vstars Chapter 1137 Qiao Xuan's Inquiry Goes Straight to the Essence
Chapter 1137 Qiao Xuan's Inquiry Goes Straight to the Essence
Upon hearing this, Cheng Pu's resolute expression softened slightly. He lowered his gaze to the cracks in the blue bricks on the ground, cracks that mirrored the arduous path Jiangdong had traversed over the years. After a moment of silence, he slowly raised his head, his voice carrying the weight of years:
"Madam, my subordinate, Han Dang, Huang Gai, Zu Mao, and I followed our late lord (Sun Jian) from Shouchun, and later followed General Bo Fu to pacify Jiangdong. Over these decades, we've rolled through swords and crawled through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. We have hundreds of wounds on our bodies, but our resolve has never changed—"
He paused for a moment, then said, “We are all of the Sun family, our lives and souls belong to the Sun family. General Bofu’s passing was so sudden, and the pain in my heart is no less than that of the old lady. All these years, I have guarded Jiangdong and the Sun family, all for the sake of living up to the late lord’s trust and to General Bofu.”
Mentioning Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu frowned slightly, but without a trace of resentment: "The King of Liang, Gongjin, and General Bofu were sworn brothers. Back when they fought together to conquer the land, the three of them slept on the same bed and shared a piece of meat; their friendship was stronger than iron. As for how they are now, I can only guess..."
He looked up at the old lady, his gaze earnest: "But I don't believe that Gongjin has any ulterior motives. As for me, Han Dang, Huang Gai, and I, we only have one thought right now—to defend Moling and wait for General Zhongmou to return, or to find out what happened to General Bofu. There must be a resolution. But no matter how it is resolved, we must not let Jiangdong shed any more blood, and we must not let the Sun family's foundation be destroyed by us old bones."
Cheng Pu looked at the old lady, his eyes slightly red, his voice filled with the sorrow he had suppressed for many years: "Old lady, Bo Fu has been gone for several years."
He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white: "If he had died on the battlefield, we would accept it! But he died under mysterious circumstances, without even knowing who the murderer was—we cannot swallow this! Madam, let the Prince of Liang and Gongjin investigate. Even if they search to the ends of the earth, even if they turn the whole Jiangdong upside down, they must uncover the truth! Only by dragging out the villain hiding in the shadows and tearing him to pieces can Bo Fu's spirit rest in peace, and we old bones will have the face to face our late lord and Bo Fu in the future!"
The old lady stared blankly at Cheng Pu, at the white hair at his temples, at the grief and indignation surging in his eyes—the same pain deep within her own heart. She opened her mouth, wanting to say that the Sun family could no longer bleed, but the words were blocked by Cheng Pu's "I can't swallow this insult."
After a long while, she gently shook her head, a deep sense of desolation rising on her face, her voice as soft as a sigh: "You...you old brothers, is that what you all think?"
Cheng Pu didn't speak, but nodded heavily.
The old lady closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek and dripping onto her clothes. A deep sense of powerlessness surged up from the soles of her feet, engulfing her like a tidal wave. In her life, she had watched her husband Sun Jian die in battle, watched her eldest son Sun Ce be assassinated, and watched her second son Sun Quan struggle in the eye of the storm. She had thought she could live a peaceful life while protecting this little bit of wealth, but in the end, she could not escape it all.
"I'm afraid this Jiangdong... this Sun family..." she murmured to herself, but before she could finish, it turned into a long sigh. In that sigh, there was resentment, weariness, and an indescribable sense of powerlessness.
Seeing the old lady's dejected expression, Qiao Xuan cupped his hands and said, "Madam, I would like to ask you a few questions." The old lady knew that Qiao Xuan had come to visit so early in the morning, so he must have something to advise her. She said, "Master Qiao, I have always respected you. You must have something to discuss with me this morning. Just ask me anything, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge."
Qiao Xuan's expression was solemn. He leaned forward slightly and spoke with an unavoidable seriousness: "Madam, please be fair and ask yourself, between Bo Fu and Zhong Mou, which of these two children is more outstanding in terms of talent and character?"
Upon hearing this, the old lady's eyes dimmed instantly. Gazing at the falling withered leaves outside the window, her voice was shrouded in an unyielding loneliness: "Of course, it's Bofu..." She paused, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the lines of her cuffs, her tone filled with helplessness, "Zhongmou ultimately couldn't compare to Bofu. But what does it matter? Bofu... he's gone." Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, "He fought his way up in his youth, building this Jiangdong empire with every sword and spear. Now that he's gone, if Zhongmou doesn't step up, who can we rely on to shoulder the burden of the Sun family?"
Qiao Xuan nodded slightly, his gaze gentle yet penetrating: "I understand the old lady's thoughts. You don't need to say too much, just listen to my questions and answer truthfully."
The old lady took a deep breath, raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, and said in a hoarse voice with a sob, "Oh, Mr. Qiao... your question has only made my heart more confused." She composed herself and suppressed her surging emotions. "Alright, ask away."
Qiao Xuan gazed at the old lady and slowly spoke, pushing the question deeper: "You just said that Bo Fu is better than Zhong Mou, but what if we compare Bo Fu with Ma Chao?"
Upon hearing this, the old lady's eyes widened in surprise, then she fell into deep thought. Her fingertips hovered over her sleeve, her gaze drifting into the distance, as if she were carefully comparing the two figures in her mind. After a long while, she finally withdrew her gaze, her tone calm yet tinged with melancholy, and slowly spoke: "Ce'er is my son, how could I not love him dearly? He rose to fame at a young age, his bravery surpassing all others in the army. In terms of strategy, he dares to take risky moves; in terms of martial prowess, he can slay generals and seize flags. He is already a rare genius in this world." She paused, her tone shifting slightly, with a touch of objective honesty, "But if we truly consider the unparalleled ferocity of his martial arts, the intricate and comprehensive nature of his strategies, and his magnanimous heart and commanding presence... compared to Meng Qilai, he is ultimately still a step behind."
Seeing that the old lady's expression had softened slightly, Qiao Xuan continued, "Old lady, do you remember? Back then, Bo Fu and Gong Jin were outnumbered and had nowhere to turn, so they went to seek refuge with Ma Chao. Ma Chao not only did not look down on them in the slightest, but also generously provided them with soldiers and horses, and even sent his cousin and trusted generals to help them. It was precisely because of this timely support that Bo Fu was able to gain a foothold in Jiangdong and gradually build up his current foundation."
He paused, gazing out the window as if recalling those glorious years: "Later, Ma Chao and Bo Fu fought in Jiangdong. To be honest, in all the battles, big and small, half of Jiangdong's territory was not so much won by Bo Fu alone, but rather by Ma Chao and him fighting side by side. You know that, don't you?"
As the old lady listened, her fingers tightened slightly, and she nodded, her voice tinged with emotion: "Indeed...it is absolutely true. If it weren't for Mengqi's help back then, Ce'er would have had a hard time getting through those most difficult days."
A hint of approval flashed in Qiao Xuan's eyes, and he continued, "Having conquered such a vast territory in Jiangdong, Ma Chao had not a single trace of greed in his heart, and readily handed it over to Bo Fu. Even brothers would inevitably have some misunderstandings when faced with such temptation, but the two of them never had the slightest estrangement because of it. Isn't this enough to show Ma Chao's character? What he valued was not territory or power, but that life-or-death friendship."
Upon hearing this, the old lady's tense brows relaxed slightly, and the pent-up emotions in her heart seemed to ease. Indeed, Meng Qi had been so generous back then, not only gifting soldiers and horses but also sending trusted confidants to assist him. Without this timely help, how could Ce'er have established a foothold in Jiangdong, let alone built such a vast empire? Later, he even relinquished the territory he had painstakingly conquered without taking a single penny. It seems he truly valued his brotherly bond with Ce'er and wouldn't have coveted the Sun family's small fortune, would he?
But the thought was quickly suppressed by another worry. She sighed softly, her fingertips tracing the brocade cushion on her lap: "The past is the past, and the present is the present. The human heart is the most unpredictable thing." She looked up at Qiao Xuan, a hint of bewilderment in her eyes, "Back then, when Ce'er was alive, he might have still held onto old feelings and considered things carefully. But now that Ce'er is gone, we are just a widow and her children, without him to uphold our family's reputation. It's only natural that others would covet our inheritance..."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Xuan stroked his beard and laughed, cupping his hands and saying, "Madam, you underestimate Meng Qi." His tone was confident, "You may not know, but in these four years, Ma Chao's reputation in Xiliang has already shaken the world—even the emperor had to issue an edict to appoint him as the King of Liang."
The old lady's pupils contracted slightly, clearly not expecting Ma Chao to have such a formidable presence.
Qiao Xuan changed the subject, his voice deepening: "I heard that recently, in a fit of rage, he marched onto the grasslands and slaughtered millions of tribes. With such ruthless methods, who in the world wouldn't fear him?" He gazed at the old lady and slowly said, "If he truly wanted to covet Jiangdong, let alone Bo Fu's passing, even if Bo Fu were alive, with Meng Qi's current abilities, do you think Bo Fu could have held onto Jiangdong?"
"A hundred...a million?" The old lady felt a tightness in her chest, her face instantly turning pale. This number was like a boulder crashing down on her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. The Ma Chao she remembered was still the young man who walked arm in arm with Ce'er, his smile revealing a set of white teeth. How could he have become a murderer who slaughtered millions? That kind of ruthless reputation was so different from the image she remembered. A chill crept up her spine, making her fingertips feel cold.
Qiao Xuan abruptly changed the subject, looking intently at the old lady with a questioning tone: "Old Madam, in your opinion, how far will the Sun family's foundation ultimately go? Will it remain a secluded power in Jiangdong, a regional warlord? Or will it one day contend for the Central Plains and reign supreme over the world?"
Upon hearing this, the old lady was taken aback at first, then let out a long sigh, a sigh imbued with the vicissitudes of a lifetime. She raised her hand to brush away the white hair at her temples, her fingertips tracing the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, her voice filled with weary melancholy: "If Ce'er were still here..."
She paused halfway through her sentence, as if something was stuck in her throat. After a long while, she continued, "Even when Ce'er was alive, with his abilities, he might have had a chance to hold onto Jiangdong and become a regional overlord. But as for vying for the Central Plains and conquering the world..." She shook her head, a hint of self-mockery flashing in her eyes, "Let alone him alone, even if he and his son were both alive, my Sun family might not have that kind of luck and strength."
She gazed out the window at the sky bathed in the morning light, her voice tinged with an indescribable sorrow: "What's more, now... it's just us, a widow and her children, left to guard this precarious Jiangdong. The storms have been relentless these past years, and now we can barely even protect this little bit of our family fortune. What are we talking about when we talk about ruling the world?"
After saying that, she picked up the teacup on the table, only to find that the tea had already gone cold, just like her mood at that moment, which was now just a cold and blank feeling.