Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Despite the headache caused by excessive drinking, Chen Zhi and Zong Yu got up at 7:00 AM, had a quick breakfast with the delegation officials, and then left the inn.

Hu Zong had been waiting at the entrance of the inn for quite some time.

Zong Yu bowed and said, "I am deeply grateful to Attendant Hu for seeing me off today. I am also very grateful for your help at yesterday's banquet."

"It's all part of my duty, no need for thanks." Hu Zong smiled kindly, then turned to Chen Zhi: "Captain Chen, you drank quite a bit yesterday, are you alright?"

Chen Zhi closed his eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them and bowed respectfully to Hu Zong, saying, "Minister Hu, you drank far more than I did yesterday, and your complexion and demeanor are as dignified as ever today. You truly are a heavy drinker; I admire you greatly!"

Hu Zong chuckled a few times: "Alcohol tolerance is something you develop through practice. I suppose you don't drink much normally, but if you drink a lot, it won't be a problem."

As the two were talking, Zong Yu glanced at the four carriages lined up by the roadside, stared at them for a few moments, and then asked:

"Minister Hu, may I ask what is on these four carriages?"

Hu Zong replied, "The first three carriages contain some local specialties from Wu, as well as newly written books by our great Confucian scholars. Please have the delegation take them back as a small token of our appreciation. The carriage behind contains a set of musical instruments, which His Majesty specially gifted to Commandant Chen. Please accept it, Commandant Chen."

"Promote it?" Zong Yu and Chen Zhi exchanged a glance, both surprised.

Sun Quan presented Chen Zhi with a drum and trumpet.

This... I'm afraid there's no precedent for this, is there?

The so-called "drumming and blowing" was an honorary reward from the monarch, which included musical instruments such as the drum, the reed pipe, the panpipes, the cymbals, and the horn. The number of instruments was not fixed and could be as many as desired. The monarch could bestow only the instruments or the musicians along with them. In short, it was a very high-level honor.

Meng Da of Shangyong once received a drum and trumpet from Liu Bei, which was later taken away by Liu Bei's adopted son, Liu Feng. Before his defection, Meng Da wrote a letter to Liu Bei accusing Liu Feng, pointing out that the theft of the drum and trumpet was direct evidence of being bullied by Liu Feng.

Seeing the continued doubt on Chen Zhi and Zong Yu's faces, Hu Zong smiled and said, "Your Majesty knows that Commandant Chen may be hesitant. Your Majesty said that when Prince Huan first appointed Zhou Yu to his troops, he gifted him a set of musical instruments. Musical instruments are not often given to officials in our dynasty. Last night, Your Majesty invited Commandant Chen to serve as an official in Wu, but Commandant Chen declined. Therefore, Your Majesty had no choice but to gift Commandant Chen a set of musical instruments."

"This..." Zong Yu was about to speak when Chen Zhi stopped him.

Chen Zhi glanced at the direction of the road, then bowed respectfully towards what appeared to be the Wu Palace, saying, "This humble subject thanks Your Majesty for your generous gift!"

"The guests and hosts are all happy, that's good!" Hu Zong stroked his beard and smiled. "His Majesty also said that if Commandant Chen has any thoughts or insights in the future, he can write to His Majesty, and His Majesty will definitely reply. His Majesty will also write to Commandant Chen."

"That's only right," Chen Zhi replied. "Speaking of what I've thought about, something comes to mind."

Hu Zongdao said, "Please speak."

Chen Zhi asked, "What is the state of relations between Wu and Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong?"

Hu Zong narrowed his eyes slightly, paused for a few moments to consider, and then sighed: "How much does Captain Chen know about Gongsun Yuan?"

Chen Zhi said, "I heard that this person seized his uncle's position. Last year, the Wu Kingdom even sent an envoy to Liaodong, but it seems there were some problems. Is that right?"

"This man is a great traitor!" Hu Zong's face showed a hint of indignation. "To be honest, Your Excellency, Gongsun Yuan has repeatedly befriended our dynasty, intending to submit to Wu in order to resist Wei and establish himself as emperor. Last year, our dynasty sent the Grand Master of Ceremonies and the Commander of the Imperial Guards, carrying gold, jewels, precious goods, and the Nine Bestowments, leading 10,000 troops across the sea to Liaodong, intending to enfeoff this traitor as the King of Yan. However, this traitor was tempted by profit and swallowed all the rewards and troops. The Grand Master of Ceremonies and other officials were all killed by this traitor, and their heads were all given to Wei. Wei then appointed this man as Grand Marshal!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Chen Zhi's words sounded surprised, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued, "Then what will Your Majesty do?"

Hu Zong replied, "Your Majesty intended to personally lead the troops to conquer Wei, but was dissuaded by the court officials. Afterwards, Your Majesty launched a campaign against Wei."

"I see." Chen Zhi sighed. "His Majesty must hate Gongsun Yuan to the core."

Hu Zong did not respond, but simply nodded.

After a brief pause, Hu Zong asked, "Does Commandant Chen have a plan?"

Chen Zhi said, "As far as Gongsun Yuan is concerned, Wu is far away while Wei is close. This man fears Wei and is also greedy and despicable, hence his actions. How could Wei not know how bad his character is? It's just that due to the current situation, we'll just give him a title for now."

"Now that our Prime Minister Zhuge has passed away, Wei has one less major threat on its western border, and there are no major battles on its eastern and western flanks for the time being. The people of Luoyang will surely continue to observe the situation in Liaodong. In this case, Gongsun Yuan will probably fear Wei even more and come to seek help from Wu again."

Hu Zong frowned: "We all want to kill such despicable scoundrels!"

Chen Zhi smiled and said, "Minister Hu, Han and Wu were once at odds, but now they are allies. Even if His Majesty does not ally with Gongsun Yuan, he can ask someone to incite him to rebel against Wei."

"Liaodong is, after all, far away by mountains and rivers, and Wei's conquest will inevitably be prolonged. It is possible that the fate of the world will be somewhat influenced by Gongsun Yuan! This is what I wanted to say to Your Majesty before I left. I have nothing more to say, and I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully."

Hu Zong solemnly replied, "Commander Chen, rest assured, I will convey everything without missing a single word."

……

After bidding farewell to Hu Zong, the boat departed from Longzangpu Wharf and headed north, entering the Yangtze River after traveling several miles.

The view from the river is expansive, and a chilly river breeze blows.

Zong Yu and Chen Zhi stood side by side at the stern of the boat, gazing at the magnificent panorama formed by the Yangtze River, Jianye City, Longzangpu, Stone City, and Jiangshan Mountain, speechless for a moment.

Zong Yu sighed softly, "Surrounded by mountains and controlling water, this place is easy to defend and difficult to attack. I wonder when it will return to the Han Dynasty. The road to uniting with Wu against Wei is long and arduous. The Shu Han has been established for more than ten years, and the tripartite balance remains unchanged. If we want to attack Jianye, it will probably take at least ten years, or even another twenty years, right?"

Chen Zhi asked, "What's wrong, General Zong? Are you also worried about the fleeting nature of youth? Why are you sighing?"

Zong Yu shook his head: "Where there is life, there is death; what is there to worry about?"

"Emperor Zhaolie and Sun Quan were once related by marriage, and Prime Minister Zhuge Liang also met Sun Quan. It's likely they, like us, had similar banquets with the Wu people. However, great achievements throughout history have always required the sacrifice of countless lives. If the Han army truly reaches Jianye one day, I wonder how many of the officials we've met in Wu these past few days, those who have dined with us, and our colleagues from our own court, will die, and how many will achieve success?"

Chen Zhi chuckled a few times: "I once heard a beautiful line of poetry; I wonder if General Zong would like to hear it?"

"Tell me," Zong Yu replied.

Chen Zhi calmly said, "It's rare to find someone in this world who can truly laugh. On the battlefield, we draw our bows, leaving only scattered marks and lines of history. People of this time often study the classics but don't write anything. Since General Zong has such feelings, why not record this journey in a book and pass it on to future generations? Wouldn't that be appropriate?"

Zong Yu let out a long sigh of relief, stroked his beard, and nodded.