Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Zhou Yu's face was solemn, his eyes deep as he gazed at the crowd. He spoke in a deep voice, "Generals, I'm not making groundless assumptions. Consider this: when the lord was alive, the Second Young Master, though talented, had no chance of claiming the throne. But after the lord's death, the situation became completely different. From the unusual behavior of the generals when the lord was attacked to the support of the crowd before the lord's coffin for the Second Young Master's ascension, these seemingly unrelated events are actually interconnected."

He paused slightly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, and continued, "Look at that boat, when only Wei Yan and the Second Young Master were on board, something unexpected happened to the Lord. Wei Yan had no motive to harm the Lord, but the Second Young Master had every reason and motive. Perhaps what the old lady saw was just Sun Quan's superficial efforts, but how could the conspiracy behind this be easily detected?"

Cheng Pu listened to Zhou Yu's analysis, stroking his beard, lost in thought. After a moment, he slowly said, "Although what the governor said makes sense, it is ultimately just speculation. We still need solid evidence to convict the Second Young Master. Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the public."

Huang Gai also nodded, his face serious: "Indeed, if you rashly accuse the Second Young Master without solid evidence, not only will it be difficult to convince others, it may also cause disputes within Jiangdong and shake the foundation."

Zhou Yu's expression grew increasingly solemn. His fists clenched, his knuckles whitening. But a resolute light remained in his eyes. He gazed at the veteran generals before him and said in a deep voice, "Generals, what I say is absolutely true. These numerous suspicions, intertwined, point the finger at the Second Young Master and the Jiangdong family. I know it will be difficult to convince them without solid evidence. But with such a confidential matter, they will surely do everything they can to conceal it. Obtaining evidence will be far from easy. But precisely because of this, we cannot give up on this investigation."

Huang Gai's face flushed red, his emotions agitated. He took a step forward and shouted, "Commander-in-Chief, although your analysis is well-reasoned, it is without any evidence. If you have wrongly accused the Second Young Master, we cannot bear such a charge! We have followed the Sun family for many years, and loyalty is our foundation. We absolutely cannot do such slanderous things!"

Cheng Pu nodded slightly, his eyes penetrating as he continued, "Gongjin, you say the Second Young Master is colluding with the aristocratic families to murder our Lord. But if the aristocratic families truly had such a plot, how could they have so easily let the Second Young Master know and allow him to participate? The Second Young Master is still young, but he possesses talent, and he wouldn't blindly follow the advice of a wily and calculating aristocratic family. There are so many doubts in this, and your current inferences are hardly convincing."

Zhou Yu took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "Mr. Cheng's words make sense. I've also considered these doubts. Perhaps the aristocratic family exploited the Second Young Master's ambition and thirst for power, promising him great rewards to lure him into the scheme. Or perhaps, the Second Young Master believed he was in control, unaware that he had become a pawn of the aristocratic family. Regardless, the truth behind this is far more complex than it appears."

Zhou Yu paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd like a hawk, his tone growing increasingly heated. "Everyone, haven't you figured out how all these things are connected? Connect all the clues and suspicions, and the truth will soon be revealed. Back then, when our lord pacified Jiangdong with brutal force, those aristocratic families, though outwardly submissive, were never truly content. They were only afraid of our lord's might, so they withstood for a while, secretly awaiting their chance for revenge."

He slammed his hand on the table, his eyes blazing with anger. "Our lord's march westward to Chang'an was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them. They persuaded Liu Biao to allow us passage, pretending to pass through, but in reality, they set an ambush. Our lord, a skilled warrior, narrowly escaped, but was seriously injured. Yet they refused to give up, and even had Sun Quan wait for an opportunity to poison our lord. Now, everything makes sense."

"How could Zhang Hong travel so quickly and bring back news that Liu Biao agreed to allow him to pass through? It's because this was all part of a conspiracy; they had everything planned long ago! Huang Zu is usually as timid as a mouse, so why did he dare to provoke the lord this time? He was trying to lure the lord into an ambush. Huang Zhong was far away in Changsha, so how could he suddenly appear between Fancheng and Jiangxia? It's obvious that someone was secretly arranging and coordinating this operation."

Zhou Yu paused, his gaze fixed on the crowd as he spoke word by word, "Also, after being rescued by Wei Yan, why did the lord die of poisoning on the boat? Sun Quan and Wei Yan were the only ones on board at the time. Wei Yan was loyal to the lord and would never have done such a thing. So who else could have been the murderer but Sun Quan? Furthermore, Sun Quan was Zhang Zhao's disciple. Under Zhang Zhao's instigation, there's no guarantee he wouldn't covet the lord's position. The allure of power is enough to make anyone lose themselves!"

As Zhou Yu finished speaking, the atmosphere in the tent became stagnant. Cheng Pu stroked the mottled hilt of the sword at his waist, his aged face filled with worry. "Gongjin, your deduction is spot-on, but it's difficult to convict the Second Young Master based solely on suspicion. We have served two generations of the Sun family, and loyalty and righteousness are of paramount importance. If we rashly convict him without solid evidence, wouldn't that chill the hearts of the Jiangdong soldiers?"

Huang Gai slammed his rough palm on the table, shaking the candlelight violently. "That's right! The Second Young Master is of the Sun family's bloodline after all. If we launch an attack based on mere speculation, how will we explain this to the old lady in the future? How will we explain this to the people of Jiangdong?" His silver beard stood on end, his eyes full of anxiety. "Even if the aristocratic family really has a conspiracy, they must produce solid evidence. We can't let the Second Young Master suffer in vain!"

Han Dang rubbed his old, blood-stained scar, his expression solemn. "Commander-in-Chief, you and I both know that such a secret must be kept extremely secret. If we act rashly, we will not only alert the enemy but also cause civil unrest in Jiangdong." He looked at the densely packed marks on the map. "We need irrefutable evidence, convincing evidence."

Zu Mao coughed violently, his iron spear clattering against the ground. "If the Lord's spirit in heaven saw that we had lost our composure due to impulsiveness, he would certainly not forgive us." His old voice trembled. "I ask the Governor to reconsider and find other ways to verify this."

The four veteran generals looked at each other with burning eyes. Although they agreed with Zhou Yu's analysis, they adhered more firmly to the principles of military generals - they would rather seek justice later than hurt innocent people, and they were even more unwilling to let Jiangdong fall into a precarious situation.

Seeing the four veteran generals still grim and unwilling to budge, Zhou Yu suddenly understood. This must have been Zhang Zhao's long-planned plan, using his eloquence to manipulate the old lady and the veterans. Sun Quan was Sun Ce's younger brother and the old lady's own son, a deep blood bond. Add to that the old lady's trust, and the four veteran generals, two generations of Sun family members and their respect for her judgment, and they would naturally be extremely cautious regarding Sun Quan's affairs. It's no wonder that everyone was on high alert tonight, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Everyone!" Zhou Yu stepped forward, his voice filled with urgency and sorrow. "Investigating the case now is not just about seeking justice for our lord." He glanced at the weathered faces of the four veterans, and reached out to press heavily on the map of Jiangdong on the table. "Our Jiangdong foundation was established after two generations of bloody battles led by General Sun Jian and General Sun Ce. Now that our lord has passed away suddenly, and our young master Sun Shao is still a child, if we don't thoroughly investigate the conspiracy behind this and eliminate the hidden dangers, Jiangdong will surely fall into an irretrievable situation in the future!"

Cheng Pu frowned, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Seeing this, Zhou Yu continued, "Think about those aristocratic families with ill intentions, and those who are secretly plotting. If they succeed, how will the young master survive? What kind of dire straits will the people of Jiangdong be plunged into?" His voice trembled slightly. "You have followed the Sun family for many years, experienced countless life and death, can you bear to watch this hard-earned foundation be destroyed?"

Huang Gai tightened his grip on the iron whip at his waist, and Han Dang's eyes flickered with hesitation. Zhou Yu took a deep breath, straightened his back, and looked at me with a firm gaze: "No matter what you have heard before, or if you still have doubts about what I said, please do not be easily swayed by others!"

He stepped forward and looked earnestly at the four veteran generals: "We've been through so many ups and downs together. Are we going to plunge Jiangdong into civil strife because of groundless suspicion? Let the enemy reap the benefits? Generals, please think about this." Zhou Yu turned his back, his voice echoing in the tent.

The air in the tent seemed frozen, the crackling of the candle wicks piercing the dead silence. Cheng Pu's calloused fingers unconsciously stroked the hilt of his sword, the lines of the bronze guard long worn smooth by time. Huang Gai's lips trembled slightly, the iron whip leaving deep marks on his palm. Han Dang gazed at the mottled map on the table, his eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight, and vaguely recalled Sun Ce's heroic figure astride a horse, wielding his spear. Zu Mao coughed violently, his turbid phlegm streaked with blood, his aged body trembling slightly with inner conflict.

The four veterans discussed quietly, "If what Gongjin said is true..." Cheng Pu was the first to break the silence, his voice hoarse as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, "The second young master is a traitor who killed his brother and sought the throne. How can the bloodline of the Sun family tolerate such a jackal?" Before he finished speaking, Huang Gai sighed heavily: "But what the old lady said makes sense. Zhou Lang commands the elite navy. If he were to be allowed to take sole control..." The battle-hardened veteran suddenly paused, swallowing back his unspoken worries.

Han Dang reached out and pressed the sword at his waist. The cool touch of the metal calmed him down a little. "Our lord passed away suddenly, and our youngest son, Sun Shao, is too young. Now Zhou Lang is so aggressive. If we really let him take charge of the situation, the young master might be..." His voice gradually faded, but it pierced everyone's heart like a thorn. Zu Mao's hand on the iron spear suddenly tightened, and the iron hit the ground with a dull sound. "But if we let the real culprit go, how can we face General Sun Jian and General Bo Fu in the afterlife?"

Cheng Pu stared at Zhou Yu, his cloudy eyes filled with complex emotions. After a long moment, he slowly spoke, his old and steady voice echoing in the tent: "Gongjin, we have followed two generations of lords of the Sun family, weathering countless storms, just to keep Jiangdong peaceful. Today's matter is of great importance and cannot afford to make the slightest mistake." He paused, reached out and pressed Zhou Yu's shoulder, "Just go ahead and investigate. We will do our best to keep Jiangdong peaceful. But you also know that the Second Young Master is the lord's brother and the old lady's beloved son. Without solid evidence, we must not act rashly on this matter."

Zhou Yu felt a warm feeling in his heart as he looked at Cheng Pu's sincere gaze. He clasped his fists and bowed deeply, "Thank you, Mr. Cheng! I will do my utmost to find solid evidence and give an explanation to my lord and to Jiangdong." He stood up and glanced at the other three veterans. Although they didn't say anything, their expressions were no longer as wary as before, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

On the surface, the four veterans didn't appear completely on his side, but Zhou Yu understood that keeping these battle-hardened, loyal veterans neutral and refusing to obstruct the investigation was the best outcome for now. As long as they didn't interfere, he would have a chance to unravel the truth. When the evidence was solid, he believed the veterans would stand up and seek justice.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yu saluted the four veteran generals again and said, "With the help of you veteran generals, I will definitely live up to your trust. I also hope that you veteran generals will do more to appease the troops, stabilize their morale, and prevent any scoundrels from taking advantage of the situation." Cheng Pu and the others nodded.