That night everything was as usual, and at the reception banquet, Sun Ce was still chatting and laughing happily. Zhou Yu poured wine himself to apologize to Sun Ce, and Sun Ce just smiled as if nothing had happened.
"Gong Jin said," Sun Ce said with a smile to the civil servants and generals, "he is withholding food and starving to death. If it rains within three months, he will be held accountable."
None of the counselors spoke, and Zhang Zhaoqian laughed a few moments later.
Zhou Yu said: "It should be like this. If one person does something, one person should do it."
Sun Ce put his hand on Zhou Yu's lap again, and said, "But today's reception banquet, Gong Jin, it's not right for you to do so. With such extravagance, how can you bear with the victims outside the city?"
Zhou Yu replied seriously: "My lord came back victorious, I thought it was a celebration. If you don't feel sorry, let's withdraw."
Sun Ce smiled and didn't speak any more. During the dinner, he could see that something was wrong between the two of them, but Zhu Zhi said first, "My lord doesn't know something. When going out to fight, the guards have two meals a day. They are two bowls of porridge and side dishes. Four discs, without overstepping."
Sun Ce's face was not very good-looking, so Zhou Yu smiled and said, "That's because it's hot and I can't eat."
Zhou Yu found something to talk about, and didn't mention it anymore.
After the banquet that night, Sun Ce was still discussing matters in the study, but Lu Su found Zhou Yu's room.
"You are so stupid today," Lu Su said, "How could you defeat him in front of so many people?"
While writing a letter to his uncle Zhou Shang, Zhou Yu said without raising his head: "It seems that he has lost face, but in fact it is not. You will think it yourself. I insist on not releasing food, and he insists on opening warehouses. If you let him If we do this, if we don’t have enough food at the end of the year, won’t it prove him wrong?”
"That man," Zhou Yu said, looking up at Lu Su, "wouldn't it be even more embarrassing if he was proven wrong?"
Zhou Yu also said: "At the end of the year, there will be a famine. To save him, he will say that he deliberately gave up. The name is also complete, and Wu County is also preserved. I have my own calculations. You don't have to worry about it."
Lu Su smiled, sat down, and said, "I'm afraid you didn't think so at first, so you should take it easy and don't ride on him too much."
Zhou Yu said: "He won't be angry with me, after a few days the anger will subside, and he will be fine again."
Lu Su replied: "That's not what I said. When I led the army to go out this time, I heard brothers Sun Ce and Sun Quan mention you. Now that Sun Ce relies on Zhang Zibu a lot, you should be more cautious in your words and deeds."
Zhou Yu sighed.
"I can't help myself." Zhou Yu said, "Everyone knows how to protect oneself. At this time, if I don't show up, who will show up?"
Saying that, Zhou Yu folded the letter, tied it to Fei Yu's feet, and sent Fei Yu away. Lu Su was still drinking tea, Zhou Yu went out of the yard, wanted to talk to Sun Ce, but saw that the light was still on in his study, stood outside the door and listened for a while, the guard was about to report, but Zhou Yu waved his hand to signal not to be disturbed.
Sun Ce chatted with Qiao Xuan and Zhang Zhao in the room, and Zhou Yu left.
That night, after Lu Su left, Sun Ce didn't come over all night.
Zhou Yu didn't sleep well all night. When he got up the next day, he felt that Sun Ce was really angry. After washing up, he came out and wanted to apologize to Sun Ce, but the guard reported that Sun Ce had left the city to go to Taihu Lake.
This was the first time in Zhou Yu's life that he was so disturbed. He sorted out the documents for Sun Ce in the study and saw a Fu that Sun Ce copied last night. After sitting for a while, I planned to pick up my pen and finish writing. I wrote two lines, "The curtain of Zhang Luoqi, the link of the Chu group", and felt bored again, leaning on the couch, and fell into a deep sleep.
In the dream, Taoist Yu Ji came singing barefoot, as if saying something to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu woke up suddenly, remembering the two amulets given by Yu Ji, which he had put in the brocade seal, so he took them out.
Zhou Yu yawned and felt that he was wearing a white robe.
"My lord is back?" Zhou Yu asked.
In front of the corridor outside the room, a voice replied: "I'll be back after noon. Let the guards wake up and go to the side room to talk."
Zhou Yu asked, "My lord has been here?"
"The robe is mine." Lu Meng walked in.
Zhou Yu thanked him, returned the robe to Lu Meng, and came to the side room with a brocade talisman in his hand, where Sun Ce was sitting by himself with an uncertain expression, as if he was waiting for Zhou Yu.
After Zhou Yu sat down, the two were silent for a while.
Zhou Yu pondered for a long time, and tentatively said, "I haven't asked you yet, how about the battle?"
Sun Ce laughed and said, "I was just about to ask you."
When Zhou Yu saw Sun Ce's smile, something seemed to weigh on his heart. He knew that Sun Ce still remembered the previous incident. Laughing, it's just his mask, it's like this to the counselors, and now it's like this to himself, I can't help but feel a little disappointed.
"What's in your hand?" Sun Ce looked at the brocade talisman in Zhou Yu's hand.
"Given by a Taoist." Zhou Yu replied calmly, "Let you and I take the talisman with us to prevent disasters."
Sun Ce smiled and said, "What disaster can happen?"
"Hmm..." Zhou Yu thought for a while, and said, "I can't help but feel nervous when you lead an army to fight outside, so let's take it with you."
Sun Ce smiled and said, "Speaking of Taoists, I was about to ask you about this too. A few days ago, did you bring a Taoist priest to the mansion?"
"Three months ago." Zhou Yu replied.
"You say my Sun family is doomed?" Sun Ce took a sip of his wine and said calmly, "You say my Sun Ce will die early?"
Zhou Yu knew that the guards must have notified Sun Ce of what happened in the mansion.
"Yes." Zhou Yu nodded.
Sun Ce couldn't help laughing, and after laughing, he said interestingly, "You can believe this."
"I didn't believe it at first." Zhou Yu replied, "It's just for peace of mind."
Sun Ce joked: "I want to borrow you to practice witches and gu, you are a good helper."
Zhou Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "Since my lord doesn't believe in ghosts and gods, why do you use witchcraft to talk about it?"
Sun Ce waved his hand and said, "Forget it, burn it, and don't wear it, it will only cause trouble."
Zhou Yu had no choice but to put away the two talismans.
After a while of silence, Sun Ce thought for a while, and seemed to be looking for something to say, but Zhou Yu spoke first: "Bo Fu, I'm sorry."
"What?" Sun Ce was a little strange.
Zhou Yu said seriously: "What happened yesterday, I was impulsive."
Sun Ce laughed again, and said, "You have to pray for it to stop raining now."
Zhou Yu was choked by such a sentence, but in fact he wanted to say a lot more.
He wanted to speak frankly to Sun Ce, get rid of these blocked words, and tell him that he was also shaken when facing the 400,000 disaster victims outside the city, and hundreds of people starved to death every day.
Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect
When the news of the dead man was reported again and again, it was extremely difficult for him to make a decision: if he didn't open the warehouse, a hundred thousand innocent souls would be outside the city; if he opened the warehouse, Sun Ce's food and salary would not be sustainable. At this time, his only hope is to make it clear to Sun Ce that they should bear this predicament together.
But now, Zhou Yu can't say anything.
"Yes." Zhou Yu could only nod.
Sun Ce wanted to say something more, and just started, he asked, "How is the city on the day of the expedition?"
Before Zhou Yu could answer, Zhang Zhao came and brought a document for Sun Ce to review, saying, "At Shouchun City, Cao Cao has agreed to our request and withdrew his troops from the city."
"So fast?" Sun Ce narrowed his eyes and said, "I haven't sent him a letter yet."
"The letter that Fei Yu brought." Zhou Yu replied.
Zhang Zhao nodded to Zhou Yu, and Zhou Yu said, "I was just about to talk to you about this matter. It seems that Cao Cao really needs reinforcements. This has been negotiated before."
"It's settled?" Sun Ce raised his eyebrows and said, "Why don't I remember?"
Zhou Yu said: "After taking down Shouchun and expelling Yuan, the next enemy is Yuan Shao. The two armies of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are handed over, and the territories are next to each other. At this time, if we don't form an alliance with Cao Cao, we must form an alliance with Yuan Shao. You Gotta pick one."
Sun Ce didn't speak, Zhang Zhao nodded and said, "I've also mentioned this matter to my lord."
Zhou Yu said: "Once Yuan Shu is gone, Yuan Shao will be full of ambition. It is better to start a war with him sooner rather than later. He must be dealt with immediately, and we will be able to rule the river with Cao Cao. Youzhou, Bingzhou, Liangzhou, Sili and other places Return to Cao, Wujun, Jiangdong, and Jingyi area, return to Wu."
Zhang Zhao said: "At present, this is the best way. Yuan Shao already has a strong army. If you wait a few more years and let him grow up, it will be even more difficult to shake him."
Zhou Yu looked at Sun Ce, and Sun Ce said, "So you made a deal with Cao Cao in private?"
When Zhou Yu heard this, he sat up straight involuntarily.
"Cao Pi is in your army." Zhou Yu said earnestly, "No matter what, our alliance with the Cao family is imperative. Cao Pi came here for the first time, and it was indeed to ask for help. We sent troops to help, and Cao Cao will naturally let Shouchun go. Come out, concentrate your forces to pursue Yuan Shu, and deal with Yuan Shao. This is not a deal, I just urge him to fulfill his promise."
Sun Ce replied: "I haven't thought about the follow-up yet, so don't make random promises to him in the future."
Zhou Yu didn't speak, and Sun Ce's face was not very good-looking. Now in Shouchun City, Cao Cao's army has withdrawn, which is obviously very generous. He handed over the whole city to Wu Jun. What else can we say
"Aren't you going to send troops?" Zhou Yu asked again.
Sun Ce replied impatiently: "We need to think carefully."
Zhou Yu couldn't continue the discussion, and comforted himself by saying that he was much more scrupulous now, and it was normal to have to discuss it with the counselors before making a decision.
Zhang Zhao said: "When will Mr. Qiao's daughter be delivered to her for the wedding? If it's in the near future, you have to make preparations early."
Zhou Yu frowned again, and Sun Ce remembered, and said to Zhou Yu, "Qiao Xuan said that he will marry his daughter to you and me."
When Zhou Yu heard this, he simply replied, "Let's talk about it."
Sun Ce said, "Big and Big Joe..."
Zhou Yu didn't answer a word, got up and left. Sun Ce looked stunned and watched Zhou Yu leave.
From that day on, the mansion felt as if it was facing a formidable enemy, shrouded in a tense atmosphere. Sun Ce's temper seemed to change overnight. When everyone saw Zhou Yu, they just nodded and walked around.
Autumn was breezy, but severe drought continued. Sure enough, after autumn, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao's territory conflicted continuously. Until the end of autumn, Wu County had fallen into a complete food shortage. Only the more than 2,000 hectares of fields by the Taihu Lake had harvested late rice. On the outskirts of the city, almost no grass grows.
Even the locals in Wujun became nervous, and rumors began to spread everywhere. It was the Sun family who killed too much and brought the famine to Jiangdong after they took control of Wujun. There are even rumors that Sun Ce's background and personality are very similar to Xiang Yu, the overlord who killed himself in Wujiang 800 years ago.
Some people even said that Sun Ce was the reincarnation of Xiang Yu, and he remembered that the children of Jiangdong did not send troops to help them in the past, and their hostility lingered, so they lived in misery.
The rumor spread more and more widely, and Zhou Yu had to send people to the surrounding counties to buy grain. However, even the Yangzhou area in the south of the Yangtze River has no grain. Lu Su took the money back to Shu County, and put together eight thousand stones of grain and rice to meet the urgent need. Sun Ce became more and more irritable in the mansion, and no one dared to provoke him.
And what Zhou Yu was most worried about was the plague. When more people die in famine years, it is easy for diseases to breed. Sure enough, a few days later, the plague came.
First, people in the city fell down, and then more and more people were infected with the epidemic. Zhou Yu rushed to get someone's pulse, and when he was about to invite a famous doctor to sit in the city, some people spread the rumor that immortals came from the city to make medicine for the mortals at night. Zhou Yu was about to investigate, but the news spread to the prefect's mansion.
"Don't let the Lord hear it." Zhou Yu said.
Zhou Yu temporarily suppressed the news so as not to add fuel to the fire. A few days later, the plague in the city was relieved, and there was no more news from the person who made the medicine. Gradually, the epidemic in the city was brought under control, and even the people who had been sick before were gradually cured.
Only then did Zhou Yu sort out the situation in the past few days. Passing in front of the main hall, he heard that Sun Ce was getting angry inside.
Zhou Yu walked in, raised his hand slightly, and signaled to the guard, who retreated out as if he had received an amnesty.
"What's the matter?" Zhou Yu asked.
Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu, and said after a while, "I want to find out who is spreading the rumor that I am a disaster."
Zhou Yu replied: "The disaster has been cured. There was a small-scale plague a few days ago, and it has been brought under control."
One of them knelt in front of Sun Ce. Zhou Yu took a look and knew that it was the people in the city, and said: "It's just rumors, foolish people in the market, why should I have the same knowledge as them? You go back."
The commoner hurriedly kowtowed, saved his life, and left.
"It is said that I am born under the care of the Tai Sui star," Sun Ce said, "Where I am, disasters will happen."
Zhou Yu didn't answer, but instead asked, "Does Shouchun have any surplus food for disaster relief? What does General Huang Gai say?"
"It was all squandered by Yuan Shu." Sun Ce sat back heavily, heaved a sigh of relief, and replied, "The food, grass and treasures that could not be taken away were completely burned by a fire."
"Where is Cao Cao?" Zhou Yu asked again.
"There is food in Yecheng, but there is not enough food in stock." Sun Ce replied, "Order troops, I want to go out."
"Where are you going?" Zhou Yu frowned deeply.
Sun Ce replied, "Grab food."
Zhou Yu said: "You are the lord, the lord of Wu County! You are not a bandit, how can you loot everywhere?"
Sun Ce asked, "What do you say?"
The two were deadlocked in the hall, and Sun Ce seemed to have completely forgotten that it was Zhou Yu who insisted not to open warehouses for disaster relief, otherwise the whole city would have been starving to eat people by now.
"I asked Zijing to go back to Shu County," Zhou Yu replied, "I dispatched a batch of grain and rice to save some food, and it will last until March next year."
Sun Ce continued to walk out, and Zhou Yu asked again, "Still going out?"
"Go for a walk and relax," Sun Ce said.
Sun Ce got on his horse, but Zhou Yu had no choice but to follow. Sun Ce went out to inspect the whole city, and the victims outside the city were starved to death, like skeletons. The situation in Wu County was a bit better, and rice noodles were still available in the market, but the price was sky-high.
Sun Ce went to the market once and ordered several people to be arrested and put in jail, feeling even more depressed. When I arrived outside the East Market in front of the city gate, my anger was calm, and I smiled at Zhou Yu and said, "Hey, even God is against me."
Zhou Yu replied: "Zijing has been back in the past few days, maybe the situation will be better."
Before the two of them were stationed in Macheng, Sun Ce saw the crowds in the market again, and said vigilantly, "What's the matter!"
When Zhou Yu saw the crowd gathering, his heart skipped a beat, and he thought that he must not touch Sun Ce's head at this moment. However, the people in the city spread the word to ten, ten to hundreds, and the whole city rushed towards Dongji.
A Taoist priest in yellow was wearing a Taoist robe of seven stars, holding a rusty sword and copper bell, standing on a high platform, praying for rain for the whole city. Sun Ce's guards rushed into the crowd, causing a commotion.
"My lord!" Zhou Yu said with a frown, "Don't arouse public anger at this time, let's calm down first."
"It's you!" Sun Ce ignored Zhou Yu's dissuasion, pointed at the Taoist in yellow with a stick, and sneered, "Spreading rumors and bewitching everyone! You...you..."
Sun Ce's expression changed in an instant, because he found out that Zhang Hong, Lu Fan and others were also at the market!
"My lord, calm down." Zhou Yu said hastily.
"My lord, please calm down." Zhang Hong and others also came to salute, but Sun Ce did not dismount, but looked at Yu Ji arrogantly.
Yu Ji smiled slightly, rolled up his sleeves, and nodded to Sun Ce.
"Daoist Yu Ji came to Kuaiji one month ago and entered Wu County." Zhang Hong said, "He often treats diseases for the people in the local area, and even wrote the "Taiping Jing" to treat the poor. Because he was worried about the poverty in the city, he traveled as the Lord. Fa, pray for the people."
"Nonsense!" Sun Ce became angrier the more he heard it, and shouted, "Catch me!"
The people were in an uproar, and they left the crowd one after another, knelt on the ground, and pleaded for Yu Ji. In less than a stick of incense, thousands of people in the city knelt down. Zhou Yu thought inwardly that it was too bad, Sun Ce would take the soft but not the strong, I was afraid that this would only make him more determined to expel Yu Ji.
Yu Ji finally spoke and said, "Little Bawang, have you worn your amulet yet? Why is your hostility still so strong?"
The surroundings were completely silent, and Sun Ce's face could no longer be ugly. He took a few deep breaths, and the left hand holding the weapon couldn't help shaking, as if he was about to smash Yu Ji's Tianling Gai with a stick at any moment.
Immediately afterwards, Zhou Yu stretched out a hand and put it on his stick, and the soft strength dispelled Sun Ce's fierce strength.
"Catch him," Sun Ce said.
That night, everyone was pleading for Yu Ji who was thrown into prison, but Sun Ce just ignored him, and finally shut the advisers out.
When Zhou Yu arrived, there was a group of people standing outside the door.
"I warned Daoist Master Yuji." Zhou Yu said, "Tell him not to come back."
Zhang Zhao said: "At this time, the people of Wu County are in a state of turmoil. It would be unwise to imprison him again. Gongjin, you have to think of a way."
There was a noise from inside, and Zhou Yu knew that Sun Ce must have heard it.
"Everyone, please go back." Zhou Yu didn't promise to intercede for Yu Ji, and all the counselors dispersed.
Zhou Yu opened the door and went in, while Sun Ce sat alone in front of the desk, pouring himself a drink.
"Little Overlord." Sun Ce twitched the corner of his mouth, showing a mocking smile, "Curse me to kill myself in Wujiang?"
Zhou Yu sat down in front of Sun Ce, took his wine, passed a pot of tea, and said, "I have never asked you for anything since I was a child, but now I ask you for one thing."
"Say." Sun Ce said coldly.
"Keep this away." Zhou Yu took out the amulet and said, "Let Yu Ji go, I won't reason with you, I just ask you to grant my wish."
There was a loud bang, and Sun Ce overturned the whole case, roaring angrily, "Do you believe him too! A woman's opinion! The whole Jiangdong is suffering from a severe drought, so maybe I was responsible for it!"
Sun Ce had never been so angry with Zhou Yu before, and Zhou Yu was stunned for a moment, which was completely unexpected.
"I thought you would say," Sun Ce laughed, looked at Zhou Yu, and said, "Don't worry about it, just sit with me all night. This is not like you, Zhou, Gong, and Jin!"
"I didn't..." Zhou Yu understood in an instant that Sun Ce might be like his previous self, expecting Zhou Yu to bear it with him instead of redeeming any consequences.
However, the words have been spoken, and it is too late.
"Wait, Bo Fu!" Zhou Yu chased Sun Ce out and said, "I... I'm sorry, Bo Fu, I'm sorry."
Zhou Yu took Sun Ce's hand, and Sun Ce stood in the courtyard.
"Take it as a joke." Zhou Yu said with a smile, stepped forward, put Sun Ce's shoulders, and wanted to hug him, but was pushed away suddenly by Sun Ce.
Zhou Yu became uneasy again, looking at Sun Ce like a young man who has done something wrong.
"Let him go." Zhou Yu said, "It's not because of God's will or omen. He healed and saved the people in the city. For this reason, spare his life and let the people think you are magnanimous. "
"Great and generous." Sun Ce said coldly, "You said the same thing when you spared Xu Gong's life."
Zhou Yu fell silent, and Sun Ce said again, "It's fine if the other people beg for mercy, but now you're begging for mercy, Yu Ji must be killed."
Zhou Yu's heart trembled, and Sun Ce said, "Tomorrow morning, the execution will be executed. I want to see what retribution the heavens will give me!"