Success or Failure, All Empty in the End / Could "Benevolence and Righteousness" Ever Be Hypocritical?

Success and failure, right and wrong, all vanished in the turn of a head

News of Dong Zhuo's death quickly spread throughout the land. Lu Bu became the man closest to the Son of Heaven, but his position as overlord did not last long. Wang Yun's betrayal left the great clans that had originally supported him wavering.

"Xun Yu's handiwork, I presume. Now that the Deposed Emperor Liu Bian is dead, Liu Xie is the only emperor left. Xun Yu wishes to restore the Han Dynasty's legitimate line, so reclaiming the Son of Heaven is a necessary step."

Zhuge Liang looked at Fujimaru Kyoya, who had once again returned covered in injuries. He should have expressed his deepest apologies, but when he thought of how this fellow had somehow brought back an immortal, even he could not resist kicking him while he was down.

"Brat, what kind of look is that? I just don't have a home to return to right now."

Consort Yu also caught the meaning in Zhuge Liang's gaze. These young fools really believed every rumor they heard. If the report turned out to be inaccurate, he would have to take responsibility too.

"Things in Chang'an are settled. I should head back as well."

"Head back?"

"Back to my hometown. Farm and get married."

Zhuge Liang clearly understood the limits of his friend's shamelessness. If they stayed together any longer, he would probably be forced into offering strategies again.

That completely went against his passive, reclusive mindset.

"But I just secured an imperial decree for Liu Bei. He'll soon be the legitimate Imperial Uncle, with the capital to establish himself in these troubled times."

Fujimaru Kyoya still hoped that the Crouching Dragon would emerge from seclusion soon. Perhaps then, fewer people would die beneath heaven.

"Liu Bei isn't ready yet."

Zhuge Liang still refused to leave seclusion.

In truth, Liu Bei's character did suit his tastes. A compassionate Lord like him was rare in chaotic times, but compassion alone was not enough.

What Zhuge Liang wanted was not merely Liu Bei. He also wanted a Liu Bang.

"Then I'll go with you. You've sent me to dangerous places so many times, so don't expect a wedding gift from me."

The Crouching Dragon's emergence was not urgent. Besides, marriage was a major event in life. Once Zhuge Liang got married, some things would no longer be up to him.

When Huang Yueying started saying every day, "Look at Old Zhou, the Grand Commander of Jiangdong," then, "Look at Old Guo, the sacrificial wine of the Cao Army," and finally, "Now look at you...," he would get a taste of the terror of a midlife crisis ahead of schedule.

Seeing Fujimaru Kyoya's smile, Zhuge Liang could not help but feel a stomachache.

[You attended Zhuge Liang's wedding. Since you truly did not give even the slightest wedding gift, you became the center of attention.]

[You once discussed your views on the current state of the world with Consort Yu. She seemed somewhat interested in your naïve ideas, so she began her observations of humanity.]

[Although you and Zhuge Liang lived in seclusion, you did not neglect the affairs of the world. You watched the actions of every faction over the years, often discussing strategies with Zhuge Liang until dawn.]

"Liu Bei is in trouble."

Fujimaru Kyoya had heard that Liu Bei had been betrayed by Lu Bu. Not only had he lost Xuzhou, but Lu Bu had driven him all the way to Xiaopei. His situation did not seem good at all.

"What does that have to do with me?"

Zhuge Liang spoke indifferently, though he stared at the map showing the various provinces of the realm, seemingly plotting something.

"If it has nothing to do with you, why are you still thinking about your Three Kingdoms plan?"

"Th-that's not what I said. Lu Su was the one who proposed dividing the realm into three. I'm merely seeing how capable Lu Zijing is."

Having had his thoughts exposed, Zhuge Liang immediately put away the map on the table.

In truth, he had always hesitated over whether to emerge from seclusion. Otherwise, why would Fujimaru Kyoya have spent so long coming here just to press his warm face against a cold shoulder?

Although Zhuge Liang had denied any intention of emerging from seclusion this time, according to the news Consort Yu brought back, he had recently mentioned Liu Bei to Xu Shu. Every word had implied that Xu Shu should go and assist Liu Bei.

"Are you still afraid?"

"Yes."

Zhuge Liang admitted it openly.

"Actually, Sima Yi's choice was 'correct.'"

Zhuge Liang could see the future, so he could determine just how wise Sima Yi's decision had been. Since fate could not be defied, one might as well become the final beneficiary.

At first, he had aided Dong Zhuo. Then he had placed separate bets on Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. All of it had been to cling to the strong by any means necessary and complete the unification of the realm as quickly as possible.

That was the "correct" thing to do.

No matter how one put it, though, troubled times were never a good thing.

"But being 'correct' does not necessarily mean it is good, right?"

Fujimaru Kyoya understood that so-called "correctness" was not necessarily a good thing.

When ordinary people faced the Trolley Problem, they often fell into moral dilemmas in pursuit of the so-called "correct" answer. But the Trolley Problem had never been a problem for Fujimaru Kyoya.

Because the very existence of the Trolley Problem was itself a mistake. Looking for "correctness" within a mistake was a premise not even third-rate science fiction would use.

If anyone asked Fujimaru Kyoya about the Trolley Problem, the answer they received would definitely be Fujimaru Kyoya's fist.

"Yes. 'Correct' is merely 'correct.'"

As Zhuge Liang muttered this, his mind once again turned to Lu Su's possibility of dividing the realm into three. At the same time, he intended to replace one of those three powers with Liu Bei.

"Sometimes I really envy you. You seem truly afraid of nothing."

"Is that so?"

"I am very afraid. I fear that after giving everything I have, I still won't change anything. If that's the case, then it would be better not to try changing anything from the beginning."

Over the years, Zhuge Liang had resumed his calculations. Though the results were never satisfactory, this time he did not stop.

"Failure? Are the two of us somehow special?"

Fujimaru Kyoya asked.

"No."

Zhuge Liang understood that beneath the tides of history, they were merely mayflies between heaven and earth. How could they be considered special?

"Then are our lives worth more than other people's?"

"No."

Zhuge Liang had never believed himself noble, nor did he believe the lives of princes and nobles were worth more than those of commoners.

"Then that's that. There are only two of us. If we save two people, we've already broken even. Anything after that is pure profit. It's a deal with guaranteed returns and no losses, so why shouldn't we do it?"

Fujimaru Kyoya and Zhuge Liang had never been special people. Though they had come to this world with the ability to change history, they themselves were not noble.

"Yes. Guaranteed returns."

Zhuge Liang no longer hid that map away. Instead, he hung the map of the declining Han Dynasty's territory before him. At last, he made up his mind.

These four hundred years of splendor, wind, rain, and smoke would ultimately...

"Success and failure, right and wrong, all vanish in the turn of a head."

Thoughts on Going Premium and Some Replies

As the title says, the story will go premium tomorrow. As for exactly when I can post the first premium chapter, that depends on what time I wake up. I am deeply grateful to the readers who have stayed with me despite the recent controversy. Thank you all so much.

Then there is the matter of fan contribution levels. I enabled them, and today I received word that Hedgehog Cat has received a large number of reports targeting this book.

Everyone here is just reading books. When people come across a book they dislike, they may curse it or argue about it, but how many people actually go and report it?

Are they saying this book is too explicit? Or that it promotes reactionary ideas?

I do not think anyone would press the report button before I did something like that, right? Especially since the story has not even gone premium yet and all the content is free. I have also told everyone not to rush into sending gifts, so there is no question of scamming people for money.

Right now, there seems to be a group stirring up trouble. I have muted quite a few alt accounts that only ever posted comments on this book. Of course, some people were muted by mistake. Those people have gradually gotten in touch with me, and I have unmuted them. Anyone else who was muted by mistake can contact me to be unmuted. I wrote about this in the group before.

The matter of characterization was originally something we could discuss. You said the characters had gone out of character, and I gave an explanation. You were dissatisfied, so I revised the chapter today as well. Only one night passed between those events. Mainly, I needed to adjust my mood and delete those posts that kept stirring up "cuckold" drama.

There are also some people whose posts I deleted without muting them. I only hope everyone can calm down and not be used as weapons by people with ulterior motives.

I hope that one day, people stop reading my book because I fail to write a good story, rather than leaving in resentment because they were swept up by others stirring the pot.

I have not set the fan contribution requirement high, and I will lower it depending on the situation. Besides the standard two updates tomorrow, I still owe twenty-six of the twenty-eight bounty chapters. I will repay all of them during the premium period.

I hope everyone can calm down and judge a book by the quality of its work.

Thank you all very much for your understanding.

Thank you.

Was "Benevolence and Righteousness" Ever Hypocrisy?

Zhuge Liang and Fujimaru Kyoya's time in seclusion was peaceful, but that did not mean time had stopped.

Liu Bei had actually been having a difficult time during this period. Back then, Fujimaru Kyoya had secured the status of Imperial Uncle for him, instantly placing him in the sights of all the daimyo.

But Liu Bei had failed to adjust his mindset.

He gained Xuzhou in the name of benevolence and righteousness, only to face Cao Cao's army. At that critical moment, Fujimaru Kyoya once again came to help under the alias "Zhao Yun." He barely held off Cao Cao's assault, while also buying Lu Bu time to launch a surprise attack and force Cao Cao to return home.

After that, Fujimaru Kyoya kept running between Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. If one called him a general under Liu Bei, he could never be found for long stretches of time. He was entirely the sort who answered summonses but ignored commands. Yet whenever Liu Bei faced danger, he would always arrive at the crucial moment.

For that reason, he had never been able to obtain even a minor official post in Liu Bei's Army. Instead, he felt more like Liu Bei's personal bodyguard.

After Liu Bei stabilized the situation in Xuzhou, Fujimaru Kyoya returned to Jingzhou to live a quiet farming life with Zhuge Liang. Meanwhile, Lu Bu was no match for Cao Cao. After seizing Xuzhou while under Liu Bei's protection, he could only survive in Xiaopei.

Zhuge Liang had anticipated this long ago and specifically told Fujimaru Kyoya not to help Liu Bei. Just as he had said, what he wanted was not merely Liu Bei, but also a Liu Bang.

After this incident, Liu Bei truly matured considerably. He joined forces with Cao Cao to drive Lu Bu into a desperate situation. Even after Chen Gong transformed Lu Bu into Mechanical Lu Bu, they still defeated him with the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and countless fierce generals.

He could even use words before Cao Cao to make him resolve to kill Lu Bu.

Only then did Liu Bei finally possess the qualifications worthy of Zhuge Liang's service. Unfortunately, he would not be the protagonist of what came next.

The protagonists of Guandu were Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. At this point, Liu Bei had merely taken refuge under Yuan Shao. Once Yuan Shao fell as well, where else could he go?

"Third Brother, what did Master Kongming say in his letter?"

Liu Bei was exhausted in body and spirit. Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he and his brothers had traveled everywhere. Everything they had done had been for the restoration of the Han Dynasty, yet the more they tried to restore it, the more chaotic the realm became.

The imperial relatives each occupied territory and proclaimed themselves rulers, while the other daimyo harbored even more treacherous intentions.

Sun Ce in Jiangdong, Ma Teng in Xiliang, Cao Cao in Xuchang, and at most Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan, still fleeing outside. The realm had already become a complete mess.

How could such a Han Dynasty be restored?

"Big Brother, that man said in his letter... Liu Biao of Jingzhou is gravely ill and does not have long to live. We could..."

"Say no more."

If Liu Biao had no descendants, then Liu Bei, as a member of the imperial clan, could reasonably take over his territory. But Liu Biao still had sons. How could Liu Bei seize another man's inheritance?

"Big Brother, we still need a foundation from which we can develop. Jingzhou truly is..."

Even Guan Yu could not help but urge him.

Over the years, they had attached themselves to countless people, but none of them had worked out in the end. Rather than that, they might as well occupy a region themselves and become one of the daimyo.

"I do not refuse Jingzhou out of womanly kindness. This is Master Kongming's test for me, and I cannot disappoint him."

After the incident with Lu Bu, Liu Bei still possessed benevolence and righteousness in his heart, but he also understood that he could not place that benevolence above his brothers' lives.

Both his brothers possessed valor capable of matching ten thousand men. If they had followed a daimyo like Cao Cao, they would certainly have become figures of great renown. Yet now, following him, they struggled from day to day.

"A test?"

The two did not understand. Even if it were a test, should it not test whether Liu Bei possessed the courage to seize Jingzhou? Why would refusing Jingzhou be Zhuge Liang's test?

"Second Brother, Third Brother, what do we have left besides the title of imperial relatives?"

Liu Bei asked with a hint of self-mockery.

"At this point, all we have left is 'benevolence and righteousness.' If I seize Jingzhou for the sake of the realm, then my image of peerless benevolence and righteousness will collapse in an instant. From then on, I will never again have a chance to contend for the realm."

The meaning behind this was not profound. Zhuge Liang had deliberately allowed Liu Bei to see it and deliberately made Liu Bei choose.

In Liu Bei's view, which was more important: Jingzhou or Zhuge Liang? How he chose would be Zhuge Liang's final test of whether to emerge from seclusion.

Even if those around him did not understand, Liu Bei truly had no intention of taking Jingzhou. But what was the cost?

At the same time Liu Biao died of illness, Cao Cao's army approached Jingzhou. Liu Biao's son, Liu Cong, surrendered outright without informing Liu Bei, leaving Liu Bei to face Cao Cao's forces alone.

Fleeing became the only choice.

Taking into account Cao Cao's massacre of cities during his earlier attack on Xuzhou, Liu Bei had no choice but to flee together with the common people. He even neglected his own wife for their sake.