Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

After a thorough and intensive investigation by the four veteran generals, they unexpectedly found the source of the rumor so easily - it was Liu Biao of Jingzhou.

Upon hearing this news, Sun Quan was devastated. It turned out that Liu Biao of Jingzhou possessed evidence that Sun Quan had plotted to murder his brother, Sun Ce. If this evidence were made public, Sun Quan's position in Jiangdong would be jeopardized, potentially even causing unrest within the region. After careful consideration, Sun Quan decided to dispatch Zhang Hong to Jingzhou. He instructed Zhang Hong to make it clear to Liu Biao that Jiangdong hoped to maintain friendly relations with Jingzhou, regardless of its actions. He even offered to provide Jingzhou with a portion of its rations and forage if it deployed troops.

Sun Quan's bizarre behavior naturally sparked confusion and discontent among the four veteran generals: Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao. They couldn't understand why Sun Quan would adopt such a compromising stance toward Jingzhou. They considered Sun Quan a man of strong opinions and decisiveness, so his weakness this time was incomprehensible. However, despite their dissatisfaction, the four veteran generals lacked concrete evidence to challenge Sun Quan's decision. They knew that in these turbulent times, civil unrest within Jiangdong would lead to irreparable destruction. Yet, they refused to accept being repeatedly manipulated by Jingzhou.

After much deliberation, the four veteran generals finally made an appointment to secretly meet with Zhou Yu. They hoped that Zhou Yu, with his extraordinary wisdom and the position he held in Sun Quan's heart, could figure out Sun Quan's true intentions and find a proper response plan for the future of Jiangdong.

The four veteran generals, traveling light and with a small entourage, secretly journeyed to Wujun, solely to meet Zhou Yu. They were familiar with the route, having made it several times before. Upon arriving in Wujun, Taishi Ci personally greeted them and led them to Zhou Yu's tent. Taishi Ci softly announced, "General, the four veteran generals have arrived."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu immediately stood up, strode forward, opened the commander's tent, and greeted the four veterans with a smile. As the four veterans entered the tent, they began to look around. Seeing the somewhat simple layout, they couldn't help but ask, "General, why is it so shabby?"

After hearing this, Zhou Yu's lips curled up slightly, and he sneered, saying, "Is this place shabby? I think it's quite good. There's enough food and clothing, and I don't have to worry about war day and night. Now that half of Wu County is in my hands, the Han and Shanyue peoples have integrated well, and there's less fighting and conflict. It's rare to feel so relaxed."

Huang Gai, who was standing by, noticed the awkward atmosphere and quickly said, "Commander-in-Chief, are you still blaming us for not standing by you that day? We were only concerned about Jiangdong."

Before he could finish his words, Zhou Yu interrupted, "Old generals, you are joking. If I, Zhou Yu, were so narrow-minded, why would I bother meeting with you?"

Cheng Pu looked at Zhou Yu with a complicated expression and said, "Commander-in-Chief, we have come here today to discuss an important matter. Your Majesty's attitude towards Jingzhou is truly puzzling, and we would like to hear your opinion."

Zhou Yu nodded slightly, motioning for everyone to sit down. His expression grew serious as he spoke, "Generals, I can probably guess what Sun Quan is worried about. Liu Biao probably has something extremely detrimental to Sun Quan, forcing him to compromise with Jingzhou."

Huang Gai's brows furrowed as he heard this, his face filled with indignation. He shouted, "Even so, are we really going to give in like this? Is there really no other way?"

Zhou Yu's gaze was steady as he slowly scanned the crowd. With a serious expression, he spoke, "General Huang, we must not act rashly on this matter. Our most pressing priority now is to stabilize Jiangdong. Sun Quan's style can be overly radical, and his relationship with the Jiangdong aristocratic families is quite delicate. If we act rashly now and provoke civil unrest, it will only plunge Jiangdong into further chaos. By then, even maintaining a secluded corner of the country might become a luxury."

Upon hearing this, the veteran generals couldn't help but sigh in unison. Cheng Pu said, "Well, that being said, Commander-in-Chief, are we just going to keep going like this, letting Jingzhou control us?"

Zhou Yu smiled meaningfully and said, "As long as the four veteran generals can stabilize Jiangdong and prevent civil unrest, it will be a great achievement. Furthermore, given the current situation, Jiangdong may no longer belong to the Sun family."

Upon hearing this, the four generals were all startled. Cheng Pu blurted out, "What do you mean, Commander-in-Chief?"

Zhou Yu smiled and began to explain, "My brother Ma Mengqi has been promoted to the King of Liang. I'm sure you're all aware of this. Back when Jiangdong was first established, it wasn't just Bofu who conquered the country. Brother Mengqi also made significant contributions. Now, your power is growing stronger and stronger, and you seem poised to conquer the world. If one day, your army were to invade Jiangdong, how would we cope with our current situation?"

The generals looked at each other, as if they had guessed something. Huang Gai asked tentatively, "Could it be..."

Zhou Yu looked calm as he continued his analysis, "Given the current situation in Jiangdong, we're fortunate to be able to survive in a corner. Sun Quan's current strategy regarding Jingzhou may seem like a compromise, but in reality, it could plunge Jiangdong into a deeper crisis. And if my brother, Ma Mengqi, intends to advance into Jiangdong, our resistance will undoubtedly be futile. But my brother is a man of deep loyalty and righteousness. If we can protect this foundation of Jiangdong first, and once Bofu's injustice is redressed, given my brother's character, he will certainly treat Bofu's descendants well. I think Sun Shao's future title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households won't be a problem. For the sake of world peace, perhaps we'll eventually submit to my brother, which would be a good solution. Sun Quan's current actions may seem like trouble, but in reality, he's just a clown, unlikely to accomplish anything significant."

The generals gritted their teeth and pondered for a moment. Han Dang said, "The commander-in-chief's analysis is spot on. Sun Quan is acting foolishly now, and we cannot watch Jiangdong fall into an irretrievable state. If we can submit to the King of Liang, we can both avenge Bo Fu and maintain peace in Jiangdong. Why not do it?"

Zu Mao also nodded in agreement, saying, "General Han is absolutely right. If this can be done this way, it would be the best of both worlds."

At this moment, Zhou Shan's voice came from outside the tent, asking for an audience. Zhou Yu responded, and Zhou Shan walked into the tent. When he saw the four veteran generals sitting there, he was stunned for a moment, his face showing an expression of wanting to say something but hesitating.

Seeing this, Zhou Yu said, "You can talk about it."

Zhou Shan then said, "Commander-in-Chief, the two young masters, Ma Yue and Sun Shao, did not attend their literature classes today. Instead, they were having fun with Gan Ning on the training grounds."

After hearing this, Zhou Yu smiled helplessly and said, "Forget it, let them be."

The four veterans were stunned when they heard this. Cheng Pu said, "Commander-in-Chief, you were extremely strict with these two young masters in the past. Why are you letting them go so easily now?"

Zhou Yu waved his hand, signaling Zhou Shan to leave first. After Zhou Shan left, he said somewhat helplessly, "I want to say that I am doing this for their own good. I wonder if the old generals can understand?"

Cheng Pu was the first to express doubt and asked, "Commander-in-Chief, why do you allow them to drift like this, and yet you say it's good for them?"

Zhou Yu's expression was solemn. He sighed slightly and spoke slowly, "Old General, you may not know this. In the past, both Bofu and Mengqi tragically passed away. At that time, I believed that it would be up to these two children to grow up and avenge their father. Therefore, I had extremely high expectations for them and was extremely strict with them." He paused, looking into the distance as if reminiscing about the past, and then continued, "However, times have changed now, and the situation is very different. Mengqi has been resurrected and promoted to the King of Liang, and he is poised to conquer the world. As for Sun Shao, he no longer needs to bear the vengeance of his father, Sun Bofu. Brother Mengqi will definitely seek justice for Bofu. In the future, as long as Sun Shao lives a stable life, he will surely achieve the position of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households."

Zhou Yu paused, looked at the four veterans, and continued his analysis, "If Sun Shao is too competitive, it could lead to trouble. If he harbors ambitions for world domination like his father, by the time he grows up, the world might already be settled. By then, wouldn't his ambitions be nothing more than a source of trouble? It would be better to let them grow freely, learn through play, and gain insights through experience. They shouldn't be drawn into meaningless disputes, and live out their lives in peace. That would be a blessing for them."

After hearing Zhou Yu's words, the four veteran generals fell into deep thought. Cheng Pu nodded slightly and said slowly, "What the Commander-in-Chief says does make sense. But why did the Commander-in-Chief allow Ma Yue to do this? You know, Ma Yue is the son of the Prince of Liang. If the Prince of Liang ascends to the throne, he could very well become the Crown Prince. You're letting him play around like this. I'm afraid you're failing the Prince of Liang."

Zhou Yu smiled helplessly and said, "Old General, the position of Crown Prince of Liang? It's true that he is Brother Mengqi's son, but who will take the throne is not something we can decide. Chief Shamoke has seen through it all. Ma Yue lost his mother at a young age. It's uncertain whether he can survive in the complex harem of the Liang King, let alone compete for the position of Crown Prince."

Zhou Yu paused and continued, "Rather than letting him be embroiled in the brutal battle for the crown prince position from a young age, exhausting himself physically and mentally, it's better to let him play freely now and enjoy a carefree life. Besides, Gan Ning isn't taking them to the training ground just for fun. What they can learn there might be more practical than what they learn from books. If he truly has the ability and the opportunity in the future, the crown prince position might still fall to him even if he doesn't fight for it. If he doesn't have the ability, forcing himself to fight will only increase the danger."

Huang Gai couldn't help but sigh after hearing this: "Alas, this child is truly pitiful. However, if we leave him alone like this, I don't know if we can really help him."

Han Dang said, "Yes, the harem struggles have always been cruel. Although we are outsiders, we are also worried about him."

Zu Mao frowned and said, "But according to what the governor said, it is not a bad idea. But who can predict what will happen in the future?"

Cheng Pu thought for a moment and said, "Well, since the governor has this in mind, let's just wait and see. I just hope that these two children can grow up safely and have a good future."

Zhou Yu nodded and said, "Don't worry, old generals. I will pay close attention to their growth. However, in these turbulent times, the world is constantly changing. All we can do is to do our best and leave the rest to fate."

As everyone was talking, the cheerful laughter of Ma Yue and Sun Shao was heard outside the tent, as if the gloom of this troubled world was somewhat dispelled by the laughter.