Crouching Dragon: The Journey of Zhuge Liang sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne

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 “Guan Yu… is a legend among men. He personally killed Yan Liang, one of Yuan Shao’s best generals, in a surprise attack, while in the service of Cao Cao… and he knows a network of mercenaries that constantly harass Cao Cao in the north… though well-read, Guan dislikes scholars, believing himself to be an expert in the art of war and any who specialise solely in the written word to be worthless.
 “Zhang Fei is a wealthy butcher, who was a junior financier to Liu Bei’s entire operation in the beginning, as well as a formidable warrior… though an honest sort, he despises ‘pedants’ like us as soft, weak, and cowardly.
 “It is hard enough to reach a man when someone else has his ear that doesn’t respect you… these men have an ear each, so a man would have to shout quite loudly to be heard by Liu Bei.”
Xu Shu laughed, saying, “In the same way that Jiang Ziya used odd behaviour in order to be noticed by King Wen, so will I, and that will…”
“Why not just get Mister Sima to put a good word in for you…?” Kongming sighed wearily. “You’re not Jiang Ziya.”
“How do you know that Liu Bei will consult Mister Sima?” Xu Shu countered.
“He’s just been defeated by Cao Cao, fled from Yuan Shao’s service, and been chased halfway across the country,” Kongming chuckled. “He’ll want to know of any worthy men in the area to join his cause… who else would you go to but a man like Mister Sima, a noted scholar that knows anyone worth knowing…?”
“True,” Xu Shu conceded. “Oh, wait… is that why you’re in Xiangyang?”
“I’m too young to be taken seriously by Liu Bei,” Kongming lamented. “A farmer, twenty years of age, newly married, no children, never seen a battle first hand, trying to get the attention of a man that has already seen over a decade of active service, a man related to the Emperor, a man in his forties with two grown daughters…?”

“…Now I’m depressed,” Xu Shu sighed miserably; he slouched into a seated position, and hung his head low. “How the hell can I get his attention either…?”
“You’re older, and you have more hair,” Kongming chuckled as he stroked his own soft beard. “You look older, you sound older… I really think you needn’t worry. Me, on the other hand…”
“I’d put in a good word for you, so would your father-in-law, and so would Mister Sima,” Xu Shu insisted. “You’ll be as much of a welcome addition as I will.”
“…My thanks,” Kongming replied, “but what you say is years down the line.”
“Any word from Shiyuan…?” Xu Shu wondered.
“He’s in Nan Prefecture in southern Jing,” Kongming sighed; “Mister Sima speaks highly of him… he’s done very well.”
“He’s not in Jiangdong, then…?” Xu Shu asked pointedly. “What’s he doing…?”
“…Officer of Merit, in Jiangling,” Kongming replied awkwardly.
“…A professional brownnoser,” Xu Shu surmised with amusement. “Pang Tong, a man who enjoys mischief and winding people up needlessly, has got himself a job appraising other people. …How ironic.”
“I hear,” Kongming snickered, “that he is renowned for his glowing appraisals.”
Xu Shu sat in dumbfounded silence for a moment; and then, as it hit him fully, he joined Kongming in laughing loudly.
“…That’s cheered me up,” Xu Shu panted as he tried to catch his breath after a long period of laughter. “…‘Pang Tong, giver of encouraging words’…!”

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