Chapter 8: War Commander (2)

“Lang, what are you looking at?”

“……?”

While I was leisurely watching the soldiers’ training, a voice came from behind. Turning my head, I saw Zhuge Liang walking towards me.

“…Military advisor (軍師) sir.”

Seeing him, I respectfully bowed my head.
Then, Zhuge Liang frowned.

“Hey, don’t call me like that when we’re alone, didn’t I tell you?”

“……”

He waved his hand as if he didn’t like his younger sister being formal. I gave him an awkward smile and then turned my gaze back to the training ground.

“The training ground… are you worried about the strength of our military advisor?”

Zhuge Liang, who was standing next to me, and looking at the training ground together. At his words, as if he was seeing through my mind, I slowly nodded.

“Yes, although the quality of the soldiers has improved with the training over the past few weeks, the number is still too small.”

Cao Cao, who had pacified the north, could raise an army of one million soldiers, and Sun Quan, the lord of seventy-one counties in Jiangdong, also had firm soldiers.

However, the current army under Liu Bei was only 3,000.
It was a force that was far from enough to compete with them for the world.

“…We must receive support from Jingzhou’s Liu Biao as soon as possible to start with something.”

According to the original history, Liu Biao’s lifespan was not long.
After he died, if his son, Liu Cong, took the throne, it would be impossible to get support. Instead, the entire Jingzhou was destined to fall to Cao Cao, so we had to do something before this year ended.

And at my words, Kongming also nodded firmly.

“You saw it correctly. Cao Cao, who has settled the internal affairs, will surely turn his eyes to Jingzhou, and this Xinyang is too small a town to stand against him.”

…He then looked at me with a serious expression.

“You should come to the meeting tomorrow morning. Let’s advise the lord on that matter together.”

“Yes, I understand.”

At the welcome news, I nodded without hesitation. If we were to persuade Liu Bei with Kongming and obtain Jingzhou, or at least draw support from Liu Biao, the damage the Liu Bei army would suffer in the future would be reduced by a hundredfold.

At the easily resolved matters, I looked at Kongming again with a bright smile. Then what I saw was his face, which had become even more gaunt. Moreover, after confirming the dark circles under his eyes, I asked him with a bewildered expression.

“U, um, older brother, are you perhaps sick…?”

“Huh?”

Raising one eyebrow at my question, he sighed deeply. Then he shook his head with a weak voice.

“I’ve been working without rest for the past few weeks, so my body is a little tired… I need help with internal affairs, the affairs of the world, and even training the soldiers, so there are not enough bodies.”

And then he added, “Since I feel a cold, it seems I have caught a cold as well.”

“……”

After hearing Kongming’s words, I looked at his body again, up and down. And just as he said, his face seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.

There was also a saying that Zhuge Liang’s cause of death was overwork, and seeing his current condition, that story came to my mind at once.
…Well, he was dragged around by Liu Bei for a few weeks, and he had to have been sick.

I asked him with a worried look.

“Are you, are you really okay?”

It would be very difficult if he started to get sick already….
This pattern would be repeated for the next few decades, and wasn’t it possible that meeting Liu Bei early would actually make him die earlier?

“You’ll be fine if you sleep well tonight. The weather is getting colder, so you should go in too.”

“……”

Zhuge Liang, giving a forced smile at my question, and then turned around and went on his way again. Looking at his pitiful back, I fell into thought.

“Hmm….”

…Until the promising talents gather, at least for a few years, Liu Bei’s army would be run by Zhuge Liang’s one person. And it might be my role to make him healthier and live longer than in the original history. I could probably do simple paperwork too.

“…It’s cold.”

As Zhuge Liang said, the weather was getting a little cold.
Before I caught a cold as well, I hurried to turn my steps towards my lodgings.
Reading the military books in a warm bed was also quite fun.

……And I heard the words that Zhuge Liang had collapsed late that night.

.
.
.
“Military advisor! Military advisor! Are you okay?”

“……”

…Someone rushed into Zhuge Liang’s room with a loud sound. Turning my head, I saw Liu Bei rushing in. Following him, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also cautiously showed up.

“Military advisor! What happened to you! Aren’t you going to die?”

Liu Bei said, holding Zhuge Liang’s hand, who was lying in bed and moaning.
To him, I, who was caring for him, answered for Zhuge Liang.

“It’s nothing serious, it seems like he has a bad cold. He’ll probably be fine if he rests for a few days.”

I hadn’t graduated from medical school before, nor was I usually interested in medicine, but I could still distinguish common diseases such as colds.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, the doctor who came earlier also said so.”

…I held back my anger and added to Liu Bei, who seemed not to believe my words.
Well, considering it, Kongming was 90% at fault for getting sick, so why don’t you reflect on it?

“Haa…. Then, that’s truly fortunate.”

……Well, anyway, Liu Bei, realizing that it was not a fatal disease, sat down with a sigh of relief.
However, unlike him, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who had always been disapproving of Kongming, showed no reaction.

“……Lord,”

“Military advisor!”

And, whether he was aware that Liu Bei had arrived, Zhuge Liang muttered something in a faint voice. Liu Bei grabbed his hand tightly again with a smile.

“…I’m very sorry for showing this appearance.”

“No, get well soon.”

Liu Bei said sadly to him, who was moaning. However, Zhuge Liang, seemingly not having the strength to answer, couldn’t finish his words and closed his eyes again.

And I covered his blanket properly.
I had never properly cared for anyone in my life before, even before I was reborn, so what could I do.
I had to at least do the minimum courtesy, since I was born as his younger sister.

“…”

…It’s fortunate that the time he got sick was now, because if it was next year, he would have been trampled terribly by Xiahou Dun’s 100,000 troops.
I also let go of some of my tension, realizing those facts one by one.

“Haa……”

…Liu Bei, thinking of nursing Zhuge Liang all night, just sat next to me and sighed repeatedly.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei seemed to disapprove of their brother, but they also settled down in their respective places.

“……”

“……”

And then came silence.
Only the sound of coughing and tossing and turning could be heard from time to time, and for Kongming’s stability, no one spoke rashly.

……How long had it been,

“…Lord! Urgent news!”

“……Huh?”

Another gray-robed man came in, panting like Liu Bei had earlier. Judging from his extremely ordinary appearance, he was definitely Sun Qian, the subordinate of Liu Bei, who had been introduced earlier.
…In fact, he was famous for his lack of presence compared to what he had done in history.

“Lord, something terrible has happened!”

“What is it?”

Anyway, Sun Qian, who had run for a while, knelt in front of Liu Bei, dripping with sweat. When Liu Bei asked with a puzzled look, Sun Qian bowed his head, almost hitting the ground, and said in a trembling voice.

“Xiahou Dun, has taken Yu Jin as his lieutenant and is leading an army of 20,000 to attack Xinyang!”

“……?”
“……!!”
“……Eh?”

The tension suddenly began to swirl inside Zhuge Liang’s room at Sun Qian’s report. Liu Bei sprang up and asked him.

“I, is that true?”

“Yes, they’ll arrive here in a day or two!”

Sun Qian answered with a mournful face when Liu Bei asked.
And hearing their words, I could feel my whole body stiffening.

“Why, why……?”

Why did Cao Cao send troops already?
According to the original history, it was to be in the summer of next year, after settling internal affairs, that he would lead 100,000 troops?
Even though the number of troops had decreased, why so soon?
Did the historical change from the loss of the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage?

“If that’s true, what should we do now!”

“……”

…Leaving me, who was completely frozen, Liu Bei, realizing the situation, shouted, stamping his feet.

That’s because, the army of Xinyang was only 3,000.
But the ones coming were 20,000, which was 7 times that.
Moreover, Kongming, who would be the only hope, was also sick.
It was truly a bleak situation.

“What should we do, I and Guan Yu will fight, so don’t worry.”

And Zhang Fei, smiling as if she was not worried at all, said to Liu Bei. Twisting her single hair, she patted her chest as if to trust her.
…Guan Yu, who was next to her, also continued Zhang Fei’s words, indifferently.

“Zhang Fei is right. I will lead the army and try my best to support them.”

“Oh!”

Guan Yu, who had beautiful, flowing hair that reached her ankles. Liu Bei’s face began to brighten as if his confidence had suddenly risen at her confident words.

“Then, I’ll trust in you two!”

At the words of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei shouted with strength, as if all his worries had disappeared.

…The atmosphere seemed to have become positive to some extent, but one quiet voice made the room silent again.

“No, no….”

Zhuge Liang, who had been speaking from behind everyone, meaning he was struggling to sit up in bed, and muttered. He took a rough breath and barely uttered one word.

“The difference in the number of troops is too great, and the opposing vanguard Xiahou Dun is also a veteran general, so you won’t be able to win with bravery alone. You must use a plan to win.”

Kongming’s words that he couldn’t win without a plan.
If you thought about it coldly, he was right.
No matter how excellent Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were, how could they make up for the difference of 17,000 soldiers?

Liu Bei, hearing his words, asked Kongming with an unsettled expression.

“H, how, but the military advisor is so sick! Then, who will make the plan!”

“……”

Zhuge Liang, breathing heavily and listening to Liu Bei’s words.
As Liu Bei said, Zhuge Liang’s current condition was the worst.
Although it was not a fatal disease right now, there was a possibility of getting a bigger disease if he overworked.
And Zhuge Liang himself knew this fact.

In the end, he,
Quietly, he pointed his finger at someone.
The end of his pale finger was directed at none other than me.
Then, a voice that was on the verge of collapsing came out of his mouth.

“Take Lang, there. She’s more intelligent than me, and she will surely come up with a plan to defeat the 20,000 troops.”

“…Yes?”

……I could feel the cold sweat forming on my forehead.