chapter 351

[?]: A large group is controlled as if it’s a smaller one, only divided up.

[?]: I cut in from this point, then scatter your main force.

[?]: The vanguard will move by three, and the two side flanks will circle around to the back.

[?]: Master Sun‘s chapter on energy is thus defeated.

chapter 351 A Demon Dreams His Last
(“demon completes/finishes dream”)

[Yuan Fang]: You lose, General Sun.

[Yuan Shao]: Please excuse him, brother Wen Tai. My nephew is merely playing war. He doesn’t understand how difficult it is to command a real army.
(“…over paper discuss fighting…”)

[Sun Jian]: Haha, your nephew is incredibly sharp – more so than my military advisers, that much is true.
(“…smart beyond zenith…”)

[?]: To have such ability at this young age, he really does put us to shame.
(“…make us sweat faces…”)

[?]: Looks like the descendants of Master Sun are not the only ones able to decipher his “Art of War”.

[YF]: There are no shortage of people studying his “Art of War” because it’s world-renowned.

[YF]: It has been foiled before, and shall continue to be to this day. Certainly it is obsolete.

[?]: Young Master, you…

[YS]: Fang-er, you’re looking at the sky from the bottom of a well. You don’t understand the greater picture.
(not sure about the last bit, as original was “great righteousness/principle”)

[YS]: You must know that Master Sun’s art of war is this world’s best.

[YS]: Its depth is beyond your young mind to comprehend.

[YS]: As a descendent of Master Sun, brother Wen Tai, please forgive…

[SJ]: It’s fine, brother Yuan. As you wish, I’ll take your nephew to the eastern region and let him know…

[YF]: You must know, General Sun, that the Yuan clan has had four generations of ministers. How about leaving a Sun clan descendent with us instead.
(I asked some Chinese reader what the last part meant, because I couldn’t understand the vagueness; supposedly this is to equate political marriage to hostage-taking; Yuan Fang doesn’t want to be the hostage in the Sun clan)

{sfx: pa}

[SJ]: We’re not on the same page, brother Yuan.
(not sure)

[SJ]: Excuse me.

[YS]: Fang-er, you will benefit greatly by learning the art of war from the Sun clan of the eastern region.
(reworded)

[YS]: Besides, the Yuan clan has already fallen into the Loyalist trap. The only way to save it is…

[YF]: I’ll say it again, I won’t go to the eastern region; nor will I learn the Sun clan’s art of war.

[YF]: The world is full of possibilities, why insist on a small clan of a certain fame.
(“the world amazing techniques too many to count…”)

[YF]: And why insist on this marriage between me and Sun Jian’s daughter.

[YS]: Since you’ve seen through it, I’ll be frank. What a waste it is to give up your future… for a Xiao Cha.

[YS]: When you look up through the opening of a well, you see but few stars.

[YS]: I believe your two teachers have observed the same and share my feeling.

[YF]: I’ve long since made smoke come out of their ears with my pigheadedness.

[YS]: I know. You’ve always been that selfish “darling”.
(…’good thing’; I wanted to say “precious”, like Golem’s ring)

[YS]: Look at this place… It’s almost becoming your world of flowers.

[YS]: A nice trick to hide your ambition from prying eyes.
(“…have no quarrel with the world, cover people’s ears and eyes”)

[YF]: But this really is my world, uncle.

[YS]: What’s the meaning of your life, Fang-er?

[YF]: Uncle, do you know how the sages interpret the meaning of life?

[YF]: They spend their life and energy to find the beginning of nothingness.

[YF]: So many of them, uncle, end up with a life squandered.

[YF]: They leave behind countless text teaching you the simplest ideas through the most confounding methods.

[YF]: Ultimately, your world and mine are one and the same.

[YF]: You are merely occupying a larger well than I am.

[YF]: But don’t worry, uncle, I know my responsibilities.

[YS]: The Yuan clan has had three ministers in four generations. Real men should have lofty aspirations. If you’re content to cultivate flowers…
(“…aspiration in all directions… see through it all…”)

[YS]: that makes this place like King Zhou and Da Ji‘s Star-Picking Tower, doesn’t it.
(or “star plucking tower”)

[YF]: Nice hinting there, uncle. But you’re not King Zhou; how would you know of his joy of star picking?
(“words carry related meaning…”)

[YS]: Hoo.

[YS]: Fang-er, my King Zhou…

[YS]: Do you know how difficult it is to support your absurdity?

[YS]: This is not an era where you can grow flowers just because you want to.

[YS]: We don’t have a choice when we’re living in the same well.

[YS]: My world and your flowers were one and the same.

They shared the same root.

Don’t worry, father. I have learned the way of survival long ago.

It’s only because… we’re all in the same well.

In the same well.

[?]: Have you spotted Yuan Fang?
[?]: It’s so dark and deep. I can’t see anything.

[?]: We can’t get down there, Young Master.
[?]: Don’t worry, there’s no coming back after a drop like this.
(“…from here jumped down…”)

[?]: Congratulations for your achievement, Young Master. Looks like your father will soon have his status restored.

[?]: I remember back in the days of the Ten Attendants, the Old Master had to hide you in Hebei with a different name just to keep you safe.

[?]: Who knew you’d be able to change fate through this battle at Guandu.

[?]: Haha, our Young Master is still of a high ranking bloodline after all. He’s duty-bound to come back, sooner or later.

[?]: Yes. The Yang clan has had Grand Commandants for four generations.

[Yang Xiu]: I, Yang Xiu, have learned the way of survival long ago.

He… he’s Grand Commandant Yang Biao’s son?

[?]: Young Master, Jiang Yi Qu‘s remaining forces are coming this way.

[?]: Fine. Let’s pull out.

Yuan clan’s four generations of ministers; Yang clan’s four generations of Grand Commandants.

The political jostling back then turned into this year’s battle of wits at Guandu.
We have no choice because we live in the same well.

Eventually fate shall catch up to us.
(simplified)

Father…

the sky stretches further than the eyes can see.
(“sky beyond has sky”)

You will never be able to plant enough flowers to cover the land under it.

Discontent with being the leaf for the world, and yet you end up being the rotting mud beneath the flowers.

Ultimately, you’re just growing flowers…

My flower, oh my flower.
Your dream, oh your dream.

Is it long-lasting, or is it too fragile against the elements.

Perhaps this is just like what the sages are after – at last to return to the beginning of nothingness.

Learn the simplest of ideas through the most absurd of methods.

There is no difference between the world and a garden.

There is a well outside of this well, and another beyond that.

King Zhou had no choice, and he died without realizing his failing.

No one loved Da Ji, except for the king and him only.
(“…lone flower self appreciate“)

Da Ji did not blame the king, for she has enjoyed a high.
(“…tasted happiness”; this time I’m doing English wordplay on “high” and “happiness”, mwhahaha)

The highest of high.
(after seeing a missing page I realized this is probably wordplay on the height of the star-picking tower, being “high to an extreme”, sort of “ultimate”)

Camilla is red, and redder is the crown of the crane. It is too beautiful to exist.

The Camilla’s long bloom and a crane’s everlasting love should have made them a perfect match.

Sit in a well and watch the stars. This was supposed to be a life away from life.

So how could there be-

a crane’s singing in the marsh, to be heard across the sky?

The lone crane loves the solitude. It flew here and remained.