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

Chapter 363 Busy and Chaotic
Jiangxia, E County.

The newly appointed Minister of the State of Wu, Zhuge Jin, is meeting with his colleagues at home.

His son, Zhuge Ke, suddenly rushed in from outside, his clothes disheveled.

Zhuge Jin's face darkened, and he was about to reprimand him.

But Lu Xun stopped him:
“Yuan Xun has always been unkempt. Even if you scold him today, he won’t change his ways tomorrow.”

"His disheveled appearance suggests something important must be at hand. Let's hear what he has to say."

Zhuge Ke glanced gratefully at Lu Xun, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd and said urgently:

"My lords, gentlemen, disaster has struck!"

"What kind of trouble?" The person who asked the question was Yan Jun, the Minister who had come with Lu Xun.

Zhuge Ke knew that this man had a close relationship with his father, so he did not hide it:
"This morning, Lord Zhang Zibu sent a letter from Stone City questioning why we have secretly established a new ruler behind the back of the late king. This is the work of a traitorous minister, and he wants to sever ties with us!"

The three elders looked at each other upon hearing this, but showed no sign of panic.

Firstly, their support for Sun Lü was merely a matter of expediency.

We can't just stand by and watch the Kingdom of Wu perish, can we?
So while it can't be said that there was absolutely no selfish motive involved, it was certainly mostly driven by public interest.

Even if Sun Deng were to come back to life, they would still dare to face him calmly.

Secondly, Zhang Zhao was one of the main culprits in the destruction of Eastern Wu.

Subsequently, they performed utterly without any redeeming qualities during the war.

It was only thanks to Lu Xun, Zhuge Jin, and others that the country was salvaged, barely managing to preserve half of its territory.

Why should they be subject to such moral condemnation?
And why should we be afraid of Zhang Zhao's accusations?
However, Zhuge Ke's next words gradually moved the three of them, and then they were at a loss for words:
"Zhang Gong also said that before the late king passed away, he entrusted his son to Lü Ziheng, Lü Gong."

"Before the city was breached, Lord Lü had already escorted Prince Ying to Zhenze (Taihu Lake) to meet up with Zhang Mi and the others."

"Afterwards, Lü, Zhang and others escorted the prince across the sea to Liaodong, and it was heard that he had landed safely."

"Zhang Gong must have heard about this, which is why he rebuked us!"

No, Zhang Zhao probably wanted to criticize the people of E County for a long time, but he just couldn't find a suitable excuse.

The unexpected "good news" delivered by Lü Fan became the best weapon in his hand.

At that moment, the three seasoned and shrewd Wu state officials simultaneously had the same thought in their minds.

However, it must be said that if this is true, then Ezhou County will likely face enormous trouble.

It's one thing for Sun Deng not to designate an heir, and it's another thing to designate one.

It's one thing if the heir doesn't survive, but it's another thing if they do.

When Lu Xun proposed to Zhuge Jin to support Sun Lü, it was based on the premise that Sun Deng had not designated an heir.

And now...

Loyal minister or traitor?

It's possible that because of this "single difference of life," they could be worlds apart.

Moreover, the most troublesome thing is that, in order to restore the foundation of Eastern Wu as soon as possible, Sun Lü, under the strong advocacy of Lu Xun, quickly declared himself the successor.

The corresponding official letter and envoy have already been sent to Chang'an.

Therefore, even if the three are willing to apologize and back down, acknowledging that the young Son Youngjae should inherit the throne.

But what about Sun Lu, who has been sitting on the throne for more than half a year?
Don't you want face?

And then there are the newcomers who got promoted and made a fortune because of this crisis.

Don't they care about the substance?

And in the very end.

If Lü Fan and Zhang Zhao truly had such a legitimate heir to the throne.

How will Chang'an handle this issue?
These are all unpredictable risks.

It has to be said that Zhuge Jin was truly astonished by his son this time.

Although the latter was just a messenger.

After a brief silence, it was Yan Jun, the lowest-ranking official, who noticed a detail:
"Is there any credible royal decree or letter from Lü Ziheng to support the claim that he is referring to 'Crown Prince Ying'?"

Upon hearing this, both Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin raised an eyebrow.

It is said that Sun Ying was actually Sun Deng's second son.

Because his eldest son, Sun Fan, died young, Sun Ying became the eldest son among the princes.

In theory, he is indeed the most suitable person to inherit the throne.

But this was only in theory. Sun Deng himself was still young, and his sons were all young as well.

Therefore, Sun Deng had not had time to designate a crown prince until Jianye was besieged.

But after the siege, who knows what twists and turns happened?
Therefore, unless there is a formal royal decree left behind, or a key minister like Lü Fan personally testifies, it is unlikely.

Otherwise, the identity of the Crown Prince could indeed be questioned.

Zhuge Ke then decisively shook his head: "None!"

"Lord Lü has traveled far overseas and is probably busy seeking the protection of the Gongsun family. How could he possibly have time to attend to things here?"

"This matter was most likely something that Zhang Gong found out himself!"

Upon hearing this, the three exchanged glances again, convinced that it was most likely true.

They felt a slight sense of relief.

But it was only slightly.

Because no matter what, after Zhang Zhao's outburst, the world will sooner or later know that the Sun family has another heir besides Sun Lü, the King of Wu in E County.

If this matter is not handled properly, it could lead to a split within the Sun clan, which in turn could make Jiangxia's half of the country unstable.

So the three of them discussed the matter and decided to send another envoy to Chang'an to inquire how to resolve it.

Whether the three of them are willing to admit it or not.

At present, apart from Sun Deng's dying wish, the most authoritative thing to grant the "King of Wu" a legitimate status is the imperial edict of the Shu Han emperor.

After all, this King of Wu was the King of Wu of the Han Dynasty.

This time, Zhuge Jin took the initiative to suggest that Zhuge Ke serve as the envoy.

Lu Xun and Yan Jun naturally had no objections.

Zhuge Ke, recalling his father's earlier reprimands, understood and did not refuse.

So that was settled.

……

Just as the Wu Kingdom's rulers and ministers in E County were in a state of panic because of the sudden appearance of Sun Ying.

The Wei rulers and ministers in Ye City were also uneasy because Zhao Yun had suddenly emerged from the Taihang Mountains.

After all, he was a general of the Shu Han state who had fought in Hedong and Bingzhou for many years.

Even if it was inconspicuous in the past, now everyone who needs to know knows it.

Such a valiant general suddenly arrived at the Paoma Plain in Hebei.

How could Ye City, which was also located on this plain, not be shaken?

Not to mention the unusual mobilization of the Youzhou border troops that came at the same time as this news.

Although it's far away, the specific details still need to be verified.

But that was enough to keep Cao Rui from sleeping or eating.

So he summoned several important officials in the capital for a meeting that very night.

It was Chen Qun, the Minister of Works and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; Sima Yi, the General Who Pacifies the Army; and two generals from the imperial clan, Cao Tai and Xiahou Mao.

The four trusted ministers whom Cao Pi entrusted with his son on his deathbed, after many twists and turns, finally gathered before the emperor for the first time tonight, even after Cao Rui had moved the capital to Ye City.

After the five men, the emperor and his ministers, met, they were filled with mixed emotions.

But none of them had time to lament their own fates.

After all, Zhao Yun, the tiger of Changshan, is currently lurking at the northern end of Changshan, eyeing Ye City to the south with predatory intent.

"Minister Sima, both Colonels Tian and Jie are your former subordinates, and the other Colonel Protector of Xianbei is your eldest son."

"Were you aware of the unusual movements of the generals of Youzhou beforehand?"

Sima Yi, facing the varied gazes of the crowd, calmly said:
"Your Majesty, I would rather die ten thousand deaths than deceive you; I truly knew nothing!"

Although I don't know for sure, I can guess a thing or two.

Cao Rui: "Tell me."

Sima Yi: "I believe that the disturbance in Youzhou is due to Zhao Yun's eastward journey from Zhongshan State."

"...Do you mean that the generals are here to intercept Zhao Yun?" Cao Rui hesitated before replying.

"But I heard that the laborers from Zhuojun and Yan were not conscripted to the south, but were all sent to the north?"

(End of this chapter)