Chapter 91 In this case, Shao took his aunt Da Qiao to Xiangyang
Liu Wu listened to Pang Tong saying that Cao Cao was sending envoys to Zhang Lu, and that he should also recruit Zhang Lu.

Why did Liu Wu feel that he might be able to take Hanzhong without bloodshed and make Zhang Lu surrender?
There is actually precedent for this.

Because in history, after inheriting his ancestral business, Zhang Lu not only continued to spread the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, but also successfully established a regime that combined politics and religion in the Hanzhong area.

During Zhang Lu’s reign, the Hanzhong area was relatively stable. He won the support of local people through a series of policies that benefited the people, such as setting up charity houses to provide free food and drink to pedestrians, educating people to be honest and not cheat, and granting three pardons to lawbreakers.

He fought many times with Liu Yan, governor of Yizhou, and his son Liu Zhang due to conflicts of interest, and finally succeeded in seizing control of Hanzhong.

After Cao Cao unified the north, Zhang Lu chose to surrender instead of fighting to the end when faced with Cao Cao’s army approaching.

Although this decision caused Zhang Lu to lose his ruling power in Hanzhong, it also won him favor and trust from Cao Cao. He was granted the title of General Zhennan and Marquis of Langzhong, and was granted a fief of 10,000 households.

The main reasons why Zhang Lu chose to surrender rather than resist Cao Cao are as follows:
The power disparity: Cao Cao had unified the north at that time and was powerful, with abundant military forces and resources. In contrast, although Zhang Lu’s power in Hanzhong was stable, it was difficult for him to compete with Cao Cao.

Yangping Pass fell. This failure made Zhang Lu realize the difficulty of continuing the resistance.

Political considerations: Zhang Lu may have believed that surrendering to Cao Cao, as the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, meant submitting to the imperial court, which would be more beneficial to his personal and long-term development in the Hanzhong region.

There is also Cao Cao’s preferential policy: History records that Cao Cao gave Zhang Lu generous rewards after his surrender, such as being appointed General Zhennan, being granted the title of Marquis of Langzhong, and all five of his sons being granted the title of Marquis. These preferential treatments may have attracted Zhang Lu to choose to surrender.

Therefore, Zhang Lu’s choice to surrender to Cao Cao was based on many considerations including power comparison, political considerations, Cao Cao’s preferential policies, and personal factors.

Strictly speaking, Zhang Lu was not a stubborn local emperor.

This guy has a sense of weighing the pros and cons.

“Well, Kong Ming, go and ask His Majesty to appoint Zhang Lu as the General of Zhennan and Marquis of Langzhong, with a fief of 10,000 households, so that he can surrender and cut off the possibility of him joining Cao Cao!”

Liu Wu pondered for a moment and quickly replied to Pang Tong.

“General Zhennan, Marquis of Langzhong, with a fief of 10,000 households!”

When Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong heard about the treatment Liu Wu gave to Zhang Lu, they couldn’t help but look at each other, and they were surprised by such generosity.

However, Zhang Lu of Hanzhong is a local lord after all. If they can capture Hanzhong, it will be very important to them.

They also felt Liu Wu’s courage.

“Yes!” Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang responded to Liu Wu.

Zhuge Liang acted quickly. When Liu Xie learned that Cao Cao dared to issue a manifesto, he was furious and thought of the scene when he was under house arrest in Xu Du.

In the past, Liu Xie did not hesitate to write an imperial edict in blood and handed it to Dong Cheng. Dong Cheng hid the edict in his belt and joined forces with Zhong Ji, Wu Shuo, Wang Zifu, Liu Bei, Wu Zilan and others to murder Cao Cao who had held him hostage.

But eventually the truth came out.

Dong Cheng and his gang were executed, and the pregnant Concubine Dong was executed, so he was kept under even stricter surveillance.

If Liu Wu had not sent people to rescue him, he would probably still be like a bird in a cage.

Liu Xie followed Liu Wu’s instructions and asked a group of people to write and curse Cao Cao.

【Manifesto】：
At that time, the Han Dynasty was in trouble, treacherous heroes were rampant, and Cao Cao was indeed the thief who caused chaos in the country. Now I raise my arm and call out to the world, enumerating the crimes of Cao the thief in detail to set the record straight.

Cao Cao, a common man, harbored rebellious thoughts and was extremely treasonous. He even dared to hold the emperor hostage to control the princes and treat the majesty of the Han Dynasty as if it were nothing. Such behavior is nothing short of wolfish ambitions, which are obvious and unacceptable to the world.

What’s worse, Cao was so cruel and merciless that he forced the pregnant Concubine Dong to death, cutting off the royal bloodline. Such evil deeds were infuriating to both humans and gods, and were intolerable to heaven. He also imprisoned the emperor, putting him in prison, which was truly an unprecedented shame and humiliation.

Now Cao has occupied the imperial capital Luoyang again, attempting to usurp the throne and overthrow the Han Dynasty. As subjects of the Han Dynasty, how can we sit idly by? I hope you will join us in this righteous act, destroy Cao, restore the glory of the Han Dynasty, comfort the spirits of our ancestors, and bring peace to the hearts of the people.

When the manifesto arrives, I hope that you will bravely take the lead and fight against the traitors together to rectify the way of heaven and restore the Han Dynasty!
Announce it to the world, and the envoys will hear about it.

【Signature】: Emperor of the Han Dynasty
The orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty was announced to all directions.

This manifesto was written by Zhuge Liang.

Although the number of words is short, it is concise and directly expresses the main points. It can be said that if this manifesto is spread, Cao Cao will be humiliated and everyone will condemn him.

After reading the manifesto, Liu Wu also cheered loudly, and then immediately ordered someone to spread the proclamation throughout the country.

Sure enough, after the Xiangyang manifesto spread, noble families and common people from all over the country denounced Cao Cao as a traitor to the country.

……

Luoyang City, Sikong Mansion.

“What a great manifesto! What a great manifesto! It has relieved Cao Cao’s headache.” Cao Cao held the manifesto from Xiangyang in his hand, stroked his half-white beard, and laughed heartily.

Cao Pi, who was standing nearby, was puzzled when he saw this scene and was hesitant to speak.

It was Xun Yu who frowned.

“Pi’er, you don’t understand why your father can laugh when he is scolded like this by the emperor?” Cao Cao asked Cao Pi.

When Cao Pi heard Cao Cao’s question, he bowed respectfully to Cao Cao and said:
“Father, I really don’t understand. You know, the emperor personally issued such a manifesto, which is like a bolt from the blue. I’m afraid that everyone in my Cao family will want to kill us.”

At this time, Cao Pi still respected Cao Cao very much.

Cao Cao listened to Cao Pi’s question and smiled:

“If you don’t laugh, can you cry? Pi’er, when father killed Concubine Dong, he knew that he had to do this and he had to be ruthless. The royal family is useless, such as Emperor Ling, and the emperors before Emperor Ling, who were all incompetent. The princes of the Han Dynasty were all ambitious. If father had not been ruthless and seized power from the emperor, I’m afraid that the emperor would have been killed by Guo Si, Li Que and others in Chang’an and Luoyang, and even the Han Dynasty would have perished.”

While Cao Cao was speaking to Cao Pi, his eyes were looking at Xun Yu.

It’s more like he was talking to Cao Pi.

It would be better to say that Cao Cao was talking to Xun Yu.

When the emperor’s edict arrived, Cao Cao realized that he would probably be hunted down and killed by the people of the world.

However, Cao Cao knew clearly that there should be no chaos within the party.

And the person he needed to stabilize was Xun Yu.

Cao Cao naturally knew that Xun Yu was inclined to be loyal to the Han Dynasty.

Sure enough, after Cao Cao finished speaking, Xun Yu, who had been silent all this time, relaxed a little.

Xun Yu hesitated for a moment, but still bowed to Cao Cao and said:

“I am delighted that Sikong has the heart to serve the Han Dynasty. However, if one day, there are only two armies in the world, Sikong and Liu Wu, a relative of the Han Dynasty, facing each other, would Sikong be willing to lead his people to join the court?”

After Xun Yu asked this question, he felt that all his energy had been drained, and his eyes were fixed on Cao Cao.

Xun Yu waited for Cao Cao’s reply.

The question Xun Yu asked Cao Cao contained many complex reasons and considerations.

Xun Yu was born into a famous family in the Eastern Han Dynasty. His family had served as officials for generations and was deeply influenced by the Confucian idea of ​​loyalty to the emperor. His loyalty to the Han Dynasty was deeply rooted, and reviving the Han Dynasty was his lifelong goal and belief. Therefore, in his conversation with Cao Cao, he maintained an attitude of maintaining the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty. He asked Cao Cao whether he was willing to lead his people to surrender to the court, which was actually to test Cao Cao’s attitude towards the Han Dynasty and whether Cao Cao intended to replace the Han Dynasty.

In fact, Xun Yu had always had expectations and doubts about Cao Cao. He joined Cao Cao not blindly, but based on his recognition of Cao Cao’s ability and understanding of Cao Cao’s original intention.

He believed that Cao Cao had the ability to pacify the world and support the Han Dynasty.

However, as Cao Cao’s power continued to grow, Xun Yu gradually felt Cao Cao’s ambition and desire for power. He was worried that Cao Cao would eventually take the path of usurping the Han Dynasty and establishing himself.

Therefore, when the emperor’s edict came, he felt as if he was struck by lightning. He used this question to test Cao Cao’s true thoughts.

As a top strategist of the time, Xun Yu had a deep insight into the political situation at the time. He realized that as Cao Cao’s power expanded, Liu Wuding, a relative of the Han Dynasty, might become Cao Cao’s rival.

He asked Cao Cao whether he was willing to lead his people to surrender to the court, which was actually making plans for the future.

If Cao Cao could remain loyal to the Han Dynasty, then everything would be fine.

But if Cao Cao intended to usurp the Han Dynasty, then Xun Yu could not accept this.

In the hall, Xun Yu’s heart was already filled with helplessness when he asked this question.

Cao Cao was also stunned when he heard what Xun Yu said.

He didn’t expect Xun Yu to ask so directly.

However, Cao Cao did not avoid it. Instead, he looked at Xun Yu and suddenly laughed:

“Wen Ruo, are you really sure that Liu Wu is loyal to the emperor and the royal family? Do you think Liu Wu will be the same as Liu Yan, who proposed to restore the provincial governor system?”

“This?!” When Xun Yu suddenly heard Cao Cao compare Liu Wu to Liu Yan, his expression changed instantly and his face became gloomy.

More than ten years have passed since Liu Yan proposed to restore the system of provincial governors. Looking back now, Liu Yan’s proposal to restore the system of provincial governors put the Han Dynasty on the brink of national destruction.

The restoration of the provincial governor system led to a rapid expansion of local power. The provincial governor became the actual leader of the local area, combining administrative, military and financial powers in one person, which seriously weakened the court’s control over the local area.

Local fiscal and tax revenues gradually became detached from the imperial court, and the national treasury became increasingly troubled.

Local separatist forces are on the rise.

The provincial governor had almost independent power in the local area. He began to recruit soldiers and expand his influence, and evolved into a warlord who ruled a certain area.

From the current perspective, Liu Yan’s proposal to restore the provincial governor system laid the groundwork for the demise of the Han Dynasty. The rise of local princes and the exile of the emperor, if Liu Wu had not come out of nowhere, the emperor would still be under house arrest.

All of these are closely related to Liu Yan’s original proposal to restore the provincial governor system.

Liu Yan, on the other hand, was better. He proposed restoring the provincial governor system, became the governor of Yizhou, and ruled a region. Although on the surface he was a relative of the Han royal family and a pillar of the Han Dynasty, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was a traitor.

Now, hearing Cao Cao comparing Liu Wu to Liu Yan, Xun Yu was speechless for a moment.

“Wenruo, don’t worry. Cao will eliminate the heroes and welcome the emperor back to the imperial capital Luoyang!” Cao Cao saw that Xun Yu’s face became uncertain, and knew that Xun Yu’s heart had settled down again, so he said to Xun Yu.

“Yes!” Xun Yu took a deep breath and bowed to Cao Cao.

Even now, Xun Yu still believes that Cao Cao has the ambition and ability to support the Han Dynasty.

Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes were fixed on the manifesto again and his brows were furrowed.

……

Just when Cao Cao was feeling humiliated because of the emperor’s edict.

Sun Shao, who had already arrived in Pengcheng, the capital of Xuzhou, also received an imperial edict summoning him to report on his work.

Xuzhou and Pengcheng are provincial governors’ offices.

Sun Shao, who was about fourteen or fifteen years old and looked very heroic, sat in the main seat.

In the hall.

Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, Zhu Zhi and a dozen other civil and military officials gathered together.

In terms of the luxury of the lineup, this is already ranked first among the princes in the world today, and it can even be said that it is second only to the lineups of Cao Cao and Liu Wu.

It can be said that Sun Shao took away almost all of Sun Quan’s elites.

At this time, Sun Shao was holding the imperial edict, but he was a little suspicious and said:

“The emperor has issued an edict, asking me to go to Xiangyang to report on my work. Do you think I should go?”

Listening to Sun Shao’s words, Zhou Yu, who was standing in the first position, raised his eyebrows slightly and said:
“My lord, you were appointed by the emperor. How can you disobey the emperor’s order? In addition, the governor of a state should also report to the emperor when he takes office.”

After a pause, Zhou Yu’s brows relaxed completely and he said:

“Liu Wu asked the emperor to confer the title on the lord in order to divide the power of the Marquis of Wu. Naturally, he would not harm the lord. Otherwise, the forces in Jiangdong would probably merge again. Therefore, there is no danger for the lord to go to Xiangyang.”

Zhou Yu spoke very confidently. In fact, Lu Su and Zhou Yu had already discussed in detail the division of Sun Quan’s power into two.

That is, Liu Wu wanted to split Sun Quan’s forces, prevent them from posing a threat to Xiangyang, and prevent them from joining forces with Cao Cao.

Zhou Yu was certainly not stupid, and he agreed with Lu Su’s analysis.

However, even though Zhou Yu knew that this might be Liu Wu’s plan, he still followed Sun Shao to Xuzhou.

Zhou Yu believed that as long as Sun Shao used him, he would help Sun Shao reach the heights of his father Sun Ce again.

As for Sun Quan, to be honest, Zhou Yu did not think that the other party could compare with Sun Ce’s bloodline.

Sun Shao, who was sitting in the main seat, felt relieved after listening to Zhou Yu’s words. He still trusted Zhou Yu very much.

However, Sun Shao hesitated again and asked:
“The General of the Cavalry also sent a message to me. He said that Aunt Shangxiang still has a conflict with him. He wants you to go to Xiangyang as well. Let you have a good talk with Aunt Shangxiang and persuade her whether you should take me with you.”

Sun Shao asked again.

When everyone heard what Sun Shao said, they fell silent. They naturally knew that the aunt Sun Shao was talking about was Da Qiao.

A group of brothers and sisters, Da Qiao is Sun Ce’s wife.

Da Qiao was able to persuade Sun Shangxiang if she came forward.

Zhou Yu hesitated for a moment, then said:

“It should be Liu Wu’s idea that His Majesty summoned the Lord this time. Liu Wu probably wants to get closer to the Lord, cultivate a relationship, and win over the Lord.”

Zhou Yu saw it very carefully and understood Xiangyang’s strategy at a glance.

“I think Da Qiao should go. Miss Shangxiang gave birth to a son for Liu Wu, so we are already a family. Naturally, we are closer. Xuzhou is newly established, and there are only 30,000 soldiers. Although they are elite soldiers, they are still too few. It will take time and a lot of food and supplies to expand and train the army. Liu Wu occupies several states, so there should be no shortage of food. This time, my lord, you should take the opportunity to ask for it.”

Zhou Yu taught Sun Shao without leaving any room for his explanation.

Sun Shao heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Zhou Yu’s words and said:
“Well, in that case, Shao will take his aunt Da Qiao and a man of good words to Xiangyang to meet the emperor and ask for food from the general of the cavalry!”

(End of this chapter)