Chapter 33: Goodness, Are You Trying to Swallow an Elephant Like a Snake Swallowing an Elephant? The Lady Is Calm, but Her Sister-in-Law Is Anxious!

That is Liu Biao we are talking about! He sits atop the seven commanderies of Jingzhou with a hundred thousand armored soldiers under his banner!

As for Liu Bei, he is merely a refugee who lost Xuzhou and fled to Jingzhou in defeat. He commands fewer than ten thousand men and occupies but a single county.

Her husband actually intended to assist such a weakling and, from the jaws of a giant crocodile like Liu Biao, forcefully seize Jingzhou? This was not just snatching food from a tiger’s mouth—it was a snake attempting to swallow an elephant!

"Husband, are you truly, as A-Liang said, going to help Liu Xuande take Jingzhou?" Zhuge Lan asked, her voice trembling as she regained her composure.

Xiao Fang nodded slightly, confirming what Zhuge Liang had said. Upon hearing the admission from her husband’s own lips, Zhuge Lan shuddered, drawing a sharp intake of breath.

"Husband, you must think this through clearly! The disparity in strength between Liu Xuande and Liu Biao is so vast; are you truly willing to gamble the future of the Xiao and Zhuge families to assist Liu Bei in becoming an enemy of Liu Biao?"

Zhuge Lan knitted her delicate brows, her expression and tone turning grave. After all, Xiao Fang’s decision was of monumental importance. As the eldest daughter of the Zhuge family and a wife of the Xiao family, she could not help but consider the future of both houses; she felt obligated to urge her husband to be cautious.

Xiao Fang, however, scoffed and retorted with a cold smile:

"My Xiao clan is but a humble family, and your Zhuge clan has already fallen into decline, having left your ancestral home to seek refuge in Xuzhou. In a place like Jingzhou, from the provincial government down to the counties, the military and political power is held firmly by the Cai and Kuai clans. Even secondary clans like the Fengs and Mas cannot get a slice of the pie, let alone us."

"Does my lady truly believe that if I do not assist Liu Xuande and do not oppose Liu Biao, our families will have a bright and prosperous future?"

Zhuge Lan felt a jolt in her heart; the shock on her face faded into deep contemplation. As the sister of the "Crouching Dragon," she was no ordinary woman; she possessed a certain degree of insight and perspective. Hearing Xiao Fang’s words, she began to grasp the truth of the situation.

"Elder Sister, you must trust Brother-in-law," Zhuge Liang said, his gaze firm as he took a stand. "Only by assisting Lord Xuande can Brother-in-law reach the pinnacle of officialdom, and only then will our Zhuge clan have hope of restoring our family's prestige. And Lord Xuande, in turn, can only restore the Han Dynasty and achieve great things with the help of a brilliant strategist like Brother-in-law! I believe in him, and we as a family must all believe in him!"

Having witnessed the miraculous foresight of his brother-in-law throughout the trials in Xuzhou, Zhuge Liang’s heart had undergone a sea change. At this moment, his faith in Xiao Fang was absolute.

Zhuge Lan felt her heart stir, as if she had suddenly reached an epiphany.

"Since I have married you, husband, I shall naturally share in your fate. If you are determined to assist Liu Xuande in restoring the Han, I shall follow you through life and death and support you with all my might."

She took Xiao Fang’s arm, the apprehension on her face vanishing like mist in the sun, replaced by a gaze of firm determination.

"I am the same as Elder Sister—I believe in Brother-in-law too!" Zhuge Rong, overcome with emotion, did not hesitate to mimic her sister, tightly gripping Xiao Fang’s other arm. Her eyes also sparkled with resolve.

Seeing the shift in his sisters' attitudes, Zhuge Liang breathed a sigh of relief. However, seeing his second sister also clinging to Xiao Fang’s arm, he frowned.

The eldest sister was the legal wife; it was only natural for her to hold her husband’s arm. But the second sister was merely a sister-in-law—why was she joining in? Was that not a breach of propriety? Zhuge Liang quickly covered his mouth and coughed to hint at her.

Realizing she had been over-excited and perhaps too intimate, Zhuge Rong’s face flushed with color, and she quickly let go.

"B-Brother-in-law, please, have some water!" She hurriedly began pouring, trying to mask her embarrassment.

Zhuge Lan also felt the subtle shift in the air and moved to offer a pastry to Xiao Fang’s lips: "Husband, have some more snacks; these are your favorites."

With a cup in one hand and a pastry in the other, Xiao Fang felt the atmosphere between the two sisters grow somewhat awkward.

Just then, footsteps echoed, and Liu Bei’s guards appeared outside the hall.

"Reporting to the Strategist, the Lord has urgent military news and requests your presence at the council immediately!"

Liu Bei’s summons—and urgent news at that.

"It seems the Xiliang army has taken the bait," Xiao Fang thought. "My ladies, rest for now. I must go. A-Liang, once you have settled your sisters, join me at once."

Xiao Fang seized the chance to excuse himself, set down the cup and pastry, and strode out. As he stepped out of the hall, he encountered a graceful figure approaching. It was Miss Mi Zhen, followed by maids carrying various food boxes.

"Miss Mi?" Xiao Fang paused.

"Strategist Jinglue, I had the kitchen prepare some snacks—all the ones you loved back in Xuzhou. I brought them specially for you to taste," Mi Zhen said with a bright smile. She stepped forward and gracefully opened one of the boxes.

Xiao Fang was taken aback, a wry smile crossing his face. It was quite the coincidence; he had just eaten his wife’s snacks, and now Miss Mi had come to deliver more. He truly could not eat another bite.

"My thanks, Miss Mi. Please leave them with my wife for now. The Lord has summoned me for urgent military matters, but I shall enjoy them upon my return."

Xiao Fang glanced back at Zhuge Lan, then, without waiting for Mi Zhen to react, hurried away.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Lan was observing the elegant young woman with a curious gleam in her eyes. She couldn't help but wonder if the relationship between this Miss Mi and her husband was quite out of the ordinary; otherwise, why would she come in person just to deliver snacks?

Mi Zhen started, noticing Zhuge Lan for the first time. She knew Xiao Fang had a wife, but she hadn't expected her to have already arrived in Biyang. Her arrival had been perfectly ill-timed.

"So, you are Lady Zhuge. It... it seems I have come at a poor time, interrupting your reunion," Mi Zhen said, bowing with a hint of embarrassment on her pretty face.

Zhuge Lan returned the bow with a generous smile: "Miss Mi, you are too formal. I have only just arrived myself. Please, come in."

Mi Zhen shook her head, smiling stiffly: "I only came to deliver these snacks; I shall not disturb you further." With that, she instructed her maids to leave the boxes in the room and hurriedly took her leave.

Watching her depart, Zhuge Lan turned to Zhuge Liang and asked, "A-Liang, who is this Miss Mi? She seems very familiar with your brother-in-law."

Zhuge Liang explained Mi Zhen’s background and their shared experiences in Haixi to his sister. Zhuge Lan grew thoughtful, her expression turning subtle.

"This Miss Mi is so attentive to my husband, and I saw the look in her eyes... could it be that she has feelings for him?"

Zhuge Rong frowned and glared at Zhuge Liang: "A-Liang, why didn't you keep a closer eye on Brother-in-law? How did you let him attract such attention and entangle himself with this Miss Mi?"

"Eh?" Zhuge Liang, caught in the crossfire, looked bewildered. He quickly used the excuse of the council meeting to slip away.

"A-Liang, don't go yet, tell us more about this Miss Mi..." Zhuge Rong huffed, annoyed, as her brother ignored her and fled.

Zhuge Lan cast a sidelong glance at her sister and chided, "Rong'er, you should change that blunt nature of yours; how can you make such wild guesses based on nothing? Even if Miss Mi truly has feelings for him, my husband is the head of the house—taking a concubine is perfectly proper. There is no need to make such a fuss."

Zhuge Rong could only murmur an "oh" and look down, fidgeting with her clothes.

Having scolded her sister, Zhuge Lan looked out the door and sighed softly. "Uncle said he was no creature of the pool, which is why he betrothed me to him. Among so many warlords, he chose to assist this Liu Xuande. Since he is no creature of the pool, his choice surely cannot be wrong..."

...

Inside the hall, when Xiao Fang entered, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Wei Yan, Xu Sheng, Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, and other generals and strategists were already gathered. The air was thick with excitement and urgency.

Seeing Xiao Fang arrive, Liu Bei, who had been deep in thought at the head of the table, rose and stepped down to meet him.

"Jinglue! In terms of miraculous strategy, no one in the world can compare to you!"

"Just as you predicted, Liu Jingsheng is indeed remaining motionless in Xinye, intending to watch the tigers fight from the mountain. Zhang Ji has ordered his nephew, Zhang Xiu, to lead an army of eight thousand toward Biyang. Their vanguard is less than thirty miles from the city!"