Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The secret room fell into a dead silence, the only sound being the crackling of the candle wick. A cold smile played on Zhang Zhao's lips, and his withered fingers slowly traced the bronze tiger talisman on the table: "When Sun Ce dies in Jingxiang, even if Zhou Yu seeks revenge, he can only point his sword at Liu Biao." His cloudy eyes rolled, and his old voice oozed with venomous cruelty. "Let's not even talk about whether he can regain military power. Even if he holds the military talisman—he's just a hawk and dog guarding our Jiangdong family!"

The head of the Lu family pinched his goatee, his brows twisted into a knot: "But veteran generals like Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, as well as a hundred thousand Jiangdong men, how could they be willing to be manipulated by the aristocratic families?"

"Who said you wanted to step forward?" Zhang Zhao suddenly let out a strange laugh, pulled out a secret letter from his sleeve, and slammed it on the table. The edge of the parchment was stained with a dark red wax seal. "I have long since encouraged Sun Quan to join the army." He looked around at the astonished faces of the crowd, a wolf-like glint in his eyes. "The crime of getting rid of Sun Ce must naturally be borne by Sun Quan!"

The head of the Gu family gasped: "You mean... let Sun Quan do it?"

"Exactly!" Zhang Zhao stood up suddenly, his wide sleeves sweeping away the bamboo slips on the case. "Once Sun Quan has evidence of his brother's murder, we, the noble families, can make him the ruler of Jiangdong. Then, won't we have everything we want?" His hunched back suddenly straightened, and his bony fingers drew a cold arc in the air. "By then, if Zhou Yu wants to support Sun Ce's son, and veteran generals like Cheng Pu want to purge the emperor...but whether the successor is a brother or a son, what does it have to do with them?"

Gasps echoed through the secret room. Zhang Zhao grabbed the candle on the table, the flame casting a sinister shadow over his face. "Old Madam Wu loves her youngest son the most. With just a few words, she can make those four old men feel helpless." He threw the candle heavily, and the flames suddenly surged. "This is so perfect, everyone can rest assured!"

Amidst the silence, the head of the Lu family suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: "Brilliant! Brilliant! When Sun Quan ascends to the throne, the Jiangdong foundation will sooner or later fall into our pockets!" As the sinister laughter echoed in the secret room, the candlelight cast distorted shadows of everyone on the wall, as if they were grinning like evil spirits.

At three quarters past midnight, the morning light pierced the mist over Moling City. Sun Ce removed his black iron armor, clad only in a long, dark blue cloth robe, and passed through the winding corridors toward the rear residence. The clanging of bronze bells on the eaves startled a few white pigeons, which fluttered past the carved window lattices.

In the main hall, Madam Wu sat upright on a sandalwood chair, a jade hairpin tucked diagonally through her silvery hair. The lines carved by time at the corners of her eyes reflected the vicissitudes of the Jiangdong empire's rise and fall. Sun Quan, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, stood by, his eyes cast down, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist.

"Mother." Sun Ce clasped his fists and saluted, his voice filled with the fatigue and tenderness before the battle. "I will be leaving tomorrow, so I came to say goodbye to you."

Madam Wu raised her hand to signal him to stand, her eyes wandering over her son's sharp features. "Be careful on the road, swords have no eyes..." She paused, then suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, Zhongmou has grown up. He told me that he didn't want to see his brother fighting outside while he lived a peaceful life in Jiangdong. He wants to go with you on this Western Expedition."

Sun Ce's body trembled slightly, and he turned his head abruptly to look at Sun Quan. When their eyes met, Sun Quan had already "plopped" to his knees, his forehead hitting the ground heavily: "Brother! In these years, my father passed away early, and you have single-handedly supported the foundation of the Sun family, fighting in the south and the north, and risking your life. Brother Mengqi has been very kind to our Sun family. If it weren't for his help back then, how could we be where we are today? Now that he has stained Chang'an with blood, although I am not talented, I should also take up my sword and armor, share my brother's worries, and do my best for Brother Mengqi!"

Sun Ce frowned and tried to speak, his Adam's apple moving. "Zhongmou, after I left for the expedition, Jiangdong's government affairs became very complicated. I wanted to keep you in charge so that you could grow quickly through experience..."

"Bo Fu!" Old Madam Wu suddenly raised her voice, tears welling up in her eyes, "Your brother is so kind-hearted, it's a blessing for the Sun family! Meng Qi, that kid, provided you with so much help when you were at the end of your rope. Without him, we wouldn't be where we are today. We can't forget this kindness!" She raised her hand and patted the armrest, "What's more, with you by his side, what danger can there be? A real man should see the world on the battlefield!"

Sun Ce looked at his mother's graying temples, then at his kneeling brother, and was speechless. The morning light shone through the window lattice onto Sun Quan's back, stretching his shadow very long, yet inexplicably revealing a hint of stubbornness. Finally, he sighed, reached out and helped Sun Quan up: "Never mind, if that's the case, you will go with me tomorrow. But on the battlefield, swords have no eyes, you must obey my orders!"

When Sun Quan looked up, a barely perceptible light flashed in his eyes, and then turned into a firm tone: "I will follow your arrangements, brother!"

Madam Wu looked at her two sons, a smile of relief curling up her lips as a complex light flickered in her eyes. "That's wonderful! You brothers are united in purpose. You will surely be invincible on the battlefield, and this will comfort the spirit of your father, Sun Wentai, in heaven." She reached out a trembling hand, her fingertips stroking Sun Ce's heroic brow and Sun Quan's drooping hair, as if to burn the scene into her heart.

Mentioning his father, Sun Ce's eyes suddenly reddened. The figure riding a tall horse, wielding a sword to defeat the enemy, overlapped with his memory of his mother with gray hair in her temples, and a sore throat rose. He held his mother's skinny hand with his backhand, and said in a softer tone: "Don't worry, mother. When I pacify Chang'an, I will defeat old Liu Biao and avenge my father without any problem. You just wait in Jiangdong and don't worry."

Madam Wu nodded gently, turned away to wipe away her tears. Sun Quan stepped forward to support her, his eyes shifting between his brother and his mother, a dark tide welling in his eyes. As Sun Ce bowed deeply and turned to step out of the hallway, the breeze from the corridor blew through the hall, wafting through Madam Wu's expectant gaze.

On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, a sudden warmth crept through the bitterly cold wind. As the rising sun pierced through the clouds, battle flags fluttered like dragons in front of the martial arts hall. The Jiangdong warriors lined up, ready for battle, their spears and halberds gleaming like a forest in the golden light. Sun Ce, clad in heavy black iron armor, the crimson tassel of the Zhanlu sword at his waist dancing wildly in the wind, strode onto the stage for reviewing his generals, his heavy boots rumbling against the wooden steps.

"Children of Jiangdong, listen up!" He suddenly drew out his sword, the tip of the sword pointing to the sky, the sound like thunder exploding across the training ground, "The current emperor is incompetent, and the eunuch party is in power! General Ma Mengqi shed blood in the northern border to protect the vast mountains and rivers of our Han Dynasty, but was framed by treacherous officials and his blood was spilled in Chang'an!" The sword blade drew a sharp arc in the air, startling the crows perched on the gate. "If we don't seek justice today—" He turned abruptly, his eyes sweeping across the 30,000 soldiers, "When the emperor's butcher knife falls one day, we will all be prey! Who will protect the elders of Jiangdong? Who will guard the fertile land of Jiangnan?"

The martial arts hall erupted in a thunderous response: "Revenge! Destroy Chang'an!" Lü Meng, Wen Qin, and other vanguard officers drew their swords and glared furiously, while Shamoke brandished his scimitar and let out a ferocious roar, the sound waves making the battle flags flutter.

Sun Ce's eyes were like torches, sweeping across the tense faces of Zhang Zhao and other old ministers from aristocratic families, and finally fixed on Zhou Yu: "Gongjin! The safety of Jiangdong is in your hands!"

Zhou Yu's silver armor gleamed as he swiftly stepped forward and prostrated himself on the ground, "Brother, just relax!" He turned to face the soldiers, "With me, Zhou Yu, here, the Jiangdong warships are a fortress of steel, awaiting your triumphant return!" Before he finished speaking, veteran generals like Cheng Pu and Huang Gai simultaneously raised their arms and shouted, their voices soaring into the sky that the flags around the parade grounds rustled.

Sun Ce slammed his scabbard against the platform, raising his arms amidst the flying debris and shouting, "This battle is not only to avenge Brother Mengqi! We must also restore peace to the world!" The soldiers shouted in unison, the sound soaring into the sky that the ice on the distant river surface cracked into spiderweb-like patterns.

In Xiangyang, dusk fell thick. Liu Biao, brow furrowed, paced back and forth in his study. A map spread out on the desk, the border between Jiangdong and Jingzhou densely marked with cinnabar. Hearing that Sun Ce was gathering a large army to march west, he mobilized his troops and deployed numerous defenses, but a sense of unease remained.

"Report—Jiangdong envoy Zhang Hong requests an audience!" The guard's announcement outside the door interrupted his thoughts. Liu Biao frowned slightly, a flicker of impatience in his eyes. He was already wary of Sun Ce's rise, and the envoy's strange arrival only added to his irritation. But thinking that this might help him ascertain Sun Ce's intentions, he said in a deep voice, "Let him in."

A moment later, Zhang Hong, dressed in a plain robe, stepped steadily into the study. He stood tall and straight, his gaze steady. Upon entering, he bowed and said in a clear voice, "I am Zhang Hong, meeting Liu Jingzhou."

Liu Biao snorted coldly and did not stand up to greet him. He just waved his hand impatiently: "What does your master, Gongsun Ce, have to say? Come on!"

Zhang Hong raised his eyes and glanced at the civil and military officials beside Liu Biao. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Liu Jingzhou, this matter is of great importance. May I have a moment to talk to you?" His voice was neither humble nor arrogant, but it faintly revealed an aura that could not be refused.

Liu Biao was slightly startled when he heard this, a look of hesitation on his face. He glanced at the civil and military officials around him, then turned his gaze back to Zhang Hong. After a moment's silence, he finally waved his hand and said, "You all, please withdraw for now."

As the last guard closed the carved wooden door of the study, the clinking of copper rings echoed in the silence. Zhang Hong glanced at Cai Mao, who stood with his arms folded, and Kuai Yue, who stroked his beard and pondered. His throat moved slightly, but he said nothing. Seeing this, Liu Biao flicked his sleeves and said, "These two are my trusted confidants and right-hand men. Feel free to speak your mind!"

Cai Mao said unhappily, "The envoy from Jiangdong is so slow, is it possible that he is not telling the truth?"

Zhang Hong bowed deeply, his wide black sleeves sweeping across the blue bricks. "Since Liu Jingzhou trusts me, I'll speak frankly." He suddenly took a half step forward and lowered his voice. "My master, Sun Ce, is heading west on this expedition, ostensibly to avenge Ma Chao, but in reality..." His words trailed off, and his hawk-like gaze swept across the suddenly tense expressions of the three men. "He has long coveted the fertile land of Jingxiang!"

"Humph! I knew that guy had bad intentions!" Cai Mao suddenly kicked over the stool at his feet, and sawdust flew everywhere. "My Jingzhou army of 100,000 is ready to fight at any time. He will never return!"

"General Cai, please be patient." Kuai Yue waved his hand and said, "Since Mr. Zhang is here, we must have some further discussions."

Zhang Hong nodded to Kuai Yue and pulled a secret letter from his sleeve: "If you are willing to lend me your way, my master promises..." He pushed the letter in front of Liu Biao, the wax seal imprinting a vivid Jiangdong tiger, "Our army passed through without causing harm, and we are willing to give you the three counties of Lujiang as a token of our gratitude. But if..." Before he could finish his words, Cai Mao had snatched the secret letter, his rough fingers almost piercing the parchment.

Liu Biao stared at the handwriting in the letter and suddenly sneered: "Sun Ce is very generous. But does he really think that a few pieces of land can be exchanged for my letting the tiger go back to the mountain?"

"You have misunderstood, my lord." Zhang Hong suddenly took off the jade pendant from his waist and slammed it on the table. The sound of the jade colliding made the ashes in the incense burner fall. "This is just a token of surrender. I have another important task on this trip—" He moved closer to the three people, his breath brushing against Liu Biao's ear, "Help my lord and eliminate future troubles forever."