Crouching Dragon: The Journey of Zhuge Liang sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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“Sun Quan, his brother, inherited his officers, advisers, and his new empire: but instead of fulfilling the cause of Han, Sun Quan instead withdrew into his shell, consolidated his power, and refocused his energies on Liu Biao, leaving Yuan Shao to face Cao alone. Had Sun Quan allied with Yuan Shao, the two - aided by your army, and others - might have been victorious over Cao Cao. That is a legacy that Sun Quan must carry.”
“…True enough,” Liu Bei murmured ambiguously.
“Furthermore,” Kongming added, “there are those that say the Sun family are guilty of exacerbating the crisis. When Dong Zhuo burned down the capital Luoyang, it’s said that Sun Jian did not pursue the fleeing villain: instead, he combed the city for treasures, finding in the rubble an Imperial jade seal. He pocketed it, intending, no doubt, to declare himself Emperor one day… and then he was struck down.
“Sun Ce, it is said, inherited that seal, but he did not return it to the Han court; no, he kept it, and, it is said, was eventually forced to trade it to Yuan Shu in exchange for troops. If that story is true, could Yuan Shu have declared himself Emperor, and brought about his own downfall - as well as that of wandering warlord Lü Bu - without Sun Ce giving him that seal…? …And for certain, this continual feud with Liu Biao… Sun Quan now has in his employ one Gan Ning, a former pirate.”
“Wasn’t Gan Ning once a vassal of Liu Biao’s senior general, Huang Zu…?” Liu Bei noted.
“…Until three years ago, yes, he was,” Kongming confirmed. “He defected after Huang Zu - himself a senile, incompetent fool, his best years gone - showed mistrust in him. …But my point is this… before defecting he killed Ling Cao, a loyal vassal of Sun Quan. That man’s son, Ling Tong, is said to hold a fatal grudge against Gan Ning… and yet is expected to serve alongside his father’s killer. The argument for this is, I believe, that ‘Gan Ning was merely doing his job whilst in another’s employ’; but Sun Jian’s own fate was due to his being in another’s employ, and yet in that case, the matter cannot be dropped… is this not the greatest hypocrisy…? How can Sun Quan be considered ‘reliable’…?”
“I agree fully,” Liu Bei replied. “…You have estimated him most diligently.”
“…I say only what I see,” Kongming replied.
“And what do you see in me…?” Liu Bei asked. “I carry no sword… I will carry no malice if your estimation is not as I would like. I will see it as a chance to reform.”
“…Very well,” Kongming sighed. “You were born the descendant of a disinherited prince of the realm, wherein you worked as a weaver and seller of sandals and mats. When the call was made for men to rise up and crush the Yellow Turbans, you fought for the cause of Han, and recruited warrior Guan Yu, butcher Zhang Fei, and childhood friend Jian Yong to assist you, amongst others. With Zhang Fei’s might, Guan Yu’s heroism, and the donations of wealthy merchants, you formed an army, and played a significant part in defeating the rebels. You were made Governor of Anxi, but were forced to abandon the post when you were unwilling to submit bribes to a corrupt government inspector, so you went to Xu Province, where you became prefect of Gaotang for your work in supressing rebels there.”
Kongming paused: Liu Bei was silent, his face unreadable.
“…When Dong Zhuo usurped the Imperial court, you again rose to the occasion, and your forces were again significant,” Kongming continued. “But in the aftermath, you were forced to retreat northward and go into service for Gongsun Zan - who was then in an alliance with Yuan Shu and Tao Qian. You were defeated by Yuan Shao, and went to serve first Tian Kai, and then Tao Qian in Xu Province, where you successfully reduced the threat Cao Cao - who was then in alliance with Yuan Shao and Liu Biao - posed to the province.”