Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect.

Sun Quan knew, of course, that Zhu Ran was feigning misery to gain credit, but the wounds on Zhu Ran's body were undeniable; each one was sustained on the battlefield. Arrow wounds, knife wounds—these were Zhu Ran's achievements, which even the emperor of Wu could not conceal.

"You've worked hard to earn this honor!" Sun Quan pretended to kneel down in front of Zhu Ran, let out a long sigh, and did not stop Zhu Ran from recounting his achievements.

Zhu Ran continued, "Your Majesty, this knife wound was sustained in the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an when Guan Yu was ambushed at Linju, during a close-quarters attack by his rearguard.

"These five knife wounds, one on my left rib, one under my armpit, and one on my waist and abdomen, were inflicted in the second year of the Huangwu era when I was besieged by enemy forces in Jiangling. The Wei generals Cao Zhen, Xiahou Shang, Zhang He, and others besieged me for half a year. I was leading my men in a fierce battle on the city wall."

"This arrow wound on my right arm..."

As Zhu Ran spoke, tears streamed down his face. Sun Quan, sitting opposite him, also shed tears. Though his true feelings were unknown, he appeared deeply moved and sighed, saying, "Yi Feng is a pillar of the state, my right-hand man and confidant!"

"These scars of mine are all on the front, not on the back!" Zhu Ran lowered his head: "I have served Your Majesty for decades, and I am now fifty years old, yet I have been humiliated by a mere school incident! If Your Majesty does not uphold justice for me, I request to resign from my post and return to my hometown of Danyang to live in seclusion, so as not to trouble Your Majesty any longer!"

"What are you saying, Yi Feng!" Sun Quan put his hands on Zhu Ran's shoulders: "I have already said that Yi Feng is my right-hand man, my brother, and my confidant. How could I possibly have any complaints about you?"

Jiangling is located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, west of Wuchang. Without loyal ministers and capable generals stationed there, it could not be held for long. Zhu Ran's wisdom, courage, and loyalty have been tested by more than ten years of turmoil and are beyond doubt.

On the other hand, Bu Zhi and Zhu Ran's firm opposition to Sun Quan's abolition of the retainer system also greatly angered Sun Quan.

but……

The scars on Zhu Ran's body were ultimately undeniable. If Zhu Ran's words couldn't soften Sun Quan's heart, and these scars were useless, then who would be willing to take a knife for Sun Quan in the future?
This is also the fundamental reason why Sun Quan has been lenient with his generals over the years. It's easy to be lenient, but difficult to be strict again.

Sun Quan was now somewhat envious of Wei's military system. Under the rule of Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and Cao Rui, three generations of the Cao family, troops were stationed on the border for decades without encountering such a situation where their retainers became too large to manage. The root cause was Wei's enactment of the "Soldier Desertion Law," which also unified the management of the families of border soldiers. If a soldier deserted, his family would be punished.

If we had learned from the State of Wei earlier, things wouldn't be like this today!
Sun Quan slowly looked at Zhu Ran: "Yi Feng, is there anything else you wish to say to me today?"

"Yes!" Zhu Ran raised his head and met Sun Quan's gaze, his eyes still glistening with tears. "If I am guilty, Your Majesty, please punish me directly, and do not allow the officer to humiliate me repeatedly! If I am innocent..."

Zhu Ran's head was still held high, but his gaze had lowered: "If I am innocent, then it must be Lü Yi who is wrong. I beg Your Majesty to execute Lü Yi to appease the world!"

Kill Lü Yi?

Sun Quan's face darkened, his previous warm and affectionate demeanor vanishing instantly. He walked to the door with his hands behind his back, gazing at the soldiers stationed in the courtyard for a long time without saying a word.

This action almost instantly revealed Sun Quan's attitude.

Zhu Ran, kneeling on the ground, let out a long breath, glanced back at Sun Quan once, and then turned his head away again, refusing to look at him.

Zhuge Jin, who was in the hall, was in a dilemma. He looked at Zhu Ran and then at Sun Quan at the door. He could not afford not to act as a peacemaker.

"Your Majesty," Zhuge Jin slowly walked behind Sun Quan, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the bestowal of honors just now was a bit too much. I have met Lü Yichen many times, and he is indeed serving the country, but he is a little too hasty..."

"General, Lü Yi is not just impatient, he is arrogant and insulting!" Zhu Ran shouted loudly from his knees in the hall after hearing Zhuge Jin's words.

Zhuge Jin ignored Zhu Ran and continued to whisper to Sun Quan, "Yi Feng has been in the military for a long time and is upright in nature. He is having difficulty dealing with this situation and is therefore a little anxious."

Seeing that Sun Quan had not yet reacted, Zhuge Jin continued, "Your Majesty, Yi Feng and Bu Zishan's suggestions are not entirely unreasonable. Didn't the Wei army encounter this situation when they attacked? Jingzhou is indeed remote, but the fighting strength of each unit must still be maintained to some extent..."

It wasn't until Sun Quan looked at Zhuge Jin that he noticed the suggestive look in Zhuge Jin's eyes, which clearly contained a hint of pleading.

Sun Quan sighed, turned around and walked back into the hall. He walked to Zhu Ran's side, bent down and used his hands to pull Zhu Ran up from the ground.

Zhu Ran's position was beneficial to the state of Wu, but contradicted the position of Sun Quan, the emperor of Wu! Sun Quan immediately made up his mind about who was right and who was wrong.

It's lamentable that Zhu Ran thought he could move Sun Quan with his achievements and thus get Lü Yi punished, but he didn't realize that the Marquis of Wu and the King of Wu were not on the same page, and becoming the Emperor of Wu was no longer the same as becoming the King of Wu. Zhu Ran was still the same Zhu Ran, but Sun Quan was no longer the same Sun Quan he had been ten years ago.

"Yi Feng, I am aware of what you just said." Sun Quan looked directly at Zhu Ran with a firm gaze: "Rest assured, I will give you an explanation for this matter!"

Zhu Ran was puzzled and could only thank him repeatedly.

Sun Quan simply patted Zhu Ran on the shoulder, then turned and left Zhu Ran's general's mansion. After leaving the courtyard, he mounted his horse and returned to his ship moored at the dock.

Lü Yi was immediately summoned back to Sun Quan's warship and did not appear for the next three days. Sun Quan, as usual, continued to summon the officials who had rendered meritorious service in defending Jiangling from his warship, praising or rewarding them one by one. During these three days, Zhu Ran met with Sun Quan every day, but Sun Quan did not mention a word about the matter. Zhu Ran did not dare to ask again and could only silently wait for Sun Quan's reply.

Three days later, Sun Quan prepared to set off to return to Jianye.

When the emperor returned, his subjects naturally saw him off at the dock. The entire dock was filled with ceremonial guards, flags, and infantry. As Zhu Ran, Zhuge Jin, and the military officers from Jiangling bowed and bid farewell, watching Sun Quan's back as he slowly walked up the stairs of the ship, Zhu Ran finally couldn't hold back and let out a long sigh.

"General," Zhu Ran said softly, bowing his head, "His Majesty ordered me to await a reply, and I have waited anxiously for four days, but I have not received a single word. The officer Lü Yi is rampant and unscrupulous, yet he has not been punished. Do you think we military officers are ultimately inferior to the emperor's close advisors?"

Zhuge Jin squinted and gazed in the direction of the warship, without uttering a word.

Zhu Ran continued to complain: "I don't know what's wrong with His Majesty. Since last year, Zhang Cheng has been dismissed, the Crown Prince has been publicly reprimanded, Diao Jia has been exiled, Lu Mao has been executed, and even Prime Minister Gu has been confined to his home..."

"Yifeng, Yifeng," Zhuge Jin said softly, tilting his head, "Yifeng, look at the warship, His Majesty is beckoning to you!"

"Waving at me?" Zhu Ran was momentarily surprised and turned to look at the ship as well. "From that distance, how could the General have realized that His Majesty was waving at me?"

"Otherwise, would he be waving at me?" Zhuge Jin nudged Zhu Ran with his elbow. "Weren't you waiting for a reply? His Majesty might be about to give you one."

"Oh, okay." Zhu Ran didn't think much of it, straightened his clothes, and strode towards the ship. When he reached the stairs, his pace quickened.

Sun Quan's flagship was a four-story ship, the largest and tallest in the Wu Kingdom. When Zhu Ran reached the top floor and met Sun Quan, he was already somewhat out of breath.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." Zhu Ran bowed respectfully. "May I ask what business Your Majesty has summoned me here?"

"Yi Feng, please take a seat," Sun Quan said, pointing with his finger.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhu Ran carefully sat down on the mat.

The moment Zhu Ran sat down, the general, who had long been stationed in Jiangling, sensed something was wrong. At first, Zhu Ran didn't understand what was wrong, until he saw through the porthole that the city wall outside had shifted slightly. Only then did Zhu Ran realize that he had been tricked onto the ship by His Majesty!
The ship had already set sail by then.

"Your Majesty," Zhu Ran said, his face filled with anxiety and confusion. After seeing Sun Quan's calm expression, he suddenly stood up and leaned over the porthole. He saw Zhuge Jin by the dock waving his hand at him. Only then did Zhu Ran understand.

His Majesty intends to take me away.

If you can't solve the problems you raise, do you have to solve yourself?
Having spent half his life on the battlefield and faced countless dangers, Zhu Ran now surprisingly adopted a somewhat resigned attitude. When he returned to his seat, he no longer hesitated, but instead cupped his hands and asked Sun Quan:

"Your Majesty is terrified. Do you intend to take me to Jianye?"

“Exactly.” Sun Quan stroked his beard as he slowly uttered the two words.

Zhu Ran did not confront him directly, but bowed deeply, truly a wise and shrewd man who knew how to seize the moment: "I have been stationed in the west for a long time and have not served Your Majesty for a long time. This is my fault! If Your Majesty does not mind, please allow me to serve as a gatekeeper for Your Majesty, guarding the palace and protecting Your Majesty's safety, and to stay by Your Majesty's side forever!"

Sun Quan gazed silently at Zhu Ran kneeling on the ground, his expression complex for a long time before finally nodding in satisfaction: "After boarding the ship, I realized how much I miss Yi Feng. Having guarded the border for many years, far from home, I still feel homesick; how much more so must Yi Feng feel?"

"Yi Feng may not know, but at the end of last year, I sent Xu Xiang as an envoy to the State of Wei. Since the New Year last year, Cao Rui of Wei has been stationed in Shouchun for more than a year. Moreover, they have also threatened to launch an attack on Wu. I am worried about this every day and cannot stop. Obviously, if war breaks out, Wei will undoubtedly launch a major attack on Yangzhou and Ruxu."

"Yi Feng, raise your head."

Following Sun Quan's instructions, Zhu Ran slightly raised his head, but still dared not look directly at Sun Quan.

Sun Quan said, “As you know, I dismissed Zhang Cheng from his post as commander of Ruxu last year, and no new commander has taken up the post for several months. Now that the number of Wei troops in Huainan is gradually increasing, I want to expand the troops in Ruxu to 10,000, all of whom are elite troops of the central army! After much thought, only Yi Feng is the most suitable to guard Ruxu, and he can put my mind at ease the most!”

"Your Majesty," Zhu Ran kowtowed again, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, as long as I am in Ruxu, I will never allow Wei to cross Ruxu even a single step! Please observe my future conduct!"

Sun Quan finally stood up and walked to Zhu Ran's side.

Zhu Ran felt increasingly terrified of His Majesty. He even sensed that if he had uttered the wrong word earlier, his fate would be similar to that of Prime Minister Gu Yong. Fortunately, he had bent his back quickly enough, otherwise…

"Yi Feng, please rise quickly! There's no need for such formalities between us, ruler and subject." Zhu Ran dared not let Sun Quan truly help him up, so he stood up on his own. When he looked at Sun Quan again, he saw only sincerity on Sun Quan's face.

A long sigh escaped his lips. (End of Chapter)