Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1448 Talking about People
"Nanyang?"

To be honest, Qin Bo's arrival this time has surprised Feng Da Sima several times.

This includes the recent mention of Nanyang.

Upon hearing Qin Bo utter the words "Nanyang," Grand Marshal Feng's expression turned somewhat amused, and he stared at Qin Bo for a long while without saying a word.

Only after Qin Bo's forehead was slightly sweaty did he speak:

"Nanyang? What Nanyang? What happened to Nanyang?"

Qin Bo said in a low voice:
"In this battle, Your Excellency has recovered the two provinces of You and Ji, encompassed Hebei, and even nearly brought Yan Province into the hands of the Han Dynasty."

"On the other hand, our great Wu had an alliance with the Han to jointly attack the false Wei, gathered 100,000 elite troops in Jianye, and joined forces with the Han to attack Cao Cao from the north and south, but in the end we gained nothing."

"Now that the Great Han has recovered Hebei, Your Majesty wishes to take Nanyang to replenish the expenses of money, provisions, and troops. I wonder what the Grand Marshal thinks?"

I want to spit your emperor's saliva all over his face!
How can someone who cultivates a fake immortality actually believe they've reached the Nascent Soul stage?
If you're so capable, why don't you let Jianye stand up on its own?

I wouldn't be afraid even if Jianye couldn't stand up on its own, even if they gave me another 100,000.

Do you think I don't know what Sun Shiwan is doing in Jianye with 100,000 troops?

The stated purpose was to move north, but in reality, it was due to the internal strife between your Wu Kingdom and the Southern Lu Kingdom. To ensure your safety, Emperor Sun led his troops to intimidate various military leaders and powerful clans.

However, the Jiangdong scoundrels failed to utilize their family's traditional skills and instead secretly seized Nanyang, which Guanqiu Jian had voluntarily ceded, thus creating a fait accompli.

It was actually quite unexpected that they had the patience to wait until now to ask for my opinion.

"That's the logic, that's correct."

Grand Marshal Feng leaned back in his armchair and slowly said:
"But if I'm not mistaken, when Duke Qin spoke of a pincer attack from the north and south, he meant that while our Han soldiers were fighting the puppet Wei forces in Hebei, your 100,000 elite troops remained stationary in Jianye, didn't they?"

"Oh, by the way, have any of those 100,000 elite troops crossed the Yangtze River to the north?"

When Qin Bo heard Grand Marshal Feng's sarcastic remarks, he not only didn't dare to get angry, but instead felt embarrassed and flustered.

Although he really enjoyed visiting Ji Han, he genuinely didn't want to come this time.

Knowing their own situation best, Qin Bo knew perfectly well what the Great Wu was doing while the Han and Wei armies were fighting in Hebei.

The reason why the pseudo-Wei took the initiative to cede Nanyang and leave no troops behind was certainly not because it was afraid that the Great Wu would send troops from Xiangyang.

The thought of having to use his words to trick the eloquent and persuasive Lord Feng into giving up Nanyang made Qin Bo's mouth taste bitter.

"My lord, although the Great Wu has not crossed the river, it has held back the Wei troops south of the river, preventing them from heading north to support Hebei. Even if they have not made any great contributions, they have certainly put in a lot of effort, haven't they?"

"Our Great Wu has put in a lot of effort, wasting money, food and troops, but in the end we gained nothing. This is not fair."

That's because Cao Shuang didn't want to save Sima Yi!

Sun Dadi has such a big face and such a thick skin. He looks across the river to Hefei and still wants to claim the credit for himself.

"Of course that makes sense, since you didn't cross the river with a single soldier."

Grand Marshal Feng leaned back in his armchair, a mocking smile on his face:

“Nanyang is neither in the hands of the false Wei nor in the hands of our Han Dynasty. It is separated from Xiangyang by only a river. If you want it, you can go and take it yourself.”

Qin Bo's face twitched: My lord, you've already said "one soldier, one pawn" several times already...

He knew, of course, that it wasn't that the Great Wu didn't want to take Nanyang; on the contrary, they desperately wanted it.

However, they dared not take it without informing the Han state beforehand.

In fact, Feng, being in the thick of it, did not expect that the impact of the battle in Hebei would far exceed his own imagination.

Furthermore, in the past two years, broken timbers have been seen floating on the Han River from time to time in Xiangyang, which indicates that the Han Kingdom is building ships on the upper reaches of the Han River.

Moreover, it's being built on a massive scale.

Of course, Ji Han claimed that he was building merchant ships and transport ships to facilitate the transport of goods and supplies from Hanzhong to Shangyong.

Then it was transported to Xiangyang via Shangyong.

That being said...

Transporting goods from Hanzhong to Xiangyang is indeed closer and more convenient than transporting goods from Chengdu to Nanjun.

But some things, no one can say for sure whether they are right or wrong.
After all, merchant ships could sail down the Han River straight to Xiangyang, and warships could do the same.

This is one of the reasons why Qin Bo was so frightened when he heard Grand Marshal Feng mention Lü Meng and Lu Xun.

If the Wu army had just crossed the Han River and arrived in Nanyang, the Shu Han warships would appear on the Han River.

If another cavalry force of the Shu Han were to appear at Wuguan Pass in the east, that would be a real disaster.

Feng Da Sima watched Qin Bo's changing expression, his eyes narrowing slightly. He had no idea what Qin Bo was thinking.

But he considered a larger possibility:
The internal conflicts and problems within Wu are likely far more serious than they appear on the surface.

Otherwise, given the nature of those cowardly Jiangdong scoundrels, they wouldn't have hesitated to betray their allies for the sake of most of Jingzhou back then.

Now that the pseudo-Wei has handed over Nanyang, Emperor Sun can still resist taking this piece of fat meat that's right in front of him, which is not in line with the Emperor's usual style.

So it seems that my judgment in Luoyang may have been wrong.

Feng Da Sima picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and concealed the expression on his face.

Qin Bo tried to decipher the meaning behind Feng Da Sima's words, but what he saw was steam rising from the teacup.

Feng Da Sima's face was hidden in the mist, appearing and disappearing intermittently, just like his words, which were unfathomable.

So he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue what Grand Marshal Feng had said earlier:
"Is Your Excellency truly telling the truth?"

His response was a soft, ambiguous laugh.

I don't know if it was mockery or something else.

"If you really want me to say this, then I would say this: There are no Han troops stationed in Nanyang, and the Han has never said that it must belong to the Han. If your country can take it over on its own, I will naturally have no objection."

Upon hearing this, Qin Bo was immediately overjoyed.

Unexpectedly, two more soft laughs came from within the mist:
"As for whether His Majesty agrees or not, and whether the officials in the court are willing or not, that is beyond my knowledge."

Qin Bo's initial joy quickly turned to despair.

"Ding~"

The teacup was placed on the table, producing a crisp and melodious sound.

Feng Da Sima's face finally emerged from the mist.

He looked at Qin Bo, his tone becoming sincere, and said earnestly:

"Lord Qin, you and I are old acquaintances. There are some things that cannot be said openly in public, but in private, we don't need to be too discreet about what comes out of our mouths and enters our ears. Do you agree?"

Qin Bo nodded.

"Alright, I actually have a few questions for Lord Qin about Nanyang. If you can give me a satisfactory answer, I don't mind speaking up for you in front of His Majesty and the officials of the court."

Qin Bo immediately perked up: "May I ask, my lord?"

"My first question is, does your country truly still have the capacity to advance northward?"

Sun Quan did indeed gather 100,000 troops in Jianye, but it was clear that they were not intended for external campaigns, let alone for a northward advance.

Rather, it was used to prevent internal strife.

This is enough to illustrate the seriousness of the internal problems in the Wu Kingdom.

Qin Bo's face stiffened when he heard that Grand Marshal Feng's first question was so sharp.

If the Great Wu could still march north every year without any scruples as before, why would I have to go to Chang'an to wait in vain?

Keep in mind that it is only the beginning of spring, and it would take at least two months to reach Chang'an from Jianye.

This means that you have to set off when it's coldest.

Seeing Qin Bo's expression, Grand Marshal Feng smiled enigmatically, becoming even more certain of his conjecture. He didn't press Qin Bo for an answer, but instead continued to ask:
"The second question is that although the pseudo-Wei ceded Nanyang, it was because Nanyang had no natural defenses, so they had no choice but to withdraw their troops to Xuchang and Runan."

"Even if your country has the strength to march north and capture Nanyang, what then? If the bandits from Xuchang and Runan attack, and Nanyang has no natural defenses, can your country be confident that it can hold it?"

Guanqiu Jian's departure from Nanyang certainly didn't mean he left without doing anything.

On the contrary, he not only relocated all the people, but also tore down the city walls of Wancheng and burned everything that could be burned.

Otherwise, Mr. Feng wouldn't have made a special trip to Xu County to instruct Guanqiu Jian not to do the same thing to Xu County.

Besides, I admit that Wu's naval warfare is good, but Nanyang is practically flat. How can you defend on flat ground? Can you even defeat the Wei army?
You don't really think that if the Han army can do it, you can too, do you?
No way, right?

In case Guanqiu Jian wants to rack up some military merits someday and comes over to borrow some heads, don't come crying to Chang'an again.

We can't exactly ask the Han army to send troops from Wuguan to help you, can we?

You don't really think that, do you?
Qin Bo was merely a school official, and naturally dared not speak carelessly in front of Grand Marshal Feng regarding matters of national importance.

Not to mention discussing military matters.

Perhaps the heater was too hot, because he subconsciously wiped his forehead.

Seeing Qin Bo's embarrassed appearance, Grand Marshal Feng sighed softly, seemingly feeling a little sorry for him.

He picked up the teacup, took another sip, and then said:

"Lord Qin, as far as you are concerned, I am the Grand Marshal of the Han Dynasty. It is impossible for me to persuade His Majesty and the officials in the court on your behalf. I hope you can understand."

Qin Bo raised his head and asked in a humble voice:
"My lord, considering our long-standing friendship, is there really no way to resolve this?"

After His Majesty fell seriously ill, he has been living in seclusion in the palace for the past few years, and his temper has become increasingly eccentric. Even Chief Steward Lü has been unable to figure out His Majesty's temperament.

If we fail to complete the mission, we won't lose our lives, but we'll definitely be punished.

That would be fine, but what I fear is that if I lose the emperor's favor, my good days will be over.

However, as the Grand Marshal said before, without the cooperation of the Han Kingdom, even if the Great Wu forcefully occupied Nanyang, it would not be able to gain a foothold.

Setting down his teacup again, Grand Marshal Feng smiled slightly.

"Don't be in such a hurry, Lord Qin..." I just said that was from a public perspective; we haven't even discussed private matters yet, have we?

One sentence rekindled Qin Bo's hope, and he stared intently at Grand Marshal Feng.

Sure enough, Grand Marshal Feng slowly said:
"Personally, I have a very close personal relationship with Lord Qin, and the Xinghan Society and the School Affairs Office have been cooperating for a long time. As the head of the Xinghan Society, I should do my best to help Lord Qin when he asks me for a favor."

Upon hearing this, Qin Bo was so overjoyed he almost jumped for joy.

If the Grand Marshal could truly step forward to help, given his favor with the Emperor of Han and his influence in the court, the matter would likely be at least half successful.

Upon seeing this, Grand Marshal Feng's smile widened even further:
"Goods from Liangzhou and Guanzhong, if they want to be transported to Wu, must inevitably go through the Hanzhong Road, which is both dangerous and long."

"If one could pass through Wuguan Pass and Nanyang, and then on to Xiangyang, the journey would be much shorter and more convenient. Therefore, many people in the Han Dynasty wanted to control this trade route."

“Your country wants our Han Dynasty to cede Nanyang, but empty words are not enough. At the very least, you should show some sincerity.”

"In this way, I can plead for Duke Qin before His Majesty and the other officials, isn't that right?"

"Understood, understood!" Qin Bo nodded repeatedly. "But what kind of sincerity does the Grand Marshal desire?"

I'm not afraid of any price to pay, I'm just afraid the other party won't budge.

After all, in this battle in Hebei, the Han state captured Youzhou, Jizhou, and Yanzhou in succession, while His Majesty gathered 100,000 troops but gained nothing, which was rather embarrassing.

Those restless guys in the country are probably up to something again.

If we can take Nanyang without bloodshed, then we can at least give an account of our achievements.

"In the past, the ruler of Wu used the customs duties of Jingzhou as collateral to exchange for horses, grain, weapons, and armor of our Han Dynasty. Later, when our Han Dynasty wanted to take Luoyang, the ruler of Wu claimed that Luoyang should belong to Wu, citing the alliance between the two countries."

"After Zong Gong argued his case, he finally agreed to let the Han Dynasty temporarily take over Luoyang, but Wu wanted to take back 30% of the customs duties of Jingzhou."

(Chapter 1330)
Grand Marshal Feng tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said slowly:

"Now that the Wu ruler wants Nanyang, why not follow the precedent and return the 30% customs duty to our Han Dynasty? Then I can use this as a reason to persuade His Majesty to agree to this matter."

Upon hearing this, Qin Bo's face showed a troubled expression: "This..."

Seeing this, Grand Marshal Feng leaned back in his chair, his gaze looking down at him:

"What? You don't want to pay it back, but you still want it?"

Qin Bo smiled wryly: "Grand Marshal, this is not something I can decide."

A 30% tariff is no small amount.

Not to mention that the Wu government treasury is currently severely depleted, and losing this large source of revenue would be tantamount to tearing out the heart of the treasury.

"Then let's try to get the message to Lord Wu as soon as possible and see what he says. Anyway, Nanyang is there, it won't run away."

"This matter is naturally for His Majesty to decide."

Qin Bo said this, but hesitated, as if he wanted to say something more.

Grand Marshal Feng asked, "Does Lord Qin have any further questions?"

Qin Bo nodded, considered his words for a moment, and then began to speak:

"Before Bo came here, His Majesty instructed him that when he returned to Wu, he must bring someone back with him."

Grand Marshal Feng was slightly surprised upon hearing this:

"To receive such personal instructions from Lord Wu, one must be no ordinary person. But who is this person?"

Qin Bo coughed and shook his head, saying:
"He's not a big shot. He's a man from Daqin, named Qin Lun. He arrived in Jiaozhi by sea in the fifth year of Huangwu. Later, His Majesty summoned him and asked him about the customs and folklore of Daqin several times."

"Later, the great work of the Lord spread to the Wu region. This man heard of the Grand Marshal's name and admired his talent, so he came from the Wu region to the Han Dynasty."

"Over the years, I have traveled back and forth between Han and Wu many times, but who knew that the last time I went to the Han Dynasty, I had not returned for more than a year."

“Recently, someone asked me for help, claiming to be Qin Lun’s follower, saying that his master had been arrested in Shu and was being held in the Jincheng prison.”

He paused for a moment, then looked at Grand Marshal Feng.

But seeing that the Grand Marshal showed no displeasure, he continued:

"Although this person is a Hu (non-Han Chinese), he was once a guest of His Majesty. Now that he has sent someone to ask for help, I dare not sit idly by. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of pleading with you, my lord."

"If this person has not committed a capital offense, could we return him so that he can pay money to atone for his crime?"

Grand Marshal Feng did not answer immediately, but instead thought back to Qin Lun in his mind.

I realized that I only seemed vaguely familiar with it, probably from some official document or someone mentioning it to me.

But he had no memory of what this person looked like, let alone what he had done.

It seems he's not an important person.

If they are not important figures and have not committed any serious crimes, a lenient sentence, a small fee, and a diplomatic immunity in exchange are all negotiable options.

Thinking this to himself, he said aloud:
"I'm not entirely clear on this matter. How about this, I'll ask around later and let Lord Qin know once I've found out?"

Qin Bo was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands in greeting:
"Then thank you very much, my lord."

Even if the Nanyang matter cannot be concluded, bringing Qin Lun back can be considered a small way to make amends.

Once Qin Bo's figure had completely disappeared outside the door, a suppressed laugh suddenly came from behind the screen of the armchair:

"Hehe...hehe...hahaha..."

The laughter, initially suppressed, gradually grew into triumphant and unrestrained laughter.

Grand Marshal Feng tilted his head and asked the air, "What are you laughing at?"

The person behind did not answer, but instead emerged from behind the screen while laughing.

At first, she placed her slender hand on Feng Da Sima's shoulder, but eventually, probably because she was too tired from laughing, she leaned softly against Da Sima.

Even so, she couldn't stop twitching her body, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

Grand Marshal Feng patted the arched full moon with annoyance:

"Say it!"

Zhang Xiaosi lifted his head from Feng Dasima's embrace and wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes:
"I'm laughing at Qin's theory..."

"Qin Lun?"

"This person was imprisoned because the Grand Marshal's office gave the order."

"The Grand Marshal's residence?" Grand Marshal Feng frowned, then relaxed. "So it was you who had him locked up?"

Secretary Zhang's face hardened: "Nonsense! How could I have such power? It was clearly the Grand Marshal's office that ordered him to be locked up."

Then, unable to hold back, he laughed like a little fox who had stolen a chicken.

"That was the order you gave."

Feng Da Sima patted the same spot again, then subconsciously pinched it, suddenly feeling a bit dry in his mouth.

The Grand Marshal of the Grand Marshal's Mansion was away on campaign, as was the General Who Guards the East of the General's Mansion. Zhang, the Grand Secretary, was the Chief Secretary of the General's Mansion.

All matters concerning the Grand Marshal's office are decided by the Grand Secretary.

"What's so special about this person that you would personally take care of him?"

"The person is nothing special."

Lady Right and Grand Marshal Feng were practically an old married couple, so they knew each other very well. She immediately sensed the subtle change in Grand Marshal Feng and decided to stay on him.

She raised her head, squinted slightly, and licked her full, rosy lips:

"But this person's identity is somewhat special."

The phrase "beautiful as a flower and the moon" was originally coined for her by someone named Feng.

With just this small gesture, her unique charm as a mature young woman suddenly burst forth.

Feng Da Sima felt as if he were holding a ball of fire in his arms, which burned all the way to the bottom of his heart.

(End of this chapter)