The rituals in the hall had already been set up, and Sun Ce's tablet had been brought down the mountain early in the morning, and the monks were placing offerings.
Liu Qi saw Da Qiao also beside the incense table. She was wearing a plain dress and a veil on her face, so her face could not be seen clearly. She sat there motionless, like a stone man.
Soon there was a noise of carriages and horses outside, and Mrs. Wu's carriage had arrived. Sun Quan, Zhang Zhao, Qiao Xuan and others accompanied the old lady in. They saw that she was very old and thin, and she was trembling as she leaned on a black gold dragon-headed crutch. Sun Kuang was supporting her from the side.
Liu Qi hurried forward to greet her, clasped his fists and said, "Liu Qi of Jingzhou, greetings to the old lady!"
"No need to be polite!" Wu Guotai smiled and observed Liu Qi nodding frequently, "As expected of a royal noble, you have the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix."
Zhang Zhao was pulling his beard and preparing to watch the show. When the old lady started to ask questions, he took the opportunity to teach her a lesson. Hearing this, his men paused and looked at the old lady in surprise.
Qiao Xuan smiled and said, "Young Master Liu is full of vigor and vitality at the age of 18. He is in charge of Jingzhou, suppressing the rebellion and suppressing the rebellion. He is highly regarded by the people in Jingzhou. He and Bo Fu are both young heroes! It is a great honor for the Queen Mother to have such a good son-in-law!"
Zhang Zhao said calmly, "The general who fought against the rebellion crossed Jiangdong alone, swept across six counties, and was invincible. He was feared by the whole world, and heroes rushed to join him! General Liu is just the heir of his father's talent. How can he compare with the first lord?"
"Mr. Zhang is right!" Liu Qi clasped his fists and said, "How dare I compare myself with the Overlord in expanding territory? It's a pity that the defense of Huainan and the glory of Jiangdong, with tens of thousands of heroes, were almost destroyed by the hands of corrupt scholars. If this continues, it will surely cause harm for thousands of years. In Jiangdong, there will be no more Overlords, and all that will be left are cuckolds!"
"You..." Zhang Zhao was so angry that he couldn't speak.
Everyone in Jiangdong also changed their expressions slightly. Liu Qi's words were not only sharp but also merciless. It was even more rude to say it in front of Queen Mother and Sun Quan.
At this moment, Zhou Yu happened to arrive, stepped forward to greet him, and defused the awkward situation.
Sun Quan saw that Zhou Yu and his wife had red eyes, as if they had been crying, and asked in confusion, "Have you two encountered any difficulties?"
Zhou Yu clasped his fists and said, "It's not because of anything else. When I saw Bo Fu's spirit tablet, I remembered the past events so vividly that I couldn't help but feel emotional."
Sun Quan's eyes were slightly stern. He helped Wu Guotai forward and burned incense and chanted scriptures in front of the spirit tablet. Everyone stood in silence. Qiao Xuan looked at his eldest daughter sitting there motionless, feeling mixed emotions.
After the ceremony, everyone went to the abbot's room. Wu Guotai sat with the others, and Sun Quan and Liu Qi sat on both sides. Zhang Zhao's face turned pale, and he couldn't understand why Wu Guotai suddenly changed her attitude.
After serving tea and snacks, Zhang Zhaoyan said, "Queen Madam, character is always the first priority when choosing a son-in-law. Miss is a daughter of a rich family, so her husband should have both good character and good conduct. General Liu seems to have some bad conduct outside."
Wu Guotai nodded slightly and asked, "I wonder how you would explain this, young master?"
Liu Qi clasped his fists and said, "Those who know do not speak, and those who speak do not know! My ambition is to quell the chaos and restore the royal family. Rumors are just the wind blowing past the post. There are always people in the world who spread rumors and make comments, hoping that the world will not be in chaos. However, those in the court should focus on state affairs. It is the responsibility of the ministers to govern the country and maintain its security. If there are mean words, there must be mean actions. The country has experienced too much human affairs for a long time, and it will make a wise decision."
The Queen Mother nodded upon hearing this and said with emotion: "Although it is a matter of family and country, you are in a high position and shoulder a heavy responsibility, so you should put the big things first. As long as you don't waste your life on money and sex, it doesn't matter if you have three wives and four concubines."
Zhang Zhao was so angry that he was blowing his beard and glaring, and Zhou Yu also looked unhappy. After all, his plan was a little too despicable, and even backfired. He still felt a dull pain in his heart.
Liu Qi looked calm and was glad that he had a friendly army to help him. If Qiao Xuan had not informed him in advance and Sun Shangxiang had not agreed just now, he would probably have been the one making a fool of himself today.
Wu Guotai smiled and said, "I've heard that Bo Wei has amazing literary talent. Today is a grand event and it also coincides with my son's birthday. Could you please write a poem to commemorate him?"
"Since the Queen Mother has invited me, I have no choice but to perform!" Liu Qi was naturally not polite at this opportunity to show off. After a little thought, he slowly chanted:
"Victory and defeat are unpredictable in war, but it is a man's duty to bear shame and endure humiliation.
There are many talented people in Jiangdong, and it is unknown whether they will make a comeback. "
"Great!" Zhou Yu was the first to applaud, clapping his hands and praising, "This is what a young man from the East should be like."
Sun Quan also smiled. These words seemed to be praising Sun Ce, but also seemed to be encouraging himself. When he made a comeback, his achievements might not be inferior to those of his brother.
"What a good poem!" Mrs. Wu nodded repeatedly, turned around and smiled at Qiao Xuan, "What a good son-in-law!"
Zhuge Jin took the opportunity to say: "Since the Queen Mother is satisfied, please set a date early. The two families will become friends, which will surely make Cao thieves restless day and night."
Wu Guotai was so happy that she coughed repeatedly and said with a relieved smile: "After the chanting is finished tomorrow, I will ask the abbot to choose an auspicious day. My health has been getting worse in recent years, and I feel that my time is coming. If I can see Shangxiang marrying such a good son-in-law, I will die with my eyes closed!"
Everyone hurriedly tried to persuade them with kind words and said auspicious things. Sun Quan even asked a monk to chant scriptures and pray for the old lady to prolong her life. Except for Zhang Zhao, the atmosphere was harmonious.
After the banquet, Wu Guotai, Qiao Xuan and Zhou Yu and his wife stayed in the temple, accompanied by Sun Kuang, while the rest of the people followed Sun Quan back to the city.
Wu Guotai went to the other courtyard. Zhou Yu discussed with Qiao Xuan, "Bofu has been dead for seven years, but you let your elder sister stay here to guard the spirit, all alone. I'm afraid this is not what Bofu wants. If Bofu is still alive, he would not be at ease seeing this situation. It would be better to let him return home as soon as possible and choose another husband!"
Qiao Xuan sighed, "I have the same thought. I have tried to persuade her several times, but she is so infatuated with Bo Fu that she refuses to leave. What can I do?"
Zhou Yu said: "Bofu is a contemporary hero, upright and heroic. When my elder sister is with him, ordinary men will naturally not be in her eyes. If there is someone who is comparable to Bofu, maybe he can move her heart."
"The only person who can compare to Bofu is Gongjin, except Taishi Ci..." Qiao Xuan pulled his beard and pondered for a while, then suddenly widened his eyes: "You Zhou Lang, you actually want to..."
He pointed at Zhou Yu and cursed: "I thought you were a role model for Jiangdong, but I never thought you would be such a scum. You eat from the bowl and look at the pot. How can you...how can you be worthy of Bofu's spirit in heaven?"
Zhou Yu was stunned, and quickly waved his hands and said, "No, no, my father-in-law has misunderstood. I have absolutely no such intention."
Qiao Xuan snorted angrily, "Ziyi is a loyal and filial person. He will never marry Bofu's woman. Now he is seriously injured. Who else can compare with Bofu except you?"
"Am I the unrighteous one?" Zhou Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and hurriedly said, "I know a man, a handsome man with extraordinary bearing. His martial arts skills are no less than Bofu's. He is a hero of the time and can be my eldest sister's husband!"
"Looking at the entire Jiangdong, who else can rival you two!" Qiao Xuan thought for a moment, shook his head and sighed: "It's just as Liu Qi said, there are no more heroes in Jiangdong!"
Zhou Yu said, "As the saying goes, heroes are made by the times. There are many talented people in Jiangdong. It's just that the time has not come yet! Why should you be so obsessed with this small place? If you look at the world, there are so many heroes."
Qiao Xuan asked in confusion: "The world? Who is Gongjin referring to?"