A few days later, Yang Hong sent someone with a proclamation. They had to gather all the official documents in the estate and deal with any that related to military reports. This was not something Zhou Yu should have been involved in, but among the documents to be drawn up was a letter of indictment pertaining to Sun Jian and his son. They were handed over, along with Sun Jian’s rations records. Zhou Yu knew then this was not a trivial matter. If there were no provisions on the front lines, the troops could mutiny at any time.
He said to Yang Hong, “Great Chief Secretary, the way I see it, this—”
“If I tell you to write, then write,” Yang Hong said. “You think Sun Wentai is so poor he won’t have anything to eat? It’s a test. Do you not even understand that much?”
Zhou Yu put down the brush. “I cannot write this if it is about him. Since the general is in the field, there are some commands he cannot follow, so how can you withhold his troops’ provisions?”
“You won’t write?” Yang Hong didn’t think a lowly Officer of the Records would dare to defy him. He stared at Zhou Yu for a while. “Very well. Remember, you made this choice.”
All of his colleagues turned, gazes resting on Zhou Yu. He was about to put his brush down and leave. But he worried about Sun Ce’s safety too. After some hesitation, he reconsidered.
“I beg your pardon, my lord. I’ll write it right now.”
Yang Hong glared at him angrily, but a subordinate rushed over and murmured a few words into his ear. Yang Hong rose and left. Apparently a visitor had arrived, and he had no time to spare raging at Zhou Yu.
He thought for a moment before lifting the brush and starting to write. Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of his actions, he understood that though writing this indictment was an order from Yang Hong, in reality, this was going to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu had long since decided on how he was going to deal with this, and a simple letter of indictment wouldn’t change his mind.
Zhou Yu ended up penning in the disadvantage Sun Jian would be at due to the delay of those needed provisions, in an attempt to sway Yuan Shu’s decision.
He finished the letter, affixing it with the seal of the Office of Records. Once he’d sealed it up he came out, hoping Yang Hong would be too late to have time to open it. He left the hall.
A heavy snowfall began that night just as a horse carriage arrived from outside the estate. Zhou Yu shivered, feeling a vague sense of unease. He wanted to follow the carriage and learn what was going on, but Yang Hong approached with orders from the opposite direction.
“Zhou Gongjin, take that letter of indictment and come with me.”
Yang Hong didn’t have time to open it. Zhou Yu was sure his previous rejection had offended him. Getting him to personally deliver the letter to Yuan Shu was Yang Hong’s way of driving Zhou Yu into a corner. Thankfully, Zhou Yu had been cautious—he hadn’t mentioned Sun Jian’s activities. If he was to see Yuan Shu, he would be able to explain the contents of the letter. Unafraid of Yang Hong, he followed him into the main hall.
Under the dim lights of the hall, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao sat, drinking wine. Yang Hong bowed before speaking. “Greetings to Zhugong. Greetings to Lord Yuan.”
Zhou Yu followed suit. “Greetings to Zhugong.”
Yang Hong shot Zhou Yu a look. “The Office of Records concluded our investigation. Sun Jian is indeed disloyal. He often says to his subordinates that since the imperial jade seal is already his, he will one day hold the greatest treasure.”
Though Zhou Yu’s heart stuttered with fear, his expression did not belie even a bit of his unease as he handed the indictment to Yuan Shu. An angry huff exhaled from Yuan Shu. He was ready to make his decision, and evidently it was not favorable to Sun Jian.
“In your opinion, how should this be dealt with?”
“Summon him back. If he does not return, no further discussion is necessary,” Yang Hong replied.
“What if he is willing to round up his troops and return?” Yuan Shao asked. “You’ll need to think about how to deal with him then.”
“Both his wife and son are here,” Yang Hong said. “Tell him he should bring himself and his son back, so the entire family can reunite for the new year. He will have no choice.”
“Since things are how they are,” Yuan Shu said, not sparing a single glance at the letter on the table, “you take care of this.”
Zhou Yu chose then to speak. “Zhugong, this one has some words to say, but he does not know if he should.”
As one, the gazes of Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, and Yang Hong all converged on Zhou Yu.
“If this one may speak directly,” Zhou Yu said. “Sun Jian does have a lot to answer for, but his men will eventually desert if they are not issued provisions. If they rise up in revolt, and the Changsha Army manages to escape blame, that will be more costly for Zhugong than the current state of affairs.
“Since Zhugong already has a method of resolving this future headache,” Zhou Yu continued tactfully, “why not continue to send provisions so his troops can stay? That will make it easier for someone else to go assume command in the future. Even if they want to rebel, they won’t have a reason.”
From his expression, it was clear Yuan Shu was unwilling to bend, but Yuan Shao stepped in.
“You make a good point. Dealing with this situation requires both kindness and cruelty: offering kindness to the Changsha troops with one hand while cowing the Sun family’s father and son with the other. You are correct.”
With some hesitance, Yuan Shu accepted Zhou Yu’s reasonable proposal. “Let’s do as you say.”
Zhou Yu took his leave. Yang Hong was in charge of dealing with the provisions, and it wasn’t something Zhou Yu could worry over. If he asked anything more, he would be overstepping his bounds. He strode rapidly back to his quarters just as Fei Yu returned, bringing with it Sun Ce’s letter.
In it, Sun Ce mentioned he knew it was improper to hide away the imperial jade seal, but he couldn’t persuade Sun Jian otherwise. He was afraid Yuan Shu had already started to grow suspicious, so he asked Zhou Yu to help him keep things under control. Zhou Yu smiled a little helplessly, but bitterly, and he immediately burned the letter before penning a response for Fei Yu to carry back.
Cao Pi, his chin cupped in his hand, watched him from the corridor.
“I saw Sun Jian’s wife and son being brought here,” he remarked.
“Was that their horse carriage?” Zhou Yu asked, without lifting his head.
Cao Pi replied affirmatively, then said, “Is Yuan Shu going to call him back, then find an opportunity to kill him?”
Zhou Yu looked up wordlessly at Cao Pi. As Cao Pi stepped inside, he leaned on Zhou Yu’s shoulder to read the letter he’d written.
“What are you planning to do?” Cao Pi asked.
Though Zhou Yu had wanted to keep him ignorant at first, he had a sudden change of heart. If everyone was in the same boat now, informing him was no issue.
“General Sun Wentai cannot return,” Zhou Yu replied. “Yuan Shu will not dare touch his family, but only if Sun Jian keeps his troops out in the field and they receive proper rations.”
“Hmm,” Cao Pi mused. “That makes sense. If I were Yuan Shu, I wouldn’t use such a stupid method.”
“Thankfully you’re not Yuan Shu, otherwise things would be troublesome indeed,” Zhou Yu replied. Cao Pi giggled, and Zhou Yu asked, “Have Madam Sun and her child been put under house arrest?”
“Zhen-jie is keeping her company, and the little kid is called Sun Quan; he caught a cold as soon as he got here. Zhen-jie won’t let me see him, so now I’m really bored.”
“Lead me there so I can check on them,” Zhou Yu said.
Zhou Yu outlined the changes occurring in Shouchun in great detail before letting Fei Yu fly off with his letter.
He and Sun Ce were apart more often than not these past few months, so Zhou Yu couldn’t help the anxiety that filled him. Sun Jian stubbornly refused to hand over the jade seal. Zhou Yu was afraid it was already too late for this situation to be remedied. All he could do was assess the advantages and disadvantages of each option and tell Sun Jian that no matter what he did, setting foot in Shouchun was suicide. The entire Sun family would be trapped, and every single member would be murdered.
Yuan Shu wanted nothing more than to erase their whole family.