Chapter 337

Chapter 337

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 10: The World in Chaos, the Time of the Deer Hunt Chapter 337: The Death of Sun Ce

Belonging to the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 337: The Death of Sun Ce…

Sun Ce entered the Yishan Mountains to campaign against Zu Lang and returned severely wounded!

Even if his subordinates intentionally concealed this news, with Huang Gai and others urgently withdrawing from Jing County, relocating their troops to Tongguan, and secretly summoning renowned physicians from Lujiang, Danyang, and Wu Commandery, even Lujiang Prefect Lu Kang rushed to Tongguan, no one would think this was a triumphant return from Sun Ce’s campaign against Zu Lang.

“How is my brother now?” Sun Quan, who was also brought here due to Zhu Ran, anxiously asked.

This news probably won’t be hidden from their mother for long. They must quickly find a way to treat him before alarming her.

But these physicians, each renowned as miracle doctors in the Jiangnan region, all came out shaking their heads. When they were asked to stay aside temporarily and not leave, they expressed their dissatisfaction, only complying due to Huang Gai’s martial intimidation.

“Snake venom, that’s all we can confirm for now,” Huang Gai said, sweat dripping from his forehead.

Seeing Sun Ce collapse, he regretted more than ever his momentary negligence, allowing Sun Ce to suffer such an accident.

If it were just an arrow wound, it would be manageable.

Even if the injury were critical, there would still be a chance to seek Zhang Zhongjing from Chiyang Medical Academy in Chang’an. But the arrow that pierced him not only had a rusty barb but also poison—

A potent snake venom of an unknown type.

With countless venomous snakes in the world, even if there were an antidote, the symptoms alone couldn’t determine the type, let alone find a counteracting cure.

The most troublesome part…

“Zhongmou, these physicians suspect this might not be a venomous snake from within the Han territory,” Huang Gai sighed.

Sun Quan was shocked: “How could this be?”

Han Dang explained: “The last poisoned arrow was from Huang She, son of Huang Zu. Huang Zu, while alive, had a fondness for exotic items. Besides the foreign parrot someone gifted him, he likely also had a batch of venomous snakes. Huang She secretly returned to Yuzhang Commandery probably to retrieve these items.”

“Extracting snake venom is quite troublesome. If the poisoned arrow isn’t used within a day, it loses its effectiveness. Huang She likely started extracting the venom only after General Sun Ce entered the mountains.”

“This time, he came with the intent to avenge his father, regardless of life or death… leaving us no clues.”

While Sun Ce was fighting the Shanyue, Huang She quietly watched, only shooting his poisoned arrow when Sun Ce went to retrieve Ling Cao’s corpse.

Even with many of Sun Ce’s subordinates around after the battle, Huang She, knowing he couldn’t escape after shooting the arrow, still made this choice.

In fact, ever since he brought Zhu Zhi’s head to the four great families of Wu Commandery, he had left himself little room for survival.

Before Sun Ce’s subordinates could capture him, he ended his own life with a dagger.

With Huang She dead, they had no one left to interrogate.

Unless…

“Unless we can find the remaining venomous snakes in the mountains, there might still be a chance,” Huang Gai said.

This was highly possible, as even the Shanyue, who had been cautious, likely couldn’t predict today would be the best time to strike Sun Ce. If he hadn’t suddenly chosen to lead his personal troops deep into the mountains, they might not have had the opportunity.

But saying this was easier than doing it.

Even with their previous victorious momentum from attacking Jing County, they couldn’t directly assault Zu Lang’s stronghold. Now, with Sun Ce severely wounded and possibly dying, could they really win with their concern for Sun Ce?

Zu Lang probably hoped for Sun Ce’s misfortune. By the time they attacked the mountains, any remaining clues might already be severed.

“One hesitation after another, and by the time we decide, the person will be gone!”

Zhou Tai, who joined Sun Ce’s forces last year with Jiang Qin from the same commandery, was highly valued by Sun Ce for his bear-like combat skills and had been given a position as a separate department commander. Hearing another “famous doctor” pronounce Sun Ce’s death sentence, he couldn’t help but shout.

“Lord Zhang, I need your opinion,” Zhou Tai suddenly turned to Zhang Zhao.

Zhang Zhao hadn’t originally accompanied the army, but with Zhou Yu still in Xuzhou, someone had to make decisions in such critical moments. Huang Gai had him urgently summoned, and now, due to the hurried journey, he looked exhausted.

“Lord Zhang, do you think we should attack Yishan and capture Zu Lang first?” Zhou Tai asked.

For someone as straightforward as Zhou Tai, since he couldn’t help in treating Sun Ce, he might as well fulfill Sun Ce’s wish to pacify the Shanyue. Perhaps their grief would lead to victory, allowing them to capture Zu Lang and possibly find unexpected gains.

But Zhang Zhao hesitated.

Sun Ce’s respect and the responsibilities entrusted to him wouldn’t make him consider defecting elsewhere during Sun Ce’s critical condition. He was only hesitant that if they suffered further losses attacking Zu Lang, the Shanyue might not only retake Jing County but also attack Tongguan, causing the Yang Province situation Sun Ce had established to collapse overnight.

Before he could decide, a subordinate knocked and entered, his first words changing everyone’s expressions: “A large fleet not belonging to us is heading towards Tongguan, claiming—”

“To be the Grand Marshal’s subordinates.”

A fleet?

Qiao Yan’s fleet?

Last year, Qiao Yan sent a fleet from Hailing Port to Liaodong, startling Jiangdong. Thinking this fleet might have been built with the manpower and technology Zhou Yu traded for farming methods, and that Hailing Port had fallen under the Chang’an court’s control under their noses, they couldn’t help but marvel at Qiao Yan’s foresight.

Now, she suddenly leads a fleet eastward. For some reason, everyone hearing this news felt it wasn’t heading to Hailing.

But even with this understanding, they didn’t expect not only the Grand Marshal’s subordinates but also Grand Marshal Qiao Yan herself to arrive.

This woman in dark robes and red attire, surrounded by subordinates, swiftly entered Tongguan County.

Accompanying her was even Zhu Jun, originally stationed in Changsha Commandery!

“May I ask why the Grand Marshal has come…”

As Zhang Zhao, representing Sun Ce’s subordinates here, began to ask, Qiao Yan raised her hand to stop him, “No need to say more, where is Bofu?”

“A few days ago, I received a secret report from Yang Province saying he ignored Zhou Gongjin’s advice and insisted on leading troops to suppress the Shanyue. Zu Lang has been entrenched in Jing County much longer than he has. This move was too reckless. Now that several commanderies in Yang Province are finally under his control as the Governor, why make such a hasty move?”

Qiao Yan’s stern words sounded like an elder scolding a junior. Considering she was only a year older than Sun Ce, it was somewhat comical, but given their official positions, it wasn’t inappropriate.

She continued, “If Zhou Gongjin couldn’t stop him, then I will. If he prioritizes personal grudges over the greater situation, what kind of Governor is he!”

She slightly raised her eyebrows, “Why such a reaction? Where is he?”

Zhang Zhao remained silent for a while before saying, “General Sun Ce was ambushed by Zu Lang in the mountains and was hit by a poisoned arrow. I’m afraid…”

“I’m afraid he’s not doing well.”

Hearing Qiao Yan’s words, “If Zhou Gongjin couldn’t stop him, then I will,” everyone present couldn’t help but think how much better it would have been if she had arrived earlier.

Sun Ce ignored Zhou Yu’s advice, confident in his victory over Zu Lang, thinking Zhou Yu was overly worried.

Given the master-subordinate relationship and the lack of sufficient evidence, Sun Ce’s stubbornness was hard to stop.

But if Qiao Yan had spoken, there would have been a chance to persuade him.

Because only she dared to warn Sun Ce with the words, “What kind of Governor is he!”

And only she, in both strategy and martial arts, was someone Sun Ce aspired to emulate.

Years ago in Luoyang, Sun Ce was once struck by Qiao Yan’s two-section Three-Section Spear, an experience that became unique to him.

Unfortunately, Qiao Yan arrived too late.

Hearing the sudden news of Sun Ce’s poisoning and critical condition, not only Zhu Jun, who was persuaded by Qiao Yan to come, but even the Grand Marshal herself showed a moment of shock.

But perhaps years of turmoil had taught her not to show her emotions too openly. She quickly composed herself and said, “The military physician is from Chiyang Medical Academy. Let him see if there’s any hope of saving him. If we can buy time, I’ll immediately send a message to Guanzhong to summon Zhang Zhongjing.”

“Take me to see him.”

Qiao Yan’s words were like a shot of adrenaline to the previously lifeless atmosphere.

Zhou Tai, who had planned to lead troops to attack the Shanyue, immediately abandoned his plan and led the way for Qiao Yan, as if fearing someone might bump into these distinguished guests.

Qiao Yan indeed brought a medical officer in her entourage, originally to handle emergencies among her guards and herself, with a high level of medical skill.

But after examining Sun Ce, the physician still shook his head gravely: “If the arrow had hit a different spot and was treated properly, there might have been a chance. But the back shoulder… I can only apologize for my lack of skill.”

If a snake bite were on the limbs, they could use a tourniquet to prevent the venom from reaching the heart, cauterize the wound, and drain the venom to delay the poisoning. But on the back shoulder, so close to the heart and head, and with nearly a day passed… there was no way to stop it.

The young man, lying prone after the arrow was removed, had a pale and flushed face, showing signs of fever due to the venom reaching his organs.

“All I can do is perhaps restore some consciousness, so he can say what needs to be said. But… he might not be able to speak.”

Qiao Yan, seeing Sun Ce’s transformation from a spirited figure to a dying man, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.

Only after the military physician finished speaking did she turn her gaze back.

Before arriving in Tongguan County, she hadn’t coordinated with the physician, but his diagnosis was clearly the most favorable for her.

She pondered for a moment, then asked, “Are there any renowned physicians in the Jiangnan region or Xuzhou who haven’t been consulted yet?”

“General Huang Gai, Lord Zhang Zhao?”

Hearing Qiao Yan call their names, Huang Gai and Zhang Zhao snapped out of their daze.

Their already slim hopes were completely shattered upon hearing the physician’s verdict. Thinking of Sun Ce’s impending premature death, both Huang Gai, once a subordinate of Sun Jian, and Zhang Zhao, personally recruited by Sun Ce, found it hard to accept.

Huang Gai smiled bitterly, “If there were any remaining, we would have already sent for them, not waiting for the Grand Marshal to arrive.”

She frowned and asked the physician, “How long can you keep him alive at most?”

The physician replied, “Snake venom, if not reduced in toxicity, usually takes effect within two days. This is the case here. At most, we can delay it for a day.”

This answer was similar to what the physicians Huang Gai and Zhang Zhao had consulted said, with some even suggesting less than half a day.

Without antivenom and proper wound treatment, the inability to save him couldn’t be blamed on the physicians’ skills.

But one day was far from enough to send a message to Chang’an and bring Zhang Zhongjing here.

Hua Tuo was even less likely. After all, everyone knew he was currently stationed in Liangzhou, researching foreign diseases.

Sun Quan’s face had turned completely pale.

If not for his companion Zhu Ran supporting him, he might have collapsed.

This statement, offering little hope, completely negated the possibility of his brother’s survival.

Sun Quan’s gaze fixed on Qiao Yan’s back, hoping the Grand Marshal, known for countless miracles, would say something to change the outcome.

But to his disappointment, Qiao Yan only made a decision for them.

“Rather than letting him sleep to death, I think he would prefer to give you some instructions,” she said, looking around at everyone present. “Send someone to bring Madam Wu here immediately. A mother wouldn’t want to lose her child unseen.”

She nodded to the physician, “Proceed.”

“No!” Sun Quan, with newfound courage, steadied himself and broke free from Zhu Ran’s support, rushing to Qiao Yan. “What if my brother can still be saved? Waking him up would only be a final burst of energy, and after giving his last words, he would only be sent to his death!”

Qiao Yan looked down at the thirteen-year-old boy before her.

On this still youthful face, the “green-eyed, purple-bearded” imperial aura wasn’t yet visible. Now, he was just a child who hadn’t grown up.

After Sun Jian’s death, with Sun Ce shielding him from the storms and still being of an age to study, his expression still showed signs of immaturity.

“Can you save him?” Qiao Yan waved her hand, signaling her subordinates to step back.

Sun Quan bit his lip and shook his head.

If he could, he wouldn’t be in such a helpless state.

“Then say no more.”

After this resolute statement, everyone present clearly saw Qiao Yan’s gaze slowly turn to the long spear placed in the corner at the foot of Sun Ce’s bed.

She continued, “Your brother is a hero of our time. Dying on the battlefield is an honor, not a disgrace, even if the opponent is Zu Lang.”

“A hero is a hero because they face life and death with equanimity, but there’s one thing: they must die knowing why.”

“If you let him lie here in confusion until he stops breathing, that would be the greatest insult to his heroic spirit!”

“Well said!” Huang Gai immediately responded.

This old general, who had served under both Sun Jian and Sun Ce and witnessed their deaths, had tears in his eyes but spoke each word without hesitation.

He said word by word, “I support the Grand Marshal’s decision to wake General Sun Ce.”

“I agree,” Zhou Tai quickly followed. “The General must want to give us some instructions. I also want to tell him that we will definitely eradicate the Shanyue rebels for him, leaving no regrets.”

“I… I also agree,” Zhang Zhao hesitated for a moment but still said it.

He vaguely felt that Qiao Yan’s words about “dying knowing why” seemed to imply something, but upon closer examination, her words clearly only wished for Sun Ce to properly settle his affairs, not…








To die a tragic death in the wilderness of Jing Province like General Wentai, unable to even see his son one last time.

“Revive the General.”

After uttering these words, he felt the last bit of energy he had been holding onto since his journey completely dissipate.

He had thought that showing goodwill to Sun Ce and accepting his recruitment would be the beginning of his career in Yang Province, but he never expected Sun Ce to die so soon after pacifying the two commanderies of Yuzhang and Kuaiji.

Where should he go from here?

But now was clearly not the time to dwell on such matters.

He heard Qiao Yan say another sentence: “Send someone to Xuzhou as well. If Bofu can hold on until Zhou Gongjin arrives, let them meet one last time.”

The news of the siege in Huaiyin, Xuzhou, had not reached Yang Province due to Zhou Yu’s deliberate concealment.

Zhang Zhao, Huang Gai, and others had no way of knowing Zhou Yu’s current predicament. They didn’t know that even if a message was sent at full speed, it would be impossible for him to break through the encirclement after Liu Bei and Zhang Fei’s forces arrived, making it impossible for him to return to Yang Province in a short time.

They only thought that from their current location in Tongguan, they could take the water route to Wu Commandery, but going to Xuzhou would require an additional land journey, making it unlikely they could return in time.

Qiao Yan’s actions, rather than fulfilling brotherly affection, were more about showing the people of Yang Province her stance.

Her sudden visit to Yang Province carried an overwhelmingly forceful tone.

The vast fleet of warships anchored outside Tongguan County seemed more like an invasion force than a group coming to dissuade Sun Ce.

But now, she didn’t mind summoning Sun Ce’s mother, other relatives, close friends, and influential figures of Yang Province to hear Sun Ce’s final words, clearly showing her utmost benevolence to the Governor of Yang Province.

She turned her head to look out the window, revealing only half of her face, which bore a genuine sense of pity for the fallen hero.

As if unwilling to witness the sorrowful scene of Sun Ce’s subordinates mourning, she signaled the physician to disregard Sun Quan’s opinion and proceed directly. She then walked to the window, standing beside Zhu Jun.

“We are still too late,” Zhu Jun whispered, barely audible.

Perhaps due to the sorrow of an elder burying the young, Qiao Yan felt that Zhu Jun’s voice, already much older than eleven years ago, trembled even more.

“The world is ever-changing, always has been,” she sighed, gazing at the twilight sky outside the window. “I thought that with birds as my messengers, I could avert disasters more timely than anyone. But in reality, not everything is within my control.”

“Birds?” Zhu Jun asked.

“Do you think a galloping horse on the ground is faster, or a bird in the sky?” Qiao Yan countered.

The matter of using carrier pigeons for communication was no longer a secret after her swift arrivals in Yizhou and Yang Province. Otherwise, to those she still wished to recruit, she would appear as the mastermind behind the upheavals in these two regions.

Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting’s missions in Xuzhou and Yang Province had been accomplished, and there was no longer a need for repeated information exchanges. It was time to separate the commercial and intelligence systems.

It would be best to complete the tasks of this identity here, retreat to the false identity’s Yizhou, and then return to Bingzhou.

Rather than waiting for someone to expose her secret of rapid information acquisition, it was better to openly declare it and see whose carrier pigeons were the most numerous.

But this communication channel was almost revolutionary to Zhu Jun and Zhang Zhao, who overheard their conversation.

Using birds to replace land-based messengers was previously unimaginable, yet in Qiao Yan’s words, it seemed like a commonplace matter.

No wonder… no wonder she could often advance on two fronts without worrying about her messages not reaching both sides in time.

And this was likely not the full extent of her advantages!

In this campaign to Yang Province, her true nature was gradually being revealed!

“Let’s not talk about this. Let’s talk about Bofu. Master Zibu, as a newcomer, I trouble you to tell me more about the situation with the Shanyue.”

Zhang Zhao bowed slightly to Qiao Yan. “It’s no trouble at all, Grand Marshal. If you wish to hear, I will tell you everything.”

As the candles in the room were lit, illuminating the space, Zhang Zhao finally revealed everything Qiao Yan knew or didn’t know.

At the moment a candle flame flickered in the night breeze by the window, Sun Ce finally broke free from his chaotic state, lifting his heavy eyelids.

The scene before him gradually became clear, but his body felt as if it were still under a massive boulder, his limbs pinned and immovable.

For any warrior, losing control of one’s limbs is the most fatal.

Sun Ce’s gaze darkened, but when he saw the faces of his subordinates gathered around him, their red eyes and sorrowful expressions, he suddenly realized his situation.

He might… be dying.

What does it feel like to know you are about to die?

In Sun Ce’s life, he had never pondered such a question. Even when his father died in Liu Biao’s ambush, and his decision to head to Yang Province was particularly risky, he never considered the possibility of death.

For a spirited young man, life seemed to have only one outcome: moving forward.

But now he had to face this consideration.

He wasn’t dying after avenging his father by killing Liu Biao, nor in a climactic battle to quell a rebellion, but from a single cold arrow.

Yet, in the brief three breaths it took to realize his situation, Sun Ce’s somber expression turned calm. To Huang Gai standing before him, the General even managed to force a smile with his partially paralyzed lips and silently asked, “Can you turn me over?”

Could they not let him lie in this prone position?

It made it hard for him to see the people around him.

Huang Gai wanted to return a smile but found his lips too heavy to lift. He could only lower his head to hide his helplessness before turning to the physician. “Can we do as the General asks?”

At this point, what couldn’t be done? The arrow wound wasn’t deep; the real killer was the poison. After ensuring the wound wouldn’t reopen, they turned Sun Ce onto his back.

Facing the room, Sun Ce’s blurred vision was suddenly filled with bright light.

He closed his eyes, then reopened them.

After the dizzying sensation passed, he found himself staring at a face both familiar and unfamiliar.

A face that shouldn’t be here!

He had seen this face in Luoyang over five years ago. Even in the brief clash of cavalry, he could clearly sense the impact of the expression on that face, let alone now!

Sun Ce wouldn’t fail to recognize her identity due to the snake venom’s interference, nor would he overlook the strangeness of her presence here in this agonizing state.

As the Grand Marshal of the Chang’an court, she had no need to personally oversee ordinary battles unless it was a situation like Liu Yan’s, where too many troops couldn’t be mobilized, yet someone of sufficient stature was needed.

Did Yang Province currently meet such conditions?

Perhaps it did.

But should she have arrived here so quickly?

Absolutely not!

The reason Yang Province had remained independent for years was precisely because of its distance from the central authority. If everyone could reach here as easily as Qiao Yan, it wouldn’t have taken Sun Ce years to unify it.

Thus, her presence here, before him, was truly bizarre.

Perhaps because Sun Ce stared at Qiao Yan for too long, his silent gaze reflecting his confusion, Zhang Zhao explained, “The Grand Marshal is here because of carrier pigeon messages…”

Before he could finish, Qiao Yan walked to Sun Ce’s bedside, gesturing for them to step back, leaving space for their “conversation.”

Though unsure of Qiao Yan’s intentions, since she had brought someone to revive Sun Ce, it was only right for her to speak first, both in terms of status and the favor she had shown.

Zhang Zhao, Huang Gai, and others stepped back a few paces. As Qiao Yan sat by the bed, her back blocked their view of Sun Ce’s face.

But this seemed unintentional. The next moment, they heard Qiao Yan speak in a much softer tone than when she first arrived in Tongguan: “I’m sorry, I came too late.”

She didn’t need to apologize, but the sincerity in her words was unmistakable.

From what she had said to Zhang Zhao and Zhu Jun before Sun Ce woke up, the meaning behind this apology was clear.

But from Sun Ce’s perspective, it seemed to carry a different meaning.

On his long-numb hand, he felt the warmth of her grip, forcing him to look clearly at her face.

This noble face indeed bore some regret, but it wasn’t for failing to stop Sun Ce from entering Yishan. Instead, it was because—

After speaking, she silently mouthed a few words: “I am responsible for your death.”

Sun Ce felt as if struck by lightning.

He had never been more awake than at this moment!

These words, repeated twice before he recognized them, froze his beautiful eyes under the candlelight.

What did she mean by… she should be responsible for his death?

Unless there was a hand behind everything he had experienced, and one of those hands was now gripping his wrist, she should never have said such a thing.

But how could this be possible?

Even if she had arrived in Yang Province so quickly, Sun Ce hadn’t considered her in a negative light, yet she had confirmed this outcome herself!

Sun Ce couldn’t tell if this was a hallucination caused by the snake venom, but he then saw Qiao Yan silently mouth a few more words, as if to ensure he believed this fact, pushing all his speculations toward the final conclusion.

“Pigeons.”

Before he entered Yishan, he had seen gray pigeons, telling his companions they were a symbol of good fortune.

When he fell from the poisoned arrow, he saw gray pigeons again, now a harbinger of death.

But whether as a symbol of fortune or death, they were the eyes always watching him, noting his every move.

“Jia Xu.”

That scoundrel who advised Dong Zhuo, leading to his father’s death, was now safely in Xuzhou, continuing his work as a strategist. The only way he could hold such power was through Qiao Yan’s approval.

Was it possible that he had never been alienated by Qiao Yan because the advice he gave to Dong Zhuo also came from her?

Sun Ce’s heart was a whirlwind of emotions, but he knew he couldn’t let his emotions run wild, lest the poison take full control.

Yet, at that moment, he saw Qiao Yan mouth a third word.

“Plot against Han.”

She even traced the characters for “Han” on his palm with her pinky, the stroke of the character showing no hesitation.

Sun Ce felt as if he were already in a coffin, being told such a terrifying secret.

She wasn’t worried about the consequences of revealing this to Sun Ce, just as she wasn’t worried about being targeted by the people of Yang Province, putting herself in danger.

This confident declaration almost instantly shattered Sun Ce’s entire understanding of the past.

But at that moment, perhaps due to some emotional surge, he felt a slight sensation in his fingertips.

Without hesitation, he gripped Qiao Yan’s wrist.

Enduring the pain in his chest and the nausea in his throat, he silently and stubbornly mouthed five words: “They don’t know.”

As if worried she hadn’t seen clearly, he slowly repeated: “They… don’t… know.”

His subordinates didn’t know this secret.

His family didn’t know this secret.

Only he, about to enter the grave, knew the terrifying truth Qiao Yan had revealed in this silent exchange.

Whether it was pity for a defeated foe or enlightenment for someone kept in the dark, it no longer mattered.

Reflected in Qiao Yan’s calm eyes was a face already showing signs of decay, and he could no longer resist her.

So rather than letting this secret spread, causing more generations of vengeance for his and his father’s deaths, it was better to let it end with him.

Others must not know, and should never know.

“I know,” Qiao Yan replied aloud, her voice reaching everyone in the room. “As long as I live, I will protect the Sun family.”

“This is my promise to you.”

To everyone, it seemed Sun Ce had first asked Qiao Yan to look after Yang Province and his family, and she had responded with this promise.

But only Sun Ce knew her true meaning: as long as she lived, figures like Sun Quan and Zhou Yu couldn’t escape her grasp. If they made any moves, she would show no mercy.

And if she were to die one day, if the Sun family remained a threat, she would eliminate the danger before her death.

But… it was enough.

For Sun Ce, this promise was enough.

He vaguely remembered the curved plow Qiao Yan had sent when he first became the Prefect of Kuaiji Commandery.

The impact of that tool on the livelihood of Yang Province was visible.

He also vaguely recalled the measures Qiao Yan had taken during last year’s drought to stabilize her regions.

He thought of the various reports in the Leping Monthly that had also reached Yang Province.

He thought…

Someone who could send such gifts, who cared so deeply, might truly manipulate them as pieces on a chessboard, but perhaps harbored no malice toward the world.

If she could truly achieve her goal of seizing the Han’s power, wouldn’t the Sun family also be part of the world?

Though Sun Ce would die, the Sun family would survive, and the people of Yang Province might find another way to live. Perhaps that was a good thing.

His fingers twitched again, signaling Qiao Yan to bring Sun Quan to his side and Huang Gai, Zhang Zhao, and others before him. Then, in front of everyone, he struggled to mouth a clearly recognizable sentence—

“In the future, I hope you all assist the Grand Marshal.”

He had handed Yang Province over to her.

When Madam Wu, rushing to Tongguan, pushed open the door, Sun Ce’s eyes turned to her one last time, a smile in the light that would be unforgettable, before closing forever, never to open again.