“Has he lost his mind?”
After a long silence, the room erupted with an angry roar.
They were indeed quite displeased with Sun Ce’s appointment of Zhu Zhi from the Zhu family of Pei State as the Prefect of Yuzhang County, but Zhu Zhi’s appointment had already been officially recognized by the court in Chang’an. How could they possibly reverse that decision, not to mention kill Zhu Zhi like a common thief?
But Huang She went and did just that!
Not only did he do it, but he also sent gifts to Wu County. It was utterly absurd!
This act undoubtedly dragged the noble families of Wu County down with him.
If Sun Ce didn’t find out, that would be one thing, but if he caught wind of it, with his temper, he would surely go after them.
He had long been worried about not having a suitable opportunity to strike, and now this was a handle handed right to him!
This kind of reckless action, showing no regard for consequences or even the feelings of those making a visit, could only be done by a madman!
Huang She was clearly that kind of madman.
When he was brought into the room, the sense of the other party’s madness became all the clearer to everyone present.
It had been nearly a month since the Yuzhang incident, and Huang She had gone from the son of a Prefect to a fleeing fugitive. He looked significantly haggard, and his eyes were particularly striking.
In those pitch-black eyes, everyone saw a sort of hidden deathly gloom, as if he didn’t care at all about the consequences of his actions.
“You…”
Just as Zhu Gong opened his mouth, Huang She bowed to them, “To avenge my father, this was a necessity. I ask for your understanding.”
“This is hardly a necessity; it’s simply…” The man from the Gu family in Wu County gritted his teeth, unable to finish that thought.
He was dying to say that Huang She was a madman even crazier than Sun Ce, but considering the audacity of this person to assassinate Zhu Zhi, who knew if he might suddenly pull out a knife and spill blood right there?
“You want to say I’m a reckless madman,” Huang She replied calmly, “but a person driven to desperation doesn’t care about having any escape routes left.”
After the Yuzhang battle, Sun Ce had not only taken his father Huang Zu’s life but also aimed to behead him in public.
This was to let everyone in Yang Province know that Sun Ce was the rightful lord of Yang Province and that he wouldn’t tolerate any questioning of his decisions once he grew powerful.
He was not only out for revenge but also determined not to die easily at the hands of Sun Ce.
If he had to die in the end, dragging a few down with him wouldn’t be such a loss!
Especially if those he brought down were someone like Sun Ce!
After fleeing Yuzhang County and boarding the boat of Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting to Jingxian, he met Zu Lang who was present there.
Although Zu Lang didn’t mock him for his misfortunes, he also had no intention of helping him during their first meeting.
According to his explanation, “The saying ‘when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold’ indeed applies here. But the relationship between lips and teeth is one of connection, while my relationship with someone like you, who is at the level of a Prefect, is quite different.”
Given that, why should he believe this sudden proposal for cooperation wouldn’t just be a ploy to use him, instead of being genuine intent to join forces against Sun Ce?
Even Ze Rong, who had no significant class difference from him, showed no intention of confiding in him, treating him like a gullible fool. So what reason did Huang She have to think that the noble families of Wu County, who might assist him, would take him seriously?
Zu Lang indeed hadn’t changed his stance against Sun Ce, but he disliked being led down a blind alley by someone.
At most, he could hand over a few loyal subordinates who understood the terrain of Yang Province to Huang She, just to ensure that he wouldn’t get caught by Sun Ce before he could come up with a persuasive reason.
Initially, Huang She was only considering that since Zu Lang wanted to see sincerity, he would simultaneously send support from the Huang family of Jiangxia while trying to engage with the noble families of Wu County.
Who would’ve thought he’d hit a snag right at the beginning?
It wasn’t that Sun Ce had blocked the Yangtze River routes preventing Huang She from returning to Jiangxia, but rather that the moment he set foot back in Jiangxia, before he could even reach the Huang family’s old residence, he was ambushed by a band of pursuers.
Fortunately, with the manpower Zu Lang had given him, he barely managed to escape.
He decided then and there to head straight back to the Yang Province.
Who were these attackers? Their attire and faces revealed no clues, but Huang She figured that as long as he wasn’t an idiot, he’d easily guess their origins.
They had to be from the Huang family of Jiangxia.
Whether it was Liu Biao or Sun Ce wanting him silenced, they wouldn’t need to be so covert about it.
Cai Mao and Kuai Yue would be only too happy for him to return to Huang family territory, hoping to catch him off-guard rather than actively obstructing him.
What did it mean for a young man to experience such family betrayal after losing a father? Huang She provided a highly extreme answer.
Su Fei originally wanted to advise him, suggesting that if he couldn’t secure support from the Jiangxia Huang family, he should retreat to Jiaozhou and cherish the fragile life Huang Zu had spared him. But Huang She was not some useless person; he had a bit of talent, so—
Huang family’s actions to undermine him for their own safety only intensified his resolve to gamble everything.
And it enabled him to conjure a way out of this extreme predicament.
Not having some support wasn’t a problem; as long as he could replace that support himself and bring in another ally, it would be fine.
He had to show everyone that Sun Ce was not invincible!
He sneaked back to Yuzhang after hiding in Jiangxia, hearing that discussions about Huang Zu’s death were no longer permitted in Yuzhang, and instead, he caught wind of news about the new Prefect about to take office.
Huang She made a decision in his heart.
He wanted to act like a man who was doomed to die, making himself a target while also becoming the critical nexus connecting all the discontented forces with Sun Ce!
Assassinating Zhu Zhi—this was the most appropriate course of action he could think of!
Not only did the noble families of Wu County find Huang She’s actions shockingly reckless, but even Su Fei, tasked with looking out for Huang She under Huang Zu’s orders, felt this was simply not the way a normal person would think of resolving a situation.
But due to Huang Zu’s favor in promoting him, Su Fei decided to help Huang She one last time before venturing off to Jiaozhou himself.
They approached Zu Lang again, using a stash of goods Huang Zu had left for Huang She, trading with Zu Lang for some manpower, and then commenced their ambush against Zhu Zhi.
Zhu Zhi was from Yu Province and Pei State, but his father had moved to Danyang County in Yang Province years ago, so he could also be considered a local of Danyang.
After Sun Ce took control of Yang Province, he naturally set up camp there.
This job transfer saw him heading from Danyang to Yuzhang.
With Huang Zu dead and only Huang She and Su Fei left on the run, aside from the bandits lurking in the counties, there were essentially no other dangers in Yang Province. Zhu Zhi thought it better to travel light, as a large entourage might lead people to suspect he was planning some military campaign.
After all, he himself came from a martial background, and even if he were to encounter highway bandits, he figured it wouldn’t pose too much trouble, and escaping wouldn’t be too hard.
Little did he know, he was about to meet the vengeful Huang She, who was no longer the literary young man he once was, but a snake lurking in the shadows.
To reach Yuzhang from Danyang’s Guchang County, one would first need to go through Liyang and then enter the Yangtze River route via the Lishui River. This stretch of road from Guchang to Liyang was Huang She’s prime opportunity to act!
Unaware of the danger, Zhu Zhi’s horse suddenly tripped over multiple horse-tripping snares upon arriving at that hilly area.
Zu Lang’s subordinates, accustomed to the terrain, moved even more skillfully than Sun Ce’s troops, let alone Zhu Zhi’s personal guards.
Amid the chaos, Huang She, with the cover of a few others, swiftly beheaded Zhu Zhi.
After bidding farewell to Su Fei, he unhesitatingly led his men to the neighboring Wu County to seek out the four noble families there.
He openly revealed this operation to those present.
“…What on earth do you intend to do?” Zhu Gong finally snapped back to reality from the shock Huang She’s bizarre actions had caused and asked.
He did not believe that Huang She was unaware that this move, even if it did earn their temporary support, would ultimately amount to nothing more than a knife for them to wield, destined to be discarded or silenced.
He did it without a second thought.
Now that’s the part that really makes him scary!
Huang She’s eyes flickered as he replied, “A man who’s not afraid to die will become your best tool to break the deadlock, but this tool needs some polishing first—”
“He needs your attitude to bring the Shanyue forces into the alliance, and you’ll also have to find a few people for him, like the former retainer of Xu Gong, the Prefect of Wu Jùn, who was killed by Sun Ce back in the day.”
These two points really weren’t hard for them, and even avoiding Sun Ce’s ears during this Shanyue connection shouldn’t be that difficult.
And Huang She continued, “A son avenging a father’s death, a minister avenging a sovereign’s death—both are just acts of righteous duty. I humbly ask the elders to support us.”
This line about “a son avenging a father” was nearly echoed by another voice at the same time.
Sun Ce looked at the young lad in mourning clothes before him, his expression dark.
The boy couldn’t be more than thirteen or fourteen, his pale face showing a stubborn intensity.
He turned to Sun Ce and reiterated, “Please allow me to carry out my father’s revenge.”
This boy’s real name was Shi Ran, but due to Zhu Zhi having no sons, in his thirties, he adopted his sister’s son and renamed him Zhu Ran, a name he had borne for seven or eight years now.
To him, Zhu Zhi and his father were indistinguishable.
It was also because Zhu Zhi served Sun Jian and Sun Ce that Zhu Ran fit the age requirement to be a companion to Sun Quan, who was born the same year.
Given that his adoptive father became the Prefect of Yuzhang and was promoted under Sun Ce, he and Sun Quan developed a close friendship during their studies, making their situation seemingly better.
But why did they suddenly face such a turn of events!
The assassination in Danyang County was quickly reported to the County Office after it occurred.
Zhu Zhi, a notable official in Danyang, was suddenly killed, his head even going missing, found dead on the way to his new post as Prefect of Yuzhang—this was not just a provocation to Sun Ce, but also to Qiao Yan!
The County official of Guchang County dared not delay and immediately sent the news to Sun Ce, also informing Zhu Zhi’s family.
“General, I don’t believe my father died at the hands of bandits in the mountains,” Zhu Ran said, struggling to suppress his tears, “In the years of Zhongping, during the Guanzhu Rebellion in Changsha, Lingling, and Guiyang, my father served as a commander under General Wentai, gaining military achievements.”
“Since you’ve taken command of Yang Province, aside from the Shanyue bandits, no one has had the audacity to lay such a deadly hand on my father, only they have such capability!”
He knelt down and said, “Please allow me to join the ranks as soon as possible to join my uncles in exterminating the Danyang bandits and avenging my father!”
“Yi Feng, you…”
Sun Ce looked at the boy with a hint of helplessness in his eyes; the boy’s resolute tone almost expressed that if Sun Ce didn’t agree, he would remain kneeling.
But he was indeed still too young.
He was younger than those coming out of Leping Academy for trials, and if anything were to happen to him, how would Sun Ce explain it to Zhu Zhi?
He was not unaware of what Zhu Ran had said, especially the past that he mentioned.
These past promotion experiences reminded Sun Ce of the seething anger he felt upon hearing the news of Zhu Zhi’s death.
How dare these people!
If they dare to kill a Prefect, what won’t they do!
At this moment, Zhu Ran before him was too similar to the situation Sun Ce faced when his father died—and seeing his own shadow in the boy, Sun Ce was eager to take up arms and head to Danyang immediately to find the culprit behind Zhu Zhi’s murder.
“General, I’m no child anymore, I understand righteousness and filial piety, and I have read the books of loyalty and faith with Zhong Mou. If you believe I’m still too young to wield a sword, then please send me to the military camp.”
Just as Zhu Ran was about to bow again, someone grabbed him by the collar, “Get up; I agree, but you must promise me one thing—”
Under Zhu Ran’s eager gaze, Sun Ce felt his tone grow heavier, “There are many Shanyue forces in Yang Province, and once they take to the mountains, it will be nearly impossible to hunt them down. Zu Lang has seized Jing County, seemingly easy to attack, but they can switch positions at any time; we must strike decisively.”
“General Zhu has followed my father and me for ten years, and now he’s dead, I must avenge him!”
Sun Ce gritted his teeth as he uttered this.
Zhu Zhi’s death shattered the pride he felt after successfully seizing Yuzhang and the joy of exterminating Huang Zu into pieces in a heartbeat.
If he didn’t avenge this grudge, how could he deserve the title of Yang Province’s governor, loved by these troops!
He owed it to his comrades, too!
Yet what he never expected was that a few days later, Zhu Zhi’s head was sent to the county’s executive seat in Nanchang.
Inside the box containing the head was a note saying, “Congratulations on your new position.”
Sun Ce was nearly driven mad.
This act was nothing short of mockery and provocation right in his face.
What did “congratulations on your new position” even mean?
Zhu Zhi’s body lay in Danyang, waiting to have his head returned for a proper burial, yet the head suddenly appeared in Yuzhang “for a new position.”
Sun Ce slammed his fist on the table in front of him and coldly asked his subordinates, “What have you found out?”
Since the head was sent to the province, there had to be clues.
But the courier had no idea what he was sending, and under interrogation by the officials, he could only say someone had asked him to deliver it, and he described the person to the best of his ability, which allowed the officers working for Sun Ce to sketch a likeness.
The subordinate then handed the portrait to Sun Ce.
In those days, it was rare for reward posters to capture a likeness, but despite the difficulty, Sun Ce recognized the person’s identity in an instant.
He grabbed the paper beside him; the drawn figure remarkably resembled Huang She and Su Fei, with the completed portrait closely resembling Huang She’s.
“So it’s this slippery fish…” Sun Ce felt the blood in his chest want to burst out.
After Huang Zu’s death, he had thought Huang She, relying on his father’s influence, wouldn’t dare resist, yet unexpectedly he brought him a “surprise”!
He thought it was the Jiangxia Huang Clan backing Huang She, but soon heard that they had long distanced themselves from him, no longer considering him one of their own. So, there must be another force supporting Huang She.
Before long, he discovered that a person resembling Huang She had entered the territory of the Shanyue in Jing County.
Well then, they were definitely behind this!
Having just taken Yu Zhang, he still needed to stabilize it, but that didn’t stop him from issuing orders that after the autumn harvest, they would mobilize troops to exterminate Zu Lang!
However, it wasn’t so easy to quell the Shanyue during the autumn and winter.
As descendants of the ancient Yue people in Yang Province, they didn’t just nestle in counties like Jing County but also held fortresses in the mountains, and after the autumn harvest, they would immediately relocate to the mountains.
The rugged terrain of Danyang made it nearly impossible for Sun Ce to pull off a surprise attack like he had in Yuzhang.
Listening to his subordinates’ reports, anger surged on Sun Ce’s face.
The advance team searching for the Shanyue’s hideouts in the mountains had suffered casualties from Zu Lang’s forces, with barely a handful escaping.
He slapped the table and shouted, “Yi Feng, let’s head to Jing County; we’ll personally settle your father’s blood debt!”
If they didn’t quell those Shanyue bandits now, they’d truly be uncontrollable in this territory!
This might not be the best timing for such an action, but it was a necessary one!
Meanwhile, Qiao Yan was also up to her own essential actions in Bingzhou.
After Cao Ang returned to Yanzhou, he informed Cao Cao about her trading proposition.
This surprising trade method had never crossed Cao Cao’s mind, and he knew well what kind of game Qiao Yan was playing.
To prevent this cultural invasion—which had already begun with the emergence of Leping Monthly Report—from gaining further ground, Cao Cao decided to temporarily shelve the negotiation.
Qiao Yan wasn’t anxious.
The buffoons in Chang’an provided her with plenty of amusement, giving her plenty to do while waiting for the seasons to change.
Moreover, she already had her next task lined up.
After the first batch of prints rolled out, it was time for the second publication to launch.
As Qiao Yan wrote the last word in her report to Chang’an, she turned to Xi Zhicai and said, “If Cao Mengde doesn’t make a decision soon, I won’t be just offering pamphlets wrapped in cotton anymore.”
This was—the price of hesitation.
