After waiting and waiting, the wedding day has arrived and the bridal chamber is approaching.
On the day of the wedding, a grand banquet was held in the mansion of the Marquis of Wu. Sun Ce's son Sun Shao served as the bride's escort boy and handed the red rope from his aunt to Liu Qi.
Today, most of the civil and military officials of Jiangdong are here. Liu Qi has met all of them, whether famous or not. No matter if they will have any encounter in the future, he wants to get to know them first.
As the day drew to an end, the guests left one after another. The maid took Liu Qi to the backyard, which was brightly lit. The magnolia tree was hung with big red lanterns, and cold lights flickered all around.
Maids were lined up around the courtyard, carrying swords and guns. Sun Shangxiang was sitting at the door, wearing a bright red military uniform with a sword embroidered on even her veil. There was a bow and arrow on the table.
Liu Qi stood at the door in shock, saying, "On such a happy day, brandishing swords and guns, making things murderous, isn't that too unlucky?"
Sun Shangxiang said, "The general said before that he wanted to compete with me in spearmanship. Only if I pass can I lift my veil."
Liu Qi laughed and said, "Young lady, you are a lady from a famous family. How can I fight with you on your wedding day? Besides, I can't show my spear skills in public. I just need a small space."
"A lot of space?" Sun Shangxiang tilted her head slightly, a little confused. "Could it be that the general's spear skills have reached perfection and he can move his spear with ease?"
"Miss, you will know once you try it!" Liu Qi stepped forward with a smile and waved his hand, saying, "Everyone, leave."
"Yes!" These maids even saluted in the style of a soldier. They all looked heroic and their movements were clean and neat.
The courtyard door closed gently, and Liu Qi stepped forward to lift the veil. Under the moonlight, Sun Shangxiang had a beautiful face, not inferior to Da Qiao at all. In particular, the strong aura she exuded made people want to conquer her.
Being stared at like this by Liu Qi, Sun Shangxiang's heart was pounding. She blushed and lowered her head, her voice becoming softer: "General, do you really not mind my strong and brave character? My daughter's attitude?"
"What are you talking about?" Liu Qi casually put his arm around her shoulders and chuckled, "A rose with thorns is more fragrant!"
Sun Shangxiang struggled slightly and leaned on Liu Qi's shoulder. He pulled her into the room and held her in his arms, pressing her directly on the head of the bed, forgetting all the etiquette such as wedding titles and red candles.
"Aiya, close the door!" Sun Shangxiang was embarrassed. She sat on the bed and lowered her head to pretend to be reserved: "General, you need to show me your marksmanship first!"
Liu Qi closed the door, extinguished the candle with a flick of his sleeve, and rushed to the bedside with ease: "My spear skills are very powerful, I'm afraid you can't withstand a few rounds."
The shouts on the battlefield were deafening and blood flowed like a river. It is too tragic and bloody to describe in detail.
The next morning, Liu Qi was drinking deer antler soup when his personal guard reported that Zhou Yu had sent someone to deliver an invitation to his house for a chat.
Liu Qi also wanted to calm Zhou Yu down and let him attack Huainan without worry, so he accepted the invitation and went to the mansion.
Zhou Yu said helplessly, "I shouldn't disturb you during your wedding, but this morning Chaisang sent me an urgent message and I have to discuss something important with you, General."
Liu Qi said: "There is no need for this, Governor. What military information do you want to discuss?"
The two of them talked as they walked to the study, where they sat down to drink tea. Zhou Yu said, "Since I left Chaisang, the bandits in Poyang have been quite rampant. The day before yesterday, the fleet sent Taishi Ci to Jiangxia. When passing through Pengli, the scouts discovered that a fishing boat had been following them for a long time, and only returned after reaching Fankou. I guess it must be the Poyang pirates trying to gather military intelligence, which may be detrimental to the general. Be careful on your way back."
"Oh?" Liu Qi was a little surprised. "I heard that since the Grand Commander came to Chaisang to train troops, all the clan bandits and Shanyue in Yuzhang have been pacified. Where did the pirates come from?"
Zhou Yu said: "Yuzhang has indeed been cleared, but the Pengli bandits are still entrenched in the lake. There are many islands and their whereabouts are erratic, so they have not been eliminated. The Peng brothers have also gathered the remnants of the bandits from various places and have gradually become powerful. They have more than 20,000 people under their command, which is a real threat to Poyang."
Liu Qi frowned and said, "I have no dealings with people from Poyang, let alone any enemies. What do they want to do with me?"
Zhou Yu's eyes were slightly stern, and he said in a deep voice: "It would be fine if the thieves robbed the property, but if they disguised themselves as soldiers of the Eastern Wu and attacked the general, what would be the consequences?"
Liu Qi asked, "Doctor, do you think someone is using the Pengli pirates to destroy the friendship between our two families?"
Zhou Yu sneered and said, "Although the Pengli family started out as bandits, they have always considered themselves a noble family. Now they have been forced into the lake by me to survive. If Cao Cao offers them official titles, they will be willing to be used by him."
"A bunch of idiots!" Liu Qi laughed, "If the governor had not taken Lujiang, they might have joined forces with Cao Cao and turned the tables. But now they are so far away from us, and they are still acting like this. They really don't know what's good for them."
Zhou Yu said, "I am about to go to Huainan and I am worried about the Pengli bandits. This is a good opportunity to use your tricks to eliminate this threat. I hope you will cooperate with me."
Liu Qi laughed and said, "You and I are one family, why should we be so polite? The Yangtze River is a smooth channel, so we can communicate and be friendly with each other."
Zhou Yu nodded slightly, clasped his fists solemnly and said: "Taishi Ci's life depends entirely on you, General. Don't be selfish because you each serve a different master. Ziyi values loyalty and trustworthiness the most. If you are spared, you will remember it in your heart and will never mobilize troops against Jingzhou again."
Liu Qi returned the greeting and said, "Don't worry, Governor. I won't take Marquis Wu's money for nothing. Besides, Mr. Hua is a man of noble character. He only asks about the root cause of the disease, regardless of the patient's origin. He will do his best to save the patient."
Zhou Yu laughed and said, "That day in the hall, thanks to the general's money, the Marquis Wu was relieved of his worries. Today, it's just you and me, so there's no need to talk like this."
If Liu Qi had not asked for money, Sun Quan would still be worried that Liu Qi would take the opportunity to win people's hearts and Taishi Ci would never come back. But it is different if you spend money on medical treatment, as neither party owes the other anything.
Unexpectedly, Liu Qi shook his head and said, "The governor thinks too much. I have no other intentions. I really just want money."
"Uh..." Zhou Yu was mistaken this time and asked in confusion: "Is the general really a greedy person?"
Liu Qi smiled and said, "Whether I am greedy or not is just a comment from others. I just care about being practical and don't care about fame. I don't want to give without any reward!"
Zhou Yu was puzzled and said, "I would like to hear more details."
Liu Qi said: "The governor also said that Taishi Ci is a man of high moral character. How can such a small favor sway him? He is just as loyal to Jiangdong as the governor. No matter how much I spend in Jingzhou, it will be in vain. Why should I be so attentive?"
Zhou Yu was startled when he heard this, and murmured: "I am loyal to Jiangdong and will never change..."
Liu Qi sighed and said, "You are men of great righteousness, and we cannot treat you with vulgar etiquette. Cao Cao treated Guan Yu very well in Xuchang, and he also gave him a seal of honor. It is better to ask for money than to waste your time."
"The brotherhood formed in Peach Garden is truly enviable!" Zhou Yu sighed softly, his eyes dazed.
Liu Qi smiled and said, "Although the governor and my elder brother are not sworn brothers, we are as close as brothers. It is enough to have a bosom friend in life!"
Zhou Yu smiled sadly: "Liu, Guan and Zhang became sworn brothers and conspired for a great cause. My brother was also harmed by a villain. I feel the pain of Guan and Zhang, but Liu Bei's revenge has been avenged. I and the general were entrusted with the heavy responsibility of taking care of the orphan, but I could not avenge Bo Fu. How painful and ashamed I am."
Liu Qi saw Zhou Yu's painful expression and his mind was in turmoil, but he calmed down and advised calmly: "I heard that the assassin was killed on the spot by my elder brother. Revenge has been avenged, and the governor does not need to be sad."
Zhou Yu stared at Liu Qi and said slowly, "How do you know that there is no one behind those assassins?"