Chapter 102: Envoy To Jiangdong
Jiangdong has already moved its capital to Dantu County. Dantu is Zhenjiang in later generations, and Jingkou is also Zhenjiang, but Jingkou is a military city used to guard Dantu County. Sun Quan ultimately set Dantu as the capital, also because of the factor of Jingkou, but the most important reason was still that he wanted to achieve something and capture the three commanderies north of the river.
This morning, General Gan’s envoy Qiao An arrived at Dantu. Sun Quan ordered Zhang Zhao to receive Qiao An first and understand General Gan’s intentions.
In the temporary hall of the Jiangdong Army military yamen, Zhang Zhao invited Qiao An to take the seat of honor, and the two sat down as guest and host.
Although Qiao An was General Gan’s special envoy, he was not General Gan himself after all, so there was no problem with Zhang Zhao receiving him first, just like Lu Su had received Zhu Zhi before.
“This time I was ordered by my lord to come as envoy to Jiangdong. There are three important matters. The first is that I heard the Lady Wu has taken the position of proper matriarch. My family patriarch specially offers a White Jade Buddha as a congratulatory gift. Please present it to the Lady Wu on my behalf, Strategist Zhang.”
After Lady Wu passed away, according to her last wishes, Sun Quan again honored Second Madam Wu as the new Lady Wu, that is, Lady Wu.
Zhang Zhao smiled faintly: “Thank you for General Gan’s congratulatory gift. I will certainly present it to the Lady Wu.”
Qiao An then took out General Gan’s personal letter and presented it to Zhang Zhao. “This is a personal letter from my family lord to the Marquis of Wu. Please also present it on my behalf, General Zhang.”
Zhang Zhao took the letter and asked: “Is the second matter that Envoy Qiao mentioned in the letter?”
“Exactly. I can briefly explain it. Has Strategist Zhang heard about the great battle that broke out in Lujiang Commandery?”
“I have heard a little, but not the details. Could Envoy Qiao inform me?”
“The battle in Lujiang Commandery was actually Sun Ben wanting to thoroughly drive us out of Lujiang Commandery. Of course we had to fight back vigorously. This involves one issue: previously we signed a Lujiang Commandery border demarcation agreement with Jiangdong. My family lord wants to make a slight modification to this agreement.”
Zhang Zhao’s expression changed. “Could it be that you plan to swallow up Lujiang Commandery?”
Qiao An hurriedly waved his hands. “Absolutely not our intention. We are willing to help Jiangdong take Lujiang Commandery and drive out Sun Ben’s army from Lujiang Commandery, but as a condition, we hope to revise the previous border demarcation agreement, changing the original boundary from west of the Wanshui River to the Wanshui River.”
Zhang Zhao immediately understood. General Gan wanted to take Wan County. Actually, the issue was not big; it was just moving the border eighty li to the east.
Zhang Zhao came to a realization. He nodded and said: “Although I cannot make the decision, I personally greatly appreciate General Gan’s attitude. Being willing to inform Jiangdong in advance is also respect for us. Since there is a reason, I believe it does not violate the non-aggression pact we signed before.”
“Thank you for the strategist’s understanding. The third matter is to discuss an agreement: is there any possibility of an alliance between the two sides?”
The alliance was something Jiangdong had proactively proposed before. It was actually to prevent General Gan from encroaching on Lujiang Commandery, because the premise of alliance was that both sides demarcate the border. If even the border could not be demarcated, then alliance had no meaning. Precisely because the two sides had a dispute over the ownership of Lujiang Commandery, the alliance talks failed, and they only barely reached a non-aggression pact.
Now that General Gan wanted to talk about alliance again, it meant that the two sides would mutually compromise on Lujiang Commandery. Simply put, it was to negotiate alliance with the Wanshui River as the boundary.
Zhang Zhao nodded. “I understand. Envoy Qiao, please go to the guest house to rest first. I will report to the Marquis of Wu.”
Sun Quan read General Gan’s letter, pondered for a moment, and asked: “The war on the Lujiang side should be over by now, right?”
Zhang Zhao nodded. “The intelligence this subordinate received is that Sun Ben reinforced Shu County with five thousand troops, not Wan County. So the battle at Wan County should already be over, and General Gan has likely captured Wan County.”
Sun Quan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, and after a while said to Zhang Zhao: “General Gan has clearly gained the advantage on the battlefield and could take Lujiang Commandery in one go. Why did he stop at the Wanshui River?”
Zhang Zhao smiled faintly. “This subordinate has also considered it. General Gan is very clear about our attitude toward Lujiang Commandery. He worries that after capturing Lujiang Commandery, it would lead to Sun Ben reconciling with us and joining hands against him, so he restrained his ambitions.”
“But he could just hand Lujiang Commandery directly to us!”
Zhang Zhao shook his head. “That way he couldn’t account for it to his own people internally. I think stopping at the Wanshui River is a rational decision.”
Sun Quan said again: “So what does the strategist think of his proposed new border demarcation agreement?”
Zhang Zhao said slowly: “If it’s just with the Wanshui River as the boundary, this subordinate thinks it’s not a big problem. After all, Lujiang Commandery has thirteen counties, and General Gan only takes two. But what I worry about is that he will nibble away step by step: taking Wan County today, capturing Jine tomorrow, and launching an attack on Shu County the day after.”
“That’s indeed possible. So how should we respond?”
Zhang Zhao thought for a moment and said: “Alliance is a good method. Once we establish the boundary at the Wanshui River and form an alliance on that basis, then General Gan will not develop further east but turn west instead. I think this is General Gan’s real intention in wanting to ally with us: to secure the east and avoid being attacked from both front and back.”
Sun Quan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. He was also feeling very troubled now, because Cao Army great general Le Jin was stationed with twenty thousand troops in Guangling Commandery. If there were no twenty thousand troops, he would have long ago killed into the north of the river, even taking Lujiang Commandery, and General Gan would have no chance to discuss changing the border demarcation.
Sun Quan was very clear that Cao Cao deployed twenty thousand troops in Guangling Commandery precisely to support Sun Ben. If he launched the Northern Expedition, Cao Cao would definitely send troops to aid, not only Le Jin’s twenty thousand Cao Army, but also Cao Ren’s thirty thousand troops in Xuzhou, leaving Sun Quan without the courage to send troops north.
Sun Quan sighed and said: “Alliance is no small matter. Let’s discuss it together with everyone and consider it thoroughly.”
“This subordinate obeys the order!”
In the Danyang palace, Lady Wu received Qiao An.
The White Jade Buddha that General Gan sent could be called the greatest treasure under heaven, making Lady Wu extremely fond of it, so she specially received Qiao An.
“I very much like that White Jade Buddha. Thank General Gan for his kind intentions on my behalf!”
Qiao An hurriedly bowed and said: “That is the Lady Wu’s Buddhist affinity. General Gan also sends Buddha to those with affinity.”
These words were said very elegantly. Lady Wu was delighted in her heart and said again: “I wonder how old General Gan is this year?”
“In his early twenties!”
“Ah! He is so young?” Lady Wu really had not expected this.
“When General Bofu swept through Jiangdong back then, he was also only twenty. The Marquis of Wu is only nineteen this year. Lady Wu, now it is the world of young people.”
“Extremely well said. I wonder if General Gan is married?”
“He has one concubine, who is this subordinate’s niece, but he has not yet taken a wife.”
“I see!”
Lady Wu then had the idea of matchmaking in her heart. Her daughter Sun Ren had not yet been betrothed, but she also worried that General Gan would become an enemy of Jiangdong, so she restrained her matchmaking thoughts.
After chatting idly a few more sentences, Qiao An rose to take his leave. At this time, he smiled and casually asked: “My family lord has not yet taken a wife. If the two families form a marriage alliance, would the Lady Wu approve?”
Lady Wu smiled and said: “My daughter has not yet been betrothed, but she is a bit young. Her father and eldest brother did not approve of her marrying early while they were alive.”
“This is actually not a problem. Engagement is not marriage. There are plenty of cases where people get engaged and marry ten years later. Of course we wouldn’t wait ten years; I am just giving an example.”
“I understand Envoy Qiao’s meaning. This is a major matter. I need to discuss it with the Marquis of Wu and will reply to Envoy Qiao later!”
“Please take care of your health, Lady Wu. This subordinate takes his leave!”
Qiao An bowed in salute and took his leave.
