series 3 chapter 4

[soldier]: Where are you, older brother?

Not Human series (3)

The Last Pillar

chapter 4
Chen Mou

Bo Yue, the four campaigns northward all failed, but my determination to restore Imperial Han was not shaken… In addition I persuaded Sun Quan to join my struggle this year – improving our odds…
{flag reads: Shu}

[Zhuge Liang]: You must all hold your grounds at all cost.

[ZGL]: Rest assured, I will send reinforcements when needed!

[ZGL]: Let’s go. I have many more proposals to look over.

Maybe it was a little unfortunate to have given up on Wei Yan, but I am certain that the Shu Kingdom can reclaim its former glory with your help.

[ZGL]: Oh, tonight might be windy.

[old rider]: Your first time in the vanguard cavalry, lad, don’t die, ok?
[young rider]: Please stop teasing, Sir. I will put on a good show, don’t worry!

[?]: Please wait for the good news!

[soldier 1]: The battle is intense, yet General Wei is still in the mood to go hunting.

[soldier 2]: Shh! Watch what you say; I heard he has no battles to fight.
[soldier 3]: No battle? What? He’s the General Who Conquers the West…

[soldier 4]: Ay, the Prime Minister always says Wei Yan doesn’t obey orders and is rude to others. He would’ve been executed if he doesn’t have that rank and popularity.

[soldier 4]: I heard that the two of them had an old score, that the Prime Minister opposed our former Lord’s decision to take him in.

[soldier 4]: Do you remember that incident three years ago? He wanted to attack Changan with five thousand riders, but the Prime Minister vehemently opposed the idea, even if he knew that the enemy forces are all in Wancheng.
[soldier 4]: Changan only had a small defense, but for some reason he just won’t approve.

[soldier 5]: Why not?

[soldier 4]: I think it’s because he called the Prime Minister a coward.

[soldier 6]: Oh, he sure had guts.

[soldier 6]: So why didn’t the Prime Minister execute him?

[soldier 4]: I think the Prime Minister values his bravery. There hasn’t been another man of Supreme Commander material in Shu since General Zhao Yun‘s passing.

[soldier 4]: But after Jiang Wei came the Prime Minister is resting all hopes on him, so the General now has nothing to do.

[soldier 7]: And that alarmist Yang Yi is always saying Wei Yan will revolt. Do you believe that?
[soldier 8]: I say the scoundrel is him. He treats people like dirt after getting the Prime Minister’s trust!

[soldier 9]: Ay, poor Prime Minister. Managing all state affairs personally must be taking a toll on his health. He fainted again yesterday.

[soldier 10]: Why won’t he let others share the burden? Ay, what are we going to do if the Prime Minister dies?

[soldiers]: Hell! Shut your cursed mouth!

[soldier 11]: General Wei.

[Wei Yan]: I killed some pheasants. Cook them for the wounded soldiers.

[soldier 11]: We haven’t had pheasants for a while.
[soldier 12]: Ha, old Zhou, I sure miss eating the kind that you cook.

[soldier 13]: Ay…

[soldier 13]: Everyone’s gone to serve our country, General, why are you being cast aside?

[soldier 13]: The Prime Minister can’t be that petty. Just go beg him!

[WY]: What for? The Prime Minister won’t give me any assignment anyway, might as well enjoy the break.

[soldier 13]: But you didn’t even try. Right now Shu has no Supreme Commander, and you…

[Yang Yi]: Hmph! Looks like somebody’s slacking off while the rest of us are fighting for our lives.

[YY]: Sooner or later a coward will become a traitor. Prove me wrong.

[YY]: Oh, it’s General Wei, here to ask the cook for food again?

[soldier 13]: Keep it in. Don’t forget the big picture.

[soldier 14]: San Lang, prepare two jin of wine for the General.

[soldier 15]: I heard that the frontline broke, and that young vanguard rider was killed.
[soldier 16]: What! Pity.

[soldier 16]: Good thing we’re General Wei’s men. We avoided death!

[WY]: Zhuge Liang, is this all you got… Do you know why you would lose?

[WY]: Five times out of Mount Qi through the same path! Don’t want the return route cut off? What the hell!

[WY]: You’re just afraid! You worthless man!
{sfx: pa~}

[WY]: Why… why won’t you come and beg me… What happened to your tolerance?

[WY]: Wei Yan! When can you reclaim your former glory.

[WY]: Hahahaha! You’re still no match for me! No match!

[Jiang Wei]: Ay. You’re drunk beyond senses again!

[JW]: Wen Chang, be careful what you say when you’re drunk. What do you mean the Prime Minister is afraid!

[JW]: Explain!

[WY]: If back then the Prime Minister had approved of my attack plan of Changan through Ziwu Valley…

[WY]: Xiahou Lin is indecisive and he would retreat out of fear. We would have won when our troops regroup at Tong Pass!

[WY]: If the Prime Minister wasn’t afraid, west of Xianyang would’ve already been ours. It’s just like him to underestimate us warriors!

[WY]: I really don’t know what he’s thinking. Will it take even more deaths for him to realize this!

[WY]: What godly tactics? If it wasn’t for our sacrifices, how will his tactics work!

[WY]: Fearing outstanding risk means no outstanding win, overturning the carriage even on a smooth road!
(a counterpart-pair; distorted)

{sfx: pong~}

[WY]: Aah~~

[WY]: Old, we’re all old now!

[WY]: We were both defectors; why does he treat you so well?

[JW]: You’re drunk…

[WY]: I’m not drunk. I just want to know your opinion.

[JW]: I…
[JW]: I don’t know…

[WY]: Let me tell you, young man, the Prime Minister cannot judge a person as well as our former Lord could. He’s not even that tolerant.
[WY]: He may be a genius, and also likes to employ talented men,

[WY]: but… he only likes the obedient kind…

[JW]: You are drunk, General Wei. Say no more and get some rest.

{sfx: hoo~}

cough… cough…

Fearing outstanding risk means no outstanding win

Overturning the carriage even on a smooth road

{flag reads: Supreme Commander (of Han who Conquers the West), Lord of Nanzhen, Wei Yan}

{flag reads: Supreme Commander}

This spring we held up against Sima Yi at Weishui for several months, and the steady supply of food is decreasing. I still implement the Farming Policy as usual, but we only obtained an average harvest this year. With no more than a month of rations to live on, I think we will have to retreat sooner or later…
When I take a good look around, I have to admit that with Shu’s small army, we will not defeat the powerful Wei if no outstanding risk is taken. Unfortunately, this realization came too late…

The powerful fighting force we once had was backed by my former Lord’s extraordinary talent, as well as the unprecedented Five Tiger Generals… The new Generals that we have are either lacking in experience or skill, and either exaggerate their abilities, or fear for their own lives…

KILL~

[soldier]: Ambush! It’s an ambush!

[general]: Don’t flee! Stay together!

[general]: Don’t lose your footing. Protect the rations!

{sfx: cha~}

[general x]: Fire!

[soldier a]: Retreat this way! General Jiang is over there!
[soldier b]: Over here! Over here!

[soldier c]: Go!

[general y]: Away! Go away!

[soldier d]: Surround him! Front and back!

[general y]: Dogs of Wei! Stay back!

{sfx: ka~}

[soldier e]: A General! I’m rich now!

[soldier f]: How do we divide it? I want the head, you all can take the rest.
[soldier g]: Nonsense, won’t he be more valuable captured alive?

[JW]: What! Ambushed!
[soldier h]: Yessir, the rations will be taken!

[JW]: Hurry! Go request reinforcement!

[JW]: You don’t want to think about what will happen if we lose the ration. We have to get it back!

[JW]: The Prime Minister is always good at directing the forces. He will definitely send aid!

[general]: It’s Shu’s rear flank! Attack!

[soldier x]: Ah! I recognize him. He’s a traitor, Jiang Wei!

[soldier x]: Controller Chief Sima placed a huge bounty on his capture!

[?]: Capture him! Kill him!

AHH~

The danger of this path is not due to the depth of the ocean, nor the size of the wave, nor the height of the mountain, nor the steepness of the cliff…

But it exists – because mankind is unpredictable, and full of treachery.