[No title provided]
"Hey, Yi-ya, what do you think of Yuan Shao?"
"I believe he's someone on par with—or even greater than—Cao Cao, whom you hold in high regard, Master."
"Exactly. That's what I think too."
Yuan Shao was indeed an extraordinary man.
"If the Yellow Turban Rebellion had broken out not in Pingyuan but around Jinryu, and if I'd left for the north, I probably would've bought up land near the Yuan clan's roots and actively supported Yuan Shao."
"Because it would drive up land prices?"
"...Let's say it would make my life peaceful and prosperous. Ahem."
"But Master, you don't seem to like Yuan Shao much."
"Not particularly."
"Isn't it because there's no land around the Yuan clan that you could afford?"
"Kuhum!"
I did resent Yuan Shao for seeing the skyrocketing land prices around the Yuan clan's stronghold and thinking, 'I'll never be able to buy there.' And I wasn't fond of Yuan Shu either, for halving the value of my land in Jingzhou due to our in-law ties. But right now, I had no doubts about Yuan Shao's capabilities.
"Me, dislike Yuan Shao? Why? He's the hero of these chaotic times who dared to openly defy the tyrant Dong Zhuo!"
Who among the countless feudal lords could stand up to Dong Zhuo head-on?
"He must've shed bloody tears while circulating those anti-Dong Zhuo proclamations. Yuan Shao raised troops in his hometown, but the court was full of Yuan clansmen. What do you think happened to them?"
"They were executed by Dong Zhuo, right?"
"Yes. Dong Zhuo killed them all. At first, he tried to use them to sway Yuan Shao, as hostages, even as spies, but it was all for naught. Yuan Shao sacrificed even the elders of his clan in the capital to raise his army. For the greater cause."
"Hm."
There were surely Yuan clansmen at court, and they would've been executed by Dong Zhuo, yet Yuan Shao still raised his banners.
"The great hero, Yuan Shao! The savior who'll pacify these chaotic times and lead a new era! Kuuh, how impressive."
His name spread across the land, earning him immense fame.
"The greater cause. Nice phrase. Thanks to it, Yuan Shao let the court officials from clans supporting Yuan Shu die at Dong Zhuo's hands, strengthened his hometown Yuan clan's support for him, made it hard for Yuan Shu to gain Yuan clan power outside his Nanyang base, and ensured all the credit came back to him—while still holding the moral high ground, right?"
"My clever Sima Yi. Here's a pat on the head for you."
I stroked Sima Yi's hair. Now accustomed to it, she swayed her head side to side in rhythm with my hand.
"Political machinations are what folks like us worry about. The common people don't think that deeply. They just need someone to send soldiers to protect their rice bowls. Yuan Shao can do that. That's why no one's complaining even though Ji Province's governor changed overnight."
"...Han Fu."
"Right, Han Fu. Even though he basically handed over Ye in its entirety, no one's asking for Han Fu back. He was uneasy. But with Yuan Shao firmly gripping Ji Province? That's reassuring. Plus, there's the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition alliance for now."
"It's a sham."
"Still, the alliance holds for the moment, doesn't it? Han Fu must've tried to make a name for himself, but the instant Yuan Shao took him down, his fate was sealed."
That's why, even though Yuan Shao schemed to seize the massive fortress of Ye from Han Fu, no one made a fuss.
"The people of Ji Province want Yuan Shao, not Han Fu. That's that."
Poor Han Fu—everyone took it for granted that he wasn't fit to rule such a vast land as Ji Province and had lost it to Yuan Shao.
"Han Fu must've died unjustly."
"Yeah. He really did die from injustice."
"...You're joking."
"No joke. Word is Han Fu died shortly after losing Ji Province. They held a quiet funeral. People say... it's for the best that he died. Now that Yuan Shao's taken Ji Province."
"That's awful..."
It was the kind of talk that would make the man himself choke with rage—and apparently, that's exactly what happened; he died of a fit of anger.
"Tragic. In peaceful times, he could've lived well enough."
"It's chaos. In chaotic times, the weak can't survive."
Rumors said he'd trembled in fear of Yuan Shao killing him and taken his own life.
"Yuan Shao probably badmouths Han Fu on purpose too. Makes his own achievements shine brighter."
"What has Yuan Shao even done?"
"Plenty. He solidified his domain to deal with that butcher."
Yuan Shao's subsequent actions were truly bold. He rallied capable subordinates under Han Fu in Ji Province, building a massive force and establishing himself as Hebei's undisputed overlord.
But was he Hebei's strongest? No. He'd merely scraped together talent from his home turf and mustered troops on his reputation to barely secure a base. The true hegemon of Hebei was Gongsun Zan in the north.
"Sun Uk told me this. There was an incident where Yellow Turbans from Qing Province marched into Hebei. Thirty thousand strong, they say."
"...That's practically an entire city's population, isn't it?"
"Yeah. They're called Yellow Turbans, but they're really civilians gathered under bandit leaders. Still, thirty thousand is no small number. And Gongsun Zan crushed them."
"Did Beiping in Hebei have that many soldiers?"
"No. He routed them with just ten thousand cavalry."
Yuan Shao's troops were ragtag levies barely scraped from Ye. Gongsun Zan's, by contrast, were elite cavalry honed by years fighting nomads.
"The two forces were evenly matched in numbers. But as you know, when infantry faces cavalry, who wins?"
"Cavalry, nine times out of ten."
Sima Yi perked up her ears, focusing intently. She had a huge interest in mobile cavalry warfare—or rather, cavalry in general—and the idea of cavalry being utterly defeated by infantry was hard for her to swallow.
"Did you hear how he won?"
"Yeah. He used strong crossbowmen. Hid archers in the infantry ranks. Not ordinary bows, but strong crossbows that punch through armor."
"Strong crossbows... Shame I haven't seen them myself. How did they embed archers in the infantry lines to break Gongsun Zan's White Horse Volunteers?"
"Tell me about it."
Gongsun Zan's cavalry unit, the White Horse Volunteers, had a fearsome reputation in Hebei. Some speculate that if he'd brought them all to the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition and had a competent cavalry commander, even marching on Chang'an might've been possible.
But Gongsun Zan used them to preserve his power—under the pretext of subduing nomads—and lost.
"Yi-ya, what's cavalry's biggest weakness?"
"You can throw men into battle quickly, but not horses?"
"Right. Cavalry's expensive. You train not just men, but horses too."
Horses are pricey. The cost of one warhorse defies imagination. It's not just buying it—you pour fortunes into raising, training, and turning it into a mount.
"Especially in famine years, you have to be careful. If folks are starving and you're feeding horses, what'll they say?"
"Turn cannibal and eat the horses too?"
"Yeah. Horse meat's deli—ahem. You'd lose your cavalry entirely. Former cavalrymen would all have to switch to infantry."
I boldly knocked over Gongsun Zan's banner on the Hebei map.
"Mark my words: Gongsun Zan's done for."
"How can you be so sure? It was just one battle."
"The most crucial one. Not a defeat—a total cavalry annihilation. Gongsun Zan'll hole up somewhere, haunted by nightmares. Even setting that aside, Yuan Shao will steadily conquer Hebei."
I expanded Yuan Shao's banners one by one, stopping at Henei.
"...Yi-ya. If Yuan Shao's army dominates Hebei, how about joining them?"
"Yuan Shao's army?"
"Yes. Let me be clear first: I'm not trying to latch onto Yuan Shao through you. I'm recommending you for your clan's sake."
"...Because if I enlist, they won't plunder the Sima lands?"
"Exactly."
Yuan Shao's gathering forces. He'll spare his cronies' lands, but for outsider clans, he'll find excuses to plunder and seize.
"If the Sima clan's top prodigy joins the Yuan clan, it'll protect your family."
"Master, have you ever met Yuan Shao in person?"
"No, never."
"Then I won't go."
Sima Yi shook her head firmly.
"I'll stay by your side forever, learning and helping at the academy. I met Yuan Shao once, long ago. When I went to greet my father, back when I was little."
"What was your impression?"
"Hmm... Indecisive?"
"?"
Yuan Shao, indecisive? What did that mean?
"He seems decisive on big matters, but indecisive and overthinking on small ones."
"Figuring that out from one glance? You're impressive."
"Father mentioned it. They tried serving Henei's specialties, but he agonized forever over two dishes."
"......Agonized? That's pretty bad."
"Hehe, right? It's just a joke, of course. No reason to hold being picky about food against him. But still... it's not the position I want."
Sima Yi smiled, grasping my hand.
"Maybe it's from learning under you so long... I just want a long, slim life too. Staying by your side without enlisting—would that be a burden?"
"How could it be?"
"You want your disciples to succeed and return with chests of gold for you."
"......Can't deny that."
I cupped her cheeks with both hands.
"Truth is, having one stay, learn my teachings, and help by my side sounds nice."
"...Master."
Sima Yi held my hands with a soft smile.
"Should I just inherit the Suyeon Academy?"
At that bold remark...
"...That sounds good."
I could only reply like old man Sima Hui.