Crouching Dragon: The Journey of Zhuge Liang sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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“It is a pity,” Kongming said with exaggerated sadness. “A terrible pity, indeed.”
“I wonder,” Liu Bei began cautiously, “if… if I might call on you, from time to time, Master, and speak with you about matters that concern me.”
“I wonder what I could possibly help a man of your stature with,” Kongming said with a laugh. “I’m a scholar, a pedant, a farmer… that’s all.”
“Not so,” Liu Bei retorted. “Mister Sima speaks of you as one of the most envisioned men of the age… he said that you and ‘Young Phoenix’ were the two most capable minds in the country.”
“I doubt that,” Kongming countered.
“I believe it,” Liu Bei insisted. “Xu Yuanzhi also spoke highly of you… both men agreed that to truly be worthy of your sagely counsel, I should visit you… that is why I am here. I remember what you said before… about not having a desire to leave this cottage… that is why I shall always come to visit you whenever I have a matter that I wish to discuss. If there is ever a day when I visit you and it is not convenient, then I shall leave, and return another day: tell me, Master, is that agreeable to you…?”
“…I… I am genuinely touched by your patronage, Lord,” Kongming replied sincerely: he had hardly expected such humility from Liu Bei, especially when no advice had been given thus far. “I agree to your terms, of course… I can see nothing fairer, in all honesty.”
“Good!” Liu Bei beamed. “Now, I understand that you saw my battle array at Bowang.”
“I did,” Kongming replied.
“Our intention was to feign incompetence,” Liu Bei continued, “but… it has to be said that we are not fully prepared for a full-scale battle should Cao Cao employ a classic entrapment formation. Xu Yuanzhi… tells me that you are an avid student of the formations… I wonder, might I learn from you a few formations, and perhaps some advice to use in battle that pertains to weather, topography, and such…?”
Kongming got up and walked to the array of bamboo scrolls and rolled-up cloth diagram sheets that he kept on permanent display. As he searched for the appropriate place to begin, Liu Bei stared in wonderment at the diagrams and mantras that adorned the walls of the room.
“Truly,” Liu Bei said with awe, “you are a man of learning. You are surrounded at all times with the profundities of the universe… truly marvellous.”
“If you say so, Lord Liu,” Kongming chuckled as he finally found the text that he had been looking for amongst the scrolls. “Now… let us look at formations first…”
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