My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 273 The East Wind Rises
Liu Ye and Lu Su were visibly excited, and the reason was obvious.

Chengde was Liu Ye's hometown, while Lu Su's hometown was Dongcheng.

Liu Feng's adjustment of the strategic plan inadvertently increased the importance of the Dongcheng route, which also brought Lu Su and Liu Ye greater opportunities to make contributions.

Liu Bei's high regard and trust in Lu Su and Liu Ye made their loyalty overflow, and their desire to make meritorious contributions was impossible to suppress.

Lu Su, in particular, was determined to write another letter to Zhou Yu after returning home, urging him to hurry up.

How can one be so hesitant when undertaking great tasks?

********
On this day, Zhou Yu from Shu County was summoned by the clan chief Zhou Chong.

Zhou Chong was the eldest son of Zhou Jing, the eldest brother of Zhou Yu's father's generation, the older brother of Zhou Zhong, and the cousin of Zhou Shang and Zhou Yi. He once served as the Chancellor of Ganling.

After Zhou Jing's death, he inherited Zhou Jing's title of Marquis of Anyang.

After the persecution of the Party Prohibitions intensified, he resigned from his official post and went into seclusion in his hometown.

Yuan Shu had repeatedly tried to recruit him, but he refused.

For the Zhou family, Zhou Chong has a considerable say.

Zhou Yu was somewhat bewildered when Zhou Chong suddenly summoned him, wondering what his uncle, the clan chief, wanted to do with him.

Zhou Chong was very old, over seventy years old, with gray hair and half of his teeth missing. He could no longer eat meat and could only rely on thin porridge and human milk for food.

When Zhou Yu arrived at the room, he found that his uncle was actually nodding off.

Perhaps it's because I'm getting older, but I get sleepy easily and fall asleep from time to time.

Faced with the sleeping Zhou Chong, Zhou Yu could only stand obediently to the side, not daring to disturb his rest. He didn't even dare to sit down, remaining quietly standing and waiting for Zhou Chong to wake up.

Fortunately, Zhou Chong's nap was short-lived; he woke up in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Gongjin has arrived."

Upon seeing Zhou Yu, Zhou Chong revealed his uneven teeth and waved to Zhou Yu with a smile: "Please sit down first, let's talk."

"Yes, uncle."

Zhou Yu thanked Zhou Chong and sat down obediently.

If Zhou Yu dared to argue with his uncle Zhou Shang, he was much more docile in front of Zhou Chong.

Zhou Chong is not only the oldest living member of the Zhou family, but also the clan head. He has served as a high-ranking official for many years and inherited Zhou Jing's title of Marquis of Anyang.

Whether in terms of prestige or filial piety, even though Zhou Yu was considered the most outstanding member of the third generation of the Zhou family, he really had no say in front of Zhou Chong.

Not to mention Zhou Yu, even Zhou Zhong, Zhou Shang, and Zhou Yu's father Zhou Yi had to behave themselves when they met Zhou Chong, and dared not be the slightest bit disrespectful.

Seeing Zhou Chong nod again, Zhou Yu quickly asked, "Uncle, why did you summon me here?"

"oh oh."

Zhou Chong suddenly woke up and said with a wry smile, "I'm getting old, I'm always so sleepy."

After saying that, Zhou Chong pointed to the desk with books and scrolls on it and said, "There are letters that your Uncle Zhong sent back there. You can go and take a look at them first."

Zhou Yu was slightly surprised: "There's news about Uncle Zhong?"

Since Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, most of the warlords in Guandong raised the banner of rebellion, swore an oath of blood, and united to fight against Dong Zhuo, the connection between Guandong and Guanzhong was severed.

The Zhou family knew nothing about the safety of Zhou Zhong, who was an official in the court. After the country fell into chaos, the several groups of servants they sent to him disappeared without a trace.

At this moment, the Zhou family suddenly received a letter from Zhou Zhong, which was obviously good news.

Zhou Zhong had been an official in the court, and had even previously held the high-ranking position of Grand Minister of Agriculture, one of the Nine Ministers. Now that the emperor had successfully returned to the east, he would likely be promoted again.

In fact, Zhou Zhong had already been appointed Grand Commandant in the third year of the Chuping era, but Zhou Yu and the others were unaware of this.

With Zhou Chong's permission, Zhou Yu went to the side and found Zhou Zhong's letter.

This letter was quite easy to find; Zhou Chong had placed it almost right in the center of his desk.

After Zhou Yu opened the silk scroll, he began to read it carefully.

In the letter, he learned about Zhou Zhong's experiences over the past few years, including being appointed one of the Three Dukes, being dismissed due to the natural disaster of Mount Hua collapsing, escorting the emperor's carriage back east, and succeeding Shi Sunrui as Commandant of the Guards after Shi Sunrui's death in battle.

Seeing this, Zhou Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But as he continued reading, his expression suddenly changed.

In the latter part of his letter, Zhou Zhong lavishly praised Liu Feng and extolled Liu Bei as a benevolent and righteous gentleman trusted by the emperor. He also bluntly expressed his hope that his family would cooperate with Liu Bei in attacking Yuan Shu.

After reading the letter, Zhou Yu went to see Zhou Chong and found that his uncle was much more energetic and no longer as drowsy as before.

"Uncle, your actions are quite risky."

Zhou Yu stated realistically, "Once General Liu is blocked by General Zuo, my Zhou family will be stranded in Shu County, without any support. If General Zuo were to return with his troops, we fear we would face annihilation."

To be fair, Zhou Yu's original plan to rebel against Liu Yao in Jiangdong and help Sun Ce break through the Niuzhu defense line was indeed less risky than his current plan to betray Yuan Shu.

Most of the real estate accumulated by the Zhou family, such as mines, farmland, shops, forest farms, fish ponds, and other assets, cannot be taken with them.

Once Yuan Shu stops Liu Bei and then turns his attention to the Zhou family, the best outcome for the Zhou family would be to escape to Jiangdong and seek refuge with Zhou Shang in Wanling.

If things really end up like that, the Zhou family will be severely weakened, and they might not even be able to hold onto southern Danyang.

Zhou Yu was not opposing the plan, but rather wanted to know more about the situation before making a decision.

Zhou Chong not only did not blame Zhou Yu for his caution, but was also very pleased: "Gongjin, I am very pleased that you can remain calm in the face of important matters and keep your mind at ease when faced with great benefits."

"Below your uncle's letter, there is another letter, sent by your friend Lu Su from Guangling."

Zhou Chong continued, "He is currently serving as a military advisor under Prefect Liu, and he will accompany Prefect Liu on this expedition."

Zhou Yu found it strange, not understanding why Lu Su's letter was sent to Zhou Chong first instead of himself.

But when he opened Lu Su's letter, he suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out that Lu Su not only revealed the total strength of Liu Bei's army in this mobilization—120,000 troops—in his letter, but also confidently stated that Yuan Shu would surely be defeated because Liu Bei's side had also used powerful weapons to breach cities.

Yuan Shu's fortified city could not stop Liu Bei's army's offensive at all.

At the end of the letter, Lu Su expressed his deep friendship with Zhou Yu and revealed that he had recommended Zhou Yu to Liu Bei and his son Liu Zheng Nan on several occasions. Liu Bei and his son also greatly admired Zhou Yu and hoped to have him as their advisor.

Finally, Lu Su, on behalf of Liu Bei, offered Zhou Shang a condition: if he wished to continue serving as an official in a local area in the future, he could choose either Runan or Lu State as the prefect.

If he intends to go to the central government in Luozhong, Liu Bei is willing to guarantee him a position among the Nine Ministers.

At the same time, Liu Bei and his son had other plans for Zhou Yu, and whether he would serve in the military or in politics would depend on Zhou Yu's own wishes.

This sincerity was undeniably generous, leaving even Zhou Yu himself feeling flattered.

After reading the letter, Zhou Yu hesitated for a moment, then turned around and asked, "Uncle, do you think what Zijing said is true?"

Zhou Yu asked whether the intelligence on troop deployment provided by Lu Su was true, and also whether the reward offered by the other party was genuine.

"It must be true."

Zhou Chong, with his eyelids drooping, said, "It can only be true."

Zhou Yu was taken aback for a moment, but then he heard Zhou Chong continue, "Your Uncle Zhong was the Commandant of the Guards in Luozhong. He was almost replaced by the General-in-Chief, but only because Lord Liu spoke up for him did he manage to keep his position."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu suddenly understood and was filled with admiration for Zhou Chong.

Just as my uncle said, Liu Shijun's conditions must be true, and can only be true.

Because Liu Bei and his son were in a stronger position, not to mention that they had already paid a deposit.

Zhou Yu immediately replied, "Uncle, rest assured, I know what to do."

Zhou Chong smiled with satisfaction and nodded wearily: "You are careful and meticulous in your work, so your uncle is very relieved. Your uncle is old and his energy is limited, so I will leave this matter entirely to you."

Zhou Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he replied, "Yes, Uncle!"

Zhou Chong smiled and then waved his hand: "Gongjin, go ahead. Your uncle will stay at home and watch you achieve great things."

"Yes, Uncle!"

Zhou Yu responded again, then turned and left.

Now that the decision has been made, there is a lot to do.

“Gongjin…”

As Zhou Yu was about to leave, Zhou Chong called out from behind him again.

Zhou Yu turned around curiously and looked at Zhou Chong, only to see the latter squinting and saying as if in a dream, "If things don't go well, you don't need to come back. Just cross the river and go to your Uncle Shang."

"uncle!?"

Zhou Yu was greatly alarmed. What Zhou Chong meant by this was that if things went wrong, Zhou Yu should not worry about his safety and should quickly cross the river to seek refuge with Zhou Shang.

In this era, filial impiety was a grave sin. Zhou Chong's purpose in saying this was to relieve Zhou Yu of his worries. Zhou Yu wanted to speak up to persuade him, but Zhou Chong raised his hand and waved it: "Your uncle is old, and the Zhou family can only rely on you from now on. Your uncle can only help you for a while, but cannot take care of you for a lifetime. You should strive hard. The Zhou family is in your hands."

Zhou Yu's eyes reddened, and he bowed deeply to Zhou Chong, saying, "Uncle's expectations will never be forgotten."

"Okay, okay, go ahead."

Zhou Chong then smiled with satisfaction, gave a word of approval, and closed his eyes without saying another word.

Zhou Yu quietly withdrew.

At this point, Zhou Yu, who had been fully authorized by Zhou Chong, practically possessed the authority of the head of the Zhou family, demonstrating how high Zhou Chong's expectations were for him.

But there is nothing we can do about it.

Zhou Yu's father, Zhou Yi, was Zhou Jing's cousin.

Starting with Zhou Yu's grandfather, his lineage was no longer the direct line of the Zhou family.

Therefore, in theory, Zhou Yu's value was not actually high, because the direct descendants of the Zhou family were full of talented people. Not only did his ancestor Zhou Jing hold the position of one of the Three Dukes, but Zhou Jing's son Zhou Zhong also held the position of one of the Three Dukes, and Zhou Zhong's son Zhou Hui became the magistrate of Luoyang at a young age.

Don't underestimate the position of Magistrate of Luoyang. Zhou Hui's father, Zhou Zhong, and grandfather, Zhou Jing, both rose to prominence from this position.

In other words, Zhou Hui was following the grand path that Zhou Zhong had paved for him.

Historically, the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu gained power and became famous, but the reason for this was that Dong Zhuo did not kill them.

If Dong Zhuo had killed Yuan Shao directly when Yuan Shao shouted at him, "My sword is not inferior either."

Yuan Shao will only receive the same historical treatment as Zhou Hui. Even if he is stronger than Zhou Hui, his strength will be limited.

Historical records state that Zhou Hui and his brothers were similar to Yuan Shao and his brothers. They were fond of entertaining guests and dominated the Jianghuai region. When they went out, they were always accompanied by more than a hundred carriages.

This is almost exactly the style of the Jianghuai version of the Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu brothers.

The only difference is that when Dong Zhuo entered the capital and the capital was in turmoil, Zhou Hui went to Luoyang to serve as a loyal minister. However, Dong Zhuo heard rumors about him and sent troops to kill Zhou Hui and his brother.

Several of Zhou Jing's grandsons also died, causing the direct line of Zhou Jing's family to decline, and Zhou Shang's son was also incompetent.

Zhou Chong and Zhou Shang could only place their hopes on Zhou Yu, and that's when they began to increase their investment in him.

This is one of the fundamental reasons why Yuan Shu did not value Zhou Yu. Due to his own reasons and those of Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu was particularly averse to the idea of ​​a son from a concubine being promoted to the status of the legitimate heir.

At this time, the younger generation of the Zhou family consisted of Zhou Yu himself, Zhou Yu's illegitimate elder brother Zhou Dao, and Zhou Dao's son Zhou Jun.

Zhou Yu immediately summoned them together.

Zhou Yi was tall, and both Zhou Yu and Zhou Dao inherited their father's physique. However, in addition to his tall stature, Zhou Yu was also very handsome and proficient in music and literature.

Zhou Dao then ventured into the military, and at this time he was in charge of the remaining troops in his household.

"Gongjin, I was just looking for you."

Zhou Dao was about ten years older than Zhou Yu, and his eldest son, Zhou Jun, was already sixteen years old, not much younger than Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu, who was sitting at the table, turned around and asked, "What is it, brother?"

"Lord Liu has issued an edict, ordering my Zhou family to provide 800 men, 3,000 shi of grain, 20 carts, 40 oxen and horses, and to recruit another 1,500 able-bodied men. The deadline is half a month, and there must be no delays."

Zhou Dao sat down, slammed his fist on the table, and said angrily, "Does he think my Zhou family is easy prey?"

Zhou Jun stood silently behind his father. As a junior, he had no right to speak casually.

"oh!?"

Zhou Yu's eyes lit up immediately: "When did this news arrive?"

"just now."

Zhou Dao, oblivious to his brother's odd behavior, began to complain to himself, "The demands from a month ago were already quite heavy, and now they're adding to them? Are they trying to drive us to our deaths?"

A month ago, Liu Xun had assigned a task to gather provisions for the soldiers.

The Zhou family was given 500 retainers, 2,000 shi of grain, 10 carts and horses, and 800 able-bodied men.

The Zhou family had just collected more than half of the amount when they suddenly increased the quantity by more than 50%.

It's not that the Zhou family can't raise the money, but if they follow Liu Xun's time requirements, it will definitely be a major blow.

But the Zhou family was in Shuxian County, which was the seat of Lujiang Commandery, and Liu Xun was watching from the city.

The Zhou family was the first to be affected, with no way to avoid it.

Liu Xun might be waiting for the Zhou family to disobey orders so he can make an example of them.

Zhou Dao was so worried that he could only turn to his usually resourceful younger brother, but unexpectedly, Zhou Yu was also looking for him, so he hurried over.

"Brother, don't be anxious."

Zhou Yu had a sudden thought, and an idea came to him.

After the maid served the tea, Zhou Yu dismissed all the servants, leaving only his elder brother Zhou Dao and nephew Zhou Jun.

Then, Zhou Yu lowered his voice and asked, "Brother, how many retainers and men are left at home?"

Zhou Daoxiao was taken aback, not understanding the purpose of Zhou Yu's question.

But after careful consideration, he honestly replied, "Uncle Shang took away two thousand retainers before, leaving only twelve or thirteen hundred in the clan. There are also over a thousand farmhands available, but they are currently unusable. With the autumn harvest approaching, the family's estate depends entirely on their harvest. In addition, there are some country boys and wandering knights who are attached to my family. Within half a month, we can recruit at least four or five hundred more from among them."

As Zhou Dao meticulously recounted the Zhou family's military strength and resources to Zhou Yu, a glint of light flashed in Zhou Yu's eyes.

Zhou Yu silently calculated in his mind that he could mobilize 1,300 men from his household troops, more than 1,000 men from his estate, plus the country boys and wandering knights, for a total of 3,000 men.

This number is already quite alarming, we can do it!

Zhou Yu immediately took out the two silk scrolls that Zhou Chong had just given him and handed them to Zhou Dao and Zhou Jun.

"Brother, Ah Jun, you should finish reading this book first."

Zhou Dao and Zhou Jun looked on with suspicion as they opened the silk scroll and began to read it.

Before long, their expressions changed.

It seems like the family is about to turn against them.

Zhou Dao and Zhou Jun forced themselves to swallow the questions that were rising in their throats and continued reading.

After that, their expressions gradually changed.

The initial unease turned into eagerness.

After reading it, the father and son raised their heads and stared intently at Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Zhou Dao and his son would hesitate or be afraid of difficulties.

But the reaction of Zhou Dao and his son has given him even more confidence.

"Gongjin, tell me what to do. My son and I will do whatever you say!"

Zhou Dao said viciously, "That Liu Zitai is truly a scoundrel. He completely disregards our past relationship and, relying on Yuan Gonglu's power, has been forcing my family in every way. I've wanted to kill this dog for a long time."

"good!"

Zhou Yu sneered, "As the sage said: If you want to take something, you must first give it."

"Since we want to take Liu Zitai's head, let's give him a big gift first."

Zhou Yu immediately made arrangements: "Brother, you should immediately gather the soldiers in the village and the young men and knights-errant in the village, incorporate them into your troops, give them wine and meat, and win their loyalty."

"Here!"

Zhou Dao immediately stood up to accept the order. He understood that the one giving the orders was no longer his younger brother, but the head of the Zhou family.

Zhou Yu nodded to Zhou Dao, then turned to his nephew and called out, "A-Jun!"

"Nephew is here!"

Zhou Jun immediately stood up to obey.

Zhou Yu instructed, "You shall recruit able-bodied men in Shu County and secretly spread the news that Prefect Liu is disregarding human life and forcing everyone to their deaths. Make sure that the able-bodied men join my household."

Zhou Jun readily agreed: "Yes, sir!"

Zhou Yu sneered, "The reason why this traitor Liu Zitai is pressing us so hard must be because Governor Liu in the north is about to launch an attack. Since my family has already decided to serve Governor Liu, we can take advantage of this traitor Liu Zitai and present his head to Governor Liu."

Zhou Dao and his son agreed in unison, "That's exactly right!"

Zhou Yu smiled with satisfaction: "Good, you two go and do it immediately. I will write a letter to inform Lord Liu of the true situation in Lujiang, so that he can make preparations in advance."

"Here!"

Zhou Dao and his son responded in unison, took their leave, and went off to carry out the tasks assigned by Zhou Yu.

(End of this chapter)