Chapter 129: The Kind People of the Sima Family (2)
Chapter 129: The Kind People of the Sima Family (2)
Zhuge Yeong began his story from the moment he was dragged away like a dog on a sweltering summer day.
"Who was dragged away like a dog…! I went as a dignified envoy of the Dragon Slaying Alliance to have an audience with the Head of the Sima Family!"
"Get a grip, you’re a Zhuge."
Ann spoke as if she had already become the head of the Dragon Slaying Alliance’s Great Military Strategy Department.
It seemed she had completely forgotten the fact that she was originally from the Orthodox Martial Alliance.
By now, her father had probably put a bounty on her head.
It was a situation where an ace from the Alliance’s Chief Strategist’s office had joined a competitor’s planning team, carrying an external hard drive filled with classified data. She was nothing short of an industrial spy.
Anyway.
According to Zhuge Yeong, the Sima Family Head had been quite hospitable, welcoming the young man he hadn't seen in a long time with open arms.
At first, that is.
The ill-fated relationship between the Zhuge and Sima families dates back to the era of the Three Kingdoms—starting, as everyone knows, with the rivalry between Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi.
History’s victor was Sima Yi. Most people who read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms consider the story finished the moment Zhuge Liang dies at Wuzhang Plains, but surprisingly, history has a separate "side story" ending.
It was the era of the "Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarians," where the Sima clan, after ruthlessly dismantling the Wei Dynasty and seizing hegemony, failed to maintain control and instead let the country shatter into eight pieces, eventually surrendering most of the land to barbarians and losing Han Chinese control over the Central Plains.
It was essentially the dark ages of ancient China. The Sima clan, who allowed this catastrophe to happen, earned a spot among the four worst treacherous officials in history and sank into the shadows of the past.
It was a starkly different conclusion from that of Zhuge Liang, who continued to receive shout-outs from Han Chinese regimes long after the fall of Shu Han.
Thus, the Sima Family’s standing was truly bleak. To survive after being branded as Hanjan—traitors to the Han people—a proactive shift in attitude was essential.
The highest excellence is like water, staying low and not contending.
Beneath this motto written in elegant calligraphy, the Family Head smiled as he filled Zhuge Yeong’s teacup to the brim.
"I cannot remember how long it has been since I last saw this face. Seon-hyeong, you have truly grown into a magnificent man. Indeed, they say a gentleman renews himself every day; the old sayings never lie."
"How could a lowly man like me be called a gentleman? I have merely left my family and am barely surviving on wild herbs amidst the winds and waves."
"Is it not the spirit of a martial artist to wander the world without minding a rough bed? Haha!"
Sima Hyeok, the Head of the Sima Family, was a middle-aged man with a gentle and mild impression.
The way he smiled while stroking his long beard made him look like a good-natured man who would keep smiling even at the edge of a blade—but.
"The business your father is currently conducting seems quite dangerous."
The Sima Family is a clan that has survived for a very long time. They succeeded in maintaining vast power in the heart of the Central Plains despite being labeled as traitors who destroyed the country and betrayed loyalty.
How could the head of such a family be a mere "good-natured man"?
The fact that he made no enemies solely to survive meant, in other words:
"Furthermore, your recent actions have been quite… interesting. I wonder if I should call it the terrifying ambition of youth."
It meant he embraced everyone possible, but those he could not embrace, he did not leave alive.
To survive upright amidst countless insults and crises, he did not care what filth he got on his hands.
He would willingly wipe that filth onto his opponent’s body to maintain a clean appearance, then turn back to the world with a smile and a warm welcome.
"How much do you know?"
"Are there not many guests who visit our estate? With so many talented individuals around, my ears naturally remain open."
He truly inherited the demeanor of his ancestor—the ancient strategist and prime minister, the traitor and usurper who endured a lifetime of disgrace only to cut his lord’s final breath.
Sima Hyeok looked at Zhuge Yeong with a benevolent smile. That gaze was enough to make one's skin crawl.
"They say the Sima Family estate is called a 'Little Martial World,' and I see now that the name is no exaggeration."
"Haha! Is there any name in the world more exaggerated than that? It is a shameful thing for a single family to claim the title of the Martial World."
Sima Hyeok sipped his tea with a relaxed air. After a brief pause, he suddenly spoke.
"When one reaches this age, one tends to daydream often. Would you care to hear my thoughts?"
"Please, speak freely. I am listening."
"After the chaos was settled sixty years ago, the world became greatly stabilized. The Martial World was divided into regions, and the great sects reigned like kings and lords within those regions, no longer seeking to expand their power or engage in friction. An era of peace began."
"The Imperial Court took no interest in the Martial World, harvests were plentiful, and the number of masters in the world increased significantly, so great disturbances no longer occurred."
"Indeed. And so, one day, the head of a certain family had a thought."
Sima Hyeok set down his teacup and continued.
"The bond of the Orthodox Martial Alliance is growing weaker. If everyone is satisfied in their own place, why would they need to maintain a powerful union?"
Since ancient times, when the lords are powerful, the Imperial Court is weak.
It is the principle of 'Weak Sovereign, Strong Subjects.'
If such a state of affairs continued, the Alliance would eventually lose its reason for existence.
In a situation where all Orthodox sects were seeking their own survival, how should the Zhuge Family survive?
In terms of martial prowess, they were insufficient to maintain the prestige of a great sect, and in terms of wealth, the great merchant guilds of the Jiangnan White Forest Alliance had long since taken the lead.
The Zhuge Family only knew how to survive amidst calamity.
A strategist shines in times of chaos. Therefore, the greatest strategist of the Alliance must, by necessity, desire a chaotic world.
A chaotic world where everyone mingles, everyone clashes, and everyone is broken.
"An ambition to hold the center of the Alliance, write a death list, make the strong kill each other, and reign over the weak to create a family that lasts for eternity. How does that sound?"
"It is a childish and base desire. How can a human live by devouring other humans?"
"Indeed. I think so as well. So, let us say a young man rebelled against his family and left."
That young man, filled with passion and spirit, utilized all his talents to entrust himself to a power opposing his family.
And if he harbored the ambition to use that gathered power to drive out the current Family Head and firmly re-establish his family…
Truly.
"Would that not explain everything perfectly? The eldest son, who would have naturally become the next Family Head, suddenly leaves the family to join the ranks of the Unorthodox Black Path."
"That is mere speculation. I am merely a reed-like person who met a bad friend and is being tossed about; I do not have the capacity for such grand ambitions."
"A reed bends but does not break, and an orchid only blooms when it meets the wind. I am a man who loves reeds and orchids most of all."
Sima Hyeok smiled as he poured more tea.
"The situation is clear, is it not? The Dragon Slaying Alliance and the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance are preparing for a major war… It is likely a strategy to strike where they are least expected. The Jongri Family would never expect the Dragon Slaying Alliance to pass through Mount Song to reach Chongqing. I suppose I should call it a strategy worthy of the Zhuge Family."
"…What is it you want?"
Zhuge Yeong bit his lip. In truth, to secure a safe base in Henan Province, there was no place other than the Sima Family.
Unless they relied on a great sect of this scale, friction with the Henan Orthodox factions, led by the Shaolin Temple and the Wudang Sect, would be inevitable.
But what if the Sima Family Head informed Chongqing of their whereabouts?
This was a negotiation that had to be settled once their route through Henan was decided.
And if the opponent wanted something in a negotiation, the strategist had to respond.
To Zhuge Yeong’s question, Sima Hyeok replied with a beaming smile.
"Marry my daughter."
"I am… extremely… extremely… extremely flustered…"
"Are you saying my daughter is lacking?"
"I mean she is more than I deserve. I have left my family, the road back is distant, and I am currently part of the Black Path. I would hardly be a good match for the daughter of an Orthodox sect."
"Haha, your humility is excessive. To my eyes, you are a young man who has survived a feud with Zhuge Seon-yeon, built a deep friendship with the man who will one day become the Leader of the Dragon Slaying Alliance, and ultimately killed the Fist King."
"…Hwi is a good friend, but he is merely the youngest. He has many older siblings; how could he possibly aim for the position of Alliance Leader?"
"If he were not such a person, he would not be a vessel worthy of your service. Is not 'choosing one's lord' also a virtue of a strategist? I trust your eye. And I also trust the rumors I have heard."
Zhuge Yeong organized his thoughts for a moment.
The gains and losses of a marriage.
The Sima Family would keep their whereabouts a secret.
They could blind and deafen the Beggars' Sect members in Henan while the Dragon Slaying Alliance moved through.
With the Sima Family’s power, it was even possible to disguise them as a mere merchant guild.
Furthermore, there was a high probability that the Sima Family’s guests would support the war against the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance in Chongqing.
Sima Hyeok was not the type of person to leave his newly acquired son-in-law to die when defeat meant certain death.
Therefore, he could not refuse. Especially if he claimed to be a strategist.
However, he had to confirm one thing.
"I heard the Sima Family’s rule is to avoid conflict. Why are you trying to help me like this?"
"Is this not a chaotic era?"
Sima Hyeok pushed aside Zhuge Yeong’s cold tea and poured fresh, warm tea into a new cup.
"Our family rule is not to avoid conflict. Others may think so, but they are quite wrong."
"Then what is it…?"
"It is to stand on the side of the winner!"
In the history of the Central Plains amidst this chaos, the winner takes all and the loser loses everything.
The meaning of not making enemies is the same as always standing by the strongest and always winning.
The Sima Family has always lived that way, and they will continue to do so. Enduring and bowing, waiting for the most fatal moment to strike. Just as they have for thousands of years.
So, they were choosing the winner for this generation.
"Seon-hyeong. As I said, choosing one's lord is a virtue of a strategist!"
Zhuge Yeong drained his teacup in one gulp as he listened.
Seeing that, a deep smile formed on Sima Hyeok’s lips.
Like the "good-natured man" he was called, it was a warm smile without malice.
He was quietly enjoying the strange irony of bringing the bloodline of the Martial Marquis Zhuge under the wing of the Sima clan.
*
"Should I… should I congratulate you? When is the wedding…?"
"It will be after I depose my father."
"Hearing you say it like that, you really sound like a quintessential unfilial son."
Zhuge Yeong chuckled and looked away, then let out a long sigh.
I, of all people, could empathize with his feelings.
"Hey, don't worry too much. I've been engaged and had an engagement broken; it's no big deal."
"You piece of trash."
"I'm trying to comfort you here…"
"That's not what's important, you idiot."
"Then what is it? A lady of the Sima Family is more than you could hope for in your current situation."
I'm the youngest son of a tycoon family, so I could get engaged to and break up with the Little Heavenly Demon, but he's a runaway teenager right now…
"What's important is that the Sima Family Head is certain of our victory."
"Hmm…?"
"Most of the Dragon Slaying Alliance’s martial power has left Hebei and is heading for Chongqing. This time, it includes forces from the Heavenly Thunder Alliance. It’s a scale large enough to be called an army."
"And?"
"It means the Dragon Slaying Alliance isn't worried about the stability of their rear, which in turn means they’ve already reached an agreement with the Martial Alliance."
For the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance to project its forces externally, several conditions were required.
The Murong Family of Liaoning must not threaten the area inside Shanhai Pass.
The Orthodox Martial Alliance must turn a blind eye to the Dragon Slaying Alliance warriors moving through the interior.
The local government offices must permit the movement of such a large number of armed personnel.
Only after all these agreements are settled can they move without friction.
And right now, we were preparing a surprise operation where friction would be disastrous.
That meant all the above conditions had been met.
"The Sima Family Head knows that the Alliance and we are working together to attack Chongqing. If that’s the case, there’s no reason for us to lose, so he’s invested in me."
It was a kind of "buying the dip." Right now, Zhuge Yeong was a ridiculously undervalued asset compared to his future potential.
The direct eldest son of the Zhuge Family, the strategist for the Sima Alliance forces gathered through the Black Spies, and his friendship with the direct line of the Peng Family.
From the perspective of the Black Path, this guy had become a textbook example of a high-ranking noble. His value would only go up from here.
So, one could consider it a low-point purchase. However.
"Naturally, my father could have thought of this as well."
The Martial Alliance’s Chief Strategist, Zhuge Seon-yeon, is a strategist considered peerless in the Martial World.
As the one who designed this entire board, even if he didn't know our specific moves, deducing the outcome would be as easy as flipping his palm.
After causing all this chaos to bring about a turbulent era, would he just sit back and watch the destruction of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance in Chongqing?
If the Alliance takes Chongqing and we completely take over Hebei, a much firmer border will be drawn than before.
We would be on the verge of an era of peace where everyone is completely independent of each other without friction. At this very moment?
"My father knows what we want, but we don't know my father's objective. That’s the biggest variable right now."
"Then there’s no need to worry."
"What?"
Do you know the difference between a strategist and a lord?
While a strategist agonizes over 'possible moves,' a great lord decides the very direction of those means.
As always.
"If worrying doesn't solve it, there's no need to worry. And our objective is so clear that even your father knows it."
The end will justify the means.
"We aren't relaxed enough to look away until we've achieved our immediate goal, are we?"
"Still… considering the variables and choosing the lesser evil is…"
"Haha, Gal-yeong. You're thinking too timidly. Do you still think you're a strategist for the Martial Alliance?"
I pointed to the Peng Family banner fluttering majestically in the center of the inner courtyard of the reception hall.
"We don't take detours just because the road is rough or the enemy is strong."
The Peng Family banner shifted direction with the wind. On the other side, my title was emblazoned in large letters. Blade Earl.
A lord of the blade. Or,
"We smash through."
A king of tigers.
"That’s why your family fell in Shaanxi sixty years ago."
"He’s got a bit of a foul mouth…"
The sparrow, unable to grasp the will of the great swan, chirped away.