The revival of the Han Dynasty must start with Dong Zhuo

Chapter 275 Volume Borrowing Jingzhou

"I cannot make a decision at the moment. Your Majesty, please wait for a moment until I return to Jiangxia and report back."

"up to you."

Liu Xie didn't care.

"But I can only stay in Jingzhou for half a month at most. Once the matter in Jingzhou is settled, I will immediately return to Chang'an."

In order to prevent Sun Ce from delaying, Liu Xie only gave him half a month.

The date limit is also silently telling Sun Ce - it is you who are asking me for help, not me asking you for help!

Lu Su had no choice but to return to Jiangxia and discuss the matter with Sun Ce and Zhou Yu again.

When Sun Ce heard that the emperor was going to take his family to Chang'an, he was immediately furious: "How can I let my mother just escape from the tiger's mouth and fall into the wolf's den?"

Wouldn't it also be a hindrance to transfer one's relatives from Yuan Shu to the emperor?
"No! Absolutely not!"

Sun Ce's behavior made Zhou Yu and Lu Su feel somewhat distressed.

Zhou Yu summoned Lu Su and asked him to go find the 10,000 shipbuilders the emperor wanted, as well as Lu Meng and Lu Yi, while he slowly persuaded Sun Ce.

"Bofu, the imperial court is not as good as Yuan Shu after all."

"Yuan Shu often breaks his promises and betrays his friends. Your family members are in Yuan Shu's hands. But the emperor is the emperor after all. As long as you don't become his enemy, I'm sure your family members won't be harmed."

Zhou Yu hit the nail on the head.

That is--

Sun Ce, will you become an enemy of the imperial court in the future?

Even though Sun Ce was always generous by nature, he didn't know how to answer this question.

It is sheer nonsense to say that we will not become an enemy of the imperial court.

Said he would be an enemy of the imperial court...

Since they are enemies of the imperial court, the emperor is not a fool, so how could he help Sun Ce defeat Yuan Shu?
Therefore, Sun Ce's relatives were the guarantee that Liu Xie wanted.

He can help Sun Ce, but he can't help out an ungrateful person.

"Bo Fu, don't you see that the reason why the emperor pressed us so hard is because he realized that we have no way out?"

What Zhou Yu was more worried about was Yuan Shu.

"According to Zi Jing, the emperor knew everything that happened in Shouchun, which means that Yuan Shu might have a spy sent by the emperor."

"Now that we have begun contact with the emperor, the emperor may inform Yuan Shu of our plan through that spy at any time."

"If Yuan Shu suddenly sends someone to take our military power, and your family is still in Yuan Shu's hands, what will you do, Bofu?"

Zhou Yu's inference was very cruel.

That is, Sun Ce had no other choice but to accept the emperor's conditions.

If he cannot get his family back, he cannot take action against Yuan Shu.

Even if Sun Ce dared to take action against Yuan Shu in defiance of the world, the emperor in Jingzhou might send troops to attack the rear at any time, putting Sun Ce in a losing situation.

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu thought they were playing a game with the emperor.

But in fact, they had already lost from the moment they sat down.

Sun Ce was tortured by the emperor's schemes and his scalp was numb: "That emperor is only one year older than my brother Zhongmou, how could he have such wisdom and strategies?"

Zhou Yu also shook his head and sighed.

"I heard that Dong Zhuo made the emperor the ruler because he was calm and intelligent in the face of danger... In the past, everyone called Dong Zhuo a traitor and a treacherous minister, but now it seems that Dong Zhuo's actions really saved the Han Dynasty and made him a wise minister like Yi Yin and Duke Zhou."

Ever since the news of the emperor's defeat of Yuan Shao in Anyi came, Zhou Yu realized one thing -

I'm afraid the Han Dynasty will not be destroyed in a short period of time.

This means that some people’s reputation will be reversed in an instant in the face of reality.

For example, Dong Zhuo.

With the emperor's current performance, who would dare to say anything against Dong Zhuo?
When the Han Dynasty was weak, people only blamed Dong Zhuo for his atrocities.

But when the Han Dynasty was reborn from the ashes, everyone remembered that Dong Zhuo had done many other things.

For example, he once defended his country on the border, participated in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and protected the peace of the Han Dynasty.

For another example, the so-called "Party Imprisonment Disaster" was lifted by Dong Zhuo himself. Dong Zhuo personally brought a letter to the court, asking for the redress of the injustices of Chen Fan and Dou Wu, who were framed as traitors during the September coup in the first year of Jianning, and the numerous party members who were arrested and killed in the "Second Party Imprisonment Disaster" the following year. The court then restored the titles of Chen Fan and others and promoted their descendants to official positions. (Note 1)

Afterwards, a large number of scholars were appointed as local governors.

For example, Liu Biao, Han Fu, Liu Dai, Kong Jun, Zhang Zi, Kong Rong, Ying Shao, Zhang Miao, etc., which one was not employed by Dong Zhuo himself?

It can be imagined that as the imperial court becomes more and more powerful, these scholars who have received favors from Dong Zhuo will reverse Dong Zhuo's reputation without the need for imperial organization.

As Dong Zhuo's reputation gradually improved, the reputation of some other people was bound to plummet.

For example, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

For example, Sun Ce’s father, Sun Jian.

"So this time, it's not just for us to be able to successfully defeat Yuan Shu! The most important thing is to consider your father, Bofu."

"Use this opportunity to make friends with the court and the emperor to completely sever the connection between your father, Bofu, and Yuan Shu! Let him become a Han official again!"

Zhou Yu's thoughts and concerns were all very deep.

"Although the Han Dynasty's resurgence is unstoppable, the emperor must first pacify Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and others before he can spare the energy to take care of Jiangdong."

"When that time comes, I'm afraid it will be many years later. Maybe things will turn around and you can bring your family back." "So... Bofu, just agree to the emperor's conditions for the time being!"

After listening to Zhou Yu's analysis, Sun Ce also sighed deeply.

Compared with the emperor and the imperial court, he was still too immature and had no choice but to compromise.

However, Sun Ce still had his own plans. He discussed with Zhou Yu: "My brother Zhongmou has the qualities of a hero, and I cannot bear to use him as a hostage... I wonder if we can keep him in Jiangdong?"

After all, Sun Ce's favorite person was still his younger brother Sun Quan.

Even at this time, he was still thinking about whether he could save Sun Quan and prevent him from going to Chang'an as a hostage.

Although Zhou Yu felt embarrassed after hearing this, he agreed to Sun Ce's request.

Sun Ce was delighted when he heard this, but then he became worried again: "The emperor also said that we should pay the reward for his family. Does Gongjin have any good ideas?"

Zhou Yu nodded: "I have a plan that should work!"

……

……

After learning Zhou Yu's intention, Lu Su immediately went to Nanyang to meet the emperor, not daring to delay at all.

Lu Su thought that the bargaining of "keeping Sun Quan" would make the emperor furious, but the emperor just asked with a strange look on his face: "Sun Ce really wants to keep that white-eyed man... really want to keep Sun Quan?"

"Exactly."

"Then just keep it. I just hope Sun Ce won't regret it in the future."

Lu Su didn't know what the emperor meant by this, but he was still happy, as it solved the three demands raised by the emperor before.

What remains now is just what price Sun Ce is willing to pay in exchange for Liu Xie rescuing his family from Yuan Shu.

Liu Xie was also looking forward to seeing what price Sun Ce and Zhou Yu would pay to ask him to help.

Lu Su took a deep breath and finally said the "price" that Zhou Yu had given him:

"Bofu is willing to repay the emperor's kindness of saving him with the land of Jingzhou!"

Lu Su said righteously: "As long as Your Majesty is willing to help, Bofu is willing to return Jiangxia and the four counties of Jingnan to the court!"

"But Bofu wants to send troops to Jiangdong, and he needs a place to stay in the rear."

"So, please ask the emperor to temporarily lend the land of Jingzhou to Bofu! After Bofu takes over Yangzhou, we will return all the land of Jingzhou to him!"

……

Once we take over Yangzhou, we will return Jingzhou to you...

For some reason, Liu Xie always felt that these words were very familiar.

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Xie did not directly agree or reject the proposal, but first summoned the civil and military officials around him to explain the matter to them.

Yang Xiu saw the problem immediately: "What does this mean?"

"Wait until we take over Yangzhou before returning Jingzhou?"

"If Sun Ce really conquers Yangzhou, straddling Jing and Yang, with 100,000 soldiers, how could he easily return Jingzhou?"

"By then, if the imperial court still wants Jingzhou, it will have to resort to military force! But Yuan Shao and Cao Cao in the north are eyeing it covetously, so how can they deploy a large force in Jingzhou?"

"Besides, Wuling and Lingling counties have already been annexed by the imperial court. Where did the four counties of Jingnan come from for them to trade with?"

"Your Majesty! I suspect Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are playing a trick on you!"

Although Sima Yi remained silent, he nodded frequently when Yang Xiu said this.

Obviously, Sima Yi also did not think that Sun Ce would return Jingzhou after obtaining Yangzhou.

This kind of insincere promise is really a bit too bullying!

Liu Xie listened to Yang Xiu's chattering but did not respond.

Until the end, Liu Xie looked at Liu Bei and asked Liu Bei:

"Uncle, do you think I should lend Jingzhou to you or not?"

"If the emperor's uncle wants to borrow it, I will agree to it with Sun Ce right away."

"If the emperor's uncle doesn't lend it, then this deal will naturally come to nothing."

"All decisions on this matter are made by the Emperor's uncle!"

Liu Bei: “?”

He never expected that the emperor would hand over this hot potato to him, an outsider who had nothing to do with it?

No, it’s not irrelevant…

If an agreement to "borrow Jingzhou" was reached with Sun Ce, at least Jingzhou could enjoy peace for a few more years and focus on dealing with Cao Cao.

But it is as Yang Xiu said.

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's "borrowing Jingzhou" is clearly a free-for-all! If we agree directly, wouldn't it be too easy for them?

--------

Note 1:

Zhuo, together with Minister of Works Huang Wan and Minister of Works Yang Biao, all went to the imperial court with iron and steel to present a petition to the emperor, calling for the punishment of Chen Fan, Dou Wu and their followers, in order to meet the public's expectations. As a result, all the titles of Chen Fan and others were restored, and their descendants were promoted. - Fan Shu's "Biography of Dong Zhuo"

(End of this chapter)