Chapter 69: General Sun Wentai, the vanguard of the rebellion
The guard is Sun Jian.
This time I came from Luoyang with the imperial edict to go to Xiayi, Liang State, to pay homage to the emperor.
Since Shi Luojun, the captain of the guard, was not with him, he was worried and uneasy. When he arrived in Feng County, he hurriedly came to see Chen Mu.
Upon learning of Sun Jian's visit, Chen Mu asked him to come in and greet him in the outer court.
"Prime Minister!"
Sun Jian entered the door and was shocked when he saw Chen Mu personally greeting him. He quickly came over and bowed his hands and said, "Jian is just a sin-bearing person. How can he be greeted by the Prime Minister?"
Seeing his attitude, Chen Mu knew that Sun Jian should be in a panic mood at this time.
After all, his son rebelled, and although Liu Bei had already appeased him, at that time, he was still under the rule of law. If his son rebelled, the whole family would be executed.
For example, when Ma Chao rebelled, more than 300 members of Ma Teng's family were killed by Cao Cao in Xudu.
Therefore, Sun Jian was not afraid or worried that it was false.
certainly.
In fact, whether or not to sit together often depends on the attitude of the ruler.
For example, when Han Sui and Ma Chao rebelled, Cao Cao killed Han Sui's son who was a hostage in Yecheng and all the Ma Teng clan, leaving only Yan Xing's parents.
Although Sun Jian didn't know that these happened in history, there were many similar incidents during the hostage system during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
Therefore, when faced with Liu Bei's sudden summons, Sun Jian was naturally very frightened, so he went to Chen Mu first to find out what was going on.
Facing Sun Jian's respectful attitude, Chen Mu immediately stepped forward and returned the salute, then said with a smile: "Brother Wentai, you and I have been brothers for many years. How can I not welcome my brother when he comes?"
"The Prime Minister's body is rich in gold..."
Sun Jian wanted to say something else.
"well."
Chen Mu interrupted: "Brother Wentai, just call me your cousin. Just be casual. Don't be too polite or look too polite."
After saying that, he stood up and held Sun Jian's hand.
Seeing Chen Mu's attitude, Sun Jian felt a little relieved. He stood up and smiled bitterly: "Oh, I am a sinner, how dare I..."
Before he finished speaking, Chen Mu interrupted: "Brother, please don't speak like this. As the saying goes, everyone has his own ambitions. Wentai is a great man who is loyal and good. Although his descendants are unworthy, this does not prevent Brother Wentai from being loyal to the court."
Geng Geng, I believe your Majesty is also aware of this."
"Forehead......"
Sun Jian did not dare to reply. Historically, he was controlled by Yuan Shu, and he had to do whatever Yuan Shu asked him to do. Now he is controlled by Liu Bei, and his son rebelled. How can he feel at ease?
Chen Mu smiled and said: "Come on, come on, Brother Wentai, go in and sit down first. I know you are worried and uneasy at this time, but sit down first and listen to my analysis of the reason why His Majesty called you here."
"Thank you so much for your return."
Sun Jian, who was calmed down by Chen Mu's words, even his title became much more affectionate.
The two entered the middle hall, sat down in rows, and asked the attendant to serve tea.
As mentioned before, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was only boiled tea, not fried tea. Things like oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar were often added to boiled tea, making it taste like soup and very unpleasant to drink.
After Chen Mu traveled through time, he invented fried tea, which has since become popular in Luoyang, Qingzhou and other parts of the Han Dynasty, becoming the first choice for entertaining guests.
After the tea was served, Sun Jian took a sip to calm down. He happened to be a little thirsty after running all the way.
Chen Mu also took a sip, put down the teacup, and said with a smile: "Brother Wentai is actually worried that His Majesty will be angry with you because of Sun Bofu's rebellious behavior. Brother Wentai can rest assured that Your Majesty is generous, magnanimous, and tolerant."
As a human being, I will never blame my brother for this, so I can just wait and see."
"Of course I am aware of Your Majesty's generosity and magnanimity. When the traitor rebelled, I apologized to Your Majesty, but His Majesty comforted me. I was deeply moved."
Of course, Sun Jian would not say that he was worried that Liu Bei would kill him, so he hurriedly said that he firmly believed that Liu Bei had a big belly and everyone would carry the sedan chair. Unless he met Zhu Yuanzhang, the average emperor would probably not care if he was so praised.
.
"Then what else does Brother Wentai have to worry about?"
Chen Mu smiled.
Sun Jian hesitated for a moment and said tentatively: "I don't know why your Majesty asked me to come to Yuzhou..."
"Wen Tai doesn't think that His Majesty wants to use you as a hostage to threaten Sun Bofu."
Chen Mu smiled and expressed his worries.
Sun Jian said awkwardly: "Of course I don't believe that Your Majesty would have such an idea, but that traitor has committed a heinous crime, so I'm afraid he won't obey my orders."
Even if he was not taken as a hostage, if Sun Jian wanted to come, he would probably be asked to go to the battle line to persuade him to surrender or write a letter to persuade him to surrender.
It’s just that his own children know that Sun Ce lacked discipline since childhood and was extremely bold.
Although he is a father, that kid even dares to rebel against the imperial court, so what else can he not dare to do?
I'm afraid that if he goes to the front of the battle line to persuade Sun Ce to surrender, he may not be able to convince Sun Ce.
Therefore, Sun Jian felt that his efforts were in vain.
Unexpectedly, Chen Mu's face turned serious. He looked at Sun Jian seriously and said, "Brother Wentai, honestly speaking, how do you think the Han court treats you?"
"ah?"
Sun Jian didn't expect that Chen Mu would ask him this, and hesitantly said: "I started from a young age and relied entirely on the support of the imperial court. Naturally, the imperial court treated me with as much kindness as a mountain."
"Um."
Chen Mu nodded and said: "Brother Wentai's father was engaged in growing melons. After the Yellow Turbans took power, the world was in chaos. Brother Wentai gathered people to put down the rebellion. He was promoted by the Marquis of Qiantang and became the Sima of the army. Later he went to Xiliangping.
During Han Sui's rebellion, he was moved to Yuzhang as governor."
Sun Jian sighed: "Yes, if it were not for the Marquis of Qiantang, I would still be depressed and frustrated."
Chen Mu smiled and said, "One thing that Brother Wentai may not know is that the reason why Brother Wentai was able to move to Yuzhang as Governor was because I recommended him in front of Emperor Kangxi."
"oh?"
Sun Jian was surprised and said: "I didn't expect it was brother Zi Guixian who helped me."
Chen Mu shook his head and said: "The reason why I say this is not to ask for credit. But I want to tell Brother Wentai that whether I recommended him to be the shepherd of Yuzhou or the imperial court supported him behind the scenes, it was all because my eldest brother and I both
I know that Brother Wentai is brave and loyal to the court."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Sun Jian was so moved that he secretly wept and sighed: "It's a pity that I spent my life serving the country and helping the Han Dynasty, but I gave birth to a rebellious and unfilial son, which is shameful.
"
Chen Mu said with a smile: "Brother Wentai, don't be sad. When I went north together with Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu had a lot of soldiers, horses, and food, so he had to rely on Yuan Shu and be controlled by him. Later, it was my eldest brother who gave him food and grass and got rid of Yuan Shu.
Shackles. Also, I was injured by Lu Bu that year, and it was only the miracle doctor from Qingzhou who healed me. Brother, do you still remember?"
"These past events are all vivid in my mind. Your Majesty's kindness to me can only be repaid by death!"
Sun Jian couldn't help but be moved when he thought of Liu Bei's support to him over the years. With a serious face, he cupped his hands toward the west and said, "If your Majesty wants me to die, I will not hesitate even to go through fire and water."
Chen Mu laughed loudly and said: "Since Your Majesty is so magnanimous, why would you let Brother Wentai die? Don't worry, brother, your Majesty has taken good care of me over the years, because you have taken a fancy to my loyalty to the Han Dynasty.
This sentiment. When I say this, Brother Wentai should understand how much weight I hold in His Majesty's heart."
Sun Jian said solemnly: "Then your Majesty summoned me to Henan this time?"
Chen Mu said slyly: "If my guess is correct, Brother Wentai will have a great event."
"A happy event?"
Sun Jian wondered: "The traitor almost killed me, how can he still have a happy event?"
Chen Mu said: "Brother, if you don't believe it, you will find out when you go."
Seeing that he refused to talk, Sun Jian had no choice but to put many questions into his mind. The two of them started chatting again and talked about other things.
Feng County is not far from Xiayi. Sun Jian originally passed through Feng County this time to visit Chen Mu and check in on him. Now after being comforted by Chen Mu, he no longer felt uneasy in his heart.
But I still have doubts about the happy event that Chen Mu said. After all, it’s good that Liu Bei didn’t punish him. Is there any good thing left?
With this idea in mind, Sun Jian had lunch at Chen Mu's place and set off again in the afternoon towards Xiayi County in the south.
By evening, Sun Jian and more than a dozen of the Sun family's servants had arrived outside Xiayi County.
Along the way, we passed through prefectures and counties. It was a time of trouble, and bandits were causing trouble everywhere in Henan. But Sun Jian relied on the ancient ingot sword in his hand and more than a dozen servants. Not to mention ordinary bandits, even Cao Jun's defeated rebel army could not do anything to him.
.
In fact, Henan is still in chaos now. Because of Cao's army's new defeat, the people are frightened and uneasy. Officials sent by the imperial court have not yet completely taken control of the situation. Bandits are everywhere. Deserters and broken troops have disturbed countless villagers.
Liu Bei's regular army is currently hoarding a large number of troops in the East China Sea area of Runan, Pei State, and many areas in the rear have not been cleared in time.
Just as our country was founded in 1949, this did not mean that there was peace in the country. The war against banditry alone lasted three years and more than two million bandits were annihilated. This shows that it is not that easy to eliminate the remaining poison.
After the great chaos, there must be great governance. Now that the great chaos has not been settled, the imperial court is unable to control these scabies diseases for the time being, so it plans to deal with Cao Cao first and then renovate the land in Henan.
However, although Sun Jian only brought a dozen people across the state and counties, he himself was a powerful force. Although he was nearly fifty years old, he was still energetic and heroic.
After arriving at Xiayi, Sun Jian saw that there were countless tents near the city of Xiayi and along the surrounding Binshui River, stretching for more than ten miles. Now the imperial army gathered, and more than 100,000 soldiers and horses marched southward. The gathered camps covered dozens of surrounding areas.
square kilometers.
Places including Xiayi, Fengxian, Zhuqiu, Xiaoxian and other places are all within the sphere of influence of Liu Bei's army. Cao Cao's army is located on the south bank of Bin River, and has built defense lines in Wuxian, Xiangxian and other places, which is quite similar to Liu Bang and Xiang Yu's Battle of Pengcheng.
scene.
Sun Jian had Liu Bei's edict in his hand, and someone had been there to guide him along the way. As a guard, in addition to being greeted by Jia Xu, the minister of the same rank, Liu Bei also sent Dian Wei, the leader of the generals.
You must know that although Dian Wei is not a general, he is ranked first among the nine generals. His target is Taichang, the head of the nine ministers. To send him here, the reception standard is very high.
Therefore, Sun Jian felt much more at ease. Under the leadership of Jia Xu and Dian Wei, he entered the city and arrived at the temporary palace where Liu Bei lived.
It was said to be a palace, but it was still the former county government residence. Liu Bei convened many ministers in the middle hall to discuss matters.
Upon learning of Sun Jian's visit, Liu Bei interrupted the meeting and summoned Sun Jian alone in the backyard.
In the backyard, it was late autumn, and the grass and trees were yellow and withered.
Liu Bei sat in the pavilion and waited.
Jia Xu and Dian Wei brought Sun Jian over. Seeing Liu Bei waiting for him, Sun Jian quickly stepped forward, knelt down and bowed his head and said, "I bow to your Majesty."
"Wen Tai gets up."
Liu Bei smiled, waved and said, "Sit next to me."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Sun Jian then walked over and sat on the table next to Liu Bei.
Jia Xu and Dian Wei also sat down respectively.
Liu Bei sat cross-legged and asked with a smile: "Did the journey from Wentai go smoothly?"
Sun Jian cupped his hands and said: "Thanks to your Majesty's blessing, although there were some bandits, I also came out immediately, and they were all killed and retreated."
Liu Bei looked around and said with a smile: "It seems that Wentai has the ambition to be honest and honest, and his sword is not old yet."
Everyone laughed in agreement.
Liu Bei then said: "To be honest, I asked you to come here this time because I wanted to trouble you about something."
Sun Jian hurriedly said: "I don't want to be troublesome, but please give me your majesty's instructions. I am receiving a salary from the imperial court, and I have been saved by your majesty. Such kindness will mean that I will go through fire and water without hesitation."
Liu Bei smiled and said: "It's not like we have to go through fire and water. Recently, the imperial court received information. Cao Cao invited Sun Ce and Liu Biao to gather their armies in Runan, Peiguo, and Xiapi. These armies are no better than the previous teams. They are the main force of Sun and Liu and should not be underestimated.
, I heard that the four veterans of Wentai are among them."
Sun Jian suddenly became energetic and said: "Your Majesty, after the rebellion, I wrote many letters to denounce that unfaithful son, but he never woke up. Only the four veteran generals who have followed me for many years all bowed their heads and obeyed my orders. If I go
The four men who persuade us to surrender, Demou, Gongfu, Yi Gong, and Da Rong will inevitably defect before the battle, and the battle will be won when the time comes."
Letting four of his opponent's generals switch sides in front of the battle, and they were his own sons, sounded a bit like a loving father and a filial son. But Sun Jian had no choice. More than a hundred people in his family were in Luoyang, and only Sun Ce and Sun Quan were in Jiangdong.
, and Sun Jian did not agree with Sun Ce’s idea.
Therefore, abandoning his two sons to preserve the overall situation is the key, which makes him dare not even plead for his son to spare Sun Ce's life. After all, treason is a serious crime. If the person who conspired against him is the son of a minister and is spared, then others will
Wouldn’t they all follow suit?
However, Liu Bei waved his hand and said: "Wentai misunderstood. In fact, I didn't want Wentai to persuade the four veterans to surrender."
"That is?"
Sun Jian was a little confused. If he wasn't trying to persuade him to surrender, then why was he called here?
Liu Bei and Jia Xu looked at each other, smiled slightly, and then their faces suddenly became serious and said: "Sun Jian obeys the order!"
Sun Jian's whole body was shaken, he got up and knelt down in the tunnel and said: "I am here!"
"I will appoint you as a general. You will lead the Northern Army of 10,000 people. You will be the vanguard of the rebellion. You will go south to eliminate the national traitors and pacify Jiangdong!"
Liu Bei looked at him solemnly: "Wentai, you are from Jiangdong. I asked you to pacify Jiangdong just to make the best of peace. If you can pacify Sun Ce and capture Sun Ce, Sun Quan and others alive, I will give you permission.
Deal with them by yourself, kill or keep them, as you wish."
Sun Jian was stunned for a long time. After a while, he shed tears. He bent down and touched the ground with his hands at the level of his eyebrows. He bowed to the ground with sincerity and cried: "My lord... thank you for your grace. Sun Jian will live up to your Majesty."