Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Became the Eldest Son of Sun Ce - Chapter 174



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Episode 174. Construction (2)

I got into the fancy carriage that Won-young had prepared. And inside the carriage, Won-young and I pretended to be friendly.

Without wiping the smile off my lips, I asked in a small voice that could not be heard by those around me.

“Is there anything else that the Confucian scholar should know?”

Then Wonyoung whispered softly with a bright smile.

“First, Father kicked General Jang out of his escort. The charge was that he had caused unnecessary worry when the escort was sufficiently strong.”

At those words, my mind began to fill with questions.

‘Since Zhang Qin was in charge of the guard, it would be natural for him to advise Sun Ce’s guard… But he’s being kicked out for doing his own work? That’s a really strange punishment.’

I looked at Wonyoung with a puzzled look for a moment because I didn’t understand what he said. However, Wonyoung nodded with a firm gaze as if what I heard was correct.

I sighed softly and whispered in Wonyoung’s ear.

“What else is there?”

Then, Won-young flinched, his ears turned red, and he quickly muttered while avoiding eye contact.

“Your uncle is staying in Geon-eop… I think I’ve already talked to your father… What’s different is that I met this Do-wi on the first day.”

This was quite meaningful information.

Sun Quan would somehow be entangled with the Danyang aristocrats and Fu Wan, and Li Shu himself was Sun Ce’s favorite.

The collusion between these two was not something to be easily seen.

More than that, I was curious about how Won-young found out about these two meeting. So I whispered to him.

“How did you know about such things?”

Wonyoung, whose ears were still red, glanced at me with lonely eyes. Then she answered with a bright smile.

“I have a few spies that I planted in the General’s Office a while ago. These are the times, so… I said I would reward them if they could bring me any useful information. As you know, my family has a lot of wealth.”

At that moment, I remembered that in the past, when listing the families known for their wealth in Han Dynasty, the name Won Family was always included.

And the story of when Cao Cao’s father, Cao Song, boasted of the Cao family’s enormous wealth by purchasing the positions of Three Dukes and Grand Prince also flashed through my mind.

―Under the sky, it is said that the wealth of the Jo family is piled up like a mountain, but the only thing that can compare to it is the wealth of the Won family.

Of course, you may wonder why only these two families are on the list, given the vastness of the world.

The reason for that is….

‘Other families earned their wealth legally, but these guys secretly say that their wealth was amassed through bribery.’

The Jo family accumulated enough wealth to become a powerful family in a fallen country thanks to the immortal eunuch, Jo Deng.

The Yuan family used their influence as the Three Dukes of Sase to accumulate wealth and honor for generations. At that time, they had so much wealth that when Dong Zhuo ordered the Yuan family to be raided, it was said that the wealth from the Yuan family in Luoyang alone amounted to hundreds of households.

When you think about it, it really was a great family.

‘He also knows how to exploit people with his money… .’

Certainly, Won-young has grown to a level that I am surprised by. Should I say that she is worthy of being Son-so’s wife?

The reason why Won-yeong, despite having grown so much, was unable to exert any power over the Son-ga soldiers was simple.

‘A woman who is about to become a daughter-in-law bribes her in-laws’ private soldiers to start a family fight? That’s crazy.’

But if Won-young mentions the hand of the school song, it means that the inside of the hand is also rotten.

I would say that it has become so worn out that it cannot even be compared to the time when I was at hand.

‘This is why people are important, people. If you hire just one wrong person, your business will fall apart…’

Of course, this person is definitely not referring to me. I am the great man who will revive Songa.

As I was lost in thought, construction was right around the corner.

‘This already smells like blood.’

***

Arriving at Geonyeop, I headed to the General’s Office amidst the cheers and attention of many people.

As the general’s carriage approached, the carriage suddenly stopped. Soon, Zhou Tai spoke in a blunt tone.

“What should we do with this Do-wi blocking the front line?”

It was really nice to see the confidence that he would push through at any moment if he got the chance.

But I was also curious as to why this art appeared like this. And what he talked about with Sun Quan.

Before Joo-tae could even answer, Yi-sul walked out first and greeted him.

“Hyungju Son, how have you been? I apologize for blocking your path so rudely…. Could you spare me just a moment of your time? This is a very important matter….”

“I’m sorry, but I’m on my way to the Grand General’s office right now. Just as it would be natural for a son to return home after being away on business, I’m also on my way. So please understand.”

“Ha, Haona….”

“And if the matter was so serious, you should have sent it by letter first, even if it meant being rude! I have conveyed my intentions, so please step aside now.”

Yisul just moved his mouth and then retreated from the roadside with his soldiers.

The carriage started moving again. As Isul passed by, I caught a glimpse of his expression. His face was filled with anxiety.

‘…Why does your expression look so complicated? Did Isul do something wrong?’

I thought about this art, but nothing came to mind. At best, I can only cautiously guess that he might have colluded with Sun Quan.

And, there was no time to think any further, because we had already arrived at the General’s Office.

The general’s office was still as majestic as a whale’s back.

I got out of the carriage and straightened my appearance.

But Won-young must have seen me grooming myself, so he came out of the carriage elegantly and tidied me up again until I couldn’t see him very well. Then he spoke softly.

“Okay, you should go.”

“…of course.”

Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Sun Ce’s face. That means…

‘I wonder what you’ll say when you see me.’

And that expectation was not off the mark one bit.

***

Sun Ce, who met me, spoke with a sullen look as soon as he saw me.

“You are the most unfilial of all people in the world! How could your grandmother have loved and cherished you so much, yet never once did she come to pay her respects?”

Sun Ce’s nonsense starting from the beginning.

‘Did Madam treat me well? … For a very short time, she treated me well, but after that, ha, I can’t express it in words.’

I had a lot to say in response, but I held it back. If I had won, it would have been different, but pouring it out now was the worst option.

“Because I have a lot of work to do as a brother-in-law….”

“Huh, at best, someone who started a war without any reason speaks quite eloquently.”

Already, hatred for Sun Ce began to fill my heart.

And it seemed that Sun Ce was the same, as he glared at me with a frown on his face.

It was the moment when Sun Ce’s eyes met mine.

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Sun Ce was somewhat different from the past, when just looking at him would make one’s heart race.

His spirited attitude was still there, but… how should I put it, he seemed to have gained a little bit of fat here and there.

Although it looked similar to the past, for some reason it seemed quite different from its sleeker days.

‘… Now that I think about it, it’s been quite some time since Sun Ce personally went on a campaign, right?’

Come to think of it, it’s already been several years since Sun Ce personally fought a war.

In the past, Sun Ce had been fighting in the past, but now he had been sitting in Jianye for a long time, ahem ahem. Of course, during that time, he must have practiced hunting and martial arts, but he must have been unknowingly fat.

If you think about it, this was all Sun Ce’s karma. At that time, our army was able to crush Cao Cao’s forces. But who was the one who started that war? Wasn’t it Sun Ce?

‘I see now that your body has paid the price for delaying the war under the pretext of Lady Oh’s funeral.’

I opened my mouth with a pretended guilty expression.

“I apologize for being rude to you, General, due to the heavy workload of Hyungju. I will continue to send you news from time to time, so please do not be too angry.”

Then Sun Ce snickered and glanced at me. He clearly felt as if he was wondering if I had time for that.

‘… You have something too? Otherwise, how could you smile like that?’

But I didn’t show it and avoided Sun Ce’s gaze.

Sun Ce answered with a smirk on his lips, as if he was satisfied with that.

“…Well, if you ever have the time, then do it. If you can, then you should do it. Right?”

“…Yes, General.”

Sun Ce, who had been glaring at me, turned his gaze away from me and spoke.

“Anyway, your aunt’s national wedding is coming up soon, so don’t do anything useless and just stay at your family home. Don’t get caught up in unnecessary gossip and tarnish the family’s reputation. Just like your younger sibling, follow your father’s orders well! Do you understand?”

Sun Ce’s loud voice pierced my ears like a thunderbolt. But there was not a single ounce of nutritional value in those words.

How can someone say such useless things? If that is talent, then it is talent.

In fact, I could refute every single word Sun Ce said.

‘You were the one who gave Cao Cao’s army time with useless actions, and you were the one who destroyed the prestige of the Sun family. When I see things like this, it’s really disgusting.’

But I lowered my head and barely managed to respond, despite the disgust.

“…Yes, General.”

***

After arriving at my hometown, I took a walk around the family home for the first time in a long time.

Around that time, I was walking around the family home.

I was able to encounter a boy walking around with a rather dignified attitude. The boy, dressed in silk clothes, was walking around here and there with a certain bravery, and he could almost be called a general.

It is incomparable to the past when I was walking slowly.

‘He’s already that big? Well, he even got a name, so that says it all. More importantly, he’s a tiger… He’s on par with a tiger… I don’t even need to look to see why he was named that, it’s obvious.’

I moved my steps and pretended to raise my voice.

“Why doesn’t Ho greet his brother?”

Then, Nam-a, Son-ho flinched in surprise and quickly turned his gaze. His flustered gaze finally found me. While Son-ho’s concubines were stamping their feet, not knowing what to do, I quickly approached them.

However, Son Ho’s guards were blocking my path. How dare you.

I said with a smile on my face.

“I want to have a talk with my little brother. So…. Get out of the way.”

The guards were sweating profusely, but they still remained unmoving. In that case, there was no choice but to remove them by force.

“The soldiers of the Son family dare to block my path. What should I do?”

At that moment, Ju-tae rushed forward, roaring like a wild boar.

Son Ho’s men quickly drew their weapons to block Joo Tae, but Joo Tae used his overwhelming physique to push the men back and knock them down.

My bodyguards subduing Son Ho’s disorganized soldiers all at once.

In the blink of an eye, the situation was sorted out, and I approached Son-ho. Then, I stroked his head as if holding it, and opened my mouth.

“Yes, it’s really hard to hear your voice, isn’t it?”

Soon, a trembling palm and a sobbing voice were heard.

“…Brother, I see you.”

If I just put a little more force into this palm, what would happen to this child’s head? I put aside such useless worries for a moment and gently stroked Sonho’s head.

“Come to think of it, you used to cry whenever you saw this older brother since you were little. Do you remember?”

“That, that….”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember. I remember it clearly. I can still see it clearly. You cry whenever you see me.”

Son Ho’s trembling grew worse and soon he started sniffling.

I just patted his head, but he’s joking.

I met Sonho’s shaking gaze with a broad smile on my face.

“If anyone saw me, they would think that this guy was bullying you. Tell me, am I bullying you?”

Then, Son Ho began to shed tears as if he was so aggrieved and scared.

“Uh, uh…. No, that’s not it….”

Right then.

From afar, a concubine with a bewildered look was looking at me.

To be exact, the focus was not on me but on the hand I was stroking.

In this friendly atmosphere, what on earth was the concubine thinking? The concubine screamed.

“Gyaaaah! Baekso, what the hell are you doing!”

Looking around the church, it seemed that someone had brought this up. The words of those who interrupted the time spent bonding with each other could not have been good.

I, who had their faces firmly in my memory, gently stroked Sonho’s forehead and said.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen my little brother, and he’s been treating me cutely. What’s the problem with that?”

I slightly lowered my posture and met Sonho’s gaze as I asked.

“Is what this guy said wrong?”

In fact, I hated coming to Jianye so much because of Sun Ce, but it was amazing how just looking at this child made me feel better.

‘While your mother was in mourning, was your mother crazy for making a fuss and trying to take her place, or was it me who had adapted to this uncivilized world that was crazy? Well, that’s not relevant anymore.’

Is this what they call distorted friendship? It’s something you never know even if you know everything about the world.

But soon, I became worried about Son Ho’s condition. If all the tears and snot had dried up already, what would happen next?

I said, slightly raising one side of my mouth.

“Don’t cry.”

It would have been difficult if Sonho had cried already.

‘You’ll have a lot to cry about in the future, so if you cry over something like this, what are you going to do later?’

I bet there are few older brothers who think of their younger siblings as much as I do.

But for some reason, the concubine’s gaze was as poisonous as an arrow, and the priestess’ thoughts seemed different.

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