Zhou Yu was traveling north to Shouchun, but this time, his emotions were a stark contrast to what he felt when he previously set out. He was wrapped in a thick fur cloak with a wolf-pelt hat on his head. The foggy breaths he huffed out dissipated in the clear morning of the white winter day. The air of the wilderness was crisp and clean.
The cloth bundle he brought held four hundred heavy taels of gold packed within. Shouchun was just a few days’ journey away. Over a month had passed since the various marquises rose against Dong Zhuo, and though they entered Luoyang as an alliance, they parted in discord, squabbling over the division of the spoils. Each returned to their own territories.
Zhou Yu brought the letter of recommendation Lu Su wrote, and as soon as he entered Shouchun, he found it majestic and open, not at all like what he remembered from his childhood.
Shouchun was located on the north side of Shu County, and it was one of the largest cities in Yang Province. Ever since the King of Huainan, Liu An, was assigned this region, rumor had it that the dragon pulse running through Mount Bagong to the north bestowed various benefits on Shouchun, leaving its winters warm, its summers cool, and the waters of its spring cold and clear. People gathered, and in less than a hundred years, this place had become a major trading hub and a land that abounded in plenty.
As it was early winter, the residents both inside and outside the city were finished with harvesting and planting for the year. They settled into their homes and trades, and the flames of war on the Central Plains seemed to be very distant from this place. Permeating the city was the same auspicious atmosphere as the area around Wabu Lake.
Zhou Yu led his horse, passing through a prosperous, busy market. He asked after Sun Jian’s troops as he went, but no one knew anything, so Zhou Yu instead headed toward the regional government office, figuring he could use Lu Su’s letter there. After the official saw the letter of recommendation, Zhou Yu explained why he had come. That same afternoon, he received a summons and returned to the Shouchun government office.
Apparently, Yuan Shu was trying to ward off the chill of winter at the Shouchun government office. After he returned from fighting Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu claimed this estate for himself, the General of the Rear.
As soon as Zhou Yu entered, soldiers came forth to lead him into the main courtyard before handing him over to an office clerk in charge of registering arrivals. Within the courtyard, there were classical styled alpine gardens, and water burbled constantly in the background. Green pines transplanted from Mount Bagong filled the front courtyard, and based on their trunks, he could tell each one was over a hundred years old.
The clerk explained, “The General of the Rear is currently discussing matters with the prefect of Wu county, Xu Gong, Lord Xu. Zhou-gongzi, please wait a moment.”
Zhou Yu nodded, and a servant brought in snacks, letting Zhou Yu take his tea in the entrance hall. He looked over the decorations around him—all these tables and chairs likely amounted to the profit of several small cities. Even the short table in the gatehouse was carved from pomegranate wood, and the jade vases and ivory sculptures placed on the shelves were probably plundered from Luoyang.
Zhou Yu’s family was rich too, but he never unabashedly enjoyed anything this luxurious. While he was alive, Zhou Yi had warned him time and again that even if a family’s wealth was vast, it was nothing compared to possessing a wellspring of knowledge. Because he saw more and more of such luxuries on a regular basis, Zhou Yu couldn’t help but be a little disconcerted.