Episode 83
Three Kingdoms
Dear brother, after you return to the Southland,
please convey my heartfelt gratitude to the Prince of Wu.
Thank him for his great wisdom and virtue
in restoring the alliance with us after our recent defeat.
I will relay your message to him.
Second Brother,
The Wu-Shu alliance against Wei has been both our states' central policy for many years.
True, there were turbulent times,
but as sure as the coming of dawn after a long night,
the Wu-Shu alliance shall once again grow in strength and intimacy.
I do not doubt your sincerity, Brother.
But I wonder whether other Southland officers will be as well-meaning as you are.
What do you mean. Second Brother?
Most treaties are cemented by times of shared adversity.
but destroyed through mistrust and jealousy.
For example, if Cao Pi launches an attack on Shu,
and entices Wu with promises to split the lands of Shu
would the Prince of Wu remain faithful to our treaty then?
You have a point, Second Brother.
Indeed, if Cao Pi attacks Wu,
and promises Shu to split the lands of Wu
at that point.
would Imperial Uncle Liu still honor our alliance?
Our kingdom of Shu-Han is founded on the principle of integrity.
Our promises are as good as gold. We will never go back on our word.
And our Prince of Wu is a lord of wisdom and virtue.
His promises can stand the test of time.
Excellent.
Rest assured, Second Brother.
You and I are still brothers by blood.
Though we serve different lords. our fraternal bonds will not be severed by state affairs.
Similarly,
the alliance between Shu and Wu is not one that is easily broken.
Well said, Brother.
Also please convey a few words from,me to Lu Xun.
Of course.
Lu Xun wiped out 700,000 of our troops with a great fire at Yiling,
Ma Su also informed me that
he broke though my Eight-Trigram Maze at Flshbelly Meadow with just a few old horses.
His talents and achievements
are comparable to those of Zhou Yu of yore.
I am both impressed by and full of admiration for him.
I only ask that he look after himself and not make himself my enemy.
He should invest his talents into simply protecting his country and people and defending them against Wei.
An overly-meritorious servant will cause his lord to feel threatened.
Wu's previous Grand Commanders did not live for long.
I will let him know.
But I must give you back the second half of your words.
Oh?
Second Brother, the one who shines brighter than his master is you.
And speaking of lifespan,
isn't the Imperial Uncle's life currently hanging by a thread?
Your Excellency.
What is it, Youchang?
Your Excellency, His Majesty bade you come to the palace immediately.
Elder Brother, I shall not see you off then.
Second Brother,
take care of yourself.
Second Brother,
we will meet again someday.
Father, the Prime Minister is here.
My respects to Your Majesty.
Kongming,
come sit by my side.
Your Majesty.
Kongming,
your hair has become hoary too.
Back then, when I thrice visited your thatched hut,
you were in the prime of your youth.
You were not yet twenty-seven years old.
But in a flash, age is already showing on your face.
Being found by Your Majesty in my humble home in Nanyang was the greatest honor of my life.
The honor is all mine.
Had I not met you, I would have died in the wilderness long ago.
If it weren't for your aid,
I could never have gained what I have today.
What a pity...
Ever since I ascended the throne,
I was over-confident
and shunned your loyal counsel.
This led to our disastrous defeat at Yiling.
This defeat is a tremendous blow to our kingdom.
The armies and resources we've accumulated all these years were destroyed in an instant.
Kongming...
This pains me to the depths of my heart.
Your Majesty, please don't speak of these things any more.
Kongming, do you still remember what you said to me in Longzhong?
I do.
Now, Cao Cao has an army of a million and uses his hold on the Emperor to control the feudal lords.
We should not challenge him directly.
As for the Sun family, they have had a firm grip on the Southland for three generations.
Its terrain deters invaders, its state is rich. and its military is strong.
You may ally yourself with the Southland, but you must not seek to conquer them.
But if you take the provinces of Jing and Yi,"
and build a state based on the Riverlands,"
and if you ally with Sun Quan and rule the lands wisely,"
then, when the opportunity is ripe,"
you may lead the Riverlands' troops on a campaign out from Qinchuan."
All in the land will welcome your army with open arms."
If you accomplish this,"
your great aspiration will come to fruition, and the Han House shall be restored."
More than 20 years have passed since then...
Your Majesty, you still remember my words so vividly.
The plan you proposed in Longzhong will be unrivaled in a thousand years.
Every word you spoke still rings clearly in my ears,
and each time I recall them,
they are as refreshing as a drink of sweet dew.
Ah-dou, help me up.
Kongming, what do you make of my son?
He is the offspring of a great lord,
a worthy descendent of the imperial house.
Although he is kind, he is too feeble in character.
Kongming, my end is nigh,
and I must entrust to you the most important matters.
Your Majesty, please don't...
Listen,
your talents surpass Cao Pis and Sun Quan's tenfold, or even a hundredfold.
With your aid, the empire shall be restored. and the greatest undertaking accomplished.
As for my son, Ah-dou,
serve him if you are willing to do so.
But if you find him to be a lost cause,
you are free to take his place
as the rightful ruler of the Riverlands, and ascend the throne yourself.
Your Majesty!
I will solely be loyal to Your Majesty and the Crown Prince, even if I were threatened with utter destruction.
Until the world itself is unmade. I will never entertain such an inordinate desire.
Kongming,
do not be of doubt.
I spoke straight from my own heart.
I am aware of Your Majesty's great kindness to me.
But I would rather be ground into dust than forsake my loyalty to you.
Death is my only other option.
Ah-dou.
Father.
Kowtow to Kongming.
From today, Kongming shall be your second father.
Henceforth, you must treat Kongming as your lord and father.
Your Majesty, I do not deserve such an honor.
Sir, will you refuse a dying man's last wish?
Minister Father.
Good.
With this obeisance made, I can rest in peace.
Your Majesty.
What is the matter, Youchang?
Your Majesty, the court officials are gathered outside the palace, awaiting your orders.
Kongming,
what do you think of Ma Su's abilities?
He is one of the most capable men alive
and is no less talented than Lu Xun of the Southland.
It is true that Youchang is well-versed in military texts,
but he seems to me like a man with more talk than action.
He might not be able to undertake great responsibilities.
I shall remember your words.
Father, Father.
Your Majesty.
Kongming,
go summon the officers.
Yes, sir.
My child.
Do you know why I bade you treat the Prime Minister as your lord and father?
I don't know.
This is because... only... only this way... can you be safe and well.
I understand.
Do you know the "Annals of the Supreme Ancestor" by heart now?
I do.
Recite it for me.
The Supreme Ancestor was a native of Yangli, in Feng County of Pei."
His surname was Liu, his style name Ji."
His father was Taigong, and his mother was Liu Ao."
Before he was born,"
Liu Ao was resting by the banks of the Da-Ze River and dreamed of an encounter with a divine being."
At... at... at... at which... at..."
At which time thunder and lightning crashed upon the horizons."
Taigong went to seek his wife,"
and found a great dragon above her."
She became pregnant and gave birth to the Supreme Ancestor soon after."
You still don't know it well enough by heart.
I am just too stupid. Father.
Father.
Father! Father!
Your Majesty!
Father!
In A.D. 223
Liu Bei, with his great,cause unfinished,
passed away in Baidi Castle
at the age of 63.
The Crown Prince, Liu Shan, succeeded the throne.
Thereafter, Shu-Han entered the era of the Latter Ruler.
My lord.
I have come to report on my mission.
Ziyu,
how did the negotiations for the renewal of the Wu-Shu Alliance?
As you have predicted, my lord,
the alliance between Wu and Shu is successfully renewed.
My younger brother, Kongming, conveyed his gratitude to you,
and praised you for your great wisdom and virtue.
But my younger sister passed away.
Ever since Liu Bei's devastating defeat at Yiling,
she lost all appetite for food and drink, and grew ill with melancholy.
At the end, we lost her.
She loved this flute best when she was alive.
Let me play one more piece for her as farewell.
My lord, when did Her Highness pass away?
On the 25th day of the fourth month.
I see. Her Highness and Liu Bei passed away just one day apart.
What?
Liu Bei has died?
Indeed.
I received the news just after I departed from Baidi Castle.
Liu Bei fell seriously ill and died of grief.
That was on the 24th day of the fourth month.
Xiaomei, did you hear that?
Your husband has passed away too.
You will no longer be lonely.
He's gone to keep you company!
You will meet each other in the celestial palaces.
Ziyu, now that Liu Bei is dead,
I have nothing else to worry about.
Previously, the world was split in three between Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and me.
But now, I am the only one remaining.
My lord, right now, you are the greatest ruler in the realm.
The one who unites the world will certainly be you.
Here is what pleases me the most.
Liu Bei has hated me with a vengeance.
Ever since the deaths of his brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei,
Now that he is dead.
all power at court will surely fall into the hands of your younger brother, Zhuge Liang.
Zhuge Liang happens to favor a Shu-Wu alliance against Wei's forces.
Hence I predict that he will only wage war against/the north,
and never against the east. Am I right?
I congratulate you, my lord.
Halt!
The Sima Residence
Your Majesty! Please forgive me for not having anticipated your arrival.
Is Sima Yi home?
Yes, he is. I will inform the Master at once.
There is no need to. I will go find him myself.
Aye. There is;no«need8tovl:will go find him myself.
Jingshu, it has been a while. Have you been well?
I am well. Your Majesty.
I missed you quite badly.
I hope things continue to get even better for you.
Thank-you, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, please forgive me in not having welcomed you earlier.
Zhongda. Come, please rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I'm in good spirits today, and I thought I'd pay you a visit.
At the same time,
I bring you a good piece of news.
What good news may that be, may I ask?
Liu Bei died of illness in Baidi Castle.
The thorn in my flesh is thus removed.
Wonderful, wonderful!
This is truly a blessing from Heaven!
Congratulations, Your Majesty!
With Liu Bei's recent demise.
the morale of Shu is shaken.
His successor, Liu Shan, is only a child.
He is no cause for concern.
Moreover, the defeat at Yiling
has sapped Shu's energy and depleted its military strength.
Zhongda, I wish to wage war against Shu.
What do you say?
If Your Majesty wishes to conquer Shu,
this is a Heaven-sent opportunity to do so.
To be honest,
as soon as Your Majesty spoke of the news of Liu Bei's death,
I began to devise an offensive strategy for you.
Such quick thinking, Sir!
I'm all ears.
With Liu Bei dead,
Zhuge Liang will wield the greatest authority in Shu.
He is skilled in military matters.
His talent far exceeds that of his lord, Liu Bei.
Hence, if Your Majesty wishes to attack Shu,
we must launch a five-pronged offensive
so that Zhuge Liang will be unable to respond to all sides.
Only then will we succeed.
Which five prongs would that be?
The first one...
Your Majesty, please send a letter to Kebineng, the Chief of Xianbei.
Bribe him with gold, silk, money and grain,
and command him to muster an army of 100,000 men and attack Xiping Pass.
For the second prong,
send an envoy to bestow gifts on King Meng Huo of the Southern Barbarians.
Have him raise an army of 100,000 tribesmen to attack Yi.
For the third prong,
send the defector Meng Da forth from Xincheng with an army of 100,000 to attack Hanzhong.
For the fourth prong.
send an envoy to Jianye to re-establish diplomatic relations with the Prince of Wu.
We can promise to split the lands of Yi Province with him after vanquishing Shu.
Order Sun Quan to raise an army of 100,000 men to attack the two gorges and annex Fucheng.
Now the fifth...
As for the fifth prong...
Your Majesty must appoint a general with both wisdom and courage as Grand Commander.
He shall lead 100,000 elite troops straight towards Yangping Pass.
With the combined power of 500,000 soldiers converging from five directions,
no matter how clever Zhuge Liang is, his attention will be divided.
and he will be unable to prevent losses.
Even if he manages to keep the Riverlands, he will still lose Hanzhong.
As long as one of these two regions falls, Shu will be destroyed.
Brilliant!
What a brilliant plan!
Good, good, good, good! Excellent!
Zhongda,
I sense that you hesitate to speak your mind fully.
Which wise and courageous general should we appoint as the Grand Commander of this fifth force?
While I dare not attribute the qualities of wisdom and courage to myself,
it has always been my wish to accomplish deeds for Your Majesty on the battlefield.
Si ma Yi is an exceptional talent.
You have to utilize his talents.
Without his assistance, you are no match for Zhuge Liang.
But remember this... you must be wary of him always.
Sir! Zhongda!
You are my most trustworthy adviser.
I really, really cannot bear to let you risk your life.
Why don't you help me
in the comfort of your home instead?
devise an impeccable plan of attack
When victory is ours.
you will still receive the greatest share of credit for conquering Shu.
Yes, Your Majesty.
What is your worthy son's current position?
Your Majesty, I am currently the deputy registrar of Luoyang.
Very well.
I hereby bestow upon you another rank. that of the Commandant of Luoyang.
From now on, you may join your father in discussing matters of the State.
We thank Your Majesty for this great bounty.
Your Majesty, since the third watch last night,
I have received four urgent military reports.
Firstly,
Xianbei's Kebineng has marched forth with T00,000*men to attack Xiping Pass by-land.
Secondly, Barbarian King Meng Huo has brought 100,000 troops northwards
to attack our southern commanderies.
Thirdly, Meng Da, the general who defected to Wei,
is attacking our lands in Hanzhong on Cao Pis orders.
Fourthly, Wei's Commander-in-Chief, Cao Zhen,
leading 200,000:elite-troops,
has already drawn close to Yangping Pass.
Uh, wait, Li Yan, does the Prime Minister know about this?
I have already notified His Excellency at the break of dawn.
But... then why did he not come to court to discuss this?
His Excellency has fallen ill for some reason.
Erm, my dear subjects.
do any of you have any plans for repelling the enemy?
Your Majesty, with His Excellency's help.
the invading armies will certainly be repelled, and Shu remain safe.
But he is not in court to discuss this issue!
the fact that His Excellency has taken sick leave
shows precisely that he is working hard to devise a plan for countering the attack.
Minister Father, are you enjoying yourself?
Oh, it's Your Majesty.
My apologies. I did not realize you were here.
Minister Father, you're here alone gazing at fish,
while the entire court is looking to you for a plan.
Your Majesty, I am not observing the fish,
but rather the movements of the invading armies.
Minister Father, no need to look further. I can tell you.
There is a total of four invading armies.
Can Your Majesty tell me which four armies those are?
The first is the Tribal King Kebineng.
The second is the Barbarian King Meng Huo.
The third is the defector Meng Da.
The fourth is Wei's Commander-in-Chief, Cao Zhen.
Good!
I am impressed by the ease with which Your Majesty described the situation.
So, Minister Father, how shall we repel the enemy?
Would Your Majesty allow me to serve you tea in the gazebo?
Your Majesty,
these four forces may appear fearsome,
but if we think carefully, there is no cause for alarm.
Sir, you were right!
The Minister Father has already planned everything out!
Against the invasion at Xiping Pass,
Your Majesty need only send Ma Chao to defend the pass.
He is well-respected among the Qiang, who named him General of Heavenly Might.
With Ma Chao there, we will not have to worry about this route.
The Southern Barbarian Meng Huo has attacked four of our commanderies.
Your Majesty can order Wei Yan to move his troops as a decoy to confuse the enemy.
The barbarian troops often rely more on brute force than/intellect in battle.
They are prone to suspicion If they see suspicious forces, they will not dare to advance.
Right, right.
Though Yangping Pass Is under attack by 150,000 of Wei's elite soldiers.
the Grand Commander Cao Zhen has an undeserved reputation.
In Nanjun, he suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Lu Xun.
I have deployed General Zhao Yun to Yangping Pass to defend it without engaging in battle.
Cao Zhen has always feared the might of Zhao Yun and will not dare to act carelessly.
As time wears on, Cao Zhen's grain will be exhausted, and he will use it as an excuse to retreat.
Right.
As for Meng Da,
he appears to have defected to Wei, but I know he did so because he had no other choice.
Meng Da has garnered power and an army for himself in Xincheng, and has always disregarded orders from the Wei court.
As long as Shu is not vanquished. Wei's ruler, Cao Pi, will tolerate his existence.
But if Shu falls, he will be done away with.
Moreover, Meng Da and Li Yan were close friends.
I have asked Li Yan to compose a letter to Meng Da, to be delivered by a trusted servant,
explaining what's at stake.
Thus, Meng Da will certainly feign illness to evade the task.
And we also need not worry about this army.
In addition, just to be safe,
I have secretly ordered Zhang Bao and Guan Xing
to stand by at critical areas with 30,000 soldiers each
and aid other regions should the need arise.
Minister Father, you are no mere mortal!
Look! He's taken care of the four invading armies as if they were nothing!
Your Majesty, these plans must be carried out in strict confidence.
As such, His Excellency cited illness as his reason for not attending court
so as to prevent news of the plans from leaking out.
I have misunderstood you, Minister Father.
Is there anything else that is troubling you?
Your Majesty.
I did indeed feel some concern earlier while watching the fish.
Though I could see the fish nearer to the surface,
what of the fish below?
Were there any vicious fish that escaped my notice?
What do you mean, Minister Father?
I worry that there may be one more enemy force.
Who?
Can Youchang guess?
Sun Quan of Wu.
Precisely.
Sun Quan?
Really?
Did he not just renew his alliance with us?
The only reason Sun Quan re-established the alliance after the Battle of Yiling
was because Jing Province was being threatened by invading Wei armies.
But the situation is different now.
If Cao Pi makes him a lucrative promise.
such as offering to split the Riverlands,
do you suppose Sun Quan would keep his promise?
The ruler of Wei, Cao Pi, falls short of Cao Cao in terms of intelligence.
However, he matches his father in deviousness.
Our three states hold each other's power in check.
If Cao Pi could not be sure of Wu,
he would not have dared move against Shu.
If my guess is right,a Wei emissary is already on his way to Wu as we speak.
If that's the case, what should we do now Minister Father?
We must send an envoy to Wu at once to seek an audience with Sun Quan,
and make clear to him the issues and interests at stake.
This is no easy mission.
Who do you wish to send?
I do have a man in mind.
In my opinion, his talent is not inferior to Lu Xun's.
He is loyal and brave, and does not fear threats.
In his years of service to me. he has displayed extraordinary intellect.
He lacks only an opportunity to contribute to Shu.
Your Majesty,
please grant me the honor of being the emissary to Wu.
Even if I do not succeed.
I shall neither sully Your Majesty's name
nor compromise my dignity as your servant.
Youchang, the task is yours.
My lord, the Wei emissary has been waiting at the guesthouse for more than ten days now.
He is extremely anxious.
For the past few days, he has pressed me daily
to arrange an audience with you.
in order to persuade you to make a prompt decision to invade Shu.
What is the hurry?
Tell them I have fallen ill, and cannot receive anyone.
Just stall them for more time.
My lord, may I ask what you are waiting for?
Did Cao Pi not claim that he had deployed armies from five directions to attack Shu?
I would like to see how the other four armies are faring
before deciding on our position on the issue.
My lord, in my opinion.
perhaps we should pretend to agree to Cao Pi's demands to attack Shu.
At the same time, we will not set the exact date of the attack.
This way, we both avoid offending Wei and remain faithful to the Wu-Shu alliance.
And if Cao Pi succeeds in taking Shu,
we can then claim a portion of its lands.
My lord, the Wei emissary requested me to convey this message.
if my lord insists on not receiving him today.
it would signify that Wu wishes to make Wei its enemy,
and he will return to Xuchang to report accordingly.
Gu Yong.
Here.
Summon the Wei emissary.
My lord, a Shu emissary, Ma Su, has come on Zhuge Liang's orders.
A Shu officer...
If a Shu emissary is coming to Wu, I should have received notice three days before his arrival.
Ma Su left in great haste.
He arrived at the palace together with the notice.
Take a look.
My lord, this letter was penned by Zhuge Liang himself.
I recognize his handwriting.
no one knows about the emissary Cao Pi sent to Wu.
Besides myself and a few of you.
Even Zhuge Jin does not know.
How did Zhuge Liang come to know about this?
Does he really have godlike abilities of prediction?
In his letter, Zhuge Liang clearly stated his strategies to counter the four armies.
It shows that he is confident and well-prepared.
My lord, while Zhuge Liang is clever. at times he is simply bluffing.
Perhaps this very letter is another one of his deceptions.
I recommend you to receive Ma Su, my lord.
We can determine the truth with a simple test.
How do we test him?
My lord, we can prepare a great cauldron in front of the palace
and fill it to the brim with boiling oil.
Then, we can line the hall with swordsmen.
After that, well summon Ma Su
and see what he has to say.
If he has nothing but empty words.
we can be certain that Zhuge Liang is only making a show of power.
My lord can then summon the Wei emissary.
and have Ma Su thrown into the cauldron and fried alive in front of the Wei emissary.
This way, you can make clear to Cao Pi Wu's decision to annex Shu.
On the other hand, we could also fry the Wei emissary in front of the Shu emissary,
to demonstrate to Zhuge Liang the indestructible bond of the Wu-Shu alliance.
An excellent idea.