Rest Period 2

There were more than a few people waiting for me in Chengdu.

Most were within the range of my expectations, but occasionally invitations from unexpected figures caught my eye.

Empress Dowager Xu Zheng aside, what about Zou Zhu? Though Liu Bei didn’t like him much, Zhuge Liang, who was closer to meritocracy, highly valued his scholarship and gave him the position of Quanxue Congshi with the authority of the Governor of Yizhou.

I had recently built up some intimacy with Zhuge Liang while receiving teachings on the Eight Formation Diagram, but not as much as Liu Bei. I wonder why Zou Zhu, who fell out of Liu Bei’s favor but gained office on Zhuge Liang’s recommendation, is calling for me.

‘It’s probably just a ceremonial invitation to announce his appointment to office.’

Why, in the Joseon Dynasty, wasn’t there something like the Myeonsinrye?

It’s probably like a kind of initiation ceremony, announcing to those around – I’ve been appointed to office.

Setting aside invitations from people like Xu Zheng and Zou Zhu, there was also someone I truly never expected even in my dreams.

The person I visited first as soon as I arrived in Chengdu wasn’t Zhuge Liang, but this unexpected existence.

“His name is Zun (遵).”

Zhang Zun (張遵).

The son of my half-brother Zhang Bao, and my nephew.

A tiny budding life. At my sister-in-law’s urging, I held him; the weight of my nephew was lighter than armor.

Not afraid of a stranger he’s seeing for the first time, Zhang Zun clearly reflected me with his bright eyes. Soon he cutely crinkled his eyes and gave a gurgling laugh.

At the baby’s smile that anyone would find lovable, I couldn’t be purely happy. Zhang Zun’s birth is certainly worthy of blessing.

However, the birth of one generation originally means the passing of another generation, and unfortunately, Zhang Zun’s father Zhang Bao belonged to the latter.

Zhang Bao, who died young even before our father, Zhang Fei. With a bitter smile, he said to me:

“Ran, I have a request for you. Will you listen?”

I seemed to know what it would be, even without hearing it.

“Please speak.”

And Zhang Bao’s request was what anyone would have expected.

“When I die, I want you to take care of my nephew.”

“…How can you say such things? Brother, you should regain your health and watch Jun grow up by your side.”

Despite my encouragement, Zhang Bao slowly shook his head as if he had accepted his fate.

“How could I not know my own body? I feel every day that my remaining time is not long. It’s an irresponsible request, but please listen to it as the last request of one who’s about to leave.”

Zhang Bao’s words were deeply imbued with sad paternal love for his son.

That’s why I couldn’t give a firm answer that I would grant his request even more.

“I am a general who will wander in distant places. Unlike me, Second Brother has deep scholarship and has established himself in the system as Shizhong Puye, so he will take better care of Jun than I can.”

“That’s why I’m asking you. From what I’ve seen, Jun seems more suited to be a military official than a civil official. I was worried because he had a weak father, but it seems he’s taken a lot after Father. He’s very sturdy.”

Certainly, Zhang Zun was born a fine baby. In the original history too, Zhang Zun lived as a general befitting the title of Zhang Fei’s grandson. And he died heroically in the final battle against Wei.

Reflecting on his death, Zhang Zun in my arms no longer felt like just a baby.

“I understand. But if Jun wants a path other than that of a military officer, I will gladly allow him to do so.”

“That’s enough. Thank you. I’ve given you nothing, but I only keep receiving. I always feel sorry.”

Zhang Bao said, grasping my hand tightly with his two emaciated hands.

It’s only natural that where there’s a new meeting, there’s a parting. But with Zhang Bao, we hadn’t even properly formed a bond like that of close family such as parents or Yan Yi, yet thinking that I wouldn’t be able to see him soon made my heart heavy.

He said it was enough, but how could that be? Zhang Bao too would have the same desire to live longer.

‘Did the existence of a child lessen his lingering attachment?’

Perhaps because I’m thinking of the parting that will come soon, my head becomes complicated with unnecessary thoughts.

When I returned home, Mother greeted me alone. Yan Yi’s empty place was conspicuous.

Yan Yi, who had been selected as the Crown Princess, had entered the imperial palace.

The time spent alone with Mother after a long while certainly remained as a precious memory, but it didn’t fill the empty feeling.

Things I hadn’t properly seen because I was running forward looking only ahead. Because if there’s something to gain, there’s also something to give up.

‘It will be difficult to fall asleep easily tonight.’

It was a night of deepening contemplation.

§

Yesterday I couldn’t because I was spending time with family while also recovering from the fatigue accumulated during the journey back to Chengdu, but today was time to return to my duties as a general.

The official residence in Chengdu, which was used as the Rear General’s Office in the past, remained as my workplace with its name changed to the General of the Guards’ Office.

‘Though duty is mostly just submitting reports.’

Fei Yi and Jiang Wei are handling the military affairs of the General of the Guards’ Office, and the training of soldiers and distribution of rewards are the responsibility of the generals and instructors under my command.

‘It’s right that when you go beyond middle management to become the overall person in charge, minor things leave your hands.’

Zhuge Liang, who used to take charge of all of that himself, is the strange one.

When you’re in such a position, you should know how to trust and delegate to your subordinates. If you try to manage and supervise even trivial things, not only will you tire yourself out, but your subordinates will become exhausted too.

It’s not the 21st century with computerization and easy record checking; in ancient times, only perfectionists like Zhuge Liang volunteer for such asceticism.

‘Zhuge Liang is the strange one, not me. Yes, that’s right.’

“Mingjing, are you in there?”

“Yes! Chancellor! Please come in!”

What? I hadn’t heard Zhuge Liang was coming!

Fortunately I didn’t voice my thoughts out loud, but as the saying goes ‘a thief is nervous about his own footsteps’, I kept checking anxiously in case Zhuge Liang might have noticed the thoughts I was having until just now.

“Why are you acting like that? Just like someone who’s committed a crime.”

“Ah, it’s nothing, Chancellor.”

Unlike when going to persuade Xu Miao in the past, Zhuge Liang spoke using informal speech as a superior.

When Liu Bei was King of Hanzhong, he was a Military General so his rank was low despite his actual power, but now Zhuge Liang had become the undisputed number two in Han as Chancellor.

It would be nonsensical for the Chancellor, higher than the General-in-Chief, to use honorific speech to the General of the Guards.

“By the way, what brings you here? I hadn’t received any separate notice.”

“Don’t be so formal. Are we in a relationship where we only visit when there’s business? Aren’t we ones who have shared sincere devotion to the country?”

Really, what is this?

I’m aware that my distance from Zhuge Liang has grown closer through the matter with Xu Miao. And even more so while discussing the Eight Formation Diagram.

But it seems the internal intimacy Zhuge Liang felt was much greater than what I had accepted.

I really hadn’t imagined that Zhuge Liang, that workaholic, would personally visit me despite being in the position of Chancellor.

“It’s nothing else, I have something I want to discuss with you, and also something I want to hear separately, so I came personally.”

Discussion, huh. Since I hinted last time that I had no intention of getting involved in internal affairs and personnel matters, it’s probably related to military affairs in eight or nine out of ten cases, and if there’s something Zhuge Liang wants to discuss with me at this point…

“You’re talking about reorganizing the military system.”

It must be about establishing the system of the military.

“As expected of Mingjing. It’s as you say.”

It is time to sort things out once.

Liu Bei’s army, or rather the Han army, has been operating somewhat haphazardly until now.

You could say it hasn’t developed much from the form of Buqu, a private army group, before properly developing into a state.

Even looking at the Luanling Army under my command, the perception of it as Zhang Ran’s soldiers is stronger than the perception of it as a central army. The perception of Guan Yu’s army, Zhang Ran’s army, Ma Chao’s army is stronger than the feeling of a central army.

The main reason such a military system close to Buqu was maintained was that wars continued without time to reorganize the military. They had been putting it off, thinking there might be problems if they meddled with the army unnecessarily when it seemed war would break out soon.

Occupy Yizhou then Yi-Xiang Confrontation, think it’s wrapping up then Battle for Hanzhong, right after that Battle for Jingzhou, how long has it been and Southern Campaign and Northern Expedition, after that the major offensive of the Wei-Wu alliance.

Even if they wanted to revise the military system, there was no leisure to do so.

But now all three kingdoms are being cautious and avoiding war, and even if war breaks out, we can block it by just defending key points.

“I too thought it was right to revise it now.”

“Is that so? It will probably be mentioned in detail at the court assembly, but first listen and tell me your opinion.”

Originally, exchanging opinions with Zhuge Liang like this would have been done by Fa Zheng or Fang Tong, or extending a bit further, maybe Huang Quan and Ma Liang.

I know they’re not here now or busy with other work, but to think I would discuss state affairs with Zhuge Liang as the representative of the military.

Zhuge Liang’s planned military system reform was roughly like this:

First, divide the army into local armies and a central army. Then divide the central army again into four armies of front, rear, left and right, plus a central army, for a total of five armies.

This system was somewhat in place when Liu Bei, who had ascended to King of Hanzhong, appointed the Four Directional Generals, but the system wasn’t perfectly established. Zhuge Liang’s intention was to properly establish the current system which only had a rough framework.

“How could I have any objections?”

“The plan is to entrust the four armies to the Four Directional Generals of front, rear, left and right, and keep the military offices of the General-in-Chief, Chariots and Cavalry General, General of Light Chariots, and General of the Guards separate.”

“Won’t it become too complicated?”

“It’s difficult to change everything at once. And the military talents of the four generals are capable of overseeing not just one front but the war as a whole, so wouldn’t it be a national loss to let that go to waste?”

The Luanling Army will be maintained then.

By the way, I doubt whether I should be included in the line of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Ma Chao, but if Zhuge Liang says so, it must be so.

“And with this reorganization, there will be changes regarding concurrent posts as well.”

“Do you intend to separate military authority and administration?”

“That’s right. Until now we’ve focused on them due to the chaotic situation, but now we plan to separate them into governors and administrators.”

He meant to largely eliminate concurrent posts like Ma Chao’s Governor of Liangzhou, my Governor of Bingzhou, Father’s Sili Jiaowei, and establish governors in charge of local armies and administrators in charge of local administration.

It seemed that what Zhuge Liang was seeking my opinion on was not the initial reorganization plan, but on eliminating such concurrent posts. Though called concurrent posts, they were also a form of power.

“I think it’s the right measure.”

“Is that so. That’s fortunate.”

It wasn’t quite civilian control, but it was a proposal that somewhat limited the influence of military officials to wartime.

“Then let’s discuss anything beyond this at the later court assembly.”

Zhuge Liang paused the conversation at this point.

Having finished the former thing to discuss, the next topic would be the latter thing he wanted to hear.

When Zhuge Liang opened his mouth again, his tone had changed from the dry, businesslike manner to an excited tone full of interest and curiosity.

“What exactly is this Six Flower Formation?”