Shuhan

In the lobby of the Prince of Wu's mansion, banquets were quietly held every day, and the level of prosperity was so great that even the banquets in the palace could not be matched.

The moonlight was as bright as a silk thread, shining on this magnificent palace, casting a layer of mysterious and alluring glow on the night's carnival.

Sun Deng, the new King of Wu who ascended the throne by killing his father, was now intoxicated by the beauty of the world. He was surrounded by women who were all thinly dressed and beautiful.

They were either dressed in light gauze or thin silk, their skin faintly visible in the dim candlelight, like the most attractive flowers in the summer night, blooming just to win a smile from Sun Deng.

"My king, drink~"

"My king, another drink~"

"The king is huge!"

These women were all dressed up beautifully, with endless charm in their eyes and eyebrows. They either opened their red lips and hummed sentimental songs, or held the pot with their skillful hands and kept urging people to drink. The wine slid along their white fingers into the cup and was then gently brought to Sun Deng's lips.

"Good good!"

Sun Deng's cheeks were flushed with alcohol and his eyes were blurry, as if he was in a dream world. He lost judgment on everything around him and just opened his mouth mechanically to accept the wine being fed to him again and again.

"Hahaha~Drink today and worry about tomorrow. Even the life of a god is not as good as being alone!"

His laughter, with a hint of madness and unruliness, echoed in this luxurious yet slightly empty hall.

The sounds of stringed instruments rose and fell in the venue, and the musicians tried their best to make the atmosphere of the banquet more lively.

The notes jumped, moving among the guests like elves, stirring everyone's heartstrings.

The beautiful girls and actors danced gracefully to the music. Their dancing was light and graceful, like willow branches swaying in the wind or fish swimming in the water, adding a bit of agility and vitality to this feast.

At the bottom, a group of officials from the Prince of Wu's Palace sat in a row. They had different expressions, some looked greedy, enjoying this daily moment of indulgence.

Some seemed worried and were heartbroken about Sun Deng's degeneration.

Zhang Xiu and Gu Tan were the latter. They frowned, their eyes revealing worry that was difficult to conceal.

After all, they have been friends with Sun Deng for many years. Although they have changed their flags and banners now, they do not want Sun Deng to become completely decadent.

Just be a rich and noble prince.

Why?

How many years can Sun Deng live with his condition addicted to alcohol and sex?

His self-indulgence is a misfortune for the country.

Zhuge Ke, as one of the more sober people present, was extremely anxious when he saw Sun Deng fall into such depravity.

He could no longer hold back, so he stood up, walked to Sun Deng and tried to wake up the lost King of Wu with words.

"My king, you are worth a fortune, why don't you cherish your useful body and wait for the time to change?"

Although his voice was not loud, every word he spoke was heavy and full of earnestness and expectation.

When everyone in the room heard this, their faces changed.

The expressions of Zhang Xiu and Gu Tan suddenly changed.

They didn't want the King of Wu's life, they just wanted him to behave himself.

But you, Zhuge Ke, really want to kill the King of Wu!
I heard that the concubines of the previous king and the wife of King Wu were sent to the Han Emperor's palace by this man.

Such behavior of a traitor is truly despicable!
However, Sun Deng seemed to have not heard Zhuge Ke's advice at all. His eyes were still blurred and there was a cynical smile on the corner of his mouth.

He raised the wine glass in his hand, shook it towards Zhuge Ke, and said with a smile: "Come, drink this glass to the full! Life is short, so enjoy yourself while you can, isn't it a pleasure?"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass, as if he wanted to use the alcohol to numb himself and escape the realities and responsibilities that he didn't want to face.

Seeing this, the loose women around applauded and cheered. Some of them wanted to please Sun Deng, or they were really attracted to this dissolute life. In short, their presence undoubtedly exacerbated Sun Deng's decline.

Some of the subordinate officials began to agree, while others remained silent. In the entire banquet hall, a bizarre picture of mixed sadness and joy was formed.

As the night deepened, the noise at the banquet did not diminish in the slightest.

Sun Deng's drunkenness became more and more obvious; his speech began to become unclear and his movements became clumsy and exaggerated.

The women surrounding him, however, seemed to have received some kind of signal and worked even harder to urge him to drink and flatter him, as if they wanted to squeeze out the last bit of sobriety from the King of Wu.

Zhuge Ke felt mixed emotions when he saw this.

King Wu, are you really drunk or just pretending to be drunk?
In short, it would be difficult to squeeze wealth and honor from the hopeless Sun Deng again.

He had no choice but to stand up, bow to Sun Deng, and leave slowly.

Gu Tan, Zhang Xiu and others also stood up.

"Your Majesty, you still need to take care of yourself. The Mandate of Heaven has returned to Han, but Your Majesty is destined to be a noble and powerful man. Why don't you enjoy your remaining years? Your Majesty is so generous, how can you not accommodate a Wu Palace?"

Gu Tan consoled him.

However.
Sun Deng pretended not to hear it.

He just smiled foolishly and said, "I can still drink more, I can still drink more!"

Seeing this situation, all the officials in the Prince of Wu's palace could only sigh.

Everyone knew that it would be difficult to change Sun Deng's current situation with their own efforts alone.

Perhaps, this is the king's way of survival.
After the madness, everything returned to calm.

The night is deep and silent, like a colorful ink painting hanging in the sky.

The moonlight was as clear as water, with silver rays shining through, penetrating the sparse clouds and casting a layer of soft glow on this dark world.

The stars are like ancient lighthouses, quietly guarding their eternal posts, witnessing the joys and sorrows of the world.

On this quiet night, Sun Deng was alone, lying on the cold bed. His figure looked particularly lonely under the moonlight.

He turned his head, his gaze passed through the carved window lattice and fixed on the bright moon and the twinkling stars. His eyes were filled with complex emotions - humiliation, anger, unwillingness, and deep helplessness.

His teeth were chattering, an outward manifestation of his inner pain and anger, as if he wanted to chew up all the humiliation and swallow it into his stomach.

Liu Gongsi!
Damn Liu Gongsi!

I swear to kill you!
Tears rolled around in his eyes, and finally slid down his cheeks, dripping onto his clothes, silently telling of his sorrow and despair.

The country was occupied, the dignity of Wu was trampled, his own women, and even his father's women, were humiliated by the Han emperor. For a prince, this was undoubtedly a great shame and humiliation, and a great challenge to his blood and dignity. However, in this humiliation and anger, Sun Deng's heart rose with unprecedented tenacity.

He knew very well that as a king facing adversity, he had to learn to endure.

There is a knife above the word "忍".

Only if you hold on and survive, there is hope.

In history, Goujian could sleep on firewood and taste gall, and Han Xin could endure the humiliation of being kicked in the crotch. The reason why they were able to achieve great things was that they were able to endure humiliation in adversity and wait for the opportunity.

Thinking of this, Sun Deng slowly loosened his clenched fists, and the anger in his heart seemed to have found an outlet, transforming into a deeper power - patience and persistence.

"Extraordinary people must endure extraordinary things."

He recited this sentence silently in his heart, and it seemed like a bright light, illuminating his way forward.

Sima Yi has led his army to Shouchun, and the war between Han and Wei is about to break out.

This might be his chance to turn things around. Even though the chance is slim, almost like the most inconspicuous star in the night sky, he still chooses to hold on to it tightly, because for him now, even a glimmer of hope is the motivation to keep him alive.

When he first arrived in Shouchun, Sima Yi's state of mind was just like this ancient city, calm and profound.

Shouchun, this city with a long history, looks particularly solemn in the morning light. Its walls are mottled, but they reveal an unyielding will.

Sima Yi, dressed in iron armor, with steady steps and sharp eyes, began to inspect the defenders in the city.

The soldiers were lined up in neat rows, their armor bright and their weapons flashing coldly in the sun, creating an aura of solemnity and murderousness.

He carefully observed the expressions of each soldier, nodded with satisfaction, and thought to himself: This is an elite division that can maintain peace in this area.

He had always been afraid that the border troops were all show and no substance, but now that he had seen their true colors, he felt much more relaxed.

In this way, there is no need to screen the soldiers. After just a little training, they can become elite soldiers on the battlefield.

Then he turned to the outside of the city. The city fortifications were strong, the arrow towers were tall, and the moat was wide, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Shouchun is a strong city, easy to defend but difficult to attack. Heshan City has three layers of defense, which can be said to be a fortress.

As long as the defending general does not make mistakes, he will be able to defend himself even when facing enemies that are several times larger than himself.

Sima Yi secretly praised it, and at the same time realized that true defense does not only depend on the height of the city walls and the depth of the moat, but also on the solidity of the people's hearts and the cleverness of the strategy. He decided to send his most trusted general to guard this key place.

"Zhang Liao, Niu Jin, Hu Zun, the three of you will take charge of the military affairs of Shouchun immediately. You must also assign trusted people to the forts such as Bagong Mountain to ensure that everything goes well."

Sima Yi's voice was steady and powerful. Upon hearing his words, the three generals looked stern, responded in unison, and then took the order and left.

Shouchun City must be guarded by trusted confidants, otherwise, if it is instigated by the Han army to rebel, he will have much to cry about.

After all, no matter how strong a city is, it will eventually collapse from within.

After finishing the military deployment, Sima Yi slowly walked into the Governor's Mansion in Shouchun City.

The furnishings in the mansion were simple yet majestic. A large map hung on the wall showed the territories of Wei and Wu, with every city and river clearly marked.

Sima Yi sat at his desk, thinking for a moment. Just as he was about to write, he heard a report from outside the door: "Sima Shi and Xiahou Xuan want to see you. There is news from Jiangdong."

Sima Yi raised his eyebrows and motioned for the two to come in. Sima Shi stepped forward, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "Father, the overall situation in Jiangdong is stable, but there are undercurrents beneath the surface. The Han Kingdom has mobilized troops in Wujun and gathered troops to Zhenjiang. It seems that they intend to attack Xuzhou. We must be on guard."

Xiahou Xuan followed closely and added: "The spies from the School Affairs Office tried to contact Wu Wang Sun Deng. Sun Deng's attitude was ambiguous. He neither explicitly refused to cooperate with us nor showed any positive intention. His behavior was quite strange."

It is quite normal for the Han State to deploy troops on the border.

As for this Sun Deng...

Sima Yi heard this and smiled meaningfully: "Sun Deng is too cautious. He is probably worried that our spy is a fake spy. This reaction proves that he is shaken. Maybe I can use this person."

Sun Deng's country was destroyed, his family was ruined, and his own women as well as Sun Zhongmou's wives and concubines were all humiliated by Liu Gongsi. Naturally, he was dissatisfied, and this could be exploited.

It may be of great use at a critical moment.

After all, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

He paused, his eyes becoming deep, "The territory of Wu is too peaceful, which is not a good thing. We need to break this peace and make the situation active."

"Reorganize the weapons and pretend to attack Hefei to attract the attention of the Han army. At the same time, spread rumors in the old territory of Wu, saying that the Wei army will make a big move to make the people of Jiangdong uneasy." Sima Yi's strategies are linked together, showing his careful consideration and his cunning use of troops.

In the following days, Shouchun City was busy both inside and outside.

In the barracks, the soldiers intensified their training. The sounds of armor and weapons colliding could be heard one after another. War horses were neighing, dust was flying, and an atmosphere of impending storm filled the air.

Sima Yi personally supervised the battle. His figure shuttled between various training grounds, sometimes giving instructions and sometimes demonstrating personally. The soldiers' morale was high and they were full of anticipation for the upcoming "battle".

At the same time, the spies of the Imperial Household Department moved silently around Jiangdong like ghosts. They disguised themselves as merchants or traveling scholars, spreading the rumors carefully woven by Sima Yi.

The rumor spread like wildfire among the people and soldiers in Jiangdong. For a time, people were in panic, and rumors about the Wei army's impending massive attack were rampant.

In Shouchun, Sima Yi appeared to be keeping his troops on hold, but in fact he was secretly observing every subtle reaction of Jiangdong.

A true war is not just about swords and sabers on the battlefield, but also a contest of human hearts and wisdom.

What he wanted was to make Jiangdong lose its composure and pave the way for his future plans.

As time went by, the situation in Jiangdong began to show subtle changes, just as Sima Yi had expected.

Some local officials became suspicious due to rumors, and the army also became unstable. Sima Yi was in control of all this.

“The time will come.”

Sima Yi stood in front of the window of the Governor's Mansion, looking at the Huai River flowing eastward in the distance, and muttered silently in his heart.

The next step will be the key to determining the fate of Wei and Han.

If the decisive battle could be held in Shouchun, it would also be beneficial for the Wei Dynasty.

After all, we have the advantage of geographical location.

But then again, among the five routes that Han State launched to attack Wei, Wei State had geographical advantages.

only……

Wherever Sima Yi is in these five routes, the winning rate of the Wei army will be higher.

This is Sima Zhongda's confidence. (End of this chapter)