Hayangjin

Her confession of love burst out of nowhere. Even she seemed startled by her own words; her moist eyes went suddenly wide.

"S-Sima Lang? I…"

"Forget what I just said! I must have spoken nonsense."

"Nonsense? Sima Lang, no matter how clueless I am about men and women, if you call that nonsense…"

"I didn't say it to put any burden on you. Lending you the household troops is only for the reason I gave earlier—because I don't want to watch a great hero like Young Master Do fall into despair. I expect nothing in return."

"…"

Sima Lang kept her manners to the very end. She was cutting me off in advance, afraid that if I accepted the troops I might feel obliged to court her without meaning it.

"I'm sorry, Sima Lang."

"It isn't that. I've known from the beginning where your heart lies. I've simply swallowed it alone. I never meant to use this as an excuse to make things hard for you…"

"No. Whether I return those feelings or not, I have to borrow those troops. That's why I'm saying this. It's far too important to me."

Burden, coercion—those were problems for later. Right now she was my only lifeline, and I would accept her kindness no matter what the cost.

"Then… I'm glad…"

Yet Sima Lang only looked relieved. A kind, beautiful heart willing to risk every consequence of loving someone and still give everything she had.

So I would accept that heart, at least. And by winning this battle, I would repay her love.

Under cover of night, Sima Lang and I returned to On County. While she spent two days gathering troops, I went alone to Hayangjin and scouted the terrain.

Two days later we met again in On County. Sima Lang had brought a middle-aged man with her.

"Young Master Do? This is Master Seop Yung, who has long supervised our household troops. Uncle Seop? I know this request is sudden and inconvenient, but Young Master Do here…"

"I am a man of the Sima clan, and the household troops are property belonging to that house. The young lady is the heir. She need not explain her reasons every time she wishes to use us."

Seop Yung said there was no need for extra talk—just state the business. I began with the gravity of the situation.

"Master Seop? Before long a great battle will break out at Hayangjin between the Allied forces and Dong Zhuo's army. Governor Wang Guang of Henei will stand against them, but his opponent is Xu Rong—a general tempered in Liangzhou, without exaggeration the finest fighter under heaven right now. He cannot win."

Calling Xu Rong the best in the realm was no hyperbole. She was Dong Zhuo's greatest field commander, the one who had already defeated both Cao Cao and Sun Jian.

She had lost only once in open battle, and that was after being betrayed by Hu Zhen. In other words, she was an undefeated field commander who had never been beaten in a straight fight.

"The Sima clan is being drawn into a fight with no clear justification, so of course you must have many doubts. But…"

"I have no doubts."

"Uh… I doubt that. You don't have to say so just because Sima Lang is standing here. Honestly, deep down you think I'm some untrustworthy bastard, don't you?"

"Are you not the same Duke Do who not only tried to assassinate Dong Zhuo but seized the Henei administrative seat with only thirteen riders? The whole clan is already buzzing with the rumors."

"…"

Just in case, I glanced at Sima Lang. She kept her head lowered in embarrassment, the corners of her mouth curling up.

So she was the one spreading the stories. Well, if she loved someone that deeply, she was allowed a little shameless bragging inside the house where no one else could see.

"Above all, Duke Do already knows exactly where the enemy will fight and who their commander will be. I, Seop Yung, may be nothing more than a guest retainer of the Sima clan who has never held office, but I am not so blind that I cannot recognize superior strategy when I see it."

"When you praise me that highly I have nothing left to say… Anyway, I was worried the lack of justification would hurt morale. But our role is only to harass the enemy and buy Wang Guang time to retreat, so I hope Master Seop will set their minds at ease."

"Leave it to me."

Fortunately we understood each other. Seop Yung left at once to select the thousand elite troops Sima Lang had requested. The moment he was gone, Sima Lang turned to me with startled eyes.

"Young Master Do? How do you know exactly where the enemy general will be and what she will do?"

"That's… hard to explain. Call it a feeling, I guess?"

"I suppose… I've heard geniuses are different from ordinary people. They say the answer simply appears in their minds without effort, so they find it hard to explain."

"A real genius would be able to explain even that. Anyway, thank you for the help, Sima Lang."

"It isn't that. I only… hope you return safely."

"…"

She had already done everything she could by lending private troops behind the clan's back. And yet, of all things, she prized my life above everything else…

It would be a lie to say I hadn't fallen a little in love. Honestly, someone like Sima Lang was the kind of person I wouldn't even dare speak to under normal circumstances.

Was that why? My hand moved on its own. The moment our fingertips touched, Sima Lang flinched first.

But she didn't pull away. Just as she had that day in front of Liu Bei, we silently played with each other's hands…

"What are you two doing?"

"Huh? Lady Guan Yu?"

And. Then. Against all reason, Guan Yu suddenly appeared. Her characteristically indifferent eyes were fixed not on me or Sima Lang, but on the shyly joined tips of our fingers.

"Th-then I'll take my leave."

Sima Lang fled as if caught in the middle of an affair, rushing off to find Seop Yung. Wait—now that left only Guan Yu and me?

"Lady Guan Yu? About what you just saw…"

"Why are you in On County? Weren't you supposed to be with Unnie?"

"That's… wait a second! Why are you in On County, Lady Guan Yu?"

It was true that I had borrowed Wang Guang's name to take administrative control of On County. Even so, Guan Yu was supposed to remain in Yawang as Liu Bei's proxy.

"The second Sima sibling contacted me."

"…"

Sima Zhongda, you again? Of course—her sister had suddenly returned and was secretly mustering private troops. Someone that sharp would never miss it.

She must have decided it involved me and summoned the only person who could overpower me while Liu Bei was away: Guan Yu.

"It's nothing important."

"What's this about household troops?"

"Come on, you heard everything—why pretend you didn't? Haa… Lady Guan Yu? I need to deploy some troops on my own authority, so please keep this secret…"

"You're planning to fight Dong Zhuo? I'll have Yide and Zilong prepare at once."

"Whoa, whoa… that won't work. Yuan Shao forbade any sortie, so not a single soldier from Yawang can move. Why else do you think I had to borrow the Sima clan's private troops?"

"Then take me with you."

"Why does it always end up like this?"

"If you're thinking of monopolizing the glory, give it up. You deliberately goaded Yuan Shao so Unnie couldn't take the field, didn't you?"

"…"

This girl really wouldn't rest until she had thrown her entire frontal lobe into framing me. Even Yuan Shao tying Liu Bei down was supposedly my scheme.

"Lady Guan Yu? As I said earlier, not one soldier from Yawang can move. You're the overall ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠commander there—what do you think will happen if you show up on the battlefield?"

"I'll do it so no one knows."

"No matter how carefully you try to keep it secret, once that overwhelming martial prowess of yours is revealed…"

"Then I'll write a letter to Unnie."

"In exchange, you follow my orders without question. Don't forget I'm the commander."

She was blackmailing me so shamelessly I had no choice but to accept. Guan Yu nodded, looking thoroughly satisfied.

Well, maybe it was for the best. Last New Moon I had dumped everything into combat power, and with Guan Yu added it would be literally peerless.

It had been lucky that Sima Lang came to me just before the New Moon rose. Thanks to that I had poured everything into Command until it rivaled Cao Cao's, then matched the skill and special ability to it.

Tiger Bow Night Raid was a general's skill, modeled after the time Zhang Xiu smashed Cao Cao under cover of night after Cao Cao had seized his sister-in-law, Lady Zou. Since the coming fight would almost certainly be a night battle, I chose it to erase the weakness of small numbers.

And New Recruits Contesting the Front was originally Xu Huang's special ability. When Guan Yu attacked Fancheng, Xu Huang had to face her with newly assigned troops; through masterful command he handled them like veterans and drove Guan Yu back.

Every piece of this setup was optimized for the small private force that would be under my command for the first time. Adding Guan Yu's personal martial prowess on top of it was the perfect finishing touch.

Still, not every problem had been solved.

Shasha-shak…

That night I slipped secretly into the main residence of the Sima clan. It was a clandestine infiltration even Sima Lang, who had brought me here, knew nothing about.

Confucius said… Mencius said…

Even at this late hour Sima Lang's younger siblings still had their lamps lit, absorbed in their reading. As expected of a great house—early education was rock-solid…

"What do you think you're doing?"

"…?"

A voice like an ice pick driven into my back came from behind me. When I turned, a living Barbie doll with a long, slender frame was standing there.

An arrogance that looked down on people as if from a mountaintop. She had the face of a princess, yet the vibe of a queen who wielded absolute power.

Those full cherry lips called my name. It was Sima Zhongda—Sima Yi.

"You already snitched to Guan Yu that I was here, didn't you?"

"When someone's doing something suspicious, why dirty my own hands? Still, I never thought you'd actually break into the house. Did Unnie give you permission for this too?"

"No. But I don't particularly need Sima Lang's permission. Because I didn't come here for her—I came to see you."

"You crazy bastard… You dare use the same lines you throw at cheap street women in front of me? Do you think I can't crush a worthless insect like you? If it weren't for Unnie's face…"

"Aren't you curious why I came?"

"…"

Sima Yi would already have guessed I was here the moment Sima Lang returned. On top of that, with listening devices or personal spies planted all over the house, she would have noticed the private troops moving as well.

Even so, as young as she still was, she couldn't have fully grasped what I was plotting. The way she shut her mouth the instant I prodded her curiosity proved it.

"Whatever it is, it's clearly insane."

"You're right. It's exactly like throwing an egg at a rock. But that's precisely why I want to talk with you."

"Reason?"

"They say the most outstanding of the Eight Sima Talents is you, right? Someone like you might actually be able to smash a rock with an egg."

"…"

Sima Yi fell silent for a moment. With my pathetic Intellect there was no way I could lie to her anyway.

So everything I said was true. Her hatred of me versus her curiosity about my inexplicable actions.

Which one would win out?

"Follow me."

The latter. I had successfully cleared the first hurdle.

Charuruk!

The place Sima Yi led me to was one of the ordinary storehouses scattered throughout the Sima compound. I cleared a table and spread out the paper I had prepared in advance.

"What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is this?"

"A rough topographic map of the area around Hayangjin."

"I'm asking why you're spreading it out here."

"A major battle is about to break out here. Dong Zhuo had Hu Muban—Wang Guang's brother-in-law—urge him to surrender as a provocation. Enraged, Yuan Shao ordered Wang Guang to behead the man himself. Terrified of looking disloyal, Wang Guang let chivalry take over and actually killed him."

"What an idiot. There's no way he can fight Dong Zhuo in that state."

"Exactly as you say. But Wang Guang is so consumed by vengeance that he still intends to strike Dong Zhuo. Since he can't go straight through Mengjin, Hayangjin is the only option."

"He thinks he has a chance because all of Dong Zhuo's forces are concentrated at Hulao Pass, so a rear assault might work. Is he seriously that stupid? Does Dong Zhuo look that easy?"

As expected, Sima Yi saw through the entire course of the battle at a glance. Time to get to the real point.

"Just as you said, Wang Guang will definitely lose this fight. Unfortunately, with the small force I borrowed from your clan, overturning the situation against Xu Rong of all people is nearly impossible. So how do we minimize Wang Guang's losses?"

The real reason I had sought out Sima Yi instead of Sima Lang was to ask the most brilliant of the Eight Sima Talents for the solution to this battle.

"Are you joking? You already know the answer."

But Sima Yi only thought I was mocking her. I pretended ignorance and pressed her.

"If I already knew the answer, why would I come asking a kid years younger than me for wisdom?"

"You know how this fight started, the state Wang Guang will be in when he marches, even who the enemy commander is. Just looking at this map makes the enemy's scheme obvious. So why are you testing me?"

"…"

Sima Yi was genuinely angry. And the truth was, every word she said was correct.

I knew exactly what strategy Xu Rong would use. I had long since figured out the best move I could make against it.

So why confirm the answer with Sima Yi? Because this was a game.

No matter how much I maxed Command and plastered myself with skills and special abilities, I could not win a head-on fight against Xu Rong's great army. Of course a strategy that flipped the opponent's plan was required.

But sadly my Intellect was a mere 1. Even if the opponent weren't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Xu Rong, the chance of being "seen through" was extremely high.

That was why I had come to the only person here who could outmatch Xu Rong—Sima Yi. If she became the originator of the plan, there was a chance we might actually deceive Xu Rong.

"I really don't know. So won't you tell me?"

"If this is a joke, I decline. If you think you can toy with me, you're badly mistaken."

With that, Sima Yi turned to leave the storehouse at once. Startled, I hurriedly grabbed her hand.

"W-wait!"

"Let go. How dare those filthy hands touch me?"

"Ah… sorry about that."

I released her hand first. Sima Yi wiped her hand on her sleeve as if something filthy had stuck to it. Judging by her expression of pure disgust, she looked ready to burn the clothes too.

"I'm begging you. I don't care what happens to me, but the soldiers I borrowed are your family's property, aren't they? They have to come back safely."

"If you hadn't started this unnecessary mess in the first place, they never would have been driven into a death trap. So take responsibility yourself."

"Please! I'll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do anything you ask—just lend me your wisdom this once!"

All I could do was plead. Of course a girl like her wouldn't listen just because of that…

"You'll really do anything I ask?"

"Uh… if it's something I can do?"

Obviously things like "this position" or "that position" were out of the question. I still carried modern sensibilities; I always had to be careful around minors.

"It's something you can do just fine."

Sima Yi answered with a sly smile. Couldn't she at least tell me what it was before explaining?

"Wang Guang is in a rage. If Xu Rong knows that, she'll make him believe the enemy plan is succeeding."

"How?"

"This low hill here. It's not high, but perfect for hiding troops. Xu Rong will conceal her main force there and place a small bait unit by the river. Wang Guang, thinking the crossing has just finished, will lower his guard and try to hit them—only to be surrounded by the ambush the moment he does."

"And the way to counter it?"

"Isn't it obvious? Approach the enemy through this reed field. When the ambush boldly appears to strike Wang Guang from behind, you appear in turn and strike the enemy from behind. That way the larger ambush force ends up surrounded by you instead."

"…"

Exactly the same as my own conclusion. But I hadn't opened my mouth once to the end, so this was entirely Sima Zhongda's strategy now.

"Thank you. I'll do exactly as you said."

"Then may I state my condition now?"

"Yeah. But like I said earlier, if it's something I can't do…"

"Get Unnie out of Yawang. And never meet her again. That's my condition."

"…"

She had stabbed me in the back at the very end. This cunning little thing had been thinking of nothing but that from the start.

She had perfectly met the condition I set, then cruelly forced me to weigh Chosun against Sima Lang.

So what was I supposed to answer here?

"I'll do it."

I'm sorry, Sima Lang. But I have to win this battle no matter what.