"Why?" Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu, smiling on his face, but he smiled a little reluctantly, as if he saw a tragedy happening.

"What's the reason?" Zhou Yu also smiled a little unnaturally. He could see Sun Ce's forcedness, and could feel Sun Ce's doubts.

Sun Ce felt that it was a bit hypocritical to smile like this, so he simply put away his fake smile and made it straight to the point. "Why do you want to conquer Yizhou at this time? This seems not to be a suitable time. Is it your own idea or the bewitching of others?"

"Am I someone who can be easily bewitched?" Zhou Yu asked back.

Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu quietly, his left eyebrows raised slightly, and then slowly calmed down. His fingers crossed, gently twitched, and his knuckles made a slight sound. He could understand Zhou Yu's subtext. He was not only denying being bewitched, but also responding to the previous provocation of the imperial court. The court appointed him as General Zhennan, corresponding to General Zhenbei of Sun Ce, and also as Marquis Shu. Although he was a county marquis, just like Marquis of Qiantang of Sun Ce, Shu was his county and was more respectful and the intention of provocation was clear. Zhou Yu wanted to attack Yizhou, which was crucial to the court, so he naturally had to return his color and officially break up with the court.

This is Zhou Yu's purpose of attacking Yizhou, at least one of the purposes.

"Gongjin, do you still remember the song we collaborated on?" Sun Ce said suddenly.

"Of course I remember that if the people are prosperous, if the people die, they will suffer. This is a song that children in Jingzhou can sing, especially those who are loved by the people of Luoyang in Guanzhong and Luoyang. They all say that those who can make such songs have great benevolence and righteousness."

"What do you think? Do you think I have great benevolence and righteousness, or only false benevolence and false righteousness?"

"If there is no great benevolence and righteousness, how could he transport grain and provide relief when the disaster is caused by Guanzhong, and he would distribute it to the people without regard to the dignity of the court. How could he save the people at all costs when Yuan Shao was approaching the country, accept the people of Yanzhou and Qingzhou to avoid major casualties?" Zhou Yu smiled bitterly. "Bo Fu, I understand what you mean, but people's words are terrifying, and the morale of the army is easy to move. If they do not respond, those people in the court think they have a plan and may do something stupid. Three people become tigers and Zeng Shen killed people. Even if you believe me, how can you violate the crowd?"

Hearing the word "Bo Fu", Sun Ce smiled and patted Zhou Yu on the shoulder. "What do you mean is that I am easily bewitched?"

"Uh..." Zhou Yu shook his hand quickly. "Bo Fu, I don't mean this..."

"Okay, okay." Sun Ce raised his hand and signaled that Zhou Yu did not need to defend himself. "To be honest, I did doubt your motive just now. At this time, the possibility of winning is very slim. Of course, this is based on my ability. Maybe Gongjin, you can win and succeed..."

"You..." Zhou Yu sighed, "Bo Fu, where will you put me?"

"Dare you say you don't have the will to win?"

Zhou Yu was speechless. Under Sun Ce's smile, he gritted his teeth. "I admit that in recent years, you have defeated Xu Rong, settled Yangzhou, fought against Yanzhou, and severely damaged Yuan Shao, won consecutive victories in a row, and have become a famous general, but I have been out of trouble many times and have no use of the land. I am indeed a little unwilling to accept it."

"Why can I fight with Xu Rong without distraction? Why can I fight against the four states, compete with Yuan Shao, and make a life-and-death decision?" Sun Ce clenched his fist and gently hit Zhou Yu's chest. "Because you are behind me. Even if I am defeated and flee, as long as you and Jingzhou, I have the chance to make a comeback."

Zhou Yu let out a sigh of shame. "Bo Fu, I..."

"Okay, although those who are good at fighting have no great achievements, it is indeed a waste to always let you guard the rear. I have been having fun in the past few years and are tired of fighting. If you want to rest, let's exchange it. I'll sit in the back for you and you will make achievements. But in the ugly saying goes, although we have some family fortunes, we are not yet able to squander. Either we don't have a fight, and the battle will be beneficial. If your plan does not have a 70% chance of winning, don't expect me to agree. From my personal point of view, I don't recommend you to attack Yizhou. Of course, you have been in Jingzhou for the past few years and have a better understanding of the situation in Yizhou. If you have a 70% chance of winning, as long as you can convince me, that's fine."

Zhou Yu laughed. "It's true that there is no 70% of it. Just based on the battlefield, it's only 50%, but if the benefits of the court are included, it should be 70%.

"Okay, since you are so confident, it would be unkind to let you talk. Make a good preparation. When you arrive in Nanyang, meet Mr. Zigang, and then summon the generals, let's discuss it carefully. Gongjin, this is a necessary process, not specifically targeting you."

"I know." Zhou Yu nodded repeatedly.

Sun Ce raised his head, looked at the sky, and then looked at Zhou Yu's face. "It's not too early, and it will be late at night when we arrive in Wancheng. It's better to rest in Bowang for a night, and walk as a car tomorrow and return slowly. After leaving Chaisang, two years later, you are about to get married and you are eager to make contributions. You may not have such an opportunity in the future. Let's have a good chat today and communicate the plans for the next few years. Back then, Zhang Qian was empty in the Western Regions and was named Bowang Hou. I hope we can use his courage to expand the territory and go further than him in the future."

Zhou Yu's heart was ups and downs, and he suddenly felt proud and agreed.

——

Bowang was originally a township in Guan County, but later it was established. It was originally a township in Si Township. Later, Zhang Qian opened the Western Regions and was granted the title of Bowang Hou. He used it as a fief, so he changed his name to Bowang County. Just as the name of the champion Hou Huo Qubing was named after it, Bowang is also named after the person.

Bowang County is located in the remnant of Funiu Mountain, which is the last pass from the northeast to Nanyang. In history, Liu Bei once stationed here and defeated Xiahou Chun and Li Dian. He was then grafted on Zhuge Liang in the Romance, becoming his first achievement of coming out of the mountain: burning Bowangpo.

In the sky, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu walked side by side on the hillside, communicating the situation plans for the next few years, and vaguely returned to the scene when they were in Xianshan, Xiangyang. However, although the scene was similar, their mood had changed. Sun Ce was frivolous and unrestrained, Zhou Yu was childish and immature. He was so angry that he drew his sword to face him by Sun Ce's jokes. Now this scene will never happen again.

Sun Ce explained to Zhou Yu the recent situation. Yuan Shao was defeated, Yanzhou had become an ally, and the south of the river was basically stable, but the situation in Yanzhou and Qingzhou was not as strong as Yuzhou. The strength of the aristocratic family still existed and it took time to slowly get rid of it. The aristocratic family in Yuzhou was severely damaged, only one last blow. Although they were still quite far from Sun Ce's goal, they could no longer cause him decent trouble.

Sun Ce emphasized the explanation of his aristocratic family policy. Zhou Yu is also a aristocratic family, and a family with a deeper background than Guo Jia and Pang Tong. If he did not explain clearly, Zhou Yu would have a natural resistance without Xun You and Xinpi bewitched. Fortunately, Sun Ce had been together for a long time, knew that he had a lofty ambitions, and knew that their father and son were in the Zhou family. In the face of a grand vision of changing customs and building a thousand-year-old achievements, the family's temporary losses were acceptable. What's more, Sun Ce did not blindly deprive the aristocratic family of the family. The experience of the Nanyang aristocratic family proved that the interests of cooperation with Sun Ce could completely offset their losses. Although they lost the stable income of the land, as long as the society was stable, the prospects would be brighter.

With these premises and the emotional foundation between the two, it is not very difficult to convince. After understanding Sun Ce’s intention, Zhou Yu’s heart knot was naturally untied, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious. In a daze, he had a bit of close understanding from the past.

"Bofu, it is easy to attack the city, but it is difficult to attack the heart, and it is even more difficult to attack the hearts of the world. What you have to deal with is not only aristocratic families in the world, but also a scholar in the world. This difficulty is no less than capturing the world."
Chapter completed!