Chapter 119: Growing Estrangement

What Jiangdong needs to do now is to bind Liu Xie firmly to their own war chariot; this is the goal that Sun Ce and Zhou Yu must strive for together.

When they left, Sun Shangxiang was indeed still at the martial arts arena, though only Empress Fu Shou and Qiao Feng remained. Qiao Shuang had only lasted for an hour; after taking a hard fall on her backside, she made an excuse about the pain and retreated to her own quarters.

Fu Shou had truly learned some practical combat techniques during this time with Liu Xie, which impressed Sun Shangxiang when they sparred. The two of them had been exchanging pointers almost incessantly, which was why they had been delayed until now. Although Qiao Feng did not have the same level of skill as Fu Shou, she participated actively, as she was on a mission. Watching Fu Shou and Sun Shangxiang spar, Qiao Feng’s admiration for Liu Xie only grew. Liu Xie had previously told her that Fu Shou was unaware of their plan, but under his instruction, she was determined to learn as much as possible from Sun Shangxiang. With such genuine engagement, Sun Shangxiang naturally felt no suspicion.

As night fell, Sun Shangxiang finally realized it was getting late after another round of sparring with the Empress. "The Empress has experienced much over the years; aside from not being proficient with weapons, she is not far behind me. In a few months, she will reach my level. As for Lady Qiao, she is also remarkably clever, and in time, self-defense will be no problem. It is late now, so I shall return to the manor. In a few days, if the Empress or Lady Qiao have need of me, just come find me, and I will come over."

Sun Shangxiang did not mention Qiao Shuang, and neither Qiao Feng nor Fu Shou pressed for an answer, as they had all seen how she had performed. However, regarding Sun Shangxiang’s departure, Qiao Feng spoke up before Fu Shou could respond. "My lady, there is no need to be in such a hurry. Since it is already late, there are many vacant rooms in this imperial villa. Why not stay the night and continue our training tomorrow?"

Keeping Sun Shangxiang here was clearly a bit unconventional, so Qiao Feng’s suggestion left Fu Shou somewhat bewildered. But since the words were out, Fu Shou could only echo the sentiment, especially since having Sun Shangxiang stay would indeed be quite beneficial for their martial studies.

"This... I shall not impose tonight. After all, this is the Emperor's villa, and His Majesty has likely retired for the evening. Furthermore, I brought two maids with me, both of whom are skilled with weapons. Since we are within the city walls, there will be no danger. I shall return in three days to continue our practice!"

Sun Shangxiang’s personality was bold and straightforward; her word was as good as gold. Since she had spoken, Qiao Feng and Fu Shou could not insist, so they accompanied her to the entrance of the villa.

"My lady, the Emperor was occupied with the Grand Marshal today and could not find the time. According to His Majesty, since your martial arts were learned from the Grand Marshal, and he has already sparred with the Grand Marshal, he would also like to cross swords with you. If you return in three days, I will inform him so he may prepare!"

These words came from Qiao Feng. Upon hearing them, Sun Shangxiang’s expression shifted, and Qiao Feng knew immediately that she must have heard about the duel between Liu Xie and Sun Ce on the arena stage.

"Shangxiang has the very same intention. Lady, please tell the Emperor that I will certainly come in three days to test my skills against his!"

Judging by the intensity in her voice, it was clear she intended to teach Liu Xie a lesson. Qiao Feng, however, was merely a messenger; with the message delivered and Sun Shangxiang’s agreement secured, she sent her off with a light heart.

After seeing Sun Shangxiang out, Fu Shou returned to her quarters, while Qiao Feng headed toward Liu Xie’s bedroom. The reason was simple: tonight was her turn. After hearing Qiao Feng’s detailed account, Liu Xie smiled slightly, radiating an aura of total control, before proceeding to his nightly duties.

The situation in Wu County remained largely under Liu Xie’s control. For Liu Bei, however, who had returned to Xinye, life was far less satisfactory. Xinye was a small city, and although Liu Bei had initially only sought a place to stay from Liu Biao, he had to endure its limitations. Yet, after the initial stability upon arriving in Xinye, Liu Bei found that recruiting troops and acquiring supplies became the primary problem. He had grand ambitions, but a few thousand men were hardly enough to achieve anything. Back in Xuzhou, he could at least gather some of his former remnants, but here in this desolate place, those men were gone. His forces had barely reached ten thousand after some time, and further expansion seemed nearly impossible.

This was not the most vexing issue for Liu Bei; what angered him more was that, for some unknown reason, a wave of rumors had erupted in Xiangyang after his return to Xinye. It was whispered that Guan Yu had slept with Lady Mi while in Wu County, which was why only Lady Gan had returned with him. Although this was an era where information did not travel rapidly, such scandalous gossip spread with remarkable speed.

When Liu Bei first learned of this, he made the correct decision immediately: he found Guan Yu and told him to ignore it, assuring him that his sworn brother trusted him completely. But no one could truly cast such a rumor aside, and the fact that Lady Mi had indeed remained in Wu County gave the gossip a high degree of credibility in everyone’s eyes.

Under this public pressure, the first to break was the primary subject of the rumors: Guan Yu. Finally, unable to bear the criticism, Guan Yu sought out Liu Bei once more. They had not spoken a single word to each other for over ten days, something previously unimaginable. A significant rift had clearly formed between them, yet both had chosen to ignore it or were unwilling to admit it.

Guan Yu’s visit was not to mend their relationship, but to tell Liu Bei that he had decided on an extreme, yet potentially swift, method to quell the doubts. "My Lord, the only way now is for me to return to Wu County and demand that Sun Ce allow me to bring Lady Mi back to you. Only then will these rumors be proven false!" Guan Yu stated his purpose directly the moment he saw Liu Bei.