As the boat docked, Zhou Yu put one hand on his sword and leaped steadily onto the shore. Without even a glance, he flicked his wrist, and a few copper coins landed, jangling, into the bamboo tube at the prow of the boat.
“Have a good one, Shaoye,” the ferryman said, smiling, a blade of straw dangling between his lips.
Zhou Yu turned back and cupped his fist as a salute before heading toward the mountain path, where an earlier spring shower had turned the ground into mud.
After a few steps, it struck him that the ferryman today was a stranger to him. Something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it, and he pondered as he walked. The ferryman had commanded explosive strength and was well-muscled, as if he were a martial arts practitioner.
That said, ferrying a boat required intense physical strength, so in the end Zhou Yu could not explain why this sat poorly with him.
✦ ✦ ✦
Despite the lushness of the mountains, they were echoingly empty of life. Not even a single bird cry broke the silence as Zhou Yu crossed through the forest. As he approached the waystation, a Zhou family servant sprinted over, panting as he leaned on a tree to catch his breath. Zhou Yu’s heart leaped into his throat.
“Young master! Young master!” the servant cried. “Laoye, he…”
“Calm down.” Zhou Yu fought off the dizziness that threatened to overtake him. “Talk slowly. Don’t panic.”
The servant’s breathing began to even out.
“Some Yellow Turban rebels were wreaking havoc… At the new inn just past Mount Gu our Laoye was staying at last night, a group of Yellow Turban bandits came to rob us, and they took every courier and traveling merchant hostage. Our family’s carriages are still outside…”
A sudden ringing filled Zhou Yu’s ears, and he almost lost his balance. He dug his thumbs into his temples until his mind could focus again.
“The Yellow Turban bandits… How could they be at Mount Gu? Wait, Pinggui, you…”
Having finally calmed himself down, Zhou Yu took stock of the situation. His father had already retired from his government position, and upon being taken hostage by the bandits, he had neither money, goods, nor any women traveling with him, so there was nothing of value that could be taken—meaning he was a hostage for ransom. His father’s life was probably not in danger.
“Quick, report this to the Shu County magistrate,” Zhou Yu ordered. “Then go home and tell Fourth Uncle what happened, but do not let my mother know.”
The servant nodded, astonished.
“Now hurry! Go, quickly,” Zhou Yu said. “I’ll scout out the situation.”
He drew his sword and decided to head through the peach blossom grove instead of taking the main road, picking out a path through the trees. As he walked, he reassured himself that his father had been an honest and fair official throughout his career, so the Zhou family should not suffer too much from this misfortune.
Shocking as this hostage situation was, his father’s life was not at any risk. The Yellow Turban bandits just wanted money, and there might be no choice but to relinquish it to them.