Chapter 114: Winds and Clouds Stirring

After finishing the lamb skewers at Liu Xie's temporary palace and returning to his own residence to digest for a while, Zhou Yu went to meet Sun Ce and shared all of Liu Xie's thoughts and plans with him.

Of course, Zhou Yu didn’t mention that he had tasted such exquisite food for the first time in his life at Liu Xie’s palace, fearing that Sun Ce would think he was too close to Liu Xie. To Sun Ce, Liu Xie was merely a tool, a golden cage bird kept in the palace.

Sun Ce agreed with Liu Xie’s ideas even more than Zhou Yu did. In his view, since war with Jingzhou was inevitable, it was better to prepare early and strike proactively when the opportunity arose, wiping out Liu Biao in one fell swoop.

“Bofu, if we in Jiangdong go to war with Jingzhou, it won’t be like Cao Cao fighting Yuan Shao; whoever controls the navy controls the world!”

“That’s true. Our Jiangdong navy has been training since I inherited my father’s legacy. The first few years were slow due to lack of funds and skilled craftsmen, but now we have some scale. Though it seems we can't match Jingzhou’s fleet on the surface, His Majesty was right—Liu Biao’s forces may be numerous, but they are unseasoned in battle. When it comes to actual combat, they might not be a match for our Jiangdong men!”

Sun Ce earned the nickname “Little Overlord” for his boldness and willingness to win against overwhelming odds, a trait quite similar to Cao Cao.

“Then we’ll follow His Majesty’s plan: secretly stockpile provisions and prepare for war, while watching Liu Biao’s moves toward Liu Bei. Let’s see if Guan Yu will come again to welcome Lady Mi!”

“Good! But about this campaign, I’d like you, Gongjin, to stay in Wu County to manage affairs. I’ll take a few veteran generals to confront Liu Biao. Also, last time I observed His Majesty for a while—if he personally leads the troops, how might Liu Biao react?”

“Bofu wants His Majesty to go with us?” Hearing this, Zhou Yu’s breathing grew a bit hurried. Though Liu Xie was just a puppet, Sun Ce’s suggestion was somewhat bold. Setting aside other concerns, if anything happened to Liu Xie on the battlefield, Sun Ce’s reputation would be irreparably damaged.

“Bringing His Majesty would indeed be unexpected, but Bofu must consider the risks carefully!”

“I’ll take him there the same way I bring him back. He will cooperate. After all, he wants Jiangdong to unify the Central Plains swiftly. Then we can grant him a fief to live in peace. Isn’t that better?”

Sun Ce clearly believed he had Liu Xie firmly under control, speaking with confidence. Zhou Yu nodded in agreement but inwardly felt unsettled for reasons he couldn’t quite grasp.

“Or, Bofu can stay in Wu County, and I’ll take His Majesty and a few veteran generals to battle?”

Under this uneasy feeling, Zhou Yu tentatively suggested.

“Others don’t understand me, Sun Ce, but Gongjin does. I need to lead the troops myself to be truly satisfied. You’re talented both in strategy and combat, but I won’t stay behind in Wu County!”

Zhou Yu knew Sun Ce’s temperament well. Whenever there was war, Sun Ce insisted on leading the army personally. This was not unusual for the time; even Cao Cao and Yuan Shao led their troops on the front lines.

Yet Zhou Yu understood that Sun Ce’s style was different. Cao Cao and Yuan Shao wore armor and swords to the battlefield mainly to supervise and boost morale. Sun Ce, however, fought with a fierce desire to rack up kills himself.

Zhou Yu hadn’t worried about Sun Ce’s temperament until the near assassination during a hunting trip. Even Sun Ce admitted that without Liu Xie’s prior letter warning him, he might not have escaped that fate.

It wasn’t because those three enemies were invincible, but the timing and setting seemed tailor-made for him. Had he known nothing beforehand, those three could have easily killed him.

Zhou Yu analyzed the situation with Sun Ce afterward and concluded the reason was simple: Sun Ce’s brilliance and habits were well known in Jiangdong, making him an easy target for assassination.

Following Zhou Yu’s advice, Sun Ce had recently toned down his flamboyance, but when war came, he had no choice but to lead personally.

“Bringing His Majesty along is good. Even if he isn’t skilled with weapons, his hand-to-hand combat isn’t bad. But Bofu must watch him closely and be on the same boat. Naval warfare isn’t like land battles—you just need to command from the base; never charge on a small boat!”

Almost every time before a campaign, Zhou Yu would remind Sun Ce of such precautions, and Sun Ce usually listened.

This time, he understood that having Liu Xie accompany them was also a way to ensure his safety.

“I’ll prepare the troops while you keep in close contact with His Majesty. Lady Mi is still with him, so if any news comes from Liu Bei or Guan Yu, it will most likely be passed directly to His Majesty.”

Without consulting others, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu finalized the plan to confront Jingzhou. One detail Zhou Yu didn’t mention was the secret preparation of troops—once the war began, they must strike deliberately and unexpectedly.

This was Liu Xie’s advice, but when he passed it to Sun Ce, it was presented as his own suggestion.

Zhou Yu was not petty and didn’t need to use such tactics to gain favor with Sun Ce. He simply didn’t want Sun Ce to suspect Liu Xie’s intentions. For some reason, he didn’t want Liu Xie to be doubted—perhaps because he had enjoyed a free lamb skewer at Liu Xie’s expense.

After making this decision, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce both realized that the great tides of the Han dynasty had already been stirred the moment Guan Yu returned to Xiangyang.

As for Jiangdong’s fate, they could not know—it was the fiercest opponent Sun Ce had ever faced since rising to power.

Yet they understood that to dominate and truly transform from a mere warlord into an emperor, such hard-fought battles where the few beat the many were essential. Better to fight early than late.