Chapter 90

Under the peak of Shennong,

Zhou Yu slowly walked into the small village inn, finding it quite clean.

Of course, he did not know that the little bandit he had encountered on the mountain path an hour ago had eaten breakfast here at dawn.

The inn's young waiter welcomed him with all due respect, repeatedly apologizing.

Such a small inn, located in such a remote area, had very few guests. The waiter never expected that before the sky was even dark, there would be someone seeking lodging.

The innkeeper hurriedly came out from behind the counter, dismissed the waiter, and bowed, "Greetings, young master! You are..."

"An uninvited guest, but invited to come," Zhou Yu glanced at him and gave a contradictory answer. Then, he walked straight to the prepared wooden bed, sat down casually, and patted the mat beside him.

"Old Lu, sit down too!"

Old Lu silently stepped forward and knelt down behind Zhou Yu.

The innkeeper's eyes showed confusion, but he did not continue to ask, and instead stood respectfully beside Zhou Yu.

The long table in front was already filled with various dishes.

Zhou Yu casually picked up a cup, took a sip, and said,

"Surprisingly, it's Wu Liang juice! Hmm, this pear is sweeter than the pears from Yangzhou. Is it the Qiasha pear from Xiangyang?"

The innkeeper blinked and flattered, "Young master has excellent taste, indeed it is."

"Water chestnuts, reed roots, lotus roots, and what else?" Zhou Yu took another sip and slowly identified, "It's... bamboo sap!"

The innkeeper was greatly surprised, "My master has indeed been waiting for you, young master! Please forgive my rudeness, I will go and invite my master to meet you."

Bamboo sap is the juice that flows from bamboo after it is roasted. The flavors of the Qiasha pear, water chestnuts, reed roots, and lotus roots are easy to distinguish, but only someone who has tasted bamboo sap for a long time can confirm it.

Zhou Yu smiled slightly, not being overly polite, and started eating and drinking casually.

After a short while, a short and sturdy man came out from the back of the inn and sat on the wooden bed opposite Zhou Yu.

"Who we have been waiting for is the fourth young master of the Zhongda Empire, Yuan Si. Who are you to dare impersonate him?"

"I said, an uninvited guest, but invited to come," Zhou Yu, who had almost finished eating, waved his hand and ordered the waiter to remove the dishes, "I am Zhou Yu from Lujiang, and the fourth young master, Yuan Xu, is my elder brother! He suddenly fell ill on the way and could not come as scheduled, so he entrusted me to come here and have a detailed discussion with your master, Jing Fu."

The short and sturdy man was taken aback; although the young master was young, he was very shrewd and could not be fooled.

Just as he was hesitating, someone behind him laughed heartily, "So it's the young master of Juchao, Zhou Yu! I have long heard of the handsome Zhou Yu. Mr. Gongjin, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Juchao (now Chaohu City) is a small county under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou. Zhou Yu was appointed by Yuan Shu as the county magistrate, hence the title "Magistrate of Juchao."

The short and sturdy man, the innkeeper, and the waiter hurriedly stood up to welcome him.

"Welcome, Great Chief Fenghao! Welcome, Jing Fu!"

The new arrival was tall and imposing, none other than Qin Yu's uncle, the newly appointed Great Chief Fenghao of the Wuxi, Qin Sanzhuan.

Zhou Yu's eyes narrowed, "Has Qin Jing Fu already taken office as the Great Chief Fenghao?"

Qin Sanzhuan walked over proudly, pushing aside the stand-in, Qin Xiong.

"Indeed. Although you are well-known, you cannot represent the great emperor Yuan to negotiate with us, can you?"

"Correct! My relationship with the false emperor Yuan is just a facade," Zhou Yu responded calmly, "However, I can fully represent Sun Bo Fu of Kuaiji to have a heartfelt conversation with the Great Chief."

"Sun Bo Fu, the Little Tyrant of Jiangdong?" Qin Sanzhuan was taken aback. Although Sun Ce came from the Yuan Shu system, since he independently led his troops eastward, he had swept through several counties in Jiangdong, and most of the local heroes had surrendered. Although his troops were not numerous, his soldiers were extremely brave and formidable, making him a powerful emerging force, quite different from the dying Yuan Shu.

This Zhou Yu is actually an internal traitor!

"Indeed, what the false emperor Yuan can offer you, my Wu can offer as well!" Seeing that Qin Sanzhuan was still pondering, Zhou Yu emphasized his identity, "Jing Fu's goal is only the four commanderies of Jingnan. If you cooperate with us, General Sun Bo Fu promises not only the four commanderies of Jingnan but also to provide siege weapons and some troops, attacking from two fronts to assist your forces in conquering Jiaozhou."

Conquering Jiaozhou?

Qin Sanzhuan was startled and his mind raced.

Zhou Yu drank the refreshing drink, waiting calmly for his response.

After much thought, Qin Sanzhuan finally said, "Mr. Gongjin, this is a major matter. I need to discuss it with the other Jing Fu of the Wuxi before making a decision."

Zhou Yu said, "Understood. The auction at Shennong still has a few days, so there's no need to rush. However, I have a personal favor to ask of the Great Chief."

Qin Sanzhuan felt a slight joy, not afraid of your request. He quickly said, "Gongjin, we hit it off at first sight. Your matter is my matter, just speak up."

"Indeed, Brother Qin." Zhou Yu readily changed his address, bowed, and said, "At tomorrow's Shennong auction, I want to exchange for something. Can Brother Qin help me get it? I will be very grateful!"

"Gratitude or no gratitude, you're being too formal." Qin Sanzhuan waved his hand generously, "What do you want? As long as I can manage it, I will do my best."

"The divine spear of Ying Bu." Zhou Yu's expression was serious as he bowed, "This is a birthday gift I have chosen for General Bo Fu. I believe he will like it very much."

"Of course." Qin Sanzhuan breathed a sigh of relief. This divine spear was not among the top ten most difficult items to obtain. With some effort, it could be exchanged. Sun Ce, known as the Little Tyrant, this divine spear of Ying Bu, said to be modeled after the spear of the Tyrant, would match his martial reputation.

"However, why don't you go and exchange it yourself, Gongjin?"

"My identity cannot be revealed for now, and I don't want anyone to guess."

"Understood." Qin Sanzhuan nodded, not wanting to be detected by Yuan Shu's people, "I will definitely get that divine spear for you."

Zhou Yu was overjoyed and stood up.

"Thank you, Brother Qin! I want to visit an old friend in Yunmu Town, so I will take my leave now. I look forward to your good news."

Qin Sanzhuan stood up and laughed, "Take your time, brother! To prevent any accidents, I won't see you off far."

The refined innkeeper, representing Qin Sanzhuan, escorted Zhou Yu and his servant out of the inn. The short and sturdy man, Qin Xiong, Qin Sanzhuan's trusted subordinate, stared blankly as Zhou Yu left, even missing Qin Sanzhuan's gesture to come closer.

Qin Sanzhuan was almost angry enough to kick him.

"Xiong, get over here!"

"Yes, yes!" Qin Xiong, drenched in sweat, hurried over.

"Send someone to keep a close eye on him, but without my order, no one is to touch him."

"Sir, do you mean we should protect him?"

"Exactly." Qin Sanzhuan nodded in satisfaction, pleased with the young man's understanding, "Take the brave soldiers and guard the perimeter. Don't get too close to him; that old servant... I can't figure him out, he's not someone to be trifled with."

"Understood, sir." Qin Sanzhuan couldn't gauge the depth of the old servant, so Qin Xiong knew how terrifying such a person could be, and he immediately left with a stern expression.

——I have a cold, updating while sick, lying down and not rolling for recommendations!

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