Your hero is.
"G-Greetings, General Cao!"
"It is a true honor to meet you."
"I... I have long admired General Cao. To meet you like this feels like a dream."
Three young girls had appeared at their father's summons.
Named Geun, Ryeong, and Gyeon, each bowed politely to the guests before them and offered her greetings in her own distinct way.
"These are your children, Family Head?"
"They are. My humble, unworthy daughters. When they heard that General Cao, one of the greatest heroes of the realm, would be visiting, they could barely contain their anticipation."
"Heh, a hero... I am pleased to meet you as well."
Cao Cao gave the young girls a kindly smile.
With an air comparable to a modern-day idol singer waving to a crowd of adoring fans, she studied the faces of the three young women who were gazing at her with sparkling eyes.
The three sisters were clearly intelligent, even at a glance.
Yet,
one among them stood out most to her eye.
After holding the child's face in her memory for a moment, Cao Cao followed Gyu's guidance and entered the private residence.
*
"Please, have a drink, General."
"Thank you. And here, this is a letter for you from Father. He says whenever you come to Luoyang next, he'd like a game of Go. He says he'll avenge his past defeat."
"Haha, is that so? Then I must make a point of visiting him."
Cao Cao smiled as they exchanged cups of wine.
As they conversed before a table groaning with food prepared for the esteemed guest, her gaze happened to drift toward the three girls who had been staring intently at her ever since, to the point of forgetting their own meal.
At that,
"My lord, it seems the young ladies over there have much they wish to say. Could you spare them a moment?"
Xun Yu spoke in a calm tone.
Cao Cao replied with a look of curiosity.
"Shall I? Now that I think of it, Father himself said they were all remarkably bright, so a look wouldn't go amiss. Does that suit you, Family Head?"
"For General Cao to take an interest in my unworthy children—the honor is entirely mine."
"Heh, very well. With permission like that, I'll ask my questions freely."
"!"
"..."
"Gulp..."
The moment they became the subject of the adults' talk, a solemn tension settled over the girls.
This was no ordinary guest. The person before them was the ruler of this very Xu Province, a powerful minister of the court who wielded formidable authority.
In other words, making a good impression on her in this place might well guarantee their future advancement.
Feeling both joy and tension at the arrival of an opportunity they'd secretly been hoping for, the girls fixed their eyes intently on Cao Cao's lips.
"As you all know, this is an age more than worthy of being called turbulent. And the more turbulent the age, the more buried heroes and gallants reveal their true worth. With that in mind, I'd like to hear what sort of person you yourselves consider a hero to be."
A question of no small difficulty to ask such young girls.
Their father felt a moment of alarm...
But on the faces of the girls actually receiving the question, there was only caution and earnestness.
Then,
"I, Gyeon, will answer first."
"Very well, let's hear it."
A young voice, barely past ten years of age.
Still, with a confidence befitting her youth, she spoke with a bright smile.
"To me, the hero... is my father!"
"Your father?"
"!? Uhmm... d-daughter?"
Gyu's face flushed in an instant at the unexpected, bold answer.
To this, Cao Cao wore an even more intrigued expression as she continued the question.
"Your father, you say. Can you tell me why you think so?"
"Why, because without Father, we would never have been born into this world! Everything that lets us weep, laugh, and talk together like this—all of it is owed to Father's grace. Therefore, I believe Father is the greatest hero under heaven!"
"Uhmm..."
At his daughter's torrent of praise, Gyu instinctively covered his face.
The formality of the occasion gave him plenty of reason not to raise his head,
yet, at the same time, it was equally true that he felt an inward swell of pride.
Watching this, Cao Cao spoke with a gratified laugh.
"Heh. It seems you are truly blessed, Family Head. To have a daughter of such profound filial piety."
"Ahem... I... I must apologize."
"Not at all. What is there to apologize for? Not a single word the child said was wrong. No matter how brilliant a hero under heaven, none can exist without their parents. I too, as a daughter to a father, find her words to be utterly true."
It was a sentiment that struck Cao Cao all the more keenly, having nearly lost her own father not long ago.
Intrigued that a girl she hadn't expected much from had given such a meaningful answer,
Cao Cao's gaze shifted to the next person who had raised her hand.
The only one among them who already showed the mien of a young woman rather than a mere girl—the eldest daughter.
"I humbly dare to give my answer."
"Yes, let's hear it."
"I think a hero is one who possesses all three: great strength, the wisdom to wield it, and the virtue to embrace the people."
"Strength, wisdom, and virtue..."
"Yes. Without wisdom, strength cannot be controlled. Without strength, virtue cannot be exercised. Without virtue, wisdom tends toward wickedness. A true hero must be a person who encompasses all three. In that regard, I humbly suggest that the person who embodies the strength to command tens of thousands, the wisdom to govern Xu, Qing, and Yan Provinces, and the virtue to bestow benevolent rule upon the people—someone like General Cao herself—is a paragon among heroes."
"Haha. You have my thanks. To call me a hero... correct answer or not, those are quite agreeable words."
For her young age, the girl had given a remarkably articulate answer.
She'd even added a touch of personal flattery—shrewd social skill.
Privately finding her quite to her liking, Cao Cao smiled heartily.
"Then, only one last person remains. Your name was... Ryeong, was it?"
"Yes, that's correct, General Cao."
The girl who spoke the least among them, yet at the same time gave off a feeling that she was far from ordinary.
Her age, at a generous estimate, was mid-teens.
She didn't yet show the full countenance of a woman,
but with her shimmering silver hair and a composure that seemed unbelievably deep for her years, she left an impression starkly different from her sisters.
Gazing at her face,
Cao Cao asked in a quiet tone.
"What are your thoughts? Who is the hero you imagine?"
Cao Cao expected an answer yet again different from the previous sisters.
Then,
Facing her, the girl spoke in a respectful voice.
"I apologize, General. Forgive my presumption, but I cannot yet provide a clear answer on this."
"Do you mean... you lack confidence? That's fine. There's no single correct answer, after all."
Cao Cao felt a slight disappointment and first tried to soothe the girl...
but at this, the girl slowly shook her head.
"That is not it. Simply, while I hold an image of what a hero should be, in my view, no one in this realm yet matches it."
"Oh... and why is that?"
At Cao Cao's intrigued question, the girl looked her squarely in the face and answered.
"Though my knowledge is lacking, by examining history and texts up to now, I have come to understand one fact. Countless people have lived under heaven, yet those whose names remain in history are very few. Among them, the number of those who earn the title of hero shrinks even further. Consider the Hegemon-King Xiang Yu, whom we now call a traitor and villain of the realm. Had that man defeated Emperor Gaozu and seized power, the world would name him a hero, and Emperor Gaozu would have been painted as an opportunist and a villain, vanquished by a hero."
"Indeed... you are correct."
It was a truth everyone knew: history is written by the victors.
Though that worth could not be carelessly dismissed, it was also a shared understanding that history could not be accepted as absolute truth.
"But in the end, the Hegemon-King fell to the hand of Emperor Gaozu and was branded a villain and traitor of the realm. The same principle applies to those living now. To leave one's name as a hero for future generations, one must ultimately pacify this turbulent age and become the final victor. No matter how great the achievements one builds, no matter how powerful the strength, knowledge, and virtue one possesses, he who does not win in the end merely remains a foolish and wicked traitor. Therefore, I believe there is not yet a single person in this world who deserves to be called a hero."
"Oh..."
"Hmm..."
Both Cao Cao and Xun Yu couldn't hide their admiration for the girl's answer.
Nor could the rest of the party.
At such a young age, she already understood the ways of the world and stated her opinions without wavering. The two were astonished.
Yet...
"But if I dare say so... I believe that in this very room sits the person who comes closest to that hero."
"Uh... pardon? Are you speaking... of me?"
For the first time, Cao Cao looked briefly flustered.
At that moment,
toward Cao Cao, who wore a face that seemed to say, No, surely not...
the girl shook her head and answered.
"General Cao is undeniably a remarkable figure. And yet. However bright the moonlight, can it compare with the sun?"
With those words, she slowly turned her head.
Then her gaze fell...
The girl who bore the name Ryeong.
The girl who bore the surname Zhuge.
Her gaze settled on the hat-wearing figure seated beside Cao Cao.
"Is that not so?... General-in-Chief."
"!"
'... wow.'