Just Crawling in the Mud
One day, the Taoist sage Zhuangzi received official visitors from the Court of the King of Chu. "Great master," they begged, "you are a man of talent in this horrid age, and China needs your help more than ever. Join us and serve our nation."
With a bitter smile, Zhuangzi replied: "I have heard that there is a sacred tortoise in Chu that has been dead for three thousand years. The King has kept it wrapped in cloth and stores it safely in the Ancestral Temple. Now would this tortoise rather be dead and have its bones left behind and honored, or would it rather be alive and dragging its tail in the mud?"
"It would rather be alive and dragging its tail in the mud." The two officials agreed.
With that, Zhuangzi said: "Go away! I'd rather be dragging my tail in the mud!" (1.)
Our friends have gone off to serve, and how has that served them? Zhuge Liang has spent his entire being, his life and soul, into serving Shu Han and preserving the remnants of that Empire, while Xu Shu is a mere joke among those who consider the Caos villains.
It's funny, if you listen to the talk of the commoners, there are quite a few who state that passing the examinations will bring you glory, riches, and fame beyond compare. Though you'll have some wealth handed over to you by the Imperial Court, and maybe a bit of fame, it seems like you also earn far more danger and pain than glory…
Just look at Kongming, for Heaven's sake! The poor man fought for so long, and he's gotten so little in the end… He's wasted his life for a completely ludicrous and lost cause, and for what? He's earned practically nothing, all because he was dragged into serving Liu Bei by that fool Xu Yuanzhi.
And Xu Shu's tale is also quite sad. He wanted to fight alongside Liu Bei in the name of justice and honor, but as a good son (and as a naïve and gullible idiot), he was misled by Cheng Yu and was forced to stand with Cao Cao. Heaven mostly laughs at him, and Kongming probably hates him now that he's personally suffered because of Yuanzhi's recommendation.
Looking back on those two, we can say that we have a personal reason to mourn, but the lives of those two men are simply examples among a much larger category.
So many people have taken up high ranks and died painfully or from extreme exhaustion because of that strain and stress on their lives. Honestly, to take a stand in this horrible age is to ask for death. Look at Zhuge Liang now, look at Zhou Yu then, and look at Huangfu Song when the Chaos began. Did all three men not meet horrid or exhausting deaths? No matter how talented they were, they were never able to escape the terror of war for long. (2.)
Some people say that great talents should go out and use their strength, intellect, and skill for the good of China, but we spectators can easily see the magnitude of death and destruction these times of turmoil have brung. Should we simply sacrifice ourselves so pointlessly in an era that could really use few of our talents, or should we simply stand back and record what happened here for future generations to learn and avoid?
Zhuangzi once banished conniving recruitment officials from his home, ordering them to let him roll about merrily in the mud.
With a nod to his wise words, perhaps we ought to do the same.
1. Of the great Chinese sages: Confucius, Mencius, Mo Zi, Lao Zi, and Zhuang Zi, among many others, Zhuangzi and Lao Zi are the most well known of the founders of Taoist/Daoist thought.
2. Huangfu Song was one of the main Generals fighting for Han's behalf during the Yellow Turban rebellion. He was known to be a generous and kind person, as well as a capable tactician. Without this great man's leadership, Zhang Jiao may very well have won. It is said that after the rebellion, he was still called into service as Grand Commissioner, and thus was worked to death by the Han Dynasty.
Chu was a state in the Warring States period, with its capital in the general area of Jingzhou. The Warring States period was an ancient, troubled (and obviously violent) era of division within China, with various Chinese people claiming multiple sections of territory. It would seem, though, that based on the raw percentage and number of casualties, the Three Kingdoms Era was far greater and, thus, far more bloody and terrible.
Final Note: So yeah, I decided to write this at the spur of the moment. I am well aware that technically Cui Zhouping, Meng Gongwei, and Shi Guangyuan had ranks in Wei's government (Cui bought his rank, while Shi was a minor officer, and Meng became Governor of Liang Province.) However, in terms of the novel and popular culture (yes, even I succumb to it sometimes despite always speaking on Zhou Yu's behalf), those three are considered smart for not bothering with politics. This fic is a nod to that mindset and spirit.