Conquering the South (2)
The conquest was completed with the submission of all the warlords who had controlled Jiangdong. After subduing Kuaiji Prefecture, Liu Chong's army entered Wu Prefecture and brought peace to the people of Jiangdong.
"L-Long live!"
"Long live His Highness the King of Chen!"
"Long Live!"
The people shouted "Long Live!" three times.
A new emperor would soon ascend the throne.
The King of Chen, who had conquered Xu Province and Yang Province, would rise to the imperial seat.
The southern populace openly discussed the new emperor's ascension, their voices filled with longing and anticipation. The people of Jiangdong, who had long suffered the corruption of the Han Imperial House and the invasions of the Shanyue People, yearned for a powerful ruler who could guarantee a reign of peace.
The King of Chen, Liu Chong.
The great vassal king who had defended the south from the Central Plains rebels.
The people gave their absolute support to Liu Chong.
"Little Conqueror! Little Conqueror!"
"They say she slaughtered the ruthless Shanyue!"
"Single-handedly butchered thousands of the barbarians! Truly a Foe of Ten Thousand!"
And so,
the fame of the Little Conqueror spread far and wide.
How many innocents had been sacrificed to the brutal invasions of the Shanyue People? To those who had lost family and loved ones to the Shanyue, Sun Ce's feats, which established her as a Foe of Ten Thousand, were nothing short of salvation.
Conqueror.
One whose personal martial might rivaled that of Xiang Yu, Conqueror of Chu.
Since Xiang Yu's base for raising an army had been Jiangdong itself, Sun Ce, hailing from Jiangdong, was seen as Xiang Yu reborn. They began to call her the Little Conqueror, appending the "Little" (小).
"Ahaha... 'Little Conqueror,' honestly, it's a little embarrassing."
"To the common people, the Shanyue are sworn enemies of the deepest hatred. It's only natural for them to praise you after your martial prowess as a Foe of Ten Thousand at Mount Kuaiji. Hoho, accept it with joy."
Sun Ce scratched her cheek with a sheepish expression.
Zhou Yu chuckled in reply.
"Sis Ce!"
"Guo, Quan'er!"
When they reached the Governor of Wu Prefecture's office in Wu County,
a spirited girl with shoulder-length red hair welcomed them warmly.
Sun Quan.
She was Sun Jian's second daughter and Sun Ce's younger sister.
And a prodigy renowned for her keen insight and brilliance.
She seemed to have shot up in height since they last saw her.
Sun Ce swept her tomboyish little sister into a hug, savoring the joy of reunion. She had no idea how her sister, who was supposed to be in Chen Kingdom, had come to Jiangdong, but for now, putting all else aside, she simply wanted to hold her.
"I insisted on coming and followed our uncle!"
"Uncle...? What business brought Uncle here?"
"The Crown Prince sent an edict. He said Uncle's been appointed Danyang Commandant!"
"This is the first I'm hearing of it."
While still holding Sun Quan tightly, Sun Ce turned her head to look at Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu, just as clueless, shrugged his shoulders.
"Sis, I heard you achieved tremendous feats on the battlefield? Everyone's singing your praises! They speak of you as Xiang Yu, the Conqueror of Chu, reborn, and that's how they started calling you the Little Conqueror! Little Conqueror! It's a title that suits you perfectly, sis!"
"Ahem! It's a bit embarrassing when you hype me up like that."
Little Conqueror! Little Conqueror!
Her tomboyish sister giggled as she chanted the title.
Sun Ce's face flushed as if she were truly bashful.
"Where is the Crown Prince? We must pay our respects to him along with Uncle."
"He'll be here soon."
A Commandant is a military officer equal in rank to a Governor, responsible for the security and military affairs of a prefecture. Sun Ce was overjoyed at the news that her uncle, who had handled various duties under her father, had been appointed Danyang Commandant.
"Mother was absolutely thrilled. Uncle had been idle lately, you know. She'd been making a fuss about him finding a new job since he was just loafing around the house... It's a relief he landed the Danyang Commandant position this way."
"Indeed."
Even the profound debt of gratitude she already bore felt like an honor to carry. She had thought subjugating the remnants of Jiangdong forces entrenched at Mount Kuaiji repaid a small fraction of that debt, but the news that her uncle had been appointed Danyang Commandant thanks to the Crown Prince's favor made her shoulders feel heavy once more.
How could she ever fully repay this kindness?
Sun Ce stroked Sun Quan's hair and gave a bitter smile.
* * *
Liu Chong's army recruited figures related to Sun Jian.
"Appoint Wu Jing as Danyang Commandant, Zhu Zhi as Commandant of Wu Prefecture, and Sun Ben as Commandant of Kuaiji."
Wu Jing was Lady Wu's younger brother and Sun Jian's brother-in-law,
Zhu Zhi was a long-time trusted retainer of Sun Jian's army,
and Sun Ben was Sun Jian's nephew, a young general of the Wu Prefecture Sun Clan.
They placed full trust in Sun Jian's forces.
While keeping the surrendered generals who had opposed him in their posts, Liu Seong-hwi appointed Sun Jian's close aides as Commandants to control the prefectures. This was to both strengthen control over the Scholar-Officials and Local Gentry and to guard against future trouble.
'To plot for the Central Plains, I need people who will support my rear firmly. They must continuously supply troops and materiel from Jiangdong to Huaibei and Huainan. If it's people from Jiangdong connected to Sun Jian, they won't fall short when entrusted with internal affairs and security.'
Wu Jing. Zhu Zhi. Sun Ben.
Their Ability Scores were B-rank, but their loyalty was absolute.
Just as in all strategy simulations, there was no need to deploy S-rank natural talents to the rear. It was sufficient to position B-rank generals who could reliably handle internal affairs and logistics without defecting to another faction.
"Furthermore, I appoint General Who Attacks Rebels Sun Ce as Governor of Yang Province."
Governor of Yang Province.
A regional official governing the vast South.
By appointing Sun Ce as Governor of Yang Province, he handed over supreme authority over the region. Just as when Liu Bei had been appointed Governor of Xu Province after the annihilation of Tao Qian's army, this delegated internal administration and military command to Sun Ce, allowing her to build an independent power base.
"Your grace overwhelms me...! To repay the favor and trust of His Highness the King of Chen and the Crown Prince, I shall serve with all my soul and spirit to assist the great cause of the Unification of the Realm!"
She was granted the Official Seal and Command Tally of the Governor of Yang Province.
Filled with fervent emotion, Sun Ce swore loyalty to Liu Seong-hwi.
"I intend to appoint General of the Guards Zhou Yu as Governor of Yuzhang Prefecture. In addition, I appoint him Commander of Three Provinces, commanding the fleet on the Yangtze River."
They summoned the previous incumbent, Hua Xin, and appointed Zhou Yu as the new Governor of Yuzhang Prefecture. They also created a new Naval Commander post overseeing three provinces—Yang, Xu, and Jing—entrusting hundreds of warships to Zhou Yu.
Jing Province.
Zhou Yu was deployed to keep Liu Biao's forces in check.
The Inspector of Jing Province, Liu Biao, had been rapidly expanding his power since decisively defeating Yuan Shu's army. He had displayed overwhelming regional influence in a single bound by recruiting not only the allied Xiangyang Cai Clan and Xiangyang Kuai Clan, but even Huang Zu of Jiangxia Prefecture.
If war were to break out with Liu Biao's forces, it would be a naval battle.
Concerned about this, Liu Seong-hwi assigned Zhou Yu the post of Naval Commander.
"I bear in mind that the might of the Jiangdong fleet is the cornerstone of the Unification of the Realm. With spirit honed through bone-grinding effort, I shall build warships and drill sailors, turning the Yangtze into an Iron Fortress none dare covet."
Sun Ce. Zhou Yu.
Heavy responsibilities were entrusted to the next generation of talents.
Governor of Yang Province. Naval Commander.
The Little Conqueror and a brilliant admiral without equal in their generation would surely execute their original duties flawlessly.
Liu Seong-hwi doled out fitting Rewards According to Merit to the generals who had participated in the Jiangdong campaign. He also focused on an Appeasement Policy, granting official posts and noble ranks to the surrendered generals who had defected on the battlefield.
* * *
After the rewards ceremony concluded,
I found myself chatting with a bold young girl whose red hair hung loose.
Sun Quan.
A tomboy of the Wu Prefecture Sun Clan.
She boasted features practically mirroring Sun Ce, proving they were sisters born of the same mother.
"Hello, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"It's been a while. I'm glad to see you looking so healthy."
She had grown so much I almost didn't recognize her.
The moment I saw her at the office, I thought, "She grew this much already? Is she some kind of plant?"
Twelve years old this year.
Sun Quan's golden eyes sparkled as she showed deep interest.
"I heard that Sis Ce has been appointed Governor of Yang Province!"
"Governor of Yang Province is a truly impressive post. She gets a ton of rock candy as her monthly stipend."
"It's not nice to treat me like a child! I may be young and inexperienced now... but I will make my name as fast as possible to assist my sister and you, Your Highness!"
"You're still such a commendable child. Good girl, good girl."
Ahem-hem-.
Sun Quan puffed out her chest and made bold claims.
Yes,
grow up to be a splendid person.
Just don't become one of those worthless brats who starts a shit-fit every time they drink.
"Guo, Quan'er!"
"So you were here with Quan'er."
While I was enjoying the little miss's cute antics,
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, the protagonists of today's Rewards According to Merit, approached.
Sun Ce made a fuss, worried her tomboyish little sister might have been rude. Zhou Yu, in contrast, smiled faintly as he observed how much Sun Quan had grown.
"May I offer a word of counsel for a moment?"
"Speak."
There wasn't any particular schedule ahead.
I nodded without hesitation at Zhou Yu's request.
"Thanks to the favor you have bestowed upon me, Your Highness, I have been appointed Naval Commander, but I still have many shortcomings. Therefore, I wish to recommend a worthy soul who can resolve my deficiencies."
"A worthy soul?"
"Lu Su. She is a sage of Danyang Prefecture, a figure of high repute. A talent of the age who excels in both civil and military affairs. If you appoint her as Deputy Commander of the navy, we will be able to easily contend with Liu Biao's forces in Jing Province."
"I've heard the rumors. If the Donghai Mi Clan is to Xu Province, the Xiapi Lu Clan is to Yang Province, they say."
Mi Zhu. Lu Su.
Both were colossal merchant tycoons who appeared in the Three Kingdoms.
A true magnate does not hesitate to invest.
Proving that, Mi Zhu, the great merchant representing Xu Province, placed her bet on Liu Bei, while Lu Su, the great merchant representing Yang Province, managed to achieve magnificent renown by giving her full support to Sun Quan.
'Lu Su...! I'd completely forgotten about that S-rank talent waiting for a call out of office.'
There was no reason to hesitate about recruitment.
I decided to visit the Xiapi Lu Clan in person and meet Lu Su.