Lu Xun had wanted to ask Zhuge Jin exactly what "outrageous crime against Heaven and reason" he had committed, and why the King of Wu always spoke with barbs hidden in his words.
Lu Xun had taken barely a dozen steps when he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Sima Shi, Sun Quan's adopted son.
"Grand Viceroy." Sima Shi bowed.
"What is it, Young Master Sima?" Lu Xun returned the salute.
Sima Shi cupped his hands and bowed again. "You should know that my adoptive father bears a deep grudge against Lan Tian. He has been worried about the war at the front, so his temper was somewhat impatient. If he showed any discourtesy just now, I hope the Grand Viceroy will not take it to heart."
Lu Xun was taken aback. He could not help looking at Sima Shi in a new light, thinking it remarkable that someone so young could say such words. He then returned the bow with greater formality.
He thought of his own youth, and how much he resembled this young man. Both had seen their clans suffer calamity and fled to Jiangdong for refuge. Yet the Lu Family's foundation had remained intact, while the Sima Clan had been reduced to this one remaining root before his eyes. How could the word "tragic" possibly encompass it all?
"What are you saying, Young Master Sima? Lu Xun is merely a subject—how would I dare bear a grudge over the king's rebuke? Since ancient times, loyal ministers have offended their sovereigns' countenance with frank remonstrance. It is nothing much. I simply feel that Jiangdong is weakening, and should not continue taking risks." Lu Xun shook his head with a bitter smile.
Sima Shi sighed, then spoke softly. "Jiangdong's situation is already like this, which