Zhuge Liang delivers a heartfelt eulogy for a dearly departed friend, while Pang Tong shows how to advance your career by not doing your job.

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Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. This is episode 70.

Last time, Zhou Yu, in another bid to take back Jing Province, had told Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang that he would lead the forces of Dongwu to go take the Riverlands to the west and trade that for Jing Province. All he asked from them was to come welcome his troops and give them some provisions when they passed through Jing Province on the way. His real intent, though, was to use that opportunity to kill Liu Bei and take Jing Province. But when Zhou Yu and his men arrived at the foot of Jing Province, they discovered that Zhuge Liang was not fooled for a second. The gates of the city were shut, and four detachments of Liu Bei’s troops were closing in, shouting that they were out to capture Zhou Yu alive.

This turn of events reaggravated Zhou Yu’s old arrow wound, and he let out a loud cry and fell off his horse. His men quickly scooped him up and hustled back to their ships and hightailed it out of there. Just then, to add insult to injury, word came through the ranks that Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were sitting atop a hill up ahead, having a drink, and enjoying themselves immensely.

This made Zhou Yu gnash his teeth. “You think I can’t take the Riverlands?! I swear I will do just that!”

Just as he was seething, his men told him that Sun Quan’s younger brother Sun Yü (2) had arrived. Zhou Yu welcomed him in and told him what had transpired. Sun Yü (2) told him that he was there on Sun Quan’s orders to lend a hand. So they ordered their troops to press on ahead. But they had not gone far when word came that two of Liu Bei’s officers — Liu Feng (1) and Guan Ping (2) — had blockaded the river up ahead. This provided even more aggravation for Zhou Yu.

Just then, a messenger arrived bearing a letter from Zhuge Liang, which read:

 

“From Zhuge Liang, the director general of the Han and imperial corps commander, to Master Zhou Yu, chief commander of Dongwu: Since our parting at Chaisang (2,1), I have missed you immensely. I heard that you intend to conquer the Riverlands, but in my poor opinion, you must not attempt this. The people of Yi (4) Province are sturdy, and its terrain treacherous. Even though Liu Zhang (1) is feeble, he has enough to defend himself. Now your army has embarked on a long campaign, and it will face many uncertainties before securing total victory. Even the greatest military strategists of old would not be able to guarantee the outcome. After his defeat at Red Cliff, how can Cao Cao have ever given up thoughts of revenge? With you going off on a distant campaign, if Cao Cao takes this opportunity to attack, the Southlands would be reduced to dust! I cannot bear to sit by and watch, so I have written you this note, which I hope you will favor with your attention.”

 

When Zhou Yu finished reading the letter, he let out a long sigh and told his men to fetch brush and ink so he could write a letter to Sun Quan. The letter written, he assembled his officers and told them, “It’s not that I don’t want to do everything I can to repay our state, but my time on earth ends here. You all must serve our lord well and accomplish our grand enterprise.”