SFS Chapter 1151 Recounting the Events of That Year
Chapter 1151 Recounting the Events of That Year
The lamplight in the Sun family's reception hall cast long shadows on the beams and pillars. The old lady sat alone in the grand chair at the head of the table, the teacup in front of her long since cold, yet she did not touch it. The floor tiles below gleamed, reflecting the cold glint of the armor of the guards standing on either side, and a silent, heavy atmosphere filled the air.
When Ma Chao led Cheng Pu and the others in, the sound of his boots striking the ground was particularly clear. As soon as he stood still, the old lady looked up and said in a voice as calm as a frozen lake, "Now that the Prince of Liang has arrived, surely the matter of Bo Fu has been resolved?"
Ma Chao did not answer directly, but nodded to Pang De beside him. Pang De understood and turned to signal outside. Soon after, Kuai Yue, Liu Biao, and Zhang Hong were brought in by his personal guards. Lü Dai and the others then knelt in the hall, their knees striking the blue bricks with a series of muffled thuds.
"Look up." Ma Chao's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling coldness.
The crowd below looked up and saw Ma Chao's hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly—his knuckles were white from the force, and the patterns on the scabbard flickered in the lamplight, exuding an undeniable aura of power.
“Speak,” Ma Chao’s gaze swept over the terrified faces. “How much do you know about Bo Fu’s death? Tell me everything clearly.” He paused, his fingertips lightly tapping the scabbard of his sword. “Speak properly, and I might spare your lives. But if you conceal even a single word…”
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly drew half of his longsword, its cold light flashing and making everyone in the room turn pale. "I, Ma Chao, may not have any other skills, but I can come up with a hundred or so ways to make people wish they were dead."
Liu Biao collapsed to the ground, his face ashen and tattered, barely able to lift his head. Kuai Yue, however, managed to stay upright, raising his face and urgently saying, "Your Majesty, please understand! Sun Bofu's death was indeed the work of our own people in Jiangdong. Although we had grudges against him, we were absolutely not directly involved!"
"Enough nonsense!" The sword at Ma Chao's feet trembled with a "hum". "Say what you know, don't make me ask a second time."
Kuai Yue's Adam's apple bobbed, and he looked completely at a loss: "This...where do we even begin? The events of that year were incredibly complex, and what we know is only the tip of the iceberg..."
“Then I’ll ask, and you answer.” Ma Chao’s gaze swept over the crowd below the hall like a sieve. “Liu Biao’s forces, Zhang Hong, and the generals who accompanied the army back then are all here. It’s a good opportunity to clarify the doubts surrounding Bo Fu’s death one by one. If anyone dares to lie,” he raised his hand and placed it on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white, “this hall’s floor tiles are just missing a few to step on.”
The crowd was so frightened that they kowtowed repeatedly, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Ma Chao then said in a deep voice, "First, why was Bo Fu ambushed in Jiangxia?"
Kuai Yue hurriedly spoke, his voice trembling: "It was Zhang Hong! He personally came to Jingzhou as an envoy, saying that Sun Ce wanted to pass through Jiangxia, and he specifically instructed us... to set up an ambush in advance."
"He told you to set an ambush, and you just did it?" Ma Chao sneered, turning his gaze to Zhang Hong. "You have a long-standing feud with Sun Ce, yet you listen to his strategists so readily?"
Liu Biao spoke up in a hoarse voice, his face flushed with a sickly red: "Do you think we want this? Sun Ce has risen too quickly in Jiangdong, like a hungry wolf eyeing his surroundings! He said he wanted to pass through, but his words implied that he wanted to lead a large army north to Chang'an, saying it was to... avenge you."
He took a breath, his eyes still filled with lingering fear: "We are on the border with Jingzhou. His army is asking for passage. If they openly ask for passage but secretly intend to attack Jingzhou, and then suddenly turn back halfway, how can we resist them?"
He looked at Zhang Hong, his tone tinged with resentment: "Zhang Hong just happened to arrive, saying that this is the will of Jiangdong, that someone wants to use our Jingzhou... to get rid of Sun Ce, this major threat. We thought, this can both eliminate the threat and do Jiangdong a favor, why not?"
"So you believed Zhang Hong's words and really thought that Jiangdong was trying to get rid of Sun Ce?" Ma Chao pressed.
"Yes!" Liu Biao nodded vigorously. "Zhang Hong spoke with great conviction, and even used Sun Ce's military deployment map as a token, saying that as long as we set up an ambush in Jiangxia, Jiangdong would cooperate with us... and would not hold Jingzhou responsible afterward. We were under too much pressure from Sun Ce at the time, and in a moment of confusion, we... agreed."
Zhang Hong's face was as white as rice paper, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead, staining the blue bricks with dark spots. He wanted to retort, but his throat felt blocked, and he could only utter hoarse sounds—every word Liu Biao said was the truth of what happened back then.
Ma Chao, sword in hand, walked step by step to him, the blade scraping against the ground with a harsh screech. He bent down and gently placed the cold blade on Zhang Hong's shoulder; the weight wasn't heavy, yet it felt like a mountain pressing down on Zhang Hong's back, causing him to hunch over.
“Speak.” Ma Chao’s voice came from close to the blade, carrying the coldness of metal. “Why did you and that old bastard Zhang Zhao betray your master?” He tightened his fingertips slightly, and the blade sank halfway into his robe. “Back then, Bo Fu treated you like his right arms, supporting you with high positions and generous salaries. He treated you better than his own brothers, but you stabbed him in the back.”
Zhang Hong suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a crazed red: "Betrayal? Why would we betray our master?" he roared, his voice cracking, "Back then, when you and Bo Fu pacified Jiangdong, you were quick to use your swords against the aristocratic families! Do you think who was tacitly approving those Yue people suddenly coming down from the mountains to harm the aristocratic families? Who used the pretext of suppressing the rebellion to confiscate the property of the Gu family of Wu County and the Yu family of Kuaiji?"
He was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently: "You talk about 'restoring peace to the people,' but when you turn around, you allow your soldiers to seize fertile land and use us, the aristocratic families, as stepping stones! Bo Fu calls me 'Sir,' but we can clearly see the glint in his eyes! What he wants is not assistance, but submission! He wants us, the noble families, to wag our tails and beg for mercy like dogs!"
"Why would we want to harm him?" Zhang Hong laughed, a laugh more unpleasant than a cry. "Because if we let him continue killing like this, the powerful families of Jiangdong will be uprooted by you sooner or later! We are doing this to protect ourselves! To preserve the legacy left by our ancestors!"
The blade sank in another half a step, and beads of blood seeped through the fabric, staining the light-colored brocade robe red. Zhang Hong, however, seemed oblivious to the pain, staring intently at Ma Chao: "Ask Cheng Pu and Huang Gai! Back then, the entire Zhou family of Wu Commandery was executed. Was it truly for treason? Isn't keeping such a lord a liability a disaster?"
The hall was deathly silent. Cheng Pu and Huang Gai's faces were ashen, and the veins on the backs of their clenched fists bulged—they knew Zhang Hong was lying, but they also knew that Sun Ce had indeed used ruthless methods to intimidate the local people, inevitably offending too many gentry.
Ma Chao's eyes were as cold as ice: "So you colluded with outsiders and set up an ambush? Just because he didn't follow the wishes of your aristocratic family?"
"So what if he is!" Zhang Hong retorted, "If he doesn't die, we will! Jiangdong belongs to the people of Jiangdong, not to Sun Ce alone!"
"Heh." Ma Chao sneered, his sword suddenly rising, drawing a string of blood beads. "Jiangdong of the Jiangdong people?" He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the old lady's pale face, then over Cheng Pu and the others' clenched fists. "Bo Fu fought bloody battles back then, not for any noble family, but to prevent the people of Jiangdong from suffering the slaughter of war. You parasites, hiding behind and enjoying peace, yet you complain that he's in your way."
He raised his hand, the blade pointing directly at Zhang Hong's heart: "Today I will show you what the consequences of betraying your master are."
"Stop!" the old lady suddenly spoke, her voice trembling. "Prince Liang, let him finish speaking... How many things did Bo Fu do back then that I don't know?"
Ma Chao's sword froze in mid-air. The lamplight flickered on his silver armor, reflecting the surging anger in his eyes, before he finally slowly sheathed his sword.
"Go on," he said to Zhang Hong. "Tell me every single despicable thing you've done."
Zhang Hong, panting heavily and his face drained of color, still stubbornly shouted, "Do you think Sun Ce's escape from death that time was just luck? If Liu Biao hadn't secretly loosened his grip, how could Huang Zhong's arrow formation have left any survivors? He only wanted to use us to get rid of Sun Ce, so he deliberately let Wei Yan take advantage of the situation!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Biao became extremely anxious, his face turning red. He said to Ma Chao in a panic, "Yes, yes, we knew they wanted to harm our lord. We were just afraid that Jiangdong would plot against Jingzhou. We never intended to harm General Sun Bofu's life..."
"You never intended to kill him?" Zhang Hong sneered. "Don't think I don't know you've long wanted to annex Jiangdong, but you were afraid of Sun Ce's growing power, so you pretended to ally with us!"
The hall erupted in uproar. Cheng Pu roared, "So, Bo Fu's ambush was all a result of your collusion! Zhang Hong, you hypocrite!"
Huang Gai could no longer contain himself and drew his sword to step forward, but was stopped by Ma Chao. Ma Chao's gaze swept between Zhang Hong and Liu Biao, the chill on his sword almost solidifying: "So, you're saying that Bo Fu's ambush was orchestrated by your various factions, each with their own ulterior motives?"
Zhang Hong turned his face away and remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement. Liu Biao, on the other hand, waved his hands frantically, saying, "It's absolutely not a conspiracy! It's just that each of us got what we wanted!"
"Each gets what they want?" Ma Chao repeated these four words, his voice so cold it could freeze the air. "So you're using Bo Fu's life as your bargaining chip?"
He walked step by step toward Zhang Hong, the blade scraping against the ground with a grating sound: "Bo Fu treated you well back then. Even though he had grudges against the aristocratic families, he never considered exterminating you. Yet you used revenge as an excuse to devise such a vicious scheme..."
Before he finished speaking, the sword was already drawn, its cold light aimed directly at Zhang Hong's face.
"Prince Liang!" The old lady's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed sobs, tears finally rolling down her cheeks. "Let him speak! Why was Quan'er involved again?!" She gripped her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white. "This matter was clearly orchestrated by you outsiders to harm Bo Fu, but in the end... why did Gong Jin say that Quan'er harmed his brother?! Let him explain!"
Ma Chao's sword froze in mid-air, its cold light reflecting off his taut jawline. His knuckles were white from the force of his grip, and the veins on the back of his hand throbbed. He abruptly turned his head, staring at Zhang Hong on the ground, his voice strained as if squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with overwhelming rage: "Speak! Tell me everything that happened afterward, without missing a single word!"
Zhang Hong shrank back, intimidated by the murderous aura, but suddenly burst into a maniacal laugh. The laughter echoed in the empty hall, shrill like a broken gong: "Hahahaha... Sun Quan? You mean that Sun Zhongmou?" He laughed so hard he couldn't straighten up, tears welling up in his eyes. "He's no innocent child, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing! He's more ruthless and better at hiding than Sun Ce!"
"Back when we plotted to use Jingzhou to eliminate Sun Ce, he was just a kid. Zhang Zhao saw through his intentions long ago. With a little provocation, he eagerly became that old man's apprentice, spending all his time around Zhang Zhao, learning nothing but scheming and plotting!" Zhang Hong sighed, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Unfortunately, that old bastard Zhang Zhao is very cunning. Seeing things were going badly, he ran away beforehand, allowing him to wash his hands of the whole thing!"
"Shut up!" Ma Chao shouted, interrupting him sharply. "Zhang Zhao has escaped, and he will be brought to justice one day! But what about Sun Quan? What exactly did he do?!"