Han family achievements

Chapter 547 Choice One
After Han Dang finished speaking, no one responded.

Sun Quan was the second son of Sun Jian and the younger brother of Sun Ce, but for the people of Wujun, this was already the third generation of the Sun family.

Compared to Sun Jian's expeditions and outstanding achievements, and Sun Ce's bravery and fearlessness, the third generation Sun Quan was still young and had neither literary nor military skills. His ability and prestige were far inferior to those of his father and brother.

The reason why Sun Quan was able to ascend to power was, firstly, the support from Luoyang, and secondly, the influence of Sun Jian and Sun Ce.

Now, Wujun, the foundation built by Sun Jian and Sun Ce with great effort, and the base of the Sun family, is surrounded by the imperial court on both sides, and Yuan Shao in the south is eyeing it covetously. What choice should they make?

The counselors and generals looked at each other silently, and then turned to Sun Quan.

It was obvious that everyone wanted to say something, but seeing Sun Quan's thoughtful expression, no one spoke first.

After listening to Cheng Pu's words, Sun Quan fell into deep thought. There were expressions of concentration, hesitation, and fear on his face, which changed back and forth, reflecting his complicated inner feelings.

After a long while, Sun Quan felt quiet and suddenly came to his senses. He looked up and said, "Everyone, do you have anything to say?"

Everyone clearly heard the hesitation and uneasiness in Sun Quan's voice. They looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Wujun is now caught in the middle, weak, pitiful and helpless.

The situation is clear, and the way to survive is on everyone's mind - refuse the order of the Grand Marshal's Mansion and break with the court.

Obey orders, surrender, cooperate with the court to "annex" Wu County, and be a loyal minister and filial son.

Or, form an alliance with Yuan Shao, fight against the imperial court, and wait for the opportunity.

To refuse the Grand Marshal's Mansion would be treason, and the heavenly troops would arrive immediately.

To form an alliance with Yuan Shao would be like courting disaster. The situation now is no longer the same as when Sun Ce was alive. If we really form an alliance with Yuan Shao, the consequence will be that the heavenly troops will arrive immediately.

As for surrendering to the imperial court, that would mean abandoning the foundation that Sun Jian and Sun Ce had worked so hard to build. It would be an betrayal to one's ancestors, so who would dare to ask for it easily?
Sun Quan felt even more depressed, and more things came to his mind.

For example, the scenes that the second young master had shown him, the powerful soldiers hidden in the court, and his engagement with the eldest princess.

Even if he wants to surrender, he, as the master, cannot be the first to speak.

What's more, Sun Quan still hoped to hold on. Before his brother left, he told him that when the world is in chaos or when big events happen, he should wait and see and not stand out.

Now, it is not that he wants to stand out, but the imperial court’s troops are heading straight for Wujun, and it is not appropriate for Sun Quan to hide and accumulate strength.

Cheng Pu saw Sun Quan's dilemma. In the silence, he suddenly laughed and said, "Lord Sun, everyone, are you thinking something wrong? The order of the Grand Marshal's Office must be obeyed, but Lord Sun is new to Wu County and is still young. How can he lead troops to join the expedition? Yuan Shao dominates Yangzhou and Jiaozhou and has 100,000 troops. Wu County needs a large army to defend it. We must not be careless. In summary, Lord Sun has written a letter to the court and made a strong statement. I think the court will understand."

Sun Quan opened his eyes and said happily, "Are you serious, Mr. Cheng?"

Huang Gai, Han Dang, Gu Yong and others were looking at him with different expressions.

Cheng Pu smiled confidently and said, "Of course, the court cannot let Sun Hou hand over Wujun to Yuan Shao."

Sun Quan was instantly relieved and said, "I will write a letter and make further arguments to the officials in the court."

Cheng Pu said: "That couldn't be better."

"Report!"

As soon as Cheng Pu finished speaking, a soldier ran in, knelt on one knee and said, "Lord Sun, the Admiral Zhou Yu wants to see you."

"Please come in!" Sun Quan was so happy that he almost stood up.

In Sun Ce's last words, he specifically mentioned Zhou Yu, praised him highly, believed that Zhou Yu was his hope for great things, and asked Sun Quan to recruit Zhou Yu to his side in the future.

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai and others were not familiar with Zhou Yu. They looked at each other and said nothing much.

Whether it was Sun Jian or Sun Ce who were alive or starting a business, Zhou Yu was not there. In their eyes, Zhou Yu was someone who was always at Sun Ce's lips. They were not familiar with him, nor close to him, and they even felt wary of him.

After all, Zhou Yu's father was the prefect of Luoyang Prefecture, and he had always shown to the outside world that he was loyal to the court and had an outstanding reputation.

However, Zhou Yu had been in the navy for many years and was isolated from Jiangdong. Not to mention Han Dang, Huang Gai, and Cheng Pu, even Sun Quan was not familiar with Zhou Yu and they had only met a few times.

Soon, Zhou Yu, wearing white armor and looking a little tired, but still looking heroic, appeared in Sun Quan's tent.

Zhou Yu remained calm, and as he glanced at everyone present, he raised his hand to greet Sun Quan and said, "Your humble servant Zhou Yu greets Lord Sun."

"Please stand up, Gongjin."

Sun Quan rushed over, stopped Zhou Yu from bowing, and even pulled him to the seat of honor, with a warm smile on his face, saying: "When my brother was alive, he praised Gongjin highly, and before his death he told me to treat Gongjin like my brother. Zhongmou thought about it day and night, and finally brought Gongjin..."

"Sun Hou,"

Zhou Yu was caught off guard and was pulled a few steps away by Sun Quan, but he quickly stopped and said to Sun Quan indifferently: "I should respect you."

Sun Quan looked at Zhou Yu's cold and distant expression without any change in his expression. He still said enthusiastically: "Gong Jin came from afar, it was Zhong Mou who neglected it. Mr. Cheng, let's prepare the banquet! Everyone go and prepare. It's a double happiness today when Yuan Shao is retreating and Gong Jin is coming. Let's not stop until we are drunk today!"

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Gu Yong and others could see what was going on. They all raised their hands, stepped back and observed Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu also knew what Sun Quan meant, so he stood still, only feeling a little pain in his wrist from being grabbed by Sun Quan.

After everyone left, Sun Quan pulled Zhou Yu to sit beside him, raised his hand respectfully, and said, "Gongjin, what you said just now is true. Wujun is in great danger now. Please save our Wujun!"

Zhou Yu looked at the corners of Sun Quan's face, which were 30% similar to Sun Ce's, and then listened to his words in silence.

He and Sun Ce had known each other since childhood and had similar interests. They had once promised each other that they would accomplish great things together!
Unexpectedly, the world was in chaos and both of them were forced to do things against their will. After many years of wandering around, when they wanted to meet again, they were already separated by the Yin and Yang.

The old friend has passed away, and Zhou Yu’s mentality is very complicated when he returns to the old place.

Seeing Zhou Yu didn't say anything, Sun Quan suddenly fell to the ground, put his hands together, knocked his head on the back of his hands, and said sincerely: "Please teach me, Gongjin!"

Zhou Yu looked at Sun Quan, sighed inwardly, and said, "Are all the people under Lord Sun's command expressing their obedience to the imperial court?"

Sun Quan sat up, looking troubled, and said, "Although he didn't say it explicitly, his meaning is clear."

Zhou Yu was not surprised and asked, "Lord Sun, do you want to give it a try?"

Sun Quan said frankly, "My father and brothers worked so hard and risked their lives to build this school, and we must not let Zhongmou destroy it!"

resembles!

At this time, Sun Quan's expression was very similar to Sun Ce's.

Zhou Yu pretended to think for a long time and said, "After many years of 'new policies', the court is no longer the same as before. It is only a matter of time before Zhang Liao, with the power of a great victory, arrives at Wujun. With Liu Bei in Yuzhou, how can a small Wujun with only 30,000 soldiers and only three months of food and grass resist?"

Sun Quan said: "Zhongmou has been in Luoyang for many years and knows that the court is no longer what it used to be. But, is there really no hope at all?"

"Unless Lord Sun can destroy Yuan Shao and occupy the land of Jiangdong, and use the prestige of the Sun family to gain a foothold in Jiangdong, it will take at least five years and at most ten years... there may be a glimmer of hope." Zhou Yu said.

Sun Quan listened to the repeated scrutiny, and a strange confidence appeared in his eyes. Even though it was fleeting, Zhou Yu still caught it. He wanted to remind him, but he knew his current identity and that he didn't know Sun Quan well, so it was a taboo to talk about deep things with someone who was just acquainted with him.

For Sun Ce's sake, he has said too much.

Sun Quan seemed to understand Zhou Yu's words. He raised his hand again and said, "Thank you for your advice, Gongjin. I will never forget it!"

Zhou Yu raised his hand and said politely, "I will lead the navy to Jiangxia soon, so Lord Sun must make preparations early."

Sun Quan was shocked and asked, "The imperial court is going to take action against Liu Biao?"

Zhou Yu said, "I don't know the details."

He really didn't know and was just following orders. Moreover, although he was the admiral of the navy in name, in reality, he only had the right to train.

Sun Quan became uneasy.

Jing and Yang are inseparable, and the approximate area of ​​Jiangdong is the six counties in the northern part of Yang and Jing. Once Jingzhou is captured by the imperial court, Wu County will be in even greater danger!
Sun Quan's face gradually became serious, and he said, "Gongjin, I want to follow my brother's example and personally lead the troops to fight with General Liu of Yuzhou. Can I save Wujun?"

Zhou Yu knew the situation in Wu County very well. Hearing this, he pretended to be silent and said, "Before I came here, I received a letter from home. I heard that Shangshu Wu had been sentenced to immediate execution by the Supreme Court. The execution will be held in the autumn."

Sun Quan's face twitched and his eyes became gloomy.

He had received this news a long time ago.

Wu Jing was sentenced to immediate execution by the Imperial Court for "huge corruption". Sun Quan wanted to save him, but knew he couldn't, so he could only pretend he didn't know and kept silent.

Not sacrificing one's own relatives for the sake of justice is the limit of what he can do.

Sun Quan is not Sun Jian or Sun Ce, and the current imperial court is completely different from what it used to be. Things that could be done openly in the past can no longer be done secretly.

"Report to Lord Sun,"

The guard outside the door came to the door and said, "The banquet is ready."

Sun Quan's sadness turned into joy, he stood up and said, "Gongjin, go to the banquet first, and we can talk about the rest later."

Zhou Yu wanted to give Sun Quan some face, so he agreed with a smile.

Sun Quan pulled Zhou Yu to sit at the table, enthusiastically introduced his advisers and generals, and intentionally or unintentionally forced Zhou Yu to drink.

Cheng Pu, Gu Yong and others knew that Sun Quan wanted to keep his men, especially since Zhou Yu had 10,000 naval forces under his command, so they naturally helped without making a fuss.

The Zhou family is also a prominent family in Jiangdong and is more or less related to all those present. As they chatted, various names came to mind, wine glasses were raised frequently, and the conversation went on until late at night.

But what no one expected was that even though Sun Quan was drunk, Zhou Yu was as calm as ever, with no change in expression and remained calm, not even going to the toilet.

Zhou Yu did not give Sun Quan a chance and left that night.

When Sun Quan sobered up, he sat at the head of the bed with a calm expression, unable to utter a word for a long time.

Until evening, he was still sitting there, neither eating nor drinking. No maidservants or servants dared to enter, and no sound was made.

It was not until it was completely dark that Gu Yong came in, bowed respectfully, and said, "Lord Sun, why are you so depressed?"

Sun Quan looked up at him without any expression, and said softly: "Gongjin, I have a feast with you for the sake of our friendship, but you left overnight. From now on, we are no longer friends."

Gu Yong naturally knew Zhou Yu's intention and consoled him, "Lord Sun, Wujun and Jiangdong are full of talented people, and countless people admire the Sun family's name. Lord Sun is a marquis and the son-in-law of the Han Dynasty. He has a noble status and a bright future. Why should you be so discouraged because of a mere Zhou Yu?"

Sun Quan smiled bitterly and said, "If you want to comfort me with such words, you don't need to say it."

Gu Yong suddenly became serious and said, "Lord Sun, do you think what I said is wrong?"

Sun Quan was startled, then regained some consciousness. He looked at Gu Yong with a strange look in his eyes and said hesitantly, "Sir, do you want me to submit to the court?"

Gu Yong looked at him fearlessly and said, "Lord Sun, what do you think of him compared to my father and brother?"

Sun Quan's mouth twitched, and he said with a hint of reluctance: "Of course I am not as good as you."

Gu Yong became more serious and asked, "How does the current situation compare to the past?"

Sun Quan slowly frowned and said, "Very different."

Gu Yong raised his hand and said in a deep voice: "With this situation going from strength to weakness, if Lord Sun still has delusions, it may not be a question of whether his foundation will be lost, but whether the Sun family can continue forever!"

Sun Quan's face changed suddenly. He wanted to refute, but he couldn't find a reason. He could only lower his head, stiffly silent.

Gu Yong knew that Sun Quan was reluctant to give up this family business, so he added fuel to the fire and asked, "Do you think the people under your command today are still the same people that the old Lord used to be under your command?"

Sun Quan slowly raised his head and looked at Gu Yong, with fear in his eyes, and asked, "They, they also think so?"

The people are certainly still the same as before, but times have changed. Facing the changing situation, can Cheng Pu, Huang Gai and others really have the same mentality towards Sun Quan, who has just inherited the title and is only sixteen years old, as they did when they followed Sun Jian and Sun Ce?

"Yes." Gu Yong said.

This simple word "yes" made Sun Quan feel like he was struck by lightning. He turned pale and his body trembled.

He was no longer the strong, calm and mature Marquis Wucheng who appeared on the outside, and showed the fear and anxiety that a sixteen-year-old boy should have.

Gu Yong took in Sun Quan's expression and said, "Lord Sun, when you lead the troops to follow General Liu to suppress the bandits, you should get closer to him. You are relatives by marriage, and your future will largely depend on General Liu."

Sun Quan was very confused and panicked now. He really wanted to find Cheng Pu to ask him what his attitude was. He would not listen to a word Gu Yong said.

"Report!"

At this time, a guard outside the door shouted: "Zhou Yu's navy has set out and is heading west along the river."

Sun Quan raised his head suddenly and breathed rapidly.

He remembered Zhou Yu’s words—the imperial court was going to take action against Liu Biao!

Once Jingzhou is recovered by the imperial court, Wu County will be like a small boat on the ocean, which may sink at any time!

Gu Yong saw it all clearly from the side and tried hard not to speak, knowing full well that too much is as bad as too little.

As Sun Quan knew, Zhou Yu led an army of 10,000 naval forces from his base at the mouth of the Yangtze River, marched westward along the river, and headed straight for Jiangxia.

At this time, Ji Ling was killed by Zhang Fei, and news came from Luoyang that Yuan Shao had begun to withdraw his troops.

Liu Bei took the opportunity to occupy Jiujiang County. At the same time, he prepared his troops and gathered 40,000 troops, stationing them in Xinyi, which was on the border with Jiangxia County.

The imperial court's armies by sea and land were approaching the city, and Jiangxia County was facing a formidable enemy. Huang Zu, the prefect of Jiangxia, continued to gather troops in Jiangxia, and at the same time sent an urgent letter to Xiangyang, requesting Liu Biao to send reinforcements.

(End of this chapter)