The revival of the Han Dynasty must start with Dong Zhuo

Chapter 542 Volume Sun Quan Requests for a Title
Jiangdong, Wu County.

"The emperor actually appointed Jia Xu as a vassal."

Shocked, puzzled, and a little regretful...

Gu Yong, who now controls the politics of Eastern Wu, came to Li Ru to reminisce about the past and to express his feelings.

"At that time, the emperor tried his best to crack down on the aristocratic families. I thought the emperor should be the kind of emperor with a cold nature named Liu, just like Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, who was unwilling to share power..."

"But now, first, Dong Zhuo was posthumously named king, and his descendants were granted the title of king in Hehuang; then, Jia Xu, who is still alive, was rewarded as a duke, and his descendants were allowed to go to the Western Regions to establish a fiefdom and become local lords..."

Li Ru poured a cup of hot tea for Gu Yong: "Why? Is Yuan Tan envious?"

"If you had not been willing to join Sun Quan in seizing the Jiangdong regime, with your status as Cai Yong's disciple, you might have been able to become the Minister of the Six Ministries or even a prime minister in the future. At that time, you would have been granted a fiefdom. Wouldn't that be a pleasure?"

Gu Yong raised his cup to sip tea, without making any comment on Li Ru's words.

"I do regret it. After all, I misjudged the emperor."

"But I don't think it's wrong to follow Sun Quan."

"If you really want to establish a kingdom and become a vassal of the Han Dynasty, you can't just surrender when the situation is already decided."

"The best time was when the Han Dynasty was in decline and in turmoil... If I could see the situation clearly and resolutely go to the teacher, and use the teacher's relationship to assist the emperor, then I would be a true minister of the dragon."

Cai Yong was a good friend of Dong Zhuo and also the emperor's father-in-law. If Gu Yong had really gone to join Cai Yong, he would probably be a minister of one of the six ministries by now.

"But that kind of thing is almost impossible to happen."

……

When the Han Dynasty was in the most dangerous time, let alone assisting the emperor, as long as there was no thought of usurping power in one's heart, it would be considered as being worthy of the Han Dynasty.

At that time, Gu Yong had a promising future in Jiangdong, so how could he really be so passionate as to run to Guanzhong?

"Yes."

Li Ru did not refute.

"So now, the people with the highest status and the most power in the Han Dynasty are the people from Xiliang and those under Liu Bei's command."

Xiliang was the base of the imperial court at that time, and no one had a choice, not even the emperor.

But Liu Bei was truly loyal to the Han Dynasty and gritted his teeth to go to Guanzhong, so Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others under his command were promoted to pillars of the state...

"So there is only one Liu Xuande in the world."

Gu Yong was not jealous of Liu Bei, he just admired him.

"Other Han royal family members were either like Liu Yan and Liu Chong, who were ambivalent, or like Liu Dai and Liu Yao, who were incapable... Liu Bei, a remote member of the royal family, was truly an outlier."

"So even though I envy the Han Dynasty's policy of enfeoffment of princes, I also know that this is destined to be something I have no chance of achieving."

"But Wenyou, you are different."

Gu Yong stared at Li Ru opposite him, trying to find the flaws in his expression.

"Although you poisoned the King of Hongnong, since Chunyu Qiong, who was one of the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden, revealed that He Jin and Empress Dowager He had tampered with the will of Emperor Xiaoling, both Dong Zhuo and you, Li Wenyou, have been cleared of the stain."

"If you had stayed in Chang'an, maybe your current status would not be weaker than that of Jia Xu...Are you really willing to live like this?"

While Gu Yong was speaking, he kept staring at Li Ru's eyes, trying to detect any fluctuations on Li Ru's face.

But Li Ru was like a deep pool from beginning to end. He looked peaceful on the surface, but in fact, there was an abyss with no bottom in sight.

"There is nothing to regret."

"Just as Yuan Tan knew that you would never go to Guanzhong to assist the emperor, I also knew that I would never stay in Guanzhong."

Li Ru's expression was indifferent when he talked about this matter.

"My situation at that time was beyond your imagination." "If I hadn't come out, I'm afraid I wouldn't have lived to see the day when Chunyu Qiong revealed it in Luoyang."

Seeing that Li Ru really didn't seem to care about the matter, Gu Yong gave up testing him.

"Wenyou really has a broad mind."

Gu Yong made to leave but was stopped by Li Ru.

"Yuan Tan didn't even tell me the real business, why are you leaving now?"

Gu Yong shook his head and said, "There is nothing serious. I came here today just to reminisce with Wen You."

……

Afterwards, Gu Yong left Li Ru's residence and went to Sun Quan's mansion.

"Lord Wu, I have already tested Li Wenyou."

"He has no hatred towards the Han Dynasty or the emperor in his heart. I am afraid that we cannot persuade him to go to Chang'an and ask for the title of Marquis of Wu."

Now that the big-mouthed Sun Quan has become the lord of Jiangdong, his nobleness has become even more overwhelming.

Even Gu Yong, a partner, had to admit that Sun Quan indeed looked like a leader.

It’s a pity that the emperor unified the country too quickly, leaving no chance for the world to continue in chaos, nor time for Sun Quan to rise. Sun Quan could only walk on thin ice and barely survive.

"Li Wenyou really doesn't hate the imperial court at all? Doesn't hate Dong Zhuo? Doesn't hate the emperor?"

Sun Quan was also a little disappointed when he heard that Gu Yong failed to convince Li Ru.

"Li Ru was clearly helping Dong Zhuo to get rid of the last worry and removing the last obstacle for the emperor, but he was thrown away like a used rag afterwards. How could he not have any hatred towards the court?"

Sun Quan shook his head and decided not to think about Li Ru anymore.

"The imperial court is truly becoming more powerful now."

"Since the emperor pacified Gongsun Du and changed Liaodong to Liaozhou, Qingzhou's maritime trade has gradually prospered. There are even fleets that have arrived at the ferry port of Jiangdong to exchange for Jiangdong's goods."

"After that, he always made some new things in Chang'an. I heard that many doctors and craftsmen were attracted and gathered in Chang'an... Even some Dong Fengs who didn't care about money and fame before went to Chang'an not long ago."

"And the Western Regions... Although I had expected the imperial court to be unstoppable in the Western Regions, I never thought that the emperor would actually send Cao Cao to the Western Regions to completely destroy those small countries in the Western Regions."

"But most importantly..."

Sun Quan was a little anxious when talking about this: "Haven't you figured out what the thing that blew up Xiangping City was?"

"No."

The shocking explosion in Xiangping City had spread from Liaodong to Jiangdong.

"I just learned that when the emperor was in Qingzhou, he summoned alchemists, and then they made something that could blow up the city wall."

Sun Quan frowned: "Find out as soon as possible!"

"Here."

However, Gu Yong also said: "The most important thing now is to send someone to Chang'an as soon as possible to ask the emperor for the title!"

"Going to war with the imperial court is not a wise move."

"Therefore, unless it is absolutely necessary, we must never start a war with the imperial court."

"Since the emperor can allow Dong Zhuo and Jia Xu to become princes, why can't he allow the Marquis of Wu to become a prince as well?"

Sun Quan and Gu Yong always had a glimmer of hope——

"If we can avoid war and maintain long-term peace in Jiangdong, it will be a blessing!"

(End of this chapter)