The eldest grandson of the eldest son, Sun Shao, had just turned four and was eating the food of a five-year-old. His mother, Qiao Jingjing, had already hired Yu Fan, a scholar of classical studies, to teach him, and he had learned to recognize quite a few characters.
Sun Shao kowtowed before his grandfather's grave.
"Grandpa, rest in peace. Our family is doing very well now. Grandma is healthy and has a good appetite. My father and mother are extremely filial to Grandma."
My parents were very loving, and they only had two daughters. Those girls have such round, bright eyes; they're so pretty!
Flowers in full bloom, oil poured over a raging fire.
A happy and harmonious family.
Back at the mansion, everyone talked about what had happened since they last met.
Sun Ce was originally nothing special; he was extremely skilled in warfare and his tactics were unpredictable. Liu Biao of Jingzhou was no match for him at all. Even Huang Zu, the only one who could fight him, was defeated this time.
Furthermore, Sun Ce's style of doing things is much more composed now, unlike in his younger years when he liked to travel alone and charge ahead.
For the sake of Qiao Jingjing and her children, and knowing the great responsibility he bore, Sun Ce remained brave, but also became more cautious.
Thus, Madam Wu was very pleased.
"Good, good, that's how it should be!"
Then it was Sun Quan's turn to talk about his experience governing Jiangdong on behalf of his elder brother.
Although the talent selection process went smoothly and many useful people were indeed selected and gathered together.
Zhang Zhao, Zhu Zhi, and others observed these young talents with a critical eye and cultivated them purposefully.
But the same problem remains: the royal family is not convinced.
When it comes to this issue of the royal family...
Sun Yi was furious.
Didn't he already lead troops to garrison Wucheng County? Sun Hao has never made a name for himself in his studies, so his elder brother certainly can't use him anymore.
The eldest brother sent Sun Hao back to his hometown of Fuchun, so that he could study for a few more years under the watchful eye of his biological father, Sun Jing.
Then, the heavy responsibility of guarding Wucheng County fell entirely on Sun Yi's shoulders.
Sun Yi fully accepted the position of General Dingwu.
Sun Yi is a veteran of countless battles, so why is it that when he leads troops into battle, his cousin Sun Ben and his family, including his uncle Wu Jing and his cousin Xu Kun...
These people each had their own air of superiority, as if they were a cut above Sun Yi.
Sun Yi seemed quite unhappy when she spoke of it.
These relatives were only afraid of his eldest brother.
Sun Yi is fine, he's just a bit younger.
His maternal uncle, Wu Jing, was 30 years older than him, and his two cousins were more than 20 years older than him. In terms of seniority, Sun Yi was far behind.
When will this cycle of relatives and clansmen ever end?
Sun Quan said:
"Therefore, I suggest that you continue to recruit talents and absorb external forces, without holding grudges. Whether they are from the Gu family, the Lu family, or from the North, we, the Sun family, will accept them all."
Use external forces to dilute the power of the clan and weaken their influence.
Of course, we must select him with a critical eye and examine his outstanding character.
People like Yu Fan and Hua Xin are respected for their character no matter where they are placed.
We could also train them like the elder sister-in-law trained Liu Ji and his brothers, starting with teenagers and nurturing them into the kind of people we need.
As a result, Sun Ce once again looked at Sun Quan with new respect.
Among his brothers, the third brother was most like him, even more so in his manic nature and love of drinking. No matter how much his mother, Xu, and Zhang Zhao and Zhu Zhi tried to persuade him, it was to no avail.
Only the second son, Zhongmou, was far-sighted, benevolent, decisive, and had the ability to recognize talent.
She is remarkably similar to Qiao Jingjing in some ways.
To maintain stability, we need people like Zhongmou and Da Qiao.
Sun Ce considered his own strengths; he was only decisive and brave, but in terms of governance, he was indeed inferior to his wife and his second brother.
On that day, Sun Ce personally met with the talented young men and women selected by Sun Quan and Zhu Zhi.
Indeed, his actions exude elegance and his speech reveals wisdom and reason.
Sun Ce was also very satisfied.
Reflecting on the unpredictable and turbulent state of the world, Sun Ce was moved and told Sun Quan, "These people will all be your subordinates in the future."
Sun Quan didn't think too much about it.
He had been used to hanging out with his older brother since he was a child, and the brothers had a very deep bond. With his older brother leading the way, he and the third brother followed behind, each doing what they were best at, which made many things easier to accomplish.
“Brother, I don’t need that many people to handle my affairs. My needs are limited. There are six counties in Jiangdong, and now Jiangxia has been added. To the south there is Jiaozhou, and to the southeast there are Fuzhou and Jianzhou. All of these places require manpower…”
Sun Ce simply smiled and remained silent.
Back at Fu Garden.
Night had fallen.
Qiao Jingjing had just listened to A Shao recite his lessons, and the wet nurse had just given her twin daughters a bath.
As soon as Sun Ce stepped into the room, he made sure to walk quietly.
Those two adorable little girls, still in their swaddling clothes, were innocent and naive.
Sun Ce first hugged his wife tightly for a while, then looked at his two daughters. He put one down and then picked up the other.
His son, Sun Shao, stood at his feet, looking very eager.
Sun Ce, however, did not see it.
Qiao Jingjing pulled Ashao close, gave him a hug, and gently coaxed him, "You've done so much today, aren't you sleepy?"
Ashao said he just wanted to talk to his father.
It's pitiful to say that Ah Shao was like this. When he was the same age as his twin sister, he had never even seen his father's face, let alone experienced his father's strong and steady embrace.
Sun Ce held his two daughters tightly and wouldn't let go.
He smiled with great satisfaction.
Sun Ce always said that his daughter's eyes looked like Qiao Jingjing's, and her chin was exactly the same as Qiao Jingjing's, except that her brow bone looked like his.
The son, Ashao, tugged at Qiao Jingjing's sleeve with a pitiful expression: "Mother, has Father stopped loving me since my sister was born?"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
