Late Han Zhao Tang

Chang'an, Zichen Palace.

Inside the hall, Zhang Yu had already removed his imperial robes and changed into more intimate casual clothes. Xun You, Zhong Yao, Xu Huang, Tian Feng, and other close civil and military officials stood on both sides, awaiting Zhang Yu's instructions.

Zhang Yu looked around and asked, "Where is Wenhe?"

"Your Majesty, Mr. Jia is unwell and has requested leave during today's court session," Xun You said.

"sit down!"

"promise!"

Zhang Yu cut to the chase, asking directly, "Sun Quan sent Zhang Su to pay homage and discuss the matter of surrendering to the central government. I wonder what your opinions are?"

Zhong Yao rose from his seat and said, “Your Majesty, within five years, Yizhou has lost two emperors, Sun Jian and Sun Ce. Sun Quan has ascended the throne at a young age, causing unrest among the people and disloyalty among the imperial clan, with the risk of a mutiny. Therefore, I believe that the matter of submission is true. If Your Majesty wishes to conquer the southern bandits, you should first pacify Wu and Chu, and then subdue Ba and Shu!”

"I believe that since Sun Quan has already sent an envoy to offer his sister in surrender, Your Majesty should first conquer the southern bandits!"

Xun You said, “Now, the four provinces of Jing, Yu, Xu, and Qing all have built ships and their navy numbers as many as 50,000. Your Majesty should first cross the Huai River and take the three counties south of Huainan when you march south to conquer Wu and Chu. Then, the ships will turn into the Han Canal and the army will be at the Yangtze River. In addition, there is the Jing Province navy. With multiple routes advancing, why should we worry about the southern invaders not being pacified?”

"If Cao Cao and Liu Bei are defeated, it will be only natural for Sun Quan to surrender."

Zhang Yu frowned and said, "I am worried that Sun Quan's submission was a last resort, and there may be setbacks in the future."

“Sun Quan is young and lacks authority, and his generals are disobedient. So even if he changes his mind, what can he do to Your Majesty?” Guo Tu said. “Besides, Sun Quan sent an envoy to present his sister. His sincerity is evident. Why should Your Majesty worry?”

Zhang Yu nodded. The fate of the world rested on his shoulders, not on the shoulders of Sun Quan, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei. Moreover, he controlled Hanzhong, the gateway to Yizhou. If Bashu lost Hanzhong, it meant that while the Shu roads posed a treacherous obstacle, they were not insurmountable for him. However, Sun Quan's ambiguous attitude still worried Zhang Yu.

Seeing that Zhang Yu did not speak, Xun You advised, "Your Majesty need not ask whether Sun Quan's surrender is genuine; you only need to know the situation in the world!"

“Cao Cao and Liu Bei support the Han dynasty and have gathered the forces of Wu and Chu, using the Yangtze River to control the armies of China. Meanwhile, Sun Ce of Ba and Shu has died, and Zong Jiang is a threat from the sidelines, so there is no need to worry for many years. Therefore, even if Sun Quan is fickle, if Your Majesty can destroy Wu and Chu, the overall situation of the world will be settled, the people of Shu will have no intention of resisting, and how would Sun Quan dare to rebel?” Xun You said.

Zhang Yu's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and he largely agreed with Xun You's interpretation.

"What are your thoughts, Gongming?" Zhang Yu asked.

Xu Huang pondered for a moment and said, "As far as I know, Bashu has a population of one million, a prosperous household, and abundant food supplies. However, the mountain roads are rugged, and if I lead troops to aid Shu, it will be difficult to advance or retreat. Everyone says it is like being in a dungeon. Therefore, if Your Majesty wishes to conquer Bashu, you will need one or two hundred thousand soldiers to destroy Shu in one fell swoop."

"Compared to conquering Wu, conquering Shu was difficult because of the transportation of troops and supplies, while conquering Wu was difficult because of the natural barrier of the Yangtze River. If our Tang soldiers could cross the river, with our elite infantry and cavalry, we would be able to sweep through Wu and Chu."

Xu Huang, as a general in the Hanchuan Campaign, was largely agreed upon by Zhang Yu, who believed that the main difficulties in conquering Shu lay in the rugged terrain and the scarcity of supplies. Therefore, the key to conquering Shu was speed; if too slow, the army would be defeated due to insufficient provisions. For example, Zhong Hui conquered Shu by launching his campaign in the autumn and conquering it in November, taking less than six months in total.

Where is Yuan Hao?

Zhang Yu consulted Tian Feng, who had previously agreed to the conquest of Shu.

"His Majesty!"

Tian Feng stroked his beard and recited, "Your Majesty possesses the entire land, with a strong and powerful army. There are no other vassals but Liaodong, Bashu, Nanchu, Wuyue, and Jiaoling. Among these five regions, Wuyue is the most prosperous, followed by Bashu, then Nanchu, and finally Liaodong and Jiaoling. Therefore, Your Majesty should proceed with the easier tasks first and then the more difficult ones, and wage war gradually. This is the prudent strategy."

"Sichuan and Chongqing are protected by the treacherous Shu Road. It takes hundreds of bushels of grain to supply an army of over 100,000. Wu and Chu are protected by the Yangtze River. Without defeating the enemy's navy, it is difficult for troops to cross the river. The two regions have different difficulties in their military operations."

Tian Feng said, "Previously, I thought that although Ba and Shu were dangerous, their infantry and cavalry could still be fierce, so I advised Your Majesty to use force against Ba and Shu. Now Ba and Shu are willing to surrender and submit to Your Majesty. Without the threat from the upper reaches, we may be able to attack Southern Chu first. At that time, Liu Bei of Southern Chu has been defeated. Your Majesty should proceed step by step, advancing by land and water. Cao Cao is trapped in Huaibei in the north and is in danger of Jingzhou in the west. We can take Jiangdong in one battle."

"In your opinion, should we attack Wu and Chu first?" Zhang Yu asked.

"Your Majesty possesses all of China, and can conquer Sichuan, Chongqing, and the Wu and Chu regions. But now Sichuan and Chongqing are fawning and have submitted to Your Majesty; perhaps Your Majesty can delay this," Tian Feng said.
Seeing that everyone agreed that the strategy was to attack Wu and Chu, Zhang Yu said, "Now that Sun Quan has sent an envoy to pay homage to the emperor, the prime minister should receive him and inquire about the situation in the province, and see if we can win over the envoy."

"Yes!" the crowd responded.
-
The study in Jia Xu's mansion, night.

Jia Xu sat alone in his mansion, playing the zither. His expression was calm and serene, showing no signs of illness.

The eldest son, Jia Mu, knocked on the door and entered the room, asking, "There were important matters discussed in court today. I wonder why Father is hiding in the mansion?"

"My father is unwilling to do the tedious work of official documents."

Jia Xu stopped the music by pressing the strings and laughed, "Besides, my Jia family is deeply favored by His Majesty. If we were to participate in everything, it would inevitably arouse the jealousy of the ministers. Xun You handles the affairs of the Privy Council, Du Ji handles the affairs of the Secretariat, and Chancellor Zhong Yao is in charge of central coordination. Why should your father need to attend court to discuss matters?" Because of his merit in persuading the establishment of the crown prince, Wang Ji learned of Jia Xu's role from Zhang Yu and thus constantly sent people to curry favor with Jia Xu. However, Jia Xu had no intention of contacting the Wang family, so apart from fulfilling his duties as the Deputy Privy Councilor, he almost never left his house, staying at home and refusing meaningless social activities.

Of course, if Zhang Yu issued an edict, Jia Xu would go there immediately.

"Mu'er?"

Thinking of something, Jia Xu asked, "How is the marriage proposal that your family recently made for you progressing?"

Jia Mu said, "Mother has chosen a girl and is about to inform Father."

"Whose daughter is she?"

"Secretary Guo's daughter!"

Jia Xu frowned slightly and said, "Guo Tu's daughter? Absolutely not!"

Jia Mu was slightly taken aback and asked, "Secretary Guo is highly favored by His Majesty, so why can't my family form a marriage alliance with him?"

Jia Xu sighed deeply and said, "Things are unpredictable; we must remember the story of prosperity followed by decline. Your Majesty is young and impetuous; the future is uncertain!"

Jia Mu was startled and stared at his father in disbelief. He had not expected his father, Jia Xu, to have such foresight.

Jia Xu paced back and forth and said, "My father has served His Majesty for many years, obeying his every word and gaining his deep trust. Guo Tu, on the other hand, is in charge of confidential matters. Now that the two families are arranging a marriage, it is suspected of currying favor with the powerful and influential. His Majesty may be secretly worried about this. Staying away from the most powerful and influential families can protect our descendants from disaster!"

"I understand!"

After a pause, Jia Xu asked, "Are there any important matters to be discussed in today's court meeting?"

Jia Mu said, "Sun Quan sent an envoy to the capital, where he was received by His Majesty. His Majesty asked the generals about military affairs, and they believed that since Ba and Shu had surrendered, we should first attack Wu and Chu. If Wu and Chu are pacified, then Ba and Shu will be at peace!"

"Oh?"

Jia Xu asked with concern, "What is His Majesty's attitude?"

"Your Majesty consulted with the civil and military officials and believed that although conquering Ba and Shu would be easy, the expenditure of grain and supplies would be enormous. Now, the Jingzhou navy is training day and night, so we can attack Wu and Chu first. Once Wu and Chu are defeated, even if Sun Quan changes his mind, the general trend will be irreversible, and Ba and Shu will be easily pacified!" Jia Mu said, "Among them, Military Advisor Xun said that regardless of whether Sun Quan's surrender is genuine or not, if we can defeat Wu and Chu, Sun Quan will surely surrender to China."

Jia Xu frowned, stroked his beard, and remained silent, lost in thought.

Seeing Jia Xu's troubled expression, Jia Mu asked, "Father, is there something wrong with this?"

Jia Xu sighed and said, "What you gentlemen say is not without reason, but how can matters of state be decided so rashly? I fear that Your Majesty and your civil and military officials will become arrogant, and those who command armies must be wary of such behavior."

"Then what should we do?" Jia Mu asked. "Father, should we go to the palace to advise His Majesty?"

Jia Xu looked at his son Jia Mu and asked, "Who told you about this?"

"Zhao Zi!"

Jia Mu said, "When my son was on duty at the Secretariat, Zhao Zi summoned me for questioning and revealed this matter to me."

"This is not something I'm revealing to you; rather, His Majesty wishes to ask for my opinion!"

Jia Xu understood Zhang Yu's intention and said, "Have a carriage prepared so that I may go to the palace to pay my respects to His Majesty."

“It’s getting late today, Father, why don’t you go to the palace for an audience tomorrow?” Jia Mu asked.

Jia Xu shook his head and said, "The matter can be big or small, urgent or not. But whatever Your Majesty inquires about, no matter how small, is urgent!"

"promise!"

Jia Mu understood Jia Xu's meaning and hastily took his leave. (End of Chapter)