Sun Ce lowered his head, leaving the Qiao family home with embarrassment written all over his face. He hadn’t seen Gongjin these past days, thinking that with his wedding approaching, he was giving him a break. But today he had urgent military intelligence he wanted to consult on, so he came directly to the Qiao family to find him.

He just hadn’t expected to intrude upon a beauty.

Never imagined… that little girl from back then had become so beautiful… Sun Ce secretly envied his sworn brother’s romantic fortune, but unexpectedly saw Xiao Qiao returning home as soon as he stepped outside. She wore a lake-blue jacket and skirt, her hair arranged in a lily bun with long hair divided into sections at the crown, combed front and back, making her black hair bloom like lily petals—strikingly pretty and eye-catching. Sun Ce could tell at a glance this was that little girl from years ago, but if this was Xiao Qiao, then who had he accidentally glimpsed?

Xiao Qiao hadn’t expected to encounter Sun Ce. Hearing his question, she was also surprised, but then laughed charmingly: “The general must have seen my elder sister, who was probably trying on my wedding dress out of curiosity.”

Sun Ce’s heart jumped. He hadn’t thought much about it earlier because he assumed he’d seen Xiao Qiao, so naturally he wouldn’t have improper thoughts about his brother’s woman.

But now… remembering that stunning glimpse of beauty, Sun Ce felt he had seen her somewhere before, with an inexplicable familiarity.

Yet thinking again, since that person was Xiao Qiao’s elder sister, she would naturally resemble Xiao Qiao closely, so no wonder he had this feeling.

Still, something felt strange…

Xiao Qiao tilted her head, watching the unpredictable expressions on Sun Ce’s face. A thought crossed her mind, making her bloom into a smile: “General, my elder sister still hasn’t been betrothed.”

Sun Ce understood Xiao Qiao’s implication. Thinking of that unforgettable face, his heart suddenly began racing wildly.

“Husband, the night is already deep. Please rest early.” Xiao Qiao entered gracefully, carrying a bowl of soup.

Zhou Jin rubbed her slightly aching temples and put down the military intelligence report she was holding.

Xiao Qiao knew what her husband was troubled about these days and was full of resentment: “What is brother-in-law thinking? After defeating Yuan Shu’s former subordinate Liu Xun and capturing Wan City, he still hasn’t returned. Then he attacked Liu Biao’s Jiangxia Governor Huang Zu—we could tolerate that, knowing he was avenging father. But then he went to attack Yuzhang and accepted the surrender of that Yuzhang Governor. Why still hasn’t he returned? Does he have the heart to leave you alone supporting such a mess of the Jiangdong army?”

“It’s not really a mess.” Zhou Jin smiled bitterly. She knew Sun Ce’s recent behavior was very abnormal, but she couldn’t find any reason for it. It seemed… it seemed to have started after Sun Ce married Da Qiao…

Zhou Jin’s heart filled with bitterness. Though that incident had passed long ago, thinking of it still made her feel unbearably sad. Sun Ce had accidentally seen her in women’s clothing at the Qiao family and hastily arranged his marriage to Da Qiao. A few days after the wedding, he led troops on campaign and hadn’t returned since.

Could he have seen through something? Zhou Jin remembered Sun Ce’s deeply thoughtful expression when he left, feeling increasingly agitated.

She wouldn’t think about it anymore. Next time they met, she’d simply lay everything out in the open. Zhou Jin secretly made this resolution.

Though Xiao Qiao felt her husband was far less intimate with her than in the old days, she didn’t mind much. She was no longer the child who could run away from home after one disagreement with her father. Her spoiled young lady’s temperament had gradually worn away many sharp edges. In this era, mutual respect between spouses was a traditional virtue. Moreover, her husband never gave other women a second glance. If she had to find fault, it was that her husband was really too good to Sun Ce.

Good to the point where she felt somewhat jealous.

“Xiao Qiao, go spend more time with your sister.” Zhou Jin cleared her throat lightly, calling Xiao Qiao back to attention.

“Alright.” Xiao Qiao knew her sister had been melancholy these days, so she said nothing more. But she didn’t want to leave like this—she always felt her husband’s body was beside her, but his heart was elsewhere.

Zhou Jin didn’t notice the strange expression on Xiao Qiao’s face, frowning as she looked at the battle report on the table, worried. Guangling Governor Chen Deng was recruiting remnants of Yan Baihu’s party, wanting to rebel in Wu Commandery, and Sun Ce had led troops to suppress them again. Though the rebellion would be easily quelled once Sun Ce arrived, Zhou Jin couldn’t suppress her worry. Her heart was pounding ominously.

“Husband, what’s wrong? You don’t look well!” Xiao Qiao reached out to support Zhou Jin, who instinctively pulled away from her hand. Her sleeve swept across the table, knocking the Liuqing comb.

A crisp sound—the comb fell to the ground.

Both froze, staring blankly at the Liuqing comb on the floor with one broken tooth. A shadow of foreboding crossed both their hearts.

A broken comb tooth was a terrible omen.

Outside the screen, a personal guard burst in, shouting urgently: “General! Something terrible! The lord has been assassinated at Dantu!”

Zhou Jin felt the world spinning, her vision darkening in waves. For a moment, she couldn’t hear what Xiao Qiao was shouting at all.

Zhou Jin sat silently in the mourning hall, surrounded by glaring white. She didn’t know how long she had been keeping vigil here, only knowing people came and went around her, cries rose and fell, but her soul seemed no longer present.

The day she received the news, she rode hundreds of li through the night to reach Dantu and see him one last time.

He was already gravely injured and delirious. After struggling to recognize her for a long time, he only gripped her hand and said one word with difficulty:

“Xiao piece.”

She understood his meaning, as she always had over these years. He was entrusting her—if the xiao piece died, then scattered pieces could also become xiao pieces.

He wanted her to inherit his Jiangdong army, but she could not. If she had truly wanted it, would it have been his turn to lead troops back then? Then who could become this xiao piece? Could she guarantee she would assist that person as she had assisted Sun Ce?

“Gongjin…” A young voice came from beside her. Zhou Jin looked up hazily to see a young face that vaguely overlapped with Sun Ce from ten years ago.

“Gongjin, you should rest. You can’t collapse.” Sun Quan’s brow was creased with worry. He had long known Gongjin had an exceptional friendship with his elder brother, but didn’t know he would grieve to this extent. His whole person was so haggard and thin he seemed like a ghost—even a gust of wind could blow him away.

“Gongjin… before elder brother passed, he instructed me: for internal matters, consult Zhang Zhao; for external matters, consult Gongjin…”

Zhou Jin shuddered, her unfocused pupils sharpening as she immediately struggled to stand. But she didn’t know how long she’d been kneeling here—when she rose, her legs weren’t her own anymore. Fortunately Sun Quan was there to prevent an undignified fall.

“Gongjin… you… please accept what has happened…” Sun Quan finally couldn’t help speaking. The heavy sorrow emanating from this person was so oppressive it was alarming just to witness.

“Rest assured.” Zhou Jin finally stood upright. “In leading the masses of Jiangdong, deciding victory between battle lines, contending with the world’s heroes for supremacy, you are not equal to Bofu. But in employing the worthy and capable, making all officers give their utmost to preserve Jiangdong’s peace, Bofu was not your equal.”

“Gongjin…” Hearing this, Sun Quan didn’t know what to feel.

“The Central Plains are in chaos. With our Wu and Yue masses and the natural barriers of three rivers, we can calmly observe success and failure.” Zhou Jin spoke slowly, word by word, with her voice hoarse from exhaustion. “Rest assured, I will properly assist you.”

One statement was a lifetime’s promise.

“I am only Zhou Yu, courtesy name Gongjin, Grand Commander of Eastern Wu.”

In this world, there was no more Zhou Jin—only Zhou Yu.

Two Thousand Years Later

While organizing antiques, the shop owner discovered a Liuqing comb missing one tooth in a box placed in a corner, then fell into distant memories.

Yes, this comb—he had given it to a little girl years ago. A little girl who wanted to live on in place of her brother.

The shop owner stroked the patterns on the Liuqing comb with his hand. Back then he had been very enthusiastic. During the Three Kingdoms period, he would personally raise and guide the Fu Su reincarnations he found. Even Zhou Jin, who was completely unrelated, he had helped fulfill her wish by giving her this Liuqing comb.

But this mindset had gradually faded through the passage of years. He could no longer bear watching the children he had personally raised die before his eyes again and again. So later, he preferred to guard from afar, ensuring that incarnation of Fu Su grew up healthy, trying not to meet them if possible.

Not meeting meant not knowing each other.

Not knowing meant not understanding each other.

Not understanding meant not yearning for each other…

The comb’s broken tooth was cleanly snapped, like severed bonds.

The shop owner had always felt Zhou Jin was very much like him, yet also very different.

They both had wishes to help someone complete their imperial ambitions, but in the end Zhou Jin had devoted herself wholeheartedly to fulfilling Sun Ce’s dying wish. While he was more selfish—wanting to find that person back.

Yes, later he had visited her once more out of concern, and that person had returned the comb to him, saying she should never have kept it from the beginning, that she should have given up hope from the start and been a man…

“Oh? Boss, this comb is very beautiful! Too bad one tooth is broken!” The doctor helping him organize the storeroom noticed the shop owner was lost in thought and came over. “What material is this comb made of? The carving is very delicate and exquisite!” Having spent time at the Mute House, the doctor’s eye had naturally improved. Just seeing the comb’s lustrous color, he knew it must have been frequently handled and caressed—smooth as cream, warm as jade, with a color resembling amber. Clearly an antique of considerable age.

“…This is a Liuqing comb, made of bamboo. It uses ancient mountain bamboo planted for hundreds of years, carving patterns while preserving the surface layer of green bamboo skin—this is called Liuqing bamboo carving.” The shop owner said indifferently, casually placing the Liuqing comb in a brocade box. “But with one tooth broken, it can no longer be used.”