The two followed the waiter, and Lü Bu saw Xu Gong trembling all over, arousing his suspicion. "Brother, why are you like this?"
Xu Gong was startled and spoke in a hurry, "I have never met Sun Jian."
"Then how do you usually communicate?"
Before the words fell, Xu Gong hastily replied, "We usually communicate by letter, and we two have had very pleasant conversations!"
Lü Bu wished he could grab Xu Gong and slap him hard, but he suppressed his anger. "We will definitely see him later!"
Xu Gong responded neither lightly nor heavily, lagging a couple of steps behind, walking in silence behind Lü Bu. "Feng Xian, if anything happens later, you must remember to protect me!"
Lü Bu was speechless again, and merely loosened the Fang Tian Hua Ji on his back a little.
"What are the two distinguished guests worried about? Our master is very approachable. Please rest assured, as long as you can present the final item, he will grant any request!"
The waiter chuckled, did not turn back, and walked ahead step by step.
Lü Bu "swished" the Fang Tian Hua Ji down, and immediately placed it at the waiter's neck. "What big talk! Even His Majesty would not dare to say he would grant any request, let alone a mere innkeeper!"
The waiter was not flustered and spoke slowly. "When you two meet him, you will know our master's abilities. There is no need for this humble one to babble on!"
"Furthermore, honored guest, put away your Fang Tian Hua Ji. Our master will surely not wish to see Lü Bu bare his fangs at him!"
The waiter gently pushed away the Fang Tian Hua Ji and smiled. "Come, honored guest, please, mind the steps."
Lü Bu listened to the waiter's voice, finding it even more ironic. This waiter was truly unflappable in the face of a mountain collapsing before him, at least much stronger than his good friend Xu Gong.
"Very well, lead the way!"
Lü Bu and Xu Gong followed the waiter into the innermost private room. A middle-aged man was sitting behind a table, frowning at the book in his hands.
"Xu Gong pays his respects to General Sun, I hope General Sun is well!" Xu Gong hastily reminded him.
Lü Bu slightly bowed in greeting, silently found a place to sit, and Xu Gong then gently handed over the letter. "Does General Sun still stand by his word?"
"Naturally, it counts!" The middle-aged man glanced at the waiter's face and nodded slightly, quickly agreeing. "I wonder if the esteemed guest has any other requests."
"I dare not. I implore General Sun to fulfill his past promise, to uphold the Han Dynasty, and to allow Emperor Ling to govern Jiangdong and Liangzhou. I can act as a mediator, and Your Majesty will bestow upon General Sun the title of Lord of Jiangdong!" Xu Gong reminded him with a smile. "If General Sun does not agree, it is fine. I naturally have other plans."
Lü Bu sat sternly behind the table, silent. This time, Sun Jian did not hastily agree. He looked around and changed the subject, "May I ask who this gentleman is?"
Xu Gong was not a simpleton. Seeing that Sun Jian did not wish to discuss this matter for the moment, he simply said, "This is my friend, Lü Bu. General Sun, have you heard of Lü Bu's achievements? One man can fight a million soldiers!"
Sun Jian listened to these words and remained silent. Lü Bu rose and cupped his hands. "I have heard of General Sun's great name, and today's meeting is indeed well-deserved. May I ask what brings you to Liangzhou?"
Sun Jian stood frozen. This wine house was clearly his territory, yet in Lü Bu's words, he seemed to be the guest. For a long time, he could not speak a word.
Xu Gong watched the two stare at each other and hurriedly stepped forward to explain. "General Sun, please do not blame him. Feng Xian was once the master of Liangzhou, sent by the King of Chu to assist His Majesty. He has now been reprimanded by the King of Chu, so I have brought him to see General Sun!"
"General Lü Bu is indeed a dragon among men. His presence here today brings honor to our humble abode. How can we blame him? Serve wine!"
With a command, various wines were neatly placed before Lü Bu and Xu Gong. Upon seeing the wine, Xu Gong instinctively wanted to escape but was pulled back by Lü Bu.
"Wait, how can we go against General Sun's good intentions? Drink!" Lü Bu grabbed Xu Gong, and several cups of wine were already in front of Xu Gong. Seeing that he could not refuse, Xu Gong raised his cup and drank it down!
"Good wine, good wine!" Xu Gong became tipsy and kept tapping a rhythm on the table. "I heard that Jiangdong is full of beauties. I wonder if I will have the good fortune to meet them today!"
Sun Jian was startled. He looked around in a certain direction, then nodded quickly. "Since esteemed guest has such a wish, guards!"
With a clap of his hands, dozens of young women slowly came forward, serving wine to Xu Gong. Lü Bu ignored Xu Gong's awkwardness and drank it down directly, placing his cup upside down. "General, Feng Xian has drunk it all. Now, are you..."
"Feng Xian is indeed heroic and unrestrained. I naturally cannot fall behind," the middle-aged man quickly drank all the wine.
After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, Sun Jian and Xu Gong were groaning on the table, while Lü Bu's eyes were sharp. He stared in one direction and slowly spoke.
"General Sun, how much longer do you plan to hide?" Lü Bu threw his wine cup. "Are you saying you would only let a counterfeit receive me? That is too disrespectful."
"The General indeed has a discerning eye, to have seen through it at a glance!" the waiter said with a smile, clapping his hands. Immediately, someone tidied up everything.
"If the General has anything to say, why not speak directly? Why beat around the bush?" the waiter, or rather the true Sun Jian, sat down behind the table. "The General waited until after we drank to speak, so you must have something important to discuss!"
"General Sun, what do you think of this Xu Gong?" Lü Bu asked with a smile. "If you consider Xu Gong a confidant, then I have nothing more to say!"
"What are you saying, General? The world is united by profit. Where are true friends and enemies? It's just that I want to use him!" Sun Jian spoke frankly to Lü Bu, who was a simpleton.
"Then do you believe me!" Lü Bu sat half-reclined on the ground, picked up a wine cup, and drank on his own. Seeing Sun Jian not responding, he got up to leave. "If General Sun does not wish to believe me, I shall leave now."
"Wait!" Sun Jian exclaimed. The middle-aged man withdrew, and Xu Gong, who had slowly opened his eyes, said drunkenly, "Feng Xian, he's just a waiter. Why be so polite to him? The real Lord Sun is here!"
Xu Gong pointed at the middle-aged man. Sun Jian glanced at the middle-aged man, who darted to Xu Gong's side and softly persuaded him.
"Let us brothers go down and continue drinking. Don't disturb Feng Xian!" the middle-aged man hastily supported Xu Gong. Xu Gong grabbed his sash and said hurriedly.
"Feng Xian, I knew you wouldn't believe me. I still have the imperial edict personally bestowed by Emperor Ling. Do you want to see it?" Xu Gong pointed at the crowd menacingly. "With the imperial edict personally bestowed by Emperor Ling, why don't you all kneel and receive the edict? Do you even respect His Majesty?"
Lü Bu sneered, grabbed Xu Gong's sash, and forcefully tore it off. With a flick, a letter fell. Xu Gong's expression changed, and he quickly picked up the letter and handed it to the middle-aged man.
"This is His Majesty's imperial edict, General, please take a look," Xu Gong respectfully presented the imperial edict. "As long as the General agrees, within an hour, His Majesty will surely bestow upon the General the title of Lord of Jiangdong."
Sun Jian's expression changed. He never knew of this imperial edict. He remembered that it was he who had introduced Xu Gong to Emperor Ling. Suddenly, the two felt that things had gone beyond their control.
They exchanged glances. Sun Jian hastily took the imperial edict in his hand and, upon seeing it, felt a chill run down his spine. It stated that someone had advised killing Sun Jian and, at the same time, sowing discord among the great clans of Jiangdong, thus taking advantage to seize all of Jiangdong.
Fortunately, Xu Gong, this simpleton, had not read the imperial edict and had even taken it out so frankly. Sun Jian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said coldly, "What exactly does Feng Xian want to say? Are you still not trusting me?"
"Since General Sun is willing, I have nothing more to say. This is a letter from the King of Chu. General, you may take a look!" Lü Bu said with a smile and handed the letter to Sun Jian.
Sun Jian saw it and felt even more terrified. He suddenly had the thought that Ye Feng could only be his friend, not his enemy.
"General, what exactly is it?" someone immediately came forward and asked Sun Jian. "Could it be that Ye Feng has the ability to predict the future!"
Sun Jian threw the letter at him without a word. This time, not only Sun Jian's entourage but also Lü Bu was shocked.
It clearly stated that Xu Gong had ulterior motives and explained the contents of the imperial edict in detail. It also proposed that the two of them join forces to seize the nine commanderies of Jingxiang, and even warned Sun Jian to pacify the internal affairs of Dongwu!
Ye Feng's actions were not without reason. First, he wanted to ensure that the Sun family guarded Jiangdong, preventing foreign tribes from taking advantage of the situation. Second, Jiangdong, being fertile land, had great potential for the future.
Seizing the nine commanderies of Jingxiang was because they were a strategically important area. If they fell into Ye Feng's hands, they would become a thorn in the side of Jiangdong.
The reason for clarifying these matters was also to deter Sun Jian, showing him that he, Ye Feng, was not an incompetent person and urging him to make a choice early!
Sun Jian thought of this and broke out in a cold sweat. "General Feng Xian, are you sure this letter was written by the King of Chu, and not by someone else?"
"General, you can see clearly. I have been here the whole time. When would I have had the time to fabricate the imperial edict and forge documents?" Lü Bu retorted without hesitation!
Sun Jian collapsed on the ground, his face pale. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a smile. "This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by my Sun family alone. Please wait a few days, and I will surely give the General a satisfactory answer!"
"General Sun, please expedite this matter. My master is not as patient as I am!" Lü Bu said coldly and turned to leave!
"The sky is about to change!" Sun Jian muttered to himself. Upon seeing his surroundings, he hurriedly ordered, "Throw Xu Gong out. Five riders per person, quickly send the message back to Jiangdong. All major clans should make their decisions as soon as possible!"
Sun Jian gave a wry smile. Although Ye Feng's idea was good, the influential families of Jiangdong had been entrenched for many years, and they would not allow the Sun family to rule alone. "King Chu, oh King Chu, you have truly ruined the Sun family. What kind of trouble are you trying to stir up!"
"Guards, surround this place and do not let anyone leave!" Sun Jian vaguely heard this and gnashed his teeth in anger. "This is too much!"