Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Became the Eldest Son of Sun Ce - Chapter 190



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Episode 190. Justification (6)

Hwanggaegun barracks, Mulinggun, Hyungju.

In fact, the conquest of Hwanggae’s Muling Bay has reached its final stage.

The Murung tribes were rampant throughout the Murung County. Among them, the leader of one of the most prominent tribes, Sima Ga, surrendered.

Of course, he was called the King of Kings, but he was not the king that all of Mu Ling served. However, his tribe and influence were so great that he was called a king.

So now that Sima Jia has surrendered, it is only a matter of time before other tribes surrender as well.

The dog opened his mouth in a voice filled with admiration.

“As expected, Han Seung, your talent is outstanding! In the past, Son Hyung-ju used you so much that I was hesitant… Looking back, Son Hyung-ju’s insight was right on the mark!”

Huang Zhong shook his head slightly at Huang Gai’s praise.

“How could this achievement be attributed only to the general? It is all thanks to General Hwang’s trust in the defense of the camp and his entrustment to the general.”

Then, Hwang Gae said with a satisfied smile on his lips.

“Haha, stop gilding this old man’s face. More importantly…. Even if you didn’t bother to go through the trouble of subduing him, you were able to suppress him for a long time and make him come down on his own…. I can’t help but be amazed.”

This was a blockade tactic that Son So had previously used against the Sanwol tribe. This tactic was known and had no choice but to be used.

Given the circumstances, plundering was out of the question. But was the Muling tribe the only one that would just farm?

Mu-Ryung, who was blinded by the easy and quick means of plundering, had no intention of doing anything like farming.

Mu-Ryeong-Man, who was in a dilemma, made a decision.

Rather than starve to death, he attacked the Huang Gai Army in order to fight to death. However, in the end, only Mu Ling was defeated and began to surrender to the Huang Gai Army.

Hwang Gae was very satisfied, as it seemed like his hard work of nearly a year was bearing fruit.

“Haha, you can look forward to the rewards for this achievement. I’m sure that His Majesty Son Hyung-ju will give you a big reward!”

“…I am just grateful for your words.”

While Hwang Gae and Hwang Chung were chatting away like this.

An urgent voice from outside the barracks broke their story.

“General Huang, this is a messenger from Jianye! This news is urgent, so you must confirm it!”

When he heard the news of Geonup’s payment, Hwanggae frowned without realizing it.

Because I had been exposed to so many of Sun Ce’s nonsense, even the news of Jianye was tiresome.

“…Bring it. What on earth is it that your lord is giving you….”

But this time, the content was heavy, no, I couldn’t express it in those words.

Hwang Gae’s face hardened as he read the bamboo slip with a frown. Soon, he spat out a voice mixed with regret, sighs, and disbelief like phlegm.

“…If my lord leaves like this, how can I, an old man, face the sight of Oh Jeong-hu?”

Nearly ten years. It was true that I was dissatisfied with Sun Ce’s politics. However, that did not mean that I wanted him to die in an instant like this.

“…Why are you so surprised?”

In response to Huang Zhong’s question, Huang Gai calmed his complicated feelings and spoke briefly.

“…The general passed away and Son Hyung-ju took over his position.”

Huang Zhong’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected remark.

“Your Majesty…!”

“Yeah, I guess I’ll have to go to the construction site myself. Can I leave the cleanup to you?”

“…Of course, General.”

The letter containing Sun Ce’s urgent message soon spread throughout Sun Zhao’s territory.

And then, the generals of the Son family who heard the news rose up one by one.

Their destination, of course, was construction.

***

February 210.

Yangju Danyang-gun Geonup-hyeon.

The General’s Conference Room.

As Zhou Yu said, the scattered generals of the Son family began to gather in groups of three or five at Jianye.

If it had been a minor matter, they wouldn’t have gathered in such a hurry… But was Sun Ce’s death a minor matter?

Unlike the civil officials who directly experienced the rebellion in Jianye, for the military officers guarding the border, it was like their lord suddenly changed. They must have wanted to see the rapidly changing situation in Jianye with their own eyes.

More than anything, he probably wanted to properly meet me, the successor to Sun Ce.

‘You must have also been curious about the suspicions surrounding Sun Ce’s death.’

A dozen or so generals gathered in the conference room of the General’s Office. Their expressions were proof of this.

From the first generation of veterans of the Sun family who ran breathlessly for a thousand miles starting from Zhou Yu, to the generals who were actively employed by Sun Ce.

They were giving off a unique vibe in the quiet silence.

I opened my mouth, looking straight into their swaying eyes.

“There are some familiar faces… and some I haven’t seen in a long time.”

The former were familiar faces he had met in Xingzhou, and the latter were Sun Ce’s loyal generals.

Then, the information that belonged to the left of the Son family generals opened its mouth.

“…My lord, there is something I wish to ask you.”

Information is something that even the most seasoned of experts cannot treat lightly.

Even Sun Ce, who was like a scoundrel, treated him with respect, calling him Jeong Gong.

Knowing this, I said with a smile on my face.

“Yes, Your Majesty, please speak freely.”

“… How did our former lord pass away? I only heard a brief account of it in a letter… But since I am here, I would like to hear it directly from your own lips.”

The expression on the face of the person who mentioned this was calm, but his eyes were burning intensely. It was as if he could not tolerate even the slightest suspicion.

But it didn’t matter. As for me, I just had to tell the truth.

‘… and I have no intention of being dragged around in the battle for leadership with the generals because of the suspicions surrounding Sun Ce’s death.’

I let out a faint sigh and opened my mouth with a pretended dark face.

“…Kwon, that guy joined hands with the local aristocrats of Yangju, including Bokwan, and plotted a rebellion. He tried to seize the palace while the general was away. Then, I used my family’s private soldiers and the power of the governor of Zhou to suppress the rebellion.”

At that moment, Dongseup, who had been listening silently, asked in an indifferent tone.

“My lord, I have a question for you. How did Admiral Zhou’s troops end up stationed near Jianye?”

The moment he was about to answer, Zhou Yu intervened with a calm voice.

“…I had already discussed this with my uncle. At that time, I had stationed troops to help with the defense of Jianye. Is there a problem?”

“No, the two of you have already discussed it, so why would the director make an issue of it?”

I glanced at the gas station with surprised eyes.

Actually, I didn’t think Zhou Yu would help me so actively. However, if I thought about it a little, I could roughly guess Zhou Yu’s intentions.

‘… Well, if Sun Ce were alive, then it would be different, but Sun Ce is dead. In that situation, if I, who has the same dream as him, get caught up in some gossip… Zhou Yu’s future would be bleak.’

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I opened my mouth, looking into the eyes of each of the elders in the audience.

“After suppressing the treason, I headed straight to Samsan. There was a group of people occupying the mountain who were trying to harm the general, and I suppressed them.

After that, I searched and searched the three mountains and finally found traces of the general. When I followed the traces and entered the cave, I found that the general had called only me.

Then the general left me several wills: one was the endless glory of the Son family, and the second was revenge on the Yeongcheon Gwak clan.”

At the word revenge, the eyes of the generals became sharp like well-polished swords.

Information asked with narrowed eyes.

“If you say Yeongcheon Gwak clan….”

“Cao Cao’s strategist, Guo Jia. If he didn’t incite the local powers to harm the general, what else could he have done?”

In fact, the generals who were deeply troubled by the idea that all of this was Cao Cao’s scheme became indignant without anyone saying anything first.

“Guo Jia, you idiot! I even overlooked you when you were talking about the general before, and yet you dare to kill the general!”

“This bastard deserves to be torn to pieces! My lord, just give me the order! I will kill that bastard Guo Jia and present him to the spirit of my former lord!”

I spoke calmly to the angry generals.

“The blood letter that the great general wrote in the cave and his pure resentment still remain in this Son So’s heart. And one more thing, the lord ordered Lee Sul to ambush Samsan, but he was in Bangsan.

So after I executed him, I punished the Lee family for disobeying the commander’s orders. The family was spared, but it will be difficult for them to enjoy the same glory as before.”

After finishing my explanation, I continued speaking to the elders present.

“This concludes my explanation. As for the subjugation of the nobles and the execution of rebels… anything that is too embarrassing to mention is at my discretion. So, are there any of you who are curious about something else?”

Then, Jang Heum, who had been listening quietly, spoke with reddened eyes.

“Do you think that the person who harmed your ancestors is Guo Jia?”

“…I’m not a party to the case, so I don’t know the full story. But if the General pointed him out, there must be a reason, right?”

“…I see. That’s right.”

The generals’ questions poured down like rain.

Is it true that Sun Ce summoned only me before he died? If so, can you prove it?

Most of the generals who asked quite sharp questions were those who were loyal to Sun Ce.

I answered their questions squarely, tapping the seat of my chair with my finger after each answer.

As the sound of knocking filled the room, I spoke coldly, wiping away my smile.

“Jeong Gong, if you think about it, isn’t that a little presumptuous?”

“…yes?”

“In fact, I think this explanation itself is not right. In other words, do you really think you can dare to make such a statement in front of your ancestors who are crying so much right now?”

Then, the faces of the generals who had been asking for information and earnestly asking questions gradually hardened.

“…My lord.”

“For example, my ancestors have questions about Oh Jeong-hu’s death, so please explain.”

Then, several generals who had been asking sharp questions just a moment ago suddenly shut their mouths.

In a time when filial piety was considered the most important thing, asking this question could be seen as asking, “Aren’t you an unfilial son?”

If he had asked Sun Ce such a question, it was obvious that he would have been beaten and dragged out by an enraged Sun Ce.

When I pointed this out, the boiling atmosphere among the generals cooled down.

They also had been secretly guessing it.

I was still young, so I didn’t have any intention of looking down on them, so I knew that they were at the forefront of the relationship between the ruler and his subjects.

“…So, did this Son So commit any unfilial acts toward the great general? If so, then tell me. What unfilial acts did this Son So commit toward the late great general?”

A boiling voice disguised as calm resonated desperately throughout the General’s Office.

At that, the generals’ faces showed a look of confusion.

I continued speaking, oblivious to their surprised expressions.

“If you think about it, isn’t it funny? Yes, your suspicions are all justified.

But, you see, your current master is the living Son So, not the dead general. But… why do you still seem like your ancestors to me?”

The generals who had been displaying bravery just a moment ago answered in a discouraged, hoarse voice.

“No, my lord! I was rude.”

“I was so flustered that I committed a transgression, my lord. Please forgive me.”

I took the initiative and hummed with a clear sneer.

“When I think about it, it’s truly astonishing. I’ve gone to great lengths to eradicate the rebellion and wipe out the traitors in Yangzhou, and all I get in return is suspicion?

If it is as you suspect, then this Son So is a traitor who went along with the murder of his father? No, rather, isn’t it more courageous that this Son So is still alive? This is too bad. He should have died with the previous general, but he is still alive.”

As I spoke of death mockingly, the generals, regardless of age or experience, kicked their chairs and banged their heads on the floor.

The lord privately mentions death in front of the general who has sworn loyalty to him. What kind of general would just say, “Well, that’s how it is,” and let it pass? This could easily be seen as disloyalty.

The generals, who had fallen to the ground, shouted in unison.

“No, my lord! How could we have conceived such a wrong idea?”

“It is truly a stroke of luck that the Sun family can continue to carry on the great feat thanks to the master’s outstanding talents!”

“My lord, please forgive the rudeness of these wretched subordinates!”

I looked down at them indifferently and opened my mouth.

“…Since you say so, I will not mention this unpleasant matter any more.

One, you must remember clearly that your master is this Son So!”

““I thank you, my lord, for your utmost kindness!””

For the time being, no one will doubt that Sun Zhao was involved in Sun Ce’s death.

I have explained myself sufficiently, and objectively speaking, I was a contributor to eradicating the traitors.

Even if there were, the generals who bowed their heads in front of them would not stay still.

‘Now there is no one within the kingdom who can raise suspicions about Sun Ce’s death. If other forces raise suspicions, they will all be dismissed as secret plots.’

Of course, later historians may have subtle doubts when looking at a series of records… .

That was a matter of later generations. To be honest, it was none of my business.

***

The power of the base army.

The seat of the Prime Minister, Gwak Ga.

– Assassination of Sun Ce, succession of Sun Zhao. Currently, there is a strong suspicion in Jiangdong that General Guo was involved in this assassination.

It’s shocking enough that Sun Ce is dead, but what kind of stupid news is this?

After reading the spy’s report, Guo Jia spoke in a rare, absent-minded voice.

“I… was involved in Sun Ce’s assassination? When exactly?”

Guo Jia thought for a moment about whether he had really ordered such an assassination.

And Guo Jia, who was certain that he had never given such an order, shouted at him.

“Who are you! What kind of bastard tried to harm this Guo family! I won’t let that happen!”

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