Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms
Chapter 799: Summons of the Veteran Generals
Zhou Yu's brows knitted into a knot, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the table, the bronze map trembling and gleaming. Taishi Ci suddenly broke the dead silence, the clinking of armor accompanied by an urgent question: "Could this all be the plot of that old scoundrel Liu Biao?" He immediately shook his head, the silver ornaments on his temples swaying slightly with his movement. "But even if the governor of Jingzhou is all-powerful, how could he possibly incite the Second Young Master to revolt?"
"Ziyi, you're obsessed." Zhou Yu finally spoke, his voice as cold as a frosted blade, "Liu Biao is definitely not the culprit. To break this situation, we need to unravel it." His slender fingers traced the mark of Jiangxia City on the map, the candlelight casting a dancing shadow in his eyes, "Tell me, who made the most crucial move in this game of chess?"
"If what Wen Chang said is true..." Taishi Ci's Adam's apple rolled, and cold sweat oozed out of the crevices of his armor. "The person who poisoned must be the Second Young Master!" Zhou Yu heard this, and his narrow and long phoenix eyes narrowed into a dangerous arc: "Do you still remember the Second Young Master's teacher?"
"It's Zhang Zhao and Zhang Zibu!" Before he finished speaking, Zhou Yu had already raised the second question: "Who is Zhang Zhao's closest friend?"
"Zhang Hong!" Taishi Ci shuddered, pounding his iron spear heavily onto the ground, sending up dust everywhere. Zhou Yu suddenly slammed his hand on the table, causing the bamboo slips on it to rustle. "Quickly summon the four veteran generals Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao! This matter is of great importance and not a single detail can be leaked!"
"General, what on earth is going on..." Wei Yan was about to ask, but was cut off by Zhou Yu's sharp gaze. He saw the figure striding out of the tent, his dark cloak rustling in the night wind, leaving only the echo of the words: "When all the generals are present, we will explain!" Taishi Ci and Wei Yan exchanged a glance. Although filled with doubts, they did not dare to delay and hurried away, stepping on the frost-covered ground.
The night watch drums beat out four times, the cold moon sank in the west, and frost soaked the blue tiles and eaves of the Wu Marquis's mansion. The four veterans, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao, retreated from the inner quarters and gathered together. Night dew still clung to their gray beards, and their steps stumbled as if they were treading on cotton. The old lady's dying words, "Appoint Zhongmou as the leader," pierced their hearts like a rusty needle. Their eldest son, Sun Ce, was still etched in his bones, and for their younger brother, Sun Quan, to inherit the throne was neither compliant with patriarchal etiquette nor merely a reminder of Zhou Yu's immense power over the navy.
The ticking of the night watch was particularly clear in the silent night. Four veteran generals, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao, sat in a tent lit by flickering candlelight, their brows furrowed and expressions solemn. The teacups on the table had long since cooled, their steam gone, yet the gloom still hung in their hearts.
"The old lady insisted on making Sun Quan the master. This is unreasonable!" Cheng Pu was the first to break the silence. He sighed heavily, his old face full of worry. "The foundation of the Sun family was built by General Bofu with every sword and spear. Now that he has passed away suddenly, how can... how can he let his younger brother succeed to the throne so hastily?"
Huang Gai slammed the table so hard that the candlelight flickered violently. "That's right! Besides, if Sun Quan were to be enthroned, what would Commander Zhou Yu do? He commands a large army and controls the Jiangdong navy. If..." He hadn't finished speaking, but the atmosphere in the tent had already become even more solemn.
Han Dang shook his head slightly, his eyes full of confusion. "I have been with Gongjin for many years. He has great ambitions and is definitely not one to cling to power. But the situation is delicate now. Mr. Zhang Hong and Mr. Zhang Zhao have made clear analyses, saying that the ruler is young and the country is in doubt, and that someone is needed to calm the situation. But this also makes me feel suspicious."
Zu Mao had remained silent until he finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "Back then, we followed Generals Sun Jian and Sun Ce, risking our lives to protect Jiangdong. But now, we're unsure who to trust. If Zhou Yu wants to act like a powerful minister, what should we do? But if he doesn't, and we're so suspicious, what then..." His words faded, filled with helplessness and confusion.
For a moment, the tent fell into a dead silence, broken only by the occasional crackling of a candle. The four veteran generals glanced at each other, their eyes filled with confusion and unease. They refused to believe Zhou Yu had any intention of rebellion, yet they were tormented by the complex situation and the rhetoric of Zhang Hong and Zhang Zhao, unsure of what to do. This sense of powerlessness and uncertainty about Zhou Yu's attitude weighed heavily on their hearts like a huge rock.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the courtyard. Taishi Ci, bathed in starlight, burst open the tent door, the red tassel on his silver spear still frosted with frost: "Four veteran generals! Commander Zhou requests that you all proceed immediately to the east city training ground. We have something important to discuss!"
Cheng Pu looked at Taishi Ci's tense face, his calloused hands stroking the sword at his waist. Outside the tent, the night wind whipped dead leaves against the curtains, as if a vast army lay dormant in the shadows. "General Taishi, return first," he said in a deep voice, his aged voice carrying a resolute resolve to break the impasse. "We'll be there shortly after a moment's preparation." He waited until Taishi Ci disappeared into the night.
The candlelight in the tent flickered in the draft. Cheng Pu rubbed the patinaed tiger talisman at his waist, his knuckles white from the effort. "General Zhou's urgent summons late at night is definitely not ordinary." Before he finished speaking, Huang Gai pounded the table, spilling the remaining wine in the cup and leaving dark stains on the map. "Could it be that the old lady's decision to appoint an heir has made him restless?"
Han Dang looked out at the inky night outside the tent, his Adam's apple rolling. "Gongjin is a strict military commander. He usually summons his generals at the top of the hour. But why is he so urgent at the middle of the night..." He lowered his voice abruptly, "It sounds like they're discussing something shady." Zu Mao suddenly started coughing violently, his turbid sputum streaked with blood. His old voice trembled: "If you really want to establish a new master, why did you summon only veterans like us? Could it be..."
The air seemed to be frozen, and only the ticking sound of the clock struck people's hearts.
Cheng Pu stood up suddenly, his iron wrist guard clanging against the table. He reached out and took the cracked black iron armor from the shelf. The sound of metal scraping against each other made his shoulders and back ache from old injuries. "I need an answer." He gritted his teeth and fastened the breastplate. The bronze animal head shone coldly in the candlelight. "We have followed two generations of the Sun family. How can we be frightened by this mess?"
Cheng Pu turned and glanced at everyone in the tent, his cloudy eyes burning with a scorching light. "Even if it's through mountains of swords and seas of fire, I have to hear him explain it in person." Then he strode out of the tent. The moonlight stretched his shadow very long, as if it extended all the way to the depths of the central army tent.
Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao exchanged a glance, a flicker of determination in their eyes. Huang Gai neatly twisted the iron whip around his waist and said in a deep voice, "Old Cheng is right. Instead of guessing here, why not ask him face to face?" Han Dang silently fastened his cloak, put his hand on the hilt of his sword, and stood up. Zu Mao coughed twice, propped himself up with the iron spear, and the three of them followed Cheng Pu in tacit understanding.
"Let's hear what Zhou Lang has to say." Han Dang whispered, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly. "Let's be less talkative and more cautious." Huang Gai nodded, his armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "Indeed, too much talk can easily lead to mistakes. Let's first find out his background." The four men walked heavily, the clashing of armor being particularly clear in the silent night. They were like a group of warriors about to face danger as they headed towards the central army tent. In the darkness, who knew what secrets awaited them.
The thick, inky darkness was being eaten away by the morning light. Zhou Yu paced back and forth within the central army tent. The tallow candle in the bronze lampstand was nearly burnt out, its flickering flame casting his shadow on the cowhide curtain, now large, now small. He suddenly tore off his cloak and slung it across the table, his sword clanging against the table. "Ziyi, go see where the four old generals are!" He had barely finished his words when the clatter of armor echoed from outside the tent.
A heavy cowhide curtain was lifted, and four veteran generals, led by Cheng Pu, stepped in side by side. Their dark iron armor gleamed coldly in the dim light. Zhou Yu's pupils shrank slightly, and he immediately straightened his clothes and stepped forward, bowing deeply. "I've disturbed four veteran generals and sent them on a night of travel. The military situation is urgent and we have no choice but to do this!" As he stood up, he saw the veins bulging on Huang Gai's hand pressing on his sword hilt. Han Dang's eyes swept across the corners of the tent like a hawk, and his heart sank suddenly.
Cheng Pu raised his hand to stop Zhou Yu from inviting him to a seat. His aged face, revealed through the cracks in his armor, was expressionless. "General, there's no need for formalities." The three veteran generals behind him leaned forward slightly, their weapons at their waists making a soft clang as they moved. "Since this is an urgent summons late at night, please speak frankly—what is it?" The atmosphere in the tent suddenly became tense. The candlelight flickered in the draft, as if foreshadowing an undercurrent about to erupt.
The warm smile on Zhou Yu's face suddenly froze, like frost covering a deep pool. He took a half step back, his right hand stroking the bronze sword at his waist. His eyes swept over the taut armor of the four veterans. Suddenly, he knelt on one knee, his long black robe draped in dust. "Mr. Cheng, Mr. Huang! Ever since Bofu was murdered, I have lost my appetite and sleep. I just learned from Wei Yan the truth, and now I know this was no accident!"
He looked up suddenly, his eyes bloodshot. "The medical officer died suddenly, the medicine mutated, there's an ambush in Jiangxia..." Every word he said was like a hammer pounding in the tent, making the copper bells on the eaves jingle. "This is clearly a murderous scheme that's been linked together! I, Zhou, am not talented, but I'm willing to guarantee with my own life that I will uncover the culprit behind this and bring justice to my lord!" He kowtowed heavily, his forehead making a dull sound on the bluestone floor.
Cheng Pu was horrified at the sight and hurriedly reached out to support him. Zhou Yu rose, his knuckles whitening as he grasped the veteran's sleeve. "Only the prestige of these four veteran generals can hold Jiangdong in check. Please lend me a hand!" On the table behind him, a map lay spread out, illuminated ablaze by the candlelight. Markings for Jiangxia, Changsha, Xiakou, and other places formed a strange arc, like a vast net poised for unleashing.
The bronze ornaments on Huang Gai's armor trembled slightly with his breathing. He pressed his sword and took a half step forward, his eyes piercing: "Since the commander-in-chief said there is a conspiracy, please lay it out!" Cheng Pu and others also stepped forward. The atmosphere in the tent was so solemn that it seemed that water could be squeezed out of it.
Zhou Yu hurried to the table and abruptly unfolded the yellowed map. The candlelight stained the Jingzhou and Jiangdong regions blood-red. He pressed his fingertip firmly on the Jiangxia symbol, his voice trembling: "Everyone, please see—since the prince insisted on taking Chang'an in the west, this deadlock has been quietly settled!"
Zhou Yu slammed his fist on the table, knocking the bronze wine jar over. The remaining wine flowed along the map in a blood-red stream. "Ever since General Bofu conquered Wujun, Jiangdong has been undercurrents!" The veins on his forehead bulged, and his knuckles gripped the edge of the table tightly.
Huang Gai's gray beard trembled violently, and he looked at Wei Yan with some disgust, the iron whip in his hand making a creaking sound: "General, please speak directly, don't hesitate, and don't give long speeches or exaggerate!"
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