Chapter 50: Playing with Fire

From this unremarkable morning onward, Liu Xie’s shadow was already imprinted in the hearts of the sisters of the Qiao family.

Zhang Hong was never one for indecision. No sooner had he stepped out of Liu Xie’s temporary palace than he stood before Sun Ce, carrying out the matter Liu Xie had entrusted him to convey.

“Bofu, His Majesty summoned me this morning and made some requests regarding his residence.”

Sun Ce showed no displeasure at this; he felt he had discerned Liu Xie’s true character after their first meeting. Despite the rumors from Xuchang painting Liu Xie as a mere puppet—weak, confused, and lustful—Sun Ce only trusted what he saw with his own eyes: a man of genuine temperament.

“What sort of requests? He can simply send the palace maids to relay them to me; why trouble you, sir?”

“Perhaps His Majesty has his own intentions. He says what the palace lacks is a training ground, and he wishes you to have one built within these days. Afterwards, he wants to spar with you there.”

“Hm?”

Sun Ce’s indifferent expression changed instantly at the mention of the training ground and the prospect of a sparring match. No matter how clever or resourceful Liu Xie might be, Sun Ce regarded him as little more than a strategist—a figure seeking to enjoy life, indulge in the beauties of the Southlands, and make his presence known. Sun Ce was willing to accommodate all this, for the lord of Jiangdong could never be a mere puppet emperor skilled only in rhetoric, but must be the martial hero who had just pacified the region—Sun Ce himself, whose standing would not be shaken even when he reached the Central Plains.

But now Liu Xie had proposed a contest between them, making matters far more complicated. The puppet emperor sought to demonstrate that he was not only a ruler with ideas, but also one with martial prowess, perhaps no less than Sun Ce himself.

“His Majesty has come to Wu Commandery—not for leisure, it seems!”

Sun Ce let out a cold laugh. In truth, Liu Xie had never tried to conceal his intentions from Sun Ce, but Sun Ce had simply not taken him seriously at first.

“I have several options here, Bofu; would you care to hear them?”

Zhang Hong’s face betrayed no emotion, but it was rare for him to offer Sun Ce advice. Bringing Liu Xie here was one such occasion, and this was another.

“Please speak, sir.”

“The first strategy: Bofu need not heed His Majesty. Deal with him as Cao Cao did in Xuchang. When we have conquered the world relying on his name, he will naturally yield your rightful place.”

Here, Zhang Hong paused and looked at Sun Ce. Sun Ce’s expression did not change, but he asked, “And the second strategy?”

“His Majesty wishes to join the contest for the empire—this much is clear. Yet I have not discerned his true reason for so long. If you have confidence in yourself and in Jiangdong, let him participate. Through this process, he may become sincerely convinced of your merit and voluntarily grant you his position—a fine tale indeed. But should this plan fail, the world you have fought so hard to win, Bofu, may no longer bear your name.”

Zhang Hong’s words were blunt, and Sun Ce understood. Ordinarily, there ought not to be a second strategy.

Yet Zhang Hong still voiced it, fully understanding Sun Ce’s nature. Had Liu Xie not written a letter that saved Sun Ce’s life, or devised the temporary postponement of moving the capital, Zhang Hong would not hesitate to deal harshly with Liu Xie.

Sun Ce regarded Zhou Yu as a brother precisely because of Zhou Yu’s unwavering support in his earliest days. Sun Ce was not Cao Cao, who could betray the world without a second thought; he valued clear distinctions between gratitude and resentment.

To treat Liu Xie as Cao Cao would have done would go against Sun Ce’s character. It was this resolute, clear-cut temperament that had earned Sun Ce the unwavering support of Jiangdong’s people at the age of twenty-five.

So, at this moment when no decision was too late, Zhang Hong gave Sun Ce another chance to choose, knowing that whatever Sun Ce decided, he would never regret it.

After presenting the second strategy, Zhang Hong looked to Sun Ce, awaiting his response.

“Since His Majesty has requested it, today I will send people to build the training ground in the palace. Five days hence, I will spar with him there. But keep this matter quiet. When the time comes, you and Gongjin shall attend as witnesses.”

Having spoken lightly, Sun Ce said no more.

Zhang Hong understood that Sun Ce had made his decision. He bowed deeply to Sun Ce and withdrew from the residence.

“What kind of man are you, truly? Five years within the palace—how did you practice martial arts while hiding from Cao Cao? Very well, I shall grant you this opportunity. You have endured in silence, saved Zhang Hong’s life, saved mine with your decree hidden in your sash; your bloodline is worthy of this chance. If you win, I shall submit to the Han. If I win, the world is mine.”

Standing by the window, Sun Ce gazed at the blazing midday sun, his eyes shining with an unusual light as he murmured to himself.

That same afternoon, a team of craftsmen arrived at Liu Xie’s residence, led by one of Sun Ce’s personal maids. They sought out Liu Xie to ask where the training ground should be built.

Liu Xie ultimately chose a corner of the palace’s nursery garden; he had little interest in growing vegetables. After marking the area, he returned directly to his chambers.

Liu Xie knew that Sun Ce’s men would accomplish the task well. At the same time, the tension that had gripped his heart all day finally relaxed a little.

He understood he was playing with fire; the training ground was essentially a challenge to Sun Ce. If Sun Ce lost patience, Liu Xie’s treatment would soon revert to what it had been in Xuchang.

But Liu Xie also knew that some things must be gambled upon, and this was not a shot in the dark.

The same tactic used against Cao Cao would have left nothing but his bones, but applied to Sun Ce, the outcome could be entirely different.

Liu Xie knew that if he did not take his chance now, he might never have another.