Luoyang, North Palace.
Han Yu, the governor of Henan Province, was entering the palace for the second time. Accompanied by Zhong Yubing, a regional controller in the Secretariat of Censors, he felt rather nervous as he entered the emperor's study.
Simu Ji bowed respectfully: "Simu Ji, the Governor of Henan, bows to Your Majesty."
Cao Ru sits behind the desk, seeming to be in a good mood.
"Simu Zihua is here? Please take a seat." Cao Rui said with a calm face, pointing to the chair with his hand.
Simu Zhi said, "I am grateful for the favor."
Even before the discussion with the Western and Eastern Palaces ended just now, Cao Ru had immediately ordered someone to summon Simu Zhi to the palace.
Simu Zhi is now completely confused about the situation.
In Simu Zhi's mind at this moment, he is wondering why his elder brother didn't tell him anything. Could it be that the emperor summoning me here is related to the case from last month?
Cao Ru smiled pleasantly and said, "Simu Ji, have you been serving as the Governor of Henan for more than five or six years now?"
Simu Zhi bowed respectfully and carefully said: "Your Majesty speaks the truth. I took office as the Governor of Henan in the second year of Huangchu, and by April this year, it will have been six years."
Cao Ru nodded: "I summoned you to the palace because there is indeed a matter I need to entrust to you."
Simu Zhi felt relieved in his heart. If the emperor needs something to be done, it is not possible to blame oneself.
"I want to use you to go to Wuchang and serve as my envoy to Sun Quan," Cao Ru looked at Simu Zhi's face: "Simu Ji dare to do it?"
Embassy to the Eastern Wu? Just a few months ago, we won, and now there's going to be communication between Wei and Wu again?
Simu Zhi, who has served for over twenty years, knows some 'stories' about sending envoys to the Wu country.
Unlike Liu Bei, who became the King of Hanzhong in Hanyang and closed all passes between his state and Wei for several years, communication between Wei and Wu has not been interrupted since their first communication in Jian'an years.
During the time when Emperor Cao Cao personally led the campaign against Ruyu, Sun Quan had even sent a letter to Cao Cao with the words, 'The spring water is just beginning to rise; Your Honor should leave quickly.'
After the first three-way invasion by Emperor Cao Pi, Emperor Cao Pi himself continued to correspond with Sun Quan for several years.
In summary, the communication channels between Wei and Wu are much less distinct than those between Wei and Shu Han.
Upon hearing the emperor's words, Simu Zhi rose immediately, bowed, and accepted the mission: "Is Your Majesty sending me to deliver an edict to Sun Quan? I will certainly not bring dishonor to the mission."
Cao Rui smiled and shook his head: "I am not asking you to deliver an edict to Sun Quan. In name, Sun Quan is a traitor to the big Wei, but in fact, he has become a separatist ruler like two countries. I am asking you to go and talk about matters."
What Simu Zhi said just now was only to argue for a nameless and faultless status, and to ensure political correctness.
Now that the emperor is sending someone on the first diplomatic mission to Wu for the first time, and it's clear that the purpose is to discuss matters without any condescending posture, it's likely that there won't be any personal risks involved.
Simu Zhi answered immediately: "If I were to be sent by Your Majesty to communicate with Sun Quan, I would not know what Your Majesty's intention is, and thus may not be able to accomplish it perfectly. What is Your Majesty's wish for me to communicate with Sun Quan about, and how should I say it?"
Seeing Simu Zhi asking the right question, Cao Rui laid out the key points he had already thought of to Simu Zhi.
"I am sending you to Wuchang for the following three matters," Cao Rui said to Simu Zhi, "and if there is anything you don't understand, you may ask me at any time."
Simu Zhi nodded his hand: "I understand."
Cao Rui said, "Firstly, Sun Quan was originally appointed as the King of Wu by the Great Wei several years ago, and he used the year numbers of the Great Wei. Although war has ceased between Wei and Wu at present, this is only a temporary situation."
"Simu Ji, when you go, you will inquire for me with Sun Quan about when he can resume submitting to the Great Wei."
Simu Zhi looked hesitant and said, "Your Majesty, I have a question."
Cao Rui nodded: "Feel free to ask directly."
Simu Zhi said, "Sun Quan has been in power for a long time, and I fear that his ambitions have grown gradually. He may not be willing to submit to the Great Wei in name anymore, and it might be difficult."
Cao Rui raised his index and middle fingers: "If Sun Quan wants to ask for peace with the emperor, he must show some sincerity. He needs to strive for being a loyal subject of the Great Wei, using the year numbers of the Great Wei. These two points must be negotiated."
Seeing that Simu Zhi still didn't understand, Cao Rui added, "The meaning of asking you to strive is that if Sun Quan initially doesn't agree, you should talk about being a loyal subject and changing the year numbers in that direction."
"If Sun Quan or any minister who can speak on his behalf can quickly agree to these two points," Cao Rui knocked on the table, "then you should propose to investigate Sun Quan for exceeding his privileges!"
"Exceeding privileges?" Simu Zhi furrowed his brow and asked.
"Yes, exceeding privileges," Cao Rui said slowly: "Mostly just the palace buildings and ceremonial guards."
"I know, there's such a wide river there, and I can't lead an army to fly over and chop Sun Quan down. So we should start by discussing these formal and superficial matters."
Simu Zhi answered, "I understand. This time, the Great Wei does not have the strength to cross the river, and Wu also does not have the strength to fight on the north bank in a short period. I will go this time to demand from Wu only status and not actual combat."
"That's right." Cao Rui smiled: "Being a loyal subject and using the year numbers are easier to agree on. But I estimate that Sun Quan will not be able to agree to exceeding privileges."
"The next thing is this."
Cao Rui said slowly: "I want you to go and disrupt the relationship between Wu and Shu."
Simu Zhi opened his eyes wide, pointing at himself with his fingers: "Me? Your Majesty wants to use me to disrupt the relationship between Wu and Shu?"
Cao Rui laughed: "It's not that complicated."
"Go scare Sun Quan a bit, and tell him that next year, I will be mobilizing 150,000 troops to attack Shu from three routes: Loess Road, Han River Valley, and the Three Barriers Pass."
"Does he only allow Zhou Fang to deceive the emperor, and I cannot lull him into a false sense of security?" Cao Rui tapped on the table with his fingertip: "Ask Sun Quan if he can dispatch troops from Yiling in the direction of Jiangzhou."
Upon hearing the second point, Simu Zhi had already understood from the emperor's explanation of the first point that this mission would mainly involve intimidation.
Simu Zhi nodded his hand and asked, "If Wu is to be induced to send troops out, what conditions should the Great Wei offer?"
Cao Rui sneered: "What conditions can we offer? What dared he ask for?"
"Tell Sun Quan that either he joins the Great Wei in sending troops, or I can give him Baxian, Bashan, Badong, Feling, and Jiangyang."
Simu Zhi said, "What if Sun Quan insists on refusing?"
Cao Rui said slowly: "If Sun Quan can agree to submit to the Great Wei again, he will basically not openly refuse. He will just delay or avoid it, and what else can the emperor do to him?"
"But you must make it clear to Sun Quan that the emperor is capable of deploying 150,000 troops!"
Simu Zhi suddenly understood: "Sun Quan must be worried about the emperor attacking him again."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Exactly. In this regard, don't speak definitively with Sun Quan. Leave him some room for imagination."
Simu Zhi sighed, "Your Majesty is using both might and virtue. I will also have to rely on Your Majesty's majesty to have a conversation with Sun Quan."
Cao Rui didn't respond to Simu Zhi's flattery and continued, "There is another thing, listen to it carefully."
Simu Zhi also showed seriousness.
Cao Rui said, "In January, when we were in Huaiyang, General Cao Tai made a surprise attack on the Ankou and captured Sun Quan's elder daughter, Sun Ruban, who was hiding in the camp. She was first brought to Shouchun by Cao Tai, and then I brought her back to Luoyang."
"I have already taken Sun Quan's elder daughter into the palace."
"Simu Ji, please go and deliver a wedding gift on behalf of the emperor to see what Sun Quan's reaction is."
Upon hearing the emperor speak so openly about this matter, Simu Zhi was quite startled.
"Your Majesty, does Sun Quan not know about this?" Simu Zhi asked.
"Where would he know?" Cao Rui sneered coldly: "So many people died on the battlefield, and Ankou was lost so quickly. How could he have guessed?"
"Wasn't Liu Bei also defeated in Jingzhou and lost his daughter?" Cao Rui asked with a laugh. "I didn't hear that Liu Bei sent anyone to look for her either."
Simu Zhi nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked again, "If the emperor marries Sun Quan's daughter, wouldn't that make us related by marriage to Sun Quan?"
"Is he related to you by marriage?" Cao Rui laughed and said, "The emperor is not related to Sun Quan by blood or lineage. How can he be an official?"
"This matter should not interfere with the first two. Whether Sun Quan accepts this marriage gift or not, the person is already in my palace. What can he do?"
Cao Rui added, "By the way, also tell Sun Quan that his eldest daughter was voluntary. And mention the appointment of Lu Xun as the guardian of the Xiongnu."
Simu Zhi asked, "The appointment of Lu Xun as the guardian of the Xiongnu…I'm afraid Sun Quan will be enraged and unfavorable to Lu's family."
Cao Rui replied with a calm expression, "The families of Lu Xun are under his control, not in my hands. Whether Sun Quan punishes them, kills them, or does nothing at all is his own virtue or lack thereof."
"What does it concern me?"
Simu Zhi bowed his hand and acknowledged, "The three things the emperor mentioned, I have clearly noted and understood."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Are you really sure, Simu Ji, that you understand?"
Simu Zhi answered with confidence, "I have truly understood."
"That's fine," Cao Rui said. "Simu Ji, how old are you this year?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, I am forty-five years old."
Cao Rui said, "After all, you are a major country's envoy. As an official of the county, your position is lower than expected."
"Currently, the position of the head of the stable is vacant among the nine ministers," Cao Rui said with a smile and looked at Simu Zhi. "The emperor will temporarily appoint Simu Ji as the acting head of the stable. If this task is completed successfully, after returning to Luoyang, I will promote you to the official position."
Simu Zhi bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for entrusting this matter to me. I will definitely not bring shame to the mission."
Cao Rui said, "Since Simu Ji has agreed, set off from Luoyang tomorrow."
"I will have someone deliver to you the seal and my personal letter to Sun Quan before you set out tomorrow."
As he spoke, Cao Rui also opened a box from his desk: "Simu Ji, this jade tablet with excellent color, take it along with you as well tomorrow. Be sure to present it to Sun Quan in person for me."
Simu Zhi nodded and agreed, "I understand."
"Go ahead," Cao Rui said with a smile. "I called you to Wu Chang on impulse, so take care of the family matters today. Also, go to the eastern pavilion and talk with the Grand Minister. Let him guide you a bit as well."
"In compliance, Your Eminence, I withdraw." Simu Zhi bowed and slowly withdrew from the study room. (Chapter ends)
