When reciting the “Bronze Bird Tower Rhapsody”, Zhuge Liang alters two important lines to fool Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu gets furious and curses Cao Cao. He asks Zhuge Liang to help him defeat Cao Cao. Zhuge Liang readily accepts. Zhou Yu comes to the Palace Hall of the Southland, where Sun Quan bestows him a precious sword in the presence of the civil and military officials, and cuts off a corner of the table in front of him. Then he orders Zhou Yu to obstruct Cao Cao at Three Rivers.
諸葛亮念銅雀台賦，將當中重要的兩句改動，欺騙周瑜。周瑜大怒駡曹操，而請諸葛亮幫助自己破曹。諸葛亮滿口答應。周瑜到吳侯府大堂議事，孫權當著文武賜寶劍一口，砍奏案一角，命周瑜三江口拒擋曹操。