The dark clouds parted, and the afternoon sunlight came streaming in.
As Zhou Yu washed his hands, he listened to the discussion coming from the tea room.
Sun Ce spoke. “Last night, Gongjin and I agreed that, based on the current situation, it would not be beneficial to remain here for long. Even if Shu County doesn’t care, it’s still not a good long-term plan.”
Zhou Yu remained silent as he placed the kettle under the bamboo spout to fill it with water, watching butterflies flutter among the flowers.
“What do you have planned?” Huang Gai asked. “Zhou Yu named you his lord, and maybe everyone has the same thought in mind today. But you are hasty and quick to act, so you must think things over before you take action. We uncles have not mentioned this to you, but you must be wary.”
Sun Ce was quiet for another while before he continued, resolute, “Yuan Shu’s letter has come, and I’ve decided. Generals, break camp and set off. We’re going back to Shouchun.”
“You’ve truly thought it through?” Cheng Pu asked.
“Yes.” Sun Ce nodded, his eyes resting on the silhouette of Zhou Yu’s back in the yard. The kettle was completely filled and water slowly seeped out of the spout, gurgling. Zhou Yu’s arms were crossed in his sleeves, yet he did not turn his head.
“Gongjin is right,” Sun Ce said, letting out a sigh. “Yuan Shu only fears me, Sun Ce. If you generals were to pledge yourselves in service to him instead, you would be treated generously. Today, my Changsha army is homeless and destitute without a place to rest our heads. It’d be better to save your strength and join Yuan Shu’s troops.
“Allow me the time to compose a missive,” Sun Ce said, looking into each of their eyes, one by one, “so I may give up my military power and hide myself on Mount Gu. Generals, when Yuan Shu takes you under his command, do not mention me too much. Simply say that my heart is like ash, and I have no desire to seek revenge. I want to be a turtle hiding in its shell on Mount Gu, on the banks of Lake Chao, and that will suffice.” Sun Ce said this in a teasing tone, yet no one laughed.
“As for swearing yourselves to Yuan Shu, the sooner you do, the better. As for what you do after that, I will allow Uncles to do as they see fit. Yuan Shu is a man who loses sight of his goal because of his greed, and he is petty and narrow-minded…”
Zhou Yu spoke from within the yard. “Yuan Shu holds the imperial seal. With his personality, he will choose an auspicious day and declare himself emperor.”
No one responded. Zhou Yu carried in the kettle, and he set it on the stove.
“Whoever proclaims himself emperor in the current situation will be branded as traitor to all. Yuan Shu’s days are numbered. All we need to do is wait for him to bring about his own demise before we take the opportunity to conquer Shouchun.
“And though the generals here would pledge themselves to Yuan Shu,” Zhou Yu said, “I imagine none of you are at the same level of trash as that bastard. Those that walk different paths cannot plan together, so all you need to do is hide your abilities and bide your time, waiting for Sun-lang’s edict to arrive.”
“Exactly,” Sun Ce replied. “Suppress yourselves and wait. Bring your four thousand men and my letter to Yuan Shu. Leave a hundred with me in Shu County; that will be enough. How does this plan sound to you?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Fei Yu left and returned, and the day the Changsha troops broke camp and set off, Cheng Pu and the rest shed a tear or two. Though Zhou Yu’s plan seemed flawless, nothing in this world was certain, and no one knew what awaited them in the future. After the group bade farewell to Sun Ce, they led the main force of the Changsha troops away from Mount Gu.
Zhou Yu and Sun Ce walked slowly back along the mountain path. The autumn air was clear and crisp, and the mountain wind rustled through the trees. In the past days, Sun Ce had spoken very little, so little that he was almost a mute. Sometimes Zhou Yu had even suspected Sun Ce wanted to remain on Mount Gu, free himself from the passions and desires of the mortal realm, and practice meditation with the mute monk. But after he’d made up his mind, his entire being was like a bud in the winter snow, gradually coming alive again.
“Sun-lang,” Zhou Yu said.
“You might as well call me ‘Hey,’” Sun Ce said, walking without turning back. There was a hint of a smile in his voice. “What are you being so distant for? Everyone else calls me Sun-lang. Are you following their example?”
Zhou Yu chuckled.
Sun Ce turned his head and glanced at Zhou Yu. “Want to fly kites?”
“All right.” Zhou Yu nodded.
Sun Ce bought a kite in the market next to the lake. Just like when they were small, Sun Ce tugged the string and walked in front, while Zhou Yu released it. The kite flew upward, directly into the blue sky above.
“I’m going to say something. Don’t pretend like you don’t want to hear it,” Zhou Yu said.
“Say it!” Sun Ce tugged the line, intently watching the kite fly in the sky.
Zhou Yu said, “Your dad’s generals are like a Jianghu faction. If things continue like this, it will not be appropriate in the long run.”
“The old man never thought he would die,” Sun Ce said, turning his head and glancing at Zhou Yu. “Do you understand?”
Hearing Sun Ce speak this way, Zhou Yu knew he had finally moved on.
Sun Ce’s pain and grief had calmed itself faster than Zhou Yu’s had. When his father died, Zhou Yu needed a whole three years to recover himself before he managed to move on. But Sun Ce could already smile.
“The subjects are not like subjects, while the master is not like a master,” Sun Ce said. “Ever since he gathered an army and began to serve the imperial court, things were that way. He was like the eldest brother of a faction. He called his subordinates brothers, making it so that not a single one of them was willing to bow to another, and he could barely keep them under control. When he was here, that worked, but now that he’s gone, he left behind a mess for me to clean up, so all these bad practices are surfacing.”
“How are you planning to handle this?” Zhou Yu asked.
Sun Ce tilted his head up. The kite flew high into the sky, and Sun Ce handed the string to Zhou Yu. “Since you’ve asked, it’s clear you’ve long since planned something yourself.”
“Your subordinates,” Zhou Yu said, “include far more than just them. If this plan succeeds, you must understand you are the young master of Changsha. You must not repeat your father’s mistakes.”
Sun Ce nodded, and Zhou Yu continued, “A lord is a lord, while subordinates are subordinates. Since you understand, let’s begin with me.”
Zhou Yu wore a hint of a smile on his face. He thought Sun Ce would freeze.
Instead he replied, face bright and sunny, “No.”
Zhou Yu blinked.
“In this matter alone,” Sun Ce said, “I cannot compromise.”
Zhou Yu was at his wits’ end dealing with Sun Ce, who simply turned his head forward again.
“But don’t worry, I know what to do.”
Zhou Yu could do nothing more than trust him. After all, he did not wish Sun Ce to follow his every sentence to the letter. At least with things to think about, his mood would slowly improve. Just like how when Zhou Yu’s father died, Sun Ce spent every day not saying anything, simply keeping him company.
Sometimes he knew that though Sun Ce claimed it, he would not be happy to live out the rest of his life in Shu County. In just a few days, the knot in his heart loosened, and he acted like a big monkey again, playing about and causing trouble.