A prodigy sent by heaven
In an instant, the little girl plunged the room into silence.
Zhuge Liang.
In all the land, only one person could claim the title of General-in-Chief that had just left her lips.
And then—
"... Heh heh heh. As expected... I never imagined you would recognize me here."
A soft laugh broke the silence.
As they watched, a man removed the wide-brimmed hat he wore, revealing his face to all.
A strikingly handsome man.
Having seen his face once during a past visit to Luoyang,
Zhuge Gui and the others immediately paled with shock and confusion.
"L-General-in-Chief!"
"Wh-... How can General-in-Chief Yuan Shu be here..."
"Forgive the intrusion. I had intended to stay quietly and then depart, but I never expected anyone here would recognize me."
The man who held all of the empire's military power in one hand—the mighty dragon who guarded the Emperor in Luoyang.
For a beat, the people stared at the man who could be called Cao Cao's master—his expression settled into a quiet smile—and then hurriedly offered their respects.
Once that brief flurry had passed.
The man—
General-in-Chief Yuan Shu—turned to the girl who had remained utterly composed throughout the commotion,
Zhuge Liang, and asked:
"Well then, I find myself quite curious. How did you know I was here? Officially, I am known to be en route to Jing Province."
The commoners living here in Xu Province, and even the family head Zhuge Gui, all believed Yuan Shu had gone to Nanyang to strike Jing Province.
Yet Zhuge Liang's ability to identify Yuan Shu here, traveling in Cao Cao's retinue, had kindled a deep curiosity—not only in Yuan Shu himself, but in Cao Cao and everyone else present.
Faced with that question,
Zhuge Liang allowed a quiet smile to touch her lips before she began her answer.
"Truthfully, I grew suspicious from precisely that point. The moment rumors spread that General-in-Chief Yuan Shu was striking Jing Province, I predicted from the start that the real battlefield would be here in Xu Province, not there."
"Why is that?"
"Is there not a saying: Make noise in the east, strike in the west? To strike the enemy effectively, one raises a clamor in the east and launches the true attack in the west. You succeeded in diverting the foe's gaze by spreading word that you would hit Jing Province, so now you would be preparing to strike elsewhere. And the logical location, to perpetuate the momentum of successive victories, would naturally be Xu Province. From this, I could surmise that the General-in-Chief had come to Xu Province."
"Your reasoning is correct. I deliberately moved troops to draw hostile eyes exactly as you said. Yet even if the strategic picture is clear, how did you determine that I was concealed here, in this very gathering?"
"Yes. In truth, I have been observing the movements of General Cao and the others around her ever since you arrived. From the manner of your entrance to the way you took your seats—it was all far too cautious for a party simply bringing bodyguards into a room. It seemed as though they were not escorting guards, but people accompanying a person they must protect. Who could exist whom General Cao, of all people, would feel compelled to safeguard? Since I was already considering the possibility that you yourself were in Xu Province, the answer naturally presented itself."
"Ohh..."
"Truly impressive. At such a young age, how could..."
"Hahaha! Indeed... they called you a prodigy bestowed by heaven. Those words are utterly befitting."
One by one, those present voiced their genuine admiration for Zhuge Liang's reply.
And watching Yuan Shu laugh brightly with delight,
a serene little smile traced its way across Zhuge Liang's lips.
*
Countless strategists exist in the world of the Three Kingdoms.
Among the so-called geniuses, who truly stands as the most brilliant of all?
Even someone who has never once read Romance of the Three Kingdoms would likely speak that name aloud.
Family name Zhuge, given name Liang. Courtesy name Kongming.
Not only in the annals of the Three Kingdoms, but even in later ages, this name is invoked as the very definition of genius.
Zhuge Kongming.
For the first half of the era, Liu Bei was beaten nearly senseless by Cao Cao in one-sided fashion. But after bringing Zhuge Kongming into her ranks through that famous Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage, she began to launch genuine counterattacks against Cao Cao.
From the Burning of Xinye in the novel—Zhuge Liang's first battle—
to the Battle of Red Cliffs, the climactic battle that practically ripped an arm off Cao Cao just as she was about to seize the whole empire.
And finally, to the accomplishment of the Three-Part Division Plan achieved through the Entry into Shu.
Functionally, from the midpoint of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms onward, Zhuge Kongming quite literally hard-carried the Liu Bei camp. After Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei each died in turn, the protagonist of the latter half of the era essentially just became Zhuge Kongming.
So complete is this perspective that most people believe the Three Kingdoms era simply ends with the fall of Shu immediately after Zhuge Kongming's death; the vast majority of related books also wrap up loosely on exactly that note.
In fact, Zhuge Kongming died in 234 AD, while the Jin Dynasty of the Sima Clan finally unified the Three Kingdoms in 280 AD.
Considering that the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184 AD is taken as the true start of the era, Zhuge Kongming's death occurs barely halfway through the full century-spanning narrative.
Shu itself clung on for another thirty years after Kongming died, so you could call it a dragon-headed affair that ends like a snake's tail... No, more like they chopped that dragon clean in half, used the front part, and then chucked the rest into a bin.
Which is another way of saying that the events after Zhuge Kongming are simply boring, and in truth—they are.
At any rate, right here and now,
staring at the notorious Zhuge Liang in the flesh,
I could only marvel sincerely at this little girl who had barely turned fourteen.
'Heh... she actually figured that out? A genius really is a genius, huh?'
Up to now, my life had followed a certain iron law: whenever I actively pursued talented people, trouble always blew up.
Everyone I now count by my side either rolled in of their own accord or was recruited through some completely unintended sequence of events.
Hell, I even crawled all the way to You Province just to get a glimpse of the Liu Bei sisters' faces, but I still couldn't formally meet them until the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition was established.
So, with that history in mind, I decided to use a little trick to make contact with Zhuge Kongming while I was in Xu Province—someone I absolutely wanted to meet.
Hide my identity. Use Cao Cao as the front.
Cao Cao happened to have a preexisting connection to Zhuge Liang's father, Zhuge Gui, through Cao Song, so I had her advance the matter.
I didn't even dare hope for recruitment. This was pure fan impulse—I just wanted to see her face.
And just like that, I finally came face-to-face with Zhuge Kongming.
I'd half-expected it, and sure enough, she had been gender-swapped. As if to prove she wasn't the greatest strategic mind of the era for nothing, she instantly exposed my identity.
The words "Zhuge Kongming" simply wrote themselves. But at the same time, a new question began to rise in my head: What now?
If I had my way, I would make this child mine on the spot.
Yet dragging away a fourteen-year-old girl still nagged at me in several ways.
No matter how much I value talent, forcibly pulling a kid away from her parents' arms under the pretense of entrusting them with state affairs—at an age when a child still longs for home—didn't sit well with me.
'As I thought... should I just call dibs here and plan for later? Fifteen or sixteen would eliminate that risk anyway...'
Then—
"My lord, might I make a request?"
"A request? What is it, Chen Gong?"
The strategist I had brought to gauge Zhuge Kongming's acumen more accurately—she, like me, had hidden her features beneath a wide hat. Chen Gong.
Wearing her characteristic serene little smile, she spoke in a quiet voice.
"Observing the child, her talent seems far from ordinary. If she already possesses such wisdom at this tender age, I am certain she will grow into a great pillar of the realm."
"Hm..."
"Therefore, my lord, if it pleases you—might you bestow lands and a manor near Luoyang upon this child... no, upon her and her assembled family, and keep them near at hand? She is still too young to enter formal service. I shall keep her by my side, instruct her, and raise her so that she might one day serve you and the state."
"An excellent thought. I also request it."
Chen Gong's request, seconded at once by Xun Yu.
Before I had even voiced my dilemma, the two of them had resolved it in one stroke. Inside, a cheer rang in my heart.
Chen Gong and Xun Yu—the strategists I could truly trust and use.
The sight made it plain why the original Cao Cao had treasured these two so deeply. I felt half ready to shout for joy, but I kept my composure and gave a final look toward the family head, Zhuge Gui, for confirmation.
"I also fully approve of their counsel. This child Liang, as well as her two sisters, are talents the realm will sorely need. If the family head permits, I shall gladly bestow land and a manor near Luoyang upon him, and furthermore, I shall pave the way for him and his family to enter service at the imperial court."
"How could I possibly object? On the contrary, I am nothing but grateful that you regard my children with such favor. I shall never forget this kindness, General-in-Chief."
'Yesssss!!!'
Zhuge Gui bowed his head deeply, accepting.
Watching him, I clenched my fist tight where no one could see it and released a silent roar of triumph.
*
"Then I shall send men shortly. Make ready to depart."
"Yes, General-in-Chief. We will begin our preparations."
"Let us meet again soon, Liang."
"Yes. My lord."
Though no formal lord-vassal bond had yet been sworn,
the girl—Zhuge Liang—already addressed me as her lord.
As she bowed her head and saw off the departing General-in-Chief,
a rich, secret smile—one visible to no one else—bloomed at the corner of her lips.
'He saw me... chose me!'