Undercover - In China - Book 7

Part 55 - Kongming replies

Kongming's reply to Sun Quan was unexpected.

'I have little education and I am not fit to do justice to your enlightened questions. Also, Xuande's forces are insignificant. He is in no position to resist Cho Cho.' 

 'Cho Cho boasts that he has a million men,' Sun Quan said abruptly. 'But I think he is exaggerating. Surely, you must have some idea of his true strength.'

Kongming hesitated. 'Cho Cho has considerably more than one million men and he has captured all of the Jingzhou treasure and war boats.'

Sun Quan looked appalled but General Zhou Yu only smiled cynically. Lu Su gesticulated as he tried to catch Kongming's eye but Kongming ignored him and continued enthusiastically. 

 'Cho Cho is now building camps all along the Long River. He doesn't need a million men to chase Xuande's tiny force out of Jingzhou Province . . . He obviously plans to conquer the Southland.'

Sun Quan thought for a moment. 'I do not to want to surrender to Cho Cho but I fear a war will destroy the country.'

At that moment, the man who had spoken scornfully to Kongming at the conference rushed into the tent looking flustered. He apologized for the intrusion but told Sun Quan it was essential to avoid war. 

'We cannot rebel against Emperor Xian particularly as Prime Minister Cho Cho has a million men and thousands of war boats.' 

 While he was speaking, Kongming whispered to General Zhou Yu who finally nodded to Sun Quan. Sun Quan stopped the advisor in mid sentence and General Zhou Yu began to speak.

 'Now that, is twisted reasoning. Cho Cho poses as prime minister while he keeps Emperor Xian a prisoner! True, he has a formidable army, but he has broken three basic military rules. He does not completely control the north. His troops are used to riding horses but now they have to ride boats to fight with sailors. Winter has arrived and Cho Cho has little hay for his horses. And . . . Cho Cho is spreading the rumour that he has a million men but, in fact, he has little more than 300,000 men and half of these are sick.' 

 He turned to Sun Quan. 'Give me 50,000 crack troops and I will destroy the invaders.'

Kongming smiled. 'Cho Cho's army is large but therein lies his weakness. His men are exhausted, few of them volunteered to join Cho Cho and feeding such a large army has put enormous strain on his resources.' 

 Kongming sipped his wine. 'Xuande and Lui Qi have twenty thousand elite troops. If you join with Xuande, together we can destroy Cho Cho's army.'

Sun Quan leapt to his feet, his eyes flashing. 'Cho Cho, has long sought to replace the Han Emperors. Four lords who opposed him are dead. I alone remain. I am resolved to destroy him . . . or die!'

As the meeting broke up, I whispered to Licia. 'Ask if we can find some real breakfast. I'm still hungry.' Huang Gei and Kongming took us to the canteen where the army cooks were serving noodles and buns with the inevitable rice and eggs dropped into boiling soup. 

 Licia said, 'I don't like the way General Zhou Yu was looking at Kongming. I'm going back to see what they are talking about.' 

 I was hoping for a leisurely breakfast and some sleep but just then Lu Su and Zhou Yu walked by the tent talking in a conspiratorial manner. Licia grabbed Chen Ling's arm and ran after them. Miguel and I filled our bags with buns and followed them to a farmhouse. The guards smiled and waved at Licia and Chen Ling as they ran into the house, shrieking with laughter, as if they were playing tag. Miguel and I hid in the bushes nibbling on the buns until Licia and Chen Ling came back to us. 

 'We have to tell Kongming,' Licia panted. 'Zhou Yu is planning to kill him.'

We found Kongming still talking to Huang Gei as Licia, still panting from the run, interrupted them. 

 'We listened at the window,' she told them. 'Zhou Yu told Lu Su that Kongming's supernatural ability was a danger to the Southland. He predicted that as soon Cho Cho was defeated, Xuande will seize Jingzhou Province. 

 Zhou Yu plans to set Kongming an impossible task so that he will be subject to military law and executed when he fails.'

  Kongming thanked us and promised to be careful. He said we all looked tired and invited us to sleep in his tent. 

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