A Billion Gifts Congratulate the King of Wei

Xu Sheng nodded in agreement. "General Sun is right. If Jiangdong truly possessed such formidable assassins, wouldn't our Lord have conquered the world long ago? Why bother with Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, Lu Bu, Tao Qian, Zhang Lu, or Liu Yan? If they refused to submit, we could simply have them assassinated. Isn't that right, my Lord?"

Sun Quan's eyelids twitched a few times, but he did not answer. Is this fellow implying something? he wondered.

Seeing that Xu Sheng had touched upon a taboo subject, Zhang Zhao quickly steered the conversation away. "My Lord, Cao Pi is, after all, the ruler of the State of Wei. If he wanted to wage war, he could do so openly and aboveboard; there is no need to slander Jiangdong like this. Do you think someone might be framing us?"

"The advisor's words make sense. The Sima Clan is a prominent family in Henei. If they were truly wiped out by enemies, it would surely shake the entire Central Plains." Sun Quan muttered to himself, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Having spent years balancing the power of the Jiangdong clans, Sun Quan knew exactly how formidable their influence was. If he were truly to wear this crown of infamy, he feared he would bring eternal disgrace upon the Sun Family.

Hearing Sun Quan's words, Zhang Zhao chimed in, "Strife between great clans has existed since ancient times, but such thunderous methods are rare. I cannot imagine this being the work of outsiders. If it were truly Liu Bei and Guan Yu who sent men to do this, it is hard to explain why they wouldn't simply assassinate Cao Pi instead. I suspect this must be the work of someone within the State of Wei."

"Zibu, tell us