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

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His green-robed friend, Pang Tong, was likewise known not only by his style name ‘Shiyuan’ to his friends, but by his Taoist name, ‘Young Phoenix’, in acknowledgement of his brilliance and his understanding of the affairs of the day. The last of the three, Xu Shu - whose style name was Yuanzhi - had no well-known Taoist name, and knew all too well that he was not held in the same high regard.

“…You’re both becoming arrogant,” Xu Shu suggested irritably.
“No… rather, you allow your devotion to the cause of Han to blind you to the threats that may destroy it,” Kongming retorted as he fanned himself casually. “Now, as I was saying… if things had returned to normal… and yes, Shiyuan, there are those that believe that change is needed regardless…”
Pang Tong smiled silently.
“…Then I would say that ‘normality’ would remain,” Kongming continued. “…But almost immediately, fingers of blame pointed at the ‘Ten Eunuchs’ that surrounded and controlled the Emperor, in order to prevent further rebellions. And when they easily abducted the Emperor and his brother to solicit their escape, who couldn’t see that the Emperor was weak…?”
Xu Shu nodded reluctantly.
“…And then, of course, came Dong Zhuo,” Kongming noted ominously; both Pang Tong and Xu Shu shuddered at the name. “To be saved from the eunuchs by such a man… is to be rescued from a pack of wild dogs by a wolf.”
“Truly evil,” Xu Shu recalled with disgust.
“Guarded by Lü Bu, he held all of the most powerful and prominent warlords in the land at bay, and did as he pleased, deposing the Emperor, and putting his brother, our present Emperor, in his place,” Kongming continued. “Dong Zhuo tortured, raped, murdered whoever he pleased… until his contempt for his own subordinates cost him his life. But even then, was it over…? …No, his former minions took the palace, and from them, it was won back by forces led by Cao Cao… whose own motives are less than clear. He is said to control the Imperial court, to come and go as he pleases…”

“And none strong enough to oppose him,” Pang Tong sighed dramatically.
“Eh…?” Xu Shu chortled.
“…It may be so,” Pang Tong added with a glint of mischief in his eye.
“If Dong Zhuo was defeated, why not Cao Cao…?” Xu Shu scoffed.
“One need only look at the landscape,” Kongming retorted.

“When Dong Zhuo first usurped the court, there were numerous governors and warlords; Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, the brother-cousins whose wealth and power was immense and terrifying, but whose personal differences were their undoing. Gongsun Zan, a man who can be considered as relatively righteous, and had many a strong general. Cao Cao himself, whose power was more in his ability to win over the able with his charisma… much like Liu Bei, who is his only true peer.”
“…Mm,” Pang Tong hummed with amusement.
“Then there was Sun Jian, the mighty ‘Tiger of Jiangdong’, who defeated Hua Xiong, Dong Zhuo’s strongest general next to Lü Bu, and even sent Lü Bu himself to flight on more than one occasion, despite his invincible reputation,” Kongming continued. “And Liu Biao, governor of Jing province, one of the few places where an intelligent man can live carefree… the honest Ding Yuan… Liu Yan, the ruler of Yi; Ma Teng; Liu Bei; and a number of other lesser figures, of course.”
Of course,” Pang Tong said with mischief as he pulled his wide-rimmed hat over his eyes to shield them from the sudden glare of the sun.

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