The land of Shu, nestled amidst towering mountains, saw peaks rise and fall, with forests stretching vast and boundless...
A carriage from Hanzhong sped like lightning, parting the dense, ancient trees on either side. It ascended a gentle, rising slope, revealing a vista… of greenery.
Seated within the carriage, Zhuge Jun gazed at the distant, ethereal mountain ranges flanking the road. He marveled at the narrowness and depth of the Shu path, sighing, "My esteemed teacher's words were truly not in vain. Jiange is steep and treacherous; one man guarding it can defy ten thousand... The difficulty of the Shu roads is harder than climbing to the heavens! In such a territory, as long as the populace harbors no ambition to conquer the realm, to hold firmly to a corner of Bashu… invaders would rack their brains and still find it difficult to advance even an inch."
Accompanying Zhuge Jun was Xiahou Mao.
Of course, Xiahou Mao was acutely aware that his purpose in coming here was to personally inspect the terrain.
According to Lu Yu, his long spear, and his future Spear Camp, would be the main force in mountain warfare.
"The King's life has been one of conquest, aiming to exchange war for peace. But the people here already have peace, living and working contentedly... Perhaps, this is the purpose behind the Crown Prince's proposal of a five-year truce!"
Zhuge Jun murmured, "Five years... truce..."
Indeed... five years. The variables were immense.
Who knew what Da Wei would become in five years, or what Bashu would become?
...
A full five days passed before Zhuge Jun's convoy cleared Jiange and Jiameng Pass...
There were countless times when the narrow path ahead could only accommodate one person and one horse. Zhuge Jun and Xiahou Mao were forced to abandon the carriage and travel light...
The difficulty of the Shu roads was evident!
Five days later, they arrived at Zitong and the official posthouse.
Zhuge Jun stood before a large bronze mirror while Xiahou Mao helped him into a new official robe of Wei.
Xiahou Mao asked curiously, "What kind of person is your second brother, Zhuge? Will he imprison you and me here?"
Zhuge Jun smiled, "My second brother is Liu Bei's strategist. How could he lack magnanimity?"
Xiahou Mao remarked, "If they truly dare to imprison you and me, then we need not fear... my crimson-tipped spear doesn't mind being stained with Shu's blood."
This...
Zhuge Jun felt a inexplicable worry, fearing that Xiahou Mao's fervor might ruin his teacher's grand plan.
"Xiahou Zilin..."
"Rest assured!" Xiahou Mao, seeing Zhuge Jun's concern, said, "I know very well what should be done and what should not!"
...
...
Zhuge Liang was not yet thirty years old, his face like jade, wearing a scholar's cap and a crane-feather cloak... exuding an air of celestial grace.
He even occasionally used a four-wheeled carriage for travel.
He was conversing with Liu Bei.
Liu Bei asked, "Zhuge Jun is Kongming's brother, isn't he?"
Zhuge Liang nodded, "He is my third brother. He is just twenty years old now, yet he already manages Da Wei's workshops. The hot air balloons that helped the Lord conquer Yizhou were manufactured by him!"
"Oh..." Liu Bei said, surprised, "Now, Da Wei could march south at any moment... In such a delicate situation, Lu Yu sending someone here must signify a major move. But why send such an important figure? Isn't he afraid I'll place him under house arrest?"
Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment, "Perhaps... Zi Yu Lu calculated that I would not act against my third brother... or perhaps he is confident in his position."
Liu Bei nodded, "I lean towards the latter... This Zi Yu Lu has always been able to fathom people's hearts clearly and thoroughly. He never gambles; if he gambles, he is certain to win!"
Upon saying this, Zhuge Liang bowed and withdrew. "My Lord, rest assured, I shall prepare!"
As Zhuge Liang reached the door, Liu Bei suddenly smiled and said, "Strategist, when I personally sought you out thrice to invite you from Wolong Ridge, you were also around twenty years old then, weren't you?"
*Hoo...*
Zhuge Liang paused, his eyes subtly closing. He spoke faintly, "My brother Jun at the age of 'weak crown' is a hundred times more outstanding than Zhuge Kongming was at that time!"
After Zhuge Liang had walked away, Liu Bei said to the guards standing by, "Summon Li Yan!"
...
...
Like the harmonious tones of zithers and lutes, the bamboo zithers of Bashu played a gentle and elegant melody with a distinctly Bashu rhythm. Zhuge Liang sat on the raised platform, with Ma Liang, Yang Yi, and others below.
Some officials, with curiosity and hostility, peered at the envoy from Wei. The young Fa Zheng stood at the back, a playful smile on his face.
Zhuge Jun, holding a ceremonial staff in one hand and a scroll in the other, walked onto the grand hall with an elegant demeanor. Two attendants followed him, one of whom was Xiahou Mao, waiting at the entrance.
Zhuge Jun bowed, "I, Zhuge Jun, envoy of the Wei Kingdom, on behalf of the Crown Prince of Wei, convey greetings to the General of the Left of Han!"
Zhuge Liang slightly raised his gaze. Although he and Zhuge Jun were brothers, at this moment, he was Liu Bei's strategist, and Zhuge Jun was an envoy of Da Wei.
The two sides belonged to completely different factions.
"We have not yet had the chance to congratulate the Crown Prince of Wei on his wedding. Taking this opportunity, allow us to first congratulate the Crown Prince of Wei, and also congratulate Da Wei on successfully annexing Jiangdong, Xiliang, and Hanzhong..."
Zhuge Liang's tone was placid, but the word "annex" was extremely jarring.
Facing such a stinging remark, Zhuge Jun calmly replied, "The King of Wei and the Crown Prince know that the General of the Left cherishes the Han Dynasty's heart and territory, hence they have dispatched me to personally present the imperial edict of enfeoffment, conferring upon General of the Left of Han, Liu Bei, the title of Marquis of Shu, Governor of Yizhou, and dominion over the nine commanderies of Chuan-Shu..."
Zhuge Liang was taken aback. He hadn't expected Zhuge Jun to bring an imperial edict.
And such an edict conferring marquis status.
This edict placed him in a difficult position. Liu Bei adhered to the principle of "No co-existence with Han traitors, no seeking a precarious kingly reign." The "Han" here referred to the Han governed by Emperor Liu Xie, and the "traitor"... was the Han traitor who held the Emperor hostage to command the realm—Cao Cao!
If such an edict were accepted...
Naturally, Lord Liu Bei, as Governor of Yizhou, would legitimately rule the nine commanderies of Chuan-Shu.
But...
This also implicitly affirmed that Lord Liu Bei had accepted the imperial decree issued under coercion by Cao Cao. This was tantamount to acknowledging Cao Cao's status as King of Wei, acknowledging Da Wei... This completely contradicted the faith of "No co-existence with Han traitors."
As Zhuge Liang hesitated whether to accept the edict on behalf of his lord...
"Wait a moment..."
Fa Zheng stepped forward. Zhuge Jun, with a leisurely smile, waited for Fa Zheng's accusation.
Fa Zheng cupped his hands and said, "I, Fa Zheng, General Protector of the Army, dare to ask if this imperial edict was written by the Son of Heaven, or by the King of Wei?"
Zhuge Jun smiled, "Since it is an imperial edict, it is naturally written by the Son of Heaven."
Fa Zheng sneered, "The world knows that the King of Wei and the Crown Prince of Wei hold the Son of Heaven hostage to command the lords. They have imprisoned the Son of Heaven in Xuchang. How could the Son of Heaven not be coerced in writing this edict? If that is the case, then my lord need not accept this edict!"
Zhuge Jun still smiled, "When the Son of Heaven was in distress, the lords stood by idly, and the Han Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. It was the Crown Prince of Wei who suggested to the King of Wei to welcome the Son of Heaven with courtesy and build palaces to honor him. Under the strategies of His Highness, the King of Wei welcomed the Son of Heaven and resisted the rebels... How many times did he face imminent danger, how many times did the Han realm completely fall apart? I presume to ask, without our Crown Prince, without the King of Wei... how would there be a Son of Heaven? How would there be a realm?"
Upon saying this, Zhuge Jun's gaze turned sharp. "The word 'imprisonment' that General Fa mentioned, the disloyalty, is shocking. When the Son of Heaven suffered, where were you? Recalling when Dong Zhuo rebelled, and when the eighteen lords raised their banners, who fought with all their might, vowing to jointly protect the Han Dynasty?"
This was the first time Xiahou Mao had heard Zhuge Jun speak so eloquently and argue so logically and with evidence.
He couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. This kid... is so amazing, truly a closed-door disciple of the Crown Prince!
Fa Zheng was both anxious and angry, "I am only speaking of today's matter, who cares about the past with you!"
Zhuge Jun smiled, "The decree is the Son of Heaven's decree, and the enfeoffment is the Son of Heaven's enfeoffment of General Liu. You, a subject, are openly acting as the master and wishing to frame your lord for the crime of defying orders. What is your intention!"
These words completely refuted Fa Zheng.
Fa Zheng gritted his teeth in anger, clenching his fists. He was always one to hold grudges... This enmity between him and Zhuge Jun was now sealed today!
"I..."
As Fa Zheng was about to speak again...
Zhuge Liang stopped him, and he said with a smile, "This imperial edict bestows the title of Marquis upon my lord, and grants my lord dominion over the nine commanderies of Yizhou. What exactly is His Majesty... no, the Crown Prince of Wei aiming for?"
Zhuge Jun calmly replied, "A cessation of hostilities!"
Upon hearing this...
After a brief silence, a wave of laughter erupted throughout the hall. Zhuge Jun remained calm.
Fa Zheng said, "Cao Cao is a Han traitor. My lord's hall hangs the motto 'No co-existence with Han traitors, no seeking a precarious kingly reign.' How could we shake hands and make peace with you?"
Zhuge Jun pretended to understand, "Oh... so Bashu does not wish to reconcile with our Da Wei? It seems my guess was correct; the land of Bashu will ultimately descend into an unending war, with famine and corpses everywhere, and not a single cock crowing for a thousand miles... However... General Fa Zheng seems unconcerned, because General Fa Zheng is not originally from Bashu, and he has no friends there... With Bashu ravaged by famine, it has nothing to do with you. If Bashu is gone, you can still return to your hometown of Fufeng!"
This...
Zhuge Jun's words undoubtedly struck Fa Zheng's sore spot.
Fa Zheng was a prominent figure of the Dongzhou faction, which consisted of civil and military officials who had entered Shu with Liu Zhang back then. Furthermore, Fa Zheng was arrogant and unsociable, having few friends in Yizhou, with only Mengda, She Jian, and Zhang Song being close to him.
Therefore, Zhuge Jun's mention of "he has no friends" and "he can still return to his hometown of Fufeng" effectively silenced Fa Zheng, leaving him unable to retort.
Zhuge Liang smiled and raised his hand. "Da Wei has just annexed Jiangdong, Xiliang, and Hanzhong. It is an opportune moment to press south into Bashu. What? Does Lu Zi Yu think Sword Gate Pass is too formidable to attack, and thus sent an envoy to lull us into complacency before finding an opportunity to attack? Lu Zi Yu has employed such tactics too many times. We in Bashu have long been on guard! What... Da Wei has millions of soldiers; it is unlikely they fear the difficulty of the Shu roads, right?"
Fa Zheng mocked, "I fear that even with millions of soldiers, Wei may not dare to tread the Shu roads... Even if they do tread the Shu roads, haha, so what? It will merely result in millions of corpses littering the Shu roads!"
Zhuge Jun still maintained a humble and unyielding smile. "General Fa Zheng, have you forgotten how your lord captured Bashu? No matter how high the mountains of Bashu are, they cannot overcome hot air balloons. How can the arduous Shu roads hinder the Crown Prince of Wei's strategies? General Fa Zheng is perhaps too wishful thinking. To put it bluntly, if your lord accepts this imperial decree today, it would be well and good. If he refuses, five thousand flying balls of Da Wei will ascend into the sky, and under fire, they will be enough to burn all of Bashu to ashes..."
At this point, Zhuge Jun turned his head and looked at the verdant green mountains and the chirping birds and fragrant flowers outside the door...
"Haha... With just one great fire, this place will be reduced to nothingness! Just like the remnants of the Shanyue in Jiangdong who stubbornly resisted... The stone city, known for its impenetrable defense, under the raging fire, will only be left with charred corpses!"
"The Crown Prince's主动 proposal to cease hostilities is for the sake of the common people, not wishing for bloodshed. Yet, the lords of Bashu seem to be living in a dream!"
"How bold!" Yang Yi shouted angrily, "If you dare to be disrespectful again, I shall have you, the envoy, beheaded!"
As soon as these words left his mouth, Yang Yi felt impulsive. He instinctively looked at Zhuge Liang, only to see his gaze remain extremely calm.
Despite meeting his brother, could he still be so dedicated to public duty?
Yang Yi couldn't help but admire him repeatedly.
However, Yang Yi's angry shout caused Xiahou Mao, who was by the door, to grip his sword and coldly sneer, "Excellent! The Marquis of Shu is not afraid of being ridiculed by the world. Let me see how sharp the blades of the Marquis of Shu's men are!"
As he spoke, Xiahou Mao stepped forward to protect Zhuge Jun.
Fa Zheng's hand moved to his sword, "Who are you?"
Xiahou Mao blocked him with his sword, "Just an envoy!"
Zhuge Liang finally spoke, "Even in wartime, envoys are not killed. All of you, stand down!"
Fa Zheng and Yang Yi sheathed their swords and retreated, suppressing their anger.
Zhuge Liang smiled, "We hope the Wei envoy will inform us of the Crown Prince's intentions in detail!"
Zhuge Jun calmly surveyed the assembled Bashu officials. He smiled first, then said frankly, "I dare not deceive you all. I have been dispatched by the Crown Prince of Wei to the land of Shu to sign a five-year truce agreement with the Marquis of Shu. For five years, Bashu's troops will not leave Jiange, and Da Wei's soldiers will not enter Shu. As for after five years, both sides will draw their armies and fight a decisive battle in Hanzhong, regardless of victory or defeat... without harming the common people, and without damaging Shu's cities!"
At this point, Zhuge Jun paused, "His Highness the Crown Prince promises not to use the method of 'beacon fires connecting cities' to burn Bashu. We also hope that Strategist Zhuge will convey this to the Marquis of Shu, and request him to agree that Bashu will not harm the common people of Da Wei!"
Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang and Ma Liang exchanged glances. Xiahou Mao, standing by the door, could feel that Zhuge Jun's words had captivated everyone present.
Zhuge Jun, this outstanding manager of workshops, displayed a completely new demeanor that Xiahou Mao fully witnessed this time.
Fa Zheng was still quibbling, "It is clearly Cao Wei that fears us, which is why they sent you to beg for a truce. What a shamelessly begging person there is in this world, how laughable!"
Zhuge Jun could see that Fa Zheng's intentions did not represent Zhuge Liang's, nor Liu Bei's. He thus smiled and looked at Zhuge Liang.
Zhuge Liang and Ma Liang exchanged another glance.
*Hoo...*
With a gentle exhale, Zhuge Liang smiled, "Wei envoy, you have a sharp tongue. Regarding the enfeoffment and the truce, I shall report them to my lord. Whether it is war or peace, it will be decided by him! Would the Wei envoy first return to the posthouse and wait?"
Zhuge Jun bowed, "This matter concerns the foundation of Shu and the suffering of the common people of the realm. I implore Strategist Zhuge to consider it carefully!"
Zhuge Liang raised his hand, "Envoy, please!"
Although outwardly, Zhuge Liang maintained an air of calm and composure, his heart was already filled with agitation and turbulent waves.
Jun, his younger brother, had not only grown in his craftsmanship but also in his sophistry, his courage, and his view of the situation. He was no longer the brother who used to chase him asking "why"...
Alas...
With a sigh, Zhuge Jun and Xiahou Mao departed.
Fa Zheng said indignantly, "This must be a stratagem by Lu Zi Yu!"
Zhuge Liang shook his head slightly and smiled faintly, "Cao Cao has found a capable man, and Lu Zi Yu has also found a capable man!"
As he spoke, Zhuge Liang stood up and slowly retreated to the side. From behind the curtain... Liu Bei emerged, his appearance startling everyone.
And at this moment, Liu Bei's eyes became exceptionally sharp. He surveyed everyone present.
"Everyone, speak your minds... Is it war, or peace?"
...
...
-wAp..Com- Visit to check