Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 192 Deep Hatred
Once Cao Wei defeats Wu Hou and their army approaches Jingzhou, our Han Dynasty will surely be able to advance smoothly and easily.

If so, then the land south of the Yangtze River may not belong to Lord Wu. I hope Lord Wu will think this through carefully.

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan finally realized that Deng Zhi must have received instructions from Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang, rather than Zhao Qi being someone who knew the emperor and the prime minister's thoughts.

After all, although his words were vehement, it seemed that if Wu took Xicheng before Han, Shu Han would break the Wu-Shu alliance.

But he did not come on behalf of Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang, carrying the imperial tally and communicating with official documents.

In other words, Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang were leaving room for a potential alliance between Wu and Shu at this time.

Deng Zhi arrived alone and spoke in the tone and manner of Zhao Yun, the chariot cavalry of Shu Han, which was nothing more than an attempt to intimidate Wu.

Once the Great Wu captures Xicheng and the world changes, then Deng Zhi's harsh words today may no longer hold true.

As for what constitutes a change in the world?

For example, the Great Wu defeated Cao Wei at Xiangfan.

To put it another way, Wu cut off Cao Wei's reinforcements north of the Han River, successfully preventing them from rescuing the three eastern commanderies, while Shu Han was powerless against Wu, which had already taken the three eastern commanderies first.

The alliance between Wu and Shu was never very strong, and they were wary of each other.

Given the circumstances, maintaining this false alliance and uniting against Wei would be far better than directly breaking ties with Wu and pushing Wu towards Cao Wei.
Sun Quan was no longer able to think rationally.

Or perhaps, he is now thinking about something more important than West City.

--proclaim oneself emperor.

Ever since he confessed his intention to become emperor to Lu Xun, Xu Sheng and others, he has been thinking about it day and night.

I only want to take Xicheng from Cao Wei, and you Shu Han are going to break the alliance.

He also said that we should "go with the flow and see what is possible, for the south of the Yangtze River does not belong to the country."

If I told you I wanted to become emperor, wouldn't you just send an army to attack me?

Since that's the case, I'll use this western city to test where your bottom line really lies.

During the banquet, the civil and military officials of Wu first launched a verbal attack on Deng Zhi, their spittle flying everywhere.

However, seeing that the Great Wu Supreme had been silent and pondering for a long time, seemingly considering Deng Zhi's words, and that Deng Zhi had not responded to their reasoned arguments, they all remained silent in the end.

At this time, most of them were unaware that the Supreme Emperor wanted to become emperor. They only thought that the Supreme Emperor was worried that after Cao Wei defeated Wu, he would attack Jiangling City downstream, and Shu Han would take this opportunity to go east down the Yangtze River to seize Wu, Zigui, Xiling (Yiling) and other counties.

Five years ago, the alliance between Wu and Shu was formed because the situation of the three kingdoms of Wei, Wu, and Shu was almost exactly the same as it is today.

Even today's situation is more severe for the Wu Kingdom than it was five years ago.

At that time, Liu Bei had just died, and the supreme ruler was still the King of Wu of Wei. The Wei Dynasty had no intention of attacking Wu, but only ordered the King of Wu to send his son to serve as a hostage.

Now, Shu has just won a victory, while Wu is facing off against Cao Wei in Xiangfan.

The only variable is that Cao Wei, after being ravaged by a severe drought for half a year, is now weak, has lost Guanzhong, and has suffered the loss of several generals. Its vitality is far inferior to that of Cao Wei five years ago.

Otherwise, their supreme ruler of Wu would probably not have sent troops to Xicheng to test the bottom line of Shu Han while confronting Cao Wei.

At that moment, the Supreme Emperor of Great Wu, seated at the head of the table, became stern and composed, his expression showing signs of anger:
"Bo Miao, given the current situation, our Great Wu should indeed join forces with Shu Han to attack Cao Cao, and should not break the alliance with Han at this time."

"However, since the Han emperor and Zhuge Liang had already exhausted Guanzhong, they returned the capital to Chang'an."

"In the past six months, our Great Wu has tied down 100,000 Wei troops for the Han, preventing them from looking west. We have fulfilled our duty as allies, yet we have not gained an inch of land."

"The reason we are isolating Cao Wei at the foot of Xiangfan now is to seize the three eastern counties so that we can launch attacks on multiple fronts when we retake Xiangfan in the future, so that Wei will not know where our main force is."

"If it weren't for my Wu army isolating Cao Wei north of the Han River and east of the three commanderies, would the Han state have had any chance to capture Xicheng?"

"Wu exhausted all its grain, fodder, and military equipment, and mobilized a large army, yet it still handed over three commanderies to Han without any gain, merely making wedding clothes for Han again."

"If this happens, how will I explain it to the 100,000 soldiers, and how will I explain it to the elders of Jiangdong?"
"How will the 100,000 soldiers and the million elders view the Wu-Han alliance?"

"At that time, there will be great uproar. Will the Wu-Han alliance still be able to survive?"
"Could it be that Bo Miao has come here specifically to break the alliance between Wu and Han?"

After Sun Quan finished speaking, Chen Xiu, Wei Wen, Zhuge Zhi, and other civil and military officials all agreed and frowned as they looked at Deng Zhi.

But Deng Zhi said:
"If the Marquis of Wu were to take the two commanderies of Fangling and Shangyong, the Han would certainly not interfere."

"If that's the case, then Han should stand by the Han River with Wu and swear an oath by beheading the white horse."

"Let us unite as one and fight against the traitor Wei."

"Treat both likes and dislikes equally, without any bias."

"If there is any harm to Wu, then Han will attack them."

"If anyone harms the Han, then Wu will attack them..."

Sun Quan's expression grew increasingly gloomy; after going around in circles, he still couldn't get around the issue of who owned Xicheng.

But if he didn't want to seize Xicheng, why would he go to such lengths?
The purpose of this military campaign in Xicheng was, of course, to first capture Xicheng, and then to encircle it from the east and west, thus taking control of all three prefectures in one fell swoop.

But more importantly, the power of Shu Han is now immense, and he has to consider the future.

If the three eastern commanderies are not acquired, and when Shu becomes even more powerful than it is now, forcing Wu and Shu to become adversaries, Wu will be powerless against Shu Han, which is located upstream on the Yangtze River.

Shu Han spoke frankly, expressing its concern that Wu would threaten Hanzhong in the future, just as Wu had betrayed Guan Yu. But Wu was also worried that Shu Han would threaten Jiangling after taking over the three eastern commanderies.

After Lü Meng crossed the river in disguise, both sides needed a strategic buffer zone to maintain peace and the alliance; otherwise, there would only be endless internal strife.

Previously, the three eastern commanderies belonged to Wei, so both sides were able to work together with one heart.

Now that the three eastern counties are within easy reach, no one can afford to give up this strategic location and expose their heartland to the other side.

Sun Quan knew all too well just how deep the hatred between Shu Han and Wu was.

The loss of Jingzhou, the deaths of loyal civil and military officials such as Guan Yu, Feng Xi, Fu Tong, Ma Liang, and Cheng Ji, and even the death of Liu Bei, were all inextricably linked to the Kingdom of Wu.

For the sake of the survival of the regime and the restoration of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei and all the civil and military officials of Shu, including Zhuge Liang, swallowed their anger and suppressed their deep hatred, and formed an alliance with Wu again.

After Liu Bei's death, Sun Quan and even the entire court of Wu did not believe that Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang could lead Shu Han to resist Cao Wei and Wu.

The idea of ​​suppressing hatred and forming an alliance with Wu is nothing but a delusional and overestimating wishful thinking.

His agreement to ally with Shu Han, led by Zhuge Liang, was not out of concern that Han would "advance with the current and find opportunities, and that Jiangnan would no longer belong to Wu," but rather out of a desire to underestimate and exploit Han.

Now... the situation is different.

When Shu Han returned to its old capital and its power shook the world, he finally realized just how immense the seemingly weak Shu Kingdom had been brewing.

This also made him, who had been at ease for a long time, wary of the deep hatred that had been temporarily suppressed by the Shu Han rulers and ministers.

He must be wary of Shu Han's revenge.

If Wu and Han were to break apart, it would be far easier for Shu Han to sail down the Han River from the three eastern commanderies to Jiangling than for Wu to sail up the Han River to Hanzhong.

If Shu Han were to capture Jiangling, Wu would have no chance of ever rising again, because after passing the Three Gorges, the Yangtze River would offer no natural defenses. Wu would have no choice but to ally with Wei against Han.

But when that time really comes, will Cao Wei really easily ally with Wu against Han?
It seems we'll have no choice but to send a hostage to serve as our minister.

Sun Quan had a long-term vision. Whether for offense or defense, Wu had to seize the three commanderies before Han.

After much deliberation, Sun Quan finally stopped the chorus of accusations against Deng Zhi and Shu Han from his officials and looked at Deng Zhi with a deep gaze:

"Gu Su admired Bo Miao's straightforwardness."

"Since Bo Miao speaks frankly, then I may also speak frankly."

"If the three eastern commanderies were handed over to the Han, the area south of the Yangtze and Huai rivers would be in uproar, and the world would be turned upside down. The alliance between Wu and Han would have little chance of continuing."

"As for what Bo Miao said, if Han gets Xicheng and Wu gets Shangyong and Fangling, then the two countries can form a permanent alliance and jointly attack the Wei rebels."

"I have a question," Deng Zhi said directly. "If our Great Wu continues to block the Han River here, cutting off Cao Wei's route to reinforce the three commanderies, and then surrenders Xicheng to Han, will the Han ruler cooperate with Wu to attack Shangyong and Fangling?"

"If the Han Dynasty had Xicheng in its hands, the Marquis of Wu would have been able to dominate the Han River, and his achievements would have been invaluable."

"The Han Dynasty should lend a helping hand to the Marquis of Wu, and join forces with Wu to attack and seize the two prefectures of Fangling and Shangyong."

"If that is the case, then the states of Han and Wu can form a permanent alliance and jointly punish the traitor Wei."

Sun Quan snorted coldly at Deng Zhi's words, no longer caring about etiquette:
"Let alone whether Han would really join forces with Wu to attack and seize Shangyong and Fangling after acquiring Xicheng."

"What if even if Han and Wu join forces, they still cannot capture Fangling and Shangyong?"

"Our Great Wu has wasted countless resources, troops, and soldiers, yet gained not an inch of territory, nor achieved any merit. Instead, we have helped Han gain Guanzhong and Lianglong, and even handed over the easily attainable Xicheng to Han. How can I possibly win the hearts of the people in the future?!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Zhi inwardly scoffed, "Haven't you, Sun Quan, gained an inch of land in countless times?"

He immediately refuted this again:

"Lord Wu's words are wrong. How can you say that the Western City is so easily obtained?"
"If Xicheng were so easily obtained, why did the 50,000 troops under the command of Ziyu Gong and Buzishan besiege it but not attack it, just a few miles north and south of Xicheng?"
"If the Han dynasty had not decisively defeated Cao Wei's elite troops, seized Guanzhong, and blunted Wei's momentum, would Wu Hou have still dared to march on Xicheng this time?"

Deng Zhi originally wanted to ask, "Do you really dare to bring your troops to Xicheng?", but she chose a more tactful way of saying it.

Sun Quan rose abruptly, turned and glanced sideways, saying:

"Alright, Bo Miao, there's no need to say any more."

"You should report back to the Han emperor that our Great Wu is equally determined to take Xicheng this time."

"As for what the Han people are worried about, I have a plan."

"If Wu captures Xicheng, Han can send troops to assist Wu and seize the two commanderies of Fangling and Shangyong. Then, they can join forces with Wu at the foot of Xiangfan, cut off Cao Wei north of the Han River, and jointly attack Xiangfan."

"Once Wu captures Xiangyang, it would be only right for the three eastern commanderies to be ceded to Shu Han."

"If so, then there will be no more worries about the heartland of Hanzhong."

"Han and Wu each gained something, while Cao Wei's power declined."

"This is the truly effective strategy that can forge a lasting alliance between the two countries and unite them to eliminate Cao Cao."

Deng Zhi paused slightly upon hearing this.

If the three eastern commanderies were to fall to Han and Xiangyang to Wu, both Han and Wu would be able to directly threaten Nanyang.

Once Xiangyang is lost, Nanyang will be indefensible.

With the combined strength of the Han and Wu kingdoms, it would not be difficult to gradually take over Nanyang.

Therefore, Cao Wei was bound to send a large force to guard Nanyang.

If the situation develops in this way, the Wei army in the Tongguan and Hedong directions will inevitably become weak.

The end of Cao Wei was truly foreseeable.

Upon realizing this, Deng Zhi suddenly frowned again.

Only if Wu captures Xiangyang will the three eastern commanderies be ceded to the Han Dynasty.

What if we fail to capture Xiangyang? Wouldn't the Han Dynasty have been wasting its efforts on Wu's conquest of the three eastern commanderies?

What if Wu turns against them after capturing Xiangyang, annexing the Han army that attacked Xiangfan and then marching straight to Hanzhong along the three eastern commanderies?

Yizhou has grain but no army.

There was an army in Guanzhong but no food.

The Han Dynasty is in grave danger.

Deng Zhi never harbored the worst suspicions about the Wu Kingdom.

Sun Quan turned and left, showing no intention of discussing anything further with Deng Zhi.

After disembarking from the ship, they floated north of the Han River, entering the territory of Fancheng, to the military camps of Lu Xun, Xu Sheng, and Pan Zhang.

Sun Quan, looking displeased, recounted Deng Zhi's words to Lu Xun and the other generals, finally speaking to Pan Zhang:
"Wen Gui, Zhuge Ziyu and Bu Zishan have been besieging the city for more than 30 days. In another 60 days, Shen Yi will surrender to Wu."

"You will lead another 5,000 naval troops up the Han River, block it, and not allow any Shu troops to enter the territory of Xicheng."

Pan Zhang and Xu Sheng looked at each other, then asked:
"Your Majesty, what if the Shu army bypasses the Han River upstream? What if the Shu army breaks the alliance and challenges our Great Wu first?"

Sun Quan snorted coldly:
"If that's really the case, then what's wrong with fighting Shu!"
"I refuse to believe that someone as strategically as Kongming would actually break ties with my Great Wu at this time!"

...

Fancheng.

into the night.

Cao Xiu, along with his strategist Huan Fan and nephew Cao Shuang, came to the city wall as always, tirelessly observing the situation of the Wu army.

A few days ago, Wu Jun had a fleet of more than one hundred grain transport boats and more than twenty medium and small warships sailing down the Han River and stopped outside Xiangyang City.

Chief Clerk Huan Fan advised Cao Xiu that the Wei dynasty had no fleet on the Han River. The warships that escorted the Wu army's grain ships in the previous two expeditions numbered only a dozen or so, but this time the number had doubled. He suspected something was amiss and that it was likely that Shu envoys had come to see Sun Quan.

If, in a few days, Wu's army sends men down the Han River, it means that the alliance between Shu and Wu has not been broken and the two countries have jointly seized the three commanderies. Great Wei must respond immediately to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

If Sun Quan were to send his navy up the Han River, it would mean that the alliance between Shu and Wu had been broken and a war between the two countries was inevitable. In that case, Wei could wait and see and then act when the opportunity presented itself.

For the next few days, Cao Xiu gave up all entertainment and spent his days and nights observing the movements on the Han River from the city wall.

After staying up until the early hours of the morning, Cao Xiu finally grew tired and went back to the corner tower on the city wall to sleep.

He was half-asleep when a series of urgent knocks on the door woke him up.

"What's wrong?" Cao Xiu pushed open the door.

Cao Shuang, who is on duty tonight, said:

"Grand Marshal, the Wu bandits have made their move."

Upon hearing this, Cao Xiu remained calm and asked, "Where did they go?"

"Going upstream along the Han River."

Cao Xiu: "Is there anything different from the previous two times? Is it just transporting grain?"

Cao Shuang shook his head:

"Grand Marshal, this is not a grain ship."

Reports came from the coast that about a dozen warships were heading west under cover of night.

With a dozen or so warships and at most a thousand or two sailors, what could they possibly do?
A moment later, Cao Xiu realized:

"Sneaking around like this, what a despicable act. But it seems that the Shu and Wu bandits may be about to clash."

Before long, Huan Fan, who lived in the city, arrived upon hearing the news.

Cao Xiu wrote down the information gathered by the scouts in a military report, intending to send it to the imperial court. When he saw Huan Fan arrive, he handed it to Huan Fan for a look.

Huan Fan quickly finished reading and exclaimed with delight, "I never imagined that the kingdoms of Wu and Shu were so short-sighted. Great Wei will have good news."

Cao Xiu nodded: "Now we're just waiting for His Majesty's order. As for that scoundrel Jia Kui..."

Jia Kui now commands the Nanyang navy and will not act rashly without the emperor's orders.

(End of this chapter)