He could see that if he didn't do something soon, Jiangdong would definitely be in chaos, so he decided to hand over the reins to Zhou Yu.
Only then did Zhou Yu realize that Sun Quan wanted him to make a statement!
Among the military generals of Jiangdong, besides Sun Ce, he had the greatest prestige.
"Absolutely not! Now that Bo Fu has appointed you as the lord of Jiangdong, we should do our utmost to assist you!"
However, Zhou Yu's words clearly did not resonate with Sun Quan.
“Gongjin has fought alongside my father and brothers for many years, and now he is the Grand Commander of Jiangdong. You are the most suitable person to be the ruler of Jiangdong!” Sun Quan said through gritted teeth.
Zhou Yu was taken aback, then said bitterly, "Bo Fu has been kind to me as heavy as a mountain, how could I possibly take away Bo Fu's family business?"
"If I really did that, wouldn't I become an unfaithful and unjust person?"
"I humbly request that you, young lord, take charge of the ruler of Jiangdong!" Zhou Yu bowed deeply to Sun Quan.
Upon hearing this, the other Jiangdong generals followed suit, kneeling down and respectfully saying, "We humbly request that our young master take charge of Jiangdong!"
Sun Quan remained silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and said loudly, "In that case, I shall temporarily assume the position of ruler of Jiangdong!"
Sun Quan felt relieved and quickly helped Zhou Yu and the others up, saying excitedly, "Please rise, everyone. I, Sun Quan, am young and will need your guidance in the future!"
"Thank you, my lord!" Everyone stood up.
Sun Quan turned his gaze to Zhang Zhao and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Zhang, please make arrangements for me to hold a memorial ceremony for my brother immediately!"
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys!" Zhang Zhao replied.
He then left to make preparations.
Sun Quan, accompanied by his generals, went to the ancestral hall to pay respects to his father and brothers, and to mourn their spirits in heaven.
"Brother, elder brother! I am now the ruler of Jiangdong. I will definitely develop Jiangdong according to your last wishes, strengthen its power, and avenge you!" Sun Quan knelt on the prayer mat and choked up as he spoke.
Zhou Yu stood to the side, saying nothing.
After a long while, Sun Quan left the ancestral hall.
He had just left the ancestral hall when Zhou Yu caught up with him.
"What are your orders, Gongjin?" Sun Quan stopped and asked, puzzled.
Zhou Yu said, "My lord, the most urgent task is for us to take over the remaining counties of Yangzhou as soon as possible and shrink Yuan Shu's territory!"
Yuan Shu had just fought two major battles, and even his top general Ji Ling had been killed in action.
Now is the best time. If we miss this opportunity, and Yuan Shu recovers, Jiangdong will be in grave danger.
Sun Quan hesitated, however: "But our troops have suffered heavy losses..."
"My lord, although our army has suffered heavy losses, Yuan Shu's losses are even more severe! At this moment, he cannot afford to worry about Yangzhou!" Zhou Yu advised.
Sun Quan thought about it and felt that Zhou Yu's words made sense, so he agreed to his suggestion.
He said, "In that case, Gongjin, I'll have to trouble you this time!"
"My lord is wise!"
"All the troops in Jiangdong are at your disposal!" Sun Quan said solemnly.
Zhou Yu solemnly replied, "Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"
After Zhou Yu left, Zhang Zhao went to Sun Quan's side.
"My lord, isn't giving Zhou Yu too much power?"
All the troops in Jiangdong were under his command. If Zhou Yu harbored any disloyalty, Sun Quan would be doomed.
To everyone's surprise, Sun Quan replied, "Even if I don't give it to him, who else can I mobilize?"
Sun Quan's tone was full of weariness and helplessness. He sighed and said, "I was forced into the position of ruler of Jiangdong. These generals are all my father and brothers' loyal followers. Now that my father and brothers are gone, how can I suppress them?"
Zhang Zhao fell silent upon hearing this.
He could sense the sorrow and misery in Sun Quan's heart.
He cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "My lord, do not worry. You should also start thinking about cultivating your own loyal followers!"
Sun Quan was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked up at Zhang Zhao, seemingly understanding what Zhang Zhao meant.
He nodded slightly and said, "You're right. When my father and brothers were alive, they taught me many principles. I also understand that my future as Sun Quan cannot be confined to this small territory of Jiangdong!"
Zhang Zhao said with satisfaction, "With such thoughts in your lord, I believe you will surely rise to great heights and become a regional overlord in the future!"
Sun Quan smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Zhang!"
The next day, as Zhou Yu was about to set out on his campaign, he found Sun Quan.
"My lord, I am about to depart for war. Before I leave, I would like to recommend someone to you!"
"This person possesses extraordinary talent!"
Upon hearing this, Sun Quan's eyes lit up, and he asked, "For Gongjin to praise him so highly, this person must be extraordinary. Who is he?"
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "This man's name is Lu Su, courtesy name Zijing!"
Sun Quan frowned slightly; the name sounded somewhat familiar to him.
However, he soon remembered that Lu Su came from a wealthy family in the eastern part of Linhuai. He was generous and charitable. In the face of the chaotic world, he sold his land, distributed his wealth to relieve the poor, and made friends with scholars and people, which won him the hearts of the villagers.
He had already heard of his great name when he traveled the world before.
"So it's Lu Zijing! I've long heard of his great name. Gongjin's recommendation of him must mean he's a capable man!" Sun Quan said happily.
Zhou Yu laughed and said, "This Lu Su is well-read, has an extraordinary demeanor, is good at planning, and is fond of devising ingenious schemes!"
Sun Quan was even more delighted after hearing Zhou Yu's description.
Zhou Yu nodded and said, "My lord should summon this person as soon as possible!"
Sun Quan said, "Good!"
Subsequently, Zhou Yu led his army on an expedition, and Sun Quan, accompanied by Zhang Zhao, arrived at the villa where Lu Su was staying.
"Lu Su greets my lord!"
Lu Su became friends with Zhou Yu in his youth, and later they both joined Sun Ce's forces.
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