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-Interview with Da Qiao, former wife of Sun Ce-

I am the former wife of the late General Sun Ce. Gods save me, I cannot recall how long it has been since his death.

I was so very loyal to him, but we were only married a little over a year before he fell. It's shameful that the most that I remember of him was the night before that battle where he died. My brother-in-law, whom you know as Zhou Yu, was the one who gave me the news afterward. As calm as he was I could tell he was breaking. He was so strong when I broke down. He was like a sturdy oak as I cried into his dusty and slightly blood stained uniform. As much as I knew that he, my husband's sworn brother, was devastated, I do not know if he ever cried, screamed, or expressed his sorrow at all.

'Twas none of my business I expect, and Sun Ce died years before the events you are asking about.

But I guess to know about those events, you have to know Zhou Yu. Forgive me for overreaching…

Right. Let me see…I suppose I could tell of how I met both Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. When I tell this story to my daughter, she's not very impressed. She expected it to be romantic, I suppose. I thought it was…fated.

Zhou Yu and Sun Ce conquered much of the lands next to our village and we weren't well armed when they rode towards us. Our chieftain had no choice but to submit. I don't really like to be so vain when I tell this, but it was what it was. My sister and I were one of the greatest beauties of our land, and we were…untaken. The villagers feared that if the generals heard of us they would take us in such…barbaric measures. It was to be expected of men who had been out fighting. The villagers tried to keep our existence quiet and our maids prevented us from wandering out of our home, but somehow, I trust it was Zhou Yu's insight, they heard of us and pursued us.

And bless those generals of Sun Ce's army. They attempted to stall the two, fearful that they were in distraction and they wanted to keep them focused. As soon as I heard that those two men passed through the gates of our home, my sister, Xiao Qiao, told me to run to our back gardens and prepare for a fight.

You laugh, Master Chen, but such was my sister. And I admit I was a terrible fighter. I detested fighting of all kinds, but if Sun Ce or Zhou Yu came to me with any ill will, I was prepared to fight to the bitter end.

But the moment I laid my eyes on Lord Sun Ce, I knew it was not the case. He smiled at me.

"If you will, my lady, I will fight you or show you my strength. If it would please you," I vaguely remember him saying. "I confess, I am taken with you, and…as bold as this may sound…I am determined to do anything in my power to convince you to marry me."

It was his bluntness that drew me to him. Of course his strong arms and handsome face helped quite a bit, I knew he couldn't hide anything from me. He couldn't hide any of his feelings or motives if he tried. It made me trust him. And I did. I hastily agreed to be his wife. I was of age and I had studied the rules and mannerisms that a wife should have, so in every sense I was ready. And I was so stricken by him…

Anyway, as much as the cheerfulness of Lord Sun Ce calmed me, I realized that my sister was somewhere else. As was Zhou Yu. I hoped that General Zhou Yu was as kind and congenial and genuine as Lord Sun Ce.

I ran to the other side of the gardens, barely realizing that Lord Sun Ce was following me. There I found my young sister. She was on the ground, bruised a little because she probably challenged Lord Zhou Yu to a fight, her broken fan on the ground by the lilac bushes. Zhou Yu was on his knees in front of her, a little too close to her. I didn't see his face at first; all I saw was his long dark hair and his posture kneeling in front of my vulnerable sister.

At first I feared the worst. I grabbed Sun Ce's strong arm, in hopes I could urge him to stop Zhou Yu if he dared to try anything unsavory to my sister. But to my surprise, Xiao Qiao laughed out loud amused over something, and she grabbed Zhou Yu's proffered arm as he helped her to her feet.

To this day I don't completely know what went on between Xiao Qiao and Zhou Yu while I was with Sun Ce, and I had no idea that Xiao Qiao had accepted his offer to marry him.