novelAbuy Chapter 15 is all about loyalty.
Chapter 15 is all about loyalty.
Zhuge the Villager...
Li Yan cursed inwardly.
You oppose sending more troops, and you won't give me the money. Don't I have any dignity?
"Your Majesty, I request that the commanderies of Ba, Baxi, Badong, Fuling, and Jiangyang be unified under one administration and a state of Ba Prefecture be established to defend against Eastern Wu."
"I have no money!!"
"Your Majesty, I request permission to establish my own government and govern..."
"I have no money!!!"
Li Yan's expression suddenly changed, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
"Prime Minister Zhuge, do you know what you just said?"
Zhuge Liang calmly questioned, "Governor Li, do you know what you just said?"
The two were locked in a fierce battle, neither willing to back down.
"The division into five prefectures and the establishment of Bazhou was to form a barrier to protect the eastern gate of Yizhou."
"Establishing a government office to discuss matters will facilitate the mobilization of funds, provisions, and troops in the five prefectures."
"In this way, we can advance to resist Eastern Wu, retreat to a place as solid as a rock, and also support Hanzhong. It is beneficial in every way and without any harm."
Is it all beneficial and without any harm?
Zhuge Liang snorted coldly and said seriously, "The five eastern commanderies of Yizhou have convenient waterways, strategic terrain, and ample troops. The merger of these five commanderies will undoubtedly divide power, allowing them to seize the mountains and become local warlords, which already pose a threat to the court."
"If we were to establish a prefecture and allow it to govern itself, it would inevitably create a second power center, making it impossible to unify government orders."
"Is Protector Li trying to use his military power to strengthen his own position?"
To hold military power and become arrogant!
What a serious crime!
The Dongzhou faction, led by Li Yan, immediately jumped out and engaged in a fierce debate with the Jingzhou faction, led by Zhuge Liang.
"Before his death, the late emperor entrusted his son to Protector-General Li to assist the new emperor and oversee military affairs both inside and outside the capital. Yong'an bears a heavy responsibility; how can we not take it seriously?"
Yong'an is strategically located, serving as the eastern gateway to Yizhou, but ultimately it is merely a fortress. In the event of war, surrounding counties can provide rapid support; what then is the point of unified command?
"The late emperor established a temporary palace in Yong'an and strengthened its defenses, facing Eastern Wu across the river, clearly intending to establish a secondary capital and confront Sun Quan. Protector-General Li, respecting the late emperor's wishes, is to govern the five eastern commanderies of Yizhou to resist Sun Quan. What is wrong with that?"
Currently, the world is divided into three powers: Cao Wei is strong, while Han and Wu are weak. Therefore, alliance is the only option, not confrontation. Once an alliance is formed, Yong'an will serve as a defensive garrison, eliminating the need to expend manpower and resources to build a secondary capital.
"Jingzhou has been lost, and Yizhou has no buffer zone left. If Sun Quan attacks in the future, Yong'an will be the first to bear the brunt. Prime Minister Zhuge Liang has not sent reinforcements to Yong'an, nor has he allocated funds to strengthen the defenses. He has also not allowed Protector Li to open his office and hold meetings. He is hindering us at every turn. How are we supposed to defend against the enemy?"
[Yong'an is a strategically important location; the key to its defenses is quality, not quantity, with Jiangzhou as the main base. Therefore, when the late emperor retreated to Yong'an, he strengthened the fortifications at the front and amassed a large force in Jiangzhou. The defenses were heavily fortified at the front and less so at the rear, with a lighter troop deployment at the front and a heavier deployment at the rear. In the event of an emergency at the border, the large army stationed in Jiangzhou could be deployed downstream to provide relief.]
"Since we're discussing defense, why did the Prime Minister's office reject the petition to strengthen Yong'an's defenses? What exactly are you trying to do?"
The Prime Minister's residence belongs to the imperial court, not to our Prime Minister Zhuge. Last year's war expenditures have completely depleted the national treasury's reserves. This year's tax revenue is projected to be only 150 million bushels. If all of this is used to support Yong'an, what about the military defenses of Hanzhong, the pacification of the southern regions, and the irrigation and agricultural development of various counties? Which of these doesn't require funding?
The two sides argued fiercely in the court, but Liu Shan sat calmly on the dragon throne, his face as still as a lake.
Let's argue, let's argue!
As the saying goes, the more ministers quarrel, the more secure the throne becomes.
If you all stop arguing, it makes me, the emperor, feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles.
"quiet!"
Huangmen Shilang Dong Yun's loud and clear voice instantly drew everyone's attention back to Liu Shan.
"Your Majesty, the Eastern Wu has a blood feud with you. My petition is in accordance with the late Emperor's last wishes."
Li Yan believed that Liu Shan was young and had no experience in governing the country. Therefore, when the two sides were at an impasse, he spoke first, using the "blood feud" to bind Liu Shan and make him side with him.
Zhuge Liang, fearing that Liu Shan's mind was not firm enough and that he was easily controlled, quickly said, "Your Majesty, times have changed. Jingzhou has been lost, and confronting Eastern Wu has meant losing the initiative. Right now, we can only form an alliance to show goodwill, not confront them. Otherwise, if we force Sun Quan to ally with Cao Pi, our Han Dynasty will be in danger."
After Sun Quan assassinated Guan Yu, he intended to ally with Cao Wei to advance westward and conquer Shu, thus dividing up the Shu territory.
Therefore, he appointed Zhou Tai as the governor of Hanzhong.
"Sun Quan recently inflicted a major defeat on Cao Ren at Ruxu, causing Cao Ren to die of guilt. How could such a deep-seated hatred lead to an alliance?"
"That is precisely why Your Majesty needs to make peace with Sun Quan, alleviate the pressure on the eastern border, restore production, strengthen military preparations, and proceed gradually."
"The late emperor built the palace in Yong'an precisely to prepare for the future recapture of Jingzhou. I foresee that Wei and Wu will inevitably wage war again for control of the Yangtze River, which will be the perfect opportunity for Your Majesty to recapture Jingzhou and avenge your defeat. You should prepare as soon as possible."
"This is absurd. In the Battle of Yiling, our navy was almost completely wiped out. Eastern Wu not only possessed the natural advantages of waterways and terrain, making their defenses impregnable, but their navy was also strong. Building our navy would have taken us a long time and a lot of effort, as well as money and supplies. How can we possibly advance eastward?"
Zhuge Liang's words hit the nail on the head.
Establishing a navy is costly and time-consuming, and given the current strength of Shu Han, it simply cannot afford to do so.
Cao Wei controlled two-thirds of the country, yet still could not conquer the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, demonstrating the formidable advantage of the Eastern Wu navy in terms of terrain and popular support.
When Liu Bei was defeated and retreated to Yong'an, he had 20,000 elite troops transferred from Jiangzhou by Zhao Yun, 5,000 reinforcements from Ba Commandery by Ma Zhong, and the remaining troops that Liu Bei had gathered himself, totaling about 40,000 troops.
With 40,000 troops, Liu Bei only dared to hold his ground and did not dare to counterattack, which shows that it would be very difficult to take back Jingzhou.
"If we don't reclaim Jingzhou, we'll be stuck here forever. How can we then talk about reviving the Han Dynasty and fulfilling the late emperor's wishes?"
"The restoration of the Han dynasty is certainly important, but it must be done in accordance with the opportune time."
"Then may I ask Prime Minister Zhuge, what is meant by 'the opportune time'?"
"The time is not right. To oppose Sun Quan now would be the act of a reckless fool."
"Is this an excuse the Prime Minister makes out of fear of Eastern Wu, or does he intend to seize absolute power?"
"Isn't this just Protector Li supporting the bandits to enhance his own power?"
Seeing that neither side was willing to back down, and the atmosphere in the court was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, Liu Shan knew that it was time for him to step in and ease the tension.
"Prime Minister, this is too serious. To harbor bandits for personal gain is a grave crime, one that Protector-General Li cannot bear, can he?"
Zhuge Liang realized he had gone too far, and immediately bowed to Liu Shan.
"I have spoken without thinking, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me. But what Governor Li requested today is, to put it bluntly, a move that sows discord within the Han Dynasty. Your Majesty should reconsider."
A smug smile flickered across Li Yan's face.
It seems the new emperor is still on my side.
Before he could speak, Liu Shan asked first, "Governor-General Li, if I reinforce Yong'an with troops, can we retake Jingzhou in one fell swoop?"
Li Yan was stunned for a moment.
At that time, Liu Bei's elite army was defeated by Lu Xun. Now, even if all the country's troops were committed, it would be impossible to take back Jingzhou.
He simply wanted to use the pretext of a counter-offensive to legitimately expand his territory.
Unexpectedly, the new emperor asked such a sharp question, which was undoubtedly putting him on the hot seat.
"Your Majesty, Sun Quan has strengthened the defenses of Jingzhou, making it extremely difficult to conquer..."
With just two short sentences, Liu Shan took control of the situation.
"Both the Chancellor and the Protector-General Li were appointed by the late Emperor as regents to assist the new dynasty. I do not believe in any of their claims of monopolizing power or harboring bandits for personal gain."
"The Chancellor and the Protector-General, one in charge of internal affairs and the other in charge of external affairs, are simply different in their actions and thoughts, but both are loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty."
"There are no treacherous or wicked people!"