My Father in Law is Lu Bu

Chapter 683

“His Highness the King of Shu has arrived!” The servants announced as Liu Mang’s group entered Marquis Wu’s residence at Jiangdong. Liu Mang was at the front of the group while his guards were following right behind him. Though Sun Ce has already surrendered, this place was still Jiangdong. The guards had to remain vigilant.

Liu Mang yawned. He had drank too much and played around too much the previous night so he was extremely exhausted. Yet he still came despite the black circles in his eyes.

“Lady Wu greets Your Highness.” An old lady came out and greeted while kneeling with the support of her female servants.

“Mother!” Sun Shangxiang’s could not help but become teary when she saw her mother.

“Madam, please get up quickly.” Liu Mang hurriedly stepped forward to help Lady Wu.

“This old subject does not dare!” The old lady was firm. One son has surrendered and the other was having his final struggle. The lives of her two sons was in Liu Mang’s hands. Anything goes wrong and they would die. As a mother, Lady Wu had to consider their needs.

“Madam, get up. First of all, you are my mother-in-law. I am the one who should be greeting you with respect. Second, you are the widow of Marquis Chu who has been loyal to me and fought for the Han all his life. At the very least, I cannot allow a loyal subject’s widowed wife to greet me respectfully. If so, I would not be explain it to the rest of the world.” Liu Mang said as he supported Lady Wu.

“This…” Lady Wu still hesitated. Marquis Chu was a posthumous title that Liu Mang had bestowed on Sun Jian. As to whether Sun Jian was actually loyal to the Han, no one knows.

“Mother. Husband already said this after all. Please get up.” Sun Shangxiang said to her mother. Seeing her daughter and son-in-law say this, Lady Wu finally nodded and got up.

“Your Highness. Please come in.” Lady Wu said to Liu Mang.

“Madam. Please go in first.” Liu Mang replied politely. He could not be impolite to his mother-in-law.

Inside, Sun Shangxiang chatted with her mother about daily life. Liu Mang simply drank tea harmoniously like a son-in-law. While Liu Mang was feeling bored, Lady Wu suddenly knelt down in front of him.

“Mother?” Sun Shangxiang tried to help her mother up but Lady Wu stubbornly remained unmoved.

“Madam. Why are you doing this?” Liu Mang stepped forward anxiously. “Get up quickly!”

“Your Highness. This old one has a request.” Lady Wu said as she lowered her head.

“What do you want? Get up first and say it.” Liu Mang did not like the elderly to kneel towards him. He felt very uncomfortable every time this happens.

“If Your Highness does not promise me this, I will continue to kneel!” Lady Wu said resolutely.

“Madam. Even if you continue to kneel, there are things that cannot be changed! If everyone kneels like you then how is Yangzhou going to achieve anything?” Someone said coldly.

Lady Wu lift her head to see a scholar that had accompanied Liu Mang. “And you are…?” She asked skeptically.

“The Madam does not know me. This subject is Zhuge Kongming!” Zhuge Liang said indifferently.

“Zhuge Kongming?” Lady Wu’s eyes widened. It was this person that caused Jiangdong to end up this way. If Zhuge Liang wasn’t at the Yangtze River, the Jiangdong Army would not be killed. The misunderstanding between the two brothers may not have happened as well. It is only because Sun Ce lost his power that Sun Quan had those thoughts.

If this did not happen, the two brothers may still be in a harmonious relationship. Lady Wu should have hated Zhuge Liang. However, Lady Wu simply sighed. “So you are Zhuge Kongming. My son was defeated in your hands but I won’t blame you.” The elderly could see things clearly as they have experienced a lot in life. Her husband too, was once at the peak of his career. Sun Jian had many elites and even the Imperial Seal. The Yuzhou that Sun Jian controlled was not inferior to Jiangdong in any way. But in the end, Sun Jian was careless and lost his life to Liu Biao’s general, Huang Zu.

At that time, Sun Jian’s children, Sun Ce and Sun Quan were still children. They did not have the capability to take responsibility. As a result, Sun Jian’s army could not rely on the two after Sun Jian’s death and many began to abandon Sun Jian’s army.

Nearly everyone left. All that was left were a few guards and her children. In comparison, the current situation was not as bad as last time.

Lady Wu understood reality. The winner is the king. The loser becomes a criminal. A defeat is a defeat.

“Kongming. Withdraw.” Liu Mang said towards Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang could guess what Lady Wu wanted to say. As Liu Mang wasn’t an idiot, he too could guess this as well. Zhuge Liang was thinking of Yangzhou. However, his words were too harsh.

“Milord?” Zhuge Liang shouted back. He did not want Liu Mang to be too softhearted as this involves the nation.

“Kongming. Withdraw. I have my own opinion.” Liu Mang said while nodding towards Zhuge Liang. Seeing this, Zhuge Liang realized that persuasion would be useless. On the other hand, it might even cause an opposite reaction.

“Madam. Get up and speak first. If it is something I can accomplish, I will promise to do it for you. But there are things that cannot be done. In such a case, it would be useless no matter how long you kneel.” Liu Mang said to Lady Wu.

“This old woman knows that governing the country is not something a woman like me can participate in. But I have no choice but to do this for my children. This old person only has those two sons. Your Highness, I beg you to spare them. If you want to kill them, kill me instead. This old one is willing to trade my life for theirs.” Lady Wu said while kneeling.

“Mother!” Sun Shangxiang wanted to support her mother up but she remained stubborn. In the end, Sun Shangxiang herself ended up crying as she turned to Liu Mang. “Husband!”

“I want to kill them? Who told you I want to kill them?” Liu Mang was confused as he looked at the two women kneeling in front of him.

“Didn’t you…?” Lady Wu lifted her head and looked at Liu Mang.

“Me? When did I say I want to kill my two brother-in-laws?” Liu Mang asked while shaking his head.

Lady Wu thought for a moment and realized that Liu Mang was right. There were no orders given to kill Sun Ce and Sun Quan. However, Lady Wu was still anxious. If Liu Mang did not want the two of them dead, why did get these two brothers to fight each other? Sun Quan holed up in Huiji and used the common people to defend the city. Liu Bei did that before and in the end, Yangzhou still took it down. As for sending Sun Ce first, wasn’t it to use Sun Quan and Sun Ce to consume their troops before sweeping everything in one fell swoop?

“Haha. If I wanted them dead, I would do it myself. Why would I go through so much trouble?” Liu Mang said to his mother-in-law. Sun Ce went to Yangzhou personally in order to seek medical treatment for Zhou Yu. Liu Mang could have just killed Sun Ce there. In fact, Sun Ce himself was willing to commit suicide for Zhou Yu. If Liu Mang wanted, Sun Ce would not be able to return to Jiangdong. As for Sun Quan, Yangzhou has a hundred thousand troops. Capturing Huiji would only be a matter of time. With Huiji captured, Sun Quan would not have anywhere to run.

“Milord sent Sun Ce to Huiji to give Sun Quan a way to survive. If it was a Yangzhou General that attacked, they would have to kill Sun Quan to console the troops.” Zhuge Liang said resentfully. Zhuge Liang long understood that Liu Mang had no intentions of killing Sun Ce. To Zhuge Liang, Liu Mang was too kind. A good ruler would be ruthless since to be kind to an enemy is to be cruel to yourself. If Sun Ce and Sun Quan were killed, it would become difficult for Jiangdong to rebel. It was just like when Sun Ce killed Yan Baihu. Yan Baihu surrendered but Zhou Yu advised for Yan Baihu to be killed. Leaving such a person behind can only being disaster. Even if the person himself refused to rebel, someone else would do it in his name. That was why Zhuge Liang was very dissatisfied.

“That is enough Kongming!” Liu Mang said to Zhuge Liang. “Madam. Now you should have no more worries. So quickly get up!” Liu Mang said as he turned back to Lady Wu.

“Thank you Your Highness for the grace of sparing their lives!” Lady Wu happily said as she kowtowed. Liu Mang quickly hurried forward to stop her. Sun Shangxiang was already unhappy with her mother kneeling. If her mother were to kowtow, Liu Mang can forget about going to sleep.

Liu Mang can choose not to kill Sun Ce and Sun Quan. However, Liu Mang would not use Sun Quan as the man was too ambitious. Sun Quan even betrayed his own blood brother. Why would he not betray a brother-in-law? So, Liu Mang was prepared to send Sun Quan to Xudou and have the Emperor give him a position. Out of sight, out of mind.

With Liu Mang taking charge, the atmosphere became more comfortable. Liu Mang was laughing and Lady Wu was also feeling more satisfied with her son-in-law. She later found out that Liu Mang drank with Zhuge Jin and the others till late at night and specially ordered her people to prepare a room for Liu Mang to rest. Liu Mang happily accepted as he was eager to leave. He slept until it was night time.

The next day, Liu Mang woke up early as he still had to go and look for talents. He went and visit people like Huang Gai, Han Dang, Lu Meng and Ling Cao. Though they allowed Liu Mang in and were polite, their responses were the same. They simply thanked Liu Mang for his grace and said that they would think about it. It was a response where they do not offend Liu Mang, nor do they promise him anything.

The only gratifying thing that came out of this is that Liu Mang also found more new talents, such as the young man in front of him.

“Bu Lu?” Zhuge Liang frowned when he saw the enthusiastic scholar beside Liu Mang. Zhuge Liang did not know if Bu Lu had ability but he was a little disgusted by Bu Lu. The moment Liu Mang asked if Bu Lu was willing to serve, Bu Lu immediately agreed. Zhuge Liang did not have a good impression of such behavior. Perhaps everyone would also not think highly of this. A talent that cannot be obtained are the good ones. Zhuge Jin needed three visits but Bu Lu came the moment you asked for him. It was a frustrating logic that even Zhuge Liang could not avoid from having.

Bu Lu may not be as good as Zhuge Liang but he could not be underestimated. Zhuge Liang may have hidden his disdain for Bu Lu but Bu Lu could sense it.

Other scholars would probably confront Zhuge Liang. However, Bu Lu was different. Bu Lu himself wanted to be conceited like the others. He wanted a good reputation. He wanted to have people look for him even if he was from a small village. However, Bu Lu did not have any of those things as he did not come from a good family. Although he was from Huaiyin’s Bu Family, he was only from the branch of a branch family. His family was so far away from the main family that even his name would almost disappear from the family tree.

How was that any different from a poverty stricken commoner? It is because of this that Bu Lu studied hard and became friends with Wei Jing from Guangling. The two of them worked and studied to become self sufficient. Bu Lu studied all kinds of knowledge. At Huiji, there was someone called (Jiao Jiao) Zheng Qiang who was domineering. As Bu Lu and Wei Jing was making a living on their land, they were afraid of being attacked and brought fruits as an offering. They were made to wait outside while Zheng Qiang slept in his bed.

After some time, Wei Jing became impatient and wanted to leave. Bu Lu stopped his friend. “We came here because we feared him. If we leave without permission just to protect our dignity, we would simply incur his hatred.” After some time, Zheng Qiang came out and ordered his men to prepare a table and some food. Bu Lu only get a small bowl of rice while Wei Jing only got a little bit of vegetables. Wei Jing showed his dissatisfaction while Bu Lu ate what he was given. After they left, Wei Jing scolded Bu Lu for being willing to endure this humiliation. Bu Lu simply replied that he was from a humble family. What is there to be ashamed of for receiving a lowly gift by the master?

Bu Lu also wants to be proud but he first needs the means to do so. He has a little sister and an elderly mother to support. That was why he understood his limits more than others. He was more realistic than others. If he rejects Liu Mang’s offer, then there would be no one who would employ him. Cao Cao has too many talents and Jingzhou’s nobles were even more strong minded than Jiangdong. A common person like him would just be pushed aside. Without a job, Bu Lu would be finished.

Because of this, Bu Lu gave up his dignity. As the saying goes, one must be filled before learning etiquette. If even putting food on the table is a problem, where would he have time to worry about his dignity?

That was why there is nothing wrong with Bu Lu throwing away his dignity. There was also nothing wrong with Zhuge Liang treating him like a joke. They were just different ideologies.

“Come, Kongming. Let me introduce you. This is Bu Lu, Bu Zibu!” Liu Mang pulled Bu Lu over and said to Zhuge Liang.

“Nice to meet you!” Zhuge Liang replied professionally.

“Zibu greets Master Zhuge. It is my three lifetimes worth of luck to meet you!” Bu Lu bowed, following the etiquette of one grasping at benefits.

Liu Mang was a bit discontented seeing Zhuge Liang’s attitude. “Kongming. Zibu is from a prestigious family.”

“Oh?” Zhuge Liang was a little curious. Can someone who knows the current affairs but still end up on the losing side still be from a prestigious family?

“Zibu ancestor was the senior official Yang Shi from the Zhou Dynasty. As his fief was in Bu, he took Bu as the clan name. After that, there was a Bu Shucheng who is one of Confucius’ disciple. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Bu Family gave many promising generals. Their contributions in Huaiyin made the Bu Family large and influential.” Liu Mang explained with a smile.

“The Bu Family from Huaiyin?” If Bu Lu was from the Bu Family in Huaiyin, then Zhuge Liang should know him. Langxie and Huaiyin was not far and the Zhuge Family was from Langxie. Yet, Zhuge Liang felt like he has never met Bu Lu before.

“Milord. Where did you learn of this?” Zhuge Liang asked skeptically.

“Haha. Of course, someone told me! Bu Lu from the Bu Family of Huaiyin is a real talent! Zibu, am I wrong?” Liu Mang asked complacently. Bu Lu was similar to Lu Xun and Lu Su. Lu Su died then Lu Meng took over. After Lu Meng, was Lu Xun, followed by Bu Lu. It can be said that Bu Lu’s talent was better than Zhuge Jin’s. Liu Mang know of this only because of his knowledge of the future.

Liu Mang wanted to put value in Bu Lu. Unfortunately, Bu Lu really did not show any face. “Milord. You were wrong. The Bu Family from Huaiyin is unrelated to me. I am myself and the Huaiyin Bu Family is the Huaiyin Bu Family.” Bu Lu’s voice was so cold that even Liu Mang felt the chill.

“Hm. How interesting!” Zhuge Liang suddenly showed interest in Bu Lu. Looking at Bu Lu’s expression, there seemed to be a story with the Bu Family.

“Hm. Did I remember wrongly?” Liu Mang rubbed his head in confusion. These were not important. The important thing was that he obtained Bu Lu. Another talent had entered Yangzhou’s hands.

Liu Mang was happy but there was still uneasiness evident on his face. This is because the others such as Lu Meng and Huang Gai still have not surrendered, spoiling his mood.

“Milord. Are you thinking about the other generals?” Bu Lu was the first to ask, taking the opportunity even though Zhuge Liang was also able to tell what Liu Mang was thinking of at a glance.

“Precisely. Does Zibu have something to teach me?” Liu Mang nodded. If Bu Lu could tell what Liu Mang was thinking of, then it is quite likely that Bu Lu also has a solution. Liu Mang could not help but look at Bu Lu with expectation.

“I don’t dare to teach you anything, but I do have a suggestion.” Bu Lu said modestly, highlighting his position. He was just a subordinate doing a job, serving his boss Liu Mang. This was completely different with how Zhuge Liang does things. ‘The boss is wrong so do things my way’ is more Zhuge Liang’s style.

“There is no harm is saying it.” Liu Mang was very satisfied with this attitude. He finally experienced the feeling of the customer is God. Zhuge Liang and the others never gave him face when he was wrong, even though he was their boss. They even made Liu Mang flushed with anger.

Though Zhuge Liang was disdainful towards Bu Lu’s attitude, he still listened earnestly, as though Bu Lu really did have talent.

“Milord. Why don’t you go and look for Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin?” Bu Lu suggested with a smile.

“Zhou Yu?” Liu Mang furrowed his brows. It is not that he does not want to look for Zhou Yu. But based on Zhou Yu’s temperament, he would not bother to see Liu Mang. Bu Lu did not continue speaking and looked at Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang realized that this was a challenge. Since Zhuge Liang looked down on him, then let’s compare.

“Milord. You are thinking too much! Others can lock their doors and refuse to see you but not Zhou Yu!” Zhuge Liang was also still young. Even if he was calm, he still had the competitiveness of a young person and accepted Bu Lu’s challenge.

These words made Liu Mang unhappy. How can anyone just lock the door and refuse to see him? Liu Mang was the King of Shu! He not some salesmen.

“Master Zhuge is right. The reason why Zhou Yu cannot do this is because he is not living in his own residence. He is living with you!” Bu Lu said to Liu Mang. This made Liu Mang even more confused. He was living with Zhou Yu? Liu Mang turned to Zhuge Liang skeptically.

Zhuge Liang nodded and explained. “Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin is living inside Milord’s courtyard. It is inside the Marquis Wu’s residence!” At this moment, Liu Mang understood. Zhou Yu cannot turn Liu Mang away because he was staying in Marquis Wu’s residence. As Liu Mang was Marquis Wu’s brother-in-law, it can be said that half the residence belong to Liu Mang. How can the guest lock the master of the residence out?

Zhuge Liang knew that Zhou Yu was in Sun Ce’s residence because of Hua Tuo. The doctor was extremely busy. After treating Zhou Yu, he quickly took his leave. He did not look for Liu Mang because at that time, Liu Mang was still busy trying to recruit Zhuge Jin. As a result, Hua Tuo asked Zhuge Liang to inform Liu Mang of this before returning to Yangzhou.

“Come. Let’s go and see our Grand Governor!” Liu Mang said to the two. The three then went to Marquis Wu’s residence.

***

“Grand Governor. It’s getting cold. Let us go home!” One female servant said towards Zhou Yu who was looking at the scenery at the courtyard for the entire day. The servant could not endure it because the courtyard was also windy. Zhou Yu had only just escaped from death thanks to Hua Tuo. If it was because of the doctor, Zhou Yu would have died.

“Go home? Where is my home?” Zhou Yu could not help but reply indifferently with a pained expression.

“Let us go back to Marquis Wu’s residence.” The servant explained.

“Marquis Wu? Haha. Soon it would become Marquis Anle.” Zhou Yu sneered.

The servant did not dare to say anything back to Zhou Yu. This subject was too sensitive. Zhou Yu can talk about it but if a servant like her dares to talk about it, she would be dead.

“How is the battle at Huiji going?” Zhou Yu asked before he started laughing at himself. “What is the point I ask a servant like you this?”

“The battle at Huiji has fallen into a stalemate. Sun Ce cannot attack and Sun Quan is also experiencing difficulties. The corpses stacked up until half the walls.” Someone replied to Zhou Yu’s question.

Zhou Yu turned skeptically to see this person. His eyes widened. “It’s you!”

“Grand Governor Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin. I trust you have been well.” Liu Mang said to Zhou Yu.

“Why are you here?” Zhou Yu asked.

“I am the one that should be asking you this question. I am Marquis Wu’s brother-in-law. This is technically my home. Do I need to inform you when I walk around in my own home?” Liu Mang looked at Zhou Yu who was still sitting down. Zhou Yu’s attractive face would truly make any woman jealous. If Zhou Yu lived in a modern era, he would easily become one of those male idols. More importantly, Zhou Yu was not a man who only has his appearance to rely on. He was a truly talented individual. The number of people that could compete with him can be counted on one hand.

If Zhou Yu could be categorized, he would be known as Mr Perfect. He was tall and intelligent. He could become the era’s main protagonist.

“Haha. That’s true!” Zhou Yu laughed. “Your Highness. Are you here to mock a defeated general?”

“A defeated general? Haha. Grand Governor. Are you saying that you admitted defeat?” Liu Mang asked with a laugh before adding. “I hope you don’t mind me sitting here.” Zhou Yu wanted to say he would mind but Liu Mang had already sat down.

“You still have not lost.” Liu Mang said to Zhou Yu. “At the Yangtze River, Lu Xun was trapped and almost defeated by you even though he had Yangzhou’s new warship. If it was not because of Kongming’s support, we would have been the ones to lose that day.” Liu mang said to Zhou Yu. Who could have expected Jingzhou’s advisor change sides at that final moment? The ones who found it most unbelievable was actually Yangzhou. On top of that, Zhuge Liang wiped out the entire Jingzhou and Jiangdong navies by fire.

If Zhuge Liang was not there, Zhou Yu would have won. Not only would he have defeated Yangzhou. He would have also gotten rid of Wen Pin. He would also take possession of Yangzhou’s new warship and the Jiangdong Navy would become the rulers of the Yangtze River. They would be able to enter capture Jingzhou unchallenged and have a third of the world in his hands. Even when Zhou Yu was defeated, he feigned surrender and caused Liu Mang a huge headache. He aroused the public and made Jiangdong worthless to capture. This caused Yangzhou to become unable to attack Jiangdong.

Unfortunately for Zhou Yu, Sun Quan rebelled at this moment. The rebellion itself was not a problem but it also destroyed Jiangdong’s future. Zhou Yu was injured, causing Sun Ce to go to Liu Mang.

That was why Zhou Yu did not lose. The ones that lost was his teammate. One should not fear an equal opponent but fear a pig teammate.

“Haha. If Your Highness is here to persuade me to surrender, I suggest you go back!” Zhou Yu was intelligent. Though Liu Mang’s words were nice to hear, it was evident that Liu Mang wanted him to surrender. Otherwise, there would be no need to talk so much to a defeated general.

Zhou Yu’s words caused Liu Mang to feel awkward. He was already rejected before he could even say anything.

“Milord. Didn’t I already say it earlier that persuading Zhou Yu is impossible? It is better to kill him and Sun Ce to prevent future disasters.” Zhuge Liang appeared from behind Liu Mang. Zhou Yu’s brows furrowed when he heard the voice of his sworn enemy.

“What did you do to Bofu? Did you kill him?” Zhou Yu immediately grabbed Zhuge Liang after hearing news of Sun Ce.

“We have not killed him yet but we would soon.” Zhuge Liang said as he removed Zhou Yu’s hand from his clothes. He then patted his clothes as though the other’s hand was filthy.

“Didn’t you say that you won’t kill Bofu?” Zhou Yu shouted with his eyes wide.

“Why won’t we kill him? Why should we leave behind a potential disaster? Our Lord wants a Jiangdong that is in good condition. Not a Jiangdong that would bring trouble!” Zhuge Liang replied without a hint of politeness.

“But Bofu has surrendered!”

“But you haven’t surrendered! Do you think we would leave you here and allow Marquis Wu to make a comeback?” Zhuge Liang sneered.

Zhou Yu suddenly felt discouraged. “Then kill me! What does it have to do with Bofu?”

“Haha! Are you the Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin that Sun Ce Sun Bofu traded the whole of Jiangdong for? Do you only amount to this much?”

“Don’t worry. Once Bofu is dead, I, Zhou Yu, will not live alone. I will take my own life and owe him nothing!”

“Yes. You will not owe Sun Ce anything but you will still owe others. How many lives can you trade?” Zhuge Liang sneered. “Once Sun Ce is dead, Sun Quan will not be able to live as well. In a single moment, Lady Wu would lose both her sons and become heartbroken! The Sun Family will be without an heir! All of this would be because of you, Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin!” Zhuge Liang said to Zhou Yu. “If you implicate your Lord, you are disloyal. Your Lord’s mother is like your mother. You and Marquis Wu are also like brothers which makes you close to his mother as well. To be unable to attend to your mother’s needs is to be unfilial!”

“That is only if you, Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin die. If you don’t die, it would be even funnier. You would take revenge for Sun Ce and plunge Jiangdong into chaos. This would be heartless as the common people will be homeless. You would fan the flames of injustice as you have no cause!” Zhuge Liang’s words pierced Zhou Yu’s heart.

“You are disloyal, unfilial, heartless, and have no justice. How admirable that a person like you can continue to live in this world!” Zhuge Liang continued to criticize, causing Zhou Yu’s face to turn to all sorts of colors.

Even Bu Lu was disturbed by Zhuge Liang’s words. He swore to never argue with Zhuge Liang. That man can kill with words alone.

“No! It’s you! You are the one that wants to kill Bofu! It is you who wants to kill Bofu to prevent future troubles! It is not me!” Zhou Yu suddenly shook his head and shouted. Originally, Zhou Yu’s mental strength was good. However, he mental strength was already worn thin by repeated events. Zhou Yu would not be like this if they had only lost Jiangdong. However, they lost Jiangdong because Sun Ce gave it away for him. This caused Zhou Yu to feel guilty.

Now Zhuge Liang was destroying whats left of Zhou Yu’s fragile heart.

“Who said I want to kill Sun Ce Sun Bofu?” Liu Mang finally spoke. Why does everyone think he wanted Sun Ce dead? Was Liu Mang really so bloodthirsty? Lady Wu thinks that way, Zhou Yu also thinks that way.

Zhuge Liang gave Liu Mang a glance. Killing the defeated general was what a good Lord should be doing. They have to kill their enemies to prevent their enemies from ever making a comeback.

Yet Liu Mang had no intentions of killing anyone.

“Even if you don’t kill him, you will imprison him in Shouchun. What’s the difference between killing him and putting him under house arrest? He is Marquis Wu, not Marquis Anle. He is the Little Conqueror of Jiangdong, not some patriarch of a rich family!” Zhou Yu said towards Liu Mang. To a person with ideals, the moment of death is not when their life ends but when their dreams are shattered. Even if they were still alive, they would be no different from walking corpses. What kind of life would this be? They might as well be dead. At the very least, they would still have their dignity.

“Once again, who said I want to put him under house arrest?” Liu Mang felt wronged. He never said anything about killing Sun Ce and Sun Quan. Now people are accusing him of wanting to put Sun Ce under house arrest.

“If you are not going to put him under house arrest, are you going to let him lead the troops into battle?” Zhou Yu said mockingly.

“Sigh. Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin. You finally said something right today. I really do want my brother-in-law Sun Ce to lead the army!” Liu Mang replied to Zhou Yu.

“That’s impossible!” Zhou Yu could not believe Liu Mang’s words. Sun Ce should be a danger to Liu Mang.

“What’s impossible about it? How about we make a bet? What will you do if I allow Sun Ce to lead the army?” Liu Mang asked. If Liu Mang wanted to fight against Cao Cao, he would need elite troops. However, Liu Mang was not afraid because he has Liu Ye and those books from the future. Cao Cao would not be able to catch up no matter how long he took.

However, when it comes to elites, especially generals, Cao Cao had more. Someone like Sun Ce who could fight and lead the troops should be used.

“Are you not afraid that Bofu would rebel?” Zhou Yu asked skeptically.

“Haha! If Sun Ce has the ability to do that, then I might as well give up my position as Yangzhou’s Lord and the King of Shu!” Liu Mang replied. It is not that he was confident in himself. Instead, he was confident in his men. In the past, people become soldiers so that they don’t go hungry. The common people would work as soldiers because they had no other ways to survive. They would give up their lives for whoever that gives them food. They don’t know wealth and can only recognize their superiors. If their Lords give them food, they would help their Lords conquer lands. If the generals give them food, they would help the generals rebel.

On the other hand, Yangzhou’s soldiers were different. In Yangzhou, it was an honor to become a soldier. That is because their entire lives would be covered by Yangzhou’s authorities once they become soldiers.

Not only do they get food to eat, they even get food to take home. When they go out to fight, if they do well, they could get rewarded. If they die, their names would be placed in the Hall of Heroes and their families would get compensation for their service. If they become disabled, the government would also support them for life.

That was why Yangzhou’s men now had different ideas. Though the ideas were simple, they were pure. They had loyalty towards Liu Mang and Yangzhou. They would fight for Yangzhou instead of a person.

Obviously, Liu Mang would not allow Sun Ce to take command of Sun Ce’s former men. That was one of the reasons Sun Ce were to bring his men to attack Sun Quan. This was to have both brothers use up their troops. Once the Jiangdong Army is finished, all that remains would be elites. These elites would be spread out within Liu Mang’s army and reeducated. The ones Sun Ce would be leading would be the ones that were already brainwashed. If Sun Ce dares to rebel, Liu Mang wouldn’t even need to do anything. Sun Ce’s own men would kill him.

If Sun Ce could successfully rebel even then, then Liu Mang really would not want to bother anymore. Might as well let Sun Ce become the Lord of Yangzhou.

“This…” Bu Lu was shocked. Was the King of Shu truly so confident in himself? His suggestion earlier was to either recruit Zhou Yu or kill him if recruitment was impossible.

“How is it? Is the Grand Governor willing to take this bet?” Liu Mang asked with a smile.

“Are you serious?” Zhou Yu’s eyes glinted as he looked at Liu Mang.

“A ruler does not joke about this. If you are still uncertain, I can even have this written down.” Liu Mang said. “I can even promise to allow you to continue assisting Sun Ce if you surrender!”

“What!” Liu Mang’s promise made the others shocked. Was he wise or was he a moron? Why would he put Sun Ce and Zhou Yu together? Even if they surrender, they should not have been placed together. That was like releasing a tiger back into the mountains.

“Grand Governor Zhou. Do not worry. I have no reason to lie to you. There is no benefit in me lying to you. The two of you are already trapped. If I have to be frank, I could now squash the both of you like bugs. However, I happen to fancy both of your talents. I will even give Sun Ce the opportunity to be what he wants, whether it is to be a county magistrate, or even a King.” Liu Mang’s words won Zhou Yu over.

Zhou Yu had thought of many different scenarios but this was one scenario that he never thought of. He had thought of dying together with Sun Ce. He had thought of getting house arrested with Sun Ce. He never thought he would be able to lead an army along with Sun Ce, in accordance to Sun Ce’s wishes. What was the difference between this and decentralizing authority?

“Of course, my words only applies if Sun Ce has the ability. If Sun Ce doesn’t have this ability, then he can just get lost. My Yangzhou doesn’t raise wastes!” Liu Mang declared.

Normally, Zhou Yu would shake his head in disdain. Instead, his knelt down with his face red.

“Grand Governor!” The servant felt like her heart was about to jump out. Zhou Yu’s wounds has just healed. Such extreme movements was harmful. Fortunately, Liu Mang was there to stop Zhou Yu, preventing Zhou Yu from injuring himself.

“Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin swears that if Your Highness’ words is true, then this Zhou Yu will serve Your Highness in life and accompany you in death. If I violate my vows, I will be struck by lightning and die a gruesome death!”

“Does that mean that Grand Governor Zhou is willing to become a part of Yangzhou?” Liu Mang asked with a smile.

“Yes, Your Highness!” Zhou Yu nodded. If Zhou Yu still rejects such a generous offer, it would mean that he was unable to tell between good and bad.

“You still call me Your Highness?” Liu Mang asked again with a smile.

“Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin greets the Lord!” Zhou Yu could not kneel but he could still cup his fists.

“Haha! I have never been so happy even when I defeat the Jiangdong Army. Only when Zhou the Beautiful Youth enters my service do I feel that the world is mine!” Liu Mang laughed loudly while giving Zhou Yu face.

“My Grand Duke. I would have held a congratulatory feast but let us wait until your injury heals. Recuperate well!”