Chapter Eighteen: Speaking with Ease

“In the Three Kingdoms, there was a general of Eastern Wu by the name of Chen Wu. Tell me, what was Chen Wu’s courtesy name?” Wang Ding asked.

It must be said that Wang Ding’s question was carefully devised. Since Zhou Zhi had just spoken so boldly, he intended to challenge him. The tales of the Three Kingdoms are well known, but the focus is mostly on the wars and plots, with the generals of Wei and Shu being especially familiar to most. The figures of Wu, however, receive far less attention and are not as well known. Chen Wu, being a general of Wu who rarely appears in the stories and is not noted for any great merit, seemed an unlikely answer for Zhou Zhi to know.

Having asked, Wang Ding looked at Zhou Zhi coldly, his brows drawn in a clear expression of deliberate difficulty.

But Zhou Zhi replied at once, “Chen Wu, styled Zilie, was a native of Songzi in Lujiang. Under Sun Quan, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant General.”

Wang Ding was visibly taken aback, but quickly followed with another question: “When Lord Guan was with Cao Cao but his heart remained loyal to Han, he left his post and crossed five passes, slaying six generals. Can you name the five passes and the six generals?”

This was not an easy question. The story of Guan Yu crossing five passes and slaying six generals is widely known, but few can enumerate the names of the passes and the generals, for people tend to remember the deeds rather than the places or the names of minor figures.

“Dongling Pass—Kong Xiu. At Luoyang—Han Fu and Meng Tan. Sishui Pass—Bian Xi. Prefect of Xingyang—Wang Zhi. At the Yellow River crossing—Qin Qi,” Zhou Zhi answered crisply, almost without pause.

Indeed, for someone from later times who had crossed into this era, he might not know much of the Ming, but as for “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” who could say how many times he’d read it? The television adaptations, both new and old, had been broadcast countless times, making it almost impossible not to be intimately familiar with the stories.

Wang Ding continued with several more questions about the tales: the “White Robe Crossing the River,” the “Burning of Xinye,” the “Single Rider Rescue,” and so on. Zhou Zhi recounted each with remarkable detail.

Wang Ding grew ever more amazed. He thought to himself, could this boy have been born with such knowledge? He had never before considered the Zhou family’s son to be talented. He had heard he became clever after a fall in the fields—could he truly have awakened his latent wisdom? It was truly strange.

Looking at Zhou Zhi, surprised yet increasingly impressed, Wang Ding felt as though he had found a kindred spirit, lamenting that they had not met sooner. Seeing Zhou Zhi still standing by the kang, he said, “Zhou family boy, have a seat and speak.”

Standing so long was tiring, so Zhou Zhi sat on the edge of the kang.

Wang Ding lightly tapped the scroll of “The Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” speaking slowly, “I have read this book for some time—no less than three times, in fact. I am truly in awe of Luo Guanzhong’s extraordinary talent. This book is a masterpiece.”

Zhou Zhi nodded gently.

Wang Ding glanced at Zhou Zhi, pondered a moment, and said, “Just now you spoke only of the events in the book, but there is great wisdom within its pages. Allow me to test you with another question to see if you can unravel it.”

“Please ask, Master,” Zhou Zhi replied calmly, showing no emotion.

However, in his heart, Zhou Zhi thought, this old scholar Wang Ding was clearly a Three Kingdoms enthusiast—not only reading, but studying the deeper meanings within.

“Zhuge Liang was famed for his wit and intelligence,” Wang Ding began, “but knowing full well Guan Yu owed a debt to Cao Cao, why did he assign Guan Yu to guard Huarong Pass after the battle of Red Cliffs? Had someone else been posted there, Cao Cao would likely have perished. Why did Zhuge Liang do this?”

For an old scholar of the Ming to pose such a question was rare, showing he was no mere pedant.

Fortunately, such questions were no challenge to someone from later times; they had long since been analyzed and summarized. After a brief thought, Zhou Zhi replied, “Zhuge Liang, even before leaving his thatched cottage, foresaw the division of the realm into three, as laid out in the Longzhong Plan. During the battle of Red Cliffs, he had Guan Yu guard Huarong Pass by design.

While Guan Yu was in Cao Cao’s camp, Cao Cao treated him with great favor—rewarding him with gold when he mounted, with silver when he dismounted. There were frequent banquets, small every three days, grand every five. Guan Yu, a man of loyalty and righteousness, was surely moved by this, and so would inevitably let Cao Cao go at Huarong Pass.

And this was precisely Zhuge Liang’s intention. In my humble view, there are four reasons for this.

First, at the time, Liu Bei was weak and isolated, and only managed to resist Cao Cao by allying with Wu. He needed Cao Cao’s power to keep Wu in check. If Cao Cao died, the north would fall into chaos, and Wu would dominate, seizing the realm. It would leave Liu Bei no room to stand, let alone build his own dominion.

Second, by having Guan Yu capture but then release Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang ensured that all under heaven would recognize Liu Bei’s character. This display of might would impress Wu, strengthening the Sun-Liu alliance.

Third, this act allowed Guan Yu to repay the debt he owed Cao Cao.

Fourth, Guan Yu was proud and defiant, not wholly respectful of Zhuge Liang. By orchestrating this episode, Zhuge Liang could hold Guan Yu to account for capturing and then releasing Cao Cao, thereby compelling Guan Yu to submit to his authority willingly.

Such was Zhuge Liang’s brilliance.”

“In the Three Kingdoms, there is no shortage of those who employ cunning. Master, do you recall the Empty Fort Strategy? When Zhuge Liang mistakenly entrusted Ma Su with Jieting and lost it, he had to retreat to Xicheng, which was undefended. Sima Yi advanced with his troops. Zhuge Liang, with no soldiers to command, simply opened wide the city gates and calmly played the zither atop the walls. Sima Yi, suspecting a trap, withdrew.

But did Sima Yi truly believe there was an ambush? At the time, he commanded 150,000 men. Even if there was an ambush, how many could possibly be hidden in such a small city?

Sima Yi knew full well he could capture Zhuge Liang. Yet he retreated—this was his own cunning.

Consider: if Sima Yi had captured Zhuge Liang, would Shu have remained a force? Without Shu, Sima Yi himself would have lost his value. Would Cao Wei have continued to tolerate him? Surely, he would have been doomed.”

Zhou Zhi spoke with composure and eloquence, leaving Wang Ding to exclaim repeatedly, “Excellent! Excellent! The Zhou family’s boy has true insight. Even I had not considered so much. Remarkable—truly remarkable! The younger generation is indeed to be admired!”

At that moment, Wang Ding’s eyes shone with admiration as he regarded Zhou Zhi.

“Haha, I am merely speaking at random; it is nothing,” Zhou Zhi replied modestly.

Seeing his bond with Wang Ding deepening over “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” Zhou Zhi was secretly delighted.

Wang Ding shifted upon the kang and took Zhou Zhi’s hand. “There is one more question I wish to ask you. Of all the figures in the Three Kingdoms, who gained the most?”

Zhou Zhi considered a moment, then answered, “That is a question with many answers, depending on one’s perspective. Zhuge Liang, with his unmatched wisdom and legendary achievements, is certainly remembered by history. Guan Yu, renowned for his courage and loyalty, is worshiped in countless temples and has benefited greatly.

But if I may, I believe the greatest beneficiary was Sima Yi. Master of strategy and patience, it was his family that eventually usurped the throne and seized the empire. The fortune and power he left for his descendants were unmatched. In that sense, he was the greatest winner.”

“Then let me ask you,” said Wang Ding, a strange smile upon his lips, “if you could choose to be any figure from the Three Kingdoms, who would you wish to be?”