No matter how oblivious Lu Xun was to the many calculations in the court, he could still vaguely understand the prince's worries.
Because since ancient times, there has never been a master who has been inside, while his successor has always been outside and safe.
If a favored person follows his master, it is a serious threat to his successor.
Even if the master does not have this intention, and even the beloved does not have this intention, who can guarantee what the people below will think? How to do it?
Although the prince is now close to the third prince, it is because the third prince is still young.
As I grow older, the prince becomes more distant from His Majesty when he is outside; the third prince becomes closer to His Majesty when he is inside.
In addition, the third prince's biological mother is also His Majesty's favorite concubine. In the end, no one can say whether the third prince will have a feud with the prince for the sake of the throne.
After all, people’s hearts are unpredictable!
What's more, it's a matter of heaven's family.
If nothing else, let’s talk about Jiangxia, where the prince is now.
This place was where Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Biao, took refuge.
Liu Biao favored his second son Liu Cong and despised his eldest son Liu Qi, forcing Liu Qi to avoid Jiangxia.
In the end, brothers Liu Qi and Liu Cong turned against each other, and their foundation was given away. Is it sad? Sad?
If the land of a state is like this, how about restoring the throne?
Whether His Highness the Crown Prince really wants to give way to the Third Prince, or he is testing His Majesty, or he is trying to avoid brothers becoming enemies and leaving a way out for himself.
Lu Xun felt that he had an obligation to prevent this situation from getting worse.
If the matter of the national reserve is not properly handled, it will lead to turmoil in the country, which is not a blessing to the country.
With this in mind, he hurried back to Jianye and asked to see Sun Quan as soon as possible.
After hearing Lu Xun's military report, Sun Quan quickly met with Lu Xun.
After reading the military report submitted by Lu Xun, Sun Quan sighed:
"The ministers of Shu were in danger, but they still fought hard and defeated the Wei thieves. Look at me, the minister of Wu, who has the emperor's mandate, but only wastes money and food, and the lives of the soldiers..."
Lu Xun was startled.
He really didn't understand why His Majesty would say such words.
Because everything east of Yuzhang is in charge of him, he knows that the only war in the east is the Wuxi barbarian rebellion in Wuling.
Now Lu Dai and Pan Jun have led the army to squeeze the barbarians into Wuling territory, and they are about to successfully quell the rebellion, so there is no way they can use the words of wasting the lives of the soldiers in vain.
As for the east, there shouldn't be any war.
Because if His Majesty wants to use troops against Hefei, he will definitely communicate with himself. There is no reason why he is still unaware of the outcome of the war.
Although he saw the confused look on Lu Xun's face, Sun Quan didn't want to say more.
He put the silk cloth on the table and asked:
"Bo Yan, as soon as this urgent message arrives, a letter from the Emperor of Shu will surely arrive soon."
He smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid you'll have to show off to me again. What do you think we should do?"
Sun Quan, who began to take charge of Jiangdong at the age of eighteen and finally ascended to the position of Dabao, experienced countless ups and downs.
Logically speaking, neither the Emperor of Wei nor the Emperor of Shu were just juniors to him.
What's more, how can a mere letter of credentials make him worry?
But Sun Quan is the emperor after all, and his vision is naturally different from ordinary people.
Because he knew very well why he could confidently ask Liu Bei for Jingzhou over and over again in the past?
This is because during the Battle of Chibi, although they cooperated with Sun Liu, the main contributor was Jiangdong.
Therefore, even if Liu Bei himself took over several counties in Jingnan, he would still give the territory that should be given to Soochow.
Now the Wu-Shu alliance has agreed to divide the world equally.
If the Shu people put in a lot of effort and defeated the Wei thieves, and when they ask for Yuzhou, will they give it to me?
"In the battle of Xiaoguan, I'm afraid that Liangzhou has become the possession of Shu. By then, the Shu people will no longer have any worries and can concentrate their forces. They can seize Longyou and move down to Guanzhong. The Wei thieves may not be able to hold it!"
Sun Quan thought of this and frowned again before Lu Xun could reply.
If the Shu people capture Guanzhong, they can directly send troops from there. If they really want them to capture Wanluo and Yuzhou again, what should I do?
Is it possible that just like Liu Bei borrowed Nanjun from him back then, he also borrowed Wanluo and Yuzhou from the Shu people?
When he thought of this possibility, Sun Quan suddenly felt uneasy!
Is it possible that what I did to Liu Bei back then should be reversed?
As soon as he thought about this, Sun Quan stood up suddenly, gritted his teeth and said:
"Hefei and Xiangyang must be captured, otherwise, our country of Wu will have to shrink to the south of the Yangtze River forever!"
Lu Xun was still thinking about who His Majesty was referring to when he said "It's just a waste of money and food, and a waste of lives of soldiers", but Sun Quan suddenly said this as if he was hysterical.
Lu Xun couldn't help but be stunned: "Your Majesty..."
"Oh, nothing, nothing..."
Sun Quan realized that he had lost his composure, sat down again, and collected his emotions:
"Bo Yan, the Wei thieves suffered a huge defeat in Guanzhong, which is comparable to the defeat of Longyou. Do you think we can respond from the east like the battle of Shiting?"
When Lu Xun heard this, he understood that His Majesty was not willing to let the people of Shu excel in their own right.
He quickly advised:
"Your Majesty, no! The battle at Shiting was a result of the concerted efforts of the entire Wu Kingdom and long-term planning to achieve a great victory. If we rush northward at this time, I'm afraid there will be some oversights."
"And now that the barbarian rebellion in Wuling has not been settled, Jingzhou cannot act rashly; and the one guarding Hefei is the veteran general Man Chong."
"This person has followed Cao Cao in his early years, unlike Cao Xiu. Therefore, this matter needs to be considered in the long run."
Sun Quan naturally knew that what Lu Xun said was reasonable, so he nodded and said:
"I also know that Hefei should not be taken lightly, but the Shu people defeated the Wei thieves at Xiaoguan. I think the people of the Wei Kingdom must be uneasy now. In my opinion, we should test it out first. It should be okay."
"Otherwise, Wu and Shu had just pledged an alliance, and the Shu people had a great victory, but there was no movement in our country of Wu. It would be a bit ugly."
Sun Quan put Lu Xun in Wuchang because Lu Xun was the only one in the Wu Kingdom who could guard Jingzhou, and also because he knew that he was unclear about many things in the court.
So he explained to Lu Xun what he was thinking.
After Lu Xun heard this, he understood.
I saw him pondering for a while, and then he said:
"If Your Majesty wants to test it, I have a plan."
When Sun Quan heard this, he was very happy:
"I know that Bo Yan is good at military strength. Please tell me quickly."
"I think that the people of Wei are in a state of confusion just as your Majesty said. I think that after Cao Rui learned about the battle of Shiting, he will not let the Wei thieves in Hefei attack easily."
Lu Xun said slowly while thinking about it:
"What if your Majesty threatened to capture Hefei and at the same time put on a show to scare the Wei thieves. In this way, we can test out the Wei thieves' arrangements in the Jianghuai area after Cao Xiu's death."
"At the same time, it can also show the people of Shu that our country, Wu, also has the intention to advance northward."
Sun Quan sat up straight and stroked his beard, somewhat confused:
"Just threats and pretense? I'm afraid I may not be able to hide it from Zhuge Kongming."
Lu Xun smiled slightly:
"What is false is true, what is true is false. This is the first time His Majesty has sent troops to the north since he ascended the throne. The Wei thieves will definitely not dare to take it lightly."
"At that time, your Majesty will only wait for the Wei thieves to gather together, and then pretend to retreat again. If the Wei thieves also follow suit, your majesty will make a surprise attack on Hefei and catch the Wei thieves by surprise."
"If the Wei thieves see through your majesty's intention to retreat, your majesty might as well show weakness to the thieves and retreat seriously to slow down the thieves' intentions."
"When the thieves slow down, Your Majesty will send people to pretend to surrender. There is a high chance that the Wei thieves will fall into the trap."
Sun Quan was overjoyed after hearing this:
"This plan is brilliant! It's like meeting at the same time in the battle of Shiting! If Man Chong is really fooled, Hefei will be under my control by then!"
The shadow that Zhang Liao left on Sun Quan was so strong that even today, Hefei is still a hurdle that he cannot overcome.
So he didn't say anything, but in his heart he wanted to capture Hefei all the time to get a glimpse of the Central Plains.
Lu Xun quickly took the opportunity and said:
"Your Majesty, destroying thieves is not a day's work. We must enrich the country for a long time. The people of the mountains and rivers will cause harm to the country for a long time, and the local officials cannot bear their disturbance."
"Therefore, it is better to conquer Shanyue sooner rather than later. Now that Zhuge Ke is willing to lead the army there, why don't Your Majesty respond accordingly?"
"If it can be done, it will bring disaster to our country of Wu. If it can't be done, Zhuge Ke will not be a veteran in the army and will not hurt the popularity of the people."
Sun Quan said: "I'm afraid it will be a waste of money and food."
Lu Xun further advised: "I went to His Majesty three years ago to persuade the generals to open up fields in Jingzhou. In addition, there are new agricultural tools passed down from the Shu Kingdom. Now there is no shortage of grain in Jingzhou."
"I heard that Zhuge Ke's strategy for conquering Danyang Shanyue was to use both pacification and suppression, which is very different from the previous strategy of blind suppression."
"How about we first order him to camp and guard in the border counties? With those new farm tools, he will be able to raise food by himself soon, and then let him go into the depths of Danyang. How about that?"
When Sun Quan saw Lu Xun taking the rare initiative to support someone, and then remembering that Zhuge Jin was already old, he felt something in his heart:
"Since you say so, then I will agree."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"If Zhuge Ke can really accomplish this, it means that he is also a good talent. What you did today can be regarded as promoting talents for the country, and I should thank you for it."
Sun Quan laughed.
After they finished talking about the matter, Sun Quan hosted a banquet for Lu Xun in the palace, and then he was released from the palace.
When Lu Xun came out of the palace, he did not go directly back to his own house, but went directly to the prime minister's house.
The prime minister of Wu State at this time was Gu Yong. He was taciturn, fair and selfless in his dealings, and was highly valued by Sun Quan.
Lu Xun knew that when it came to knowing the military strength, he was as confident as anyone in the Wu Kingdom.
But when it comes to court affairs, he is somewhat lacking, so he did not mention the prince's affairs easily in the palace before.
For such a big matter, you still need to consult the important officials in the court.
He believed that he had national affairs at heart, so he believed that Gu Yong would not refuse his request.
When Gu Yong heard that the general had come to visit, he quickly came out to greet him personally:
"Why did Boyan arrive so suddenly?"
The four surnames in Jiangdong are Lu, Zhu, Gu, and Zhang. The four families have always interacted with each other.
In addition, the current representatives of the Lu family and the Gu family are Lu Xun and Gu Yong, so they are officials in the same court and have a good personal relationship.
However, Gu Yong was older, so Lu Xun generally treated him as an elder.
"Xun Xun has not been in Jianye for a long time. It is rare for him to come back this time, so he came to visit the Prime Minister."
"Let's talk first."
One is the general who guards half of the territory, and the other is the prime minister who manages the entire country. The two naturally had some exchanges, each talking about the affairs of the DPRK and Jingzhou.
After Lu Xun asked Gu Yong to screen everyone away, he brought the topic to the prince.
He would not say that the prince took the initiative to talk about it, but instead said that he was worried about the prince:
"Since ancient times, I have never heard of a prince being away all the time while the master is inside. Now that your majesty has arranged it like this, I personally think that there is something wrong with it."
"For the sake of the country's stability, I would like to ask the Prime Minister to persuade your Majesty. I am willing to join Jiwei."
After hearing this, Gu Yong frowned, but he did not agree immediately. After a while, he sighed:
"What Bo Yan said makes sense, but he just chose a bad time!"
Lu Xun was stunned: "Xun doesn't understand what the prime minister said."
Gu Yong shook his head and whispered:
"Do you know, Boyan, that your Majesty just killed someone a few days ago?"
"But that Wei thief is planning to hide Fan?"
Lu Xun thought for a moment and then remembered something.
Yinfan was a man who crossed the river to join us because of his extraordinary bearing, good eloquence, and good sociability.
First he gained His Majesty's trust, and then he had extensive contacts with important officials in the DPRK.
From the self-defense general Quan Cong onwards, many courtiers treated him with respect.
Even Zhu Ju, the general of the left, said that he had the talent of a king's assistant.
Even Tingwei Hao Pu publicly complained about him, saying that he was the only one who should serve as Tingwei and he was willing to serve under him.
Unexpectedly, in December last year, Yinfan was planning to cause chaos. Fortunately, it was discovered in advance and it was not allowed to cause chaos.
Even so, many ministers in the DPRK were also implicated.
The first person to be affected was Ting Wei Hao Pu, who was reprimanded by Sun Quan:
"You have been praising Yinfan and blaming the court on his behalf, saying that it was the court that made him bend his talents, which made Yinfan rebel. It's all your fault!"
So Hao Pu was forced to commit suicide.
"As for the second person to be implicated, it is General Zuo, Zhu Zifan. Alas, he should be called former General Zuo now. He is now under house arrest and is not allowed to go out."
Speaking of this, Gu Yong's face looked a little ugly:
"This matter has already made everyone in the court feel in danger. I never thought that a few days ago, Wei Wen, Zhuge Zhi, whom Your Majesty sent overseas last year, happened to be back again."
"Wei Wen and Zhuge Zhi are back?"
Lu Xun was a little surprised when he heard the news.
When Sun Quan sent two men to lead the fleet to sea, Shangshu strongly opposed it.
"It would be great if I could come back. It wouldn't be in vain..."
Speaking of this, Lu Xun suddenly remembered what Sun Quan had said to him at the beginning when he entered the palace.
"What a good thing!"
Gu Yong shook his head and smiled bitterly:
"At the beginning, more than ten thousand soldiers went to sea, but now only half of them have returned. Only thousands of wild people from Yizhou have returned. They have only made money and food, and the lives of the soldiers have been wasted!"
"His Majesty was furious and ordered the two men to be imprisoned. Two days ago, he was punished for violating the edict and failing to do anything."
Lu Xun couldn't help but lost his voice after hearing this:
"I didn't expect that so many things happened in the court these days?"
No wonder His Majesty agreed to Zhuge Ke's matter so easily. I think this is part of the reason.
After all, when Your Majesty sent more than 10,000 soldiers to sea, it was for the purpose of plundering overseas people to supplement the Wu Kingdom.
Now that he has spent so much money, food and soldiers' lives, but only got thousands of civilians in exchange, it is better to let Zhuge Ke go and do it. At least he guarantees that he can get 40,000 soldiers.
"Yes, there is some chaos in the court now, and His Majesty has been in a bad mood. If you mention this kind of thing at this time, I'm afraid it will backfire!"
Gu Yong shook his head and said.
When Lu Xun heard this, his face became even more worried:
"What should we do? After all, if the prince's matter remains undecided for a long time, I'm afraid..."
Gu Yong pondered for a while and then said: "Although the matter of the prince should not be mentioned rashly now, there is one person who can test it for the prince."