Chapter 151

As soon as the day broke, I quickly finished getting ready and stepped outside. Even though the funeral was over, I wasn’t in the mood to laugh, chatter, or enjoy myself, even if it wasn’t a formal mourning period.

‘After all, we’re just gathering in official robes. Do I really need flashy decorations or makeup?’

Even though men wearing makeup has become more common, it still felt unnecessary. Plus, with science not being advanced, the toxicity of makeup was still a concern.

The banquet hall was grandly prepared. The scale and splendor surpassed any Han Dynasty banquet I had ever seen.

When I went to Cao Wei as part of a condolence delegation, the banquet hosted by Cao Biao at Dongjagdai felt somewhat inferior. But even this much made me realize how much the Han Dynasty had progressed.

The banquets I had seen in the Han Dynasty before were either the one held after the fall of Luoyang or the brief one after securing Hanzhong. The only one that could compare was the sacrificial ceremony and banquet held in Chang’an City after declaring the new era.

Even then, due to the massive resources spent on securing Guanzhong and building defense lines, there were shortcomings. So, this banquet could be seen as the Han Dynasty’s first properly prepared one.

There was a reason the Han Dynasty spent a huge budget on this banquet.

Unlike the chaotic Cao Wei and Eastern Wu, we had the luxury and capability to host such a grand banquet! The purpose was likely to showcase this to both internal and external audiences and boost morale.

“You’re early.”

“Ah, it’s Yi So.”

“Calling me ‘Gong’ is too much. Just call me Yeongnam.”

Yi So, who used the familiar name Yeongnam, was one of the talents Zhuge Liang cherished deeply. If the Ma family had the “Five Constants,” the Yi family had the “Three Dragons.”

I heard Zhuge Liang had appointed Yi So as the head of the Seojo, a sub-organization under the Prime Minister’s office, in charge of personnel affairs…

‘Does the Seojo handle banquets?’

Seojo is responsible for personnel management. They shouldn’t have much to do with hosting banquets.

Perhaps sensing my confusion, Yi So awkwardly smiled and said, “The Prime Minister personally assigned me. There must be a reason.”

Come to think of it, Yi So was left in Chengdu as a logistics officer when Zhuge Liang went on an expedition. Perhaps Zhuge Liang is preparing him for the upcoming campaign to reclaim Xiang Province by letting him gain merit through this banquet.

Zhuge Liang’s meticulous preparations were evident even in these small details. While his command in battle is impressive, his true strength lies in this level of preparation.

‘Yi So is capable enough to handle important tasks. The problem is his lifespan might not be long…’

His complexion didn’t look bad now. If he, like Yu Pa, could overcome his health issues and live longer, that would be great. I should keep a close eye on him.

While touring the banquet hall with Yi So, other officials began arriving one by one, filling the seats.

High-ranking officials would come later in a group, but those arriving now were mostly lower-ranking officials who would sit at the edges of the banquet.

Still, I paid close attention to them. Who knows? There might be hidden talents like Bi Yi, who, despite their brilliance, remained low-ranking due to bad luck.

Those whose names I knew but couldn’t locate in this era. Like Guo Yi, whom I only discovered by chance.

‘Can I call it “discovery”? Guo Yi came to me on his own.’

Anyway, I focused on observing the attendees after parting with Yi So.

Those who thought they were early and walked leisurely were startled upon seeing me, quickly straightening their robes and postures.

They tried to act nonchalant, but my senses, honed on life-and-death battlefields, caught everything. It felt like being a teacher watching students who thought they were being sneaky.

‘I don’t recognize any names. No one stands out in attitude either.’

Just as I was getting bored, a big figure arrived earlier than expected.

Yu Pa, one of the Three Dukes alongside Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, appeared, causing a stir among the gathered crowd.

Since I was the only one to greet him, I quickly approached.

“Ah, Grand Censor, why are you so early?”

“I heard from Zhang Jia that he had already left, so I hurried a bit.”

Perhaps hearing that Yu Pa had arrived, other high-ranking officials also started arriving early.

Soon, most seats were filled. However, the seat next to the Emperor’s throne remained empty.

Finally, just before the scheduled time, a group of people entered with echoing footsteps. At the front was Zhuge Liang, the owner of the empty seat.

Beside him was his elder brother, Zhuge Jin, the chief envoy of the Wu delegation, walking and conversing with him. Though I couldn’t hear the details, their expressions suggested it wasn’t a cheerful conversation.

‘Where’s Zhuge Ge?’

There he was.

Right behind Zhuge Jin. He seemed to have been sternly warned by his father, as he kept his mouth tightly shut.

‘He won’t be able to say anything. My prepared move might end up useless.’

I had hoped to empower Zhuge Ge, but it seemed Zhuge Jin’s control was too strong.

Given that the Wu delegation viewed Zhuge Ge favorably, the direction wasn’t bad. Or perhaps Zhuge Jin’s control was just too overwhelming.

Either way, it was over, so I turned my gaze away from Zhuge Ge.

Once Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jin took their seats, the banquet began with ceremonial music and announcements of Liu Bei’s arrival.

The banquet had started.

§

The banquet proceeded smoothly.

Liu Bei gave a speech, and Zhuge Jin, representing the Wu delegation, exchanged words of friendship between the two nations.

After mourning Zhang Po’s death, the main banquet began.

At first, Chang-ran was excited. When would Zhuge Liang act? What justification would he prepare? She fidgeted with anticipation.

But as time passed, her excitement faded, replaced by anxiety.

‘Why is he staying still? The banquet will end like this!’

But calming down, she realized that openly challenging his elder brother in front of everyone would be burdensome, even for Zhuge Liang.

‘But if he declares the justification after Zhuge Jin leaves and announces the campaign to reclaim Xiang Province, wouldn’t that be too late?’

Was he stalling because something might happen in Huainan? Chang-ran’s anxiety grew, and she became quieter.

She wasn’t the only one feeling anxious.

Zhuge Ge was also anxiously watching the flow.

Though Zhuge Jin had been passive, he might strongly advocate for restoring the Sun-Liu alliance and leading an attack on Luoyang. But that wasn’t something to be certain about.

If Zhuge Ge knew Chang-ran shared his feelings, he might have acted with more confidence. But unaware, he felt even more pressured by her.

He saw Chang-ran glance at him and then look away.

Already prone to confirmation bias, Zhuge Ge deepened his own bias and amplified his anxiety.

Anxiety, unease, compulsion, impatience—these emotions drove Zhuge Ge to stand up.

“Your Majesty, you can achieve greater glory! How can you be satisfied with this position?”

“That… that brat!”

Seeing Zhuge Ge betray their agreement and act recklessly, Zhuge Jin almost collapsed in rage.

‘I believed his talent would elevate our family! But now, he will bring our family to ruin!’

Zhuge Jin’s judgment, made ten years early, mirrored his later assessment of Zhuge Ge’s aggressive push for Danyang’s conquest despite opposition.

But the water had already been spilled.

Zhuge Jin found himself on a tiger’s back with no way to get off.

“Prime Minister’s nephew, what do you mean by this?”

Liu Bei addressed Zhuge Ge familiarly.

With all eyes on him, Zhuge Ge, a natural performer, shook off his negative emotions and shouted excitedly.

“The time to crush Cao Wei has come! Our Six Great Generals are achieving remarkable feats in Huainan, pushing back Cao Wei. With the world’s greatest generals, we will surely defeat Cao Wei soon. How can this not be the time to achieve greatness?”

Chang-ran didn’t miss Liu Bei’s eyebrow twitch.

At the last moment, the card named Zhuge Ge had been played.