Zhou Yu helped Sun Ce, and Sun Ce limped away, leaving the village along the mountain road.
When the two walked out of the camp, Sun Ce gasped in pain, Zhou Yu quickened his pace and said, "Quick, the boat boss knows our identities, and he might catch up to us as soon as we find out."
"Pain, pain, pain..." Sun Ce was wounded on his back, gasped in pain, and asked, "What did you say to that guy?"
Seeing that Sun Ce was badly wounded by the whip, Zhou Yu couldn't help but feel heartbroken, but he couldn't stay here for long, so he had to bend over to pick up Sun Ce, and staggered down the mountain.
After finally finding out and getting out, Sun Ce lay on Zhou Yu's back and said, "Hey."
"What?" Zhou Yu said, "I hope that Hua Xiong will never attack my father, and take him back to Luoyang."
Sun Ce said again: "I reported to my father the day I arrived in Shu County, don't worry, it will be much better if you know what's going on."
"Didn't you come here alone?" Zhou Yu asked, "How can you report the letter?"
Sun Ce leaned on Zhou Yu, and smiled, Zhou Yu really convinced this guy, how could he laugh at any time... However, after so much delay, the sun had already shifted, and Sun Ce's breathing became heavier, obviously unable to support his physical strength, so Zhou Yu fell asleep on his back.
Zhou Yu's heart was on fire, and he wanted to leave Gushan and go to Shu County to report. Sun Ce was very heavy, and he walked with his twenty-jin Panlong Iron Rod, and he was exhausted. At dusk, Sun Ce's temperature was getting higher and there was no medicine to treat him, so Zhou Yu had to put him down in the mountain stream to check on his back injury.
Sun Ce breathed evenly, and his face was slightly rosy. Zhou Yu put him down, washed his wound with clean water, and looked for healing herbs nearby, chewed it and applied it on his back.
At this moment, there was a sharp bird song in the mountain stream, and a snow-white falcon flew towards him, Zhou Yu couldn't help being startled. This kind of bird has never been seen near Chaohu Lake. Could it be that Hua Xiong discovered his identity and sent a scout to find it
The white falcon circled several times, landed slowly, and flew towards Sun Ce. Zhou Yu immediately understood and ran out. The white falcon saw Zhou Yu was about to peck, but Sun Ce woke up exhausted and said, "Fei Yu, stop!" !"
Zhou Yu said, "Are you using this bird to send messages?"
Sun Ce smiled at Zhou Yu and said, "It's called Fei Yu, and it's a courier I raised since I was a child. I wanted to show you this time when I came here, but when I first arrived at Chaohu Lake, I found that the momentum was not right, so I let it go and gave it to me. Dad brought a letter..."
Zhou Yu knelt and sat behind Sun Ce, chewing the herbal medicine. The bitter taste made his mouth numb. He chewed the herb and applied it to Sun Ce's back. There is only one line: wait on the west bank of Chaohu Lake, reinforcements will arrive soon.
Zhou Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't know where Hua Xiong was imprisoning his father, it would be easy as long as the rescuers came.
Sun Ce frowned again in pain, and said, "What medicine did you apply to me that hurts so much?"
Zhou Yu said: "Hurry up, I don't have time to talk more, let's go."
Bi Zhouyu put Sun Ce's hand on his shoulder and staggered away from the mountain stream and fled to the northwest of Chaohu Lake.
At dusk, on the west bank of Chaohu Lake, a group of people chased after them. The leader was an old man in his sixties. He was the first to shout, "Sun Ce! What are you messing around with!"
"General Sun!"
"How did you get beaten like this!"
Sun Ce said: "Don't worry about it! Everyone first form a team and go into the mountains! General Huang! The situation is too critical and there is no time to report it. I have caused trouble for everyone. I'm sorry!"
Sun Ce clasped his fists and bowed in apology, and the old man said angrily, "It's hard to find your father!"
With a falcon chirping, the white falcon flew off the ground and went to investigate and circle in the valley. His subordinates brought armors. While putting on the armor, Sun Ce introduced to Zhou Yu that the old man was the Sima of another department. Sun Jian's subordinates, after receiving Sun Ce's letter, Hastily led more than 400 people to Chaohu Lake to rescue.
"Hmm." Huang Gai looked at Zhou Yu and said in a deep voice, "Your father is Zhou Yi?"
"It's my father, the old general..."
Sun Ce immediately leaned into Zhou Yu's ear and said in a low voice, "Don't call him an old general. He hates being called old."
Zhou Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but the words were already out of his mouth, and Huang Gai snorted angrily, "What are you two bastards talking about! Do you really think I can't hear you!"
Sun Ce hurriedly apologized, bowed again, and brought Huang Gai into the mountain. The sky was full of stars, and the bright moon disappeared. Zhou Yu saw the four hundred soldiers Huang Gai brought, and compared the power of the two sides in his heart. The other party had a general. After a fight, they are afraid of hurting the hostages, so it is not easy to get along with each other.
Huang Gaiweng said: "That's all. Zhou Yu, your father has been an official for many years and is very upright. I don't care about you, a junior. The sons who came with me are not from Shu County. They don't know the mountain road here. Let me ask you , do you know the way?"
"I recognize it." Zhou Yu immediately said, "General Huang, the opponent also has a general, and it is Dong Zhuo's Hua Xiong. It is better to wait until late at night and use a surprise attack."
"Are you looking down on Huang?" Huang Gai said angrily, "I still don't pay attention to people like Hua Xiong!"
Sun Ce hurriedly said: "General Huang, we still have hostages in the other party's hands, why don't we just listen to Gong Jin's plan."
Zhou Yu felt uneasy. After all, it was the first time he had to deal with such warriors, so he couldn't figure out Huang Gai's temper. Huang Gai obviously looked down on him, and said with a sneer, "According to me, what are you waiting for late at night, Sun Ce, you and I will take the lead and rush in together."
The implication is that Hua Xiong's hundreds of people are obviously not our opponents.
"General Huang." Zhou Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "You misunderstood, I didn't mean it that way, you came from a long way, and you are willing to save my father, I am grateful for your great kindness, if it works in one fell swoop, and minimize the damage of brothers, I dare to entrust this matter to the general. Otherwise, how can Jiaoyu feel at ease if the robes and others come to rescue them?"
Sun Ce's face changed slightly, he looked at Huang Gai, and didn't know what to say for a while, but unexpectedly, Huang Gai's expression softened, and he replied: "You are right, you should cherish the lives of soldiers, so I will follow your plan." , if you have any arrangements, just let me know."
Zhou Yu thought for a moment, then used branches to draw a map of the camp of Huaxiong's officers and soldiers on the ground, listing where to attack, where to attack, where to block the camp, where to save people, and where to block the road to prevent the opponent from escaping. .
Either don't do it, or do it absolutely. Once Hua Xiong fled back and the news leaked out, Dong Zhuo might not be willing to let it go. Zhou Yu made a careful plan, and the whole army would attack only in the middle of the night.
That night, dark clouds obscured the starlight, and several groups of people covered the high ground from the road on the side of the canyon.
The white falcon flew and circled, and there was a barbaric cry. Sun Ce was stationed on the hillside, looking into the valley in the distance. On the other side, a feathered arrow flew towards Hua Xiong's sentry soldiers without a sound, and a group of patrolling officers and soldiers were thrown from the side by assassins who were holding daggers or crossbows, and all of them were knocked down. on the ground.
In the camp, Hua Xiong was so drunk that he collapsed by the desk.
In the darkness, Zhou Yu stood in the forest, holding a bronze sword, reflecting the light of the torch, and the light shot towards the opposite hillside. With a wave of Sun Ce's hand, the archers all set up their arrows. Sun Ce, holding a torch, flew past the archers and ignited the arrows.
"Beep beep—" Sun Ce blew the bamboo whistle, and in an instant the rocket flew up from the peaks on both sides like a meteor, and fell towards the camp in the middle of the canyon!
It has been three days since the last rain, and the wooden houses in the canyon are dry and flammable, and they are burning one after another. Immediately, someone shouted: "It's on fire—"
"Kill—" Huang Gai roared angrily.
Like a divine soldier descending from the sky, the Changsha army rushed into the camp brazenly! The entire canyon was in chaos. Sun Ce rode his horse and rushed west, but to the north, a carriage left the camp at high speed!
Seeing that the momentum was not good, Zhou Yu hurriedly ran across the mountains with a long sword in his hand. With a long howl, the white falcon led the way for him and flew to the north of the barracks!
The raging flames burned, and many soldiers who were sleeping were buried in the flames in an instant. Huang Gai organized several charges, and Hua Xiong's army was dispersed as soon as they grabbed their weapons to resist.
Hua Xiong roared in the flames: "Report your name—"
Immediately afterwards, Sun Ce rushed from the side, and even his men and horses slammed into Hua Xiong. Hua Xiong was still hangover, and he was knocked out immediately. Xiong pushed on the horse, and led him to run wildly, and escaped out of the valley.
The war started quickly and ended quickly, but the fire spread to the hills on both sides, and black smoke billowed. Many fishermen on the edge of Chaohu Lake saw this scene.
Zhou Yu ran wildly with his sword in hand, and sure enough, he saw a group of officers and soldiers fleeing hurriedly along the way. Zhou Yu roared angrily, "Where did you escape—"
The leader was the boss of the boat. Seeing Zhou Yu chasing him, he led his soldiers to fight against each other. There was a scuffle between the two sides, and Sun Ce led the troops to come. This completely destroyed the opponent's fighting spirit. Hundreds of people killed the opponent's corpse.
"Where's my father?" Zhou Yu roared, "Hand him over!"
The boss of the boat was covered in blood and mud, and said with a sneer, "It's late, Master Zhou..."
"I found it! I found the Zhou family's carriage!" Sun Ce's subordinates rushed to report, Zhou Yu ignored the interrogation of the ship's boss and ran away with the messenger.
At dawn, a blood-stained carriage stopped under a tree in the canyon to the north of Gushan Mountain. The light of dawn was hazy, and the whole valley was covered with thick fog. Zhou Yu rushed into the fog and saw an arrow stuck in his father's chest. Dying.
Zhou Yi was nearly fifty years old, his beard and hair were gray, he couldn't stop coughing, blood was coming out of his mouth.
"Young General." The messenger said, "Master Zhou was locked in the cellar of a wooden house in the camp. When the camp was broken just now, he was sent here by the enemy. It is expected that he wanted to go out of the mountain. When we chased him, the enemy The soldier shot an arrow at Lord Zhou..."
Zhou Yu knelt in front of his father, staring blankly at his old face.
Sun Ce waved his hand to stop talking.
As the sun rises, the valley is filled with golden light.
"Yuer... Yuer..." Zhou Yi replied, "I... heard your voice, last night... just outside the prison, I called you, you... didn't hear..."
"Father—" Zhou Yu let out a heart-piercing cry of pain.
"Don't cry...don't cry." Zhou Yi coughed a few times with difficulty, his mouth and nose were full of blood foam, and the feathered arrow had penetrated deep into his lungs. Sun Ce didn't dare to pull out the arrow for him, for fear that he would die if he pulled it out.
"Life is alive... who can not die?" Zhou Yi replied wearily, "Fortunately, you are here... you don't have to go back to Luoyang as a father, and do what you do... as a tiger..."
"Take care of your mother." Zhou Yi said again, "cough... cough... young man, you... you are..."
"Zhou Shibo." Sun Ce replied, "I am Sun Ce, Sun Jian's son Sun Ce..."
"Long... so big..." Zhou Yi showed a gratified smile, "Good boy..."
He held Sun Ce's hand, pressed his hand on the back of Zhou Yu's, and closed his eyes peacefully.
Zhou Yu let out a cry of pain, looked up and saw the clear blue sky, tears poured out uncontrollably from his eyes.
the next day.
Zhou Yu sent his deceased father back to Shu County. Stop the coffin, post white posts, notify relatives and friends, express condolences, decorate the mourning hall, and comfort the crying mother and grandmother.
Zhou Yu's expression was numb, and he hung white silk on his father's coffin, and wore hemp and filial piety. The Zhou family's distant relatives, cousins, and cousins all came to express their condolences, and the county magistrate of Shu County also came in person to comfort Zhou Yu. I am sorry for your loss.
Zhou Yu just nodded and poured tea and wine for relatives and friends himself.
That day when Hua Xiong fled in the chaos, Huang Gai led his army to chase after him, leaving Sun Ce behind and escorting Zhou Yu back home. When all the female relatives cut hemp for Zhou Yu to wear mourning, Sun Ce said, "Leave a piece for me too, my family and Zhou's family It's a family friend."
The female relatives looked at Sun Ce one after another. Sun Ce looked tired, but still looked very handsome. They discussed in low voices, and looked at Zhou Yu who was sitting in the mourning hall. One of Zhou Yu's cousins put a numb on Sun Ce's arm.
Sun Ce helped Zhou Yu see off the guests, held a mourning stick, sat beside Zhou Yu, and sighed.
"Why are you sighing?" Zhou Yu finally asked.
"I'm sorry." Sun Ce said, "I'm useless."
Zhou Yu smiled wearily and said, "How can you blame this? Life and death are fate, Bo Fu. If it weren't for you this time, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to survive."
"What are you talking about?" Sun Ce didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "My mother used to say that there are no hurdles that cannot be overcome, only blessings that cannot be enjoyed. The future will last forever, and you have to take care of yourself."
The spring rain is pattering, and it is falling again.
The two sat side by side under the eaves, watching the rainwater form a line, pulling from the sky to the ground, and seem to be born among the water flowers, flying from the ground to the sky. A piece of gray, the dead are like this, melting into the mountains and rivers, day and night.
"Is your mother better?" Sun Ce asked again.
"I can have some porridge." Zhou Yu replied, "I'll go see her."
Sun Ce reminded Zhou Yu, and the two of them went inside to see Zhou's mother, who was sorting out her deceased husband's belongings, and took the servants to move the dusty collection of books to the attic.
"Mother." Zhou Yu came in and said.
Zhou's mother nodded, looked at Zhou Yu, and then at Sun Ce. Despite the great grief and shock, she tried her best to smile and said, "Ce'er, it's thanks to you this time."
"It should." Sun Ce said, "my father is in Jiangdu, and he has no time to get away, so he sent someone to deliver a letter today."
Sun Ce took out the letter and handed it to Zhou's mother. Zhou's mother smiled and opened the letter to read. It was full of sincerity, all of which were Sun Jian's condolences.
Zhou's mother asked about Sun Jian's family affairs, and Sun Jian's mother's health, and ordered Zhou Yu to start writing and ink, and to write to Sun Jian. When Zhou's mother asked, Sun Ce respectfully answered. Zhou Yu, on the other hand, held a pen and wrote a reply to Sun's family at the window according to her mother's instructions.
The banana leaves were washed green by the rain. At night, the rain continued. Sun Ce took off his shirt, shirtless, and sat with his back to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu mixed the medicine powder in a small dish and gave Sun Ce the medicine.
The two of them didn't speak a word to each other for a long time. This was the most memorable time in Zhou Yu's life. It was precisely because Sun Ce didn't say anything that he survived this long period of near despair. He didn't want to do anything, and he didn't want to answer any questions. He didn't know how to ask all the questions, so Sun Ce took the words for him.
At night they slept together, Zhou Yu lying down, Sun Ce's back was not healed, so he could only lie on his stomach, and hardly spoke. Sun Ce slept very quietly. Once he slept until dawn, when Zhou Yu woke up, he saw that Sun Ce always got up earlier than him and was busy in the mourning hall.
On the first six days, it is customary to watch the spirit overnight, but this afternoon, several uncles and brothers from the Zhou family came to visit after lunch. Zhou Yu was carrying a pot and pouring water for others, and an uncle sat down and said, "Yu'er, let's come over this time and ask how your silk village and shop are managed."
When Sun Ce heard this, he knew that it was about the Zhou family's affairs, so he tactfully sat aside and didn't speak anymore. Zhou Yu took a sip of water and replied, "The uncles came just in time. Mother also mentioned this matter yesterday. I don't know what uncle said?"
Zhou Yu's family ran a silk shop, and there was a mulberry field covering an area of 100 mu, where they raised silk every year for the family to eat. Thirty percent of the county's silk production. After the old lady died, several cousins separated, and Zhou Yi's house was assigned to the fertile land on the east bank of Chaohu Lake. By the time Zhou Yu was born, the relatives of the Zhou family who were struggling in life had improved.
It just so happened that that year Zhou Yi appointed Xiaolian as an official and went to Luoyang to work as an errand. Zhou Yu was still young and had no one at home, so Zhou Yi entrusted several cousins to take care of Sangtian and Silk Shop. According to Zhou's mother's wishes, Zhou Yi died. , These properties should also be taken back and let Zhou Yu take care of them.
Zhou Yu just wanted to say that in the future, Sangtian and the shop, I would look more closely, but unexpectedly the uncles seemed to have negotiated, one of them handed out the account book and said, "Look at it, Yuer, this is the account book for recent years. "
"Hmm." Zhou Yu replied, flipping through the ledger, and the uncle said again: "In the past few years, the production of silk in Shu County has not been as good as every year. Now the world is chaotic. A few years ago, the silk was sold to Liangzhou. Going west through the Silk Road, it was only through your father who was in the middle to make a turnaround, and now there is no one in the court, so I'm afraid it's not easy to take care of it, some of us old men discussed it, and came to hear what you think."
"What do you mean?" Zhou Yu asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
"I see, it's not easy to do business now." A cousin said, "It's better to close the shop first. What about the field, uncle will help you find another house to sell, and convert it into silver, so it can be used for you. How about going to Beijing to be an official?"
"Absolutely not!" Zhou Yu said, "I haven't made up my mind to go to Beijing yet, how can I just sell the shop?"
"To tell you the truth," Tang Bo said, "your father has let us take care of you these years, and the business is not as good as in previous years. There are so many credits now, and some of them are bankrupt at the end of the year and don't settle their payments. I got the goods, but was robbed by yellow scarf thieves on the way. Not a few days ago, your sixth uncle brought the goods to Beijing, they were all robbed, and they paid a lot of money for traveling. These uncles are all for you, your house I often come to the shop to pay money…”
Zhou Yu immediately understood that this group of people saw their father died and lost their power, so they all ran to calculate the land left by his father, trying to coax him into selling it and get some money out of it.
"How much is the shortfall?" Zhou Yu cut off the conversation decisively, "Get the IOU, count everything, and pay it back slowly."
Several people looked at each other in blank dismay, they didn't expect Zhou Yu to be so straightforward, the cousin said again: "I'm getting old, I can't see this property anymore..."
"Then go back and enjoy the blessings." Zhou Yu got up and bowed to several uncles to the ground as a salute.
An uncle said again: "Yu'er, I'm not talking about you. You have left a mulberry field for nothing, and there is no place to sell your goods now. Just look at the account book. When your father ran the shop, the uncles alone paid a lot of money." Yinliang, what your father said when he was still alive, the silk shop and the mulberry field, each of us has one share, and we only promised your father to help manage it, not just yours. It's also the bet of my uncle's paintings... "
"So what's the matter?" Zhou Yu looked up at them and asked, "The uncles think it's more cost-effective to sell the land?"
"It's a troubled time now." An uncle said patiently, "Silver is money in your hands, isn't it? If you encounter yellow scarf thieves, you will understand, and it will be set on fire, but..."
"Hey." Sun Ce sneered, "I figured it out, you are bullying orphans and widows, and you are here to extort people's property!"
"What are you talking about!" The uncle with the worst temperament blushed and said angrily, "We have guarded the shop for so many years, and we have worked hard without credit, not to mention that this is what his father personally promised us before he was alive." , what are you!"
Sun Ce was also angry, and said coldly: "Are you still human? I don't know what you guys are pretending to be? When I went out to buy a few days ago, the Zhou family's silk shop was full of people. When did you lose money? What did Mr. Zhou say? There is no evidence for what he said, and there must be written evidence! Just relying on the upper and lower lips, you want to blackmail people? I’m sorry, the friend of the Zhou family is not dead yet, Gong Jin refuses, you try Want to see the land for sale?"
All the people were angry, Zhou Yu pondered for a moment, and said: "Leave the account book to me first... I will check the accounts of the past few years. If I have suffered a lot, I will naturally..."
"Report to the officials." Sun Ce was not polite to them at all, and said, "Ask the county magistrate, how much was hidden in the silk shop business, how much was cheated..."
Zhou Yu said: "Okay, okay..."
"You little bastard..." the uncle rolled up his sleeves and roared angrily, "You have scolded enough! If you don't give you some color, you'll still be..."
After Zhou Yu returned home, he never mentioned Sun Ce's identity. Everyone just thought it was some son he knew. Just do it with your hands, and pick up the stool with your left foot.
Zhou Yu said, "Stop!"
The uncle grabbed Sun Ce and wanted to beat him, but Sun Ce had already kicked up a stool. He was offended anyway, so it's better to beat him first. Zhou Yu had nothing to do with Sun Ce, but he was also angry in his stomach, and went forward to stop him, but he took Sun Ce's stool, pushed it, and the stool hit Uncle Tang's waist with a whistling sound, sweeping him away. Go out of the hall.
Several people cursed, but Sun Ce waved the stool with both hands, no one dared to step forward, they all retreated while scolding, and then all ran away.
Sun Ce took the ledger, threw it casually, and the ledger flew out, saying, "I don't know how much you have been scammed, how dare you divide the land? Take away the stolen goods, and be careful that the county magistrate rewards you with eighty boards!"
After everyone left, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. Zhou Yu laughed so hard that tears came out. He supported the pillar and sat down slowly. After a while, he felt sad and burst into tears.
Sun Ce sat beside him, with one hand on Zhou Yu's shoulder. But after a while, Zhou Yu gradually stopped crying, his eyes were red, and he smiled helplessly.
That night, the family members of the uncle's family came to the door, each with their hips akimbo, pointing at Zhou Yu and Sun Ce and scolding, Zhou Yu just pretended not to hear, but Sun Ce was fooling around, sitting in the mourning hall with his knees hugged, teasing without saying a word. They play. Everyone quarreled for a long time, and Zhou Yu finally roared: "There is no end! If you want to break it, break it, and don't come into my house again in the future!"
Zhou Yu's roar was like a bolt from the blue, and everyone was frightened. It was the first time they saw him get angry, and they took a step back. Zhou Yu said coldly, "Get out!"