Reborn in the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao Doesn't Want to Be a Widow Anymore

Chapter 384 Brothers in Arms
Sun Kuang seemed to finally understand why Sun Quan refused to see him.

“No wonder you love your sister-in-law so much, brother.” Upon hearing this, Sun Kuang’s brows slowly relaxed, his shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly, and a look of shame welled up in his eyes.

If even a woman like my sister-in-law can have such confidence and courage, how much more so should I, a grown man?

"I'm just that the Cao family is powerful..."

“Younger brother, to be cowardly before the battle is a major taboo in military strategy.”

Although Liu Qi was young, he knew that no egg remains intact when the nest is overturned. Jiangdong also had the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, and the people feared Cao Cao's reputation. To protect their homes, they would fight hard.

Cao Cao was a northerner, skilled in cavalry warfare but unfamiliar with water. He had come a long way, making the supply of provisions difficult. Moreover, not all of his troops were necessarily loyal and virtuous.

"Given this shift in fortunes, how can we be certain that you, my lord, will inevitably lose?" Qiao Wei slowly explained, "Your lord's sorrow is not necessarily due to the unfavorable war situation, but rather to the fact that your brothers cannot stand together in solidarity."

Qiao Wei's words pierced Sun Kuang's heart like a sharp sword.

Although Cao Cao was powerful, Jiangdong's years of military buildup and westward and southward campaigns were by no means intended to submit to him.

Sun Kuang, being the son of a military family, was initially intimidated by Cao Cao's strength, but he quickly regained his composure, his brows furrowed and his expression grave.

Then, Qiao Wei's resounding words stirred him, and he immediately came to his senses and understood Sun Quan's intentions.

“It is my younger brother who is confused. His thoughts are not as clear as my sister-in-law's. No wonder my elder brother is angry.”

Sister-in-law, my younger brother wants to apologize to my elder brother. He understands what to do regarding the arranged marriage, and he asks my sister-in-law to put in a good word for him.

Sun Kuang felt deeply ashamed. His father and elder brother had often taught them that as brothers, they should be of one mind and one heart, like a rope. Although the strands are thin, when twisted together, they can withstand a thousand pounds of force.

Qiao Wei refused Sun Kuang's request, saying, "Brother Ji, brothers are like lips and teeth. They may occasionally clash, but they will eventually come together again. Some things should be said face to face, without needing to ask others to do them."

Sun Kuang hesitated for a moment, "But my brother avoids me."

"If he won't see you, does that mean you can't go to him?" Qiao Wei smiled gently. "The Marquis is a man of deep thoughts, but when he's in a bad mood, where does he like to hide? Don't you know?"

After a moment's thought, Sun Kuang had his answer.

As Qiao Wei said, no matter how a person changes, the habits they have from childhood are always hard to change.

When the younger brothers of the Sun family were young, they would always go to their older brothers for support whenever they suffered any injustice.

"Sister-in-law, I understand."

When Sun Ce was still alive, Sun Quan liked to visit him three times a day, but now that Sun Ce is gone...

Even when Sun Quan was mistreated by his younger siblings, he still preferred to go to him.

Not long after Sun Kuang left, Qiao Wei instructed Youxuan to have the small kitchen prepare some wine and dishes and send them to the ancestral hall.

"By the way, since Lady Li left Danyang, Cao's interactions with her maternal family have become excessively frequent. Have your men investigate. At this critical juncture, if there are any suspicious eyes and gossips circulating in Danyang's mines, it's time to clean things up." Qiao Wei's eyes narrowed slightly. Cao's marriage to Jiangdong was not her choice, and some things and positions were not hers. Therefore, both Sun Quan and Qiao Wei sometimes turned a blind eye to Cao's actions. As long as it didn't affect Jiangdong's interests, Qiao Wei had no intention of intervening.

But no sooner had the declaration of war from the north arrived than Sun Kuang began to consider facilitating a marriage alliance between Sun and Cao. Qiao Wei simply couldn't believe that Cao Yuan wasn't involved.

Since this matter concerns the future of his two children, Qiao Wei has no intention of showing any mercy.

Sun Quan and Sun Kuang talked all night in the ancestral hall, drinking several jars of fine wine. You Rou, worried that further drinking would harm his health, had no choice but to send someone to invite Qiao Wei late at night, "Madam..."

Qiao Wei peeked through the crack in the window at the scene inside the ancestral hall. Sun Quan's eyes were already glazed over, with only a last vestige of clarity remaining.

Sun Kuang was completely drunk and extremely impatient. He tore at his clothes and pounded the floor repeatedly, snot and tears streaming down his face. He even wiped his face on Sun Quan's sleeve, treating Sun Quan like a rag.

After venting his anger, he was probably exhausted and collapsed on the ground, his clothes open and his hair disheveled. One glance was enough to tell that he was completely intoxicated and on the verge of ecstasy.

Qiao Wei waited outside the door for a while until the commotion inside had completely subsided. Then he instructed You Rou to dismiss all irrelevant people before opening the door and going in.

Sun Quan leaned against a pillar with one leg bent, his eyelids drooping and his expression blank. He seemed completely unaware of the changes around him until Qiao Wei squatted down in front of him. Only then did he vaguely sense something and slowly raise his eyes. "Weiwei?"

"Hmm." Qiao Wei gently wiped the sweat from his temples with a handkerchief. "Can you still walk, my lord? I'll help you back to your room to rest."

Sun Quan smiled faintly, his tone filled with sorrow. He looked past Qiao Wei and at Sun Kuang, who was lying on the ground, completely lacking in decorum. "He resents me. He resents me for killing Shu Bi."

Sun Quan murmured softly, and finally wrapped his arms around Qiao Wei's neck, leaning his whole body against Qiao Wei. With the help of Qiao Wei and You Rou, he took one step at a time out of the ancestral hall.

Only after Sun Quan had gone far away did the guards around Sun Kuang dare to enter, pack Sun Kuang up, and take him away.

That night, Sun Quan seemed to have reverted to his childhood self, whimpering and grumbling all night long. One moment he was complaining of a headache, the next he was saying he was too hot, then he said he wanted to vomit, and then he wanted to get up and have a duel with someone who was sleeping.

I used to think this man had a good drinking habit; even when he was drunk, he would at most sleep soundly. Now I realize that Sun Quan had been suppressing his temper and not acting recklessly at all.

This time, he was probably truly heartbroken by his younger brother Sun Kuang. He drank heavily, which harmed his health, and he completely lost his usual calm and self-possessed demeanor. Instead, he resembled a resentful husband throwing a tantrum and seeking attention.

Qiao Wei was exhausted after a night of tossing and turning, and even her aunt and younger sister couldn't help but feel sorry for her when they saw the dark circles under her eyes.

After sleeping for a day, Sun Quan finally came to his senses. He realized the trouble he had caused while drunk and felt a pang of guilt. He repeatedly assured Qiao Wei that it would never happen again.

Qiao Wei also complained a few times, but in the end she didn't really blame him.

"I heard that Cao Shi fell ill after Ji Di returned home?"

"Actually, it's not really an illness, but she's pregnant again. They say the pregnancy isn't stable, so we decided to send her to Yuzhang to be cared for by her aunt." Sun Quan's eyes didn't change at all, as if it were an insignificant matter.

"Suddenly, she's pregnant again?"

When I saw her a few days ago, she still looked like she had "lost some of her core health"...

"Yes, I suddenly became pregnant."