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

Gu Yong followed suit, stepping forward to echo his sentiments. Always cautious in his actions, he meticulously analyzed the advantages of local governance:

"What Zhang Gong said is absolutely right. Changsha and Guiyang in Xiangdong are far from the Xiangfan front and are not threatened by Cao Cao's army. Only a small number of troops are needed to garrison them and they can be governed peacefully."

Compared to stationing a large army to defend Nanjun, it would cost less and yield more stable benefits.

Liu Bei honored the agreement and voluntarily ceded territory. If Jiangdong insists on fighting for it, it will only give others ammunition to criticize us and lose its moral high ground.

We believe this agreement is feasible.

The civil officials nodded in agreement.

In their eyes, governing the country and ensuring its stability depended on the availability of funds and the well-being of the people. The best outcome would be to obtain two counties and one city without losing a single soldier, while also maintaining the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei. They had no other desires.

But as soon as the civil official finished speaking, a chorus of indignation erupted from the ranks of military officers.

Lu Meng rose, his hand on his sword, eyes wide open, expression indignant, and loudly retorted:

"You civil officials only know how to calculate accounts, but do you remember the Battle of Red Cliffs, where our Jiangdong soldiers fought bloody battles and defeated Cao Cao's million-strong army to protect the foundation of Jiangdong!"

The land of Jingzhou was originally won by the blood of my Jiangdong soldiers, and is lent to Liu Bei for temporary residence!

Now that he has acquired Yizhou, not only does he not return the entire territory, but he also gives me only remote and barren lands. This is an insult to the fact that Jiangdong has no one to rely on!

Gan Ning, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, echoed in a stern voice:

"Back then, we fought fiercely along the Yangtze River, defended our territory to the death, and made unparalleled contributions. In the end, the fertile land of Nan Commandery is still in Liu Bei's hands, and the rich counties of Jingnan have all been lost. Jiangdong only received two peripheral counties. The difference between our war merits and what we received is like heaven and earth. How can our soldiers be content with this!"

Veteran generals such as Cheng Pu and Huang Gai also showed their dissatisfaction and were indignant. They felt that despite their great military achievements in Jiangdong, they had suffered a great loss in the division of Jingzhou and had lost face. They collectively and firmly opposed the decision, saying that if they agreed to it, it would chill the hearts of the entire army.

For a time, the civil and military officials faced off in the imperial court, arguing endlessly. The civil officials spoke of benefits and avoided war, while the military generals vied for merit and strategic locations, resulting in a heated debate.

Sun Quan sat upright in the main seat, his brows furrowed, his face growing increasingly gloomy.

His thoughts became increasingly conflicted. He knew perfectly well that Liu Bei's treaty was flawless, yet the resentment and unwillingness in his heart were hard to quell.

He was well aware that the three places of Changsha, Guiyang, and Xiakou in Xiangdong that Liu Bei had given him were far superior to Nanjun on paper, and the civil officials' calculations on money, grain, and people's livelihood were all reasonable.

But what Sun Quan wanted was never the money and grain of Jingnan, but the stability and future of Jiangdong.

With Nan Commandery in hand, Liu Bei's throat was held in his grasp, and every move Liu Bei made was under the control of Jiangdong.

Now that Nan Commandery has been returned to Liu Bei, it is as if he is returning his henchmen, and in the future, there will be many more times when Jiangdong will be under his control.

Not to mention generals like Lü Meng and Gan Ning, who all established themselves through military achievements in Jingzhou. If they were to agree to this and only take three places, it would surely demoralize the entire army and make it difficult to control Jiangdong.

Liu Bei's move, seemingly a concession, was actually a trade-off, exchanging three insignificant territories for complete control of the situation. How could Sun Quan not see through it?

However, if they refused, the alliance would break down, and Cao Cao would take the opportunity to march south.

On one hand, there's the problem of nurturing a tiger that will eventually cause internal division; on the other hand, there's the breakdown of the alliance and the collapse of the entire system.

Sun Quan felt caught in a dilemma, his heart heavy, and he felt no joy at gaining the territory.

Just as the court was at a stalemate and Sun Quan was caught in a dilemma, Lu Su slowly walked out from the ranks of officials, his expression calm and composed.

He is now the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, and his words immediately silenced the clamor of the entire room.

"My lord, gentlemen, please hear me out."

Lu Su bowed respectfully, his tone steady and forceful. His gaze first swept over the indignant military general, then fell upon the resolute civil official, and he slowly began to speak.

"The current situation is not about the gain or loss of a single city or territory, but about the life and death of Jiangdong. We must not act rashly."

"Let's first discuss the legal principles. Liu Bei only lent Nan Commandery back then, and now he has returned Guiyang according to the agreement, and even ceded Xiakou, Xiangdong, and Changsha in addition, exchanging three for one. This is already the extreme of concession. The written alliance is clear. If Jiangdong were to forcibly demand Nan Commandery and the entire Jingnan region, we would be in the wrong from the start and would lose the trust of the world. At that time, we would have no just cause for our campaign and would find it difficult to win the hearts of the people."

At the same time, he secretly blamed himself for not seeing through Gu Sulin's tricks back then, which led to Jiangdong's current passive situation.

"In terms of the overall situation, although Cao Cao was severely weakened after the Battle of Red Cliffs, he still defeated Ma Chao and Han Sui at Weinan, and his strength was still unparalleled in the world."

With the North soon in his grasp, he constantly thinks about annexing the South and sweeping across the land.

If Jiangdong and Liu Bei were to go to war over Jingzhou, both sides would inevitably suffer heavy losses. Cao Cao would then take the opportunity to march south. At that time, how could Jiangdong, fighting alone, withstand Cao Wei's iron cavalry?

It must be understood that the collapse of the Sun-Liu alliance would mean the destruction of both sides; one must not sacrifice the greater good for a small gain.

At this point, Lu Su changed the subject, looked at Sun Quan whose expression was conflicted, and offered a solution that satisfied both sides:

"My lord, the reason why my fellow military officers are unwilling to accept this is simply because they feel that their military achievements have not been rewarded accordingly, and that Jiangdong's reputation has been damaged."

Since it's impossible to contest territory any further, we might as well seek tangible compensation. This would give our lord and the generals a way out, preserve the alliance, and avoid fundamental damage.

Sun Quan's eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked, "Oh? What brilliant plan does Zijing have?"

Lu Su stepped forward and clearly explained his plan: "My lord can discuss this with Liu Bei:

Trade was established between Jing and Yi, and Yue cloth, celadon, and sea salt from Jiangdong could be sold to Jingxiang in exchange for grain and supplies from Shu.

The Yangtze River waterway is shared by both sides, and customs duties are split equally, facilitating naval operations and jointly defending against Cao Cao's army.

There are many barbarian tribes in southern Jing, and Jiangdong is allowed to trade with them, with the profits shared equally.

Establish border markets, manage them jointly, regulate trade, and prevent border disputes.

In this way, without seeking more territory, they can continuously obtain wealth through trade, markets, and tariffs, making up for the soldiers' shortcomings and stabilizing Jiangdong's finances.

This strategy ensures that the alliance is not broken, preventing Cao Cao from gaining an advantage, while also providing tangible benefits to Jiangdong and quelling discontent among its people. It is a perfect solution.

Lu Su's words were incisive, hitting the nail on the head and pointing out both the advantages and disadvantages.

Upon hearing this, the originally indignant generals gradually calmed down. Although they were still unwilling, they knew that fighting for territory was useless and would only backfire.

The civil official nodded repeatedly, thinking he had already gained enough, but unexpectedly there was still an opportunity to gain more.

Sun Quan secretly pondered the matter and concluded that Lu Su's plan was indeed foolproof. It would both ease tensions with Liu Bei and appease the generals of Jiangdong.

More importantly, Sun Quan sensed that although he could no longer strategically sanction Liu Bei through Nan Commandery, he could use the terms proposed by Lu Su to infiltrate the economy and people's livelihoods and secretly cause trouble.

The frustration in his heart instantly dissipated. After a moment of contemplation, Sun Quan finally made his decision, his expression resolute as he surveyed the assembled civil and military officials:

"What Zijing said is insightful and far-sighted, and it is exactly what I thought!"

Resisting Cao Cao is the top priority; the Sun-Liu alliance must not be broken. Immediately cease demanding Jingzhou territory and, following Zijing's strategy, seek compensation in the form of trade and other benefits!

"Zijing!"

"exist!"

"I hereby order you to immediately draft supplementary alliance terms and, as your plenipotentiary envoy, travel to Chengdu again to discuss and finalize the details of trade, waterways, and markets with Liu Bei. You must strive to secure the greatest possible benefit for Jiangdong without undermining the alliance."

"Yes, sir!"