Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

"How dare I accept such an honor?!"

Even though Quan Cong was drunk, he could still tell the difference between good and bad in these words. He immediately bowed deeply in Sun Quan's direction and said, "The Wei people want to use the title of Prince of Langya to entice the Grand General to surrender. The Grand General has known Your Majesty for many years, so he returned the seal of office to Your Majesty. This is a plan by the Wei people to sow discord between the ruler and his ministers of Wu!"

"How can a subject be granted the title of king? This is utterly absurd! Your Majesty, I beg you to retract this statement. Not only am I unworthy of such a title, but neither is the Grand General. This is not the way of a subject!"

After saying this, Quan Cong bowed down and did not rise.

Sun Quan sighed deeply. Unlike before, he didn't help Quan Cong up. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the spot, waved for the servant to refill his cup, took a small sip, and then drank it all in one gulp. He then slammed the cup down on the table with a resolute air.

"I have already spoken these words, and there is absolutely no reason for me to take them back! The Wei people can bewitch me with the title of king, so how can I be more stingy with my trusted ministers than the Wei people?"

"Zihuang, I am not joking with you. I am truly sincere in bestowing titles upon you both." Sun Quan closed his eyes slightly, tilted his head back under the influence of alcohol, and said, "Wei bestows titles upon kings based on prefectures, but I wish to bestow titles based on great states. I have already decided that Zhuge Ziyu, whose ancestral home is Langya, shall be bestowed the title of King of Qi. Zihuang, whose ancestral home is Qiantang, shall be bestowed the title of King of Yue."

As Sun Quan spoke, he became quite long-winded: "Besides you two, Zhu Ran, Hu Zong, Xu Xiang, and other loyal ministers who died for their country should be posthumously granted the title of Duke. All the generals in Wuchang should also be rewarded. Those without titles should be granted the title of Marquis of a Pavilion, and those with titles should be granted the title of Marquis of a Township, and those of Township Marquis should be granted the title of Marquis of a County..."

"Zhu Huan should be posthumously granted the title of Governor, and Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lü Meng, Han Dang, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, Chen Wu, Dong Xi, Gan Ning, Ling Tong, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang... should also all be posthumously granted titles, either as Dukes or County Marquises, all of them should be posthumously granted titles!"

At this point, Quan Cong finally realized that Sun Quan's intention wasn't just a passing fancy, but genuinely wanted to posthumously confer the title. Therefore, he looked up at Sun Quan, who remained with his eyes closed, seemingly drunk, and continued to mutter:
"When I posthumously honored my elder brother as Emperor Wulie, I listened to the advice of those around me and only posthumously honored him as Prince Huan of Changsha. Without my elder brother, there would be no foundation for my dynasty. I have regretted this for many years. Tomorrow, when we offer sacrifices to Heaven in Wuchang, it would be better to posthumously honor my elder brother as Emperor! Emperor Huan, whose name means 'to expand territory and conquer kingdoms,' what do you think of this title?"

Taking advantage of his drunken state, Sun Quan launched into a long and detailed speech, mentioning that his eldest son, Sun Deng, had led troops alongside Zhuge Jin in the campaign at Jiangling, demonstrating his exceptional talent and predicting that he would one day become a wise and benevolent ruler of Wu.

As Quan Cong listened, tears streamed down his face.

If it weren't for the fact that he had been suppressing his bitterness for days and then the sudden incident of Wei using the Prince of Jun to bribe Zhuge Jin, why would Sun Quan have to compromise so much and hold such a grand reward ceremony tomorrow?

Quan Cong was a loyal minister. The king was so devastated by the world. As the general in charge of the troops here and a confidant of Sun Quan, he was filled with unspeakable grief.

The following day, February 25th, Sun Quan built a high platform at Fankou and, overnight, had his close advisors write the posthumous title of Emperor Huan of Wu for Sun Ce, and posthumously honor Zhu Ran, Xu Xiang, Hu Zong, and other generals who had recently died for their cause, as well as Zhou Yu and Lu Su, who had died during the Han Dynasty but had never been posthumously honored. The soldiers in the army were also rewarded. Sun Quan also opened the Wuchang Treasury and promised to give all the gold, silk, and copper coins in the treasury to his soldiers.

The soldiers were greatly encouraged, and the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" were like a tidal wave. However, apart from Quan Cong, many of the generals who received the rewards knelt down to express their gratitude on the spot and promised to serve him to the death, but in reality, they all had their own plans.

Sun Ce has not been posthumously honored for many years, so why is he being posthumously honored today? And why are Zhuge Jin being made King of Qi and Quan Cong King of Yue all at once? And why are so many titles and honors being bestowed at the same time?
Nobody's a fool. How is this any different from taking all the city's resources to incentivize the defending soldiers when the city is besieged?
Has the Great Wu really fallen into such dire straits?
Several days later, an imperial edict, personally transcribed by Sun Quan, arrived at Hanjin, southeast of Jiangling, carried by Huai Xu, a court official, from Fankou. Accompanying the edict was an imperial seal bearing the inscription "King of Qi of Great Wu." Initially, the Wu generals there were unaware of the purpose of the imperial envoy's arrival. Even after Zhuge Jin personally greeted him, Huai Xu insisted on speaking privately with the Crown Prince to convey the decree. Zhuge Jin, left with no other option, went to a nearby camp and summoned Sun Deng, then, as requested by Sun Quan, relayed an oral instruction to Sun Deng, ordering him to personally bestow the title.

"Huai Langzhong, Father... Father really bestowed such great honors?" Sun Deng took the brocade pouch containing Zhuge Jin's seal of the Prince of Qi, and his hands trembled for a moment.

"How could I dare to deceive Your Highness!" Huai Xu said confidently, "It is truly so! The Prince of Changsha was posthumously honored as Emperor Huan, the Grand General as the Prince of Qi, the General of the Guards as the Prince of Yue, and Zhou Yu was posthumously granted the title of Duke of Lujiang..."

As the emperor's envoy, it was Huaixu's duty to deliver messages. Even though Crown Prince Sun Deng was overly emotional, he still reported everything in detail.

After Huai Xu finished speaking, Sun Deng let out a long sigh:
“The Great Wu has only been established for a little over four years, yet it has reached the point of using such unprecedented rewards to stabilize the situation…” Sun Deng nodded to Huai Xu and said in a deep voice, “I understand Father’s intention. Please ask Physician Huai to return to Wuchang immediately and send a message to Father that with me in Jiangling, Father need not worry about this place!”

Huaixu asked, "Then I don't need to see the General?"

"No need, you should return immediately." Sun Deng's face was somber.

"As you command, I shall take my leave." Huai Xu bowed and then turned to leave.

Sun Deng spent the time it takes for an incense stick to burn in his tent to calm himself down. When he walked out of the tent and headed towards Zhuge Jin's tent, he was all smiles and showed no sign of disappointment.

"Your Highness, why did Physician Huai leave like this just now?" Zhuge Jin asked.

Sun Deng laughed and said, "General, you may not know this, but Huai Xu's matter is settled, so I sent him back. According to His Majesty's decree, I will be the one to announce the imperial edict and bestow rewards upon you!"

Zhuge Jin was stunned, seemingly not understanding what Sun Deng meant. He bowed in a daze, but when he heard the words "bestowing upon him the title of King of Qi," he suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open, and stared straight at Sun Deng.
"Your Highness, is Your Majesty treating me like Han Xin? Back then, when Han Xin was leading troops in the field, he asked Emperor Gaozu of Han to appoint him as the acting King of Qi. To reassure Han Xin, Emperor Gaozu granted him the title of King of Qi. Who doesn't know this story? Why does Your Majesty doubt me so much? Your Majesty has established your foundation over thirty years. Why do you not cherish titles and honors so much that you are now bestowing them indiscriminately?!"

"This is a chaotic order, and I dare not accept it! Please convey to His Majesty that Zhuge Ziyu's loyalty to His Majesty is as clear as the sun and moon, and he has no need for a mere title of king to appease me!"

Having said this, Zhuge Jin stood up angrily, his face contorted with rage, and turned to leave. He was the Grand General of Wu, and this was his military camp. Zhuge Jin's expression had changed, and even if Sun Deng were the Crown Prince, there was nothing he could do! (End of Chapter)