Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 194 Sun Quan: How could someone cause such a huge disaster?

Now, though I am but a mortal, I have succeeded to the throne, rising early and retiring late, thinking only of the common people.

Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, harbored treacherous intentions, overstepped his bounds and acted disloyally. His crimes were blatant and aroused the wrath of both heaven and man. If his crimes were not punished, it would be an injustice to heaven!
Upon receiving this imperial edict, raise your troops immediately; do not fail to comply!

After Zhuge Jin read the imperial edict aloud, Zhang Xian immediately understood what was going on.

However, harboring malicious intentions and overstepping his bounds is an act of disloyalty and arouses the wrath of both heaven and man, and is intolerable to the laws of heaven.
General Yuan, are you sure this imperial edict doesn't actually describe yourself?
Despite inwardly grumbling and complaining, Zhang Xian's actions were extremely practiced on the surface. Before Zhuge Jin could even react, he had already prostrated himself on the ground, like a loyal subject of the Yuan clan who had been devout for many years. He held the imperial edict above his head with both hands and loudly proclaimed:
"Your subject, Zhang Xian, Prefect of Changsha, respectfully obeys Your Majesty's decree and sincerely follows the orders of the Grand General. I hereby raise troops immediately to punish the traitor Liu Biao and uphold justice!"

After speaking, Zhang Xian stood up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Zhuge Jin, and grasped his hands tightly as if he had found a treasure.

"Rest assured, sir. I have long admired the General's reputation and wish I could serve by his side. Now that I have received this edict, I will not disappoint the General."

Zhuge Jin/Sun Quan: "."

This scene left the two of them speechless for a long time!

Unlike Huan Jie, who was unemployed at home, Zhang Xian was a powerful governor of the Han Dynasty, who had governed Jingnan for a long time and was deeply loved by the people.

Such a prominent figure from Jingnan had long admired Yuan Gong's reputation, and upon hearing the imperial edict, he immediately bowed down.

Yuan Gong's domineering aura is terrifying.
This left Zhuge Jin, who intended to use his silver tongue to sow discord and persuade others, feeling utterly helpless.

He thought he was on a great mission when he came here, but now he's met someone who immediately bows down and says he's been ordered to suppress the rebels.

This doesn't show his abilities at all!

Even if the great task is accomplished, what difference will there be between Zhuge Jin and the eunuch in charge of delivering imperial edicts? Any eunuch could do that job.

Sun Quan, on the other hand, became increasingly fearful of Yuan Shao's power.

Even the governor of Changsha was an admirer of Yuan Shu, and he immediately bowed down to him. What could Yuan Shu possibly do in Changsha?

We can't just defect and join Liu Biao, can we?
Unlike Zhuge Jin and Sun Quan, who were once again speechless with shock at the scene before them, Zhang Xian, the governor of Changsha, held the imperial edict tightly in his hand, and his withered face was filled with vitality and radiance.

"Very well, very well! The day the imperial edict arrives, we shall immediately raise an army!"

"Rest assured, Master Zhuge. With this imperial edict in hand, I am confident that a single letter will persuade the governors of Lingling and Guiyang to raise an army alongside me."

"Yes, Your Excellency is right."

Zhuge Jin nodded slightly with a strange expression. To be honest, not only was Zhang Xian confident, but he had also witnessed the power of this imperial edict twice.

He was now absolutely confident about the matter, and he could already picture the prefects of Lingling and Guiyang bowing down and shouting that they were ordered to punish the rebels upon hearing the imperial edict.

"However, although it is easy to start an army now, there is one person we must be wary of."

A mysterious glint appeared in Zhang Xian's eyes as he said to Zhuge Jin:
"In Changsha County right now, there is a general named Huang Zhong, a general under Liu Biao!"
Although the more than 10,000 soldiers in Changsha obeyed my orders, Huang Zhong also had 3,000 troops stationed nearby. Moreover, he had been in the army for many years, was exceptionally brave and strong, and was deeply loved by the Changsha army.

Now, with Liu Biao issuing an edict to mobilize troops, if I were to raise an army directly, I would inevitably be misled by him and cause my subordinates to turn against me.

Now that we have been summoned by Lord Yuan to suppress the rebels, we should eliminate them. However, their martial arts skills are astounding; they have fought without equal in Changsha. We are truly at a loss as to what to do.”

Zhuge Jin: "."

That's way too proactive! I haven't even said anything yet, and you're already planning to risk everything to get rid of Liu Biao's general?
Even Yuan's former protégés and officials weren't as loyal to the "emperor" and devoted to the country as you.

However, before Zhuge Jin could speak, Sun Quan, who was standing to the side, seemed to feel that his chance to show off had come, and stepped forward to speak!

"This is easy!"

He recalled the nightmare that his elder brother Sun Ce had once told him, the only younger brother who could understand him, and recounted it in detail.

"The Prefect only needs to use the pretext of agreeing to Liu Jingzhou's decree and inviting Huang Zhong into the Prefectural Office to discuss the troop deployment, and then lure him into the Prefectural Office."

Five hundred axemen, armed with bows and crossbows, will be hidden in the shadows of candles and the sound of axes to intimidate the enemy.

Even if Huang Zhong were not afraid of the prefect's power and defected to surrender, even if he were truly loyal, he could still be surrounded by five hundred axemen and archers. Even if he was a master of martial arts, he would still die on the spot.

At that time, Huang Zhong will either surrender or die. What will the Prefect have to fear in Changsha Commandery then?

Upon hearing Sun Quan's words, everyone present fell silent. This plan, though simple in words, was made all the more remarkable by coming from the mouth of a young man.

Zhuge Jin was astonished that Sun Quan, at such a young age, acted with such decisiveness.

Huan Jie frowned inwardly, thinking to himself that General Sun was upright and honest, and his bravery made him invincible. No one dared to disobey him.

Unexpectedly, these two sons were cunning and manipulative, their actions so sinister that it seemed General Huang Zhong's lifelong reputation would ultimately be ruined by their sons' schemes.

As for Zhang Xian, he was not unaware of such a plan to eliminate Huang Zhong.

The reason they didn't do this before was simply because they weren't ready to directly rebel and fight against Liu Biao.

After all, once this matter is done, regardless of whether it succeeds or not, Zhang Xian of Changsha will have no room for maneuver in front of Liu Biao.

But the young man who came with the angel spoke differently at this moment.

Zhang Xian had already learned from Huan Jie that the boy was Sun Quan, the younger brother of Sun Ce, Yuan Gong's first adopted son.

The fact that someone of this status came here with an angel clearly indicates that he represents the will of Lord Yuan. He proposed this plan, perhaps because he was afraid that Zhang Xian would outwardly comply but inwardly disobey, and that he would delay in Changsha after receiving the imperial edict.

Therefore, he temporarily spoke on behalf of Yuan Gong, asking to offer Huang Zhong's head as a pledge of loyalty, to demonstrate his determination to raise an army immediately.

However, Zhang Xian was at his wit's end and long wanted to prove his loyalty to Yuan Gong. Upon hearing this plan, he had no hesitation.

In the dark, secluded room, a sinister smile appeared on his lips, like a desperate criminal emboldened by evil, as he slammed his hand on the table.

“Excellent! This plan is brilliant. I will send someone to the military camp to summon Huang Zhong to the mansion.”

Sun Quan carefully considered the details of his elder brother's nightmare and suddenly remembered that behind Yuan Gong stood a peerless general like Ji Ling, which was why his elder brother Sun Ce dared not fight to the death.

At this moment, he looked around and saw that Zhang Xian, Huan Jie, and Zhuge Jin combined were not among those who could withstand a single blow from Huang Zhong.

If a general were to be transferred here at this time, it would not only arouse suspicion, but also remind people of Zhang Xian's previous statement: "Huang Zhong is invincible in Changsha."

Sun Quan narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke up at the opportune moment to add to the discussion.

"If you, my lord, do not have a general who can rival Huang Zhong, you should take precautions before implementing my plan."

"Now we can add the medicine to the tea that Huang Zhong drinks, just in case."

Zhuge Jin: "."

Who taught this brat to have so many schemes and tricks in his head?

Huan Jie: This son is nothing like his father!

Zhang Xian, however, wholeheartedly agreed, nodding and saying, "This plan is brilliant! Huang Zhong will definitely not be able to leave this city today!"

Shortly after, at the military camp outside the city where Huang Zhong's main force was stationed, a report came: "Report!"

General Huang, Prefect Zhang says he has already prepared for the handover of troops and invites you to the city for a discussion. He will then hand over the military command tally for Changsha Commandery and all related matters.

However, this important matter, which had been delayed for many days, finally came to a conclusion. Huang Zhong, upon receiving the message, showed no joy on his face and gave his instructions indifferently.

"Alright, go down and tell the prefect that I am aware of the situation and will be there shortly."

After the messenger left, Huang Zhong looked behind the screen in the main tent and chuckled, saying:

"After all this delay, our Prefect Zhang has finally lost patience. Mr. Kuai, what do you think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a person walked out from behind the screen. Who else could it be but Kuai Yue?
He stroked his beard and smiled, “It’s much later than expected. Even the rebellion has been dragging on. We overestimated him in the past.”

When we first presented this plan to our lord to mobilize the troops from Jingnan, we intended to test Zhang Xian. If he decisively surrendered his troops, our lord, being magnanimous, might even grant him a sinecure to retire comfortably.

If we are caught off guard and he suddenly turns on us, we will inevitably be caught off guard and he will be able to do his dirty work.

But right now, he's neither rebelling nor surrendering his military power, using various excuses to delay for so long. Who can guess what Zhang Xian is thinking?

However, we are waiting for our lord to transfer the troops from Jingbei so that we can annihilate them in one fell swoop, so as to avoid losses and give Huainan an opportunity to take advantage.

What is Zhang Xian waiting for? To die?

It turns out that Huang Zhong's army camp now has more than just his own three thousand soldiers.

Instead, Kuai Yue smuggled five thousand troops over intermittently, intending to resolve the situation in one fell swoop. If given more time, the number of troops would only increase.

Upon hearing Zhang Xian's words, Huang Zhong pondered for a moment.

"They are probably waiting for the governors of Lingling and Guiyang to express their opinions. Zhang Xian has been governing Jingnan for a long time and is deeply loved by the people in the three prefectures."

After all this delay, he suddenly rebelled today. Could it be that Lingling and Guiyang have agreed to join him in raising an army?

"This is impossible!"

Upon hearing Huang Zhong mention this conjecture, Kuai Yue categorically denied it.

“Cai Mao went to Lingling in person. In his previous letter to me, he mentioned that Xing Daorong, the general of Lingling, had heard that the lord trusted him greatly and appointed him as the top general. He immediately agreed.”

Recently, the village head has been spending his days drinking and hosting banquets with General Cai Mao. At the banquet, he even got so excited that he exposed his chest and patted his chest to guarantee his loyalty to his lord.

General Huang, as you know, from officers to rank-and-file soldiers, who in the entire Lingling Prefecture isn't an admirer of General Xing Daorong? They're all sworn brothers with General Xing, having shared drinks and risked their lives for him.

Now that we have General Xing’s wholehearted assistance, how could the Prefect of Lingling be so blind to the situation that he would agree to join Zhang Xian in his rebellion?

As for Chen Ying and Bao Long of Guiyang County, they were merely hunters. They had already wavered after receiving the lord's promise of promotion and titles, and with my elder brother personally speaking to them.

With their assistance, they had already gained control of half of Guiyang Commandery's troops. Even the governor of Guiyang, in contrast, would have to carefully consider the consequences of success or failure.

Huang Zhong understood the meaning behind Kuai Yue's words. With so much time delayed, Zhang Xian had already lost the initiative in his rebellion, and defeat was clearly inevitable.

Even the most muddle-headed governors of Lingling and Guiyang would not fail to grasp the situation and follow the doomed Zhang Xian in his rebellion.

But if that's the case, where does Zhang Xian get the confidence to take action directly?

Huang Zhong frowned, a hint of unease creeping into his expression, and sought advice from Kuai Yue.

"Today, Prefect Zhang invited me here, and I fear he has ulterior motives and wants to get rid of me as soon as possible."

"Mr. Kuai, how can you teach me?"

“Zhang Xian has run out of tricks. This is a child’s scheme. We can turn the tables on him.”

After some secret planning, Huang Zhong got the plan and led eight hundred men to Linxiang City.

Upon reaching the city, soldiers immediately blocked their way at the city gate.

"General Huang, halt!"

Huang Zhong stood on his horse, sword in hand, and glared at him coldly. "I have come here on the orders of Prefect Zhang. Why should I stop?"

The soldier hurriedly reported:
"Foreign troops were not allowed to enter the city, so the prefect requested the general's permission."

"What a joke! I am a General of the Household appointed by the Lord himself, and Zhang Xian is also a Prefect under the Lord. We serve in the same court, so how can there be a distinction between inside and outside? Prefect Zhang commands over ten thousand men in Changsha. Do you suspect me, Huang, of plotting a rebellion with a mere eight hundred soldiers?"

The soldiers were speechless, unable to respond. They could only urge anxiously, "General Huang, please rest a while and don't make things difficult for me. Let me report back to the prefect and ask for instructions."

Huang Zhong frowned slightly, as if hesitating, and after a long while he nodded slightly.

"Very well! Go and tell Prefect Zhang that I have a clear conscience. If he has nothing to hide, then let me lead my troops into the city."

The young soldier felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly ran to the prefect's office to deliver the message.

In the prefect's mansion, Zhang Xian had already prepared poisoned wine and five hundred axemen, waiting for Huang Zhong to arrive. Now that they suddenly heard that Huang Zhong was going to lead troops, how could everyone not be surprised and suspicious?

"Oh no, has he already noticed? What should we do now?"

"It's just a mere eight hundred soldiers. At worst, we can send in five thousand more axemen. Let's go all the way and make our move as soon as he enters the city."

"His martial arts skills are superb, and it would be unwise for him to escape from the city."

"Now we'll allow him to bring a dozen or so close followers into the city as a test. If he refuses, it means something has changed, and he's already discovered the big plan."

While these men were discussing matters with the prefect, Huang Zhong at the city gate had already waited for his opportunity.

It was the seven thousand soldiers led by Kuai Yue that appeared on the horizon not far away!

Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, the soldiers at the city gate stared in surprise at the suddenly appearing army, not knowing what to do. At that moment, Huang Zhong suddenly launched his attack!
He shouted loudly!
"Zhang Xian is plotting a rebellion!"
Huang Zhong, acting on Liu Bei's orders, is tasked with suppressing a rebellion. Anyone who obstructs him will be considered a traitor and their entire family will be executed. Gentlemen, do not jeopardize this cause!

As he spoke, he brandished his broadsword and led his eight hundred men to storm the city gate!
Upon seeing this, some of Zhang Xian's loyal officers and soldiers reacted quickly and led their troops to block the way.

However, Huang Zhong was incredibly brave and fierce. He led his men to guard the city gate, wielding his broadsword with such skill that water could not penetrate it. He was like a single man holding the pass, and no one could stop him!

Soon after, Kuai Yue arrived at the city gate with 7,000 men to provide support. Zhang Xian's army could no longer resist and was quickly driven into the city.

At that moment, how could the four people in the prefect's mansion, who had just heard the terrible news, not be terrified?

They were still lying in ambush, plotting against Huang Zhong, when Huang Zhong led his army to storm in.
Among them, the most terrified was Sun Quan.

Because he was the one who proposed the entire plan, the promising situation in Changsha was ruined by him.

Brother, you've misled me! This 'Candle Shadow and Axe Sound' story is different from what you told me.
Oh no! How could someone cause such a huge disaster?

I have ruined the important affairs of Jingnan. How could Lord Yuan tolerate me?
(End of this chapter)