At noon, to gain some time, they ate some dried rations on the road. When twilight arrived, Zhao Yun stopped the carriage at a waystation, and the Lady of Wu led Sun Quan out of the carriage. Zhou Yu took his group to the inn to order food, eat, and pay. Since the waystation was small, the boss was also its waiter. Sensing a big business opportunity, he hurried back and forth, getting things ready.
“No need to trouble Zhou-daren,” a man who was clearly the leader of the assassins said. “We will eat dry rations.”
“You brothers have worked hard too,” Zhou Yu said to him quietly. “Even if you don’t eat, come sit inside for a bit. I’m afraid of Madame Sun growing suspicious. She’s already asked me several times about your group… If Sun Jian learns of this, he may distrust us.”
That leader thought for a bit, and after concluding Zhou Yu was right, he called over all his men and issued a few simple orders. The group flowed into the waystation, separated in an orderly manner, and began to eat rations on their own.
Zhou Yu took the water kettle over to the low platform and washed the cups for the Lady of Wu and Sun Quan. Ready to obey any orders, Zhao Yun stayed to one side.
“Go to the kitchen to take a look,” Zhou Yu said, “and tell them to cut two plates of cured meat and bring them out.”
Zhao Yun left. The assassins ate in the corner of the waystation, and Zhou Yu used his pointed gaze to alert the Lady of Wu as he poured the medicinal powder into the water kettle.
The Lady of Wu glanced back in understanding. Watching curiously, Sun Quan stood to one side, but he didn’t speak. The dishes were brought out, and Zhou Yu, the Lady of Wu, and the rest waited to eat, but when the waiter brought the cured meat to the other table, no one moved. One of the men rose to get water.
“Why not have some wine instead?” Zhou Yu asked.
He gestured for the waiter to bring some, at the same time lifting the kettle onto the counter. To do as he requested, the waiter went to the backyard, but that squad leader intervened.
“No need, we can just drink water.”
With that, the leader came over and picked up Zhou Yu’s kettle of water.
“We’ll have them boil some more for you,” Zhou Yu suggested.
Waving his hand in dismissal, the leader returned to his group to share the kettle around.
Zhou Yu ate quietly before telling Sun Quan, “Though this place cannot compare to the general’s manor, you must eat a little more, even if it doesn’t taste good. Otherwise, you won’t have strength.”
Sun Quan nodded. Zhao Yun, squatting under the eaves of the hallway as he dug into his food, didn’t turn his head.
Zhou Yu’s heart raced. He didn’t look back, so he didn’t know whether the assassins drank from that kettle or not.
A moment later, he heard the squad leader rise and say, “I’ll go boil some more water.”
Holding the kettle, he left for the backyard.
Zhao Yun was feeding hay to the carriage’s horses as the squad leader fetched water.
“Feed our horses too,” he said.
“Yes sir,” Zhao Yun said.
The leader put down the kettle and opened the back door. When he passed the carriage, a thought came to him, and he pulled aside the curtain, peeking within.
A sword flashed before his eyes, while from behind came a pitchfork. Sun Ce stabbed out from within the curtains, Zhao Yun from the rear, and the two of them struck down the leader where he stood!
Zhao Yun threw down the pitchfork, removed his outer robe, and tossed it into the carriage. As Sun Ce dragged the corpse out of sight, Zhao Yun turned and went inside. He sought out Zhou Yu and gestured, indicating they were exposed and needed to act.
Just as he did, the effects of the poison kicked in.
“Why did it go dark?”
“Did the lamps go out?”
“Poison!”
“Watch out!”
The assassins fell into chaos. Zhao Yun covered Sun Quan’s mouth, while Zhou Yu swept the food off the table. The two of them stood up, but as they moved, they disturbed the air, the slightest ripples of wind announcing their attempted escape.
An assassin roared angrily, “Don’t let them go! Attack!”
Zhou Yu turned, unsheathing his sword with a fluid movement. He held it steady, angled just so. The assassin rushed forward blindly, driving his chest directly onto the point of Zhou Yu’s blade.
Sun Ce shouted, “Everyone, get on the carriage first!”
“Masters! What are you doing?!” the waiter wailed.
Zhou Yu gripped the waiter’s collar, sending him outside with a single kick. There was pandemonium in the hall of the waystation; the blinded assassins had all drawn their swords and were attacking wildly. Sun Ce struck out with his staff, but his opponents could discern his swings by the sound of his weapon cutting through air and dodged his attacks.
To the others, Sun Ce yelled, “Leave first!”
Zhou Yu backed into the kitchen, and the two fought their opponents as they retreated. Sun Ce snatched some lit firewood from within the stove and tossed it through the air. Though the assassins dodged the projectiles, they could not escape their licking flames, and their clothes were instantly set ablaze. They shrieked as they patted themselves down in a frenzy, fumbling frantically.
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu ran out of the backyard, where Zhao Yun had already readied the carriage. As Zhou Yu untied the reins of the military steeds that the assassins had bound together, Sun Ce vaulted onto a horse.
With a wave of his long whip, Zhao Yun roared, “Go!”
The waiter rushed out from inside the waystation.
“These horses are compensation for your waystation!” Zhou Yu shouted at him. “Go quickly! Go to Danyang!”
“Take this!” Sun Ce handed the waiter a warrant, telling him to go find Sun Ce’s uncle, before he caught up to the rest of the group, the horse below him thundering away down the main road.