Wu Kingdom, Jianye.
"Elder Brother, this is what people everywhere are saying now."
Sun 𬘭 sat before Sun Jun and began recounting it in a low voice.
Sun Jun looked to be in even worse shape now.
Since his crushing defeat by Guanqiu Jian in Huainan, his health had grown worse than before. Pains in his heart came intermittently, tormenting him all day long.
Sun Jun had summoned imperial physicians to examine him, but they could offer no specific diagnosis, merely saying something about a heart ailment. As for treatment, there was even less to speak of.
Besides, Sun Jun had a poor reputation among the people, and the famous physicians all avoided him, unwilling to come see him.
They all feared that after they diagnosed him, Sun Jun would send them on their way to the next world.
The pains in Sun Jun's heart were now growing increasingly frequent. In the middle of whatever he was doing, it would suddenly feel as though something had stabbed his heart, bringing an indescribable pain.
Yet Sun Jun had no time to fret over his own affairs, because the problem confronting him was General of Agile Cavalry Lü Ju.
Although the literati had said nothing about this defeat, it had stirred towering waves among the common people and the army.
Liu Zan had been a veteran general of Eastern Wu, and his martial valor had won him the people's deep affection.
When they learned that he had been beheaded and his head sent back to Luoyang, the people of Eastern Wu all mourned him.
In truth, Sun Jun cared little about the common people's attitude. Even if they sympathized with Liu Zan and resented him, it was not worth mentioning. They lacked the strength to do anything to him anyway.
The army,