Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

"Why does the general sigh?" Zhu Yi asked.

Guanqiu Jian shook his head and said, "Although there are prefectures and counties here, the local customs, language and traditions are very different from those in the Central Plains. It is January now, but it is so hot, just like summer in the Central Plains. Among the six people who just left, there was a prefectural official, a prefectural commandant, and the heads of the four departments of the prefecture. I need an interpreter to understand them clearly!"

"Shi Song rebelled, and as officials of the prefecture, how can they escape responsibility? But if I don't pardon them, what can I do? Who among you and me can understand what the locals are saying?"

Zhu Yi remained silent for a few moments, then sighed softly: "Back in the Wu period, Yu Fan and Yu Zhongxiang were demoted from Jiangdong to Jiaozhou. They opened many schools to educate the people, and for a time, they had hundreds of students. However, they were implicated in the plot by the Yu clan to assassinate Sun Quan a few years ago, and were all imprisoned. This was still in Nanhai Commandery. Places like Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen are even more remote, and the people are even more ignorant, making education even more difficult."

"Perhaps it will take decades or even centuries to achieve."

“It’s not something that can be accomplished overnight; let’s wait for the next generation.” Guanqiu Jian muttered to himself, but then he remembered something and looked at Sima Shi: “Sima, there is something I should tell you. Your uncle reported to Zhuyai County a few months ago that a second county could be restored in Zhuyai County.”

"Really?" Sima Shi smiled slightly. "If Zhuyai County can be fully restored, it will be a good thing for both Wei and Jiaozhou."

Guanqiu Jian nodded: "That's true. Your uncle also wrote me a long letter, saying that he had worked hard in Zhuya for three years and his health was not as good as before, so he requested to return to the Central Plains to rest for a while."

After saying this, Guanqiu Jian paused for a few moments. Sima Shi couldn't help but feel a little nervous, wondering how Guanqiu Jian would respond.

Guanqiu Jian then said, "I have already replied to your uncle. I will submit a memorial to His Majesty requesting that he be transferred back to the Central Plains to take up his post, so as to avoid excessive damage to his health. However, as to when he will be transferred and what position he can be transferred to, it depends on what the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue say."

Upon hearing this, Sima Shi bowed deeply to Guanqiu Jian and said, "My uncle has been serving on the frontier for a long time and is very tired. Thank you for your understanding, General!"

Guanqiu Jian nodded slightly, and then said, "We have arrived at Xupu today. After two days of military training, the army will head north. You should all go about your business, but do not forget military matters."

Sima Shi thought for a moment and then reminded him, "General, shouldn't we leave someone to garrison Xupu City?"

Guanqiu Jian replied calmly, "No. There are no soldiers here, nor are there any new official positions. There is no benefit in keeping them. The whole army should head north. There are only eight thousand infantrymen in total. Even if we lose only two or five hundred, it will still be a loss for the army. We will not keep any more men."

"Understood, Your subordinate," Sima Shi replied.

Jiaozhi Commandery, within Longbian City.

Sun Deng, Chen Shi, and others had not anticipated that Guanqiu Jian would send a fleet south, so much so that they learned of the news two days ago and are still arguing about it in the city.

According to the previous discussions among Sun Deng, Chen Shi, Shi Song, and others, after Huang Fu's arrival of over four thousand men, they now had a total of forty thousand troops in Jiaozhi Commandery. Even if the Wei army was strong, surely they would have sent at least thirty or forty thousand troops on a distant expedition?

This is their greatest source of confidence.

If 30,000 to 40,000 troops were to attack, it would be impossible to transport them by water alone; they would have to come by land. Chen Shi had already ordered the establishment of outposts at seven or eight key locations along the route from Jiaozhi Commandery to Hepu Commandery, ready to report back as soon as the Wei army arrived. But the current situation had completely thrown them into a panic. Two days of discussion had led them to the only possible answer: the Wei Kingdom had indeed only sent a fleet and had no intention of launching a land attack.

The current deployment of 40,000 troops is like a disorganized mess.

Sun Deng's 10,000 troops came from the northwest and south, with about 5,000 stationed in Wanghai County in the northwest and the remaining 5,000 stationed in Longbian City. Chen Shi, as the governor of Jiaozhi, also had 5,000 troops left in Longbian City, and the remaining 10,000 troops were scattered and stationed in various surrounding cities.

The armies of Shi Song, the prefect of Jiuzhen, and Huang Gai, the prefect of Rinan, numbering nearly ten thousand, were also stationed in the Quyang County area in the southeast. The army that Huang Fu brought from Hepu City was relegated to Xiyu in the west by Chen Shi.

Sun Deng did try to win over the generals, but his efforts were completely in vain.

If you come, we people of Jiaozhou will rebel. If you don't come, we people of Jiaozhou will still rebel.

They're just using your name. They've all surrendered to Wei once before. If they betray you again, they won't really think about loyalty anymore.
Even if Sun Deng tried to use righteousness to pressure him, it wouldn't make any sense. Sun Deng's repeated military defeats in the ninth year of the Taihe era had already caused him to lose most of his prestige.

Therefore, during another meeting in Longbian City, Shi Song and Huang Gai joined forces to launch an attack, with Shi Song speaking publicly:
"Your Majesty, Prefect Chen, Prefect Huang, General Liu, and Attendant-in-Ordinary Pan, please allow me to speak. Prefect Huang Gai and I led troops from Jiuzhen and Rinan, as summoned by Your Majesty, to resist the Wei army coming from the north. However, the Wei fleet sailed south along the coast and headed towards the two prefectures of Jiuzhen and Rinan."

"The people of these two prefectures are in dire straits. As the two of us are prefects, how can we not help them? In the past few days, I have spoken with Your Majesty and Prefect Chen many times, but Your Majesty and Prefect Chen have not reached a conclusion."

"If I may be so bold as to presume, but if the army does not march south to aid Jiuzhen County, I fear my soldiers may mutini! At that point, the situation will be beyond my control. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"

Huang Gai, with a cold expression, chimed in from the side, "Your Majesty, my department feels the same way!"

At this moment, Sun Deng and Chen Shi, who had been secretly vying for power, found themselves on the same side. Both of them clearly did not want Shi Song and Huang Gai to move their troops south, having previously tried to persuade them with kind words.

Judging from their posture today, if they are not allowed to leave now, they will probably return to their camps and lead their troops south!
With only 40,000 troops to begin with, how could they possibly contend with the State of Wei if they were to be dispersed again?

Chen Shi, as the governor of Jiaozhi, had a maximum of about 15,000 troops, and he was still hesitating at this moment.

After assessing the situation, Sun Deng realized that this was a great opportunity to win over Shi Song and Huang Gai. So he said in a deep voice, "The officials and people of Jiuzhen and Rinan are all loyal and virtuous people of Wu. How can we sit idly by and watch them be threatened by the Wei army?"

"Prefect Chen, we should immediately raise troops and march south to attack the Wei army. Moreover, if the Wei army's ships are fast, and they capture Xupu, they will likely still march north to attack, and then we will have to march south again!"

Chen Shi gritted his teeth: "Your Majesty, I will obey all your orders." (End of Chapter)