Chu-ko Liang K'ung-ming
I wonder what in him attracts me so much. He is the very hero for me, and I like him the best. The most excellent strategist in China, a menacing existence for enemies, but a gentle one for his people... I also like his style with a graceful feather fan and a hood in which he was always in the war.
The famous statue of his looks very warm and gentle. I heard that actually he was gentle and loved his people. He had only a minimum property, giving the rest to his people.
But he sometimes got cold to stiffen his attitude if neccessary. He took advantage of a trouble to drive his monarch's adopted son to death. Smoothing a successional problem was needed.
When he decided to serve for Liu Pei, he didn't have his own domain or castle yet, chased by Ts'ao Ts'ao, a man of power of the day. And he should have known that he was weak martially, poor at devising a stratagem -- In short, he was not much of a warrior. However, he was virtuous, and vaguely glamorous, pursuing peace and loving people. K'ung-ming was moved by that, and decided to work for the middle-aged man with no domain for the rest of his life, because he also pursued them. I think his decision is respectable.
His outstanding strategies attract my young soul, but his magnificent character is wonderful.
