Chapter 144

When I first heard from Liu Bei that Zhuge Jin was coming, I wasn’t particularly surprised.

Left General and Governor of Xiang Province. Among the positions Sun Quan, who still holds the title of King of Wu without declaring himself emperor, could bestow, it was one of the highest.

The fact that such a prominent figure was coming personally clearly demonstrated the seriousness of the situation.

As expected. The current stance of the Han Dynasty could significantly influence the direction of the conflict.

Both Cao Wei and Eastern Wu had fortified their borders in preparation for our intervention, but could they really stop the Han’s military power with that? It was just to hold out until the main forces stopped the war and support arrived.

Cao Wei, having crossed an irreversible river, was one thing.

But for Eastern Wu, whose national power was already lagging, they would want to somehow direct our blade towards Cao Wei.

Since there was no need to hide the fact that Zhuge Jin was coming, I informed my people who were guarding the place as guests.

“I still don’t quite understand. Why did Sun Quan make such a risky decision with the danger of our country right next to him?”

“Exactly. It’s too reckless to think that just because they gained momentum, they could continue like this.”

Bu Chuan and Ma Dai expressed skepticism about Sun Quan’s northern expedition itself.

Even considering that Zhuge Liang had spread rumors to create a gap in Cao Wei and used my marriage proposal to deploy Liu Song to the battlefield, the risks were too great.

But what I heard from Zhuge Liang was the complete opposite of their thoughts.

“This isn’t Sun Quan being greedy and overreaching, but a result of following the inevitable flow.”

“Is this what you call the inevitable flow?”

“If not now, it might be too late. An opportunity that might never come again has arrived, so following it is the inevitable flow.”

“Too late? Wouldn’t it be advantageous for them to completely absorb Xiang Province, which they took from us, and then take advantage of another conflict between us and Cao Wei?”

In response to Ma Dai’s question, I shook my head.

There was a reason Sun Quan had to hurry. After making sure no one was eavesdropping, I cautiously spoke.

“Sun Quan also wants to become emperor.”

“Emperor…”

Cao Wei and Han are empires. But Wu is a kingdom.

The difference might seem minor at first glance, but there was a significant gap.

“But Sun Quan lacks the justification to declare himself emperor.”

Cao Wei’s Cao Biao received the abdication from Emperor Xian of the previous dynasty, who had legitimacy. Although it was a forced abdication, it was presented as a peaceful transition, thus maintaining legitimacy.

Liu Bei of the Han Dynasty, bearing the surname Liu, the national surname of the previous dynasty, pointed out the illegitimacy of the abdication and raised the banner of the fallen Han imperial family. While everyone followed the path of hegemony, he alone walked the path of kingship based on the people, thus embodying righteousness.

But Sun Quan had nothing.

No former emperor to abdicate to him, no surname or popular support to ascend the throne, nothing.

Thus, what Sun Quan needed was achievements. He craved overwhelming accomplishments that could establish authority to suppress dissent.

As Zhuge Liang said, what he did was merely giving a push to someone who wanted to run forward immediately.

“Indeed…”

After hearing my explanation, the two looked at me with admiration. I shrugged and told them the truth.

“Don’t look at me like that. I just repeated what the Prime Minister said.”

But Zhuge Liang’s explanation didn’t end there.

The internal strife between Sun Quan’s loyalists and the aristocratic factions within Eastern Wu.

The possibility that Sun Quan saw this as a fight worth engaging in due to Cao Wei’s weakening.

There were more things discussed, but I omitted them.

Bu Chuan, who had been praising Zhuge Liang’s analysis, suddenly asked a question.

“Then was this marriage proposal really necessary? If Sun Quan was already planning to go to war…”

“It’s not to reassure Sun Quan, but to deploy Liu Song.”

The one who interrupted Bu Chuan was not me, but Bi Yi.

He joined the conversation naturally, with his usual faint smile.

“The envoys from Wu will have a hard time.”

At Bi Yi’s sudden remark, Ma Dai scolded him for saying something so out of place. Bi Yi laughed it off, but I understood the underlying meaning of his words.

Bi Yi must have sensed Zhuge Liang’s plan.

“That’s why they’re sending Zhuge Jin, isn’t it?”

§

But I didn’t expect Zhuge Ge to come as well.

“My name is Zhuge Ge, courtesy name Yuansun.”

After the funeral, the envoys from Wu who arrived included an unexpected figure far beyond my expectations.

Zhuge Ge.

A name I never imagined I would face so soon.

One of the figures responsible for the later parts of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Ge was a man whose remarkable exploits could rival Jiang Wei of Shu.

His wit from a young age was just the beginning.

The astonishing military talent he displayed in the Battle of Dongxing, which could barely be compared to Jiang Wei’s achievements.

The ruthless yet immediate political acumen that allowed him to survive the Two Palaces Incident by abandoning his own son.

In terms of ability alone, Zhuge Ge could easily be counted among the top figures of the late Three Kingdoms period.

But even Zhuge Ge had his flaws. And they were glaringly obvious.

‘His personality is the problem.’

Arrogant, conceited, stingy, haughty, and impatient.

These were the negative evaluations of Zhuge Ge recorded in history.

True to these evaluations, Zhuge Ge, overconfident in his abilities, ultimately failed to achieve self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, or world peace, leading everything to ruin.

He was executed, his family exterminated, and his country lost its foundation.

The one who predicted this better than anyone was none other than his father, Zhuge Jin. But who would have thought that Zhuge Jin would bring his son at such a critical moment?

‘Is Zhuge Jin worried about Zhuge Ge for the future? Or has Zhuge Ge changed because of me?’

If it’s the former, it’s understandable, but if it’s the latter, I need to be cautious.

A Zhuge Ge who has resolved his personality issues might be a formidable opponent on par with Liu Song.

‘I need to keep that in mind.’

I thought I was keeping a straight face, but something must have given me away. Zhuge Ge’s gaze as he looked at me was unusual.

While Zhuge Ge and I were eyeing each other, the conversation between the responsible parties, Zhang Zhao and Zhuge Jin, progressed steadily.

Although I outranked Zhang Zhao in both position and fame, the reason he was the responsible person was simple. This was not a meeting between Wu’s envoys and Han’s officials, but between the Zhang family and the condolence delegation.

Zhang Zhao, along with me and the Zhang family, were still in mourning clothes. Although it was permissible to remove them early using the Duke’s law, no one did so.

There was no urgent official business, and the 36-day mourning period was already considered short. In fact, there were only a few days left.

The attire of Zhuge Jin’s condolence delegation was as modest as ours. They wore plain clothes without official robes, simple and unadorned.

It clearly conveyed the sincerity of their condolences. Zhuge Jin, knowing how to move others with empathy, was no ordinary man.

After exchanging greetings and words of comfort with Zhang Zhao, Zhuge Jin broached the main topic.

“May we proceed with the memorial service now?”

Since the purpose of the visit was to offer condolences, the memorial service would be conducted first, followed by the envoys’ meeting, just as when I went as part of Cao Cao’s condolence delegation.

“Yes, please follow me.”

Since Cao Cao’s status required visiting the ancestral temple, we now went to Zhang Po’s actual tomb.

Zhuge Jin offered his condolences with genuine sincerity. So did Zhuge Ge.

Despite his arrogance, Zhuge Ge’s political sense was sharp. Knowing the right time and place was basic.

After the memorial service, the condolence delegation returned to their lodgings. Today’s schedule ended here.

I quietly watched their retreating figures.

“Does it bother you?”

Zhang Zhao, who had approached unnoticed, asked.

“Zhuge Ge?”

“Yes. You keep looking at him.”

“…Yes, it bothers me.”

“Hmm… Not as a man, right?”

“Brother.”

I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. Zhang Zhao awkwardly laughed and raised his hands.

“Haha, just kidding. Don’t look at me so fiercely.”

Honestly, it’s really scary.

Pretending not to hear his muttered words.

I was slightly surprised that Zhang Zhao had laughed for the first time since the mourning began.

“Laughter…”

“One can’t grieve forever.”

Zhang Zhao brushed off my words and continued.

“But why Zhuge Ge?”

“He’s talented.”

“Hmm, if you’re concerned… Indeed, he’s quite famous.”

“Do you know him too?”

“Of course. He’s famous as a prodigy of Eastern Wu. Though not on your level.”

“Well…”

If Zhuge Ge had truly reformed, it would be hard to say.

‘His position is low, so he might not have much influence, but I’d like to confirm if possible.’

My thoughts deepened.