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

Sun Quan's residence in Wu County, Jiangdong.

The river wind swirled fine snowflakes, lashing against the windows of the riverside pavilions and making a rustling sound. Inside the mansion, the lights were bright, but they couldn't dispel the solemnity on everyone's faces.

On the table lay a memorial sent by Liu Bei, its words eloquent and its every word praising Sun Quan—recommending him as General of Chariots and Cavalry and Governor of Xu Province. Yet, the assembled civil and military officials of Jiangdong felt only a chilling irony at such fervent hospitality.

Sun Quan sat upright in the main seat, his fingertips slowly stroking the jade paperweight on the table, his gaze fixed intently on the memorial, saying nothing. The civil and military officials in the hall were already murmuring amongst themselves.

"This Liu Bei, he certainly knows how to put on an act." Zhang Zhao spoke first, his voice tinged with disdain. "Xuzhou is already in Cao Cao's hands. His recommendation of our lord as the governor of Xuzhou is nothing more than drawing an empty pie in the sky to elevate his status a bit."

Gu Yong nodded in agreement: "What Zibu said is very true. Although Liu Bei has elevated our lord, the matter of Jingzhou... He himself has taken the position of Governor of Jingzhou and established his own government in Gong'an, which is a real benefit. If our lord acknowledges this Governor of Jingzhou, it is tantamount to handing over the land of Jingxiang to him. If he wants to take it back in the future, it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere inside the tent grew increasingly tense.

Lu Su sat at the end of the table, his brow furrowed, but he did not echo the sentiment. He knew the importance of Jingzhou to the Sun-Liu alliance, and he was also aware of Sun Quan's obsession with it. But he also understood that with Cao Cao pressing in the north, if Sun and Liu were to fight amongst themselves, they would be trapped like turtles in a jar.

Sun Quan finally spoke slowly, his voice low and deep: "What you all say is reasonable. But since Liu Bei has sent this memorial, if I don't accept it, I will be disrespecting him and severing the path of alliance. But..." He changed his tone, his gaze sharp as a knife, "Does Liu Bei really think I will accept the title of Governor of Jingzhou?"

"My lord is wise," Zhang Zhao rose and bowed, saying, "Liu Bei's actions are a trade of empty titles for real benefits. The governorship of Xu Province is nominal, the governorship of Jing Province is real. What he wants is for Jiangdong to acknowledge his legitimacy, and Jiangdong absolutely cannot give that up!"

A hint of approval flashed in Sun Quan's eyes, but he immediately said coldly, "In that case, I will pretend I didn't see his identity as the Governor of Jingzhou. What does it have to do with Jiangdong if Liu Bei appoints him or grants him his position? Does he think he would turn against Jiangdong because of this?"

Once those words were spoken, the hall fell silent.

This was Jiangdong's decision—ignoring it was the best response.

You be the Governor of Jingzhou, and I'll acknowledge my position as General of Chariots and Cavalry. Whether Jingzhou belongs to you or not is not mentioned at all; we'll discuss that another day.

"However," Sun Quan turned his gaze to Lu Su, his tone suddenly becoming more serious, "Zijing, you still need to make a trip to Gong'an. Go and meet with this newly appointed Governor of Jingzhou, and also sound him out. If he truly understands the bigger picture and is willing to return Jingzhou, then let's keep things calm for now; if he harbors resentment and intends to monopolize Jingzhou..."

Sun Quan looked towards Jiangling, where Zhou Yu had stationed his troops.

Lu Su's heart tightened, and he solemnly replied, "I obey. I will not fail in my mission and will persuade Liu Bei to prioritize the overall situation."

Several days later, carried by the river breeze, Lu Su and his party arrived at Gong'an.

Liu Bei had already learned of the news and personally went out to greet them, treating them with the utmost courtesy.

After exchanging pleasantries in the tent, Liu Bei led Lu Su into the inner hall, with Gu Sulin and Zhuge Liang accompanying them, standing on either side.

Lu Su glanced around and noticed the young man standing beside Zhuge Liang. Although he was young, he was dressed simply and had a calm demeanor. His eyes and brows held an unusual calmness and sharpness, which was quite different from the civil officials usually seen in the tent.

Lu Su's heart stirred slightly, but he remained calm. He first greeted Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, and finally his gaze fell on Gu Sulin. He nodded slightly and said, "This must be Mr. Gu Zimao, right? I have long heard of the new talent that Gong'an has acquired. Meeting him today, I can see that he is indeed extraordinary."

Gu Sulin returned the greeting with a cupped hand, his tone calm: "Mr. Lu Zijing's name is renowned far and wide. You have worked tirelessly for the Sun-Liu alliance, and your contributions are immense. I, Sulin, deeply admire you."

Both were intelligent men, and they had already sized each other up in a few words.

Gu Sulin looked at Lu Su and thought to himself: This is Lu Su. He is honest and kind, good at mediating, yet he is the key figure in Jiangdong's advocacy for the capture of Jing. The key to breaking the deadlock today lies with him.

Lu Su withdrew his gaze, turned to Liu Bei, and said solemnly, "Uncle, I have come today to discuss the matter of Jingzhou. Governor Liu Qi has passed away, and Jingzhou is without a ruler. According to the view of Jiangdong, the land of Jingzhou should rightfully belong to Wu. I urge you, Uncle, to reconsider."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the tent instantly became heavy.

Zhuge Liang lightly waved his feather fan, smiled faintly, and looked at Lu Su: "Zijing, you are mistaken. The Imperial Uncle has already recommended Lord Wu for the position of General of Chariots and Cavalry and Governor of Xu Province, which is an extremely high honor. Since Lord Wu has accepted this position, he has acknowledged the Imperial Uncle's recommendation. In this way, it is in accordance with Heaven and the people's will for the Imperial Uncle to take on the position of Governor of Jing Province. How could Lord Wu not accept it? Have you forgotten this matter since you came here today?"

Lu Su was taken aback, then looked troubled: "I am not unaware of what Mr. Kongming said. However... Jingzhou is the gateway to Jiangdong. Commander Zhou Yu went to great lengths to capture it. Now that Liu Qi has passed away, the fate of Jingzhou is a matter of the alliance's safety. I beg you, Imperial Uncle, not to put me in a difficult position."

Liu Bei feigned hesitation, his expression full of difficulty: "Master Zijing, it's not that I'm unwilling to yield. It's just that the four commanderies of Jingnan were all won by our soldiers through bloody battles; now that the people have just settled down and the foundation is not yet stable, if we were to cede Jingzhou at this time, I fear it would cause great chaos among the army and the people."

"Uncle!" Lu Su said urgently, "If Jingzhou is not returned to Wu, the civil and military officials of Jiangdong will be uneasy. I beg you, Uncle, to consider the overall situation of the world and cede Jingzhou to appease Jiangdong."

Both sides held their own versions of events, and the dispute remained unresolved inside the tent.

Zhuge Liang stuck to his old argument that Jingzhou originally belonged to the Liu family, and that Liu Bei had contributed to the Battle of Red Cliffs, so he should rightfully have a place there.

Lu Su still used the same argument that Liu Bei had sought help from Jiangdong when he was desperate, and that since Liu Qi was not present, the money should be returned.

Gu Sulin remained silent, observing coldly, having already figured out the situation in his mind.

The current situation is precisely the point in which Zhuge Liang uses a written agreement to appease Lu Su and determine the ownership of Jingzhou.

Although Zhuge Liang's original plan was good, he also wrote on the document that Jingzhou should belong to Wu, thus giving Wu a pretext to use this as a hidden danger for the future alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei.

Just as Zhuge Liang was about to offer to sign the agreement, Gu Sulin suddenly stepped forward and said loudly, "Master Zijing, since it concerns the affairs of Jingzhou, why not draw up a written agreement to prevent future troubles? When our lord has acquired other cities and has other places to settle down, we can return Jingzhou to Eastern Wu. What do you say?"

Lu Su was taken aback: "Where does Imperial Uncle intend to take?"

Gu Sulin said, "The Central Plains are not to be conquered. Liu Zhang of Xichuan is weak and incompetent; my general should take over. If we obtain Xichuan, then we will return Jingzhou."

Upon hearing this, Lu Su also had his own thoughts.

Now that Zhou Yu has stationed his troops in Jiangling, Liu Bei has no way to enter Sichuan.

Although Zhou Yu had mentioned the idea of ​​conquering Ba and Shu in the west, he repeatedly advised Wu Hou to first resist Cao Cao and not to start a war lightly, lest he harm his alliance.

After a little thought, I realized that the idea of ​​Jiangdong attacking Shu was ultimately just empty talk and might not actually come to fruition. Since it was difficult for Jiangdong to take Xichuan, what harm would there be in allowing Liu Bei to pass through Jiangling in the future, promising to return the land after taking it? The most important thing was to stabilize the alliance, prevent war, and resist Cao Cao in the north.

Lu Su said helplessly, "Mr. Gu's words are very good. If there is a written agreement, I can go back and report to Marquis Wu, and the Imperial Uncle can also rest assured."

Liu Bei also showed delight: "Zimao's words are absolutely right, let's draw up a written agreement!"

A hint of approval flashed in Zhuge Liang's eyes as he looked at Gu Sulin: "Zimao, since you made the suggestion, you shall write it down. It must be fair and impartial."

"Yes, sir," Gu Sulin replied, turning to walk to the desk and picking up the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.