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

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10

“Now Jichang, you must keep this to yourself for now,” Kongming concluded.
Ma Liang was silently awestruck.
“…Are you alright, Jichang…?” Kongming asked with amusement as he gestured for a serving boy to fetch tea.
“You… you actually received a visit from Lord Liu Xuande…?” Ma Liang noted almost disbelievingly.
“I know, it seemed as though the day would never arrive,” Kongming chuckled as he started to fan himself.
“Forgive me, Kongming, but… I never expected it to,” Ma Liang admitted. “It isn’t that I ever doubted you, brother… I doubted Lord Liu’s ability to see your worth.”
“He is not as selective as people would have you believe, no,” Kongming said sadly. “Many around him are there because they are useful, like the Mi brothers and Mister Sun… but it must be said, there are just as many who are genuine. Before he left, he introduced me to his adopted son, Feng, who seemed to be a noble lad, well raised; I also saw Chen Dao, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei again… they are all of them upright in their own way. Let’s put it this way… should I decide to leave this place… there are worse masters to serve than Liu Xuande.”
“By ‘selective’,” Ma Liang prompted, “you mean…?”
“Guan Yu, as you know, has contacts in the ‘underworld’… not evil spirits, but bandits,” Kongming explained. “Some of Lord Liu’s subordinates are also former Yellow Turbans… recruited after he fought alongside them for Yuan Shao. He has in his employ some criminals… but then, what warlord doesn’t…?”
“…Sun Quan has whole brigades made up of pirates,” Ma Liang noted. “Taishi Ci, one of his most trusted generals, is a wanted criminal, reasons for it aside.”
“What’s a ‘criminal’ these days…?” Kongming lamented. “Lord Liu is a criminal, and yet all he wants is to see the Han court restored to order… no, it is Cao Cao that’s the criminal. …If Lord Liu must utilise any resource to get the job done, then… well… so be it.”

“I see your concern, though,” Ma Liang said sadly. “How can former Yellow Turbans seek the restoration of the court…?”
“Because,” Kongming replied, “Lord Liu has made them see that it was the people around the Emperor - the Ten Eunuchs, He Jin, and so on - that were the problem. The new Emperor is young, powerless, and therefore blameless… he is surrounded by evil men, and must be rescued from them before it is too late.”
“You really, truly think that Cao Cao may usurp the throne one day…?” Ma Liang fretted.
“Of course he will,” Kongming chuckled desperately. “Brother, Cao massacred thousands of a province’s population just to avenge one man - his father - whom none of those he killed were responsible for. Such a man… cannot bask in the light of the Emperor for long without wanting to seize the throne, it is inevitable.”
“You sound determined to help Lord Liu now,” Ma Liang suggested plainly.
“…I do, don’t I…?” Kongming realised. “Perhaps I need to regain my sense of objectivity: after all, the aim here is to see if he is truly worthy. I should be more critical… … …ah.”
“What…?” Ma Liang wondered.
“Brother,” Kongming said weakly, “I owe you an apology.”
“…What for…?” Ma Liang wondered.
“I… Brother, I got carried away by the moment,” Kongming began awkwardly. “As you know, Lord Liu seeks men of talent…”
“Have we gone back to the start of the conversation…?” Ma Liang joked.

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