Crouching Dragon: The Journey of Zhuge Liang sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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“It was only a small victory,” Liu Bei insisted. “It was a great boon to us that Xiahou Dun was so easily drawn into that trap, but we must remember that the forces of Cao Cao are very great in number now, especially since Guandu.”
Murmurs of concern erupted amongst the scholars and advisers.
“…Pedants!” Zhang Fei jeered. “…Pedants an’ pissy-arse cowards, the lot of you! Why don’t you all go running to Cao Cao now, since you can’t stand a little bit of…!”
“…Yide, I won’t warn you again,” Liu Bei scolded for a second time: Zhang Fei lowered his eyes again, and munched on a piece of barbecued pork with a sulking expression on his face.
“We’re going to find things more difficult without Yuan Shao as a buffer to distract Cao Cao from us,” Liu Bei continued, “but we can win. Now we are here in Jing, a place where talented men are like sand, we can find the people we need to win us the greater battles that are to come.”
Kongming hummed thoughtfully once again, and fanned himself slowly.
“Lord Liu Biao has agreed that we can remain stationed in Fan and Xinye for as long as we need to be… I have accepted his kind offer,” Liu Bei added cautiously. “We will not lose this foothold in the way we lost Xu Province… we will be more diligent, and learn to spot the dangers before they can harm us.”
“…This is all very formal after such a victory, my lord,” a dignified young man in scholar’s robes suggested from amongst a group of administrative staff.
“…Mi Zhu is right,” Guan Yu concurred. “Another toast!”
“…That is Mi Zhu…?” Kongming said to Xu Shu as the uproar of celebration started again.
“Yes,” Xu Shu confirmed. “His brother Mi Fang is the young man in green sitting opposite him.”
“…So they are Liu Bei’s sponsors,” Kongming mused aloud.
“If you could refrain from saying such things…?” Xu Shu whispered irritably. “Mi Zhu and Mi Fang are very influential in Liu Bei’s army… suggesting they bought that influence is ill-advised.”
“…I said nothing of the sort,” Kongming insisted as he looked at some of the other men that were present. “Mister Sun Qian is the old gentleman sat near Lord Liu…?”
“Yes,” Xu Shu replied.
“…Who’s this…?” a voice barked; Xu Shu shuddered reflexively as Zhang Fei loomed over Kongming, who grinned broadly and looked up at the general without fear.
“…Zhuge Liang,” Xu Shu replied nervously. “K-Kongming… Zhuge Kongming.”
“…Fancy yourself, don’t you…?” Zhang Fei suggested as he prodded Kongming’s feather fan with the half-eaten chicken wing he was holding.
“…You must be Zhang Yide,” Kongming replied calmly.
“Zhang Fei,” Zhang Fei barked in response. “Don’t get familiar with me, I don’t know you from a dog in Jiangdong.”
“…My apologies,” Kongming said with amusement.
“Why are you here…?” Zhang Fei asked bluntly.
“I invited him, so that he might meet Lord Liu,” Xu Shu answered.
“…Why would Xuande want to meet this idiot…?” Zhang Fei growled as he eyed Kongming contemptuously. “He’s a baby! Look at that fluffy beard! And the robes! And that stupid fan!”
“…General Zhang,” a nearby general interrupted, “I think Lord Liu is urging you to return to your seat.”
“…You’ll speak to ‘Lord Liu’ the day my arse falls off,” Zhang Fei growled at the cheerfully smiling Kongming. “…Bastard pedant.”
With that, Zhang Fei returned to his seat, harrumphing angrily.