Having straightened out his turbulent resentment, Lord Di asked, "What exactly has brought you here, Lord Chen?"
"You didn't come specifically to chop off our heads and curry favor with your new master, did you?" Lord Jiang was still dripping with sarcasm.
"Lord Di, Lord Jiang, the three of us served as colleagues for so many years. Do you not know what kind of man I am? I came here precisely because I have your interests at heart, to discuss a good solution with you both. Why the cold words?"
"Lord Jiang is simply impatient by nature. Since Lord Chen has been our colleague for so many years, you should know that. Wang Yan has now cut off our retreat, while you, an old colleague and friend, have turned your weapons against us and gone down a different path. A few complaints are only natural."
Lord Di laughed heartily and played peacemaker from the middle. He often did this.
"All right, all right. We're getting old—we can't stand for long. Let's sit down, drink tea, and talk. We have plenty of time now, so we can take it slow."
The three of them sat down at once. They raised their teacups and discussed tea for a while. Even Lord Jiang fell silent, as if the irritable man from moments ago had not been him at all.
Lord Chen said, "Huo Shan's forces now cut across Jiangnan and Jiangbei. West of Hunan-Hubei lies Bashu, while east of it lies the Heavenly Kingdom. Lord Jiang called yourselves turtles in a jar just now, and that was no empty phrase. The only course now is for you two to lay down your arms and surrender."
"What nonsense is Lord Chen talking?" Lord Di smiled pleasantly. "As you said earlier, your family has already