Volume 1 Jiangdong Fengyun Chapter 105: The Three Brothers at Ganlu Temple
"I am Bai Tu."
"I, Sun Ce!"
"I... Zhou Yu..."
"Today we become sworn brothers with different surnames. From now on we should work together to rescue the poor and the needy, serve the country and bring peace to the people. We do not ask to be born on the same day of the same month of the same year, but we ask to die on the same day of the same month of the same year! The Heaven shall be our witness and the earth shall be our mirror. If you betray your righteousness and forget your gratitude, both God and man shall kill you!" Bai Tu said in front of the altar that Taishi Ci had prepared long ago.
The sense of ritual is definitely more complete than the impromptu Peach Garden Oath of Brotherhood!
Buddhism was introduced to the East during the Western Han Dynasty, and it has been some time since then. However, it is not yet popular in the Central Plains, but it does have a small market in Jiangdong.
Especially before, Zuo Rong was a devout Buddhist - although this guy had bad character and repeatedly killed small princes who accepted him, and then let his troops plunder, he had a special liking for Buddhism... Maybe he thought that the Buddha could wash away his sins?
When Zuo Rong went all the way from Xuzhou to Yangzhou, he brought some of the Buddhist culture with him. Even though the people hated him to the core and it could be said that he had done nothing but negative publicity for Buddhism, many monks and nuns came to Jiangdong because of him. In addition, Wu Guotai also had the habit of worshiping Buddha in the future, which laid the foundation for the prosperity of Buddhism in the Southern Dynasties.
Of course, in this era when aristocratic families were about to transform into powerful clans, in places like Jiangdong where local tyrants had influence in every corner, it was impossible for Buddhist temples to become local landlords as they did in later generations, and there were no tax benefits, so they were generally quite honest.
"Brother! I am young and inexperienced. I have achieved some success before only because of my bravery and the help of Gongjin and my uncles... But you trust me so much. From now on, I will just follow your orders and have no second thoughts!" Sun Ce said sincerely.
As if he didn't notice Zhou Yu frowning beside him, Bai Tu patted the two men on the shoulders and said, "Third brother, the same goes!"
Zhou Yu: ...
"With big brother's kindness and Gongjin's wisdom, the three of us brothers will definitely be able to save the people from danger! I am willing to share weal and woe with big brother, and to accompany him through life and death!" Sun Ce said confidently.
"The same goes for the third brother!"
"If you disobey this, God will hate you!"
"The same goes for Xiao San!"
Zhou Yu felt very uncomfortable. How could he become a mistress for no reason?
However, under the gazes of Sun Ce and Bai Tu, Zhou Yu still drank the slightly bitter sworn brotherhood wine.
When the three men came out of the arranged sworn brotherhood hall, they saw Sun Quan waiting outside, staring at the door with a fierce look and resentment.
Also present were Chen Ying and Sun Shangxiang. As for Sun Yi and Sun Kuang, they went to the Buddhist temple with their two mothers.
Bai Tu didn't understand Sun Quan's fierceness at all. He stepped forward and rubbed him again before saying, "Zhongmou, you will be my brother from now on."
Sun Quan: ...
Bai Tu only knows the "past", and even in this world, it is not even the "past", while the future is unpredictable.
But now, when I rub Sun Quan's head, I still feel like I have rubbed his head a hundred thousand times, and the happiness is a hundred thousand times greater.
At this time, Sun Ce also introduced Chen Ying to Bai Tu.
"Chen Ying pays his respects to Mr. Bai." Chen Ying bowed respectfully, his tone showing an unconcealable joy.
Sun Quan has cast a heavy shadow on him these days. When in Shouchun, Sun Quan was like the protagonist of a cool novel. He used his status as a hostage to borrow the power of others and slap the faces of the civil and military officials of Huainan. He even gained the trust of Yuan Shu, and relied on him even more than Yang Hong and Yan Xiang!
Chen Ying, who was also a hostage, went from being unwilling to obey at the beginning to now having a psychological shadow on Sun Quan...
Now that he sees that the evildoers will be punished by their own evildoers, Chen Ying is of course very happy.
"No need to be so polite. When Tu went down to Jiangdong from Xuzhou, it was thanks to the help of your Chen family. Your father also entrusted Tu to rescue you as soon as possible. It's just right that you can come back with Zhongmou now! When General Zhang and General Gao return from Guangling and learn about the current situation in Guangling County, they will send someone to send you back to Xuzhou." Bai Tu said.
"Thank you, Mr. Bai, for your righteousness!" Chen Ying was very moved.
Mr. Bai is Mr. Bai, different from the blue-eyed girl - the premise for Sun Quan to save him is to use his status as the second son to make clear arrangements for the Chen family.
If Sun Ce really agreed and established his own regime, the next place he would go to would naturally be Wankou and Wancheng. As for the next step, Sun Quan planned to use Chen Ying to leverage the Chen family's foundation in Guangling and seize Guangling County while Yuan Shu was weak!
Sun Quan already knew what Yuan Shu was going to do next, so he knew that now was not the time when Yuan Shu was at his weakest...
Even if it succeeds, because of Chen Ying's stance, the Chen family will have to side with the Sun family - Sun Quan also heard from Chen Ying that Chen Gui and Chen Deng were loyal to the Cao family .
However, a large family like the Chen family has many complicated factions. Moreover, Chen Ying is the second legitimate son. Even if he cannot get the full support of the Chen family, he can at least stir up the situation.
Without Jiangdong, he could capture Guangling to ensure that Sun Ce would gain the greatest benefit in Huainan when Yuan Shu destroyed himself, and it would also indirectly pry open the Xuzhou clan... This was exactly what Sun Quan was planning!
Of course, this kind of plan, which lacks real support and is based solely on mental scheming, actually has many loopholes.
Not to mention the severe drought in Huainan, which no one knew about except Bai Tu at that time. This would make the plan of "taking Wancheng and Guangling to control Huainan" become a pipe dream. Even if it succeeded, he would not be able to stay in Guangling, but be trapped in Guangling to death!
Even...Sun Quan was tricked a little by Chen Ying.
[Although I am the second son of the family, how can my prestige compare to that of my eldest brother? Even if I fully cooperate with you, it is impossible for the family power, father and eldest brother to be distracted to help you! As long as my father and eldest brother don't say anything, it's useless to tear my tendons and bones outside Guangling City, hahahaha... I didn't expect that there would be such an invisible second son, right? ]
While Chen Ying was confident that he had figured out Sun Ce's plan, he felt like crying for some reason.
On the one hand, Bai Tu didn't think so much, but on the other hand... Sun Quan didn't owe the Chen family anything, but Bai Tu owed the Chen family a favor. Since he had promised to try his best to rescue Chen Ying, and now that Chen Ying came back on his own, there was naturally no reason not to send him back.
"Brother Bai Tu, this Brother Chen was rescued by my second brother." Six-year-old Sun Shangxiang suddenly said in a baby voice.
Sun Quan's eyes lit up when he heard that. He wanted to say it just now, but was glared back by Sun Ce... My sister is still reliable!
"Hahaha, you are Xiao Shangxiang, right? It's a good idea to call me 'brother'. From now on, you are my younger brother and sister. What's the difference between the people you save and the people I save? And... Chen Ying will also thank your second brother!" Bai Tu said generously.
Did you hear what people said? -- Sun Quan was eager to rush over and fight Bai Tu to the death.
But Sun Ce was staring at him, so he didn't dare say anything. He just looked at Sun Shangxiang expectantly, hoping that his sister would continue to confront this shameless guy - children speak without restraint, and even the eldest brother could not stop his younger sister!
Sun Shangxiang tilted her head and asked, "Is that so?"
"Of course it is! Here, what belongs to my brother is yours too, and these candies are for you!" Bai Tu said as he took out a small silk bag with some shiny things in it.
"What is candy? It's so hard, how can it be eaten?" Sun Shangxiang looked at the white picture questioningly.
"Of course it's edible." Bai Tu said.
Sun Shangxiang put one in her mouth doubtfully, then her eyes lit up and she pointed at Chen Ying and said, "Second brother's is ours. Let's change it, change it!"
Chen Ying, Sun Quan: ...
