Chapter 78: The State Funeral
Jiang Wen hunched over, saying nothing.
“You hesitate so much, Master of the Wine, so clearly you do not wish to do this,” Sun Jian said, narrowing his eyes with a smile.
“I have always been loyal to the Chancellor and the Young Lord. If I am called to face fire and water, I will not refuse. In ancient times, the righteous could die for their country, for their king, and serve as both subject and servant!” Jiang Wen, bowing low, knelt and picked up the blade, his brow beaded with cold sweat, his pale face and trembling fingers betraying his fear. “If my death can bring peace and unity to the realm under the Chancellor, I will die without regret!”
“Such fine words. Then please, Master of the Wine, act quickly—the blade is already before you,” Sun Jian responded coolly.
Jiang Wen slowly drew the blade, the terror in his eyes replaced by resolve. For the first time, he looked directly at Sun Jian! In that instant, all his former fear of Sun Jian vanished.
Sun Jian’s eyes narrowed further, and Jiang Wen’s gaze was filled with ferocity. This man, who had always hidden his emotions, now revealed them openly.
The blade was drawn slowly—but whom would it strike?
The two men stared at each other within the tent. Sun Jian, the aging Tiger of Jiangdong, tried to see through Jiang Wen, to discern his true nature.
The blade, now fully unsheathed, was nearly two feet in length, its hilt inlaid with beautiful gemstones, its edge sharp enough to sever hair with a breath.
To take his own life, or to kill and flee—everything hung upon this moment.
The former meant certain death; the latter, a slim chance to survive.
Should he gamble?
Sun Jian felt his injuries worsening, but he forced himself to endure, at least for now! He must see through this man, this talent fit to serve kings!
Jiang Wen’s trembling ceased. Gripping the hilt tightly, his body became utterly calm.
A sudden “Thud!”
Sun Jian’s spirit gave way; his strength was spent.
A mouthful of fresh blood splattered across his face—the blade falling from his hand as his eyes closed, though some blood still seeped in. His body toppled backward, eyes shut in resignation. “In the end, I never saw you clearly. I could not unite the world, but the world must be unified by my Sun family…”
Jiang Wen clutched his throat, retching so violently that tears poured from his eyes. After a while, his vision cleared. Rising, he brushed off his robes, looked at Sun Jian with calm composure, and bowed. “Farewell to the Tiger of Jiangdong.”
Beneath the pillow lay a jade scroll. Jiang Wen took it up and examined it carefully: Sun Ce’s succession as heir. He placed it back beneath the pillow, sheathed the blade, and set it aside.
Taking two deep breaths, he suddenly shouted, “Guards! Someone, come quickly!”
In Xiangyang, Emperor Liu Xie of Han grasped the military report, his body shaking—not in fear, but in excitement.
The old ministers kneeling below cried out repeatedly, “Heaven bless the Han! Heaven bless the Han!”
In Yizhou, Chengdu, within Liu Zhang’s residence.
Liu Zhang toyed with a piece of jade. “Sun Jian’s death has nothing to do with me. Guard the borders well—don’t let those barbarians slip through.”
Shouchun, Yuan Shu.
Yan Xiang held the military report, his heart trembling, lips dry as he asked, “Sun Jian is truly dead?!”
“Reporting to the Chancellor, I saw Sun Jian’s army draped in white bands—there can be no mistake.”
Yuan Shu laughed loudly. “Sun Jian, so proud of his strength and courage, yet he fell for such a petty trick. His wits are less than those of a mere brute!”
“Now that the Emperor and Chancellor are gone, their morale must be low. This is heaven’s gift—a perfect moment for victory. Order the entire army to break camp immediately—Sun Jian attacked me, now it is my turn to attack him!”
In Xuzhou, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei studied the military reports.
Zhang Fei exclaimed, “That brat Sun Jian died before helping Big Brother take Yuzhou, what a useless fool!”
Liu Bei pondered for a moment. “Now that Sun Jian is dead, Yuzhou will be hard to conquer. Our provisions are lacking. Perhaps we should withdraw and wait for another day.”
“Big Brother speaks wisely! If anyone is to blame, it’s that Sun Jian died at the wrong time—not you! Second Brother, wouldn’t you agree?”
Guan Yu, heroic in bearing, stroked his fine beard. “Big Brother, Third Brother, I believe we should consult Master Yuan Zhi before making any decisions.”
“Yuan Zhi went to persuade his friend for us—not sure when he’ll return.”
Guan Yu smiled. “No need to worry, Big Brother. Three days ago, Master Yuan Zhi sent me a letter—he’s already on his way, should arrive in five days. By my reckoning, he’ll be back tomorrow.”
In Xuchang, within Lü Bu’s residence.
“That brat Sun Jian is finally dead! Good thing he died early, or when I took Xiangyang, I’d have flayed him alive to avenge my stolen wife!”
Jia Xu shook his head. “Though Sun Jian is dead, trouble will follow. Now Jiang Wen will surely rise to prominence…”
Jibei, Cao Cao’s residence.
Cao Cao stood with his back to his generals: Xuchang still unconquered before him, and now the calamity of Sun Jian’s death behind. Cao Mengde was at a loss.
“Cough, cough,” Guo Jia’s complexion grew paler by the day, his body weakening. “My lord, Sun Jian’s death is not your misfortune, but Yuan Shu’s. Now Sun Ce holds power, Jiang Wen will surely be valued. The struggle for hegemony in the Central Plains will only grow fiercer. My lord need not worry—just focus on the task at hand.”
Lujiang, though wartime, the city was draped in white mourning bands.
“The Chancellor’s coffin is sealed!”
“Kneel!”
“Bow!”
“Kneel!”
“Bow!”
…
“No one stop me! If I don’t wipe out Yuan Shu’s entire clan, I won’t return!”
“I request battle! Give me seventy thousand troops, and I’ll sweep Shouchun clean for the general!”
“No need for seventy thousand! Give me fifty thousand, and I, Cheng Pu, will take Yuan Shu’s head!”
Sun Ce studied the map, Sun Quan silent beside him, his gaze flickering. “Zhongmou, the war comes first—I cannot return to fulfill my filial duty. I must ask you alone to go back, gather some generals, and conduct the state funeral for our father.”
“Brother, I obey your command.”
Sun Quan suppressed his anger—for now, before securing the region, he could not challenge his elder brother. No matter what, so long as the policy of land reclamation continued, his brother and the old generals would harbor doubts, giving him an opportunity.
“From today, by the Emperor’s decree, I inherit the Chancellor’s position!” Sun Ce turned to his generals, his heroic face now marked by determination. “From this day forth, I am the new Chancellor!”
“We await the Chancellor’s orders!”
“Please issue the command to punish the traitors!”
Last night…
Sun Ce rode hard, day and night, arriving at the Lujiang camp. Sun Jing held the jade scroll, proclaiming Sun Ce as heir, inheriting the Chancellor’s authority to assist the Emperor in governing the realm.
Outside the camp, Sun Ce sat on the wooden steps, hurriedly wiping away tears as he heard someone approach from behind.
“What did my father say to you at the end?” Sun Ce steadied his emotions, looking at Jiang Wen behind him.
“He told me to assist the heir well.”
“From this moment, I appoint you General of the Cavalry.”
“No need,” Jiang Wen sat beside Sun Ce. “Now that the Chancellor has just passed, you mustn’t make major changes to the court officials, especially the old ministers. You need their support to stabilize the situation. When things settle, then adjust the officials’ posts.”
“The Chancellor is buried with imperial rites, yet you cannot summon officials from all over to mourn. Now the Emperor and those old ministers are waiting for you to purge the court.”
Sun Ce paid no heed, impatiently retorting, “Are you saying I cannot honor my father?!”
“The Chancellor has just been defeated—the army’s morale is unstable. You must stay with the troops!”
“We have a mighty force, filled with the realm’s talents. How are we inferior to that pretender Sun Jian! How could I let a single traitor prevent me from honoring my father!”
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