[The Three Kingdoms] Golden Sun Exhibition

44 – The Emperor of Chise

winter.

After the sun passes and before spring comes.

From noble mtl dot com

“Where are you going?”

“I’m planning to go north for a while.”

At dawn, I was trying to go out when Zhuge Liang stopped me.

Even though it was quite early in the morning, Zhuge Liang finished freshening up and brought me water in a bowl to drink.

“The weather is very cold. Where north are you trying to go?”

As if I was trying to figure out exactly where I was going.

“…Huh Hyeon.”

“My name is Heohyeon.”

Zhuge Liang’s expression turned pale. She knows well where Heohyeon is.

This is where Jojo’s army began to exert influence over nearby areas by sending prefectural orders.

Going to such a place could make it seem like I was becoming friendly with Jo Jo.

“No way, Master….”

“Yes. I am from Jojo and Dongdong.”

Although it is not my first hometown, I once settled and lived somewhere between Jinryu and Heohyeon.

Since the hometown of the deceased Josung and the land where I live are adjacent, it is not entirely wrong to say that I am from the east.

And there is my land in Heohyeon.

There is land whose value has increased even more thanks to Cao Cao.

Before spring came, there was a need to take care of the manor. So, I decided to visit Heohyeon for a while.

“I’m going to take care of my land in Heohyeon for a while.”

“…….”

Zhuge Liang’s expression darkened.

I could see a bit of betrayal in the way he looked at me.

“Liang, are you disappointed? Are you disillusioned because your teacher seems to be related to Cao Cao?”

“…….”

Zhuge Liang did not answer.

Although he has excellent intelligence, he is still afraid of being scolded by adults.

“I’m not scolding you. I would be disillusioned if someone who was my teacher was under Cao Cao’s protection. But I hope you don’t misunderstand. If I had to be honest, I’m not under Cao Cao’s protection….”

“He is under the protection of Yoo Pyo-eui and Chae family.”

“yes.”

The person who helps me directly is the Chae family.

Yoo Pyo is only helping me because he is a political partner of the Chae family.

Sunuk, Sunyu, and Kwak Ga also had no choice but to think about political factors when sharing their stories with me.

Perhaps, putting that aside, the only person who purely wants to help me is… Hwang Jo.

“Ryan. The teacher is a small person. All I can do is lend land to the people of Western Zhou to live on. All I can do is teach what I know and how to live in the world to those who want to learn.”

“Master, you are not small. I saw it.”

“…I don’t know what I saw, but I am a person with a small distribution. I am talking about a small person.”

I got down on one knee and made eye contact with Zhuge Liang.

“I am not courageous enough to boldly throw away the assets I have for the sake of the greater good, for loyalty, for something. It is a shame. I am showing my teacher’s ugly side.”

“That’s not it. That’s….”

“Yes, the life of a hero. And I am just an ordinary person.”

It is important for people to know their fractions.

I have no intention of doing so, but no matter how much I want to live a life of flying and crawling, I am not a dragon, but a flea riding on the dragon’s tail.

“I cannot give up the land of Heohyeon. It is now the land I inherited from my deceased teacher, and it is a small piece of land to leave for my descendants.”

I inherited it mentally.

Since he used his inheritance in kind to buy land, it is right for him to take over the inheritance.

Since it is my land, it is natural to leave it to my descendants.

“At one time, I felt relieved that my land had improved thanks to Cao Cao, but that was something I, as a human being, should not have done. I am not so much trash as to be happy about profits made through blood.”

If you ask me if I really think that way, no, I don’t.

“However, if you have benefited from this, I think it is your duty as a person to morally help those who have suffered damage.”

In order to console Zhuge Liang, one must become someone who knows benevolence and righteousness.

“I will protect the land of Heohyeon. It is where my memories reside and where my blood and sweat were deposited.”

“…I’m sorry, Master, I am.”

Zhuge Liang bowed with a trembling voice.

“I thought you were closely connected to Lord Cao Cao.”

“That’s right. I’m connected. I know some of the conspirators in Cao Cao’s army.”

You’ll get caught later anyway.

It’s also easier for Zhuge Liang to make it clear now.

“…yes?”

“And I asked them to stop Cao Cao.”

This is true.

Of course, among the contents of the letter sent to Sun Yu, there was also a request to stop Cao Cao from going crazy.

No matter how much I think about the Western Zhou Massacre, there is no benefit, so I wrote to ask people to change their minds.

It’s just that if you do it anyway, the countermeasures and benefits are also written down.

At that time, I gave Jojo advice that was not advice from a neutral perspective.

“Are you disillusioned?”

“…….”

“I also regret it. I couldn’t have said it more strongly. If I had known that Cao Cao would commit such a terrible massacre, I would have gone to Cao Cao in person and persuaded him.”

I’m serious.

This is a thought that came to mind several times after seeing those from Xuzhou.

“Of course, the seed may not have worked, but at least I could have conveyed my will. The village father in Hyeongju is also against it. So please stop thinking about it.”

If there was someone by Jojo’s side who read her true intentions and cared about the lives of those below her, Jojo wouldn’t have changed his mind after hearing her advice.

“…I’m saying this in case there’s any misunderstanding, but I’m not going to Cao Cao’s army to be appointed. This is where I’m going to be, and I haven’t even kept my promise to you yet.”

“A promise?”

“Didn’t you say you would teach the world?”

I took a step closer to Zhuge Liang.

She didn’t back down anymore, and I patted Zhuge Liang’s head to comfort her.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“…Master. When you return, I want you to let me know.”

Zhuge Liang held my hand tightly with both his hands and said.

“Why did Jo Jo make that choice?”

* * *

Even in winter, Heohyeon was warm.

The weather wasn’t that cold, as if spring had already arrived here, and I went to Heohyeon to find her who had called me.

“Teacher Kwak.”

“…Oh, it’s been a while.”

Kwak welcomed me with a puzzled look on his face.

“Well, you’re not angry, are you?”

“Not really. What right do I have to be angry? At best, what can I say about sending a letter to Munyak?”

We already know that some of the letters are flowing to Jojo.

I wrote a letter hoping for that, but it didn’t work out easily.

“It’s Jojo’s choice. I’m not the one to argue about that.”

“…I thought you were going to be so angry. Slayer.”

“…Well, to be honest and selfish.”

I slit my throat with my hand.

“I’m the type of person who thinks that since I wasn’t harmed, it doesn’t matter.”

“…I’m glad you think that way. Teacher Geum, I think you’ve become a little more cynical, but it’s still the same.”

“is it?”

People don’t change.

Human nature does not change, but people’s impressions of others do change.

Cao Cao’s army that caused the Western Zhou Massacre.

There was just one more inconvenient thing added to the perception of the Kwak family.

“So, why did you call me to Heohyeon? They said they had something important to say. If you’re asking me to commission you, I’ll decline.”

“There’s someone who wants to meet you.”

“me?”

“Uh. This way.”

Guo Ga took me inside the manor. And then I made eye contact with a short-haired woman sitting in the pavilion.

“…….”

Eyes that examine people.

Eyes looking down at people.

It is not an ordinary being. Just seeing it makes my mouth feel dry.

“Enough now, right? Take care of the rest, Aman.”

“Of course. Thank you, Bonghyo.”

Is Aman a person or a name?

I didn’t really know until I was introduced, but I knew that the other person was close to the Kwak family.

“What is your relationship with Bonghyo?”

“Are you Bonghyo? We are close friends. We are also from Yeongcheon-gun.”

The short-haired woman stood up and bowed slightly.

“My name is Joaman. My name is Jayo.”

“Jojayo. Nice to meet you. I….”

“You’re Master Geumtaeyang, right? I’ve already heard what you said. He’s the owner of this manor.”

“…Have you come to buy land?”

“That’s not true. They said I have a really good eye for the ground. I’m trying to get help like Bonghyo did.”

thank god. My heart almost sank.

This woman was so intimidating that I wondered if this would be the feeling I would get from her if I met Jojo.

“What do you want to ask?”

“Seoju.”

“…….”

“If you were to buy land in Xuzhou, where would you want to buy it?”

“…Excuse me for meeting you for the first time.”

Excuse me, one shot loaded.

From noble mtl dot com

“That’s not how you buy land. The horrors of the war have not yet subsided, so do you want to buy land there?”

“…….”

Jo Ah-man just blinked.

I let out a sigh, but I held it back.

“Good land is land that is good for people to live in. No matter how much land prices have gone down.”

That doesn’t mean it isn’t.

“Miss, do you want to live your whole life plowing a field in a land soaked in blood where so many people have died?”

“miss?”

“Then you are. Even if you look at me, you look younger than me.”

Jo Ah-man could not speak for a long time.

“Good. This is Bonghyo’s recommendation, so let’s talk about it. Western Zhou is a dead land, a dying land. The Lord of Yeonju, Cao Maengdeok, will rule, but Western Zhou is not a land for people to live in.”

“Why?”

“Seoju.”

I quenched my thirst with tea.

“This is the place where Cao Mengde weighed the world and Western Zhou and chose Heaven. Western Zhou is a place without any possibility in the future.”

Jo Ah-man’s eyes grew strangely large.