Chapter 72: The Central Plains in Turmoil: The Gu Clan Moves

It seemed that because he understood just how heroic Lu Bu was, Yuan Shao had spared no expense this time.

Under these circumstances.

Xu You even chose to risk his life personally to visit Lu Bu.

Lu Bu's mood had indeed improved greatly lately.

The consecutive battles had allowed him to vent all the resentment he'd accumulated during this period.

When he met Xu You, he wore a confident smile and said coolly, "So? The traitor Yuan Shao finally realizes he's no match for me."

"That's why he's sent envoys to seek peace with me?"

He wore an air of supreme arrogance.

Upon hearing this, Xu You's expression didn't change at all; he merely smiled faintly and said, "General's valor is unmatched under heaven."

"My lord certainly knows he is no match for you, but how can you call him a traitor?"

"How can I call him a traitor?" Lu Bu's lips curled slightly in disdainful laughter. "Do I need to repeat to you the edict Lord Lu issued in Qingzhou against the rebels?"

Xu You remained utterly unfazed, even smiling faintly in return.

"General, you are mistaken."

Instantly, Lu Bu's brow furrowed.

Xu You's expression stayed calm as he continued speaking with ease, exuding confidence, "Lord Lu calls my lord a rebel—but when has my lord ever committed any act of treason?"

"Since the time of Emperor Ling, the realm has gradually fallen into chaos."

"First came Zhang Jiao's uprising; the fires spread across the Nine Provinces, and it was Lord Gu who stepped forward, allowing heroes of the realm to rise to prominence."

"Surely you don't truly believe that this boy Son of Heaven can stabilize the empire in such times?"

"My lord, Lord Yuan, acts for the peace and prosperity of Han."

"That is why he chose to install an elder member of the imperial clan as emperor—yet this act is labeled treason. General, doesn't that strike you as absurd?"

Xu You's expression remained serene and composed throughout.

Lu Bu's brow tightened further; as he looked at Xu You, anger flashed in his eyes.

"Did you come here today merely to say all this to me?"

He was growing impatient.

For a man like him, such intricate political entanglements were simply not worth his consideration.

"General, don't rush. I have come on behalf of my lord to deliver an imperial decree."

Xu You smiled and bowed to Lu Bu, "The court knows of your valor and does not wish you to continue siding with traitors."

"It wishes to appoint you as Governor of Bingzhou."

Before Xu You could finish, Lu Bu's eyes instantly brightened.

Xu You noticed this subtle shift and felt even more confident; his smile deepened. "General… my lord has also instructed me to bring you some treasures."

He waved his hand, and his attendants immediately rushed out.

Moments later.

Several armored soldiers entered slowly, carrying chests of treasure, which they opened right before Lu Bu's eyes.

Instantly, the atmosphere inside the tent shifted dramatically.

Lu Bu stared at the chests of treasure, his eyes fixed.

Xu You observed everything clearly, his smile growing even more composed as he continued to gently persuade.

"With your valor, why settle for the lowly rank of a subordinate general?"

"If you would only abandon darkness and turn toward the light."

"My lord, Lord Yuan, can guarantee you become a provincial governor, ruling sovereign over an entire province."

Lu Bu's expression grew increasingly complex.

Everything Xu You said struck directly at the core of his heart.

What had he been fighting for on the battlefield?

Was it merely for Ding Yuan's few words of praise?

Long-suppressed resentment suddenly surged within him.

Lu Bu slowly turned his gaze toward Xu You and asked in a low voice, "What does Lord Yuan want me to do?"

Though he had not directly agreed, his address had already changed from "traitor Yuan Shao" to "Lord Yuan."

Hearing this, Xu You's smile deepened further.

He glanced left and right, then lowered his voice slightly, "That depends on how great the merit you wish to achieve."

As he spoke, Xu You leaned even closer, whispering two sentences directly into Lu Bu's ear.

Instantly, Lu Bu's expression became a storm of emotions.

"Please, General, consider carefully."

Xu You bowed his head once more to Lu Bu.

Then he ordered his men to leave the chests of treasure behind and departed from the tent.

Lu Bu stood frozen in place.

Watching Xu You's retreating back, then glancing at the chests of treasure on the ground, his eyes grew ever more complex.

"A true man living between heaven and earth cannot remain forever beneath another's shadow."

He murmured softly.

Saying this, he picked up the strong liquor beside him and drank again.

That very night, Lu Bu returned to the central camp with several personal guards.

At this moment, Ding Yuan was studying battle reports from across the realm by the dim glow of candlelight in his tent.

The three-pronged attack on Jizhou could not, of course, be judged solely by the success or failure on his side.

Ye City was a vital stronghold of Jizhou.

Moreover, Yuan Shao now had countless generals under his banner; with only this handful of troops, it was absolutely impossible to take it.

Lu Bu, though brave, could not possibly breach the city alone.

At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps came.

Ding Yuan instinctively raised his head and saw Lu Bu walk in, his face flushed red.

Bathed in candlelight, Lu Bu's already somewhat ruddy features looked all the more unsettling.

Seeing this, Ding Yuan slightly furrowed his brow and asked, "My son, what is the matter?"

"I, a true man of mettle, how could I ever be your adopted son?"

Lu Bu stared fixedly at Ding Yuan and roared in fury.

In an instant, Ding Yuan froze, instinctively rising to his feet: "Fengxian, why have you changed your heart?"

"Hmph!"

Lu Bu wasted no words; in a flash he drew the sword at his waist and slashed straight at Ding Yuan.

With a "puchi"—

Ding Yuan had no time to react at all; his whole body suddenly collapsed.

—The situation changed in an instant!

After murdering Ding Yuan, he immediately reorganized the Bingzhou troops and slaughtered everyone who was dissatisfied with him.

He had always enjoyed extremely high prestige within the Bingzhou army.

Though Ding Yuan had never given Lu Bu any material reward, he had granted him boundless trust.

And Lu Bu was simply far too valiant.

These past days, his performance on the battlefield had been plain for all to see.

Under such circumstances, the entire Bingzhou army actually followed Lu Bu and surrendered to Yuan Shao.

Ye City.

Even Yuan Shao himself had not expected that a situation already considered a dead end would suddenly take a turn for the better.

Not only had one threat been resolved,

but his own strength had also been greatly augmented.

Compared with Ding Yuan, Yuan Shao was not stingy with rewards in the slightest; he directly promoted Lu Bu, replacing Gongsun Zan, to General Who Pacifies the North, and Zhang Liao and the others were also rewarded.

Once this move was made, it instantly won over Lu Bu's heart.

Ye City.

"I have wandered half my life, only regretting that I never met a worthy lord."

"Lord Yuan, your great kindness—"

"I, Bu, shall go through fire and water, without hesitation!"

Lu Bu knelt before Yuan Shao, his face alight with emotion, his tone ringing with resolve.

"Good!"

Yuan Shao burst into laughter, his face also glowing red: "To gain a general like you today is like parched seedlings receiving sweet dew!"

As he spoke, Yuan Shao also rose, wanting to help Lu Bu to his feet.

He had already witnessed Lu Bu's valor with his own eyes.

Having obtained such a fierce general, how could he not be thrilled?

But Lu Bu simply waved a hand, rose, and helped him back to his seat, then bowed once more to Yuan Shao.

"Lord Yuan's kindness, Bu shall never forget as long as I live."

"Coming to surrender today is not enough to show what is in Bu's heart."

"I have heard that Gongsun Zan is still ravaging Zhongshan, trespassing on Lord Yuan's territory. If Lord Yuan trusts me, Bu is willing to serve as vanguard and go forth to engage Gongsun Zan!"

Lu Bu was simply this sort of person by nature.

So long as you gave him a reward that satisfied him, he was willing to risk his life.

Now, Lu Bu was bent on striving for the position of Governor of Bingzhou.

Hearing this, Yuan Shao's expression instantly grew serious; he stared fixedly at Lu Bu, his gaze growing ever brighter.

The strongest force under Gongsun Zan was his three thousand White Horse Volunteers.

Those three thousand men were the elite among elite cavalry.

In a frontal charge, they could be called unmatched under heaven.

But recalling Lu Bu's heroic bearing on the battlefield, Yuan Shao suddenly felt that these White Horse Volunteers were not so impossible to defeat after all.

He was silent only for a moment, then immediately nodded: "Good!"

"Since Fengxian has the heart to accomplish great deeds, how could I possibly stand in his way?"

"Fengxian, set your mind at ease."

"If you can defeat Gongsun Zan, there will surely be a generous reward!"

Hearing this, Lu Bu felt only overwhelming joy; he simply loved this feeling of being able to achieve merit at any moment.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately bowed once more to Yuan Shao.

"Yes, sir!"

This sudden turn of events exceeded everyone's expectations.

Yuan Shao personally led the main army, appointing Lu Bu as vanguard, and set out once more for Zhongshan to engage Gongsun Zan.

Gongsun Zan truly was far too overconfident.

A string of great victories had completely eroded his sense of reverence.

Even after receiving news of the Bingzhou mutiny, he paid it no mind whatsoever.

Under these circumstances.

——The fourth year of Han Xing, eighth month.

The two sides clashed again within the territory of Zhongshan.

But this time, the outcome utterly surprised everyone.

Though the White Horse Elite were brave, they could not so much as slow Lu Bu.

In this open cavalry battle, Lu Bu moved like a god of slaughter, making it impossible for anyone to approach him.

He nearly single-handedly.

Pierced straight through Gong Sunzan's formation, slashed down the commander's banner amid ten thousand troops, and plunged Gong Sunzan's army into chaos.

One battle erased all of Gong Sunzan's prior advantages.

It firmly stabilized the situation in Zhongshan.

Afterwards, Yuan Shao seized the moment while Gong Sunzan's morale was still shaken and launched a counteroffensive.

——Late August.

The two sides clashed again at Lunu.

Gong Sunzan had been defending the city, but, unable to bear the humiliation, he was enraged by Yuan Shao and led his troops out to fight again.

Another crushing defeat.

The key stronghold of Lunu was retaken by Yuan Shao.

The front line contracted further; Yuan Shao recaptured several cities in succession and pressed forward relentlessly.

——September 15.

The two sides fought again; Gong Sunzan fought desperately to hold the city.

But the two crushing defeats had finally undermined morale, and Yuan Shao breached the city walls.

He drove Gong Sunzan's entire army back into Youzhou territory.

And how could Yuan Shao let such an opportunity slip away?

He hesitated not at all; immediately he led his army into Youzhou, determined to annihilate Gong Sunzan utterly.

The situation had changed completely.

Yuan Shao, once on the brink of collapse, had reversed the tide in mere months, once again revealing his ambition to devour the realm.

The news spread like a tidal wave across all directions.

Whether to Lu Zhi and Liu Bei in Qingzhou, or Cao Cao in Yanzhou.

This was unquestionably a thunderclap from a clear sky.

The entire Central Plains' situation, from this day forward, grew even more obscure and uncertain.

Liangzhou, Wudu Commandery.

Xiabian City.

Roars of battle erupted from all sides.

The defending general, Qin Yang, gripped a long blade and glared at Gu Chen, who stood calm across from him, and roared: "Whelp, how dare you be so arrogant?"

"Enough talk!"

Gu Chen, too lazy to reply, made no hesitation—he spurred his horse forward and charged.

Clang!!

The clash of weapons exploded instantly.

The next instant, the seemingly massive Qin Yang was swept clean off his horse by Gu Chen's spear.

The roaring cries fell abruptly silent.

Everyone stared, stunned, as if unable to believe what they had seen.

But after a moment of silence, the soldiers behind Gu Chen erupted again in thunderous cheers.

"General, invincible!!!"

"General, invincible!!!"

The shouts pierced the soul.

In contrast, the defenders within the city changed expression, their eyes filled with terror as they stared at Gu Chen.

"Kill!"

Gu Chen spoke no further words; he pointed his spear forward, and his army surged toward the massive city.

After fully stabilizing Hanzhong's situation and spreading the news of the Imperial Seal.

He had directly led his army into Liangzhou to aid Huangfu Song in pacifying it.

This was the strategy he and Xun Yu had jointly devised: using the strength of Hanzhong and Liangzhou to point their swords at Si and Bing Provinces.

The Central Plains' situation had collapsed entirely—this was their best chance to expand.

In truth, according to Gu Chen's original plan, Huangfu Song should have already pacified Liangzhou.

He had intended to march straight into Sizhou.

But plans were plans; in reality, Huangfu Song's situation across Liangzhou was now extremely dire.

This had nothing to do with Huangfu Song's strength.

Liangzhou had always been a chaotic land, especially since the remnants of Dong Zhuo's forces returned, intensifying the disorder.

Gu Wei had originally hoped to use the Gu family's prestige to clear the way.

After all, among the Qiang tribes, the name of Gu Xi had long been revered.

But what no one had anticipated was that a young general named "Ma Chao" had suddenly charged out.

This man was not only extraordinarily brave, but throughout the entire Qiang tribal peoples he also enjoyed towering prestige, and was called "General of Divine Might."

This naturally affected Huangfu Song's offensive.

It was not that Huangfu Song had never thought of recruiting him, but in the end he was not Gu Xi — so how could he possibly make the four directions come to him in submission?

And it was precisely because of this.

To this day, throughout the entire territory of Liang Province, Huangfu Song has only occupied a single Hanyang Commandery; under the circumstances he had no choice but to have Gu Chen rush to Liang Province to assist him in his affairs.

The entire city was in utter chaos.

The death of the general defending the city was a fatal blow to morale.

In less than half a day's time, the situation was completely settled.

Gu Chen urged his horse straight into the city, then immediately dispatched a man to send word to Gu Wei.

Gu Yi had been keeping a close eye on Gu Chen all along.

By his judgment, even if Gu Chen now could not match those very top-tier famous generals, the gap would not be too great.

And the most crucial point was that Gu Chen was still a hexagonal warrior.

Whether viewed from the angle of stratagem, or from the angle of commanding troops, the present Gu Chen had no obvious shortcoming.

If one speaks of comprehensive strength, the present Gu Chen could absolutely be counted among the very top-tier commanders.

Moreover, this was not even his limit!

Gu Yi also did not know how far a man like Gu Chen could progress amid the present chaos of these troubled times.

But he could be certain that if the reforms Gu Xi envisioned were to be carried out, this matter could be entrusted to none other than Gu Chen.

(End of this chapter)