Scholar Warriors: Two Lessons

by Miao Cai

During the battle of Changban, Liu Bei sent Zhuge Liang to Jiangxia in hopes of convincing Liu Qi to send ships. With a failure hovering over his head, how could Liu Bei's faction retreat from Cao Cao's grasp? Zhuge Liang x *COUGH*

Notes:
-For the most part, this story is accurate to the novel; Liu Qi's cousin, is accurate to Wikipedia's degree. To be specific, she is his father's second wife's sister's daughter. :3 Zhuge Liang's addresses her as "Liu Ji", which is equivalent to the English "Mistress Liu."
-If you watch Chinese war movies, 'jia' is the pinyin equivalent for "charge"; it's more of a sound than a word.
-Part X's title 'Apology with Tears': inspired by the play title "Apology With Thorn".
-As for 'scholar-warrior', I gained most of my references through Deng Mingdao's book, Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life. That has more information about scholar-warriors than this fic has. :D

Scholar Warriors: Two Lessons Learned

Disclaimer - I do not own Dynasty Warriors.

Part I - Introduction

"Military Commander!"

Six hundred thousand power-hungry northern soldiers greedily faced the Great River in hopes of one day controlling the world. One insignificant mat-weaver stood in between the pawns and the one province which would determine who held supremacy in the land. Controlling an army of a mere three thousand men, three generals and three advisors, many suggested submission to Prime Minister Cao Cao. Stubborn and honorable, he refused to submit to someone who manipulated the Emperor for his own selfish gain.

Liu Bei, the imperial uncle.

While living in seclusion hidden under the thick forests of Wolong Gang with his young wife and fragile Third Brother Jun, Zhuge Liang heard of his fame and had some desire to serve as Military Commander for the Imperial Uncle. If only Third Brother was born with a stronger constitution or his wife more capable to manage affairs, he would have left to serve the Imperial Uncle himself. Much to his astonishment, Liu Bei was the one calling him, begging for his help to restore Han. Since then, he gained the trust of the small army through the fires of Bowang slope. Those in awe of his terrific foresight regarded him as a god.

It was a plague. Zhuge Liang was a mere mortal. Today would prove it to everyone who thought so highly of him, asking all others if anyone on earth would dare call himself the equal of Zhuge Liang.

"Military Commander! Where are the relief troops from Liu Qi?"

"Liu Qi denied us … "

Part II - Return of Mi Zhu

Zhuge Liang and the army concealed themselves from Cao Cao's main force under a thicket of trees in an unknown area not too far off Changban bridge. His failure to convince Liu Qi upset the shrinking army and some fifty thousand civilians following Liu Bei. Jiangxia's Liu Qi was their last resort.

"Leave the people," Zhuge Liang advised Liu Bei after he returned from his failed mission. "If Liu Qi sees you in person, he may regret his decision. It could give some hope."

"How could I do that?" Liu Bei retorted. "They followed me from Fancheng! I will never be this cruel to the people!"

"My lord … Cao Cao's main force will soon be upon us. If comes, we cannot resist then with all these people mingling with the soldiers. In that case, we cannot enforce discipline. The lives of all will-"

"I will die with my people, if I must!"

Zhuge Liang shook his head. "What a benevolent master … "

He rose and examined the forest. Of Liu Bei's three generals, one remained with Liu Qi in hopes of convincing him, the second guarding Changban bridge, and the third missing. Of his three advisors, Sun Qian was unconscious, Mi Zhu missing, and Zhuge Liang crushed from his recent failure.

"This is my fault," thought Zhuge Liang. Just before he could lament again, the familiar sounds of a general's cry "jia!" forced him to his feet.

"Cao Cao is upon us! Cao Cao is upon us!"

The people around him didn't move. They were too tired, too exhausted, too fatigued to continue running away.

Zhuge Liang scurried over to Liu Bei. "My lord! We have to flee!"

"Flee from what?" Liu Bei observed, "Listen. That's only one horse. Cao Cao sends his spies in groups for reasonable purposes. It cannot be him … "

Sure enough, Liu Bei was right. From the north emerged a bloody horse and yet an additional injured man. It was Mi Zhu!

"My lord!" called Mi Zhu. He rapidly dismounted and scrambled to Liu Bei. "My lord, bad news! General Zilong has submitted to Cao Cao!"

"Zhao Yun? Impossible! Zhao Yun and I have been through too much. He has the same view of how to properly govern the land and repair the Han Dynasty. He could not have submitted!"

Mi Zhu retorted, "I saw him run to the north alone! He must have seen that we are lost, are there are titles and riches on the other side!"

Zhuge Liang hastily intervened, "Though you saw him traveling alone to the north, are you certain that he was heading to Cao Cao?"

Mi Zhu had no reply.

"Good brother, you shouldn't assume these things. Zhao Zilong should return to us soon … "

"Don't start talking about family now," muttered Lady Gan, her eyes beginning to swell with tears. "My sister and the heir apparent are missing. Who wants to be reminded of such a tragedy … ?"

"Lady Gan, Lady Gan!" Liu Bei began, in a frustrated tone.

Mi Zhu cursed, "Lady Gan, you're no use! What good are you if you keep whining? While you thought I was missing, I killed some twenty soldiers looking for my sister; look at you! You're wallowing in your own misery while your 'sister' could have already died - or worse! If you want her to be saved, then pick up your chained mace and help me look for her!"

"Brother, calm down!" Zhuge Liang urged. He held Mi Zhu's shoulder as he continued, "There's already a battle on the frontlines. If we fight amongst ourselves, we might as well just deliver our heads to Cao Cao!"

"Don't touch me!" Mi Zhu snapped. Pointing to Zhuge Liang, he said, "'We might as well deliver our heads.' Don't we have you to thank for that?"

"It is true I failed in our mission, but we must not give up! Guan Yu is still in Jiangxia with Liu Qi; it is possible he may convince him!"

Mi Zhu snorted. He took off his tattered cape, slung it over his arms and sighed, "I'm going to rest … "

Part III - Realization

A few hours after Liu Bei and Lady Gan fell asleep, Mi Zhu calmed down and said to Zhuge Liang, "Forgive my words earlier … I was frustrated."

"You don't need to justify yourself. Nonetheless, you were telling the truth … "

Zhuge Liang instructed him to sit down on an opposite end of a tree stump, where he poured two cups of steaming hot wine.

"Brother has to be tired after such a trip. In the words of Lady Gan, 'Who wants to be reminded of such a tragedy?' Let's drink! One knows nothing while intoxicated … "

After a few slow rounds (as the two men had scorched their tongues) as Mi Zhu looked like he would faint, he quickly sobered up and said, "Cao Cao's men are almost upon us. Without Guan Yu and Zilong, we can't hold them off for long … even with Zhang Fei. Since Protector Liu refuses to leave the people, we all share their doom. One master, one decision, one fate … "

"If that was the case, we all would have died long ago. Luckily enough, that worthless son of Liu Biao and Lady Cai still holds Jingzhou … I remember, though Cai Mao denied us, Liu Cong has a gentle heart. Perhaps someone can secretly persuade him … "

"I have two things to say to that, Kongming."

"Oh?"

"The first: Cai Mao never leaves Liu Cong's side. There's no way we can send some secret envoy and expect Liu Cong to receive him without Cai Mao knowing somehow. I think he wants to be the Protector of Jingzhou and replace Liu Cong himself."

"Cai Mao is a militaristic leader. It would be unlikely that he would want to take that position for himself, as it is more civil than martial. Perhaps Cai Mao wants to use Liu Cong to gain an Imperial Martial title for himself … "

"That was just about the second thing I was going to say."

"How did he do it?"

"It just happened, so it's hard to say … I heard, while on my way back here, that Cai Mao and Liu Cong have surrendered to Cao Cao. One of Cao Cao's advisors noticed that Cai Mao was a fawning victim, but Cao Cao insisted on keeping him to train his naval army. In fact, Cao Cao ordered the death of Lady Cai and Liu Cong, while promoting Cai Mao and his accomplice Zhang Yun as Naval Chief-Commanders!"

Zhuge Liang stumbled, a few drops of wine falling on his thighs.

"Mi Zhu! Do you mean to say Jingzhou is in the hands of Cao Cao?"

"Dare I joke in a time like this?"

Zhuge Liang numbed and dropped the freshly heated wine on his legs.

"Brother Kongming, think positive! This was bound to happen one way or another … true, the person who controls Jingzhou has the highest natural advantages of the land. What of your three kingdoms plan?"

"It's nothing to do with the Three Kingdoms plan."

"So what's the problem?"

"Wolong Gang … "

"Your home?"

"My wife and brother are still living there. My last name is very uncommon … If Cao Cao truly holds Jingzhou, my family is doomed."

Part IV - Liu Bei's Words of Wisdom

The next morning, while the people of Fancheng ate breakfast on whatever they could find, Zhuge Liang once again surveyed the area. The number of injured soldiers looked less than they were the day before, and those tired were now well-rested and ready to continue the march.

"Where would we go?" one woman asked her husband, who was fixing up a small cart of wheats.

"Who knows? Fancheng, Xiangyang and all of Jingzhou are out of question … "

"Military Commander," greeted Liu Bei. "Mi Zhu tells me that you had some difficulty sleeping last night?"

"It's nothing, just concern for my family. I'm sure by the time that you unite the land, they will be safe still at Wolong Gang … " Zhuge Liang's voice trailed off.

"That's not what Mi Zhu told me. I never expected you to be a family man, or a husband for that case. I promise you, once we break out of Cao Cao's grasp, I will grant half our soldiers in your control so you can retrieve your wife and brother from Wolong Gang safely. If you fear their security now however, you can choose to take this upon yourself. The choice, Military Commander, is yours."

Zhuge Liang paused. "My Lord's trust, I am eternally indebted for. As much as I would love to return to Wolong Gang and retrieve my wife and third brother, I would be leaving the people of Fancheng; I cannot tell at this moment which claws at my heart more."

Surprised at this, Liu Bei asked, "Military Commander, what has changed you?"

" … I have to say that my wife is not a usual person. People who have lived near Wolong Gang in their lives knew my parents, and for that, they knew me very well. Around my teenage years, it could hardly be believed by anyone. I had absolutely no filial piety, loyalty or benevolence - I lacked the qualities of a man. It was then that my younger brother, who was born with a weak constitution, told me that maybe getting married could change me. Naturally I refused, thinking that I wouldn't need anyone to mend my ways since I was my own person.

"Then one day, I met a woman in the marketplace around my age. We talked for a few hours about the land and the turmoil it was in, and she said, 'Though I cannot predict what could happen, Heroes are born in a time of Chaos. There will be one man of high prestige from this area.'

"To this I replied, 'But how do you know?'

"And laughing, she said, 'My father is a traveling scholar, and I, an amateur diviner. Whenever I have a chance at night, I gaze up at the stars and attempt to read what Heaven has laid out for the land.'

" 'Diviner? There is no such thing as a diviner in the world today. They're just people who trick men into handing over money for some gibberish.'

" 'Gibberish?' She asked, clearly offended. 'Very well then, I'll show you gibberish. Of all the areas I've surveyed so far, I've noticed the 'Imperial Star' hovering over the regions of Sichuan: West Shu and Yizhou.'

" 'Naturally!' I exclaimed. 'A member of the Imperial Clan, Liu Zhang, rules there.'

" 'Foolish child,' she snorted at me. 'There will be a man who is recognized as part of the Imperial Family who will rule there. There is only one hero that suits this; It will be Liu Bei!'

" 'This truly is gibberish,' I laughed at her. 'If we can test this, why don't you decide to tell me something you divined which will happen sometime soon?'

"She scoffed and said, 'Heaven's will can never be directly extracted. If you don't believe my words, then don't!'

"Though I still believed her words were gibberish, I found myself talking to her more and more the days that followed. It must have been something about the way she spoke; many girls around Wolong Gang were fawning victims, and she seemed more like a follower than a fatuous serving girl. My feelings toward her mended my ways and turned me from a boy to a man.

"By the time I wanted to ask for her hand, her father was setting off to another province. They prepared to leave in the marketplace, where her father simply bought the extra materials they might have needed for the trip. That day among the crowd that surrounded them, as they had already made a name out of themselves in that short time, I couldn't but notice that I caught her eye and she couldn't look away. As they were ready to leave, she asked to stay a few more days, which clearly disappointed her father. Luckily or not for the both of us, he was a very quick man and realized what was going on.

"During the first few years of my marriage, I learned my wife was a scholar-warrior, which was a unique occupation that I never heard of before.

"When I brought it up with her, she laughed and simply answered, 'Foolish Child! It's not an occupation, it's a way of life.'

"Eventually she dragged Third Brother into it; practicing qigong everyday helped his constitution significantly and he no longer needed to take medicine each day, but he still needed to drink ginseng teas and other herbal items to help production of blood and energy.

"Then you came three times to Wolong Gang. The first time you came, a male page received you, as I was not home. When I returned home a few days later, the page told me that Xu Shu recommended me and you came the first time; as my wife left a few days ago to meet with a few of her own friends on the other side of the city, she knew nothing about it.

"The day she came back, she read my mind and knew something was troubling me.

" 'The Imperial Uncle came here and requested my assistance to help re-unite the land under Han,' I told her.

" 'You can't go!' was her immediate reaction. 'What about Third Brother? What about Wolong Gang? What about … '

"This was the first time I saw some sort of selfishness in her. I continued, 'What choice do I have? Do you remember how we would always talk about how the land would be united if both of us stepped in and rescued the people?'

"And to this she answered, 'Kongming, it is man's duty to rule the external affairs; women, the internal affairs. Who am I to command an army of a hundred thousand? I'm merely a woman, and that can't change. What I said before was in jest.'

" 'What I said wasn't,' I continued on. 'Trust me, I know my limitations. The fates of millions depend on me.'

"She slapped me twice. 'Foolish Child! What of the fates of Third Brother and myself?' she exclaimed without thinking.

" 'I can do this.'

"She wouldn't speak to me a few weeks after that. Finally I decided that maybe it was best I left her some time alone to think about that; so I called on a few friends and we left town to another fishing area. Had I known that would be the time you would call again, I would not have left …

"Upon the second visit, Third Brother received you. You wrote a letter expressing your concern for the people and then left to attend other affairs. When I came back, Third Brother passed the letter on to me. As I read it, I heard my wife listening from afar, wondering why Liu Bei had come again.

"Finally came the third visit. When she heard that I accepted your offer to become Military Commander, she pushed me away and snapped, 'I'm sure you will become a man of high prestige after Liu Bei conquers West Shu and Yizhou. Who am I to remember in your early life? Remember to take many wives. As the classics say, Having no sons was my biggest regret … Foolish Child.'

"That was probably the reason why she didn't want me to join …

"She and my brother have been living in Wolong Gang for quite some time. I fear for their safety; as they reside in Jingzhou and are no longer under the promised protection of Liu Biao and Liu Cong … "

Liu Bei took a moment to absorb the story; even then, he couldn't find the right words to say.

Zhuge Liang sighed. "By joining you, I have given up my past life. Maybe there was more than that … I know I'm doing the right thing, but I can't help think about my wife's last words … maybe there's more I have to learn."

Liu Bei thought again, and then replied, "During the course of my life, I've learned two lessons. One is benevolence, and the second-" he paused, laughing. "-is never to ask too many questions. Maybe one day you'll learn something you never knew, but I doubt there isn't anything you haven't questioned. Why don't you make sure Third Brother Zhang is in line?"

Part V - Educating Zhang Fei

Zhuge Liang agreed. He mounted on his own horse and cried "Jia!" as he dashed to Changban Bridge. It was some ten minutes even with the horse at it's maximum speed, but once he arrived, without Zhang Fei even looking, he asked, "Has older brother sent you?"

"None other."

Zhuge Liang took a look at Zhang Fei and noticed how his fearsome tiger face, for the first time, became fatigued and worried.

"Is Third General afraid of Cao Cao's main force?"

"Who isn't? Your failure to convince Liu Qi could cost the lives of everyone!"

Though this as a terrible insult, Zhuge Liang admired Zhang Fei for his lack of pity to anyone who failed in his task, no matter it was, no matter his rank, no matter if he had a family, no matter if he was the Son of Heaven himself. It was hard to believe that a man with such benevolence and virtue like Liu Bei would swear brotherhood with someone with a wild personality as Zhang Fei. Everyone who truly knew him recognized him as a man of rough virtue.

Zhuge Liang, ignoring his comment, persisted on, "It still looks like Third General can use my help."

"I really can. I don't know how to stop Cao Cao if he comes."

"Third General," Zhuge Liang began, "Our Lord pointed out to me earlier that each man cannot know everything, and there are certain life experiences that everyone must face in order to become a real man. These are nothing that The Analects or Spring and Autumn Annals can teach us. The good general and scholar knows that the most successful of people did not follow these classics.

"As of now, Cao Cao is not too far from us. Haven't we before, burned, flooded and ambushed him? Cao Cao is a very shrewd man, and falling into the same trap twice has ruined his morale. Would it not be humiliating to fall into it a third time?"

"Ohh," Zhang Fei realized. "Hah, without the words of the Military Commander, I would be left clueless!"

He pointed to his soldiers. "Break off into two groups with the same number of mounts on each. Tie branches on to the horses' tails! One group runs east to west, the other west to east! With this ruse, Cao Cao will fear ambush and will not continue on! As for you, Military Commander, you can return and report this to First Brother."

Zhuge Liang nodded and returned to Liu Bei.

Part VI - Lady Gan's Reaction; Zhuge Liang's First Wonder

Another general's "jia" cries were heard.

Mi Zhu hastily scaled a tree and peered out. "General Zilong has returned!"

After courtesies were exchanged, Zhao Yun fell to his knees and cried, "As I was in charge of protecting the two ladies and successor, I was only successful in finding the child!"

"You broke the siege with a child under your armor?" Zhuge Liang exclaimed.

"He hasn't stirred or made any sound in quite a while … I fear my troubles were in vain!"

Lady Gan, who wasn't listening to anything in particular, pushed everyone on her way to Zhao Yun.

"Where is Ah Dou? Where is he?"

Zhao Yun loosened his armor and handed the child to Lady Gan. She hastily cleared his face and gazed at the child, overjoyed that he was safe. Lady Gan passed him on to Liu Bei.

"For the sake of this piece of flesh, I nearly lost a great general!"

Liu Bei hurled the child on to the ground, but Zhao Yun's quick instincts saved the child before any damage was done.

Zhao Yun held his head low and said, "I cannot return my lord's respect for me."

"What of my sister?" Lady Gan suddenly remembered. "Where is my sister?"

Liu Bei's face drained of all color.

Zhao Yun could not answer her.

"You worthless general!" she denounced, kicking his face. "Any man today will see that my sister today will be a better person than this piece of flesh! You should have found the wife and threw away the son!"

"What a thing to say!" exclaimed Zhuge Liang. He glanced at Mi Zhu, hoping he too would say something, but nothing rolled off Mi Zhu's tongue.

Liu Bei began weeping.

"My Lord, what ails you?" asked a concerned Zhao Yun.

Liu Bei replied, "My second wife!"

No one had anything to say for this but Lady Gan.

"I'll do exactly what Brother Mi told me to."

Lady Gan began pulling off her garments.

"What are you doing?" cried Liu Bei.

"What I should have done yesterday," snapped Lady Gan. At last, she took off her shirt revealing a jade trimmed chain armor that was, seemingly, designed specifically for her. She paced the ground near them, began digging at Liu Bei's feet, and struggled to pull something out of the ground. With the help of Zhao Yun and Mi Zhu, Lady Gan removed a chain mace.

"Lady Gan, you can't try looking for her now," Liu Bei sighed. "If you do, you too will fall victim to Cao Cao … I don't want the same to happen to you as well."

"I don't care!" Lady Gan exclaimed. She mounted on Zhuge Liang's horse and finished, "Lady Mi is my sister as well as your second wife, my husband. She is more than family to me. I'm surprised you of all people do not understand what I experience right now! Jia!"

This little speech left everyone bewildered, especially Zhuge Liang; and for the first time, he wondered how the human heart could be open to more than one person.

Part VII - Uproar at Changban

After Sun Qian regained consciousness and was filled in on the current battle, he said to Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei and Mi Zhu, "So let me make sure I understand the situation. Zhuge Liang has failed convincing Liu Qi so eventually we'll face Cao Cao's main force. Zhao Yun has returned with the heir apparent for our lord. Zhang Fei has staged a fake ambush, which should distract him, but unfortunately for us, Zhao Yun has gone off again in search of Lady Gan, who was in search of Lady Mi. Am I correct?"

Zhuge Liang replied in the affirmative.

Sun Qian sighed, "We can't say now that the staged ambush will work."

"Cao Cao is a too cautious man," Zhuge Liang assured. "If Zhang Fei cuts off the bridge, then Cao Cao will know that no ambush was placed in that area, but he must take the long route to reach us, which will give at least a week for us to find another place to rest. If he doesn't cut off the bridge, then Cao Cao will still fear coming near this thicket and that could give us possibly a longer time. Either way, we will have success."

"The lives of my wives cannot be certain, nor can the return of Zhao Yun be guaranteed. I hope they all return safely," Liu Bei silently prayed.

The sound of hoof beats and the famous "jia!" frightened everyone.

"That has to be Cao Cao's main force!" exclaimed Zhuge Liang, frightened.

"Then this is it," Liu Bei said.

Suddenly, the sound ceased and not a peep was heard.

"What's going on?" Sun Qian wondered.

The three advisors and Liu Bei climbed on high trees and observed Cao Cao's army. Sure enough, that was Cao Cao's main force; they stopped in front of Zhang Fei!

"I am Zhang Fei of Zhuo County! Who dares to cross this bridge?"

"Guan Yu once said," Cao Cao muttered to one of his Xiahou cousins, "that Zhang Fei was the type of man who could go through a million-man army and take the head of the commander easily. Today the man stands before us; take caution."

"Prime Minister, I think there are ambushes on the other side of the bridge," his cousin replied, pointing to the dust that rose from behind Zhang Fei.

After noticing that Cao Cao's army did not move, Zhang Fei roared, "You cowards! You want to escape the tiger's grasp yet you don't flee; you want to kill my older brother but dare not continue on! I'll fight anyone to the death!"

One of Cao Cao's generals hacked up blood and collapsed from his horse. Surprised at this reaction, Cao Cao ordered a swift retreat as Zhang Fei laughed from the bridge.

Part VIII - Reuniting; Zhuge Liang's Second Wonder

After Cao Cao's army retreated, Zhang Fei ordered his soldiers to take down Changban bridge. Stopping an army of over ten thousand times the magnitude of their own really boosted the morale of Liu Bei's troops. Zhang Fei regrouped his army under Liu Bei and they began their slow march towards Jiangxia.

"Perhaps having Liu Qi see you will be enough for him to give you refuge," Sun Qian told Liu Bei while they were on their march.

"If that was the case, then why did Liu Qi not send ships when Zhuge Liang came to see him?" Mi Zhu countered. "After all, Zhuge Liang did 'save his life' from Lady Cai before, didn't he?"

"Maybe he didn't believe me," Zhuge Liang said. "Who knows?"

The three advisors, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei continued on with their march.

" … I wonder how my wife and Third Brother are."

"Why don't we head off to Wolong Gang now and retrieve them?" Zhang Fei suggested. "You've been whining about them since we started marching."

"Third Brother!" scolded Liu Bei.

"Just telling the truth!" justified Zhang Fei.

"I'll undertake the expedition myself soon," Zhuge Liang said. "You don't have to worry about them."

"You've been concerned since you heard that Cao Cao took over Jingzhou. You can undergo this now while we escort the people to Jiangxia. I'm sure we'll be fine."

Zhuge Liang paused. "What if … "

"You can ignore the 'what-ifs'," Zhang Fei reassured, "Even if Liu QI denies us into Jiangxia, this spear won't!"

"Third Brother!" Liu Bei scolded again.

"Third General!" came Sun Qian. "You forget that Liu Qi is our lord's own nephew."

"I was just joking!" Zhang Fei laughed. "Just trying to get the mood up from Zhuge Liang … "

"I don't blame you," Mi Zhu muttered.

It was at this moment that "jia" was sounded by three voices; one male, two female. Liu Bei recognized them first.

"Lady Gan! Lady Mi! Zhao Yun!"

The whole army along with the people of Fancheng stopped marching.

"My two wives!"

Liu Bei hastily dismounted and helped both his wives off their horses. Lady Mi's clothes were soaked in blood; Lady Gan's armor, scraped by metals. With that, Liu Bei was reunited with both of his wives and held both close; Zhuge Liang, looking from afar, wondered for the second time, how the human heart could be open to more than one person.

Part IX - Ships

With the return of General Zhao Yun and Liu Bei's two wives, the army's morale boosted even more; they seemed to forget about Zhuge Liang's failure from Jiangxia. As the army marched along the great river, ships were spied on the opposite coast.

"Could it be Cai Mao's naval force?" Liu Bei wondered.

"Those flags don't read 'Cai', Sun Qian observed. As he looked deeper, his face gleamed.

Mi Zhu, who was gazing as well, happily cried, "They read Liu!"

Zhuge Liang himself did not believe this. He directed his horse closer to the river, where he examined the flags himself.

"Military Commander! Is it true?"

"For the most part … "

"Liu Qi has come to receive us! It must be Heaven's will!" laughed Zhang Fei as he spread the news to the army.

"Military Commander," Liu Bei asked. "What do you mean 'for the most part'?"

"I see another flag there … but I am fatigued."

This answer satisfied Liu Bei; he also began spreading the news.

"… How come I also see 'Huang'?"

Part X - Apology With Tears; Liu Qi's story

Once Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang boarded the main ship, Liu Qi emerged from a wooden cabin beneath. He fell on his knees, wept and stared at the ground. "Imperial Uncle, your nephew begs for forgiveness!"

"There is no need," Liu Bei justified, "You had your doubts. The good part is that you were able to arrive so soon … Where is Second Brother Guan?"

"He's waiting for you in Jiangxia," answered Liu Qi. "Actually, he's managing a ceremony."

Zhuge Liang hastily interjected, "Before we get diverted, what made you change your mind from my last visit?"

Liu Bei pulled Liu Qi to his feet. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "This is not the appropriate place to talk. Descend to the cabin below and we will continue."

The three men stepped down to Liu Qi's wooden cabin. Zhuge Liang repeated his question, only to be interrupted by a small group of serving girls who prepared dinner for the three. A few hours after eating, wine was poured and Zhuge Liang asked his question a third time.

"After I denied you, I had some doubts running through my mind. I felt like I did the wrong thing and did not know how to apologize. It was then that my cousin came to visit me; in very early life, she and I were very close. She was also very wise, so upon her visit, I asked her what must be done.

"She sighed and said to me, 'Denying them was a horrible mistake. You must send your ships and receive Liu Bei and the people of Fancheng. Do not mind thinking of a way to apologize now; I'm sure if you send your ships they will not ask for anything more.' And so, that was what I did."

"Your cousin … who is she?" Zhuge Liang asked.

"Ah, let me think," Liu Qi replied. "My … father's second wife's sister's daughter. My step-mother's sister's daughter. Yes, that's it."

"That's not what I meant," Zhuge Liang sighed. "Who is she?"

"She's none other than-"

"My Lord, we've reached Jiangxia," a serving girl announced.

"Reaching Jiangxia has more significance than who she is," Liu Qi smiled. "My cousin has one request from your army."

"Anything, after she convinced you to save us!" exclaimed Liu Bei.

"She wants to be Zhuge Liang's wife."

Part XI - Preparations; Zhuge Liang's Final Wonder

As the ships reached Jiangxia, the countdown of three hours until Zhuge Liang's second marriage had begun. The streets were rich with red slips of silk while the calming night wind danced with pieces of paper cut in the shape of bronze coins. Serving girls filled the air with the sounds of music and scented it with the right proof of wine. Guan Yu, the man behind all these preparations, stood on a watchtower making sure everything was in check. It was a joyous occasion for all.

In a remote room not far from the altar, while serving girls were changing Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei and Liu Qi were whispering outside. Fortunately, Guan Yu decided to light the firecrackers now so they were forced to shout to communicate, leaving Zhuge Liang open to their words …

"The Military Commander is already married!" Liu Bei began.

"My cousin asks this one thing from your army! She herself deserves half credit for your rescue. How can you deny her?"

"Judging about the way the Military Commander spoke about her earlier, I don't think he wants to have a second wife!"

"What choice do I have? This is my cousin's request! You'll have to bring it up with her!"

"Ah, good nephew! I can't change her mind since she's going to be married!"

"Then we'll trick his old wife! What's her name?"

" … Zhuge Liang never told me!"

Liu Qi continued, "Then we don't have to worry about her!"

"What?"

"We don't have to worry about her!"

"I can't hear you!"

Liu Qi screamed at the top of his lungs, "We don't have to worry about her! Zhuge Liang's getting married a second time, and that's that! This is of Military Importance! I'm sure his other wife will understand; if not, she'll be forced to live with such a lifestyle! He must learn to balance two wives!"

Right after he said "military importance", there were no more firecrackers in the sky.

Everyone heard Liu Qi's last words.

"Such being the case," Zhuge Liang muttered, "I can maybe learn something from Liu Bei. I wonder if it's possible … for the human to heart to be in love with more than one person."

Part XII - Two Lessons Learned

Finally the third hour was sounded and the ceremony begun. Zhuge Liang checked himself, and after another few minutes, he finally left the room and waited for the carriage to stop in front of him. A smaller carriage stopped in front of him, where two young children poured heated wine for him. Zhuge Liang drained the cup, showed it to the children and put it back in its original place.

"Wow!" one of the children said. "He's tall!"

"Shut up you," scolded the driver, "And make haste! The bride is on her way."

Only Zhuge Liang could recognize that voice. "Third Brother Jun!"

Zhuge Jun lifted his hat and said, "It's been a while, Second Brother!"

"What are you doing here?"

"It's hard to explain, but I'm sure it will be harder to do so with Sister-in-law!" He laughed and pulled the carriage forward, the two children running to catch up.

Zhuge Liang held his head low and thought again about what he was about to experience, but he was cut short when the main carriage arrived. He stepped on, not looking directly at Liu Qi's cousin; it didn't much matter, since her face was concealed with red veils and jade beads. As soon as he boarded, the carriage began moving.

"Liu Ji," he said, "I am overjoyed to hear that you were the one who convinced Liu Qi to send ships for us. Though your request seems easy to grant, I am afraid I cannot go through with it. I have my wife waiting for me at Wolong Gang; I have already disappointed her before, and I cannot bear to do it again. I am sorry for upsetting you, but … Well, Third Brother is still without a wife. You can ask to marry him, if you wish … "

The bride only shook her head.

Zhuge Liang continued on, "The land today has many heroes. Alone in our army, we have Zhao Zilong, Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Mi-"

The bride slapped him twice in the face.

"Foolish Child!"

Zhuge Liang lifted the veils above the bride's face.

"Yue Ying!"

"Who else could it be?" she laughed. "I'm astonished to meet you … I never expected to see you again after you joined Liu Bei. I found my chance and took the opportunity when Liu Qi denied you access to Jiangxia and refused to send ships. It is my great fortune to see you again … today. You actually thought you were going to marry someone else … Foolish Child! Haven't you learned anything?"

"Two things. The first is benevolence … "

The carriage came to a halt in front of the ceremonial altar. On the top stood a Taoist priest and the four matchmakers: Liu Qi, Liu Bei, Mi Zhu and Zhuge Jun. Being militaristic, four banners waved in each direction, reading, 'Righteousness, Benevolence, Loyalty and Piety'. For everyone who was observing the ceremony, the 'double happiness' character was embroided on their clothes.

"And the second?"

"The second is a story for another time," laughed Zhuge Liang, as both leaped out.