mtl008 Chapter 686 The Prime Minister's Aura
Chapter 686 The Prime Minister's Aura
Zhuge Liang slowly raised his head and carefully examined this ambitious man who dared to call himself the King of Yan.
Zhuge Liang was no longer a novice in officialdom, but the powerful Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, who had cultivated a strong aura after many years in power.
Therefore, the moment Zhuge Liang looked at him, Gongsun Yuan felt as if he were being stared at by a tiger in the wild. His heart trembled violently, and all the muscles in his body tensed up instantly. He was so nervous that he dared not move.
Under Zhuge Liang's intense gaze, Gongsun Yuan's senses were amplified to an extreme degree. He was so frightened by Zhuge Liang's powerful aura that he trembled all over as if he had thorns in his back, and soon fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
The beads of sweat fell to the ground with a faint, crisp sound, almost inaudible, yet deafening to Gongsun Yuan, making his body tense even more.
Zhuge Liang's gaze was terrifying; he was starting to feel the strain.
Zhuge Liang stared at Gongsun Yuan for a dozen breaths, and only when he saw that he was frightened enough did he look away and laugh, "So it is Prefect Gongsun. I have been too busy with official duties to pay you any attention."
The moment Zhuge Liang withdrew his gaze, Gongsun Yuan felt as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He instantly felt an unprecedented sense of ease, so much so that his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground.
Gongsun Yuan struggled to steady himself and quickly said, "Prime Minister, you are too kind. What I ask for is just a trivial matter. You can handle it whenever you have time. I dare not let such a small matter delay your important business."
Cao Wei's attack on Liaodong was a disaster that would wipe out the Gongsun family, but in Zhuge Liang's eyes it was nothing. This is the humility of the weak in front of the strong. Although helpless, they could only accept it.
Zhuge Liang waved his hand and said, "You certainly know how to talk. Sit down."
Guan Xing had already replaced the tables and chairs in the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence with desks and chairs. Gongsun Yuan slowly sat down in front of the desk that Zhuge Liang pointed to, but he did not dare to sit down properly. Instead, he leaned lightly against the chair, ready to get up and reply at any time.
Zhuge Liang waited until he was seated before smiling and saying, "Tell me about the situation in Liaodong. How do you want the court to help you?"
“This…” Gongsun Yuan hesitated.
He certainly hoped that Liu Bei would send troops directly, but he knew that it had taken him four or five days to travel from Jiangdong to Jiangling. In such a long time, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang must have received the news and discussed the support plan. If his request went against their plan, wouldn't he not only fail to get support but also offend them?
Thinking this, Gongsun Yuan asked a question instead of answering, weakly saying, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the Wei army is coming in a fierce manner. Liaodong is unprepared and has no idea what to do. Please teach me, Prime Minister."
Zhuge Liang waved his fan and laughed, “Liaodong is part of the Han Dynasty’s territory, and your Gongsun family are subjects of the Han Dynasty. In this case, the court should send troops to rescue Liaodong after it is attacked. But you know that Liaodong is bitterly cold and winter is just around the corner. The soldiers from Jiangnan have never experienced wind and snow. If they go to Liaodong, they will not be able to fight against the Wei army, and they may not even be able to leave their camp.”
It's only June now, and winter is still a long way off, but it's different in Liaodong. People are already starting to prepare for hibernation at this time, and it's estimated that it will start snowing in late September or early October.
If the imperial court were to send a large army to provide support, it would not be able to leave immediately. It would certainly need to make some pre-battle preparations, such as mobilizing troops and supplies. By the time the preparations were completed and the army arrived in Liaodong, it would probably be just in time for the snow. Therefore, sending troops to provide support was not realistic.
Of course, this is only the stated reason, and it's the reason that Gongsun Yuan couldn't refuse.
Gongsun Yuan asked cautiously, "Then what does the Prime Minister mean?"
Zhuge Liang briefly explained the three aid plans for Liaodong, saying, "I can give you grain, sugar, wine, weapons, armor, arrows, and even the three-bow crossbow, which is listed as a prohibited item by the court. You should know what sugar is, right?"
Drinking alcohol is prohibited in the army, but Liaodong is an exception. The winters in Liaodong are too cold, and the soldiers' clothes are thin. They simply cannot endure the cold without drinking some alcohol to warm themselves up.
As for white sugar...
Gongsun Yuan nodded and said, "I know. Some time ago, Jiangdong merchant ships sold a batch to Liaodong, and Youzhou merchants also brought some in. The effect is really good. After drinking the sweet soup, my whole body felt warm. It's just that the price is a bit high."
Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "Good to know. In short, the court can support you in everything except sending people directly. Also, if you need it, you can go to Japan to recruit a group of cannon fodder, the first ones to charge into battle from the suicide squad. You know what that means. Whether you recruit them or not is up to you."
"What I want to say is the third point. The Wei army is powerful, and it is impossible to hold out by relying solely on the city to defend it. If the battle goes against us, we may have no choice but to abandon the city and retreat to the mountains to fight guerrilla warfare. This is how Marquis Guan Xing of Shence dealt with Eastern Wu. I believe you have heard of him."
Gongsun Yuan bowed again and said, "I understand, but the winters in Liaodong are too cold, and the soldiers there have no experience in guerrilla warfare. I am worried..."
Zhuge Liang said, “The court has also thought of this. His Majesty originally planned to send a group of low-ranking officers to help you, but then thought it was not appropriate. You would not trust the officers sent over to you if they were not your men. So let’s make a change. You can personally select a group of trustworthy elites from the Liaodong army. I will have the Marquis of Shence personally teach them tactics. They will return to your side to help you fight in three months. What do you think?”
Gongsun Yuan's expression changed slightly as he hesitated. Having Guan Xing, the Marquis of Shence, who was hailed as a living Huo Qubing, teach his students sounded wonderful, but in reality, it was a huge trap.
So much time has passed since the war to destroy Wu, Gongsun Yuan had long received the news and found out the details. He knew that Guan Xing had destroyed Eastern Wu with the help of the Wu army. In other words, if he handed his confidant over to Guan Xing, he would probably become Guan Xing's confidant within three months.
Not only that, that damned Guan Xing wants to send them back to his side so he can use them again. What's the difference between that and letting Guan Xing plant a time bomb next to you?
However, even if all of these people surrendered to the Han Dynasty and betrayed Gongsun, that would only happen after Liu Bei's Northern Expedition was successful.
In other words, if the imperial court wanted these spies trained by Guan Xing to betray them and surrender to the court, Liu Bei had to defeat the Wei army and march to Yuguan (Shanhaiguan). Only when Liu Bei was in front of them would these spies have the ability to betray them; otherwise, even if they wanted to betray them, they wouldn't be able to contact Liu Bei.
But if Liu Bei really attacked Yuguan, would they even have a chance to betray him? They would probably surrender before they even had a chance to betray him.
After all, Liu Bei had already reached Yuguan Pass, so why was he still struggling? Wouldn't it have been better to just obediently return to the embrace of the Han Dynasty?
In conclusion, only if Liu Bei successfully defeated Cao Wei in his Northern Expedition could these people be considered spies of the Han Dynasty. If he failed to defeat Cao Wei, they would remain loyal ministers and generals of the Gongsun clan.
Given that, what reason do I have to refuse?
Thinking of this, Gongsun Yuan immediately bowed and said, "That would be wonderful. I will send someone to Liaodong as soon as I return to consult with Marquis Shence. I wonder how many people should be sent in the first batch?"
"Of course, the more the better. You can decide the specific number yourself." Zhuge Liang stood up and said with a smile, "Let's go. Come with me to the military camp and warehouses to see what you need. After you've seen it, make a list, and I'll order the navy to transport it to Liaodong for you."