It wasn’t until the sunlight came streaming in and Zhou Yu’s fever receded that he let out a sigh and sat up, his face sheet white, only to find that someone had changed his robes out for a set of clean ones.
He remembered a woman taking care of him. Then these robes… Zhou Yu hurriedly shifted his robes to check for the the inner layer inside, only to see that he was completely naked. Extremely embarrassed, he rose hastily from the bed, only to stumble.
“Has Zhou-lang woken?” a woman’s voice asked gently from outside the door.
“Yes…yes, indeed,” Zhou Yu said, his face finally regaining color, red to the tips of his ears. “Thank you, madam, for your trouble.”
“General Sun wiped your body down and changed your clothes,” the young lady chuckled. “He requested you to go to the main hall when you woke.”
Zhou Yu looked as if he didn’t want to bear witness to anything that happened after this.
“Thank you.”
He figured this was a serving girl in Xu Gong’s manor, so Zhou Yu didn’t worry too much as he tied the sash of his robes and headed to the main hall. Along the way, he saw the governor’s manor was already repaired by the soldiers, and they were hanging lanterns marked with the single character Sun. Sun Ce was treating this place as his own. Zhou Yu stood outside the second door leading to the main courtyard and watched for a while.
“Shift it a little to the left,” he said.
The soldier bowed and did as he was told, then hung another set up. When Zhou Yu looked, he saw the Zhou character written on them. He couldn’t help but find that funny.
He originally thought only Sun Ce was inside, so he didn’t expect two elders to be sitting there, along with a few young women. One was pouring wine for one of the older men.
“You’re awake?” Sun Ce asked, smiling. “Come, let me introduce you. This is Zhang Zhao, Zibu-daren.”
Zhou Yu stepped forward and greeted him in the manner of a junior greeting their senior. Zhang Zhao hurried to cup his hands as well.
“I dare not, I dare not. This humble one and Lord Zhou were both officials of the imperial court. This foolish brother is simply several years older, so please let us refer to each other as peers. I heard tell of Gongjin’s good name, but a hundred rumors cannot compare with a single look. Being able to meet you in person today is truly an honor!”
Zhou Yu replied, “For Zhang-xiong to finally give up on Tao Qian33 and head south is a blessing for Zhugong.”
The three people in the hall laughed loudly, and Sun Ce continued, “This is Elder Qiao. You two are already old acquaintances. This is one of Elder Qiao’s beloved daughters, Qiao-guniang.”
The other man was Qiao Xuan, who had come to pay a formal visit upon hearing Sun Ce had gained Wu Commandery. It just so happened that a year ago, Qiao Xuan and Xu Gong visited Yuan Shu, and his daughter had remained as a visitor in Xu Gong’s manor. Zhou Yu thought, Thankfully we didn’t kill him, otherwise we would be in trouble now.
Zhou Yu took a seat, and Qiao Xuan then introduced the other young women as his daughters too. The one called Xiao Qiao had stewed medicine for Zhou Yu some days ago. Zhou Yu hurried to give thanks repeatedly, apologizing for troubling them.
“How is the situation in Xu Province?” Zhou Yu asked.
Xiao Qiao brought some plain porridge over, and Zhou Yu thanked her profusely once more.
He’d heard of Zhang Zhao before, and rumor had it that he was a student of the great scholar Baihou Zi’an. He participated in the governmental examinations when he was young, but because Baihou Zi’an was outspoken, honest, and blunt, he offended a lot of people. Lu Zhi, Tao Qian, and the rest of them cast him out.
Later, because of his master’s influence, Zhang Zhao talked back to the Xu Province Commander Tao Qian. Tao Qian locked him up, and he had only been freed recently.
“The north is still entrenched in battle,” Zhang Zhao said, stroking his beard. “The scholars all headed south, and it is not easy for even common people to make a living. A few years ago, Cao Song wanted to leave to avoid the disaster as well, but he didn’t realize Tao Qian would come after him as he passed by Xu Province. Almost all twelve of Cao Song’s family members became ghosts, wrongfully murdered under Tao Qian’s blade.”
“Cao Song…” Sun Ce said, frowning. “Why is this name familiar?”
Zhou Yu replied, “He is the father of the captain of the cavalry, Cao Cao. He’s Cao Pi’s grandfather.”
Sun Ce’s expression shifted, and he sighed. What a pity. The two of them had dealt with the Cao family before and hadn’t expected such a tragedy to befall them. With Cao Cao’s temperament, it was impossible to know what lengths he would go to for recompense on Tao Qian.
“As of now, Wu Commandery is in my hands,” Sun Ce said. “That leaves only Lou Commandery and Haiyan. This is an initial foothold for us. The next few days will be a good chance to discuss our plans with Gongjin and Elder Qiao. I hope Zhang-xiong can provide a few pointers.”
Zhou Yu drank a mouthful of plain porridge instead of involving himself in their discussion. He lifted his chopsticks, picked up a bit of some side dishes, and put them in his bowl.
“Temper justice with mercy,” Zhang Zhao said solemnly, after thinking for a while. “Since Zhugong established a foothold by conquering Wu Commandery, then I imagine there won’t be a lack of rations for the army, in the short term. According to the news I’ve gained, Yuan Shu will declare himself emperor soon. Chang’an has fallen into internal strife, as father and son, Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu, are now at odds, and they probably cannot spare any effort to govern this place.”
“Yuan Shao’s troops are stationed in Ji Province,” Zhou Yu added mildly. “He is the only one who can trouble us, but with Yuan Shu in Shouchun, he shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Exactly,” Zhang Zhao said. “The next step would be to head south.”
Sun Ce asked, “What does Zhang-xiong think about expelling Liu Biao as fast as possible and taking Jing Province?”
You actually still haven’t let this matter go? It truly appears to be difficult to accomplish for you, Zhou Yu thought.
Zhang Zhao replied unhappily, “Jing Province is a highly desirable location; it will inevitably be fought over. How can we send troops knowing that?”
Sun Ce hurried to agree, and Zhou Yu thought, Finally his urge to seek revenge has been dispelled. He had Zhang Zhao to thank for that; Sun Ce would’ve otherwise continued to insist on taking Jing Province.
“Yuhang, Fuchun, Kuaiji, and such are all in the south,” Zhang Zhao said. “These places must be taken care of as quickly as possible, while Yuan Shu is unable to budge.”
“Jiangdong is the land of the aristocratic clans,” Zhou Yu said, shaking his head. “It will be difficult to invade successfully.”
“One word: Kill.” Zhang Zhao made a beheading motion with his hand as he held Sun Ce’s gaze. “Right now, the power of the officials of the imperial court stems from a complicated web of relations. Even among Wu County, Danyang, Liyang, and the like, each has their own local officials.”
Zhou Yu frowned faintly, but Zhang Zhao did not notice as he continued talking to Sun Ce. “Your relatives are in Danyang and Liyang, so entering will not be difficult. But the further south you go, the sooner you must deal with these governors. Leaving even one in their position means one more issue to deal with later,” Zhang Zhao added.
Sun Ce glanced at Zhou Yu, the meaning in his eyes clear beyond a doubt—I told you so.
“The governors have guarded their territories for a long time,” Zhou Yu responded, “and if they do not stem from famous teachers, it is difficult for them to avoid being reprimanded by the court.”
Zhang Zhao replied, “That’s why we must treat the citizens with great kindness. If we spread mercy broadly and only kill select people, there is no harm in leaving those who wish to submit a petition for the emperor to abdicate, like Xu Gong. If they are not willing to cooperate, naturally the business end of a blade awaits.”
Sun Ce nodded, smiling. Since it was difficult for Sun Ce to speak freely in Zhou Yu’s presence, he didn’t say anything.
There was logic in what Zhang Zhao said, and some went against Sun Ce’s wishes. Setting aside his attachments and expanding one territory at a time, killing any who didn’t hand over their power and placing his own men there instead, was a good way to deal with them. But it worried Zhou Yu. If their actions were too ruthless, it would be easy for the aristocrats of the region to fight back.
Zhou Yu did not pass judgment on Zhang Zhao’s plan. After finishing his porridge, he left his seat and took his leave.