Episode 402. The Invisible Enemy (1)
“It is said that Sun Ce scattered his troops to various provinces to subdue the ruler, but we also have many soldiers scattered in Jizhou and Yuzhou, so it is difficult to gather a large number of troops.”
“How about moving the imperial guards and my brother’s Xuzhou soldiers here? I think it will be around 500,000 if you pull it together?”
Upon hearing the fireman’s words, Eulji’s eyes widened.
“You want to take out the troops protecting the ecliptic? Zhou Gong’s Imperial Guard has the symbolism of protecting His Majesty the Emperor. So, it is better not to move at all.”
“When there were many feudal lords who were aiming for the emperor, the imperial guard was desperately needed, but now, except for Sun Ce, there are no feudal lords like that, right? So I think it’s okay to leave only the minimum number of troops.”
“Although the Duke of Zhou is right…”
“The symbolism of protecting the imperial palace is of course the most important, but I think it would be okay to use it in that context. There won’t be any feudal lords aiming for this place anyway.”
The painter reminded himself that he has more symbolism than the soldiers.
Eulji nodded his head without further objection.
“I guess I’m old now, and I’m stubborn for nothing. The governor’s intention is correct. However, it is difficult to guarantee victory in the fight against Sun Ce with 500,000 troops.”
“Although it is said that Sun Ce received the surrender of Si Sie and is pacifying several provinces, it will be worth fighting because the military supplies are almost exhausted. Moreover, among the generals under Sun Ce, how many were planted by Danju in the past?”
“I planted a few people, but the only ones who stood out and sat in important positions were Jang Xin and Zhu Tai.”
Eulji’s answer seemed to lack confidence for some reason. Sensing this, the painter asked with a slightly worried expression.
“Come to think of it, I heard that a lot of Sejak lost contact earlier… Did you hear anything from them by any chance?”
“They have not been in contact with Sejak because I strictly ordered him to remain a subject of Sun Ce.”
The painter, who had been listening to Eulji’s words, let out a shallow sigh.
“They may have become Sun Ce’s subjects.”
“These are the ones who could never do that.”
“Still, Sun Ce is a feudal lord with enough charm. I think he might have changed his mind after being around for a long time.”
“If they had changed their minds, they would have taken care of their families first, including their parents.”
“Are their families held by the bishop?”
“It’s not that they’re holding it, but their families are still living in Yezhou.”
“hmm! If the family is still in Yeju, there will be no room for change.”
“They are reliable people. If I send a letter right now and tell Sun Ce to point his sword at them, they will be the ones to aim at, so you don’t have to doubt it.”
“What place are they in Sun Ce’s camp?”
“In this war against Sa-seop, Zhou-tai saved Sun Quan’s life and earned great trust, and Zhang Xin also made great achievements and rose to the position of general capable of commanding more than 10,000 cavalry.”
“It is a very high-ranking position. Both of them are in important positions, so they will be of great help to me in the event of a war.”
The painter smiled bitterly inwardly as he repeated the names Jang-heum and Ju-tae several times.
‘Eulji Danju is sure that they did not betray, but since they are recorded as loyal subjects of the Son family in the history books, I should send someone to confirm whether there is any betrayal before starting a war!’
If Eulji knew about it, it might be regretful, but it was a war to cross at least by knocking on a stone bridge.
After the fireman finished talking with Eulji, he called the general and the bookkeepers in the palace and held a meeting.
Zhuge Liang, as well as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, have not returned yet to appease Gifu and Yuju, and those who remain in the imperial palace are about 30 percent of generals, including tacticians such as Gahu and Sima Hui, and Taishi Zhao Yun, including Flower Pot.
* * *
The painter did not say that Zhang Xin and Zhou Tai were the ganja of Sun Ce’s camp, but said that Sun Ce had won the fight against Shi Sheo and that in the future, he might point a spear at him.
The longevity and the bookkeepers who heard the fireman’s words were very surprised at first, but soon after the meeting started, they quickly found stability and began to express their opinions.
“It is said that the Duke of Zhou’s servants secretly coordinated the fight between the Duke of Zhou and Sun Ce, but it cannot be said that Sun Ce is convinced of it. So, it would be better to send a messenger to Sun Ce first to check the trend.”
Gafu shook his head in response to Sima Hui’s words.
“It can be judged that Son Ce already found out about what the Duke of Zhou secretly did, that the news of the seedlings planted by Lord Danju of Eulji was cut off. So I don’t think it’s necessary to give him time to stabilize and grow his strength. It would be best to immediately raise an army, divide soldiers into stations in Shuchun and Hefei, and then send messengers to Sun Ce to declare war.”
“Sun Ce is a person who has been greatly favored by the Duke of Zhou. Therefore, if you are not sure, you will still have good feelings for the governor, but if you station troops right in front of you and declare war, the relationship will deteriorate and you will have no choice but to fight.”
“Sun Ce has already won the battle against Shi Shen and has become a great feudal lord. If you give him time thinking about his good feelings with the governor, it will be a big upset in the future.”
“Sun Ce is someone who could become a subject of the Duke of Zhou if he is coaxed. Now is the time when His Majesty the Emperor is openly mentioning the abdication of imperial authority to the Duke of Zhou. If time passes and the imperial power is abdicated to the Duke of Zhou, Sun Ce will have to fight not the Duke of Zhou, but the ruler of this country, His Majesty the Emperor. No matter how much power he creates, if he is branded as a traitor, the justification itself will disappear, so he will not be able to resist.”
“There is some truth in Sima Yi’s words, but have you ever thought about what sacrifices would have to be made if Sun Ce rebelled even in such a situation? You may have to pour dozens of gallons of water if you neglect a fire that will be extinguished by pouring just a bucket of water right away.”
Gahu and Sima Hui’s opinions were tightly opposed without an inch of concession.
“Stop it!”
The fireman listened to the two of them for a while, then raised his hand to close their mouths.
“Now that you know the opinions of the two, let’s listen to the opinions of the others. Can anyone tell me?”
“Can I tell you something?”
When the pot opened his mouth, the painter nodded.
“Speak. older brother.”
“The reason you sent your servants to the battle between Sun Ce and Si-shu and coordinated the battle was because Sun Ce was in danger of being stabbed in the back while you and Cao Cao were fighting, right?”
“That’s right.”
“From then on, you didn’t believe in Sun Ce, did you? yes?”
“There was a little bit of a feeling that I didn’t want to regard Sun Ce as an enemy. However, I prepared for it because I couldn’t believe it according to my brother’s words.”
“That is what I want to say. In fact, you and Jojo were good brothers until they became feudal lords who ruled over a large land. However, after becoming the owners of a large land, they became close to fighting for their lives. Sun Ce also became the owner of a large land called Jiaozhou and Yangzhou, so how could he give that big land to you?”
“I see!”
“A little while ago, the military commander Sima talked about the abdication of the imperial authority, and even if the imperial authority was abdicated, if I were Sun Ce, I would declare independence and claim myself as the king. Don’t you know that the two or three divisions of the world are already being discussed by many educated people?”
“Your older brother’s opinion is that you’re going to make a mistake right now?”
“yes. If Sun Ce was a gracious person, as Sima said, you should have shown at least some sincerity before fighting Cao Cao, even if you couldn’t surrender. But you didn’t do anything No matter how serious the fight with Sa-seob is, I should have repaid you.”
The fireman nodded his head broadly.
In fact, he thought that he had to fight Sun Ce too, but there was a part of him that was a little hesitant in the corner of his heart, but his brother solved that problem.
Afterwards, several secretaries and generals expressed their opinions, but the general consensus was that Sun Ce should be attacked immediately.
The fireman put together all of their words and came to a conclusion.
“First, divide and station 500,000 troops in Shuchun and Hefei, then send messengers to Sun Ce’s camp to urge them to surrender, or we will start a war.”
“Sun Ce is not the main opponent, so it will be an easy fight.”
“Jegalgeun is the older brother of Jegal. A demon is as good as a younger brother, so do not be vigilant and do your best in everything.”
“I will keep in mind the words of the governor.”
When the meeting was over, Hwabu met with the emperor and informed him of the outcome of the meeting.
When the emperor’s permission fell, Sun Ce was designated as a group of traitors.
Just like Jojo, Hwabu also used the privilege of having an emperor.
* * *
The news that the soldiers of Hwabu were dragging them down to Jiujiang County reached Sun Ce and Sun Quan’s ears while they were eating.
“I thought that those who coordinate the war with Sa-seop would be Daebu Hwa’s subordinates, but even though the war with Jojo had only been over for a few months, did they have the energy to come forward again?”
As if his appetite had declined, Son Ce put down the spoon he was holding, and Son Kwon also poured the remaining rice into his mouth with a serious expression.
“When the trio realized that they were subordinates of Godfather Hua, they should have pretended nothing was wrong, but the fact that they were so excited and used their hands excessively seems to have made Godfather Hua wary. sorry. older brother!”
“Are you the only one who got excited when you found out their identity? I was no different. My teeth tremble even now when I think of the betrayal I felt back then.”
“If you think about it now, we tend to be too complacent about the fight between Godfather Hua and Cao Cao. At that time, when Daebu Hwa asked for surrender, he would not have been so wary if he had delayed the answer and sent troops and military supplies.”
“Demanding surrender from us who proposed an alliance can be said to be disrespectful to us. I have pride, how could I have sent the military and military supplies in such a situation?”
“The demand for surrender was unpleasant, but considering the kindness Godfather Hwa had bestowed on us, we couldn’t ignore it.”
Upon hearing Sun Quan’s words, Sun Ce frowned and shook his head.
“It is true that he has done us a great favor. However, it is our father’s teachings and our mission to build the family’s country by raising and prospering the family. How can I forsake Yuhun for the sake of grace?”
“Whoa~ that’s right. Eun-hye and Yoo-hoon should be considered separately.”
Sun Quan let out a short sigh with a confused expression on his face, and Sun Ce was also speechless for a moment.
“It is useless to regret what has already happened. Didn’t you hear with your ears that you had to surrender to Godfather? So in the first place, he and we had no choice but to fight.”
“It is. Grace is grace, but fighting is inevitable.”
“In the future, if we win the fight against him, we just have to be generous and repay the favor. So let’s focus on the fight for now.”
“All right. We need to gather the bookkeepers and generals and have a meeting.”
Sun Ce and Son Kwon sent pabalma to the chaplains and generals scattered across various counties, and called them to Danyang-gun.
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