This part is slightly shorter but the next chapter will be slightly longer and it would ruin it to spread the story evenly. Please leave a review.
Sun Ce had now taken control of Wu and Kuaiji.
In a small throne room in Shanyang, the main foothold of Kuaiji, stood Sun Ce, overlooking the knelt Yan Yu, younger brother of the leader of local rebels Yan Baihu. Zhou Yu stood looking out of the window with his arms crossed, sun shining brightly upon his face. Zhou Tai stood the other side of the throne facing the door, always keeping a straight face, always preparing for a sudden ambush or attack, always keeping a hand near the hilt of his sword.
Yan Baihu was renowned for causing mischief so it was unexpected that he had sent his younger brother as an emissary to ask Ce to become his joint partner. Yan Yu also had a reputation of being one of Baihu's strongest men. If an ambush were to occur, Yan Yu was certainly in a good position to be at the head of that ambush.
"What is your answer Ce?" the knelt Yan Yu asked. Ce turned around so his back was facing Yan Yu. This gave him time to think and Yan Yu to attack if that were his motive. A few minutes passed. Zhou Yu turned to face Yan Yu, a little disgust in his eyes. Ce pulled a dagger from his sleeve, swiftly turned and slashed at Yan Yu's throat. It was over. Yan Yu fell backwards, blood gushing from his throat, life completely faded from his eyes. Zhou Yu's mouth was open with complete shock.
"What have you done Ce? You can't just kill random emissaries!"
"This is no emissary, this is a bandit. A very strong bandit at that. When word reaches Yan Baihu of this, it will strike fear into his men's hearts. The best diplomacy comes from action."
Zhou Yu was fuming, he clenched his fists and stormed out of the hall room. Ce turned to Tai, "What did I do wrong?"
"Whilst your strategy was true, this will place fear in your enemies, it was the principle in which you did it that is questioned. You set out to strive for a peaceful and better world, a world where diplomatic solutions should be found before military ones. This matter should have been left to Yu, you're supposedly most favoured subject and yet you took control instead, not even mentioning a word to him. You must speak to him, calm him and sort this out, make sure this doesn't happen again because he's your most favoured ally today but could be your most feared enemy tomorrow." Ce knew that Tai's words held truth, he left the throne room, Tai following, and went to Yu's room to find him packing clothes into a small bag. Tai waited outside, Ce closed the door so there were no intrusions.
"Yu, I apologise, this is a matter that should have been left to you. Instead I took control but still, I should have asked for your counsel and yet I didn't. If you want to leave, I cannot stop you but please reconsider, you are my most trusted companion, my bond brother, soon to be brother in law, I need you."
"Can you remember the evening we won the battle of Niuzhu and there was the assassin in my room? You came in, saw and killed him? That was brotherhood. Protecting me without asking questions. During the battle, remember when you were surrounded by enemies and I came to rescue you, that was brotherhood, I didn't ask questions beforehand. What you did in there was not brotherhood, that was selfish, antagonistic and the first signs of tyranny, I didn't sign up for this. I need time to myself, I'm going East and I'm not sure when I will return, if I return at all." With that, Yu closed his bag and left the room. He didn't make eye contact with Ce or Tai.