Chapter 177: Lady Dong

Liu Bei also sighed,

"I never expected that His Majesty would suffer such a calamity."

"Meng De, Dong Cheng guarded His Majesty for so long and fought to the death; he should not have been treated this way."

"Fa Zheng, find someone to properly lay General Dong to rest."

"Understood!"

Upon hearing this, Dong Cheng's daughter burst into tears and kowtowed to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei sighed and helped Lady Dong up.

"Miss Dong, please restrain your grief."

"Lord Liu Xuande's great kindness, I have no way to repay... sob."

Liu Bei had not expected Cao Cao to kill Dong Cheng. In the end, he felt he bore some responsibility, and he felt a measure of remorse toward Miss Dong.

However, in history, Dong Cheng was also killed by Cao Cao.

Liu Bei walked slowly to the side of Liu Xie's corpse, sighed inwardly, and whispered an apology.

"Guo Fengxiao, send men quickly to all the Inspectors and Commandery Governors to announce the mourning."

"Understood!"

"Zhang Wenyuan, take your troops and slaughter all those rebellious traitors under Wu Xi! Bring their heads back!"

"Understood!"

Liu Bei looked at the old ministers.

"Gentlemen, let us escort His Majesty back to Luoyang."

"Lord Liu Xuande is absolutely right!"

"Indeed."

Liu Bei then sent Fa Zheng to Hedong to have supplies urgently delivered.

Cao Cao felt depressed, but he had no choice but to lead his troops with Liu Bei toward Luoyang to arrange Liu Xie's funeral.

Cao Cao, who had intended to hold the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords and achieve hegemony, was now in a deeply dejected mood.

He was as depressed now as he had been high-spirited before.

On the road, he even discussed the construction of Xudu with Xi Zhicai.

Soon,

The news that the Emperor had been killed by stray arrows on his way back east spread across the entire Nine Provinces.

In Ye City,

Ding Yuan Shao looked at the bamboo slips before him, blinked hard, and squeezed out a few drops of tears.

"His Majesty has suffered such a disaster; as the leader of the alliance, I am guilty!"

Guo Tu hurriedly said,

"My Lord, please restrain your grief. His Majesty's calamity is not your fault, but the responsibility of the two thieves, Li Jue and Guo Si!"

Gao Gan and the others also offered comfort.

Ding Yuan Shao pretended to wipe away his tears and stood up tall.

"Xu You, Guo Tu, Yan... Wen Chou, Gao Lan, come with me to Luoyang."

"Understood!"

Other feudal lords also sent representatives or came themselves.

In Luoyang,

The ruins of the imperial palace were covered in white.

White cloth strips fluttered in the wind.

The mourning hall was filled with the sound of weeping.

Ding Yuan Shu, who had just arrived, cried bitterly.

"Your Majesty, I had just left Shouchun intending to come to your aid, I never expected this!"

Ding Yuan Shu's voice was extremely loud; he appeared heartbroken!

After Ding Yuan Shu finished crying, he looked around.

Ding Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, and Cao Cao—the people he least wanted to see—had all come!

He cupped his hands.

"It has been a long time since we last met."

The others returned the salute.

Liu Bei nodded.

"Gonglu, you have traveled all the way from Shouchun; you have worked hard."

Ding Yuan Shu let out another howl.

"Alas, I only blame myself for being too far away. If I had been closer, how could I have let His Majesty suffer such a calamity!"

The corners of Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Ding Yuan Shao's mouths all twitched.

"Who is he implying?"

Liu Bei said indifferently,

"Gonglu, the one who killed His Majesty, Wu Xi, has already been killed by men I sent!"

Ding Yuan Shu snorted, though he was actually overjoyed inside. The Emperor was dead, and now the Great Han had no Emperor; he had even more ambitions!

"Jingzhou Governor Liu Biao has arrived!"

Everyone looked over. An eight-foot-tall, refined-looking old man walked in, knelt before the Emperor's spirit, and immediately began to cry.

In an instant, he was a mess of snot and tears!

Liu Bei... Liu Biao was also a master of acting!

In recent years, Liu Biao had not participated in the Central Plains wars. In Jingzhou, he had combined kindness with authority and recruited talent effectively, leading to peace across ten thousand miles and the submission of the people.

He had also established schools and cherished the people and scholars. With the chaos in the Central Plains and Sili, Jingzhou was exceptionally prosperous, and Xiangyang had become one of the Great Han's few massive cities.

After Liu Biao finished crying, he came out to meet everyone.

He had a good relationship with Ding Yuan Shao, especially to counter the threat of Cao Cao, and Liu Biao had grown quite close to Ding Yuan Shao.

"Benchu, it has been many years, yet you are still so young, while I have already grown old."

Ding Yuan Shao cupped his hands.

"Brother Brother Jingsheng, your style remains unchanged; you are too modest."

Both had been considered part of the Partisan faction in the past and had some old ties.

Liu Biao then looked at Liu Bei.

"This must be the world-renowned Liu Xuande. Truly a man of talent."

Liu Bei cupped his hands.

"Brother Brother Jingsheng, you flatter me. You have governed Jingzhou so well, with over six million people living in peace and contentment; I admire you greatly."

Liu Biao repeatedly claimed he dared not accept the praise.

"Liu Xuande has governed the bitter and cold Bingzhou into a powerful state; your talent is first-class!"

Ding Yuan Shu's mouth twitched, his expression full of jealousy. He was doing quite well in Huainan, and his subordinates all praised him; were the people here blind?

Not long after,

Lu Bu, representing Tao Tao Qian, also arrived.

Dian Wei hurriedly guarded Cao Cao's side.

The two sides had been fighting for over a year and were long since at odds.

In truth, it was overthinking. At the Emperor's funeral, to kill someone? Did they not want to survive? Did they have no shame?

Lu Bu went in to offer incense to the Emperor.

Dressed in leather armor, the tall and long-legged Lu Lu Lingqi walked over and bowed to Liu Bei.

"Lord Liu Xuande."

Liu Bei nodded.

"Miss Lu has come as well."

Cao Cao looked up and was somewhat shocked; after all, a woman in the Great Han who was 1. meters tall was truly rare, and she was also very beautiful.

"When did this daughter of Lu Bu get involved with Liu Bei?! She's taller than me!"

Cao Cao felt a bit sour; this fellow Liu Bei truly had too much charm!

Ding Yuan Shu cursed inwardly,

"The world is degenerating; the Big-Eared Thief is shameless!"

Ding Yuan Shao also cursed inwardly,

"Plotting for the two Zhen family ladies wasn't enough? Now plotting for Lu Bu's daughter, Big-Eared Thief, can you even handle it all!"

Liu Biao?? What are these expressions? Has everyone been hurt by Liu Bei?

It seems everyone has strong opinions about Brother Liu Xuande and Lu Bu's daughter.

Lu Bu couldn't even offer incense in peace inside.

He truly didn't understand why his daughter couldn't move her feet whenever she saw Liu Bei.

"What a disaster! What is so good about the Big-Eared Thief! I shouldn't have let her practice martial arts!"

After Lu Bu came out, he glared at Lu Lu Lingqi. Although Liu Bei had helped him find a place to stay, his daughter absolutely could not be given away!

Afterward, Kong Rong and Brother Gongsun Zan's envoy, Shan Jing, also arrived.

After everyone finished the day's rituals, they went to a nearby side hall to drink and gather.

Ding Yuan Shao laughed,

"Liu Xuande's prestige shakes the Nine Provinces; you should take the seat of honor."

Liu Bei secretly laughed at Ding Yuan Shao's hypocrisy and shook his head.

"Brother Benchu, you occupy the two provinces of Ji and Qing; your population and troops far exceed mine, so you should take the seat of honor."

Ding Yuan Shao chuckled and stopped declining.

Liu Bei then invited Liu Biao to sit at the head of his table.

Liu Biao was born in the 40s, older than everyone present, and only younger than the 30s-born Tao Tao Qian.

The Liu Biao of this time was not the timid, indecisive old man of ten years later.

He might not have had the ambition to dominate the world, but he was no mediocrity holding onto his small plot of land in Jingzhou.

He had entered Jingzhou alone, handled the Jingzhou gentry, and occupied the province.

He had allied with Li Jue to obtain the title of General Who Pacifies the South.

He had allied with Ding Yuan Shao, practicing distant friendship and close attacks.

When Liu Yan died of illness, he had impatiently incited Shen Mi, Lou Fa, and Gan Ning to rebel, wanting to stir up the waters of Yizhou and take it in the chaos, though unfortunately, the rebels were defeated by Liu Zhang.

Cao Cao and Liu Bei deferred to each other.

Ding Yuan Shu?? Shouldn't this seat be mine?