"My old friend left Jiangxiakou and went to Yangzhou in the fireworks of March.
The lone sail disappears into the blue sky, leaving only the Yangtze River flowing across the horizon. "
The river was rushing, the waves were like snow, Zhou Yu stood at the bow with his hands behind his back, tall and handsome, his brows full of confidence.
Xiao Qiao sat on a bamboo chair beside her with her big belly, and sighed softly: "Liu Qi's parting poem shows that he values my husband. Why should I go back to Jiangdong and go to that dangerous place?"
Zhou Yu turned around, the deepness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by tenderness, and he chuckled and said, "You can't get a tiger cub without risking it. But don't worry, Madam, I have my reasons. If I hadn't met Bo Fu, Liu Qi would have been my wise leader!"
Xiao Qiao frowned slightly and asked in confusion: "In just a few days, the general seems to have been reborn. What on earth did Liu Qi do?"
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "Liu Qi asked Hua Tuo to treat my external injuries, and he also asked Crouching Dragon and Phoenix to relieve my worries. Now that my external injuries and internal diseases are all healed, I am naturally radiant. Madam should be happy."
Xiao Qiao pouted slightly and complained, "The matter between my elder sister and Bo Fu has made me very worried. Now that my husband has opened up his heart, why didn't he tell me?"
Zhou Yu squatted down, grabbed Xiao Qiao's hand, and said with emotion: "Everything is just speculation, and there is only a preliminary solution. When the truth of this matter is revealed, I will naturally tell you and your sister. But before that, you don't have to worry, just take good care of the fetus in your belly. I will be at ease as long as you and your child are here."
Xiao Qiao gently stroked Zhou Yu's cheek and said quietly, "Since ancient times, women have admired heroes. The general is a man of great talent and strategy. You should make great achievements and leave your name in the future. You don't need to worry about family affairs."
"With such a wife, what regrets do I have in this life?" Zhou Yu laughed, stood up, went back to the cabin, took out the guqin, and sat at the bow of the boat.
"During my trip to Xiangyang, I discussed music with Mr. Kong Ming, and we are close friends. I heard his song "Song of the Crouching Dragon", which was vast and distant. I was inspired by the mighty rivers and the vast seas, so I composed a song "Song of the Long River". Please give me some advice, Madam."
Xiao Qiao has been learning music since she was young, and is best at playing the zither and flute. She was delighted and moved when she heard this, and nodded slowly.
Zhou Yu would only compose music when he was in a good mood. It has been many years since we heard him compose music. "If there is a mistake in the music, Zhou Lang will look back" has long become a legend.
Now I suddenly feel inspired, my mood must be very different from before, I can't help but be full of expectations
Zhou Yu gently stroked the silk strings, and the sound of the zither accompanied the waves of the river, with the high and low sounds complementing each other.
Zhou Yu had a focused look on his face, his thoughts drifting beyond the ocean. Ever since he saw the world map and had a long conversation with Zhuge Liang all night, the two of them hit it off and became close friends.
The next day, Pang Tong saw the two men sleeping with their feet touching, and he sighed, "These two have become friends, and they are truly rivals of their time!"
Zhou Yu gained a lot from this trip to Jingzhou. In addition to the matter of Sun Ce, he also realized how big the world is and how short life is. If he reopened his life pattern, his pursuits would naturally be different.
The couple discussed music and temporarily forgot about state affairs, laughing all the way. When they arrived at Chaisang, they saw an old man who was looking forward to seeing them, his hair and beard disheveled by the river wind.
Ever since Zhou Yu left, Huang Gai had been waiting for news on this reef all day. When the commander-in-chief left, he was in low spirits and looked pale. If it wasn't shocking, it would have made people feel uneasy.
When he saw the couple hugging and laughing at the bow of the boat, Huang Gai seemed to have merged with the reef, clenching his fists and unable to move.
It was not until Zhou Yu got off the boat, sent Xiao Qiao to the carriage, and waved goodbye that Huang Gai jumped off the stone, walked over angrily, pointed at Zhou Yu and shouted:
"You are so good, Zhou Lang. I am so scared here, but you are indulging in love affairs. Are you going to Jingzhou just to visit your relatives?"
Zhou Yu said innocently, "Why do you say that, old general?"
“You, you, you…” Huang Gai was so angry that he waved his sleeves and said, “Okay, okay, I don’t care about this matter in Chaisang anymore. Goodbye!”
Zhou Yu hurried forward to stop him, stretched out his arms and turned around, smiling, "Old General, how do you think I am?"
"Huh?" Huang Gai's eyes widened: "Is the commander-in-chief's injury healed?"
"That's right, Hua Tuo is indeed a great doctor of the time." Zhou Yu sighed and laughed, "I will make Cao Cao lose more than I gain after my recovery."
Huang Gai came over again and asked hurriedly, "Quick, tell me how the trip to Xiangyang went?"
"It was worth the trip!" Zhou Yu smiled mysteriously, "I have persuaded Liu Qi to march north to the Central Plains. Please invite the Marquis of Wu to come and discuss the decision."
"Great!" Huang Gai excitedly pumped his fist and suddenly said, "Since the commander-in-chief has recovered from his injury, why don't you go with me to Jianye to meet the Marquis of Wu?"
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "My plan can only be implemented in Chaisang. We also need to discuss the handover of Chaisang, so the Marquis of Wu needs to come in person."
"I understand!" Huang Gai saw that Zhou Yu was finally willing to move, which meant he was ready for a big fight. Without waiting to return to the city, he sent people to Jianye to invite Sun Quan.
Sun Quan arrived quickly and reached Chaisang the next day. When he saw Zhou Yu, he first asked about his injuries. Seeing that Zhou Yu had recovered as usual, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Jiangdong is saved!"
Zhou Yu invited the two to his study. After greeting them, he took the initiative to speak: "I came to Xiangyang this time to persuade Liu Qi to join hands in defeating Cao, similar to the Chu-Han dispute back then. We made an agreement with King Huai: first cross the river to the north, take Yecheng and serve the king, and the one who is loyal to the king will be the ruler of the world? What do you think, my lord?"
"Really?" Sun Quan's eyes widened in surprise: "Liu Qi... agreed?"
Zhou Yu shook his head and said, "This matter is just a discussion. Without the Lord's decision, I dare not make a decision on my own."
"Oh, what a pity!" Although Sun Quan sighed, he was very satisfied that Zhou Yu took him as his leader, and asked hurriedly: "What should we do next?"
Zhou Yu clasped his fists and said, "Liu Qi is waiting for a reply in Jiangxia. If you agree to this, we can go to Fankou to form an alliance and send troops north."
"What's so difficult about this?" Sun Quan was a little impatient and urged, "We can set off now."
Over the years, he has been in charge of Jiangdong. At first, he was full of ambition, but as he grew up, people criticized him for not having the ambition to make progress, which was far from his brother Sun Ce.
Especially after Liu Biao abdicated, people labeled him as a sit-in, which made Sun Quan unhappy. He had previously wanted to launch a surprise attack on Hefei and occupy Huainan, but he was defeated by Zhang Liao and was ridiculed by the world.
At this time, Sun Quan was eager to expand his territory and prove himself, and he also wanted to defeat Cao's army to avenge his previous humiliation. If he could really reach Yecheng first, the winner would be the king and the loser would be the bandit. Xiaoyaojin would become a battle of awakening that would be praised by future generations for his knowing shame and then being brave.
Just when he was full of excitement, he heard Huang Gai say: "Liu Qi occupies Nanyang and can march into the Central Plains at any time. If we make such an agreement, won't he get there first? Don't fall into his evil scheme."
Sun Quan was immediately hit with a bucket of cold water and frowned, saying, "Gong Fu is right. Although we have taken Huainan, Cao Cao has flooded Shouchun and is holding the key area of the Central Plains. We have to take Xuzhou, Yanzhou and even Qingzhou before we can reach Yecheng. Isn't that just serving others?"
Zhou Yu regained his confidence and sneered, "Liu Qi wants to use the power of Jiangdong to contain Cao's army. How can such a trick be hidden from me, Zhou Yu? Since I can agree to this matter first and come back to ask for the master's instructions, I naturally have a countermeasure!"
Sun Quan hurriedly asked, "What do you think, Gongjin?"