East of the River: Home of the Sun Clan sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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11
The vast region known as Changsha - which was as much a county as a
prefecture, but seen as either and both at varying times due to the sparse,
scattered populace - was to the west of Sun Jian’s hometown of Fuchun in Yang
Province, and unlike Liang Province, it was only a relatively short distance
away on the same side of the Yangtze River. An uprising by the unchecked
bandits or the non-Chinese natives of Changsha could be a direct threat to the
safety of the Sun family and of their region in general, and it was a scenario
that was feared by all. The expectation was that the court would appoint a
member of the ruling Liu family or an ally of the powerful court eunuch clique
known as the ‘Ten Attendants’; all were to be proved wrong when a letter
arrived from the imperial capital bearing surprising news.
“I am to expect a visitor, a messenger,” Sun Jian said with surprise.
“Zhu Jun… says that I have been…!”
“Been what…?” Lady Wu
prompted.
“Wait… no, I should not consider this anymore, not until the messenger
appears, if he appears at all,” Sun Jian decided. “If this happens, my lady, this is the beginnings of something at long,
long last…!”
“…And you cannot tell me,” Lady Wu scoffed.
“I do not wish to curse us,” Sun Jian admitted. “You know how it is, my
lady.”
“Alright,” Lady Wu conceded. “When can we expect this ‘messenger’…?”
“Soon, apparently,” Sun Jian said with poorly-hidden excitement.
“You’re edging nearer and nearer to the door, Husband,” Lady Wu noted
dryly. “Is it that you wish to run away and go and tell your new friends, Cheng
Pei and Zu Miao and whatever the other one was called…?”
“…You know their names, my
lady, so please, don’t be petty,” Sun
Jian scolded.
“But you admit that you want to run off and talk to them about this
thing that you cannot share with me…?”
Lady Wu retorted.
“No!” Sun Jian chortled. “I… I don’t mean to ‘talk’ about it… not with
all of them. I mean to be advised
about it… by Cheng Pu. If this thing happens-”
“Oh, for Heavens’ sakes, just tell
me, you silly man!” Lady Wu said
desperately.
Sun Jian’s eyes moved to the entrance to the kitchen, where Sun Ce was
standing with his small and unwieldy younger brother Quan, whom Ce was
struggling to keep upright. Lady Wu turned, saw her two sons loitering, and
dismissed them with a stern stare.
“…I might have been promoted to Magistrate
of Changsha,” Sun Jian whispered.
Lady Wu squealed reflexively, but supressed the gesture as quickly as
she could.
“Now do you see why I am so cautious…?” Sun Jian asked pointedly.
Lady Wu smiled broadly and nodded as seriously as she could.
“Note that this is a militarily-guided decision,” Sun Jian continued.
“They want a tiger in the southwest, baring its teeth and claws to repel the
hordes of bandits and barbarians: that’s dangerous, and perhaps they couldn’t
find anyone ‘silly’ enough in the northern court to do it.”
Lady Wu’s smile faded ever so slightly, and she nodded slowly.
“There is also the possibility, however slight, that I might fail, and
we might lose what little we have, instead of gaining more,” Sun Jian
continued. “There is also the possibility that this might be a temporary
arrangement, and a northern man will be sent to take the post from me as soon
as the ‘rebellion’ is ended.”
Lady Wu’s smile disappeared completely, and she nodded soberly.