Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 11 Now that we have Gongjin, the great cause is accomplished.

A single sentence, "arriving late," perfectly encapsulates the meaning of a long-awaited reunion.

Sun Ce quickly untied him and welcomed him into the tent, where they drank and chatted happily.

"To have my brother's concern makes this ordeal worthwhile."

Zhou Yu paused slightly, then tentatively sized up Sun Ce, his expression meaningful.

"I've heard that you are a capable and brave warrior under Yuan Shu, and recently you have been adopted as his son and treated as his own. I imagine you are deeply trusted and respected?"

He adopted him as his son, treated him as his own, and earned his deep trust and respect.

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce's expression changed. He immediately dismissed his attendants and, seeing that no one was around, let out a long sigh, expressing the bitterness in his heart.

"Gongjin, you may not know this, but if I told you that Yuan Shu forced me to accept this title of adopted son, would you believe me?"

“I believe everything my elder brother says.”

Zhou Yu scrutinized Sun Ce, deliberately testing him.

"But this adopted son of the Yuan family is sought after by everyone in the world, and they all wish they could replace him as their elder brother. Why would you say such a thing, elder brother?"

"This is precisely where Yuan Shu's brilliance lies."

Sun Ce gave a bitter smile, "Even if I tell the truth, no one in the world will believe me!"
How laughable are those mediocre sparrows who try to climb the social ladder, unaware of the soaring ambition of swans that reach for the heavens.

My original intention was to use the pretext of crossing the river to rescue my mother, and with the imperial seal as collateral, borrow three thousand soldiers to break free from my constraints, expand my territory, acquire all six counties of Jiangdong, and achieve great things!

"Brother, what a brilliant plan!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of approval flashed in Zhou Yu's eyes. He gently smoothed his sleeves, his expression composed.

"As I expected, my elder brother has lofty ambitions and aspirations."

Although Yuan Shu was a warlord of his time and could display his power for a time, he was ultimately short-sighted and unworthy of his elder brother's great talent and strategy.

He paused briefly, his gaze darkening slightly.

"My brother wants to borrow three thousand soldiers to cross the river and expand the territory. This plan is ingenious, but Yuan Shu may have a mastermind behind him. Not only did he see through the plan, but he also turned the tables on Yuan Shu, leading to the current situation."

With this person plotting and instructing, Yuan Shu may outwardly trust his elder brother but inwardly be wary. If his brother acts rashly now, unforeseen circumstances may arise.

Sun Ce agreed wholeheartedly and recounted the incident of the Candle Shadow and Axe Sound at the Shouchun Palace banquet. Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu also felt a chill run down his spine.

"That was close! Yuan Shu's mastermind must have seen that his elder brother was unwilling to be subordinate to others and advised him to kill him to prevent future troubles."

Fortunately, Yuan Shu was suspicious and indecisive, and while he was still hesitant, he used his adopted son to test his elder brother. If his brother refused to serve him, he feared he would have no way out.

Sun Ce, upon reflection, also felt a lingering fear. "I wonder if Gongjin has any good advice for me?"

Zhou Yu leaned slightly forward, lowered his voice, and chuckled.

"If Yuan Shu truly possesses the talent of a strategist, my elder brother will be constantly constrained and unable to extricate himself."

But, elder brother, do you know the greatest tragedy of those who scheme for others?

Before Sun Ce could reply, he threw the wine cup on the table and bowed deeply.

"A true man, when he encounters a worthy ruler, outwardly upholds the principles of loyalty between ruler and subject, inwardly forges bonds of kinship, always keeps his word, always follows his plans, and shares both fortune and misfortune."

Could Yuan Shu possibly accomplish this? If he and his strategist are not of one mind, even if the strategist possesses extraordinary talent and unparalleled strategic brilliance, it will be like a pearl covered in dust, unable to be used. This is precisely your opportunity, brother.

Sun Ce understood his meaning, helped him up, and laughed loudly.

“What Gongjin said is absolutely right. Yuan Shu cannot do it, but you and I, brothers, can.”

Yuan Shu's recent unusual behavior must be due to the guidance of a wise man behind him. However, he is stubborn and narrow-minded, so how can he listen to the advice of his strategists in everything?
I only need to be patient for now and continue to deal with him. When he becomes estranged from his mastermind, that will be my opportunity.

Now that I have received guidance from Gongjin, it's like seeing the sun after the clouds have parted. If we work together with one heart and one mind, what is there to worry about in achieving our great cause?

Zhou Yu nodded slightly and paced back and forth in deep thought.

“A true man can bend and stretch, and should not act rashly. Since Yuan Shu treats him as an adopted son and elder brother, we should play along, be grateful to him, and make him think that his elder brother is content with the status quo, thus lowering his guard.”

You also need to humble your elder brother, show more filial piety, take the initiative to solve his problems, let him see your 'loyalty' and ability, win his trust, and then try to control the military power.

Secretly, he befriended insightful individuals within Yuan Shu's camp, explaining the greater good to them and making them see that Yuan Shu was all show and no substance and was not a wise ruler.

When the time is right, we will break free from their control with lightning speed. At that time, we will lead loyal and righteous men out of Shouchun, and the Jiangdong families will support each other. What people would not welcome our elder brother with food and drink?

If that's true, then the six prefectures and eighty-one counties are as easy as taking something out of a bag!

His palms were loosely clenched, as if he had grasped the entire Jiangdong region with the slightest movement!

At this moment, the tent was so quiet that they could hear each other breathing. "Does brother agree?"

“Gongjin, do not underestimate me. I was born between heaven and earth, how can I live under someone else's control for long and be subject to a mediocre ruler?”
Humbly accepting one's lot and waiting for the opportune moment, for the sake of one's ambition, what is there to complain about in terms of grievance?

"If that's what you think, brother, there's an opportunity right now."

"Oh? Is Gongjin referring to Liu Yao?"

"Whoever captures and presents Liu Yao will be appointed general and ennobled; this is the perfect opportunity for you, elder brother, to prove yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce slammed his hand on the table and stood up, exclaiming, "Gongjin is a man of profound wisdom and foresight. With your assistance, our great cause can be accomplished and our great undertaking can flourish!"

"How can I accomplish anything by myself? To achieve great things, I must gather all the talents of Jiangdong."

His gaze sharpened as he looked at Sun Ce, "Brother, do you know the two Zhangs of Jiangdong?"

"Two Zhangs?"

Sun Ce felt something was amiss. "But Zhang Zhao of Pengcheng, whose courtesy name is Zibu; and Zhang Hong of Guangling, whose courtesy name is Zigang."

"Of course!"

Zhou Yu took a sip of wine and smiled calmly.

"These two men are both exceptionally talented, but they have gone into seclusion in Jiangdong to avoid the chaos. Why don't you hire them, brother?"

"Gongjin has been traveling a long way, and he is probably out of touch with the news."

Sun Ce understood and explained to him with a wry smile.

"These two men have now been recruited by Yuan Shu, one as the Prefect of Guangling and the other as the Prefect of Wu Commandery. Upon hearing of their appointments, the people of both commanderies surrendered without hesitation."

"what!"

Upon hearing this, how could Zhou Yu not be horrified?

"These two men are renowned in Jiangdong and have close ties with powerful families. My plan is precisely to help my brother leverage their strength to secretly win over the support of the powerful families in Jiangdong. Once we break away from Yuan Shu, we can then realize our grand ambitions!"
Now that these two have been recruited by Yuan Shu, wouldn't that only further enhance his power and influence?

"I regret not meeting Gongjin sooner! Now that things have come to this, what can I do?"

"It doesn't matter!"

Although Zhou Yu was inwardly worried, he remained outwardly calm.

"If one plan fails, try another!"
I've heard that the Qiao family of Jiangdong has two daughters, both exceptionally beautiful! You and I, brothers, could send someone to propose marriage to them. If we can form a union, we can win the hearts of all the prominent families of Jiangdong.”

"Alright! I'll marry Da Qiao, and you'll marry Xiao Qiao. That would be a beautiful story."

The two exchanged a knowing smile, about to continue their plans for the future, when a trusted soldier standing guard outside the tent reported:
"Strategist, the young general is meeting with friends in his tent. I will inform him."

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu exchanged a glance and came out to greet them.

"Sir, you've arrived? I'm overjoyed to reunite with my childhood friend after so long. Please come in for a meal and a chat."

"Oh? My lord and I have also heard of him. This must be Zhou Gongjin. If there is a mistake in the music, Zhou Lang will notice. I have long admired your name."

Zhou Yu's heart sank. The fact that Yuan Shu knew about him the moment he met Bo Fu showed how wary and controlling he was of Sun Ce.

He remained calm and composed, and returned the greeting with a slight bow, saying, "How can I, a junior scholar, compare to the commanding presence of Military Advisor Yang? He can repay Lord Yuan's great kindness and bring honor to his wife and children, which is truly enviable."

Upon hearing this, Yang Hong raised an eyebrow slightly, and with a half-smile, the bell on his sleeve jingled softly. "Gongjin's talent, if he were willing to serve Lord Yuan, would certainly be no less than mine."

"How dare anyone who comes after you compete with me? Besides, Bo Fu is Yuan Gong's adopted son. I should serve Yuan Gong alongside him. How can you say that I cannot be of use to him?"

Zhou Yu smiled knowingly, "Military Advisor Yang, you should not mention such things again, lest it sow discord between father and son."

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing more. Yang Hong then turned to look at Sun Ce, his gaze full of meaning.

"Young Master, the Lord has arranged a marriage between you and the Qiao family. Soon you will have a godmother and a concubine. Today, Lord Qiao has come to discuss the details of the marriage. The Lord has asked you to come and meet him."

In an instant, there was almost no sound!

Zhou Yu's eyes widened in surprise, and he thought to himself:

Who exactly was Yuan Shu's strategist? Yang Hong? He'd figured it out before anyone else!

Sun Ce could almost hear his own heartbeat. His face remained expressionless as he simply said:

"only!"

(End of this chapter)