Eastern Wu, Jianye.
Zhou Yu was now terminally ill, lying on his bed, seemingly waiting for someone.
A light drizzle was pattering against the windowpanes outside, while the charcoal fire inside crackled and popped.
Light footsteps sounded at the door, and then Lu Su appeared in the room. He glanced at Zhou Yu, then knelt down beside the bed: "Gongjin!"
Zhou Yu opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Lu Su before him, a smile appearing on his lips: "You've come!"
The man nodded, his expression grave: "Gongjin, I'm late."
"Not too late, just right."
The two words seemed to have exhausted Zhou Yu's last bit of strength as he spoke them softly.
Lu Su grasped Zhou Yu's hand, a sorrowful expression on his face: "Gongjin, what exactly happened?"
"Old injury has flared up again... cough cough, I don't have many days left."
Zhou Yu coughed violently a few times, his face as pale as paper, but his eyes remained clear.
Lu Su looked distressed and wanted to massage Zhou Yu's back and chest, but he was afraid of hurting Zhou Yu, so he could only hold Zhou Yu's hand tightly.
Just then, another figure appeared at the door.
"Gongjin!!!"
Hearing the sound at the door, Lu Su and Zhou Yu both looked up toward the source of the sound.
Sun Quan rushed in, his face full of concern: "Gongjin!"
Zhou Yu struggled to get out of bed, but he couldn't.
"Gongjin, lie down quickly." Sun Quan hurriedly stopped Zhou Yu from moving.
Zhou Yu spoke softly, his voice weak yet carrying an undeniable power: "My lord, I, Zhou Yu, am unworthy and have failed to continue serving you, for which I am deeply ashamed."
Sun Quan gripped Zhou Yu's hand tightly, a tear glistening in his eye: "Gongjin, you have rendered great service to Eastern Wu, how can you feel guilty? I will do everything in my power to find a cure for your illness."
Zhou Yu shook his head slightly. Knowing that his days were numbered, he cut straight to the point: "My lord, I have something to say, and I hope you will listen."
Sun Quan nodded: "Gongjin, speak."
Zhou Yu spoke slowly, his voice weak but firm: "My lord, although Cao Cao was defeated at the Battle of Red Cliffs, his foundation remains unshaken, and the danger to Eastern Wu is still not over."
Sun Quan gripped Zhou Yu's hand tightly, his eyes filled with reliance and expectation: "Gongjin, the safety of Eastern Wu depends entirely on you. Now that you are seriously ill, what am I to do?"
Zhou Yu smiled slightly. Although he was tormented by illness, his wisdom was not diminished: "My lord, do not worry. Although Cao Cao is strong, Eastern Wu has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River and the hearts of the people. Cao Cao's expedition is far away, and the supply of food and fodder will be difficult. This is an advantage for our army."
Sun Quan nodded, a glint in his eyes: "Gongjin is quite right. But how should we plan to ensure the safety of Eastern Wu?"
Zhou Yu took a deep breath, a sharp glint in his eyes: "My lord, the most urgent task is to strengthen the river defenses and train the navy. The Yangtze River is our natural barrier, and the navy is the sharpest weapon of Eastern Wu."
"But if we want to launch a northern expedition, Jingzhou is of paramount importance and must be captured!"
Sun Quan frowned and pondered: "Jingzhou has well-equipped soldiers and many generals; it is not an easy place to take."
Zhou Yu sighed, a hint of regret on his face: "Jingzhou's soldiers are well-equipped, but the civil and military officials of Jingzhou each have their own ambitions. This can be seen from the fact that they refused to come out to help after Guan Yu was killed."
"The civil and military officials in Jingzhou are suspicious of each other. If our lord seizes Jingzhou, it will lay a good foundation for our Jiangdong's future northern expedition!"
Upon hearing this, Sun Quan's eyes lit up: "Gongjin's words have enlightened me. I will have people reorganize the river defenses and train the navy!"
Zhou Yu turned his head and looked at Sun Quan, a glint of worry in his eyes.
"My lord,"
Although Zhou Yu's voice was weak, every word was full of power.
"Eastern Wu is currently in a delicate balance."
"Although Cao Cao was defeated, the forces in the north are still strong, and we cannot let our guard down."
"Although Liu Bei has temporarily allied with us, people's hearts are unpredictable, and Jiangdong must be on guard."
Zhou Yu took a deep breath and slowly said, "Eastern Wu is located in Jiangdong. Although it has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, it is surrounded by powerful enemies. Cao Cao is in the north and Liu Bei is in the west, both of whom are eyeing us covetously. After my death, Eastern Wu's situation will become even more difficult."
Sun Quan remained silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Gongjin, what are your thoughts?"
"Lu Zijing is far-sighted and loyal. He can succeed me as the Grand Commander of Eastern Wu. He can stabilize the morale of the army and continue to deal with Cao Cao and Liu Bei."
Sun Quan nodded and said, "Gongjin, I understand. Zijing is indeed a rare talent, and I will give him an important position."
A sense of relief flashed in Zhou Yu's eyes. He knew his time was running out, but he believed in Sun Quan, Lu Su, and the future of Eastern Wu.
"My lord, the future of Eastern Wu is entrusted to you." Zhou Yu's voice grew softer and softer, but his eyes remained firm.
Sun Quan gripped Zhou Yu's hand tightly, a tear glistening in his eye. "Gongjin, rest assured, I will certainly live up to your and my father's and brothers' expectations!"
Zhou Yu smiled with relief, while Lu Su wiped away his tears and said, "Gongjin, please accept my bow."
After speaking, he bowed to Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu looked at Lu Su weakly and said, "Zijing, protect Eastern Wu for me!"
Lu Su nodded solemnly: "Gongjin, rest assured, Zijing will certainly not fail in his mission."
Zhou Yu nodded gently, seemingly without any more worries. He gently closed his eyes, a faint smile on his lips, and then breathed his last.
Lu Su stood by the bed, remaining silent for a long time.
Sun Quan was in tears, and he embraced Zhou Yu, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Gongjin... Gongjin..." Sun Quan whispered, his voice choked with emotion, his eyes blurred with tears.
Sun Quan wiped away his tears, turned to the maid beside him, and instructed, "Collect Gongjin's body and give him a proper burial!"
With tears in his eyes, Sun Quan tightly grasped Zhou Yu's hand, his heart filled with reluctance to part with this talented man and worry about the future of Eastern Wu.
Zhou Yu's death was undoubtedly a huge loss for Eastern Wu, but Sun Quan knew that he had to make a choice.
Lu Su was equally heartbroken. He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then looked at Sun Quan, bowed respectfully, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, now that Gongjin has left, we should cheer up and work together to protect the foundation of Eastern Wu!"
Sun Quan nodded and left Zhou Yu's residence with Lu Su.
Thus, the first Grand Commander of Eastern Wu passed away.
Lu Su became the second Grand Commander of Eastern Wu, leading the soldiers of Eastern Wu.
With the passing of Zhou Yu, the political landscape of Eastern Wu underwent a dramatic change. Lu Su took charge of Eastern Wu's affairs, and the Mohist school rose to prominence.
In Shu Han, Zhang Fei, due to Guan Yu's death, spent his days drinking heavily and whipping his soldiers.
Liu Bei reprimanded Zhang Fei many times, but Zhang Fei ignored him and instead escalated his behavior.
Finally, one night, Zhang Fei's subordinates Zhang Da and Fan Jiang were severely beaten with thirty strokes of the military rod for a trivial matter, and were almost beaten to death.
Then the two decided to go all the way and, taking advantage of Zhang Fei's drunken state that night, cut off his head and sent it to Eastern Wu!
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