My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 314 Changes in Situation

"Master, Lord Zhu and Lord Zhang have come to visit."

The steward leaned close to Gu Yong and whispered his report.

Gu Yong's expression hardened. The Zhu Gong and Zhang Gong mentioned by the steward were Zhu Huan, the future head of the Zhu family, and Zhang Yun, the head of the Zhang family, two of the four major families in Jiangdong.

As the saying goes, there are five Heavenly Kings.

The four major surnames of Jiangdong are naturally no exception.

Actually, there are five of the four major surnames in Jiangdong, two of which are from the Zhu family.

The two Zhu families were actually distant relatives. One branch was the Wu County Zhu family, represented by Zhu Huan, Zhu Ju, and Zhu Yi, which was also a representative of the four major surnames of Zhu. The other branch was the Pei State Zhu family, represented by Zhu Zhi and Zhu Ran. This family joined the Sun family much earlier than the first branch, and this branch of Zhu was the ancestor of Zhu Xi, the Neo-Confucian scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty.

The one who came to find Gu Yong now was Zhu Huan, the head of the Zhu family of Wu County.

Zhu Huan joined the Sun family quite late in history, several years later than Gu Yong. It wasn't until after Sun Ce's death and Sun Quan's ascension to the throne, when Sun Quan clearly expressed his desire to reconcile with the Jiangdong gentry, that Zhu Huan began to serve Sun Quan.

Strictly speaking, Zhu Huan was unlike Gu Yong; he never served Sun Ce.

Zhang Yun, the patriarch of the Zhang clan, the last of the four great clans of Jiangdong, had a son named Zhang Wen, who was praised by Gu Yong as a genius unparalleled in his generation.

What does it mean?

Simply put, Zhang Wen's reputation in Jiangdong was too prominent. He had an unusual and imposing appearance and spoke with elegance and wit, which made Sun Quan very curious. He asked the ministers at the time, "Who can Zhang Wen be compared to?"

The Han dynasty followed ancient precedents and historical records, particularly favoring classical allusions, and also liked to test talent by comparing individuals.

Liu Ji, the Grand Minister of Agriculture and son of Liu Yao, said at the time, "He is on par with Quan Cong."

This praise is already quite high, as Quan Cong was Sun Quan's favorite minister.

Gu Yongyou, still finding it insufficient, praised Zhang Wen as the most outstanding among his generation, meaning that he was the best of his generation and no one could compare to him.

Even taking into account the factor of the four major surnames mutually enhancing each other's status, Zhang Wen's talent is indeed evident.

One particularly noteworthy point is that Zhang Wen himself was one of the few pro-Han figures in Eastern Wu. His political stance was to maintain harmony with the Later Han and launch a northern expedition to the Central Plains, which was truly commendable.

Gu Yong knew that for these two to disregard the tense situation in Wu County and come together for a visit, something serious must have happened.

So he hurried into the mansion and soon saw Zhu Huan and Zhang Yun in the hall.

Don't assume that the four most prominent surnames of that era were all refined people; in fact, both Zhu Huan and Zhang Yun were tall and robust.

Zhu Huan was a man of great generosity, valuing righteousness over wealth. He was proud, courageous, and somewhat unruly, and only the most capable could gain his assistance.

Zhang Yun's personality was quite similar to Zhu Huan's, though they differed by only one character. Zhu Huan valued loyalty over wealth, while Zhang Yun valued scholars over wealth. Zhang Yun had an excellent reputation among the gentry of Jiangdong and had friends everywhere. He even helped his friend Gao Dai rescue Sheng Xian, the former governor of Wu Commandery, which shows his chivalrous courage.

The three are close in age. Gu Yong is the oldest, at twenty-nine years old this year, Zhang Yun is the second oldest, at twenty-eight years old, while Zhu Huan is much younger than them, just twenty-one years old this year.

Therefore, among the three, Gu Yong was the eldest, and Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan immediately stood up and bowed when they saw Gu Yong.

After returning the greeting, Gu Yong invited the two into a private room to talk.

Inside the secret room, the three took their seats.

Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan exchanged a glance, and the latter tentatively asked, "Brother Yuan Tan, from where have you returned?"

"I returned from my maternal uncle's house."

Gu Yong immediately replied, "My wife is worried about her brother and specifically asked me to come to the mansion."

Upon hearing Gu Yong's words, both Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan burst into laughter.

Lu Ji's recent activity is a bit unusual.

Regardless of Lu Ji's reputation as a child prodigy, he is still just a nine-year-old child, which would obviously make him stand out.

In fact, Zhu Huan and Zhang Yun also covered up a lot for Lu Ji. After all, the four major families in Jiangdong were closely related and intermarried, so they were all considered relatives, which was different from others.

Seeing the smiles on their faces, Gu Yong immediately understood what was going on, and a wry smile appeared on his face as he shook his head.

"Shaowen and Xiumu, you two didn't come here just to laugh at my brother-in-law, did you?"

Upon hearing Gu Yong's words, Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan immediately straightened their expressions and bowed to Gu Yong, saying, "Brother, the land of Wu is currently engulfed in war, and the lives of the people and the powerful are in constant danger. We are people from the same county, and we are all fellow villagers. We have come here specifically to ask you for advice."

The reason Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan said this is because, at this stage, among the four major surnames, only the Gu surname, namely Gu Yong, has the closest relationship with the Sun family.

Leaving aside the Lu family with whom he had a blood feud, Lu Ji, at only nine years old, already wanted to avenge his family.

The Zhang and Zhu families were also at odds with the Sun family. They looked down on the Sun family and were more inclined to serve the emperor. Sun Ce, who followed Yuan Shu and returned to Wu to levy exorbitant taxes and kill countless people, was naturally seen as a traitor and rebel by the Zhang and Zhu families.

"What a joke Lu Lang has to offer!"

Gu Yong's words displeased Zhu Huan, who straightened up and rebuked him, saying, "Brother Yuan Tan, do you really think that what Lu Lang did was just a joke?"

Gu Yong's expression changed slightly, realizing that Zhu Huan's words were half true and half false, and that he was actually trying to force Gu Yong to clarify his stance.

However, Gu Yongming knew the other party's intentions, but he could not evade the question, otherwise Zhang and Zhu would probably sever ties with him on the spot.

Gu Yong pondered for a moment before replying, "Ji Lang acts rashly and is easily angered. Such behavior is not beneficial to the court and may even be taken advantage of by petty people."

Zhang Yun then interjected, "Could Xiu Mu and I be considered villains?"

Gu Yong deliberately showed displeasure: "What do you mean by this, Shaowen? You value scholars more than wealth and are renowned throughout the prefectures and counties. Who in Jiangdong does not admire you? Xiu Mu has lofty ambitions and great courage. He can accomplish what others cannot. How could he be a petty person?"

"good!"

Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan rose from their seats and bowed deeply, earnestly requesting, "We have a request for you, and we hope that Brother Yuan Tan can lend us a hand."

Gu Yong was startled, but his face remained calm as he said, "If it is a matter of great righteousness, how dare I hold back my strength? Please, my two virtuous brothers, return to your seats and we can discuss this further."

Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan ignored them and simply bowed, saying, "We wish to send one person out of the city to Qu'a in the north."

"who?"

Gu Yong's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized that this was bound to be a hot potato.

As expected, Zhang Yun replied, "It is the former prefect, Sheng Xiaozhang."

A look of shock flashed across Gu Yong's face. He had some vague guesses, but he really didn't expect it to be Sheng Xian.

Many people may not be familiar with Sheng Xian, but he was a very important figure in Jiangdong. He was not only a famous scholar in Kuaiji, but also served as the governor of Wu Commandery. He was highly respected and had a great reputation in both places.

Sheng Xian gained fame at a young age, having been recommended for his filial piety and integrity. After studying in Luoyang, he rose to the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

According to the rules of the Eastern Han Dynasty, candidates for official positions each year were required to go to Luoyang to study before they could be appointed as officials.

Only the most outstanding among those who were recommended for the civil service examinations could be appointed as a court official, meaning only one person was selected each year.

This shows just how talented Sheng Xian was.

Later, Sheng Xian also made a brother in Luoyang, who was also an old acquaintance of Liu Bei—Kong Rong, the Chancellor of Beihai. The two were so close that they became sworn brothers.

However, this person also has a flaw, just like his sworn brother, and can be considered one of the representatives of those who are all talk and no action.

While he was in the central government, he was able to get by. When he was appointed as a local official, because he had served as a court official, he went directly to serve as the governor of Wu, instead of starting from a county.

When he arrived in Wu, he was sidelined by Commandant Xu Gong and could not compete with him, so he simply gave up the position of governor and wanted to resign and go into seclusion.

When Sheng Xian was the prefect, he was forced to the brink of exile by Xu Gong. After resigning, he was no longer even the prefect, yet he still dared to hope that Xu Gong would let him go.

As a result, Xu Gong was about to kill him, but Gao Dai, Zhang Yun, and Shen joined forces to save him.

I thought they had taken Shengxian home, so why is he still in Wuxian?
Why is Sheng Xiaozhang still in the city?!

Gu Yong couldn't help but ask.

Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan exchanged a wry smile. The former replied, "First Xu Gong, then Sun Ce, both issued warrants to arrest and capture Lord Sheng. In addition, with the war raging and the flames of war burning everywhere, how could we dare to let Lord Sheng leave the city?"

Gu Yong was speechless. He knew the other party was telling the truth. Sheng Xian was indeed a precious person. Even Sun Ce wanted to capture him, and he later died at the hands of Sun Quan. It was simply because his influence in Wu and Kuaiji was too strong.

Gu Yong was speechless. He had previously thought that Zhang and Zhu had come to find him to cooperate in the conquest of the south, but he did not expect that although it was not this matter, the consequences were just as serious.

Gu Yong suddenly remembered something: since Sheng Xian was already in the city, why hadn't they come looking for him before?

In terms of defense, when Sun Ce had won many battles and pushed the battle lines to Youquan, the defenses in Wu County were not as tight as they are now.

Considering that Zhang and Zhu had just used Lu Ji to test him, Gu Yong immediately understood that he had been implicated by his brother-in-law.

It was Lu Ji's performance that caught the attention of Zhang and Zhu. They must have investigated Lu Ji's behavior, and his actions naturally could not escape their notice.

By testing oneself again, one can naturally discover one's true stance.

Even if I'm wrong, the four major surnames are of one mind and I believe I wouldn't betray them.

"Ok."

When the time came, Gu Yong did not hesitate and made a decision immediately.

"General Wu is currently collecting grain and fodder. I have already agreed to send a batch of grain into the city. You two should each contribute three thousand shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Three thousand shi is no small sum, yet Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan agreed to it without hesitation, seemingly not at all bothered by the expense.

Gu Yong continued, "Within a few days, I will send people out of the city under the pretext of transporting grain. You have Sheng Gong disguise himself as a group of clerks and sneak out of the city. There should be reliable people outside the city, right?"

"Thank you for your kindness, elder brother!"

Zhang Yun and Zhu Huan immediately bowed deeply in gratitude. Once they were out of the city, these local bullies would naturally have plenty of ways to send Sheng Xian to Qu'a.

Although Gu Yong's method had some risks, it was the best solution they could think of at the moment, so how could the two of them disagree?

********
Rewinding to the time after Liu Feng's expedition to Moling, Zhou Yu led his own 4,000 men, along with 4,000 men under Zhang Ying and Yu Mi, and set off for Wanling, the capital of Danyang Commandery.

Zhou Dao's troops, who were stationed north of the Yangtze River under Zhou Yu's command, were relieved by Liu Bei's men and immediately caught up with him, joining forces before Zhou Yu could set off.

Zhou Yu was very pleased to see this, as no one would complain about having too many of their own troops.

Subsequently, the 8,000-strong army marched south to Wanling, enjoying a smooth journey. Along the way, Wuhu provided the army with food and drink and replenished their rations.

When Zhou Yu arrived at Wanling, Zhou Shang had already come out of the city to greet him from five miles away.

"Yu pays respects to his father!"

Zhou Yu dismounted from his horse at a distance and went forward to pay his respects to Zhou Shang.

Zhou Shang, beaming with joy, warmly helped Zhou Yu to his feet, exclaiming, "Truly a prodigy of my family!"

At this time, Zhou Shang was unaware that it was the Zhou family's betrayal that led to Sun Xiang's capture and the fall of Shouchun City.

But at least the Zhou family successfully jumped ship, switching from Yuan Shu's sunken vessel to the newer, bigger, and stronger Liu Bei, which was enough to make Zhou Shang overjoyed.

Zhou Shang then led Zhou Yu into the city, settled many soldiers into camp to rest, arranged accommodations for Zhang Ying and Yu Mi, and arranged a banquet for the evening. Only then did the uncle and nephew have time to be alone.

The first thing Zhou Shang asked about was not the situation in Jiangbei, but the situation of his elder brother Zhou Chong.

Zhou Yu naturally didn't hide anything and told Zhou Shang everything that had happened in the past six months, down to the smallest detail.

Zhou Shang listened silently without interrupting Zhou Yu, but his expression kept changing.

After Zhou Yu finished speaking, Zhou Shang sighed, "So my elder brother has already relinquished the position of head of the family to Gongjin."

Zhou Yu quickly replied modestly, "Uncle has only entrusted me with this important task temporarily because I am the only one by his side. Now that I have met my uncle, I should naturally follow his lead."

Zhou Shang, however, was very open-minded; otherwise, he would never have been able to persuade Zhou Yu to betray Liu Yao in history.

He had always admired Zhou Yu. Now, three generations had passed away, and only a handful of people, including Zhou Yu, had survived. Among them, Zhou Yu was the most valiant and capable, and Zhou Shang was the elder who admired Zhou Yu the most.

It should be noted that Zhou Shang himself still has sons alive, while his elder brother Zhou Chong and his second elder brother Zhou Zhong have no descendants left.

Logically speaking, the direct line of the Zhou family should be inherited by Zhou Shang, and then passed on to his own son.

However, Zhou Shang was very fond of Zhou Yu and supported him greatly, doting on him far more than his own son.

“You are my family’s unicorn son. Your father will grow old eventually. No, your father is already old.”

Zhou Shang smiled and touched his temples; he had already seen gray hairs since last year.

"The future of the Zhou family rests on your shoulders. Don't act like a daughter."

Zhou Shang said solemnly, "Since my elder brother has chosen you, then your father will definitely support you."

Zhou Yu suppressed his joy and nodded heavily.

Then, Zhou Shang seemed unwilling to continue this somewhat heavy topic and changed the subject to another question: "General Piao... did you really say that I could choose whatever I wanted?"

At this time, Liu Bei was the General of the Cavalry, but many people, especially his subordinates, would often call him "General" to show their closeness and respect.

Anyway, Cao Cao was far away in Luoyang, so no one would bother to make a fuss about it, and there was no way to make a fuss about it, since Liu Bei was a genuine "General of the Cavalry".

Zhou Yu laughed and nodded: "After the General arrived in Shouchun, he summoned his nephew and personally brought up this matter in person."

Zhou Shang clicked his tongue in disbelief: "The General values ​​my Zhou family so much. It shows that although my Zhou family has suffered many calamities and has few descendants, we still have good fortune."

Zhou Yu asked curiously, "Father, have you already made your choice?"

Zhou Shang shook his head and gave a happy, bitter smile: "Those positions are all prestigious ones, any one of which is better than the Prefect of Danyang. Besides, I am only half the Prefect of Danyang."

Zhou Shang's sarcasm stemmed from the fact that Bei Danyang had always obeyed Liu Yao's orders, ignoring the commands of Zhou Shang, the upright governor of Danyang. This was also the source of the conflict between Zhou Shang and Liu Yao.

Zhou Yu frowned: "Father, but Zhang Ying was ordered to take over the post of Prefect of Danyang by the expedition to the south."

To Zhou Yu's surprise, he had originally thought that Zhou Shang would be somewhat dissatisfied, since he had not yet made a choice.

But to everyone's surprise, Zhou Shang said with a cheerful expression, "If Zhang Ying wants to take over, I will naturally hand over the power."

Looking at Zhou Yu, who seemed somewhat incredulous, Zhou Shang said very easily, "I'm tired too, so I can take a rest. The choice the General has given me is quite generous, so I have to think it over carefully. If I choose the wrong one, my father will regret it very much."

Zhou Yu then realized that Zhou Shang truly didn't care about the position of Prefect of Danyang, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was exactly what he had been worried about the whole way here.

In fact, Zhou Shang was quite sensible. In the original timeline, after Zhou Shang and Zhou Yu betrayed Liu Yao and helped Sun Ce sweep across Jiangdong, Yuan Shu almost couldn't wait to replace Zhou Shang with his cousin Yuan Yin as the governor of Danyang. His greed was extremely ugly.

Zhou Shang, however, offered no resistance and even relinquished his position as governor of Danyang without complaint, returning to Shouchun to await further orders.

It is evident that Zhou Shang himself did not have much ambition, which is consistent with his style of handing over the power of the Zhou family to Zhou Yu.

Of course, the alliance between Zhou Yu and Sun Ce was a reluctant decision made by the Zhou family after losing an entire generation of elites and military strength; it was not something Zhou Yu could decide at the beginning.

However, after Zhou Yu met Sun Ce, they became very close and developed a genuine friendship.

Zhou Shang's full cooperation completely dispelled Zhou Yu's concerns, so he then revealed his subsequent plans.

After listening, Zhou Shang frowned and shook his head repeatedly.

Zhou Yu was taken aback and tentatively asked with some doubt, "Does Father think there is something wrong with my plan?"

Instead of answering, Zhou Shang said, "Since you returned to Shouchun at the beginning of the year, a lot has happened in Jiangdong."

Zhou Shang then explained the situation, which gave Zhou Yu a great headache.

According to the plan that Liu Feng and Zhou Yu had discussed, he was to go through Guzhang, then through Wucheng, to flank Sun Ce's army, thus relieving the pressure on King Lang of Kuaiji, and at the same time buying time for Liu Feng to launch a surprise attack on Wu County.

Originally, whether it was Guzhang or Wucheng, the only major power was Yan Baihu, and Guzhang was even under Zhou Shang's influence.

However, things didn't go as planned this year; huge changes have occurred from Guzhang to Wucheng.

(End of this chapter)