Chapter 25 Qin Er Shi was Hu Hai!

Xiao Qiao saw Zhou Yu disappear on the spot very clearly.

In that instant, a flash of white light appeared, and his figure vanished from the spot. Xiao Qiao's pupils contracted sharply, her fingertips trembled slightly, but she forced herself to remain calm, dismissing the servants without showing any emotion, saying only that the Grand Commander was resting in his room and that no one was allowed to disturb him.

However, while one instance might be concealed, repeated offenses eventually lead to the exposure of the truth. As a high-ranking official of Eastern Wu, Zhou Yu's every move was closely watched. If someone came to invite him, he would claim to have caught a cold; if a military report came the next day, he would say that his old injury had relapsed.

Sun Quan was still able to be lenient, but the old general Cheng Pu was of a fierce temperament and would not tolerate such ambiguity.

That day, Cheng Pu stormed into the Zhou residence, his hair and beard bristling, his voice booming: "Madam! Today you must give me an explanation! What happened to Gongjin—"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped, his eyes wide open.

Just then, a white light flashed from the center of the courtyard, so bright it was blinding. When the light faded, a figure had appeared out of nowhere in the previously empty courtyard—it was Zhou Yu!

His robes fluttered in the wind, and his expression remained unchanged, as if he were simply returning home normally, rather than appearing in such a bizarre manner.

Cheng Pu's Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Gongjin, when...when did you learn such magic arts?"

Zhou Yu smiled slightly.

Cheng Pu's beard trembled slightly. He had fought on the battlefield for decades, but he had never seen anything so bizarre.

But the person before him was indeed his good friend Zhou Yu—the heroic spirit in his eyes and the composure in his every move were absolutely genuine.

Zhou Yu raised his hand in a salute and smiled, "General Cheng, what is the matter that you are in such a hurry?"

Cheng Pu snapped out of his daze, his brows furrowed: "Gongjin, what you just did—"

"What happened?"

The unspoken words were forced down.

Zhou Yu knew this matter couldn't be kept secret for long, and he initially kept it from Sun Quan out of caution.

After all, if Brother Bofu really could come back, how would Sun Ce put himself in a position?

That's still a problem.

Power always makes people lose themselves.

But Zhou Yu only remembered that he had traveled thousands of miles but still did not see Sun Ce one last time.

Every relationship has its order of arrival.

In the history of the Three Kingdoms, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were the most dazzling twin pillars of Jiangdong, having known each other since their youth.

Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were the same age and met in Shu County when they were young. The Records of the Three Kingdoms states that the two were "particularly friendly," and Zhou Yu even "offered his best mansion south of the road to Sun Ce," giving him the best house in his family, and they became sworn brothers.

Later, when Sun Ce raised an army, Zhou Yu immediately led his troops to join him, and the two worked together to establish their power base in Jiangdong. Historical records state that Sun Ce was overjoyed, saying, "With you by my side, everything is perfect!"

At that time, they were young and naive, thinking that if they continued, they could realize their shared dream of Jiangdong.

I only regret that life is too short...

In the spring of 200 AD, 26-year-old Sun Ce was ambushed by Xu Gong's retainers while hunting in Dantu Mountain. Three poisoned arrows pierced his cheek, and his blood stained the sunset over Jiangdong. This young hero, known as the Little Conqueror, coughed up blood all the way home in his carriage, yet he still forced himself to make arrangements for his affairs.

He died before his ambitions were fulfilled.

This young tyrant left Jiangdong to his younger brother, and left Zhou Yu to his brother Sun Quan.

When Sun Ce was assassinated, Zhou Yu rushed to his funeral overnight. Historical records state that "Yu went to Wu to attend the funeral."

Just as Sun Ce trusted Zhou Yu without reservation, Zhou Yu later devoted himself wholeheartedly to assisting Sun Quan.

But Sun Quan was not Sun Ce after all.

Faced with the choice between Sun Ce and Sun Quan, Zhou Yu did not hesitate or waver; he knew clearly who his best friend was.

Facing Cheng Pu, Zhou Yu slowly and leisurely recounted how he had been recruited by the immortal.

"Immortal recruitment?"

"Gongjin, are you delirious from the fever?" Cheng Pu said, reaching out to touch Zhou Yu's forehead, as it was too absurd to say such things in broad daylight.

Those sorcerers are nothing more than people who go to the underworld at night to work for Ox-Head and Horse-Face for a day. No wonder Gongjin is such a smart man.

The sorcerer could only go at night; the nonsense he made up was all done during the day.

It's more visible than others.

"I don't have a fever." Zhou Yu said helplessly as he took Cheng Pu's hand away. He knew that even if he told the truth, no one would believe him.

"Didn't you just see it? My sudden appearance wasn't some kind of illusion, why don't you believe me?"

I just saw...?

"I thought you were playing a trick on me?!"

It's no wonder Cheng Pu thought Zhou Yu was putting on an act; after all, these strategists and clever people love to pretend to be unfathomable, especially Zhou Yu.

A few days before the Battle of Red Cliffs, he asked Zhou Yu if he was certain of victory.

Zhou Yu, fanning himself late at night, smiled without saying a word.

The campsite was near a water source, and late at night, mosquitoes buzzed around, which was very annoying. Cheng Pu swatted one away with his fan-like hand, but another one kept coming.

Seeing Zhou Yu's calm expression even when bitten by mosquitoes.

Cheng Pu was truly impressed.

Now, watching Zhou Yu feign supernatural behavior again, Cheng Pu was even more impressed; he could never understand the mind of such a scholar. But the facts before him forced him to believe it—how could a living person appear out of thin air?

"Gongjin," Cheng Pu suddenly lowered his voice, glancing warily around, "Tell me honestly, did we encounter some kind of evil spirit? Should I go and ask a Taoist priest..."

Zhou Yu smiled and shook his head. "It's not a demon. I've been there these past few days. There are not only me in that place, but also people from the Qin and Tang dynasties."

People from the Qin Dynasty?

The Qin Dynasty is more than 400 years old now, so where are there any living people from the Qin Dynasty?

Cheng Pu sighed helplessly. There were no Qin Dynasty people at all; they were just some old men pretending to be people who had lived for hundreds of years. In reality, they were just old men who looked old.

The world is in turmoil, farming is difficult, and even young people are struggling to feed themselves, let alone the elderly.

People can't just wait to starve to death.

Some elderly people are quick-witted and say they are messengers sent down by a Bodhisattva, able to communicate with the dead, and able to bless the harvest with abundant crops and favorable weather. Some even claim to have lived for hundreds of years.

There were all sorts of opinions, but the reward was nothing more than a handful of grain.

Is it useful?

It's just a way to earn a living.

Cheng Pu knew this, but never exposed it. Living in a chaotic world, it wasn't easy to have enough to eat.

"Gongjin, I never thought you would be fooled by such petty tricks." Cheng Pu still didn't believe it and tried to wake Zhou Yu up as well.

"If you don't believe me, then open your eyes wide." Zhou Yu patted Cheng Pu on the shoulder.

Cheng Pu had no choice but to open his eyes wide. A flash of white light appeared, and Zhou Yu, who was standing in front of him, suddenly disappeared. He reached out to grab him, but only grasped at thin air.

"Gongjin?!" Cheng Pu exclaimed in surprise.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhou Yu reappeared in the same spot. Cheng Pu's palm struck Zhou Yu's shoulder solidly, producing a crisp cracking sound.

"You scared me to death!" Cheng Pu complained. As a veteran who followed Sun Jian in raising an army, he had seen the Yellow Turban army use talismans to cure diseases and Yu Ji summon wind and rain, but he had never seen a real person turn into a living person.

The sudden disappearance and reappearance of a person under the clear blue sky was a huge shock to Cheng Pu.

"Do you believe me now?" Zhou Yu asked, rubbing his shoulder.

Cheng Pu remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slowly: "Does the lord know?"

This question gets to the heart of the matter. Cheng Pu, a veteran general of three reigns in Eastern Wu, is undoubtedly loyal to the Sun family regime. This is a matter of great importance; if handled improperly, it could affect the overall situation of the realm.

Zhou Yu shook his head: "I haven't informed you yet."

Cheng Pu immediately saw the thorny nature of the matter. Zhou Yu was a key minister of Eastern Wu; what was the point of him going to the celestial realm every day? What should Eastern Wu do?

Although Cao Cao has been defeated, he still occupies the Central Plains. The Battle of Red Cliffs can only be said to have caused Cao Cao a major setback, but it did not damage his foundation.

He can still maintain his hegemony in the North.

Cao Cao is eyeing us covetously, and Liu Bei is not to be underestimated either. If Zhou Yu is not here, what will become of Eastern Wu?

Upon hearing this, Cheng Pu couldn't help but grab Zhou Yu's hand: "Gongjin, this matter must be reported to our lord immediately, lest things get complicated."

Reporting to the lord...

Zhou Yu also had this idea. Keeping it a secret indefinitely was not a long-term solution. He would deal with Brother Bofu's matter after he had saved enough money.

Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu passed through the many palace gates and walked towards Sun Quan's council hall.

"Gongjin," Cheng Pu lowered his voice, "how do you plan to approach our lord?"

Zhou Yu nodded slightly: "Tell me the truth. The matter of Songyang County can be kept secret for a while, but not forever."

Inside the council hall, Sun Quan and his ministers were discussing matters. Seeing the two arrive together, he put down his things and raised an eyebrow slightly: "Gongjin, General Cheng, what important matter do you have to discuss?"

Why did Zhou Yu come on his own initiative after all these days of absence?

Zhou Yu bowed deeply: "My lord, I have important matters to report."

Sun Quan gestured for his attendants to leave, assuring them that everyone in the hall was a trustworthy minister. Only after the hall doors closed did he say, "Speak."

“I have recently been assigned a post,” Zhou Yu said, looking directly into Sun Quan’s eyes. “I am to serve in Songyang County. I go there during the day and return at night.”

Sun Quan was taken aback at first, then chuckled: "When did Gongjin concurrently serve as the magistrate of Songyang County? How come I didn't know?"

Such a big matter, yet Sun Quan hadn't heard a word about it. He couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart; Gongjin's power was truly immense.

The courtiers remained silent.

“Not a county magistrate,” Zhou Yu slowly unfurled the bamboo slips in his hand, “but a place… beyond time. There, I can see people from the Qin and Tang dynasties, but not people from our time.”

The matter of Bo Fu needs to be carefully considered. Before it is confirmed, not a single clue should be revealed to Sun Quan, as he cannot guarantee whether Sun Quan is still the younger brother who cherishes his elder brother.

The Qin Dynasty was more than 400 years ago, but I've never heard of the Tang Dynasty.

Sun Quan's smile froze on his face. He slowly stood up, his wide sleeves sweeping across the table: "Gongjin, is this really true?"

"Absolutely true."

Cheng Pu added from the side: "My lord, this old minister saw it with his own eyes. Gongjin's ability to disappear and reappear in an instant is definitely not a magic trick."

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Cheng Pu would never have believed that there really was such a thing as immortals recruiting people.

“Prove it to me,” Sun Quan suddenly said, his voice low and tense.

The assembled officials stared intently at Zhou Yu, for the Grand Commander never boasted.

Zhou Yu nodded and took two steps back. A flash of white light, and his figure vanished instantly. Sun Quan abruptly stood up, the table shaking violently, bamboo slips scattering all over the floor, but no one cared at that moment; everyone in the hall stared wide-eyed at the scene.

Incredible.

“This…this…” Sun Quan’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, his eyes wide open.

Another white light flashed, and Zhou Yu reappeared in the same spot.

“Gongjin, you said…” Sun Quan’s voice suddenly became cautious, “that we can’t find people from our time there?”

Zhou Yu understood and said softly, "Yes, my lord."

Without people from this era, there would be no Cao Cao and Liu Bei's side. The ministers all agreed, "Heaven's mandate is with Wu."

Yes, destiny favors Wu.

Sun Quan's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. He slowly sat back down, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table: "Why people from the Qin and Tang dynasties?"

"I don't fully understand either," Zhou Yu shook his head. "Songyang County seems to transcend time, but it has its own rules. The people of the Qin Dynasty and the people of the Tang Dynasty each had their own duties."

What is your position?

“The chief clerk of the county government is responsible for some administrative affairs,” Zhou Yu replied. “He earns five hundred coins a month. With the money, I can acquire some knowledge or items, but I cannot bring people back.”

A fleeting, enigmatic emotion flashed in Sun Quan's eyes, a mixture of disappointment and relief. He remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "What can you possibly gain from there that would benefit Eastern Wu?"

Inside the council hall, the ministers of Eastern Wu gathered in a circle, craning their necks and staring wide-eyed at the thick book in Zhou Yu's hand.

"This is called the System Shop Manual." Zhou Yu carefully turned the pages. All the items inside could be exchanged for wages, but since I haven't been paid yet, I can't withdraw them for the time being.

The system's online store manual was distributed to every employee in Songyang County.

Zhang Zhao's white beard twitched with anger: "Absurd! How can a painted cake satisfy hunger!" As he spoke, he used his cane to poke at the picture of a bowl of Master Kong braised beef noodles in the manual.

It looks so delicious, but you can only look at it and not eat it.

"Zhang Gong, wait!" Lu Su hurriedly stopped the cane, not wanting such a fine thing to be poked and broken.

“Look at this picture of ‘refined iodized salt’. The grains are distinct and the luster is like snow. This is something that no ordinary painter could do.”

This is much whiter than the salt they eat.

Lu Meng squeezed to the front, his young eyes shining: "Governor, can these walkie-talkies really transmit sound over thousands of miles? The map says the effective range is 5 kilometers, how far is that?"

If Eastern Wu had a tool for transmitting sound over long distances, wouldn't everyone be able to see and hear from afar?

Zhou Yu explained with a smile, "It's about ten li."

"Ten miles?!" Cheng Pu grabbed Zhou Yu's arm, which was like adding wings to a tiger in the war.

Sun Quan suddenly coughed, and the hall fell silent. He slowly walked to Zhou Yu, his fingers trembling slightly in his sleeve: "Minister Zhou, where did this booklet come from?"

These are items that clearly do not belong to this world.

"My lord, it's distributed by the Songyang County government," Zhou Yu replied respectfully. "I go there to work every day, and I receive my wages at the end of the month. One coin of wages can be exchanged for a bag of salt, and ten coins can be exchanged for a pair of walkie-talkies..."

Lu Su suddenly pulled out his counting rods and began fiddling with them on the ground: "At market price, a bag of salt is worth fifty coins. If the salt in this picture album is truly this pure..."

This snow-white salt is even cheaper than their salt.

"Lu Zijing!" Zhang Zhao roared.

"How can you take this seriously! This is clearly a demonic book!" He pointed to the description page on the television. How could a person be inside a frame? And even move!

What else could this be but a demonic book?

Sun Quan suddenly reached out and pressed down on the manual, turning to a page displaying a picture of a deluxe edition of the Records of the Three Kingdoms: "This book... truly records events of later generations?"

The price of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is listed as tens of thousands of coins.

Zhou Yu nodded: "According to Magistrate Jiang, this book does indeed record events from the Yellow Turban Rebellion to..."

"Enough." Sun Quan slammed the book shut, his eyes dark and unfathomable. "How much wages does Minister Zhou need to exchange for this item?"

"It...it requires tens of thousands of coins," Zhou Yu calculated to himself, "about three years' salary."

A collective gasp filled the hall. Lü Meng counted on his fingers: "Doesn't that mean the Governor-General has to serve in Songyang County for three years?"

Sun Quan suddenly returned the booklet to Zhou Yu, a meaningful smile on his face: "In that case, Minister Zhou, you may continue your duties in Songyang County."

Zhou Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed and replied, "Your subject obeys."

"All of you, step back," Sun Quan waved his hand.

After all the officials had left, he stood alone in the empty hall, reaching out to touch the picture of the "Records of the Three Kingdoms" in the manual, his finger leaving a shallow indentation in the description.

The main hall was empty, and Sun Quan felt both relieved and lost. He slowly walked towards a side hall, where Sun Ce's memorial tablet was enshrined.

In the flickering candlelight, Sun Ce's portrait hung high on the wall. Sun Quan lit three incense sticks, inserted them into the incense burner, and remained silent for a long time.

"Brother..." he finally murmured, his voice complex and unreadable, "I don't know whether I should be glad that Gongjin won't see you, or regretful..."

The incense and candles burned silently, but no one answered.

Outside the hall, Zhang Zhao tugged at Lu Su's sleeve, refusing to back down: "Zijing, you be the judge! No matter how beautiful the salt in that painting looks, can it be eaten?"

Lu Su smiled without speaking, but a shrewd glint flashed in his eyes. Lü Meng, walking at the back, pulled Zhou Yu aside and pressed, "Commander, can that telescope really see the enemy camp ten miles away? Could we get it on credit...?"

"We can't extend credit." Zhou Yu patted the young general on the shoulder helplessly.

"Songyang County Government does not offer credit."

——

Hei Fu was a diligent yamen runner, patrolling the county town several times a day. You could only see him at mealtimes in the county government office; otherwise, you would never see him.

Finally, Django spotted Blackie just before his shift was about to end.

"Blackie".

He quickly called out to him, afraid that Hei Fu would slip away again if he was distracted.

The man called to a halt abruptly, turning around with a gust of wind. He wiped the sweat from his brow, revealing a face tanned dark by the sun: "Magistrate Jiang, what are your orders?"

“It’s nothing important,” Jiang Ge softened his tone, but his gaze remained fixed on Hei Fu’s eyes. “I just wanted to ask when you’re arriving in Xianyang?”

Upon hearing this, Hei Fu's dark face immediately lit up. To be able to meet the King of Qin was an honor he could never have dreamed of.

He straightened his back, his voice brimming with undisguised joy: "Reporting to Magistrate Jiang, the General said that we will arrive in Xianyang tonight, and the King has already prepared a victory banquet for us at the palace."

It's likely that both Django and Heifu share the same anticipation for meeting Qin Shi Huang: one is eager to meet the King of Qin, and the other is excited because it's Qin Shi Huang.

Who wouldn't want to see him?

"Will you tell the King of Qin all the history of the Qin Dynasty that you know?" Jiang Ge's eyes were complicated. She knew that Yuchi Jingde and Qin Shubao had revealed the history of the Qin Dynasty to this Qin soldier in front of her.

Knowing too much is never a good thing, but if you know the most crucial thing, that's a different story. With just one fulcrum, you could lift up the entire Qin Dynasty.

What she had to do was to add more weight to this soldier's position.

"I don't know. The general said that since we don't know who Qin Er Shi is, we shouldn't say it and cause trouble for the king."

Hei Fu earnestly relayed what Wang Jian had told him.

"Do you want to know who Qin Er Shi is?" it whispered like a demon.

Blackie's pupils contracted sharply, and all color drained from his face. He instinctively took a half-step back.

"No..."

Jiang Ge smiled slightly and said, word by word, "Qin Er Shi is Hu Hai."

A note from the author:

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A long, feature-rich chapter will be released tomorrow (it's now a paid chapter). I'll be revising the earlier parts today. There will be a random surprise giveaway in the comments tomorrow, so please show your support! [Let me see][Let me see]