“What are you planning on doing after spring comes?” Sun Ce asked from his position in the corridor, facing away from Zhou Yu and the sticky Sun Quan in his lap.
“I don’t have any plans,” Zhou Yu replied offhandedly. “I’ll stay here. What plans could I have?”
“I’m planning on crossing the river to seek out my maternal uncle,” Sun Ce said.
“Oh,” Zhou Yu said lightly, a cunning, smug smile hanging about the corners of his mouth. “You can’t sit still any longer?”
“Can I come?” Sun Quan immediately piped up.
Zhou Yu made a shushing gesture toward Sun Quan.
“I’m also planning on crossing the river to find my uncle,” Zhou Yu said. “You can find your uncle while I find mine.”
“Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes,” Sun Ce said, taken aback. “What uncle?”
“On my father’s side,” Zhou Yu said, beginning to smile. “My father’s older brother.”
“Why are you looking for him?” Sun Ce asked.
Zhou Yu didn’t reply. Sun Ce added, “Can you bring me along?”
“Hm,” Zhou Yu said, a smile in his eyes. “Let me consider it.”
“I’ve heard of someone offering up a city as a dowry before…”
“If you keep being so slippery with your words, I won’t bring you along,” Zhou Yu said with a straight face.
Sun Ce hurried to beg pardon before rising.
“Your uncle is the prefect of Danyang, Zhou Shang, is he not?”
Zhou Yu nodded.
✦ ✦ ✦
The winter was particularly cold, and just as the last month came, a heavy snowfall sealed the doors. The warships on the banks of Lake Chao were pulled up onto the shore, and Lu Su no longer trained his troops. Zhou Yu and Sun Ce went out of their way to check on him, and the three paid their respects to Madame Zhou and Madame Sun in Zhou Yu’s house. They drank light wine and ate the four-colored vegetables of red, yellow, green, and black. It was almost New Year’s, and for a time, the weather warmed, so the yard was filled with the brilliant purples and bright reds of fresh blossoms, each petal flourishing with life.
After they celebrated New Year’s, on the second day of the first month, both families paid their respects to their ancestors. Sun Ce and Zhou Yu also paid their respects to their deceased fathers before the two packed their bags. That coincided with a cold spell, so the mountains and valleys were filled with an icy chill. They wrapped themselves in thick fur cloaks, bade farewell to their mothers, and prepared to set off.
Zhou Yu brought along less than a hundred taels of gold, as he and Sun Ce were preparing to visit Zhou Shang in Danyang first, then Wu Jing in Wu Commandery. After all, they were both of their own families. Since the current political situation was still unstable, they would probably receive some assistance.
It had been a good half a year since Sun Ce left Mount Gu; he had remained there since he came to Shu County. When he arrived, he was in high spirits, having just come off the battlefield. Today he was all alone in the world, except for Zhou Yu keeping him company.
They journeyed leisurely during the day, admiring the scenery, while at night they slept in one bed, so close there was no space between them. Sometimes heavy snows would blanket the sky, and when the cold weather hit, they didn’t insist on hurrying. Instead they stayed in waystations, chatting, drinking wine, and warming themselves by the fire. The topics of their conversations were elegant and interesting.
Ever since the day Zhou Yu forded the river, this section never froze over. Now they traveled amid heavy snow that danced around them like cotton as they headed north on a boat. Zhou Yu heard a particular tune and began to recall that arrogant, bossy Gan Xingba.
“What are you thinking about?” Sun Ce had his hands stuck in his sleeves, huffing out white fog. Zhou Yu glanced at him and smiled but didn’t directly answer him.
“In a while, when we meet my uncle,” Zhou Yu cautioned, “you better be straightforward.”
Sun Ce was carrying a traveling pack on his back. He hopped off the boat.
“Okay.”
Zhou Yu continued, “In front of him, you must not argue with me for the sake of arguing. Never mind others—you’re already used to pointlessly arguing with me, but my uncle is very prudent. A few teasing sentences may be a slight to him.”
“When have I ever argued with you for the sake of arguing? You simply can’t beat me in a verbal battle, so you find fault—”
“You’re arguing for the sake of it right now!” Zhou Yu said angrily, veins popping out on his forehead.
Sun Ce laughed.
Zhou Yu added, “When you see him, make sure you obey what he says. You can give me some face, but don’t overly boast…”
“Why does it sound like I’m meeting my father-in-law?” Sun Ce asked. “Are you my wife? He won’t think your husband is poor and send me packing with a few swats of a rod, will he?”
The joints in Zhou Yu’s knuckles cracked from how hard he clenched his fists.
Sun Ce hurried to reply, mock-seriously. “I swear I won’t say a single word I’m not supposed to.”
“You…” Zhou Yu grabbed Sun Ce’s collar. “If you fool around, you’re getting two beatings.”
“I get it,” Sun Ce said, nodding his head. “One beating from you, the other from your uncle.”
“As long as you understand,” Zhou Yu replied, smiling as gently as the spring breeze.
✦ ✦ ✦
When Zhou Yu arrived at the Danyang estate and handed over his visiting card, he surprised the entire estate’s worth of people. Sun Ce peeked around, following Zhou Yu like an attendant. Zhou Shang was in the middle of conducting a town hall session, so there was a group of scholars in the yard, and he didn’t have the time to look after Zhou Yu. Like a light cart traveling over familiar roads, Zhou Yu ordered the kitchens to prepare some snacks, which he brought over to Sun Ce himself. The two of them ate in the gatehouse.
Though spring was here, it was still cruelly cold, and both their faces were red from the chill.
“You don’t need to go to Shouchun to reach Danyang, and your uncle’s estate isn’t lacking,” Sun Ce said. “Why’d you go running off to Shouchun at all?”
The corners of Zhou Yu’s mouth twitched.
“I wonder which forgetful person it was who told me to meet him in Shouchun? Why else would I go running there for no reason?”
Sun Ce remembered now. Zhou Yu went there to slave away under Yuan Shu’s command for Sun Ce’s sake. He scratched his head and smiled abashedly, trying to find something to say.
Zhou Yu was still nervous, so he told Sun Ce, “My uncle has always looked down on others, so if he tries to antagonize you, you must stay calm. For my sake, if nothing else.”
Sun Ce watched Zhou Yu, torn between laughing and crying.
Still worried, Zhou Yu confirmed, “You hear me?”
With a pat on the back of Zhou Yu’s hand, Sun Ce comforted him. “You can rest assured. Do you think me that easily provoked? For you, I’ve taken a whole cartful of stabs; how hard can it be to keep my head down?”
“You don’t need to keep your head down for him to look down on you.”
“Then what do you want me to do?” Sun Ce asked helplessly. “If I simply don’t speak, that’ll work, right? Then he’ll blame you for bringing a block of wood along.”
Zhou Yu knew he was overly anxious, so he couldn’t resist laughing loudly.
He thought for a bit. “Ah, forget it, let things go how they will. Say whatever you want. A few sentences can’t hurt.”
As they were speaking, Zhou Shang sent a servant to invite them over. Zhou Yu straightened his robes and rose, walking into the courtyard, before suddenly turning to straighten Sun Ce’s robes as well. Sun Ce was a bit taller than Zhou Yu, and on their way here, snow had covered his robes. After it had melted, he’d draped his robe by the stove to dry it, and since he’d hurried to put it on, he hadn’t had time to check it.
Zhou Yu trailed behind Sun Ce, turning the collar out to show the inner mink fur lining, then knelt down on one knee, neatening the hem.
“Stop, if your uncle sees this he’ll scold us…” Sun Ce said.
“The old man hasn’t come yet,” Zhou Yu said. “Don’t worry, that man—”
“Zhou Yu!” a severe voice said from under the eaves of the corridor.
A cold shiver shot down Zhou Yu’s back. Sun Ce had never imagined Zhou Yu could fear anyone, so he stood there awkwardly for a long while, unable to think of a response. In the corridor stood a broad-shouldered, broad-waisted civil official. Though there was no rage in his eyes, his gaze was imposing.
Zhou Yu scrambled to rise and bow with his hands cupped. “Uncle.”
This man was Zhou Shang. Sun Ce smiled slightly, neither too humble nor too arrogant, and he cupped his hands and greeted him.
“Prefect Zhou.”
“Mm.” Zhou Shang already knew who Sun Ce was, as Zhou Yu’s writ of visitation had stated. He looked them up and down, and once he was done, said, “Come in.”