Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 235 Sun Quan Declares Himself Emperor, Han Army Marches East

Wu Jun hastily retreated south, never looking back.

Because the initial battle situation was unclear, Cao Xiu and Jia Kui were worried that Lu Xun would lead his troops north, and also worried that Lu Xun might have other tricks up his sleeve. So, they also retreated instead of pursuing.

Two days later.

Wu Jun had already gone more than sixty miles away from the battlefield.

During the pursuit between the two armies, tens of thousands of carts, boats, provisions, armor, weapons, cattle, horses, mules, and donkeys were left behind, stretching for dozens of miles and piling up like mountains.

Wu Jun didn't even have time to pick it up.

Without knowing whether there were any ambushes on the surrounding roads, Cao's army also dared not advance rashly.

By the third day.

News came from scouts at the front that Wu's army was still retreating and the vanguard had reached Canglangkou.

Meanwhile, the scouts sent out by Cao Xiu and Jia Kui continued to report that within a radius of thirty or forty miles, apart from a few Wu soldiers who had lost their way or were fleeing from their groups, there was no trace of Wu troops.

Only then did Jia Kui and Cao Xiu realize that the Wu army had truly retreated this time and would not resort to any more tricks or luring tactics.

Once the external enemies had gone far away and the sharp external conflicts had temporarily subsided, the internal conflict between Cao Xiu and Jia Kui finally erupted.

The main tent of Cao Cao's army.

"I ordered that scoundrel Jia Kui to cover the rear, but that scoundrel Jia Kui disobeyed my orders and instead of leading the rear guard to provide support, he took it upon himself to set up an ambush!!"
"If he hadn't disobeyed my orders, if he hadn't thought he was setting up some kind of ambush to lure us deep into his territory, how could we have suffered such a defeat at the Canglang River?!"
"If we hadn't suffered defeat at the Canglang River, why would we have set up this useless ambush here?!"

"If it weren't for this useless ambush, how could the thousands of personal guards brought by Zhao Bo (Cao Shuang), Zhong Quan (Xiahou Ba), and Asu (Qin Lang) have been defeated by the Wu traitors again?!"

"..."

At this moment, Cao Xiu had completely forgotten that he and Jia Kui had been plotting together to defeat Wu just a few days ago. He was so angry that he lost his temper in public. In the end, he kicked over the table, and the water bag and rice bowl fell to the ground.

Pei Qian, Huan Fan, Cao Shuang, and the others looked at this familiar scene, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure of what to say.

Just as the army had fled back to Hanjin from the Canglang River, the Grand Marshal was already furious and enraged because Jia Kui's rear guard had failed to come to the rescue.

The reason he was able to cooperate with Jia Kui later was simply because the Grand Marshal temporarily quelled his anger for the sake of the country.

Now that the Wu people have safely withdrawn, Jia Kui's ambush strategy not only failed to succeed, but also caused the detachment led by Xiahou Ba, Cao Shuang, and Qin Lang to suffer another minor defeat at the hands of Lu Xun.

Given the Grand Marshal's rank and personality, it was clearly impossible for him not to settle scores with Jia Kui.

After all, if Jia Kui, the governor of Yuzhou who was in charge of supervising the army, didn't take the blame, then wouldn't the blame for "being arrogant because of victory, advancing recklessly with light troops, and suffering defeat after initial victory" fall solely on him, the Grand Marshal?
No matter how low-key and humble Cao Xiu was before, after he became a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor and in fact the most powerful military figure in Wei, his past low-key and humble demeanor had long since disappeared.

After all, the national strength and military power of the Great Wei were undoubtedly the best among the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu, far surpassing the two kingdoms of Wu and Shu. Moreover, Cao Xiu was unparalleled in the world in terms of military prestige and power in the Great Wei.

All these factors combined caused a huge change in the Grand Marshal's mentality, making him believe that his military prestige, military power, and ability to lead troops were unparalleled in the world, and that Lu Xun, Zhao Yun, and Zhuge Liang were all beneath his notice.

But Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun won one victory after another.

Although Lu Xun initially suffered a defeat but ultimately won, in hindsight, Lu Xun's defeat at Qingni was clearly a result of his knowledge of himself and his enemy. He had anticipated Cao Xiu's overconfident and careless attitude and thus devised a strategy specifically designed to lure Cao Xiu into a trap.

However, Lu Xun's defeat was too real, and he gave up too much, leading Cao Xiuzhen to believe that Lu Xun was "a nobody who rose to fame in an era without heroes."

Now, with the Battle of Qingni and Canglang, coupled with repelling the ambush of Xiahou Ba, Cao Shuang, and Qin Lang, and successfully rescuing Xu Sheng and Ding Feng who were trapped in the encirclement, Lu Xun has undoubtedly proven to the world that neither Cao Xiu nor Jia Kui can compare to him, the rising star on the banks of the Yangtze River.

How could Cao Xiu tolerate this?

If he doesn't shift the blame to Jia Kui, how will he face the world?

How will the emperor punish him?

Just as Cao Xiu was enraged, Huan Fan suddenly stood up from his seat, bowed to Cao Xiu, and said, "Grand Marshal, you have no reason to be defeated, why are you so angry?"

Upon hearing Huan Fan's words, everyone in the tent, including Cao Xiu himself, was surprised.

Pei Qian, Cao Shuang, and the others all turned their gazes toward Huan Fan's face, only to find that Huan Fan's expression was not obsequious, but rather serious and earnest.

"What do you mean by that, strategist?" After Huan Fan's words, Cao Xiu's anger slowly turned into confusion.

Huan Fan said slowly:
"When it came to Liu Bei's military strategy, Emperor Taizu praised him as capable."

"Lu Xun, however, defeated Liu Bei at Yiling, laying the foundation for Sun Quan's rule over Jiangnan."

"This is enough to show that Lu Xun was no nobody, and could be compared with Wen Yuan and Gongming of Wei, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei of Shu."

"The Grand Marshal first won a great victory over Lu Xun at Qingni, and although he suffered a minor setback at the Canglang River, he was not seriously injured."

"Although it was a defeat, in my opinion, the number of prisoners captured and the spoils seized were roughly on par with Lu Xun's defeat at Qingni."

Upon hearing this, Cao Xiu's expression softened once again.

Yes, if we don't regard Lu Xun as a mere junior, but rather as a renowned general who decisively defeated Liu Bei and laid the foundation for Sun Quan's empire, then his two battles with Lu Xun, where he won first and then lost, can be considered a draw, which is not too shameful.

Seeing that his words had had an effect and Cao Xiu's expression had softened, Huan Fan continued to stroke his beard and speak slowly:

"After the Battle of Canglang, the Grand Marshal and Jia Yuzhou joined forces to set up an ambush, successfully trapping 10,000 Wu soldiers in the vanguard and nearly killing Xu Sheng, a trusted general of Sun Quan."

"However... judging from Lu Xun's swift defeat of Zhong Quan, Zhao Bo, and Yuan Ming's ambush forces, Lu Xun probably already saw through Jia Yuzhou's ambush plan."

"His intention was merely to use Xu Sheng's vanguard of ten thousand men to lure the Grand Marshal into turning his army back."

"This is a strategy to lure the snake out of its hole and trick our Great Wei into making a hasty retreat."

"In my opinion, if the Grand Marshal had not first conjured soldiers from beans, forcing Lu Xun to come north, Jia Yuzhou would undoubtedly have fallen for Lu Xun's strategy."

"In other words, if it weren't for the Grand Marshal's ability to conjure soldiers from beans, forcing Xu Sheng into a corner and compelling Lu Xun to abandon his strategy of defeating Wei in order to rescue Xu Sheng, the great general of Wu."

"I fear that our Great Wei may truly be misled by Jia Yuzhou and fall into Lu Xun's trap of using a counter-strategy to lure the snake out of its hole."

"If we fall into their trap, our Great Wei will suffer truly heavy losses."

"In this ambush, our Great Wei finally achieved a minor victory. This is not due to the efforts of Jia Yuzhou, but rather to the Grand Marshal's rescue of Jia Yuzhou from dire straits, saving the nation from imminent collapse, and saving the soldiers from peril."

Upon hearing this, Cao Xiu showed some hesitation, but the raging anger in his heart had completely subsided.

Huan Fan's words do make some sense.

Furthermore, regardless of whether Huan Fan's words could convince others, at least he had already given the emperor and his officials a reason to believe him.

At that moment, Pei Qian, the governor of Jingzhou, also rose from his seat, bowed to Cao Xiu, and said:
"Grand Marshal, I also believe that what Military Advisor Huan said is true."

"This year the country is facing many difficulties. The Wu and Shu kingdoms have joined forces to invade the north. The Grand Marshal has come from Huainan to the west this time not seeking a great victory, but only to protect the strategic location of Xiangfan for the Great Wei."

"Now that the Wu bandits have withdrawn their troops from Xiangfan and returned south, they have gained no advantage over an inch of land. The Grand Marshal is destined for victory."

"In the Battle of Qingni, the Grand Marshal defeated Lu Xun, capturing and seizing countless prisoners. This was the Grand Marshal's second victory."

"In this ambush, the Grand Marshal thwarted Lu Xun's plan to turn the tables on him. Although he failed to kill Wu general Xu Sheng, he still achieved some small gains. This is the third victory for the Grand Marshal."

"The Grand Marshal has these three victories, with only one defeat at the Canglang River."

"The defeat at Canglang River, as strategist Huan said, is enough to offset the victory at Qingni."

"From this perspective, the Grand Marshal still has two victories to make amends for his mistakes."

"His Majesty will not only not blame the Grand Marshal, but will actually praise him."

Cao Xiu was taken aback.

Pei Qian was not Huan Fan; not only did he not have a deep relationship with him, but he also had a good personal relationship with Jia Kui.

Why did Pei Qian not speak up for Jia Kui this time, but instead try to explain him away?
Suddenly, Cao Xiu paused, then realized what was happening.

More than a decade ago, Guan Yu besieged the northern route at Qingni and attacked the reinforcements, defeating Xu Huang, Yue Jin, Man Chong, Li Tong, Lü Chang, and others one by one, forcing the Great Wei to abandon Jiangling and flee.

However, at that time, the narrative of the Great Wei was extremely unified. Everyone in the court and the public was saying that Xu Huang, Yue Jin, Man Chong, Wen Pin, Li Tong and other generals defeated Guan Yu at Qingni and successfully rescued the Jiangling army back to the Central Plains.

Why is this?

This is human nature.

The defeat of the Great Wei was not too devastating, and as Huan Fan and Pei Qian said, its achievements were indeed remarkable.

The three eastern prefectures have already fallen into the hands of the Shu people, and now the Wu bandits who raided Xiangfan have finally retreated south. For the sake of the people's hearts, how could Your Majesty announce to the outside world that these major battles were defeats for the Great Wei?

Great Wei has won. They were destined to win.

However, although Cao Xiu's anger subsided slightly, he still felt deeply resentful.

Jia Kui's arrogant and domineering attitude lingered in his mind.

Even though he would win in terms of public opinion at court, Cao Xiu clearly did not intend to let Jia Kui off so easily.

"Send the order!" Cao Xiu sat upright, his voice booming as he shouted the command to his personal guards outside the tent.

"Issue Jia Kui, the governor of Yuzhou, to immediately lead his troops back to the battlefield!"
"Collect and inventory all the livestock, vehicles, ships, weapons, armor, and provisions abandoned by the Wu traitors; not a single item should be missed!"

Upon receiving this order, the tent fell silent.

Pei Qian and Huan Fan exchanged glances, all understanding the meaning behind the Grand Marshal's words.

This is by no means a simple military order.

By sending a powerful provincial governor to perform such a lowly task as collecting abandoned weapons and provisions, Cao Xiu's intention to humiliate Jia Kui was crystal clear.

The order was quickly relayed to Jia Kui's camp.

Jia Kui was examining the wounded soldiers when he heard this order and paused in his actions.

He slowly straightened up, his usual calm expression gradually replaced by a cold anger.

His gaze swept over the slightly uneasy face of Cao Xiu's messenger, and he could already imagine Cao Xiu's imperious demeanor in the central command tent.

Without the slightest hesitation, Jia Kui, filled with anger, strode towards the central command tent where Cao Xiu held his banner.

The guards recognized him and dared not stop him.

He flung open the tent flap, his anger palpable.

The people inside the tent were all shocked and worried.

Cao Xiu was wiping the blade when Jia Kui barged in. He froze in mid-air, his brows furrowing instantly, his eyes revealing undisguised disgust and impatience.

Ignoring the others in the tent, Jia Kui's gaze was sharp as a knife, piercing straight into Cao Xiu's eyes.

"I dare not obey the Grand Marshal's order!" These words were resounding and carried an unyielding firmness.

Cao Xiu abruptly put down the water bag, slamming it onto the table with a bang.

"Jia Kui! How dare you disobey military orders?!"

Cao Xiu's face was ashen, and his voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.

“It’s not that I’m disobeying orders!” Jia Kui didn’t back down at all. Instead, he stepped forward and his voice suddenly rose.

"I, Jia Kui, am the Governor of Yuzhou, personally appointed by His Majesty with the authority to command troops!"
"My duty is to guard the country's territory, lead the army and the people, and punish the disobedient!"
"It was not to retrieve the discarded weapon for the Grand Marshal!"

Cao Xiu trembled with rage, pointed at Jia Kui, and finally laughed in a fit of anger:

"Excellent! What a fine example of Jia Yuzhou, dedicated to the country and its people!"

"What an upright and incorruptible Jia Liangdao!"
"If it weren't for you..."

"Grand Marshal!" Jia Kui abruptly interrupted Cao Xiu, his tone resolute.

"If there is nothing else, I still have urgent military affairs to attend to in my camp. I shall take my leave!"

After saying this, he no longer looked at Cao Xiu's eyes, which were almost spitting fire, nor did he pay attention to the dumbfounded crowd in the tent.

He turned abruptly and strode away.

Cao Xiu stared intently at Jia Kui's retreating figure as he disappeared outside the tent, his chest heaving violently. Finally, he slammed his fist on the table, causing the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table to jump up.

...

Wuchang.

Sun Quan led his troops back in triumph.

A group of talented people are complete, and a few years old are collected together.

Because of the great victory of Wu over Cao Xiu at the Canglang River, the morale of the Wu army and people was greatly boosted.

In addition, the Shu army achieved a great victory over Cao Wei in Guanzhong, killing Cao Wei generals Cao Zhen and Zhang He, and defeating Sima Yi, who had once shone brightly in Jiangnan.

In addition, since the beginning of this year, dozens, nearly a hundred auspicious omens such as yellow dragons, phoenixes, red crows, fine grains, and sacred trees have frequently descended upon the Wu and Chu regions.

Finally, it must be added that when the Great Wu defeated Wei at the Canglang River, a red star rose from the northwest and fell south of the Wei camp, just as Emperor Wu defeated Wang Mang at Kunyang. At the same time, the Ziwei Emperor Star in the north and the Geng Metal Star in the west were both dimmed.

All these factors led the officials and ministers of Wu to believe that the Mandate of Heaven had long since passed to the Han dynasty and then to the Wei dynasty, and that its will lay with the southeastern Wu and Chu regions. Therefore, they jointly submitted a memorial urging Sun Quan to establish his title and ascend to the throne as emperor.

Sun Quan refused repeatedly.

They felt they were unworthy of their position.

However, less than two days later, a sudden storm hit Poyang Lake, and dozens of ships from Da Wu sank.

Two days later, a torrential rainstorm hit Chaisang, followed by a flash flood. Hundreds of families at the foot of Chaisang Mountain perished, leaving no trace of their bodies.

The courtiers were terrified and urged him to ascend the throne again, saying, "If you do not take what Heaven has given you, you will suffer the consequences." They hoped that Your Majesty would consider the well-being of all people and take the throne.

Left with no other choice, Sun Quan finally ascended the throne as emperor on an auspicious day in the southern suburbs of Wuchang, on the day of Bing Shen.

The astronomical report stated:

"The emperor, a subject of the emperor, dares to use the black ox, and hereby proclaims this to the empress and the emperor:"
"The Han dynasty lasted for twenty-four generations, spanning four hundred and thirty-four years. When its lifespan came to an end, its fortunes and prosperity were exhausted, the whole country collapsed and the land was in ruins."

"The wicked minister Cao Pi then seized the imperial regalia, and his son Rui succeeded him, committing wicked deeds and gaining a reputation for debauchery and disrupting the established order."

"Quan was born in the southeast, and was born at the right time. He was appointed to lead the army and was determined to bring peace to the world. He was appointed to carry out punishments and served the people with all his might..."

"The ministers, generals, and officials of all the prefectures, counties, cities, and officials all believed that Heaven's will had turned away from the Han dynasty, and that the Han dynasty's ancestral sacrifices had ceased to exist."

"The emperor's position is vacant, and the suburban sacrifices have no master."

"Moreover, the victory of the northern expedition and the appearance of auspicious omens were confused before and after, and since it was not in accordance with the will of Heaven, disasters occurred."

"Power fears the mandate of Heaven and dares not disobey."

"I would like to choose the first day of the lunar month to burn sacrifices on the altar, that is, to ascend the throne of the emperor.

"May you be blessed by the gods, with Wu on your left and right, and may your heavenly favor last forever!"

is the day.

The Emperor of Great Wu issued his first decree.

He posthumously honored his father, General Jian, as Emperor Wulie.

He posthumously honored his mother, Lady Wu, as Empress Wu Lie.

He followed his brother's strategy of suppressing rebellion and became the King Huan of Changsha.

Prince Deng, the crown prince of Wu, was appointed as the crown prince.

All officials and officers were promoted and rewarded.

This occurred two days after Sun Quan offered sacrifices to Heaven in Wuchang.

The music was played in Xiakou, Chaisang, and Poyang, with the Yellow Dragon, Phoenix, and Red Crow appearing in the three places respectively.