Loyal Subject
"No! You went out to the battlefield without even wearing armor!"
Gan Yong's jaw dropped as he stared at me, freshly returned to the fortress after driving off Zhu Huan and Quan Zong.
"Yes, well. It was a bit of a hassle."
"In all my years, I've never seen a general march into combat without armor because it was a hassle. Never mind the armor — why are you still wearing all that jewelry?"
"Ah, this? I suppose it's about time I took it off."
I unfastened the earrings and other ornaments I'd been dangling from myself and said,
"Well. I wanted to make a strong impression, you could say. With our numbers so few, the idea was to overwhelm the enemy with what they could see."
"…Is that even possible? Sometimes I truly wish I could know what goes on inside that head of yours."
It might have sounded like a random remark, but it wasn't baseless. In the history of the Three Kingdoms, there was a real case of someone routing the enemy through appearance alone.
It happened during a war between Wei and Wu.
Among the generals of Eastern Wu was a man named He Qi, who was extraordinarily extravagant and loved expensive clothing. It wasn't just his own attire — he decked out his entire army in such lavish splendor that even their weapons and armor were said to be exquisitely crafted and magnificent.
During the war, He Qi's forces faced Cao Xiu's army on the river. Or rather, they prepared to face them.
Since the battle was on water, He Qi led his navy out — and he had decorated even his warships with carvings, patterns, and banners, going so far as to paint floral designs on the oars and spears.
The official histories record that the sight of his mengchong and combat ships was like gazing upon a mountain of ornate carriages.
And what did Cao Xiu do upon seeing He Qi's army?
He fled without a fight. Confronted with that impossibly lavish host, Cao Xiu concluded that Eastern Wu's elite corps had arrived, and he withdrew in fear.
People, it turns out, are far more influenced by what they see than one might expect.
Of course, in my case I'd only dressed myself up, so how much effect it actually had was anyone's guess.
That was when Zheng Sui spoke up in my defense.
"I fought right behind the general, sir. That imposing figure of hers stood out so brilliantly that my comrades and I found the courage to fight. And every time she moved, I clearly saw the enemy soldiers flinch in alarm. Flash, flash — it was spectacular."
"See? It wasn't without effect."
"…Aigoo. Like general, like subordinate."
Zheng Sui and I spoke with pride, but Gan Yong only shook his head.
"Standing out that much could just as easily put you in danger. It worked out this time, thank goodness, but from now on, make sure you wear your armor."
"Yes, yes. Understood."
In truth, one reason I hadn't worn armor was that my body still felt heavy after so long spent lying in bed. I saw no need to mention that.
"At any rate, the enemy has withdrawn, so go inside and rest without fretting over anything."
"But there'll be a great deal of cleanup to handle."
"Ma Liang, Lord Pan Jun, and I will take care of the aftermath. Don't concern yourself with it. I know full well you forced yourself out here when you still needed rest. That's why I keep telling you — stop charging to the front and leave it to your deputies. Tsk tsk."
My taking the vanguard had been unavoidable.
Yu Eun had been leading a detached force in the woods outside the walls, and Pan Jun had commanded the troops within the fortress. Xi Jin had been with the harassing units outside as well, so in the end, the only person who could step forward and break the enemy was me.
"Very well. I'll leave the rest to you. I need to go to Yiling."
"And why Yiling, of all places?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince is there, is he not? After something like this, I ought to be at his side."
"…You really do find work no matter what, don't you. Fine. Being at Yiling might be better than staying in this chaos, at that. Take a carriage, then."
"I've been cooped up in carriages so long already — it's stifling…"
"If you don't want to give Sukji any more gray hairs, you'll listen to me. You there, General Hyuyeon. Make sure you put her in a carriage and take her. Do not put her on a horse."
"Yes, sir. Understood."
And so I came to Yiling, where Liu Shan was staying for the time being.
We had fended off both internal rebellion and external invasion, but internal cohesion and stability mattered just as much.
Huang Hao, in particular, had originally been Liu Shan's own man — I worried how the prince must be feeling. That was why I had come to Yiling.
As I feared, Liu Shan looked rather downcast, his usual sunny nature dimmed. Huang Hao had been a eunuch he doted on, so the blow must have struck him hard. Was there no better way I could have guided him through this…?
"Your Highness. How are you feeling?"
"I'm all right now, General. Now that you're here. Only…"
"Is something troubling you?"
"Father used to say this. When you set out to accomplish something, people must be the foundation. And he said that knowing how to win people and how to use them is just as important."
The first part was something Liu Bei had said even at Dangyang.
"Yes. An emperor is one who ascends to a place above all others. I believe he said it so that you would think carefully about how to govern those under you."
"And he also said I must listen to the counsel of others. But when I think about what might have happened if I'd simply taken Huang Hao's words at face value, it makes me dizzy. You came and stopped it, General — but it still feels so hard."
"So what you mean is, among all the things people say, knowing which words to trust and follow is the difficult part?"
"Yes. Exactly."
Liu Shan was right — it was a difficult thing. Even the words of strategists were not always correct, and the words of those around you were not always right either.
Even the mighty Yuan Shao had ultimately fallen because he failed to sift good counsel from bad among his retainers. That, too, was something of a retrospective judgment — but still.
What advice could I give him?
"There is a saying: good medicine tastes bitter. It means that honest words grate on the ear, yet a wise sovereign judges them beneficial and listens all the same."
Liu Shan thought for a moment, then said,
"Hmm. So even if someone says something that rubs you the wrong way, it doesn't mean they mean you harm?"
"Precisely. For a subordinate to speak words that displease a superior takes considerable courage. One wrong step and you could earn your lord's hatred and lose everything. Counsel offered with that risk in mind is loyal remonstrance. Even if a retainer says something that grates on your ears, do not grow angry — pause and quietly consider what intention lay behind those words."
"I see. So even if someone's advice makes me angry, I should think about why they said it."
Liu Shan was not the sort to lose his temper easily, so this much he would manage well. And then —
"Yes, Your Highness. A wise thought. And you have already been doing just that. You overcame Huang Hao's coaxing and came to study with me, did you not?"
"Ah, that's right. Looking back now, every time I tried to study with you, Huang Hao kept trying to lure me off with something else."
Watching Liu Shan grow little by little was exhausting, but deeply rewarding.
"That said, loyal counsel need not always grate on the ear. There are ways to offer it with a smile, or to speak it indirectly. Though those are not easy either."
"Ah, is that so."
Come to think of it, Gan Yong seemed rather skilled at that sort of thing.
The official histories record this episode:
Liu Bei once issued a ban on alcohol, and tried to punish a man simply for possessing the tools to brew it.
Thinking this excessive, Gan Yong used his characteristic sense of humor to remonstrate with Liu Bei — and rather than taking offense, Liu Bei laughed and dropped the punishment.
Gan Yong apparently had a gift for offering counsel without souring anyone's mood. Some even argue that had he been present, he might have talked Liu Bei out of launching the campaign at Yiling.
"It's hard. If I could read people's hearts, I'd know the intentions of those who advise me."
"Yes. It is no easy thing. Even the wisest person does not always make the right judgment."
"Then what should I do? How can I tell good words from bad?"
It was a genuinely hard problem. The counsel Liu Shan would hear in the years ahead would not be one or two pieces, and much of it would conflict.
"Your Highness. What if you did this? In that situation, do what is right."
"What is right?"
"Yes. When you find yourself in a position where you cannot tell whose words to follow, try thinking of it this way. Do the most proper and right thing in that situation. Set aside any hurt feelings for the moment."
"Ah, I see. Should I take you as my model, General?"
"Pardon? Me?"
"Yes. Other than my father, you always seem to do what is right. At least in my eyes."
It was kind of him to say so. I had done a great deal in this world, yet there were still many times I wondered whether what I was doing was truly right.
"I hesitate to say this, but… whether I'm someone worth emulating is something even I don't really know."
"Huh? Why?"
Liu Bei had said something similar once.
I am a man without virtue — there is nothing to learn from me in that regard.
Originally it had been Liu Bei's dying words, but here they had become something he said to me while entrusting Liu Shan once more. Had he spoken from a feeling like this?
"Your Highness. Judging what is right means, put the other way, that one must always examine whether one's own actions are truly right."
"Hmm. That's a bit hard."
Liu Shan tilted his head.
"Then think of it like this. Resolve always to do what is right. I, too, will live striving to do what is right."
Looking a little brighter than before, Liu Shan said,
"All right. Then I'll live striving like you, General."
"Thank you for taking that to heart, Your Highness. Even if I am not there, I hope you will hold on to that resolve and never forget it."
When I first took on Liu Shan's education, the weight of it had been crushing — but now I felt as though I were growing alongside him.
After finishing our studies for the day, Liu Shan and I shared a brief tea time.
A pot of fragrant, steaming tea was set on the table along with the sweets Liu Shan liked.
"General, try one of these. They're delicious."
Liu Shan mumbled around a mouthful of pastry.
"All right, then I'll have one as well…"
Just then, a soft meow sounded, and a yellow blur hopped up onto the table and reached for a pastry.
"Hold it right there!"
I snatched the cat's paw just as it was about to swipe a sweet.
"Huh? Golden King, you little rascal. When did you get in here?"
Golden King purred and insisted on the pastry, but I held firm.
"Human sweets are too salty for cats and can make them sick. Better to give him something else."
"Oh, really? Golden King, come here. I'll give you something else later."
Liu Shan scooped up his beloved cat, and Golden King kept wriggling the whole time, still determined to get at the sweets. This one seemed to love anything edible.
"Still, at least Golden King will never give Your Highness bad advice. He is your loyal subject."
"I suppose he is. Hehehe."
And so a single cat, slipping into the fading day of our studies, brought a smile to us both.
While I was at Yiling with Liu Shan, Jiangling was debating the punishment of the traitors.
The strict Pan Jun argued forcefully, "Every reactionary element must be punished!"
Ma Liang, by contrast, offered a milder view: "What if we punish only those responsible? Among the common soldiers, some will have been forced to take part. It would not be too late to investigate carefully and sort them out."
But the final decision would rest with Guan Yu, who held overall authority over Jingzhou. Above all, he possessed the Jiajieyue — the power to punish subordinates without prior approval.
I was still wondering whether I ought to return to Jiangling or head back up to Xinye when more urgent news arrived from the north.
"Emperor Cao Pi of Wei is personally leading a great army south!"