Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 212 Shu Minister

Chengdu.

Xiangfu.

An urgent dispatch arrived.

Upon seeing the urgent battle report, Jiang Wan, the Prefectural Chief Clerk, immediately put down the official documents he was handling regarding the collection of autumn taxes, unfolded the document, and after a moment, his face lit up with joy.

"Chief Secretary, where did this urgent message come from?" Fei Shi, the agricultural supervisor of the Prime Minister's office, was the first to ask.

“Hanzhong.” Jiang Wan said, handing the bamboo slips in her hand to Fei Shi.

When Xiang Chong, Li Fu, Fan Qi, Hu Ji and other officials saw that Jiang Wan was happy and heard that it was an urgent dispatch from Hanzhong, they all put down their work and gathered in front of Fei Shi.

"West City... West City has already been captured?!"

Hu Ji was stunned. He then turned to look at his colleagues, only to see that Xiang Chong, Fan Qi, Fei Shi, and others were also astonished.

They had just received news a few days ago that General Zhao Yun and General Gao Xiang had joined forces to launch an eastern expedition against Xicheng, and fearing that the war would be prolonged, they were tasked with overseeing the transport of grain supplies to Hanzhong.

And it's only been a few days?

"It hasn't been ten days since Zhao, the General of Chariots, sent the letter urging the army to march, has it?" Xiang Chong, the younger brother of Xiang Chong, the Commander of the Central Army, was a little thirsty.

Fan Qi, Hu Ji, Li Fu, Yan Yan, and others spoke with great emotion without hesitation.

The good news came too suddenly.

Everyone was caught off guard.

However, this is understandable, as military secrets are top secret. Before Zhao's letter urging them to march was sent, they didn't even know that Zhao and Liao had led more than 20,000 troops back to Hanzhong.

"Wu Zuo General Bu Zhi, Wu You General Zhuge..." Xiang Chong paused again as he read, completely astonished.

"Bu Zhi and Zhuge Jin have been captured?!"

The other officials were slower at reading the letter, and when they heard this, they were all shocked and speechless. They immediately skipped a large section of text and went straight to find the names of Bu Zhi and Zhuge Jin.

A few moments.

The household was in an uproar.

"Bu Zhi, a relative of Wu, has repeatedly made meritorious contributions. His prestige and influence are second only to Lu Xun, yet he was captured in a single battle? How could Sun Quan, that rat, not be heartbroken?!" Xiang Chong, true to his nature, laughed heartily.

"Hanzhong is the heart and throat of our great Han Dynasty. At this time, Sun Quan sent Bu Zhi to seize Xicheng and even sent people to dissuade our great Han Dynasty from interfering. His intentions are despicable!" Hu Ji cursed Sun Quan.

"I heard that Bu Zhi has been stationed in Yiling for several years, yet Sun Quan has sent him to seize Xicheng." Fan Qi suddenly thought of something.

"Now that he has been captured, Yiling has changed hands, and Cao Wei has invaded the south. How can the people of Wu be at peace?"

Everyone was stunned.

"Does Boyi mean that now is the perfect opportunity for our Great Han to reclaim Yiling?!"

The last of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River is Yiling Gorge, which is like a natural pass. If this gorge can be controlled, the Han Dynasty will have a strong position to dominate Jiangling.

Yiling, Yiling, where the water becomes calm and the mountains become hills. Once you leave Yiling Gorge, the great river is no longer turbulent, and the cliffs turn into hills.

The Han dynasty held the upper reaches of the river and relied on the gorges for defense, while the Wu people had no more natural defenses to hold.

This is a completely different situation from the current standoff between the Han and Wu at Baidi and Wuxian, with each side holding their own strategic positions in the gorges.

"Why are you all so happy? The war that broke the alliance between Han and Wu is surely a blessing for our great Han!" Supervisor Fei Shi's eyebrows were like frost, his voice stern.

All the officials, including Chief Secretary Jiang Wan, composed themselves and looked at Fei Shi.

Among the officials, he was one of the few who strongly opposed the emperor's personal campaign.

However, after the emperor personally led the expedition, news of victories came one after another, bringing great joy. This made his vehement advice seem ridiculous and even hateful, and he was often criticized in private because of this.

Some people even brought up his past admonition against the late emperor to become emperor to criticize him.

When Cao Pi usurped the throne of the Han dynasty, all the ministers urged him to succeed, but only this person advised against it, remonstrating with the late emperor.

They said that Your Highness, because Cao Cao and his son forced you to usurp the throne, traveled thousands of miles to gather troops to fight the traitor. Now that the great enemy has not been defeated, you have established yourself first, which may cause doubt among the people.

He also said that Emperor Gaozu made a pact with Chu that whoever first defeated Qin would become king, but when he captured Ziying, he still declined the offer. Now, Your Highness has not even left your home yet, and you want to establish yourself as king. This foolish minister truly does not advocate for Your Highness.

Fortunately, there were many insightful people in the imperial court.

Dong Yun then argued with this foolish official.

When Emperor Hui of Jin captured his son Yu, Yu stood up overnight; when Emperor Gengshi was still alive, Emperor Shizu raised his banner.

When Wei usurped the Han throne, the traitor became powerful and caused great disaster. With the death of the emperor and the loss of the country, the temples of the two ancestors were abandoned and no longer worshipped. The world was filled with fear and the people had no place to turn.

At that time, not knowing to quickly honor the virtuous and uphold the Han dynasty, so that the Han throne would not be buried in the earth, and to unite the loyal and fear the rebellious, can be called foolish and ignorant.

"Back then, the late emperor defied the will of the people and went against the tide, leading the entire nation's army to fight against Wu at Yiling, which ultimately resulted in the loss of many generals and allowed Cao Wei to reap the benefits. The lesson of the past is still fresh in our minds. Have you all forgotten it?!"

"But I don't know whether it is His Majesty's will or the Prime Minister's will to start a war with Wu Pomeng!"

"In my humble opinion, at this critical moment, Han and Wu should join forces to eliminate Cao Cao, rather than break their alliance and engage in battle!"
"If Wei and Wu were to join forces, how would our Great Han Dynasty possibly withstand them?!"

It must be said that when the topic of Wei and Wu joining forces came up, many officials in the government finally changed color.

Upon seeing this, Fei Shi's anger only intensified.
"Guanzhong was initially pacified, but hundreds of cities had not yet submitted."

"Liangzhou has been half captured, but Longyou is still in jeopardy."

"Your Majesty does not think about cultivating the land to consolidate the foundation, but instead focuses your attention on the three prefectures and wants to take Yiling."

"With the strength of just two provinces, they are facing the combined forces of eleven provinces and tens of millions of troops from Wei and Wu. They are arrogant because of their victory, wanting to avenge the old grudges of Jingzhou and Yiling against Wu, and are betting the fate of the Han dynasty on a single gamble!"

"The best course of action now is to send a letter to Hanzhong, urging Your Majesty to devise a long-term plan."

"Return to Sun Quan with Bu Zhi, Zhuge Jin, and a host of generals and soldiers from Wu, and restore the alliance between Han and Wu, which was based on mutual dependence and interdependence, and together we will fight against Cao Cao!"

"Princess Fei!" Hu Ji glared angrily.

"You mean that our Han Dynasty should hand over the three eastern commanderies to Sun Quan, and then let Sun Quan attack the heart and throat of our Hanzhong region when the Han Dynasty and Cao Wei decide the fate of the world?!"

Fei Shi refused to budge an inch, responding head-on:
"Given the precedent of Jingzhou, how can we allow Hanzhong to fall into Wu's hands again?!"

"His Majesty risked his life to personally lead the expedition, and Guanzhong was fortunately recovered."

"You are all trusted confidants of the late Emperor and the Prime Minister, and have received great favors and special treatment from them. You should always be cautious and prudent, and respectful of the smallest details."

"How can we be like His Majesty, becoming arrogant and looking down on Wu after our victory?!"

Fei Shi suddenly turned his gaze to Fan Qi:
"The Cao Wei regime has just suffered a defeat, and there is resentment and discontent among the people and the court."

"At this moment, confronting Wu at Xiangfan may be a way to lure our Han Dynasty into breaking the alliance with Wu and waging war."

"If Cao Wei takes the initiative to ally with Wu, agreeing to divide the Yangtze River into north and south, and jointly advance westward."

"Sima Yi and Sun Quan arrived with resentment."

"I fear that if Guanzhong is gained and then lost again, Xicheng will no longer belong to Han, and even Hanzhong and Baidi will be lost..."

"I humbly fear that the Han Dynasty will never again have the chance to contend with Cao Wei for control of the Central Plains!"

Fei Shi's words immediately dampened the joy of Xicheng's sudden victory, and many people were persuaded by Fei Shi to begin to feel uneasy about the future of the Han Dynasty.

The confrontation between Wei and Wu is likely a conspiracy by Cao Wei.

What if Wei and Wu join forces to attack Han?

Can the big man withstand it?

"Enough, Princess!" Chief Secretary Jiang Wan glared angrily at Fei Shi. "Stop causing trouble and disrupting the group! A fragrant orchid must be uprooted when it grows in the doorway. Be careful!"

"Hmph!" Fei Shi shrugged and left.

When Zhang Yu caused chaos in the court, the late emperor executed him and his body was displayed in the marketplace.

The saying goes, "Though orchids are fragrant, they should be weeded if they block the way."

Jiang Wan usually doesn't show her emotions, but today she actually said such harsh words. Fei Shi has obviously crossed a line with Jiang Wan.

After Fei Shi left, Jiang Wan slowly began to speak:
"Breaking the alliance and attacking Wu must have been a plan jointly devised by Your Majesty, the Prime Minister, and Zhao, the Charioteer."

"Fei Shi was merely a Confucian scholar who only knew how to use his words. His advice against the late emperor's succession and ascension to the throne back then clearly shows his folly."

"We are also unfamiliar with military affairs and do not know military secrets."

"Military competition is a matter of great importance; how can we presume to discuss it?"

"How can we compare to the Prime Minister or the General of Chariots and Cavalry?"
"The good news has arrived, bringing great joy to the Han Dynasty!"
"Gentlemen, please take a half-day rest!"

Before long, the atmosphere in the Prime Minister's residence warmed up again. All the officials once again congratulated each other on the victory over Wu and the capture of the city.

...

Chengdu Northern Army.

Jiang Wan, Fan Qi, Hu Ji, Xiang Chong and others arrived at the residence of Xiang Chong, the Commander of the Central Army.

When the Chief Secretary Xiang Chongwen came to visit, he was greeted at the gate of the mansion.

Seeing so many of the prime minister's advisors present, I was somewhat surprised.

"Chief Secretary, gentlemen, has His Majesty sent a message back to Chengdu?"

Jiang Wan smiled and nodded, then handed over the urgent dispatch.

When Xiang Chong saw the letter, he froze as if struck by something, his thoughts instantly drifting back to Yiling six years ago, and then the image of the late emperor began to appear in his mind.

Then came Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, Fu Tong, Cheng Ji... and many other officers and strategists who were familiar with him.

"As expected of Zhao, the Chariot Cavalryman, he defeated the Wu bandits in a single day with lightning speed. The Wu people were terrified. Sun Quan lost his general Bu Zhi and tens of thousands of troops. Once they retreat, Cao Xiu will surely pursue them relentlessly."

"Does Your Majesty mean to seize this opportunity to take back Yiling in one fell swoop?"
"The alliance between Han and Wu has already been broken. If Your Majesty and the Prime Minister truly wish to do so, and not just ally with Wu, there will likely be considerable opposition within the court."

Xiang Chong already understood why Jiang Wan and the others had come.

Jiang Wan nodded: "It will be tough for Juwei during this period."

"This is the duty of the emperor."

The battle that broke the alliance between Han and Wu could very well have pushed Wu towards Cao Wei.

No matter how glorious the results of the Northern Expeditions have been, the Han Dynasty has not yet had time to consolidate them, and the expenditure of national resources has already reached its limit. Once Wei and Wu join forces, all the gains may be lost, and it is inevitable that there will be voices of opposition in the court.

"Does Juwei think that Wei and Wu will join forces? If they do, is it possible for the Han Dynasty to fight?" Jiang Wan asked.

Leave professional matters to professionals. No one in Chengdu understands military affairs better than Xiang Chong. The officials from various prefectures came here for two reasons: first, to let Xiang Chong keep an eye on the city's developments, and second, to seek reassurance from him.

"The aftershocks of His Majesty's great victory in Guanzhong will be difficult to quell in a short time."

"The war in Guanzhong has ended, but the two enemy forces of Wei and Wu are still facing off in Xiangfan. Why is that?"

"Whether it is Wei or Wu, they all want to defeat the other and win a victory in order to appease the people within their territory and consolidate the authority of the two rulers, Cao Rui and Sun Quan."

"However, the ministers in the states of Wei and Wu were not necessarily of one mind with their rulers."

"The art of war says that those who are united in purpose will prevail; if they are not of one mind, their military strength will decline."

"The Prime Minister and General Wei are stationed in Guanzhong. The soldiers under Sima Yi's command at Tongguan are nothing but remnants of defeated troops and are not worth worrying about."

“Yong’an has the natural barrier of the river pass. In the Battle of Yiling, Sun Quan did not dare to pursue even when he was victorious. Now that he has just suffered a defeat and lost his general and a detachment, his soldiers have no will to fight and cannot advance.”

Therefore, Chong believed that even if the states of Wei and Wu were to unite, they would still be unable to do anything to the Han Dynasty.

"However, since the recapture of Guanzhong, the momentum of our great Han Dynasty has remained unstoppable."

"Warfare is about momentum."

"If we don't seize the three prefectures and Yiling now, we may not be able to take them even if we spend more troops, food and money in the future."

"Furthermore, General Zhao has just returned from Guanzhong and immediately marched eastward, I'm afraid..."

Xiang Chong stopped there.

Jiang Wan and the others all understood.

If we don't fight this year, in three to five years, when the country is strong, will Zhao Chariot Cavalry still be able to fight for the country?

Military strength, military strength. Zhao, the chariot cavalry, alone is worth an army of 100,000. Once the country loses its commander, what can be done?

Xiang Chong continued:
"As for recuperating and building up strength, the Han Dynasty only has two provinces, Guanzhong and Yizhou, and a million people. How can it possibly support Cao Wei and Sun Wu?"

Xiang Chong's words were reasonable and well-founded, finally reassuring the officials who were unfamiliar with military affairs.

Xiang Chong, however, was still not satisfied:
"Whether Your Majesty, the Chancellor, and General Zhao want to seize all three commanderies and control all three gorges is not up to the Han Dynasty, but up to Wei and Wu."

"If Wei and Wu form an alliance, then they should defend the passes and strategic locations."

"If Wei and Wu go to war and the military situation cannot be resolved quickly, then try to take it."

His younger brother, Xiang Chong, pondered for a long time and asked, "What if we can't hold the position after taking it? Wouldn't that be a waste of troops, money, and provisions?"

Xiang Chong shook his head:

"The three eastern prefectures and Yiling are all strategically important, with one man able to hold the pass against ten thousand."

"It is easy for the Han army to send troops and supplies downstream to provide reinforcements, but difficult for Wei and Wu to attack upstream. This land has been bestowed upon our Han by Heaven, so why should we doubt taking it?"

...

Changqiu Palace.

Yongning Palace.

The loom began to creak and groan.

Empress Zhang, dressed in a plain-colored deep robe with cloud patterns and a crimson silk sash around her waist, sat in front of a fifty-foot loom, holding the heddle in her left hand and guiding the shuttle in her right.

As the foot pedals tumbled and the shuttle flew like a silver fish, it darted back and forth between the warp and weft. Line by line, the Empress used the method of locking the ground to make the background pattern as fine as scales, and then used the carving technique to pick out cloud patterns, weaving the clouds and rosy clouds into the brocade.

Even the most skilled craftsmen and the most demanding supervisors in Chengdu could not find any flaws in this brocade and the craftsmanship; it could not have been done without five or six years of weaving experience.

Consort Wang stood up and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead.

The saying goes that men plow and women weave. Because the loom is complex and requires a lot of mental and physical effort, weaving is not much easier than farming. At least for women, it is a physically demanding job.

It takes three or four hours of hard work each day, and two months, to weave a single piece of Shu brocade.

Seeing that the Empress was still enjoying herself, Consort Wang took out a clean handkerchief from her waist and stepped forward to wipe the Empress's sweat.

"Since His Majesty personally led the expedition, Madam has been spending every day with her loom, practicing even more diligently than before."

Consort Wang said in a low voice, her tone half heartache and half teasing.

The Empress smiled gently, her gaze remaining fixed on Jin's face.

"Your Majesty is working hard for the country on the front lines, while I am in the palace and can do nothing to help you. All I can do is weave a few clothes for you and send them to the front lines, hoping that Your Majesty will be cool in the summer and warm in the winter."

Consort Wang said, "How come I've heard that Madam has not sent a single garment to His Majesty yet?"

The Queen Stops Shuttle:

"Who said that? There was one sent."

"But His Majesty said that he was in the army, sharing weal and woe with the soldiers, and that it was not appropriate for him to wear Shu brocade and fine clothes."

"Does Madam still want to continue weaving?" Consort Wang asked with a puzzled smile.

The Empress gently stroked her face, a faint smile playing on her lips:
"His Majesty used to love the cloud-patterned brocade robes I wove for him. When His Majesty returns to Chengdu, I will make these..."

Consort Wang suddenly interrupted her and started teasing her again:
"Oh, I understand!"

"When His Majesty returns to Chengdu and sees the brocade robe that Madam has woven for him, he will know that Madam has done this for His Majesty..."

"Alright, enough talk." Empress Zhang interrupted Consort Wang and continued to sit back down at the loom, fiddling with the shuttle.

Seeing this, Consort Wang covered her mouth with her sleeve and chuckled.
"Back when the eldest lady was not yet married to His Majesty, she was a woman of great talent, with a bow drawn and a horse on her back, a yellow dog on her left and a falcon on her right, her heroic bearing was no less than that of any young man."

"But today she speaks gently and speaks softly, weaving with her loom in her hands, looking every bit the virtuous wife and loving mother!"

Empress Zhang didn't take it seriously:
"What's wrong with being a virtuous wife and loving mother?"
"As the empress, she naturally has the responsibility of being a model for the nation. She must rein in her temper and not be as unruly as before."

"It's just that... it's just that I couldn't bear Your Majesty an heir, I couldn't be a good mother, I'm ashamed of Your Majesty, and I'm ashamed of the country."

Consort Wang paused upon hearing this, pondered for a long time, and finally said:

“Madam, do you think… His Majesty has won a great victory in his personal campaign, and his imperial power is unparalleled? Could it be that he has changed his mind and will not treat you the same way he did before after returning?”
"Otherwise... otherwise why would he marry another woman in Guanzhong?"

"Don't talk nonsense. If that were true, His Majesty would not have taken my younger sister to Chang'an."

"As for marrying a woman from Guanzhong... How can the emperor's marriage be the same as that of an ordinary family?"

"It's just a political marriage. You still don't understand anything after all these years. Go back and read more of the Book of Han. Otherwise, how will you be able to share His Majesty's burdens in the future?"

Consort Wang pouted and made a face:
"Yes, yes, madam, you did give me a few books on the Han Dynasty. I will definitely read them when I get back."

(End of this chapter)