Surviving as Guan Yu in the Three Kingdoms

Cao Cao’s words were certainly not empty promises.

Although the woman in front of me is known for backstabbing people and not hesitating to do anything to gain power for herself.

Her desire for talent reaches the skies, so much so that later she even tried to bring Liu Bei under her, treating him with almost equal status and treatment to herself, right?

Furthermore, she even implemented a radical talent recruitment policy stating that as long as someone had ability, she would employ them even if their personality was nasty or their character somewhat ruined.

As I was lost in thought about how to answer, Cao Cao looked at me with seductive eyes, as if trying to tempt me, and said:

“Since I don’t have much now, I can’t offer you a very high position right away. So for now, I’ll appoint you as a Dun Zhang.”

Dun Zhang – people who aren’t familiar with the Three Kingdoms often mistakenly translate this term as something like “garrison commander” and leave it at that…

But in reality, a Dun Zhang is equivalent to a company commander in Korea, and in this era, being able to command 100 soldiers means holding quite significant power.

For a poor guy like me who has nothing but a crescent blade, it’s an extremely attractive offer.

As I remained silent, Cao Cao began to push even harder.

“The salary of a Dun Zhang is only about 200 shi per year, but I’ll give you 400 shi. And as I, Cao Mengde, make my name known throughout the world, your position will gradually rise. So instead of wandering without knowing where to go, can you lend your strength to my cause?”

Cao Cao finished speaking and grinned.

I haven’t agreed yet, but it’s all written on her face.

‘I’ve given him a lifeline to escape poverty after killing a corrupt official, how could he not grab it?’

That thought isn’t wrong.

Just as 100 out of 100 poor people would answer that they’d work until their bones turn to powder if offered an annual salary of 100 million won, who wouldn’t accept 400 shi of salary, which is equivalent to about 400 million won per month in this era’s perceived value, to someone penniless like me?

However, I have no intention of accepting Cao Cao’s offer.

“Thank you very much for making such an overly generous offer to me.”

Hearing my words, Cao Cao beamed and grabbed both my hands.

White and soft hands, but slightly cold, as if reflecting Cao Cao’s inner self.

As someone who had never held a woman’s hand in his entire life, I felt a bit awkward.

Still, I didn’t think like other singles who imagine marrying and having children with a woman just because they held hands once.

“Then from now on, will you come with me to the county seat…”

Regardless of the good feeling I just had, I have no intention of following Cao Cao.

The knowledge that I, Kim Woo-jun, currently possess would become very tangled if I went under Cao Cao.

Also, personally, in my previous life, I was just a mere company employee far from being a hero like Liu Bei or Cao Cao…

I’m somewhat more inclined towards Liu Bei, who embraced and loved even the farmers of this era whose circumstances were similar to 21st-century office workers.

“However, I have already made up my mind to serve Lord Liu Xuande of Xu County.”

Cao Cao tilted her head upon hearing my words.

“Liu Xuande? Who on earth is that?”

At this time when the Yellow Turbans are just starting to swarm, Liu Bei is acting as a xia ke, or to put it simply, a gang leader dominating the young people in Xu County.

There’s no way a young lady from a noble family like Cao Cao would know about him.

“Wouldn’t it be better to serve me rather than someone you’ve never even heard of?”

Although it might seem that way on the surface, I’d rather follow Liu Bei than Cao Cao.

How cool is it?

A person who has nothing sets out with the ambition to gain the world for the people, and without forgetting that initial intention until the end, becomes the emperor of Shu Han.

However, if I incur Cao Cao’s resentment now, it will surely hinder Liu Bei’s growth in the future.

Because the current Liu Bei has no foundation or anything, so if he gets caught by Cao Cao, who can mobilize the power and wealth of a noble family, he’ll be blown away with just one word.

Let’s see, historically, Cao Cao was someone who valued romance more than anyone else, right?

“Indeed, that could be the case. Lord Xuande is still a poor man who has nothing right now. Following you, the magistrate, would certainly be better for enjoying wealth and glory.”

Cao Cao continued to listen attentively to my words.

However, I could see her ambition to refute my words and make me hers if she could find even the slightest weakness.

Like a lion or tiger eyeing its prey.

“However, I have already firmly decided to serve Lord Liu Xuande of Xu County. It is impossible for me to change my mind and serve you, Lady Mengde.”

After saying that, I took a deep breath.

“The first reason is that it is not right for a man of honor to change the lord he serves just because he was offered better conditions after already making up his mind. It would be shameful to heaven above, to my parents below, and to myself.”

Cao Cao, who was originally crazy about such romance in history, lit up her eyes upon hearing my words.

“The second reason is that serving you, Lady Mengde, by bending my beliefs would be disrespectful to you.”
“But I’m the one who invited you to serve me?”
“A man whose beliefs have been broken is like a sword or spear with its blade removed. How could I let Lady Mengde, who thinks so highly of me, suffer a loss by giving a generous salary to such a useless man?”

Cao Cao, who had discarded her loyalty and faith towards someone whenever necessary throughout her life, but still longed for it.

She opened her mouth as if she had already gained some sort of enlightenment.

“Truly, you are a righteous person. Then I won’t ask you to serve me. Instead, since I don’t have much now, could you just accompany me to the county seat? I will reward you generously there.”

Just now, Cao Cao is looking at me with eyes full of desire to have me by any means necessary, separate from being impressed by my words.

Clearly, if she takes me to the county seat, she’ll entwine me like a snake wrapping around a person, making it impossible for me to escape.

With Cao Cao being a woman and acting like this, it’s truly bewitching beyond compare.

“I didn’t do it expecting a reward, so how could I accept one?”

With that, I mounted one of the horses that the Yellow Turbans had brought.

Although I had never ridden a horse before, I was able to do so naturally.

“Then I’ll be on my way now. Take care, Lady Mengde.”

Saying that, I quickly rode the horse in the direction where Xu County should be, distancing myself from that place.

**

Meanwhile, Cao Cao clicked her tongue at the spot.

“To let such an excellent man slip away, to think that I, Cao Mengde, would make such a mistake…”

Cao Cao had always been possessive since she was young.

When she was young, she liked the wooden sword that her cousin Cao Ren was playing with, so she moved adults to take it away.

Before being recommended for filial piety, she visited over hundreds of famous people to gain fame to correct this chaotic world.

She kept visiting them until they gave her the praise she wanted, and after getting an official position, she beat Jian Shuo, the uncle of the Ten Attendants, to death to gain fame for conquering the world.

Moreover, knowing that it could offend the current emperor, who was a tyrant like King Jie, she had been submitting various reform policies even before that.

Due to her strong possessiveness and greed since childhood, she had not hesitated to throw away her life several times.

Knowing all this, Cao Hong comforted Cao Cao.

“There will be countless talents better than Lord Guan in the world, like stars. So don’t be too disheartened…”

Hearing those words, Cao Cao bit her nails.

“Zilian, there are countless warriors in this world who can use a sword decently. But how many warriors can there be who can cut down more than 8 men, even if they’re Yellow Turbans, without showing any sign of being out of breath?”

This alone wasn’t enough to evaluate how great Guan Yu was.

“Also, look at this cross-section. Unless it’s an extremely skilled warrior, one can’t cut through the spine or shoulder blade this cleanly. Don’t you think so too, Zilian?”

Cao Hong had learned swordsmanship quite well and knew how to use it.

That’s why she could immediately grasp how extraordinary Guan Yu’s martial arts were.

“And most importantly, despite being so strong and in such poor circumstances, he didn’t accept any of Cao Cao’s invitations or rewards. It was an offer that could have changed his impoverished life in an instant, but he already…”

Cao Cao gritted her teeth before saying the name Liu Xuande.

She had offered generous conditions to have Guan Yu, whom she had just met, and politely asked him to become her subordinate.

It greatly annoyed her that Guan Yu said he would follow someone named Liu Xuande, whom she had never even heard of.

“He says he’ll serve some nobody I’ve never even heard of and leaves without accepting any reward! If he had just followed me to the county seat, I would have used any means to make him mine! How many warriors with such high-level martial arts and loyalty can there be in this Han Dynasty? Don’t you agree, Zilian?”

Cao Hong sighed at those words.

It wasn’t wrong, and she understood why Cao Cao was so upset, but it was obvious that she was going to complain endlessly again.

“We’ve lost a valuable person. But shouldn’t we head to the county seat first? We need to gather more troops there to suppress the Yellow Turbans.”

However, Cao Cao, who had already started to become obsessed with Guan Yu, didn’t hear those words.

Cao Cao then smiled wickedly and muttered while looking in the direction Guan Yu had left.

“By any means necessary, Lord Guan, no, Yunchang, I will make you mine.”