The plum rain finally packed its bags and left. By August, the air felt heavy, not just with heat, but with the still tension hanging over every river bend and watchtower.
Yue Jin tried to stir up trouble. But only just. He did not move any further.
Why? Because while Zhou Gongjin was recuperating in Chaisang, he was also loudly rallying the Sun Wu forces to gather at Baqiu, making a grand, aggressive show of preparing to attack Yizhou. This massive display of force actually forced Yue Jin into a cautious, wait-and-see stance. After all, sailing upstream from Baqiu to Jiangling took barely half a day.
While everyone else held their breath and watched each other, Liu Bei was busy.
Using the list of names provided by the Lightscreen, he hosted banquets one by one, discovering for the first time just how many capable talents were actually at his disposal.
Fu Tong, Wei Yan, and Hao Pu. Veterans from the Jingzhou days, men who had marched through mud and rain with him. He sat with them, shared wine, and swapped stories of the old days. Just talking about those hard times got all three of them misty-eyed.
However, they could not help but feel that their lord's gaze toward them was somewhat... inexplicable.
Wei Yan sensed both appreciation and caution in Liu Bei's gaze.
Hao Pu felt something like pity.
As for Fu Tong, he was caught completely off guard by Liu Bei's very first question.
"Where is your son?" Liu Bei asked gently.
Fu Tong blinked, cup halfway to his lips. "My lord... I only married last year. I do not have a son yet."
Liu Bei's smile froze for half a second before he recovered, pulling Fu Tong's arm warmly. "Ah, of course! My apologies, my mind has been running in too many directions lately. Sit, sit. Let us fill this cup instead!"
Fu Tong sat down thoroughly confused.
'Why would he ask about a son I do not even have? I am still trying to make one, you know, my lord?'
Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, Huo Jun, and Chen Zhen They had joined less than six months ago, so things were a little more reserved. Liu Bei poured wine, asked about their families, how the harvest was looking, whether the roads were improving. Small, human things that made them feel seen. He made a mental note of every name, every face, every story.
Then, right in the middle of this agonizing standoff, mid-August brought the news Liu Bei had been bracing for: Zhou Gongjin's old illness had relapsed, and he had passed away at Baqiu.
Even though they were mentally prepared, everyone under Liu Bei could not help but sigh in deep regret, lamenting that Heaven was jealous of such brilliant talent.
But regret did not delay action.
Liu Bei set out for Dantu to pay his respects, while Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Huang Zhong gathered at Jiangling, preparing an ambush in case Yue Jin decided to take advantage of the chaos and attack.
One could sail downstream from Jiangling directly to Baqiu, but halfway through the journey, news arrived that Zhou Yu's body had already been transported to Dantu.
Thus, Liu Bei, accompanied by Bu Zhi, changed course for Dantu.
If his last visit to negotiate the ownership of Nan Commandery with Marquis Sun had carried a hint of supplication, this time, Liu Bei would summarize his own motive simply as:
I am here for the Fengchu.
With Zhou Gongjin's sudden death, Marquis Sun was too preoccupied with internal affairs to worry about external threats. Naturally, he would not be foolish enough to attack Liu Bei, with whom he had marriage ties. Therefore, Liu Bei was quite relaxed.
Bringing Bu Zhi along was a gesture of good faith: We can always renegotiate the matter of Jiaozhou.
Passing Baqiu and Chaisang, they finally arrived in Dantu. Everywhere they looked was draped in plain white.
Liu Bei traveled light, but Dantu had already dispatched someone to guide him to his temporary residence.
On the way, they passed a residence where Liu Bei saw his illustrious brother-in-law standing on the roof, holding a brocade robe, shouting loudly into the wind:
"ZHOU GONGJIN!"
Lu Su and Liu Bei stopped to watch.
After shouting, Sun Quan climbed down, grabbed another brocade robe, climbed back up, and wailed mournfully once more:
"ZHOU GONGJIN!"
He repeated this cycle several times before finally stopping.
Liu Bei knew this was the soul-summoning ritual of the funeral.
Later today would come the washing of the body and placing rice in the mouth, followed by writing the banner with the deceased's official titles. Tomorrow at dawn, the body would be dressed in burial clothes for the minor encoffining. Only then would the mourning hall be complete, allowing for formal condolences.
"Marquis Sun is deeply unwilling to part with Zhou Gongjin," Liu Bei sighed. Only close kin would perform such a rite.
"Gongjin... his prime was just beginning, only to meet such a sudden tragedy." Lu Su's face was also grim. Whatever disagreements they had in policy, Zhou Yu's death was no different from Jiangdong losing an arm.
After settling Liu Bei in, Lu Su turned his gaze to Bu Zhi. "Zishan, come with me to see Lord Sun."
Bu Zhi, wearing an expression of utter misery, was led away by Lu Su.
With heavy thoughts on his mind, Liu Bei did not sleep well. Early the next morning, a servant knocked, announcing that the mourning hall was ready and he could proceed with his condolences.
After washing up, Liu Bei followed the servant back along the path he had taken the day before.
In front of Zhou Yu's residence, a white cloth was hoisted on a bamboo pole, bearing the inscription: "Administrator of Nan Commandery, Zhonglang General, Zhou Gongjin."
Stepping inside, Liu Bei saw Zhou Gongjin, washed and dressed in magnificent burial robes, lying peacefully in the main hall. His wife and children knelt to the side, nodding in respectful greeting to Liu Bei.
Sighing, Liu Bei placed a jade robe he had brought beside the body. After paying his solemn respects, he was escorted out by Zhou Yu's eldest son.
Glancing back one last time, Liu Bei could not help but wonder:
'When I die at Baidi City one day... what will my own funeral look like? Will it be Kongming who calls my soul, or A-Dou?'
As for the major encoffining, the burial artifacts, and the ancestral rites that followed the funeral... well, those had nothing to do with him anymore.
Just then, Liu Bei heard someone call out to him: "Governor Liu of Jingzhou?"
Liu Bei turned around. Standing there was a refined scholar, elegant in demeanor. Though his features were ordinary, he possessed an instantly likable aura.
"Shiyuan?!"
Liu Bei beamed, stepping forward to grab Pang Tong's hand and pulling him along without a second thought.
"I never expected to meet you here... Come to my residence, we must talk."
It was not until they were kneeling on the mats, a cup of hot tea pressed into his hands, and he looked up to meet Liu Bei's burning gaze, that Pang Tong still felt a sense of unreality.
'How did things progress this quickly?'
"I already know why you are here, Shiyuan," Liu Bei said with a perfectly calm smile. "Although Gongjin has just passed, you are neither his subject nor Marquis Sun's subject. You are free to come and go as you please."
"I wish to appoint you as Strategist-General of the Household. What say you?"
Straight to the point. Cutting right to the chase.
Before meeting Liu Bei, Pang Tong had imagined several possible reactions. None of them looked like this.
This Governor Liu seemed to already know his name, and had even guessed why he was waiting here.
After a moment of contemplation, Pang Tong asked, "Is Kongming currently serving as Strategist-General of the Household under Governor Liu?"
Liu Bei nodded, adding, "Kongming often says that your talent surpasses his own. You are a talent meant to assist the world, with a heart dedicated to saving the state and its people!"
Pang Tong's smile was incredibly forced.
'Kongming guessed my every move perfectly. How could my talent possibly surpass his? Is this truly the talent of the Wolong?'
Furthermore, with Gongjin's death, Jiangling was bound to make a move, yet he could not guess a single thing about it.
But fortunately, Liu Bei seemed to truly value Kongming's words, offering him the exact same rank as Kongming. With such high regard, how could Sun Quan possibly compete? Remembering that Sun Quan had not even summoned him to this day, Pang Tong could not help but sigh inwardly.
He then straightened his posture and asked seriously, "May I ask, Governor Liu, what is your ultimate ambition?"
"To destroy the Cao thief, crusade against Sun Quan, restore the Han dynasty, and unite the realm under Heaven. I only wish for peace across the four seas and clear rivers!"
Pang Tong's eyes widened in shock as he lunged forward and clamped his hand over Liu Bei's mouth.
"My lord! We are in Jiangdong! Watch your words!"
Liu Bei beamed with pure joy. "Having gained the Wolong, and now the Fengchu, my path is not lonely, and the Han shall prosper!"
Pang Tong dropped the pretense. He stood up, bowed deeply once more, and leaned in close.
"If we are to take Yizhou, my lord, what are your chances of success?"
Liu Bei smiled and held up one hand. "Originally, fifty percent."
He then held up his other hand. "Now, one hundred percent!"
Deeply moved, Pang Tong bowed again. "Tong is willing to conquer Yizhou and present it to my lord!"
"That will not be necessary," Liu Bei said, his expression turning peculiar as a memory surfaced. "Shiyuan, you just need to help me guard Jingzhou well. There is a place in Yizhou called Luofeng Slope. The feng shui there is terrible for you."
Pang Tong looked utterly bewildered. Before he could process this, he heard his new lord's first official order:
"Shiyuan, are you acquainted with Ma Zhong, the subordinate general under Pan Zhang? I hear he has a reputation for virtue. Could you arrange an introduction?"
Pang Tong fell silent.
'This lord of his... seemed to know a little too much.'