Across All Under Heaven, blades flashed and swords gleamed, and men rubbed their fists and flexed their arms.
Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan faced off in Jizhou. Yuan Shao exercised extreme restraint, waiting for a perfect opportunity.
Gongsun Zan constantly probed and pressured Yuan Shao's Army, but never found an opening for the Youzhou Iron Cavalry to charge and slaughter.
Cao Cao and Liu Bei had entered a contest of grain and fodder on the Yanzhou battlefield before any fierce clashes had taken place. Everyone was waiting to fight the decisive battle when their supplies were nearly exhausted.
In Jiangdong, Sun Jian readied his army to enter Danyang Commandery. Before this, Zhou Yu had already traveled there in person to see his father's cousin, Danyang Commandery Governor Zhou Shang.
The Lujiang Zhou Clan had naturally been at its most illustrious when two successive generations held office among the Three Excellencies. Zhou Yu's father had once been the magistrate of Luoyang, a highly important position: magistrates in the vital Capital Region automatically ranked one grade higher.
After Zhou Yu's father died, Zhou Shang was the most prominent official in the Lujiang Zhou Clan, a Two-Thousand-Shi commandery governor.
Although Zhou Yu was not his own son, Zhou Shang valued him highly, praising him as the Zhou Clan's qilin son and declaring that the one who brought prosperity to the clan would certainly be Zhou Yu.
Now, seeing Zhou Yu arrive, Zhou Shang knew he must be acting as Young Master Chu's persuader, but still warmly welcomed him inside.
Zhou Yu frankly expressed his hope that Zhou Shang would join Young Master Chu and offer him Danyang Commandery. Zhou Shang merely replied, "Since ancient times, those who submitted with their territory have all been able to become regional vassals.
"Does Young Master Chu