The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Lu Bu is good at being filial

Chapter 4

＜ I Thought It Was a Martial Arts Novel, But It Was Lü Bu (4) ＞

At that moment, in the mansion of the Yuan family (袁家) in Luoyang.

Step, step.

A young man walks forward through the long corridor of the spacious mansion.

A handsome young man dressed in neat clothing.

His appearance was so outstanding that the passing servants blushed as soon as they saw his face.

“Y-Young master…!”

But the servants were busy trying to stop the young man, calling him ‘young master.’

“If you go any further…!”

“I turned thirty last year, and am I still the young master of this family?”

The young man spoke politely to the servant blocking his way in a leisurely voice.

However, there was a clear edge to his politeness, and the servant was not so naive as to miss it.

“In this great Yuan family, am I still the young master?”

“Th-That’s…!”

[Let him in.]

A groaning voice came from beyond the firmly closed threshold.

At the command of that voice, the servants stepped aside, and the young man straightened his clothes and slowly entered the room.

Creak.

As the door opened, the smell of burning herbs wafted out from inside.

“Elder.”

“Elder, huh. That’s not a pleasant thing to hear.”

The old man lying on the bed looked as if he might die at any moment, his complexion pale.

“……That.”

“But what else would you call me besides ‘Elder’? You mourned for your mother for three years, and then for your father for another three years.”

“…….”

“Boncho.”

“Yes, Elder Wonbong.”

The young man, Wonso, clasped his hands together in a respectful manner.

“What brings you to visit someone bedridden with illness?”

“Is it true that you are arranging a marriage? For my sister.”

“Your sister?”

“…….”

“Don’t forget. She is your cousin.”

The old man, Wonbong, shook his head firmly.

“You are my brother’s son.”

“…….”

“And as the one responsible for the internal affairs of this family, I made a choice that benefits our family.”

“Do you really believe that old warrior from Byeongju will be of help to us?”

“He’s not an old warrior. He’s two years younger than you.”

“But he’s an unmarried bachelor….”

“He’s living quite an interesting life.”

The old man, Wonbong, twisted his lips into a sardonic smile.

“He’s not someone you can easily judge based on rumors. Whether he has ambition, loyalty, or something else entirely, it’s hard to say.”

“…However.”

“Boncho. Let’s speak honestly.”

When Wonbong gestured for him to come closer, Wonso approached and bowed his head.

“Do you really dislike the idea of your sister marrying a bachelor that much?”

“……I just thought there might be a better match for her.”

“Hahahaha!!”

Wonbong burst into hearty laughter and patted Wonso on the shoulder.

“I know very well how much you care for your bloodline. But don’t forget. If I don’t arrange your sister’s marriage, if I pass away without doing so, then Gongro will decide.”

“Gongro….”

“Yes. Yuan Shu might decide your sister’s marriage.”

Crunch.

For the first time, anger slowly seeped out of Yuan Shao’s previously somber expression.

“Benchu. You are still young. Your emotions are showing on your face.”

At Yuan Feng’s words, Yuan Shao quickly changed his expression.

“Smile. For the sake of ambition, you must smile leisurely even in front of the enemy.”

“…….”

“Although I had high expectations for Gonglu, you have come this far on your own.”

“Sir.”

“Your face resembles your mother’s a lot. That’s fortunate.”

“…….”

“Your problem lies in your heart.”

Yuan Feng pointed to Yuan Shao’s heart with his slender finger.

“You have too much affection. That will one day hold you back.”

“Sir.”

“For the sake of ambition, you must become ruthless. You must be willing to abandon even your family. Yes, just like your friend… cough!”

Yuan Feng let out a dry cough.

“Sir!”

“Ha, ha. Remember this. Your sister can give you wings. If this marriage is successful, he will become a powerful ally for you.”

Even with trembling eyes, Yuan Feng looked at Yuan Shao and grabbed his shoulder with a clean hand.

“Yebongseon. Use him as your sword.”

“…….”

“What you need is a heart of iron and blood, and a blade you can wield as your limbs.”

“…….”

“I want to rest. You may leave now.”

“Is there no way to withdraw?”

“Until the end.”

Yuan Feng shook his head and lay back on the bed.

“Who knows. Unless he goes completely mad and dares to reject our family’s proposal.”

“Wow, it’s burning well.”

Whoosh.

“Maybe it’s because the wood is expensive, it seems to burn better. Don’t you think so, Wisok?”

“I don’t know anymore, General.”

Wisok throws the bamboo slip forward.

Instead of just tossing it, he supports the side of the bamboo slip with his left hand and lightly pushes it with his right hand.

“Hey, that’s not how you do it. I’ve told you many times that the left hand is just for support.”

“But it went in, right?”

Thud.

The bamboo slip that Wisok threw fell straight into the brazier’s hole.

Inside, there was calligraphy written by a famous hand, but it was already burning with other bamboo slips that had become firewood.

“Yeah. It’s burning well. It’s just blazing up.”

The burned firewood will become charcoal, and the heat it emits as it burns will warm the room.

“Watching it burn makes my heart burn too, and I feel like I’m getting a fever.”

“What are you talking about? Prepare the next bamboo slip.”

“It’s an order.”

Wisok grabs another bamboo slip and, before throwing it, looks at the string and examines the inside.

“Do we burn this one too?”

“Why?”

“Isn’t this from the Giju Wonga?”

“Oh, that one.”

Unlike other random ones, a marriage proposal had come from a fairly large family.

“Burn it.”

“Not even keeping it?”

“I’ve transcribed the contents and kept them separately, and the bamboo slip just takes up space. Isn’t it better to use it as firewood?”

The content of a letter is what’s important.

The contents have been checked and transcribed as insurance, so the bamboo slip can be burned.

It’s not recyclable anyway.

“Especially since it’s cold.”

“It’s almost spring, so will you use it as firewood then too?”

“Well. Should we tell them to use it to light the forge over there?”

“But it’s the Won family. Isn’t it the family that held the Three Dukes’ positions?”

“That’s right.”

The Won family.

It’s a family I know too.

“They say the illegitimate son is such a filial son?”

To be precise, there is a famous filial son in the Won family, and the stories praising him have reached this land of Byungju, sparking interest.

“Amazing. An illegitimate son from a family that held the Three Dukes’ positions for four generations, mourning for three years twice.”

Indeed, he can be called a filial son.

That’s why I remember.

“Won So.”

“He is a general that Ha Jin, who will be appointed as the Grand General, is keeping an eye on.”

“…You seem very interested in court affairs.”

I stopped reaching out to the back of Wi Sook, who was burning the marriage proposal and lighting the fire.

“Why. Why don’t you just go to the central government and try to cling to Ha Jin?”

“Will you do it? If you become a general, you will surely walk a smooth path.”

“Stop it, stop it.”

I lightly patted Wi Sook’s back.

“Ugh!”

“…Such exaggeration.”

“No, it really hurts.”

Wi Sook grumbled, even pretending to take off his armor to show his back.

“With this strength, you don’t think of becoming the Grand General….”

“You rascal.”

“You don’t know how great your strength is, General.”

“I know.”

At the age of 20, I was already praised by my master as the best in Byungju.

Even now, I am the best in Byungju, and naturally, as the best warrior in this rough place, I could make a name for myself in the central government as well.

Achieving fame and success.

Certainly, it’s an enticing idea.

“Wi-sok. The court is a place full of jackals. It’s a place where you can’t do anything with just force alone.”

“Then….”

“Politics and the battlefield are both like walking on thin ice. A single brushstroke can kill a person. Fortunately, on the battlefield, we can overcome death with force, but in the court, your head can be chopped off in the name of execution in front of the sword of power.”

“Did the master tell you that too?”

“Something similar.”

Although the texture was different.

“The master asked me questions, and I answered them. Then the master refined it and taught me.”

The master was truly an outstanding intellectual.

-Your thoughts are extraordinary, but the times will not easily accept them. Say it like this. In this case….

If I tried to speak the knowledge of modern people clumsily, he refined the principles and logic so that I could speak appropriately.

“If you get involved in the court for no reason, you’ll be used as a hunting dog and then….”

“Tosa Gupeng?”

“Yes. You’ll be eaten and discarded. We just need to do our best where we can use our strength. Aren’t there still bandits rampaging in the Byungju land?”

“I understand. But if those who sent the marriage proposals later say something, there will be no regrets then.”

“If I were to regret it, I wouldn’t have burned it in the first place.”

Fwoosh.

“They’ll make a big fuss about a country bumpkin from Byungju rejecting their marriage proposal.”

“How great a woman are they trying to marry?”

“Look forward to it. I’ll marry the most beautiful and pretty maiden in Zhongyuan.”

“Words.”

Wi-sok threw away the remaining bamboo slips.

“Oh, it’s about time. Let’s go check it out.”

“Check?”

“The kid Huseong was supposed to see.”

“Oh, that kid from Ma-eup-hyeon. The one who killed dozens of bandits with a spear by himself.”

The boy I saved – no, the young man.

Instead of returning to his destroyed hometown, he said he would take root in Jinyangseong.

To be precise, he asked for a place for his family to stay in exchange for using him as a soldier.

“He looked quite noble.”

“Is he just noble? My hands were all worn out dealing with him.”

“It’s not just your hands that are hurt.”

I was about to pat Wisok’s back but grabbed his shoulder instead.

“Try raising the three of them well. Who knows? One of them might become a great general who commands the world someday.”

“Not you, General?”

“Hmm, after me?”

“…We’ll have to see if they have the talent for it first.”

Wisok shook his head with a displeased look.

“If that kid grows a bit more, no one in Byungju will be able to match him except you, General.”

“That’s right. So raise him. As a general.”

If this world valued martial arts and chivalry, I would have raised him as a warrior.

And later, he would have become a warrior with nicknames like the Best Spear of Byungju or the Blue Dragon Divine Spear.

‘What the era needs is not a warrior, but a general.’

But in these chaotic times.

When the central government cannot spread its authority across the land and the people become bandits, carrying swords instead of hoes.

What is needed are not monsters, but generals who can lead, embrace, and govern soldiers with military discipline.

“Oh, right. So what’s that kid’s name?”

“You forgot? Well…”

* * *

“Ryo, it is.”

The training ground of the barracks.

Huseong was lying on the ground, drenched in sweat, while his opponent, a young man, had only the front part of his hair wet with sweat.

“Impressive. To show such skill against Huseong.”

“General, it’s troubling when you say that.”

Wisok approached me and whispered softly.

“Among the three, I’m still the strongest.”

…So he was trying to save Huseong’s face.

“Anyway, all three of you are pretty much the same. Compared to Songheon, it’s just a paper-thin difference.”

“…Still.”

“Alright. We’ll leave the training to Huseong.”

“What?”

“Among the three, isn’t Huseong the best at handling soldiers?”

“Well, that’s true, but….”

“Never mind. So, your name is ‘Ryo’, right?”

“Yes.”

The young man, Ryo, lightly bowed his head to me, but-

“Hey.”

“…!!”

He flinched and took a step back.

“You’re trying to gauge me.”

“Th-that is.”

“Good spirit. Any warrior must assess whether they can defeat their opponent.”

I stepped forward and patted the young man Ryo on the shoulder.

“But trying to determine if you can kill anyone you meet is the behavior of a beast. We are human, and we know better than anyone when to draw our swords and when not to.”

“……Yes.”

“So, your name?”

“Yes?”

“Your surname, I mean, your surname.”

“Ah, that is.”

The young man avoided my gaze with a complicated expression.

“It seems you have a story. Do you need to hide your surname?”

“That is.”

“General.”

Huseong stood up, sweating profusely.

“Is this friend someone who will make his name known far and wide?”

“Isn’t he?”

“Then please let him hide his surname.”

“Why?”

“If his surname is known, it will be troublesome.”

“…Then should I keep calling him Ryo without a surname?”

“……General.”

The young man bowed his head to me.

“General, would you please give me a surname?”

“What?”

“Someday, I will tell you about my surname.”

“Is it because revealing your surname would put your family in danger?”

“……Yes.”

“I see.”

This is troublesome.

“Giving a name is a heavy responsibility. How much more so for a surname. However, remember this.”

I met the young man’s gaze.

“A surname inherited from your parents is not something to be discarded lightly.”

“……!!”

“That would be unfilial.”

A surname is not something to be discarded lightly.

“But if avoiding that disaster temporarily to protect your family is considered unfilial, that would be too harsh a judgment.”

“…….”

“A shared surname is a symbol and representation of a family. If it is dangerous enough to hide such a surname, then to protect your family, you may temporarily set it aside.”

“Temporarily…?”

“Succeed. Until the day you can proudly say ‘This is my surname,’ gain strength, build influence, and obtain power.”

“…….”

“Until then, use a temporary surname. Yes. Since it seems the quickest way to achieve fame as a general, how about ‘Jang (將)’?”

“Jang….”

General, Ryo.

Shortened to Jang Ryo.

“How about it?”

“……Well.”

Jang Ryo cautiously opened his mouth.

“With all due respect, the commonly used Jang surname is usually written as Jang (張)….”

“!!”

He wrote the character in the air with his finger.

“Oh.”

“……!”

Wisok’s eyes sparkled.

Especially Huseong, who widened his eyes and smacked his lips.

“You.”

I grabbed Jangryo’s shoulder tightly.

“Let’s work together on something.”

＜ I Thought It Was Martial Arts, But It Was Lu Bu (4) ＞ End