NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 54 - Discussion and Commentary
Chapter 54. Discussion and Commentary
By the time the combined force of three thousand troops gathered, I had prepared to depart.
“You’re really leaving?”
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei came to see me off before I left.
“Well, I’m sorry. I’m no good with politics; it’s just not my thing.”
“…I, too, wish I could go with you, but…”
“It’s fine. We all have our own circumstances, don’t we? I’ll be back with that pig’s head soon enough, so let’s drink together again then.”
“Brother.”
Zhang Fei tossed me a heavy pouch.
“Take care of yourself. Damn, you’ve got too much energy. I was just looking forward to drinking with you, but now you’re off again.”
“What’s this?”
“You really don’t know? It’s a charm. It’s pretty valuable here in You Province, so keep it safe.”
With that, Zhang Fei turned away first.
Then Guan Yu spoke.
“Please forgive her. She holds you in high regard, so she’s feeling a little sad.”
Hold me in high regard? Her? That drunk?
It was the funniest thing I’d heard recently.
I shrugged and waved my hand dismissively.
“Got it. Pass on my thanks to Yide.”
“Yes, I sincerely hope that your great cause succeeds.”
And so, we set out on our journey.
***
As soon as we arrived in Guchang County of Yang Province, I spotted a blue flag with the character for ‘Cao’ on it.
“You’ve arrived!”
A loud, booming voice called out.
The man with a thick black beard was Xiahou Dun, one of Cao Cao’s fierce generals.
I dismounted and helped Sima Yi down, then bowed my head.
“Well, long time no see.”
“Glad to see you! I knew it—my eyes didn’t deceive me. I always knew you were a man among men!”
“Why so loud?”
“How can I not be happy to have allies by my side?”
Xiahou Dun laughed heartily.
Then, he glanced over at Sima Yi.
“What’s this? Did you bring a child?”
“What do you—”
“Nice to meet you.”
Before I could say anything, Sima Yi stepped in front of me and bowed politely.
“I am Sima Yi of the Sima family, Zhongda. I serve as Unryong’s strategist.”
“…Ho, a Sima.”
Xiahou Dun leaned in closer to examine Sima Yi, as if she were some rare object.
Of course, Sima Yi’s scowling face perfectly matched her prickly personality, and she openly backed away.
A woman who had been standing behind Xiahou Dun grabbed his shoulder at that point.
“Stop scaring the kid, Yuanyang.”
“Tsk, always with that sharp tongue of yours.”
The woman wore armor adorned with dazzling pearls, even more radiant than Yuan Shao’s.
She sparkled, quite literally.
“You must be the renowned General Unryong.”
She pushed Xiahou Dun aside and extended her hand.
“I’m Cao Hong, styled Zilian. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
Her speech was a bit curt, but I didn’t mind.
I shook her hand.
“Unryong. I don’t have a courtesy name.”
“…No courtesy name? That’s unusual.”
“Well, I come from a humble background.”
“Hmm, I see. You’re quite different from what I imagined.”
When I furrowed my brows at her comment, Cao Hong awkwardly scratched her cheek and removed her ornate helmet.
“Oh, it’s just that my sister bragged about you so much. I was curious to see what the hero of the coalition looked like.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“No, that’s not what I—”
“Zilian.”
A cold voice interrupted.
The air seemed to freeze from the sheer iciness of the tone.
“I’ve told you before to mind your manners.”
“Ah, sis…”
“We can talk later. Now take Yuanyang and step aside.”
“O-Okay. You’re not mad, right…?”
“Zilian.”
“Alright, alright!”
Cao Hong, who had been smiling brightly, stiffened up and quickly made her exit.
“She has that bad habit. Please, forgive her for my sake.”
“I wasn’t bothered by it.”
“I’m glad to hear that. It seems you’ve grown quite a bit. I see some new faces.”
Cao Cao’s gaze briefly drifted toward Sima Yi and Zhao Yun.
“Well, it’s not much of a feat for someone like you. Now, come along. We have matters to discuss.”
At Cao Cao’s words, Zhao Yun and Sima Yi naturally started to follow me.
Zhao Yun had been my deputy, and Sima Yi served as our army’s strategist, so it was only natural.
“Hold on.”
But Cao Cao raised her hand, stopping them.
“It’s been a while since we last met, and I’d rather not have any interruptions.”
“…What?”
Sima Yi, looking quite baffled, tilted her head. Zhao Yun, on the other hand, just stared at me.
When I nodded, Zhao Yun clamped a hand over Sima Yi’s mouth and silently stepped back.
“Quite the spirited subordinates you have.”
“Well, Cao Hong seems like a tough one herself.”
“Heh, looks like we’re even.”
With that playful smirk, I followed Cao Cao into her private quarters.
We sat across from each other at a small table.
“How have you been?”
“You look better than last time.”
“Hmph, I suppose so.”
Cao Cao smirked as she rubbed her right shoulder.
“I almost died. I never imagined such a formidable general would be there. It was the price I paid for acting foolishly, driven by emotions.”
She picked up a cup of tea.
“His name was Xu Rong.”
“Do you know him?”
Of course not—I’d never heard the name before.
When I gave her a puzzled look, Cao Cao smiled faintly as she brought the cup to her lips.
“You should drink too.”
“I’m not much for hot drinks.”
“Hmm.”
Cao Cao’s red eyes swept over me, her expression amused.
The day I cut down Hua Xiong and returned, I had spat out my drink after chugging it in front of her.
I had sold off everything I could after that incident.
It was, in a way, a kind of trauma.
Damn it.
Feeling her gaze, I had the sudden urge to jump off a cliff.
“Well, if that’s the case, no matter.”
“Stop looking at me like that. You’ll drive me to an early grave.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. You did well.”
At that moment, *thud*!
Cao Cao set her teacup down on the table.
“And so, I, Cao Cao, am truly pleased. When no other warlords took action, it was you who stepped up. It fills me with gratitude.”
“Aren’t you overhyping me?”
“Not at all.”
Cao Cao continued.
“There are many heroes in this world. Even though the coalition forces failed to complete their mission, there are still true heroes among them. But in the most crucial moment, they hesitated.”
Heroes, huh.
Honestly, I disagreed with her.
Most of them were cowards, just like Cao Cao said.
“Yes, heroes exist, but they’re not quite worthy of being called true heroes. Even those who achieved great deeds and won the hearts of the people are lacking in some way. From that perspective, you are closer to being a true hero for stepping forward when no one else did.”
“Is that so?”
I frowned, and Cao Cao’s eyes gleamed.
“You don’t think so?”
“I don’t know. I’m just a nobody.”
Cao Cao glanced out the window.
I followed her gaze and saw that rain was now pouring down heavily outside.
“I’m curious. What do you think makes a hero?”
“…How would I know? All I know is that it’s not me. I’m neither a hero nor a great person.”
“If not a hero, then what are you?”
“A xia (wandering knight).”
Cao Cao tilted her head slightly.
I must have sounded too serious.
“Do you really mean that?”
I absolutely meant it.
“Yes.”
“Huh.”
Cao Cao slowly traced the rim of her teacup with her slender finger, the elegance of her movements somehow making me feel uneasy.
This always happened when I faced Cao Cao.
There was something about her red eyes that made people nervous.
“Nan Yang’s governor…”
Cao Cao finally spoke.
“He’s flashy on the outside but empty on the inside. He indulges in pleasure and hasn’t won the hearts of the people, so I don’t think he has the potential to be a true hero.”
I scratched my ear and responded to her sudden commentary.
“What’s this all of a sudden? Didn’t we come here to relax and catch up? And we don’t have all the time in the world either.”
“No need to rush. Planning the supply routes and discussing military strategy will take time. Consider this a way to pass the time.”
Cao Cao continued.
“So, what do you think of the Tiger of Jiangdong?”
It didn’t seem like she planned to stop anytime soon.
Eventually, I decided to humor her.
After all, I still felt guilty for turning down her earlier proposal.
Besides, the image of her drenched in rain like a stray cat had stuck with me.
“Well, he’s probably damn strong, isn’t he?”
Cao Cao nodded.
“Indeed, his martial prowess is on par with any warlord. However, he is still human. In the end, he’s just playing second fiddle to Nan Yang’s governor, so he’s not quite worthy of being called a hero.”
As we continued talking, I started to get interested.
“Then what about Zhang Yang, the governor of Shangdang?”
“The Governor of Shangdang has virtue, but that makes her merely a good person, not a hero.”
Cao Cao went on.
“The Governor of Beihai and the Governor of Jibei are not even worth mentioning, and the Governor of Ji Province is no different. So, who could be called a hero?”
“…Liu Bei?”
I answered the first name that came to mind. Liu Bei was the only person I knew who resembled a hero.
A hero would say something like, “The people are the land.” Who else but a hero could say something like that?
Cao Cao, however, tilted her head in confusion.
“I don’t quite understand her. I know you hold the magistrate in high regard, but she doesn’t resonate with me.”
“Then who do you think is a hero?”
By now, I was genuinely curious about her answer. I had gotten sucked into Cao Cao’s commentary.
Cao Cao maintained her characteristic expressionless face and replied.
“The one who came closest was Benchu (Yuan Shao).”
Yuan Shao, huh.
He had the best reputation, the most illustrious family.
It was a reasonable answer.
Personally, I didn’t see Yuan Shao as a hero, but objectively, it was an opinion most people would agree with.
“Fair enough.”
However, even then, Cao Cao shook her head.
“But in the end, Benchu was nothing but a coward. Not only did he miss the chance to defeat Dong Zhuo, but he also came up with underhanded schemes. Do you know? Benchu even wanted to crown a new emperor.”
“Well, yeah, I know. I was in You Province, and I even met the governor.”
“Then you’ll understand. I, Cao Cao, stopped Benchu. Two suns cannot exist under the same sky. The result is obvious. But Benchu laughed it off and ignored me.”
Cao Cao’s face darkened.
Her usually expressionless face, now filled with anger, was genuinely terrifying.
“So, I believe there are only two true heroes in this world.”
Cao Cao removed her finger from her teacup and pointed forward.
“Cao Cao, and Unryong.”
“There’s no one else worth considering.”
*Boom!*
Thunder cracked, and the rain outside intensified.
“What an absurd joke.”
I merely shrugged.
In September of the year 190, I arrived in Yang Province.