The three men from Yi Province were, in truth, not especially astonished by Zhang Liao's battle record.
After all—Zhao Yun was sitting right beside them.
Fa Zheng, on the other hand, flushed red, covering his face and saying nothing.
Kongming, meanwhile, recalled the sighing lament that the "himself" on the light-screen had once uttered regarding the Battle of Yiling:
"Xiaozhi must take good care of his health. Only with a sound body and no illness can we hope to revive the Han. I happen to have a health-preserving prescription from Divine Physician Zhang of Jingzhou. When you have time, come study it with me."
Fa Zheng was overjoyed and accepted with a cupped-fist salute.
[Lightscreen]
[Earlier we mentioned that Chen Shou described Liu Shan as "plain silk"—whatever color surrounds him, he absorbs.
But in truth, Sun Quan was much the same.
Over the course of his life, he appointed four successive Grand Commanders. Ruler and ministers shaped one another, and thus the final historical judgment of each commander can also be read as Chen Shou's evaluation of Sun Quan himself.
In Records of the Three Kingdoms, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Lü Meng share a combined biography—but Chen Shou's commentary is rather interesting. He groups Zhou Yu and Lu Su together, while separating Lü Meng.
For Zhou Yu and Lu Su, the verdict is:
"Decisive insight, standing above the multitude—truly extraordinary talents."
No ambiguity there. Genuine geniuses of their age.
Lü Meng, however, receives this line:
"Though once rash and prone to killing, he eventually restrained himself—hardly a mere martial general."
Translated plainly:
Somewhat better than an ordinary general, at least.
The praise and criticism are crystal clear. Chen Shou was, after all, a master of subtle sarcasm.
Zhou Yu's and Lu Su's abilities need no elaboration—one proposed the strategy to divide the realm in two, the other the famous "couch-side strategy." Both were comprehensive, systematic, and forward-looking.
And what of Lü Meng's proposal?
He argued that as long as Jing Province could be taken, then:
"Why fear Cao Cao? Why rely on Guan Yu?"
No further plan. No long-term blueprint. The core idea was simply: lie low and hold what we have.
He even flattered Sun Quan shamelessly:
"Guan Yu could sail downriver and attack us at any time—but he hasn't. This is entirely due to Your Majesty's sagacity."
Which is pure projection.
From this, we can infer that if Lü Meng and Guan Yu had switched positions, Lü Meng's first move would also have been to sail downstream and stab his ally in the back.
Modern China's History of Chinese Military Strategy, published by the PLA, evaluates Lü Meng thus:
"He learned only deceitful stratagems, not the grand vision required to stabilize a state."
This shortsighted maneuver mirrors post-founding India almost perfectly.
Which is why our Instructor once sighed:
"I thought about it for ten days and nights, and still couldn't understand why India wanted to attack us."
New China responded without hesitation, defending its dignity and territory. At the cost of over seven hundred soldiers' lives, in thirty-two days it annihilated three Indian brigades, killing, wounding, or capturing over ten thousand enemy troops.
India then behaved itself for the next sixty years.
A vivid demonstration of that timeless principle:
"Unity achieved through struggle endures; unity sought through compromise perishes."]
The moment those words appeared, admiration overflowed from Pang Tong's eyes. He slapped Zhuge Liang heavily on the shoulder.
"Kongming—engrave this into your heart!"
"Allies are not kin. How could there be endless compromise?"
"To yield without end, calling it alliance—this is nothing but self-enslavement!"
Kongming carefully copied the words down. Though the phrase "unity" remained somewhat unclear to him, it was still written in Han script. Even vaguely, he grasped its meaning.
For him, it felt as though yet another weakness had been filled.
Kongming also arrived at his own interpretation:
"Though these words speak of relations between states, they apply equally downward—to neighbors and villages—and upward, to foreign realms."
"Consider the pacification of Nanzhong. Was not the granting of grace itself grounded in this very principle?"
Pang Tong clicked his tongue, suddenly a little envious of Kongming's mind. He truly hadn't thought that far.
"These future descendants are iron-boned heroes," Zhang Fei said sincerely. "They really know how to fight."
At this point, the light-screen shifted to a map.
Dense red and blue arrows clashed across its surface.
The red arrows surged forward without hesitation, shattering the blue advance lines and plunging deep into the enemy's interior.
"In just over a month, their army was destroyed, their capital threatened—entering their land as though it were unguarded!"
Zhao Yun rose unconsciously. As a warrior, he could only regret not having lived to take part in such a campaign himself.
"Just how many troops does one 'brigade' represent?"
Zhang Song swayed his head and replied:
"According to Ru Junzi's History of Qi: two hundred make a platoon, two thousand a brigade, ten thousand an army."
Kongming was more cautious.
"Ancient and modern systems differ greatly—let alone those of foreign lands. Still, one brigade should be no fewer than two thousand, and no more than ten thousand."
"To achieve such merit—this is true valor. Only…"
By now, Kongming had calculated the founding era of the later age using his lord's death anniversary. By his reckoning, over seventy years should have passed.
So why did the narration say India behaved for only sixty?
"Seven hundred good sons…" Zhao Yun sighed softly, then added with regret:
"In the later age, powerful enemies surround them. Even such a victory can only force temporary compliance."
"In Han or Tang times, such an achievement would have ended the enemy state entirely!"
Zhao Yun's voice rang with steel, his heart surging with boundless longing.
Meanwhile, as Hou Junji and the others puzzled over what sort of country this "India" might be, Zhangsun Wuji—quick-witted as ever—slid over the Tang emperor's most treasured map.
With the light-screen map, Li Shimin's own charts, and written explanations combined, understanding finally dawned.
"Only today do I realize how vast the world truly is!" Wei Zheng threw himself before the map, eyes shining with obsession.
"This is a true national treasure!"
"With lands so boundless—how many states exist?"
Hou Junji remained calmer, a general's instincts taking over.
"Are there strong enemies? Are there rebels like this India?"
Li Shimin chuckled easily. Wei Zheng's phrase "national treasure" reminded him of that peculiar creature called the giant panda.
Perhaps… he should order Jiannan Circuit to present a pair?
Aloud, he replied casually:
"Centuries hence, all under Heaven will be our enemies. There will be France, Germany, England, and others—faithless and unvirtuous. And there will be the Wa slaves, repeatedly invading."
Hou Junji pondered silently, while Wei Zheng's eyes fixed on the vermilion-circled words 'Wa slaves'.
"Your Majesty's naval edict of half a year ago—was it issued to punish the Wa?"
Li Shimin nodded, prepared to hear Wei Zheng's usual lecturing.
"Your Majesty is wise and martial!" Wei Zheng bowed deeply, then presented his remonstrance.
"Why not convert the entire navy into a true ocean-going force? To the east lie the Wa; to the west, Shendu. All may rely upon our sailors to spread Great Tang's benevolent governance."
This is Wei Zheng?!
Li Shimin's eyes widened.
Wei Zheng continued:
"And since Your Majesty possesses such celestial insight, and bears the title of Emperor for the Ages, you must ever reflect upon yourself and govern diligently—only then will you not betray Heaven's favor."
Li Shimin nodded.
Ah—this is more like it.
Yet inwardly, he grew curious about those later military texts. How would they judge him?
[Lightscreen
[Sun Quan's later years are simpler to describe. After Yiling, he fell into a situation of strong ministers and a weakened sovereign.
It wasn't that Sun Quan lacked ambition. He wished to attack Yizhou and Zhuya (modern Taiwan and Hainan), and even to cross the sea to strike Gongsun Yuan.
But Lu Xun, as Grand Commander, opposed every proposal. In the end, Sun Quan accomplished nothing.
Historically speaking, Sun Quan ranks among the most constrained emperors of the late Han.
Old ministers leaned on their ties to Sun Ce and Sun Jian, growing insolent—Sun Quan had to smile and endure.
Jiangdong's great clans treated him like a northern beggar come south—Sun Quan still had to humble himself and court them.
Trapped on all sides, and after the death of Crown Prince Sun Deng—whom he had painstakingly groomed—Sun Quan simply ignited the "Two Palaces Crisis."
He elevated two sons, naming one Crown Prince and the other Prince of Lu, then coldly watched as ministers of the Four Surnames chose sides and tore each other apart.
When heads finally rolled and the air cleared, Sun Quan vented decades of resentment.
The year after the crisis ended, he passed away and was buried at Jiangling.
One point worth noting about Sun Quan's tomb is its location—Meihua Mountain, composed of hard conglomerate rock.
Thus, during the Ming dynasty, when plans were made to level the tomb, the rock proved too difficult to break.
Zhu Yuanzhang—praised by our Instructor as second only to Li Erfeng in military command—declared magnanimously:
"Sun Quan was also a hero. Let him stay and guard my gate."
Zhu was generous—but the craftsmen took shortcuts, removing Sun Quan's stone qilin and dismantling the spirit path.
During the Qing, Sun Quan's descendants sought revenge by purchasing the former Wu Prince's garden and planting vegetables atop it.
You guard my ancestor's tomb—I till your royal grounds. Fair is fair.
Today, Sun Quan's tomb is a tourist site. Not long ago, there was even a humorous incident:
A college entrance exam student brought a toy tiger, a tiger-skin cake roll, a Hefei map, and an admission letter from the University of Science and Technology of China to pay respects.
USTC is one of China's top universities—located in Hefei.
If Zhongmou knows in the afterlife—may he smile.]
Zhang Fei looked troubled. He could guess that his own tomb likely enjoyed no such fortune.
Liu Bei, thinking of his Huiling, felt rather pleased—but still spoke up for his forebears:
"Li Shimin being first in warfare, fine. But does Gaozu not even rank second?"
Kongming comforted him.
"My lord saw earlier, in Tiangong Kaiwu, that farmland and grain yields grew ever greater in later ages."
"With more land and people, unifying the realm naturally becomes more difficult."
Mi Zhu sighed softly.
"Was not Sun Quan's later fate also retribution?"
"Indeed," Pang Tong nodded. "Betray alliances and rule defensively—how could one ever overcome entrenched clans?"
He could already imagine it: Jiangdong must have been governed entirely by the Four Surnames.
"Still—such ruthless measures in old age?"
Liu Bei gazed at the image of Sun Quan's tomb, at the little tiger figurine placed before it.
"Sun Quan loved hunting tigers in his youth. He was no exception among the Sun clan—he merely buried that ferocity deep within."
He thought of Sun Lady's fiery temperament, of Sun Jian—who would have guessed he would one day marry into that family?
The light-screen was large, and Kongming's eyes were sharp. Narrowing them, he read the words on the admission letter:
"University of Science and Technology—Admission Notice…"
"Science and technology…" Kongming felt limitless yearning.
Was this the later age's Imperial Academy? Not studying the Classics, but mastering scientific arts?
If so, then Tiangong Kaiwu would surely be elementary material there.
If only I could study in such a place…
The thought was utterly sincere.
"Entering university through an examination…" Pang Tong, too, was lost in thought.
Pure meritocracy—no dominance of great clans.
If Sun Quan knew of this, he would surely envy it.