Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1494 The Wind Rises
In October, Chang'an had already turned from cool to slightly chilly.

Inside the White Tiger Hall of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, Feng Yong sat in the main seat, looking at the people below with great interest.

Below the hall, Qin Bo stood bowing, the autumn sun shining through the window lattice revealing the fine sweat on his forehead.

He made several diplomatic missions to the Han state and visited Grand Marshal Feng on numerous occasions.

But this was his first time entering the White Tiger Hall.

This was also the first time that Grand Marshal Feng had summoned him to the White Tiger Hall.

There wasn't even a seat available.

This is enough to explain Feng Da Sima's attitude.

"Where does the Duke of Qin come from?"

"Grand Marshal, please allow me to report."

Qin Bo presented the silk scroll with both hands, his voice so respectful it bordered on obsequious:

"This is a letter personally written by the Prime Minister of Wu to the Emperor of Han and the Grand Marshal. The matter of the Huai River is truly a huge misunderstanding..."

Feng Yong took the silk scroll, but did not unfold it in a hurry.

He looked up at Qin Bo, his gaze calm: "A misunderstanding?"

"Exactly! Exactly!" Qin Bo hurriedly said, "That old scoundrel Lü Ju disobeyed military orders, crossed the Huai River without authorization, and forcibly occupied Guangling."

"Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister was furious and has ordered a thorough investigation! This is entirely the fault of Lü Ju alone, and has absolutely nothing to do with the Great Wu court!"

"Absolutely no connection?" Grand Marshal Feng repeated with a hint of lingering satisfaction, then asked with a slightly mocking smile:

"As far as I know, Lü Ju is the regent appointed by your Wu emperor. He is currently the General of Chariots and Cavalry, holding the imperial insignia and stationed in Shouchun, overseeing the Huainan region."

"Now your Wu Kingdom's Prime Minister has asked you to deliver a message to me, saying that he has no connection with the Wu Kingdom's court?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Bo's fine sweat finally coalesced into beads and trickled down his face.

"Grand Marshal, Grand Marshal, please forgive me. The Prime Minister never expected that this old scoundrel Lü Ju, who is so highly regarded by the court, would harbor such treacherous intentions."

"The Prime Minister has given a strict order to investigate Lü Ju and will surely give the Grand Marshal an explanation."

"Moreover, Han and Wu are brother states and have been allies for many years. How can we resort to arms over a few minor frictions?"

"The Prime Minister knows that His Highness the Crown Prince of your country is leading troops for the first time. He is young and impetuous, and it is only natural that he couldn't help but say some angry words."

"That's why I was specially dispatched here, to clear up any misunderstandings and reaffirm our alliance..."

Feng Yong stared at the other person for a while, smiled, and finally unfolded the silk scroll.

When he read Sun Jun's letter, which stated, "I beg for a few months' grace, but I will punish him severely without leniency," the corners of his mouth curled up again.

Seeing this, Qin Bo was secretly delighted and pressed his advantage, saying:
"In my humble opinion, the Huai River as the boundary between Han and Wu is truly ordained by Heaven. Although there is a minor conflict now, the overall situation of both countries should be prioritized..."

"Destiny?" Feng Yong suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it made Qin Bo freeze.

Feng Yong put down the silk scroll and leaned forward slightly: "Regarding the matter of Qin Xiao, you just said... that my Crown Prince of the Great Han was 'young and impetuous and said some angry words'?"

"Yes, yes..." Qin Bo swallowed hard. "His Highness the Crown Prince is young and valiant, and acted impulsively..."

"Hahahaha-!"

Feng Yong suddenly burst into laughter.

Qin Bo had never seen Feng Da Sima look like this before, and he was so frightened that he took a half step back, his face turning deathly pale.

The laughter gradually subsided.

Feng Yong stood up and walked to the imperial golden axe stand in the center of the hall.

A gilded axe, nine feet five inches long, is placed horizontally on the shelf. The inscription on the axe reads "Bearing the imperial axe, overseeing all military affairs inside and outside the capital."

This is a token bestowed by the emperor upon the supreme military commander of the Han Dynasty. Whoever holds this scepter can carry out military campaigns on behalf of the emperor.

"Regarding the matter of Qin Xiao," Feng Yong said, his back to Qin Bo, his fingers lightly stroking the handle of the battle-axe.

"You have been in the Wu Kingdom's Office of State Affairs for a long time, do you know the weight of the three words 'acting as a licentiate'?"

Qin Bo's voice trembled: "The imperial ceremonial staff, the imperial axe, is the symbol of the emperor, used to wage war on behalf of heaven..."

"To fight on behalf of Heaven, and to speak on behalf of Heaven." Feng Yong turned around, his gaze sharp as a sword. "In my hands, this axe can mobilize the armies of the world and decide matters of conquest."

"In our Great Han Dynasty, the Crown Prince is the heir apparent. The heir apparent is also the ruler. A ruler's word is law; do you understand this?"

Qin Bo's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down: "I...I understand..."

“Now that you understand,” Feng Yong walked back to the main seat and slowly sat down, “then tell me, my Great Han Crown Prince, holding the imperial staff to govern Qing and Xu.”

"On the north bank of the Huai River, in front of the soldiers of both armies, he personally said, 'If the Wu flag is still flying over Guangling City in half a year, then the Han army will surely cross the Huai River.'"

"Were these words spoken in anger, or... were they spoken by you?"

Qin Bo was drenched in sweat, and the back of his official robe was instantly soaked.

He forced a smile: "Grand Marshal, you jest... This, this is naturally..."

"What is 'natural'?" Feng Yong interrupted him, his voice turning cold.
"The matter of Qin Xiao, could it be that in your Wu Kingdom, the power of the emperor's insignia and the crown prince's public pronouncements... can be used as a joke?"

"No, I wouldn't dare!" Qin Bo knelt down with a thud, striking his forehead against the brick. "This official misspoke! This official had absolutely no such intention!"

Feng Yong stopped looking at him and picked up Sun Jun's letter again: "You say that Han and Wu are allies. Very well, I will discuss this 'covenant' with you."

He unfolded the letter and tapped the text with his finger:
"Sima Zhao sent an envoy to Chang'an and made a 'two-year agreement' with me: after the Han Dynasty ceased hostilities for two years, Wei would offer up Qing and Xu provinces."

"Now that the appointed time has arrived, the lands of Qing and Xu prefectures should, according to the agreement, be returned to Han. This matter must have already spread throughout Jianye three months ago, right?"

Why did we agree to Sima Zhao's request for a three-month extension?

One reason was to force Sima Zhao to act quickly—don't say I didn't give you a chance to plunder.

Secondly, it was to give Wu time to react.

The petty thieves of Jiangdong have truly never changed their habit of stealing chickens and dogs.

"Yes, it has indeed spread far and wide..."

"Does Guangling Prefecture belong to Qing and Xu?"

Qin Bo was speechless.

“Since it belongs to Qing and Xu, it is the land of the Han Dynasty.” Feng Yong said calmly, “When Lü Ju occupies Guangling, he is occupying the land of my Han Dynasty.”

"The Wu Kingdom occupied our territory, which means they broke the alliance first. Since they have already broken the alliance, what is there to talk about regarding 'alliance'?"

Qin Bo said urgently, "The Prime Minister is already investigating Lü Ju's crimes! Please grant the Grand Marshal more time..."

"Investigate?" Feng Yong seemed to have heard the most outrageous joke. "Regarding Principal Qin, the information I received is—"

"Not only was Lü Ju not investigated, but he also reinforced the city's defenses and increased the number of troops and grain in Guangling."

"The Wu court also allocated military equipment and provisions as 'appropriately'—is this what your Prime Minister Sun is 'investigating'?"

The prime minister of the country wanted to secretly take advantage of the situation, but dared not offend the Han Dynasty openly.

He was truly no different from a street thief.

Qin Bo trembled violently.

He had not expected that the Han Kingdom had such a detailed grasp of the internal affairs of Wu.

“I will make my point clear today.” Feng Yong stood up, looking down at Qin Bo, “Go back and tell Sun Jun and Princess Quan.”

"First, capture Lü Ju immediately and escort him to Chang'an. Second, the Wu army must withdraw from Guangling and return all land south of the Huai River. Third..."

He paused, his voice softening, yet even more chilling: "If you can't do that, then hurry up and prepare for war with the Han Dynasty."

Qin Bo collapsed to the ground, his voice trembling with tears:

"Grand Marshal... If our two nations go to war, there will surely be immense suffering! The Prime Minister... he will certainly punish Lü Ju severely. Please, Grand Marshal, grant us some more time..."

"Timeframe?" Feng Yong picked up his pen and wrote four characters in the blank space of Sun Jun's letter: "Three months."

He threw the letter in front of Qin Bo: "The agreement on the Huai River is for six months."

"Today is the third day of the tenth month, which means there are still about four months left. Tell Sun Jun about Qin Xiao's matter; this is his last chance."

"Go back and deliver the message, and then Sun Jun will escort Lü Ju over. Three months should be enough."

Qin Bo picked up the letter with trembling hands, and when he saw those four words, his vision went black.

“By the way,” Feng Yong suddenly remembered something, his tone becoming meaningful, “School Director Qin, how many years has your school administration been cooperating with the Xinghan Society?”

It would have been better if Grand Marshal Feng hadn't mentioned this, but as soon as he did, Qin Bo looked up abruptly, fear flashing in his eyes.

"No, no..." Qin Bo stammered incoherently.

When the two countries are at war, trade and exchanges are cut off. Once the Imperial Academy is cut off from its source of income, the Han army will arrive before the court is even ready to strike!

"No need to panic." Feng Yong smiled slightly. "We've been cooperating for many years, there's bound to be some goodwill between us."

"If I may add something today, if Han and Wu truly become enemies and turn to arms, as long as the Directorate of Military Affairs is pragmatic and considers our long-standing friendship, I might be able to show leniency."

He walked up to Qin Bo, bent down, and said in a very low voice, "You can take these words back with you. As for whether to take them or not... that's up to you."

Qin Bo scrambled out of the White Tiger Hall.

The autumn sun shone on him, but he felt as cold as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Once outside the mansion, he practically scrambled onto the carriage using both his hands and feet.

"Hurry! Go! Back to the inn! No, straight out of the city! Back to Jianye!" he shouted hoarsely to the coachman.

The carriage sped away, raising a cloud of dust in its wake.
-
Qin Bo had already returned to Jianye by the end of October.

"Feng Yong—!"

A furious roar echoed from the Prime Minister's residence:

"This is outrageous! This is outrageous!!"

Sun Jun grabbed the jade brush holder from the table and smashed it hard against the pillar in the hall.

With a crisp "bang," the pen holder shattered into seven or eight pieces, scattering jade fragments all over the ground.

"Send someone to escort Lü Ju to Chang'an? What does Feng Yong think he is? A prison official of the Han state?!"

Sun Jun stormed around the hall, yelling, "He wants the Wu army to withdraw from Guangling? Why doesn't he just say he wants me to hand over Jianye to him too?!"

The guards and staff standing by remained silent, none daring to offer any advice.

Sun Jun walked to the map of the entire Wu Kingdom hanging in front of the hall, staring at the two characters "Guangling" with bloodshot eyes.

“Three months…” His teeth clenched so hard they rattled. “This is an ultimatum to me! He’s forcing me…forcing me to kneel down and go to Chang’an to beg for forgiveness!”

He turned around abruptly and grabbed another scroll of documents from the table.

That was a military report sent by Lü Ju yesterday, saying that the defenses of Guangling City had been reinforced by 30%.

Sun Jun tore the document to shreds, and the fragments fell like snowflakes.

"Lü Ju! That old scoundrel Lü Ju!" Sun Jun gritted his teeth. "If it weren't for his greed for merit and recklessness in occupying Guangling, where would the Han state have gotten its excuse?!"

"I told him to 'guard the Huai River strictly,' but instead, he created this huge hole for me!"

He slumped back into his seat, his voice revealing the true fear in his heart:

"Feng Yong, are you trying to force me to my death?"

After a long while, Sun Jun finally stood up and gave the order in a hoarse voice:

"Guards, I wish to enter the palace."

Sun Jun practically dragged himself into Princess Quan's palace.

His face was ashen, his eyes were still bloodshot, and the front of his official robe was still stained with tea from when he threw down the pen mountain.

Princess Quan was trying on a newly acquired gold hairpin in front of the mirror when she saw Sun Jun's reflection in the bronze mirror, and her hand paused.

Sun Jun handed over the crumpled secret report, his hand still trembling slightly.

As the princess unfolded the book, her face grew paler and paler with each passing moment.

When she read the phrase "escorting Lü Ju to Chang'an," she shuddered.

“Feng Yong…” she murmured, her voice losing its composure for the first time, “He is… trying to destroy the country.”

"Aunt!" Sun Jun rushed forward, his voice trembling with tears, "Tell me... tell me what we should do?"

"How about... how about I really send Lü Ju over there? And with some compensation in money and grain, perhaps..."

"Snapped!"

A slap, crisp as tearing silk, resounded in the silent hall.

Sun Jun covered his face, his eyes widening in astonishment.

Princess Quan's hand hovered in mid-air, trembling slightly.

It wasn't because of force, but because of anger.

"Wake me up!" Her voice was icy. "What kind of time is this to be thinking about 'escorting Lü Ju'?"

"Wasn't Feng Yong's statement clear enough? He doesn't want Lü Ju, he wants the backbone of our Great Wu!"

She grabbed the confidential report, almost poking Sun Jun's nose with it:

"This time you're sending Lü Ju, next time it'll be you, Sun Jun, going to Chang'an! And the time after that, it'll be His Majesty's imperial carriage going to Chang'an! Don't you understand?!"

Sun Jun trembled violently, staggered backward, and fell onto the brocade couch.

The burning pain on my face was nothing compared to the chilling fear in my heart.

“But…but if we don’t send him…” His voice trembled, “the Han Kingdom will go to war in four months…can my Great Wu withstand it?”

Princess Quan walked to the window and suddenly pushed it open.

The autumn wind blew in, making the stray hairs at her temples a little messy.

"There is only one explanation for Feng Yong's tough stance."

She turned around, her eyes flashing with determination: "The Han Kingdom is determined to unify the world."

"All alliances and misunderstandings are just excuses! What he wants is for the entire Great Wu to be returned to Han territory!"

She walked up to Sun Jun and said coldly:

"If we seize Guangling today, the Han army will take Huainan tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow they will be at the Yangtze River."

"The practice of ceding territory to make peace will never end! Have you forgotten the story of Goujian's conquest of Wu?"

"Have you forgotten how Liu Shan's father, Liu Bei, suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Lu Boyan (Lu Xun)?!"

"Have you forgotten how Feng Yong's father-in-law, Guan Yu, was ambushed by Lü Meng in disguise, and how both father and son were ultimately executed?!"

Sun Jun slowly raised his head.

His face was red and swollen from the handprint, but his eyes gradually cleared.

“Aunt…” his voice was hoarse, “You mean… Zhan?”

“It’s not ‘wanting to fight,’” Princess Quan stared at him. “It’s that we have no choice but to fight.”

“There’s Lü Ju in Huai River, and Lü Dai in Xiangyang.” Princess Quan’s eyes flickered, her mind racing. “And there are Xiling and Wuchang, which need to be garrisoned.”

"Then, according to Aunt's wishes, who should be sent?"

“Send Lu Kang to Xiling, and transfer Zhu Ji to Wuchang—and you,” she looked up, “sit in the central government and oversee all the armies.”

Sun Jun stood up, walked to the window, and suddenly laughed—a bitter laugh.

“Aunt, all these years we have been fighting and fighting, but we have forgotten that the greatest enemy in the world is in Chang’an.”

He turned around and bowed deeply to Princess Quan: "I understand."

Princess Quan shook her head. "Now is not the time to talk about these things. Let's think about how to deploy our troops and defenses."

The two sat facing each other at the table.

“First, the Huai River.” Princess Quan picked up her pen. “Since Lü Ju is willing to defend it, let him defend it to the end, and allocate more grain, fodder and arrows.”

"Further bestow upon him the title of General Who Guards the North, and grant him the authority to act on behalf of the emperor, so that he may die like a general."

Sun Jun nodded: "Since you're letting go, let's add one more condition: if Guangling City falls, they are allowed to make their own decisions."

"Second, Xiling." The pen shifts westward, "This is the throat of the Yangtze River. Lu Boyan's son, Lu Kang, is well-versed in military strategy and also enjoys the influence of his father in the army."

"Lu Kang was appointed as the commander of Xiling, in charge of military affairs in Jiangling and Yidao."

Sun Jun paused for a moment, then said, “Tell him that his father defeated the Han army (Liu Bei) at Yiling, and today, it is his turn to uphold his father’s legacy.”

"Third, Xiangyang." The pen pointed north. "Lü Dai was a veteran minister of four dynasties, and he was the most reliable defender of Xiangyang."

"Add him to the rank of General Zhennan, and grant him the authority to act on behalf of the emperor." Princess Quan picked up her pen to record this, "and have someone convey a message to him: As long as Xiangyang stands, the northern gate of Wu will not be breached."

"Fourth, Wuchang." The pen finally stopped, "Zhu Ji. Son of Zhu Ran, calm and resourceful, appointed as the governor of Wuchang, in charge of military affairs in Chaisang and Xiakou."

Princess Quan looked up: "And you—"

Sun Jun took a deep breath:

"I will personally lead the army as Grand General, wielding the Yellow Axe, and station myself in Wuchang, overseeing all the armies. If the Han army attacks..."

He clenched his fist, "I will personally lead the troops into battle."

A sudden gust of wind swept through Jianye.

Upon learning this, Lü Yi's legs went weak, and she practically crawled to find Mi Shiyi Lang.

Unexpectedly, the place was already deserted.

Only after asking did I learn that Mr. Mi had quietly left Jianye half a month ago.

My new book, "The Heart of Industry: Starting with Hand-Made Filters," has been released. It's a blend of historical fiction and industrial themes; those interested can check it out.