"Zibu, what Jin Zong said just now, was it..." Sun Quan frowned, trailing off before he could finish.
Zhang Zhao nodded lightly. "King of Wu, you might as well surrender too. There's no meaning in struggling on. Surrendering to Wei or surrendering to Han—either way, it's the same."
"Bastard! I have not treated you poorly. Why would you do this?" Sun Quan ground his teeth in fury.
Zhang Zhao remained utterly composed, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, and answered unhurriedly, "Wu Wenze is skilled at reading the stars. Recently, he observed brilliant starlight in the west, signs of a dragon rising. Since Lord Xuande is favored by Heaven's mandate, surrendering early or late is still surrendering."
"Y-you would betray me over celestial signs? Where is Yu Zecheng?" Sun Quan shrieked madly.
Zhang Zhao's expression abruptly changed. He said coldly, "Yu Xiu failed to recognize the times, so I used a scheme to eliminate him. Everyone in Jianye has now surrendered. For the sake of our old friendship, this old man has not made things difficult for Your Majesty's family."
"Yu Xiu was executed? How could that be?" Sun Quan looked toward Hu Zong with utter disbelief.
Hu Zong was equally confused. Could Zhuge Jin's assessment have been right? Was this man truly all glitter and no substance? Yet Zhang Zhao was highly experienced in commanding troops, so he did not think Zhang Zhao was lying.
At that moment, Hu Ke was hiding behind the wall, casting Zhang Zhao an approving glance. He had to be present for a scene this legendary.
Seeing that the situation had turned unfavorable, Zhuge Jin and the others also urged their horses to the front. Zhuge Jin now understood what was happening and, with grief and indignation, tried to reason with Zhang