In the spring of the second year of Chuping, less than half a year after Zhou Yu went north, he led Cheng Pu’s troops to Shu County.
The soldiers made camp on Mount Gu, sending out only twenty or so people to protect the main party on the way to the Zhou estate. Zhou Yu returned home, and though he and his mother were only parted a handful of months, many things had happened in the time between. The Lady of Wu and Madame Zhou, on the other hand, were reuniting for the first time in many years, and their eyes filled with tears.
His household immediately sprang to life, and it took another bout of effort on Zhou Yu’s part to settle them in one by one. The spring light was bright and warm, and cherry blossoms filled the air. Another spring had come, and finally Zhou Yu and Sun Ce could, peacefully and quietly, live carefree for a few days.
But to Zhou Yu, there was no spring busier than this one.
✦ ✦ ✦
In the garden, Zhou Yu first reported to his mother what happened in Shouchun.
She listened quietly before saying, “Madame Sun told me about this as well. The salary Great General Yuan paid you—Mother saved it all for you. Every month’s salary was sealed and placed in the back warehouse. If you are unwilling to take it, all you need to do is send someone to return it to him.”
“I know that Yuan Shu must hate me to death with what I’ve done this time.”
“What you have carried out is a righteous matter,” Madame Zhou replied mildly. “Yuan Shu is not a righteous person. Why be afraid of him?”
When Zhou Yu thought about it like that, that was indeed the case. People who were not righteous would eventually run out of paths of retreat.
“There is no need to return it. When I was holding that position in the general’s manor, I did many things for him. The jade seal ended up in his hands in the end, in exchange for the members of the Sun family, so he cannot claim we have vastly outmaneuvered him.”
“Gaining Jing Province, on the other hand, is something Madame Sun is deeply worried about.”
“I have no way to deal with that either,” Zhou Yu said. “According to rumors, General Sun does not listen to the words of outsiders. I still have one more request.”
Madame Zhou waited. Zhou Yu voiced it.
She replied, “If you think it will work, then carry it out as you need.”
Zhou Yu nodded. That concluded his report to his mother.
Several days later, he withdrew the silver from their savings. In addition, he liquidated a portion of the business they hadn’t touched in a few years, the four hundred acres of silk fields, thus amassing a small fortune.
✦ ✦ ✦
Several days later, Zhou Yu personally went to the Lu family to see Lu Su.
“I heard you came back a few days ago,” Lu Su said. “Here I thought you would bring your Sun-gege to visit.”
“He’s out shopping,” Zhou Yu said. “I managed to find some time to come here. Have you tallied up all the gold I sent to you a few days ago?”
“Three hundred taels of gold and four thousand taels of silver,” Lu Su said. “It’s almost more than what my family has in our warehouse. What exactly do you want to buy?”
“Here is the list,” Zhou Yu said. “I do not trust anyone else. Only you can carry this task out for me.”
“Ha ha,” Lu Su said, amused, after taking a single glance at the list. “Raising yourself an army? What are you planning?”
Zhou Yu didn’t respond. He merely drank his cup of tea and turned toward the yard, filled with falling peach blossoms.
“It’s not that I’m scolding you, Zhou Gongjin,” Lu Su said, “but even though you look like calm water on the surface, flowing steadily, causing not a ripple, underneath, you’re as turbulent and impulsive as it gets.”
“I’ve already thought it through,” Zhou Yu said. “I’ve thought about it for three years, and we are already in the fourth year.”
Lu Su rose to his feet. “You’re gambling on the Sun family?”
“It’s not a bet in this case,” Zhou Yu mused, taking another sip of tea, not even glancing at Lu Su. “I can only do my best. No one can control the future.”
“Sun Jian is stubborn and set in his ways,” Lu Su said. “It will be difficult for him to accomplish great things. He has fallen out with Yuan Shu. Now, you have offended Yuan Shu as well, along with his son. If Sun Jian isn’t able to gain Jing Province, how will you fare? You just had to pick this very moment, rather than earlier or later. The moment you make this decision, you will not be able to turn back.”
“When my dad was alive, he said there was no need to be afraid of people who made promises to others with their lives on the line. Rather, one ought to be on guard around people who said nothing, spending days, months, or even their entire lives to think something over.”
Lu Su looked at Zhou Yu as if he didn’t recognize him.
“It is exactly because some men will never make a decision,” Zhou Yu said, lightly, “that when he truly takes that first step, he will never turn back. Isn’t that the case?”
“All right,” Lu Su said, beginning to smile. “Since you’ve already made up your mind, leave this to me.”
Zhou Yu finished his tea and rose.
“Three days from now, we’ll drink wine on the boats by the shores of Lake Chao. I’ll introduce you to Sun Ce then.”
Lu Su thought for a moment. “We’ll see. Though you may be willing to spend your family’s entire fortune to help him, I haven’t agreed to do so.”
“You will like him,” Zhou Yu insisted, putting down his cup to look at Lu Su. “He and his legendary dad are not alike.”
The corners of Lu Su’s mouth lifted slightly, as if he’d expected those words. Against the backdrop of the entire yard filled with silently drifting peach blossom petals, the sound of Zhou Yu’s wooden clogs faded away, disappearing into the small alleyway.
✦ ✦ ✦
Three days later, brilliant sunlight shone over Lake Chao, and a warm wind roused the waters of the lake. Zhou Yu guided the string of a kite, letting it amble about in the sky, before he secured its string to the prow of the boat.
From under the awning came Sun Ce’s bright loud laugh and the sound of Lu Su slapping the table.
“All right!” Sun Ce said, patting Lu Su’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Sun Bofu,” Lu Su said earnestly. “There is one more thing, but I am not sure if I should mention it.”
Sun Ce placed his hand over the cup, cutting off further wine top-ups. “Speak freely. Gongjin has never been polite to me.”
Zhou Yu ducked his head under the awning, crossing his legs and sitting down, straightening his robes as he did. He used his chopsticks to pull out the white fish from the pot. Carefully picking out the bones, he split it among Lu Su and Sun Ce. Lu Su dipped his chopsticks in his wine and drew out a general map of the various states and counties in the Jiangnan region.
“Jing Province is connected to the east and west, and it is crisscrossed by paths heading north and south,” Lu Su said, seriously. “News of General Sun, the Polu General, starting a war with Liu Biao must have already spread to Yuan Shu’s ears by now.”
Sun Ce didn’t reply; he merely listened quietly, and Zhou Yu interjected, “Yuan Shu’s number one strategist, Yang Hong, is a true schemer. He cannot be taken lightly.”
Lu Su waved away his concerns with a hand. “In this region, Jiangling is a patch of land your honored father must gain. This is beyond the grasp of both Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao. This region has the Han River at its back, and the Yangtze to its front, so the waterways are well-developed.”
Sun Ce seemed to have noted this as well.
Lu Su continued, “Yuan Shu’s naval troops are weak, but Liu Biao, with Cai Mao and Huang Zu under him, has almost twenty thousand.”
Zhou Yu sank into thought. Lu Su shot Zhou Yu a glance, as if to say, Why don’t you take over? My part here is done.
Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu, who sighed, resigned.
He said, “Zijing and I both feel that whoever gains the naval troops will be able to control Jiangnan. This current battle situation, no matter if it’s the Changsha troops, Yuan Shu’s troops, the Ji Province troops, or even the Xiliang troops, none of them can control boats and train in archery.”
“I understand now,” Sun Ce said. “These days I have been constantly thinking. If Father successfully conquers Jiangling, then gathering up naval troops will become a huge issue.”
“Naturally, Liu Biao will not keep all of his warships at Jiangling,” Lu Su added. “But no matter what, Bofu, you should travel there.”
“Yes.” Sun Ce nodded. “Fei Yu is still gone, so I do not know how the battle is going. But being with Gongjin in Shu County, I have no more lingering regrets.”