Huang Gai sailed to Chaisang and saw the navy training and warships entering and leaving Pengli, but their momentum was far less than before.
Chaisang was the main water camp of Jiangdong. Zhou Yu was appointed as the Grand Commander and strengthened the navy and expanded it many times, all for the purpose of avenging Huang Zu and seizing Jingzhou.
Since Liu Qi took over Jingzhou, he resolved his grievances with Jiangdong and moved the focus of the navy eastward to Qu'a. Huang Gai thought that Zhou Yu would also move to Qu'a, but he did not expect that he would return to Chaisang.
I was worried all the way, always feeling that something was missing in Jiangdong since Zhou Yu was injured and retired, but I couldn't put it into words.
When they arrived at Chaisang, Zhou Yu was not at home. The family general prepared to invite him, but Huang Gai went to look for him on his own. To the north of the city were thousands of acres of rice fields planted by the navy, with roads and paths connecting the fields, and a prosperous scene.
Walking on the country path, Huang Gai couldn't help but think of Shouchun which was flooded. If it weren't for Cao's cruelty, Shouchun would have been in the same situation.
As I was feeling emotional, I came to a small bridge. There was a gurgling stream and I saw a man walking barefoot in the water. He bent over and groped around. After a while, he pulled up the net and saw many fish jumping out.
The man smiled and looked up to see Huang Gai standing on the bridge. He was stunned for a moment and asked in surprise, "General Huang, how come you have time to come here?"
Huang Gai saw Zhou Yu's smiling face and was immediately furious: "Zhou Lang, oh Zhou Lang, we are fighting on the front line, and you are just slacking off here?"
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "We have won a great victory in Huainan. We should celebrate. I will go down to the river to catch some fish myself. You are in for a treat. I will fry some dried fish tonight to go with your wine."
Huang Gai sighed and said, "Gongjin, you don't know that Cao Cao saw that Shouchun could not be conquered after a long siege and it was rainy season, so he dug the Huai River and flooded the entire territory..."
"Oh? Is that true?" Zhou Yu frowned slightly, packed up his fishing net and went ashore: "Let it drown!"
"What?" Huang Gai's eyes widened. "Is this the reaction and words that you, the Grand Commander, should have?"
Zhou Yu shook his head and sighed: "Water and fire have been merciless since ancient times. Human power is tiny. What can I do?"
"You've changed!" Huang Gai walked up to him and looked down at him, "You are no longer the Zhou Lang of Jiangdong!"
Zhou Yu laughed and said, "I am who I am. How can I be completely unrecognizable?"
Huang Gai snorted coldly, "You risked your life to win Shouchun. How can you be indifferent to its loss? This... "
Zhou Yu laughed and said, "I am now recovering from my illness. I must not get angry. If I get angry, there is no cure!"
Huang Gai sighed and said, "The governor is in such a state, I think there is no hope for him."
"It was just a joke!" Zhou Yu laughed and stood up to straighten his clothes.
Huang Gai angrily asked, "Are you still in the mood to joke at this moment?"
Zhou Yu led him back to the city, explaining as they walked: "I just conquered Huainan, and I was worried that the people were unstable. Although Shouchun has been lost, Cao Cao's move will surely anger the people of Huainan, and the territory will be stabilized!"
"So that's how it is!" Huang Gai suddenly understood and slapped his forehead. He praised: "As expected of Zhou Lang, you have extraordinary insight!"
Zhou Yu laughed and said, "This is called a blessing in disguise."
Huang Gai breathed a sigh of relief, but then sighed, "Did you know that Cheng Gong died in battle?"
Zhou Yu said: "It is a blessing for a man to die on the battlefield and be wrapped in his horse's hide. If he dies at the hands of a scheming villain, he will die with regret!"
"Gongjin, why do you say that?" Huang Gai was startled, then nodded and said, "I, Huang Gai, feel the same way. I would rather die in battle than die on a sickbed."
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "General, you are still strong even at your age. Perhaps you will live longer than me!"
"Young people should not say such unlucky words!" Huang Gai was displeased and asked, "Did you know that Ziyi died of illness?"
Zhou Yu restrained his smile, walked silently for a while, and then said lightly: "Ziyi is seriously ill, which is also expected."
Huang Zhong sighed, "We followed the First Lord and traveled through the nine provinces to Jiangdong, where we built our foundation. Now we have become a separatist state, but the heroes are old. It's a pity! The hegemony of the Sun family still depends on young people like you, Gongjin."
Zhou Yu looked into the distance and said with emotion: "Old General and Mr. Cheng followed the First Lord and made great contributions. They are worthy of the merits of the Sun family! However, we followed the Marquis of Wu to start a business, but failed to protect the Lord. It was because of my incompetence. How dare I take credit for it?"
Huang Gai frowned and said, "Jiangdong Zhou Lang, you are magnanimous and high-spirited. When did you become so indecisive? If Bofu was assassinated, we followers should be held responsible first. Gongjin, are you blaming us for not trying our best?"
Zhou Yu sighed, "How can we predict the future? I am just saddened by the death of Cheng Gong in battle and the death of Zi Yi."
Huang Gai thought Zhou Yu was in a bad mood during the journey and agreed with him. Seeing that Zhou Yu was also a little depressed and was recovering from illness, Huang Gai comforted him, "Thinking about the foundation of Jiangdong, how could it be successful without the help of Gongjin and Ziyi? Although Bofu is gone, he can still make meritorious deeds by entrusting his son to the current Marquis of Wu. It's time for a man to make achievements. The future belongs to you."
"The future?" Zhou Yu was walking to the gate of the mansion when he suddenly laughed out loud towards the sky. He invited Huang Gai in and ordered his servants to prepare a banquet to welcome him.
Huang Gai handed the letters from Lu Su and Sun Quan to Zhou Yu, saying, "The war in Jiangdong cannot be without Gongjin for a single day. You must recover as soon as possible so that you can serve the lord and live up to Bofu's trust in you."
Zhou Yu finished reading the letter, gently put it aside, and said with a smile: "Huainan is guarded by Zi Jing, so it is safe. The Marquis of Wu asked me about my strategy to deal with Liu Qi. What do you think, old general?"
Huang Gai shook his head and said, "If it comes to fighting on the battlefield, Huang is willing to be the vanguard and will never frown, but this state's diplomacy and planning are not my forte, so I will just follow orders!"
As we were talking, the food and wine were served. On the plate were some freshly caught fish, which were golden, crispy and attractive in color.
Zhou Yu raised his cup and said with a smile: "It has been a long time since I last met the old general. Let's get drunk today. Let's try this crispy fish first. How does it taste?"
Huang Gai drank the soup, ate one and praised it profusely: "Not bad, not bad, it tastes great!"
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "I wonder how it compares to Guo Tai's pineapple cake?"
Huang Gai was startled, then shook his head and said with a smile: "To be honest, I have never tasted the pineapple cakes made by the Queen Mother. I heard that they are only for encouraging young generals. Old men like me don't have the luxury of having such a taste!"
Zhou Yu's fingers holding the wine glass turned pale as he continued to pour the wine, saying, "Since the Marquis of Wu has entrusted me with this, how can I stay here and recuperate? Now that Liu Qi has returned to Jingzhou, I will go to Xiangyang in person and discuss with him how to conquer the Central Plains and destroy Cao Cao!"
Huang Gai was startled and waved his hands, saying, "This is absolutely impossible! The governor is a loyal minister of Jiangdong, how can he risk going to Jingzhou?"
Zhou Yu clasped his fists and said, "For the great cause of the Marquis of Wu, I will not hesitate to risk my life, and I will go through the most dangerous places! Liu Qi was able to go to Jiangdong alone, but if I don't dare to go to Jingzhou, won't people laugh at me for having no one in Jiangdong?"
"This..." Huang Gai frowned and said, "It would be best to report this to Marquis Wu and send more guards."
Zhou Yu waved his hand and said with a smile: "I can go alone. Madam Sun is in Xiangyang, so you don't have to worry about me! I heard that Hua Tuo and Zhang Ji are excellent doctors, so I also want to go and see them. If they can recover soon, I can serve the Marquis of Wu!"