Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Became the Eldest Son of Sun Ce - Chapter 124



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Episode 124. Afterlife (2)

Unlike his relaxed face, Gahu’s mind was thoroughly organizing reasons to persuade the general. In fact, there was nothing to organize. Even if it weren’t for this gloomy situation, if you look at the state of the world, it would be strange if they didn’t surrender.

After finishing organizing the matter in his head, Gahu spoke with a calm expression.

“In the past, I gently suggested to the general that Captain Cho surrender. Do you remember?”

Then, the general furrowed his brows and searched his memory. In the past, when Gahou had mentioned surrender, flashed through his mind.

“I vaguely remember. But after the Heo Hyeon raid, didn’t the Ga military cancel their offer of surrender?”

“Yes, that’s right. Having been deprived of the emperor, Zhao Sagong lost his reputation as a great advocate of the heavenly kingdom.

“Surrendering to Captain Cho in such a situation would be tantamount to making us all traitors, so I quickly declined the offer to surrender.”

“The reason you’re saying that now… is it perhaps to persuade me to surrender again?”

When Jang-su understood what he was saying, Ga-hu nodded and said.

“That’s right, General.”

Then the general frowned.

As a general, I would not want to listen to a suggestion for surrender. However, since I had just ignored Ga-hu’s advice and suffered a great loss, I should at least listen to the whole story this time.

“Okay, go ahead, soldier. Tell me something. But if you say something ridiculous, I won’t let you off easy.”

Despite Jang-su’s cold tone, Ga-hu opened his mouth with his eyes shining brightly.

“First, let me ask you, General. Are you satisfied with the way Yoo Hyung-ju is being treated now?”

Then the general paused and replied curtly.

“…Huh, Yoo Hyung-joo’s treatment, doesn’t even the military know that it’s always not that great?”

“That’s it. First, the treatment of our troops, including the general, will be better than before. It’s incomparable to what it is now.”

The wrinkles on Jangsu’s face deepened as he was struck by the unbelievable claims.

How can their treatment change so much just because they surrender?

“Oh, why is that?”

“Son So-gun is originally stationed in Gangdong. Gangdong is far from the north, so horses are precious. If our troops were to surrender to Gangdong in such a situation… Will Gangdong treat us with respect? Or will it treat us poorly?”

The general nodded at the plausible reason. Then he spoke in a slightly more relaxed voice.

“…Is that the only reason?”

“How could it be otherwise? The only legitimate government army in the world right now is Sun Ce’s army. The reason this war broke out was because of Liu Hyung-ju’s reputation. But why did Liu Hyung-ju lose his reputation?

It is because Yu Hyung-ju, in the past, disrespected the imperial authority without even knowing the subject. Even though it was a situation where it would not be enough to bow to the emperor and beg, Yu Hyung-ju saved his face in front of the imperial order. Do you think Yu Hyung-ju, who defied the emperor, can last long?”

Gahu’s elegant speaking skills continue from word to word.

Even Hoger, who had been glaring at Gahu earlier, was lost in Gahu’s voice.

It was the same for Jang-su. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of being possessed by a ghost.

Listening to Gahu’s words, there were enough reasons to surrender, but he couldn’t just give in. So he asked again, with a vengeance.

“…I, I’m not saying that the military is wrong. But why should I surrender to them now?

“Isn’t the enemy commander Son So too young? Of course, I think his potential is high, but….”

Ga-hu snorted inwardly at the attitude of the general who treated Son-so like a child. Didn’t you come to your senses even after being scolded so harshly earlier?

‘I’m sorry, but he’s not the kind of person you should be arguing with.’

Gahu raised his gaze to the sky and spoke with a sigh.

“General, they are too old to serve under Jo Sa-gong and Yoo Hyung-ju. Above all, there are too many flaws in the cause to follow them.

Rather than disobeying the imperial command in the future, I think it would be better to surrender to Son So-gun now and seek proper fame and fortune.

Above all, the general has harmed the eldest son of the former general, Jo Sa-gong. In the past, due to the attack on Heo Hyeon, most of Jo Sa-gong’s sons were unable to produce successors.

“The only thing left for Master Cho is his young son. Whenever Master Cho sees his young heir, he will surely think of his son, the late Master Cho Ja-su (Jo-ang). If that happens….”

The one who killed Cao Cao’s eldest son, Cao Ang, was none other than Zhang Xiu.

As a human being, whenever Cao Cao saw his successor, he would definitely think of the dead Cao Ang.

The general was completely captivated by Gahu’s persuasive speech.

“…That’s right. Every word you said is correct.”

Gahu just smiled faintly as he looked at those who had been persuaded.

A moment later, a messenger from Jangsu-gun carrying a letter of surrender galloped toward Yanganseong.

***

When the news of Jangsu-gun’s surrender reached them, the ministers turned their gazes toward me. It seemed as if they remembered that just a few hours ago, I had insisted that there was no need to worry about Jangsu-gun.

In particular, there was even a slight look of shock in Sim Woo’s eyes.

“I have heard of your reputation many times in the past, but this time it is truly shocking. How did your lord predict their surrender?”

How can I say that I saw through Ga-hu’s personality early on, even though I had never met him before? I can only laugh and let it pass.

I said with a slight smile.

“Don’t give me too much credit. I just thought I could surrender.”

Then Sim Woo looked blankly for a moment, then nodded his head and answered.

“…Please be prepared in case this is a false surrender. They are the ones who once struck the back of the head of the commander with a false surrender. I think it wouldn’t hurt to strengthen your defenses.”

I don’t think Gahu would be the kind of person to falsely surrender.

The world has already begun to tremble. Although Cao Cao is attacking Ji Province with increasing momentum, there will be a limit to this.

Cao Cao is getting old, and Cao Cao’s successor is still young. In other words, the gap of time separating these two is very wide.

When will the aging Cao Cao be able to pacify the Central Plains? Our allies won’t be able to just sit back and watch.

But if I say this out loud, wouldn’t it hurt Sim-woo’s reputation, who worked so hard to speak for me?

“If that’s what you think, I’ll leave the defense of the castle to you, so make it strong.”

“Understood, my lord.”

***

As expected, Jangsu Army was ready to surrender completely.

Jang-su entered the Yang-an Fortress with only an escort of about a hundred men, perhaps to avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion.

To the left and right of the leading general were an ordinary-looking middle-aged man of letters and a sturdy general.

At first glance, someone who doesn’t know would probably look more at the magnificent general on the right than at the ordinary-looking middle-aged man of letters. But I couldn’t take my eyes off that ordinary-looking man of letters.

‘They say that the most fearsome thing is the extraordinary in the ordinary, and Ga-hu is actively putting that into practice! Who in the world would think that this ordinary man of letters is Ga-hu who turned the crowd upside down with just one scheme?’

The thought was fleeting.

I opened my mouth and greeted them warmly.

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“Hahaha, General Jang surrenders! I’m really dependable! Let’s do well in the future!”

As I greeted him brightly, the general’s tense face began to relax little by little.

“No, I am just grateful that Your Majesty Son Shin-an accepted my surrender. From now on, I will be as loyal to You as a horse and an ox, so please use me as you wish.”

Jangsu-gun is an army that lived in the desolate Liangju.

In other words, they were people whose reputation was well-known for their strong military force. If they had not used the Sanwol tribe, they would have been pushed back helplessly.

As such, the usefulness of Jangsu-gun was very high.

I smiled broadly and said to the general.

“Haha, how could I treat you carelessly? Since you have surrendered to me, you are my people. I will not easily abandon my people, so don’t worry too much.

Now, let’s stop here and quickly enter the banquet hall. Shouldn’t you keep in mind today when you devoted yourself to your allies?”

As I guided the general and his men to the banquet hall, their stiff expressions gradually relaxed.

The sight of the alcohol and meat in abundance in the splendid banquet hall made their eyes widen. Soon, completely disarmed, they relaxed and drank their glasses.

While the generals and their subordinates were enjoying the comfort of the banquet hall.

I took advantage of the opportunity to approach a middle-aged man of letters who looked like an ordinary person and spoke.

“…So what do you think? Do you think I’m a tree that you can build a nest in?”

Today, for the first time, the question my lord asked me out of the blue after only meeting me briefly.

If he were the culprit, he would have hesitated and hesitated to say something. But Gahu was different. He answered with a bitter smile.

“… Several years ago, I heard a rumor that there was a prodigy in Gangdong who could read people’s minds.

And everyone who knows the story knows that the prodigy is Son Shin-an. Of course, there are those who dismiss this as a rumor… .”

In that moment, Gahu’s eyes flashed with intelligence and then died down.

“…That story wasn’t just a rumor. You’re truly amazing.”

“What, are you surprised by something like that? Even someone who doesn’t know English can guess who a person is by looking at their footsteps. I, too, have only guessed by fitting together your various actions.”

“…I, the incompetent Sogwan, can only admire Son Shinan’s talent. I just ask that you continue to encourage Sogwan in the future.”

Even though his true intentions were revealed, he only praised himself and did not mention himself. This was a way of speaking that was very popular at the time.

I looked straight into Gahu’s eyes.

Only then did Gahu look at me with a blank expression, his ordinary impression gone.

The moment the expression on Gahu’s face disappeared, I began to see Gahu’s extraordinary nature.

In those sad eyes, there was a sharp gaze like a famous sword.

The corners of his lips, which had been smiling faintly, turned into a straight line, revealing a quiet seriousness.

‘This is it, Kahu.’

I am not one to be crushed by seeing one more famous person. I have suffered many times from Sun Ce, and there are famous people in Jiangdong.

So now I don’t get discouraged just because I see one more extraordinary person.

“Don’t you like a flame that can die out in an instant? Do you want to live quietly like flowing, meandering water, rather than a fire that turns everything to ashes?

If you want to live like that, then make some meritorious achievements. If you do that, I will help you live like that.

“How about a life where you just pretend not to exist and give advice when you need it?”

A person who can become more ruthless than anyone else in the world in order to survive alone.

But when given the right to survive, he is the one who remains silent more than anyone else.

A person who seeks only survival rather than a just cause in his heart.

He was Gahu.

After a while, Gahu’s eyes, which had been quiet, began to move for the first time.

Gahu, who had been swinging his pendulum left and right, finally closed his eyes. And then Gahu spoke.

“…You really are good at reading people. I don’t know how Your Majesty the Son could have foreseen my humble desires….”

At that moment, Gahu’s sharp gaze turned towards me.

“It’s an offer I can’t just refuse. I’ll accept it.”

After finishing speaking, Gahu smiled faintly.

***

October 206.

Near Yanganhyeon, Yeonam-gun.

News of Son So-gun’s attack on Yeonam-gun.

This immediately shook Xu Xuan. The people longed for Sun Ce’s army, who had distributed food supplies in the past, but the nobles did not.

Rather, like Sun Ce in the past, if Xu Xian was occupied, the local aristocrats were worried about what would happen.

As the anxiety of the Xu County aristocrats grew by the day, Jeong Wook, who was in charge of Xu County’s internal affairs, requested that Xiahou Dun go to war.

As a result, Xiahou Dun, together with the young general Liang Zhu, advanced to rescue the Yang’an Commandery.

Although Xiahou Dun was the general in charge of supply, he was also a general. It was impossible for him to not know the importance of this war.

‘Not even Sun Ce, but that young son of yours dares to invade the Yeo-nam Commandery!’

Xiahou Dun, who was mainly responsible for distribution, had reason for his confidence.

The first reason was that the enemy commander was young, and the second reason was that the enemy was from Gangdong. It was common knowledge that soldiers from Gangdong were weaker in land warfare than those from the central plains.

Moreover, during the Xu Xian occupation, not only the Zhao clan but also the Xiahou clan men were humiliatingly castrated. When Xiahou Dun saw his precious young sons holding their lower bodies and crying out in pain, he felt as if he had been castrated himself. Whenever he thought about that time, Xiahou Dun could not control his anger and shuddered.

‘Sun Ce, you tried to wipe out our Xiahou clan, so I will do the same to your son!’

Meanwhile, Jeon saw Xiahou Dun, who was acting all arrogant and stubborn, and gave him advice.

“General Xiahou, how about increasing the number of scouts? With so few scouts, it will be difficult to gauge the enemy’s location.”

However, it was not Sun Ce himself, but his young son who was the opponent. Xiahou Dun, who regarded Sun Zhao as just a young boy, could not possibly listen to him.

“Oh my! Increase the number of scouts against that little kid! If we do that, won’t our forces’ advance south be delayed?

“The opponent is not a Won family member, but a young Son family member. I think this is enough for a scout.”

It was only natural that increasing the number of scouts would delay the army’s advance south. With revenge imminent, Xiahou Dun rejected the previous proposal out of hand.

Meanwhile, Yi Jeon was embarrassed by Xiahou Dun’s arrogant words, but he could not bring himself to remonstrate with him again.

As the best general in Cao Cao’s army, Xiahou Dun’s achievements were so significant that no one dared to speak of them.

In the end, Xiahou Dun focused on advancing rather than reconnaissance and advanced south.

Xiahou Dun arrived at Yang’anseong with an eerie murderous aura, vowing to kill anyone who blocked his way.

Even he couldn’t help but be bewildered when he saw the enemy troops stationed at Yanganseong. He had heard the report, but the enemy troops waiting for them were far more numerous than he had expected.

“No, wait a minute? Why are there so many enemies? And didn’t you say they were Gangdong guys? Those guys who ride on ships? Why are there so many cavalrymen!”

The number of enemy soldiers guarding both sides was too many.

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