It had finally happened. He had finally been admitted into the Imperial Secretariat of the glorious kingdom of Cao Wei. It had been a long and troublesome journey, full of despair, hard work, sadness, hopelessness, and pain, and yet it had all paid off. He was finally able to join his lord and Emperor, Cao Rui in upholding the power of the Wei Dynasty. His name had been a matter of concern for many members of the court. Zhuge was the family name of Zhuge Liang, the sleeping dragon and the Grand Commander of the Shu troops. He was that man's nephew, the son of the brother who had left Zhuge Liang to live in Wei after a family dispute. The name Zhuge was known far and wide, and Zhuge Liang was the most famous bearer of the name. He was an enemy to Cao Wei, the kingdom's archenemy perhaps, and as his nephew, as Zhuge Dan, life had been hard and discouraging. Though the man liked to think that he had gained entry into the Imperial Secretariat due to his own hard work, he knew deep down, had it not been for his influential friends in the court, Xiahou Xuan and Cao Shuang, he would never have been accepted. Both men wielded great power, while he had only a name that provided him with only mockery. He would have to be grateful and supportive of his friends, but now was the chance for the first time in a long while to take control of his life and finally fulfill the promise he made to his now deceased father.
Are you watching me father? Can you see me now? I will bring the greatness to this family that you never enjoyed in your life. I will live my life to the fullest with the very principles that you taught me.
"My lord, I am forever in your debt for helping me! I promise to repay you someday my lord!" Zhuge Dan watched with a smile on his face as the soldier backed away from him with frequent low bows, almost causing him to tip over.
"You seem popular with the men," came a voice from behind him. Dan turned to see Xiahou Xuan walking up to him as the bowing man left the room and closed the door behind him.
"He needed help with a financial debt. I couldn't say no to him. It was only a small sum anyway," the Imperial Cadet said defensively. Xuan raised his hands in the air in a mocking gesture of surrender.
"Its fine, I don't have a problem with it at all. In fact, this type of behavior is what will get you promoted," Xuan explained. "The higher ups, like me, learn all we can about the ministers and attendants here from lower ranking servants and soldiers. If they speak well about you, then you get recognized sooner."
Nodding in agreement, Dan turned back to his paperwork. He was signing several notices on staff reforms among the servants. It was dull work, but he would never complain, not about something so minor. But as Dan handled the paperwork, he looked up from the corner of his eye and noticed his friend still standing before him. He was his superior and therefore forbidden to speak to him about important matters, but Xuan would never come to his room so suddenly if there weren't an interesting development to speak about.
"I heard you went the meeting yesterday. How did it go?" Dan said passively. Xuan looked around cautiously, before sitting down before his friend, his eyes full of eagerness.
"His Majesty has appointed Cao Shuang as a Regent for the future, in case of his death. They say he is becoming quite ill now and he needs capable officers in charge," Xuan said.
"Shuang makes sense; he is cunning and shrewd after all. He must he excited, how did he take it?" Dan asked. Xuan let out a laugh, before looking around again in worry before turning back to his friend, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"He was so nervous that he could only stutter. He looked like a fool until…" The man trailed off, his face registering disdain and worry.
"What is it? What's happened" His Majesty didn't punish Regent Shuang for being nervous did he?" Dan had heard that during the reign of Cao Pi, ministers who registered fear or cowardliness would be executed or mocked harshly. Shuang was his close friend and one of the main reasons he was part of the Imperial Secretariat at all.
"No, no, don't worry about that. Shuang was fine, after Sima Yi answered for him," Xuan said darkly. Now Dan finally understood. His friends often complained about the veteran general. He was said to have been loosely trusted by Cao Pi, but he was sharply repressed during the time of Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu. After both men's deaths, he rose through the ranks at an alarming pace. Xuan and Shuang hated him, as he was considered a grave threat.
"Lord Sima Yi was named Regent as well, wasn't he?" Dan asked. To this, Xun nodded sadly.
"That man is dangerous. He and his followers live differently from us, he has no faith in the Heavens nor in the society that we have upheld. If he is not controlled soon, we will have a major problem," Xuan said seriously. And that was another difficulty he needed to overcome. He hadn't told his friends, or at least, not yet he hadn't.
"About Lord Sima Yi. It seems that my wife and his concubine started to talk, and now… my daughter is engaged to his son."
"Well, this is surprising, but actually this could work in our favour. I will need you to use this relationship to get to know Sima Yi. Think you can do that for me?"
"For my brother, and for you, I would defy the Emperor himself."
The hall filled with the loud chuckles of the two friends.
The wedding was beautiful, and none present could deny it. Zhuge Dan came from a wealthy family, as did the Simas. His daughter, Zhuge Xue was to marry Sima Zhou, the fiery and handsome sixth son of Sima Yi. His older brothers were both already married and both Dan's daughters were born when Dan himself was still quite young. His older daughter had married one of sons of Wang Ling. These two marriage connections also solidified his place into Wei.
As the wedding ceremony ended and the young couple was married at last, Dan was the first person to be approached by them.
"Father, wish me luck and grant me blessings on this day," his daughter said, her face flushed from happiness.
"Xue, I have only ever wanted happiness for you. Sima Zhou, take care of her for me, all right?" he said to his new son-in-law. The young man bowed and the two happily walked away, and as the contented father watched the two leave, he was approached from behind.
"Young daughters are always the hardest to let go, no?" Zhuge Dan turned to see Sima Yi, the Western General. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed at the man who was such a great enemy of his friends and one of the most powerful upholders of the state. The man smirked as he looked at the younger man gaze at him with a look of fear, horror and admiration.
"Zhuge Gongxiu, can I request you to join me on a walk?" Warily, Dan agreed as Sima Yi led him out of the wedding hall.
"We are now related, you and I, through our very children," he general said as they walked down the halls of the palace. "I vow to care for your daughter like my own. Zhou is close to, unlike some of my other sons. His choice in wife is not lacking in any regard."
"The-thank you, general. I promise too, to aid your son if the need arises," Dan replied.
"Excellent! Our children pave the way to a better future and together we can forge a better path for them," Sima Yi said with a wide smile. "I trust that when his Majesty passes on and the time comes to choose a side, you will make the right choice."
With those as his parting words, the powerful Western General walked away, sipping some wine from the cup in his hand. The Zhuge watched him leave.
"What did he want?" asked Xiahou Xuan, after the marriage ceremony and festivities had ended. Dan walked straight ahead alongside his friend, his face betraying little emotion.
"He said that he would take care of my daughter and that he was glad to have me as a member of the family," Dan mumbled.
"Huh, it's not in his nature to be glad of anything. Him aside Dan, I have received some good news, Gongxiu," Xuan said. The Imperial Cadet glanced at him sharply, his gaze expectant. "Shuang used his influence, and now you have been promoted, to the rank of General of the Illustrious Warrior!"
He should have felt proud, but inside he only felt ill and sick. Xuan looked at him in concern.
"Gongxiu, are you okay? I thought that this would make you happy," he said, and hint of suspicion in his voice. Dan shook it of and managed a smile.
"Xuan, I'm fine. I am proud, but for two such wonderful things to happen so suddenly is a lot to take in," he explained.
"Ah, I understand. Go home, cry about your daughter and come celebrate tomorrow. Congratulations Gongxiu." And with that, Xiahou Xuan walked away, leaving Dan with a heavy feeling in his chest.
Why couldn't I tell him? Why can't I tell him what Sima Yi said to me? I can't start to doubt my purpose, not so soon. Ahh, damn you Sima Zhongda. For the first time in my life, you have made me question my purpose!
"My lord, please wake up!" Dan turned in his bed as a manservant shook him urgently. Rising groggily and flailing his arms wildly, Dan glared at the servant.
"What is it? It's not even morning! What's so urgent that I must be woken?" he said angrily. The servant stepped back and bowed, before raising his worried face.
"M-my lord. His Majesty h-has died!" The man fell to his knees, sobbing and shivering while his master sat on the bed, paralyzed by sheer shock. Cao Rui was dead. The one man who kept Sima Yi and his gentry faction under control, the one man who stabilized the imperial court.
What will happen now? His son is so young, too young to be expected to lead. Shuang is regent, but so is Sima Yi. What will become of Cao Wei now?
The funeral was splendid, fitting of an emperor, and especially for one as extravagant as Cao Rui. Almost the entire Imperial Court was in attendance. As Zhuge Dan looked around, he noticed the rift that had already occurred. Cao Shuang, Xiahou Xuan and himself as well as many other influential members of the court stood to the right of the former Emperor's coffin. To the left stood Sima Yi, his sons, and multiple nobles and generals of the court. Cao and Sima had already declared war.
If His Majesty Cao Pi were alive this would never had happened. And definitely nothing like this would have ever occurred if His Majesty Cao Cao had lived longer.
Cao Pi and Cao Cao, the two men whom Sima Yi and Cao Shuang feared the most. Cao Cao had never let nobles like Sima Yi get out of control and Cao Pi had instilled the fear of the heavens into the imperial court with his harsh methods. Now the emperor was…
Cao Fang stood by his regent and cousin Cao Shuang. He would be made emperor soon, after his adopted father was finally buried. Dan could no longer watch, as he glanced at Shuang and Sima Yi's power hungry faces. Walking away, the newly made general did not notice he was being followed until he neared his home.
"Gongxiu, wait for me." Dan turned to see his friend Xuan walk up to him from behind. "Things will be rather different now. His Majesty is dead, and now we must uphold his son, and Wei."
"Uphold Wei?" Dan looked surprised at his friends comment. Then he became angry. "Shuang desires to uphold Wei? Maybe you and I have always respected Cao Wei, but he, despite bearing the Cao name desires only power! How can he save Wei?"
Xuan looked surprised, before his face hardened. He looked as angry as Dan and the two men stopped before the Imperial Palace walls.
"It's not like you to criticize him. He has only ever helped you, and yes, while he seems greedy, don't misunderstand his intentions, I know he only wants to help Wei," Xuan said.
"Help Wei from what, Sima Yi? There are worse things in the world than him. Things this court should not be divided over."
Xuan looked ever angrier, and he roughly grabbed his friend by the shirt. Pulling him close until he could speak in his ear, Xuan breathed heavily.
"So Zhongda did speak to you. You think that because you are suddenly related that he is the same as us? We are different!" he yelled, letting go of Dan. "We are different, loyal and righteous people. He only wants to destroy what we have made! I thought of you as a man of Wei. Choose your side carefully Dan. You throw your lot in with the gentry, like Sima Yi, and we become enemies as well."
Zhuge Dan raced through the halls, panting and his face a mask or panic and worry. The servants had told him, but he never imagined that it would happen so suddenly.
They can't be dead. They can't be dead. It's a lie, it's impossible, there's no way Sima Yi could make his move so unexpectedly. He's retired, he's insane! The court confirmed it and now they say he's back to take control? Preposterous!
Behind the general was a small contingent of soldiers, guards who Zhuge Dan had aided in the past. Now was the time for them to aid him. He rushed into the courtroom, ignoring the two guards who suddenly gasped in surprise. Bursting in he stopped and his entire body froze. A scream, a roar of horror rose in his body, but stopped before he could emit it. On the ground before the throne lay his friends, Cao Shuang and Xiahou Xuan. Blood was no longer pouring from there bodies, a sign that the two had been dead long before he had arrived. Above them stood Sima Yi and Sima Shi. Shi noticed him first and made for him, his sword by his side and held firmly in his hand. He raised it and ran towards him and as Dan braced himself, he heard a shout.
"Shi, stop!" It was Sima Yi. The father had stopped the son and now Shi was paused between the two his sword still raised. The man's father shuffled towards Zhuge Dan, his face expressionless. Stopping right before the general, he smiled lightly. "Gongxiu, are you not glad now? You are finally free to save Wei. Together you and I can change this derelict court and restore it to the glory it once held."
He extended his arm, a gesture of partnership. Dan looked past him, at the dead bodies of his friend, and looked up to see the large crest of the imperial Cao family and the young, boy-emperor huddled on a chair, fearfully cringing away from Sima Shi, who was advancing maliciously towards him.
Wei, all my life I have only ever sought to serve you. To make my name known so as to benifet this kingdom. But now that I have the chance, is this really the way to achieve that glory?
His body however, was not facing the same turmoil his mind was. Slowly, almost unwillingly, his hand rose up and grasped Sima Yi's. The elderly man smiled, and pressed his hands around that of Dan's.
"Gongxiu, to see you join me clears the doubt in my heart. Together let us set forth and save this land from the traitors to the Imperial Throne."
The pain he experienced could never be washed away. Time could not heal it and he doubted that he would ever feel happy again. His wife was crying in another room. She blamed him, and rightly so. He didn't save her. Couldn't save her, for he had been to late to stop it. The famous Wei general Wang Ling had died after a failed rebellion and his family had been executed along with him. His entire family, including Wang Guang, the eldest son of Wang Ling. And alongside Wang Guang died another person, one far closer to the heart of the general. His daughter Zhuge Xie had refused to bow before her husbands killers, and thus for her impudence, Sima Yi had her executed. And all the time after her death, Dan blamed himself. He wasn't there for the rebellion. He had heard when he was on duty along the Wu border and rushed back when word reached him. But he was still to late. She died, stabbed through the chest and when he came he could only hold her cold corpse. He could only say in his mind that he was fortunate nothing else had happened. That she had not been violated like so many others who defied the Sima clan forces. The gentry were renowned for their brutality, and they proved it by assaulting women. His heart was cold and his body and senses numb. He doubted that he would smile again, let alone ever feel content. However, the door suddenly swung open and a messenger came in.
"General, I have urgent news. Lord Sima Yi has died of illness last night. His sons mourn for him and Sima Shi is the new Regent of Wei."
And never before in his entire lifetime had he smiled so much at the thought of another man's death.
Sima Zhao was the son of Sima Yi and yet the newly made General who Guards the South, Zhuge Dan, could barely see the resemblance. The man was a complete wastrel, swaggering about the camp with no regard for anything but himself. He talked down to the soldiers, Dan's men who had proven their loyalties time and time again and yet this upstart had the audacity to claim himself superior. Zhuge Dan could only count himself as unfortunate for being paired with the man, but nonetheless, the assignment he was given was far to important to ruin over trivial matters such as petty disagreements. The Emperor Cao Fang had ordered that Cao Wei needed to extend its borders into the territory of Eastern Wu. Although now the general was certain that it was Sima Shi who had authorized this mission, no doubt against the emperor's wishes. Zhuge Dan had been selected for the mission but was placed under the supervision of Sima Zhao. The two men had only spoken briefly, but simply judging from the younger man's manners, Dan found himself instantly disliking him. His wife had followed him to the military base, and they seemed reluctant to be away from each other. Dan had heard that the woman was the brain behind Sima Zhao and simply from looking at the pair of them, he believed it. The battle was soon to begin, Dongxing needed to be taken and thus it was time for the troops to be deployed.
"My lord, the troops have been prepared for battle. Shall we begin the march on to both castle?" he said to Zhao. The man looked down on him lazily and shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't you think taking only one castle would be a bit better? It takes a lot less effort you know, and we can just wait for Wu to counter attack before we strike," he said, with a slight yawn. His wife standing beside him shook her head in irritation while Dan looked at him, frustrated.
"Take only one castle? Then we will be constantly looking out for a counter attack! The men will never be at ease! Our mission is to take this area for Wei! Not to spend our time waiting for the enemies in the other castle to decide to attack us!" he said angrily. The man looked at him quizzically, as if wondering why he was so worked up. His look only made Zhuge Dan angrier.
"General Gongxiu, really, calm down. As I said, it will be a lot easier if we just take one," the commander reasoned.
"So you would take the easy route rather than put your men at ease? If we don't attack both at once, the men will be worried and we will lose credibility. I will lead the men if you don't wish to," he said coldly. He brushed past him, but he felt an iron grip on his arm. Sima Zhao had grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Don't forget that you are under my command." Despite himself, Dan shivered at his tone. It was deeper and more threatening as opposed to his usual easy-going voice. Wrenching his arm free, Zhuge Dan looked at him coldly before walking away.
"I won't forget that it is the Kingdom of Wei that I take my orders from, not you," he said under his breath. He walked onward, not looking back at the man behind him, though he felt his gaze scorch his back as he left.
"My lord, Sima Zhao cannot be trusted! This battle will rely on you, General Dan!" Wen Qin yelled to his, in the midst of their cavalry charge. Things were going well, for he had the clear geographical and numerical edge on the Wu defenders. The enemy was massacred before him and victory was near. The first castle had been taken, and all that was left was the second. He and his men only had to cross the bridge. He had just rescued Sima Zhao; he sat idly by while the enemy made for the camp. This would definitely guarantee a promotion of some kind for the general.
"Onward men, to victory for the kingdom of Wei!" he shouted and several of his guard took up his cry. Together they ran through the Wu defenders at the bridge and charged to the other side. However, as soon as he and his men had crossed, the bridge behind him collapsed. And then suddenly, he heard the roar of enemy reinforcements. Zhuge Ke was here, the cousin of Zhuge Dan and the son of the "Tiger" of Wu, Zhuge Jin. Dan slashed at the enemy before him, fighting back viciously to repel the Wu ambush troops.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my cousin, the dog of Wei!" The Wei general looked up to see Zhuge Ke looking down on him from a cliff, with his chief general Ding Feng beside him. "You certainly are stupid, falling into such a simple ambush! I guess you father really could pass nothing on to you, other than his ability to constantly fail!"
"Silence, I'll show you, you miserable coward!" Hacking at the man in front of him, Zhuge Dan took out all his rage, rage from this taunt, from Sima Zhao not helping him, from his friends death's, from the loss his daughter, from the failure of Wei to uphold itself, form his father's death, and most of all from his sheer helplessness, Zhuge Dan slashed, hacked and stabbed at every Wu soldier before him. He became stained with blood and his body was weary and tired after all the constant fighting. When he finally lay down him weapon, his men had won. The Wu forces had retreated from him and his band, but the toll was heavy. He had lost over half of his force and he definitely did not have enough to lay a siege on the enemy castle. He heard the horns of retreat in the distance, but all Dan could do was collapse. His men caught him, and before he closed his eyes, he smiled grimly at the Wei flags in the distance.
"General Gongxiu, may I sit next to you?"
Zhuge Dan turned in surprise at the voice, for it belonged to Sima Shi. He had come to Hefei castle to fix the damage his brother and Dan had caused with their rivalry and badly planned attack.
"Of course my lord. I am sorry I did not greet you properly at the gates. My wounds prevented me from-"
"Do not speak nonsense Gongxiu. I completely understand your condition, and I was far from offended. It is a sign of your respect and discipline that you came to greet me."
Both men sat in silence for a brief moment before Sima Shi began to speak once again.
"Zhao told me what happened. I have punished him, but I will not punish you, Gongxiu. What happened was not your fault and the others tell me you fought bravely."
Dan looked at his lord's smiling and serene face in surprise. This type of understanding was something he rarely associated with the Sima clan.
"I tried to stop my father from killing Cao Shuang and Xiahou Xuan. I really did, but he was convinced that I had to kill them. I did not enjoy it, Gongxiu, and not a day goes by that I do not pray for them."
"My lord, I am touched to hear these words from you," Dan said unconvincingly. "However-"
"However, you cannot forgive me? I understand Gongxiu. I only hope that in time you may believe in me. I need men like you, who are strong and brave. This world needs more men like you."
As Shi walked away, the general stared out into the distance.
Can he make a brighter future for Cao Wei?
Zhuge Ke had fled, and Wu had been defeated. Zhuge Dan sat on the docks while a few of his men celebrated in the background.
Sima Shi had fought well, and he inspired the men with his words. Sima Zhao and Zhuge Dan were often blamed for causing chaos in the battle, and as soon as Sima Shi appeared, that chaos turned into peace.
Maybe he is the man that Cao Wei needs. I feel myself believing in him, wanting him to succeed. When he walks so calmly into battle, all I wish to do is walk beside him.
Xuan would have understood. Wei could be reborn under Sima Shi, and even Shuang would have understood or be drawn in by the young mans powerful and charismatic aura.
"Men, a toast," he suddenly declared standing up as everyone raised their wine cups. "To lord Sima Shi and to the glory of Wei!"
The situation was terrible, but Zhuge Dan had to have faith in the man he now considered his lord. Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin had declared rebellion, and called Sima Shi a traitor to Wei. They had urged him to join them, but he instead warned Sima Shi. Why should he not, now that he had his lord's vision to believe in? Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin were honourable men, and part of Dan felt guilty, but for the first time in many years, Zhuge Dan felt assured of his place and of the man he was too follow. Wei was something he had always believed in and he would remain forever loyal, but Wei had never believed in him, not like Sima Shi did. He, Zhuge Dan was considered key in the battle to suppress the rebels, as he knew of their battle plan.
"Traitor! For your falsehood, you will pay!"
The shout came from Guanqiu Jian, who sprung before Dan and swung at him with his large sword. Dan blocked easily and swung at him in a counter move. The two men dueled for over ten passes, until exhaustion sprouted in Guanqiu Jian, and Dan was quick to capitalize. With a neat strike, he disarmed the once great general. Jian snarled at him and turned to flee. Dan did not follow, for the man was broken. His army was gone and his allies all deserted or died. Just before the Zhuge was to turn away, arrows zipped through the air and sank into Guanqiu's back. The man was killed instantly, only giving a quick grunt of pain before dying. Shocked, Dan turned in surprise and anger to see Sima Zhao yawning tiredly, holding a bow in his hands.
"What have you done you fool?" Dan yelled.
"I don't delight in it, but really, I would have to run after him and chase him through Wei if we let him win, and even worse, give him a trial. This way, both of us are done with it."
The nonchalant tone was what enraged Zhuge Dan. Rounding on the Sima, he was preparing to attack until he heard shouts from the men far behind him. Both Zhao and Dan looked back to see Zhong Hui and Deng Ai kneeling over a fallen man. When Dan peered closer, he felt like he had entered a nightmare.
The dying man was Sima Shi.
The funeral was painful for Zhuge Dan, and even more so for Sima Zhao. Neither men showed grief, but they felt it in their hearts. For once, both men felt the same about something.
Sima Zhao was named Regent in place of Sima Shi, and immediately began to take over the duties of his new office. Something that he did differently was his disrespect towards the Emperor and his lack of respect for tradition and history. It sickened Dan to the core to hear the man speak so negatively about the kingdom that both men belonged to.
Zhuge Dan waited for a message, a letter or order that would demote him or possibly order his execution. Dan had heard Sima Yi say many times how deep down, both Cao Pi and Sima Zhao shared many of the same qualities, and both punished harshly.
But instead, he received an invitation to a banquet, hosted by Jia Chong, Sima Zhao's most trusted adviser and general.
The hall was magnificent and the food excellent. The guests engaged in lighthearted discussion and banter, and slowly people began to leave. Dan always made a habit of leaving early from such events, but Jia Chong invited him to stay longer and shared with him a special wine, made by Cao Cao himself. The Zhuge and the Jia both drank the night away, and in the extremely early hours of the morning, Jia Chong asked Zhuge Dan a question, who looked down and away from him as soon as their eyes met.
"The court of Wei has become corrupt and inefficient. The Emperor is young and inept. Our enemy states surround and work against us, yet the Emperor does not possess the skill to stop them." Zhuge Dan's eyes began to shift upwards towards Jia Chong as the man continued to speak. "Sima Zhao is a hero to the court and has upheld the courts power. He is loyal and talented. Do you not think that he should take control of the kingdom himself?"
Alcohol mellowed people and to others, enraged them. Zhuge Dan was of the latter. His anger at the moment he had heard Jia Chong's treasonous words boiled over and he stood up in anger at an alarming speed.
"Are you not the son of Jia Kui, the loyalist appointed to this court by Cao Pi? Your father was a man of talent and loyalty, and you seek to undermine what he had worked for. I curse you, scoundrel for such unfilial words! Had my sword been beside me, I would have sliced your head off!"
Zhuge Dan left in drunken anger, ambling out of the house, white with rage. He couldn't recall how he managed to find his way home, but he quickly fell into a blissful sleep, unaware of the magnitude of the words he had spoken.
"My lord, you must run! Sima Zhao's men are here for you!"
At his servant's panicked words, Zhuge Dan leapt out of bed, immediately grabbing his sword. The rest of the staff were stalling the men in their search for their master's room, and Dan had to make to most of it. He slid out of the room, and crept down the halls. Upon reaching the stairs, Zhuge Dan was spotted by a young guardsman. Pulling out his blade and cutting the man's throat before he could cry out, the general ran down the stairs and out of the house in a sudden burst of adrenaline.
"Stop him!"
The shout came from the high window above from where he stood outside of the house. Mounting one of the horses the men had left outside, Zhuge Dan set off at a fast pace, getting the head start on his pursuers.
Sima Zhao knows. Jia Chong warned him and Yue Chen most probably gave him my location. My time has truly come.
"Yue Chen, open your gates! I, general Zhuge Dan, desire an audience with you!"
Yue Chen's outpost stood on a hill surrounded by high walls, with a gate at which Zhuge Dan was now peering. From the top of the gate, a guardsman accompanied a man dressed in fine clothing to the edge of the wall. It was Yue Chen.
"Zhuge Dan, you dog! You dare have the nerve to seek me out here? Your actions have utterly disgraced me, who once vouched for you, and now you only bring danger to my doorstep. Get away from this place at once!"
"You sold me out to Sima Zhao! I see you have become a whore to the Sima's Yue Chen! You will pay for betraying me!"
At his words, the men he had hidden in the tree line sprung forth, pulling a large siege engine. The mighty wooden creation collided with the walls and the gates were smashed apart. Yue Chen fled in fear, while his men filled the gap with their spears pointed out. The fight that followed was brief and Zhuge Dan charged through the gap with his men. Marching up to the hall that stood in the centre of the base, Zhuge Dan drew his sword. Kicking open the doors, he saw Yue Chen with his sword drawn, gibbering like an idiot and cowering back like a frightened animal.
"For so many years, your family enjoyed the great bounty of Wei. Your father became rich and your family grew used to comfortable living. But now, when you see the kingdom that has aided you so much in the past on its knees, you instead hide away. That was your first crime."
Yue Chen screamed and stabbed at him, but Dan blocked his blow and knocked him to the floor with a backhand.
"Wei has fallen Gongxiu! There is nothing to save anymore!" Yue Chen screamed, spitting as he yelled.
"When a kingdom has fallen on bad times, all must pull together to stand it back up and all most swear their loyalty to it. That is how men and cowards are sorted. Your gluttony got to you, and your opulence was your second mistake."
Yue Chen once again attempted to silence his tormentor by cutting upwards with his blade, but Zhuge Dan smacked the hilt of his sword against the man's arm and knocked his sword away.
"But just as you sold me out, you sold another out, didn't you? Xiahou Xuan was set to leave the city five days previous and you were the only man who knew. You sold out my friend, and caused his death. That is your greatest mistake."
"You dog, Sima Zhao will kill you, and you will suffer before you die, you miserable d-"
The man's yells were cut off by his scream, as Zhuge Dan stabbed him though the chest. His eyes dulled over and the man gave one last jerk, before dying.
It begins then, with this. Souchun is the last place I can flee to. Sima Zhao will try to stop me, but unlike Wang Ling and Guanqiu Jian, I will not roll over so easily. This will be the dawn of the Sima family.
"This alliance will be to both of our kingdoms benefits, general Zhuge Dan. With our aid, Wei will be restored and Wu and Cao Wei can prosper together."
Zhuge Dan nodded respectfully to the speaker, Lu Kang, a Wu general and ambassador. Like Zhuge Dan, he too had a mighty relation. Lu Xun was his father, and though he was deceased, they said his son carried many of his talents.
"In fulfillment to this treaty, general Wen Qin may now join your ranks, as will ten thousand of our men."
Zhuge Dan bowed low, as Wen Qin walked towards him from the Wu side. Both men nodded to each other before Qin took his place beside Zhuge Dan.
"And in final requirement, your son and wife must come to us. They will be treated very well in our kingdom and will be returned upon your victory.
This was the part Zhuge Dan was dreading, for his son had remained by his side through his entire life. While his living sister had cut of ties with the family due to her alignment with the Sima's, Zhuge Jin was still close to his father, and as he gazed in his eyes as he passed him, he knew that his son was unwilling to be parted from him.
"I will be back for you, for both of you," he said to his son and wife. "My homeland needs me, and I must rescue it from the darkness that has enveloped it. Zhuge Jin, be kind to those who take care of you here, and take care of your mother. Do not fear for me, for with you in my heart, there is nothing for me to fear in the face of my cowardly enemies."
As soon as he turned around, both his son and wife knew he was gone. In their hearts they prayed, and in their heads they tried only to be optimistic about his fateful decision.
They never again, saw him alive.
"Zhuge Dan, what is it you want?"
Said man heard these words atop from his high place in the walls of his mighty fortress. The angry and questioning words belonged to his rival and greatest enemy.
"You know what I want, I want you dead," the general said, coming forward so that his rival could see him. Sima Zhao looked up sharply, and the young general Zhong Hui came to stand beside him.
"Your family only brings despair to Wei. How many have rebelled since your family has taken power? More than all of those who rebelled against the founders of this kingdom when it was first established! Your family is a plague onto Wei, and you are unworthy of the post you have!"
"And after I have died, what will you do then?" Sima Zhao's words were questioning, and Zhuge Dan was thrown off track briefly.
"I-I will restore Wei, in the name of the emperor!" he shouted back at the man below him.
"If you want to restore the emperor, then why did you run to Wu? They will kill you once they think you are of no use!"
"While I am touched by your concern, I assure you, that I will do the same to them, before they do it to me! Do not try to shake my resolve, I will kill you, for you have always been inferior to me!"
"Zhuge Dan, all your life you have claimed loyalty to Wei! And yet know, the world will see you for who you are! A traitor!"
"Shut him up!" Zhuge Dan yelled in anger. The archers next to him wildly released their bows and Sima Zhao and Zhong Hui wisely pulled back.
Run from me, Sima Zhao. You are not your brother, who I would have followed, nor are you your deceitful father. You are stronger and cleverer than both, evil in that you do not even allow me the refuge of ignorance. I will slay you, if it is the last thing I do!
The battle was progressing worse than he expected. He was outnumbered, and his men could not break through the defensive wall Jia Chong set up to meet with the Wu reinforcements. Supplies were running low as well, and a food crisis faced Zhuge Dan and his men.
"General Zhuge Dan, if we release our civilians to the Sima's, then we will decrease our food intake. It is the only way to conserve supplies."
"So to eat like pigs we must sacrifice the lives of our innocents? How dare you suggest that we hand our people over to those barbarians!
Wen Qin only shook his head in frustration. He and his superior had far from gotten along over the few months of siege.
"Sima Zhao treats his prisoners with respect and care. You are punishing these people by forcing them to stay here! Sima Zhao has proven himself to be the better man! Surrender, and we may live!"
"You coward! You aren't loyal to Wei, you put on a façade of loyalty to gain support! I am a greater man than you will ever be! My name will shine through history, and no one will ever remember you!"
Pulling his sword from his sheath, Zhuge Dan swung his great sword at Wen Qin, killing him instantly. The man gasped, before dying, shaking on the floor.
"Father! No!"
The words still echoed in his mind. Zhuge Dan lay huddled in his room, dilapidated by cold winds and floods. The voices of Wen Hu and Wen Yang as they witnessed their father being cut down by the man they had come to rely on haunted Zhuge Dan's mind. Nearly all of his supporters among the officers had left. He and a few thousand men were left, for Wen Hu and Wen Yang had taken half his men to Sima Zhao in surrender. Now too few were left and Zhuge Dan and his last men were to make one last effort to break free from Sima Zhao and retreat to Wu. All he had now was his family and his faith.
"Zhuge Dan, Chief General who Conquers the South and Minister of Works of Cao Wei. You have been accused of treason by taking up arms against the regent, Sima Zhao of Cao Wei."
Jia Chong read the sentence, and Zhuge Dan kneeled bruised and bloodied after the disastrous attempt to break free from Souchun. All of Sima Zhao's military generals were present, looking down on him with looks of pity, triumph, revulsion and sadness.
"Zhuge Dan, you are a traitor to Cao Wei, however, you can make up for this by telling me where Lu Kang has positioned his men on the riverbank."
Now Sima Zhao spoke, but Zhuge Dan only registered one thing in his sentence.
"Traitor? I, Zhuge Dan, am the traitor? I, who will not condemn myself to becoming a sycophant or a traitor to the land that took my family in?" Zhuge Dan stood, glaring at the man standing in front of him. Hu Fen, Sima Zhao's guard drew his sword and stepped in front of him.
"Zhuge Dan, you are already a traitor. Have you resigned yourself to dying for a lost cause?"
"Hmph. You think a mere blade will frighten me? In the Warring States period of our land, there was the historian Dong Hu, who recorded the abuses he saw at his own risk. I am willing to do the same!"
"Silence Zhuge Dan!" Sima Zhao screamed.
"You may call me a traitor, Sima Zhao. And you may kill me and usurp the throne of the noble Cao family. You may purge this world of those who oppose you and claim glory as unifiers, but Sima Zhao you are truly blind!" The entire court stood in silence now, as the short but furious and determined man before hem, gave his last declaration. "Usurpers and traitors! You may outrun this truth from yourselves, but you will never outrun the truths of history!"
His death came swiftly, as an act of anger. Hu Fen slit his throat with a scream of rage and Zhuge Dan silently sunk to his knees and fell to the floor.
He could here Sima Zhao berating Hu Fen, and Wang Yuanji shout in dismay and shock. He could see the generals and ministers crowd around him, but Zhuge Dan closed his eyes and sighed softly, as an old memory came back to him.
The remainder of Zhuge Dan's men were lined up kneeling. An executioner passed each one and would ask one by one, if each man would repent and rejoin Sima Zhao's forces. The response each time was the same.
"Our cause was just! We will never look to Sima Zhao for guidance again. We will search happily for lord Zhuge Dan in the afterlife!"
One thousand and one loyal men died that day.
"This will seal it! Shuang, Dan, are you ready?"
Shuang nodded in response to Xiahou Xuan's question. He slit his hand with a small knife, and passed it to Xuan, who did the same. Dan however, refused to take the blade.
"Gongxiu, you have to do it. How can we be sworn brother without making a blood pact?"
"It's gonna hurt! I don't want to do it!"
"Stop being such a coward, Gongxiu," Shuang said.
"I'm not a coward Shuang!"
"Sounds like you want to betray our bond of trust. Do you want to be a traitor?" Xuan said teasingly.
His face pink with childish anger now, Zhuge Dan snatched the blade and cut his hand.
"I will never again be accused of being a traitor! I swear on this wound!"
"Hah, glad you could man up Dan!"
Xuan stuck his hand out and Shuang placed his on top. Hesitantly, Zhuge Dan did the same.
"We three are now united by blood, to live together and share life and experience, pain and happiness throughout our entire lives."
Shuang and Dan repeated Xuan's words and the pact was complete. Shuang ran off with a laugh, snatching Xuan's necklace and running off, yelling at them to retrieve it as he charged through the tall, green hills.
Xuan laughed and patted Dan on the back. The sun was setting, but neither were in a rush to go home.
"Gongxiu, think you can get that back from Shuang for me?"
"For my brother, and for you, I would defy the Emperor himself."