After Gongsun Yuan heard Xia Houxuan's words, a fire of ignorance suddenly arose in his heart, which was always irritable and irritable. He was so angry that he subconsciously wanted to draw his sword, but his official intuition as a superior for many years allowed him to save the last trace of his sanity.
"What do you mean by your words?!"
Even so, the murderous intent hidden in his words still showed his inner anger. If it were an ordinary person, seeing Gongsun Yuan's ferocious eyes, he would probably be so frightened that he would sweat profusely and have his arms and legs tremble. However, this was not the first time that Xia Houxuan faced strong winds and waves. Although there was a trace of fear of failure in his heart, he did not Cowering from the danger before him, he continued:
"Gongsun Prefect, please calm down. Xuan came here with good intentions. To be honest, the emperor already knows about your sending envoys to Soochow, but the emperor cherishes talents and does not want to kill them all. Therefore, the emperor here I was sent here this time to let you make a choice."
In order to intimidate Gongsun Yuan, Xia Houxuan told him a lie. Cao Zuan originally wanted to secretly report to the emperor, but he was persuaded by himself.
Sure enough, after hearing Xia Houxuan's words, Gongsun Yuan immediately felt a lot of fear in his heart. I originally expected that the matter of accepting the title and treasure of King Yan from Sun Quan, the Lord of Wu, would be kept secret, but I didn't expect that Wei Guo's information would be so well-informed.
What he didn't know was that the Wei State's school affairs office was the most powerful intelligence agency in the world. Although Soochow also had school affairs officers, in the hands of the ruthless official Lu Yi, Soochow's school affairs officers were very good at rectifying their own officials. , but the espionage in other countries was a mess.
Hearing this, Gongsun Yuan thought carefully for a while and immediately asked Xiahou Xuandao:
"I wonder what choice His Majesty the Emperor gave to my subordinates?"
Xia Houxuan observed Gongsun Yuan's arrogant demeanor and tone, and understood that his strategy was more than half successful. He continued:
"Your Majesty has issued two edicts. The first one is to confer Grand Administrator Gongsun as Grand Sima and Duke Lelang. He will continue to serve as Grand Administrator of Liaodong and have full authority over the four counties of Liaodong, Daifang, Lelang and Xuantu!"
Gongsun Yuan was overjoyed when he heard this. You must know that he has always been bordered by the Wei State. His subordinates control the four counties of Liaodong, and he has 100,000 soldiers. In fact, he controls a small country with a population no less than that of the Shu Han in the south. However, after Cao Rui ascended the throne, he only ennobled a small country of his own. Of course, a small Liaodong governor and a fourth-rank Yanglie general cannot satisfy his ambitions.
This time, after hesitating again and again, he agreed to the canonization of Sun Quan, the Lord of Wu, because of the benefits that Soochow offered him: the high title of King Yan and ten ships of treasures, which were really too tempting.
But now, Wei Emperor Cao Rui directly conferred upon himself the high rank of Grand Sima and Duke Lelang. This is a generous reward that no minister has ever received since the founding of the Wei Dynasty!
You must know that Soochow and himself are far apart across the river and sea, and they cannot coordinate with each other in time. However, Wei has always been strong and is a close neighbor to himself. After weighing the pros and cons, Gongsun Yuan has already had a new change in his heart.
He hurriedly asked Xiahou Xuandao:
"Excuse me, your Majesty, what is your Majesty's second edict?"
Xia Houxuan understood that courtesy first and then attack, and giving kindness and power at the same time were always effective ways to break through other people's psychological defenses. He answered Gongsun Yuan sternly:
"Your Majesty's second edict is to order Tian Yu, the governor of Runan, to immediately lead the Qingzhou armies to attack Liaodong from the sea route, and Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, to attack from the land route, and attack Gongsun Yuan together on both routes. There must be no mistake!"
"ah!"
Gongsun Yuan, who had just been immersed in the joy of profit, when he heard this, he was like a hungry wolf being targeted by a hunter's bow and arrow when he had just caught a fat sheep. At this moment, he felt a long-lost fear in his heart.
Xia Houxuan naturally saw Gongsun Yuan's fear. He smiled and said:
"Da Sima, why panic? Your Majesty said, these are two choices. From Xuan's point of view, if the general will take advantage of the plan and wipe out the Wu thieves who invaded the territory of Wei, then the general will be my Da Sima and Duke Lelang of Wei; if The general chooses to continue to obey Wu Ni, so what awaits the general is naturally the second edict."
Gongsun Yuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded. He understood that as long as he broke with Sun Quan and dealt with Zhou He, the Wu envoy who had left Liaodong not long ago, before Tian Yu and Wang Xiong's army entered, everything would be fine. Become very beautiful.
After Gongsun Yuan had made up his mind, he wrote a letter to Tian Yu, the governor of Qingzhou in Wei State, and asked Xia Houxuan to deliver it to Tian Yu. After arranging the matter, he sent someone to escort Xia Houxuan back to the academy and ordered the siege of the academy to be lifted.
After thinking for a while, Gongsun Yuan called a close aide:
"Quickly call Chief Shi Guo Xin, join the army at Liupu, Prince Gongsun Xiu, generals Bei Yan, Yang Zuo, and Han Qi to come to the main hall to discuss matters!"
——————
At this time, Sun Quan, the Lord of Wu, who was far away in Jiangdong, had just received the envoys from Liaodong, Captain Su Shu and Langzhong Ling Sun Zong. Looking at the sables and fine horses from Liaodong presented by Gongsun Yuan, Sun Quan smiled heartily. The sound spread throughout the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony.
At this time, it was the beginning of the second year of Jiahe in Soochow, and it was the first month. Sun Quan, who was overjoyed, and his envoys to Liaodong, Su Shu and Sun Zong, attended the banquet in the first month of the Taihe Palace in Soochow. He was so excited that he even For this reason, he also granted amnesty to the whole world.
Soon, Sun Quan drafted an edict to confer Gongsun Yuan as envoy Chijie, governor of Youzhou, pastor of Qingzhou, prefect of Liaodong, and king of Yan, and bestowed Gongsun Yuan with nine tins:
"Because of my bad conduct, I was ordered by the Yuan Dynasty, and I worked hard day and night, never skipping a sleep. Thinking of the troubles in the world, I helped the common people, answered the gods above, and comforted the people below. I am here to support you, to seek heroes diligently, and to work hard with you. In Dinghai, we stay together and grow old together.
Today, I envoy Chijie to supervise Youzhou to lead Qingzhou to pastor Liaodong, the prefect of Liaoning, King Yan. He has been threatened by bandits and captives for a long time, and they are separated by one side. Although he is devoted to the country, his road is full of fate. Today, due to the destiny, two envoys are sent to a distant place. Their sincerity and diligence are shown. How happy I am to receive this! Although Tang met Yi Yin, Zhou captured Lu Wang, and the ancestors were still undecided, they captured the right side of the river. How can this be done today? The whole world is unified, so it is settled.
Since ancient times, holy emperors and kings have established a unified system, commended virtues with titles, and repaid merits with salaries. Those with great merits will receive generous salaries, and those with great virtues will be honored with courtesy. Therefore, the Duke of Zhou has the task of assisting, and the Grand Master has the function of raising the eagle, opening up the earth, and receiving supplies at the same time. Today, the general has planned a plan that will last ten thousand years, built an unparalleled strategy, eliminated the rebels, subjugated the rebels, and suppressed the people. His achievements are unparalleled. What happened in Qilu is enough to be ridiculed! As the poem goes, "Nothing can be said, nothing can be said, nothing can be repaid without virtue."
Now, with seventeen counties and one hundred and seventy counties in You and Qing prefectures, the king is granted the title of King of Yan, and Zhang Mi, the envoy to guard the festival, is given the emperor's seal and ribbon strategy book, the first to fifth golden tiger talisman, and the first to the bamboo envoy talisman. tenth. There are military matters, and the troops and horses are in charge of Dian, and the generals are built with a command building. The governor of Youzhou and Qingzhou, and the governor of Liaodong, remain as before. Now I add Jun Jiuxi, who respects your orders.
The book goes as follows, "One person is happy, and the people rely on it." He granted amnesty to the whole world and brought about a new beginning. He made it clear to all the prefectures and counties, and the Xian envoys heard about it. I went to the State of Yan to receive an imperial edict and ordered the whole world to prepare for the celebration. "[Note 1]
[Note 1: This edict in the novel is based on the edict of the second year of Jiahe contained in "The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 47, The Second Biography of Lord Wu" and the edict of the second year of Jiahe contained in "Jiang Biao Biography". 】
After Sun Quan drafted this edict, he immediately summoned Prime Minister Gu Yong, Prince Sun Deng, school official Lu Yi, and others to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to discuss the matter.
Sun Quan, Lord of Wu, was extremely excited at this moment. In his blue pupils, he seemed to have seen the unified Wu Jiangshan.
Sun Quan informed the officials that he wanted to send ten more ships loaded with treasures to encourage Gongsun Yuan to join forces with him to send troops as soon as possible. He believed that in this way, he would be in the south and Gongsun Yuan would be in the north. At that time, he would contact Zhuge Kongming and Shu Han. Ke Bineng, Lord of Xianbei, Mobei, and other forces from all sides will be attacked from all sides. The strongest among the alliance countries will surely succeed in taking control of the Central Plains!
But what he didn't expect was that all the ministers in the court, except for his crony and cruel school official Lu Yi, from the Prime Minister Gu Yong to the Crown Prince Sun Deng, all thought that the emperor's reward was too generous, and Gongsun Yuan was not able to do so. Gullible.
"I think your Majesty can just send a few hundred officers and soldiers to escort Su Shu and Sun Zong back to Liaodong. There is no need to send more treasures and nine tins!"
Sun Quan glanced coldly at the tall and handsome eldest son of the emperor, his own crown prince Sun Deng. Over the years, almost all of his decisions have been opposed by him, which also made Sun Quan's attitude toward his son, who was loved by everyone in the court, become worse and worse.
In the end, Lord Wu willfully went against the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty. He resolutely dispatched his important ministers Taichang Zhang Mi, Jin Wu Xu Yan, General He Da, Lieutenant Envoy Qin Dan and others, leading the elite Danyang of Soochow to have ten thousand people, as well as an astonishing amount of gold and treasures, as well as The nine tins, edicts and other things prepared for Gongsun Yuan, who was about to become King Wu Yan, set out to cross Liaodong by sea together with the two envoys from Liaodong, Su Shu and Sun Zong.
Taichang Zhang Mi, Jinwu Xu Yan, Zhonglang General Wantai, General Heda, as well as General Zhou He and Colonel Pei Qian who had arrived in Liaodong before, all the members of the envoy to Liaodong this time are very important. , Zhang Mi and Xu Yan are Taichang and Zhijinwu who rank among the Nine Qings; He Da is the son of the famous Soochow general He Qi, and he is also a young hero with the reputation of "the best general of Soochow".
All civil and military officials in the dynasty felt Emperor Sun Quan's fervent sincerity in connecting Liaodong this time. However, Prime Minister Gu Yong and Crown Prince Sun Deng, as well as General Shang and Jiangling Marquis Lu Yi, who were guarding in Wuchang, all felt an inexplicable sense of suffocation in their hearts.
Everyone is thinking: I hope His Majesty's decision this time is right.
————
Just as Soochow envoys General Zhou He and Captain Pei Qian led a delegation of hundreds of people on the sea, preparing to return south to Jiangdong, they encountered a fierce east wind in winter, and the fleet was forced to gradually move westward. The territory of Wei State drifted away, and the two people who originally planned to stay away from the coasts of Wei State Qingzhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou had no choice but to return south along the coast of Wei State Qingzhou.
I hope I won't be discovered by Wei Jun. The two of them were worried and could only comfort themselves in this way.
At this moment, the well-prepared Wei scouts discovered the suspicious fleet of Zhou He and Pei Qian slowly heading south along the Qingzhou coast.
At the same time, Xia Houxuan had sent Zuo Junbo, one of the Wei envoys, to ride day and night on his "White Bird" horse to deliver Gongsun Yuan's letter to the commander of Tian Yu, the governor of Qingzhou.
In his early years, Tian Yu, together with Cao Zhang, the mighty king of Rencheng, and Xia Houshang, the mourning lord of Changling, went north to annihilate the Wuhuan rebels. In recent years, he also made many expeditions east and west, and he had already become a famous local governor in the Wei Dynasty. This time, he was recommended by his good friend Yang Fu to serve as the governor of Qingzhou, with full authority to handle the affairs of the Wu mission on the East China Sea. Naturally, he did not neglect it.
At this moment, he opened the letter that Gongsun Yuan entrusted Xia Houxuan to send from Liaodong:
"The Commander-in-Chief Ruwu said: Wu envoy Zhou He and other generals are returning to Jiangbiao. The wind is strong at the end of the year and they must be afraid of drifting waves. There is no shore on the east road, so they should go to Chengshan. Yuan Bai, the governor of Liaodong."
After Tian Yu read the letter, he was shocked. After all, Gongsun Yuan was in Liaodong and was so familiar with the terrain of Qingzhou. The boat place was indeed a good place to intercept the Soochow mission. He smiled and patted the bookcase:
"I didn't expect Gongsun Wenyi to be at odds with me. Someone came and sent a mountain of troops to intercept the Wu envoy!"
"only!"
After listening to the governor's order, the generals in the military tent immediately returned to their camps and dispatched the land and water armies. Zhou He et al. and Pei Qian walked cautiously and slowly for more than two hours, and finally arrived at Chengshan. The cold sea breeze made them feel chilly.
But then, the Wei army's flags, shouts, drums, and horse hooves suddenly appeared not far away, which made the two of them feel cold.
"There are enemy troops, defend them! Hurry!"
Zhou He let out a desperate and trembling roar.
Due to the strong east wind, the mission's fleet was forced to the coast and could not retreat quickly. The Wu mission returning south had few soldiers. Therefore, under the sudden ambush of Wei's elite archers and cavalry, the mission's number was Nine out of ten of the hundred men were killed in an instant. When Captain Pei Qian and several soldiers who were well versed in the nature of water saw that General Zhou He had been killed by an arrow, they jumped into the East China Sea with a splash, regardless of the cold water.
