Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Sun Deng was sentimental and emotional from a young age.

Zhuge Ke and Sun Deng were nominally good friends, but their relationship was as close as brothers. They had vivid memories of their time together over the past ten years. When Sun Deng heard that Zhuge Ke had surrendered Jianye and personally written a letter of persuasion to surrender, his first reaction was not anger, but rather that he thought the Wei army was using a trick. However, after seeing the handwriting and confirming it, he felt inexplicably saddened.

Upon seeing Zhuge Ke's letter for the second time, Sun Deng felt even more sorrowful.

There is no doubt that Sun Deng's reaction was made under duress.

At this time, the commander-in-chief of Wu in Jiangling was Zhuge Jin. Zhuge Jin could certainly pretend to rebuke Wei for its treachery, but Sun Deng could not follow suit and curse. If he cursed his father and angered Zhuge Jin, and then impulsively wrote a letter to Wei and surrendered, then the Sun family would truly be doomed.

If Sun Deng showed no reaction or understanding, he would be unable to get over it himself and would also incur Sun Quan's reprimand. The more dire the state of affairs became, the more closely Sun Quan, who was in Wuchang, kept an eye on his ministers, and he, the crown prince, was no exception.

Having a good cry and reflecting on the changes in the world is the best choice.

“Your Highness, you know what kind of person Yuan Xun is.” Zhuge Jin’s face was slightly ashen as he said softly, “This must have been forced upon Yuan Xun by the Wei people. Yuan Xun has always been loyal to the country and has always aspired to clear the borders and serve His Majesty…”

"General, there's no need for further explanation. I understand everything. But regardless of the letters, Yuan Xun is indeed in the Wei camp now. What should we do then?" Sun Deng looked up at Zhuge Jin and asked, "If this matter gets out, even if I don't suspect anything, others will! If the army's morale is thrown into chaos, it will be no good for Great Wu!"

Zhuge Jin's military talent was not outstanding; merely holding this position was already a result of his utmost effort. After thinking for a long time, Zhuge Jin finally spoke:
"Your Highness, the battle in Jiangling has reached a stalemate, with little movement expected for several days. Why not report today's situation to His Majesty and let him make a decision?"

"Furthermore," Zhuge Jin pursed his lips, then solemnly cupped his hands, "In any case, Zhuge Ke is my eldest son. Since he is already trapped in the enemy camp, I will pretend I have no son! I will personally write a letter to him, severing our father-son relationship, so that His Majesty and the Crown Prince may see my clear intentions!"

“How can this be? Yuan Xun is not only the eldest son of the Grand General, but also my friend of many years. He has been forced into the enemy camp…” Sun Deng continued, following Zhuge Jin’s lead.

"Your Highness need not say more." Zhuge Jin said resolutely, "I will write two letters, and send the other to His Majesty to announce it to the world!"

“Alas…” Sun Deng shook his head and could only watch as Zhuge Jin immediately wrote this letter and sent a Wei envoy to send it back.

Sun Deng was no longer a child, but a crown prince of Wu who had experienced politics and war.

The more Zhuge Jin acted this way, the more surprised and suspicious Sun Deng became.

When the first letter of persuasion to surrender arrived, Zhuge Jin immediately asserted that it was a letter that Zhuge Ke had been forced to write. Sun Deng had no choice but to accept it in accordance with Zhuge Jin's tone.

Even if Sun Quan himself came, he would still have to admit it! Wu is in such a predicament, having completely lost its starting point east of Chaisang. As long as Zhuge Jin doesn't openly rebel against Wu, Sun Deng would be willing to kneel before him!

When the second letter urging surrender arrived, Zhuge Jin again wanted to write a letter severing ties with his son. In Sun Deng's view, this was just another publicity stunt! How could a letter sever more than thirty years of father-son relations? Who would believe that?

Sun Deng was Sun Quan's eldest son and his own flesh and blood, much like the relationship between Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Jin. Sun Deng did not believe that Sun Quan would ever disregard his son under any circumstances. However, he had no choice but to accept it due to the current situation.

Sun Deng learned everything from his father, and he also inherited Sun Quan's suspicious nature, but he did not learn the imperial demeanor of Sun Quan, who had been building his empire for many years and treated his ministers as his confidants.

At noon on the 23rd, the letter departed from Jiangling and was carried by a fast boat to Wuchang. In just one and a half days, on the night of the 24th, Sun Quan, who was still at Fankou, received a report, a letter, and the seal of the King of Wei with a tortoise-shaped gold knob, sent by Zhuge Jin.

"I will not betray Zhuge Ziyu, and Zhuge Ziyu will not betray me either. Life and death are not easily forgotten. The people of Wei will not believe that the two of us understand each other so well." Sun Quan played with the newly made seal of Wei in his hand, looked at it for a long time, and found that it was almost identical to the 'King of Wu of Great Wei' seal that he had obtained back then. After making a few solemn vows, he threw the seal to Quan Cong, who was kneeling on the side of the table.

"Zihuang, take a look," Sun Quan said calmly. "How is the craftsmanship of the Wei artisans?"

Quan Cong accepted the gold seal thrown to him by Sun Quan with both hands. After glancing at it for a few seconds, he shook his head and said, "This little bit of gold is pitiful. It's not even worth melting it down for military supplies."

Sun Quan said with a smile, "This is the system of the Han Dynasty. The gold seal of a king is this size. The Imperial Seal is even larger. My elder brother saw it back then, but I never had the chance to see it. Neither did Zihuang see it."

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the two began to talk about the battle of Jiangling.

One was an emperor who had ruled for many years, and the other was a general who had led troops for many years. Both of them had a full understanding of the current situation and had initially accepted it. In Sun Quan and Quan Cong's view, even if Wu lost the area east of Chaisang, it still had more than 100,000 troops in its hands, and Jingzhou and Jiaozhou were still there. On the contrary, when facing Wei, it only needed to defend Chaisang and Jiangling, and its military strength was more compact, making it easier to defend.

The two talked for more than half an hour, and feeling hungry, they ordered their servants to bring some wine and food. They drank together for another half hour, until they were half-drunk. Sun Quan then asked Quan Cong:

"Zihuang, do you remember what I said to you on that day when you and Zhu Xiumu addressed me as 'Supreme' on the walls of Wuchang?"

Quan Cong was also half-drunk, but he did not lack manners. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty promised that Zhu Xiumu and I would become governors in the future. I have already become a governor. It is a great pity that Zhu Xiumu died in battle at an early age."

Sun Quan, emboldened by the wine, let out a long sigh and threw the wine cup he was holding. The waiter who was pouring the wine was scared half to death, but Quan Cong's expression remained unchanged.

“Yes, back then I promised Zhu Huan that I would be the governor of the province. Now I am the emperor, and I can call myself ‘朕’ (Zhen, meaning 'I'), but Zhu Huan and I are separated by death and can never see each other again!” Sun Quan was moved and said with tears in his eyes, “Zihuang, shall I posthumously confer the title of Governor of Jiaozhou on Zhu Xiumu today? Tomorrow, I will write the imperial edict and the eulogy, and you and I will hold a memorial service for Zhu Xiumu together at Fankou, shall we?”

This is what it means to think of good generals when the nation is in peril.

Quan Cong also wept and said, "Your Majesty, I will certainly stay by your side!"

Sun Quan then said, "I will not only posthumously confer titles upon him, but I will also bestow titles of kingship upon you and Ziyu!" (End of this chapter)