Zhou Xun, who was only two or three years old, had no idea of ​​Zhou Yu’s situation.

However, Zhou Yu’s brothers, uncles, and uncles became increasingly dissatisfied with being implicated by Zhou Yu.

“Cough cough~”

Just as Zhou Yu, his wife Xiao Qiao and his mother were busy washing clothes.

A cough sounded.

But then, a middle-aged man walked out from next door.

“Brother!”

Looking at the middle-aged man, Zhou Yu hurriedly stood up and shouted.

This middle-aged man was Zhou Zheng, Zhou Yu’s cousin. He was the grandson of Zhou Jing and the youngest son of Weiwei Zhou Zhong. Although his status in the Zhou family was not as high as Zhou Yu’s, he still lived a life of luxury between Jianghuai and Huai River thanks to the glory of the Zhou family. However, now, because of his close relationship with Zhou Yu, he was also taken to Xiangyang to experience life.

The assigned job was to repair the city.

“Well, Gongjin, brother has something to talk to you about.”

Zhou Zheng looked unhappy and spoke coldly to Zhou Yu.

“Brother, just tell me what you want to say.” Zhou Yu naturally understood why Zhou Zheng looked unhappy. It was not easy to be the firewood and charcoal manager, and repairing the city was even more tiring. Perhaps he felt a little guilty, so Zhou Yu was very polite to Zhou Zheng.

“Gongjin, I’m not saying anything bad about you. It’s just that you can’t think straight. The world still belongs to the Liu family. Even though the Han Dynasty fell, the emperor was still on the throne and was controlled by Cao. But now, King Liu Wu of Chu is a relative of the Han Dynasty and has restored half of the Han Dynasty. He has hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses. The prestige of the Han Dynasty is growing day by day. And my Jianghuai Zhou family is a high-ranking family of the Han Dynasty with a prominent status. Since Zhou Rong entered the court in the late years of Emperor Zhang, my grandfather Zhou Jing and my father Zhou Zhong both served as Han Taiwei and were among the three highest officials. The status of the Zhou family has lasted for more than a hundred years without decline, and they have enjoyed all the favors given by the Han Dynasty. Now, in order to be loyal to the Jiangdong Sun family, a rising family, you want to reject the orthodox Han Dynasty and the emperor’s will, and make my entire Jianghuai Zhou family lose face. Although I am not the head of the Zhou family, I know that it is ridiculous. Gongjin, do you think I should be angry?”

Zhou Zheng seemed unable to suppress his inner anger any longer, and spoke loudly and angrily to Zhou Yu.

“Zheng’er, you are speaking too loudly, Zhou Gongjin, are you going to destroy the Zhou family’s accumulation of a hundred years?”

A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties walked over.

Zhou Yu’s expression was stiff.

If Zhou Zheng said this, he would be unhappy.

But it can’t be too uncomfortable.

However, Zhou Yu was overwhelmed by what this middle-aged man in his forties or fifties said suddenly.

“uncle!”

Zhou Yu bowed to Zhou Shang and saluted.

Yes, this man was from the Zhou family of Lujiang, was Zhou Yu’s uncle, and had served as the prefect of Danyang. When Sun Ce started his army, Zhou Shang had supported Zhou Yu, and Zhou Yu also brought his troops to join Sun Ce.

If we say that after Sun Ce’s death and Sun Quan’s rise to power, Zhou Shang retreated to the second line, Zhou Yu, as the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, was the face of the Zhou family.

So, among the Zhou family now, Zhou Shang is still the one with the longest seniority and the highest reputation.

“Uncle, how could Yu destroy the Zhou family’s accumulation of a hundred years!”

Zhou Yu sighed and bowed to Zhou Shang.

“Hmph, Gongjin, you are so confused. The Sun family used to dominate Jiangdong, but because the Han Dynasty fell, my Zhou family chose to help the Sun family. However, the world still belongs to the Liu family, and the Sun family is just a grassroots family. Even if Sun Jian is alive, I’m afraid he wouldn’t dare to go against the emperor, right? You are so good that you want to take the Zhou family to choose a child of the Sun family and abandon the emperor that the Zhou family has been loyal to for a hundred years. Aren’t you going to destroy the Zhou family’s century-old foundation?”

“Besides, even if Sun Ce was kind to you in the past, you helped him seize Jiangdong. Even if you still can’t repay him, this time, you gave advice to Sun Shao in Xuzhou, saved Xuzhou, and took the blame yourself. You don’t owe Sun Ce anything anymore.”

“Because of you, more than ten direct descendants of the Zhou family have been implicated. These people are the foundation of the Zhou family. They repaired the city, built the palace, and went up the mountain to chop firewood. When has my Zhou family ever suffered such a situation? So much time has passed, and you are still stubborn and unwilling to change your mind?”

“Also, look at your mother. She was born into a wealthy family, but now she’s washing clothes for the servants and has caught a cold. Are you worthy of your dead father?”

Zhou Shang was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at Zhou Yu.

If they were in Xuzhou or Jiangdong before, Zhou Shang would not have spoken to Zhou Yu like this. After all, Zhou Yu was indeed in a high position and had great power at that time.

Zhou Yu listened to Zhou Shang’s words and did not refute, but just listened quietly.

When he first arrived in Xiangyang, Zhou Yu did not have the same feelings as he does now.

However, after such a period of time, Zhou Yu felt uncomfortable seeing that his uncles, brothers, and more than a dozen key figures of the Zhou family were all assigned jobs because of his involvement, and had to work from dawn to dusk.

Especially Zhou Shang’s words, the world still belongs to the Liu family, and the Sun family is just a grass-roots family. Even if Sun Jian were alive, he would not dare to confront the emperor, right? You are so good, you actually want to take the Zhou family to choose a child from the Sun family and abandon the emperor that the Zhou family has been loyal to for a hundred years. Aren’t you going to destroy the Zhou family’s century-old foundation?
This is a big man. Indeed, it is normal for one person’s crime to implicate three clans, five clans, or even the entire clan.

Zhou’s mother, Wang, was listening to her cousin scolding her son. Although she was anxious, she also felt guilty. She was speechless and could only cry.

“Gongjin, Dong Zhao has already contacted us and said that if you are willing to be loyal to the King of Chu, he is willing to meet the King of Chu in person and lobby for the Zhou family to return to the court. You must not give up this opportunity, otherwise, your brothers and uncles will definitely not agree. This is related to the rise and fall of the Zhou family. Don’t act on impulse.”

Seeing that Zhou Yu didn’t say anything, Zhou Shang softened his tone and tried to persuade Zhou Yu.

Zhou Shang had been an official for most of his life, so he understood that the Zhou family was in such a difficult situation because of Zhou Yu’s involvement. However, whether the Zhou family could continue to prosper after returning to the court and the center of power still depended on Zhou Yu.

This is also the reason why they have been working so hard for so long because of Zhou Yu’s involvement, but are still enduring it until today.

“Yes, Gongjin, you must not ignore the Zhou family.”

“Gongjin, the King of Chu values ​​you, you should seize the opportunity.”

“Gongjin, we have done a lot for the Sun family. The world still belongs to the Liu family. Even Cao Cao is not upright, and the Sun family is not even as good as Cao Cao. It is not worth it for the Zhou family to give up a hundred years of reputation.”

At this time, the main figures of the Zhou family, young or old, including Zhou Yu’s brothers and uncles, came over and persuaded Zhou Yu.

They naturally understood Zhou Yu’s persistence, but this had already implicated the Zhou family. They could not let the Zhou family perish because of Zhou Yu’s thoughts.

“Oh, uncle, I understand. Please think about it.”

Zhou Yu sighed and bowed to the elders around him.

Zhou Shang was delighted when he heard Zhou Yu’s words. He realized that there was room for recovery, and he immediately said to the people around him:
“That’s it, let Gongjin think about it, and then go away, we still have to work tomorrow.”

Zhou Shang said to the people around him, and the people around him also dispersed. Dong Zhao did not target them, but arranged normal work for them. However, even if it was just normal work, they were exhausted. They never thought that they, who used to be well-dressed and well-fed, and had people following them, would have such a day. The people around the Zhou family dispersed, and Zhou Yu said to his mother who was wiping her tears:

“Mother, I was unfilial before. Tomorrow I will go find Dong Zhao.” After Zhou Yu made his decision, he finally chose to put the inheritance of the Zhou family first. If he was alone, he might have decisively stayed silent under the city of Xiangyang. However, it involved the rise and fall of the entire Zhou family, his wife, children and mother. He could not be narrow-minded and remain chaste for Sun Shao. The Zhou family owed nothing to the Sun family. Of course, although he could not be both loyal and righteous, Zhou Yu still felt guilty towards the Sun family, and he needed to talk to Liu Wu.

The next day, Zhou Yu got up early and did not report to the Firewood and Carbon Department. Instead, he went to the Gongzheng Mansion in Xiangyang to meet Dong Zhao.

“Oh, what a rare guest! Someone, serve the wine.”

When Dong Zhao saw Zhou Yu coming, a smile immediately appeared on his face, and he hurriedly invited people to the banquet.

Dong Zhao was a smart man. Not long after arriving in Xiangyang, he figured out Liu Wu’s attitude towards Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu was famous in Jiangdong, but not so famous in the entire Han Dynasty. However, Liu Wu still sent an army to bring Zhou Yu back. Obviously, he was impressed by Zhou Yu’s ability to command troops, so he did not hesitate to recruit him when he met Zhou Yu.

Of course, Dong Zhao also understood that Liu Wu had many beauties in his backyard, and he might be interested in Xiao Qiao.

However, this is what Liu Wu would do when Zhou Yu really didn’t know what to do.

Liu Wu wanted to recruit Zhou Yu, and Dong Zhao thought that this was not a difficult task.

The difficulty lies in the fact that someone needs to play the bad guy.

However, before he could do anything evil, Zhou Yu arrived.

“Dong Gongzheng is too polite. I am a criminal. How can I deserve such hospitality from Gongzheng?” Zhou Yu said to Dong Zhao.

“Haha, Gongjin, you’re joking. The King of Chu is very eager for Gongjin’s talent. He once said that Gongjin’s talent is like the ancient Han Xin.” Dong Zhao praised Zhou Yu with a smile.

“The Han Xin of ancient times? Did the King of Chu really say that about me?” Zhou Yu was obviously stunned. He didn’t expect Dong Zhao to praise him so much.

“This is indeed what the King of Chu said. That day, when Zhao was drinking with the King of Chu, the second general, the third general and Pang Shiyuan, the King of Chu said it himself.” Dong Zhao said with a smile.

This was not something Dong Zhao said out of the blue. Liu Wu did say this at a banquet. He was the one who mentioned Zhou Yu on his own initiative. He needed to judge Liu Wu’s specific attitude towards Zhou Yu. This was also the reason why he assigned tasks to everyone in the Zhou family and did not make things difficult for them.

“This… is the praise from the King of Chu. I don’t deserve it!” Although Zhou Yu was very confident in his ability to deploy troops and command battles, he could not say in person that he could be compared with Han Xin.

After all, Han Xin was a brilliant general who founded the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang said: “In terms of planning strategies behind the curtains and winning battles thousands of miles away, I am not as good as Zifang. In terms of stabilizing the country, comforting the people, providing food and ensuring that the food supply is not cut off, I am not as good as Xiao He. In terms of leading an army of millions, winning every battle and taking every city, I am not as good as Han Xin. These three are all outstanding people. I can use them, and this is how I can conquer the world.”

This shows Liu Bang’s praise for Han Xin’s military command.

Xiao He also said: “Generals are easy to find. As for Xin, he is a great talent in the country. If the king wants to rule Hanzhong for a long time, he has nothing to do with Xin; if he wants to fight for the world, he has no one to discuss matters with except Xin. It depends on the king’s strategy and safety.

Thinking that Liu Wu actually praised him so much, Zhou Yu bowed to Dong Zhao and said:

“During this period of time, I have been thinking about it. It is wrong for me to implicate Zhou alone. The King of Chu is magnanimous and willing to give me a chance. I should not refuse. I also troubled Dong Gongzheng to tell the King of Chu that I have thought it through and am willing to work for him.”

In the hall, Dong Zhao smiled when he heard Zhou Yu’s change of attitude.

“Okay, Gongjin, just figure it out. I’ll leave this matter to Zhao.”

Zhou Yu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Dong Zhao agreed, then hesitated and said:
“However, the Sun family is Yu’s former master after all. When I came here, Yu still spoke proudly. If I were to fight with the Sun family, I would be ashamed of myself. I hope the King of Chu will forgive me.”

When Zhou Yu said this, Dong Zhao was stunned. The smile on his face faded slightly and he looked at Zhou Yu.

By saying this, Zhou Yu was obviously making a request that he would not lead his troops to fight against the Sun family.

However, Dong Zhao still smiled and said:

“I will explain this matter to the King of Chu on Gongjin’s behalf.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble Master Dong.” Zhou Yu bowed to Dong Zhao and thanked him.

After Zhou Yu left, Dong Zhao looked at Zhou Yu’s back, carefully trying to figure out Liu Wu’s intention to recruit Zhou Yu. After making sure that there was nothing wrong, he got up and went to the Prince of Chu’s Palace.

……

Prince Chu’s Palace, main hall.

“Your Majesty, Zhou Yu has come to see me. He is willing to follow you and serve you.”

Liu Wu was reading Xu Shu’s report on the northern strategy. When he heard Dong Zhao’s words, he immediately raised his head and looked at Dong Zhao in surprise.
“Zhou Yu is willing to pledge his loyalty? He actually changed his mind?”

“Your Majesty, Zhou Yu will not be so short-sighted for the sake of the Zhou family.” Dong Zhao smiled and replied to Liu Wu, but after a slight hesitation, he said:

“However, Zhou Yu has another request. He does not want to meet the Sun family on the battlefield!”

When Liu Wu heard that Zhou Yu was actually willing to join him and work for him, he felt very complicated.

Because, after Zhou Yu surrendered, he had no chance to have anything happen with Xiao Qiao.

On the contrary, he had an outstanding military strategist and politician, a commander-in-chief who was both wise and brave and could defeat a larger force with a smaller one.

Sun Ce commented on him: “Zhou Gongjin is a man of extraordinary talent and brilliance. We have known each other since childhood and are like blood relatives. It is a blessing for me to have you.”

Sun Quan commented on him: Duke Zhou was a heroic man with both courage and strategy, and he defeated Meng De and opened up Jingzhou. It is difficult to succeed him, but you are now his successor.

Cao Cao said angrily: During the Battle of Red Cliffs, I was ill, so I burned my ships and retreated, allowing Zhou Yu to gain this reputation in vain.

Liu Bei tried to sow discord by saying: Gongjin is a man of both civil and military talents, a hero among ten thousand men, but he has a broad mind and may not last long as a minister.

Du Mu sighed: Zhou had Taigong of Qi, Qin had Wang Jian, Han had Han Xin, Zhao Chongguo, Geng Gong, Yu Xu, Duan Jiong, Wei had Sima Yi, Wu had Zhou Yu, Shu had Zhuge Wuhou…

Su Shi clapped his hands: The great river flows eastward, the waves wash away all. The heroes of the ages. To the west of the old fortress, people say it is the Red Cliff of Zhou Lang in the Three Kingdoms. The rocks pierce the sky, the waves crash against the shore, and thousands of piles of snow are rolled up. The landscape is picturesque, and there are so many heroes at the time! I think of Gongjin in those days, when Xiao Qiao was just married, he was handsome and heroic, with a feather fan and a scarf,…

As for Zhou Yu’s proposal not to fight with the Sun family, Liu Wu only felt his loyalty and would not force him. However, he gained a Zhou Lang Gu in history, the beautiful Zhou Lang, the Grand Commander, and the General!
(End of this chapter)