Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

Gu Sulin knew it had begun.

In the novel, Zhang Zhao was also the first person to speak when Zhuge Liang debated with the Confucian scholars.

Sun Quan just gave him a wink, clearly intending to convey a message.

Liu Bei frowned slightly, finding it difficult to find the right words for a moment.

Seeing this, Gu Sulin took over the conversation and calmly said, "Mr. Zibu, you are overthinking it. Jingzhou has just been pacified, and the people's hearts are not yet at ease. It is difficult to even protect ourselves, let alone talk about launching a distant expedition to Yizhou. Yizhou is dangerous and far away, thousands of miles away. It is not something that Jingzhou can conquer at present. What my lord is thinking about now is to stabilize Jingzhou and unite with Jiangdong to resist Cao Cao."

As for the future of the realm, we must wait until the northern bandits retreat before we can make a proper plan.

Zhang Zhao's gaze was piercing as he pressed on: "Since Imperial Uncle has no intention of advancing westward, why did the written agreement signed in Gong'an specify 'after taking Yizhou'? This agreement is in black and white, known throughout the land. If we don't take Shu, won't Jingzhou never be returned?"

The entire room fell silent.

All eyes were on Gu Sulin.

Gu Sulin chuckled inwardly, thinking that Zhang Zhao truly deserved to be called the number one civil official in Eastern Wu, and his eloquence was indeed remarkable.

Then he calmly said, "What Mr. Zibu said shows that he has not understood the true meaning of the covenant."

He surveyed the assembled guests and slowly said, "The 'taking of Western Sichuan' mentioned in the alliance agreement does not mean that my lord will take Shu alone, but rather that he is willing to join forces with Jiangdong to conquer Yizhou. Once Yizhou is secured, Jingzhou will naturally be returned to Eastern Wu as agreed, and there is absolutely no reason for us to break our promise."

No sooner had the words been spoken than a man at the table spoke in a deep voice. It was Gu Yong: "That is true, but now that Jingzhou has been returned and Yizhou has been newly acquired by Jiangdong, where will the Imperial Uncle find refuge? Will he have to rely on Yizhou again to establish himself?"

Gu Sulin smiled slightly and said frankly, "Sir, you are unaware of the context."

Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, my lord suffered a crushing defeat at Dangyang, his army was small and his generals few, and he was in a sorry state. He needed the help of Jiangdong. Therefore, the spoils of the Battle of Red Cliffs should be distributed by Eastern Wu, and Jingzhou should also belong to Eastern Wu. My lord is only temporarily staying here.

But things are different now.

My lord has pacified the four southern commanderies of Jingzhou, his army is gradually strengthened, and the people have submitted to him. In the future, when we jointly attack Yizhou, my lord will offer his assistance, and he will not come empty-handed, but with troops, generals, and provisions. His efforts will be no less than before, and his achievements will be even greater.

With such merit in the alliance, would Lord Wu possibly treat my lord poorly?

Besides, my lord is a member of the Han imperial family and the current emperor's uncle. As a member of the imperial family, shouldn't he have a place to settle down and have a place to live?

A moment of silence fell over the room, then someone stood up again. It was Bu Zhi: "What a fine idea to jointly attack Yizhou! But the Imperial Uncle and Liu Jiyu of Yizhou are both members of the Han imperial family. Are you going to unite with external forces in Jiangdong to attack your own kin? If the Imperial Uncle really does this, how can he keep claiming to be benevolent and righteous? Aren't you afraid of incurring the criticism of the world for such actions?"

Gu Sulin looked up, his expression still calm: "This gentleman has a rather narrow mind."

Liu Zhang and my lord are of the same clan; Jiangdong and my lord are allies. We are all of our own, working together to support the Han Dynasty, and are all Han officials, fighting against Cao Cao together. Why should we distinguish between ourselves?

Liu Zhang was weak and incompetent, unable to defend the territory, while Cao Cao was eyeing it covetously. If Yizhou were to fall into Cao Cao's hands, it would be a disgrace to the Han dynasty and a tragedy for the imperial family.

"Our lord's alliance with Jiangdong is not to punish our own clan, but to defend Yizhou for the Han dynasty and preserve the foundation of our clan. Such righteousness will only be praised by the people of the world; how could there be any criticism?"

Seeing this, Zhuge Jin slowly stood up, speaking gently but asking very practically: "What Mr. Zimao said is all reasonable. But Liu Zhang is a member of the imperial clan. If one day the Sun and Liu families really rely on their strength to jointly attack Yizhou, should we fight them with our armies, or should we negotiate with Liu Zhang amicably?"

If it really comes to that, how should Liu Zhang be dealt with?

Gu Sulin calmly replied, "Our lord takes benevolence and righteousness as the foundation of his character and values ​​the bonds of kinship with the imperial family. If we can persuade him with kind words, we will not resort to violence; if we can appease him with propriety, we will not use force."

If Liu Zhang were willing to open the gates and invite them in, to jointly resist Cao Cao and support the Han Dynasty, then naturally the two families would be at peace, sharing the same lineage and helping each other, and jointly guarding Bashu.

If things go wrong, and Liu Zhang, instigated by treacherous people, insists on defending himself, or even invites trouble, then for the sake of the greater good of the world and the foundation of the Han dynasty, my lord will have no choice but to make a decision on the spot and send troops to secure the border.

As for Liu Zhang, since we are blood relatives, my lord will certainly not harm him. He will either let him continue to guard Shu, or choose another place for him to live out his days in peace. He will ensure his lifelong wealth and honor, and that his life will be safe.

Xue Zong rose from his seat, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke frankly, yet still maintained proper decorum at the banquet: "We understand what Mr. Zi Mao has said. However, there is one question we must ask clearly."

"Once Yizhou is settled, how much territory does the Imperial Uncle desire? We, the people of Jiangdong, need to know this to avoid future misunderstandings, repeating the events of Jingnan, and damaging the harmony between our two families."

Gu Sulin returned the greeting and replied in a gentle voice, "Sir, you speak frankly, so I will also speak frankly."

"My lord has always been trustworthy and has never been greedy. If Yizhou falls, he only seeks a single commandery to settle down, serve the Han dynasty, and jointly resist Cao Cao. He will not take an inch more, nor contend for a fraction more. Now that Sun Quan and Liu Bei are allies and will soon be linked by marriage, how could he possibly jeopardize the greater good of the nation for such petty gains?"

After hearing this, Xue Zong nodded slightly and said no more.

Before the atmosphere at the banquet could even ease, another man slowly rose, his demeanor dignified. It was Lu Ji: "Sir, your words are earnest, and you consistently prioritize the alliance. I admire you. However, in the present world, Cao Cao holds sway in the north, his power being the greatest. Although Jiangdong and Jingzhou are nominally allies, if war breaks out again, how many troops and how much effort can Jingzhou actually provide? Since you are a confidant of the Imperial Uncle, could you please speak frankly to us?"

Gu Sulin thought to himself, "They've shifted their focus from benevolence and righteousness to serving the Eastern Wu."

He then said, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If Jingzhou falls, how can Jiangdong be safe alone? The matter of resisting Cao is not about Jingzhou asking Jiangdong for help, nor is it about Jiangdong blaming Jingzhou. It is a matter of life and death for both sides."

Now that my lord and the Marquis of Wu have formed an alliance, they should be of one mind and one heart. If they advance, they will jointly conquer the Central Plains; if they retreat, they will jointly defend the south of the Yangtze River. If either side breaks the alliance, then the whole world will unite to attack them.

My heart is as clear as day, as the sun and moon can bear witness; how can there be talk of any partiality?

After listening, Lu Ji lowered his head and sat down. Then another person stood up, it was Cheng Bing: "We all know the great principles you have spoken of. But beyond the great principles, we need to be more pragmatic."

Now that Jingzhou has been pacified and people's hearts are somewhat at ease, can the army, provisions, and defenses under the Imperial Uncle's command hold out for long?

If Cao Cao were to launch a sudden attack, would Jingzhou be able to fight back, or would it retreat first? This is what truly worries Jiangdong.

This question was not only a test of Liu Bei's strength, but also a test of his confidence.

Gu Sulin said loudly, "Although Jingzhou has just been pacified, our lord's benevolence spreads throughout the land, and the people are loyal to him. We have Zhuge Liang to oversee the overall situation, and our generals to guard the four directions. Although our grain supplies are not abundant, they are more than enough to protect our borders, keep the people safe, and jointly resist Cao Cao."

Su Lin only said one sentence.

If Cao Cao doesn't come, fine; but if he does, Jingzhou will fight to the last man and every last soldier. We will never retreat alone, and we will never betray our friends to survive.

Please, all the police in Jiangdong, rest assured.