Chapter 21: Lamentations of the Disgraced

"I, Sima Yi, heir to the great Sima clan of Henei, write this memoir in the event I shall leave this mortal plane. My nephew, Sima Wang, is one of the few esteemed members of my clan who have placed their lot in the tumultuous affairs of the world. He serves an opposing faction, but the very fact that he resists my lord was not my choice, was not my decision. No, the reason why Sima Wang stands against his uncle is because of my direct superior, Lord Zhuge Liang.

"Yet Zhuge Liang's actions do not fit his character. They do not seem to be the sort of decisions he would make. This man who calls himself Zhuge Liang is not the man I knew, far from it. My wife tells me that Lady Huang Yue Ying has expressed doubts towards her husband. Chunhua even suggested that this mysterious man nearly forced himself upon her. I know Zhuge Liang, he is a proud man, ever conscious of his image. How could such a man risk being known as a man who forces himself upon a woman, especially the woman who states her love for him? If he could force himself upon the woman who loves him, forcing her even though she would normally be willing, how could he be trusted not to force himself upon any other woman? No, his worldview may be pathetic and his desire to restore the Han a suicidal dream, but Zhuge Kongming is not the sort of man who would use such barbarism on any woman. Thus, I have come to a conclusion about my superior officer, and it seems his own wife has come to the same conclusion.

"Should one come across this letter while Zhuge Liang is still alive, I wonder who you might be, and where you are. If possible, send this letter to one of three men. I trust Fa Xiaozhi with this last request: do what you can to undo what Zhuge Liang has done, even if it means that you'll lose this cushy job. You and I are of a kind, we both would rather relax and enjoy the fruits of our stratagems, but we have made a terrible mistake, one that would torment the world for decades to come. I admit that I cannot stomach this end, and somehow I know that you could not as well.

"If Xiaozhi is too far away, then perhaps this letter has reached the Southland? Jia Wenhe should know what to do. I have given some special requests to certain colleagues of ours, colleagues who have sworn to serve Shu. Should you present those requests, they will obey. You have known me for some time, I'm sure you're smart enough to figure them out.

"But if this letter finds itself in my nephew's hands, then I beg you, Zichu, get out while you still can. You should not serve Lord Cao Zhang, you should not serve anyone. Follow the wise decision of your uncle and my brother Sima Lang: Resign from your post and either take some minor position in some quiet town, or disappear for good. The world is in ruins, there is no need for you to sacrifice yourself for it. This world is not worth fighting for.

"As for me, I may die here, but if I do I ask old friends and foes to either finish my work, or spare themselves so that the future may learn what happened here."

Sima Yi put down his pen. His eyes warily scanned the area around him, letting his ears pick up what his eyes missed. No one seemed to be there, but he could not be completely sure.

And yet... There! There were light footsteps behind him.

"Master Zhong, why have you entered my office without announcing yourself?!" Sima Yi yelled at the light noise.

Zhong Yao froze.

"M-my lord. Many apologies, but I..."

"No, it is good that you are here. Whispers in the wind have betrayed you. They say that you allowed Lady Yue Ying to escape... Along with a certain other person."

"My lord!"

"Yet... Why are you so afraid? You have followed certain orders, as a tactician should. Although by all rights you are better suited as a civil officer..."

"My lord, how could there be whispers in the wind? The dispatch..."

"Could be read by anyone once it was discarded. You did not consider that possibility. Yet I expected someone other than you to be here."

"That's why I came here, my lord. We spotted a mysterious individual attempting to enter your estate. Lord Zhuge Liang, however, had him captured. He wishes to speak to you."

"He is our Prime Minister. You ought to recognize his eminence. To fail to admire the Prime Minister is treason." Sima Yi's face hardened.

"My lord, I..."

"But it is good that the only ones here are you and I, no?"

"Indeed." Sweat ran down Zhong Yao's face.

And Sima Yi grinned.

Lu Jiang, Sun family estate

Though Jian Ye was Sun Quan's old capital, somehow the Regent found it more comfortable to rule from this complex. Perhaps it reminded her of her elder brother, her father, and the other man in her life.

But she shook her head as she stared at her father's portrait. "I am Regent of Wu. Father and brother would not want me to mourn, and neither would Gongjin. I hold our destiny in my hands, even if I lack some crucial support."

But even as Shangxiang mumbled she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, and turned around.

"Da?"

Da Qiao smiled.

"Congratulations, Shangxiang. You are now Regent of Wu, and only fools would laugh at you now."

Shangxiang smiled too. "Sister! I thought you would remain in Jian Ye. But I could really use your council."

Her court shuffled in their seats at their display of emotion. They had remained respectfully quiet while Sun Shangxiang seemed to mourn her father and brothers.

Da Qiao turned and gave Gu Yong and the like a respectful nod. Zhou Tai simply sat cross-legged next to Shangxiang's throne, his face unmoving. "You have capable officers by your side, and though Lu Su and Lu Xun are out training the troops you would have little need for additional advisors."

"Well, I do have Jia Xu, but he's out drinking right now. No, there's still one person that I-"

"Don't say anything more. We will get him out of there." Da Qiao grabbed Shangxiang's shoulders with both hands. "Gongjin isn't Bofu. He wouldn't just lea-"

At that moment Lu Meng came bursting into the room, startling several of the men who swore to serve as Sun Shangxiang's court.

"Lady Sun. We stand at a crossroads: Wei survives in the name of Cao Zhang, and Shu continues its rampage against the north. The two tigers fight, and their lands are ripe for the taking, yet we sit here like timid lambs waiting for death. You are our Regent, it is your duty to spread our glory throughout the land and crush the pathetic rabble of Shu and Wei. Your indecisiveness will lead to our downfall, and if you feel so terrified by our opponents that you would feel more comfortable hiding in Lu Jiang, then I shall take comma-"

At this point Gu Yong's eyes flashed with ire, and he slowly rose from his chair. Zhou Tai's hand also reached for his sword as he prepared to dart forward.

But both men were stopped when Da Qiao herself stomped up to Lu Meng and glared into his face.

"You know nothing of the burden of command, General. At best you have led legions, but you have hardly commanded the entire realm. Your conquest of Shou Chun has no doubt been critical, and your recent victory at Wancheng was important, but you seem to forget that other men took Luoyang, Xu Chang, Ru Nan, and thus established Wu's hold on the central plains. You also forget how we managed to convince Cao Zhi to join us without killing a single soldier. He may be a Marquis in charge of three provinces, but even his strategist Yang Xiu knows that they must answer to us. Through our agreement with Yang Xiu, we hold much of the realm. You have won battles, but have you determined the fate of whole states? No, you have not. Even Bu Zishan has done more than you in that regard."

"I-"

"Furthermore, and this is the far more troubling consideration, you dare to march right into the Regent's throne room and flout about how you would be a superior ruler? Have you no sense of loyalty? Are you a rebel? You are a fool, Lu Ziming, and it is appalling how Lord Sun Quan put so much faith in your abilities as a grand strategist! Your tactics have been effective, but men like Lu Su, Zhou Yu, and even Jia Xu have determined the fate of our nation. You have merely determined the outcome of some important battles."

Lu Meng's face flushed as he tried to brush her aside.

"Y- You speak out of turn! Am I not the mastermind behind the battle of Shou Chun, the battle that helped us lock the gateway to Jian Ye? Without me Wu would never have-"

"And thus you fail to understand her point!" Gu Yong roared. "Tacticians must have a firm grasp of the flow of battle: otherwise they cannot react fast enough to changing circumstances and will lose the fight. However, strategists must see the broader picture. They must be able to determine the outcome of circumstances. You are a talented tactician who has been able to decisively crush our foes, driving them out of two important cities, but when Lord Zhou Yu led our forces to annex the Central Plains you nearly tore the army in half when you expressed dissent. He ordered you to take Wancheng simply as a means for you to express your power, and still be unable to influence the bigger picture.

"If we lost at Wancheng we would merely lose a buffer against potential Wei attacks from that direction. If we lost at Shou Chun, well, that is why Gongjin insisted on a path through Jingzhou because Shou Chun is difficult to defend overall and difficult to attack from the south. But it has been Zhou Yu and Lu Su, not you, who has determined why Shou Chun was vital and why Wancheng was not. Those two orchestrated our recent campaign through Luoyang, not you. You might have been able to beat Master Jia at Ru Nan, but judging by your restlessness he would have been able to lure you deeper towards Xu Chang and, like the late Lord Sun Quan, ambush you just as Sima Yi surprised Lord Sun Quan at Xiangyang."

Lu Meng grunted. "Lady Qiao says that I know nothing of commanding the realm, yet you know nothing of battle. You are not even a strategist: you are just the man who collects taxes with which I can buy weapons. What right do you have to speak to a warrior in such a manner, paper pusher?"

There were slow steady footsteps, and another pair strolled into the room.

"It is because of that paper pusher that Wu still has the strength to keep fighting. Without him our supplies would have been exhausted long ago. For all the grain Lu Su has given us, it is Gu Yong who made sure that the land remained plentiful and strong. I admit I am very disappointed that the esteemed General Lu, in spite of his able logistical sense, failed to realize this."

At this point Gu Yong, Zhou Tai, and the various officers of Shangxiang's court widened in shock as Zhou Yu and Yue Ying entered the room. Da Qiao, for her part, was estatic.

Shangxiang tried to retain her composure after she heard Zhou Yu's voice. "Supreme Commander, you are rather late for this council. You also failed to attend my coronation."

Gu Yong smirked while Lu Meng fumed.

"Many apologies, Milady. I was... Preoccupied... By bandits and thugs. The Lady Zhuge herself provided me with assistance."

Shang Xiang and Da Qiao raised their eyebrows as Yue Ying flushed slightly.

"Why does she wear a red uniform?" Da Qiao demanded.

"Well... Due to the surprising influence of those bandits and thugs, Lady Yue Ying and several of her subordinates have pledged their strength to Wu for an indefinite amount of time."

Shangxiang nodded and gave Yue Ying a warm smile as she rose from her throne. "Then it is my pleasure to welcome you to Wu, Lady Zhuge. Though your presence here is rather unexpected, your aid would be most appreciated."

Da Qiao's eyes widened at Shangxiang's response, but she nodded and smiled as well.

Chang'an, Imperial Throne Room

"Master Sima, I have been expecting you."

Sima Yi bowed before his superior.

"Prime Minister, it is always an honor to be in your presence."

And 'Zhuge Liang' smiled. "You flatter me."

"My lord, why have you summoned me?"

"Simple. I have received reports that Zhou Yu somehow escaped incarceration, even though I ordered our finest guards to keep watch over him. He is the one threat that prevents Han's light from shining across the realm. Wang Lang and Sima Wang are fools, leading the remnants of Wei against us, and though Jia Xu and Lu Su are brilliant men our combined talents far surpass theirs. But if Zhou Yu escapes, he can plot along with those two. Master Fa is not here, forcing us to work twice as hard to stop Admiral Zhou's plans.

"Furthermore it seems the villain intends to commit line theft, for it is reported that my wife was kidnapped by him during his escape! How could we allow such a monster to lurk unchecked? How could we have let it escape and wreck havoc on the realm? I order you to eliminate Zhou Yu in any way possible, or Han will fade for good."

Sima Yi nodded, his eyes kept fixed on Yang Yi's gaze the entire time. "Prime Minister, thy servant will do what he can to protect the realm. Han will prevail."

"Han will prevail!" Yang Yi shouted the slogan merrily. "Go, Regent Marshal, and crush the traitor before he destroys our work!"

Sima Yi couldn't help but sneer as he turned his face away from Yang Yi. The fool had somehow learned of Zhou Yu's "escape," yet somehow expected him to take care of it. For all his condemnations of Zhou Yu, who caused Cao Zhang to rally against them? Who practically gave Sun Shangxiang the power vacuum she needed to seize control over all of Wu? It certainly wasn't Zhou Yu.

He shook his head as the throne room doors slammed behind him. This fool of a "Prime Minister" couldn't be Zhuge Liang. They were being lied to somehow. Could this be tied to the banquet at Chang'an after Wu took Luoyang? Zhongda couldn't tell for sure, but this imbecile of a Prime Minister was right about one thing: Sima Yi's release of Zhou Yu would mark the end of Shu Han.

"My lord, I was under the impression that you wanted me to eliminate him?"

"Well, if I killed him now it would be too obvious. Your honesty is commendable, and if I did not need his help you would take his place. However even though he let Zhou Yu free, he is also the one most likely to recapture that traitor outside of myself. Sima Yi is the sort of man who enjoys the hunt: he will surely work to catch his prey and kill it this time. If he doesn't, well, then he gives me an excellent reason to eliminate him and have loyal advisors like you take his place. You followed his orders, which was a foolish move, but if our army can ignore orders what kind of army would we be? Go on now, Master Zhong, and keep watching him. Make sure he does his duty."

In a bar not far from the Sun family estate.

"Jia Wenhe, forgive me. I am an old soldier, one who has fought many battles on behalf of the Sun clan. I knew Sun Ce when he was but a boy, and Lord Sun Jian was one of my closest friends. Their deaths made me suspect myself. Was I at fault? They trusted me with guiding their armies to victory, and though younger men like Zhou Yu, Lu Meng, and Lu Su have taken my place as field tactician, I remain one of Wu's celebrated commanders.

"But you, sir, you came out of nowhere. Lord Zhou Yu supposedly recruited you in Ru Nan and suddenly you become one of our honored strategists! I saw you negotiate the surrender of Xu Chang to our allies, and eventually you worked with Gongjin in the Battle of Luoyang. You can't believe what that meant to us: we the people of the South, who were always despised by those northerners managed to take the Eastern Capital itself! You made sure that Luoyang belonged to Wu. On behalf of all the people of Jiangdong, I cannot thank you enough."

Jia Xu laughed, and downed another cup.

"You thank me for what, old man? For some entertainment and self-gratification at the hands of Cao Pi, Cao Zhen, and Liu Ye? The battle for Luoyang was, in all frankness, a way to get Yang Xiu to concede defeat at my hands and for Zhou Yu to continue his sponsorship of me. Had I failed, it would be likely that Lord Sun Quan would order my death. I was a threat, an internal, unpredictable factor that would prove fatal for Wu's stability. If we lost at Luoyang or, worse, Xuchang your army would have little use for me: my very life would inspire Cao Pi and Liu Bei to fight even harder against Wu as a means of eliminating me. My very existence as one who knew so many of Wei's secrets would ruin Wu's hope for a truce with either Cao Pi and Cao Zhang. Even now we are on uneasy terms with the latter: I know their weaknesses and they know it too."

Cheng Pu downed another glass. "But that only makes you that much more valuable for us. Even at his worst Cao Zhang will not be as great a threat if we have you to predict his next moves."

"Don't underestimate our other strategists. Master Lu Su would be more than capable of disrupting most of that rabble. Our main threats from that end are Zhang He, Xiahou Yuan, and perhaps Cao Zhang himself. Sima Wang is a capable tactician, but his talents are comparable to our own Lu Fan. In truth my presence becomes less and less necessary, especially since Zhou Yu has returned."

"Gongjin? Was he not captured by our foes?"

Jia Xu smirked. "You are slipping, old man. As Sun Jian former chief tactician I expected your sources of intel to be more thorough. Don't let the rest of us youngsters outdo you!"

Cheng Pu shook his head. "Still, no matter how much you would like to appear humble, the fact remains that without your aid Wu would not be nearly as strong as it is today. With Cao Zhi as a client state we essentially control territory from Changsha to the south to Bei Hai in the north. Luoyang and Chenliu answer to us. We may not have Xiangyang, but at this point we hardly need it to assert our place in the realm."

"You flatter me, old man." Jia Xu downed another glass, and threw it on the floor, letting it shatter. "When Gongjin returns to duty, I am sure he will expect me and Lu Su to help him as we defeat Shu once and for all. Zhuge Liang is a threat to the realm and, most importantly, a threat to Wu. He broke our alliance and caught Gongjin more out of spite than anything else. If we take Luoyang from him, and have Cao Zhi take advantage of Xu Shu's plight to disrupt the affairs of the far north, Zhuge Liang will be forced to watch as his great empire crumbles around him. Liu Bei may be nothing more than a puppet, but Zhuge Liang will learn what it is like to have some strings pulled. Now, this liquor is giving me a headache. I require some time to recuperate. Good day to you." With that Jia Xu rose and left the bar.

Cheng Pu downed another glass. Although Jia Xu became a part of their army, perhaps a part of him still felt inadequate, or out of place? What would it take for Jia Xu to truly believe that he was one with the rest of Wu?