Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Sun Quan's fleet in Jianye is ready, and he will lead his army to set off at dawn tomorrow.

Jiangnan has been a water town since ancient times.

The most efficient way to travel from Jianye to Wujun, which is equivalent to traveling from Nanjing to Suzhou in later times, was by boat. According to the plan, the fleet would sail down the river from Jianye to Dantu first, leaving a portion of the central army there to support Sun Shao, and then the remaining troops would travel south through the Dantu waterway to Wu.

On the night before their departure, as the ministers were preparing for the trip, three ministers from Wu gathered in a small house at the Wunan Army's encampment.

"What is the purpose of His Majesty's inspection tour?" Zhu Zhen, the Imperial Envoy, asked in a low voice, "Have you all heard the rumors circulating in the capital?"

Yu Qin, the Right Commander of Wunan, nodded: "I heard that the Wei army is approaching, and His Majesty is furious in the palace, wanting to personally go to Wu Commandery to kill the former Prime Minister Gu. Is this what you heard? Moreover, the rumors also say that Lu Zizhang (Lu Mao) was killed on His Majesty's orders!"

Zhu Zhen glanced to his left and right: "Not only that, but they also said they would kill Zhu Zifan (Zhu Ju) as well. Could it be that they're sending troops to Wu County in order to kill these two? Why not just tell Teng Chengsi to send them to Jianye?"

Zhu Zhen and Yu Qin were not lying.

As the capital of Wu, Jianye was influenced by the actions of the court. The tense situation in Wu over the past year, the unbridled actions of Lu Yi and his associates, and the widespread setbacks suffered by officials in the military and the court had brought the political climate in Jianye to its lowest point.

The slightest disturbance can set off a flurry of rumors throughout Jianye City.

Gu Yong, Lu Mao… so many people were their protégés and former officials. The complex relationship between these two men created a clear rift between the scholars and officials of Wu and Sun Quan.

This is what is meant by "seeing a snake in a cup."

Sun Quan couldn't possibly tell everyone beforehand that his trip to Wu County was to bow down to Gu Yong and ask him to return as prime minister. Sun Quan still had to save face, and besides, Gu Yong's willingness to accept the offer was still uncertain.

Yu Qin sighed deeply: "Born into a tyrannical country, Brother Zhu, this is not our fault! How can anyone be loyal to such a ruler!"

“Brother Zhu, my uncle Yu Zhongxiang (Yu Fan) was demoted to Jiaozhou. He was doing well in Nanhai County, but last year he was punished for his words and was demoted to Cangwu County. He died of illness there less than three months after arriving in Cangwu County.”

“I lost my father at a young age, and my uncle treated me like his own father. He only offered a few loyal words to His Majesty, and he was so cruelly persecuted.” As Yu Qin spoke, he grabbed Zhu Zhen’s shoulder: “How can we tolerate such a tyrannical and incompetent ruler? Brother Zhu, didn’t you often get along well with Zhu Zifan, like brothers?”

Zhu Zhen gritted her teeth and looked up at Sima Zhu Zhi, who hadn't spoken a word: "Zhiping, what are you doing standing there in a daze?"

Zhu Zhi is Zhu Zhen's younger brother. He is currently serving as the Thousand-Stone Sima in the Wunan Army, and Yu Qin is his direct superior.

"I..." Zhu Zhi was somewhat bewildered: "What do you and the general intend to do to His Majesty?"

Yu Qin's face also turned fierce: "Don't call him Your Majesty anymore! How can such a foolish ruler still be called Your Majesty! Your Zhu family's Zhu Zifan is about to die, are you just going to sit and watch?"

"Then what should we do?" Zhu Zhi's eyes widened, and he plopped down on the mat, his body trembling with nervousness. Yu Qin and Zhu Zhen exchanged a glance. Zhu Zhen squatted down next to his younger brother, put his arm around his shoulder, and whispered, "If we stay in the capital, surrounded by armies, it will be difficult to start a rebellion. Now that the tyrant has decided to go to Wu County and will divide his troops in Dantu, the three of us can find an opportunity to rid the country of this tyrant."

"At that time... I've heard that the Emperor of Wei is in Guangling. We can send the tyrant's head and this letter to Guangling in a small boat. Our family will be saved, and the three of us can be promoted and ennobled in Wei for our merit in suppressing the rebellion. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Yu Qin also squatted down next to Zhu Zhi: "You are also from the Zhu family of Wu Commandery. When Sun Ce conquered Jiangdong, didn't anyone in your family die?"

"Gu Gong is the pride of Wu County and the court, and Zhu Zifan is the pride of your Zhu family. How can we sit and wait for these two to be killed?"

It must be said that Yu Qin and Zhu Zhen did understand some basic principles of mutiny. Historically, the most crucial aspect of such rebellions was ensuring the participation of the soldiers. Although Yu Qin held the position of Right Inspector of Wunan, he did not have daily contact with the soldiers. On the contrary, Zhu Zhi, the Thousand-Stone Sima, was crucial, as he could directly command the soldiers and had trusted troops under his command.

Moreover, among Zhu Zhi's thousand men were Zhang Cheng's five hundred retainers! These men were willing to die for Zhang Cheng, and it was almost common knowledge that Zhang Cheng and his son Zhang Zhao were increasingly distrusted by Sun Quan, with Zhang Zhao dying of illness from anger. If a rebellion were to break out, these five hundred men would be more than capable!

Zhu Zhi swallowed hard, looked at his elder brother's expectant eyes, then at his superior Yu Qin's eyes, and finally swallowed again before asking, "Elder brother, if we succeed, what official positions can we hold in Wei?"

Zhu Zhen said, "Do you know Han Dang's useless son? He can become the General Who Pacifies the South in Wei. Wei has long had a proclamation that leading a thousand men across the river will make you a marquis of a thousand households. Leading ten thousand men across the river will make you a marquis of ten thousand households. If you and I do such a great thing, not only will we both become generals, but everyone could also be enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households!"

“Alright, we’ll do as you say, elder brother! This deal is a good one!” Zhu Zhi’s eyes immediately hardened.

"Yes, I will communicate with General Yu then. Just follow his orders and don't make a fuss," Zhu Zhen instructed.

"Don't worry, elder brother!" Zhu Zhi nodded.

On the morning of October 14th, Sun Quan led 10,000 troops from Jianye and sailed down the Yangtze River. By midday, the warships had anchored at the dock in Dantu.

Sun Quan chatted with Sun Shao for half a day, and also sent eight thousand soldiers from the central army to Sun Shao, ordering him to be on high alert here and to guard against the Wei army crossing the river.

Before leaving, Sun Quan took out a document with his seal, put it in a wooden box, and ordered Sun Shao to send someone to deliver it to Cao Rui on the other side of the Yangtze River.

On the morning of the fifteenth, Sun Quan changed to a smaller boat and headed south from Dantu, traveling by waterway towards Wu County. Sun Shao also dispatched two daredevils, with a reward promised in advance, to cross the river in an oil-filled boat and deliver the letter northward to Guangling City, which was occupied by the Wei army.

When Cao Rui received the letter, it was already noon on the fifteenth.

Cao Rui had just finished lunch and was lying down in his military tent to prepare for a nap when Guanqiu Jian whispered from outside:
"Has Your Majesty gone to sleep? Your subject Guanqiu Jian has something to report."

Cao Rui opened his eyes: "I was about to sleep, but Zhonggong's words have made it hard to fall asleep. Come in, what brings you here?" (End of Chapter)