Xing walked to the emperor's side and said:

"Your Majesty, Cao Rui sent Huang Zhenbei's eldest son here. It seems he knows we will definitely exchange Huang Zhenbei for his country. He wants to use this opportunity to detain Huang Zhenbei's eldest son in Wei, so that Huang Zhenbei cannot wholeheartedly serve the Han Dynasty."

Liu Shan nodded.

Mi Wei, Zhao Tong, and the others looked at each other, somewhat puzzled.

"Your Majesty? What does this mean?" Mi Wei asked.

Liu Shan said, "Before Sima Zhao set off, Cao Rui had probably already bestowed generous rewards and titles upon Huang Zhenbei and his son. Huang Yong's arrival is a gesture of gratitude for Cao Rui's generous rewards. I know Huang Zhenbei's character; he is loyal to the emperor even when he receives his salary. His son, Huang Yong, is likely the same. Having already surrendered to Wei and now serving as a Wei official in Han, I'm afraid he will never return to Han."

Mi Wei, Zhao Tong, Zhao Guang, and the other young generals looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

...

Huayin Post Station.

Sima Zhao and Huang Yong returned to their lodgings under the protection of Han soldiers.

Outside the building, dozens of Han soldiers guarded the area, preventing unauthorized personnel from approaching.

It was arranged by Zong Yu.

They are truly protecting it.

Duke Ling of Jin repeatedly attempted to assassinate the powerful minister Zhao Dun, who then fled the capital of Jin. Not long after, Zhao Dun's cousin, Zhao Chuan, killed Duke Ling of Jin in Taoyuan.

The historian Dong Hu then recorded: Zhao Dun murdered his lord.

For example, when Cheng Ji killed Cao Mao, no one knew whether it was Sima Zhao who gave the order.

But history will record it, and the world will acknowledge that it was you, Sima Zhao, who did it.

Those who can be held responsible for political events are always the leaders of factions, or rather, the biggest beneficiaries.

Fei Yi was assassinated, and both contemporaries and later generations have speculated that Jiang Wei ordered his assassination, leading to numerous conspiracy theories.

If Sima Zhao arrives with imperial credentials, killing him outright would be fine. But if he were to die unexpectedly—either by assassination, falling from his horse, or drowning—most people would assume that the Emperor or Chancellor of the Han Dynasty secretly sent someone to kill such a young and inexperienced man as Sima Zhao.

As for who benefits... Sima Zhao, such a minor figure, seems unlikely to be on that level, but as long as the waters are stirred up, all sorts of ideas will emerge.

For example, the beneficiary might be Cao Rui, or even Sima Yi, because if Sima Zhao dies, Sima Yi will be completely tied to Cao Wei's war machine. But could it be that your Shu Han wants to use this to sow discord between Sima Yi and Cao Rui?
For example, could it be that the emperor of Shu Han and his prime minister were scheming against each other and defaming each other?
Huayin has just been recovered. Previously, Sima Yi had sent people to assassinate Zhao Yun and Wei Yan here. No one knows whether there are still people with ulterior motives hiding in the city.

Zong Yu did not want to cause any further trouble and could not allow Sima Zhao to die in Huayin City.

Sima Zhao didn't understand these intricacies and assumed that the Han soldiers were there to monitor him. He also recalled the earlier argument with the Han generals in the temple hall, and felt a surge of disgust and anger.

After returning to his lodgings, he asked Huang Yong, "Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, what exactly is the purpose of His Majesty sending you here with me?"

Why were you almost completely silent when you were fighting the Shu bandits just now?

"You have served Shu for only three or four years, but have served Wei for more than seven years. Wei has treated you very well. Do you still have your heart set on Shu?"
If I remember correctly.

"Your father, Huang Yizhou, was loyal to Liu Zhang when he was a subject of Liu Zhang and was very resistant to Liu Bei. Only after Liu Zhang surrendered did he go to Liu Bei to surrender."

"Afterwards, he defeated Du Hu and Pu Hu of my Great Wei, killed Marquis Min of my Great Wei (Xiahou Yuan), and occupied Hanzhong of my Great Wei. All of this was originally planned by your father, Huang Yizhou. You can be said to be loyal to Liu Bei."

"Since Huang Yizhou led his people to surrender to the north, neither the late emperor nor the current emperor has pursued the matter of Huang Yizhou assisting Liu Bei in killing our Wei people and seizing our Wei territory."

"He said that he was merely eating the emperor's food and serving the emperor loyally. When they went out, they rode in the same carriage and sat at the same table. He was given high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, and countless houses and fields. No one in the world thought that Huang Yizhou was an unfaithful minister."

"Is such great favor and treatment still inferior to that of Liu Zhang and Liu Bei? Is it still insufficient to make the Attendant Gentleman of the Palace loyal and compliant to the Great Wei?"

Huang Yong remained silent for a few moments, then gently shook his head:
"The angel just now wanted to insult Shu with words."

“However, Yong heard that only virtue can be used to humiliate people, but not to insult them.”

"If all the Shu generals in the hall are gentlemen, then the Shu generals will not be ashamed of the words of the angel."

"If the Shu generals in the hall are all petty men, and they further insult the angel with their words, then the insult lies here, not there."

"As for the angel's words that he is concerned about the Shu Kingdom... I have already left my country and hometown, which is like being a traitor. Moreover, I have received great favors from the late Emperor of Wei and His Majesty the present. How can I be inconsistent with his virtues and still be concerned about the Shu Kingdom?"
"His Majesty knows that I, Huang, have a past relationship with Shu, yet he still sent me to accompany the imperial envoy into Guanzhong. He trusts me so much. If I, Huang, were to fail him, how could I possibly have the face to live between heaven and earth?"

"But our Great Wei is situated in the vast land of the Nine Provinces and holds the weight of the Nine Tripods. The envoy did not subdue Shu with virtue, but instead argued with words. This not only loses the dignity of a superior nation, but also resembles the squabbles of commoners in the marketplace."

"But... this is because my angel brother, Sima Sanqi, sacrificed his life for the country, and this is the result of my grief and indignation."

"Huang admired Sima Sanqi for dying for his country and pitied the grief and indignation of the envoy for losing his brother, so he had no choice but to keep silent."

"Moreover... in my opinion, the Shu Kingdom will never agree to the envoy's request to exchange the surrendered generals of both sides this time."

Sima Zhao was somewhat dazed. He had just felt depressed and ashamed because Huang Yong said that he was "competing in the marketplace," and he was immediately puzzled and angry because Huang Chong said that Shu would not agree to exchange prisoners.

How can Huang Sanqi prove this?

Huang Yong pondered for a moment, but remained silent.

Just then, the sound of hooves suddenly came from outside the post station, followed by the clanging of Han soldiers' footsteps.

Sima Zhao looked out the window.

But the person in the lead was a junior officer who had been sitting at the end of the main hall of the government office, and... he seemed to have ill intentions.

"What are the Shu bandits planning to do?" Sima Zhao asked, somewhat surprised and uncertain.

A moment later, Huang Chong, led by the post station officials and military officers, arrived in front of Sima Zhao's residence.

Sima Zhao pushed open the door, about to ask a question.

Huang Chong then addressed Sima Zhao with a solemn expression:
"The Emperor of our Great Han Dynasty has decreed that Sima Yi's second son is young and disrespectful. Although he has come with imperial credentials, he is not qualified to discuss state affairs with our Great Han Dynasty."

"Go back and tell Cao Rui that if he is truly willing to discuss matters with our Han Dynasty, he should send one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers with imperial credentials to enter the pass."

"Sima Yi is welcome to come. Our Han Dynasty is upright and honorable. Even if we kill, it will only be on the battlefield. You have no need to be afraid."

Sima Zhao had just been subtly reprimanded by Huang Yong when the Han general arrived and launched a direct attack, accusing him of being young and rude, and how could he possibly tolerate such treatment?
He blushed instantly and almost fainted.

However, he suddenly froze, and asked in shock, "What did you say? An imperial edict?"

Is the false emperor Liu Shan here?!
Just as Sima Zhao was in shock, Huang Yong, who was standing beside him, suddenly took out an imperial edict from his bosom and handed it to him.

Sima Zhao looked at the bright yellow silk scroll and, in a daze of astonishment, took it.

Before he could even look at the document, Huang Yong pulled out a brocade pouch from his waist, casually untied the official seal inside, and handed it to the Han general who had come to announce his arrival.

"I am Huang Yong, the Grand Herald of Wei, and I have come bearing the imperial insignia of the Wei emperor. Shouldn't I be qualified to discuss with the Han dynasty the exchange of surrendered generals?"

"Grand Herald?" Sima Zhao, holding the imperial edict, was completely dumbfounded.

Was Huang Yong not a Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate?

How did he suddenly transform into the Grand Herald, one of the Nine Ministers?
(End of this chapter)