After Xu Shu has gone, Liu Bei prepares gifts and means to go to Longzhong to see Kongming. Just then word comes that a gentleman in a tall cap and broad sash has arrived at the gate. Thinking it might be Kongming, Liu Bei straightens his clothes and goes out, but it is Master Water Mirror, Sima Hui. Liu Bei is delighted and leads him to the inner hall.
Water Mirror says, I heard Xu Yuanzhi was here and came to see him. Liu Bei answers that Cao Cao imprisoned Yuanzhi’s mother and that she sent a letter calling him to Xuchang. Water Mirror says, Then he has fallen for Cao Cao’s trick. I have always heard that his mother is a woman of great worth. Even in captivity she would never send a letter to summon her son. That letter must be false.
Had Yuanzhi not gone, his mother would still be alive. Now that he has gone, she is sure to die. When Liu Bei asks in alarm why, Water Mirror says that a woman of her high spirit would be ashamed to face her son.
A Lord but Not a Time
Liu Bei asks, As he left, Yuanzhi recommended Zhuge Liang of Nanyang. What kind of man is he? Water Mirror laughs. If Yuanzhi wanted to go, he should have gone alone. Why drag that man out to wear his heart out?
Water Mirror says Kongming is a close friend of Cui Zhouping, Shi Guangyuan, Meng Gongwei and Xu Yuanzhi. The four dig deep into their books, but Kongming alone looks at the broad outline. Hugging his knees and chanting, he once told the four that if they took office they might rise to be governors or prefects. When they asked what his own ambition was, he only smiled and did not answer.
Guan Yu, at Liu Bei’s side, says, Guan Zhong and Yue Yi were famous men of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States. Isn’t it too much for Kongming to compare himself with them? Water Mirror laughs. As I see it, those two are the wrong comparison. He should be set beside Jiang Ziya, who raised Zhou for eight hundred years, and Zhang Zifang, who made Han flourish for four hundred. Everyone is astonished.
Water Mirror goes down the steps to take his leave, and Liu Bei cannot make him stay. At the gate he looks up at the sky and laughs aloud. The Sleeping Dragon has found his lord but not his time. What a pity.
Water Mirror walks lightly away. Liu Bei sighs. A true worthy, living in hiding.
So Many Names
The next day Liu Bei goes to Longzhong with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and attendants. On a distant hillside a few men are hoeing a field and singing. The blue sky is like a round canopy and the earth like a board for weiqi, the song goes, and the people of the world split into black and white to fight over glory and disgrace.
When Liu Bei asks who made the song, a farmer says it was Master Sleeping Dragon. The long ridge south of the hill is Sleeping Dragon Ridge, and the thatched cottage in the sparse wood in front of it is where Master Zhuge lives.
At the cottage Liu Bei dismounts and knocks on the wicker gate himself. A boy comes out and asks who he is. Liu Bei says, The General of the Left of the Han, Marquis of Yicheng Village, Governor of Yu Province and Imperial Uncle, Liu Bei, has come to pay his respects to the master.
The boy says, I can’t remember that many names. When Liu Bei tells him just to say that Liu Bei has called, the boy answers, The master went out early this morning.
Asked where he went, the boy says his comings and goings have no fixed course. Asked when he will be back, he says that is not fixed either. It could be three or five days, it could be ten or more.
Liu Bei is very disappointed. Zhang Fei says that since they cannot see him they should go home, and Liu Bei says to wait a little. When Guan Yu says it would be better to go back now and send someone to find out, Liu Bei agrees. He tells the boy to be sure to say, when the master returns, that Liu Bei came to call.
A World That Turns
A few li along the road, Liu Bei reins in and looks back at Longzhong. The hills are not high but they are lovely, and the water is not deep but it is clear.
Just then a man of fine bearing comes down a mountain path in a carefree scholar’s cap and a black cloth robe, leaning on a goosefoot staff.
Liu Bei is sure it is Master Sleeping Dragon and quickly dismounts to bow. The man says, I am not Kongming but his friend, Cui Zhouping of Boling. The two sit facing each other on a rock in the wood, while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stand by.
Cui Zhouping asks, Why do you want to see Kongming, General? Liu Bei answers, The realm is in great disorder. I want to see Kongming and ask for a plan to bring the country peace.
Cui Zhouping laughs. Your wish to end the disorder comes from a kind heart, but since ancient times order and disorder have always taken turns. When the High Ancestor overthrew Qin, disorder passed into order, and after two hundred years of peace Wang Mang rose and disorder returned. Another two hundred years have passed since Emperor Guangwu restored the house. This is a time when order passes into disorder, and it cannot be settled in a hurry.
To make Kongming turn heaven and earth back will not be easy, General, and you will only waste your heart. Have you not heard that those who follow heaven have ease and those who defy it have toil?
Liu Bei answers, What you say shows deep insight. But I am of the blood of the Han house, and it is my duty to set it right. How could I leave that to number and fate?
Cui Zhouping says he is a man of the hills and fields, not fit to discuss the affairs of the realm, and spoke rashly only because he was asked. When Liu Bei invites him back to the county, he says he gave up on office and fame long ago, bows deeply and leaves.
Zhang Fei grumbles. We didn’t find Kongming, and instead we met some stale scholar and listened to idle talk for ages. Liu Bei answers, That too was the word of a recluse.
The Snowy Road
A few days after they return to Xinye, word comes that Master Sleeping Dragon is home. When Liu Bei calls for his horse, Zhang Fei says, Why go yourself for one village fellow, brother? Send someone to fetch him.
Liu Bei rebukes him. Have you not heard what Mencius said? To want to meet a worthy man without following the proper way is like wanting him to come in and then shutting the door. Kongming is the great worthy of this age. How can he be summoned?
It is the dead of winter, bitterly cold, with dense red clouds. They have not gone many li when a fierce north wind starts and the snow comes down thick. The hills look heaped with jade and the woods as if spread with silver.
Zhang Fei says, The sky is cold and the ground frozen, too cold even to use troops. Are we really going all this way to see a useless man? Better to go back to Xinye and get out of the snow. Liu Bei answers, That is just what I want, for Kongming to know how earnest I am. If you two are afraid of the cold, go back first.
Zhang Fei says, I’m not even afraid of dying, so why would I fear the cold? I’m only worried you’ll tire yourself for nothing. Liu Bei tells him to say no more and follow.
Near the cottage, two men in a roadside tavern take turns singing. One song is of a warrior who has not yet met his moment, the other of drinking country wine in a country inn and keeping oneself at ease. When they finish, the two clap their hands and laugh aloud.
Liu Bei thinks the Sleeping Dragon must be inside, dismounts and goes in. Two men sit leaning on a table, drinking face to face. Liu Bei bows and asks which of them is Master Sleeping Dragon.
The one with the long beard says, Neither of us is the Sleeping Dragon. We are both his friends. I am Shi Guangyuan of Yingchuan, and this is Meng Gongwei of Runan. Liu Bei says he has horses ready and invites them to come to the Sleeping Dragon’s house and talk. Shi Guangyuan declines, saying they are idle men of the hills and know nothing of governing. Please mount, Lord, and go find the Sleeping Dragon.
The Second Empty House
Liu Bei takes leave of the two and heads for Sleeping Dragon Ridge. At the cottage he knocks and asks whether the master is home today, and the boy says he is reading in the hall this very moment. Delighted, Liu Bei follows him in.
At the middle gate he sees two lines written large above the door. Only in plain living can the will be made clear. Only in stillness can one reach far. As he reads, he hears someone chanting.
Liu Bei stands beside the gate and looks in. In the hall a young man sits hugging his knees by a brazier, singing. The phoenix may soar a thousand fathoms, but it will rest on nothing but the paulownia. A scholar may lie low in a corner, but he will lean on no one but his true lord.
Liu Bei waits for the song to end, then goes up into the hall and bows. I have long admired you but never had the fortune to meet you. I came once on Xu Yuanzhi’s recommendation and went home in vain. Today I braved the wind and snow to see you, and I am truly fortunate.
The young man hurriedly returns the bow. Are you not Liu of Yuzhou, come to see my brother? Liu Bei is startled. Then you are not the Sleeping Dragon either?
The young man says, I am his younger brother, Zhuge Jun. There are three of us. My eldest brother Zhuge Jin serves Sun Zhongmou in Jiangdong, and Kongming is the second. Yesterday he went off with Cui Zhouping to wander. Sometimes he takes a small boat out on the rivers and lakes, sometimes he visits monks and Daoists in the mountains, sometimes he looks up friends in the villages. There is no telling where he goes.
Liu Bei sighs. My fortune must be thin indeed, to miss the great worthy twice.
A Letter with a Frozen Brush
Zhang Fei urges him to mount since the master is not there. Liu Bei says, Having come all this way, how can I go back without a word? He asks Zhuge Jun whether he might hear something of his brother, who is said to be versed in strategy and to read books of war every day, and Zhuge Jun says he does not know.
Zhang Fei asks what the point of asking is, and says they should go back early with the snow so heavy. Liu Bei rebukes him into silence. When Zhuge Jun says that with his brother away he cannot keep the general long and will come to return the visit another day, Liu Bei says, How could I put you to that trouble? I will come again in a few days. May I borrow paper and brush to leave a note for your brother?
Liu Bei breathes on the frozen brush to thaw it, spreads the paper and writes. I have long admired your high name and have twice come to call, only to go home without meeting you. How can I describe my regret? The court has crumbled and its order has fallen apart, heroes throw the realm into chaos and wicked men deceive the sovereign, and my heart feels torn.
I have the sincerity to set things right but no plan to govern. I look to you to bring out the great talent of Lü Wang and the grand strategy of Zifang. Next time I will purify myself and come again to see you and pour out my heart.
The Old Man on the Donkey
Liu Bei leaves the letter with Zhuge Jun, bows and goes out. As he is about to mount, the boy waves from beyond the fence and calls out, The old master is coming.
West of a little bridge, a man in a fur hat and a fox-fur coat comes riding a donkey through the snow, with a boy in a green robe behind him carrying a gourd of wine. Crossing the bridge he chants a poem. All night the north wind has blown cold, the red clouds lie thick for ten thousand li, and the snow drifts wildly across the whole sky until the rivers and hills have lost their old shapes.
Liu Bei is sure that this time it is the Sleeping Dragon. He tumbles from the saddle and bows. You have braved the cold, Master. I have been waiting a long while.
The man hastily gets off his donkey to return the bow, and Zhuge Jun says from behind, This is not my brother but his father-in-law, Huang Chengyan.
When Liu Bei praises the lines he was chanting, Huang Chengyan says they are from a piece he saw at his son-in-law’s house, a Liangfu song. Crossing the bridge he saw plum blossom by the fence, and the sight brought it to mind. When Liu Bei asks whether he has seen his son-in-law, Huang Chengyan answers, I am on my way to see him myself.
Liu Bei takes his leave, mounts and goes home. The wind and snow grow fiercer, and Liu Bei looks back at Sleeping Dragon Ridge, heavy with regret.
The Brothers Object
Back in Xinye, the year turns and a new spring comes. Liu Bei has a diviner choose a lucky day, fasts for three days, bathes and changes his clothes, and prepares to go to Sleeping Dragon Ridge once more. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei hear of it, are displeased, and come in together to stop him.
Guan Yu says, You have gone in person twice, brother. That is more courtesy than is called for. I suspect Zhuge Liang has an empty reputation and no real learning, so he keeps out of the way and dares not meet you. Why are you so bewitched by this man?
Liu Bei answers, Not so. Long ago Duke Huan of Qi went five times before he could see a common man of Dongguo even once. And I am trying to meet a great worthy.
Zhang Fei says, You’re wrong, brother. What sort of great worthy is a village fellow like that? This time you needn’t go. If he won’t come, I’ll tie him up with a single hemp rope and bring him.
Liu Bei rebukes him. Have you not heard how King Wen of Zhou went to see Jiang Ziya? Even King Wen honoured a worthy man that much, and you are so rude! This time you stay behind. Yunchang and I will go. When Zhang Fei says he can hardly stay behind if both his elder brothers are going, Liu Bei says, If you come, do not forget your manners.
Below the Steps
The three set out for Longzhong with their attendants.
Half a li from the cottage, Liu Bei dismounts and goes on foot. Meeting Zhuge Jun on the way, he asks whether his brother is home, and Zhuge Jun says he came back yesterday evening and the general may see him today. Then off he goes on his own way.
Liu Bei rejoices that this time he will be lucky enough to see the master. Zhang Fei says, That fellow has no manners. He could at least have taken us to the house. Why go off by himself? Liu Bei answers, Everyone has his own business. How can we force him?
At the cottage they knock and the boy comes out. The master is home today, but he is taking a nap in the hall and has not woken yet. Liu Bei says not to announce him and tells Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to wait at the gate.
Liu Bei walks slowly in and sees the master lying on his back on a mat in the hall. He folds his hands and stands below the steps.
A long time passes and the master does not wake. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, standing outside, hear no sound and come in to look, and find Liu Bei still standing there. Zhang Fei flies into a rage. How arrogant this master is! He sees our brother standing below the steps and goes on lying there pretending to sleep. Let me set a fire behind the house. We’ll see if he gets up or not.
Guan Yu holds him back again and again. Liu Bei sends the two back outside the gate.
Looking at the hall, Liu Bei sees the master turn as if to rise, then roll over toward the wall and fall asleep again. When the boy moves to announce him, Liu Bei says not to disturb him. After another two hours of standing, Kongming wakes and chants a poem.
Who wakes first from the great dream? My whole life I have known it myself. In the thatched hall my spring sleep has been ample, and beyond the window the sun moves slow.
A Common Guest
Finishing the poem, Kongming rolls over and asks the boy, Has a common guest come? The boy says Imperial Uncle Liu has come and has been standing waiting a long time. Kongming rises. Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Let me change my clothes. He goes into the back rooms, and only after a long while does he come out in proper robes and cap to greet his guest.
Liu Bei sees that Kongming is eight chi tall, with a face like the jade on a cap. He wears a silk kerchief and a crane-feather cloak, and has the air of an immortal.
Liu Bei bows. I am a distant scion of the Han house and a foolish man of Zhuo, and your great name has reached me like thunder. I came twice before without seeing you and left my name on your desk. I wonder whether you saw it. Kongming answers, I am a rustic of Nanyang, lazy by nature, and I am deeply ashamed that you have had to come so many times.
The two sit down as guest and host. When they have had tea, Kongming says, Your letter yesterday showed me how you worry for the people and the country. I only fear that, being young and of slight talent, I will fail what you ask.
Liu Bei says, The words of Sima Decao and Xu Yuanzhi could not be empty. I hope you will not cast me aside but teach me. Kongming says, Decao and Yuanzhi are lofty scholars of the age, and I am only a man who ploughs. How could I talk of the affairs of the realm? Why pass over fine jade, General, to look for a rough stone?
Liu Bei says, How can a man who carries a rare gift for ordering the world grow old for nothing among the woods and springs? I beg you to think of the people of the realm and open the eyes of a dull man. Kongming smiles. I should like to hear your aims, General.
Liu Bei sends the others away, draws his seat closer and says, The house of Han has toppled and treacherous ministers have stolen its mandate. Without weighing my strength I meant to uphold the great cause in the realm, but my wits and plans fell short and I have achieved nothing so far.
The Realm in Three
Kongming says, Since Dong Zhuo rebelled, heroes have risen all over the realm. Cao Cao’s power was less than Yuan Shao’s, yet he beat Yuan Shao in the end. That was not only the timing of heaven but the planning of men. Now Cao Cao commands a million troops and holds the Son of Heaven to give orders to the lords. You cannot cross blades with him.
Sun Quan has held Jiangdong for three generations. His land is rugged and his people loyal. He is someone to win as an ally, not someone to take.
Jing Province leans on the Han and Mian rivers to the north, and its wealth reaches the Southern Sea. To the east it joins Wu, and to the west it opens on Ba and Shu. It is land made for war, yet its master cannot hold it. Heaven means it for you, General. Yi Province is a fortress of passes with a thousand li of rich plains, and the High Ancestor built his empire on it. Its lord Liu Zhang is dim and weak and does not care for his people though they prosper, and its able men long for a wise ruler.
Take Jing and Yi, General, hold their passes, and win over the peoples of the west and south. Ally with Sun Quan abroad and govern well at home. When the realm is shaken, send a top general with the troops of Jing toward Wan and Luoyang. Lead the men of Yi yourself out through the Qinchuan plain, and will the common people not come out with rice and broth to welcome you?
When he has finished, Kongming has the boy bring out a scroll and hang it on the middle wall, and points to it. This is a map of the fifty-four districts of the western lands.
北讓曹操占天時 南讓孫權占地利 將軍可占人和
bei rang cao cao zhan tian shi, nan rang sun quan zhan di li, jiang jun ke zhan ren he
Leave the north to Cao Cao, who holds the timing of heaven, and the south to Sun Quan, who holds the advantage of the land. You, General, can hold the harmony of men. (Chapter 38)
First take Jing Province as your home, then take the western lands to lay your foundation, so that three powers stand like the legs of a tripod. After that you can plan for the central plain.
Land He Cannot Bear to Take
Liu Bei moves back from his seat and folds his hands in thanks. Hearing you, all that blocked me is cleared at once. It is like parting the clouds and fog and seeing the blue sky.
But Liu Biao of Jing and Liu Zhang of Yi are both kinsmen of the Han house. How could I bear to take their lands?
Kongming says, I have watched the heavens at night, and Liu Biao will not live long. Liu Zhang is no lord to build anything, and before long his land will surely come to you. Liu Bei bows his head to the ground in thanks.
Liu Bei bows to Kongming and pleads. My name is humble and my virtue slight, but if you will not cast me aside and will come out of the hills to help me, I will gladly receive your wise counsel.
Kongming says, I have long enjoyed the plough and the hoe and am too lazy for the world. I cannot accept your command.
Liu Bei weeps. If you will not come out, what will become of the people of the realm? As he speaks, his tears wet the sleeves of his robe until the front of it is soaked.
Seeing how very sincere he is, Kongming says, If you will not cast me aside, General, I will give you the labour of a dog or a horse.
Today, the Third Journey
Liu Bei is overjoyed and calls Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in to bow and present gold and silk. When Kongming firmly declines, Liu Bei says it is not a gift to engage a worthy man but only a sign of his small heart. Only then does Kongming accept. That night the three of them stay at the cottage.
The next day, when Zhuge Jun returns, Kongming tells him, Imperial Uncle Liu has done me the kindness of coming three times, and I cannot refuse to go. Stay here and farm with your own hands, and do not let the fields go to waste. On the day my work is done, I will come back and live in hiding again.
On the first journey Liu Bei shortened his name for a boy, and on the way home he was told to follow heaven. On the second he pushed through the snow and left a letter written with a frozen brush. On the third he dismounted half a li away and stood waiting below the steps, and when Kongming woke he hung up a map of the realm in three.
When someone came to you again and again, what did you see in them that made up your mind?