Chapter 3:
Reuniting
UNDER THE SHADOW of the Hangu Pass, the wind carried voices of ghosts, and the sun set—scarlet red, bloodred. The withered grass stank like kindling, and from afar echoed the muted sounds of crying.
The two ash-covered, bedraggled young men sat outside a mostly collapsed thatched hut, smoke rising from their campfire.
Sitting on a stone, Zhou Yu ravenously devoured some dried meat and beans that’d been cooked in a clay pot.
“Don’t burn your mouth,” Sun Ce teased.
Zhou Yu ignored him, grabbed the water Sun Ce set aside, and swigged from it. The fresh spring water dripped from the corners of his mouth.
“The most exotic delicacies I’ve ever had can’t compare to your clay pot beans, Bofu,” Zhou Yu said, swallowing another mouthful. His hair was unbound and messy, and his expensive embroidered robe was absolutely filthy.
He shook his head and continued, “This life of mine, Zhou Gongjin’s life, is yours to do with as you see fit from now on.”
Sun Ce released a loud, hearty laugh. His handsome face was so sooty it looked as if he had climbed through a chimney. Zhou Yu set down the pot, drank another mouthful of water, and wiped his face.
He staggered to the stream to clean himself while Sun Ce spoke from afar. “You have to sign your name, stamp, and hand your contract of servitude to me right now. That way I can go to your house later on and demand your mother hand you over.”
Zhou Yu did not respond, instead squatting down by the stream to wash his face. Sun Ce chuckled as he began to scoop up beans with his bare hands.
“Can’t you wash your hands first?!” Zhou Yu shouted angrily.
“You nag me more than my own mother.”
“It’s as if you don’t like being clean,” Zhou Yu said, lecturing him and using a towel to wipe Sun Ce’s hands.
Sun Ce was tickled pink and laughed to himself. “My mother always told me to bring back a wife so that someone else could keep a firm hold over me. The way I see it, there’s no need for a wife anymore. You’ll do. Honestly, you far surpass my mother’s fussiness.”
Zhou Yu glanced at him, refusing to respond to Sun Ce’s words. He then left, heading into the hut to lie down. After an entire day and night of running around, he was exhausted.
Sun Ce finished his beans outside, watching the sun sink little by little below the horizon, squatting like a devoted hound guarding its house.
“If you’re willing to sell your life just like that, how will you thank me later?” he muttered to himself.
Zhou Yu blinked, confused.
Sun Ce did not speak again, but the corners of his mouth turned upward into a faint smile as he watched the last bit of dying sun gradually fade away.
✦ ✦ ✦
Zhou Yu slept very poorly that night. One moment his dreams were ablaze with the sea of flames that was Luoyang; the next, they were reverberating with wails of misery. He woke several times, but every time he did, he was reassured that Sun Ce was by his side. Knowing this was the safest place in the world, he always fell soundly back asleep.
After a few hours, Sun Ce’s head drooped. He was too sleepy to stay awake, so he gave up keeping watch, crawled into the thatched hut, and fell asleep next to Zhou Yu. Their two heads pressed close together. Autumn was arriving and the weather was growing chilly. Sun Ce’s body was like a natural heater, so Zhou Yu intuitively drew tightly to him.
They didn’t know how long they slept. The night was still as dark and thick as ink, yet for some unknown reason, both men woke in the middle of that profoundly silent night.
Zhou Yu felt Sun Ce’s breath hitch first, before he let it out in a light exhale.
“Are you cold?” Zhou Yu asked.
“A little,” Sun Ce replied. “Let’s hit the road once it’s dawn. You should sleep a bit more.”
Zhou Yu agreed, but his mind was already awake, so he sat up instead. Sun Ce restarted the fire, and the two warmed their bodies around it. Zhou Yu raised his eyes to look at Sun Ce, only to see him smiling, his hair tied up again.
Sun Ce’s eyes reflected Zhou Yu—his bare arms, muscular chest, and thoughtful expression as he contemplated, staring into the flames.
“Where are we going next?” Zhou Yu asked.
“You’re coming with me?” Sun Ce replied with surprise, and he chuckled.
“What?” Zhou Yu said, puzzled. “Of course I’m going with you. I’ve already given my life to you. Do you take issue with that?”
“I didn’t think you actually meant it.”
Zhou Yu did not respond. After a moment of thought, he asked, “How’s the situation on the battlefield right now?”
Sun Ce mulled over his answer for a while. “My father should have invaded Luoyang by now.”
Zhou Yu’s eyes darkened with concern. Sun Ce had deserted his post to rescue Zhou Yu and could be disciplined. He gestured for Zhou Yu to look at Fei Yu crooning as it perched on the wall, trying to distract him from his worries.
“When will the reinforcements arrive?” Zhou Yu asked.
“After dawn, we will meet with them at the foot of Hangu Pass,” Sun Ce absentmindedly replied. “There, we’ll discuss what to do next.”
“Let’s go back to Changsha,” Zhou Yu said. Sun Ce raised his eyebrows at Zhou Yu, who continued, “Escaping with my life is fortunate enough. I don’t care about that caravan anymore. I was far too naive.”
Sun Ce laughed but didn’t respond. He added a little more wood to the campfire and changed the subject. “I still haven’t thought about what position to appoint you. I don’t even know where I should go from here… Say, Gongjin, what type of post do you think I can achieve in the future?”
Zhou Yu looked at Sun Ce. “Grand Commandant? Great General?”
“As of today,” Sun Ce said, “heroes from across the land are rising up in unison, and Dong Zhuo kidnapped the emperor and fled west. In a few months, the turbulence we’ve seen will reach a boiling point, and the fires of war will blaze across the land. Everyone is loudly proclaiming their allegiance to the Han royal dynasty, but in reality, not one of them will stay faithful. None of them. Not Yuan Shu, Gongsun Zan, Zhang Miao, Ma Teng, Yuan Shao, Tao Qian…or even my family. When eighteen different warlords form a coalition to overthrow Dong Zhuo, who do you think can be their leader?”
“Naturally, it will be your Sun family,” Zhou Yu said lightly.
“I’m not joking.” Sun Ce threw down the branch he’d used to stoke the fire and stood.
“I know,” Zhou Yu said, “but your words are treasonous.”
“Do not bring His Majesty or the Han royal family into this. You can joke around, but you are well aware of your father’s aspirations.” Zhou Yu was silent for a long while, so Sun Ce continued, “Dong Zhuo is extorting taxes from the people. His days are numbered. When the world falls into chaos, the warlords who participated in today’s battle will form their own factions. We will see then who becomes the emergent power in this realm.”
“None of them will be able to do it,” Zhou Yu said.
“The Yuan family, maybe,” Sun Ce said, turning his head to watch Zhou Yu. “For generations, the Yuan family has held high positions in the government, and right now their voice is the loudest.”
“No,” Zhou Yu insisted. “Although Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao have a great reputation, Yuan Shu is mired in the pleasures of the flesh, stubborn, and set in his ways. Yuan Shao is indecisive and irresolute. In addition, these two often scheme against each other, so even if they can assume the role of leader in this alliance, they will not convince the masses that they truly want to clean up this mess.”
Sun Ce watched Zhou Yu in silence. Zhou Yu, looking thoughtful, raised his eyes to meet Sun Ce’s. “I predict in the future the person who will pick up the pieces and reform the world is not one of these eighteen warlords.”
“How about my father?” Sun Ce asked.
Their mutual gazes lingered on each other for a moment before Zhou Yu gently shook his head. Sun Ce sighed.
“You actually believe what I’m saying?” Zhou Yu asked, greatly amused.
“It’s because you’re smart,” Sun Ce said. “Even though I don’t really want to admit it, you are right.”
“If I was really smart, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” Zhou Yu responded.
Sun Ce peeked at Zhou Yu in his peripheral. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Zhou Yu quickly spoke again. “But I’m happy that’s why I’m here. Your dad won’t be able to do it, but you will.”
Sun Ce laughed absently.
“Knock it off,” Zhou Yu said, seriously. “I know what’s on your mind.”
Abruptly, Sun Ce transformed into a different person. His carefree, joyful, somewhat irresponsible attitude disappeared, replaced with a serious and grave expression.
Sun Ce shushed him. “Let’s talk about this later, Gongjin. I didn’t ask for your presence by my side earlier because I was undecided then.”
“What about now?” Zhou Yu asked gently in return.
Without waiting for Sun Ce’s answer, Zhou Yu began to sketch out the terrain of the surrounding regions on the ground with a tree branch.