A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

"Yuan Gonglu of the Yuan family of Runan is the eldest son of four generations of high-ranking officials. He has a profound family background and has become a Tiger General with a salary of two thousand shi at a young age. In the future, he may make the Yuan family a family of five generations of high-ranking officials. He can be considered a hero."

Cao Cao looked on with envy. Yuan Shu's start was definitely that of the top team in the Han Dynasty, many times better than his own.

"The skeletons in the tomb are short-sighted and useless; they cannot be considered heroes."

Wei Xue smiled faintly. In his eyes, Yuan Shu's background was insignificant, and the man himself was just a nobody.

"Yuan Shao of the Yuan family, though a son of a concubine, possesses extraordinary abilities and has cultivated his reputation for many years. If the tide were to rise one day, he would surely soar to great heights. Could he be considered a hero?"

Cao Cao then mentioned another of his friends. What he envied most about Yuan Shao was not his family background, but his appearance. Yuan Shao was tall, handsome, and had a heroic air, which perfectly matched the aesthetic standards of the Han Dynasty.

"Yuan Shao was fierce in appearance but cowardly in reality, indecisive, afraid of losing his life when it came to great things, and forgetting righteousness for small gains. He was by no means a hero."

Wei Xue shook his head. He had met Yuan Shao before and could see through Yuan Shao's true nature at a glance. Yuan Shao was much stronger than Yuan Shu, but he really couldn't be called a hero.

Cao Cao recalled the people he had met in the court.

"The Eight Talented Men of Jingzhou and Xiangyang were all renowned for their talent and virtue. They offered constructive criticism of current affairs and opposed the eunuchs' monopoly of power, earning praise from the students of the Imperial Academy. Could they be called heroes?"

"A person who is all talk and no action, seeking fame and fortune, can hardly be considered a hero."

Wei Xue shook his head again.

"Liu Yan, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, was a virtuous and upright official who rose through the ranks from a local position to the central government. His outstanding achievements and exceptional abilities make him a hero, wouldn't you say?"

"This man is ambitious, a hypocrite, and not truly devoted to the people; he's far from being a hero!"

Wei Xue shook his head even more violently; this one was even worse than the previous ones.

"Not long ago, a hero appeared in the army, known as the Tiger of Jiangdong. He always fought bravely and took the lead in every battle, killing generals and capturing flags. His name is Sun Jian, Sun Wentai. This man can definitely be called a hero."

Cao Cao racked his brains and thought of Sun Jian, whom his cousin Xiahou Dun had mentioned not long ago. Even he, the unruly cousin, praised him highly.

"A brave general who does not understand the times, the terrain, the virtues, or governance cannot be considered a hero."

Wei Xue shook his head again and again. Sun Jian was indeed brave, but he wasn't as brave as Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu, so he was nothing special.

"What are your thoughts on the Eighth Master Chef, the two Grand Masters of the Yuan family, and Liu Yu, the pacification chief?"

These were the most famous people of their time, and Cao Cao listed them out.

"They're all muddle-headed opportunists and mediocre villains. Only Liu Yu is somewhat worthy of consideration; he's not worth mentioning."

Wei Xue laughed and criticized.

"A true hero should have lofty ambitions, profound wisdom, the ability to perceive the mysteries of the universe, and the capacity to grasp the secrets of heaven and earth."

Instead of leaving Cao Cao to guess, Wei Xue explained his views on heroes.

As Cao Cao listened to Wei Xue's words, the image of a person and the words in the book he had given him flashed through his mind.

"Zhang Jiao of the Way of Peace healed the sick and saved lives, was wholeheartedly devoted to the people, and possessed a profound understanding of the universe. His depth of thought was almost unmatched. In my opinion, he must be a hero."

A hint of surprise flashed in Wei Xue's eyes; he hadn't expected that Cao Cao had actually met Zhang Jiao.

Although he had never met Zhang Jiao, he had heard the elders of his clan speak highly of him.

They are capable of what others cannot do, skilled in what others cannot do, ambitious, knowingly do the impossible, and dare to be pioneers. Their purity of heart and unwavering resolve are unmatched in the world.

Another elder exclaimed: "I have never seen such a person in 500 years."

"He is indeed a hero, but unfortunately, he is a tragic hero."

The Wei family had long been aware of Zhang Jiao's purpose and had provided assistance in many ways.

Unfortunately, even within the Wei family, they didn't think highly of him.

"What does 'tragic hero' mean?"

Cao Cao pressed for an answer.

Wei Xue sighed, "You'll find out in the future."

Cao Cao frowned, but he knew that Wei Xue must have had his reasons for not telling him.

Could it be that Taoist Zhang Jiao will encounter some misfortune in the future?

What will happen to a tragic hero?

When the topic of Zhang Jiao came up, Wei Xue stopped leaving Cao Cao to guess and gave his answer directly.

"The only heroes in the world are Zhang Jiao and Cao Cao."

Wei Xue said.

The wine cup in Cao Cao's hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

What merit or ability did Cao Cao possess to receive such praise from Wei Xue?!

Among all the heroes in the world, there are only him and Taoist Zhang Jiao!

"Me, am I a hero?"

Cao Cao even stuttered when he spoke.

This was something he had never imagined.

Although he was ambitious, he was not top-notch in terms of background, appearance, or talent.

However, Yuan Shao, who was superior to him in terms of background, appearance, and talent, only received a lower evaluation.

Even the Three Dukes, the Eight Steeds, and the Eight Chefs of the contemporary era, who were admired by the literati, were nothing more than that in the eyes of Wei Xue.

What merits or abilities did Cao Cao possess?

"Brother Bojing, don't try to comfort me. What kind of hero am I, Cao Cao? I can only watch helplessly as the court collapses."

Cao Cao smiled wryly.

"The world is bustling, all driven by fame; the world is in turmoil, all chasing after profit."

"Therefore, the world is full of vulgar people."

"Reputation, talent, background, and appearance are not important to a hero; the most important thing is the heart."

Heart?

Why is it so mysterious?

"Mengde, you possess the spirit of a hero!"

Wei Xue's resolute and decisive approach is the reason why he and Cao Cao could get along so well.

"I have a heroic air about me? How come I didn't know that?"

Cao Cao said dryly, wiping the sweat from his forehead, but a hint of excitement rose in his heart. Could it be that he really had it?

This was said by his beloved, his "white moonlight."

"Time will tell."

"In the future, Mengde himself will know."

Wei Xue said with a smile.

"It's getting late, I'll head back to my residence now and visit you again tomorrow."

After saying this, Wei Xue was about to get up and leave when Cao Cao quickly stopped him, saying, "It's getting late, so please stay at my residence."

"No, I have just arrived in Chang'an today, and the clan has prepared a banquet. Both the Yan Duke's lineage and the Wu'an Marquis's lineage will be attending, so I must return as soon as possible."

Cao Cao was deeply moved. At such an important banquet, Wei Xue still took the time to see him, care for him, and comfort him.

I was so touched.

He absolutely could not let Wei Xue down; he would read Zhang Jiao's book a hundred times again today.

……

In the fourteenth year of Emperor Ling of Han, Zhang Jiao traveled to all the overseas vassal states of the Han Dynasty and gained the recognition of many families. They promised to provide assistance to Zhang Jiao through their branches within the country.

But it won't be done openly; the funding will only be provided covertly.

But that was enough for Zhang Jiao. Those who were able to go out and establish their own states were all from the most prestigious families of the Han Dynasty.

Like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, even when they went abroad to establish their own kingdoms, they left a branch of their family in the country, and all their connections were inherited by this branch.

Even today, these branches still hold a pivotal position in the Han Dynasty.

Even if each family only contributes a small amount of effort, it will be enough for Zhang Jiao to gain a huge advantage.

Those who act justly will find many supporters, while those who act unjustly will find few. The Han Dynasty was destined to perish.