Chapter 6:
Zhugong
“‘LIVE AND DIE TOGETHER’?” Zhou Shang followed this question with a cold chuckle.
“Danyang is bountiful,” Sun Ce replied, “but when the fires of war start burning the tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, including Jing Province, everyone will find it difficult to remain at peace through individual efforts. Prefect Zhou, Liu Biao’s way will not work.”
Sun Ce’s words were too direct, clearly earning Zhou Shang’s displeasure. Zhou Yu shot Sun Ce a glance, telling him not to let that didactic tone sneak into his voice. Sun Ce’s return look conveyed that it was fine, and he patted the back of Zhou Yu’s hand.
Zhou Shang spoke. “Your dad’s personality tended toward rashness. Since the entirety of Jiangdong is involved, don’t fault me for saying something unkind, Nephew. Being valiant is good, but it is too easy for bold people to be headstrong. The Changsha troops are incorporated into another army, and it will be very difficult for you to accomplish something noteworthy now.”
“No matter how difficult, I must rise to the occasion. My dad would lose, but I will not. Every corner of Jiangdong is preparing to weather the storm,” Sun Ce said. “Turbulence will soon spread everywhere. In this world, even if you don’t pick a fight with anyone, inevitably others will seek to fight you. I ask that the lord prefect please reconsider.”
Zhou Shang replied coldly, “Looks like Nephew Sun came to lecture this old man instead.”
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare,” Sun Ce hurriedly said. “It’s just that recently, I received sudden inspiration.”
“Whatever you say.” Zhou Shang rose and left his seat, and Zhou Yu’s heart thumped. “Keep drinking.”
Zhou Shang slowly walked away.
“I told you, don’t speak out of turn!” Zhou Yu gritted his teeth in anger.
Sun Ce’s expression was one of confusion.
“I already…held back. Ah! Hey! Don’t!” Sun Ce hadn’t finished speaking when Zhou Yu grabbed his ear.
“Your last words were unnecessary and only added fuel to the flames. He had basically already agreed to hand the Danyang military over to you!”
Sun Ce slumped, head hanging, as Zhou Yu, full of rage, scolded him endlessly. A while later, the head servant of the prefect’s manor came, and Zhou Yu and Sun Ce immediately fell silent.
“The prefect requests Young Master Zhou’s presence in the back courtyard for a chat,” the head servant said, his eyes lowered.
Zhou Yu passed through the fine snow filling the air and found Zhou Shang standing in the back courtyard, a servant carrying a lantern behind.
He first bowed and greeted his father’s brother before standing primly and properly aside. Zhou Shang was harsh, severe, and picky about the rules of etiquette. Since he didn’t speak, Zhou Yu didn’t either.
A long while later, Zhou Shang exhaled a long sigh.
“Aside from Danyang, where else are you going?”
“Liyang.”
“Has Wu Jing already prepared for your arrival?”
“He has not,” Zhou Yu said, politely.
“After Sun Jian died, I thought his two sons would become better behaved,” Zhou Shang said darkly. Zhou Yu didn’t reply. Zhou Shang continued, “You think you two alone can beat Yuan Shu?”
Zhou Yu thought for a moment before replying, “We have Uncle and Prefect Wu Jing. Yuan Shu all but proclaimed himself emperor with the jade seal, so this is the perfect time to sway the hearts of the people. I imagine he will not act hastily to deal with this nephew.”
“What do you think of Sun Ce as a person?” Zhou Shang asked.
This time, Zhou Yu didn’t dare to respond rashly.
After a long while and some deep thought, he replied with ten words: “He is forthright and generous, valiant and adept at planning.”
“He shows promise as a commander, but it will be difficult to be one of his followers. Ah well. Since he has you at his side, then I’ll take this bet. He spoke well; as turbulent times come, no one will survive unscathed alone. I’m growing old. I’ll leave Danyang to you two.”
As these words settled into Zhou Yu, the burden he carried on his shoulders released.
“Tomorrow, this child will set off to Liyang.”
Zhou Shang nodded, so Zhou Yu bowed and took his leave. When he returned to the visiting room, Sun Ce was amusing himself. Zhou Yu walked into the room and swallowed the smile that stretched his face, lips straightening impassively.
Sun Ce raised his head, smiling like a big child.
“How did it go? Did it work?”
“It almost turned into a shitshow because of you!” Zhou Yu scolded him.
Sun Ce laughed loudly, rising and leaning against Zhou Yu.
That night, they didn’t stay within the manor, instead searching for a place to stay outside. The city at night was filled with lights from the houses, and Zhou Yu fetched some warm water to wash his face. With Danyang as their support, everything would be much easier.
The next day, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce walked around inside the city. They didn’t disturb Zhou Shang, instead observing the people and defense capabilities of the city guards. Zhou Yu estimated the money and rations they held, while Sun Ce asked after the strength of the army. When they arrived in the eastern section of the city, someone came from the prefect’s manor to hand over the military account books that listed their provisions; everything fell within Zhou Yu’s predictions.
Danyang would be their first stronghold, and in order not to butt heads with Zhou Shang, Zhou Yu bought an estate in the city where they could handle their daily affairs. The prefect and the two of them were separate, and if Yuan Shu sent anyone asking around, it would seem they were independent.
✦ ✦ ✦
Fei Yu screeched as it came toward them, shooting through the new snow.
Zhou Yu was penning a notice, essentially a recruiting drive. His handwriting was bold and vigorous. Sun Ce stood in the courtyard for a long while with Fei Yu but didn’t speak.
“Something wrong?” Zhou Yu asked.
“It’s a letter from Lu Zijing,” Sun Ce replied. “Chang’an sent it to Shu County, and Shu County transferred it to us.”
“Let me see,” Zhou Yu replied.
Sun Ce opened the letter and put it on the table before pulling out his seal and pressing it against the paper. On the seal were the words Polu General Sun.
Zhou Yu glanced over the letter and froze. This letter was a warrant Luoyang sent; the emperor bestowed the title of General Polu upon Sun Ce after Sun Jian’s death. Which was to say, Sun Ce had officially inherited his father’s position.
“We can start our own office now,” Zhou Yu said. “This is great! But why would Dong Zhuo…”
Sun Ce pointed at the seal on the letter. It was the seal of the General of the Household, Lü Bu, as well as the emperor’s seal. The imperial jade seal was still in Yuan Shu’s hands, so those seals on the letter were the best Dong Zhuo could manage.
Sun Ce smiled as he spoke. “Now that he’s bestowed this level of favor on us, we really can’t go after Luoyang.”
“If we can make sure this city survives, that’ll be good enough,” Zhou Yu said. “Should we fight for control of Luoyang, Lü Fengxian would be there guarding it. I would not dare disturb him.”
That afternoon Zhou Yu gave Sun Ce a stack of notices, and the two of them split up to paste them across the city. Without any helpers, they had to do everything on their own. During the afternoon market hours, when the citizens saw the notices, the amount who came to enlist formed a whole line. Zhou Yu sat upright, asking each about their family situation.
“Are you General Sun’s soldiers?” someone asked.
Sun Ce sat, smiling jovially, listening to Zhou Yu organizing squads for him.
Zhou Yu raised his brush and wrote down a note, replying, “Yes.”
The man continued, “Long ago, when the prefect of Changsha passed through, he saved this lowly one’s family from falling into the murderous grasp of the Yellow Turban Army. Now my entire family, from young to old, wish to repay that debt.”
Sun Ce sighed. He rose to bow and was bowed to in reply.
“We often hear in Chang County that the prefect died to arrows, and my family told me to join the army to avenge the lord prefect,” he continued. “Whether we endure the wind and the rain or the fires of war, I will always listen to General Sun’s orders.”
Sun Ce’s eyes grew wet, and he nodded. “I will not let Dage down, since you have entrusted your life to me.”
Zhou Yu handed over the note telling those who remained to go to the prefect’s estate to retrieve their waist tallies, leather armor, and weapons.
When the sun set behind the western mountains, some four hundred people already gathered outside the estate, all of them coming because of Sun Ce’s reputation.
“The gates are closing!” Zhou Yu said. “Come back tomorrow.”
“Young Master Zhou!” someone said, cupping their hands in their sleeves. “For the brothers who aren’t in a rush, can you grant us a meal? We heard the news in the morning and came from the rural areas outside the city, but since the sky’s grown dark we can’t leave now.”
Zhou Yu went inside to get some money and handed it out to each of them, telling them to find a place to rest.