Chương 413: Invite Zhu Jun

Xue Rengui also stood up and said, "My lord, this humble general is also willing to go! We will march south from Xuzhou, strike deep into the heart of Yangzhou, and join forces with General Zhang to launch a pincer attack from the east and west, achieving twice the result with half the effort!"

The group of military officers instantly became energized.

Zhang Fei jumped up and shouted, "I'm going too! I, Old Zhang, will be the vanguard, I guarantee I'll be the first to storm into the city!"

Cheng Yaojin shouted, "My lord, let me, old Cheng, go too! I'll chop them all down with one axe blow each!"

"Wow! Wow!"

"Let me go! I promise I'll take it down!"

"Don't fight over it, let me do it!"

Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, and Yuwen Chengdu all volunteered for battle, and the council hall was noisy and bustling, like a vegetable market.

Liu Ce couldn't help but laugh as he watched these people scrambling to fight.

Just as everyone was clamoring and vying to attack Yangzhou, Fang Xuanling suddenly stood up, cupped his hands in a smile at Liu Ce, and slowly said:

"My lord, gentlemen, please calm down. We have established regulations for Yizhou and Yangzhou, but we have forgotten about Jiaozhou."

Everyone was stunned and fell silent.

Fang Xuanling walked to the map, pointed to Jiaozhou in the south, and said with a smile, "Jiaozhou is far away in Lingnan, a long way away, and the miasma is heavy. If we really send troops to fight it, it will be a waste of manpower and resources, and the gains will not outweigh the losses. I have a way to take Jiaozhou."

Liu Ce's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Oh? Xuanling has a good idea? Tell me quickly."

Everyone fell silent instantly, turning their gazes to Fang Xuanling, eager to hear what brilliant ideas he had up his sleeve.

Fang Xuanling remained calm and smiled, saying, "My lord, everyone seems to have forgotten that Zhu Fu, the current governor of Jiaozhou, is the son of Zhu Jun, the former Grand Commandant. Zhu Jun is currently in Luoyang, holding a sinecure in the court. He has always respected you, my lord, and is wholeheartedly devoted to the Han Dynasty, hoping for peace and stability throughout the land."

He paused, then said with certainty, "If we just ask Lord Zhu to write a letter to his son Zhu Fu, explaining the pros and cons and appealing to his emotions, Zhu Fu will most likely open the city gates and surrender, out of respect for his father and considering our current strength."

The council chamber fell silent for a few seconds after these words were spoken.

Immediately, everyone slapped their thighs and exclaimed how brilliant it was!

"That's right! How could I forget that!" Guo Jia slapped his forehead and laughed, "Lord Zhu Jun has extremely high prestige in Lingnan. He was the one who led the troops to quell the rebellion in Jiaozhou back then! One word from him is more effective than our 100, 000 troops! Xuanling's move was brilliant!"

Du Ruhui smiled and echoed, "That's right. Lord Zhu is loyal to the emperor and loves his country, valuing the stability of the realm above all else. As long as our lord explains things to him clearly, he will definitely be willing to write this letter. Taking Jiaozhou will also appease the people of Lingnan, killing two birds with one stone."

Xun Yu stroked his beard and slowly added, "Moreover, Lord Zhu is highly respected in the court. His initiative in writing a letter to persuade his son to surrender is tantamount to publicly expressing his support for our lord. This is also a considerable deterrent to other local forces that are still observing the situation."

Liu Ce laughed heartily, slapping the table and exclaiming, "Excellent! Xuanling's idea is brilliant! How could I have forgotten about General Zhu Jun! That's right, his son is the governor of Jiaozhou; a letter from him personally is more effective than anything else!"

He immediately turned to Lu Bing beside him and instructed, "Wenfu, go to Zhu Gong's residence now and invite him to the council hall. Tell him I have important matters to discuss and need his help. Remember to be polite and not be impolite."

"Yes, sir! Understood!" Lu Bing bowed and accepted the order, then turned and ran out quickly.

While waiting for Zhu Jun, everyone discussed and finalized the details of attacking Yangzhou and persuading Yizhou: In Yizhou, Liu Yu, acting as a cousin and uncle, combined with the imperial decree, wrote letters to persuade Liu Yu to surrender.

Give Liu Yan enough face and benefits, and strive to subdue him without fighting.

If Liu Yan doesn't know how to appreciate our kindness, it's not too late to send troops again.

In Yangzhou, we'll go all out next year.

In Jiaozhou, they were waiting for Zhu Jun's letter.

A short while later, Lu Bing led Zhu Jun in.

Zhu Jun was already an old general with graying temples. He was dressed in his court robes neatly, his back was straight, and he walked with a powerful and imposing manner.

Although he's getting on in years, his veteran demeanor is as impressive as ever.

He walked in and first gave Liu Ce a proper bow, saying:

"This old minister, Zhu Jun, greets Your Highness, the Prince of Yan. May I ask what Your Highness wishes to do by summoning this old minister here?"

Liu Ce quickly stood up and personally helped him up, saying with a smile, "Please sit down, Master Zhu, no need for such formalities. I invited you here today because there is indeed something I would like to ask for your help with."

He had tea served to Zhu Jun, and without beating around the bush, he got straight to the point:

"Lord Zhu, as you know, most of the land has been pacified. Apart from Yizhou and Yangzhou, only Jiaozhou in the south has not yet submitted. The current governor of Jiaozhou is none other than your son, Zhu Fu."

Zhu Jun nodded without saying anything.

Liu Ce continued, "I'm thinking that Jiaozhou is far away in Lingnan. If we send troops to fight there, there will inevitably be chaos and suffering for the people, and the soldiers will also suffer from the miasma. You are a veteran general with extremely high prestige in Lingnan. Your word is worth more than a thousand troops. Therefore, I would like to ask you to write a letter to your son, Zhu Fu, and persuade him to submit to the court."

Zhu Jun was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

Immediately, he burst into laughter, and without a second thought, slapped his thigh and readily agreed, his enthusiasm boundless.

"What nonsense is Your Highness spouting! What help or not! This is simply my duty!"

He stood up, bowed deeply to Liu Ce, and said in a resounding voice, "Your Highness has annihilated the traitor Dong Zhuo, quelled the war in the north, brought peace to the people, and revitalized the Han Dynasty. This is an immense achievement! As a Han official, I have long hoped for peace throughout the land! If your rebellious son Zhu Fu dares to be ungrateful and oppose the court, I will be the first to object!"

Liu Ce quickly helped him up and said with a smile, "Lord Zhu, you flatter me. Your son governs Jiaozhou well and is quite capable."

Zhu Jun waved his hand dismissively, saying, "What can he do? If it weren't for his reputation as a veteran official, could he have become the governor of Jiaozhou?"

He straightened up, patted his chest, and assured his father, "Your Highness, rest assured, this old minister will write this letter immediately upon returning! Not only will I write the letter, but I will also send my personal attendant to Jiaozhou to personally explain things to that rebellious son! If he dares to disobey, this old minister will personally go to Jiaozhou, bind him, and bring him to Luoyang to be dealt with by Your Highness! I will not let Your Highness waste a single soldier!"

Liu Ce was overjoyed and quickly helped him up, saying with a smile, "Good! With Lord Zhu's words, I can rest assured! Lord Zhu is a man of great principle, and his contributions to the people and the stability of the Han Dynasty are truly immense!"

"Your Highness is too kind!"

Zhu Jun smiled and waved his hand, "This is what an old minister should do. If we can keep the people at peace without fighting, what is a letter from an old minister? Your Highness doesn't know, when I was suppressing the rebellion in Jiaozhou, the miasma and poisonous insects caused my soldiers a lot of suffering. If we can avoid fighting, we should. If we fight, it is the common people who will suffer."