Crouching Dragon: The Journey of Zhuge Liang sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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The other - a stockier, fierce-faced man with tanned skin and short, wiry whiskers and beard, who wore a collection of scruffy, peach-coloured robes - screamed with triumph as he rode alongside some terrified stragglers and tore into them with his snake-tongued pike.
“Yunchang and Yide,” Xu Shu reported.
“So that’s them,” Kongming mused; the green-robed man was Guan Yu - known familiarly as Yunchang - and the other was Zhang Fei, known as Yide to his friends and close colleagues. “So they’re the ‘limbs’ Liu Bei relied on in his early days: they live up to their reputations,” Kongming praised.
Soon, it was over; Guan Yu looked on coldly as Zhang Fei let out a cry of victory that was echoed by his soldiers. Only a dozen or so of the enemy were allowed to escape; Liu Bei rode onto the plain from a side road with Zhao Yun at his side and his bodyguards behind them, and gave a solemn nod of approval at the result.
“…So Xiahou Dun lives to fight another day,” Kongming surmised. “Li Dian alone was not enough to control his impetuous nature… a sad day for Li Dian that Yu Jin remained at their camp. …Now, they will be harassed until they withdraw in shame… such a pity for them.”
“The smell in the air is awful,” Xu Shu complained.
“Burnt bodies were never going to smell very good,” Kongming replied casually as he used his fan to repel the stench. “But… strangely… I’m ready for this.”
“We should probably retreat from here, that fire is out of control,” Xu Shu suggested as he started down the hill.
Kongming nodded agreeably, and after one last look at the smoke that was billowing from what was now a funeral pyre for thousands of the soldiers of Cao Cao, Kongming smiled ambiguously, and followed his friend.
*************
6
“YEAH! Let Cao Cao chew on THAT!”
Zhang Fei’s proclamation encouraged cheers from the generals present at Liu Bei’s victory banquet: Guan Yu, Liu Bei, Zhao Yun and the scholar-adviser groups remained silent.
“…Come on, Elder Brother, a toast!” Zhang Fei boomed: Liu Bei seemed almost embarrassed as Zhang Fei raised his wine dish and grinned unintelligently.
“…Brother Yide, please,” Liu Bei protested. “We have to remain composed.”
“Sod that!” Zhang Fei retorted with amusement; he drank the dish of wine in a single gulp, and bellowed in triumph.
Kongming hummed thoughtfully as he sat at the lesser end of the tent, watching the men that surrounded Liu Bei.
“Yide is always like this,” Xu Shu chuckled awkwardly. “He is not a bad drinker, but… he likes to revel when there is something to revel about.”
Liu Bei urged a silence, and got his wish within a few seconds.
“…My friends,” Liu Bei began, “today we have won a small victory against Cao Cao’s forces here at Bowang.”
“Small…?” Zhang Fei chuckled as he messily devoured a piece of chicken; “…We thrashed them!”
“…Yide,” Liu Bei scolded.
Zhang Fei lowered his eyes guiltily.