Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 298: Establishing a Career in Bashu, Xizhi Yuanlang

Outside, the north wind slapped the window frame, making a humming sound. Inside, the orange lamp was lit, dispelling the darkness, and Sun Jian and his sons were seen chatting with their confidants around the table.

Zhu Zhi's face was filled with worry. He said, "Yuan Shu relies on his family property and does not cultivate his moral character. He is arrogant and tyrannical, and the people despise him. In my opinion, Yuan Shu does not have the moral character to rule the world. Your military strategy is outstanding, not inferior to Cao and Lu. If you want to seek a future, you might as well return to Jiangzuo to establish a base, use boats as horses, and perhaps you can establish your own territory."

"If Zhang Yu and the two Yuans are fighting for the world, one of them will surely win. If you can establish your own regime in Jiangzuo, you can advance like Zhao Tuo and become a king, leaving your name in history; if you can retreat like Dou Rong and return to Han, your descendants will enjoy a long and prosperous life." Huang Gai agreed with this and said.

Sun Jian sat on the couch, leaning on his sword and standing in front of him, with a gloomy expression, and said: "Yuan Shu knows that I have deep roots in Jingnan and Jiangdong, so he did not use me to conquer Jiangdong, but ordered me to station troops in Yingchuan to defend the border for him. Now I want to establish a career in Jiangdong, how can Yuan Shu let me go?"

As he spoke, Sun Jian poked the ground with his sword and sighed, "Everyone calls me the fierce tiger of Jiangdong, but I am controlled by Yuan Shu, like a tiger for viewing in a garden, how dare I say I am fierce!"

Seeing his father's worry, Sun Ce stood up and said, "Since Yuan Shu took control of Jingchu, he has wanted to explore the Yangtze River. However, due to the difficult waterways of Yiling and Baidi, and Liu Yan's use of generals, it is difficult for him to break through the pass and enter Shu. Since father cannot return to Jiangzuo to establish a career, why not go west along the Yangtze River, break Baidi, occupy Jiangzhou, go down to Bashu, and establish a career in Yizhou."

Then, Sun Ce looked at Sun Jian and the old generals of the Sun family and said, "Yizhou is a land of abundance, with fertile fields covering thousands of miles and a population of one million. Emperor Gaozu established the Han Dynasty with it, and Gongsun established the army of Emperor Shizu. Now Liu Yan is old and slow, and the powerful families in the state are rampant. Therefore, if our Sun family can reach Yizhou, we can emulate Zhao Tuo's achievements and imitate Dou Rong's achievements, and then we will be able to be proud of it for a while."

There is no need to say much about Zhao Tuo, the ruler of Nanyue, who ruled Lingnan at the end of the Qin Dynasty and was suppressed by Emperor Wu of Han during the Western Han Dynasty.

Dou Rong was the lord of the five counties of Liangzhou. He ruled Hexi in the late Western Han Dynasty. When Liu Xiu led his army to conquer Longyou, he knew that the trend of the Han Dynasty's revival could not be stopped, so he led Liangzhou to surrender. After surrendering, Liu Xiu treated Dou Rong well, so that Dou Rong's prestige was second only to the imperial family. Official residences were located in the capital, and the clan members, relatives, and meritorious officials could not compare.

Of course, everything goes up and down. After Emperor Ming of Han came to power, he launched attacks on the Dou family many times in order to eliminate the corrupt policies of Liu Xiu. The Dou family suffered attacks and purges. Although they were not as powerful as before, they were still one of the few famous families in the Eastern Han Dynasty, comparable to the Yang and Yuan families in the middle and late Eastern Han Dynasty.

The power of the Dou family continued to Dou Xian, the great-grandson of the emperor. Dou Xian was promoted to the title of general for his contribution to the Yanran Stone Inscription. He was arrogant and domineering for a while, and even tried to assassinate Emperor He of Han. Emperor He of Han discovered his conspiracy, killed Dou Xian first, and purged the old members of the Dou family on a large scale. Only then did the Dou family decline.

Taking Zhao Tuo and Dou Rong as examples, it actually illustrates the ambitions of Sun Jian and his son. They could not see the potential of a great unified monarch in Yuan Shu, so they decided to leave and start a business. The purpose of starting a business was to be like the story of Zhao and Dou, hoping to help the Sun family win a future. After all, dominating the world was too far away, and they dared not imagine it yet.

Sun Jian looked at Sun Ce with admiration in his eyes. With such a strong son, why should he worry about no one to inherit the foundation he had laid?
Sun Jian nodded slightly and said helplessly: "If Yuan Shu can let me go, I would be willing to go to Jiaozhou, not to mention establishing a career in Bashu. It's just that Yuan Shu is afraid of me and doesn't want to let me lead the army, so how to convince Yuan Shu to let me go is a difficult matter."

Zhu Zhi hesitated for a moment and said, "Yuan Shu has been eyeing Yizhou for a long time, but he has no general to lead the army to the west. It is difficult for you to lead the army to attack Jiangzuo, but it is easy to lead the army to attack Yizhou."

"Oh?"

Sun Jian's interest suddenly piqued, and he asked, "Why do you say that, Jun Li?"

Zhu Zhi said, "Yuan Shu is reluctant to see you go on an expedition to the east because he is afraid that you are from Wujun. Most of your confidants are from Jiangzuo. Therefore, even if you go on an expedition to the east, it would be like letting a tiger go back to the mountain. However, the expedition to Bashu is different. You have no connections or foundation in Shu. Now that Yuan Shu has been unable to defeat Baidi and enter Shu, it means that he has no generals to use."

"In the past, Yuan Shu was fighting for Yuzhou, and he appointed you as the governor of Yuzhou and expelled the Zhou family from Yuzhou. So when you asked for permission to go to war, Yuan Shu might treat you as he did in the old days, and let you open the way to Shu, while he sent an official to serve as the governor and usurp the fruits of your victory."

Although Sun Jian did not die at the hands of Huang Zu, he was completely dominated by Yuan Shu because of his foundation. After Sun Jian defeated the Zhou family, Yuan Shu relied on the Yuan family's foundation in Runan and easily controlled Yuzhou. However, Sun Jian was a step slower in politics and had always been dependent on Yuan Shu. Therefore, when Sun Jian conquered Yizhou, Yuan Shu might let Sun Jian continue to bite the hard bone, while he stole the fruits of victory from behind.

Hearing this, Sun Jian gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and sneered, "If I can go out on this expedition, I will never fall into Yuan Shu's trap!"

Huang Gai hesitated and said, "Although it is easy to conquer Yizhou, Yuan Shu is very suspicious. How can he allow you to lead the troops? After all, the western expedition to Yizhou will require at least 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers, and at most 40,000 or 50,000 soldiers."

Sun Jian held the sword and narrowed his eyes, saying: "I now have 10,000 infantry and cavalry. If I can get another 10,000 navy, I can defeat Baidi and take Jiangzhou. If I go to Badi to recruit soldiers and horses, I can have tens of thousands of people and sweep across Bashu."

"Not only do we have to ask Yuan Shu to allow you to send troops, but we also have to ask Yuan Shu to fund the troops. I'm afraid it will become increasingly difficult!" Huang Gai said worriedly.

"Does your Excellency have to be under someone else's command for long?" Zhu Zhi asked in return.

"This~"

When everyone was in a dilemma, Sun Ce paced back and forth with his sword in hand, and thought deeply about a plan. He said to everyone, "Father got the imperial seal in Luoyang, and Yuan Shu has been eyeing this treasure for a long time. If father can give up the seal, perhaps Yuan Shu will let him go."

"Imperial jade seal?"

Sun Jian's eyes became deep, and he said, "How dare Bofu assert that Yuan Shu would let me send troops if he got the jade seal?"

Sun Ce gritted his teeth and said, "When my father went to fight in Yuzhou, Yuan Shu repeatedly sent people to pressure my mother to find out about the imperial seal, but my mother refused. My mother was afraid that my father would start a war with Yuan Shu if he knew about this, so she told everyone in the family not to leak the news to my father."

"I see that Yuan Shu has been looking for the imperial seal many times, and he actually has the intention of usurping the throne. If I can give the imperial seal to Yuan Shu now, Yuan Shu may no longer be suspicious of my father and allow my father to lead the army on an expedition."

"Snapped!"

Sun Jian slammed the table in anger and said, "I risked my life for Yuan Gonglu, and he dared to treat my wife and children like this. If I don't take revenge, I'm not a real man!"

Seeing this, Zhu Zhi hurriedly advised: "Your vengeance today will not be too late. As you said, if you can exchange the jade seal for a chance to go to war, you can do it!"

Sun Jian exhaled a long breath and said, "In the past, I was obsessed with the imperial seal. Not only did I conflict with Yuan Shu, but I also cut myself off from the world. Now that I can't escape from the cage, what use is there for me to have the imperial seal?"

"Father is wise!"

Sun Ce said respectfully: "Although the jade seal is a national treasure, it must be valued. But if you can't get rid of the shackles, what's the use of the jade seal? Father, exchanging the jade seal for the foundation is really a wise and brilliant move!"

Zhu Zhi was deeply moved and said, "Your Excellency has the courage to accomplish great things. If you want to establish a foundation, you must first be willing to give up."

With a clang, Sun Jian drew out his sword, staring at the gleaming blade, his face revealing a determined expression as if he were determined to fight to the death for the great cause.

……

Two days later, Sun Jian walked to the provincial government, holding the imperial seal in his hand, to pay respect to Yuan Shu. "Tai Wen, why are you here today?"

Seeing Sun Jian paying respect, Yuan Shu pointed at the seat and said casually.

Sun Jian did not take a seat, but said respectfully, "Yesterday, my scouts presented a huge treasure to me. I thought that only a virtuous person could have this treasure, so I came to present it to you, my lord!"

"Oh?"

Yuan Shu pointed at the furnishings in the hall and said with a smile: "I have all the treasures in the world. I wonder what treasures Wen Tai would like to present?"

"There is only one of this item in the world, and it is different from the treasures you own," Sun Jian said solemnly.

Hearing this, Yuan Shu's heart beat violently. He stared at the seal box with a dry mouth and said, "Then please let Wen Tai present it."

Sun Jian held the imperial seal in both hands and walked up to Yuan Shu. Seeing Yuan Shu's eager look, he suddenly said, "I heard that Marquis Zhang invited you to send troops to Yizhou. I wonder if you are willing to do so?"

Seeing that Sun Jian was keeping him on edge, Yuan Shu was immediately dissatisfied and said, "Marquis Zhang invited me to send troops to Yizhou, and I have my own plans. It's just that it's difficult to withdraw troops now, so I have to wait a while."

Sun Jian slightly opened the seal box, revealing a corner of the jade seal, and said respectfully: "I heard that Yizhou has the air of an emperor, and Liu Yan is traveling in the emperor's carriage. Liu Yan is guilty of treason. Your Excellency is the Grand Marshal, how can you send troops to attack Yizhou? As for the military, I have 10,000 soldiers in my own army, and I am willing to go to Yizhou for you. You only need to transfer 10,000 navy troops to me."

Yuan Shu's eyes were attracted by the snow-white corner of the jade seal. He wanted to reach out to take it, but found that he could not reach it. He quickly stood up from the couch and said with a smile: "Everything is easy to explain. When did Wen Tai get this precious treasure?"

Sun Jian took a step back and said, "A few days ago, the soldiers stationed in Yingchuan stumbled upon this treasure from a deserted palace lady. We were going to present it to the emperor, but were intercepted by our soldiers on the way. I wonder if you recognize this treasure?"

Yuan Shu naturally didn't believe Sun Jian's lies, but he was attracted by the jade seal and was willing to play a trick with Sun Jian. He said: "When I was serving in Luoyang, I saw this thing in the hands of the late emperor. This thing hit Wang Mang, so a jade corner was missing, so it was repaired with gold. If what I saw is correct, it should be the imperial seal."

After saying this, Yuan Shu wanted to reach out to take it, but Sun Jian closed the wooden box and said, "I am willing to conquer Yizhou for you, sir. What do you think?"

Seeing that Sun Jian was teasing him, Yuan Shu was unhappy in his heart, but for the sake of the imperial seal, he had to be patient and said, "It is difficult to mobilize 10,000 naval forces in a short time. I am afraid that the current envoy will have a hard time for me!"

Sun Jian opened the wooden box, revealing the jade seal in its entirety, and said, "More than ten members of my Sun clan have served you, so if you prosper, our Sun clan will prosper. Now that I am sending troops to the west, it is not for me, but for your foundation."

"I offer you the imperial seal not as a threat, but to let you know the appearance of the national treasure so that you can take over the throne one day."

Yuan Shu stroked his beard and looked at Sun Jian. Under the temptation of the imperial seal and after some deep thought, he said, "Since that is the case, I will recommend Wen Tai to be the governor of Yizhou, lead 10,000 soldiers and horses of our own army, and command 10,000 naval forces, and go to Yizhou in the spring of next year to conquer it."

"Thank you Ming Gong!"

Sun Jian knelt down with the seal in hand and said in a deep voice: "I am willing to conquer Yizhou for you and help you achieve hegemony as soon as possible!"

"good!"

Yuan Shu looked at the jade seal, reached out to pick it up impatiently, and played with it carefully, with surprise and greed in his eyes.

"Please issue a military order, my lord!"

"allow!"

"Quickly write a military order for the secretary!"

Yuan Shu was so obsessed with the imperial seal that he did not even raise his head. Even when Sun Jian received the military order and left, Yuan Shu did not raise his head.

It was not until the sky gradually darkened that Yuan Shu took his eyes off the imperial seal and asked Yan Xiang, who was serving him, "Is Sun Wentai gone?"

"gone!"

Yan Xiang looked helpless and said, "After Sun Jian left, he held the military order of Lord Ming and publicized the attack on Yizhou."

As he spoke, Yan Xiang looked at the jade seal, sighed and said, "Sun Jian is a fierce tiger in Jiangzuo. If you let him out of the cage, you will be letting the tiger return to the mountain."

Yuan Shu smiled and said, "I know what Sun Jian is thinking. I used him as the governor of Yuzhou and he helped me conquer Yuzhou. Now I want to use him to attack Yizhou in the west, deplete his troops, and then help me conquer Yizhou. Why not?"

"I have obtained the Imperial Seal and I can drive away the tiger and devour the wolf. Why not do it?"

Playing with the jade seal in his hand, Yuan Shu said: "If we take into account Zhang Yu's request that I send troops to Yizhou, then this is a plan that will achieve all three goals."

"I'm just afraid that Sun Jian will be on guard against the incident of passing through Yuzhou!" Yan Xiang said.

Yuan Shu disagreed and said, "The reputation of the Yuan family is high, and now it is even higher than that of the Han Dynasty. How could Yizhou surrender to those who grow melons and plums, but not to the Yuan family!"

If we look at the princes from Yuan Shu's perspective, we will have a different evaluation. Yuan Shao - a slave of the Yuan family, Zhang Yu - a herder, Cao Cao - a descendant of a eunuch, Lu Bu - a treacherous warrior, Liu Yan - a dying old thief, and Sun Jian - a melon-growing villain.

Seeing Yuan Shu full of confidence, Yan Xiang stopped talking.

Yuan Shu was holding the imperial seal in his hand, feeling extremely happy, and was already fantasizing about changing his title and becoming emperor!

(End of this chapter)