None Other
Dynasty Warriors 6 (c) Koei.
"The worst is over. He will awaken soon, I venture. But you must be patient and take great care."
"I understand."
Years of experienced practice had brought on a shrewd sense of judgment. The old man scrutinized the woman standing before him with a measure of suspicion. "If I may use some figurative language: he has pushed himself to the point where his body must actually faint in order to get his attention. I'm sure I do not need to explain to you how serious this is."
"I understand that as well."
The suspicious look sharpened. "This is important. Other men have died of lesser causes."
The lady smiled patiently. "I am aware that my husband is human. It is he who doesn't seem to recall."
"But you will remember that he is lucky to regain consciousness, much less remain alive?"
"I most certainly will."
The old man looked at her for a moment longer before nodding in satisfaction and getting to his feet. "Then I will leave him in your capable hands."
She stood as well, approaching him. "Thank you for your time, doctor. Let me show you out…"
He waved a hand, indicating that she needn't follow him. "I know the way by now, Lady Zhuge. I will come by again in two days time. Good day."
Yue Ying bowed in thanks as a servant escorted the doctor out of the room. When the doors shut, she straightened, turning to look at the pale man sleeping on the bed.
The blankets that covered him till his shoulders seemed too unlike him. He preferred his arms freer, unconfined by fabric. And his face was too pale, his long hair too neat. If it'd been any other time, she would have seen loose strands straying across his face, cheeks just a bit pinker than it was right now. Occasionally he would mutter unintelligibly. She'd always known it as a product of so much studying and thinking. Even in sleep, too many ideas overflowed, tumbling out as mere sounds.
Now, as she gazed at his face, she thought him far too silent, far too deep in slumber. Ironic when you remembered he was known as the Sleeping Dragon.
When they'd brought him back from camp just two days ago, her heart almost stopped. Only after she was reassured that he hadn't died did she remember to breathe. She forced herself to keep calm in spite of the fact that he was on the brink of death.
However, she should have known he would receive as much care as could be given – Liu Bei himself had appointed the best doctors in the land to attend to his advisor. The old man who'd just left had been among the most practical of the lot, keeping any dramatics to a minimum. Such practicality gained her approval and only he received a request to visit regularly.
Nonetheless, all the physicians had at least one thing in common: each had concluded that overexertion was the main cause of the patient's ailment.
She wasn't surprised at the diagnosis. At his best and worst, Zhuge Liang rested little, paid no attention to his food and stayed up till late hours just studying plans, devising strategies and seeking new methods of achieving whatever goal he had his eye on. The weight of responsibilities and the strength needed to carry him through the thorny details of war and politics all rested in that one head.
Was it any wonder that he had collapsed?
"And this is how you pay for all your dedication, my lord," she murmured in a mixture of wryness, worry and bemusement. "This is the result of your hard work."
The minute the words left her mouth, she knew he would have very calmly refuted such semi-bitter sentiments. If he were awake, that is.
Stop this, Yue Ying. You're only saying all this because you're worried. Go do something productive.
Yue Ying inhaled and breathed out in an attempt to shake off her feelings. She knew Liu Bei had to hear of this. He'd personally asked to be sent word on any new development, whether good or bad.
So she sat down and composed a message, informing him of the good news: Zhuge Liang would recover. But as his wife and fellow servant of the (now) Emperor, Yue Ying begged him for some time of rest so that Zhuge Liang could recuperate fully and serve his sovereign with his full strength once more.
It was a deed that bordered on audacity – asking the new emperor to give his main strategist some time off probably wasn't something most officials would dare to even think about – but she wasn't doubtful that Liu Bei would say yes. He himself had seen how ill Zhuge Liang had become.
"To be honest, I've never seen a man so worried before," she said out loud as she finished up. "If I was ever angry at him for making you this way, then his Imperial Majesty has made up for it by being so concerned."
After using Zhuge Liang's own seal to complete the letter, she headed outside. Catching one of her servants by the arm, she bid them summon one of the imperial guards Liu Bei had left behind to guard Zhuge Liang's household.
It didn't take long for the soldier to come at a jog. "My lady?"
"Please take this to the palace and hand it to the emperor, if possible," she said, placing the letter his hands. "Tell his Imperial Majesty I'm sorry I cannot be there to report to him in person as Lord Zhuge is in need of care."
"At once, Lady Zhuge," replied the guard before bowing and taking his leave.
Wondering what the emperor would have to say about the request, Yue Ying re-entered her chambers and crossed the room. Sitting near her husband, she took up one of the books they had once studied together. Zhuge Liang would much rather have her do something useful instead of just worrying while she waited for him.
.
The knocks on the door awoke her with a jolt.
She sat upright in a jerking motion, blinking in the dim light of early evening and feeling rather abashed that she'd fallen asleep. Immediately she turned to check on Zhuge Liang. He was breathing evenly as before. A small smile flickered onto her face at that small mercy. Turning away, she saw that her book had fallen open on the floor before her. As she reached to pick it up, she heard the knock again.
"My lady, it is time for dinner…"
She cleared her throat and called out from inside. "We'll have our meal in here, Lian. Thank you."
"Yes, my lady."
As the servant's footsteps fell away, Yue Ying began lighting up the room, setting the candles around the room aflame. In the candlelight, her sleeping husband seemed less pale. However, it was too mild a reassurance to put her at ease.
"My lord, you need more light…" she began before stopping short.
She'd said the exact same thing before.
.
"As much as you are talented, my lord, I don't think even you can see in the dark. You need more light if you want to read till this late."
The smile she received from him was wide, affectionate. "I'm sorry, my dear. I didn't realize it'd gotten so dark."
She shook her head at him. Then with a slight grin, she took a candle over and pulled up a chair to sit beside him at his desk. "So what is so extraordinary till you forget even the basic needs of life?"
Zhuge Liang, with great willingness, pointed out a particular line in the book he held. "This passage here – it introduces ideas I'd never quite grasped in totality till now…"
.
She shook her head slightly; the memory dissipated.
He isn't dead. Stop treating him as if he is.
Yue Ying let out a breath, trying to quell this sudden rush of tension. Maybe a cup of tea would help.
A round table in the centre of their room held a filled teapot and several cups on its surface. It was convenient and necessary for Zhuge Liang who occasionally stopped briefly for tea during his late nights.
As she poured the warm liquid into a small cup, its emerging aroma filled her senses and relaxed her. She took a careful sip, letting the drink trail slowly down her throat. It was strangely comforting.
In the quiet glow of her room, with the warm cup in her fingers, Yue Ying wished he could have been awake to appreciate it.
He would be sitting at his desk, she mused, reading as always; he only stopped to have dinner before going back to his books. Other times, he would be analyzing maps and weather conditions, listing more strategies for any single situation until she pulled him away to have a round of xiangqi. Or he would be quietly watching her draw up plans for an invention she'd had in mind, suggesting improvements and discussing possible changes.
She missed those moments.
Next time, she thought determinedly while she raised her cup to her lips again, they would have more of those evenings. He deserved them, if only for being among those who'd fought for a chance to have such peace.
"…ngrh…"
No other could have forced down a choke as fast as Yue Ying did at that almost inaudible sound. In an instant, she was by his side, one hand gently brushing against his forehead, frantically checking for any other sign of life.
"My lord…?"
She could see his eyelids flicker, almost enough for her to see his eyes again. His lips moved a little as if trying to speak.
"Sssh, don't speak. You're alright… go back to sleep…"
He looked at her dazedly, as if trying to make sense of this strange woman murmuring to him. After blinking slowly a few times, the corners of his lips turned upwards in a tiny curl.
"Y-ing…"
His eyes shut once more and his body relaxed. Whatever he'd just seen had contented him.
Yue Ying stroked his face gently, wondering if she ought to feel relieved or frightened. It was unnerving to think of that as the last smile she would ever see from Zhuge Liang, despite what the doctor had told her earlier.
"…you promised to see Lord Liu as Emperor," she murmured, still stroking his hair. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, Yue Ying took in a breath. He may or may not hear her, but she felt the need to remind him.
"The Kong Ming I married does not break his promises."
.
Two weeks later…
"Ying…"
"My lord."
Zhuge Liang knew that tone of voice. It was a tone that brooked no disobedience, even from the strategist who had assisted their lord in conquering each part of their nation. Nonetheless, he struggled admirably.
"My dear, I've been drinking this concoction for at least two weeks on end without complaint. Don't you think I deserve to savour my food properly without the aftertaste at least once?"
Yue Ying's unusual green eyes, often a thing of beauty to behold, just hardened. She was determined to have her husband experience something he rarely encountered: continuous losses in argument.
"If you want to fully recover, you're going to have to follow orders. You of all people know this," she said firmly, gesturing at the bowl in front of him.
Zhuge Liang persevered. "Orders were for me to drink this three times a day for one week till there was visible improvement. Then there could be a gradual reduction of dosages."
"Visible improvement is subject to my definition. You are not visibly improved yet. Now drink."
"I don't recall the doctor giving you such authority, my lady."
"I nursed you back to health, my lord. That in itself is authority enough, wouldn't you agree?"
"…Ying…"
Suddenly, there was a change of tactics.
"Please drink it, Kong Ming. For the emperor's sake, if not mine."
The soft tone Yue Ying had employed combined with the pleading look on her face effectively crumbled his defences.
Wordlessly, he reached for the bowl and glanced inside with a feeling of distaste. Still, he swallowed its dark contents, fighting the urge to regurgitate and, thankfully, winning. When he was finished, Yue Ying smiled pleasantly and pushed a bowl full of rice towards him.
"…if I may ask, just how do you do that?"
Yue Ying chuckled as she placed some fish meat in his rice bowl. "Only a woman can accomplish such a feat, my lord. It would do you little good even if I told you."
Zhuge Liang shook his head smilingly, sipping on tea to get rid of the awful taste in his mouth. "It is useful to know tactics, even if it is the kind one is unable to use."
His wife merely smiled wider, concentrating on their shared dinner. She had insisted on them having their meal in their room so he wouldn't need to move about so much. Helping him regain his health was now her biggest priority.
"If you knew how I get you to drink medicine, you would devise a counter-strategy of your own. Then I would have to think of another way to parry your schemes and so on. There would be no end to the scheming until either of us gives in." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "And you know as well as I do that neither of us are prone to admitting defeat so easily."
Zhuge Liang chuckled. "Thus there is wisdom in secrecy, even between husband and wife. Is that what you wish to tell me, my lady?"
"My lord is astute as always."
With that settled, they returned to their meal. A glance at the pair of chopsticks in his hand reminded Zhuge Liang how much he'd taken this basic function for granted.
Those first few days after regaining consciousness had been trying, on both Yue Ying and himself. He had not even the strength to lift a spoon to his mouth much less push himself up. To make matters worse, such physical weakness also took a toll on his mental capacity. It was frustrating, being unable to even think as fast as he was accustomed to. Pride wounded and body weak, Zhuge Liang felt utterly helpless for the first time in his life.
The presence of his wife and her daily ministrations were what gave him more than enough motivation to get well. Small joy in eventually being able to sit up was doubled by the happiness on Yue Ying's face. He still couldn't walk without falling over – indeed, the physician had cautioned that it would be some time before his legs could be fully depended on again – but now he was strong enough to play a few rounds of xiangqi with his wife, healthy enough to reread more than one book in one sitting, well enough to eat proper rice and meat instead of just porridge and herbs.
It was a steady recovery though slower than he could have hoped. But Zhuge Liang had come to understand that all things had their time, including illness and health.
"I expect that his Imperial Majesty will visit soon," commented Yue Ying, bringing him out of his musings. "He'd said he wished to see how you were doing for himself."
Zhuge Liang reached for a strand of green vegetables. "It is kind enough of him to command three months of my resting already. A royal visit may border on extremes."
For that, he received an amused look from his wife. "Are you reflecting the views of those who don't like you or do you really mean that?"
He returned the smile. "I have no need to repeat the thoughts of my critics, my dear. I speak what I mean."
"Then you are mistaken. The emperor has already named you Prime Minister of Shu-Han – if that doesn't speak of your importance, you are denying truth." She lifted a finger to indicate she wasn't finished yet. "Would you not make a visit to the one who was instrumental in uniting the land and the people under your banner?"
"…if I thought it unwise, no."
Yue Ying looked at him for a few seconds before speaking. "You're worrying about the emperor's reputation."
She smiled at the expression his face took on. It spoke of a mild protest at a fact he couldn't deny yet didn't wish to admit.
"My lord, you are the loyal aide and strategist whom the people praise in the streets even as we speak. His Imperial Majesty showing concern for you is a given. The people understand this. What is more, they will love his Imperial Majesty even better for his compassion. It is a wise move to make."
Zhuge Liang took that all in without saying a word. But when he nodded, Yue Ying smiled wider, knowing he'd accepted her views.
"Strategy aside, you didn't see the emperor's face when you suddenly fell at camp. If you did, perhaps you'd understand why he wishes to confirm your well being for himself."
"…I understand that Lord Liu Bei's love for his people is strong," Zhuge Liang said thoughtfully. Then he smiled at his wife. "This will undoubtedly infuriate a few souls at court."
Yue Ying laughed. Zhuge Liang exasperating his detractors was like the tides and winds – unpredictable yet inevitable. But she said nothing of the sort and the couple returned to their meal once more.
It wasn't till they were almost finished that he spoke again.
"…Ying."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Will you come with me into the gardens?" He was looking out through the window. "I've not seen the full moon properly in a long time."
Yue Ying smiled at this subtle show of restlessness. "As you wish, my lord."
.
Out in the gardens, the scent of peach blossoms were still tangible. The full moon Zhuge Liang had missed was somewhat shadowed by clouds above though its pale glow still shone through. A playful night breeze ruffled Yue Ying's hair as she pushed her husband's wheelchair out into the midst of their garden. At the south end, a small pavilion stood, complete with stone benches and a small, carved table. It'd been set up with the knowledge of how beautiful the garden would look in full bloom.
There, Yue Ying stopped to sit with Zhuge Liang, enjoying the night air and each other's company. They were quiet since there was no need for words.
Eventually though, and with a small bit of hesitation, she shifted closer to him. It'd been a long time since she'd done this – the last had been when they were newlyweds (at which point every sort of tenderness felt entirely necessary) – so the motions felt rather old and unused, even awkward.
But Yue Ying gently leaned her head against his shoulder, as much as could be done with him on a wheelchair and her on a separate stone bench.
"My lady?"
She closed her eyes, knowing he was smiling to himself at this sudden display of affection. Half embarrassed but not about to move, she just replied, "Nothing, my lord."
There was a rustle of cloth and Yue Ying found her hand in his, fingers interlinked. There was not much time to be pleasantly surprised. He'd begun to speak in a low tone of voice, meant just for her ears.
"I haven't told you what it was like, have I? When I was away from the land of the living."
She stiffened at that phrase, soothed only by Zhuge Liang's comforting squeeze of her hand. "No, you haven't."
"...it was like being in the middle of large forests, enveloped in a thick, murky fog beyond all human comprehension. I lay there in a daze for a long time, not knowing where I was, how I got there.
"In that time, I heard the voices of the dead. Master Pang, Lord Guan Yu… all of them echoing things they had said in life that I remember, things that they would say if they had not already expressed it. They sounded so alive yet so far out of reach. Yet I knew there was no hope of seeing them."
Yue Ying made no reply, knowing the guilt he carried for those lost in the course of duty.
"I don't know if they were ghosts or memories. And I don't know how long I just lay there, listening and wishing they would return, knowing that they couldn't. I didn't even hope to get up from where I lay. My bones felt too heavy to be moved. Perhaps I didn't even breathe.
"But eventually, somehow, the voices faded and the fog began to clear. I saw light creeping towards me from above.
"And the first thing the light revealed was a woman. A woman with eyes I knew. A face I recognized. I wanted to ask her if she was you. But in my state, I didn't have the strength.
"Thankfully, the woman spoke first. She urged me to sleep. Then she reminded me, very succinctly, of important things, of duties yet to be fulfilled."
She felt him shift, leaning his cheek against the top of her head. "Do you know, my lady, what she said to me?"
Yue Ying had an idea but very softly replied. "…what did she say?"
"She said," replied Zhuge Liang in a voice that made his wife's heart beat just a bit faster. "That the Kong Ming she married kept his promises."
There was a long pause at that. The trees seemed to rustle and brush against each other in the wind as if amused by this revelation. Yue Ying could almost hear the flora's mirth even if trees and flowers couldn't possibly laugh. She wondered if her face had turned enough crimson to match the hue of her hair.
Despite herself, she drew away from Zhuge Liang's shoulder to look directly at him. Her lips parted to say something and he looked at her expectantly.
But, very suddenly, she found herself speechless.
Because really, what was there to say?
Zhuge Liang however, seemed to have all the words he didn't have at dinner. When she pressed her lips together again, he smiled gently. "You drew me back. And even then, I return as a half-crippled man. I know it is a difficult task to care for such a one, my lady."
He then inclined his head in her direction – a makeshift bow.
"I thank you for being strong when I cannot."
There was really no helping it now, what with her heart going a mile a minute and the hot flush that'd suddenly overtaken her face and this exuberant feeling that sang in every part of her being.
She leaned in and kissed him gently on his lips, hoping it could make up for things she didn't know how to say.
Judging from the look on his face when Yue Ying opened her eyes again, he understood.
Smiling, and knowing she was going to do this the entire night, she leaned against her husband once again. Zhuge Liang himself willed the night to stretch on for as long as possible, hand securely twined with his wife's.
Tomorrow, the emperor himself would come – a reminder that the Sleeping Dragon had other responsibilities bigger than his duty to the lady he'd married. In time, he would return to the affairs of state, to the grasp of politics, to the arms of war.
But just for tonight, under the shade of peach blossom trees and a full moon half hidden by thin clouds, it seemed fitting, even right, that Kong Ming and Yue Ying should belong to none but each other.
.
End.
Story Notes:
1) I know Yue Ying addresses Zhuge Liang as "Koumei (Kong Ming)-sama" in the game. However, it's a bit difficult to translate that to the fic hence its absence. However, I hope the fact that she's calling her own husband by his style name, along with "my lord", reflects the respect and love she has for him.
2) Considering that Yue Ying is a made up name, it thus comes to no surprise that Zhuge Liang's wife has no style name. So likewise with the above, I dearly hope "Ying" and "my lady" was enough to convince people of Zhuge Liang's equal respect and affection for her.
3) About Zhuge Liang's aversion to medicine: Chinese herbal medicine is often really bitter and dark in colour. It may be good for you but it is difficult to swallow. I apologize if that quirk doesn't seem quite like him.
4) …I think I also need to apologize for the title. For some reason.
Author's Note: I have a few apologies to make, I know.
I'm sorry if you expected any sort of action in here. I am truly, deeply sorry if I have mangled these two characters. Trust me: I too really wanted to have some sort of… excitement in here. Or at least some sort of a smidgen of a proper plot. With actual rising and falling action, a climax, conflicts, drama – y'know, basically the whole shebang.
But.
Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying, with unshakable obstinacy, refused to be anything other than the old married couple who've been married 65 years and know each other inside out.
…Okay, so maybe not 65 years but nevertheless.
Zhuge Liang would only be stolidly and subtly romantic and Yue Ying absolutely would NOT do anything other than be all traditional Chinese wife-like with the exception of kissing her husband first. (I'm sorry but I get the impression that Chinese men, particularly back in that era, probably didn't kiss their wives outside the bedroom even IF they were perfectly and well alone. They're like, outside. At night. In their own compound. Someone could see. And more italicized emphasis that most of the modern generation wouldn't think about, much less care). Admittedly, it can get frustrating when your protagonists aren't anything else but calm, dignified and very happily in love without a need to be showy about it. There's no action.
…which just means that if I wanted hot and heavy stuff, I should have thought about what Cao Pi and Zhen Ji are like when they're alone together.
…then again, maybe not.