Six Strategists: The Moonlit Tree
Jiangling: Spring, 212 AD
Over the walls of Jiangling an arrow was shot.
Strangely enough, it did not hit any sentries. Rather, it came flying and crashed onto the stone floor of the perimeter parapets.
On that arrow, a letter was attached. This letter was immediately sent to Master Zhuge Liang.
Kongming's fan fluttered slovenly. Reports from the west were promising: Pang Tong's ploys had worked and Liu Zhang's men were scattered across the winds. Soon, Yizhou would be theirs.
And yet, when the letter arrived, a chill permeated the room.
The Southerners would not relent, not until that which was theirs was rightfully returned.
In that latter, some normally impeccable script was scrawled as though the author was roused with anger and haste.
Zhuge Liang read the words: "You force my hand. This would not have happened had you taken my offer so long ago, old friend."
Kongming let out a deep sigh. "Oh, Zhou Gongjin, you old fool... Not everything revolves around your beloved Southland..."
It was a spring evening when he made that one offer.
An offer that would change everything.
Huang Yueying and Zhuge Liang had taken this journey all the way to Jiangling. Master Sima told them that classes would resume in a few months, and even the likes of Jia Xu remarked that some fields had to be tended to, instead of minds.
"The trees here are perfect for mechanical contraptions. Ah, can you picture them, Kongming? Rows upon rows of wonders that are hardly magical miracles... The things man can build with mere wood and metal are amazing indeed!"
Zhuge Liang smirked. "That is why I brought you here."
As they walked, he had them stop beneath a particular tree.
Yue Ying sprinted up to it, examining the tree closely. "My my, this specimen is particularly large! One could construct a mighty trebuchet quite easily, and I would imagine it could provide more force. Yes, if I were to-"
"It would be a pity for you to harvest this particular tree."
"And why is that?"
At that point, Kongming grasped her hands with his. "I know that I am a mere farmer, a student of the ways of the world. I hold no titles and only a farm owned by my clan, but- Huang Yue Ying, would you do me the honor of being my wife?
In all the time she'd known him, Huang Yue Ying observed that Zhuge Kongming was no ordinary man.
Then again, neither were the men who spent the most time with him.
"Zhongda, your plan is unfeasible. All this talk of people fearing you is counterproductive. Suppose the peasants decide that enough is enough, and take up their pitchforks to fight for fair treatment? Now you might say that all they'd care about is the food on their plates, but men have killed for far less."
Those words revealed the typical attitude of one of their classmates: Zhou Yu of Lujiang. The man's eyes always burned with passion, even if that passion occasionally got the better of him.
Those speeches would often be met by a laugh. "Even peasants can tell when they are outmatched. When your guards have armaments and they do not, even their enraged hearts can be scattered to the winds. At any rate, order is of prime concern, and a gentle hand does not provide order. When the lash is soft, a bull often refuses to plow the fields. When a lord is not strict, his subordinates often grow lax."
Sima Yi, styled Zhongda of Henei was yet another of their classmates. His sly, humorous behavior helped mask various troubling statements. And yet he seemed agreeable enough. The three of them would often laugh merrily over games of skill or quips of wit.
Kongming waved his fan merrily while the two bickered. "It is a blessing, then, that I do not plan to serve under a lord anytime soon." He chuckled.
She remembered that day, even if it was like many others. The three of them would debate like this, and yet merriment would never leave their eyes.
"Yue Ying, what are your thoughts? Surely a lord who would torment his people would summon your wrath!" Zhou Yu would often ask her.
And she would flush, and respond with a dismissive quip: "The wise know that their time is precious. No tyrant would ever find himself near me, for I'd be a faint scent in the wind, a whisper, a legend."
"Aye, 'a woman of intelligence?' Those fools would say. 'No such thing exists.' Luckily Yue Ying here is not the sort of maiden who would fall for false charms or the promise of wealth." Sima Yi would add.
"And that is why we love her so..." Kongming would gesture theatrically, and they would all share a merry laugh.
But this proposal, it would change all of that. No, they could not let them know. Master might show concern that this would affect their lessons; especially the attention of the man who seemed his most favored student.
What would Jia Xu, ever filled with wry and biting commentary, have to say about their union?
What about Guo Jia, ever devoted to learning and study?
And what of... What of Gongjin?
It was very clear that Zhou Yu cared for her. He would often ask her for her opinion, in a time when most men would hardly care what a woman thought.
Sima Zhongda often acknowledged her talent, it was true, but he was not the sort to ask questions. Even Master once commented to the class when Sima Yi was absent that to get the star of the Sima clan to submit an inquiry was to pull teeth out of a tiger.
But for Kongming to do this was to disrupt their fine balance; to potentially cause the rest of the Six to look at them with new, questioning, perhaps even condemning eyes. Zhuge Liang would prove that Huang Yue Ying mattered more to him than their class, than their chance to study among the best and brightest, than their friendships with men who would hardly become footnotes of the Empire.
Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Zhou Yu, Sima Yi, these were dangerous men: men who expected something from Zhuge Liang and Huang Yue Ying; men whose expectations would be ruined if the two of them disrupted the class with their affair.
And yet, she shook those thoughts from her mind. There was no one else, there could be no one else. Zhuge Kongming had always stood by her side, and it was time for her to pledge to stand by his.
"The honor would be mine."
In the library of Master Sima Hui's cottage, Yue Ying would often come across Guo Jia, styled Fengxiao.
He would often stand tall amongst those many books, tall and proud.
Yet he was always pale too.
One day he was rummaging through the shelves when a book happened to fall. She quickly caught it and thus got his attention.
"Ah, Yue Ying. What a surprise, I do not see you here all that often. Thank you."
She smiled. "Fengxiao, unlike the others you seem to stay here often."
"Indeed. We were given this stellar opportunity: to study with a great sage and access his vast stores of knowledge. Why would any of us squander it?"
"I do not see Wenhe around here either."
Guo Jia chuckled at that. Jia Xu and Guo Jia were often seen together whenever Guo Jia wasn't in the library. "Wenhe seems to love alcohol more than books, and yet when questioned his solutions can be terrifying."
"I see."
"What of you, Yue Ying? Most of us are here to hone our craft, to develop strategies that scatter armies. You do not seem so... Zealous." He paused for a moment, considering his next words. "And yet you are here among us. Your insights have proven quite sharp, and even Zhongda has acknowledged your wisdom. You know how proud he is."
"Indeed. Well, I have always wished to invent new technologies. Master Sima has shared many insights in that regard. And it is an honor to stand among the rest of us. Not one of us here is a simple soul. I am sure-"
Guo Jia sighed. "- That we will all succeed? I wonder about that. In the event we each choose our own lords, we are bound to fight each other. And yet I do not see any potential for the kind of relationship the likes of Sun Bin and Pang Juan had. None of us seem to hold any ill will towards each other, but the battlefield is hardly so merciful as to acknowledge friendships."
"We all want the same thing, right? We all want to see the people prosper and the land at peace."
"Do we? Wenhe speaks of personal wealth and fortune. Kongming speaks of restoring the Han. Gongjin of the glory of the Southland. I doubt those goals can coexist for long... What peace can there be if people refuse to accept their place under one banner? There is great strife afoot; already we see countless men cursing the Han with their dying breaths. And for us strategists, personal wealth and fortune means nothing when our every move determines the fate of countless men."
"Fengxiao!" She gasped. "Must it come to that? As you said, none of us hate each other and we are all reasonable people."
"There is no reason in war." Guo Jia stared at her intensely, his teeth grinding against each other with cold fury. "There is only suffering, and that is why we use strategy to end it quickly. War always causes death: better for that death to come sooner and end rather than prolong it and allow many more to die."
"Fengxiao."
"And that- is why I ask you this. Because unlike the rest of us most lords will not let you make our choices. They will insist that you serve them in a different fashion. That you appeal to their lust or you bear their heirs. I have no doubt that any child of yours will have a sharp mind, and yet to see you end up as a mere handmaiden is a terrible waste."
"Wha-?"
"... But in another sense you have an ideal path. You could slip into the crowd and fade. It is a true shame that the world will hardly be able to make use of such a brilliant mind, but you could easily leave tales for future generations. A warning, perhaps, to avoid our mistakes. The rest of the Six might end up killing each other, but at least you are the most likely one to live."
Yueying regretted turning her back on him that day, but what else could she do? His words lacked malice, but they also represented what the rest must have thought of her.
That was why she hesitated.
That was why, had she make public her status as Kongming's fiancee, the others would scoff and consider it a betrayal.
Guo Fengxiao had expected her to be the only one who could avoid their fate, and by throwing her lot in with Kongming her path was sealed.
An image of Zhou Yu flashed into her mind, though, as she smiled for Kongming. Would he not have left her in the same situation? One was a farmer, the other destined to be a general. Perhaps she would be somewhat more easily removed from the fighting had she chosen Gongjin, but clearly Kongming would not stay a farmer for long.
And if she always stayed by his side...
As Kongming stood there, his face red, his eyes dancing with joy, she embraced him.
Very well! If fate brought her this day, then she would seize it! Two of the Six would always be together, to hell with the consequences!
Still, for their sake, she insisted that they keep their union as private as possible.
Fortress Chaisang: Winter, 211 AD
Sheltered from the bitter cold, Wu's finest gathered in Chaisang's war room.
A hand slammed against the central council table. "We cannot tolerate this mockery! Liu Bei's forces are poised to claim all of Yizhou for themselves. That means that they will not have any further need for Jiangling or even South Jingzhou. Jiangling, Changsha, these cities should represent compensation for our noble efforts at Chi Bi! Let us end this farce of an alliance, now, as clearly they have no intention of upholding their end of the deal."
The warriors and strategists gathered at this table unanimously shivered at Lu Meng's words. It was true that, in the long term, Wu had to expand if she could hope to resist the false Prime Minister's vast legions. She needed resources and land to prepare for the coming storm. Chi Bi was a lucky shot in the darkness, but the Caos would be well prepared for a second 'lucky shot.'
Zhou Yu, however, heaved a deep sigh. "We do need to hold Jiangling. The reason why Liu Biao was such a threat is the fact that by holding onto that city he had free reign to conduct raids deeper into our lands. And yet, simply charging forward by force is not our optimal solution. I will parley with Zhuge Liang, and I ask that you, Zijing, be prepared to take my place if things go horribly."
"Gongjin, are you well? Your injuries forced us to pull back and agree to their claims over the region in the first place..."
"Yes, but even if this body fails me, we must achieve our mission. We cannot afford to allow any other army to claim our very doorstep. Wu must be well-fortified, and she will only be well-fortified if we hold Jiangling and Jiangxia. To do this, I must be the one to speak with Zhuge Liang."
Four times Gongjin spoke to Kongming directly.
Every single time, he refused.
Finally, in a rage, Zhou Yu demanded why Jiangling should not fall to Wu.
"The trees here are perfect for building catapults. We've refrained from cutting them to demonstrate the sincerity of our alliance. Unfortunately, we are uncertain whether your side will uphold our agreements."
"You told us that you would return Jingzhou once you had a stable footing, but time and time again you have delayed that promise! Liu Zhang is practically no more and we are the ones who can best challenge Cao Cao! Uphold our agreement, Kongming, unless your word means nothing!"
When Zhou Yu stomped out, Zhuge Liang heaved a deep sigh. "If only you knew, Gongjin... I cannot let anyone harm that tree."
"Beneath that tree, I made a promise. So long as that tree stands, that promise can hold. But if it falls, then how can I make absolutely sure that she is safe? Jiangling is the doorway to both Shu and Wu; whoever controls it controls this Great River. No matter what, we cannot forfeit this city."
Years later, Yueying stood beneath that very tree.
So much had happened since. So much pain since they made that promise.
With tears in her eyes, she faced the river.
"Kongming, Gongjin, I'm so sorry..."
Guo Jia's prophesy had come true. The suffering of war exploded across the land, over one accursed tree.
AN: Yes, I'm still alive. Six Strategists continues over at An Archive of Our Own. Similar username. I felt that it would be good to share one last story here before I depart for good.
I suppose this is for you, SapphireMarbles. Sorry for Bad End, though that's been planned.