Rebirth of the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao doesn't want to be a widow anymore

Chapter 366 Waiting to be Slaughtered
Since the matter had already been brought up, Sun Quan decided to stop hiding it.

"Is Lord Zhang trying to comfort me, or is he just trying to comfort himself? Of the nine provinces under heaven, Cao Cao has already acquired five. If he were to acquire Jingzhou and Jiangdong as well, and the people were to turn their hearts to him one day, would he really be able to return power to the emperor?"
Cao Cao was no benevolent man; his ruthless and cunning nature was known to all.

If he were to usurp the throne from the Han dynasty, I, a subject of the Han dynasty, would be the first to die by his blade.

Besides, when my elder brother campaigned in Lujiang and other places, he offended countless powerful families, whose sons and brothers all served under Cao Cao. How could I possibly remain safely in the court?

When Sun Quan first took control of Jiangdong, the scenes of several assassination attempts were still vivid in his mind. If Sun Quan had not taken precautions in advance, established the Tiger Warriors under his chariots early on, and had his young family generals guarding him day and night, he would probably have suffered the same fate as Sun Ce, dying from a hidden arrow.

Zhang Zhao was speechless and could only weep silently. "Therefore, my lord has told me the truth today: you must take Jingzhou."

"Yes, rather than waiting to be slaughtered in the future, it is better to make arrangements early. Perhaps we can use the land of Jingzhou to fight for a chance to survive."

The oil in the lamp was almost gone, and the candlelight gradually dimmed.

Even though he was covered with a thick quilt and there was a stove by the bed to keep him warm, for some reason he felt a chill all over his body that he couldn't shake off.

The frosty chill of the spring night still carried the lingering cold of winter.

Zhang Zhao forced himself to kneel on the couch, his head bowed low. "If Your Majesty insists on this, I have nothing more to say. I only beg Your Majesty to allow this old minister to retire and return to his hometown!"

"Is Lord Zhang forcing me?" Sun Quan's tone remained unchanged, but his eyes grew even deeper, and his breathing became heavier.

“I dare not force you, my lord, but I am not only a subject of Jiangdong, but also the head of the Zhang family. As the head of the family, I have the responsibility to protect my clan.”

Just as you, my lord, are the ruler of Jiangdong, you have the duty to protect Jiangdong.

Sun Quan remained silent, while Zhang Zhao bowed deeply, his voice trembling, "I beg... Your Excellency to grant my request."

The sparks danced in the furnace, occasionally crackling and popping, which sounded quite jarring in the room.

"Did Master Zhang speak from the heart?"

"Yes, it comes from...my sincere heart."

Sun Quan tilted his head slightly, his gaze unfocused on the air, the reddened corners of his eyes betraying his current state of mind.

When I was young, I was most afraid of Zhang Zhao, because among all the people, Zhang Zhao was the most upright. Even knowing that he was Sun Ce's younger brother, he never gave him any face.

His scolding was particularly intimidating; even the most unruly Sun Yi had to obediently bow his head and accept the scolding.

Looking at the old man on the bed now, he still has the same stubborn and unyielding temper as before, like a stone thrown into a cesspool, smelly and hard.

But Sun Quan knew in his heart that Zhang Zhao was acting out of pure enthusiasm for him.

However, what Zhang Zhao sought was no longer what he truly desired.

He sighed, unsure whether he was sighing for himself or for Zhang Zhao.

"Tomorrow, I will arrange for someone to send all the family members of your household back to Pengcheng, Xuzhou. As for Lord Zhang, you are still ill, so please stay at home and recuperate for now. We will discuss other matters after you have recovered."

Sun Quan had already backed down, so Zhang Zhao could no longer force him to do more and press him further.

The door opened, and a man dressed in black robes walked out. Qiao Wei quickly went to greet him and handed him a hand warmer. "How is it?"

Sun Quan took Qiao Wei's hand and walked forward, not allowing anyone else to follow. However, the strength in his hand was so great that it was as if he wanted to hold the whole world in his palm.

A cool spring night breeze gently ruffled their hair as the two strolled slowly along the corridor, their footsteps making a dull thud. Qiao Wei didn't ask, and Sun Quan didn't answer, but they both knew that the outcome of this negotiation was unsatisfactory.

Zhang Zhao was unwilling to compromise and even wanted to resign and return north.

If this matter were to reach the ears of the other officials, it would surely cause a great stir in Jiangdong. Given Qin Song's character, he would definitely incite the other pro-defense faction to resign and put pressure on Sun Quan.

Without Zhang Zhao overseeing things from the rear, Sun Quan was indeed uneasy, and the morale and spirit of the army would be shaken.

Zhang Zhao has created a difficult problem for Sun Quan by using himself!

At this moment, Sun Quan, at the center of the incident, gazed intently into the darkness beyond the long corridor, his eyes unfathomable.

"What does Your Excellency intend to do?"

Sun Quan did not answer immediately, but felt that the sky was unusually calm at the moment, as if a storm was about to break.

After a long silence, Sun Quan's voice seemed to come from afar, "Liu Qi still has some chips to play."

Liu Qi's real bargaining chip was neither Zhuge Liang nor his identity as a servant of Liu Biao.

At this moment, Qiao Wei did not understand what Sun Quan meant, but soon she knew what Sun Quan meant by those words.

News of Zhang Zhao's serious illness spread from the mansion.

Qin Song indeed began to unite with other officials who advocated defense to put pressure on Sun Quan, demanding that Sun Quan deal with Liu Qi and Zhuge Liang, the two "culprits".

"If Liu Qi and Zhuge Liang had not used their seditious words to bewitch Lord Zhang, Lord Zhang would not have been so anxious that he vomited blood and fell seriously ill."

"Yes, since Liu Qi and Zhuge Liang entered Jingkou, they have caused so much trouble for Jiangdong. Such troubles should be sent to Xuchang to be dealt with by the Emperor!"

"Liu Qi and Zhuge Liang are wholeheartedly plotting for Jingzhou. Your Lordship must not trust them lightly and should send them away!"

……

The officials knelt before Sun Quan's council hall, even though Sun Quan had said he had no intention of discussing matters and told them to return to their offices to take their duties.

Qin Song, however, displayed a stern demeanor as if he would immediately kill himself by crashing into the steps if Sun Quan refused to send Liu Qi and Zhuge Liang away.

Sun Quan was also helpless. Even though Yourou and others half-pushed and half-invited Qin Song to see him off, Qin Song seemed to have gotten stuck in some kind of dead end and insisted on kneeling at the entrance of the council hall and refusing to leave.

Seeing Qin Song's righteousness, the other officials also expressed their willingness to kneel at the entrance of the council hall.

As a result, more and more people knelt down, as if turning the lord's official residence into a meditation hall. Each person appeared devout, but they all harbored their own schemes.

Sun Quan looked out from the quiet room, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever, as if those people outside were not trying to coerce him.

As the dew deepened and the water dripped from the leaky roof, the time pointed to midnight.

Sun Quan was still sitting at the table reading, wearing his outer robe. Qiao Wei had fallen asleep with his legs against his. He carefully took a blanket and covered Qiao Wei with it.

She then adjusted her outer robe to shield Qiao Wei from the candlelight behind her.

As Qiao Wei slept, her face gained an even greater sense of tranquility, creating a small haven of peace and serenity in this restless night.

"My lord, the eldest son and Mr. Zhuge have arrived."