“King Chu!”

As Pang Tong finished speaking, several important figures in Jingxiang, including Cai Mao, Huang Zu, Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, and Kuai Yue, all became agitated in the hall.

The eyes of Liu Wu and Zhuge Liang, who were sitting in the main seats, lit up instantly.

Pang Tong looked at himself and said something that made everyone excited. He smiled and said:
“Sun Quan had a very clear plan. Before, the lord led his troops to Puyang, thinking that Xiangyang was no match for Cao Cao. Therefore, he sent troops from two directions to respond to Cao Cao. However, Sun Quan did not expect the lord to defeat Cao Cao’s cavalry so quickly. He was worried that we would settle accounts with him later. Therefore, he proposed to the emperor to make the lord a king, hoping that the lord would not settle accounts with him.”

“And Sun Quan’s strategy is brilliant. He is helping the Lord to be crowned king. In fact, this is an urgent matter for us. Whether it is the Lord’s achievements or virtues, as well as his ability to intimidate the princes of the world, it is time for him to be crowned king. However, we cannot do this ourselves, lest the emperor feel bad. Sun Quan made this suggestion to stop us from sending troops to Jiangdong.”

“I think we should take advantage of the situation and accept the title of King. However, we should not follow his suggestion of King of Jingxiang, but ask for the title of King of Chu.”

“If the lord is promoted to the King of Chu, then his position will be extremely important.”

Pang Tong bowed solemnly to Liu Wu.

quiet!
There was silence in the hall.

However, everyone’s face was filled with excitement.

Zhuge Liang hesitated for a moment, then bowed to Liu Wu and said:

“My lord, what Shi Yuan said is correct. Since we are discussing the issue of conferring a title of king, then, looking at the various princes during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the King of Chu is indeed the most suitable. Not only was he the most prosperous king, but during the heyday of the Qin State, the territory he governed was also extremely vast.”

Zhuge Liang also began to persuade Liu Wu.

“General, the King of Chu is suitable. The territory is vast. I, Cai Mao, also agree to promote him to the King of Chu.”

Cai Mao immediately expressed his position.

Next, Huang Zu, Mi Zhu, Jian Yong and others in the hall all spoke up, persuading Liu Wu to ascend to the throne of King of Chu.

In fact, among all the kings, other kings, such as the King of Han, the King of Qin, the King of Qi, and the King of Yan are not inferior to the King of Chu.

However, both the King of Han and the King of Qin were taboos. After all, Liu Wu was now a Han minister and was not trying to rebel. Calling him the King of Han or the King of Qin was too ugly and would affect his personality and reputation.

However, if we consider the King of Chu from another perspective, he is something to look forward to, that is, the vast territory of Chu during its peak period.

Historically, if the peak territory of the Chu State during the Warring States Period is compared with the prefectures and counties of the Han Dynasty today, it can roughly include the following parts:
Jingzhou: One of the core areas of the Chu State during the Warring States Period, corresponding to the Jingzhou of the Han Dynasty today, including Weixing County, Shangyong County, Xincheng County, Xiangyang County, Nanxiang County, Nanyang County, Jiangxia County, Changsha County, Lingling County, Wuling County, Guiyang County, Hengyang County, Jianping County, and Nan County.

Yuzhou: During the Warring States Period, the State of Chu expanded to southern Henan. This area now belongs to Yuzhou in the Han Dynasty, and is under the jurisdiction of Chenjun, Runanjun, Anfengjun, Yiyangjun, Yingchuanjun and other counties.

Yangzhou: During the Warring States Period, the territory of the Chu State expanded eastwards, and some areas later became today’s Yangzhou, especially Kuaiji County and Danyang County in the south of Yangzhou, which overlapped with the original territory of the Chu State.

Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou: Although the main sphere of influence of Chu during the Warring States period does not directly correspond to Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou in the Han Dynasty today, during the heyday of Chu’s territorial expansion, its eastern border approached or touched these areas. Therefore, it can be assumed that some of the marginal areas of these states may have been influenced or controlled by Chu during the Warring States period.

Therefore, if he seeks the throne of King of Chu for Liu Wu, as long as he has powerful military force in his hands, Liu Wu’s orders can be issued legitimately to the six states of Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Yangzhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou.

During the Warring States Period, the territory of Chu State was very vast at its peak. However, Chu State did not become the strongest vassal state at that time. There were many other reasons. Among them, the most critical reason was that although Chu State had a vast territory, the development level of the southern region was relatively low. The southern region had many primitive forests and swamps, which were difficult to develop. Compared with the Central Plains region with fertile land and a large population, the economic foundation was relatively weak.

However, during the Warring States Period, the degree of development of the Chu State’s territory was low. If we draw the Chu State’s territory again today, it is highly developed. Among the six states of Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Yangzhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou and Yanzhou, which one is not a big and prosperous state?

Therefore, if one obtains the throne of the King of Chu, the corresponding territory of Chu alone will occupy half of the Han Dynasty!
Sun Quan will also be a minister under Liu Wu’s rule. If he disobeys, he can be beaten however he wants and it will be justified!
Liu Wu, who was sitting in the main seat, was very moved after listening to what everyone said. He thought that the position of King of Chu was indeed suitable for him.

However, even though he wanted to be called the King of Chu, he couldn’t say that.

“There is no need to say more about this matter. Whether to confer the title of king is decided by the emperor. How can we discuss it?”

“However, these two members of the Sun family, Sun Quan and Sun Shao, have gone too far. They kept making small moves when this general was on the expedition. They need to be taught a lesson!”

Liu Wu avoided the topic of the King of Chu when everyone suggested it, and instead talked about the two Suns, appearing very angry.

In the hall, a group of civil officials and military generals listened to Liu Wu’s words and immediately understood what Liu Wu meant.

They looked at each other and understood that it was not convenient for Liu Wu to take part in the matter of conferring the title of king.

Zhuge Liang stood up and bowed to Liu Wu, saying:

“My lord, Cao’s army was badly defeated. Sun Quan even told you to avoid him. Sun Shao relied on you to ascend to the position of governor of Xuzhou. When you sent out troops, you should show your strength and deter them from easily becoming our enemy. Of course, our army fought with Cao’s army on two fronts, and the loss of food and supplies was great. It is not advisable to start a war again.”

Liu Wu understood Zhuge Liang’s meaning and ordered:

“Order Gan Ning to lead 3,000 heavily-armored cavalry to Xuzhou. All armies should pretend to be dispatching troops and ask Sun Shao to hand over Zhou Yu. Let’s see what Sun Shao has to say.”

After a pause, Liu Wu’s eyes flashed with a strange color, and he said:

“If Sun Shao hands over Zhou Yu, I will take Zhou Yu and his family back to Xiangyang!”

“promise!”

When Pang Tong heard the order conveyed by Liu Wu, he bowed and understood that the order would be arranged.

“Okay, I just came back today and I’m a little tired. You all can go back too.” Liu Wu waved his hand and said to everyone.

Upon hearing this, everyone bowed to Liu Wu and turned to leave.

Looking at the backs of everyone, Liu Wu showed a happy expression on his face.

It has to be said that Pang Tong’s suggestion to be named King of Chu just hit the spot for Liu Wu.

If he were promoted to King of Chu, it would be a huge leap in class and status for him, and on the surface he would be second only to Emperor Liu Xie.

But he will be above all the princes including Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Sun Shao, Liu Zhang, etc.

Moreover, his personal power will also increase greatly, and he will make more transformations to the existing territory and power. If he had taken over the six states in Guandong before, because his banner was to restore the Han Dynasty, with Liu Xie’s banner, it would be difficult for people to distinguish whether these six states belonged to him, Liu Wu, or to the Han Emperor.

However, if he is promoted to King of Chu, then according to the former territories of Chu State, the six states of Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Yangzhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou and Yanzhou will all be his personal territories. As long as it is publicized to the outside world that the former territories of Chu State were these, then everything will be clear and there will be no misunderstanding. They belong to him, Liu Wu.

In this way, occupying half of the country will be able to better demonstrate the power of Liu Wu.

It can be said that what made Liu Wu happiest was Pang Tong’s proposal of the King of Chu.

Of course, what Liu Wu was also looking forward to was bringing Zhou Yu’s family back from Xuzhou.

Zhou Yu’s family, including Zhou Yu, Xiao Qiao and his son.

Among them, the ones that Liu Wu was most concerned about were undoubtedly Xiao Qiao and Zhou Yu.

During the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, there was a beautiful woman named Xiao Qiao, who was famous for her peerless beauty and talent. As the wife of Zhou Yu, a famous general of the Eastern Wu Dynasty, Xiao Qiao’s beauty and wisdom coexisted, and she became a legend of this era.

Xiao Qiao was born in a family of officials in Wan County, Lujiang Prefecture. Her father was Qiao Xuan, a famous general in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Qiao Xuan was an upright man, and his family was also quite prestigious in the local area. Growing up in such a family environment, Xiao Qiao received a good education and training since childhood. She was gifted and proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, especially good at music and playing the piano well.

However, Xiao Qiao’s beauty is her most striking feature. She has a face like a peach blossom, eyes like autumn water, a straight nose, red lips and white teeth. Whenever she appears, she always attracts everyone’s attention and amazement.

In history, even Cao Zhi at that time was amazed by Xiao Qiao’s beauty.

The marriage between Xiao Qiao and Zhou Yu was a match made in heaven. Zhou Yu was a famous general of the Eastern Wu. He was handsome and talented in both civil and military affairs, and his talent and beauty complemented Xiao Qiao’s. After they got married, they had a deep affection and supported each other. In that turbulent era, they became a couple that people envied.

Now Da Qiao is already in the residence of the General of Cavalry.

Liu Wu was also very interested in Xiao Qiao. This was because it was not only Xiao Qiao’s own beauty that attracted him, but also because Xiao Qiao was a top historical beauty who could help him get another sign-in reward for a military unit.

Of course, Liu Wu was also very covetous of Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu was an outstanding military strategist, politician, strategist, and also a famous general of the Eastern Wu.

He was born in Lujiang Zhou family, the son of Luoyang magistrate Zhou Yi, his great-grandfather Zhou Jing and his uncle Zhou Zhong were both Taiwei, one of the Three Dukes. He was tall, handsome, and good at music. There is a saying that “Zhou Lang looks back when there is a mistake in the song”, which shows that he was a graceful military commander.

Zhou Yu had outstanding military talents. In history, he participated in many important battles, the most famous of which was the Battle of Chibi. In this battle, he advocated resistance against Cao and personally commanded the Wu army, using fire attack tactics to defeat Cao’s army and lay the foundation for the division of the world into three parts. In addition, he also led his army to defeat the coalition forces of Cao Ren and Xu Huang in the Battle of Nanjun and successfully captured the important military town of Jiangling.

Zhou Yu was also very wise in politics. He assisted Sun Quan in consolidating his regime and proposed many important strategic policies, such as suggesting that Sun Quan occupy Jiangnan and watch for changes with his troops, and establishing the strategic policy of “separating Jiangdong and establishing an independent country”. He was also good at handling the relationship between Dongwu and other forces, and established an effective alliance with Liu Bei to jointly fight against Cao Cao.

Obviously, Zhou Yu was an outstanding figure who possessed military talent, political wisdom and personal qualities.

To be honest, Liu Wu really wanted to have such a capable general who was both civil and military, and was worthy of being appointed as a general. He was salivating over him.

However, at this time, even Liu Wu was not sure how he should treat Zhou Yu.

If Zhou Yu could join his army, Liu Wu would be willing to welcome him.

But would Zhou Yu be willing to serve him? Liu Wu was not sure.

Because Zhou Yu is very loyal to the Sun family, even if Sun Shao hands over Zhou Yu’s family to Xiangyang this time, will Zhou Yu serve him?
Xiao Qiao was Zhou Yu’s wife, and he was also drooling over her. If Cao Cao were in his position, what would he choose?

“This matter is still unknown, but I must get one of the two!” Liu Wu said coldly with his eyes flashing.

……

For several days in a row, Liu Wu defeated 100,000 Cao’s cavalry. Liu Wu’s great bravery made the people of Xiangyang City talk about it, and the rumors became more and more outrageous. Some said that Liu Wu killed more than a dozen Cao’s soldiers with a wave of his hand. Later, some people said that Liu Wu could kill people with just a breath.

Liu Wu’s reputation grew in Xiangyang City.

But there were people in the palace who were unhappy.

The palace, inside the main hall.

“King of Chu, they want to ask for the title of King of Chu for Liu Wu and restore the territory of Chu. Why don’t they ask the King of Han?”

Liu Xie said hurriedly with a flushed face.

In the hall, Yang Biao and Fu Wan both frowned when they heard this.

After a long while, Yang Biao sighed and said:

“Your Majesty, now that Liu Wu has defeated Cao Cao, his reputation has spread all over the world. His contributions are so great, and he has the blood of a relative of the Han Dynasty, so it is inevitable that he will be crowned king. However, to crown him the King of Chu, and to restore the territory of Chu, is a matter of great importance, so this move is indeed excessive.”

“This is more than excessive. Liu Wu is just being arrogant. He has conquered half of the country and wants to be the King of Chu today. If he really unifies the world one day, then I will have no choice but to abdicate!”

Having said this, Liu Xie also sat down in his seat, looking somewhat unwilling and helpless.

As early as in Nanyang, Liu Wu had actually made his attitude clear, but in the end, he still could not give up the throne passed down from Liu Hong.

“Let’s put this matter aside for now. I want to see how many people support his advancement to the position of King of Chu!” After a long time, Liu Xie said weakly and sadly.

After experiencing Dong Zhuo, Li Que, Guo Si and Cao Cao, Liu Xie is no longer as impulsive as before.

If it is really inevitable and unstoppable that Liu Wu could be promoted to the King of Chu, he should choose to compromise, right?
As the King of Chu was mentioned, Zhuge Liang, Cai Mao, Mi Zhu and others began to take action.

Under their instigation or suggestion, the heads of counties and prefectures in Youzhou, Jizhou, Qingzhou, Yuzhou, Yanzhou and Jingzhou reported to the emperor one after another that Liu Wu had made outstanding contributions and should be named King of Chu, lead troops and wipe out the princes. Memorials and proposals poured into Xiangyang like snowflakes.

On the other side, Gan Ning led 3,000 heavy cavalrymen in iron-red armor, which had been replenished to 3,000 men, and marched to the border of Xuzhou in a mighty manner. At the same time, Liu Wu’s army in Runan was also moving towards Xuzhou, and the whole of Xuzhou was in a panic.

(End of this chapter)