In the afternoon of that day, an unprecedented violent quarrel broke out in the prefect's mansion. The advisers were divided into two factions. One faction asked Zhou Yu to open a warehouse for disaster relief, and the other faction demanded to expel the disaster victims from the north to avoid causing disaster.
Zhou Yu was silent, pressing the piano with one hand, and connecting the broken strings with the other.
Zhang Hong said: "The 400,000 people, Zhou Hujun, have won the hearts of the people since ancient times and won the world. How can we bear to watch these 400,000 people starve to death outside the city of Wujun!"
Zhou Yu didn't answer, Zhu Zhi said: "The surplus grain in the city is too busy to take care of itself. Now the general is dispatching the grain, how can I explain to the master?"
Lu Fan said: "You can't be driven away. Where are you going? Danyang? Yuhang? You will also encounter the immediate problems. The victims will go south again, which may cause more variables."
A young man came in and bowed slightly to Zhou Yu. Lu Fan introduced, "This is Lu Meng, whose name is Ziming. He came here a few days ago. My lord led the army to go out, so I waited in Wu Commandery."
Zhou Yu nodded towards him, and saw that Lu Meng was dressed in plain white clothes, with hemp rings on his arms, showing that he was in his filial piety.
"You can't open a position," Lu Meng said.
"Why?" Zhou Yu asked.
Lu Meng replied: "Based on my judgment, the locust plague passed through the border last year, and the accumulated water has disappeared. This time, there will be at least one year of severe drought. It won't be until the spring of the next year, so I can't be sure."
"There will be a drought after the locust plague passes through the border." Lu Meng said to the counselors again, "Not only can we not distribute food now, but also in the Jiangdong area, we have to make early plans and cut down on food and clothing, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."
Zhang Hong said, "Let me just ask, Gong Jin, if the Lord is here, would he open a storehouse to help the disaster?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent, each looking at Zhou Yu.
"The lord is here, he will open the warehouse." Zhou Yu connected the strings and replied, "But I am here, and I will not open the warehouse. If you want to scold me, let someone scold me. General Zhu Zhi, take strict precautions and prepare for the disaster victims to rebel , close the city gates."
That night, Zhou Yu wrote back to Sun Ce, without mentioning the siege of Wu County—the siege of 400,000 victims made the city feel like an isolated island. Once the city gate is closed, no one can come in.
In the middle of the night, Zhou Yu was still a little unaccustomed to sleeping. She only felt that the couch was very big, and it was empty after tossing and turning. In the past, I was used to being squeezed by Sun Ce to sleep, but now I feel uncomfortable sleeping alone. I can't hear Sun Ce's squawking in the middle of the night, which feels weird.
There was a sound outside, the torches reflected the entire yard, the footsteps of soldiers, and the sound of conversation sounded in an instant.
"What's the matter?" Zhou Yu tied up his robe and brought it out.
"The disaster victims outside the city gathered a crowd to cause trouble." Zhu Zhi came over in person and said, "They are attacking the city gate."
Zhou Yu got on his horse and hurried to the top of the city wall, where someone was already hitting the city gate with logs. The city defense army had never been ordered, so they dared not act rashly.
"Shoot the arrow." After Zhou Yu arrived, the first sentence he said was to kill someone.
"Fire the arrow—" Zhu Zhi raised his hand and shouted.
Immediately, a pot exploded outside the city gate. Some people shouted and some people cried. Lu Meng climbed to the top of the wall and watched the scene.
The tide-like crowd retreated, leaving corpses all over the ground, Lu Meng sighed.
Zhou Yu said in a deep voice: "Anyone who rushes to the city will be killed without mercy!"
It was deadly quiet outside the city.
Lu Meng whispered: "Zhou Hujun, with this, I'm afraid they will gather in one place and go to disturb other counties."
Zhou Yu replied: "Take a thousand catties of grain, cook porridge outside the city gate after dawn, and distribute it to them."
The sky gradually dawned, and there were blood-stained corpses piled up under the city, as well as those wounded by arrows and the undead wailing in the pile of corpses. Lv Meng led his men to cook the pot, and cooked porridge beside the corpse pile, and distributed it to the people.
The crowd who were about to leave gradually gathered together again, and at the top were Zhu Zhi's men holding bows and arrows, staring at the disaster victims covetously.
A young Taoist priest in yellow walked through the crowd, singing songs loudly, and sometimes stroking the dead man's eyes. Zhou Yu only took one look at him and said, "Arrest this man."
In the evening of that day, the Taoist was brought before Zhou Yu, standing in the courtyard in ragged clothes, his whole body covered in dust. Zhou Yu was playing the piano he had repaired, tinkling.
"name."
"Yu Ji." The Taoist said with a smile, sitting on the porch, and said, "Master Jun, enjoy some tea? You're so thirsty."
Zhou Yu raised his eyes, and his men brought a cup of tea to Yu Ji. Zhou Yu looked at Yu Ji, and Yu Ji carefully blew the hot tea, his clear eyes were reflected in the tea.
"Where did the Taoist master come from?" Zhou Yu asked again.
"No school, no sect." Yu Ji said with a smile, "Traveling around the world."
Zhou Yu said: "I came all the way to Wu County to pray for the blessings of all the people, but I neglected it."
Yu Ji had a dirty face. After drinking tea, he stood up. Although he was sloppy, he looked very young. He walked into the hall with his hands behind his back, looked at Zhou Yu carefully, just shook his head, sighed, and didn't speak.
"After drinking this cup of tea," Zhou Yu said earnestly, "please go to the north! Wu County is so unstable these days, the army is in turmoil, and I'm afraid it will offend the Taoist priest."
"Hey." Yu Ji smiled, "What if you don't go?"
Zhou Yu said: "If you don't leave, it's hard to guarantee that the lord will come back, and what will happen. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the lord never liked Wudou Midao."
Yu Ji said: "But I am not a member of the five-dou rice road. To be honest, your lord's life has been a rough life. In recent years, there may be accidents. If you commit more crimes..."
Zhou Yu was startled suddenly, and the strings of the qin made a loud noise, and Yu Ji's words immediately made him feel ominous. Zhou Yu never believed in ghosts and minds, but when he mentioned Sun Ce, Zhou Yu refused to refute or ask, and froze on the spot.
"You don't talk about monsters, strength, chaos, and gods." Yu Ji laughed and said, "It's fine if you say it. Zhou Hujun doesn't have to take it to heart. The guards have to take good care of their own bodies."
"Why do you say that?" Zhou Yu said.
"You had a serious illness a few years ago, and you haven't recovered from the illness. You have a chronic illness." Yu Ji said, "If you have accumulated illness for a long time, you may have a recurrence. If you want to preserve your health, you must leave the troubled times early and travel overseas. You are not happy or sad. , less vulgar ideas are the best."
"Nonsense." Zhou Yu said coldly.
"Stiff is very easy to break." Yu Ji said again, "General Sun's ancestors killed too much, and it fell on him. He has a fierce personality and youthful spirit. The Sun family should have such a doom."
Zhou Yu touched the strings and looked at Yu Ji, Yu Ji said: "Let's go now, take my leave."
"Wait a minute." Zhou Yu said in a deep voice, "How to resolve the calamity?"
Yu Ji waved his hand, and Zhou Yu thought to himself that he was too stupid. He wanted to use words to persuade Yu Ji to leave on his own, but he unknowingly got the upper hand.
"Does Zhou Hujun believe in his orders?" Yu Ji stood outside the door with his sleeves in his hands, asking seriously.
"I don't believe it." Zhou Yu replied.
"You say you don't believe it, but you believe it in your heart." Yu Ji said with a smile, "The common people gathered outside the city, and 400,000 lives were lost. Does this not move your hard-hearted heart?"
"Although I want to open a warehouse to help," Zhou Yu raised his eyes, looked at Yu Ji, and replied, "however, Bofu is fighting abroad. His victory or defeat is related to the lives of the whole world. I have to do this. Even if I bear the infamy of later generations , and at the same time."
"Forget it." Yu Ji replied solemnly, "For Zhou Lang's porridge today, these two talismans are given to you and kept under Sun Lang's pillow. Remember."
After finishing speaking, Yu Ji disappeared in the air, and the two talismans fell to the ground. This surprise is no small matter, is it a blindfold? Zhou Yu rushed out of the courtyard quickly, and stood blankly facing the deserted courtyard, where there were two spells written in blood on the ground.
A few days later, when Sun Ce’s military report came back, there was a lingering rain, and the ground seemed to be on fire. Cao Cao couldn’t wait any longer, and agreed to start the war in September. The army rations were in short supply again, so Zhou Yu had to send someone to supervise the rations on the road.
For several months, Zhou Yu was always thinking about what Yu Ji said, people are mortal, fate is predestined, and God's will is dark, so why should we be afraid? However, Zhou Yu tossed and turned, afraid that something might happen to Sun Ce, he got up at night, wrote another letter, and sent someone to send it quickly.
On September 12, the good news came.
"Report—" the subordinates rushed into the mansion and said, "The lord has broken Shouchun! Killed more than ten thousand troops under Yuan Shu's command! Yuan Shu abandoned Shouchun and fled!"
Very good! Zhou Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the mansion was full of excitement, preparing for Sun Ce to serve celebration wine after his triumphant return. It was only then that Zhou Yu wrote a letter to inform the frontline of the drought in Wu County. The letter was delayed for nearly ten days.
The land was cracked, and the fields were red and yellow. When Sun Ce arrived outside Wu County, he was stunned to find that the ground was full of hungry corpses along the way. As soon as the army arrived outside the city, they were surrounded by hungry people all over the place, unable to move away. The soldiers reprimanded loudly, and some people knelt in the middle of the official road, crying loudly about Zhou Yu's tyranny and shooting innocent people.
It has been half a year since the first wave of victims fled to Wu County. Zhou Yu only opened a warehouse to provide porridge in front of the imminent rebellion. At first Zhu Zhi would send soldiers to clean up the corpses, but in the end too many people died, and it was impossible to take care of them, so they had to expose the corpses to the wilderness, where cannibalism happened from time to time.
When Sun Ce heard the bloody and tearful complaints outside the city, he couldn't believe his ears for a while.
Zhou Yu opened the city, a little uneasy, to welcome Sun Ce back.
Sun Ce's first sentence when he entered the city was: "Why don't you open a storehouse for disaster relief?"
The people were about to join the crowd to cheer, but they saw Sun Ce's face was gloomy, and his joy disappeared. Zhou Yu was reprimanded, and Sun Ce called Zhang Hong to preside over the opening of the warehouse and the distribution of grain. Zhou Yu didn't dare to confront Sun Ce, but nodded and said, "It's my fault."
Zhou Yu then whispered a few words to Zhu Zhi's lieutenant general, who left with Zhang Hong.
"I went out for half a year," Sun Ce said incredulously, "The family has become like this? Why didn't you tell me?"
Zhou Yu didn't answer. Sun Ce summoned the people in the hall, filled with anger, and asked again, "When did it start? Doesn't it mean that the place has been settled?"
"Report to my lord." Lu Fan stepped forward and said, "When you went out to fight in April, there were disaster victims going south from the north."
"Who came up with the idea?" Sun Ce asked, "Just watch 100,000 people die outside the city?"
"Me." Zhou Yu replied without moving.
At the height of the storm, Zhou Yu stood up, and Sun Ce became angry on the spot, shouting, "Zhou Gongjin! I let you govern Wu County! That's how you arranged it for me!"
"I must first guarantee your military rations." Zhou Yu said, "If it doesn't rain in June, the rations in Wu County will only be enough until next spring."
In fact, no one in the hall blamed Zhou Yu anymore, his decision was the right one. Throughout the summer, there was not a drop of rain in Jiangdong and Jiangnan, and the late rice harvest was worrying. If we opened warehouses to provide disaster relief in June, I am afraid that even the city will have people cannibalizing.
However, Sun Ce didn't think so, and said angrily: "Open a warehouse! Open a warehouse and send me food immediately!"
Zhou Yu didn't answer, and his subordinates took orders. Sun Ce took a deep breath and said, "One hundred thousand lives have been lost, can you sleep at night!"
In the evening, Zhou Yu arranged a celebration banquet, but Sun Ce went back to his room to change clothes. Zhou Yu asked someone to prepare water for him to take a bath, and came out alone. Sun Quan and Cao Pi handed over military affairs, sat in the garden, and chatted with each other leaning on the red-painted railing. The blue sky is thousands of miles away, and the autumn sky is cloudless.
"How was the fight?" Zhou Yu asked.
Sun Quan said: "Three days away, the army rations will not be able to supply. It is very dangerous."
Zhou Yu looked at Cao Pi again, and Cao Pi said, "Yuan Shao is leaving first. Brother Sun has stationed the Shouchun garrison, and my father has marched into Xuzhou."
Zhou Yu said: "Write a letter to your father, be sure to cut the grass and root out, and don't let Yuan Shu escape."
Cao Pi nodded, got up and said, "I'll go right away."
Zhou Yu asked about the situation of the battle, prepared to make follow-up arrangements, and went to find Sun Ce again. Sun Ce had a lot of scars on his shoulder, and Zhou Yu took medicine and applied it to him.
"Why didn't you tell me in the letter?" Sun Ce said solemnly.
Zhou Yu replied, "I don't want you to be distracted."
"You asked the soldiers to greet them with arrows?" Sun Ce frowned.
Zhou Yu looked at the glasses, saw Sun Ce's angry expression, and replied, "Yes, you can't justify it, just punish me."
Sun Ce said: "Forget it, you will host in the afternoon, open a storehouse to provide disaster relief, and you will make up for your mistakes."
"You can't open a position," Zhou Yu said.
"You..." Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu, frowning deeply.
"In case of drought until next spring," Zhou Yu said, "there will be two more seasons, and we won't have enough food for ourselves."
"If you don't have enough to eat, go buy grain and borrow grain." Sun Ce said, "I can't manage my own territory, so how can I compete in the Central Plains and fight for hegemony in the world!"
Zhou Yu said: "I am responsible for the lives of the soldiers and civilians in the city. This is not a trivial matter. I have sent people to inquire about other prefectures and counties. Yangzhou is too busy to take care of itself. It is impossible for Jingzhou to borrow food turnover. Jiaozhou is too far away, and Yizhou is overseas. Now that the Central Plains is in chaos, there is no way to starve to death, we must survive."
"What if it rains in autumn?" Sun Ce asked again.
"When it rains, I take responsibility for it myself," Zhou Yu replied.
Perhaps because he realized that the atmosphere was a bit tense, Sun Ce came back from victory today, and he really shouldn't have quarreled as soon as they met. Sun Ce put on his robe and said, "Now open the warehouse to release the grain, as I said."
"You leave the internal affairs to me," Zhou Yu said, "you have to listen to me, and you can't release food."
"You..." Sun Ce was obviously angry, and said, "You have already gone!"
"I stopped you." Zhou Yu said, "Let's have dinner."
Sun Ce went out with a dark face and ordered people to open the warehouse. Zhou Yu was faster than Sun Ce without saying a word. When Sun Ce took people out, Zhou Yu had already left.
In the evening, Sun Ce led his troops to open the granary, but Zhou Yu was one step ahead, arrived in the east of the city, and stopped in front of the granary.
"Who wants to open a position!" Zhou Yu said, "step over my corpse!"
This made a sensation in the whole city, and people from all over came to watch. Zhou Yu led dozens of people to guard the granary, and the two sides immediately formed a scene of tit-for-tat confrontation. There were hundreds of Wu troops behind Sun Ce, but Zhou Yu had less than twenty people around him.
"Is it reversed!" Sun Ce roared angrily, "Back off, everyone!"
Sun Ce's power grew day by day, and the defenders did not dare to take advantage of him. Everyone knew in their hearts that it was impossible for Sun Ce to attack Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu didn't give in at all, and stood in front of the granary.
"Zhou Gongjin!" Sun Ce said, "How many lives are waiting outside!"
"It doesn't rain," Zhou Yu said calmly, "I won't open a position unless you remove my post and punish me for my crime."
Sun Ce was about to order his men to tie Zhou Yu up, but Zhou Yu slowly drew the Red Army Sword from his waist, and the sound of the blade unsheathing was like a dragon chant.
"You want to fight with me?" Sun Ce said coldly.
"It's not that it hasn't been lit, come on." Zhou Yu said, "It's been a long time since I exercised my muscles and bones."
Sun Ce said, "What if I beat you?"
Zhou Yu said, "Let you open a position."
"Okay!" Sun Ce shouted suddenly, "Get the weapons!"
His subordinates fetched weapons, Sun Ce held the Panlong stick in both hands, Zhou Yu held a sword on his chest in one hand, and looked straight at him.
It was near dusk, and the whole city was in a commotion. Tens of thousands of people flocked to the school grounds in Dongcheng, Wu County, watching the confrontation between Zhou Yu and Sun Ce outside the granary. Feiyu spread his wings and flew across the sky. Sun Ce suddenly stepped forward and shouted loudly!
This is the second time that Zhou Yu and Sun Ce have fought swordsmen. It has been more than five years since the last time. In an instant, the battle for loose food turned into a fight between two handsome men who have attracted much attention! I saw Zhou Yu dragging his sword neatly in the dusk, and when he swung the long sword, the blood-red sunset light flashed, drawing a perfect arc!
All civil servants and military generals were alarmed and rushed over. Behind Zhu Zhi made people beat the drum, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu collided with each other, clanging, the sound of the Red Army sword and the Panlong stick cutting each other, forming a fine and clear sound with aftertaste. Then suddenly swept away.
"it is good-"
There was thunderous applause from the sidelines.
Like a butterfly wearing flowers, Zhou Yu turned around, jumped onto the wooden pillar, and stood condescendingly, standing tall. Sun Ce, like a goshawk spreading its wings, pounced on the other side of the school field, turned around and drew his stick, and swept again!
Zhou Yu's speed was incomparably fast. Every sword hit the place Sun Ce had to save, like a violent storm, but all the swords stopped at the point of the sword. Once Sun Ce showed a flaw, Zhou Yu stopped in an instant. Both of them were afraid that their swords and guns would be blind and hurt each other. Most of them were false moves. Sometimes wherever their eyes went, they would even leave a moment for the opponent to defend the empty goal!
In this way, the competition looked more like a martial arts exercise. Zhou Yu's swordsmanship continued to change, and Sun Ce's dancing with an empty stick, such as pointing, poking, moving horizontally, and blocking, was very beautiful! It drew thunderous applause from around.
"Back!" Sun Ce turned his stick into several sticks, and in an instant Zhou Yu was full of phantoms! At this moment, Zhou Yu was forced to leave the field, and Sun Ce controlled the whole field. As long as the last stick is down, Zhou Yu will have to leave the field!
However, Zhou Yu had been waiting for this moment. It was too late and then too soon, the setting sun had already set to the west, and it was about to disappear behind the grain depot. Taking advantage of the last moment of the setting sun, Zhou Yu swung his sword falsely!
The light and shadow changed, and the flashing streamer of the red army's sword flashed in front of Sun Ce's eyes, and Sun Ce squinted his eyes!
At this moment, Zhou Yu raised his long sword, and stabbed against the shadow of sticks all over the sky!
The field was completely silent. Zhou Yu's rushing attack was perfect, it was a wonderful strike that coordinated with strategy and tactics, and when the spectators came back to their senses, Zhou Yu's sword tip was already on Sun Ce's throat.
With a full count of breaths, no one could have imagined that Zhou Yu would dare to do this kind of action. Just a little stab with the tip of the sword can take Sun Ce's life!
Zhou Yu withdrew his sword, put it back on its sheath, bowed and said, "My lord accepts it."
Sun Ce breathed slowly, his face flushed.
"If it rains, you have to take responsibility." Sun Ce said.
Zhou Yu said, "It should be so."
After Sun Ce left, Zhou Yu could clearly feel that the last sword seemed to anger him. But they have been like this since childhood, so let's apologize at night.
All the soldiers dispersed, Zhou Yu closed the gate of the grain depot, and stood there for a long time in the afterglow of the setting sun, until Zhu Zhi came looking for him, and then went back to the prefect's mansion.