Among the many figures of the Three Kingdoms era, few are as enigmatic – or as influential – as Sima Hui, styled Decao, the reclusive scholar known as Master Water Mirror. Though he never held office, raised an army, or penned a single decree, his quiet words altered the course of history.
In Chapter 35 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei’s journey from desperation to hope unfolds through two pivotal encounters – first with the reclusive sage Sima Hui (Water-mirror Master), and then with the disguised strategist who would briefly illuminate his path to legitimacy: Xu Shu, alias Shan Fu.