"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the general is back!"
In the palace of the Kingdom of Wu, Xiao Huangmen bowed, took small steps quickly, and reported to Sun Quan with a happy face.
"Oh? Are you here yet?"
Sun Quan, who was already past his prime, was in higher spirits than last year when he was in his sixtieth year when he personally led his army north to attack Hefei.
It seems that in less than a year, he has aged a lot.
Lu Xun's capture of Xiangyang may be the best gift for Sun Quan in his sixties.
However, in this sixty-year-old year, Sun Quan also lost the prince Sun Deng whom he had painstakingly cultivated for more than ten years, his most trusted clan general Sun Shao, and Zhuge Jin who was unwavering in his life and death.
Sun Deng, in particular, was not only the future king that the courtiers looked forward to, but also Sun Quan's extremely satisfied successor.
The successive deaths of these three people were really a heavy blow to Sun Quan.
In Sun Quan's heart, if possible, he would rather trade Xiangyang for Sun Deng's resurrection.
Seeing Xiao Huangmen's face full of joy, Sun Quan's slightly cloudy eyes flashed with a sharp light.
But soon, he lowered his eyelids, as if trying to hide his gaze.
When Sun Quan raised his head again, his face also showed a look of extreme joy:
"Oh? Has the General finally arrived? Come on, please come in."
As he spoke, he stood up and said, "Forget it, I'll go greet you personally."
"My lord, please pay homage to Your Majesty!"
Seeing Sun Quan coming to greet him in person, Lu Xun was moved and quickly kowtowed.
"Why are you doing this, General? Get up, get up quickly!"
"How virtuous and capable I am, that I can make His Majesty come to greet you personally outside the palace. I am afraid that I will die!"
"It should, it should!"
Sun Quan stepped forward and helped Lu Xun up personally, his face full of joy, "Bo Yan fought for the country, risked his own life and captured Xiangyang, so that I, Wu Jingzhou, will have no worries from now on."
"Not to mention walking a few steps outside the palace, it is also appropriate to go outside the city."
Sun Quan held Lu Xun's hand and pulled him into the palace.
After asking Lu Xun to sit down, Sun Quan said impatiently:
"Bo Yan should hurry up and tell me carefully how you mobilized your troops and outsmarted the fortified city in the battle of Xiangyang. This battle report is too simplistic after all."
Lu Xun bowed slightly and replied:
"I obey the decree."
Immediately, he explained the situation of the Battle of Xiangyang in detail.
At the same time, special mention was made of the student army of Han Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, in my opinion, these Han students are all loyal and brave people. Although they lack experience in battle, none of them are timid in battle and fear the dead. They can truly be said to be the mainstay of the Han army in the future!"
"Although Wu and Han are allies today, once the Wei thieves are destroyed in the future, the two countries will inevitably fight to unify the world. By then, these student armies will probably become Wu's biggest enemy."
Sun Quan seemed to have expected it:
"I already know what Boyan said." Sun Quan sighed slightly, "Zifan (i.e. Zhu Ju) went to Han to learn the art of cavalry and warfare, and traveled between Han and Wu several times."
"I have talked about the martial arts hall in the Han Dynasty many times, saying that all the students who come out of it are not only knowledgeable in literature, but also practice martial arts and military formations, and are loyal, brave and righteous."
Having said this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh and said with emotion:
"Shiyan Feng Mingwen is very far-sighted. It is true! I heard that this man opened a school on his own in Nanxiang, Hanzhong more than ten years ago, and taught knowledge to everyone."
"At that time, how many people laughed at him because he was really a crazy person who didn't understand the preciousness of his master's knowledge. He was really a waste of money."
"But looking back now, if the world laughs at him for being too crazy, he may not be laughing at the world for being too stupid!"
From setting up a school, then to a college, and finally to a martial arts hall, and even a medical school.
Even if it is a veterinary hospital that specializes in treating animals, it has already made plans.
Otherwise, how could the Han State be able to continuously produce a large number of high-quality war horses in just a dozen years?
Even the Wei State, which originally swept the world with its fine cavalry, was far inferior to the rising iron cavalry of the Han State.
The fact that the elite cavalry of the Wei State suffered successive defeats against the cavalry of the Han State in recent years is clear evidence of this.
And Feng Mingwen spent a full twenty years planning all of this.
When it becomes powerful, no one can stop it.
Is this considered far-sighted?
Lu Xun didn't accept the words, and he didn't know whether he didn't dare or didn't want to.
After all, whether in Wei or Wu, learning has been almost monopolized by aristocratic families.
The poor people want to further improve their knowledge, or want to study systematically.
Everyone must learn from aristocratic families with heirloom knowledge.
You have to express your desire to learn from me, right?
At least he should be considered a descendant of my family, right?
When the master has something to do, the disciple should do his duty, isn't it wrong?
Otherwise, if you don't follow the teacher's teachings, how can you stand between heaven and earth with dignity?
Why should others teach you?
The aristocratic families used these means to monopolize knowledge and thereby monopolize intellectual resources.
As a wealthy family in Jiangdong, how could the Lu family not know this?
Lu Xun couldn't stand on the opposite side of the family and praise Feng Mingwen for digging into the family's foundation, right?
No matter how selfless Lu Xun is, he still agrees with His Majesty.
What if His Majesty also proposed to open a martial arts hall and let Lu Xun open the door to teach and teach military formations, should he or should he not?
After all, not everyone is like Feng Mingwen, who doesn't take knowledge seriously - he has the entire sect's knowledge as a backing, and he will never be defeated in his lifetime, and others can't compare.
Sun Quan saw Lu Xun lowering his head and saying nothing, with a slightly disappointed look on his face. Fortunately, his beard was quite thick and long, which could well hide his careless thoughts.
The three people he trusted the most all died of illness within a year, which made Sun Quan feel sad and realize that no matter how reluctant he was to admit it, he was already old.
After the age of hearing, no one can say how much time God will give me.
This idea gave Sun Quan an unprecedented sense of urgency.
Because compared to the Han Dynasty, Sun Quan knew his own affairs from his own family:
The power of the aristocratic families in the Wu Kingdom is simply too powerful.
What's more important is that when his brother took control of Jiangdong, he massacred the Jiangdong clan.
The Sun family and the Jiangdong clan formed a blood feud.
Although after so many years of resolution and the death of the person involved, both parties have tacitly agreed not to mention the past events.
But people's hearts are apart, and neither party can guarantee whether the other party really doesn't care anymore.
Don't look at Sun Quan's efforts to woo Jiangdong's wealthy families through marriage and promotion.
But deep down in his heart, he never felt completely at ease with the Jiangdong family.
Didn’t you see what happened with Jian Yan and Zhang Wen’s disaster?
In the charges against both of them, Sun Quan once cursed his fathers and mentioned the Jiangdong clan's rebellion against the Sun family.
Nowadays, he is surrounded by powerful enemies outside and powerful men at home. He is old, and his successor Sun Deng, who is acceptable to all parties, suddenly dies of illness.
The sense of urgency caused by these things made Sun Quan increasingly anxious.
When Lu Xun came, Sun Quan did not discuss the Battle of Xiangyang too much, but he followed the other party's lead and mentioned Feng Mingwen, which was actually intended to test him.
After all, Lu Xun was a representative of the Jiangdong clan.
But even if Lu Xun was Sun Quan's niece and son-in-law, he was still a minister who was promoted and trained by Sun Quan.
But when it comes to matters that shake the foundation of the Jiangdong clan, he is destined to be unable to give an answer that satisfies Sun Quan.
Seeing Lu Xun like this, Sun Quan didn't force it, but changed his face to a sad one again:
"I originally thought that although the Han Dynasty had Zhuge Liang, Feng Mingwen and others to assist him, he was fortunately not as talented as mediocre people. But I, the great Wu, have bright direct descendants and good ministers, so I may not be worse than the Han Dynasty."
"It's unimaginable." When Sun Deng was mentioned, Sun Quan seemed to be unable to control himself. He beat his chest and sobbed, "God will not bless me, Wu! The country mourns the death of a direct descendant. How will the people be blessed? How blessed will be the country!"
When Lu Xun saw Sun Quan crying, he quickly stood up and comforted him:
"Your Majesty, please express your condolences! The prince is ill and unable to sleep. This is his fate. Today, the earth is not yet settled, and the world is noisy. God is your majesty."
"If your majesty breaks down due to excessive grief, it will not be a blessing to the people!"
"Even if the prince's spirit is in heaven, he does not want to see his majesty like this. Therefore, I would like to ask your majesty to think of the country, accept the changes, and take care of yourself."
After Lu Xun repeatedly comforted him, Sun Quan finally stopped crying, wiped the corners of his eyes, and looked at Lu Xun:
"Before the prince died of illness, he wrote a posthumous memorial, in order to praise the general. He said that he was loyal and diligent in his time. He was born and worried about the country. He stayed in public and had the custom of being a bandit."
"When I saw Boyan today, I couldn't help but think of the virtuousness of the prince, so I couldn't help myself for a moment, which made Boyan laugh."
Lu Xun replied:
"I was ordered by Your Majesty to stay in Wuchang. I have served the Crown Prince for several years and I know very well how virtuous the Crown Prince is. Your Majesty's statement that the country has mourned the death of his direct descendant is truly true."
"When the prince was seriously ill, he did not forget to support his subordinates. In addition to tears of gratitude, the ministers became more and more frightened for fear of damaging the prince's wisdom."
Sun Quan stretched out his hand to signal Lu Xun to stop talking:
"Why do you need to say so much, Bo Yan? How can I not know what kind of person you are? Therefore, I know that the prince's words of praise for you are not exaggerated in the slightest."
After a pause, he continued:
"In his memorial, the prince not only mentioned you, Boyan, but also suggested that I make the third prince the prince. Boyan, what do you think?"
Lu Xun said without hesitation:
"There is no crown prince, and the second prince died young (that is, Sun Lu, died of illness in 232). Now among the princes, the third prince is the eldest."
"I have heard that although the third prince is young, he is eager to learn and is very well known. During his lifetime, the prince had many relatives and respected the third prince."
"I believe that it is appropriate to establish the third prince as the crown prince early, and it will help stabilize the people of the country."
Of course, Lu Xun had another important reason that he didn’t mention:
That is Mrs. Wang, the mother of Sun He, the third prince's descendant. Her popularity is second only to Mrs. Bu (i.e. Trainer Bu).
Now that Mrs. Bu has passed away, among the many ladies in the palace, the most noble one is none other than Mrs. Wang.
Sons are more valuable than mothers, and Sun He is now the most favored by His Majesty, and his rewards far exceed those of other princes.
It can be said that, in Lu Xun's view, the third prince was both eldest and virtuous, and was simply the best candidate for the right place and the right people in the world.
As for the direct descendants, Mrs. Wang is the most favored now anyway. As long as she is made the queen, won’t the third prince become the direct descendants?
When Sun Quan heard this, his eyes flashed and he said thoughtfully:
"So, Boyan also agrees with this matter?"
"I naturally agree with this matter."
Sun Quan nodded slowly, "Since Bo Yan agrees with this matter, it is the best, and I will no longer have any worries. In this way, I will choose a day to appoint the third prince as the crown prince."
"Your Majesty is Holy Ming."
It seemed that he had finally settled a matter on his mind, and the look on Sun Quan's face finally became a little relaxed:
"I've been having some doubts recently, and it just so happened that Boyan came back. God really helped me."
"It is my duty to relieve His Majesty's worries."
"Okay," Sun Quan nodded, "Besides the prince's matter, I have another matter that cannot be resolved after a long discussion between the court and the court. I just need Boyan's help to analyze it."
"Your Majesty, please speak."
"In Qianfanwu, I led the army north to attack the bandits. At that time, General Wei (Quan Zong) was the commander-in-chief. He attacked Shouchun and fought in Shaopi. The initial offensive was irresistible and the bandits suffered heavy losses. Shouchun was almost defeated by General Wei."
"Unexpectedly, reinforcements from the bandits suddenly arrived, and General Qin Huang of the fifth battalion was killed in battle. Fortunately, Gu Zizhi (namely Gu Cheng) and Zhang Shusi (namely Zhang Xiu, son of Zhang Zhao) fought hard to stop the enemy, and were able to stop the Wei bandits."
"General Wei sent his eldest son and his subordinates to support them, and they finally drove back the bandit army." At this point, Sun Quan looked at Lu Xun and asked, "Bo Yan thought that it was Gu and Zhang who made the greatest contribution in this battle.
, or is the two full powers more powerful?”
Lu Xun pondered, thought about it for a while, and then said:
"I believe that stopping thieves will do more good than repelling them."
Sun Quan heard this and said:
"I thought that General Shang would take advantage of General Wei and say that the second one was a great achievement!"
Lu Xun shook his head:
"In the army, rewards and punishments must be clearly defined. Only in this way can the people be convinced. How can rewards and punishments be different because of posthumous relations?"
"good!"
Sun Quan praised, and then sighed, "If all the ministers in the court can be like the general, and can act impartially in the middle, what worries should I have?"
"Whether Gu Zhang accomplished more by blocking the enemy or retreating them completely, the court and the central government have been debating for a long time, but they can't come to a conclusion."
"I am afraid that if I make a wrong decision, I will chill the hearts of the generals in the army, and I will not be able to make a decision for a long time. With the words of the superior general, I know what to do."
When Lu Xun heard this, his heart skipped a beat, as if something was wrong:
If what I said were spread out, wouldn't it offend General Wei?
Just remembering that he was speaking impartially and not selfishly, he suppressed this small worry again.
Sun Quan talked with Lu Xun for a long time, until the key to the palace was about to be released, and then he personally sent Lu Xun out of the palace.
Before leaving, Sun Quan seemed to think of something again and mentioned it intentionally or unintentionally:
"By the way Boyan, after the capture of Xiangyang, the land on the west side of Shangyong has become an isolated land, right? Why not take advantage of the situation?"
Lu Xun said quickly:
"Your Majesty, although Shangyong is now alone, I sent people to persuade him to surrender, but the general Shangyong refused to surrender."
"Furthermore, Xiangyang is newly acquired, and the army of Wei thieves north of the Han River has gathered. It should not be underestimated. Feng Mingwen of the Han Dynasty turned back halfway, and the Wei thieves were able to concentrate on me."
"Although Shangyong is close, the road is rugged and difficult to navigate. Therefore, I dare not easily divide our troops to go west. We should consolidate Xiangyang first. When the weather gets warmer and Xiangyang is solidified, I will send people to attack and capture it."
"I see." Sun Quan nodded, "As for the matter in Jingzhou in the west, I will take care of Boyan."
"I will do my best to live up to His Majesty's trust."
After bidding farewell to Sun Quan, Lu Xun turned around and walked out of the palace.
Sun Quan stood at the door of the palace, looking at Lu Xun's back, and did not turn back to the palace for a long time.
As the sun set, shadows enveloped Sun Quan, and the huge palace seemed to suddenly become lonely and empty.
Sun Quan stood in the shadows, the pleasant look on his face had gradually dissipated, and a cold look appeared in his eyes.
It wasn't until Lu Xun could no longer be seen that Sun Quan withdrew his gaze.
He looked at the small yellow door waiting at the door, suddenly pointed at one of them, and said coldly:
"Come here, drag this eunuch down and kill him with a cane!"
The selected Xiao Huangmen had a look of disbelief and confusion on his face, as if he was petrified by this unexpected disaster.
Apart from informing His Majesty of the General's visit as per his duties, he did nothing just now!
For many people in the court, it was a big event for General Shang, who had captured Xiangyang, which was in great trouble to the west of Wu, to return to Beijing to report on his duties.
As soon as the General came back, he was immediately summoned into the palace and had a long talk with His Majesty, which showed His Majesty's respect for the General.
Some thoughtful people immediately tried their best to find out what exactly His Majesty had discussed with the General.
------------------
"Snapped!"
"Wow!"
In the palace of General Wei, a fine ceramic tea cup passed down from the Han Dynasty was thrown to the ground without mercy, and porcelain pieces were scattered everywhere.
With a look of resentment on her face, Princess Quan (that is, Sun Luban, the daughter of Bu Lianshi, also known as the eldest princess) still couldn't understand her hatred after smashing the teacup.
But when he saw her standing up suddenly, she said bitterly:
"Why! Why does that bitch!"
If it had been anyone else, Princess Quan might not have been so resentful, but the mother of the third prince was none other than Mrs. Wang.
That bitch who dared to compete with her mother for favor.
Before his mother was alive, His Majesty had the desire to make her his queen.
However, the former crown prince only wanted to call his legitimate mother Xu as his mother. His Majesty was concerned about the thoughts of the crown prince and the officials in the court and did not establish a queen for a long time.
It was not until her mother died that she was posthumously given the title of queen.
This is a big regret for both the mother and the princess.
Now that the prince has finally died, I didn't expect Bitch Wang to be made queen because of the possibility of his son.
All of this should originally belong to the mother!
If the mother were still alive, let alone Bitch Wang’s turn to be the queen, even his son might not be able to be made the prince!
In her early years, Princess Quan had extremely disliked Mrs. Wang, who often competed with her mother for favor.
Now that she saw that Mrs. Wang might put her mother down, how could she not be extremely angry?
And it's not just this matter that makes the whole princess angry.