Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 256 Sun Quan is shocked, Lu Xun plots

Wuchang.

The Great River.

Boats and ships filled the river, and banners obscured the sun.

The provisions and supplies, which had been prepared for more than ten days, had now all been loaded onto the ship.

The riverside dock was chilly.

Lu Xun led his generals in preparation for advancing westward against the current.

Sun Quan, the Emperor of Wu, wore a ceremonial robe with nine embroidered patterns and a crown with twelve tassels, leading his officials and ministers to the shore of the Stork and Crane.

A farewell banquet was held for Lu Xun, Liu Zan, Ding Feng, and other generals, with a farewell tent set up, wine vessels displayed, sacrificial animals and drums performed.

This was the first major campaign after the founding of the Great Wu Dynasty. It was a strong counterattack against Liu Shan of Western Shu for challenging the Mandate of Heaven of Great Wu, or rather, an answer to the question posed by the people of the world regarding the Mandate of Heaven of Great Wu.

They won; destiny favored Wu.

If we lose, the world will laugh at us.

Therefore, no amount of grandeur is excessive.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured." Xu Sheng, whose face was still pale due to serious injuries preventing him from going on the expedition, spoke with a firm tone.

“Since Master Pan said he could hold out for a month and a half, there would be no mishap.”

"With the Grand General's journey westward, the Shu barbarians... will surely return empty-handed!"

Sun Quan nodded slightly.

My gaze drifts to the distant ship "Chang'an" on the river.

Pan Jun's composure was well understood, and the military report that "the Shu army has not yet moved, but I have already occupied the pass and guarded the strategic position, and we can hold out for half a month" was the cornerstone of his peace of mind for the past ten days.

Along the Wuchang, Jiangxia, and Jiangling lines, the deployment of troops and supplies was carried out in an orderly manner. Fifty thousand reinforcements and a thousand ships of military supplies were assembled in just ten days, and everything was still under control.

Not long after, Chang'an set off.

A thousand sails are in motion, while ten thousand horses remain silent.

Oh... Great Wu has no horses. In any case, the 30,000 troops and more than 50,000 soldiers transferred from downstream of Wuchang set off in multiple routes at once.

When Lu Xun's flagship, the "Chang'an," completely disappeared from Sun Quan's sight, Sun Quan ordered the removal of all ancestral offerings and the return of the army to the palace.

Before he could turn around...

A red horse boat, speeding downstream from upstream, suddenly appeared in Sun Quan's line of sight, weaving nimbly among the boats of various sizes.

Upon seeing the red horse and light boat, Sun Quan and his officials all frowned, and the subtle and complex atmosphere on the riverbank suddenly became tense.

At that moment, the red-horse boat sailed swiftly downstream, likely carrying urgent reports from the front lines from Pan Jun and Sun Shao.

As expected, as soon as the red-horse boat docked, the messenger leaped ashore, holding aloft a "feathered proclamation" with a white feather attached, delivering an urgent message:

"Your Majesty! Urgent dispatch!"

"A messenger from Pan Taichang of Wu County!"

An urgent dispatch?!

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan's heart sank.

This is the second urgent dispatch within ten days.

He calmly accepted the urgent message and silk scroll.

It unfolded rapidly.

His eyes were electric.

In an instant, all the color drained from the face of the Great Wu Emperor, and his hand holding the urgent dispatch trembled slightly.

The pride and ambition he had felt since ascending to the throne were now replaced by immense humiliation, shock, anger, and hatred.

His chest heaved violently for a long time before he finally took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the rage that was about to erupt.
"Reveal my imperial edict!"
"The army is accelerating its westward advance!"
"General, return to the palace immediately for a meeting!"

Behind Sun Quan.

Crown Prince Sun Deng, Chancellor Gu Yong, Attendant-in-Ordinary Shi Yi, Commander-in-Chief Hu Zong, Inspector Lü Yi, and General Xu Sheng, along with other civil and military officials, were all shocked and bewildered, exchanging bewildered glances.

The Great Wu Emperor looked at no one again, but turned around and boarded his imperial carriage.

The emperor's carriage sped back to the palace at an almost frantic pace.

Wuchang Palace City.

The rear hall of Taiji Hall.

The palace doors slammed shut.

Isolated from both inside and outside.

The hall was empty and dimly lit.

Only Sun Quan's heavy breathing could be heard.

"Pan Chengming!"

"Sun Gongli!"

"This...this is your coronation gift to me?!"

The suppressed growl finally erupted.

Sun Quan suddenly swung his arm, and the imperial edict was slammed to the ground.

However, the silk scroll was so light that it made no sound when dropped, and it did not diminish Sun Quan's hatred and anger in the slightest.

He then kicked over a small sandalwood table with an incense burner on it, and the ashes filled the air, making the hall even darker and more oppressive.

"Liu Shan!"

"Son of the Dolphin Dog!"

"Too much deception! Too much deception!"

The Great Wu Emperor cursed as he paced back and forth in the palace like a trapped beast.

Before he could even change out of his black and crimson robes, they were now in complete disarray, and the jade beads on his twelve-tasseled crown were clashing violently, making a chaotic and disorderly sound.

"I swear I will never share the same sky with you!" Sun Quan's rage had completely shattered his reason.

He had just ascended the throne when he was dealt this heavy blow.

With their army wiped out and their generals killed, the western border was practically wide open!

This was more than just a military defeat.

This is an enormous challenge to his right to the throne and his divine mandate!

"My first battle after becoming emperor!"

"My first battle after inheriting the Mandate of Heaven!"

"How could you... suffer such a crushing defeat?!"

Sun Quan was always well aware of the kind of looks and opinions that would arise from forcibly declaring himself emperor.

However… he never believed that the Shu army would be able to break through the Yangtze River defense line, and he even had a faint expectation that the Shu army would attack the Yangtze River defense line.

In this way, he could use a victory in the war against Shu to prove to the world who truly deserves the Mandate of Heaven.

Just like the Battle of Yiling back then.

What about now?
Those skeptical glances lurking in the shadows, those whispers about "whose destiny lies," all found their evidence at this moment.

The instigator of all this was Liu Shan.

"If I do not execute Liu Shan, I...I swear I will not be a human being!" Sun Quan paced back and forth in the palace, venting his anger wildly. Inside the palace.

Bronze dragon and tiger holding lamps, vermilion bird and phoenix screen, cloud-patterned brocade curtains, unicorn emperor's sword... each item exudes the emperor's majesty, but at this moment, in Sun Quan's eyes, they all seem like a silent mockery.

He suddenly drew his Qilin sword, a flash of cold light in his hand, and fiercely chopped at the wooden pillar in the hall.

With each strike of his sword, he would call out "Liu Shan," his hatred for Liu Shan surpassing everything else and reaching the pinnacle of his life.

One by one, the precious artifacts were destroyed. About half an hour later, a cautious report finally came from behind the palace gate:

"Your Majesty, the Grand General, Prime Minister Gu, Xu Zhendong, Ding Zhengshu, Liu Pingxi... are all waiting for your orders outside the palace."

Sun Quan, who was leaning on his sword, looked tired. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself down before sheathing his sword.

He adjusted his crown and robes again before finally speaking in a deep voice: "Summon."

After speaking, he left the rear hall.

In the front hall, Sun Quan was already seated on the imperial throne.

Lu Xun, Gu Yong, Xu Sheng, Liu Zan, Ding Feng and others entered one after another.

They were unaware of what had happened at the front or what had happened to Sun Quan, but their steps were heavy and their faces solemn.

Everyone bowed.

No one spoke first.

Sun Quan remained silent, only handing the somewhat torn silk to his close and loyal supervisor, Gu Li, who was meticulous in his work.

Gu Li then handed it to Lu Xun.

Lu Xun took it and quickly browsed through it.

Behind him, Gu Yong, Hu Zong, Xu Sheng, and others also turned slightly to stare intently.

On the silk scroll, the handwriting is hurried and messy.

"...all the passes west of Wuxian, Yanyu, and Shenjian have fallen..."

"I fought valiantly but was overwhelmed, suffering tens of thousands of casualties."

Generals Xianyu Dan and Xu Zhong died defending their country... Sun Gui surrendered to Shu.

"The enemy's forces have collapsed like a mountain collapsing. I have no choice but to abandon Yanyu and retreat to Wuxian to hold out for reinforcements..."

Even though they were mentally prepared, the contents of this urgent dispatch still made Lu Xun, Gu Yong, Xu Sheng, and other civil and military officials look extremely grim.

"Have all the deep ravines and streams fallen?"

"Pan Taichang...abandoned the pass and retreated?"

"Tens of thousands of soldiers lost?" Xu Sheng was the first to speak.

As a national general, Pan Jun was responsible for the defense of the western border. He could have easily avoided going to the deep ravines and Yanyu, and could have simply commanded from the center in Wu County.

But he went.

Since we've gone, we have to take full responsibility.

The fact that the general was about to abandon the pass and flee dealt an obvious blow to the morale of the troops.

Therefore, leaving aside the other passes, Pan Jun, the former General of the Imperial Guard, must bear the main responsibility for the fall of Yanyu Pass.

It wouldn't be excessive to simply confiscate his ceremonial staff and put him in a cage for questioning.

The hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

After a long while, Lu Xun put down the silk scroll in his hand.

His expression was quite calm as he slowly spoke:

"Your Majesty, if the messenger's report is true, the situation was indeed critical at that time, and Chengming's abandonment of the pass was a last resort."

Sun Quan frowned.

Lu Xun remained calm and composed.

"The passes in Wuxi fell quickly."

"The military situation has collapsed like a mountain collapsing and a dam breaking; it is beyond human power to save it."

"At that time, Pan Taichang wanted to advance but could not. If he retreated to the isolated Yanyu Pass, the grain and fodder inside the pass might be enough to sustain him."

"However, the soldiers did not know when or if the reinforcements would arrive."

"Ignorance breeds fear, and fear breeds change."

"Many of Chengming's soldiers are from Jingzhou... Now that the Shu people have won, they only need to be slightly incited, and internal strife will naturally arise."

"At that time, not only will the pass be unable to be protected, but Chengming will also be in danger... It may be captured by the defeated soldiers or killed by those who surrendered to Shu."

He paused for a moment before continuing:

"If Chengming, who is in charge of military affairs, is killed, Wuxian County will inevitably be thrown into chaos."

"If that's the case, Sun Zhenxi cannot save him."

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan's pupils contracted slightly.

He naturally understood the complex and intertwined relationship between the Jingzhou soldiers and Shu Han, and what Lu Xun said was not an exaggeration.

If Poon Chun had actually died in battle or been murdered, the blow to morale would have been even more devastating.

As for Sun Shao... this General of Wu's Western Garrison doesn't have a deep foundation in Jingzhou, and only plays a minor role in restraining Pan Jun.

Thinking of this, Sun Quan's anger at Pan Junjie's abandonment of the army subsided slightly: "According to Boyan's opinion... Chengming's abandonment of the pass is not a crime."

“Exactly.” Lu Xun nodded.

"Wu County is a high city with deep moats, and the iron chain river pass further hinders the Shu people's naval forces, making it the true barrier of the western border of Wu."

"Chengming rallied the defeated troops, boosted morale, and defended the city. This was merely to buy time for our Great Wu reinforcements to advance westward."

"Your Majesty, Chengming clearly knows that if he, as the commander-in-chief, abandons his troops and flees, it will cause turmoil in the court and the country, and invite further criticism."

"But for the sake of the nation's great cause, he disregarded his personal reputation and integrity in his later years, attempting to salvage the already declining situation and prevent Mount Tai from collapsing. His good intentions are truly admirable, and I humbly beg Your Majesty to consider them."

Sun Quan remained silent for a moment upon hearing this before letting out a heavy sigh:
"That's it.

"Since things have come to this point, there's no point in pursuing it further."

"The most important task at present is to deal with the Shu bandits and protect Wu County!"

Sun Quan's purple beard twitched slightly, his gaze slowly sharpening as he swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Lu Xun's no longer youthful face:
"Boyan, do you have a solution?"

Lu Xun had a plan in mind, and pondered for a moment:

"The Shu army has suddenly won a great victory, and its military strength is at its peak."

"Their next step will definitely be a fierce attack on Wuxian County."

"However, according to Xun's prediction, although his land forces will arrive, his naval ships will be constrained by the iron spikes in the river and will find it difficult to sail eastward."

"At this time, Chengming and Gongli (Sun Shao) will inevitably focus on the Shu navy and deploy heavy troops at Tiesuojiang Pass and west of Wuxian to deal with the Shu infantry."

At this point, Lu Xun stopped speaking.

After a few breaths, he suddenly bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute:
"Your Majesty, whether Wuxian can be held depends not necessarily on the area west of Wuxian, but on whether we can contain another possible advance of the Shu army!"

Sun Quan was momentarily stunned.

Generals Xu Sheng, Ding Feng, Liu Zan, and He Da were puzzled.

Having been dealt with several times by Lü Yi, the school's troublemaker, and reduced to apathy, Prime Minister Gu Yong vaguely guessed what Lu Xun wanted to say, but he lowered his head and pretended not to know anything.

(End of this chapter)