Chapter 107: Twists And Turns
“I disagree!”
Inside the Xu Residence, Madam Sun coldly said to her husband Xu Zhen: “You’re the patriarch, yet why didn’t you refuse such a thing on the spot? Why let a daughter of the Xu Family become a substitute for the Sun Family? It harms the family’s dignity. Why didn’t you flatly refuse?”
Xu Zhen sighed and said: “This isn’t about allying by marriage with barbarians. Wei’er already likes Gan Ning. Fulfilling the child at this time is a good thing. Why not give her this opportunity?”
“She only thinks of herself. When she fled the marriage back then, did she consider my feelings? She was so ruthless then, so today I refuse to agree.”
Xu Zhen advised again: “Madam, why quibble with the child like this? Otherwise, have Wei’er apologize to you!”
“Thinking of an apology now is too late. I’ve said no to this matter, and that’s final!”
Madam Sun stood up, glaring at her husband with a fierce expression on her face. “Tomorrow you go tell the Marquis of Wu to find someone else for the marriage alliance. The Xu Family won’t accept it. If you don’t say it, I’ll go tell Lady Wu. Back then she made me lose all face, now I’ll make her suffer too!”
With that, Madam Sun snorted heavily and turned to leave.
Madam Sun had long had her plans. She wanted Xu Wei to marry her nephew Sun Kuang. Back then, she had adopted Xu Wei for this very purpose. Xu Wei had been a rare beauty from childhood. The first day she saw Xu Wei, she decided to use her for a marriage alliance with the Sun Family. Although Sun Yi was assassinated, there was still Sun Kuang, who was only three years older than Xu Wei—a very suitable age.
She had originally planned to settle this matter with Sun Kuang’s birth mother, Lady Wu the Elder, but after Sun Yi was assassinated, the Elder Lady grieved excessively and passed away soon after.
Next, she could only discuss it with the new Lady Wu, but before she could propose it, the Sun Family planned to use Xu Wei for a marriage alliance with Jiangdong. How could Madam Sun accept this? Ten years of her efforts couldn’t be wasted just like that!
Of course not. No one could destroy the plan she had schemed for ten years. As long as she was around, the Sun Family could forget about using Xu Wei as a substitute for Sun Shangxiang to form a marriage alliance in Yuzhang Commandery.
Xu Kun returned to the residence and went straight to the study to find his father.
“Father, why refuse the Marquis of Wu? Wouldn’t it be good to let Wei’er go for the marriage alliance? It would strengthen our ties with the Marquis of Wu, resolve Wei’er’s marriage, and she herself is willing. It’s a good thing that satisfies everyone. Mother is just upset for the moment—why take it seriously?”
“I’ve already spoken up for Wei’er, but your mother won’t listen.”
“Father!”
Xu Kun raised his voice, extremely anxious as he said: “You clearly know that in that situation, the more you speak up for Wei’er, the angrier Mother gets. Aren’t you just pouring oil on the fire?”
Xu Zhen looked at his son for a moment, then lowered his gaze and said faintly: “If I said it was actually me who disagreed, would you believe it?”
Xu Kun was stunned. “Father, you mean…”
Xu Zhen said faintly: “I believe you’ve seen it. This alliance has sparked strong opposition. Nearly half the officials have jointly opposed it. Eight out of thirteen great families oppose the alliance. You can see how great the support for Sun Ben is.”
“Father, actually not that many people support Sun Ben. Many are just going along with the crowd.”
Xu Zhen shook his head. “You’re seeing things too simply. They’re not petulant children—why would they just follow the crowd? Many are actually dissatisfied with the Marquis of Wu.
The Marquis of Wu has been in power for a year, lost three commanderies north of the river, suppressed Sun Ce’s old subordinates—everyone saw what happened to Taishi Ci. He also sent people to assassinate his own brother, angered his mother to death, broke his word, and refuses to establish Sun Shao as heir. Everyone has seen this. How many would support such a lord?
If allying with Gan Ning weren’t truly beneficial to Jiangdong, I tell you, there would be even more opposition—even I would sign against it.”
Xu Kun finally calmed down. He vaguely understood his father’s intention.
“Does Father mean Sun Ben will make a comeback?”
Xu Zhen shook his head. “I don’t know. I only know the Marquis of Wu’s position is very unstable now. Whether he wins or Sun Ben wins in the end is truly uncertain. So for this Sun-Gan alliance, the Xu Family doesn’t want to take sides. But I don’t want to openly oppose either, so I let your mother take the lead!”
Only then did Xu Kun understand his father’s deep scheming. By indulging Mother to oppose the Xu Family’s marriage alliance, it was actually Father unwilling to take sides between the two Suns behind the scenes.
“Then who will ultimately go for the marriage alliance?”
“No decision yet. We’ll see what the other side wants. If they insist on the marriage alliance, it will likely be Sun Jing’s daughter.”
Xu Kun fell silent, truly feeling sorry for Xu Wei.
……….
An arm can’t twist a thigh in the end. As the Marquis of Wu’s Manor formally announced the alliance with Gan Ning, the opposing voices grew weaker day by day until they vanished completely.
Ten days later, Sun Quan set off under the tight protection of over a thousand warships and twenty thousand navy troops. At the same time, Gan Ning also set off protected by twenty thousand troops and a thousand warships.
This was the pre-agreed plan: both sides’ escort troop strength not exceeding twenty thousand, warships not exceeding a thousand. The meeting place was actually on the river surface outside Wankou.
The large ship for the meeting was provided by Jiangdong, which had a twenty thousand stone tower ship.
Gan Ning rode a five thousand stone tower ship, and Da Qiao came along too. There was a segment in this meeting where both lords would dine together, requiring family members to be brought.
Sun Quan did not bring his main wife Xu Fen; he brought his equal wife Bu Lianshi, who was Bu Zhi’s niece.
Though Sun Quan was only twenty, he had married Lady Xie as his wife at sixteen, had son Sun Deng at seventeen, his wife passed away at eighteen from illness, he then took Bu Lianshi as concubine, and last year married Xu Kun’s daughter as wife.
Sun Quan bringing Bu Lianshi to the negotiations this time was also considering that Gan Ning had no wife, only one concubine. By the principle of equality, he brought a concubine too—yet this move greatly dissatisfied his wife Lady Xu.
In the night, the fleet sailed in formation on the Gan River, lanterns hung on every ship to signal those ahead and behind. A thousand large ships stretched nearly two hundred li.
In the cabin, Da Qiao’s delicate body lay in her husband’s arms. She whispered in his ear: “If this marriage alliance isn’t with Sister Xu, I beg husband to be a bit more cautious.”
“Why?”
Da Qiao sighed. “I get along very well with Sister Xu. I’m afraid other women will make my days hard, especially the Marquis of Wu’s sister. Sister Xu said she loves martial arts, has been fierce and combative since childhood—completely a boy born into a girl’s body. If it’s her, I’m afraid Xiao Qiao and I will live worse than death.”
Gan Ning kissed his beloved concubine in his arms and laughed: “I promise you. If it’s not Sister Xu, I’ll give up the marriage alliance this time.”
Da Qiao was delighted and hurriedly hugged her husband’s neck: “You can’t say I meddle in politics!”
Gan Ning flipped over onto her and laughed: “Now I want to meddle in politics too—what to do?”
Da Qiao’s eyes flowed with charm, full of allure. “What can this concubine do but serve husband with all my heart.”
The ships sped across the water surface. On the river surface, the breath of spring was especially warm.
Three days later, Gan Ning’s fleet arrived at Wankou first, anchoring there to rest. Wankou’s commandant Yang Qin was Taishi Ci’s subordinate general.
At this time, Taishi Ci also arrived and reported the situation in Shu County to Gan Ning: “Sun Ben currently has fifteen thousand troops in Lujiang Commandery, still led by Sun He and Xu Qian. Sun He is the prefect of Lujiang Commandery; it’s said he may be replaced. Additionally, Xu Qian has been appointed county sima.”
“Any warships or navy?” Gan Ning asked.
“Reporting to my lord, among these fifteen thousand, three thousand are navy, stationed in Lijiang County, with over three hundred warships, mainly mengchong warships.”
“No reinforcements discovered?”
Taishi Ci shook his head. “Up to yesterday, Shu County has seen no signs of troop reinforcements. The army hasn’t entered wartime status either. It feels they don’t know about the Yangtze alliance.”
Gan Ning smiled faintly: “Sun Ben definitely knows, but his opposition was futile, and he has no choice.”
The next morning, a scout reported: “Eastern Wu fleet discovered thirty li away—grand in scale, flying the king’s banner.”
Gan Ning nodded—this was Sun Quan arriving. He immediately ordered Qiao An to make contact with the other side.
Soon, Qiao An sent someone back to report: “It’s indeed the Marquis of Wu Sun Quan’s fleet. The fleet has anchored in Danyang Commandery’s territory on the south bank of the Yangtze.”
Gan Ning also ordered the warships across the river, anchoring in Yuzhang Commandery’s territory. The two armies were twenty li apart.
The twenty thousand stone tower ship for the alliance was anchored right on the border, ten li from each side’s armies. On the north river surface, a dozen warships from each side stood guard to prevent Sun Ben from sending ships for a sneak attack.
Wang Xiaoman took fifty soldiers aboard the large ship first, carefully inspecting the situation inside. Besides the pre-agreed twenty maidservants, there were no anomalies.
Wang Xiaoman was a scout by origin; he checked very carefully with a keen eye. He examined the twenty maidservants’ hands—all were fair and soft, without scars or calluses, the marks that martial arts training inevitably leaves.
Per the agreement, each side would have one great general bring fifty guards aboard. Sun Quan brought his beloved concubine Bu Lianshi, along with Zhang Zhao and Lv Fan. Gan Ning brought Da Qiao, followed by Lu Su and Jiang Wan. They approached the ten thousand stone large ship in a doujian, boarded via the gangplank. Gan Ning led Da Qiao aboard, with Lu Su and Jiang Wan close behind.
The other side also came in a doujian. Sun Quan led Bu Lianshi aboard, followed by Zhang Zhao and Lv Fan.
Gan Ning and Sun Quan embraced warmly, laughed at each other, then respectively introduced their family and subordinates.
When Sun Quan saw Da Qiao, his eyes lit up. Only then did he realize the beauty his elder brother couldn’t forget—truly devastatingly gorgeous.
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