Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Became the Eldest Son of Sun Ce - Chapter 205



Only Noblemtl
Read Novel Noblemtl

Episode 205. Maintenance (7)

The clash between Liang Zhou and Cao Cao’s forces.

Having decided this, I called Gahu and Jangsu the next day.

Both of these people were from Liangzhou and had encountered the forces of Ma Teng and Han Su. Since Liangzhou had to be used, their insight was needed.

The general opened his mouth, bending down with his sturdy physique.

“General, have you called?”

He was currently in charge of training the cavalry of the friendly forces.

Although it is still in its initial stages and there are no notable achievements, it is significant that cavalry is being trained on a large scale in Yangju.

I opened my mouth and looked at the two people in front of me.

“I have called you here because I have something important to ask you.”

Then, Ga-hu, who had the appearance of a middle-aged man of letters, answered with a calm expression.

“Please inquire, General.”

“I want to discuss the situation with Liang Zhu, but you are the only people who come to mind. Would you please answer to the best of your knowledge?”

Gahu said with an embarrassed expression.

“…Although So-Gwan is from Liangzhou, he lives far away, so I only know the surface. If you want more detailed information, General Jang (General) would be more knowledgeable than So-Gwan.”

When I thought about it, what Gahu said made sense.

Among the friendly forces, the region closest to Liangzhou was Nanyang Commandery.

The person who stayed in Namyang County until recently was Jangsu.

I turned my gaze to the general.

“General Zhang, then I will ask you first. Can you tell me what you know about the current situation in Liangzhou?”

Then, the current situation in Liangzhou flowed out from the general’s mouth.

Most of it was as I was told.

Currently, Liang Zhou was being ruled by ten generals called Guan Zhongzhai.

Among them, the most powerful force is Hansu and Ma Chao, who succeeded Ma Deng who retired.

Madeng, who handed over his life to Macho, is said to be living a leisurely life in seclusion at his family home.

At this point, I vaguely thought that Ma Deng would have relied on Cao Cao’s forces, so I felt a subtle sense of distortion.

‘… Is this the butterfly effect of Cao Cao taking over the court?… After all, the court is in Jianye, so why would Ma Teng surrender to Cao Cao’s army?’

The owner of the Central Plains has not yet been completely determined.

Cao Cao, who had enemies on all sides, was worried that if he pressed Ma Teng too hard, even Liang Province would turn into an enemy. Because he was worried about this, he seemed to have put off recruiting Ma Teng.

I felt a slight bitterness in my mouth as I felt the unexpected twist. The aftermath of the emperor’s recapture had reached even far away Liangzhou.

‘… Am I the only one who doesn’t know that Ma Chao is a bastard who is as bad as Yeo Bu? This is a bit disappointing.’

Meanwhile, Jang Su’s explanation continued.

“Among these, Han Soo’s forces are the strongest, but his old age is a flaw in that his power is in danger. They are now called the Guanzhong Generals, but in the end, it is obvious that they will each survive on their own.”

“I see… I understand for now. General Jang, you should go back since this is enough for you. Isn’t there still a lot of work left to do?”

Then the general looked at me and Gahu with a subtle expression and lowered his head.

“Yes, General. Then I will step aside.”

As the general left the office, I looked at the family in front of me.

And I asked Gahu directly, who pretended not to know anything.

“Just in case, do you have any idea what I’m trying to do?”

Then Gahu answered with a look of ignorance on his face.

“…I don’t know what you are talking about….”

“Don’t pretend not to know in front of me. I even sent General Jang out so that you could speak comfortably. I just wanted you to say what you saw.”

Then, Gahu’s eyes trembled and then he sighed faintly and closed his eyes.

“The general summoned So Gwan and General Jang to discuss Liangzhou… This must be related to Liangzhou. However, considering the distance between Liangzhou and our army, war is impossible.

In the end, after erasing various numbers, what remains is… . I can only think of it as a long-distance relationship or a murder by a car.”

Borrow the power of others to defeat your enemies.

It was a wise answer from Gahu who saw through my inner thoughts to some extent.

I was so impressed by the meticulousness of the performance that I found myself applauding.

Clap clap clap―

“Great job, it’s you.”

but.

There is no way that Jiahou, who was considered a great general, could have foreseen only this.

“Haven’t you seen further? I’d like to hear that too.”

When I looked at Gahu and smiled, he answered with a helpless look in his eyes.

“…Are you thinking of writing it yourself?”

“Haha, since we’ve come this far, let me tell you more. How can we defeat Liang Zhou and Cao Cao’s forces?”

“…If you want to move the silent Liang Zhu, you will have to pay a suitable price.”

At Gahu’s words, I frowned and thought hard.

‘Out of these, the only one that can move is… . Is it only Macho? If you want to make this guy move… .’

At that moment, I suddenly thought of Macho and the reclusive Madang.

Macho, who inherited the things of Madeng. Is he really in complete control of his power?

Probably not. As long as Madeng is alive, Macho will not be able to escape Madeng’s influence.

‘Even if others don’t know, I know your unfilial nature. I guess you probably don’t want to see Madeng remain in Liangzhou.’

A macho, unfilial son, unlike a filial son like me, would not be able to stand seeing his father standing over him.

Why would the macho of Yuan history covet the emperor’s safety even at the risk of Ma Deng’s death?

After all, isn’t it to create new power?

Looking at this, the saying that power cannot be divided even by bloodline was correct.

After finishing my thoughts, I spoke with a smile on my face.

“…What if Ma-deung and his family were to be brought into Geon-eop? What would Macho do then?”

Gahu, who had been thinking quietly, answered calmly.

“Even if he is my father, power cannot be shared. From a macho standpoint, he can push his father out of Liangzhou and plunder the Guanzhong, so he will accept it if possible.

And when Macho steps forward, the other generals will step forward one by one. Then Hansoo will also intervene.”

I smiled faintly at Gahu’s tacit confirmation.

Although they were called the Gwangjeonjes, they were ultimately a gathering of bandits. They were not the type of people to just watch other forces grow stronger.

And if all of these move, Cao Cao’s army will also have to risk its life.

What if we further focused on looting rather than occupying?

No matter how powerful Cao Cao’s army was, it was clear that they would have difficulty subduing the Liangzhou cavalry.

‘I just wish I could buy some time until my allies finish their lyricism…’

After discussing with Gahu, I immediately wrote a letter and delivered it to Heo Hyeon.

With this, I will prepare countermeasures against Cao Cao’s forces in case of my absence… .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * Read Korean Novel * *
* * * Noblemtl dot com * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

‘Now all that’s left is….’

I had to wrap up the upcoming negotiations with the gas station manager.

***

I met and became friends with Nosuk, Yuyeop, and Janghong, who had arrived at Geonup after a long time.

Moreover, these were people who had been pushed out of the central government because of Sun Ce. Appropriate compensation was a given.

There was just one worry.

Nosuk and Yooyeop were still young and energetic, but somehow Jang Hong’s health was noticeably deteriorating.

Of course, if it were modern times, it would have been far from old age, but this was not modern times. Rather, if he had lived to Jang Hong’s age, it would have been safe to say that he had lived a long life.

I was worried about Jang Hong’s health, so I gave him some precious medicinal herbs… but it was uncertain whether they would be effective.

‘… I put too much effort into restoring Seoju. I pushed myself too hard because it was my hometown… tsk.’

The reason why Xuzhou, which was in disarray because of Cao Cao, became prosperous again.

Many officials, including Zhang Hong, worked hard to restore Xuzhou, and as a result, Xuzhou regained its original land.

I was satisfied that Seoju had regained its former prosperity, but on the other hand, I felt a little bitter because it seemed like Jang Hong had sacrificed his life to restore Seoju.

‘I have to keep going somehow… Is it difficult now?’

But I couldn’t just brood over the regret.

The Western Expedition is fast approaching.

***

The Great Hall of the Imperial Palace.

In the grand hall stood the ministers of construction, and the emperor sat on the throne.

And the moment I made eye contact with the Emperor, I noticed a subtle change in him.

‘It’s changed a little… .’

After the Empress was driven out, the Emperor, who had been lying there like a corpse, showed his motivation for the first time in a long while.

Of course, I don’t know who caused the emperor to change like that.

Now that the vassals who followed the Emperor have been largely purged, who would be the one to incite the Emperor like that?

There was only one person.

I burst out laughing as I remembered that person’s face.

‘I guess my warning was a joke… I’ll kick you out as a couple later.’

But as a powerless emperor, he would just open his mouth and wait for an opportunity.

‘… I tried to persuade Joo-yu first and then tell him that I would participate in the lyric contest… but it didn’t work?’

Since it had come to this, I had to prepare to fish for the emperor first.

At that moment when the room became quiet, I threw out the bait.

“Your Majesty, I too would like to participate in this expedition, so please give me the order.”

Then the emperor blinked in disbelief, then quickly regained his composure and spoke.

“Are you really saying that the General will participate in the Western Expedition?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As expected, since it was a matter that I had decided on impromptu, the confusion of the surrounding officials was visibly apparent.

Finally, Goong narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

“…General, Seo Jeong has already been appointed as the Governor-General of the province, so why do you want to participate in the war? Seo Jeong is more than enough as the Governor-General of the province, so please change your mind….”

At first glance, Goong’s tone of voice feels like it was said with me in mind.

But if you look at the reality, that’s not the case.

‘Now, the only people the aristocrats can cling to are Zhou Yu and Taishizi. However, Taishizi is far away in Cheongju, and he is my loyal subject…’

Now, in order to check my authority, which was as tall as Mt. Taishan, the powerful families needed at least a hill to stand on.

Of course, in a case like this, the hill they were using as a bait was Juyu.

Since Juyu was a great noble from Yangju and was a great contributor within the army, they must have thought him qualified.

That was why the officials from the Yangju aristocracy, including Goong and Jeon Yu, subtly expressed their opposition.

But the emperor seemed to be deaf to their objections.

It was only natural. As the emperor, my letter would have seemed like a golden opportunity to separate me and Zhou Yu.

The emperor spoke to his subjects with great anxiety, perhaps worried that I might withdraw my decision at any moment.

“…Oh, you guys, be quiet. The general has made up his mind.”

The emperor then continued speaking, trying hard to hide his smile.

“Ahem, if that’s what you want, General, then go ahead and do it.”

Of course, as someone who can clearly see how the political currents in Daejeon are unfolding…

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Their every word and action felt insignificant.

‘… It would be more efficient to find a way to persuade the gas station owner.’

***

And a little later.

Zhou Yu, who had been staying in Payang, heard the news of the news and appeared in Jianye a few days later.

Zhou Yu’s expression was stiff, unlike his usual gentle demeanor.

As soon as he saw me, he blurted it out.

“Is the rumor I heard true?”

If it were normal, I would have joked around and said, “What’s the rumor?”

Looking at Joo-yu’s stern face, it seemed like there was no room for that.

“If you mentioned the war of lyricism…. Yes, it is true.”

Then, in an instant, Zhou Yu’s expression became distorted with anger.

The reason he acts like a wild animal that has been robbed of its territory.

As he had only dreamed of lyricism, he probably wanted to contribute to the unification of the South and leave behind a brilliant reputation.

But what if I suddenly intervene and say I want to participate in the lyricism?

I guess I’ll feel like my rice bowl has been taken away from me.

This is especially true since Zhou Yu turned his back on Sun Ce to protect him. However, if he had told the truth about his reasons for going to war, he would have been treated as a weakling who relied only on fortune telling.

‘Hmm… If I were to persuade Joo-yu… Is it just a case of emotional appeal?’

If you look at the last time when I mentioned Sun Ce, it seems that Zhou Yu is reminiscing about Sun Ce a lot, whether he knows it or not.

In other words, he had to show his Sun Ce-like side and persuade Zhou Yu.

Of course, it is difficult for me, who is in contrast to Sun Ce from start to finish… .

But I had to do it.

In that brief moment, I spoke arrogantly, having made all the judgments.

“…Ikju is the land that I, Son So, will rule in the future. Those born and raised in that land must follow the orders of this Son So. Wouldn’t it be strange not to participate in the war?”

It was truly uncharacteristic of me.

But as soon as he finished speaking.

Zhou Yu’s eyes, which had been burning with anger as fuel, became calm.

Read Novel Noblemtl
Read Novel Noblemtl