Back to Chengdu 5

“So he really came over?”

“That’s right.”

“And Master Yu Ye and our lord accepted it?”

“That’s why I’m here with you, isn’t it?”

Liu Xun and Zhang Yi were having such a conversation while riding horses with me. It turned out they were the same age, so they quickly became close and started speaking informally to each other.

“You’re in a similar situation, aren’t you?”

“I’m a military official, aren’t I?”

“I’ve decided to become a military official now too.”

“I don’t mean to disrespect you, but will you be alright? It must be quite difficult.”

“It’s not that hard. I also became an Yi Province Attending Officer after achieving military merit. Although it was against bandits, I’ve experienced actual combat. I heard the other Army Supervisor under the General is also from Ba Commandery? We’re used to roaming mountains like our front yard, so marching is no problem.”

“But Deshen is from Baxi Commandery?”

“Ba Commandery or Baxi Commandery, they’re both part of the Three Ba, aren’t they?”

Zhang Yi was reappointed as an Officer, the same as Liu Xun. My military department had grown a bit more after the victory at Tangge, and it happened that we needed one more Officer, so it worked out well. Come to think of it, in the original history, he also worked as a private secretary under Ma Chong, but this time he became a colleague.

But from Zhang Yi’s perspective, he had been demoted from Yi Province Attending Officer to Military Officer. Knowing this, Zhang Yi still answered that he would follow me.

Whether he thought it would be better in the long run to be on my side, or he was tired of paperwork and wanted to move to a military position, I don’t know, but I was making an inaudible promise:

‘I’ll put you in a higher position soon.’

“General, there seems to be a village over there. We must be almost there,” Liu Xun said, pointing to a village that was starting to appear hazily in the distance.

The destination of this outing. The place where Wang Si, the person recommended by Du Zheng, was. Zizhong County in Jianwei Commandery.

“Elder, may I ask you something?” I stopped an old villager walking on the road.

“Do you know a person named Wang Si?”

“Wang Si… that young man? Of course I know him. But why…”

The old man trailed off, his voice filled with wariness towards the end.

“This person is the 3rd rank General Who Maintains Vigor. He has come to see Wang Si after receiving a recommendation that he is talented, so please don’t worry and tell us,” Zhang Yi stepped in and spoke when he read the anxiety in the old man’s voice. The old man then brightened up and said,

“Oh my, is that so? This ignorant country bumpkin couldn’t recognize such noble guests…”

“It’s alright. Could you guide us, please?”

“Of course. Follow me.”

Following the elderly man, we soon came upon the sight of a young man working in the fields. Even Zhuge Liang had done farming as a pastime, so I was looking forward to it.

“Is that person Wang Si?”

“Yes, that’s right. Hey, Shengzong! You have visitors!”

“Visitors for me?”

The young man wiped his sweat and stood up, looking in our direction.

A handsome appearance. As befitting someone doing farm work, his physique was quite good too. Although he might not compare to proper military officers, with that level of physical condition, he was incomparable to ordinary soldiers.

“Noble guests have come to this humble place.”

The young man lightly dusted off the dirt on his body. He remained calm despite the three unexpected visitors, with the subtle composition of two men and one woman.

“You’ve come a long way. Let’s not stay here, shall we go to my house? It’s not much, but won’t you allow me to offer some hospitality?”

“It’s enough that you didn’t turn away unexpected guests.”

He didn’t seem particularly surprised that I, a woman, spoke on behalf of the group. He had already noticed my identity.

Wang Si’s house was ordinary. It might seem shabby compared to the mansions of the rich in Chengdu, but it wasn’t so secluded as to be called humble. It was just a typical middle-class house.

“I’ve been sweating from working in the fields until just now. Would it be alright if I change my clothes and come back?”

“If you’re concerned about it, please do so. I don’t mind.”

“If that’s the case, let’s talk like this. The breeze is cool, how about we sit over there and talk?”

As he said this, he pointed to a wooden platform in the yard.

“That sounds good.”

It felt a bit like hanging out in a friend’s rooftop room in my past life. Sitting on a wooden platform, feeling the breeze while sipping a can of beer. I had lived quite diligently until then.

I wonder how that friend is doing now. Recalling slightly bitter old memories, I sat down facing Wang Si. The past can be covered with new memories, and past failures can be turned into future successes.

Composing myself, I also said to the two people still standing:

“You two, sit down as well. Won’t the host feel more uncomfortable if the guests are standing like this? Isn’t that right?”

“Haha, of course. Please sit comfortably.”

Wang Si, with a good-natured smile, personally led Zhang Yi and Liu Xun. Liu Xun first unfastened the cumbersome Zhanmadao and sat leaning it against the platform, and Zhang Yi followed suit.

“I’ll introduce myself formally. I am Zhang Ran, using the courtesy name Mingjing.”

“Liu Xun, courtesy name Huxian.”

“I’m Zhang Yi. My courtesy name is Boqi.”

Every time we took turns introducing ourselves, Wang Si respectfully cupped his hands and introduced himself as well. Along with asking us to speak comfortably, Wang Si was the first to ask a question.

“May I ask why Zhang Ran has come to see this humble person?”

“What other reason would there be to seek out talent?”

I deliberately didn’t mention that Du Zheng had recommended him. Du Zheng had asked me not to, and I also wanted to evaluate Wang Si in his raw state.

Wang Si also didn’t seem to have any intention of prying into how I came to know about him.

“I’m worried I might disturb Zhang Ran’s mood.”

“Modesty is good, but right now I want to hear your honest thoughts. If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to.”

While I would welcome talented people joining with open arms, I have no intention of forcibly bringing in someone who doesn’t want to. It would be an exception if it were talents serving Wei or Wu.

“What do you think should be the first priority for us to achieve great things in the future?”

Unlike his earlier hesitation, Wang Si answered immediately as if he had been waiting for this:

“It’s the ethnic minorities. We should befriend the Di people in the west to stabilize the border, cooperate with the Southern Man to enrich our resources, and in the east, guard Jing Province together with the Wuling Man. Then, if we form alliances with the Qiang, Xianbei, and Xiongnu in the north to face Wei together, we can aim for great achievements.”

Wang Si’s words were the direction that Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang actually pursued. It was the opposite approach to Wei or Wu, who only tried to subdue and subjugate the ethnic minorities. Of course, this wasn’t purely out of good intentions, but largely due to a lack of power.

But even here, Zhuge Liang will try to maintain this policy until Wei is overthrown. After all, he was someone who strived for maximum efficiency. He wouldn’t rule out the quickest method to overcome the lack of population.

Zhang Yi asked the next question after me:

“How would you suggest we make them our people?”

“Hmm… do we really have to decide how to treat them?”

Wang Si’s subsequent answer was something that would make the intellectuals of this era gasp:

“We should accept them as they are. The ethnic minorities and we are just different, not that someone is wrong. Do we really need to change them to fit us? Why? What makes us so much better than them?”

“But they are foreigners, aren’t they?” Liu Xun said with some discomfort, to which Wang Si argued back:

“The Qiang people ride horses better than us. No one can match the Ba people in traversing mountains. What about the Di people? They’re probably the most knowledgeable in the world about insects and animals.”

“Those are just trivial knowledge, how can they compare to the Hundred Schools of Thought?”

“They are people too. They love their families and revere the heavens. They just didn’t leave it as writing or scholarship. They already know all of it. It’s not the foreigners who don’t know this, but us Han people.”

Wang Si, who expounded thoughts on mutual respect beyond just policies of assimilation for ethnic minorities, took a breath and concluded:

“Instead of trying to teach, try to learn. Instead of trying to receive, try to give. With sincerity, not pretense, and treating them as friends, not servants, who wouldn’t want to join us?”

Zhang Yi, who had been quietly listening and pondering Wang Si’s words, agreed in a calm voice:

“Every word of Master Wang Si is correct.”

However, Zhang Yi added:

“But your words are too idealistic. If others respected us as much as we respect them, no one would long for the era of Yao and Shun. There are two types of people: one who gratefully accepts kindness and tries to repay it, and another who takes it for granted and demands more. To prepare for the latter, we should approach them sincerely but always have the power to control them.”

“That’s no different from ‘honey in the mouth, a sword in the belly’. It can’t be called sincerity.”

Having heard this far, I intervened between the two’s argument:

“That’s enough from both of you. This is a problem that would never end if we try to solve it with words. In my view, both of you are making reasonable arguments.”

Even with my words, the two seemed to have lingering feelings.

“Then I’d like to propose my own solution.”

“Do you have a wise opinion?”

“If one has a will, shouldn’t one naturally put it into action?”

Unity of knowledge and action. Knowledge that remains only in the head is as good as dead, and action without purpose is meaningless. Words have power but limitations, and claims without basis are empty.

So, there’s nothing better than putting it into practice to prove one’s correctness.

“If you come with me, you’ll inevitably have to interact with ethnic minorities. Depending on the situation, you might even be tasked with duties of a local governor like a prefect or county magistrate. I’ll give both of you opportunities. A chance to prove in reality whose method was right.”

Not only can they confirm if their learning is correct, but they can also gain experience and grow into even more outstanding talents. What a joyful opportunity this is.

“Of course, given the times, military duties will primarily be the focus, but we don’t have many conflicts with ethnic minorities. We rarely send expeditionary forces unless they invade first.”

And Wang Si, like the late-period talents often do, possessed not only civil official qualities but also military ones. To my eyes, which had reached a level that could be called a realm of martial arts, Wang Si’s potential was visible.

A literary-type general like Ma Chong. Although it might be difficult to expect him to reach the level of a vanguard general like Liu Xun or an army commander like Wang Ping or Gou Bo, Wang Si seemed capable of fulfilling his role sufficiently even in a military position.

Moreover, when the northern expedition proceeds later, we’ll have to deal with ethnic minorities, and he would become a very suitable talent at that time.

‘Is this what they call an eye for talent?’

It might be an ability naturally cultivated from seeing only outstanding people. Although I had no memory of later historical records about Wang Si, I instinctively realized.

It’s just that I don’t know, but Wang Si must have left his name somewhere. That’s why. My proposal was filled with sincerity.

“Judging from how you immediately answered when I asked how you would achieve great things, you must have had this in mind too. What do you think? How about coming with me and realizing your noble intentions?”

Who wouldn’t want to join when treated with sincerity, not pretense?

Wang Si, as he had said himself, accepted my sincerity.

He straightened his posture, respectfully clasped his hands, and bowed to me.

“Wang Si of Zizhong County dares to follow the General’s reputation to make his way in the world. Will you accept me?”

Chushe (出世, entering the world).

As one who had been living in seclusion chose to come out into the world, I will fulfill my duty of drawing him into the dust of the world.

“Of course.”