Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The north wind of December whipped fine snow against the ruined walls of Lou County. Zhou Yu, wrapped tightly in his fox fur coat and reining in the reins, watched the newly replaced red battle flags fluttering among the icy ridges above the city walls. The mansions of the Jiangdong nobles who once occupied this area were reduced to ruins. Now, the streets were bustling with figures wrapped in animal skins and straw raincoats. The ochre rattan armor of the Shanyue tribes and the coarse cotton jackets of the Han people intertwined in the wind and snow. The smoke from cooking mixed with the scorched aroma of burning pine branches, giving the impression of a peaceful home in troubled times.

"General, the Shanyue elders are already waiting in the meeting hall." A personal guard shook the snow off his shoulders, his voice shattered by the howling north wind. Zhou Yu walked forward on the frozen, brittle gravel when he saw a few children on a street corner, gathered around a Shanyue hunter, learning how to weave animal traps. Snowflakes fell on the cotton hats of the Han children, and the silver bells around the necks of the Shanyue boys tinkled in the wind. This harmonious scene eased his anxiety a little—the mutual trade and education he had been promoting for months had finally taken root in this barren land.

Inside the meeting hall, pine torches flickered the faces of the Shanyue elders. The leading elder's deerskin boots were still stained with unmelted snow, and his calloused hands tightly grasped a half-broken silver bell. "Mr. Zhou, where is Sally, the pearl of Shanyue..." Before he could finish his words, the night watchman's clapper suddenly rang out from outside, startling dust from the beams. Zhou Yu's knuckles whitened as he gripped the bronze wine cup, and for a moment he was unable to respond.

Before he could finish his words, a sharp, cold wind suddenly blew, bringing with it the sound of chaotic footsteps and the neighing of horses, shattering the frozen silence in the hall. Icicles from the eaves were shaken off, shattering into tiny icy fragments on the bluestone floor. Zhou Yu had barely put down the bronze wine jug when he heard hurried footsteps outside the courtyard, mingled with a familiar, gruff cry: "Brother Zhou! I heard there's trouble at the Marquis of Wu's mansion!"

Shamoke rushed into the courtyard, wrapped in a snow-soaked bearskin cloak, the braided bells tinkling with his heavy breathing. The Shanyue leader's deerskin boots were still stained with half-melted mud, evidently a journey through the night without a break. Zhou Yu abruptly rose, his sword at his waist clanging against the table. Taishi Ci and Wei Yan, like arrows from a bow, stood before him, their hands on their sword hilts, scanning cautiously.

The Shanyue elders rose one after another, their aged bodies trembling slightly at the pounding footsteps. The moment Shamoke flung open the carved wooden door, a biting wind, carrying snowflakes, blew into the hall, nearly extinguishing the flickering pine torch flames. Zhou Yu gazed at his leader's reddened eyes and rapidly rising and falling chest, unsure how to describe this shocking turn of events and the complexities of the situation.

Shamoke took two quick steps forward, his tiger arms flexing to clasp Zhou Yu tightly in his embrace, his force nearly crushing his ribs. He carried the distinct scent of pine resin and blood from the snowy plains, his breath condensing into frost between them as he spoke. "Brother! Didn't Bofu agree to join me in seeking justice for my brother-in-law? Why are you suddenly..." His words trailed off, his crimson eyes fixed on Zhou Yu, veins popping from the force applied to his fingers.

Zhou Yu groaned in frustration, finally freeing himself from the iron-like grip. A bitter taste of blood welled up in his throat. He looked at the silver bell at Shamoke's waist, a pair with Sally's, and felt a bitter taste on his tongue. The meeting room was as still as a grave. The gasps of the Shanyue elders mingled with the patter of snow and wind against the windows. Wei Yan's sword hummed softly in the darkness.

"Great Chief..." Zhou Yu began with difficulty, his Adam's apple rolling up and down, "This is a long story, a truly devastating disaster."

Shamoke's large, iron-like hands gripped Zhou Yu's shoulders tightly, and his body temperature beneath the animal-skin gloves was alarmingly hot: "Gongjin! Tell me quickly! What happened?" His pupils contracted violently with anxiety, and the copper bells on his braids jingled as he trembled, making a particularly harsh sound in the dead silence of the conference room.

Zhou Yu's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty. Gazing at the bloodshot eyes of his leader, he finally uncovered the cruel truth. "Bofu led a large army to avenge my brother, and you, great leader, personally led the elite Shanyue troops to assist..." He paused, his voice shattered by the wind and snow. "But you were ambushed in Jiangxia, Jingzhou, and were seriously injured. On your way back, you were poisoned by a villain... and died from the poison."

"Impossible!" Shamoke roared, sending snow cascading down the beams. The Shanyue leader stumbled back, knocking over the low table behind him. The sound of a shattering ceramic bowl startled the warhorses outside the hall. "Bofu was such a brave man! How could he fall to such a scoundrel?" His knuckles whitened as he gripped the short blade at his waist. The blade was forced back half an inch after being unsheathed.

Zhou Yu gazed at the shattered porcelain on the floor, a bitter smile streaked with blood. "We can guard against thieves day and night, but we can't prevent thieves within our own ranks. This is a conspiracy within Jiangdong." He lowered his voice, his hawk-like gaze sweeping across the closed hall door. "I've investigated extensively and discovered a conspiracy among the remaining aristocratic families in Jiangdong... It was their ambush that led to Bofu's defeat outside Jiangxia City."

Shamoke's heavy breathing suddenly stopped, and the totemic lines on his face were twisted with anger. "Aristocratic family in Jiangdong?! How dare these termites..." He suddenly drew out his short blade, and the cold light made the pine torch flames tremble. "Since that's the case, immediately mobilize the troops! I will lead the Shanyue men to flatten..."

"It's not that simple!" Zhou Yu held down the leader's knife-holding hand, his palm burning like a branding iron, "Chief, do you know who is behind this?" He let out a suppressed growl from his throat, "It's Sun Quan! Sun Zhongmou! He colluded with the aristocratic families and even killed his own brother!" As soon as he finished speaking, the hall was so silent that one could hear the sound of snowflakes hitting the window frames.

Shamoke stared at the fallen dagger, a trapped animal whimpering from his throat. "Gongjin! We have clues, why don't we confront them head-on?!" His burly arms slammed down on the table, shaking the candlelight violently. "Are we going to let Bofu's soul languish in regret in the afterlife?"

Zhou Yu suddenly began coughing violently, blood seeping from between his fingers. "Great Chief, Sun Quan holds the title of the Sun family's bloodline, and the old lady is deeply devoted to her son. How could veteran generals like Cheng Pu and Huang Gai easily suspect our lord's brother?" He staggered, holding onto a pillar, his eyes filled with despair. "Without irrefutable evidence, our words are nothing but the sophistry of a traitor!"

"But if you leave now..." Shamo Ke clenched his fists, veins popping out on his forehead, "You are just leaving Bofu's revenge behind!"

Before he could finish his words, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. A gust of snow, carrying a biting chill, poured into the hall. Da Qiao, wrapped in a faded mink fur coat, rushed in. In her arms, Sun Shao's face was red from the cold, and tiny ice crystals were condensed on his eyelashes.

Heavy snow pattered into the hall, Da Qiao's pale face colder than the snow itself. She flung herself to Shamoke's feet, her chilled mink coat sweeping the bamboo slips from the table. As she knelt heavily, Sun Shao in her arms suddenly burst into a shrill cry. "Brother! Our Sun family is so sorry for you!" Her voice seemed to be cut by icy spikes, and she trembled as she hugged the child close.

Shamoke hurried to help, but Daqiao clutched her deerskin gloves tightly. The usually dignified Jiangdong mistress now had disheveled hair and unwiped snow on her forehead. "I should kneel before you!" She suddenly coughed violently, tears mixed with snow falling on the back of Shamoke's hand.

"Madam, please stand up!" Shamoke knelt on one knee, his braided hair sweeping over the broken porcelain on the ground. He looked at the purple marks on Sun Shao's neck and growled like a beast: "Bofu lost his life avenging my brother-in-law Ma Chao. We are the ones who should apologize!"

Zhou Yu suddenly kowtowed to the ground, his bronze wristband making a dull sound as it hit the blue bricks. "Great leader! Seeing that I had found out the truth, Sun Quan staged an assassination attempt! He deliberately injured himself and Sun Yi, declaring to the outside world that I was plotting a rebellion! But the one they really wanted to kill was..." His voice stopped abruptly, and he turned to look at the crying child in Da Qiao's arms. "This is Bo Fu's only bloodline! Sister Sally risked her life to protect Sun Shao, and died on the spot..."

Shamoke froze in place, his hand gripping the blade trembling uncontrollably, his knuckles turning pale from the strain. The copper bell in his braid suddenly hummed softly. He leaned over to pick up the fallen short blade. The blade reflected Zhou Yu's bloodstained robe and Da Qiao's tear-stained face. A suppressed growl rolled from his throat, like a trapped, wounded animal.

"Impossible..." He suddenly stumbled back, knocking over the stool behind him. "Little sister, she, she, she, how could she..."

The conference room was as silent as a grave, the only sounds being the cries of children and the lash of snow and wind against the window frames. Shamoke suddenly raised his head to the heavens and let out a wolf-like howl. He slashed at the pillar with his short blade, sending wood chips flying. He slumped to the ground amidst the rubble and grabbed the silver bell at his waist. The clink of metal mingled with sobs: "I will pay for my blood debt with blood! I will take revenge on that scoundrel Sun Quan..."

"Great leader!" Zhou Yu suddenly pressed down his knife-holding hand, "This impulsive action will only lead to our own evil plan! Sun Quan has laid a net of heaven and earth, waiting for us to fall into it!"

Shamoke's eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving violently as he finally plunged the short blade into the ground. Suddenly, Shamoke's entire body trembled, as if suddenly remembering something. He roared, "Where's my poor nephew?!" Before he could finish his words, Jiang Qin had already hurried into the hall, holding Ma Yue. The wind blew snowflakes onto the child's thin clothes. Ma Yue's pale face was still stained with his mother's blood.

The Shanyue leader rushed forward, practically snatching the child from his arms. Ma Yue's soft little hand touched his uncle's tangled stubble. Those almond-shaped eyes, identical to Sally's, didn't shed a single tear. "Uncle, don't cry," his childish voice carried a calmness unbecoming of his age. His chubby little hand gently brushed the corner of Shamoke's eye, wiping away a burning tear.

Shamoko let out a broken sob and hugged his nephew tightly, as if to block out all the wind and snow in the world. Under his deerskin cloak, Ma Yue leaned quietly against his uncle's chest, the straw rope bracelet that Sally had woven swaying gently in his hair.

"Gongjin!" Shamoke turned around abruptly, his scarlet eyes seemed to spit out fire, and the copper bells on his waist jingled with his violent movements, "Such a blood feud, are you going to endure it?!" He carefully entrusted Ma Yue to the elder beside him, drew out his short blade and slashed it hard on the wooden pillar, and said sternly amidst flying wood chips, "How many soldiers do you have under your command? I will immediately gather the young and strong men of Shanyue. Even if we have to sacrifice the last man of the tribe, we will make that traitor Sun Quan and the dog thieves of the aristocratic families pay for their blood debt with blood!" The howling north wind swept his roar and shattered it in the hall, shaking the pine torches violently, illuminating the burning hatred in everyone's eyes.

Zhou Yu's arms, like iron clamps, tightly grasped Shamoke's throbbing arms. He let the other struggle violently, unaware that his clothes were cut by the short blade. "Great leader! Listen to me!" His roar, mixed with the wind and snow, finally made the frantic Shanyue leader pause for a moment.