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

Chapter 195 Sun Quan: No need to rescue my elder brother, I will surpass him!
"Zhang Xian has rebelled. Huang, acting on the orders of Liu, the governor of Jingzhou, has decided to punish the traitors, but only the ringleaders will be executed; those who surrender will be spared!"

"Only the ringleaders will be executed; those who surrender will be spared!"

"Only the ringleaders will be executed; those who surrender will be spared!"

With Huang Zhong wielding his greatsword and charging through the enemy lines with almost no one able to stop him, and with the seven thousand soldiers brought by Kuai Yue behind him and Liu Biao's righteous cause, the resistance in Linxiang City gradually weakened and soon fell.

On the way Huang Zhong led his troops to fight his way here, the few people who were plotting in the prefect’s mansion received the news and fled in panic.

Even Zhuge Jin, who was originally full of confidence, did not expect that Zhang Xian would be so incompetent. As the prefect of a prefecture, he did not even have this much credibility in Huang Zhong's eyes.

Little did he know that Zhang Xian had not started his rebellion only today after seeing him arrive; rather, he had been plotting it for many days, allowing the Jingzhou authorities to prepare. How could his plan possibly succeed?

Thus, a perfectly good plan to lure people into the city forced Huang Zhong to directly stage a mutiny.

They even foolishly mobilized their elite troops to the governor's mansion, leaving the city gates wide open, giving Huang Zhong an opportunity to turn the tables.

Fortunately, concentrating the troops in the prefect's mansion had its advantages, such as during an escape.

The group acted decisively. Based on the five hundred axemen of the prefect's mansion, after learning that Huang Zhong was coming from the north gate, they led their men to flee to the south gate. Along the way, they gathered their trusted troops and abandoned Linxiang, fleeing out of the city without looking back.

Fortunately, Zhang Xian was a prefect, not a general. Although the defeat and loss of the capital city were devastating, as long as the people escaped, he would not be completely defeated.

Of the thirteen counties in Changsha, he still effectively controlled the remaining twelve. Since Huang Zhong had already broken all pretense and attacked him, he no longer bothered to hide anything.

He immediately shouted the imperial edict issued by Yuan Gong and angrily denounced Liu Biao's numerous unforgivable crimes. On that day, twelve out of the thirteen counties of Changsha rebelled!
With the assistance of Zhuge Jin, Zhang Xian gathered troops from twelve counties and combined them with the troops he had brought from Linxiang, totaling seven thousand men, to confront Huang Zhong's forces.

After receiving reinforcements from Kuai Yue, Huang Zhong's troops now numbered eight thousand. They have now captured Linxiang and have the support of Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou.

After killing the ringleader of Zhang Xian's trusted generals in Linxiang City, he easily gathered nearly 10,000 of Zhang Xian's troops from Linxiang City.

With this total of 18,000 men, they launched a fierce attack on Zhang Xian's forces.

With a large army and the great general Huang Zhong, they quickly routed Zhang Xian, and the counties and towns of Changsha Prefecture fell one after another.

Among those who made great contributions, we must mention a rising young general in the Jingzhou army, none other than Sun Quan!

When Linxiang fell, everyone fled in panic, except for Sun Quan.

He reflected on the grave mistakes he had made, and how Yuan Shu had always been prejudiced against him and his elder brother, members of the Sun family who harbored ulterior motives, and only treated them well to maintain his image of benevolence.

If we wait for Yuan Shu to arrive this time, given this grave mistake, why wouldn't he take this opportunity to eliminate me? I'm afraid there will be no way out.

It's better to make the same mistake again than to have this thought once more!
Since the eldest brother is already a caged bird and a fish in a net, bound by the cage and net, he can no longer break free and stand on his own.

Since Sun Quan had the opportunity to escape, why didn't he take this opportunity to achieve great things and live up to his late father's heroic spirit?

My elder brother, having been adopted by Yuan Gong and receiving great favors, is already trapped. Therefore, there is no need to rescue him. I will surpass him!

Inheriting the ambitions of his father and elder brother, Quan could also be called the head of the Sun family, break free from his predicament and restore the name of the Sun family in Changsha!

Thinking of this, I was afraid to go back and face the grave mistake I had made. I pondered the way forward, and in my daze, I hesitated and my steps inevitably slowed down.

When fleeing for their lives, a single step behind means falling further behind. Huang Zhong's main focus was on the group of men led by Zhang Xian who were fleeing.

In the ensuing charge, although they failed to capture Zhang Xian, the bandit leader, they did manage to capture Sun Quan, a young man with green eyes and a purple beard who looked like an important figure on the enemy side.

Sun Quan: "."

Several days ago, in Linxiang City, at the Prefect's residence.

Huang Zhong and Kuai Yue immediately recognized the young man's extraordinary appearance and bearing. They knew he was no ordinary person; even if he wasn't Zhang Xian's son, he was still a big fish.

Upon further inquiry, he learned that Sun Ce, Yuan Shu's adopted son, was his younger brother, which made him feel even more accomplished!
However, upon hearing Sun Quan's surrender speech, the two exchanged a glance, their gazes gradually becoming strange as they looked at the bound young man before them with astonishment. In the end, it was Kuai Yue who spoke first and asked a question.

"So you are Sun Quan, the second son of Sun Jian, the Tiger of Jiangdong? You say you have secrets from Yuan Shao's camp and are offering to surrender to us?"

"Of course! Yuan Gonglu has overstepped his bounds, falsely claimed the title of regent, disregarded the principles of heaven and the law of the land. His actions are clear to heaven and the world cannot tolerate them."

Quan has received his father's teachings and has been favored by the emperor for generations. He also enjoys the Han dynasty's salary. Now he does not think about repaying the country. How is he any different from a beast?
For the sake of the Han Dynasty, for the sake of His Majesty, I am willing to die a thousand deaths to expose Yuan Gonglu's despicable deeds to the world, to save the nation from collapse, and to continue the four-hundred-year reign of the Han Dynasty!

His eyes were blue, his demeanor dignified and upright, and his spirit was one of righteousness and passion.

Kuai Yue: "."

Huang Zhong looked at him with some anger at his lack of ambition, as if scolding him, "How could the fierce tiger of Jiangdong have such a spineless son? We haven't even started to coerce or entice you yet, and you haven't even struggled for a long time, but you're already willing to surrender."

However, Sun Quan's words were arrogant and awe-inspiring. He claimed that he was loyal to the Han Dynasty and the emperor, and that Huang Zhong was currently obeying Liu Biao's orders to punish the rebels for the emperor's sake. Therefore, Huang Zhong could not refute Sun Quan's statement.

He hesitated for a moment, then carefully chose his words and asked:

"But I've heard that Lord Yuan has treated your Sun family with great kindness, regarding your elder brother as his own son. Why is that?"

However, before Huang Zhong could finish speaking, Sun Quan interrupted him with righteous indignation!
"Don't mention my older brother!"

My father was a man of great renown, but he had no son like him!
My father fought for the Han Dynasty his whole life and was greatly favored by the court and the emperor, who granted him the title of Marquis of Wucheng.

I never imagined that my elder brother would be so ignorant of loyalty and righteousness, and regard benevolence and filial piety as worthless. He actually recognized a traitor as his father, worshipped that national traitor as his father, helped the wicked and caused chaos in the Han Dynasty, and brought disaster to the country and the nation.

Such a person, devoid of both ruler and father, is utterly shameful to be associated with. I have no elder brother like him!

Sun Quan outwardly delivered a passionate and vehement speech, but inwardly he secretly apologized to his elder brother, Sun Ce.

It's not that he didn't want his elder brother to be controlled by others; he had long harbored ambitions of independence, but no one would believe him if he said so!

Given the treatment Yuan Shu is giving Sun Ce as his adopted son, everyone in the world knows that Yuan Shu dotes on Sun Ce, treats him like his own son, and relies on him as if he were his right-hand man.

Sun Ce, grateful for the favor, fought bravely for Yuan Shu in several battles, accumulating numerous military achievements. He even gathered a group of people centered around the Sun family behind him, who wanted to help him compete for the position of successor to his eldest son, Yuan Yao.

This close father and son, who complemented and supported each other, are now being accused by Sun Quan of being a complete sham.
Who would believe that!
He was specifically targeted by Fang Cheng as a spy who deliberately plotted to frame Sun Quan after his surrender.

The key point is that this strategy has precedents!

Xiahou Dun and Xi Zhicai fell for this trick back then, thinking that Sun Ce was controlled by Yuan Shu and had long harbored rebellious intentions.

As a result, the agreed-upon military expedition was betrayed by Sun Ce, leading to a major defeat that caused the overall situation in Yingchuan to collapse, and even Xiahou Dun surrendered.

With such precedents, if Sun Quan dared to repeat such a statement, he would be courting death. For Sun Quan, having already committed a grave error—ruining Yuan Shu's grand plan to thwart the rebellion in three counties of Jingnan and splatter blood across nine commanderies—returning to Yuan's camp would likely mean certain death.

But Liu Biao could not tolerate the impassioned and loyal minister-like demeanor of Yuan Shikai standing before him.

At this moment, his only way to survive is through the loyalty of the Han Dynasty!

The only way to survive is to act as a loyal and righteous person who has long been disgusted by Sun Ce and Yuan Shu's collusion, but who has been controlled by others and now has the opportunity to set things right.

Moreover, this coincides with his previous plan to become independent.

Borrowing Liu Biao's power to resist Yuan Shu's might, and taking advantage of the chaos in Changsha, they revitalized the Sun family's reputation.

With Liu Biao, a tall figure, blocking Yuan Shu's path, and Yuan Shu residing in Changsha, he might be able to seize any opportunity to borrow his father's illustrious name and recreate the might of the Jiangdong Tiger!
Huang Zhong and Kuai Yue were unaware of Sun Quan's various thoughts. However, Huang Zhong couldn't find anything wrong with Sun Quan's rhetoric about loyalty to the Han Dynasty and was speechless.

Instead, Kuai Yue's eyes were strange as he gave Sun Quan a deep look and smiled meaningfully.

“Second son of the Sun family, have you forgotten that your father, Sun Jian, died at the hands of my Liu Jingzhou? The hatred between parents is irreconcilable. Now you say you want to come and join us, who will believe you?”

However, although Sun Quan was young, he was meticulous and had already dealt with this matter. His righteousness remained forever!
"Even personal kinship can be sacrificed for the greater good. With the nation and the emperor before us, why should we speak of personal grudges?"

Mr. Kuai, do not underestimate me! The world is in chaos, the land is in turmoil, the emperor is in imminent danger of extinction, and the common people are suffering terribly!
At this time, four hundred years after the founding of the Han Dynasty, signs of its impending demise have appeared, and forty million common people face the risk of losing their lives.

Although I am incompetent and have only a small life, how can I sit idly by?

At this juncture, how could I, for the sake of my father's personal vendetta, drag the common people into injustice?

Yuan Gonglu's ambitions are obvious to everyone. He can wear dragon robes in the morning and eat from the Nine Tripods in the evening. He can ride six horses and issue imperial edicts at will!

Such outrageous behavior is abhorrent to both gods and men, and cannot be tolerated by the laws of heaven!

Although Liu Jingzhou has a personal grudge against me, he is a member of the Han imperial family, a patron of the nation, and a protector of the people. He is known as one of the Eight Steeds and his prestige shakes the nine provinces. I have also heard of him.

Now we must put public interests before private ones, national interests before family interests, first serve the emperor and punish the traitor Yuan, and then honor my father to avenge my personal grudge.

Everything I've said here is true; my surrender is as clear as day!

Sun Quan made such a declaration of his feelings, but Kuai Yue remained silent and seemingly unmoved. Sun Quan knew that Kuai Yue was not one to act without seeing the benefits and would not easily believe such nonsense.

Therefore, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and he said:
"Mr. Kuai, do you know who prompted Zhang Xian to launch this sudden attack today, demanding that General Huang be summoned to the manor? And who devised the plan first? It was Zhang Xian who concentrated his trusted elite troops at the manor, giving you an opportunity to take advantage of the situation at the city gate?"

Kuai Yue frowned and looked at Sun Quan, "What does Second Young Master Sun mean?"

Sun Quan raised his head proudly and smiled calmly, "All of this was within my calculations. General Huang's victory in pacifying Linxiang today is all thanks to me."

I also know intelligence about Yuan's camp. Zhuge Jin, who came in second place in this year's Shouchun Grand Competition, is currently following Zhang Xian with a forged imperial edict from Yuan Shu. When the forged edict arrives, I'm afraid Lingling and Guiyang will soon follow suit and raise troops.

Soon Yuan's rebel army will arrive. Mr. Kuai, you will need me. No one knows my elder brother better than I do.

I can also use the Sun family's name to recruit soldiers in Changsha.

Think of my father and my eldest brother; their talents are no less than theirs. Soon they can assemble another Sun family army to fight alongside Liu Bei against the traitor Yuan Shao.

Huang Zhong/Kuai Yue: "."

Huang Zhong was somewhat speechless after hearing what he said, but Kuai Yue's eyes revealed a meaningful look as he gave Sun Quan a deep look.

"I wondered why Zhang Xian had suddenly launched an attack after enduring so many days. It turns out he fell into your trap. So General Sun's plan is exactly the same as Yue's?"
That's good. Yuan's camp is powerful, and we really need to unite all forces against Yuan now.

"Alright then, since General Sun is so sincere and has such a distinguished background, you can first join my army. With the influence of your Sun family, you can help me recapture Changsha, and we'll see how things go."

"Thank you, Mr. Kuai."

After Sun Quan left, Huang Zhong looked at Kuai Yue with surprise, "Sir, how much of what he said was true and how much was false?"

Kuai Yue glanced at him indifferently, "It's all a lie, you can believe it or not."

Huang Zhong was speechless. "Then why did you agree, sir?"

Seeing this, Kuai Yue smiled and explained to him, "Of course I won't easily believe someone like him who so inexplicably seeks refuge."

However, considering that he was Sun Ce's younger brother, they widely publicized his surrender.

Even if it doesn't cause the once close father and son, Yuan Shu and Sun Ce, to become estranged, it can still plant a seed of suspicion between them.

What seems useless today may sprout and branch out in the future, causing father and son to turn against each other.

Furthermore, the Sun family wields considerable influence in Changsha, and having him by our side will certainly be helpful in the subsequent recapture of Changsha.

As for his feigned surrender and betrayal, I never believed him in the first place, so how could I be fooled by him? With caution and careful planning, perhaps I can even turn the tables on him!

After listening to the scheming and plotting among these clever people, Huang Zhong was filled with admiration.

"With the strategist's profound wisdom and foresight, our lord's great cause is destined to succeed!"

In the following days, not long after news of Sun Quan's surrender spread, he recruited more than a thousand soldiers in Changsha in the name of the Sun family to assist Huang Zhong in battle.

Seeing that he only had a thousand men and was not enough to threaten them, Kuai Yue and Huang Zhong ordered him to be the vanguard to attack Zhang Xian in order to test his intentions.

Actually, he was quite nervous about leading troops into battle for the first time.

But there was no other way; he came out this time intending to establish himself independently, not to serve as Liu Biao's strategist.

If he has no troops under his command, how can he stand on his own? And once he has his own troops, no one but himself can lead them.

Unexpectedly, Sun Quan was surprised to discover that he inexplicably possessed a special talent for leading troops in battle.

Cities that even a great general like Huang Zhong would struggle to conquer could be easily breached by him.

Kuai Yue often had no choice but to defend desperately, appearing as helpless as a chicken or a dog in front of him.

Gradually, Sun Quan vaguely realized that it was not so difficult to be as successful as his father and elder brother on the battlefield.
What he didn't know was that not long before, when the news of his surrender to Liu Biao reached Huainan, the loud laughter of Yuan Gong could be faintly heard coming from Shouchun Palace.

It is said: "Even the 100,000 heavenly soldiers should not be too confident, and even a thousand troops and ten thousand horses should avoid Zhongmou."

(End of this chapter)