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

Chapter 321 The Power and Weakness Have Differed
"Xu Yuanzhi, why did you stop me from advising His Majesty just now?!"

After boarding the ship, Liu Ye glared angrily at Xu Shu.

"Cao Zilian, Jia Liangdao, and others ostensibly belittled Cao Zijian, but in reality, they were fueling his relocation to Huainan. They must have had ulterior motives!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shu rolled his eyes on the spot.

They seem to think this matter is not worth mentioning.

Liu Ye was furious and drew his sword, pointing it at Xu Shu, saying:
"Are you perhaps in cahoots with them?"

Xu Shu remained silent.

Only after the ferry had completely moved away from the riverbank did he leisurely say:

"Just now, the carriage was surrounded by Cao Zilian's troops. Are you sure you want to expose his scheme in front of him?"

Liu Ye was taken aback upon hearing this.

His gaze unconsciously turned south.

At this time, Cao Hong and others were still watching from the shore, with the elite troops of the central army following behind them.

They truly have a strong and well-equipped army.

Liu Ye suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, and his imposing manner immediately weakened considerably:

"He... he is a general of the royal family, no, he wouldn't do something improper in public, would he?"

Xu Shu sneered:
"If Cao Zilian acts so hesitantly, then His Majesty has already made arrangements for Huainan, so what is there for you to worry about?"

Liu Ye was speechless.

Xu Shu then turned to the side, revealing Cao Rui who was gazing north from the bow of the boat, and said:

"Now that the carriage is far from the south bank, it is beyond the reach of arrows. If you want to go and offer your advice, then go ahead; I will not stop you."

Liu Ye thought for a moment and then sheathed his sword.

He didn't go to see Cao Rui either.

Since things have come to this, let's wait until we've settled down in Ye City before making any further decisions.

Although he thought Xu Shu was a sycophantic villain.

But at least in this matter today.

The other party did handle it more appropriately.

……

In the third month of the second year of Jianxing, on the Shangsi Festival.

Yangzhou is ablaze with flowers.

Although "Yangzhou" in this era was a broader geographical concept than it was in later times.

But this did not stop the people of Jianye from taking advantage of the bright spring weather to go on outings and enjoy the flowers along the Huai River (Qinhuai).

Even Sun Deng, the King of Wu during the Han Dynasty, was no exception.

But King Wu did have a prudent and learned Confucian teacher, Grand Tutor Zhang Zhao.

So, while it's called "spring outing," it's actually just a change of scenery to continue studying and learning the classics.

Zhuge Ke, a friend of Sun Deng, Zhang Xiu, son of Zhang Zhao, Gu Tan, grandson of Gu Yong, and others were all present.

Everyone assumed that it would be Grand Tutor Zhang giving a lecture again today, so they dared not be negligent.

Unexpectedly, the speaker was a Yuezhi person named "Zhi Qian".

Mr. Zhi's ancestors migrated to the Central Plains, and he speaks fluent and elegant Luoyang dialect.

Unfortunately, what he is talking about today is not the traditional Five Classics or the works of the philosophers.

Instead, it is a Sanskrit scripture from India in the Western Regions.

Those terms like "meaningless," "uncorrected enlightenment," and "limitless brightness"... gave the young scholars splitting headaches and made them question the meaning of life.

Even Zhang Xiu couldn't help but frequently wink at his father, hoping to end this torturous sermon as soon as possible.

On the Shangsi Festival, instead of going to the waterside to enjoy the reeds and white dew with the ladies, I came to listen to a high monk from the Western Regions chanting Buddhist scriptures.

Is this reasonable?

"So that's how it works!"

After the scripture reading ended, a sudden voice broke the silence.

Everyone looked sideways.

It turned out to be Zhuge Ke.

Sun Deng exclaimed in surprise:
"Did Yuanxun gain anything from his first day studying Sanskrit scriptures?"

Zhuge Ke shook his head and said:

"Your Majesty, my only realization from studying the Sanskrit scriptures is that I will never be able to learn them in this lifetime."

"Then you still..."

"I understand why Lord Zhang invited the Western monks to chant sutras for us."

Everyone then looked at Zhang Zhao.

The latter glanced at the increasingly obese Zhuge Ke, but remained silent.

Zhuge Ke had no reason to be afraid:
"As far as I know, in the past, when the Central Plains were in turmoil, Mr. Zhi had no choice but to take refuge in Jiangdong." "Now that he has suddenly reappeared, it must be because he sees that the North is about to be pacified and has decided to return north."

Upon hearing this, the talented young people present immediately realized what was going on.

In fact, during the Jian'an period, there were more than just one eminent monk from the Western Regions who fled south to escape the chaos.

For example, the Xu brothers, Xu Shao and Xu Jing, from Runan; the Right Chancellor, Sun Shao; and the Grand Tutor Zhang Zhao before us.

Isn't that how everyone got through it back then?

Zhang Xiu glanced at his father and followed Zhuge Ke's words:

"In the second year of Zhangwu, the various kingdoms of the Western Regions, seeing that Hexi had returned to Han territory, sent envoys to Shu to pay homage to the emperor."

"Now, five years later, the road to the Western Regions has been reopened, and it leads directly to Chang'an."

"Mr. Zhi has been busy organizing and translating Sanskrit scriptures over the years, and since Guanzhong and Luoyang are closer to the Western Regions, it is naturally easier for them to obtain Western scriptures."

"Maybe he'd like to go back to his ancestral home for a visit?"

Zhang Zhao gave a soft snort, but remained silent.

Gu Tan, a man from Wu County in Jiangdong, looked at his two friends, and then at Sun Deng, the King of Wu, whose expression suddenly turned tense.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhuge Ke interrupted him directly:

"There's no need to worry about filial piety. Although Lord Zhang is from Pengcheng in Xuzhou, he has served three generations of the King of Wu and his son. How could he betray his lord just because he sees the Liu Han dynasty is strong?"

"Zhang Gong has come today to remind us that the Han Dynasty has been restored and the Cao family is no longer a great enemy."

“If the people of Jiangdong do not want to become slaves of a conquered nation, they should make plans as soon as possible.”

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions relaxed.

But thinking of the warning meaning behind Zhuge Ke's words, especially the phrase "slave of a conquered nation," I couldn't help but feel embarrassed again.

Since this matter concerned the fate of the nation, Zhang Zhao could no longer remain silent and turned to Sun Deng, saying:

"Your Majesty, although the Cao family's northward migration was a last resort, it also shows that the tripartite balance of power has changed."

"From now on, Han will be strong while Wei and Wu will be weak."

"When the court in Chang'an wanted to recruit officials, people from as far away as the Western Regions and Jiangnan flocked to it."

"Your Majesty should make plans soon in order to preserve the ancestral temples."

Sun Deng readily accepted advice:

"Grand Tutor's words are quite right. I wonder how I should respond? I can't very well turn around and ally with Cao against Liu, can I?"

Sun Deng's last sentence was obviously a joke.

Most of the people smiled.

But to his surprise, Zhang Zhao looked solemn, clearly indicating that he meant the same thing.

Even Zhuge Ke was finding it difficult to remain calm now.
"Back then, when Cao Cao launched a large-scale southern campaign, Zhang Gong strongly advocated for peace. How come now that times have changed, he's turning around and advocating for war?"

"Could it be that Zhang Gong has always harbored feelings for the Cao family?"

Zhang Zhao disdained to pay him any attention.

Zhang Xiu then spoke up to defend his father:
"Yuan Xun has misunderstood."

"My lord has always advocated for local security; how could he so easily start a war?"

"He was only concerned about the saying that no one other than a member of the Liu family could be king in the Han Dynasty."

"In the past, the state of Zongguo bestowed the title of King of Wu only because there was a powerful Wei nearby, so they had no choice but to befriend Jiangdong."

"But if the outcome of the battle changes in the future, will the Han emperor still be willing to retain the title of King of Wu?"

"If Chang'an were to reduce the power and titles of the princes in the future, how should we, the rulers and ministers of Jiangdong, conduct ourselves?"

"In my opinion, it would be wise to form a united front while the Cao family's fate is still intact."

Zhuge Ke immediately laughed in anger:
"So you're planning to join forces with Cao Rui to put pressure on Chang'an?"

"Who gave you the audacity to confront the well-equipped and powerful Han army?"

"Lu Zhengbei or Zhu Zhenbei?"

"It can't be my family member, can it?"

He then said to Sun Deng:
"Let Your Majesty know! Although my father is skilled in planning and strategizing, when it comes to commanding troops in battle, even three of him cannot defeat my uncle!"

"Uncle doesn't even need to take action himself; General Wei, Mi Shishan alone, is enough to deal with my father and me!"

Zhuge Ke was known for his sharp tongue, and none of the young scholars could rival him.

At this point, the other side even brought up renowned military commanders like Zhuge Liang and Mi Wei, making it even more difficult for anyone to refute them.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhao had no choice but to suppress his disgust for Zhuge Ke and speak again:
"You brat, don't interrupt me."

"I insist on joining forces with Cao Rui."

“Cao Rui succeeded to the legitimate line of the Wei dynasty, and he could not coexist with the emperor in Chang’an, so he could not be relied upon.”

"But it may not be impossible for others."

Zhuge Ke was suddenly taken aback and was speechless for once.

Whether they were caught off guard or astonished by Zhang Zhao's extraordinary imagination, it's unclear.

(End of this chapter)