When Sun Quan returned from his inspection tour in northern Jiangsu, he saw that Liu Qi had taken Hanzhong and advanced into Bashu, but there was still no movement in Huainan. He saw it all and felt anxious.
The Mid-Autumn family dinner was also in a gloomy mood. The family chatted and laughed with the bedridden Wu Guotai, while Sun Quan stood by the window looking at the moon, feeling worried.
Sun Kuangyan asked, "Brother, are you worried about the situation in Huainan?"
Sun Quan said with deep emotion: "Cao Cao has blocked Ma Chao in Chencang. I expect that he will pacify Guanzhong soon, but Gongjin has not taken action. If Cao Cao defeats Ma Chao first, it will be extremely difficult to take Huainan. How can I not be worried?"
Sun Kuang smiled and said, "There is still no news from the Grand Commander, which may not be a bad thing!"
Sun Quan frowned and asked, "Why do you think so?"
Sun Kuang said: "The Grand Commander is well versed in strategy and uses troops like a god. There has been no movement so far, which shows that he has everything under control. He has kept Cao's army in the dark, like a beast hunting its prey. If he doesn't move, he will be killed. If he moves, he will surely hit the target."
"That's the best!" Sun Quan sighed.
While they were chatting, Mrs. Wu came over and handed a mooncake to Sun Kuang: "Old Fourth, this is a mooncake I made with pineapple cakes, specially left for you, eat it quickly!"
"Thank you, mother!" Sun Kuang took it with both hands and handed it to Sun Quan: "Second brother, how about..."
Mrs. Wu smiled and said, "Zhongmou's has already been eaten, this piece is for you!"
Sun Kuang thanked her again, knowing that the Second Madam was thoughtful. It was not easy to eat the pineapple cakes she made, so he took them aside and ate them.
Sun Quan didn't even eat the mooncake. He shook his head and sighed, "Why do parents always favor the younger ones?"
Madam Wu chuckled and said, "As an elder brother, you should take care of your younger siblings! Leave your portion in the garden, come and get it after the banquet."
Sun Quan calmed down, put aside his worries temporarily, and reunited with his family. After the banquet, he sent Mrs. Wu to the backyard.
Madam Wu motioned Sun Quan to sit down and asked, "You seem to be in a bad mood recently. Are you thinking about Huainan?"
"With Gongjin in Huainan, I don't need to worry about it," Sun Quan said with emotion, "but I didn't expect Liu Qi to enter Shu so easily. Why don't we see Liu Zhang and his ilk in Xuzhou?"
Thinking back to the first time he led troops and was scared away by Chen Deng's angry words, his face felt hot!
If his opponent at that time was like Liu Zhang, he would have already entered the Central Plains by now, and his brother would not have been assassinated!
Madam Wu seemed to see through Sun Quan's thoughts and said, "Liu Qi and Cao Cao always lead the army in person, but my son stays behind. This is not a long-term solution. Jiangdong cannot rely on Gongjin alone!"
Sun Quan's face flushed, and he said helplessly: "I also want to lead the army, but..."
Madam Wu said sternly, "My son, you have a strong character. How can you retreat at the slightest setback? Emperor Gaozu was defeated many times, but he never gave up. That's why the Han Dynasty has been established for hundreds of years. But you have never recovered from your setback. This is not what a hero does!"
Sun Quan said, "Emperor Gaozu had Zhang Liang as his counselor, and Xiao He and Han Xin as his assistants. I compare Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, and Zhou Yu to these three people and entrust them with important matters. What's wrong with that?"
Madam Wu said calmly, "Hasn't my son heard about the affairs of the King of Sanqi?"
"This..." Sun Quan's face changed slightly, and he shook his head and said, "Gongjin is a man of integrity, and he is dedicated to planning for Jiangdong, and he will never have other intentions."
Madam Wu sighed, "Although Zhou Yu is loyal, he is a foreigner after all. Have you ever thought about who else you can rely on after Zhou Yu? I know Zhou Yu worked hard for Jiangdong, but that was also because he was a close friend of Bofu, and he followed his will and carried on his legacy, not for you, the lord of Jiangdong."
"Ah?" Sun Quan's face changed drastically. He looked at Mrs. Wu in the flickering candlelight in astonishment, and suddenly felt a little strange.
Madam Wu looked calm and said slowly, "You have to understand that Zhou Yu is only loyal to Jiangdong and is not your confidant. If you want to firmly sit on the throne of Jiangdong, you need to take more military power and promote your confidants like Cao Cao and Liu Qi. This is the only long-term plan."
Sun Quan was filled with awe, and quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "I am grateful for your advice!"
Madam Wu then took the food box and continued, "Taishi Ci is a general from Jiangdong. No matter what his condition is, it is better to bring him back to Jiangdong for treatment as soon as possible. People's hearts are unpredictable and will change over time. As the leader of a place, you cannot trust anyone except yourself, including... me!"
Sun Quan was startled, took the food box and said goodbye. His thoughts were in turmoil along the way. Today's conversation had a great impact on him.
After tossing and turning all night, he summoned Jia Hua the next day and asked, "General Taishi went to Jingzhou for treatment. How is the situation?"
Jia Hua replied, "Since General Taishi arrived in Jingzhou, there has been no news. According to spies, he is staying in a medical clinic. Because his condition is serious, no one is allowed to enter or leave except his son to take care of him."
Sun Quan frowned slightly: "No news about Taishi Xiang either?"
Jia Hua said: "Tai Shixiang takes care of his father, staying by his side day and night, and rarely goes out."
Sun Quan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Where is Yu Fan?"
Jia Hua shook his head and said, "Yu Fan has disappeared since arriving in Xiangyang. I don't know where he went!"
Bang-
Sun Quan was furious and slammed the table and stood up: "Yu Zhongxiang took the opportunity to escape, how brave!"
Jia Hua wanted to say that Yu Fan must be resentful of being exiled and did not want to return to Jiangdong, but he saw that Sun Quan's face was livid and he was standing aside with his head down.
Sun Quan wrote a letter to express his condolences about Taishi Ci's illness and ordered Jia Hua to send someone to deliver it to Xiangyang and to meet Taishi Ci to see how his condition was.
After a moment of hesitation, Sun Quan called his personal soldier Zhou Shan and said, "I know you are quite courageous and are very good at sneaking into houses. I have a favor to ask of you. Do you dare to go?"
Zhou Shan knelt down hurriedly and said, "My lord, I will not refuse your orders even if I die. How dare I accept your entrustment?"
Sun Quan helped him up, stroked his shoulder, and said with emotion: "You have followed your brother since you were young. I know that your brother kept you by my side because he was worried about my safety, but this matter is extremely confidential, so I have to send you on a long journey."
Zhou Shan was deeply moved and said hurriedly: "My lord, just give your orders. Even if it's a sea of fire and a mountain of swords, I will rush in."
Zhou Shan was originally an orphan who wandered around the world. He acquired various skills since childhood and was taken in by Sun Ce. He became a retainer of the Sun family, mainly responsible for taking care of the family.
Sun Quan said, "Taishi Ci went to Xiangyang for treatment, but he has not been heard from since. This is really suspicious. You should go to Xiangyang secretly and investigate this matter!"
"Yes, sir!" Zhou Shan was very excited when he saw Sun Quan sending him out to do something.
Sun Quan whispered, "Although Taishi Ci and brother are close friends, brother has passed away for many years. He was originally a general under Liu Yao and was close to the Liu family. I am worried that he may be deceived. If he and his son really change their minds, you must find a way to get rid of him."
"Ah?" Zhou Shan was shocked and looked at Sun Quan in astonishment.
Sun Quan's eyes were slightly stern, and he said in a deep voice: "Taishi Ci is a general in Jiangdong. He knows the secrets of the military in various places. He is especially familiar with the defense of Yuzhang. He has many old subordinates. Do you know the consequences?"
Zhou Shan took a deep breath, knelt down and said: "I don't understand any military affairs, I only know to obey the orders of the lord, no matter right or wrong, I will do my best!"
"Very good!" Sun Quan was very satisfied. He thought for a moment and walked to the desk. He took out the ancient ingot knife from the secret compartment and said, "This knife is a treasure passed down from generation to generation in my Sun family. It can cut gold and jade. You can change the sheath handle and carry it with you. It will be like a brother accompanying you. If you see rebellion, don't hesitate, just take action!"