Chapter 139

As soon as Zhuge Jin arrived at Gong’an City, Lu Xun set off for Jianye following Sun Quan’s summons.

Luo Tong remained in Xiang Province. Although he wanted to follow Lu Xun, it was decided based on Lu Xun’s argument that Luo Tong needed to stay to manage Xiang Province.

On his way to Jianye, Lu Xun realized the situation was more severe than he had anticipated.

Everywhere he stopped on his way to Jianye, people asked about his marriage to Chang-ran, and even the common folk chattered about it all day.

“No matter how great Chang-ran’s reputation is, this level of gossip couldn’t have spread without deliberate effort. The Shu bastards are determined to stir things up.”

Contrary to Lu Xun’s expectations, the Han Dynasty hadn’t taken any significant measures to manipulate the situation. They simply hadn’t hidden anything.

The rumor that Chang-ran would eventually marry spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the land.

Even in Wei, Cao Biao had ordered an investigation into the truth of the matter.

Despite being under suspicion, Lu Xun was still treated as a trusted official rather than a criminal. Sun Quan, considering Lu Xun not only as his general but also as his nephew-in-law, allowed him to rest at his private residence.

The audience was scheduled for the day after Lu Xun’s arrival.

Even after arriving home, Lu Xun couldn’t escape the incessant questions.

“My lord, is the rumor circulating true?” asked Sun Quan’s daughter and Lu Xun’s wife, Lady Sun.

Unable to get angry at his wife, Lu Xun sighed and calmly replied, “How could that be? This is Shu’s scheme to drive a wedge between His Majesty and me. Please don’t pay too much attention to the baseless rumors.”

Lu Xun then excused himself to rest in his bedroom, but he stopped after a few steps.

“Father, you’re here.”

“Yeon-yi, you didn’t need to come out. You should rest inside.”

“How could I wait inside when my father has returned from his journey? It’s only right for a child to greet you.”

“Thank you. But I wish for you to stay healthy. Let’s go back inside. I’ll help you.”

Lu Xun’s attitude softened towards his precious only child.

Though not as frail as Zhang Fei’s eldest son, Zhang Po, Lu Xun’s son, Liu Yan, was also weak and couldn’t move around freely.

Lu Xun quickly supported Liu Yan. Though not a frontline general, Lu Xun’s sturdy frame easily supported his son.

“Father, is it true that I’m getting married?” Liu Yan asked on the way to his room.

If it were anyone else, Lu Xun might have lost his temper, but Liu Yan was his beloved only son and the subject of the rumors. It was natural for him to be curious.

Lu Xun suppressed his frustration and tried to understand his son’s perspective.

“You’re asking about that too.”

“I apologize if I’ve troubled you, Father. Please forget it.”

“No, it’s related to your marriage. Of course, you’d be curious.”

After helping Liu Yan lie down, Lu Xun sat beside him and continued the conversation.

“What do you think? The rumors are true; Zhang Fei has proposed a marriage. Do you want to marry?”

“I will follow your will, Father.”

“I want to hear your true feelings.”

Liu Yan hesitated before speaking cautiously.

“She is the most beautiful and strong woman in the land. As a descendant of the Lu family, how could I not be willing?”

“But Chang-ran is ten years older than you.”

Liu Yan, not yet of age, replied, “Though I’m not yet of age, I’ve heard much. My concern isn’t the age difference but the bad relations between our states. If this marriage can bring peace, what greater joy could there be?”

“Your thoughts are admirable, but I may not be able to fulfill your wish.”

“Do not worry, Father. I will always follow your will.”

“Thank you.”

The warmth from his son’s hand filled Lu Xun with determination.

His son, with Sun family blood, was the fruit of reconciliation between the Sun and Lu families.

Lu Xun vowed to remain loyal to the Sun family.

This resolve carried over to the next day’s audience.

Despite the suspicious glances around him, Lu Xun stood tall and straight.

His dignified posture remained unshaken even under Sun Quan’s interrogation.

“Your Majesty, the marriage proposal they sent me is no different from Fan Zeng’s scheme to sow discord. I burned their letter to prevent their plot. Please, with your wisdom, do not repeat Xiang Yu’s mistake.”

Sun Quan scoffed at Lu Xun’s plea, even losing his temper.

“Fan Zeng! Are you comparing me to Xiang Yu now? Well, Xiang Yu also rose to power based in Jiangdong!”

Sun Quan’s outburst, even invoking Sun Ce, made Lu Xun clench his teeth.

Where was the cool-headed and bold ruler? Only this stubborn general remained.

Though despairing at the situation, Lu Xun continued to express his loyalty.

“That’s not it, Your Majesty. I…”

“Enough! I don’t want to hear it. I don’t even want to see you now. Go and reflect. I’ll call you when the time comes.”

“Your Majesty! The situation is urgent. Please…”

As Lu Xun prepared to plead with his life on the line, someone stepped forward to block him.

“Your Majesty, Governor Lu seems still unwell. With your permission, I will escort him back to his residence.”

“Wen Yan…”

It was Grand Minister Zheng Tian. He whispered to Lu Xun, “Chou hour. Come out unnoticed.”

Zheng Tian was one of the few who could touch Sun Quan’s temper. His words were essentially Sun Quan’s.

Understanding Sun Quan’s intent, Lu Xun continued to shout as he was half-dragged out, putting on an act.

‘Chou hour, the time for morning plowing. His Majesty is planning something.’

The message dispelled all his worries.

Following Zheng Tian’s advice, Lu Xun secretly left his residence and was guided to a waiting guest.

“You’ve come, nephew-in-law.”

Only one person in the world could address Lu Xun as such—Sun Quan himself.

“Your Majesty.”

“You’ve suffered.”

Sun Quan patted Lu Xun’s shoulder, and Lu Xun felt his burdens lift.

“No, I am only grateful for your understanding of my loyalty.”

With little time, Sun Quan got straight to the point.

“And you’ll have to suffer a bit more.”

“Command me.”

“I plan to use a stratagem. The Lu family will have a hard time for a while.”

Sun Quan had already discussed this with Lu Xun’s younger brother, Lu Mo, who managed the family in Lu Xun’s absence.

“But will Wei and Shu believe it if my brother and I are so favored by you?”

“Lu Kai will execute the stratagem. The target is Cao Wei.”

“Cao Wei… Do you aim for Huainan?”

Instead of confirming, Sun Quan gave his next order.

“Bai Yan, pretend to accept the marriage proposal. Send someone to negotiate, but delay progress to buy time. Since they proposed first, they won’t attack during the marriage talks. Liu Bei cares deeply about justification.”

Using the opponent’s scheme against them, Sun Quan planned to handle the threat from Han while fighting Wei.

This showed that Sun Quan was no pushover, despite being overshadowed by Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

But Lu Xun couldn’t shake the thought that this might be exactly what they wanted.

He felt an invisible hand pushing them to fight Wei while they stood by.

Yet Lu Xun held his tongue. If it wasn’t a scheme to sow discord, he was willing to accept it. They weren’t leaving themselves completely exposed.

‘If we can take Huainan in one stroke and use the Huai River as a boundary, our state can boldly challenge for supremacy.’

If the stratagem succeeded, they could secure Huainan before Liu Bei and Shu could intervene.

“Truly, Your Majesty. Such wisdom is beyond ordinary men like me.”

“Haha! Hearing such words from you makes me want to bow. It’s important to deceive people’s eyes, so I can’t stay away too long. You should return now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lu Xun returned with a light heart, his mind filled with plans to perfectly execute the stratagem and seize Huainan.

But he didn’t realize his optimism was premature.

Nor did he notice the dark, sinister shadow flickering in Sun Quan’s eyes as he watched Lu Xun leave.

And the world called it…

The Ghosts of Doubt.

The ghosts born from suspicion.