Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1468 Zhongli Mu Persuades Sima Zhao

The spring of the fourteenth year of Yanxi seemed to quietly come to an end amidst the changing flags on the city walls of Qiao County.

Inside the Prime Minister's residence in Jianye, Zhuge Ke faced the battle report sent from Huainan, his face so gloomy it could wring water out of it.

The formidable reputation built up by the great victory at Dongxing four months ago, along with the arrogance that "all heroes under heaven are no more than this," has now been shattered by reality.

"boom!"

He slammed his fist heavily on the table, startling the writing brush, inkstone, and inkstone into jumping up.

His chest heaved violently, veins bulged on his forehead, and his entire face was contorted with overwhelming rage.

Sima Yi?
But little.

Feng Yong's ability to repeatedly defeat Sima Yi and become famous throughout the world was nothing more than luck; he simply knew how to pick on the weak to boost his reputation.

That's why he was so arrogant as to personally write the letter, wanting to test the quality of the "Ghost King".

Now, a blow to the head left him dizzy and disoriented.

He gripped the military report tightly, his knuckles turning white, as if he wanted to tear it to shreds, but in the end he just slammed it to the ground.

Anger burned in his lungs and soared to the top of his head, causing him to pace frantically in the spacious study like a trapped beast.

His gaze swept across the rough map on the wall, and when it landed on the area in Huaibei that had already changed hands, his eyes widened in fury.

"Feng Yong! That old scoundrel Feng Yong!" Zhuge Ke gritted his teeth, pouring all his hatred towards Chang'an. "Hypocritical, backstabbing! I swear I will..."

The words "I will personally lead the army to avenge this humiliation" almost burst from his mouth, but at the last moment, he swallowed them back down.

At the same time, his steps came to an abrupt halt, and his raised arm froze in mid-air.

His breathing was heavy and labored, and his gaze was once again fixed on the map—the crimson color representing Shu Han had formed a pincer-like pressure on Eastern Wu from the west and north.

Lu Kang's warning before his departure suddenly rang in my ears.

A profound sense of powerlessness, mixed with lingering anger, gripped him tightly.

"call--"

After a long while, a long and heavy breath escaped his lips, as if all his strength had been drained away.

He slowly walked back behind the desk and slumped down in dejection.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my throbbing temples hard.

"You scoundrel Feng... I'll allow you to be smug for now!"

After uttering these words with difficulty through clenched teeth, Zhuge Ke forced himself to calm down, spread out a plain silk cloth, and picked up the wolf-hair brush that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

As I was about to write a greeting, an image of someone in my mind suddenly appeared before my eyes, seemingly looking at me with a half-smile.

"puff!"

A surge of shame and indignation welled up in his throat, and he slammed the pen down on the table, splashing ink that stained the silk.

"A humiliating disgrace...a humiliating disgrace!"

He picked up his pen several times, then put it down again. He roared in a low voice once more, his chest heaving with uncontrollable emotion.

The thought of currying favor with someone who has humiliated you is more disgusting than swallowing a fly.

Only in the end, with an almost self-destructive calmness, did he manage to suppress his churning stomach acid and rage.

"A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. If you want to accomplish great things, how can you be bound by momentary pride?"

He muttered to himself, each word feeling like a knife cutting into his own dignity, "The humiliation I suffer today will be repaid a hundredfold in the future!"

With his pen finally falling, he began to draft the official letter to Emperor Liu Shan of Shu Han and Grand Marshal Feng Yong.

"Prime Minister Wu, Zhuge Ke, respectfully writes to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty, and presents this letter to Grand Marshal Feng Gongtai for his perusal:..."

In the book, he adopts an unusually humble attitude, taking full responsibility for the Qiao County Incident upon himself.

He bitterly denounced the garrison commander Zhongli Mao for "incompetent military management" and said that his soldiers "disturbed the ancestral tombs of the Cao family." He claimed that he was "oversightly guilty and filled with shame and remorse," and characterized the incident as an accidental military disciplinary incident.

He expressed his "regret" over Cao Zhi's "righteous act," saying that it "stemmed from the utmost filial piety and the stirring of blood," and that his plight was worthy of sympathy.

As for the Shu Han's acceptance of Cao Zhi's troops and its takeover of Qiao County, they lavished praise on it, calling it a "great achievement" that "Heaven blesses the loyal and virtuous" and "the Han Dynasty upholds righteousness and follows the will of the people."

He even said that although he had lost territory, he felt "somewhat at ease" because he saw "loyalty and filial piety being recognized".

At the end of the article, he reiterated that the alliance with Wu Han was "as important as Mount Tai" and promised to rectify internal affairs and prevent such incidents from happening again.

Then, the tone subtly shifted—citing the hardship faced by the newly incorporated Huainan people and the resulting difficulties in their livelihoods, they earnestly requested Ji Han to continue providing assistance with grain, fodder, and farming tools to help them overcome their difficulties.

All of this was in preparation for the long list of food and supplies that was attached to the letter of state.

After finishing writing, he threw down his pen and couldn't hold back any longer, so he leaned over the desk and vomited, as if he wanted to vomit up all the nausea.

Shortly after the messenger to the Han Kingdom departed, Zhuge Ke's secret envoy—the Prime Minister's Chief Clerk Zhongli Mu—also carried a top-secret mission and quietly headed north in a small boat.

Destination: Pengcheng.

Although Pengcheng was the new capital of Wei, after Sima Yi's death, the oppressive rule became more and more obvious, and the nights were particularly quiet, exuding a sense of dread.

Zhongli Mu, the chief clerk of the Wu Kingdom's prime minister, dressed in the everyday clothes of a merchant, entered a dimly lit secret room silently, guided by Sima Zhao's confidant.

The atmosphere inside the sealed room was heavy.

Sima Zhao sat in the main seat, his face gloomy, but his brows betrayed a hint of weariness and vigilance that was hard to conceal.

His younger brother, Sima Zhou, stood beside him with his hand on his sword, his eyes sharp.

Seated at the lower seat were two key advisors: Jia Chong, the Director of the Secretariat, and Zhong Hui, the Grand Secretary.

Jia Chong had a sharp and capable appearance, with a glint in his eyes.

Zhong Hui, the Grand Secretary, appeared more youthful and impetuous, with a faint hint of sarcasm on his lips, and a slightly frivolous air about him.

“Wu envoy Zhongli Mu, on the orders of my lord Prime Minister Zhuge, pays homage to the General.”

Looking at Zhongli Mu bowing to him below, Sima Zhao sized him up with icy eyes for a moment before squeezing out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"Your lord, Zhuge Ke, had just joined forces with Feng Yong to divide up the Huai and Si regions, and then immediately sent you to infiltrate my Pengcheng..."

"Does he think my sword, Sima Zhao's sword, isn't sharp enough, or does he think Pengcheng is a place where his Eastern Wu spies can come and go as they please?"

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on the other person:

"Or perhaps, he's taken advantage of me and is now acting innocent, wanting to show off his power, and has come here specifically to issue a challenge to me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhongli Mu's face flashed with astonishment:
"General! What makes you say that? If it were a challenge, how could I dare to come alone? Today's meeting is truly for 'survival,' for my Great Wu, and also for your Great Wei."

Jia Chong sneered and interjected in a sinister tone, "Seeking survival? Your country has just acquired Huainan and is at the height of its power. What makes you talk about seeking survival?"

Zhongli Mu looked at Jia Chong: "And who is this?"

"Jia Chong, Director of the Imperial Secretariat of the Great Wei Dynasty."

"So it's Lord Jia." Zhongli Mu bowed respectfully. "Lord Jia, were you asking a question you already knew the answer to?"

The tone turned serious:

"The matter of Qiao County has attracted worldwide attention. Is it possible that only Lord Jia is unaware of it? Feng Yong, through Cao Zhi, took the important town of Huaibei without bloodshed. Is his ambition only limited to Qiao County? I'm afraid not."

"In today's world, Wei has lost its power, and Han stands alone in strength! My lord, Prime Minister Zhuge, deeply feels that if Wei and Wu continue to fight to the death, Feng Yong will surely reap the benefits, and at that time, both sides will be destroyed, and it will be too late to regret it!"

Sima Zhao's eyes flashed, but he remained silent.

Zhong Hui chuckled lightly, his words sharp: "In your opinion, what should we do? Do you want our Great Wei to shake hands and make peace with our sworn enemy, Eastern Wu? Wouldn't that be like seeking a tiger's skin?"

"Who is this again?"

“I am Zhong Hui, the Grand Secretary, who has been ordered to accompany the General on a discussion of matters.”

“So it’s Lord Zhong.” Zhong Limu met Zhong Hui’s gaze. “Lord Zhong is indeed a straightforward person.”

"How could Lord Zhong not know that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures? Today's 'tiger' is not in Jiangdong, but in the Han Kingdom!"

"The Han Kingdom possesses the elite cavalry of Yong and Liang in the west, the multitude of troops in Hebei in the east, and the wealth of Bashu in the south! These three regions are connected, with mountains and rivers forming a natural barrier, making it the strongest force in the land, and its power is at its zenith!"

"Furthermore, with a ruthless and ambitious figure like Feng Yong in charge of the central government, his political acumen is comparable to that of Xiao He and Cao Shen, and his strategic brilliance surpasses that of Liang Ping. Judging from his actions, he already displays his ambition to conquer the world and unify the country."

"If Wu and Wei continue to indulge in old grudges and do not join forces to stop them as soon as possible, I fear that within a few years, the ancestral temples of both countries will be destroyed and the state will be reduced to ruins!"

"The incident in Qiao County is clear proof of this. How vicious this villain's scheme is! If we allow him to build up his strength for too long, his attack will be swift. Next, his arrows will be aimed at either Pengcheng or Jianye!"

"At that time, I ask the world, will there still be anyone who can withstand their military might? If not, then when the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?"

Upon hearing Zhongli Mu repeatedly mention that taboo name, Sima Zhao's gaze sharpened slightly, and he asked, "In your opinion, what should be done?"

Zhongli Mu was overjoyed and quickly held up three fingers, "My lord has three suggestions."

"First, demarcate the border and cease hostilities. The Huai River will be the boundary. Wu will no longer contend for the land north of the Huai River, including Qiao County; Wei will also stop at Qing and Xu. Each side will guard its territory and not invade each other, thus relieving the immediate crisis."

"Second, maintain communication. Establish secret channels to share information on the military and political movements of the Han state. No matter who the Han army is targeting, the other side must be able to provide timely warnings to prevent a surprise attack."

"Third, we will secretly coordinate. If the Han state launches a large-scale attack on Wei, our Great Wu will not send troops to assist the Han state as stipulated in the alliance. Instead, we will try to delay the time and remain inactive."

He paused, then emphasized:
"On the contrary, if the Han state disregards the alliance and launches a reckless attack on Wu... at that time, I hope that the General will also guard the border and temporarily cease hostilities, so that our Great Wu can focus all its efforts on dealing with the enemy on the western front."

After Zhongli Mu finished speaking, Zhong Hui chuckled and clapped his hands in mockery:

"Insightful! However, your country previously seized Huainan, but now it has lost Qiao County. The speed of your turnaround and the quickness of your change of heart are truly admirable."

"They want to cease hostilities with our Great Wei to jointly resist the mighty Han, yet they dare not break their alliance with the Han Kingdom. They still want to use this to enhance their own prestige. Isn't this just trying to play both sides to gain profit?"

At this point, his tone became increasingly sarcastic:
"This alliance is unlikely to be sincere; it is merely a repeat of the old trick, an attempt to use the strategy of driving one tiger to devour another, so that Wei and Han will fight each other while Wu reaps the benefits! Where is the sincerity in such a scheme?"

Zhongli Mu's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he sighed deeply and looked at Sima Zhao, his voice heavy with sorrow: "Lord Zhong, you truly do not know the depth of my lord's forbearance and humiliation!"

"Great deeds do not concern themselves with minor details, and great ceremonies do not concern themselves with small concessions. In today's situation, both Wei and Wu are in imminent danger, and the Han state is already facing the overwhelming pressure of Mount Tai."

"If we are fixated on the empty title of 'openly breaking the alliance,' then the Han army could come with the entire nation tomorrow, and the proclamation would directly accuse our Jiangdong of being 'treacherous villains.'"

"At that time, will the General help me, or will he take advantage of the situation to avenge the defeat in Huainan? I fear that in the end, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold!"

"Therefore, my lord's plan to 'outwardly appear to be allied with Han, inwardly seek to secure his own interests, tacitly approve secret communications, and observe the changes quietly' is not a trick, but rather to use Wu as the first target, to withstand the immense pressure from Han, and to create an opportunity for Wei to mediate."

"This is a strategy of cutting off an arm to save one's life; its sincerity and danger are witnessed by heaven and earth!"

He bowed respectfully to Sima Zhao at the end, his words earnest and sincere:
"General, you are wise enough to see far and wide. You know that the survival of the nation is not the time to act rashly. If we can put aside our old grievances and support each other from afar, then the Han will be wary and unable to exert its full strength."

"In this way, two weak forces against one strong force can still manage to hold their own; but if the two weak forces devour each other, they will surely be annexed by the strong enemy. I urge the General to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of this situation!"

Zhong Hui was about to speak again when Sima Zhao, who had been silent all along, slowly raised his hand and stopped him.

His gaze fell on Zhongli Mu, as if trying to see through him, and after a long while, he slowly spoke:
"Zhuge Yuanxun is a treacherous and cunning man. He sent you here with malicious intent; does he think I cannot see through him?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the secret room suddenly became tense.

But Sima Zhao immediately changed the subject:
"However, your statement just now that 'the Han dynasty is the only strong one, while Wei and Wu are both in danger' is indeed insightful and hits the nail on the head."

Sima Zhao stared intently at Zhongli Mu: "Wu wants to join forces with Wei to resist the powerful Han? It's not impossible."

"But several counties in Huainan fell into the hands of Zhuge Ke a few months ago. How can I easily forget this hatred and shame? If you ask Zhuge Ke to return them all, he will definitely refuse."

Sima Zhao began to state his conditions: "An alliance is not just empty talk. If your lord is truly sincere, he must offer tangible benefits to compensate for my lost territory and to reassure the hearts of my soldiers."

“Your lord has three proposals, and I also have three requests. If they are agreed to, the previous matters can be put aside for the time being, and there is room for negotiation on the matter of jointly resisting the mighty Han.”

Zhongli Mu quickly said, "General, please speak."

Sima Zhao held up three fingers:

"Firstly, the loss of Huainan forced our army to retreat hastily north, resulting in huge losses of food, supplies and equipment. Wu needs to supply 200,000 bushels of grain annually for three years to replenish military funds, which is the basis for making up for the losses."

"Secondly, the naval power of Wu is unparalleled in the Jiangnan region. Wei needs to strengthen its river defenses to resist the Han army. Wu should send a hundred skilled shipbuilding craftsmen and provide them with blueprints for building warships and large warships to help us build warships and consolidate our river defenses."

"Thirdly, and this is of utmost importance," Sima Zhao said with sharp eyes. "The lands of Qing and Xu are bordered by the Yellow River and face the Han army's advance directly. Since Wu wants to form an alliance, it cannot simply enjoy the benefits without bearing the responsibilities."

"To show our sincerity and to facilitate future joint operations, Wu needs to allocate thirty large warships and assign skilled sailors to temporarily station them at the port of Qingzhou."

"Of course, to avoid alarming the Han state too early and giving Feng Yong an excuse, these ships only need sailors and do not need to be equipped with Wu soldiers. The garrisoning of the ships will be taken over by our Great Wei."

"In this way, we can both deceive others and relieve your lord of the worry that 'the guest army is difficult to control,' which can be said to be the best of both worlds."

After Sima Zhao finished speaking, he leaned back, his tone returning to its usual calmness, yet carrying an undeniable resolve:
"If Zhuge Ke can agree to these three things, it will show his sincerity. At that time, Wei and Wu can discuss the matters of 'ceasefire' and 'joint defense'. Otherwise, there is no point in talking about anything."

After listening to Sima Zhao's three demands, Zhongli Mu pondered for a moment, then showed a hint of difficulty and cupped his hands in greeting:
"The General is a man of profound wisdom. The last two points he proposed are indeed good strategies for consolidating the alliance and jointly resisting the powerful Han. I believe they are worth discussing."

As a native of Jiangdong, he naturally knew that the advantage of a navy lay in its system and experience.

Even if they provided some blueprints for ordinary warships, without years of accumulated experience and skilled sailors, the Wei Kingdom would find it difficult to achieve anything significant.

As for the third point, he sneered inwardly. Although thirty warships were valuable, they were nothing to the Wu navy.

Furthermore, Sima Zhao made it clear that the Wei army would take over the garrison, which saved Wu the trouble and risk of sending troops.

In this light, Sima Zhao was merely a man of shallow vision, focusing only on the visible ships, unaware that the soldiers who were well-versed in naval warfare were the foundation of naval warfare.

However, the first requirement made his predicament seem all the more real:
"General, the first condition, the annual supply of 200,000 bushels of grain for three years, is truly a demanding task and I am afraid it is difficult to comply."

He raised his head, looked earnestly at Sima Zhao, and began to explain in detail this seemingly simplest, yet most fatal, condition for the Wu Kingdom:
"General, you are wise! Although our Great Wu has Jiangdong and Jingyang, which seem to be lands of fish and rice, Danyang suffered a great flood last year, and the people in the newly acquired Huainan have not yet recovered. Everything is in need of rebuilding, and our country's grain reserves are already stretched thin."

At this point, Zhongli Mu's tone even carried a hint of helpless embarrassment:

“Currently, the military and civilians of Wu still need to regularly purchase grain and fodder from Ji Han in order to maintain their operations. Although this matter is not honorable, it is the truth, and Feng Yong is using this to hold me by the throat.”

"Under these circumstances, let alone raising an extra 200,000 bushels of grain to supply the Great Wei every year, we ourselves are in danger of running out of food."

"If we force them to agree, we will be unable to deliver the full amount when the time comes, which would mean losing the trust of the General and disrupting the overall alliance. Wouldn't that be a losing proposition?"

"Therefore, regarding this matter of provisions, we earnestly hope that the General will understand the current difficulties of our Wu Kingdom and find another way to demonstrate our sincerity."

Upon hearing Zhongli Mu's words, a barely perceptible glint flashed in the depths of Sima Zhao's lowered eyes.

His facial muscles remained completely still. After a long silence, he finally spoke:
"If there is truly no food to feed them," he paused, then continued, "then the number of warships must be increased to sixty, and the number of sailors must be doubled. This is the bottom line, and there is no room for further discussion."

"If even this proposal is not approved by your lord, then today's discussion ends here. Your Excellency, please return as if you never set foot in Pengcheng. Whether there is war or peace afterward, let fate decide!"

Hearing the tone of Sima Zhao's voice, Zhongli Mu knew this was the final decision. The troubled look on his face turned solemn, and he bowed deeply to Sima Zhao.
"I am fully aware of the General's intentions. The conditions are indeed harsh, but for the sake of the survival of both countries, I dare not act on my own."

"The only way is to return to Jiangdong immediately and report the General's demands to my Prime Minister in detail, so that he can make a decision."