Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Lu Su stood in the tent, his hands behind his back, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the bamboo bones of his feather fan. The bronze lamp cast his shadow on the cowhide curtain, swaying in the night breeze. Outside the tent came the sound of the night watchman's clapper. Cheng Pu and the others' eyes fell on him. Even the usually impatient Huang Gai sheathed the iron whip at his waist.

"Since this is so strange," Lu Su suddenly spoke, his voice like a cold spring hitting a stone, "it seems that we have to find General Gongjin to solve this mystery."

Zu Mao's armor collided, and he took a half step forward: "Why do you say that, sir? If you want to find out the truth, shouldn't you report it to the Marquis of Wu first?"

"Marquis Wu?" Lu Su sneered and banged his feather fan on the table, causing ripples in the remaining wine in the cup. "I only know that General Sun Bofu was the Marquis Wu appointed by the court, but I don't know which flag is hanging on the top of the Jiangdong city wall now!"

Cheng Pu's Adam's apple twitched twice, and he hesitated to speak. The atmosphere in the tent suddenly became stagnant, with only the faint clanging sound of Huang Gai's iron whip at his waist.

"Everyone, look," Lu Su unfolded his folding fan, the candlelight casting mottled shadows on the fan. "Ever since General Bofu was assassinated, all the dirty water has been thrown at Zhou Gongjin, but who is the one who benefited in the end?" He glanced at the uncollected secret report on Cheng Pu's case. "Even if you support Master Sun Shao, he is General Bofu's bloodline, and my lord will never say no. But now Gongjin has fled with the young master. Isn't the right and wrong of this clear enough?"

Han Dang twirled his graying beard, wanting to argue but unable to speak. Lu Su pressed on, "Although Zhongmou is Bofu's biological brother, in my lord's eyes, Bofu and Gongjin are both sworn brothers from the Peach Garden. If we want to distinguish between loyalty and treachery, isn't Zhou Gongjin's words more trustworthy than anyone else's?"

He suddenly paused, his eyes sweeping across the tense faces of the four veterans: "Besides, if Gongjin really wanted power, why would he take the young master on a life-threatening journey? You've all been soldiers for half your lives, can't you even comprehend this?"

The sound of a night watchman came from outside the tent. Huang Gai suddenly sighed heavily and dropped his iron whip to the ground: "Sir, you don't know, ever since Zhou Lang seized control of Wu Commandery, the old lady has issued a death order. Anyone who dares to have an affair with Zhou Lang will be a traitor to the Sun family..."

"That's why we have to find Gongjin before Sun Quan learns of our arrival!" Lu Su slammed his folding fan shut. "Otherwise, General Bofu will die with regrets!"

These words struck everyone like a hammer. Cheng Pu stared at the tiger talisman, bestowed personally by Sun Ce, on the table. He suddenly saw the young general crossing the river with his spear in hand, and his eyes welled up. Outside the tent, the river wind howled, startling a night owl from the reeds.

Cheng Pu stared at the tiger talisman on the desk, his Adam's apple bobbing twice as he spoke, his voice seemingly squeezed from the depths of his chest: "Gongjin's talent..." His aged fingers unconsciously stroked the dark patterns on the edge of the tiger talisman, which was a gift from Sun Ce himself when he pacified Jiangdong. "Ever since General Bofu started his business, Zhou Lang has led the Lujiang boys to join him. Over the years, he hasn't fought for power or profit. Every inch of Jiangdong's land was won by the three brothers fighting side by side."

The flickering candlelight in the tent deepened the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. "If Zhou Lang really wanted to get his hands on power," he paused, "why would Bofu be so stingy with a few cities? When they captured Wancheng, Bofu wanted to give him half of the spoils, but he said, 'Jiangdong is not pacified yet, how dare I claim any credit?'..."

Huang Gai sighed deeply, his iron whip dangling at his side. Cheng Pu suddenly gave a wry laugh, his voice trembling. "But if it's not Zhou Lang... could it really be Sun Zhongmou?" His gaze fell on the lantern swaying outside the tent. "Zhongmou and Bofu are brothers, both descendants of General Sun Wentai. General Wentai and Bofu were such heroes. Even if Zhongmou wasn't as good as his father and brother, how could he..." He trailed off.

Lu Su held his feather fan horizontally, the fan bones gleaming coldly in the candlelight. "Since the four generals already have doubts, they should investigate the truth with Zhou Lang. How can they go to war with him now? Isn't this putting the cart before the horse?"

Cheng Pu and the others sighed in unison, and Huang Gai's iron whip fell to the ground with a dull thud. "Sir, you don't know," Han Dang said, twisting his gray beard and speaking in a hoarse voice, "We have fought on the battlefield for half our lives, how could we understand these intrigues? Now we can only do our best to hold on and prevent the Sun family's foundation from falling apart."

The tent was silent for a moment, with only the ticking of the night watchman's watch to be heard. Lu Su looked at the four veteran generals' frosted temples and shook his head slightly: "Old generals, you are in the middle of this situation, so it's inevitable that you will be hesitant. But think about it, if it was really Zhongmou's doing, given his personality, how could he let us interfere?" He paused, "The situation in Jiangdong is complicated right now, so we must act with caution."

Zu Mao suddenly pounded his breastplate, the sound of the armor clashing with helplessness: "Don't worry, sir. Although we don't want to believe that it was Zhongmou who did it, we also know that Zhou Lang is not a power-hungry person. It's just that the old lady strictly forbade us to have any contact with Zhou Lang, so we..."

"That's why we have to act in secrecy." Lu Su tapped his folding fan lightly on his palm, "I hope the old generals won't reveal our whereabouts. Once we find Zhou Lang, the truth will come out."

The night wind, carrying a damp, fishy smell, blew into the tent, causing the candlelight to flicker. Cheng Pu gazed at the swaying lantern outside, remembering Sun Ce clutching Sun Quan's hand before his death, and Zhou Yu rushing out of the mansion with the young master in his arms. His throat tightened. He silently tucked the tiger talisman from the desk into his arms. Sweat seeped through the cracks in his armor, quietly dripping onto the wine-stained cowhide felt.

Gan Ning suddenly pressed his sword and stood up, his bronze wrist guard hitting the table with a crisp sound: "In that case, there is no need for us to waste time here! We will go find Gongjin at dawn tomorrow!" Before he finished speaking, he suddenly slapped his thigh heavily, and his eyes like copper bells swept over Cheng Pu and others, "That's right! My master entrusted the mistress and the young master to Sun Ce's mansion. This time he must take them back!"

The four veterans looked at each other in bewilderment, Huang Gai's iron whip unconsciously drawing circles on the ground. Lu Su's heart tightened, and his feather fan stopped in mid-air: "Could it be that something unexpected happened to the young master?"

Cheng Pu's Adam's apple rolled twice, and his old fingers stroked the hilt of the sword: "The young master of Xiliang is fine, but..." Before he finished speaking, Han Dang continued in a deep voice: "They are all in Zhou Gongjin's camp now."

"That's perfect!" Gan Ning took a half step forward, the smell of alcohol mixed with the smell of blood hitting him in the face. "Since we're going to look for Zhou Lang, let's take the young master and the mistress away and get to the bottom of this!" He turned to look at Lu Su, his copper wristband gleaming coldly in the candlelight. "Mr. Zijing, what do you think?"

Lu Su tapped his folding fan lightly on his palm, pondered for a moment, and nodded: "That's very good. But I ask the four generals to keep a close eye on our whereabouts."

The tent was silent for a moment, the only sound being the ticking of the night watch. The four veterans exchanged glances and saluted. Amid the clinking of armor, Cheng Pu said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, sir. Although we are dull, we know the importance of this matter." None of the four veterans spoke aloud. The night wind, carrying the fishy smell of the river, blew in, causing the lanterns outside the tent to sway. Suddenly, they could hear the sound of drums and gongs as Sun Ce had once called his troops.

At the hour of Mao the next day, the morning mist had not yet dissipated. Cheng Pu personally went to the armory and picked out ten sets of worn mail armor. He also ordered someone to bring a blue silk battle flag embroidered with the word "Cheng." Gan Ning watched the soldiers wrap their swords in oilcloth and stuff them under the grain carts, his eyes widening. "Old General, hiding your head and showing your tail like this, how can this be a battle?"

"Xingba, be patient." Cheng Pu slipped the half-worn captain's token into Lu Su's sleeve. "Nowadays, the river defense only recognizes tiger talismans and waist badges. If we go looking for Zhou Lang with fanfare, we'll be mistaken for rebels before we even get close." He turned and ordered his personal guards to paint the sails of the three grain transport ships military green and insert wooden signs on the bows that read "Escorting Grain and Grass."

When the fleet reached Ruxu Wharf, the military officer guarding the stronghold saw the "Cheng" flag from afar and shouted, "Is this General Demou's fleet?" Cheng Pu stood at the bow, deliberately lowering his helmet three inches, and replied in a gruff voice, "We are under the order of the Marquis of Wu to escort military supplies to Wu Commandery!" Before he finished speaking, Gan Ning had already huddled behind his grain bag, gnawing on his rations.

After passing three water barriers, Lu Su looked at the dense antler barricades on both sides of the river and whispered, "If General Gongjin really has rebellious intentions, deploying defenses like this..." Before he finished speaking, Cheng Pu signaled him to be silent. When the boat reached Dantu Ferry, the inspecting soldier lifted the tarpaulin and saw a boat full of brown rice. He waved his hand impatiently, "Hurry up! Don't miss the lunch!"

As the fleet entered a tributary of the Qingyi River, the reeds on both sides grew denser. Cheng Puli stood at the bow, unbuttoning his cloak, revealing the still-dry wine stains on his undershirt. He clasped his hands together, the clanging of armor mingling with the sound of the river. "Everyone, I'll see you off this far. If we can uncover the truth behind Bofu's death, it will be a relief for us old bones."

Lu Su returned the gesture with his fan, the ribs of which were shrouded in water in the morning mist. "Don't worry, old general. Firstly, it's my master's order, and secondly, because of my friendship with Bofu and Gongjin, I must get to the bottom of this matter, even if it means going through fire and water."

Cheng Pu turned and jumped onto the accompanying boat. The boatman gave a push of the bamboo pole, and the wooden boat disappeared into the reed marsh. Gan Ning watched the white sail gradually drift away, rubbing the copper wristband against the hilt of the sword at his waist: "Jiangdong is in chaos now. Sun Bofu's death is indeed strange."

Lu Su sighed deeply, tapping the river surface with his feather fan, startling a flock of egrets. "Whether it's Gongjin who broke the sworn brotherhood, or Zhongmou's wolfish ambition..." He paused, gazing at the faint flags on the distant Wujun city wall. "Both are great misfortunes for Jiangdong."

Lu Su looked at the waves surging over the side of the boat, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the bamboo bones of the feather fan: "Xingba, yesterday when the four veterans talked about the young master, they were hesitant and their eyes were evasive. I think there is something hidden."

Gan Ning suddenly clenched the hilt of the sword at his waist, and the copper wrist guard made a crisp sound when it collided. "What are we waiting for!" He strode to the bow of the boat, shaking it slightly. "If the young master makes any mistake, I will cut the bastard behind this into pieces!"

The river breeze blew up his brocade robe, making it rustle. Lu Su raised his hand to hold his shoulder, his eyes fixed on the beacon tower in the direction of Wujun, where a red battle flag was faintly fluttering, its edges darkened by the smoke. "Don't be impatient. Gongjin has always valued righteousness. Even in the most chaotic situation, he will not treat the young master lightly. But this time, we must act according to the circumstances."

Before he finished speaking, the boatman suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Sir, the water fort is in sight ahead!"

Lu Su folded his feather fan, the fan bones making a crisp sound against his palm: "Xingba, and raise General Cheng's banner!" He looked at the looming deer horns of the water stronghold ahead, his eyes as dark as the undercurrent at the bottom of the river. "When we get within a hundred steps, have the boatmen row at full speed - if we are entangled and questioned by the aristocratic military officers, it will be difficult to get close to Zhou Lang's camp."

Gan Ning grinned, his copper wristband brushing against the ring-handled sword at his waist: "It should have been done long ago!" He strode onto the bow of the boat and roared at the top of his voice: "Listen up! Hoist the sails at my signal! Anyone who dares to block the way, don't blame my sword for being blind!" The boatmen responded and raised the green silk flag with the word "Cheng" to the top of the mast. The oars cut through the morning mist, and the splashes of water shattered into silver beads in the morning light.

In the distance, a clapperboard sounded from the water stronghold, and the sentry on the watchtower had already raised his horn. Lu Su whispered, "If anyone asks, just say General Cheng has urgently ordered the transfer of grain." Before he finished speaking, a shout came from the other side of the river: "Where is this boat coming from? Stop the boat and inspect it immediately!"