What a pity for them that their current footing wasn't a chessboard but a sand table—a war.
Hence these three cunning individuals, well versed in deceit, did not intervene in the command, simply continuing to craft their schemes in the shadows, leaving the specialized tasks to the professionals.
If Jiawen possessed an extraordinary talent in military strategy, or if it were Hei Fan here instead of Tan Mo, the endgame might have turned quite spectacular, with climax upon climax. Alas, the players at hand weren't of that caliber, so while the process wouldn't be too unsightly, the outcome was unlikely to change.
"Where there are many temples, there will be victory" applies everywhere.
