Crouching Dragon: The Journey of Zhuge Liang sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
JavaScript is off/unavailable on your browser. You will not be able to experience this website as it was intended without JavaScript enabled.
“I’m sure Cao Cao felt much of the despair you do when he matched twenty-thousand troops to Yuan Shao’s hundred-thousand,” Kongming countered. “…However, Guandu speaks for itself… and Yuan Shao is no more.”
Liu Bei nodded thoughtfully.
“…I suspect that it is not just Cao Cao that haunts you,” Kongming prompted.
“No, you are quite right,” Liu Bei replied immediately. “Sun Quan also concerns me, and… I wondered, Master, how you truly compare the men of the age.”
This second prompt was more direct than the first: Kongming smiled silently.
“…I will abide by your appraisal of each man,” Liu Bei prompted further.
“…I shall begin with Cao Cao,” Kongming said calmly. “Cao Cao is your biggest threat. He has the respect of the court, since his father was adopted by the eunuch Cao Teng, and enjoyed high status. Even with his notorious mischief, and disregard for influence in court costing him a high post, Cao Cao has returned to court again and again, earning as many allies as enemies. His connection to the Xiahou family has given him solid, dependable retainers, and his good judge of character has given him many more besides. In addition to Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Yu Jin, Yue Jin and Li Dian, he has earned mighty warriors like Zhang Liao, Lü Bu’s former second; Zhang He, once one of Yuan Shao’s vanguard generals and fearsome with it; Xu Chu, a man-mountain that serves as Cao’s personal bodyguard; Xu Huang, a forthright hero that even Guan Yu has spoken highly of.”
“That is true,” Liu Bei noted sombrely.
“As for advisers, he has Xun Yu; Xun You; Jia Xu, Man Chong, and many more promising ones besides,” Kongming continued. “But he is not always forthright and true: when his father was killed by bandits in Xu Province, his wrath was vented on its prefect, Tao Qian, and the penalty was a massacre of innocents… bodies stemmed the river, blood ran as water.”
“I know,” Liu Bei recalled with grief. “I was stationed there.”
“It is only the bravery of your forces, and of Taishi Ci, that more did not die… but Cao won, stopped only by Lü Bu’s treachery in Cao’s own prefectures,” Kongming continued. “I hear that Taishi Ci has died… a shame. But then, he condescended to serve the Sun family in Jiangdong… he aimed too low.”
“Indeed,” Liu Bei sighed tactlessly: Kongming hid a smirk.
“…And then there is Wan City, where Cao’s seducing of the aunt of the recently surrendered governor led to reprisal, losing him his bodyguard Dian Wei, and one of his own sons… who sacrificed his own life to save his father,” Kongming chuckled desperately. “But it was Dian Wei that Cao wept for… the pillar of strength that guarded him while he did as he pleased.”
“Quite so,” Liu Bei concurred.
“…And then there is his relationship with Yuan Shao,” Kongming ventured further. “As childhood friends, the two were as brothers… now, Shao lies dead, Cao having betrayed his trust. And men that defected from Yuan Shao, also friends to Cao Cao, were randomly slaughtered to cover Cao’s dependency on them to win the day. He kept Zhang He, I confess… but what about Cao’s childhood friend Xu You, that helped him triumph over Yuan Shao at Guandu…? Are his head and body in the same place since he trusted Cao Cao…?”
“I agree,” Liu Bei replied quietly.
“Now,” Kongming continued, “Cao rules the Han court near uncontested, with - as you said - the Emperor’s legions as his own, and any who oppose him are treated as rebels… sadly, my lord, I know that includes you.”