The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 60

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 60:

Zhang Song Turns The Table On Yang Xiu;

Pang Tong Proposes The Occupation Of Shu. 

Listen:

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WARNING: BEWARE THE IDES OF SPOILERS. BEWARE. BEWARE, I SAY.

Annnd, you've waited a long time for this. Thank you for your patience. Your patience is about to be rewarded, because this is the first of several chapters I'm posting to the feed today for your listening enjoyment. Know what else it is, though?  It's Chapter 60, also known as, the "Oh my freaking lord, after four years of making these we are FINALLY at the halfway point of the story" Chapter. Phew. I don't know if it's been as tiring for you guys to listen to these, but it's certainly been quite tiring for me to make 'em. Not that I'm going to stop or anything. When you get 60 chapters through a 120 chapter book, it's sort of pointless to turn back, isn't it?

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The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 59

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 59:

Xu Chu Strips For A Fight With Ma Chao;

Cao Cao Writes A Letter To Han Sui.

Listen:

 WARNING: READING AND UNDERSTANDING CLASSICAL LITERATURE CAN CAUSE INTENSE INTELLECTUAL GROWTH, CRITICAL THINKING, SOCIAL DISCONTENT, VOTE-BOYCOTTING, MARIJUANA USAGE, REVOLUTIONARY TENDENCIES, SPOILERS, AND IN SOME CASES, DEATH.

Chapter 59 of the Sanguo Yanyi is a chapter which has much to do with human psychology, and how it can affect the actions of men and armies alike. For in this Chapter, Cao Cao uses his mind, and the minds of his top advisers, far more than he uses swords and axes. 

A maxim to remember in the execution of any war, is the maxim that says "Where main force may fail, guile may succeed." If I were the leader of an army, I would probably value my soldiers. To not do so would be a huge blow to morale.  But probably even above the soldiers, I would prize a talented, charismatic, and convincing group of spies and diplomats even more, because with a mere word, a good talker might neutralize an entire enemy army, and not even a nuke can do that.

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The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 58

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 58:

Ma Chao Launches An Expedition For Revenge;

Cao Cao Flees The Field In Disguise.

Listen:

 WARNING: TYPING IN CAPS CAN OFTEN LEAD TO PEOPLE THINKING YOU'RE SHOUTING AT THEM. AND THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY.

Annnnnnd, it's Chapter 58 already. Bet you weren't expecting TWO audiobook episodes in one night, were you? Oh, you were? Well....ummmm....hmmmmmm....guess that wasn't as big a surprise as I meant it to be then. :p

At any rate, we've reached Chapter 58. Ma Teng is dead, slain by the soldiers of Cao Cao, and Ma Dai, nephew of Ma Teng, has escaped from the capitol, carrying back to Ma Chao the tale of Ma Teng's ending. Filial Piety was a cardinal virtue in the people of the Han, and Ma Chao was, as could be quite expected, not quite happy with Cao Cao for the murder of his father.

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The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 57

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 57:

Sleeping Dragon Mourns In Chaisang;

Young Phoenix Intervenes At Leiyang.

Listen:

 WARNING: D.J. RASPE IS PRONE TO BOUTS OF BLEAK DEPRESSION AND HE DISAPPEARS SOMETIMES, AND WHEN HE DOES, HIS CONTENT SLOWS TO A STANDSTILL. BUT HE USUALLY COMES BACK EVENTUALLY...LET THE SHOW GO ON. OH YEAH, AND SOMETHING ABOUT SPOILERS TOO...

So, it's been about a year since the last episode, and you're probably good and ready for a new episode, huh? Well, all right then. Let's get down to it. It is to be recalled that, at a previous point in the story, I mentioned how those who read this story tend to take sides. Some people are Cao Cao fans. Some are Liu Bei fans. Some are Zhuge Liang Fans, and some like Zhou Yu...this chapter, Chapter 57, is for the Cao Cao fans, it would seem.

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The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 56

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 56:

Cao Cao Feasts in the Bronze Bird Tower;

Zhuge Liang Provokes Zhou Yu a Third Time.

Listen:

 WARNING: THE SANGUO YANYI ITSELF CONTAINS SPOILERS...ABOUT OUR OWN FUTURE. LEARN IT. BE PREPARED. UGLINESS IS COMING...

Chapter 56 of the Sanguo Yanyi sees a continuance of the almost tragically comical striving of Zhou Yu against Zhuge Liang, two of the great minds of the late Han. Seriously, these two are almost like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.  Zhou Yu, obviously, is Daffy, since, as you might have noticed in previous chapters, things just don't seem to go well for him when he tries to scheme against Zhuge Liang. This is like "Duck season! Rabbit season! Duck season! Rabbit season! Rabbit season! Duck season! Fire!" 

BANG!!!! 

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The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 54

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 54:

The Dowager Marchioness Sees Her Son-In-Law;

The Imperial Uncle Takes A Worthy Consort.

Listen:

 WARNING: THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. THAT'S ALL RIGHT...RIGHT?

Chapter 54 is the beginning of a bit of a side-story, as Zhou Yu, obsessed with gaining possession of Jingzhou for Sun Quan, attempts yet once again to develop a scheme for accomplishing his goal. You might recall the stalling tactics employed by Zhuge Liang in previous chapters to delay over and over the transfer of Jingzhou to Sun Quan. I think it's pretty reasonable to assume that the average reader/listener has probably figured out by now that Zhuge Liang has no real intention of relinquishing Jingzhou. I think Zhou Yu knew this also, and I also believe that it's indeed a possibility that Lu Su, deep down, also knew it. But Lu Su, as portrayed in the novel, was an honest man, and maybe a little bit on the credible side, by reason of extreme politeness. Lu Su was a brilliant man, and it's very hard to believe that he had no clue what Zhuge Liang was doing. But, ever attentive to the observation of etiquette, Lu Su found himself time and time again in the uncomfortable position of middleman between Liu Bei and the Southland. Thus, it's difficult not to feel more than a little sorry for Lu Su at this part of the story, where he is caught between Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu...probably the last place I would want to be is in between two intellectual juggernauts. I've been there before, time and time again, and it's really not fun.

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