Han Ji

Jian Yong asked, "Under what pretext?"

"To offer condolences to Sun Ce and congratulate Sun Quan on his ascension to the throne," Liu Bei said. "Sun Ce was the court's General Who Subdues Rebels. His death warrants a courtly gesture of respect. As is customary, Sun Quan should also be granted a title upon his ascension. Take this imperial edict to him, appointing him General Who Subdues Rebels and Governor of Kuaiji."

Jian Yong asked, "What are the conditions?"

Liu Bei said, "Let's form an alliance and not invade each other's territory."

Jian Yong departed from Luoyang in early November, accompanied by twenty attendants and ten cartloads of gifts. These included fifty bolts of Shu brocade, one hundred catties of gold, ten pairs of jade discs, and one letter each of condolence and congratulations personally written by Liu Bei. The imperial edict was wrapped in yellow silk and placed in the innermost box.

The journey from Luoyang to Wu County took a month. They passed Hulao Pass, then Runan, and finally crossed the Yangtze River at Lujiang. The river wind was strong, and the boat rocked violently. Jian Yong vomited twice while leaning against the gunwale, then wiped his mouth and sat up again. His attendant handed him a water pouch, which he drank from and rinsed his mouth.

We entered the territory of Wu County in early December. The rice paddies beside the road had already been harvested, leaving rice stubble in the fields. Farmers were piling straw on the ridges of the fields, and they would straighten up and glance at the approaching convoy.

Zhang Zhao greeted him at the ferry. He was in his fifties, with graying hair and beard, wearing a dark gray robe, and his back was very straight. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Jian Yong. "Mr. Jian, you must be tired from your long journey."

Jian Yong returned the greeting. "You're too kind, Lord Zhang."

The Wu Commandery Governor's Mansion had been renovated during Sun Ce's lifetime. It consisted of five courtyards, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and two stone lions guarding the entrance. When Jian Yong was led into the main hall, Sun Quan was already seated in the main seat.

Sun Quan was nineteen years old, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and deep-set eyes. He wore a white robe with a hemp belt around his waist, still in mourning. He was thinner than he had been a few months ago, and the features of his face were more defined.

Zhou Yu sat to his right, also dressed in plain clothes. Zhang Zhao sat to his left, with Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Jiang Qin, and Zhou Tai below him.

Jian Yong knelt down and performed a grand salute. "Jian Yong, under the Prime Minister's command, pays respects to General Sun. I have come by order of the Prime Minister to offer my condolences to the General who has quelled the rebellion and to congratulate him on his succession to the leadership of Jiangdong."

Sun Quan stood up and bowed slightly to help him up. "Mr. Jian, please rise."

Jian Yong pulled out Liu Bei's letter of condolence from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. Sun Quan took it and unsealed it. The letter read: "Although I and the General Who Subdues Rebels are separated by a thousand miles and have never met, I have heard of his loyalty and bravery and admire him greatly. Heaven has not granted us a long life; he has died young. I, in Luoyang, weep as I look towards Jiangdong. The General has succeeded to the throne; he is young but bears heavy responsibilities. I hope you will take care of yourself in your grief and remember the people of Jiangdong."

After reading the letter, Sun Quan folded it and placed it on the table. "Your Excellency is thoughtful. If my late brother were still alive, we would share a drink together."

Jian Yong then took out the imperial edict. "The court has issued an edict appointing General Sun as General Who Subdues Rebels, concurrently serving as Governor of Kuaiji, and enfeoffing him as Marquis of Wu."

Sun Quan knelt down to receive the imperial edict. He raised both hands above his head and accepted the yellow silk. He stood up and placed the edict on the table.

Zhou Yu, who had remained silent until now, put down his teacup and spoke. His voice was soft, but every word was clear. "Mr. Jian, the Prime Minister's victory at Guandu has shaken the world. Now that Yuan Shao has retreated to Hebei, will the Prime Minister's next move be north or south?"

Jian Yong turned to look at Zhou Yu. "The Prime Minister said that the most important thing right now is to rest and recuperate. We've been fighting at Guandu for more than half a year, the soldiers are exhausted, and the granaries are empty. We can deal with next year's matters next year. As for marching south, the Prime Minister said that Jiangdong belongs to the Han Dynasty, and General Sun is the court's general in charge of suppressing rebellions. As long as General Sun defends the territory and ensures the safety of the people, the court will not make things difficult for Jiangdong."

Zhou Yu's lips twitched slightly after hearing this. "So, what is the Prime Minister's attitude towards Cao Cao?"

Jian Yong said, "Cao Cao seized the opportunity to annex territory in Qingzhou. The Prime Minister believes that Cao Cao is more troublesome than Yuan Shao."

Zhou Yu said, "Yuan Shao has troops, Cao Cao has strategies. Yuan Shao is easy to deal with, but Cao Cao is not."

Jian Yong said, "Therefore, the Prime Minister wants to form an alliance with General Sun."

Sun Quan spoke up. "An alliance?"

Jian Yong said, "We should unite against Cao Cao and not invade each other's territory. Cao Cao is expanding in Qingzhou, and his next move will either be to the north to attack Yuan Shao or to the south to attack Jiangdong. If Cao Cao goes south, the Chancellor will be able to restrain him from the west. If Cao Cao goes north, General Sun can restrain him from the east."

Sun Quan remained silent for a moment. He turned to look at Zhou Yu, who nodded slightly. He then looked at Zhang Zhao, who also nodded.

Sun Quan asked, "How does the Chancellor intend to form an alliance?"

Jian Yong said, "The two sides should establish friendly relations, trade with each other, and not invade each other's territory. If Cao Cao attacks either side, the other side will send troops to contain him."

Sun Quan said, "Alright. I agree."

That evening, Sun Quan hosted a banquet for Jian Yong. The dishes were local Jiangdong cuisine.

After several rounds of drinks, Sun Quan removed the table and led Jian Yong to the study. The study was small, with bookshelves on all four sides, piled high with bamboo slips and silk books. A sword hung on the wall, its scabbard wrapped with a red rope, left behind by Sun Ce.

Sun Quan asked Jian Yong to sit down and personally poured two bowls of tea. The tea was coarse local tea from Jiangdong, with large leaves and a bitter taste.

"Mr. Jian, is there anything else the Prime Minister wants to convey to me?"

Jian Yong took a sip of tea. "The Prime Minister said that General Sun ascended the throne at a young age, and the most difficult thing is not external affairs, but internal ones. The powerful families in Jiangdong are deeply entrenched, while the Sun family are outsiders. If the General wants to stabilize Jiangdong, he must first stabilize the powerful families."

Sun Quan's finger slowly circled the rim of the teacup. "How will the Prime Minister appease the powerful clans?"

Jian Yong said, "Use them, but also suppress them. Appoint their sons to official positions and collect their taxes, but never allow them to maintain private armies. Whoever maintains a private army will be punished."

Sun Quan nodded.

Jian Yong added, "The Prime Minister also said that the biggest enemy of Jiangdong is not Cao Cao, but Jingzhou. Liu Biao is in Xiangyang, and Huang Zu is in Jiangxia. When the General Who Subdues Rebels fought Huang Zu, he didn't finish the battle. If the General wants to secure Jiangdong, he will have to take Jiangxia sooner or later."

Sun Quan remained silent for a moment. "The Prime Minister has a far-sighted vision."

Jian Yong said, "The Prime Minister has been observing this for many years."

Jian Yong stayed in Wu Commandery for five days. Sun Quan had Zhang Zhao accompany him to see the markets, granaries, and shipyards of Wu Commandery, and then had Zhou Yu accompany him to the naval camp. The warships of the Jiangdong navy were moored on the riverbank, their hulls freshly coated with tung oil, their sails and masts neatly arranged. Jian Yong stood on the riverbank watching for a long time without saying a word.

On the day of his departure, Sun Quan personally saw him off at the ferry. The river wind was strong, making the flagpoles flap loudly. Sun Quan took a short knife from his waist and handed it to Jian Yong.

"This knife was left to me by my late brother. Please ask Mr. Jian to pass it on to the Prime Minister. Tell him that Sun Quan is young, but he knows who the loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty are. This knife can be considered a token of his loyalty."

Jian Yong took the dagger, put it in his robes, and clasped his hands in a salute. "General Sun, take care."

Jian Yong returned to Luoyang at the end of December. He placed Sun Quan's dagger on Liu Bei's record and recounted the details of his trip. He described the markets, granaries, and docks of Wu County, the lamp in Sun Quan's study, and Zhou Yu's words by the water fortress.

Liu Bei drew the short sword and glanced at it; the blade was very gleaming. He sheathed the sword and placed it on the table.

Jia Xu asked, "My lord, what do you think of Sun Quan?"

Liu Bei said, "He is young, but decisive. He is more stable than Sun Ce."

Jia Xu said, "After the alliance is formed, we won't need too many troops in the south. We can move our main force north."

Liu Bei stood up and walked to the map, pointing to the settlements on the north bank. His hand traced a line from Liyang to Yecheng, and then from Yecheng to Youzhou.

"The north is the real issue," he said. "Cao Cao has occupied part of Qingzhou now. Let him wear down Yuan Shao first. We'll rest, stockpile grain, and train our troops. We'll talk again next year."

Jia Xu placed the chess piece in the location of Ye City. "Next year. Hebei."