Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 114 Lobbyist
Han You strode out of the official temple and stood on the steps, panting, looking around. He saw a gaunt old man in his sixties standing in front of a carriage. He looked like an old pine tree that had been weathered for a long time, smiling at him, giving people a gentle and wise feeling.

Han You hurried down the steps, a look of respect on his face. He knelt on his knees on the blue brick floor in front of the temple gate, his back straight, his hands spread out to the sides, and he leaned forward to prostrate himself, bowing deeply: "Disciple greets the venerable master."

Sheng Shen, dressed in a simple, neat Confucian robe, accepted the greeting calmly: "I heard that you have been conquering many lands and killing many people. Have you ever thought about the principles of benevolence and righteousness that I taught you in the past?"

Han You stood up, his face ashamed, and bowed his head, saying, "I have never forgotten your teachings. I was forced to do this by current circumstances."

Sheng Shen sighed and said slowly, "The world is in turmoil, and the people are suffering. However, benevolence and righteousness must not be abandoned. As a local official, you should prioritize the safety of the people. Do not let me down."

Han You said solemnly, "Your words are absolutely right. I will keep them in mind. In the future, I will put benevolence and righteousness first and live up to your teachings."

He had no choice but to respect the old man in front of him, simply because he was Sheng Xian's brother.

Sheng Xian is 42 years old this year. He lost his father at a young age and was raised by Sheng Shen. Although he is an older brother, he is actually no different from his father.

When Han You was an official in Sheng Xian's yamen, he studied under Sheng Xian and was considered Sheng Xian's disciple. Most of Sheng Xian's knowledge came from Sheng Shen, so he was equivalent to Sheng Shen's second-generation disciple.

The two entered the official temple and walked towards the temple building in the backyard.

Sheng Shen was old and his legs were weak. In addition, he followed the etiquette when walking, and the distance between each step he took was almost the same, so he walked very slowly. Han You and the two young men brought by Sheng Shen respectfully accompanied him and walked slowly.

After entering the main hall in the backyard and sitting down, Sheng Shen said straight to the point, "I came here today because Yan Yi asked me to be his lobbyist."

Han You was shocked and said with a somewhat grim expression, "Does your Excellency want your disciple to rely on the Yan family?"

If Sheng Shen made this request, he would be in great trouble.

Han You couldn't help but recall an incident from over a decade earlier. During the reign of Emperor Ling, Zhao Zi, a native of Yan in Dongjun, was appointed Prime Minister of Donghai. On his way to take up his post there, he passed through Xingyang. Zhao Zi had recommended Cao Song, the magistrate of Xingyang, as a filial and honest official. Zhao Zi had been Cao Song's sponsor, so Cao Song had gone to meet Zhao Zi on the roadside. However, Zhao Zi's carriage was moving so fast that it passed before the two could even meet.

Cao Song chased for dozens of miles but failed to catch up. Seeing that the carriage had already driven out of Xingyang, Cao Song said to the chief clerk accompanying him, "Mr. Zhao is famous throughout the country and is my benefactor. If I cross the border without paying my respects, I will be ridiculed by the world." He actually took out the official seal from his sash and threw it away. He even resigned from his position as county magistrate and chased all the way to Donghai to pay a visit to Zhao Zi.

This incident had a great impact at the time, spread throughout the world, and was praised by scholars.

For Han You, Sheng Xian was both his benefactor and his teacher. The kindness Sheng bestowed on him was higher than the sky and deeper than the sea. If Sheng Shen persuaded him to submit to Yan Yi, he might really agree due to the current situation. Of course, he would always be somewhat reluctant in his heart.

Under his nervous gaze, Sheng Shen twisted his white beard and shook his head: "No!"

Han You suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and showed an expression of relief.

Sheng Shen took his expression in, sighed slightly in his heart, and said seriously: "I came here this time to ask you to raise an army and fight Zhu Zhi together with Yan Yi." Han You held his knees with his hands, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He was still resistant to this request. After all, Yan Yi and Zhu Zhi were both powerful enemies who coveted his foundation. Now the two were fighting fiercely. For him, of course, it would be most beneficial to sit back and watch them both suffer losses. There was no need to rashly participate at this time and waste troops.

However, since it was Sheng Shen who made the request, he couldn't refuse. After nodding slightly, he felt a strong curiosity in his heart and couldn't help asking, "Your Excellency has never been involved in wars. Why are you willing to speak on Yan Yi's behalf?"

Sheng Shen couldn't help but recall the scene of his meeting with Yan Yi the day before. A strange look crossed his face, and he sighed. "Yan Yi came to see me a few days ago and talked about his dispute with Zhu Zhi. He was worried that this war would escalate into a protracted war, which would bring unrest to the people. He asked me to help him end the war as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the people. He also used Wu Zixu's story about King Fuchai to persuade me. He has a quick wit, and I was convinced by him, so I came to see you."

Wu Zixu's words to Fuchai refer to Wu Zixu's words "There is no better way to cultivate virtue than to nourish it, and there is no better way to get rid of evil than to eliminate it completely" in which he persuaded Fuchai to completely destroy the State of Yue and end the protracted war between the two countries as soon as possible so that the people could truly enjoy peace.

To get rid of a disease, it is better to eradicate it completely. This means that to eliminate a disease or disaster, it must be eradicated completely in order to truly quell the evil. It is used to refer to war, and its meaning is self-evident.

For Sheng Shen, while he certainly didn't want to see the flames of war erupt and the devastation it caused, since the war had already begun, he could only hope for it to end quickly so that the people would suffer less harm. If there was a way to completely end the war, that would naturally be even better.

Upon hearing this, Han You suddenly understood why Sheng Shen, who had always been gentle and cautious, would personally come forward to help others.

Yan Yi's words really hit Sheng Shen's soft spot. With Sheng Shen's compassionate nature, even if he knew that the other party had ulterior motives, he would only be willing to work for them.

"What a silver tongue! This boy knows people's hearts and is mature beyond his years. I'm afraid he'll be very difficult to deal with in the future!"

Han You snorted inwardly, and his vigilance towards Yan Yi intensified. Suddenly, he was startled and blurted out, "Does Yan Yi have a way to completely defeat Zhu Zhi?"

"In my opinion, it's very possible!" Sheng Shen nodded and said in a serious tone, "Do you know that Zhu Zhi is in a critical situation right now, trapped in a deadly situation without even realizing it?"

Han You was shocked and said in a deep voice, "Zhu Zhi is a famous general in Jiangdong. He is good at commanding troops, and his generals are all veterans of many battles. He is personally leading 7,000 troops to the battle. He may be defeated, but looking at the entire Wu area, who can put him to death?"

Sheng Shen's eyes flashed, but he didn't answer. Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "If Zhu Zhi is north of Shishan Mountain and south of Daochang Mountain right now, what routes can he take to lead his troops back to Qiantang?"

Han You thought for a moment and said, "There are three ways to retreat back to Qiantang. One is the official road to Shishan, the second is the Qiyun Mountain area at the western foot of Shishan Mountain, and the third is the official road to Yong'an."

Sheng Shen stared at him intently. "If these three routes of retreat are blocked, and Yan is determined to kill Zhu Zhi at all costs, do you think he still has a chance to retreat back to Qiantang?"

Han You was horrified, finally understanding Sheng Shen's intention. He asked in a lost voice, "Is Yan Yi sure he can stop Shishan and Qiyunshan?"

Sheng Shen nodded slightly, a chill in his tone: "That's right, as long as you send more troops to block the main road in the direction of Yong'an, Zhu Zhi will never be able to retreat to Qiantang!"

(End of this chapter)