"A man like Ma Chao… did you really think a single letter from big brother could stop him with just a few words?"
Zhang Fei said it bluntly, but everyone in the hall understood why their lord had been sighing.
Ma Yuan, General Who Calms the Waves and Marquis of Xinxi, was a founding meritorious minister, one of the pillars of the Han.
He had spent his life in war: breaking the Longxi Qiang in the west, pacifying Jiaozhou in the south, striking the Wuhuan in the north.
He died on campaign, his body wrapped in horsehide.
How had the once-glorious Ma clan of Fufeng declined into this within a single generation?
Liu Bei beckoned toward the doorway, signaling for Ma Su to come in.
"Since we know of it, we ought to give warning."
"After all, regardless of his temperament, Ma Chao has rendered merit in defending Han soil."
This was also the reason Liu Bei had ultimately agreed to Pang Tong's risky plan back at Zigui.
The vision shown by the Light Screen, the chaos of the Five Barbarians, had always weighed heavily on his heart.
Too much Han blood had already been spilled.
Ma Su entered from outside.
His complexion had darkened considerably from the sun, and he carried the same road-worn exhaustion as Liu Bei, clearly having returned together with him.
He respectfully cupped his hands and greeted everyone in the hall.
When he saw his elder brother Ma Liang, he grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth.
Ma Liang's heart skipped a beat, but in the end he could only force a strained smile.
Kongming paid little attention to Ma Su and instead began laying out the intelligence they had received.
"Judging from the reports coming out of Yong and Liang, Ma Chao has shown remarkable patience."
"He only raised troops at the end of the third month, after Han Sui rose against Cao Cao."
"Now Han Sui has gathered one hundred thousand men at Tong Pass on the Wei River, establishing successive camps in preparation for Cao's army."
Kongming's judgment was simple.
"Our reach does not extend that far. We can only wait and observe."
Jiang Wan frowned at the disparity in military strength.
"What if Han Sui surrenders to Cao Cao…"
Before he could finish, Liu Bei shook his head.
"Impossible."
"Han Wenyue is renowned throughout Liang Province for his political maneuvering. He has held military power for thirty years."
"How could such a man lower his head and become Cao Cao's dog?"
"And even if he surrendered, would Cao Cao truly allow him to retain command of his forces?"
"That would merely be a slower death."
Liu Bei's conclusion was firm.
"Among the Guanzhong coalition commanders leading this hundred-thousand army, the least likely to surrender is Han Wenyue."
By late April, the heat of Jing Province had already begun to rise. Jian Yong lazily waved his fan.
"Still, once Cao's army arrives, they will surely make use of Ma Teng. We can only hope they avoid the calamity of clan extermination."
There was little else to be done.
As Kongming had said, this matter was truly beyond their reach.
After setting the issue aside, Liu Bei turned to praise Kongming and Jiang Wan.
"On my return from Jiangzhou, I saw that this year's spring plowing has gone well. The people have all benefited from the agrarian officers established by Kongming."
"And when the fields yield their harvest, they will surely also give thanks for Gongyan's water-powered workshops."
The two men hurriedly shook their heads, declining the praise.
At last, Liu Bei turned to Ma Liang and Jiang Wan.
"Shiyuan said that for this Light Screen session, a brief record will suffice. He specifically asked that any excessive praise directed toward Kongming be deleted."
Both Ma Liang and Jiang Wan burst into laughter.
"Youchang, go sit beside your brother."
Liu Bei pointed toward Ma Liang's side.
With Zilong and Pang Tong stationed in Yi Province and unable to return, and with the chaos in Guanzhong preventing Wei from reinforcing the Xiangfan front, old General Huang Zhong had finally been able to come back for some rest.
Liu Bei sat at the seat of honor.
To his right were his second and third brothers, along with Huang Zhong and Wei Yan.
To his left the seats were packed.
Kongming sat there, feather fan in hand, as usual looking faintly tense.
Huang Yueying was still frowning over her sketches.
Ma Liang and Jiang Wan were already loosening their wrists, ready to record.
Ma Su sat behind them, full of curiosity, completely unaware of what was about to happen.
Jian Yong, meanwhile, was chatting leisurely with Mi Zhu about what they had seen in Yi Province.
Noticing Liu Bei's gaze, Jian Yong looked up and smiled.
"My Lord, regarding what the Light Screen mentioned earlier, we have received news from Tianshui."
Kongming immediately pricked up his ears, though unfortunately it was not entirely good news.
"The Jiang clan is one of the four great families of Tianshui, with many branches."
"Furthermore, judging from the dynasty's timeline shown by the Light Screen, Jiang Wei is likely still only a child."
"I have already sent men disguised as peddlers to investigate carefully in Tianshui, but it will take time."
Liu Bei nodded.
"Xianhe has worked hard."
Then Ma Su noticed something strange.
The civil and military officials in the hall were either relaxing or quietly whispering among themselves.
Even Liu Bei, seated at the head, had begun nodding off, his head dipping as exhaustion overtook him.
What is going on?
Ma Su was baffled.
Shouldn't this be the time for the civil officials to present strategies, the generals to request battle, and their lord to finalize the plan for Yi Province?
He quietly tugged on Ma Liang's sleeve.
Ma Liang slapped his hand away.
"Be still."
Ma Su sat up properly.
The moment he looked up, he saw the air in the middle of the hall split open, as if an invisible hand had torn a rift in space itself.
He could not help blurting out—
"Ah! What is that?!"
Liu Bei jolted awake.
He looked up at the Light Screen and stretched. "Finally, it's here."
To Ma Su's astonishment, no one else in the hall seemed surprised.
Several people were even looking at him with faint, unreadable smiles.
"Silence. Watch more, listen more, record more. Do not speak." Ma Liang repeated his warning.
He truly felt he had done everything an elder brother could.
Under Ma Su's gaze, the tear in the air gradually smoothed itself into a flat glowing surface.
Complex yet beautiful music rang out.
Words began appearing upon the Light Screen.
Though the script looked different from what he normally read and wrote, the meaning became clear the instant his eyes passed over it.
What is this?
Why are my lord and elder brother not surprised at all?
Could it be…
Ma Su suddenly remembered the first time he had served as gatekeeper for the Military Advisor.
Even then, he had already believed this side hall to be the true core council chamber.
But now it seemed it contained an even more earth-shattering secret.
[Lightscrenn]
[Hello everyone, this is your uneducated host, Wen Mang. Today's keyword is: Campaign of Mount Qi!]
[Server Chat Log]
[Phantom Blade: Holy hell, it's finally here! Didn't expect the host to jump straight from Yiling and the governance of Shu all the way to this. So Cao Pi just got skipped entirely?
Laughing Grandmaster: What's there to say about Cao Pi? The only chance he had for a heroic entrance was Yiling, and he personally managed to miss it. Then he attacked Wu three times and somehow ended up padding Sun Quan's battle record instead. Truly an unexpected EXP pack.
Scholar of the High-Speed: Stop talking about Cao Pi, I'm here to cry for the Prime Minister. "Dying before victory was won, leaving later heroes with robes drenched in tears." One hour by high-speed rail today, a lifetime for the Prime Minister back then. One economy fighting three kingdoms… way too hard.
Ticket-Stub Diviner: Just found out today that maybe it's to commemorate the Prime Minister: the ticket from Chengdu to Xi'an is exactly 263 yuan, because Shu Han fell in 263.
Distracted Disciple: Damn it, I'm literally studying for exams right now. We ministers are about to bury ourselves in books, why did the host update now!?
Keyboard Tactician: Honestly, looking back, if the Prime Minister had just stayed put, Wei might've split into Eastern and Western Wei on its own. But the moment he attacked, all of Wei's internal conflicts got redirected outward.
Unofficial Registrar: Real talk, Wei Yan should've changed his name to Zhuge Yan. He only made it through the Northern Expeditions because the Prime Minister protected him, and the moment the Prime Minister died he got chopped.
Truth-Seeking Gossip: Now that you mention it, the Prime Minister treated Liu Shan, Wei Yan, and Ma Su like his own sons. Except… who didn't he have time for?
Pulse-Checking Physician: Oof. But I'm a med student, and our professor actually mentioned this before. The Prime Minister was probably so overworked his health suffered badly, which is why he only had a son at forty-six and still had no time to raise him. Modern 996 already destroys sperm vitality; his schedule was even more brutal.
Archive-Scouring: Not a med student so I can't comment, but I checked the Huang Quan matter. According to Wei records, including Huang Quan, forty-three people from that group were enfeoffed as marquises, and over a hundred became Generals or Colonels. That really shows the quality of Shu Han's talent pool.
Blood-Venom: Damn, now I want to vomit blood even more… Imperial Uncle Liu, what have you done? Running a military academy like Chiang Kai-shek? You barely had any talent to begin with, and you sent half to Wu and the other half to Wei. Didn't keep a single one.〗
Liu Bei pressed his fingers to his temples.
Stop talking. I already feel like vomiting blood.
Whether it was the western campaign or the journey eastward, every time he passed through the Yiling route, it left him full of emotion.
Neither Ma Su nor Ma Zhong understood why their lord kept sighing.
Only Liu Bei himself knew.
He had seen another version of himself.
Hair white with age, face full of grief.
That self had wagered everything built over more than sixty years.
And lost it all.
But at least…
Liu Bei comforted himself. At least, Liu Bei comforted himself, Huang Quan and the others were treated well. That is the best possible outcome.
For the first time, Kongming felt heat rise to his face. Are the people of the future always this... expressive?
Caring about his legacy was one thing.
But to discuss… that matter as well? Zhuge Kongming had read widely, including the Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic.
Naturally, he understood exactly what the Light Screen was implying.
Considering that husband and wife were both present, everyone tactfully pretended not to have seen that part.
Quite a few gazes shifted toward Wei Yan instead.
Treated like a beloved son by the Military Advisor! Zhang Fei, naturally, was delighted by the spectacle.
He looked at Wei Yan's flushed face, then at Guan Yu, and shook his head.
"The resemblance. Too much alike."
Then he looked at the elegant and youthful Kongming. Then back at the battle-worn, older-looking Wei Yan.
Zhang Fei shook his head again.
"Strange. Too strange."
Wei Yan simply shut his eyes.
Guan Yu, meanwhile, was unexpectedly kind.
"Third brother, come rest with me in Jiangling tonight."
"Once you've had proper rest, you can return to Linju tomorrow."
Ma Su also saw his own name appear on the screen.
At a complete loss, he turned to his brother.
"Watch more, speak less. Don't overthink it."
Ma Liang patted his shoulder reassuringly.
Ma Su gradually calmed down.
Then he secretly glanced at the extraordinarily handsome Military Advisor.
A wild thought could not help but arise.
Is this Light Screen telling me to acknowledge him as foster father?
[Lightscreen]
[In 225, the Prime Minister pacified the southern regions, completely eliminating the rear threat to the Northern Expedition.
That same year, Jiang Ji, the man who once forced Sun Quan to retreat with a single letter, wrote the Treatise on the Three Provinces to advise Cao Pi not to launch an invasion.
But as history loves to repeat itself, "the Emperor did not listen."
He returned empty-handed, and only ended up giving the King of Wu one last boost in prestige. Since Cao Pi was destined to die of illness the following year, the Prime Minister considered the situation and concluded: time for the Northern Expedition.
Sun Quan had the same thought and tried to strike Jiangxia and Xiangyang, only to suffer a crushing defeat and help create Wen Ping's nickname, "the General Who Sleeps Through Battle." We'll talk about that another time.
In short, the Prime Minister always preferred stability. He decided on the Northern Expedition in 226, gathered troops in Hanzhong in 227, and formally marched in the spring of 228, catching Cao Wei completely off guard.]
Everyone's reaction to Cao Pi was complicated.
Unexpected, yet somehow entirely expected.
"It seems Cao Pi's ministers must have lacked yin balance." Huang Zhong said dryly.
Zhang Fei frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Too much internal fire." Huang Zhong replied with three simple words.
Guan Yu, however, greatly admired this approach to warfare.
"A general's business must be quiet and profound, upright and disciplined. Kongming method of war bears the style of a true master."
Kongming, meanwhile, still remembered the Xiangfan campaign from the Light Screen.
"Yunchang is the true master of war. In the Xiangfan campaign, the situation was perilous and the window brief."
"To seize the moment and annihilate seven armies in one stroke, such is the mark of a famous general."
The two men exchanged smiles.
Beside them, Wei Yan's face was full of admiration.
[Lightscreen]
[But in truth, before the formal campaign even began, the Prime Minister and Sima Yi, those two old rivals, had already exchanged moves from afar.
Remember Meng Da? The Prime Minister's plan was actually quite straightforward: create an established fact of Meng Da's rebellion, leaving him no choice but to move along the path laid out for him.
Meng Da served as Administrator of Xincheng. Its predecessor encompassed Fangling, Shangyong, and Xicheng, connected to both Wu and Shu. The terrain was critically important.
If chaos could be stirred there, the Northern Expedition would become far easier. Perhaps even taking Chang'an in a single campaign would no longer be a dream.
Unfortunately for Meng Da, the one handling him was Sima Yi.
Sima Yi wrote letters promising rich rewards to soothe him, while simultaneously forcing his army into a relentless day-and-night march.
And then Meng Da's old flaw resurfaced: he actually started haggling with Sima Yi.
So eight days later, Sima Yi arrived at the city gates and caught Meng Da completely off guard.
Sixteen days after that, Meng Da's nephew and subordinate generals opened the gates and surrendered.
Meng Da was executed.]