In the night, he and Qiao Xuan sat down to face each other in qi.
“Gongjin, ah.”
Zhou Yu placed a piece on the board. Qiao Xuan held a piece and tapped it.
“This old man wants to say something, but I’m not sure if I should.”
“Elder Qiao, please speak freely.”
Qiao Xuan said, “The Battle of Wu Commandery was fought beautifully.”
Zhou Yu nodded.
“This afternoon the aristocrats from the north side came to pledge their allegiance, and they’ve all settled into the manor already.”
“I saw.” Zhou Yu turned, brightening the lamp a little.
Qiao Xuan continued, “You and General Sun may be childhood friends, but sometimes, you should let him have his way.”
“Mm.” Zhou Yu nodded again.
“As long as you don’t find this old man’s ramblings annoying, then all is well,” Qiao Xuan finished.
Zhou Yu smiled and replied, “I agree. What Zhang Zibu said is reasonable; I am just naturally prone to indecision and hesitance. I always want to satisfy both sides.
“There are many things in this world I cannot take care of on my own,” Zhou Yu said, sighing. “I’m not suited to lead an army. I can only direct them. The number of people swearing allegiance is increasing, so no matter what schemes I can come up with, there are strategists who will outthink me. Originally I thought about staying out of it, but since he has asked, I have helped him. Beyond that I stay silent.”
Qiao Xuan hummed approvingly, warmth in his gaze.
✦ ✦ ✦
When Zhou Yu passed by the main hall of the manor that night, he saw the hall was brightly lit, and Sun Ce was holding a banquet for his guests.
The number of occupants increased day by day, and the manor grew livelier and livelier. Cao Cao and Yuan Shu had been at odds for a long while now, so the aristocrats had fled south. After entering Wu Commandery, they all came first to greet Sun Ce.
✦ ✦ ✦
Since Zhou Yu was living there, this was a little too much for him. He intended to go back to Shu County to check on the naval troops and Lu Zijing.
✦ ✦ ✦
A few days later, when the vestiges of winter finally faded into a warm spring, the entire courtyard filled with splendid peach blossoms.
Zhou Yu had found a qin in his room, and he plucked out a song. Xiao Qiao happened to be passing by, and she asked from outside, “Is Zhou-lang in low spirits today?”
“Ah, did you notice?” Zhou Yu said. “This qin sat around too long, and one of the strings is worn. When I get to that point in the song, the sound shakes a little.”
Xiao Qiao rolled up her sleeves. “Jiejie asked if the old wound on your shoulder is better.”
“I thank you for her concern,” Zhou Yu replied. “It is basically healed.”
Xiao Qiao continued, “On the mountain behind the manor, there is a hot spring. If the wound is scabbed over, you can go there to soak. The waters are warm and effective for healing injuries.”
Zhou Yu thanked her, and Xiao Qiao left.
✦ ✦ ✦
Fei Yu brought him a letter from Lu Su. Zhou Yu wondered how Fei Yu went on its own to find Lu Su, but after reading the letter, he learned Sun Ce had invited Lu Su to serve under him several days before. Sun Ce had told him to finish whatever he was dealing with and come swiftly to Wu Commandery to meet with Sun Ce in person.
Lu Su’s letter also mentioned that Sun Ce had asked his mother and brother to come to Wu Commandery. Even Zhou Yu wasn’t aware of this, but he figured Sun Ce was planning to relocate his family. But the Lady of Wu was not willing to come. She wanted to remain in Shu County, and Lu Su would bring only Sun Quan along instead.
Zhou Yu wanted to go home, but since Lu Su was about to arrive, he had but to stay. Returning would not do, but not returning would also not do, so he could only take the letter to Sun Ce.
Sun Ce was chatting with a group of aristocrats, his entire face beaming with joy. He was even making jokes at Zhang Zhao’s expense while the man in question sat with a wooden expression, and everyone laughed again.
Zhou Yu smiled, and he knocked on the doorframe.
“Come, come, Gongjin!” Sun Ce exclaimed. “Come chat for a bit. Let me pour you a cup.”
The aristocrats all nodded, saying they’d heard of Zhou Yu’s name ages ago. While Zhou Yu wasn’t there, Sun Ce had probably praised him to the moon and back.
Zhou Yu, however, didn’t accept the wine cup.
“My wound is not healed yet,” he replied. “I cannot partake.”
“Our family’s Gongjin,” Sun Ce said, “is well-versed in medicine, and he’s basically cured all my illnesses. He maintains a doctor’s skill but also their temper, so if you don’t give in, he’ll hold you down until you do.”
Everyone laughed. Sun Ce continued, “They say a doctor has the heart of a parent, and Gongjin treats me even more severely than my mother.”
These words roused another bout of laughter, and after such a recommendation, Zhou Yu made his acquaintance with the group of people in the hall. Many were aristocrats fleeing from the north, and additionally there was Lü Fan, Zhang Hong, Zhou Fang, and others—all famous. Zhou Yu made his greetings before handing the letter to Sun Ce.
“From?” Sun Ce asked.
“A letter from home,” Zhou Yu replied. “Lu Zijing sent it.”
“I hear the naval troops under General Sun’s command can split the Jing River between them and Liu Biao,” Zhang Zhao said. “Very impressive.”
“You need to ask Gongjin about that,” Sun Ce replied earnestly. “He trained them.” Saying this, he turned to Zhou Yu and continued, “I told Zijing to bring the navy over, and they’ve currently moored the boats in Lake Tai.”
Zhou Yu nodded. “It’s up to you. Sun Quan came with him, but your mother said she’s been feeling lazy lately, so she didn’t accompany them.”
“All right,” Sun Ce said, nodding.
Zhou Yu went to write a letter in response.
Sun Ce said, “After you finish, come back here.”
Zhou Yu affirmed he would and returned to his room. After he was done, someone came to ask him a question; Sun Ce wanted to allot him an estate in the east of the city and was asking for his opinion.
“No need to reward me,” Zhou Yu replied. “It’s better to spend frugally during extraordinary times.”
In the end, all of this constant rewarding was just another way for them to spend their money. When he thought about it this way, Zhou Yu felt unamused.