The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 318 Who in the world wouldn't submit to Qi?
In the late summer of the fourteenth year of Jian'an, in Jiangdong.

Zhou Yu, then serving as the commander-in-chief of Eastern Wu, temporarily stayed at Poyang Lake to recuperate due to a recurrence of an old injury.

Although he was far from Jingkou, he still kept a close eye on the general situation of the world.

At this time, a messenger reported that Man Chong, an envoy from the State of Wei, had crossed the river and was carrying a letter personally written by Cao Cao, the Duke of Wei, requesting an audience with Sun Quan, the Marquis of Wu.

Sun Quan urgently summoned him, and Man Chong entered the palace, respectfully presenting a letter of state, saying:
"Duke Wei had long admired Marquis Wu's talent and ability."

Now Liu Bei occupies six provinces, is arrogant and domineering, and has usurped the title of King of Qi; his power is immense and difficult to control.

"The Duke of Wei is willing to form an alliance with the Marquis of Wu to jointly attack Liu Bei."

"After the matter is accomplished, the lands of Jing and Xiang will belong to Wu, and the Central Plains will belong to Wei."

"The two families will govern together from the north and south, and forever forge a Qin-Jin alliance."

Although Cao Wei was in a slump in the Central Plains war, it still tried to make a comeback and sought help from Sun Wu.

Of all the forces in the world today, only Sun Wu can provide strong support to Cao Wei.

Cao Cao did not hold any grudges against the Battle of Red Cliffs. In his view, as long as victory was achieved, no hatred was too great to forget.

He was now completely convinced that Sun Wu was willing to cooperate with him.

After all, the terms he offered for joint governance of the North and South included ceding Jingzhou, which Sun Wu had always coveted, to him.

The reason why Sun Wu chose to cooperate with Qi during the Battle of Red Cliffs was that he wanted Jingzhou.

Even if we can't annex it all, we must take Jiangxia; at the very least, we must take Jingnan.

In reality, Sun Wu didn't even get a sip of soup.

They fought desperately to capture Nanjun, but were then ambushed at Lujiang, ultimately signing the humiliating Treaty of Jiangling.

They handed over Jingzhou, which they had just acquired, before they even had a chance to enjoy it.

Having been tricked by the Qi people, the two families have now become enemies.

Although the relationship on the surface did not break down, the people of Wu remembered this grudge.

Now, Man Chong, representing the Cao Wei group, has officially extended an olive branch to Sun Wu, and all the Wu people present are thrilled.

After reading the letter, Sun Quan remained silent in thought.

Zhu Ran, the Colonel of the Vanguard, observed the situation and stepped forward to whisper:

"My lord, Liu Bei's power has grown significantly in recent years. If we allow him to become too powerful, he will surely become a threat to Jiangdong."

"Since the Battle of Red Cliffs, Li Yi's strategy has trapped the Wu people in the Jiangdong region."

"If we don't break through Qi's blockade, the people of Wu will never be able to set foot in Jingzhou, let alone the Central Plains."

"Cao Cao's initiative to form an alliance is indeed a golden opportunity."

Sun Quan nodded slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and looked at Man Chong, saying slowly:
"The Wei envoy has come from afar and must be tired. Please rest first and allow me to think it over."

This was, after all, a matter of great importance to the military and the nation, and Sun Quan could not make a decision on a whim.

We still need to discuss this with the ministers.

Adhering to the principle of consulting Zhang Zhao on internal affairs and Zhou Yu on external affairs.

Sun Quan urgently summoned Zhou Yu back to Jingkou.

When the news reached Poyang, Zhou Yu was greatly alarmed. Despite his weak and ailing body, he rushed back to Wu by boat overnight.

The following morning, he went straight to the residence of Marquis Wu and met with Sun Quan.

"Gongjin, are you feeling any better?"

Sun Quan felt a pang of sympathy upon seeing Zhou Yu's pale face.

He fell seriously ill after being shot by an arrow during the campaign against Nanjun, which caused the wound to burst and worsen.

After finally securing Nan Commandery for Eastern Wu, Sun Quan ordered him to be recalled.

This can actually be considered a "backstabbing" of Zhou Yu.

Because recalling him would be tantamount to making him abandon Jingzhou, which he had just conquered.

But as the ruler of Jiangdong, Sun Quan had no choice but to do so.

But he knew that although Zhou Yu didn't say it, he must be feeling very bad inside.

Zhou Yu bowed deeply and said in a deep voice:
"My lord, I have heard that the Wei envoy has come to discuss forming an alliance to attack Liu. This is absolutely unacceptable!"

Sun Quan frowned:
"Oh? What brilliant idea does Gongjin have?"

Zhou Yu analyzed seriously:
"Cao Cao is cunning and resourceful. This time, he took the initiative to form an alliance, which is actually a plan to use one tiger to devour another."

"If our army joins forces with Wei to attack Liu Bei, even if we win, we will be severely weakened."

"In the end, it will only benefit Cao Wei."

Zhou Yu's opposition to allying with Cao Cao to attack Liu Bei surprised Sun Quan.

As a key military official, Sun Quan summoned him back, hoping he would cast one last overwhelming vote.

Then Sun and Cao made an alliance.

But to Sun Quan's utter surprise, Zhou Yu actually voiced his opposition.

It's important to know that Zhou Yu was always a radical advocate of war.

Now that the opportunity has arrived, how could he refuse it?

Sun Quan pondered for a long time, deeply disagreeing, and said in a deep voice:

"...Gongjin is overthinking it."

"In recent years, thanks to Gu's hard work and dedication, agriculture in Wu has flourished and the skills of craftsmen have improved. It is no longer the barren land it once was."

"If we stubbornly cling to Jiangdong and fail to make progress, I will eventually be trapped and die here!"

"Moreover, I have inherited the great cause of my father and elder brother; how can I sit idly by and grow old in mediocrity?"

Seeing Sun Quan's ambitious nature, Zhou Yu earnestly advised him:
"My lord, Zhuge Liang has reached several cooperation agreements with us."

"With the trade routes through Jingzhou open, the products of Wu can be transported north, which is a long-term benefit."

"It would be better to sit back and watch Qi and Wei fight each other, while Jiangdong recuperates and waits for the right time to make a great undertaking."

Zhou Yu recuperated in Poyang in order to strengthen communication with Jingzhou.

This led to more frequent trade between the two places, enabling products from Wu to be better exported to Jingzhou.

The Wu region is indeed developing rapidly, but Sun Quan has overlooked a real problem.

That is, behind the rapid economic development was the export of goods dependent on the Eastern Wu.

Jingzhou was the main destination for the handicrafts and local specialties of Eastern Wu.

Because Zhuge Liang was also vigorously developing Jingzhou, which required a large amount of raw materials and manpower.

What Eastern Wu had no shortage of was cheap labor, since the area was full of Yue natives.

After capturing these natives, the Wu people sold them to Jingzhou at a high price, making a fortune.

Then, this money was used to support the handicrafts, agriculture, and water conservancy projects of Eastern Wu.

This enabled Jiangdong to develop rapidly and escape the harsh natural environment of the malaria-ridden region.

Zhou Yu recognized this point, which is why he believed that strengthening cooperation with the State of Qi was far better than breaking ties with Qi.

After all, there are never any winners in war; it's just a matter of who loses more and who loses less.

Clearly, Eastern Wu did not yet have the confidence or strength to break ties with Qi.

Even if you add Wei, the alliance between Wu and Wei would narrow the gap in national strength between them and Qi.

But the problem is that Wu and Wei were two separate regimes.

The union between nations is not as simple as one plus one equals two.

He was clearly not as powerful as a unified regime like Qi, whose strength could be unleashed when united as one.

Based on all these considerations, Zhou Yu opposed cooperating with Cao Cao and breaking with the State of Qi.

At this moment, Zhang Zhao, a conservative, also stepped forward and offered his advice:

"My lord, Governor Zhou's words are not without reason."

"Now that Liu Bei is powerful, our Eastern Wu is small and weak, we should not be his enemy."

"Only by improving relations between the two places can we achieve long-term development."

Separate Commander Lü Meng objected:
“Zhang Changshi is mistaken. It is precisely because Liu Bei is so powerful that if we do not take advantage of his inability to look south to eliminate him, he will surely become a major threat to Jiangdong in the future.”

"Cao Cao's willingness to form an alliance with our army is truly a godsend!"

"We must not miss this opportunity."

Clearly, even if Eastern Wu used all its resources, it would be impossible to defeat the State of Qi.

Only by engaging in diplomacy and uniting with a powerful nation can we have a chance to defy fate.

Now that Cao Wei has put aside the grudge of the Battle of Red Cliffs and has taken the initiative to extend an olive branch, there is no reason for Eastern Wu not to accept it.

Zhu Ran, He Qi, and other generals also advocated for war.

Seeing this, Zhou Yu was extremely anxious, coughing and panting repeatedly, but still insisted on saying:
"My lord! We must not let small gains jeopardize the greater good!"

The argument between the group lasted all night.

Sun Quan also didn't sleep all night, unable to sleep, torn between whose advice he should follow.

The next day, early in the morning.

The atmosphere in the council hall was somber.

Man Chong stood in the hall, his gaze fixed intently on Sun Quan, who sat in the main seat, awaiting his final answer.

Inside the hall, civil and military officials stood on either side. Although Zhou Yu was ill, he still stood upright at the head of the military generals, his brows furrowed.

Sun Quan slowly put down the bamboo slip in his hand, looked up at Man Chong, and said in a deep voice:
"The Manchu envoy has come from afar, but the matter he has discussed is of great importance, and I need more time to consider it."

Upon hearing this, a hint of anxiety flashed in Man Chong's eyes.

So, after all that meetings at Soochow University last night, this is the result?
In diplomatic settings, the most feared tactic is this kind of "delaying tactics."

Because if you don't give a clear answer about whether or not to participate in the war, it will really affect the military decisions of the country you are sending an envoy to.

Thinking of this, Man Chong stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Lord Wu, you are wise. War in the Central Plains is imminent."

"If Wu does not send troops to help in time, Wei will likely find it difficult to win."

"When Liu Bei becomes too powerful, how can Eastern Wu remain unscathed?"

"This is a situation where if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold!"

Man Chong first made it clear that Wei needed Wu's strong support, in order to prove his sincerity.

It also emphasized a practical problem: the Central Plains War would begin no later than the end of the year.

If the Wu people cannot join us in time, the Wei state cannot win. We need your help.

If we lose, you too will face annihilation.

Sun Quan frowned slightly, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table.

He turned to look at Zhu Ran: "What does Yi Feng think?"

Zhu Ran stepped forward and said:
"My lord, what the Manchu envoy said is not without reason."

"The people of Qi broke their promise and tricked us into attacking Cao together, promising to divide Jingzhou among ourselves."

"Now they dominate Jingxiang, and won't even share a single prefecture in southern Jing with us."

"Now we are trapped in Wu territory. If we do not take the initiative to attack, how will the people of Wu cope?"

"Lord!"

Zhou Yu suddenly interrupted, forcing himself to step forward despite his illness, and said to Man Chong:
"Eastern Wu has its own strategic propositions, so there's no need for the Manchu envoy to put in any more effort."

"Our army has already made an alliance with Zhuge Liang of Jingzhou. How can we break our promise?"

Seeing this, Man Chong knew it would be difficult to persuade him again, but he still refused to give up:
“Governor Zhou is mistaken.”

"The world situation is constantly changing."

"Lord Wu is a man of great talent and strategy; he should assess the situation carefully..."

"enough!"

Zhou Yu shouted sternly, then began to cough violently.

Zhang Zhao and the others quickly stepped forward to support him, whispering, "General, please take care of yourself."

Seeing Zhou Yu's agitation, Man Chong knew he couldn't achieve his goal today and had to settle for second best:

"In that case, I shall take my leave."

"but……"

He glanced meaningfully at everyone in the hall, then smiled slightly at Sun Quan:
"This is an internal affair of Eastern Wu, and foreign officials should not interfere."

"But due to the circumstances, Chong had no choice but to tell the truth."

"Judging from the opinions of the masses, they are not suitable for planning important matters."

"The people of Eastern Wu may welcome Liu Bei, but not the Lord of Wu."

"Why do I say this? Now that the people of Wu are welcoming Bei, Bei will return them to their fellow villagers and assess their status."

"He did not lose his position as a junior official, but rode in an oxcart, followed by clerks and soldiers, and associated with scholars. He was able to advance through the ranks and thus did not lose his position in the prefecture or county."

"But where will the Marquis of Wu go after welcoming Bei?"

"I hope to make a grand plan as soon as possible, and not rely on the opinions of others."

hiss……

Upon hearing this, all the ministers of Eastern Wu in the hall gasped in shock.

Does Man Chong mean that anyone who opposes an alliance with Wei is not considering Sun Quan's interests?

Are all those who are unwilling to fight against the State of Qi traitors?

If we take this approach, we'll offend far too many people.

In particular, the criticism was directed at Zhou Yu, who advocated for peace.

"This foreign subject takes his leave..."

After making those harsh remarks, Man Chong quickly made his escape.

After Man Chong left, Sun Quan sighed and waved for everyone to leave, leaving only Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao.

"Gongjin..."

Sun Quan rubbed his temples wearily:
"This is indeed a difficult situation."

If we ally with Wei to attack Liu Bei, it is indeed as you said, a trap set by Cao Cao.

"But if we don't ally with Wei, what will happen when Liu Bei becomes too powerful?"

Zhou Yu suppressed a cough and said seriously:

"My lord, you are wise. Cao Cao's proposal is clearly an attempt to make Jiangdong do something dangerous for him."

"It would be better to wait and see, until both Qi and Wei are severely weakened..."

Sun Quan suddenly slammed his fist on the table and stood up:

"But when will that be?!"

He paced back and forth excitedly inside the hall:
"Since my father and brothers started their business, we, the sons of Jiangdong, have been ready for battle at any moment. Are we to be forever confined to this corner of the southeast?!"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhao cautiously said:

"My lord, calm down."

"How about... how about strengthening the defenses along the river first, while simultaneously sending spies to closely monitor the war in the Central Plains?"

Sun Quan stopped and gazed at the darkening sky outside the palace, murmuring:
"...that's fine."

"Pass down the order: all battalions must strengthen their defenses. No one may act rashly without my command."

That night, Man Chong stood on the bow of the returning boat, watching the lights of Jingkou gradually disappear into the distance, and remained silent.

The attendant beside him sighed:

"Alas, Sun Quan is indecisive and incapable of achieving great things."

"It's a shame we came all this way across the river, only to return empty-handed. We have no face to go back and see Lord Wei." Man Chong's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cold smile.

“…Sun Quan…will come looking for us sooner or later.”

Everyone was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Why do you say that, Lord Man?"

Man Chong gently stroked his goatee and chuckled:
“I saw ambition in Sun Quan’s eyes.”

"This kid is a wolf cub, hahaha..."

……

Liangzhou, Jincheng County.

Liangzhou was a very magical place during the Three Kingdoms period.

This region is renowned for its elite troops and generals, and it has consistently played a vital role throughout the long history of the Three Kingdoms period.

Apart from Dong Zhuo, who once took center stage, no one else has ever been able to amaze the audience on stage.

Even so, Liangzhou still plays an important role in the story.

As the saying goes, "Generals come from Guanzhong, and prime ministers come from Guandong."

Because the locals fought against foreign tribes for many years, they developed a fierce and tough character.

So although he couldn't be the main character, he was a very important supporting character.

They were the target of intense courting by surrounding regimes.

Inside Jincheng, the north wind whipped up a sky full of yellow sand.

Fu Xun, an envoy from the State of Wei, led more than a hundred cavalrymen through the Longshan Pass and finally arrived at the capital of Han Sui.

At the city gate, the soldiers of Liangzhou were gleaming in armor, their swords and halberds standing like a forest, demonstrating the extraordinary strength of this overlord of Western Liang.

Fu Xun was led into the governor's mansion, where he saw Han Sui sitting high on a tiger-skin chair, flanked by fierce generals from Xiliang.

Although this nearly sixty-year-old warlord from Liangzhou had graying temples, his eyes were sharp and his presence commanded respect without anger.

"The Wei envoy has come from afar and has had a difficult journey."

Han Sui slightly raised his hand, his voice deep and resonant, "I wonder what brings the Duke of Wei to send his esteemed envoy?"

Fu Xun bowed deeply and said respectfully:
"Lord Wei has long admired Lord Han's talent and has specially sent me here to discuss important matters."

"Now that the world is divided into three, Liu Bei has usurped the title of king. Lord Wei is willing to share the Central Plains with Lord Han and work together to achieve great things."

Fu Xun was a descendant of Fu Jiezi, a famous minister of the Western Han Dynasty, who was the one who beheaded the King of Loulan.

Historical records describe him as having "a magnificent appearance and profound knowledge."

His mission to Liangzhou on behalf of Cao Wei was precisely to win over this overlord of Liangzhou.

Before he could finish speaking, Han Sui suddenly burst into laughter, the sound shaking the roof tiles:

"What a fine 'sharing the Central Plains'! I've been in Liangzhou for over thirty years, what kind of sweet talk haven't I heard?"

He abruptly stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes:

"If Cao Cao wants me to send troops, he should just say how much he wants to pay!"

As mentioned before, borderland leaders lack political goals and only care about their immediate vested interests.

This was true for Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Guo Si, Lü Bu, and Han Sui, among others.

Although Han Sui was located in a remote area, he was still a regional warlord and had considerable influence in Liangzhou and Guanzhong.

Therefore, whoever was in the court would try to win over Han Sui.

Compared to vying for supremacy, Han Sui was actually more adept at internal strife.

Bian Zhang, Beigong Boyu, Li Wenhou, and Wang Guo were all killed by him.

He was ambitious, but not ambitious enough to unify the world.

He just wanted to be a local tyrant in Liangzhou, a powerful warlord.

Because Zhong Yao was stationed in Guanzhong, the oppressive policy against Yongliang was abandoned.

Therefore, Cao Cao and Han Sui maintained a relatively good relationship for the past decade.

It was for this reason that Cao Cao wanted to win over this King of Liangzhou.

After all, the combat strength of the legion under his command was top-tier (T0) in the late Han Dynasty, making them quite formidable.

Fu Xun remained expressionless and calmly said:

"Han Gong was a man of few words and quick thinking."

"Lord Wei truly hoped that the Liangzhou cavalry could march east out of Tongguan and join forces to attack Liu Bei."

"After this is accomplished, the Kansai region..."

"Stop!"

Han Sui waved his hand, a cold smile appearing on his face.

"Let's skip the fluff!"

"I'm willing to send troops if you want—"

"But how much money can Lord Cao offer me?"

Fu Xun's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm as he asked:

"How much does Lord Han want?"

"Two hundred million!"

Han Sui held up two fingers and laughed triumphantly.

"I also want ten thousand yi of gold, a thousand bolts of brocade, and a thousand head of cattle and sheep."

At this point, Fu Xun's expression changed drastically.

But before Han Sui could finish speaking, the old man revealed a meaningful smile.

"I've heard that Lord Wei has a daughter who has come of age. How about sending her to be my daughter-in-law?"

The generals in the hall burst into laughter upon hearing this, and someone shouted:
"My lord has asked for too little! He should request another 100,000 shi of grain!"

"Hahaha……"

Han Sui's arrogance towards the Wei envoy truly exemplifies the old saying—

Hedong in thirty years and Hexi in thirty years.

Cao Cao once used force to coerce a warlord in Liangzhou into sending his son to Yingchuan as a hostage.

This also includes Ma Teng himself.

The reason why the Liangzhou warlords obeyed so readily was because they feared the Cao-Liu alliance at the time.

At that time, the relationship between Cao Cao and Liu Bei was at its honeymoon period, and they were jointly resisting Yuan Shao.

To prevent the Liangzhou warlords from side with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao threatened the Liangzhou generals by sending hostages.

Liu Bei's camp also chose to tacitly approve of this.

Because the high-ranking officials in Xuzhou at the time did not want Cao Cao's side to be hampered by the western front war.

So the two companies worked together to make this happen.

However, times have changed, and Cao Cao and Liu Bei have become enemies.

Cao Cao suffered a series of defeats and retreated to Xichuan.

Meanwhile, Liangzhou also developed rapidly during this gap period, or rather, it quickly completed its unification.

Nine warlords, including Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Li Kan, Cheng Yi, and Ma Wan, jointly elected Han Sui as governor-general, in charge of the entire Liangzhou army.

For ease of understanding, these people were uniformly written as generals of Ma Chao and Han Sui in the novel.

In reality, they were all warlords in Liangzhou with soldiers and guns.

Previously a disorganized group, they succumbed to Cao Cao's military might.

Now that we are united, there is no need to be subservient to Cao Wei anymore.

After all, they had an army of over 100,000 men!
Moreover, these 100,000 people are not just any ordinary people; they are all border residents who are skilled in martial arts and warfare.

The historical records state, "All ten tribes rebelled, their forces numbering 100,000. They occupied the He and Tong rivers and established camps."

With an army of 100,000, Han Sui certainly dared to make exorbitant demands.

They even took the opportunity to "humiliate" the Wei envoy, to avenge the humiliation their brothers had suffered over the years.

Despite the ridicule from the crowd, Fu Xun's forehead was beaded with sweat, but he still forced a smile and said:
"Lord Han is joking. This matter of a marriage alliance..."

"What? You look down on the Han family of Xiliang?"

Han Sui suddenly changed his expression and slammed his fist on the table.

"When Cao Cao forced my brother Ma Teng to come to the capital as a hostage, did Liangzhou utter a single word of dissent?"

"Now you're making such a fuss over nothing, all we're asking is Cao Cao to offer up a daughter."

"I don't think your Cao Wei is truly sincere about cooperating with my Xiliang."

"Please leave!"

After saying that, he turned around and stopped facing Fu Xun.

Fu Xun sighed inwardly, realizing that dealing with these barbarians was no easy task.

If it's completely illogical, then there's no solution.

Helpless, Fu Xun had no choice but to bow and apologize.
"How could I dare to refuse Lord Han's good intentions?"

"However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by an outsider on his own."

"We must inform Lord Wei first..."

At this moment, Cheng Gongying, an advisor under Han Sui, coughed lightly:
"My lord, why don't we let the Wei envoy rest for now and discuss this further later?"

Han Sui snorted coldly and waved his sleeve, saying:
"Very well! Envoy Fu, please go to the post station to rest first."

"Remember, I'm only giving you three days."

If you do not receive a reply within three days, please leave!

That night, Fu Xun tossed and turned in the inn, unable to sleep, feeling extremely depressed.

A soft sound came from outside the window, and a dark figure flashed in—it was Cheng Gongying.

“Mr. Fu, do not worry,” Cheng Gongying said in a low voice. “My lord does not truly want Lady Cao to be married off, it’s just that…”

“I understand.” Fu Xun smiled wryly. “Master Han is trying to raise the price.”

The words may be blunt and harsh, but they are the truth.

Cheng Gongying put her hands behind her back and said seriously:
"Mr. Fu need not worry. Tomorrow I will strongly urge the lord to accept this peace agreement."

"Oh? Sir, you're willing to help me?"

Fu Xun blinked, slightly surprised.

"……Um."

Cheng Gongying nodded and said earnestly:

“Ma Chao is now a formidable figure in Bingzhou, yet he has not severed ties with Liangzhou.”

“His younger brother, Ma Dai, recently visited Wuwei.”

"What are you doing?" Fu Xun asked.

"Buy horses."

"According to the informant, Ma Dai came here simply to trade with local merchants."

"But Cheng always felt that Ma'er was quite ambitious and had the intention of annexing Liangzhou."

"Moreover, Pang Tong is also assisting them, so it's possible that Pang Tong is the one devising strategies for them behind the scenes."

Hearing this, Fu Xun understood why Cheng Gongying had helped him.

"Does Mr. Cheng want Cao Cao to help Liangzhou deal with Ma Chao?"

"Exactly."

Cheng Gongying nodded. "Ma Chao is a heartless and ruthless man. He can even abandon his own father."

"They might turn against our people."

"Han Gong and I are guarding Xiliang, and it will not be easy to unify the various tribes."

"If Ma Chao were to return, we would not be able to live in peace."

Fu Xun keenly noticed that Cheng Gongying's voice still trembled slightly.

It's clear that he was genuinely afraid of Ma Chao.

Because Ma Chao was not only a skilled fighter, but also had a very high reputation in the Yongliang region.

Once he returned in triumph, Han Sui's rule was immediately shaken.

As for the warlords who had always wanted to be local tyrants in Liangzhou, they didn't care who was the "governor".

This is what made Cheng Gongying feel a sense of crisis.

“Ma Chao already had an old grudge against my lord, and he was also Liu Bei’s henchman.”

"If Lord Han is willing to send troops to help our Great Wei, it is only natural for Lord Cao to assist Lord Han in dealing with Ma Chao."

Fu Xun immediately stated his position.

"good!"

With Fu Xun's assurance, Cheng Gongying breathed a sigh of relief.

"In that case, I will go and speak to my lord."

"Then we'll determine the specifics."

The two hit it off.

Fu Xun immediately wrote a letter to Cao Cao, reporting on his diplomatic work.

The book states briefly:

"Your subject Xun bows and kowtows twice, respectfully presenting this letter to Duke Wei."

"I was ordered to travel west, and after traversing many dangers, I finally arrived in Liangzhou and met Han Sui."

"This man has the eyes of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf, and is unruly and difficult to tame. Although he is treated with courtesy on the surface, he is actually arrogant and self-important, and cannot be swayed by anything other than a great profit."

"Your Majesty instructed them to join forces to attack Liu Bei and pacify the Central Plains."

Han Sui laughed loudly upon hearing this, saying, "In a world in turmoil, what is there to talk about in terms of trust and righteousness? If you want to lend me the iron cavalry of Liangzhou, you must offer real gold and silver!"

"Then he offered a price: 'Two hundred million coins, ten thousand yi of gold, a thousand bolts of brocade, and a princess from the imperial family for marriage alliance, only then will he send troops.'"

"I tried to negotiate tactfully, but they refused to budge an inch, saying, 'If a decision cannot be made in three days, I request that you return east.'"

"In my opinion, Han Sui's intention is not to sincerely help Wei, but to sit back and watch the outcome, waiting for the right price to sell."

"If I promise them great benefits, they may make empty promises and pretend to comply while secretly going against my wishes."

"If we refuse them too much, they might turn around and ally with Liu Bei, which would be disadvantageous to us."

"Now I beg Your Excellency to grant me your command. Han Sui is greedy and ruthless, but the Liangzhou army is strong and cannot be underestimated."

"If we want to get them to send troops to restrain Liu Bei, what price should we offer?"

"I humbly believe that the amount of money and grain can be reduced slightly, but we must not lose their loyalty."

"In the matter of marriage alliance, perhaps a woman from a collateral branch of the clan could be chosen to replace her, so as to save face."

“I hope Your Majesty will make a wise judgment and show me the bottom line, then I will go and persuade you again.”

"If the king thinks the price is too high, the alliance can be postponed and the situation can be observed."

"I am filled with trepidation as I write this, and I humbly await your judgment."

"Your subject Fu Xun bows and kowtows again."

Cao Cao was furious upon receiving the letter, threw it to the ground, and shouted:
"How dare you, you brat!"

"I sincerely wish to cooperate, yet you still ask my tiger daughter to marry his dog son?"

……

(End of this chapter)