Zhou Yu listened to the end but then suddenly jumped up in a tremendous rage.
Turning to the north and pointing with his finger, he cried, “You old rebel; this insult is too deep!”
Zhuge Liang hastily rose too and soothed him, saying, “But remember the Khan of the Xiongnu People. The Han emperor gave him a princess of the family to wife although he had made many incursions into our territory. That was the price of peace. You surely would not grudge two more women from among the common people.”
“You do not know, Sir,” replied Zhou Yu. “Of those two women of the Qiao family you mentioned, Elder Qiao is the widow of Sun Ce, our late ruler, and Younger Qiao is my wife!”
Zhuge Liang feigned the greatest astonishment and said, “No indeed; I did not know. I blundered; a deadly fault; a deadly fault!”
“One of us two has to go, either the old rebel or I; we shall not both live. I swear that,” cried Zhou Yu.
“However, such a matter needs a good deal of thought,” replied Zhuge Liang. “We must not make any mistake.”
Zhou Yu replied, “I hold a sacred trust from my late lord, Sun Ce; I would not bow the knee to any such as Cao Cao. What I said just now was to see how you stood. I left Poyang Lake with the intention of attacking the north, and nothing can change that intention, not even the sword at my breast or the ax on my neck. But I trust you will lend an arm, and we will smite Cao Cao together.”
“Should I be happy enough not to be rejected, I would render such humble service as I could. Perhaps presently I might be able to offer a plan to oppose him.”
“I am going to see my lord tomorrow to discuss this matter,” said Zhou Yu.
Zhuge Liang and Lu Su then left. Next day at dawn Sun Quan went to the council chamber, where his officials, civil and military, were already assembled. They numbered about sixty in all. The civil, with Zhang Zhao at their head, were on the right; the military, with Cheng Pu as their leader, were ranged on the left. All were in full ceremonial dress, and the swords of the soldiers clanked on the pavement.
Soon Zhou Yu entered and, when Sun Quan had finished the usual gracious remarks, Zhou Yu said, “I hear that Cao Cao is encamped on the river and has sent a dispatch to you, my lord; I would ask what your opinion is.”
Thereupon the dispatch was produced and handed to Zhou Yu.
After reading it through he said, smiling, “The old thief thinks there are no people in this land that he writes in this contemptuous strain.”
“What do you think, Sir?” asked Sun Quan. “Have you discussed this with the officials'“ asked Zhou Yu.
“We have been discussing this for days. Some counsel surrender and some advise fight. I am undecided, and therefore I have asked you to come and decide the point.”
“Who advise surrender?” asked Zhou Yu.
“Zhang Zhao and his party are firmly set in this opinion.”
Zhou Yu then turned to Zhang Zhao and said, “I should be pleased to hear why you are for surrender, Master.”
Then Zhang Zhao replied, “Cao Cao has been attacking all opponents in the name of the Emperor, who is entirely in his hands. He does everything in the name of the government. Lately he has taken Jingzhou and thereby increased his prestige. Our defense against him was the Great River, but now he also has a large fleet and can attack by water. How can we withstand him? Wherefore I counsel submission till some chance shall offer.”
“This is but the opinion of an ill-advised student,” said Zhou Yu. “How can you think of abandoning this country that we have held for three generations?”
“That being so,” said Sun Quan, “where is a plan to come from?”
“Though Cao Cao assumes the name of the Prime Minister of the empire, he is at heart a rebel. You, O General, are able in war and brave. You are the heir to your father and brother. You command brave and tried soldiers, and you have plentiful supplies. You are able to overrun the whole country and rid it of every evil. There is no reason why you should surrender to a rebel.
