Late Han Zhao Tang

Chengdu, the governor's residence.

Zhang Su presented the edict stamped with Zhang Yu's imperial seal and said, "Lord Zhang is magnanimous and generous, disregarding the affairs of our state. As for your surrender and request for a fief, Lord Zhang has granted them all and is willing to form a marriage alliance with you. Now, I hereby appoint you as General of the Guards, concurrently serving as Governor of Yizhou, and enfeoff you as Marquis of Chengdu County."

Sun Quan glanced at the imperial edict and couldn't help but smile. He said to his attendants, "Zhang Yu has the ambition to unify the world and has taken in people like Liu He, Lü Bu, and Tao Qian. Now that I have made Yizhou my vassal state, how could Zhang Yu not accept me? As long as Zhang Yu does not invade Ba and Shu, our province will be safe for the time being!"

Fa Zheng praised, "With Zhang Yu's appointment and no powerful enemies outside, Your Excellency will be able to quell the rebellious elements within Pingzhou!"

Then Sun Quan asked, "Aside from the matter of investiture, does Zhang Yu have any other matters to report?"

Zhang Su said, "Before I returned south, Zhang Yu summoned me to discuss matters and said that the army was about to attack Wu and Chu, and that he hoped that you, my lord, would send troops to support us."

Sun Quan put down the imperial edict, his expression gradually turning disdainful. Although he had submitted to the Tang Dynasty, it did not mean he truly submitted to Zhang Yu. Once he had pacified the situation within his province, it would be time for him to form an alliance with Sun Quan and Cao Cao to jointly resist Zhang Yu.

Therefore, now that Zhang Yu is attacking Wu and Chu, why would he send troops to support him?

"Someone, send a letter to Cao Cao and Liu Bei, informing them that Zhang Yu is about to attack Wu and Chu, and that they should be on high alert," Sun Quan said.

"Yes, sir!" the servant replied.

Zhang Su hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it!"

"Speak freely!" Sun Quan said with a kind expression.

Zhang Su said, “Loyalty and integrity are the duties of a subject. Therefore, as I serve you, my relationship with you is already established, and I will never betray you. I have been ordered to go on this mission, and I cannot refuse even if it means going through fire and water.”

"Now I have visited Chang'an and met Lord Zhang. I believe that Lord Zhang is wise and powerful, kind and courteous, and has the ambition to benefit all people. Therefore, he was able to unify China. If Your Majesty can submit to Lord Zhang and pledge allegiance to the Tang Dynasty, you will be granted land and a title of nobility. You will surely enjoy benefits for generations to come, and the Shu Kingdom will be protected."

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan's expression turned slightly displeased. He hadn't expected that after Zhang Su's mission to Chang'an, he would instead advise him to submit to the Tang Dynasty.

"Compared to Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Shizu, what do you think of Zhang Yu?" Sun Quan asked.

Zhang Su pondered for a moment and said, “When I arrived in Chang’an, Lord Zhang sent someone to greet me and hosted a banquet for me every day. In half a month, I met Lord Zhang several times. Every time we met, we talked from morning till night. Lord Zhang was quick-witted, open and frank, and had nothing to hide. He was also free from pedantic formalities. When we talked about military affairs, he spoke eloquently and was able to correct mistakes. All the generals under his command followed his advice.”

"As for politics, Zhong Yao, Du Ji, and Yu Yi are the foremost in the country, and the Minister of State and the Director of the Accounting Department are in charge of the Central Plains. However, Lord Zhang has great vision. He summoned the people to discuss politics, and the collective wisdom and efforts were of great benefit."

"Compared to Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Shizu, I believe he should be compared to Emperor Gaozu, while Emperor Shizu's restoration was slightly inferior. Although Lord Zhang was skilled in military and political affairs, he did not like to interfere with his subordinates, similar to Emperor Gaozu but different from Emperor Shizu. He also enjoyed drinking, and had a large capacity for alcohol, but he knew how to control it. If his subordinates made mistakes, he would always ask for the reasons, punish them according to the law, and then comfort them with reason and emotion. None of his ministers dared not to do their best!"

Sun Quan, feeling resentful, said, "If what you say is true, is Zhang Yu not even a perfect person?"

Zhang Su said, "Lord Zhang is not a perfect man. He is lustful by nature. Whenever he conquers a place, he takes beautiful women to fill his harem. In addition, Lord Zhang loves hunting. He goes hunting every month with hundreds of horsemen. He is suspected of being fond of war and conquest!"

Sun Quan's expression improved slightly, and he asked again, "The Tang Dynasty has just been established. I wonder how the soldiers and civilians under its rule are doing?"

Zhang Su said, "Since Lord Zhang ascended the throne, the country has been discussing new tax policies, aiming to enrich the poor and help the rich. Soldiers and generals have been granted land and titles, which has made them all happy. There is a general discussion about a southern expedition, hoping to achieve merit and gain wealth and honor."

With a winning record in every battle, the soldiers were eagerly anticipating the southern expedition. After all, every battle was one less to fight, and if they wanted to advance further, they had to seize every opportunity.

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan grew increasingly worried. He questioned whether his choice was correct and suspected that Zhang Su had received benefits from the Tang people.

Seeing that Sun Quan remained silent, Zhang Su said, "When I was returning, Lord Zhang asked if you, my lord, had no son and if it would be possible to send your younger brother as a hostage?"

Sun Quan frowned slightly and said, "We'll discuss the hostage matter later. You're exhausted from your journey; you may retire and rest." "Yes, sir!"

As Zhang Su hurried to take his leave, Sun Quan asked, "What are your opinions, gentlemen?"

"The Central Plains have just been pacified, and the military power is at its peak. Now that Your Excellency has submitted to the Tang Dynasty, in my opinion, it would be better to send a hostage to appease the hearts of the Chinese people," Xu Jing said worriedly.

“What you say makes sense, Xu Jun. The key to the state now is to punish the rebels. Since Zhang Yu is interested in conquering Wu and Chu, why don’t you temporarily submit to him to win over the hearts of the Central Plains? If you arouse Zhang Yu’s suspicion and he turns against Ba and Shu, then all our efforts will be in vain!” Wang Shang said.

"What insightful opinion does Xiaozhi have?" Sun Quan asked.

Fa Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "In the past, when Chu was first enfeoffed, it was located on the side of Jing Mountain, with a territory of less than a hundred li. However, due to the virtuous and capable successors, who cleared the way and expanded the territory, they established their base in Ying. They then occupied Jing and Yang, planned to conquer Ba and Shu in the west, and reached the South China Sea in the south. Their dynasty lasted for eight or nine hundred years."

"Now, Your Excellency inherits the wealth of your father and elder brother, and commands the forces of fifteen prefectures. Your army is well-trained and well-supplied, your generals and soldiers are valiant, you have extracted salt from the mountains, and your fields are fertile and abundant with grain. Your territory is rich and prosperous, a land of plenty. With towering mountains and steep passes, your soldiers and generals are brave and invincible. You have already shown your sincerity by submitting to Zhang Yu and forming a marriage alliance. Why then send a hostage?"

"If Your Excellency sends a hostage, you will be bound by the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, in my opinion, it would be better to first establish a marriage alliance and observe the situation. If Zhang Yu leads his troops to destroy Wu and Chu, it will not be too late for you to send a hostage. If Zhang Yu is defeated and Your Excellency defends the city, then there is no need to send a hostage."

“Another concern is Zhang Yu’s southern expedition. I believe that since Zhang Yu is pleased with our country’s vassalage, he would not be angered by the matter of the hostage. Moreover, as Your Excellency has said, the old lady has already bid farewell to her beloved daughter. If we send another hostage far away, the old lady will be heartbroken. I hope you will be tolerant and kind to her. With the bond between mother and son above all else, how dare Zhang Yu make such a demand!” Fa Zheng said.

Fa Zheng had a clear understanding of the situation. In his opinion, sending a hostage now would mean being completely controlled by Zhang Yu, so it was better to refuse to send one for now. They could make a further judgment when the situation became clearer. If Zhang Yu had the potential to unify the world, then they could send the hostage. If Zhang Yu was defeated in the south, he could seize control of Ba and Shu, so there was no need to rush and use up all their resources.

Sun Quan was very satisfied and said, "I will follow the strategist's advice and report it to Zhang Yu!"

"promise!"

Fa Zheng continued, "The northern border is somewhat stable now, so we should first quell the internal unrest. Several counties in Jiangyang rebelled a few days ago, and Your Majesty should send troops to quell the rebellion to prevent the unrest from spreading to the surrounding counties."

Since Sun Ce's death, the Ba-Shu region has been in turmoil. First, Sun Gao attempted to seize power, leading the troops of Jianwei County to Chengdu, but was obstructed by Xu Kun's forces en route. Under Xu Kun's coercion and enticement, Sun Gao abandoned his power grab and went to Chengdu alone to attend the funeral, where he was subsequently imprisoned.

After Sun Gao's troops were captured, his subordinates raised an army in Han'an, Jiangyang Commandery, and successively captured two surrounding counties, amassing a force of tens of thousands. Sun Quan's primary task now is to suppress the rebels to prevent the rebellion from spreading.

"good!"

Sun Quan looked at Xu Kun and said, "I intend to personally lead the campaign against the rebel general. I would be grateful if you could assist me in commanding the army."

"Yes, sir!" Xu Kun replied in a deep voice.

It was previously said that Xu Kun was highly valued by Sun Ce and entrusted with the power of commanding various generals. Therefore, the first thing Sun Quan did after ascending to the throne was to marry Xu Kun's daughter, Lady Xu, and place her above his original wife, Lady Zhang. After this marriage, Xu Kun became a major force supporting Sun Quan.

With the support of key civil and military officials such as Xu Kun, Fa Zheng, and Xu Jing, Sun Quan was able to barely secure his position as governor.

After everyone had left, Sun Quan kept Fa Zheng behind for a meeting. He handed Fa Zheng a letter, his expression serious, and asked, "Sun Fu, the Prefect of Ba Commandery, is a pillar of the state, yet he sent someone to surrender on his own because he was worried that I was no match for Zhang Yu. Now the messenger has informed me of this. I do not know how to punish him?"

Fa Zheng read the entire letter and frowned, saying, "Sun Fu surrendered because he was worried that the governor would not be able to secure the territory, so he invited Zhang Yu to surrender. Now that Sun Fu has neither raised an army to rebel nor resisted the governor, there is no need to wage a large-scale war and let outsiders know about the plot of rebellion by his relatives."

"In my opinion, why doesn't Your Excellency summon them to join in the campaign against the Jiangyang rebels? After the rebellion is quelled, Your Excellency can summon Sun Fu alone to hold him accountable. Caught off guard, Sun Fu would surely be terrified and confess his crimes. Your Excellency could seize his troops and place them in the Chengdu Prefecture, thus resolving this matter!"

"We should follow the strategist's plan!"

P.S.: I missed one chapter yesterday, so I'm making up for it with one today! (End of Chapter)