Chapter 1148 Sisters and Brothers-in-law
The third year of Yanxi has just begun, and the people have not yet finished celebrating the new year. Taking advantage of the fact that it has not yet reached the beginning of spring and everyone is still resting, Wei General Quan Cong found a time and went directly to Zhu Ju's mansion.
Zhu Ju personally welcomed Quan Cong into the inner hall, and at the same time there was some surprise:
“Why did brother Zihuang come to the door at this time?”
Sun Quan’s favorite Bu family had two daughters.
The eldest daughter was Sun Luban, who married Quan Cong; the second daughter was Sun Luyu, who married Zhu Ju.
So Quan Cong and Zhu Zhi are actually brothers-in-law.
But Sun Luban is his elder sister, so it stands to reason that during the Chinese New Year, even if he had to visit Quan Cong's house, Zhu Ju would be the one to visit Quan Cong's house.
Quan Cong's sudden visit at this time was really beyond Zhu Ju's expectation.
Quan Cong did not answer Zhu Zhi's words, let alone any polite words, but went straight to the point:
"Zifan, I came here because I have something I want to discuss with you."
Quan Cong didn't look festive at all during the New Year, but looked serious. This made Zhu Ju's heart skip a beat, and he vaguely guessed Quan Cong's intention.
He raised his cup and took a sip of tea:
“Zihuang, please speak.”
Although Zhu Ju was promoted to General of Hussars a few days ago, Quan Cong was promoted to General of Guards eleven years ago.
Whether it is qualifications or reputation, Quan Cong is far superior to Zhu Ji.
Not to mention that Zhu Ju was implicated in the Yinbo incident a few years ago and was dismissed from office and confined at home for four full years.
"Your Majesty had the intention of sending troops to sea again before the year to conquer Zhuya and Yizhou. Fortunately, it was the end of the year, so the matter was postponed for the time being."
Quan Cong stared at Zhu Ju and said, "It's almost the beginning of spring. As soon as the official office starts to go on duty, Your Majesty will definitely mention this matter again."
“Zifan, although I don’t understand the cavalry army, I also know that the money and food consumed by the cavalry army is extremely huge.”
“You are my cavalry general of Da Wu, and you are responsible for building Da Wu’s cavalry army. You should know the losses involved.”
“The current state of Wu’s treasury is not enough. Now it is necessary to build a cavalry army, but also waste money and food, and go to sea to find those ethereal fairy mountains..."
Before Quan Cong finished speaking, Zhu Ju’s hand holding the tea cup shook!
He looked at Quan Cong with some fear and interrupted the other party's words:
“Zihuang, be careful! Your Majesty wants to send troops overseas to expand territory and communicate with foreign countries. How can it be said that he is looking for immortals?”
Seeing Zhu Ju lose his bearing, Quan Cong was a little unhappy:
"Zifan, there are no outsiders here. Why do you and I need to be so hidden?"
“Even if we put aside the relationship between monarch and subject, you still have to call your majesty uncle to me.”
“Your Majesty sent generals Wei Wen and Zhuge Zhi to sail across the sea with tens of thousands of soldiers to ask for Yizhou and Danzhou. Others don’t know why. Don’t you and I still know?”
What place is that in Wanzhou?
It is rumored by the elders and elders that Emperor Qin Shihuang sent the alchemist Xu Fu to send thousands of boys and girls into the sea to pray for the Penglai Mountain and the elixir, and they would not return to this island.
Your Majesty insists on saying that he is plundering overseas people to enrich the population of Jiangdong. If this is the case, it is okay to deceive others, but can you deceive your own people?
Ten years ago, when we sent tens of thousands of soldiers to sea, we only managed to plunder thousands of people and returned them.
But the soldiers fell ill at sea, and sixty-seven out of ten died.
The general Zhuge Zhi who led the army to sea was even convicted and executed.
If you really want to plunder the people to enrich Da Wu, the Yongzhou Yimin in the south is still in the rebellion, how much is there.
Even if you send a large army to the north to plunder the people of Wei, it is better than going to the sea.
Zhu Ju was silent when he heard this.
After all, he couldn't tell Quan Cong that even if there were no fairy mountains overseas, there would definitely be secluded sects that could cultivate disciples like Feng Mingwen.
What is a million people?
Didn’t you see that after the Han Dynasty acquired Feng Mingwen, its territory became wider, its soldiers more elite, its people richer, and its population more numerous?
As long as we can find Feng Mingwen's mysterious master, it will not be a contingency benefit, but a huge profit.
When Quan Cong saw that Zhu Ju did not accept his words, he just said that he had said too much, so the other party did not dare to speak easily.
So he softened his tone:
"Zifan, Wu's life-and-death enemy is in the north but not in the south. Moreover, Wei is strong and Wu is weak. It is not enough to concentrate on the north. How can we have the remaining strength to send troops overseas?"
“Even those who used troops like Zhuge Liang and Feng Mingwen, in the early years, they were closed to colonize, isolated from the north, and used troops to the south and central, without daring to divide their troops.”
"Over the years, the Han Kingdom has become more and more prosperous, but I, Wu, have been repeatedly blocked at the foot of Hefei City and unable to advance."
"Your Majesty sent Zifan to the Han Kingdom, and he did not hesitate to exchange my skills as a boat master from Wu in exchange for the skills of the Han Kingdom's cavalry. I believe Zifan understands what this means better than I do."
“Zifan, the situation in the world is too late for Da Wu!”
The more Quan Cong spoke, the more excited he became:
"So this time, for no other reason than I want Zifan to join me in persuading your majesty, he will stop thinking about sending people to sea."
Zhu Ju also sighed after hearing these words.
Zihuan, it is precisely because time waits for no one that Wu should go to sea to find opportunities instead of preventing your majesty from sending people to sea!
The longer he stayed in Han and the better he understood Han, the more Zhu Zhi understood that the gap between Han and Wu had quietly widened.
It’s just that he naturally didn’t dare to say it out loud.
Thinking again of the fierce opposition of the ministers to this matter, it also made him a little uneasy.
Moreover, in Zhu Ju's view, Feng Mingwen's disciple would definitely not be easily found.
If not, how could His Majesty have sent people to sea ten years ago without success?
Thinking of this, Zhu Ju finally said:
"Zihuang, your Majesty is determined. If you are serious about something, I am afraid that you and I will not be able to persuade you."
“Ten years ago, I sent people to sea. I don’t know how many people opposed it. Did Your Majesty listen to it? Now that His Majesty’s authority is getting stronger, I’m afraid it will be even more difficult to persuade him.”
“Therefore, I think that instead of objecting, it is better to postpone this matter until the situation in Dawu improves. If we can’t persuade His Majesty by then, it will be better than asking His Majesty to send people to sea now.”
How could Quan Cong not know Sun Quan’s temperament after all these years?
In the past, His Majesty was still able to listen to advice, but in many cases, he liked to act arbitrarily.
Especially once you have made up your mind about something, very few people can persuade you.
However, when he heard Zhu Ju say this, he frowned and looked at him strangely.
I don’t know why, but he always felt that there was something wrong with Zhu Ju’s current words and deeds.
the reason is simple.
Zhu Ju's behavior was too inconsistent with his temperament.
Although he was a child of an aristocratic family, Zhu Ju had a forthright temperament, quite a chivalrous spirit, and liked to make friends with others.
If not, I would not have been implicated because I was optimistic about Yinfan's talents and had a close relationship with them.
At the moment, he was speaking in a flash, with a hesitant look on his face, as if he didn't want to talk about this matter in depth.
As it was just a matter of national importance, Quan Cong still suppressed these doubts, calmed down and asked:
“What does Zifan mean by the improvement of the situation?”
“Zihuang, since your Majesty came to the throne, you have sent troops to the north almost every year. But in the past two years, it has quieted down. Do you know why?”
“It is natural to prepare a cavalry army.”
Isn’t this something that everyone in the court knows?
"Yes, it is to prepare a cavalry army." Zhu Ju nodded, and then continued to ask, "Does Zihuang know how many years it will take to form a cavalry army?"
“Even if I don’t understand the cavalry army, I also know that if you want to build a cavalry army that can fight, you have to do it overnight. Ten years is not too long, and decades are not too short.”
Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered something and looked at Zhu Ju in disbelief:
“Zifan means…”
Zhu Ju nodded understandingly and said with a smile:
“That’s right, under normal circumstances, even if you have horses, you may not be able to build a cavalry army in ten or twenty years.”
Taking the former Han Dynasty as an example, several generations of hard work not only saved countless money and food, but also opened up horse farms and raised countless war horses, which led to the illustrious martial arts of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
"But it's different now. The Han State is willing to help us form a cavalry army. There is no shortage of horses, armor, and weapons."
"We just need to recruit people," Zhu Ju raised a finger, "I have to say that Feng Mingwen is indeed a rare and famous general in the world."
“He changed the ancient cavalry, allowing Han to have a cavalry that could compete with Wei’s elite cavalry in just a few years.”
“Even soldiers who have never ridden a horse can become proficient in equestrian skills after just one year of training.”
"Now, he has taught us all these methods, and we, Da Wu, can also build a cavalry army in a few years."
Having said so much in one breath, Zhu Ju strengthened his determination to support His Majesty in sending people to sea.
If Zhuge Liang is the person who turned the Han Dynasty out of danger, then Feng Mingwen is the person who can continue to push the Han Dynasty to prosperity.
This kind of prosperity is what Da Wu also wants.
Quan Cong did not understand the cavalry army, but he knew that forming a cavalry army could not be as simple as Zhu Ju said.
He looked at Zhu Zhi, who had an excited look on his face, but still couldn't believe what he said. He even felt that he was a little crazy.
"Zifan, are you sure? This kind of thing is not a joke."
“Zihuang, this year the Han Dynasty will transport everything. And this year has just begun.”
Zhu Ju took a deep breath and said, "Then you will know why Han can defeat the Wei thieves repeatedly."
“Next year, or at the latest the year after, we will march northward, and we won’t have to fight on land to compete with the Wei thieves.”
“When the time comes, Wu will move from the south to the north, while Han will move from the west to the east, and they will attack the Wei thieves together. Why worry about not succeeding?”
“So, we don’t have to dissuade His Majesty, but we can use this matter to persuade His Majesty to postpone sending people to sea.”
“As long as the plan to go north in the next year or so can be accomplished, the two countries will equally share the power of the world. By then, even if Your Majesty wants to send people to sea, what’s the problem?”
After destroying the Wei thieves, it is not easy to compete with Han for the world.
The general may be able to defeat Feng Mingwen in foot and water battles.
But the cavalry method of Wu was learned from the Han Dynasty.
The longer Zhu Zheng stayed in Han, the more he understood that the Han cavalry, especially the armored cavalry, really deserved to be the best in the world.
Looking at the whole Wu Dynasty, Zhu Ju had no confidence that anyone could compete with Feng Mingwen in the cavalry.
But if it couldn't defeat Han's cavalry, how could Wu defend the Central Plains or even cross Hebei?
So, it is best to get help from the mysterious mountain gate.
As long as Da Wu can send back the two books that Mysterious Mountain Gate has been looking for.
In addition, they regard Feng Mingwen as an abandoned disciple, so they will definitely be dissatisfied with Feng Mingwen.
Zhu Ju is convinced that when that time comes, it shouldn't be difficult as long as Da Wu asks them to take action against Feng Mingwen.
It’s just that these ideas are destined to be secrets that only a very few people can know.
After listening to Zhu Ju's words, Quan Cong's feeling of disobedience became even stronger.
Just seeing Zhu Ju's vow, Quan Cong, no matter how much he disagreed with Zhu Ju's opinion, could only sigh in the end:
"If we really can't dissuade His Majesty from sending troops to sea, then we can only postpone the matter for a while and find another way."
Although he did not achieve the goal he wanted to achieve most, as long as Zhu Ju was not talking big words and it could really delay His Majesty from sending troops to sea, it could be considered an acceptable result.
For the future, let’s take it one step at a time.
After walking out of the gate of Zhu's Mansion, Quan Cong turned around and took a deep look at the gate of Zhu's Mansion before lowering his head and getting on the bullock cart.
After returning to the house, Quan Cong’s wife Sun Luban saw that Quan Cong didn’t look well, so she asked:
"Why is Alang like this? Could it be that things went wrong when he went out on this trip?"
After Sun Quan became emperor, I don’t know what kind of thoughts he had.
Not only did he have a stalemate with the ministers over the selection of the queen, but he also did not even give his daughter the title of princess.
This makes the ministers of Wu State a little embarrassed. Sometimes when they mention the princess, they don't know how to call her.
In the end, Sun Luban married Quan Cong, and the officials had to call her Princess Quan, while Sun Luyu married Zhu Ju, so they called Sun Luyu Princess Zhu.
Being favored by the emperor but not given a title, he had to take his husband's surname as his title. This phenomenon can be regarded as a strange thing among the many unnatural things in the Three Kingdoms.
Although Princess Quan and Princess Zhu are sisters, their temperaments are quite different.
The younger sister, Princess Zhu, has a gentler temperament and stays in the inner courtyard, while the older sister, Princess Quan, has a strong desire for power.
Not only did she often take part in the affairs of the court, but she also actively advised Quan Cong on weekdays.
Just like this time, Princess Quan not only knew why Quan Cong went out this time, but also took the initiative to ask about it after Quan Cong came back.
The relationship between Quan Cong and Princess Quan can be regarded as loving. Over the years, they have given birth to two sons.
With no outsiders around, Quan Cong's face became a little ugly in front of his wife.
He shook his head:
"Zhu Zifan did not want to dissuade His Majesty. He only said that he would advise Your Majesty to delay this matter."
Princess Quan and Quan Cong have been married for twelve years. When Quan Cong returned home, she was keenly aware that something was wrong with her Alang's mood.
Hearing Quan Cong’s words at this time confirmed her original thoughts.
Seeing her sit down with Quan Cong, he hesitated and said:
"Zhu Zifan's behavior does not seem to be in line with his past style?"
When Quan Cong heard this, his spirits were lifted:
"Does Mr. Xi also think this is the case? In fact, when I was talking to him at his house, I felt a little strange."
This is why he is willing to discuss things with Princess Quan.
In many cases, Princess Quan can give a lot of useful suggestions.
In addition, she was deeply loved by His Majesty and was canonized as the eldest princess by His Majesty.
In the case where the master of the harem has not been established, the princess can even influence the palace.
It can be said that Princess Quan is a great help to Quan Cong.
As the couple spoke, they looked at each other, as if they had a clear understanding of each other.
There are some things that Quan Cong is not comfortable saying, but Princess Quan is not under any pressure:
“Alang, tell me, Zhu Zifan suddenly came back at the end of last year and talked with His Majesty for a whole day and night in the palace. Could it be that...”
Quan Cong nodded and said:
"After Zhu Zifan talked with His Majesty, His Majesty suddenly said that he wanted to send troops to sea. Thinking about it carefully, it may not be..."
The two of them said nothing, but doubts already arose in their hearts.
Princess Quan, as a woman, is even more petty.
But I saw an annoyed look on her face:
"What is this, Zhu Zifan? Are you kidding A Lang? How dare he!"
Quan Cong shook his head:
“Until the matter is clear, we can’t say it must have been Zhu Zifan.”
“Then I will return to the palace to visit His Majesty in the next few days to see if I can get any information.”
(End of this chapter)