Sudden Change 3

The envoy who came from Xiagu Castle identified himself as Chen Biao. Chen Biao, a name I knew as well. He was a member of the Four Friends of Eastern Wu along with Zhuge Ke, and the second son of Zhang Zhao.

Of course, not my second brother Zhang Shao, but Zhang Zhao (張昭) who is counted among the Two Zhangs of Jiangdong.

To send someone like Chen Biao, it seems they are serious.

As I muttered the proposal Chen Biao brought, Jiang Wei spoke from beside me.

“Isn’t it a shallow trick to buy time?”

That was a reasonable point. However, Ma Su’s thoughts were different.

“I don’t think so. That man is a kind of confirmation.”

“Confirmation? Of what?”

“To confirm whether our army really has a problem. That Zhou Huan fellow, who seems to have considerable talent, noticed our slight wavering and sent him to check. If we let him go back alive, he will report what he spied about our army, and conversely, if we kill him, they will realize there is something we’re trying to hide even by killing and exterminating.”

Everyone nodded gravely in agreement with Ma Su’s words, but there were also arguments about what difference it would make.

“Even so, nothing changes. Even if they know we’re hesitating at a crossroads, isn’t Xiagu Castle on the brink of falling?”

When Bu Zhan spoke forcefully, Ma Su immediately replied:

“The fall isn’t the issue, General Bu. If they know that, Sun Deng too will not fight with his life on the line. Killing Sun Deng could be the worst blunder, as we just discussed.”

At Ma Su’s words, Bu Zhan’s mouth clamped shut.

However, for me who was already half-convinced that the situation in Jingbei was Wei’s scheme, I rather thought this was a good development.

It felt awkward to just abandon Xiagu Castle and retreat to Jingbei like this, but it also felt awkward to occupy Xiagu Castle and leave Guan Yu in Jingbei as is. In this situation, talks with Sun Deng would be a good opportunity to determine our direction.

“Tell the envoy. We accept the talks. Let’s make it just me and Sun Deng alone, at a midpoint between Xiagu Castle and our army.”

Chen Biao, who was waiting in another tent, requested an audience with me and asked to bring one more person as an escort.

Worried about Sun Deng being captured by me if he came alone? As if I would use such a trick.

Having nothing to hide, I accepted it.

Thus, the talks opened immediately. There was no need to set a date and wait, as they requested to open the talks right away.

We agreed to set up the venue on our side. The venue for this talk was a place where we spread out an awning that was barely worthy of being called a tent.

While the venue was being set up, I pondered over who to bring as a companion.

At first I thought about bringing Ma Su, who had grasped their intentions, but to put more pressure on them, I made the final decision to bring Jiang Wei with his strong impression.

Sun Deng was accompanied by Zhou Huan, the governor of Xiagu Castle.

“I am Sun Deng, Crown Prince of Wu.”

An appearance with bold features that could draw favor from anyone. He still seemed to be on the border between youth and boyhood, with traces of youthfulness remaining.

Sun Deng’s appearance was quite similar to Sun Quan in my memory. However, unlike his father who gave a fierce impression, he also had a gentle impression coexisting. Perhaps inherited from his mother.

Since they used semi-formal speech first, I also spoke in semi-formal speech.

“I am Zhang Ran, General of the Guards of Han.”

“Indeed. I have heard much of your lofty reputation.”

Sun Deng acted friendly as if meeting someone introduced to him rather than an enemy general.

“Since we’ve met as enemies, let’s put aside flowery words and get to the point.”

I deliberately spoke gruffly. As if to say I had no interest and what did they want by calling me out.

Despite my hostile tone, Sun Deng did not lose his faint smile. Rather, he asked smugly with a relaxed attitude:

“You don’t look well, could there have been some mishap in your country? Or is it our lord father coming?”

What empty tricks.

I maintained silence in response to Sun Deng’s probing question.

Sun Deng also seemed to have no intention of wasting time, as he soon brought up the main point.

“How about calling a truce?”

“A truce?”

“Yes.”

Though in a situation no different from a flickering candle in the wind, Sun Deng spoke proudly with his head held high:

“Release the prisoners and send us safely to Wu territory.”

“That’s an absurd demand. We can take Xiagu Castle whenever we want, so why should we do that?”

“Because otherwise, I will certainly make Xiagu Castle my burial ground.”

A threat staking his own life. I have to give him credit for his guts. Sun Deng’s age must have just passed twenty.

At such a young age, he’s this capable. I understood why Sun Quan shed tears whenever his eldest son was mentioned, even after Sun Deng’s death.

Anyway, whether Sun Quan was coming or there was internal trouble in Han, Sun Deng’s side had certainly noticed that there was something making us hesitate.

As Ma Su said, it seemed they gained some confidence after hearing what Chen Biao had spied in our camp.

“If we let you go, what benefit is there for us?”

“We will hand over Xiagu Castle intact.”

“Not enough.”

When I cut him off decisively, Sun Deng didn’t seem to expect me to be satisfied with this and return, as he immediately came out with the next condition.

“I will send word to General Zhou Fang in Lingling County and General Zhu Ran in the Wuling army. They will no longer fight your country and withdraw. Using Wuchang as the standard, Jingzhou west of it will become yours.”

“That sounds good, but in the end aren’t you asking us to release those who are as good as dead?”

“Is that how it sounds to you? Then do as you will. The them I know will preserve their positions even under your country’s attacks for at least a year. And by then, my royal father will be here.”

“A year? Even for your own country’s generals, that’s a severe overestimation. I guarantee you. It will take only a month for our army here to return and take over Lingling County and the Wuling army.”

This was half true and half bluff.

Zhuge Jin is an above-average commander, Luo Tong is a quite capable advisor, and Liu Chan is a fierce general. Ah, I can’t leave out Zhu Ran either.

However, with me, Yi Yan, Shang Cong, the Nanling Army and the central army mobilized, even a month is too long. This is sincere.

Only in Zhou Fang’s case is it difficult to be certain. His military achievements were so brilliant after all. Zhou Fang, the only talent in Wu comparable to Lu Xun, might really hold out for a year. So this part is a bluff.

Although there was bluff, sincerity was also melted in, but it didn’t work on Sun Deng.

“Just as you trust your subordinate generals, I too trust them, so it would be meaningless to argue right and wrong over our different thoughts.”

“…A fitting answer to a stupid question.”

When I deliberately exude an intimidating aura, even quite experienced generals show reluctance, but this attitude and answer at 16 years old? I’m impressed.

I think Cao Cao’s statement that if you want to have a son, he should resemble Sun Zhongmo should be changed to Sun Zige instead of Sun Zhongmo.

However, admiration is admiration, and negotiation is separate. I can’t just go along with Sun Deng’s flow like this.

“Since your side added additional conditions, I will also set conditions from our side.”

“Speak.”

“First, the Crown Prince will write the order letters to be sent to Lingling and Wuling in front of our army.”

“If the negotiation is concluded, I will write them right here.”

“Second, write two copies of each order letter, and stamp both with the Crown Prince’s personal seal. One will be delivered as the order, and one will be kept by our army.”

We can’t have trouble later if you make only one and then keep your mouth shut.

Sun Deng seemed to realize our intention and looked somewhat uncomfortable, but nodded his head as if he understood that my demand was reasonable.

“Third, and last. The ones to deliver the order letters will be the Crown Prince’s friends, Chen Biao and Chen Wu.”

Sun Deng’s face became worse than when he heard the second demand.

He must have realized that specifying Chen Biao and Chen Wu was not only to increase the authenticity of the Crown Prince’s orders, but also to use them as hostages while they carry out their mission.

“If even one of these three is not followed, this negotiation will be considered null and void.”

Although I was leaning towards retreating due to my conviction about Sima Yi’s trap, the one I was worried about was none other than Guan Yu.

I might be overreacting, and there was a possibility that Guan Yu could solve the problem on his own.

Hearing my sincere words with almost no bluff, Sun Deng pondered for a moment and then spoke with difficulty:

“Write a pledge that the General of the Guards will keep the agreement. Then I will accept the conditions.”

“It would be fine if not just me, but the Crown Prince also writes the agreement together. How about it?”

After agreeing to draw up an armistice agreement, both sides returned to their respective camps. And a short while later, we gathered again with writing materials.

This time too, there was only one companion. Since all the writing of documents was to be done by hand directly by me and Sun Deng, other personnel were unnecessary.

Finally, all documents were written and stamped with our official seals.

The agreement was concluded.

Wu would withdraw safely while preserving their manpower, and we would reclaim Jingzhou without further bloodshed.

We didn’t say anything more about keeping promises to each other. Mentioning it further at this point would be close to distrust, saying “I can’t trust you.”

“We started with an unfortunate connection, but I hope our next meeting will be better than this.”

“With the world in chaos, that’s not an easy thing to say.”

“The world…”

I turned my back to leave, with Sun Deng speaking of a next time behind me. But Sun Deng seemed to have something more he wanted to say.

“Let me ask one thing.”

As I stopped in my tracks, Sun Deng asked:

“What, after all, is the world?”

I didn’t hear clearly the following words asking why we must endlessly fight and shed blood in the name of the world.

What is the world? Only that question remained branded in my mind like a hot iron.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms says:

The world’s great trends: long divided, must unite; long united, must divide (天下大勢 分久必合 合久必分).

Though man proposes, it is Heaven that disposes (謀事在人 成事在天).

What meaning is there in people struggling to unite the world?

In reality, didn’t the Jin dynasty that ended the Three Kingdoms period soon split into the Sixteen Kingdoms, and then divide into North and South?

So there is no meaning in the world.

As I thought this, I suddenly recalled a line from a movie I saw in my previous life.

In a long war between two religions fighting over holy land, the man at the center asks the victor of the age and wisest man what this holy land is.

And the wise man answers:

“Nothing.”

Yes. There is no meaning in the world.

If it is fate to endlessly repeat unification and division, perhaps our efforts, which are nothing more than links in that cycle, are in vain.

Nevertheless, we dedicate our lives to it.

Because we have given it value.

The value called the Mandate of Heaven.

I was no different. My obsession with engraving my name in history turned towards the world after my conversation with Pang Tong discussing Heaven’s will.

Therefore, the world was everything.

I turned my body to face Sun Deng directly. Smiling for the first time since starting the talks, I lightly clenched my fist, following the wise man in the movie.

“And everything.”

§

That night, Xiagu Castle burned.

After burning the empty castle from which Wu’s forces had withdrawn, we turned our army around.