The autumn cicadas cried mournfully, a single leaf fell, and the land was desolate…
At this moment, the Sun family mansion was instantly plunged into an inexplicably stern atmosphere.
When it came to the marriage proposal, and mentioning Gong Ji, Sun Shangxiang, Wu Guotai’s expression was complicated. She wasn’t worried about other things, but… that Nanshan Marquis Lu Ziyu already had two wives and two concubines, and it was rumored he was about to marry the Xiliang Princess Ma Yunlu. That would make three wives.
If one were to also count her elder sister Cai Yan, Cai Zhaoji, who had raised her.
It wasn’t just three women making a fuss; in the Nanshan Marquis’s mansion… it was about to explode.
Even if it were a matter of expediency…
How could Wu Guotai bear to trade her precious daughter’s lifelong happiness for the eternal peace of the Sun clan of Jiangdong?
Before Wu Guotai could figure it out…
“Dong…”
The main door was pushed open, and old officials like Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, and Cheng Pu entered one after another.
“Guotai, I believe it could still be this way,”
Zhang Zhao’s voice came first…
Zhang Hong agreed, “Why did Xiliang’s Ma Teng marry his daughter to that Nanshan Marquis? Wasn’t it to seek a peaceful resting place for the Ma clan of Xiliang? Now, Guotai should emulate Xiliang’s Ma clan… to secure Jiangdong’s stability and spare the myriad common people from the ravages of war!”
“Your subject also believes it should be this way!”
This last statement came from Cheng Pu. He was a pillar of Jiangdong for three generations, a steadfast man who had followed him since Sun Jian’s time. At this moment, even he had to bow his proud head.
Circumstances forced it…
There was no longer any need to discuss surrender or not, but rather… how to surrender?
Jiangdong had no capital left to contend with Great Wei.
This…
Wu Guotai’s eyes were still unfocused. She… she truly couldn’t bear it.
Just then.
“Report…” a scout reported, “The city defenses of Wu Commandery have been taken over by the Lu family army…”
“Ten thousand Lu family troops have entered Wu Commandery, with the remaining sixty thousand stationed nearby. The four great families of Wu Commandery, the four great families of Kuaiji have all responded, and the city defenses of the six commanderies of Jiangdong have all been handed over to the Lu family army!”
“What?” Wu Guotai was shocked.
At this time, the Lu family army acting like this, he… he Lu Xun…
And… were these eight great families rebelling?
“Guotai, the general trend is over!” Zhou Yu cupped his hands. “Please send an envoy to Great Wei to propose marriage and surrender!”
Upon this statement…
Dozens of civil and military officials cupped their hands in unison. “Please send an envoy to Great Wei to propose marriage and surrender!”
Among the civil and military officials… Lu Su was also present, but he kept his head bowed… silent.
Indeed… Zhang Liao’s eight hundred men broke Sun Zhongmou’s one hundred thousand. This battle had extinguished the spirit of Jiangdong and the determination of Jiangdong to resist Great Wei…
—The general trend is over, the general trend is over!
Cupping his hands, Lu Su also bowed his head helplessly. “Guotai, you should still propose marriage and surrender to Great Wei?”
One voice after another entered Wu Guotai’s ears, filling her with immense sorrow.
“Mother…”
At this moment, Sun Shangxiang spoke, “Mother, your daughter does not dislike that Lu Ziyu… If, if… I marry him, and it can secure the stability of the Sun clan of Jiangdong, and prevent the people of the six commanderies of Jiangdong from suffering the ravages of war, then… your daughter is willing to marry him. It’s just that the Nanshan Marquis’s mansion will have one more lady. Though your daughter is young, she may not be at a disadvantage!”
This…
If all the counsel from the civil and military officials was immense pressure on Wu Guotai, pressure that made her breathless.
Then.
Sun Shangxiang’s words were like the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
“Good… good…”
Wu Guotai leaned back, almost against the wall, her voice extremely soft and faint… “Since you have all decided, and Zhongmou is in the hands of the Nanshan Marquis, then… then what can this old woman do? Then… send an envoy to… to seek surrender, and propose marriage!”
Finally…
As if making the final decision.
Now that Sun Yi was gravely ill and Sun Quan was captured, the only one in all of Jiangdong who could make decisions was Wu Guotai. However… this did not seem like making a decision, but rather having no choice at all.
Hoo…
Hoo…
As these words escaped her lips, Wu Guotai took a long breath. Her gaze was vacant as she looked at the yamen… It seemed she saw every inch of land in Jiangdong, the foundation that the Sun clan had built for three generations. And now… it was to be handed over by her, a woman.
Disintegrated…
Everything had turned to dust.
Yet, she was powerless, and all the officials present were also powerless.
This… perhaps was the inevitable trend, perhaps it was the “world” that Lu Ziyu had conveyed to her through his daughter’s mouth…
“Gongjin, Elder Zhang…”
Wu Guotai tried to calm her emotions and murmured, “Then… I will trouble both of you to go to Chibi and discuss the terms of surrender and marriage with King Wei…”
“I only have this one daughter. Both of you must see King Wei, and also meet that Nanshan Marquis Lu Ziyu… let… let him treat my daughter well!”
As these words were spoken…
Sun Shangxiang’s large eyes blinked. She seemed lost in thought, recalling the scene when she assassinated Lu Yu.
Who would have thought back then that the person she… she assassinated would become her husband.
“Guotai, rest assured, Gongjin and I will not fail our mission!” Zhang Zhao cupped his hands.
Zhou Yu also stated, “I will obey Guotai’s words!”
As their voices fell, the two received their orders, exchanged glances, and walked out of the Sun mansion together.
Upon reaching the entrance…
Zhou Yu was about to board his carriage.
“Gongjin…” Zhang Zhao called out to Zhou Yu…
“What advice does Grand Secretary Zhang have?” Zhou Yu asked, slightly surprised.
Zhang Zhao replied, “I never imagined that you and I, both being sojourners in Jiangdong, you as the faction for conquest monopolizing Jiangdong’s military power, and I as the faction of literati monopolizing Jiangdong’s culture, would one day leave Jiangdong, or rather, escape from Jiangdong.”
“Heh…” Zhou Yu smiled. Yang Xiu was right…
As sojourners, the moment the Sun clan used the four great families of Wu Commandery and the four great families of Kuaiji to balance them, Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao’s positions had quietly shifted…
Whether they fought? Or surrendered?
Ultimately… it was to escape from Jiangdong.
It was just that Zhou Yu wanted to escape by advancing westward to Bashu after the great victory at Chibi…
Zhang Zhao was more direct, hoping to escape this place by surrendering to Great Wei and returning to his hometown, Xuzhou.
Which wanderer doesn’t long for his hometown?
“Cough cough…” Zhou Yu coughed. “Grand Secretary Zhang, for this visit to Chibi, you and I must work together with one heart!”
“Naturally!” Zhang Zhao nodded.
Immediately, their eyes met… as if more words were gathered in their gaze.
Finally, for some unknown reason, they both burst into laughter!
Perhaps, this was the completion of destiny?
…
…
Jizhou, Ye City. Tomorrow is the completion ceremony of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.
Today…
All the inns, large and small, are filled with people. Ma Yunlu and her brother Ma Tie are staying in a farmhouse outside the city.
They do not like crowds…
Furthermore, the guard work here is entirely managed by Cao Pi, so Ma Tie is not busy.
However, after Ma Yunlu arrived in Ye City, Princess Wannian Liu Xue, along with Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, specially came to visit her.
Everyone knew that after the matters in Jiangdong were settled, the most grand event in all of Great Wei would be the marriage between the Nanshan Marquis Lu Yu and the Xiliang Princess Ma Yunlu.
Liu Xue, knowing they would eventually be family, wanted to foster familiarity beforehand.
As for… Da Qiao, she thoughtfully gifted the “Zhuge Divine Crossbow” that her husband Lu Yu had given her for self-defense to Ma Yunlu, leaving a particularly deep impression on Ma Yunlu.
If Princess Wannian Liu Xue’s kindness was the innate noble kindness of a princess, with words that were extremely pleasing to the ear.
Xiao Qiao was the type who was witty and lively… mischievous and cute.
Then… Da Qiao was like a gentle, amiable elder sister, taking care of everyone’s feelings.
For a moment, this made Ma Yunlu look forward to… what her life would be like after marrying into the Nanshan Marquis’s mansion.
Of course…
In the eyes of Liu Xue, Da Qiao, and Xiao Qiao, this legendary, somewhat “tomboyish” Xiliang Princess was not so difficult to get along with…
Especially Da Qiao, who specifically taught Ma Yunlu how to use the “Zhuge Divine Crossbow” as a hidden weapon. Normally, it was worn on the arm, and the mechanism was pulled when in danger!
When the few women left, the moon had already risen high…
The dark night was as deep as a stone… Ma Yunlu tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It seemed… she kept thinking about the women in the Nanshan Marquis’s mansion, which made her feel very complicated.
Women of Xiliang were originally unwilling to share their men with others…
But… strangely, today she had a great change of heart.
Hmm…
Suddenly, Ma Yunlu heard something.
It was the sound of extremely light and fine footsteps…
Before she could confirm.
“Swish swish swish…”
A series of whistling sounds echoed through the air, and almost at the same time, three holes appeared on the necks of the three Xiliang warriors guarding this farmhouse.
Accompanied by the sound of them falling with a “thump… thump”…
The footsteps grew more rapid.
And then, three slender figures in black rushed into Ma Yunlu’s sleeping quarters… Ma Yunlu was already prepared. The moment she sensed movement, she had already reached for her sword.
And in the blink of an eye, the three figures in black had reached Ma Yunlu.
“Taking orders from others, fulfilling duties for benefactors!”
“Xiliang is ultimately a threat to Great Wei!”
A slightly rough male voice came out…
Following that, three long swords simultaneously stabbed towards Ma Yunlu.
This…
Ma Yunlu subconsciously raised her sword to block, but her swordsmanship was far inferior to her spear-handling skills, and certainly not exquisite.
The long swords whistled through the air, like wind and waves…
Seeing the long swords about to pierce Ma Yunlu’s chest, in this lightning-fast moment, Ma Yunlu subconsciously activated the mechanism on her wrist.
Sixteen tailless crossbow bolts shot out…
It was the hidden weapon produced by Lu Yu’s workshop – the Zhuge Divine Crossbow!
Just tonight, Da Qiao had taught her how to use it. Ma Yunlu found it novel and didn’t even take it off when she slept…
Who would have thought that tonight… she would use it!
—Swish swish swish…
The tailless crossbow bolts shot out with extreme speed. At fifty paces, they were enough to pierce metal and stone. And the distance between the black-clad assassins and Ma Yunlu was far less than fifty paces, not even five paces.
Puff…
Slight bloodstains flowed…
And the force of the tailless crossbow bolts forced the three assassins to fly backward…
“Assassin… Assassin…”
“Catch the assassin…”
“Quick… here, here.”
Outside the door, the sound of guards’ footsteps and shouts could be heard… The assassins dared not linger. They stepped on the table with their toes, quickly smashed through the window, and retreated.
However… only two of the three assassins escaped. One person, because he was pierced by sixteen tailless crossbow bolts…
Where did he have the strength?
Thump… thump…
With a clang, he fell outside the window… The blood flowing out had already stained the place red.
“Sister… are you alright?”
Ma Tie arrived with the guards… Ma Yunlu was biting her lip.
Ma Tie added, “Just now, I was also attacked. I was wounded on my left arm by a sword. Fortunately, the assassin’s martial arts were not very high, and I repelled him!”
“Brother…” Ma Yunlu quickly said, “Don’t talk so much for now, quickly count the men… we need to leave here.”
“Leave?” Ma Tie was somewhat surprised.
“Yes!” Ma Yunlu nodded. “Just now, the assassin told me, saying… saying ‘Taking orders from others, fulfilling duties for benefactors’, ‘Xiliang is ultimately a threat to Great Wei!’”
Speaking of this, Ma Yunlu gritted her teeth tightly…
“You mean, it was King Wei who attacked us?” Ma Tie’s face turned ashen.
However…
Clearly, she had overestimated her sister Ma Yunlu’s intelligence. Based on the current information, how could she judge?
“No matter what, let’s leave here first. If… if King Wei assassinated us, then… then… Father…”
Mentioning Father Ma Teng…
Ma Yunlu’s face was filled with terror.
Ma Tie, on the other hand, was sweating profusely like rain…
“Go… let’s go now… go!”
Immediately…
Ma Tie and Ma Yunlu, along with a group of Xiliang warriors, quickly fled the place.
The urgent matter was, they… they had to determine whether Great Wei harbored any hostility towards them!
…
…
A map was placed in front of Cao Cao.
Cao Cao’s finger traced from the direction of Chibi on the map, then northward to Luoyang and Xudu, and finally westward… tracing across the Sanfu region, reaching Guanzhong, and then to Yongliang.
His eyes were tightly narrowed… staring intently at the location of Xiliang on the map.
This…
Cao Cao’s mood was exceptionally heavy.
The reason was… just now, he had received an urgent dispatch from Ye City. Three days ago, on the night of the completion of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace… Ma Yunlu and Ma Tie were attacked…
The two, along with the Xiliang cavalry, suddenly disappeared from Ye City.
Cao Pi dared not act without authorization, nor dare he send troops to pursue them… thus, he expedited the urgent report and sent it over.
At the same time, a pigeon message from Xudu City also reached Chibi.
Ma Teng was assassinated… and his life or death was currently unknown!
— “Report…”
Another Hujun soldier rushed into the large tent. “An urgent dispatch from Guanzhong, seven hundred li away…”
“Han Sui and Ma Chao have raised troops, breached Tong Pass, and are advancing eastward, their forces directly targeting Xudu, Luoyang… within ten days, Xudu City will face the threat of being besieged!”
“Lord Xun has sent an urgent dispatch, stating that Xudu City is of great importance, and a large number of Xiliang spies have infiltrated the city. Wei Wang is requested to return immediately for reinforcements. The Son of Heaven cannot be lost!”
Hiss…
This urgent dispatch was read out by the Hujun warrior. Not only Cao Cao…
Xi Zhicai and Xun You, who were beside Cao Cao, both changed their expressions…
The two of them exchanged glances, their minds filled with question marks? What’s going on… What is going on?
Strong enemies pressing down, internal and external troubles…
How did it become like this overnight?
“This is bad!”
Cao Cao clenched his fists and slammed them onto the table. His expression became extremely stern.
Cao Cao realized that an unseen hand was driving something.
And Xiliang… the originally stable rear had suddenly become the sharpest spear.
“Report…”
Just then, Xu Chu entered the large tent.
“What else is there?”
Cao Cao’s tone was filled with infinite melancholy and helplessness…
He subconsciously interpreted Xu Chu’s report as… bad news!
After all, as the saying goes… misfortunes never come singly.
Who would have thought that Xu Chu would scratch his head. “Wei Wang, Jiangdong has sent Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao as envoys. It seems they wish to discuss peace and marriage with Wei Wang?”
Peace, Cao Cao could understand?
Marriage proposal? What was going on now.
The current Cao Cao was utterly bewildered. Why did everything… come all at once on this day!
…
…