The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 289 Zhuge Qiao's Mission to Eastern Wu

"Your Majesty, wait!"

Seeing the new emperor's careless and impulsive actions, Zhuge Liang had no choice but to speak up.

"Those who are good at using troops throughout history have always adapted to the times and guided the situation accordingly."

"If the benefits are greater in Hedong, then go to Hedong; if the benefits are greater in Henan, then go to Henan."

"If there is no profit to be made, then we should hold back and prepare our troops first."

"Generals and ministers may offer their advice to the country, and each may have their own preferences, but Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, must treat them with impartiality and discuss matters on their merits. It is inappropriate to show favoritism to your ministers, lest the laws be applied differently inside and outside the country."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan immediately expressed his gratitude and said he had learned something.

Like an obedient student.

Apart from Miwei, no one found this scene strange.

At this moment, Zhuge Liang said again:
"As Master Mi said, we should wait for the right opportunity."

"As for General Guan's journey, this timing depends on whether Cao Wei is in chaos due to the loss of its ruler, and whether Jiangdong can successfully send troops to cooperate."

"If both are true, then I will change course and fully support Guan Yu and Wei Zhi in their attack on Luoyang."

"But if neither of these two options is satisfactory, then I will refute the generals' arguments, and that will be convincing to others."

It turns out it was just a delaying tactic!

Liu Shan finally understood.

The Prime Minister is still the most reliable!

He then asked, "I wonder who the Prime Minister intends to send as envoy? Is it still Fei Wenwei?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang pursed his lips and remained silent.

Seeing this, Miwei smiled and said:

"Fei Wenwei's achievements and reputation are becoming increasingly prominent. He should be promoted to Minister after next year's performance evaluation. It would be a waste of his talents to appoint him as an envoy."

"I propose that we appoint Zhuge Bosong as the chief envoy."

"Although he had no experience in serving as an envoy to other countries, he was organized and knew how to conduct himself properly. Moreover, he had grown up in Jiangdong since childhood and was familiar with the local customs, making him a suitable envoy to the Wu Kingdom."

Zhuge Bosong was Mi Wei's chief clerk, and Zhuge Qiao was Zhuge Liang's adopted son.

Not long ago, he came to Chang'an to see his father, Zhuge Liang, and took the opportunity to have his coming-of-age ceremony and receive a courtesy name.

Liu Shan is perfectly acceptable.

Zhuge Liang, however, seemed slightly hesitant and said:

"Bosong is steady but lacks shrewdness and eloquence. Is he suitable to be the chief envoy?"

Mi Wei smiled inwardly, unconvinced.

In fact, over the past few years, Zhuge Qiao has worked under his own command and has not been overshadowed by generals such as Jiang Wei, Deng Ai, Wang Ping, Ma Zhong, and Xiang Chong. Isn't that enough to demonstrate his ability?
The prime minister was too strict with his son.

There might also be an element of avoiding suspicion involved.

So he said:
"Bosong is accustomed to observing carefully and pondering deeply before taking action, so he may seem a bit dull, but in fact he plans things out before he acts."

"As for eloquence, it's good to have it, but if you don't, you can have a skilled debater as your deputy, and then you'll be absolutely sure of success."

"I think Dong Hui and Dong Xiuxu from Xiangyang are quite good."

Even if Liu Shan was slow to react, he finally realized what was happening.

He made the decision on the spot:
"Then let Zhuge Bosong be the chief envoy, appointed as Zhaoxin Colonel; and Dong Xiuxu as the deputy envoy, appointed as Xuanxin Zhonglang. Choose a day to go on the mission to Jiangdong!"

……

In the fifth year of Zhangwu, Zhuge Jin, the governor of Jiangxia in Wu, received a military order from General Lu Xun, ordering him to come to Jianye as soon as possible.

Zhuge Jin dared not be negligent. He briefly entrusted the defenses to Zhuge Jin and then led only a small number of his troops down the river.

When Lu Xun arrived at Niuzhuji Water Fortress, he was inspecting the river defenses.

At this time, the spring waters are just beginning to rise, and boats shuttle back and forth on the river, creating a magnificent sight.

Although Zhuge Jin was already used to this kind of scene.

But each time, a surge of heroic spirit wells up in my heart.

However, just as his spirits were spurred on by his own fleet, he turned his attention to Dongpo (mouth) on the other side of the river.

A magnificent five-story ship, sailing downstream towards Jianye, came into view.

Even from a distance, one can still see that the ship's exterior is adorned with a large amount of exquisite colorful silk.

A similarly exquisite banner, seemingly woven from Shu brocade, bearing the character "Han," was fluttering in the river breeze.

Compared to the surrounding small and medium-sized warships, it stood out like a crane among chickens.

When did Jiangdong have the manpower and resources to build such a multi-story ship?
Now... thinking back to the past, Zhuge Jin couldn't help but hesitate.

So much so that the joy of seeing her "nephew" was somewhat dampened.

He simply looked away and said to Lu Xun:

"The general summoned me suddenly to discuss the Northern Expedition?"

Lu Xun nodded:
"Soldiers, the important affairs of the country, the place of life and death, the way of survival, must be observed."

After dropping a pedantic remark, Lu Xun turned around and said:

"Since the death of our late king, our country has relied on the river for defense and has no longer waged large-scale wars against other countries."

"Internally, it is because the country is weak and the Yue tribes are fickle, leaving no time to attend to other matters."

"Externally, we must observe the conflict between our two neighbors to the west and north and act accordingly."

"Now that two years have passed, the rebellion of the Yue people has been quelled, and the granaries have been restored to some extent. We should now think about the future."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jin shook his head and said:

"As the general said, two years have passed, and what needs to be thought about and planned should have been clearly defined long ago. Why wait until today to discuss it?"

"Moreover, Jianye is not lacking in talented and resourceful men, while I have always been criticized by the late king for my slowness. How can I share the general's burdens at such a critical juncture?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xun fell silent.

Zhuge Jin felt something and said no more.

After the two men waited for the naval forces on the river to display their military might to the envoy of the suzerain state, they hurriedly withdrew their troops and rode quickly to Jianye.

After entering the city, the young King Sun Deng of Wu of the Han Dynasty hosted a banquet for the two envoys from the superior country.

The Right Chancellor Sun Shao, the Left Chancellor Gu Yong, the Grand Tutor Zhang Zhao, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Lü Fan, and other important officials were all present.

It can be said that, apart from General Zhu Ran, who was stationed in Wancheng, which was isolated north of the Yangtze River, for a long time and could not leave easily, the other reason was that...

All the important figures in the entire Wu Kingdom have arrived.

Although it was Zhuge Qiao's first visit abroad, everyone present was someone he had known since childhood, so he was not nervous.

Instead, he took the initiative to introduce Jiangdong figures to the deputy envoy Dong Hui.

The two sides quickly became acquainted and began drinking and chatting.

After several rounds of drinks, Sun Deng glanced at Right Chancellor Sun Shao.

The latter immediately understood and raised his voice:
"I was just told that the Han Emperor is only two years older than my king, yet he has already become the ruler of the Central Plains. It is truly astonishing!"

"However, the Han emperor lived in Shu for a long time, which was thousands of miles away from Jiangdong."

"We are ignorant and uninformed, unaware of the Emperor's virtue and wisdom. We humbly request your guidance, Bosong!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qiao slightly swirled his wine cup.

Sun Shao's question was certainly not merely to satisfy his curiosity.

More importantly, it was to test whether the Chang'an court was stable enough.

The person below, without changing expression, said:
"Although Your Majesty lived in seclusion in the Eastern Palace before entering the pass, the late Emperor had selected virtuous and capable people to be the Crown Prince's teachers and friends, and devoted himself to guiding him without ever slacking off for a single day."

"Later, Your Majesty entered Guanzhong with the late Emperor's last edict, opened up channels for advice, and readily accepted good suggestions. The wise and capable people in Guanzhong all admired Your Majesty's wisdom and capacity, which exceeded their expectations."

Upon hearing this, Dong Hui, who was attending such an occasion for the first time, appeared somewhat unnatural.

The rest of the people were just laughing and offering their support.

Whether you believe it or not is another matter.

Sun Shao: "But I don't know who the Han Emperor regarded as his teacher or friend in Shu?"

Zhuge Qiao: "Yin Mo Yin Siqian, a great Confucian scholar of Yizhou, was a student of Song Zhongzi. He was well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge and was famous in Jing and Yi. He once served as a servant to the Crown Prince."

"Lai Min and Lai Jingda were proficient in textual exegesis and skilled in textual correction. They once served as the Crown Prince's Household Steward."

"These two are the Crown Prince's tutors!"

"In addition, Dong Yun, courtesy name Xiuzhao, and Huo Yi, courtesy name Shaoxian, were both descendants of loyal and virtuous officials. They accompanied the Crown Prince and constantly provided guidance."

Upon hearing these names, some familiar and some unfamiliar, the officials of Jiangdong displayed a variety of expressions.

It wouldn't warrant questioning it in public.

Aside from Grand Tutor Zhang Zhao, who sat aloof and cold-faced to the side:

"According to the messenger, none of the teachers and friends accompanying the Han emperor are experienced generals who know about military affairs."

"Even if he is virtuous, he lacks military strategy and bravery, so I'm afraid he will have difficulty subduing his arrogant generals."

(End of this chapter)