Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 794: The Farce at the Funeral Hall with Ulterior Motives

Wei Yan suddenly raised his head and sneered, his laughter filled with sarcasm and disdain. He slowly took a half step back, his hand on the hilt of his sword, the moonlight flowing on the blade with a chilling chill: "What a trick of the thief crying thief! It is true that I am the only one guarding the bed in the entire tent, but all the entrances and exits were served by you personally!" Wei Yan's eyes were as sharp as a hawk, piercing deep into Sun Quan's eyes, "You are a heartless man, you are unworthy of being a human, but you actually committed the crime of killing your brother with your own brother!"

The old lady's body was shaking violently, and her cloudy eyes were burning with rage: "Shut up! This man is cunning. Not only did he harm my son, but now he is framing his own brother. I don't know what your intention is!" She turned to Zhou Yu, her voice filled with unquestionable majesty: "Gongjin, take action and capture him!"

Zhou Yu's brows were furious, and he was about to open his mouth to defend himself, but Wei Yan laughed in anger, and his laughter was filled with endless sadness: "Old lady! I have always respected your composure in the face of danger, you are a heroine! Do you think that when it comes to parenthood, you have to confuse right and wrong?" He suddenly ripped open his clothes, revealing the hideous scars on his body, "In the past in Changsha, if I hadn't risked my life to protect you to Wujun, you would have died in the chaotic army!"

The old lady took a deep breath, her withered chest heaving violently. A bronze bell from the eaves suddenly tinkled, dragging her thoughts back to that bloody evening seven years ago—the smoke of gunpowder thickened over the Changsha city walls, arrows rained down like rain. It was Wei Yan, sword drawn, wielding his blood-stained cloak to wrap around the young Sun Shangxiang, carrying the gravely wounded Sun Xu on his back, fighting his way through the pile of dead bodies. Had it not been for this man's sacrifice, how could the Sun family have survived to seek refuge with Wu Jing?

"Wei Yan!" She slammed her cane to the ground, shaking off the unburned incense ash on the table. "My Sun family has treated you well! You are eating the emperor's salary, but who instigated you to murder Bo Fu, and now you are slandering him!" Before she finished speaking, she saw Wei Yan's suddenly torn open front, revealing a chest covered with hideous scars. Old and new scars were intertwined like a spider web, and the deepest sword mark that pierced his right shoulder was still glowing dark red.

"My lord has always been kind to me, but has there ever been a battle in which I, Wei Yan, ever cared about my life?" His voice seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his chest, with a rusty sneer, "When Changsha was captured; when Yuzhang was besieged; when Jiangxia was surrounded by thousands of troops!" He swung his sword violently, chopping off the corridor pillars, his eyes bloodshot as sawdust flew. "In which battle have I not fought to the death? Today you accuse me of plotting to murder my lord? Fine! Even if I have to sacrifice my own life, I will seek justice for Sun Bofu who died unjustly!"

A flash of cold light flashed, and Wei Yan's longsword went straight for Sun Quan's throat. Lü Meng, Lü Dai and others drew their swords simultaneously to protect their master, and the sound of metal clashing exploded in the mourning hall. The candlesticks toppled over, and the flames instantly engulfed the white cloth on the altar. The spirit flag twisted into a hideous shape in the flames. The old lady raised her cane, trembling, and the golden beast on the cane flickered red in the flames: "Rebellion! Rebellion! Bo Fu's body is still warm, and you are fighting in the mourning hall! Do you really think that I, an orphan and a widow, can be easily bullied?"

In the midst of the chaos, Taishi Ci leaped forward to separate the group, only to see Wei Yan's sword suddenly swerve, its tip brushing Sun Quan's ear before piercing the beam. "See clearly!" He pressed the bloodied tip of the sword to his heart. "If I had even the slightest intention of murdering my master, I would be hacked into pieces! But if I don't uncover the true culprit today, I won't let you go, even as a ghost!" The fire grew fiercer, casting the figures in the room with a terrifying, Shura-like brilliance.

At this moment, Zhou Yu's eyebrows shot up, and he shouted angrily, "Enough!" His voice was like a bell, shaking everyone's eardrums. He swiftly and forcefully pulled out the governor's seal from his waist and held it high. The delicate seal radiated a majestic luster in the flickering firelight.

"Bofu's body has just been returned to the mansion today, and his spirit is still here. Before the truth comes out, you don't think about tracking down the real culprit, but instead just keep fighting. How disgraceful! If Bofu is still alive, he would be so chilled to see this scene! Stop it immediately!" Zhou Yu spoke fiercely, his eyes like torches, scanning the people who were fighting.

Taking advantage of Wei Yan's momentary distraction, Taishi Ci seized the opportunity and leaped forward, his longsword precisely knocking Wei Yan's sword away. The sword arced through the air and landed on the ground with a clang. Wei Yan stumbled and nearly fell. The mourning hall was now filled with the strong smell of gunpowder and choking smoke. Everyone was panting and glaring at each other, but under Zhou Yu's intimidation, they finally stopped, though the hostility between them remained. The old lady stood by, her chest heaving violently, her eyes filled with grief and anger. Sun Quan, breathing slightly, his face still etched with shock and anger, stared intently at Wei Yan.

The old lady leaned on a cane, her figure swaying slightly, her eyes filled with fatigue and vigilance. "Alright, alright, Gongjin, calm down. Before leaving, Bofu ordered you to take charge of Jiangdong affairs. Today, I'll hand over this matter entirely to you. I want to see how you can explain it to me." As she finished speaking, a subtle cold glint flashed in her cloudy eyes, as if she had already developed a grudge against Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu bowed and saluted, his expression solemn: "Don't worry, old lady. The most urgent task is to strictly guard the border and not let the news of the civil unrest in Jiangdong spread. If the news of Bo Fu's death spreads far and wide, the court, Tao Qian, Liu Biao and other forces may take advantage of the situation." As soon as the voice fell, Zhang Zhao stroked his beard and pondered: "Gongjin is right. It's just that the lord passed away suddenly and left no will to pass on the throne. Who will take up the responsibility of the great cause of Jiangdong?"

"Of course it's Bofu's son!" Taishi Ci suddenly stepped out, the sound of armor colliding was crisp and sharp. "Although Bofu is dead, his son Sun Shao is the orthodox bloodline and should inherit the throne!"

Old Madam Sun sneered and slammed her cane on the ground: "Sun Shao is just a baby in swaddling clothes. How can he take responsibility for the thousands of soldiers and civilians in Jiangdong? Now there are powerful enemies outside and murderers inside. Letting this child succeed to the throne will only push Jiangdong's foundation into the fire pit."

Zhou Yu's brows knitted together as he stepped forward and argued, "It's only natural that the son inherits the throne after the father's death. Throughout history, there's no such thing as deposing the legitimate heir and replacing him with another. Furthermore, Bofu has a biological son; hastily replacing him with another would be difficult to convince the public." His gaze was resolute, but he didn't notice the growing suspicion in the old lady's eyes, as if his argument had only confirmed some hidden suspicion.

Zhang Hong stroked his long beard and took a step forward. His voice was calm but sharp, "Gongjin, you are wrong. When King Wu died and King Cheng was young, Duke Zhou Dan served as regent to ensure the stability of the Zhou Dynasty. Now Jiangdong is surrounded by powerful enemies and internal troubles have not been resolved. If you make your young son the regent, won't that give various forces an opportunity to take advantage?" He waved his sleeves and glanced at the people in the tent. "Zhongmou has always been known for his virtue. Since he followed Bofu into battle, he has made friends with many heroes and won the hearts of the people. He is truly the best choice for the ruler of Jiangdong."

Zhang Zhao then took a half step forward, his aged face filled with worry for the country: "Zi Gang is absolutely right. Jiangdong has just been settled, its foundation is not stable, and with the sudden death of our lord, we need a wise leader who can take charge. Zhongmou is both strategic and courageous. He has assisted Bofu in handling military and political affairs in these years, and he has done so in an orderly manner. Only by making him our leader can we stabilize the overall situation in Jiangdong and resist foreign enemies." He turned to the old lady and bowed, "Old lady, for the sake of Jiangdong's foundation, Zhongmou's succession is the best solution."

Zhou Yu listened to the two men's echoing voice, and his heart was filled with alarm. He suddenly raised his head, staring at Zhang Hong and Zhang Zhao with a sharp gaze: "You two are so anxious today, could it be that you have already planned this?" Zhou Yu took a half step back and looked around. He saw that everyone had different expressions. Sun Quan lowered his eyes and said nothing, but the old lady nodded slightly. His heart suddenly sank. "Okay, okay! In your opinion, the great cause of Jiangdong must be led by Zhongmou?"

Zhang Hong and Zhang Zhao exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Exactly! Zhongmou is kind and generous, and he has great talent and strategy. He will definitely lead Jiangdong to prosperity." Zhang Zhao paused and added, "Besides, Bofu also cultivated Zhongmou a lot during his lifetime, which shows his love for him."

Zhou Yu tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, feeling a chill creep up from his feet to his heart. He gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar crowd before him and suddenly realized that the struggle for the position of Lord of Jiangdong was no longer a simple battle for succession, but a power struggle with swirling undercurrents.

Zhou Yu took a sudden step forward, his dark brocade robe rustling in the draft, the jade pendant at his waist jingling. "Madam! Until the real culprit is apprehended, everyone in the mansion is a suspect!" His gaze raked across Sun Quan's tense face like a sharp blade. "Furthermore, Wen Chang directly accused Zhongmou of personally delivering the medicine. With such a crucial point of suspicion still hanging in the balance, if we hastily appoint a leader, wouldn't Jiangdong's foundation hang in the balance?"

The old woman slammed her cane on the blue bricks, shaking the eternal lamp on the altar violently: "Gongjin! You and Bofu are as close as brothers, and you have watched Zhongmou grow up! Now you want to pin a false accusation on him?" The old voice suddenly rose, and the ending tone with tears pierced the stagnant air, "Am I, a poor child, really so unbearable in your eyes?" After that, she suddenly covered her face with her sleeves, her hunched back heaving violently, and her suppressed sobs mixed with the whimpering wind outside the tent, making the atmosphere in the room even more solemn.

Huang Gai unsheathed his sword with a clang, his bronzed face flushing crimson. "Everyone, please cut the spit!" This veteran, a veteran of Sun Jian's campaigns, stepped forward. "Madam, please calm down. Gongjin is concerned for the safety of Jiangdong." He turned to Zhou Yu, his eyes pleading. "But the most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation!"

Cheng Pu slowly stood up, leaning on his Iron-Backed Serpent Spear. His graying hair gleamed silver in the candlelight. "Indeed! Bofu's body is still warm. If we continue to kill each other, how can we be worthy of our lord?" The veteran general's calloused hand patted Zhou Yu's shoulder. "Gongjin, you and I serve in the same court, both for the people of Jiangdong."

The tent fell into an eerie silence, with only the old woman's intermittent sobs and the flickering candlelight on the table dragging this undercurrent of the deadlock inch by inch into the unknown abyss.

Zhou Yu looked up at the white spirit banner swaying overhead, his Adam's apple rolling twice before he slowly lowered his clenched fists. "That's all..." A sigh seemed to drain all his strength, his voice hoarse as if covered in gravel. "Let's put this matter aside for now. Bo Fu's death is an established fact, and the news will spread quickly."

He took a half step forward, his fingertips brushing the unburned incense ash on the altar, his eyes shimmering with reminiscence. "But he must not be allowed to die in obscurity. He should be buried with the rites of a duke, and sent on his final journey with honor." He suddenly turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping through the people in the tent. "Pass the order down, all camps, strengthen their vigilance, and block the main ferry crossings. During the funeral, we must stabilize the situation in Jiangdong!"

Zhang Zhao stroked his beard and nodded, about to speak, but was interrupted by Zhou Yu's raised hand: "Mr. Zibu, please be patient." He took a deep breath and tossed the scattered hair on his forehead to the back of his head, "After Bofu's funeral is settled and the morale of the army and the people is stabilized, then the real culprit will be thoroughly investigated. At that time, we can make a long-term plan for the selection of the Lord of Jiangdong." As he spoke, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally passed over Sun Quan's clenched fist, and then turned to the old lady's slightly trembling figure, "No matter what the final result is, we must give an explanation to the people of Jiangdong and to Bofu in the netherworld!"