Chapter 12 - Zhugong

Zhou Yu’s forehead was furrowed deeply as he followed Cao Pi into the Eastern Gardens, where he saw Zhen Mi in the midst of chatting with a middle-aged noble lady.

“You are Zhou Yu?” That madam immediately began to smile.

Zhou Yu was stunned. “You recognize me?”

“It’s as if you aren’t the son of old Lord Zhou.” That noble lady was indeed Sun Jian’s wife, and Sun Ce and Sun Quan’s birth mother, the lady of Wu. She came forward and took Zhou Yu’s hand, smiling as she did so. “I saw you when you were small, aiya, you’ve grown so tall now? Every time Ce’er is at home, he never stops talking about you, but I never expected that I would see you here.”

A hint of worry appeared on Zhou Yu’s forehead, even as he said, “Greetings to Madame Sun.”

“You can just call me aunt,” Madame Wu replied.

Zhou Yu nodded, but just as he was about to open his mouth, he was reminded that Zhen Mi was to the side, and he didn’t dare to say too much. As soon as Madame Wu saw that, she understood as well, so Zhou Yu found an excuse and asked, “Where’s didi?”

“Didi is currently ill,” Madame Wu said. “You go take a look at him ba, I’ll be there in just a bit.”

A serving girl came by and led Zhou Yu into the back courtyard of the Eastern Gardens. The Madame of Wu’s expression stayed as normal, and she smiled mildly as she and Zhen Mi chatted idly.

In the rooms of the back courtyard, a small child laid there, his face flushed red. He was about the same age as Cao Pi, and his forehead was burning as he lay there, feverish.

“A chill that has invaded his body,” Zhou Yu declared.

It was the same illness that he himself had caught on his journey previously. Cao Pi slumped at the side of the bed, and now he gave Zhou Yu a glance, saying, “You’re too amazing, you even know how to diagnose someone’s illness? All you need to do is flip his eyelids up, and you know what illness he has?”

Before Zhou Yu had embarked on his journey, Lu Su had specially wrapped four bundles of medicine for him, which were prepared for him to take on the journey. However, Zhou Yu’s physique had always been good, and he had never touched them. Now, he said to Cao Pi, “Go into my room and bring those bundles of medicine up on the very top of the shelves there.”

And saying this, Zhou Yu stroked Sun Quan’s head again, saying, “It’s okay, after you take the medicine, you’ll get better.”

Sun Quan laid on the bed, panting for breath, his lips bright red. Zhou Yu thought that he must have been blown about by the wind on the way here, and when little kids got sick, the adults around them always found that looking at them tugged at their heartstrings. Soon, Cao Pi returned with the medicine, and Zhou Yu stewed it in the room, exchanging the medicine that Yuan Shu’s subordinate had concocted for Sun Quan for the mute monk’s. That same night, he poured it down Sun Quan’s throat.

The lady of Wu came to check on him once, so Zhou Yu spoke of the current situation to her whilst inside the room. The lady’s face was grave, and upon hearing the news, she didn’t say a single word. Finally, in the end, she asked, “Yu’er, as of right now, do you have a way to leave the city?”

“I had Feiyu take a letter,” Zhou Yu reported. “These days, I must still stay in Shouchun, to prevent any mishaps.”

“Then, that’s alright,” the lady of Wu sighed. “This father and son’s explosive tempers… alright, I know now. Feiyu flies faster than a human can travel, so it will definitely be able to catch up.”

Zhou Yu’s heart was also heavy with worry. He had to take care of Sun Quan, but also had to worry about when Yuan Shu would make his move. The only thing he was afraid of was for Feiyu to not make it in time, which would result in a bloodbath.

Cao Pi patted Zhou Yu’s shoulder, saying, “Relax, everything will be alright.”

Zhou Yu began to smile. Cao Pi continued, “Do you know how to treat migraines?”

Zhou Yu replied, “I don’t, why? My medical skills are limited to common illnesses and external wounds.”

Cao Pi was at a loss for what to do. He thought for a moment, before saying, “My dad gets very bad migraines.”

After thinking for a bit, Zhou Yu said, “I heard that there is a famous doctor wandering the world, named Hua Tuo. If you can find him, then perhaps there is a way.”

Cao Pi then asked, “When are you escorting me out?”

Zhou Yu replied, “Patience. I must find helpers first before I can send you out of the city, to your dad’s side.”

Cao Pi: “Is that helper Sun Ce?”

Zhou Yu didn’t respond.

Cao Pi: “It looks like his own life is hard to keep, is he actually able to escort me out? If not, then I’ll have to think of other ways.”

“What method do you have?” Zhou Yu was already familiar with Cao Pi, and as they chatted, he had never minded the difference in their ages. He scoffed, “You think you can walk back on your own into your dad’s camp? You probably can’t even figure out where he is ba.”

“Ay,” Cao Pi sighed. “The affairs of the mortal world, both joyous and sorrowful, are like the dew of the morning, vanishing under the sun, and the years that have passed have been painful… a pity, a pity.”

Zhou Yu: “... Who taught you this stuff?”

“My dad.”

Feeling as if he had lost to Cao Pi, Zhou Yu said, “Wait for a little while longer, there will definitely be a way. We cannot act hastily.”

Cao Pi nodded, indicating that he understood.

It was just at this time that Sun Quan woke.

“Big… big brother…” Sun Quan panted, trying to rise. Zhou Yu hurriedly pressed on his little shoulders, making him lie back down again.

“Have you sent a letter to my brother?” Sun Quan asked.

Zhou Yu knew that the words they had just spoken, Sun Quan had probably heard, so he comforted him, “Feiyu has left. Feiyu’s faster than a human, your mother said so.”

It was only then that Sun Quan nodded and said, “Thank you…”

Zhou Yu saw that even while Sun Quan was ill, his forehead was still furrowed, and he figured that he wasn’t very comfortable with this either. He thought to himself, how come all these kids now have such old souls.

The night passed, and when dawn broke, Sun Quan’s illness was already somewhat better. His forehead was no longer hot, and it was only then that Zhou Yu returned to his room to sleep. For several days, they received no news at all, and Feiyu didn’t return either, causing his worries to grow. He didn’t dare to get too close to the lady of Wu. One day, when he saw that there was no one in the war chamber, he took the risk and went in. He moved to flip through the military reports on the advisor’s desk, only to find that Yang Hong was still bearing a grudge, because those provisions were still being held and had yet to be sent out.

With that, Zhou Yu bolstered his courage, copied Yang Hong in approving the documents, before stuffing them into the very bottom of the stack to be sent out.

After placing them, Zhou Yu was suddenly bathed in cold sweat. He strode out rapidly, but he ran into someone in the corridor.

“This little brother, may I ask…” that person began politely, but when the two of them saw each other, both of them froze.

Zhou Yu: “Zilong?”

Zhao Yun: “Gongjin?”

Zhou Yu: “How come you’re…”

Zhao Yun replied, “Zhugong sent me here to bring a letter to General Yuan. Today, I waited for an entire day, but he was busy discussing matters, so he was unable to meet with me…”

Zhou Yu immediately had an idea, and he asked, “Did you come alone?”

“With General Sun’s son, Bofu,” Zhao Yun replied. “He is currently meeting with General Yuan in the hall.”

Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun waited under the eaves of the corridor. A second later, Feiyu flew down from the rooftop, landing on Zhou Yu’s shoulder.

From within the hall came the sound of Yuan Shu’s infuriated shouting, along with the sound of a cup shattering; clearly, he was currently venting out a torrent of anger on Sun Ce and his dad. Zhou Yu sucked in a deep breath. It looked like that was not going to be resolved any time soon, so he said to Zhao Yun, “Zilong-xiong, can you help me out with something?”

Zhao Yun replied, “Please, speak freely without fear of consequence.”

When Zhou Yu saw Zhao Yun, he had an idea. If he was to find a helper, Zhao Yun was clearly the best there was, because no one would even suspect him.

“Let me take you to see a young friend.” Zhou Yu decided to first take care of Cao Pi’s matter. Sun Ce had come, which meant that he had already received the letter. Sun Jian hadn’t come, which meant that matters were still within their control.

With that, Zhao Yun followed Zhou Yu through the back courtyard, into the flower gardens, and the scene that played out in front of their eyes was two kids rolling around in the mud, squirming and wrestling.

“You were raised by a say uncle!”

Zhou Yu shouted, “Both of you, stop!”

The two rushed forward, each of them grabbing a child and separating them. Zhao Yun grabbed Cao Pi, while Zhou Yu pulled Sun Quan to him. The two kids’ faces were still bright red with exertion, and Zhou Yu was at his wits end for how to deal with them.

“This young… friend,” Zhou Yu said to Zhao Yun, “I’ll hand him over to you now, you two get familiar with each other.”

Zhao Yun replied, “What matter caused you to get into such a fight? How can you use your fists without even exchanging some words first! Come with me.” 

“What are you going to do?!” Cao Pi struggled, refusing to listen to him.

Zhao Yun replied, “I’m going to teach you a lesson.”

Zhou Yu gave Cao Pi a glance. When their gazes met, Cao Pi guessed dimly that Zhao Yun was that “helper” that Zhou Yu had invited over. He didn’t fight anymore, and went with Zhao Yun to wash his face.

On his end, Zhou Yu brought Sun Quan inside and handed him over to the lady of Wu. When he came out again and returned to the room, he saw that there was someone standing in the flower garden, who, without saying a single word, leapt towards him, gripping him tightly in a mutual embrace.

In that instant, Zhou Yu’s vision almost turned black, and he said, “Thank the heavens and the earth, you have finally come.”

“Thankfully I got your letter,” Sun Ce said. “My dad was about to mobilize and come over.”

Zhou Yu asked, on the verge of gritting his teeth and spitting his question out, “What exactly were you two having a spat over?”

Sun Ce then said, “The jade seal is on me, but I didn’t hand it over to him.”

At that moment, Zhou Yu froze.

“A citizen is not guilty of his own accord, but if he carries the jade, then he will be found guilty. You must immediately turn in the jade seal.”

“You’re joking ba…”

“How long have I been waiting for you here? Who’s joking with you? At this time, no one should have come back, things would have been fine if you hadn’t come back! Yuan Shu has long since hated your Sun family to his very core!”

“My dad had me come exactly to completely resolve this matter. The imperial jade seal, I will not hand over to him. That way, I can guarantee that he won’t be able to get it, so it’ll be easy to...”

“Completely resolve! What a joke! You think Yuan Shu will listen to you? If he catches you, he won’t search you?!”

“Zhou Gongjin, I thought you would say something else, can’t you say some nice words!”

“Here I was, all worried about you, who do you think you are!”

“You… stop! Zhou Gongjin! You treat the person who saved your life just like this?!”

“You guys… stop fighting!” Sun Quan shouted. “I’m going to get Mom!”

Zhou Yu twisted his hands around Sun Ce’s lapels, pushing him up against a pillar. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Do you know how dangerous your Sun family’s situation is…”

“You shut up!” Sun Ce roared, flying into a great rage. “You’re going against me now, are you… Zhou Yu!”

Sun Ce harshly pushed Zhou Yu aside. Upon seeing that things were not going well, Sun Quan turned and ran. Zhou Yu and Sun Ce began to pummel each other in the garden, but Sun Ce, upon realizing that he shouldn’t fight Zhou Yu, roared, “You’re insane! I’m not fighting anymore!”

Zhou Yu dragged Sun Ce up a few times, trying to get him to stand up, but Sun Ce only kept dragging himself down. In the end, Zhou Yu couldn’t hold it in any longer, and he yanked Sun Ce’s belt, giving him a kick from behind.

With a huala, Sun Ce fell into the pond, splashing about a few times, looking bedraggled beyond belief as he rose. He shouted, infuriated, “Now I see, you’ve come to get revenge!”

Zhou Yu didn’t speak. He only stood on the banks, watching him. That scene startled quite a few onlookers, and even the lady of Wu had come. From a distance, she scolded Sun Ce, “Ce’er! What are you doing!”

Zhou Yu stood by the side of the pond, watching Sun Ce, but he didn’t reach a hand out. Sun Ce groped around in his robes for a bit, feeling that something was off. However, Zhou Yu’s eyebrows rose slightly, and it was only then that Sun Ce understood.

Zhou Yu reached out a hand and tugged Sun Ce out of the water. Sun Ce turned his head back and glanced at the pond, but he didn’t say anything more.

One shichen later, incense had been lit in Zhou Yu’s room, and the light smoke wafted into the air. Zhou Yu sat at the desk, reading a book, while Sun Ce soaked in the bathtub. He let out a sigh of much exhaustion.

“No need to wait on us any longer,” Zhou Yu said to the serving women outside the room.

“Yes, Lord Officer of the Records.”

As the serving women left, they shut the doors, and it was only then that Zhou Yu put down his book and came over to wipe Sun Ce’s back. Sun Ce’s sculpted, powerful back was exposed above the bathtub, and his youthful muscles were well-defined, his hair soaking wet. Zhou Yu asked, “Since you’ve come back this time, how long are you preparing to stay in Shouchun?”

Sun Ce replied lazily, “I’m leaving after we celebrate the fifteenth of the first month, my dad had me…”

Since it was winter, steam rose off the hot water, and on Sun Ce’s nape and back were collected water droplets and sweat. Zhou Yu dipped his finger in the water and wrote down four words along Sun Ce’s naked shoulder: the walls have ears.

He continued, “... come here to have the matter of the soldiers of Changsha being sent out to besiege Chang’an after the new year be approved.”

“En,” Zhou Yu responded mildly. “Then rest well these coming few days ba.”

Sun Ce raised his eyes to look at the eaves of the roof, where the corner of someone's robe flashed past. He then moved his hand so it was resting in front of him, while Zhou Yu squeezed out the green juice of the honey locust leaves to wipe his back with. Sun Ce gave the back of Zhou Yu's hand a gentle pat, indicating that he could rest easy.

There was the sound of water, and Zhou Yu rolled up his sleeves again, taking a seat in the corridor outside as he scrubbed away the mud on Sun Ce's martial boots. With a huala, Sun Ce got out of the water, standing completely nude in the doorway.

Zhou Yu roared, infuriated, “Go put your clothes on!”

Zhou Yu rose and rolled his sleeves up to beat up Sun Ce, but Sun Ce quickly and agilely nabbed his robe, shrugged it on with a few quick motions, and ran.

That night, Sun Ce first led Zhou Yu to go pay their respects to the lady of Wu, as a formal greeting. Zhou Yu knew that Yuan Shu was definitely suspicious of him. For him to end up fighting viciously with Sun Ce as soon as he had returned was as good as telling Yuan Shu he answered to the Sun family.

This was equivalent to trapping himself on the Sun family’s boat, but there was also some benefit to it - it also acted as a slight warning. No matter what, the Sun family father and son still had someone in Great General Yuan Shu’s manor to carry out tasks for them. No matter what means Yuan Shu would use to deal with Sun Ce, those means could not be too brazen.

The topics of conversation between Sun Ce, his mother, and his little brother Sun Quan was limited to how the winter chill had set in, how Sun Ce’s body was, how much he ate usually, if he was in any trouble, and such trifling matters, as well as various affairs, both large and small, that had any relation to the troops. As for anything regarding the jade seal or Yuan Shu, none of them brought it up. At this moment, the jade seal had already been submerged in the pond outside the small side courtyard that was the residence of Madame Sun. Since Zhou Yu had pulled it off in such a concealed fashion, no one knew.

In the depths of the night, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu passed through the corridor to return to their rooms. Their wooden clogs made quiet sounds on the hallway floor. A crescent moon appeared over the distant mountains, and Sun Ce could sense that everywhere around were hidden eyes watching them.

“After the Shangyuan Festival is over, let’s leave together ba,” Sun Ce said earnestly.

“Go where?” Zhou Yu asked. “Changsha?”

Sun Ce thought for a moment, before responding, “Wujun.”

Zhou Yu remarked, “I feel, however, that Shouchun’s pretty good.”

With a grin, Sun Ce lifted Zhou Yu in an embrace. Zhou Yu protested, “Put me down quickly, what do you think this looks like?”

One tall, sturdy man hugging another, running through the corridor; Zhou Yu was completely torn between laughter and crying. Sun Ce then said, “Do you know how our Changsha Army drafts strong men for military service? Well, it can’t be helped, you didn’t go…

“First it’s like this… then they truss you up, and toss you onto the back of the horse…”

“Let go! Sun Bofu!” Zhou Yu shouted, enraged.

Just as Sun Ce was getting into teasing him, they heard sounds from the corridor as several people walked over. The two of them hurried to separate themselves. The person in front was carrying a lantern, which lit up a little less than half of the corridor.

“Zhugong.” Zhou Yu hurried to make his greeting.

“Wu.” Yuan Shu’s face was impassive. When Sun Ce raised his eyes to look, he saw that quite a few people had come: Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Yang Hong, and several advisors and generals under Yuan Shu’s command. They were all standing in the corridor.

“Uncle,” Sun Ce greeted him. Yuan Shao smiled. “You two actually have such a good relationship, hehe.”

“Please excuse our behavior,” Zhou Yu replied mildly. “My father and Uncle Sun were acquainted previously.”

Yuan Shu merely made a grunt of acknowledgement. Smiling in a manner that didn’t reach his eyes, he said, “It is getting late, rest early ba.”

Zhou Yu en-ed, waiting for the group to pass. When Yuan Shu brushed by his shoulder, he said, “Starting tomorrow, you no longer need to go to the Office of the Records. Once spring comes, there will be a new post for you. Young man, you’d best work hard.”

“Yes sir,” Zhou Yu replied. His shoulder was patted by Yuan Shu, when suddenly he felt a wave of murderous intent. When he straightened up, he saw that they were all staring at him.

Yuan Shu was not even willing to waste words on Sun Ce and left on his own. Sun Ce’s mouth twitched; clearly, someone had offered up an opinion on him behind his back, and Sun Ce’s expression flickered as he dragged Zhou Yu back into his rooms.

After they returned to their rooms, there was another light sound that came from the roof. Neither of them raised their heads, and Sun Ce, acting as if there was nothing wrong, sat down smiling on the bed. He kicked off his wooden clogs, crossed his legs, and moved to boil some water for tea as he said, “The general’s estate would never deprive you of food, so whatever tasty food you have, offer it up now.”

Zhou Yu casually pointed under the bed, saying, “There are tea cakes in the box.”

Sun Ce glanced, only to see that the box had been disturbed. Before they had left, he had personally witnessed Zhou Yu making a mark on it, and after observing their surroundings, it was clear that the entire room had been searched through. He thought back to how Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao had run into them earlier, and understood that it was probably them who had sent people to search, but still weren’t convinced, so they came in person to watch them.

Sun Ce’s expression was not very pleasant, but Zhou Yu smiled slightly. Straightening his sleeves, he sat down, lifting the boiling hot water and steeping tea for Sun Ce.

“You’re unhappy now?” Zhou Yu’s eyebrows twitched.

“Just now, what did you call him?” Sun Ce’s expression was one of displeasure, and Zhou Yu didn’t know what small grievance he was hung up on now.

Zhou Yu replied, “I don’t remember what I addressed him as, how about I call you zhugong?”

Sun Ce shook his head, a little helplessly, and the two of them stared at the teapot in silence. After drinking the tea, Zhou Yu let out a yawn, and he said, “I’ll leave you to your own devices, I’m sleepy.”

Sun Ce suggested, “Let’s sleep together ba.”