Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 800: Unraveling the Truth

Zhou Yu's face darkened at Huang Gai's words, his cheeks puffing slightly, and a flicker of anger flashed in his eyes. Just as the atmosphere was tense, Taishi Ci couldn't help but step forward and, with a bow, said, "Old General, the commander summoned you so late at night because of urgent military matters. Why did you do this?"

Zhou Yu waved his hand, signaling Taishi Ci to withdraw. He took a deep breath, suppressed his displeasure, straightened his robe, and solemnly bowed to the four veteran generals. "Four veteran generals, I don't know what you have heard so far, but I hope you will listen to what I have to say before making a decision." Zhou Yu's voice was steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority.

The tent was momentarily silent, the only sound being the flickering candlelight, its shadows flickering on the faces of the crowd. Though the four veteran generals remained silent, they all cast their gazes at Zhou Yu, their eyes filled with both doubt and a hint of anticipation. Cheng Pu nodded slightly, as if tacitly allowing Zhou Yu to continue. Huang Gai and the others also waited quietly, eager to hear what evidence Zhou Yu could offer to support his conclusions.

Zhou Yu straightened his body slightly, glanced at everyone with a firm gaze, and then said: "The death of the lord is full of doubts and is by no means accidental. Let me tell you in detail..." After that, he pointed to the map on the table again and began to analyze the conspiracy hidden in the darkness in an orderly manner.

Zhou Yu cleared his throat and continued methodically, "Everyone, regarding the Wujun aristocratic families, while they appeared to be surrendering, they were actually lurking in the shadows. They placed their sons in the army, gradually gaining control of the military, while Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong established their prestige among the civil officials. These two, one military and one civil, were like two wedges driving into the very foundations of Jiangdong."

Han Dang frowned and interrupted Zhou Yu: "General, it's not that I'm anxious, but you've been telling the story from the beginning. When did you get to the key point of our lord's murder?"

Zhou Yu bowed slightly, his face still respectful. "Don't worry, old general. This whole thing is interconnected, and we have to talk about it. The Jiangdong aristocratic families are now powerful and hold a significant position in both the court and the army. This is an indisputable fact, and I'm sure the four old generals would agree with it."

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang and Zu Mao all nodded in agreement.

Seeing everyone's approval, Zhou Yu continued, "This time, our lord is heading west to Chang'an. Before setting out, he devised a plan to borrow a passage from Liu Biao in Jingzhou, and even sent Zhang Hong to discuss this matter. Four veteran generals, are you all aware of this?"

Cheng Pu's eyes were deep, and he nodded slightly: "Yes, it is true."

Zhou Yu's eyes sharpened. "Two days after Zhang Hong set out, our lord led his army, arriving at Xiakou and successfully capturing it by surprise. But before the army even reached Jiangxia, Zhang Hong brought word that Liu Biao had agreed to negotiate peace and borrow the passage. Generals, don't you find this suspicious?"

Cheng Pu stroked his beard and fell into a brief moment of contemplation. After a moment, he slowly said, "If we only calculate from the time, Zhang Hong's return trip, even if he rode non-stop day and night, it would be difficult for him to reach such a fast speed. Unless..."

Zhou Yu slammed his fist down on the table, a gleam in his eyes. "Old General, you're absolutely right! This is the first suspicious point. Liu Biao and our lord often have conflicts, but this time he agreed so readily to let us pass through. It's really unreasonable. And according to the battle reports at the time, when our lord captured Xiakou, Zhang Hong was already on his way back from Xiangyang. This speed is too abnormal!"

Huang Gai raised his thick eyebrows upon hearing this, a look of confusion on his face: "Could it be that Zhang Hong has long been colluding with Liu Biao? Or is there someone else behind this, interfering?"

Zhou Yu nodded slightly and said solemnly, "General Huang is right. The truth behind this is probably far more complicated than we imagined..."

Zhou Yu's sharp gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke gravely, "This is the first suspicious point. Remember this. Then look again, everyone. Our Lord led his army to Jiangxia. Liu Biao had clearly agreed to the peace talks, yet Huang Zu suddenly jumped out and provoked and cursed. Think about Huang Zu. He was already defeated by our Lord in Yuzhang. Now that Xiakou has just been captured, he should have been terrified and avoided us. Why would he act so erratically and proactively come out to provoke our Lord?"

Han Dang frowned slightly, rubbing his chin. After a moment's thought, he said, "Yes, that old bastard Huang Zu has suffered several defeats. He shouldn't be so bold. Unless... he has someone backing him up, giving him the courage to do so!"

Cheng Pu stroked his beard, a hint of worry in his eyes: "Is there some conspiracy behind this? Huang Zu is just a man of courage but no strategy. Is he being used as a pawn?"

Huang Gai clenched his fists, his face showing anger: "Whoever is behind this plot dares to plot against my lord, I will not let him off!"

Zhou Yu nodded slightly and continued, "What the generals said is absolutely right. There must be some hidden secrets behind Huang Zu's abnormal behavior. Moreover, this is just the tip of the iceberg of the entire conspiracy. Let's look further down, there are still many strange things..." After that, he pointed to the map on the table again and continued to analyze the complicated situation.

Zhou Yu's expression was stern, his eyes filled with anger and confusion. He continued, "Huang Zu was severely defeated by our lord. Instead of fleeing to Jiangxia City, he fled towards Fancheng. Our lord led his army in pursuit, and he still hadn't returned to camp until dusk. Wei Yan arrived with provisions and learned of a major battle ahead. He inquired about our lord's whereabouts, only to be told that he was still pursuing the enemy. Think about it, everyone. Lü Meng, Lü Dai, Quan Cong, Xue Zong, Chen Wu, and so many other generals were with our lord. Why didn't anyone try to dissuade us from returning to camp? As generals, how could they not understand the principle of 'don't pursue a desperate enemy?'"

Han Dang nodded slightly, frowning, and said in a deep voice, "Yes, these generals are veterans of the battlefield, they shouldn't be unable to understand even this. There must be something hidden."

Zhou Yu nodded and continued, "When Wei Yan realized something was amiss and took his guards to pursue, it was already dark, and he discovered that the main army had lagged behind. Wei Yan questioned the generals, and they said it was dark and the roads were dangerous, and they were afraid of an ambush. If they were worried about an ambush, why did the main army halt, leaving the lord to pursue alone? This is the third suspicious point!"

Zu Mao listened, stamping his foot in anger. He cursed with a scowl on his face, "What a bunch of bastards! If they hadn't neglected their duties, how could the lord be in danger? Someone must have done this on purpose, with evil intentions!"

Cheng Pu stroked his beard, his face solemn, a hint of worry in his eyes: "It seems that the lord's murder this time was no accident. There must be a huge conspiracy behind it. We must investigate thoroughly and give the lord an explanation!"

Huang Gai clenched his fists, his eyes burning with anger. "That's right! I must find those who harbor evil intentions and chop them into pieces to vent my hatred!"

Zhou Yu looked at the indignant expressions of several veteran generals, nodded slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Generals, rest assured, I will do my best to find out the truth and give justice to my lord..." After that, he looked at the map again.

Zhou Yu's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the border of Jiangxia and Fancheng on the map. His voice was deep and powerful as he continued, "Everyone, please see! While pursuing Huang Zu with all his might, our lord was ambushed by Huang Zhong, a general from Changsha! Huang Zhong has been stationed in Changsha and usually keeps to himself. How could he appear so quietly between Jiangxia and Fancheng and launch a surprise attack on our lord? With your bravery and strategic prowess, even if ambushed, how could you have been so easily wounded?"

Cheng Pu stroked his beard, his brow furrowed, his eyes revealing a hint of confusion and anger. "Yes, Huang Zhong is far away in Changsha. If he wanted to send troops, there would definitely be movement. Our scouts were completely unaware of it. This is really unacceptable. Moreover, our lord is a martial arts expert and a veteran of many battles. Ordinary ambushes would be difficult to harm him. There must be something hidden behind this!"

Zhou Yu nodded slightly and continued, "What's even more infuriating is that Zhou Tai fought desperately to protect the lord, but now he remains unconscious, his life or death uncertain. And only after Wei Yan rushed to rescue the lord did Lü Dai, Lü Meng, Quan Cong, Xue Zong and other generals arrive belatedly. They were clearly following the lord closely, yet they didn't show up in time when he was in danger. Don't you find this strange and suspicious?"

Huang Gai slammed his fist on the table, shaking the cups and plates. His eyes widened in anger as he roared, "These bastards! They must have been deliberately delaying and not helping me. Maybe they were colluding with Huang Zhong and set this trap! If that's the case, I'll tear them into pieces!"

Han Dang's face was gloomy, and he nodded slightly. "General Huang is right. The behavior of these generals is so abnormal that we cannot help but doubt their intentions. We must thoroughly investigate this matter and find the mastermind behind it."

Zu Mao was so angry that he was shaking all over. He leaned on his iron spear and said with gritted teeth, "Our lord has been kind to them, yet they behave so ungratefully. This is truly intolerable! Commander Zhou Yu, give the order now. We will arrest these traitors and torture them until they reveal the truth!"

Zhou Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions. Then he waved his hand, looked at the four veteran generals with a determined gaze, and said in a deep voice, "Generals, please remain calm. We have sorted out many suspicious points. When our lord returned after being injured, only Wei Yan and the Second Young Master, Sun Quan, were on the ship with him. You should carefully consider what benefit would it bring to Wei Yan if our lord died? Wei Yan has followed our lord for many years and is loyal to him. He has no intention of rebelling."

He paused slightly, his gaze piercing as he scanned the crowd. He continued, "However, regarding Second Young Master Sun Quan, the Lord's passing was of immense significance to him. Looking at the mourning hall for the Lord, the crowd seemed to be subtly suggesting Sun Quan as the heir to the throne, and this intention was perfectly clear. They were so eager to nominate Sun Quan before the Lord's body was even cold. Isn't this extremely suspicious?"

The veterans exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting both approval of Zhou Yu's analysis and concern for the truth still to be revealed. The atmosphere within the tent was heavy.

Cheng Pu frowned slightly, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. He carefully considered his words and said slowly, "Gongjin, Grand Commander, how did this matter get dragged into the Second Young Master's hands again?" They had just been with the old lady, and after hearing her words and witnessing Sun Quan's sincere expression, it was hard to believe he would do such a heinous act. Furthermore, Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong had deliberately created the impression in front of them that Zhou Yu was seeking to seize power, forcing them to be cautious.

Huang Gai, also filled with confusion, interjected in a gruff voice, "That is to say, Commander-in-Chief, even though there are many suspicious points, how can we conclude that this is related to the Second Young Master? We can't wrongly accuse him for no reason."