Becoming a Master (3)
All events revolved around the capital, Luoyang. I was exhausted from the Yellow Turban Rebellion and content with the peace of Suyeon Academy. But the aftermath of what happened in Luoyang inevitably reached even Jingzhou.
A year ago, while I was busy teaching the children at the academy, the Ten Attendants' rebellion had erupted in Luoyang. While I tended to my crops in the fields, a massive upheaval shook the capital. Sima Yi's arrival here was probably influenced by the prefect of Henei, but I suspected the chaos in Luoyang had the biggest impact.
"The Ten Attendants, those ten eunuchs, killed Grand General He Jin. The young officers under He Jin turned their armies against the eunuchs and slaughtered them. But in the meantime, someone seized control of the court..."
"Dong Zhuo. Dongtak."
Sima Yi carefully sprinkled water from the bucket onto the crops in the field with her tiny hands. She poured it so sparingly, drawing from the water I'd fetched from the river far away.
"The worst bandit trying to steal even the emperor's authority."
"Right. The biggest bandit in the land. He built his power in the west, in Liang Province, and seized the court in one fell swoop. So, Yi'ya, if you were a court official, what would you do?"
Sima Yi tilted her head at my question.
"It'd depend on whether you're a clear stream or a muddy stream."
"Let's say you're a clear stream. Nine out of ten muddy streams would side with Dong Zhuo anyway."
"First, you'd have to keep your head down..."
Sima Yi pondered deeply before continuing.
"Without real resolve, you'd just bide your time and wait for an opportunity, right?"
"Exactly. But Yi'ya, if you ever aim to become a great figure, you need to understand this well. Heaven's fortune comes to everyone, but humans must seize the moment themselves. Be careful not to ruin things with indecisiveness."
Dong Zhuo's forces seemed overwhelmingly powerful right now. Physically, yes, they were mighty—but not enough to take on the entire Central Plains.
"Dong Zhuo has too many enemies. He can't settle for his position. He's too busy stuffing his cronies into every spot, and threats with swords and spears will eventually come to an end."
"Does that mean Dong Zhuo dies? He won't. He's got a massive army."
"Even earthworms writhe when stepped on. No matter how much he threatens with troops, he can't suppress the warlords' ambitions forever. They're all holding their breath for now, but once the spark ignites, it'll spread uncontrollably."
I stirred the soil in the unseeded patch of the field with a stick.
"Hebei, Xuzhou, Yanzhou. After the Yellow Turbans, warlords scattered across the regions have been building strength locally. Alone, they can't win, but united, even Dong Zhuo won't have it easy."
"Will the warlords ally?"
"They will. I don't know who'll lead, but their greed is fiercer than you think. For example... yeah."
I drew three circles centered on Luoyang in the dirt.
"First, there's Yuan Shao. We talked about him last time, right?"
"Yeah. The madman who held the three-year mourning period twice. Even for someone who wasn't his real mother."
"Right. Yuan Shao's ambitious. During those two three-year mourning periods, he won over countless people. But men like that, as they age, start looking down on the young ones around them."
"How do you know?"
"If you're too successful when young, you judge everyone by your own standards later in life."
I knew an old man who died like that.
"Sure, from his perspective, he endured hardships. But to folks like us, it just looks like he's stirring up trouble. No matter how tough it got, he was from a Sa-seo-sam-gong family—think he'd ever plowed a field like this? Or eaten barley mush?"
"True."
"Then later, he'll say, 'Back in my day...' Heh, so I don't recommend Yuan Shao."
I had one reason for this talk: to discuss whom Sima Yi should back in the future.
"And Yuan Gonglu's even worse."
"Yuan Shu?"
"Yeah. That honey-water addict will die babbling about it even on the battlefield. He's got nothing but his Yuan clan bloodline. If forced to choose between the Yuan brothers, I'd pick Yuan Shao."
His territory's decent-sized, but he's narrow-minded, petty, and stingy. Rich, but doesn't know how to share—spoiled by wealth.
"Honestly, it pisses me off seeing some bust their asses while others sit idle and live it up!"
"Exactly. So who else?"
"Besides them..."
A few names came to mind. But before future talk, we needed to cover the present.
"Yi'ya, you can't water so sparingly."
"Ugh..."
Sima Yi gritted her teeth as she tried to sprinkle from the wooden bucket.
"H-hey, if it rains anyway, isn't this watering pointless?!"
"Rain doesn't mean you slack off. Remember? Out of these ten fields, one is yours to tend personally."
I tapped the sign labeled "Sima Yi's Field."
"One this year, but two next year. If you can't manage a little vegetable patch, how will you govern a whole region?"
"...Hmph."
I'd scratched her pride, but she grumbled and kept watering.
"Just wait till it rains. I won't let you off easy."
"Haha, and what'll you do if you don't?"
"...Later, when I'm prefect somewhere, I'll drag you in and work you to death."
Sima Yi grinned mischievously, threatening me.
"Geum Taeyang, obey your prefect's command."
"Yes, Prefect. What are your orders?"
"Work's done, so grab your outer robe and prepare the meal."
"Aye aye~."
I tidied the tools. Everything except Sima Yi's field was mine, but it wasn't vast, so I finished quickly alone.
And then.
"Pardon the intrusion."
"...Huh?"
A familiar voice came from the academy entrance. I grabbed my coat and stepped out.
"Who..."
"...Daughter?"
"Sister?"
The woman in familiar official robes stood before me. Her expression hardened at Sima Yi beside me.
"You have a daughter...? No, the age doesn't..."
"A distant relative of the academy head. My disciple."
"...Ah, I see. You startled me."
She let out a deep sigh of relief.
"I heard you were here and came to see you, Wol-yeong."
"......Welcome. Mun-yak."
Sun Uk. She'd come to Suyeon Academy.
"Congratulations on your appointment, sister."
"No need. It's just a minor post. Anything more for the imperial house... was impossible."
Sun Uk, whom I hadn't seen in ages, looked utterly drained. Fatigue filled her eyes; she seemed worn down by something.
"What's wrong?"
"...May I have a serious consultation?"
Her gaze on me was deadly earnest, as if hoping our words stayed confined here.
"Of course. This is Jingzhou, far from the center. I'm just a rustic academy hand—speak freely."
"Dong Zhuo."
My stomach churned at the name.
"Inspector of Liang Province, Dong Zhuo, has crowned himself Prime Minister and threatens the throne. Now he's even trying to install an emperor to his liking."
"...I know the whole story."
As Sima Yi grew interested in central politics, I'd started visiting the tavern every three days to catch rumors from travelers and merchants. I used those to teach her current events and survival.
"He absorbed all of Grand General He Jin's forces, so even the emperor's a joke to him. Any local warlord who steps up gets branded a rebel and dies. Recall his moves—he even forges imperial edicts."
"Yes. Against that villain's tyranny... I've decided to retire to the countryside."
"Pardon? Quitting your post?"
"...No. Transferring to the provinces. The prefect of Yingchuan recommended me; I'll serve there."
"Good. The center... will keep blowing with bloody winds."
"...You know?"
"Pardon?"
Sun Uk continued with a pallid face.
"Bloody winds are blowing. Sikong Wang Yun tried to assassinate Dong Zhuo and failed."
"......To think he'd attempt that at his age. I figured he lacked the guts in his old age."
"Yes. Someone else did it."
"Who?"
"......Cao Mengde."
"Ah."
Cao Mengde. Yingchuan. ...My land!
"Sister, you said you're heading to Yanzhou... Yingchuan?"
"Yes. Cao Mengde seems bound for Yanzhou—specifically, her hometown in Chenliu. I took leave... to see you."
Sun Uk handed me a bamboo slip.
Warlords of the realm, unite against Dong Zhuo's tyranny. Restore the Han court.
"Sorry. But you're the only one I could discuss this with."
"...Alliance."
I intuited Sun Uk's plan from the slip.
"The warlords are finally gathering in one place."
"From the alliance's moves this time. You get it right away, just from the proclamation."
"Well, yeah..."
Yuan Shao had sent proclamations across the land. The so-called Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition.
"Wol-yeong, in your view... will they succeed? Topple Dong Zhuo and right the Han court?"
"......Hard to say, sister."
Moving for the Han court. How many were truly sincere?
"Rest here a few days first."
"Wol-yeong, I...!"
"Rest. I'll prepare a room."
A band of bandits gathered to catch a bandit—she'd surely crumble. No one moved for the Han court from the heart.