As Kongming walked into the main hall with Lu Su to meet Sun Quan, he is introduced to Zhang Zhao.
Kongming: It is merely a small comparision of mine, Sir, please do not mind. [This sentence brings about another layer of meaning, implying that his talent is much higher].
Zhang Zhao: I heard that Liu Bei visited you three times in your cottage, and finally convinced you to join him, after which, Liu Bei was like a fish who got water, ready to engulf Jing, Xiang, and achieve his ambitions. Sigh, today, the 9 provinces of Jing Xiang has fallen into Cao Cao's hands, may I ask, is the fish in the water? or is the fish in the cooking pot?
Kongming replied, it is a piece of cake for Liu Bei to obtain Jing Xiang, his relative Liu Biao had offered it to him on numerous occasions, but my Lord cannot bear to take the foundations from the same family, that is why Cao Cao had the chance. Today, we are in Jing Xia, akin to the dragon entering the oceans, a phoenix's arising to the skies, although we have no hidden intentions.
Zhang Zhao: You have compared yourself to Guan Zhong, Yue Yi：管仲者乡助齐桓公独霸诸侯，一匡天下，乐毅者扶持弱燕，一鼓作气，连下齐七十二城。 此二人堪称兴国济世之才也。
As for you, laughing at the winds and the moon alone in your cottage, apart from sighing, there is nothing remarkable. Before Liu Bei had you, he had some land, his future secure. After he had you, he had to abandon his army, and flee with the wind, unable to repay the Emperor or pacify the people, nor guard his lands from treacherous army. Within 6 months, he gave up Xin Ye, lost Fan Cheng, lost the battle at Dang Yang, without an inch of a place of his own.
(Everyone in the hall laughed, Kongming smiled too, his composure calm, face and eyes, glowing)
Kongming: How could sparrows understand the ambitions of a swan? I have thought the sparrows lived in the forest, I didn't think that they have all gathered here today in this hall. My Lord Liu Bei had indeed lost at Lu Nan and sought refuge with Liu Biao. At that time, he only had Guan, Zhang and less than 10,000 men. Nevetheless when Cao Cao led an army of 500,000 to kill him, my Lord used fire attack on Bo Wang and used water at the White River. Cao's generals Cao Ren, Li Dian, Xiahou Dun lost a 100,000 men to the brink of nothing.
Even if Guan Zhong, Yue Yi were there, they might not be able to do better. At Dang Yang, there was an army chasing us, and a huge river in front of us, 200,000 citizens of old, and children, followed my Lord, travelling 10 miles a day. My Lord would rather die than to abandon them, have you ever heard of such a benevolent ruler in a hundred centuries? Nevertheless, there are people who merely knows how to talk, who looks with their eyes but does not see, as for empty names, no one can beat them, as for deploying and using an army in the face of an enemy, they do not know anything.
(Zhang Zhao bowed, embarrassed, as Kongming smiled, and bowed in return)
Another officer asked Kongming: Cao Cao's army is over a million men strong, with over 1000 good generals, ready to swallow Jiang Xia, may I ask what is your strategy?
Kongming: Cao Cao took over Yuan Shao's fallen army, and attacked weak rulers like Liu Biao, even if he were to call it a million, or a billion, I do not fear at all.
The officer asked, You have lost at Dang Yang, and have to resort to begging Jiang Dong, how can you say there no fear?
Kongming: My Lord has a few thousand men, how can we withstand Cao Cao's army? We have retreated to Jiang Xia, waiting for an opportunity to kill Cao Cao when the time comes. Whereas, here in Jiang Dong, you have ample provisions and army, a natural barrier of water with the Zhang Jiang, yet we have a group of refined scholars, begging your Lord pitifully to surrender to Cao Cao.
It certainly looks like my Lord Liu Bei is the only one in the world who does not fear Cao Cao.
Next battle player: Kongming, are you trying to emulate 苏秦，张仪， using a 3'' tongue to sweep DongWu even?
Kongming: I only knew Su Qin, Zhang Yi as very eloquent people, but really do not know if they are exceptional heroes.苏秦佩六国相印，张仪两次相秦， they have brought peace and stability to the country. They are definitely not weaklings who are afraid of death nor who bully the meek.
However here we have someone, who have heard that Cao Cao has a million army, do not ask if it is a lie, or the truth, yet kowtow in surrender immediately. Can people of this caliber dare laugh at Su Qin, Zhang Yi? (implying himself, hidden meaning, that he is on par with these famed men)
Next challenger: Kongming, what kind of person do you think Cao Cao is?
Kongming: He is a tyrant, the whole world knows this, need you ask?
Reply: The Han Dynasty has carried on for 400 years, the end of their time is near, today Cao Cao has 2/3s of the world, the remaining 1/3 also has thoughts of surrendering to him. 暗怀归心。Liu Bei does not recognise his fate, and fights against it. How can he not lose?
With that, Kongming became angry and retorted, it is precisely of people like you that our Han Dynasty has declined, you speak as you have no ruler, no father, you are disloyal and unfilial.
人生于天地间，当一忠义为本
As people of Han, we cannot co-exist with a tyrant. The Han Dynasty has been passed down for 400 years, why can't we pass it down for another 400 years? If we cannot do so, it is because of people like you who spoil the name of Han.
Huang Gai arrives then and asks the scholars not to treat a guest with disrespect, and Kongming says, what you have just said is the most understanding word along this corrider. ^^
Summoned to Sun Quan's inner chambers, he told Sun Quan Cao Cao's army strength was about a million, despite Lu Su reminding him on numerous occasions not to tell Sun Quan the truth. Kongming calculated:
- before the battle in the Middle Plains, 212,000 men in Qing Zhou
- After getting rid of Yuan Shao, an additional 500,000 - 600,000 men. Even though we take the killed, wounded, old and weak in consideration, there still be about 400,000 - 500,000.
- 6 months later, in Ji, Bing, You Zhou he trained another 380,000 new troops
- After he obtained control of Jing Xiang, he gained a total of 313,000 army from the navy and army combined.
Sun Quan then asked, what is the situation with his generals?
Kongming: In his declaration, Cao Cao said that he has over 1000 elite generals, that is but a lie. But for those who are well versed in battle, there are about 300 of them, amongst which 30 generals report to the commanding general. I will mention a few: Cao Brothers Cao Ren and Cao Hong, Xiahou brothers Xiahou Dun, Xiahou En, Xu Chu, Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, Li Dian, Zhang He are all famed generals.
Sun Quan asked Kongming to help him make a firm decision, to fight, surrender or make peace, to which Kongming purposely spited the young Lord in his imply to ask him to surrender. When probed further, Kongming told Sun Quan, Peace, and surrender is but the same thing, peace, a term which sounds nicer. He added, Liu Bei would never surrender. Sun Quan offended, left the room.
Kongming had offended everone in the room.
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