"A man like Ma Chao—could a single letter from you, Big Brother, really have stopped him with a few words?"
Zhang Fei spoke bluntly, without restraint. Yet no one present mistook his meaning. The reason Liu Bei's sigh was so heavy lay not in Ma Chao alone, but in history itself.
The General Who Quells the Waves, Marquis of Xinxi—Ma Yuan.
A founding pillar of the Great Han.
A man who crushed the Qiang in the west, pacified Jiaozhi in the south, struck the Wuhuan in the north.
A general who died wrapped in horsehide, his bones returned only by legend.
And now, the Ma clan of Fufeng had come to this.
Liu Bei raised his hand slightly, signaling Ma Su—who stood waiting outside—to enter.
"Since we know the danger," Liu Bei said slowly, "it is only right that we warned him. Whatever his temperament, Ma Chao still bears the merit of guarding Han soil."
This, too, was why Liu Bei had ultimately accepted Pang Tong's dangerous proposal at Zigui. The words "Five Barbarians Uprising," revealed by the future light-screen, weighed like a stone upon his chest. The blood of the Han people had already flowed far too freely.
Ma Su entered.
The youth's skin was darkened by sun and travel, his robe still dust-stained from the road. He bowed carefully to the assembled elders, then caught sight of his brother Ma Liang. Instinctively, he flashed a bright, foolish grin, teeth white against his weathered face.
Ma Liang's heart skipped. He forced a smile in return.
Kongming paid the brothers little attention. With a flick of his feather fan, he began reporting calmly:
"Based on intelligence from Yong and Liang Provinces, Ma Chao has exercised more restraint than expected. He did not move first. Only after Han Sui rose in rebellion at the end of March did Ma Chao mobilize his troops in response."
He paused, then continued:
"Han Sui has now gathered over one hundred thousand men along the Wei River and Tong Pass, constructing camps and waiting for Cao Wei's army."
"Our reach remains limited," Kongming concluded. "For now, we can only observe."
Jiang Wan frowned at the numbers. "If Han Sui… surrenders to Cao Cao?"
"Impossible." Liu Bei shook his head before Jiang Wan finished. "Han Wenyue has ruled Liang Province for thirty years through intrigue and balance. How could such a man bow his head and become Cao Cao's dog?"
Liu Bei's voice hardened.
"Even if he surrendered, Cao Cao would never allow him to retain command. At best, it would be a slow death."
He concluded firmly:
"Among the Guanzhong coalition, the one least likely to surrender is Han Wenyue."
Late spring heat seeped into Jingzhou. Jian Yong waved his fan lazily.
"When Cao's army arrives, they'll surely use Ma Teng as leverage. One can only hope the Ma clan avoids extermination."
Liu Bei turned, expression easing slightly.
"On my return from Jiangzhou, I saw the effects of the Agricultural Envoys personally established by Kongming. The spring plowing has gone smoothly. When the harvest comes, the people will remember Gongyan's water-powered workshops."
Both Kongming and Jiang Wan immediately demurred.
At last, Liu Bei looked toward Ma Liang and Jiang Wan again.
"Siyuan said that for today's light-screen broadcast, we should keep only a brief record for him—and that all excessive praise directed at Kongming should be deleted."
The hall erupted in laughter.
"Youchang," Liu Bei said, pointing, "go sit beside your brother."
With Zhao Yun and Pang Tong holding Yizhou, and chaos in Guanzhong preventing Cao Wei from reinforcing Xiangfan, the aged Huang Zhong had finally returned to Jiangling to rest.
The seating settled:
Head: Liu Bei
Right: Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan
Left: Zhuge Liang (fan in hand), Huang Yueying (sketching endlessly), Ma Liang, Jiang Wan
Rear: Ma Su, wide-eyed and overwhelmed
"My Lord," Jian Yong said with a smile, "news from the light-screen has reached Tianshui."
Kongming's fan paused.
"Not success yet," he said frankly. "The Jiang clan is one of Tianshui's four great families. Based on the timeline, Jiang Wei is likely still a child. Men disguised as peddlers have been dispatched. It will take time."
Liu Bei nodded. "You've worked hard."
The Light-Screen Descends: The Campaign from Mount Qi
Suddenly, the air in the hall seemed to tear open.
Ma Su cried out in shock. "Ah—what is this?!"
Liu Bei, half-asleep from exhaustion, stretched and looked up. "It's finally here."
Ma Su stared, stunned, as everyone else remained calm—some even smiling faintly.
"Quiet," Ma Liang hissed. "Watch. Listen. Remember. Do not speak."
The distortion smoothed into a flat, luminous screen. Music—layered, modern, strangely stirring—filled the hall as text streamed across its surface.
[UP: WenMang]
Today's Keyword: Out of Mount Qi!
[Live Comment Barrage]
RailRush263: "Finally! I thought we were skipping straight from Yiling to governance."
WeiMain404: "Cao Pi speedrun any%—fail Jiangdong x3."
HanBladeGG: "His only highlight was missing Yiling and dying early."
CryForKongming: "Before the campaign was won, he died—heroes weep forever."
NorthQiRun: "Modern high-speed rail beats what Kongming fought for his entire life."
Ticket263: "Chengdu–Xi'an ticket is 263 yuan. Shu fell in 263. I'm not crying, you are."
MetaStrategist: "If Kongming didn't attack, Wei might've split internally."
YanSurvivor: "Wei Yan lived only because Kongming shielded him."
NoSleepHistorian: "He treated Liu Shan, Wei Yan, Ma Su like sons—but had no biological son until 46."
Reactions in the Hall
Liu Bei rubbed his temples. Yiling still hurt. It always would. At least Huang Quan and the others had not suffered under Wei.
Kongming, however, felt his ears burn.
These future commentators were… far too bold.
Legacy was one thing. But his reproductive vigor? The implications were obvious to anyone educated in medicine. He could already imagine these "medical students" diagnosing his lifespan based on work hours.
The gazes in the hall drifted—slowly—to Wei Yan.
"The Prime Minister treated him like a son?" Zhang Fei muttered, glancing between Wei Yan and Kongming.
"Too alike," he concluded. "Too strange."
Wei Yan closed his eyes.
Guan Yu spoke quietly, rare warmth in his tone: "Third Brother, come rest in Jiangling tonight."
Ma Su, hearing his own name mentioned among "sons," stared blankly at Kongming.
Should I call him… Godfather?
Ma Liang patted his shoulder. "Don't overthink it."
The Strategy of the First Expedition
[WenMang — Voiceover]
In 225, the Prime Minister pacified the south, securing the rear.
That same year, Jiang Ji—who once halted Sun Quan with a single letter—advised Cao Pi against invasion. History records simply: the Emperor did not listen.
Cao Pi failed again, granting Sun Quan prestige before dying the following year.
With Wei weakened and its Emperor dead, the Prime Minister resolved:
The Northern Expedition begins.
Sun Quan attempted the same, attacking Xiangyang—only to be crushed once more.
"The Sleeping General," Huang Zhong remarked dryly.
Zhang Fei blinked. "Why sleeping?"
"Because he never wakes up from defeat," Huang Zhong replied.
Guan Yu nodded slowly. "Calm. Obscure. Upright. Orderly. This is grandmaster warfare."
Meng Da
[WenMang — Voiceover]
Before the march, Kongming and Sima Yi clashed across distance.
Meng Da—Governor of Xincheng.
The plan was simple: create rebellion as fact. Leave Meng Da no choice.
But Sima Yi marched day and night.
Meng Da hesitated. Negotiated.
Eight days—Wei army arrived.
Sixteen days—gates opened by his own nephew.
Meng Da was executed.
The hall fell silent as the screen continued to glow.
History, once distant, now unfolded like a blade drawn slowly from its sheath.
And the Campaign from Mount Qi… had only just begun.