My name is...
My name is...
Governing the state (治國).
The phrase means ruling a nation—the same words used in "cultivate oneself, order the family, govern the state, bring peace under heaven."
Honestly, in modern Korea the expression barely survives outside that four-character idiom.
But asking someone what governing the state means to them was basically asking what their political outlook was.
For some that answer might be the people, for others it might be the law, and for still others it might be power...
Put in modern terms,
it was like asking, "You a leftist or a rightist?"
Answer well and you can build a rapport, but say the wrong thing and you might get branded a commie—a complete minefield of a question.
Faced with a query that, rather than raising this would-be talent's affection, could in the worst case smash it straight into the ground, I smiled awkwardly and spoke.
"You truly ask difficult questions of someone you have only just met."
"Forgive me, but it is precisely what has been troubling me of late... I would like to hear the esteemed opinion of so renowned a man as General Yuan, though if it makes you uncomfortable, you need not answer."
"Haha..."
Did she know that saying that made it even harder to dodge the question?
Suspecting she probably did, I began to turn it over in my mind.
If my goal were purely to win her heart, giving the answer she wanted to hear would be the right play.
Same logic as cursing the left when you visit your grandfather's house,
and cursing the right when you visit your uncle's.
Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing the political leanings of a person I'd met barely an hour ago.
Besides, if the point of raising her affection was to make the person in front of me my own, then at bottom she needed to be someone whose mind aligned with mine or who could adjust herself to me.
If I tried to force a fit...
even if I brought her under my command, in the worst case I might end up delivering an empty lunchbox, just like Cao Cao.
"Very well. As I was the one who raised the subject, I shall give you my answer."
As I spoke, I couldn't shake the thought that I might have let greed for talent blind me into digging my own grave.
"Governing the state... I do not know whether my humble opinion will be of any use to you, but... let me think."
I gave her the answer that rose in my mind.
"To rule a nation, I believe, is in the end to give the people peace of mind."
"Peace of mind?"
"Yes, indeed. Peace of mind that tomorrow's grain sits plentifully in the storehouse. Peace of mind that one need not fear bandit raids or the outbreak of war. Peace of mind that one will not suffer from plague or disaster. That, I think, is what governing the state strives to achieve."
"Ah..."
The foundation of government is, in the end, to serve the people.
Rule a nation for personal advancement or ambition, and it may work for a season, but the end is always ruin.
History makes that clear—
especially when you look at how the Original Three Kingdoms Timeline concluded.
At my reply, a look of considerable surprise spread across her face.
Whether it was the answer she had wanted, I couldn't quite tell.
But whatever the case, the impression I'd made on her would now have been fixed.
Whether as an enemy or as an ally...
Feeling a little tense,
I asked her in a level voice.
"Well then? Was it the answer you were hoping for?"
"Yes... truly... thank you."
Her voice trembled as she replied.
Fortunately, she didn't seem to be feeling anything negative, though I honestly couldn't say for sure.
A faint smile did linger at the corners of her mouth as she looked at me...
but whether that scentless, colorless expression was mere courtesy, or mockery, or genuine pleasure—only she would know.
Once that exchange was settled,
I now posed the question I had been carrying all along.
"In that case, I also have something I am curious about. Might I receive an answer as well?"
"From me?... If you have something you wish to know, ask freely."
Looking straight into her puzzled face,
I asked in a solemn voice.
"What is your name?"
"... Pardon? Is that... all?"
"Yes, that is all."
She betrayed a touch of bewilderment—she must have expected a question as grave as her own.
But from where I stood, no question mattered more.
The world had been feminized to such an extent that I could no longer guess who anyone was by looks alone.
Dong Zhuo had turned into a buxom older sister, and at first I hadn't even recognized Xu Rong, who was right behind me just now looking a little sulky—so how was I supposed to know who this black-haired, red-eyed, busty elf woman in front of me was?
Burning with curiosity, I waited for the answer, my heart thumping.
"My name is..."
Her introduction was cut short.
"Aaaaht! There you are!"
"Hm?"
Hua Xiong came galloping toward us, raising a racket.
Seeing how urgent she looked, I broke off my conversation with the woman and turned my gaze that way.
"What is it?"
"It is a biiig problem! A band of Yellow Turbans has appeared nearby! General Yuan Shu must come at once!"
"Damn..."
The bastards had started moving faster than I'd expected.
Xu Rong and I hurriedly mounted up to return to camp.
"Pardon me. A pressing matter has arisen."
"Ah... yes. Travel safely."
I was desperate to know that woman's identity, but with the situation unfolding so abruptly I no longer had the leisure to dwell on it.
With Dong Zhuo absent as well, if the enemy was truly coming at us in earnest, this was a genuinely grave crisis.
Feeling as though my insides were burning at the sudden emergency, I spurred my horse and hurried back to camp.
*
The man vanished before her eyes.
Left behind, the woman with the red eyes and long ears slowly left the plains and made her way toward a nearby forest.
At a glance, her expression was one of utter tranquility, without the slightest agitation.
Yet in her mind, the memory of that brief moment kept playing over and over.
'That man... the rumored Yuan Shu...'
The conversation with him had lasted not even two full hours.
But to her, it felt like a precious treasure.
In an age where benevolence and righteousness had crumbled and chaos was descending upon the land,
a single incident had shaken her convictions to the core.
From the moment she was born, she had been taught that loyalty and righteousness mattered above all else.
She had risen, inadequate as she was, to devote herself to the Han Dynasty in order to uphold them.
Yet the man who had practiced those virtues before her,
her teacher, who had pursued his appointed duty with nothing but integrity—he had received no reward for his efforts and had instead been punished unjustly.
And that fact posed a question to her, who had long felt stifled by reality.
Just what sort of nation was this country she had always been told to serve so loyally?
No, more than that...
The most fundamental purpose for a state to exist.
What truly was governing the state?
What manner of thing was it, and what lay at its end?
The world was so unjust and so disordered...
For what, then, did the root of loyalty and righteousness—which she had only blindly followed until now—truly exist?
Just as she was groping through the darkness, caught in a desolate tangle of worries like feeling for a single thread...
he appeared before her.
Whether by fate or chance, it was someone she had hoped to meet at least once if the opportunity arose.
Yuan Shu.
A man who, despite hailing from a renowned family, carried himself with humility,
and who, like her teacher, was said to practice loyalty and righteousness without selfish desire.
As if he had seen straight through her troubled state, he had spoken with grave courtesy of a public official's duty—something no one trusted anymore—and offered his help.
Plenty of people were different in the flesh from their reputations, yet he made her feel that perhaps he was not.
It might simply be, as she had experienced many times, that he was showing kindness because of her appearance, but the impression was subtly different.
So, harboring a hope that this man might be able to answer her question, she asked something that could be seen as a little rude on first meeting...
and to that,
Yuan Shu gave his answer.
'Peace of mind... he said...'
In the end, all these hardships were for the sake of giving the people of the realm a peaceful life.
In a sense, that too could be called a trite, dreamlike notion...
but spoken by a man who practiced loyalty and righteousness, it was exactly the answer she had longed for.
Because it let her know with clarity, at the very least, that none of this was a delusion.
As she felt the tension in her heart ease,
and at the same time felt joy that even in this confused and unjust land there still remained those who held noble purpose,
the faint trace of a smile settled at the corners of her mouth.
Not a smile meant for others to see,
but one that held her sincere feeling...
Just then.
"Ah, there you are! Sis!"
"Where in the world have you been wandering off alone?"
Two young women came running toward her.
Looking at them,
she composed her face once more and greeted them.
"I am sorry. I had some things to think over."
"Even so, what were you thinking going off alone like that?"
"She is right. This area is still Yellow Turban territory. No matter your martial skill, a moment's carelessness could lead to serious trouble."
"I shall be more careful. That aside... are the preparations to depart complete?"
"Of course. We're set to move the moment you give the order."
"Good. Then let us return at once—we have paid our respects to General Lu Zhi, so now we must finish off the Yellow Turbans in You Province."
"Right, Sis!"
"Understood."
With those words, the three women and the company of soldiers following them left Ji Province, heading north.
They were merely carrying out a planned task,
but in the heart of the red-eyed woman who led them, an unexpected regret was stirring.
'We will have a chance to meet again someday...'
*
Before my eyes, a mass of troops.
Watching the Yellow Turbans massed on the far bank of the river, I could only frown.
Their numbers looked to be in the tens of thousands at the least.
Fortunate, at least, that they showed no immediate sign of forcing a battle.
But seeing a large enemy host loitering in plain sight was unsettling in all sorts of ways.
"What do we do, my lord?"
"First, maintain a strict watch and observe their movements. The moment we catch anything suspicious, we respond at once."
"Got it."
"Xu Rong, send out scouts and get a more detailed picture of their strength. And Hua Xiong, keep a close eye on the prisoners who surrendered in the last battle. Deal with any who look suspicious immediately."
"Yes, General."
"I understand! Every wretch who betrayed your mercy shall be punished!"
Staying on high alert, I decided to watch how the situation developed for now.
Our troops were still fatigued from the long march,
and I also had to account for the fact that our other commander, Dong Zhuo, was not present.
For the moment, the situation required us to concentrate on defense rather than offense and buy time.
At that moment.
"General Yuan!"
"Huh? Governor... er, Lady Zhongying, are you back already?"
"I heard the news en route and returned at once. Li Jue and Guo Si will be a little later."
"Ah..."
One look at Dong Zhuo told me she had ridden Red Hare at a full gallop alone.
That she had covered nearly half a day's distance that quickly reminded me anew just how incredible that horse was.
"So, what do you intend to do?"
"For now, I think we should refrain from a reckless attack. Crossing the river is a problem, and more than anything, our troops are still weary..."
Dong Zhuo's return lightened the burden of commanding the entire army, but I still wanted to avoid a battle.
And so we decided, for the moment, to keep a close eye on the enemy's movements and watch how events unfolded.
But then...
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
"Hm?"
"L-Look over there. Something is coming!"
The sudden sound of war drums.
Then, before our eyes, heading this way—
more precisely, charging straight at the Yellow Turbans across the river—a body of troops came into view.
Not common rabble, but government soldiers in solid armor.
The familiar flag flying among them was unmistakably...
"My lord? Don't tell me that's..."
"Sis?"