Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 269 Haji Liang, you bastard.
"Brother?"

When Kongming saw the person who had revealed his whereabouts, he found it hard to believe. Then, as if he had thought of something, his eyes suddenly dimmed.

"I see."

Kongming closed his eyes, resigned to his fate, and did not utter a word.

As brothers, our bond is so strong that there's nothing more to say.

He hadn't considered that the person he had sent a large army to search the mountains for was none other than the legendary Lord Yuan of Huainan.

After all, Yuan Shao had just acquired Nanyang, and at this time, no one else but him could send so many troops to search him.

To his surprise, the person leading the group was his own elder brother!

So what else is there to say?
As for struggling to escape? Now that their whereabouts have been exposed, how could a mere individual possibly escape from tens of thousands of troops?
Meeting the sadness in her younger brother's eyes, Zhuge Jin personally stepped forward, took his hand, and led the way.

"Kongming, don't blame me. I'm doing this for your own good."

After our father and uncles passed away, I took care of you younger brothers. As the eldest brother, I was like a father to you. As your elder brother, I love you and how could I not plan far ahead for you?

Now the Mandate of Heaven has changed. The King of Han occupies the land of three provinces, nourishes the waterways of the Yangtze River, holds the imperial seal to mark the nine provinces, and leads the princes to govern the world.

This is what is meant by the great trend being established.

With our brothers united, we will surely rise to prominence and rebuild the Zhuge family's legacy for a thousand years.

If they continue to be willful and obstruct the way, the Han army will likely be reduced to dust upon arrival.

Rather than letting you become arrogant and fall into the hands of others in the future, it's better for you to be captured by your elder brother now.

At least no matter what, I would never hurt you.

Seeing that Kongming closed his eyes and remained silent, Zhuge Jin sighed softly, "I did this to save you. You are too young to understand now, but you will understand when you grow up."

For your own life, your future, and your livelihood, if you wish to hate me today, then so be it.

Having said that, Kongming finally opened his eyes and gave him a faint look.

"Why do you need to explain, brother?"
Although Liang is young, how could I not know what my elder brother is thinking?

But people are different. There are countless paths in the world, and we each have our own path to walk.

What you consider good may not be good to me; what you consider right may not be right to me.

The mandate of heaven has changed, and the general trend has been set?
The Qin dynasty, building upon the achievements of six generations, conquered six states, united the four seas, and unified the world.

This was what was meant by the Mandate of Heaven, and the great momentum had reached its peak. However, it perished after only two generations and lost the Mandate of Heaven once again.

In the past, Xiang Yu was known for his unparalleled bravery. He broke through the Qin Pass with his might, and all who stood in his way were defeated, thus becoming the ruler of the world.

This was when the military strength was at its peak and the general trend was in their favor, but within a few years, they were defeated by Emperor Gaozu and committed suicide at Wujiang.

Both of them ruled over the nine provinces, received the Mandate of Heaven, and held great power. People followed them as if they were following a dragon, but little did they know that their lives and the destruction of their countries could happen in an instant. They were blinded by a single leaf.

May I ask you, elder brother, has Lord Yuan, who now holds the Mandate of Heaven, already defeated the Qin Emperor?

"Brother, is Lord Yuan's army now as brave as the Hegemon-King?"

Seeing that Zhuge Jin opened his mouth but could not answer, Kongming sighed softly.

"Today, my fate is not as good as Qin's, and my military prowess is not as good as Xiang Yu's. How dare you call yourself the King of Han?"
Destiny? The general trend?
Liang was not ignorant of fate, but he harbored lofty ambitions, believing that human will could overcome destiny and that the general trend could be changed through human effort!

"Ugh"

What a long sigh! It seemed to express all the hardships and bitterness of his life of wandering.

Zhuge Jin looked intently at Kongming, his gaze deep, as if he saw himself when he first arrived in Jingzhou, full of self-confidence and ambition.

In my youth, I was full of lofty aspirations, with the world in my heart and the sky in my eyes. Without climbing Mount Tai, I already considered the world to be small.

In middle age, one faces many difficulties, unable to reach the highest goals or settle for the lowest; even if one climbs Mount Tai, one cannot see the sky.

In old age, one passes away prematurely, looking back on the path one has traveled, saying "Goodbye" before stopping at Mount Tai, a regrettable and lamentable end.

Thinking of this, Zhuge Jin tightened his grip on his younger brother's hand, speaking earnestly and meaningfully.

"Kongming, do you think I do not know your ambitions?"
With your talent, you may have the ability to change the world, to single-handedly alter fate and help the dragon rise.

However, this journey is fraught with difficulties and hardships, and whether it will be successful or not remains to be seen.

You are young and impetuous, arrogant and self-important, and do not know how to advance or retreat. As your elder brother, I am a few years older than you. How can I not plan for you?
Now that there is a broad and smooth road ahead, why abandon the main road for a side path, or forsake the clouds for the mud?

According to you, both the Qin Emperor and the Hegemon-King rose to power because of the prevailing circumstances, and they also perished because of the prevailing circumstances.

But since you believe you have the ability to change the course of events and save the nation, why insist on doing what is easy, and why seek something far away while neglecting what is near?

Zhuge Jin's words were very clear: regardless of whether it's the Qin Emperor or the Hegemon-King, since you think you can change the course of events by helping the weak.

If we now assist the powerful, wouldn't conquering the world be as easy as taking candy from a baby? Why bother with anything else?
After hearing this question, Kongming was speechless for a moment, and he sighed wearily.

"So be it. Just as my brother doesn't agree with me, I can't persuade my brother either."

There are three thousand great paths, and everyone walks their own. This is what is meant by "those who walk different paths cannot make plans together," so why say more?

Zhuge Jin also sighed, "Never mind, you are still young, you don't understand."

In this world, knowing is easy, doing is hard; the world is in turmoil, and people's hearts are easily fickle.

When you want to accomplish something, your enemies are never just your rivals.

Friends will betray you, colleagues will scheme against you, and even if you're as powerful as the King of Hell, there will always be underlings pulling your back. It's not as simple as you think.

Kongming sneered and nodded, "Brother is right, there are also family members blocking our way."

Zhuge Jin: "."

"You really are blaming me!"

Kongming: "???"

"Brother, you are overthinking it."

Now that we each serve our own masters, I have no resentment.

The two brothers looked at each other and sighed, speechless.

Soon after, under the protection of the army, Kongming was sent to Wancheng to meet the King of Han.

To his surprise, when he arrived at the temporary residence of the Prince of Han, there was already a young man waiting for him, who was about to accompany him to the audience.

This man had thick eyebrows, a raised nose, a dark face, and a short beard; his appearance was strange and ugly.

He took the initiative to greet him, saying, "I am Pang Tong, Pang Shiyuan. May I ask if the person who comes here is Zhuge Kongming?"

Kongming was astonished; this was no ordinary man. He dared not underestimate him and returned the courtesy to receive him.

"It is indeed I, Brother Pang. May I ask what brings you here?"

Pang Tong looked at him with arrogance, saying, "I consider myself to be the most talented and resourceful person in Jingzhou."

I never expected to hear General Cai say that the King of Han ordered him to invite me, promising me a great achievement.

But when Mr. Ziyu invited you, he promised you ten great merits?
I am deeply ashamed. Are you ten times more talented than me?

I have been waiting for you here today to test my abilities before meeting the King of Han, lest he look down on me.

Kongming: "."

What is all this nonsense? Who cares about arguing with you about whether the King of Han looks down on him or not?

I was hoping he would look down on me and not take me seriously, so I could turn around and go back to my thatched hut to sleep.

However, when he looked at Pang Tong's appearance, he already had a guess in his mind.

I suspect this man is often looked down upon because of his appearance, which is why he is so persistent about this matter, hoping to surpass my reputation to gain an audience with the King of Han and thus earn his respect. Therefore, Kongming bowed respectfully and replied:
“Brother Pang, you may not know this, but my elder brother is now a confidant of the King of Han. He must be constantly by the King of Han’s side, speaking well of me.”

As a result, I have a great reputation but no substance, which makes the King of Han have unrealistic expectations of me. In reality, I am just a figurehead.

When Liang learned of this, he was deeply alarmed, constantly fearing that his own abilities were insufficient and his virtue unworthy of his position, and that he might ruin the great cause of the King of Han.

Fortunately, I met Brother Pang, whose name I have long admired.

Liang often heard people say that there was a man named Pang Shiyuan in Jingzhou who was talented and brilliant in his youth, and that having him would bring peace to the world.

Now that I have met Brother Pang, his appearance is extraordinary. His great reputation is indeed well-deserved. He must possess extraordinary talent and have a plan to save the world.

There's no need to say more about the contest. When we meet the King of Han later, I will vindicate Brother Pang!

He said that Brother Pang's talent was ten times that of Liang, far beyond my reach.

In a very short time, Kongming had already devised a plan!
Logically speaking, he had never met the King of Han, and he had no reputation in Jingzhou.

Then the problem is coming!

How did the King of Han find out about him, and why did he go to such lengths to send a large army to search the mountains and seas to find him?
Pang Tong's words, "Ten great achievements in one sentence," were a wake-up call!

It must have been his own greedy elder brother who sold him to the King of Han, exaggerating his abilities to the skies to gain even more merit.

If that's the case, then things are actually easier to handle.

The King of Han had never met him, let alone knew his talents. His understanding of him, even if not from his elder brother, was based on what others had told him.

Since that's the case, I just need to act in a way that doesn't live up to his reputation, showing that I'm far inferior to Pang Tong, and that I don't even have a tenth of his talent.

If that's the case, the King of Han will be utterly disappointed in him, but out of respect for his elder brother, he won't kill him.

Keeping him is useless, killing him is a pity, so I can only release myself and roam freely in the vast sky and sea.

The more Kongming thought about it, the more he realized how brilliant the plan was, as it directly addressed the root cause of the problem: the King of Han.

No one would go to such lengths to keep a useless person as their strategist!
Kongming had already made up his mind, and he looked at Pang Tong as if he were a rare treasure, his eyes shining with admiration.

"Brother Pang, please make sure you perform well later, don't worry about me."

I have heard that the King of Han is respectful to the virtuous and talented, and he especially likes to promote those with insight.

For example, Lu Boyan, who was only fourteen years old, was already a student of the King of Han and in charge of a region of the country, guarding a corner of the land for the King of Han.

If Brother Pang can catch the eye of the King of Han, he might rise to great heights and make all those who look down on him bow down in respect.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Brother Pang, you mustn't hold back your talents!

Pang Tong: "???"

Pang Tong was deeply moved!

Because of his ugly appearance, despite his talent for saving the world, he was always looked down upon and despised.

Unexpectedly, he had heard that the current King of Han had invited Cai Mao, the head of the Cai family and a naval general, to personally invite him to come out of seclusion and assist him.

Pang Tong had never received such attention in his life. He immediately came out of seclusion to help!

However, little did he expect that when he rushed to Wancheng in high spirits, before he could even pay homage to the King of Han, he would hear that everyone in the streets and alleys was talking about a man named Zhuge Kongming.

Everyone was discussing what extraordinary talent this person possessed that led the King of Han to offer him such a tremendous reward.

Pang Tong was furious!
Since you've already invited me, why invite him as well?
He got angry and almost stormed off.

It was only after much persuasion from the Pang family that Pang Tong sighed, realizing that his family was now under the rule of the King of Han, and that he had no choice but to submit.

However, his relationship with Zhuge Liang was not over yet. Why should Zhuge Liang be worth ten great merits?
Today he will step on Zhuge Liang's face to pay homage, so that the King of Han will know that he, Pang Shiyuan, has never been inferior to anyone.

But he never expected this!

He hadn't even started stepping on it yet, and the person had already offered their face to him.

Is this person really that self-aware?

What moved Pang Tong even more was that this person not only did not look down on him because of his appearance, but even praised his talent highly.

Based on Pang Tong's experience of being looked down upon over the years, he could easily see through any pretense of sincerity.

But this Zhuge Kongming was different. Pang Tong could truly feel that this man sincerely hoped that he could shine in front of the King of Han and gain his attention.

In an instant, Pang Tong felt somewhat ashamed. I came with malicious intent, but he was not only not angry, he even treated me humbly and encouraged me sincerely.

Zhuge Kongming, you rascal!
So what if someone's reputation doesn't match their abilities? So what if they have only an empty name? With my abilities, Pang Shiyuan, I can easily lead all the wise men in the world. Surely I can't handle you?

A surge of emotion he had never felt before welled up within him. Suppressing his feelings, Pang Tong nodded proudly and gave a soft hum.

"At least you have some self-awareness."

"Come in with me. When you meet the Prince of Han, don't say a word. I'll handle everything."

Kongming: "!!!"

"That's great!
"When we meet the King of Han, it will all depend on Brother Pang's performance."

The two looked at each other and smiled, both feeling very pleased with each other's attitude; it was truly a satisfying first meeting.

The two entered, and with the sound of a bell, the palace doors opened wide, and a servant led them into the palace to meet the emperor.

"Student Pang Tong pays his respects to the King of Han, may he live a thousand years!"

"This humble subject, Zhuge Liang, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

After the two finished their greetings, they secretly looked up and saw a man in white dragon robes playing chess with a scholar on the high platform, while a general watched the game silently.

It was none other than Yuan Shu, the King of Han, and Zhuge Jin and Cai Mao.

The two of them had previously ordered someone to lead Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang outside the mansion, and then came here ahead to report the matter to Yuan Shu and register their merits.

Upon seeing the two bow, Zhuge Jin seemed eager to rise and smile obsequiously, saying, "Your Majesty's chess skills are profound; I am truly no match for them."

Now that Kongming and Shiyuan have arrived, His Majesty must have important matters to discuss with them. General Cai and I will take our leave now.”

Cai Mao also looked uneasy, saying, "Indeed, I am ignorant of chess principles, so I will not indulge in such refined pursuits."

"The battle is not over yet."

Yuan Shu gave Zhuge Jin a disgruntled look, as if he hadn't had enough, but when he looked up, he saw that Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang were still bowing in the hall.

He nodded slightly and said, "Very well, since a talented person has arrived today, I will spare you for now."

He waved the two away, and the Han king, who had become increasingly powerful and often remained hidden in the mist, making it difficult to discern his moods, personally rose and came to greet him, his shoes askew.

He took their hands and said with a smile:
"With Kongming and Shiyuan by our side, we can bring peace to the world."

Both men said "I dare not!", but Kongming appeared fearful and uneasy, while Pang Tong looked up proudly.

Yuan Shu laughed and asked Pang Tong:
"Cai Qing arrived early and said that you wish to wait for Kongming to accompany you in order to test your abilities."

Now that you two have arrived, I wonder what the outcome of the battle will be?

Having heard that Pang Tong wanted to settle the score with Zhuge Liang, Yuan Shu was quite curious, so he deliberately indulged him and played chess with Zhuge Jin in anticipation.

Before Pang Tong could speak, Zhuge Liang preemptively spoke:
"Brother Pang's talent far surpasses that of Liang!"

It is like comparing a nag to a unicorn, or a firefly to the bright moon.

In my opinion, Brother Pang truly possesses extraordinary talent, unparalleled in the world!

Pang Tong was deeply moved!

Even if you describe yourself as a slow horse or a firefly, will you still help me achieve my goals?
Zhuge Kongming, you bastard!
(End of this chapter)