Chapter 117: Lu Fengxian, the Servant of Three Masters (Part II)

Li Su was certainly not talking nonsense; at the very least, Dong Zhuo’s reputation was quite respectable at that time.

According to the "Biographies of Dong Zhuo" in the *Book of the Later Han*, Dong Zhuo initially "promoted many scholars. He appointed Zhou Bi of Hanyang as Minister of the Civil Service, Wu Qiong of Runan as Palace Attendant, Zheng Gongye as a Palace Secretary, and He Yong as a Chief Clerk. He appointed the recluse Xun Shuang as Minister of Works. Those who had been branded as partisans, such as Chen Ji and Han Rong, were all made high-ranking officials. Many scholars who had been neglected were discovered and elevated..." These individuals were primarily men of reputation or descendants of prominent families, each possessing a certain level of prestige and exceptional talent, whereas his own subordinates were merely granted perfunctory appointments.

The *Zizhi Tongjian* also records: "Dong Zhuo led the various lords in a petition to vindicate Chen Fan, Dou Wu, and the other partisans, fully restoring their titles and posthumous honors, and sending envoys to offer sacrifices and promote their descendants." Chen Fan and Dou Wu were men of immense renown throughout the realm, unjustly killed by eunuchs during the reign of Emperor Ling. This great grievance of the world was now cleared in a single stroke by Dong Zhuo. As for the great scholar Cai Yong, it goes without saying; having previously offended the eunuchs, he had "fled into exile by the rivers and seas for twelve years." Immediately after entering the capital, Dong Zhuo summoned him to serve.

"Dong Zhuo valued Cai Yong’s talent and learning, treating him with great generosity. Whenever they held a banquet, he would have Cai Yong play the zither to accompany the proceedings, and Cai Yong would often offer advice for the benefit of the state." At that time, Dong Zhuo appeared to be a virtuous minister, not only humble toward the talented but also receptive to counsel. However, once he applied the same rules of his rugged, ruthless, and decisive life on the road to the Imperial Court, not only did the state descend into chaos, but his reputation became increasingly foul, and he himself began to corrupt.

Upon hearing Li Su’s words, Lu Bu was silent for a long time before saying, "I care not whether he can achieve great things, so long as he knows how to use people well."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Su opened the bundle he was carrying, revealing numerous treasures, jade ornaments, and luminous pearls, as well as a belt of gold beads and jade that shone with an extraordinary luster.

"What is the meaning of this, elder brother?"

"Lord Dong has long admired your great name, brother, and specially ordered me to present these to you. The Red Hare horse was also a gift from him! Brother, why not join me in serving him? I have little talent and am far inferior to you, yet I am already a General of the Tiger Guards. If you were to come, you would certainly be able to fulfill your potential, win glory on the battlefield, and attain unimaginable status!"

Lu Bu lifted his head slightly, feeling a stir of excitement within, as if he agreed with Li Su’s words. Yet, he then added, "Alas, if I were to go, I have not achieved a single merit and would find it difficult to repay such generous treatment."

"The opportunity for merit is right before you."

As if by divine arrangement, the moment Li Su finished speaking, a clamor arose outside the tent, and the heavy curtain was violently flung aside.

"Fengxian, is this an old acquaintance of yours?" Ding Yuan asked in a deep voice.

"Reporting to Governor Ding, it is."

Ding Yuan scanned the tent; the Red Hare and the jade belt made the situation clear to him, and the way Lu Bu addressed him—by his given name—caused a cold sneer to rise in his heart. He threw his sword onto the ground, just as he had done with the bamboo slips the other day.

"Kill him, and I shall spare your life today, as a father would for a son."

Lu Bu looked up abruptly. The sharpness of his gaze actually caused Ding Yuan to feel a tremor of fear, which was immediately followed by a surge of irritation.

"Will you not kill him?!"

"My son," Lu Bu emphasized the words heavily, "will not."

"Good, very good! You ungrateful wretch! I have treated you with the kindness of a mountain and regarded you as my own flesh and blood, yet you think not of repayment, are ungrateful and treacherous, and now wish to rebel against me to serve that thief Dong! You are truly a beast with the heart of a wolf!"

Ding Yuan looked around, preparing to reach for the long sword on the table. However, the sword he had thrown down was right in front of Lu Bu; to stoop and pick it up would be to bow to him.

Who could have known that just as he reached for the hilt, Li Su would grab it first?

"Splat!"

Blood sprayed onto the top of the tent, the soldiers stood frozen, and Lu Bu’s pupils dilated.

No one had time to react.

Li Su’s blade fell, and Ding Yuan’s head tumbled to the ground.

"Brother, I gift you the merit of slaying the traitor!"

Looking at that solitary, bewildered head lying in the dirt, Lu Bu’s mind recalled the words from that day: "Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. I have heard that he is a mongrel of Hu and Han descent..."

"Thank you, brother. Bu shall not decline."

...

"Lu—Registrar Lu has killed our lord!"

"Avenge Governor Ding!"

"Give us back our lord's life!"

With Ding Yuan assassinated, the Bingzhou camp erupted in chaos. Soon, nearly a hundred of Ding Yuan’s personal guards organized themselves to charge at Lu Bu.

Lu Bu, however, stood motionless before the camp.

In his left hand, he held the head of Ding Yuan; in his right, his halberd. Clad in armor, with the jade belt wrapped around his waist and sitting atop the wind-whistling Red Hare, he looked unrivaled and majestic.

Finally, the guards reached him.

"Die!"

With this shout, the halberd struck like a dragon. Wherever the blade passed, flesh and blood flew, and the air was filled with a pungent scent!

Dozens of men were wiped out in an instant.

No one else dared to approach this field of slaughter.

"Ding Yuan was unjust; I, Lu Bu, have killed him. I now intend to go to Luoyang to serve Lord Dong. Those of you who wish to follow me, stay here, and I will treat you well. Those who do not wish to follow may leave, and I will not hinder you."

Most of the soldiers, having witnessed Lu Bu’s might, chose to stay. Many others, hearing that Ding Yuan was dead and the one in charge was their former registrar, dispersed, which ironically fulfilled Ding Yuan’s original intention of weakening Lu Bu’s influence.

It is worth noting that Ding Yuan’s former generals, such as Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Song Xian, Hou Cheng, and Wei Xu, all obeyed Lu Bu’s commands, a testament to his charisma and prestige.

...

The scene grew blurry, then increasingly clear.

In the resplendent palace, Dong Zhuo watched Lu Bu approach, his face beaming with joy.

At the banquet, Dong Zhuo was the first to rise and bow to Lu Bu, saying, "In gaining the General today, I feel like parched sprouts receiving sweet rain."

Seeing the unrivaled Dong Zhuo bowing to him, Lu Bu was briefly at a loss, but Dong Zhuo was neither impatient nor annoyed, remaining in a low bow.

"Brother..." Li Su whispered a reminder.

Lu Bu then reacted, hurriedly helping Dong Zhuo to his seat, bowing deeply, and saying with emotion, "I am honored by my lord’s great kindness. How could I not give my life for you!"

"Ah, there is no need to speak of death. I wish to share wealth and glory with you, General!" After saying this, Dong Zhuo looked at the extraordinary, heroic Lu Bu with growing affection and added, "My own son died young, and I have heard that your father has also passed away. How about we address each other as father and son?"

"Agreed!"

...

Finally, he was completely awake.

Lu Bu sat up on his couch, reflecting on the dream and recalling his time with Diao Xiu’er, feeling restless and troubled.

He draped his robe over his shoulders and walked into the courtyard. Taking up his long halberd, he practiced from dawn until the sun rose, as if to expel all the foul air from his body.

After the sky had fully brightened, Lu Bu finished the entire set of his halberd techniques. He changed out of his soaked clothes, tidied himself up, and was about to head out when he saw a Xiliang warrior waiting outside.

"General Lu!" the man said respectfully. "The Grand Preceptor has ordered me to tell you that he intends to hold a banquet at his residence tonight and invites you to come over this evening for a conversation."

"Understood."

Lu Bu replied. Thinking of Li Su’s words from that day, he felt a vague sense of foreboding. After a moment of hesitation, he mounted the Red Hare and rode straight toward Wang Yun’s residence.

The Red Hare’s strength was transcendent, and before long, it carried Lu Bu to the gates of the Minister’s residence. However, at this very moment, a gaudy carriage with a canopy was parked there.

Without waiting to be announced, Lu Bu charged inside, only to see several armored warriors forcibly dragging Diao Xiu’er toward the gate, while Wang Yun stood to the side, furious and anxious.

The butt of the halberd slammed heavily into the ground, creating a deafening sound, followed by a roar: "Lu Bu is here! Who dares to act so recklessly!"

The guards of the Dong household, who had been acting so arrogantly, were so frightened that they nearly knelt on the ground. But then, thinking of their master, they straightened their backs.

"General Lu, we are acting under the orders of the Grand Preceptor to escort Miss Diao Xiu’er. We hope you will not interfere!"

"Begone, or die."

"Lu Bu! Do you dare to defy even the Grand Preceptor’s orders?!"

"Then die."