Chapter 122: Calling to Account

At this moment, Guan Yu’s journey held implications for the situation in nearly the entirety of Jing Province, yet he himself remained entirely unaware of it. This was not due to any lack of ability in Liu Bei or Guan Yu, but simply because they had only just arrived in the region.

Within the territory of Liu Biao, their intelligence network had yet to be established. Conversely, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue had been operating within Jing Province for many years; their experience was certainly far beyond what the newcomers could match. Moreover, Guan Yu was currently preoccupied with clearing his name regarding his relationship with Lady Mi, leaving him no capacity to consider other matters.

By the time Guan Yu had covered less than half the distance, Sun Ce in Wu Commandery had already received the news. Upon hearing the report, his first reaction was not of strategy, but of admiration for Liu Xie, the man who had orchestrated the entire affair. He could not fathom how Liu Xie had managed to predict with such certainty that Guan Yu would return. Neither he, nor Zhou Yu, nor any other official in Jiangdong could have made such a judgment. After pondering for a long time, Sun Ce suppressed the urge to go and see Liu Xie himself; he felt that his intellect had already been crushed by the Emperor, and to lower himself further at this point would be undignified. Although Liu Xie was the Emperor, the foundation of Jiangdong was, after all, his own.

Thus, he immediately summoned Zhang Hong and Zhou Yu, who were familiar with the situation.

"According to the scouts, Guan Yu has once again set out alone from Xinye toward my Wu Commandery. He should arrive in three or four days. This aligns perfectly with the prediction the Emperor made when he first proposed this scheme. What do you two think we should do? Should we continue to rely on the Emperor, or should we seize this opportunity to keep Guan Yu here?"

It was evident that Sun Ce already had some ideas of his own, though they were not yet fully formed.

"The fact that Guan Yu would travel alone to Jiangdong at this time proves how much he values Lady Mi," Zhang Hong said, being the first to break the situation down. With his experience, he could naturally discern the context of Guan Yu’s arrival. "Since he was able to leave Lady Mi behind while taking Lady Gan back, it implies that his return did not fully restore Liu Bei’s trust. This current departure is likely a measure of last resort. From this perspective, it is indeed an opportunity for you, Bofu, to recruit him."

Sun Ce nodded, but then added with concern, "The Emperor once said that Guan Yu is a man who would rather snap than bend. With Liu Bei in Xinye, he will not willingly pledge loyalty to my Jiangdong. What are your thoughts?"

Zhou Yu knew it was his turn to speak, yet he hesitated for a long time, perhaps sensing that his advice might not be well-received by Sun Ce.

"The Emperor’s analysis of Guan Yu’s temperament is likely correct; his desperate efforts to return to Xiangyang previously prove as much. However, my concern is whether the Emperor has kept some cards up his sleeve regarding this matter. If that is the case, any rash action on our part might lead us to overlook something vital."

Zhou Yu’s warning was earnest. He knew that Sun Ce would not be pleased to hear it, but based on his understanding of Liu Xie, the Emperor certainly had follow-up plans, and those plans would surely involve more than just Guan Yu. In truth, Sun Ce and Zhang Hong shared the same suspicion, though Sun Ce was too prideful to admit it.

"In that case, let the three of us go to the Emperor’s palace and inform him of Guan Yu’s movements. If the Emperor truly has a contingency plan, we can adapt our strategy accordingly. If he has no further plans, then we, the officials of Jiangdong, shall handle the recruitment ourselves. How does that sound?"

Sun Ce’s intention was clear: he wanted to find a way to assert himself, though whether he would be granted the opportunity remained in Liu Xie’s hands. Zhang Hong and Zhou Yu had no objections, and the three of them set a time to visit the palace at midday. They chose this hour because they all tacitly understood that it would be around the time the Emperor was preparing for his meal. Ever since they had tasted the lamb skewers at Liu Xie’s, they realized that the Emperor’s culinary skills were no less impressive than his prowess with women.

Another reason Sun Ce was willing to swallow his pride and visit the palace was that he had heard his younger sister, Sun Shangxiang, had been getting along quite well with Liu Xie’s Empress, Fu Shou, and Qiao Feng. It was even rumored that during her second visit, she had sparred with Liu Xie, eventually knocking him off the martial arts stage—a victory that served as a form of revenge for her brother.

Of course, Sun Ce later heard that she only managed to knock him off because Liu Xie had conceded one hand and let his guard down—reportedly, had he not, his fist would have landed on a certain protrusion on Sun Shangxiang’s chest. Since then, Sun Shangxiang had stopped calling Liu Xie a "puppet" and visited the palace with increasing frequency, ostensibly to instruct the Empress and the Qiao sisters. Not long after she began visiting, she had asked Sun Ce for a martial arts stage as large as the one in the palace. Sun Ce had refused, citing the lack of space in her residence, though Sun Shangxiang remained unaware of her brother’s true anxieties.

Now, Sun Shangxiang visited the palace almost every morning and usually stayed to eat with the Empress and her companions. Sun Ce had never asked whether Liu Xie was present at these meals, so he chose this time to visit, hoping to see for himself.

When Liu Xie received word of Sun Ce’s impending arrival, he was indeed preparing lunch, and Sun Shangxiang was on the guest list. Liu Xie had not employed any hasty or aggressive tactics with her; he had already gauged her temperament through their previous encounters. He had a set of effective methods, and with Qiao Feng acting as a mole by her side, Liu Xie felt it was only a matter of time before he won her over.

Upon suddenly hearing that Sun Ce was coming, his first thought was whether he had been discovered for his dealings with the younger sister, and if Sun Ce was arriving to hold him accountable.