Han family achievements

Chapter 257
On the other side, Jia Xu left Zhang Wen's room and as soon as he walked to the front yard, he was pulled behind him by Niu Fu who appeared out of nowhere.

Niu Fu was a short and fat man. He glanced around, and then whispered to Jia Xu: "Wen He, how are you?"

Compared to Dong Zhuo, Jia Xu was more frank with Niu Fu without any hesitation. He frowned and said worriedly: "Zhang Wen's attitude is very firm and he has no intention of giving in. I'm worried that the court may really He has other plans."

Niu Fu always trusted Jia Xu and said without any doubt: "What should we do?"

Jia Xu raised his head and looked in the direction of Dong Zhuo's bedroom, and said solemnly: "Brother Niu, no matter what method Dong Gong uses to seize Xuzhou, he will definitely provoke a thunderous blow from the imperial court. Now that the imperial court is still holding on, it is not the time to fight forcefully. Only by going south can we further grow and wait until the imperial court collapses. That will be the time to achieve great things!"

Niu Fu didn't want to fight, and said distressedly: "I don't understand what my foster father thinks. It's really strange that he obeys Li Ru's words..."

Jia Xu vaguely guessed it, but said: "Brother Niu, now the only way is to go south, and we must make a decision as soon as possible, before winter, otherwise it will not be so easy to deal with Liu Biao and others after they have calmed down."

Niu Fu scratched his head and said: "I know everything you said. But Yuan Shu was so powerful back then, and he was blocked by Liu Biao. Can we succeed?"

Jia Xu said: "Yuan Shu was too arrogant and started war on all sides, which aroused public anger. If he concentrates on management, pays equal attention to kindness and power, puts strategy first, and supplements it with military power, the land east of the Yangtze River is already in his pocket. At that time, the imperial court will definitely fall apart, the Han Dynasty will lose its deer, and the whole world will be expelled. Yuan Shu missed the opportunity and brought his own destruction. Now the opportunity is in Dong Gong's hands. As long as he plans it properly, great achievements are ahead of him!"

Niu Fu looked at Jia Xu and said, "Then, shall I go and persuade my adoptive father?"

Jia Xu's expression became more serious and he said: "Brother Niu, you must state your interests to Mr. Dong! I suspect that there is a conspiracy of the imperial court here."

Niu Fu raised his hand and said, "Don't worry, I'll go find my adoptive father right away."

Jia Xu watched his back, and her face gradually returned to its usual expressionless expression, even a little cold.

Niu Fu searched around the front yard but could not find Dong Zhuo. Only then did he know that he was out of the city and quickly chased him out.

At this time, Dong Zhuo was patrolling with Li Ru, Hua Xiong and others.

Hua Xiong stood aside and said excitedly: "Dong Gong, now almost every brother in the army is matched with two women. The military salary has doubled and morale has been greatly boosted!"

Dong Zhuo smiled, nodded with satisfaction, and said, "Well done!"

Li Ru stood aside, looking at the military appearance that looked neat but was actually a bit scattered, and felt a little weird.

Hua Xiong didn't care at all about Li Ru, who had 'surrendered' from the imperial court, and continued: "Dong Gong, I don't agree with starting a war with Lu Bu either. It would be better to go south."

Before Li Ru's arrival, Jia Xu was the only military advisor among Dong Zhuo's staff.Everything Jia Xu said was right, and his tactics and strategies had never been defeated. He won the trust of Niu Fu, Hua Xiong, Guo Si and others.

Li Ru immediately said: "Dong Gong, my intention is to persuade Lu Bu to surrender, not to start a war."

Hua Xiong was very dissatisfied with Li Ru. He snorted coldly and said, "Lu Bu occupies five counties, which is larger than Dong Gong's territory. He has many soldiers and generals. If it were you, would you come to vote?"

Li Ru smiled instead of being angry, and said confidently: "Lü Bu was born in a humble family, and he killed his adoptive father Ding Yuan, which is unacceptable to the world. If Dong Gong can accept him, then it is a great grace for him. Is there any reason for Lu Bu not to surrender?"

Li Ru was too lazy to argue with a reckless man like Hua Xiong. He turned to Dong Zhuo and said, "Dong Gong, Cao Cao has fifty thousand troops in Qiao County. He is already a trouble to his inner circle. If he cannot expand in depth, there will be a big disaster!"

"Cao Cao?"

Dong Zhuo's face darkened slightly and he said: "It is indeed a personal concern."

Hua Xiong saw that Dong Zhuo was agitated and said hurriedly: "Dong Gong, Wen He's words are very reasonable. What if Lu Bu doesn't surrender and we miss the opportunity? Now that we are going south, Liu Biao's foothold is not stable, and Liu Biao's foothold is not stable. After the war, the army is exhausted and has no money or food. It’s a good time!”

Seeing that Li Ru was about to refute, Dong Zhuo stopped him with a smile and said: "Wen Ru, just go ahead and do it, I know what I know."

Li Ru swallowed the words that were about to come to his lips, raised his hand and said, "Thank you Mr. Dong, I will take care of it now."

Not far away, there was Li Ru's carriage, with guards and salutes. It was obvious that he was preparing to go to Xiapi.

Hua Xiong also hesitated to speak, feeling very angry.

Dong Zhuo looked at the soldiers in front of him. After Li Ru left, he said, "Hua Xiong, I heard that some people escaped?"

Hua Xiong's face stiffened slightly and he said, "Yes, there are nearly a hundred people every month."

Dong Zhuo nodded silently, his face motionless, not knowing what he was thinking.

Hua Xiong stood aside and didn't care.

The most elite men under Dong Zhuo are none other than the Xiliang cavalry. The longest of these soldiers has been with him for more than ten years, and the shortest of five or six years. Most of them are from Bing and Liang. Now that they have been away from their hometown for many years, they are becoming homesick day by day. Some people escaped and sneaked back to their hometown.

Li Ru got on the carriage and headed straight to Xiapi, Xuzhou with his retinue, preparing to persuade Lu Bu to surrender.

Two days later.

Dong Zhuo entertained Zhang Wen many times, and the two reminisced about the past and talked for several hours.

This time, neither of them mentioned any sensitive topics. Instead, they were romantic and had mostly irrelevant matters.

Jia Xu was not accompanying him, only Niu Fu and Hua Xiong were there.These two people were not talkative people. They were silent throughout the whole process and only focused on eating and drinking.

On the third day, Zhang Wen packed his bags and prepared to leave Peiguo and go to Langya County in Xuzhou.

Dong Zhuo was beside Zhang Wen, his old face full of reluctance, and said: "Mr. Zhang, please take care of yourself along the way. The weather is dry and things are dry. Don't rush on your way..."

Zhang Wen paced with his hands behind his back and said, "Zhong Ying, please know that if you make one wrong step, you still have a chance to turn back."

Dong Zhuo quickly raised his hand and said: "Mr. Zhang, Dong Zhuo is loyal to the imperial court and never has second thoughts."

Zhang Wen turned a deaf ear and said: "The imperial court can't take action now, but if the imperial court is forced to take action, let alone you, even with Yuan Shu, he is no match for the imperial court and can be destroyed in an instant."

Dong Zhuo said sincerely: "Dong Zhang, please transfer to the imperial court. Dong Zhuo is a Han official in body and a Han ghost in death!"

Anyone who says something like this is a traitor in history!
Zhang Wen seemed not to have heard and said: "Yuan Shu's defeat is right in front of him. Zhong Ying must not make mistakes."

Dong Zhuo raised his hand and said respectfully: "I understand."

Hearing the word 'down official', Zhang Wen looked back at him and said: "Remembering old friendship, let me tell you one more thing. Han Sui and Ma Teng intend to surrender. Liu Bei, the governor of Hanzhong, is already preparing to go to Liang. "

Dong Zhuo's face twitched slightly, and then he said in a deep voice: "Thank you, Mr. Zhang!"

Zhang Wen didn't say much and walked straight to the carriage.

Dong Zhuo accompanied him all the way, carefully escorting him and being very respectful.

After Zhang Wen got on the carriage and gradually walked away, his eyes darkened.If the San Qiang surrendered to the imperial court, there would be no threat to the north of the Han Dynasty, and the imperial court could concentrate on dealing with the various princes in the south!
Guo Bang looked uneasy and stepped forward: "Mr. Dong, are Zhang Wen's words true?"

Dong Zhuo clasped his hands behind his back, his face changing constantly, and said: "The three Qiang people are trying to submit to the imperial court, and it's not just a day or two."

Zhong Yao had been to the Sanqiang a few years ago, and then several times. The Sanqiang had obvious intentions of surrendering, and they asked for officials, money, and food from the court, but Liu Bian refused them all, so it has been delayed until now. .

Guo Si frowned tightly, feeling uneasy and thinking anxiously.

The Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army and the Black Mountain Army were pacified one after another, leaving only Liangzhou undecided for the imperial court in the north. If the San Qiang pacified it, the imperial court would have no constraints in the north!
This is 'bad news' for them!
Niu Fu stood aside and said in a loud voice: "Father, Wen He is right. We can't wait any longer, let's go south. Who is Li Ru? You can't believe his words!"

"I know." Dong Zhuo's face returned to normal, and he said coldly: "Let the people in Luoyang watch every move of the court!"

Hua Xiong and Niu Fu looked at each other and did not answer.

This kind of work belongs to Jia Xu.

But in the past few days, Jia Xu seemed to have disappeared, completely missing.

When two flowers bloom, one will be shown first.

Li Ru finally arrived at Xiapi and was warmly received by Lu Bu.

The two of them chatted all the way into the backyard.

Li Ru saw the sumptuous dishes on the table and felt more and more confident, but pretended to be indifferent and said: "Captain Lu, your death is approaching, do you still want to have a feast?"

Lu Bu's official position, that is, "Pinglu Xiaowei", is a low-level petty official. There are various lieutenants and generals above him, and then various generals, who are completely "minor officials" at the middle and lower levels.

When he heard the title 'Captain Lu', Lu Bu's smile froze, he sat down and said calmly: "What is your official position?"

Lu Bu now controls five counties and has [-] troops. He can be said to be the first-class prince in the world. Others are either prefects, state shepherds, or various generals, but Lu Bu is still a "camp captain".

Therefore, this 'school captain' has always been a thorn in his side.

Seeing that Lu Bu had been stabbed in a sore spot, Li Ru did not panic at all, and sneered: "I am Dong Gong's staff, and my body is Dong Gong's Taiwei. I am the third prince of the dynasty. I am a staff member, and I am a senior official. Lu Xiaowei, Xu Rong We have stationed troops in Langya County, Sun Jian has occupied Guangling County, and a pincer attack from the north and south has become possible. I am afraid that Captain Lu, the captain, will not be saved."

Lu Bu, however, showed no signs of panic and stared at Li Ru: "What do you think of me?"

Li Ru was a little surprised by Lu Bu's reaction, but he still said: "Either surrender to the imperial court and wait for the imperial court to pursue the crime of killing Colonel Ding Shijun. Or make strong reinforcements from outside to control the officers and soldiers."

"You want me to vote for Dong Gong?" Lu Bu said straight to the point.

Li Ru knew that Lu Bu had seen through his intention, but when he saw how easily Lu Bu could reveal it, he secretly became vigilant in his heart. He calmly arranged his clothes, sat down opposite Lu Bu, and said calmly: "Captain Lu belongs to Duke Dong." Son-in-law, no matter what Captain Lu is like, in the eyes of outsiders, you are still a family."

One of Dong Zhuo's adopted daughters was given to Lu Bu.

Lu Bu picked up his chopsticks and ate, saying: "I have formed an alliance with Yuan Shu. If Sun Jian dares to move, we will attack him from both sides. As for Xu Rong, there are only 2 people, but I, Lu Fengxian, don't take it seriously!"

Li Ru felt that something was wrong more and more, and sneered loudly: "Yuan Shu was so powerful before that he occupied half of Jiangdong, from Yuzhou to Jiaozhi, and was invincible wherever he went. What now? The fourth and third princes of the Yuan family, in addition to being suppressed by the imperial court, Executed, the whole family sympathized, and for a time it was unparalleled, and the power of the Han Dynasty was known to the world! What about now? Captain Lu, who is stronger or weaker than Yuan Shu?"

Lu Bu ate as he had since ancient times, then drank heavily and said, "The general situation is clear. The Han Dynasty is coming to an end. All the heroes are vying for victory. The great cause is ahead! If I join others, just for cattle and horses, won't Lu Bu have to live under others for a long time?"

Li Ru was secretly shocked, but he did not expect that Lu Bu already had such ambitions, but he did not panic and said: "Those who achieve great things do not stick to trivial matters. How can Captain Lu overlook the world if he cannot bend his body?"

Lu Bu was so happy that he suddenly grabbed the long hair beside him, glared at Li Ru, and said, "Let me ask you, am I, Lu Bu, a hero?"

Li Ru was startled and quickly raised his hand and said: "Brother Lu, I consider myself a hero of the world."

"Then are you willing to stay and help me achieve my great cause?" Lu Bu said.

Li Ru's eyes were wide open, with shock written all over his face.

This, this Lu Bu actually wants him to surrender?

Lu Bu raised his head and said, "You don't want to?"

Li Ru looked at the slightly tilted spear in Lu Bu's hand and felt cold in his heart.

He had a hunch that whenever he shook his head and said the word 'no', Lu Bu would chop him on the spot!
But wasn't he here to persuade Lu Bu to surrender to Dong Zhuo?Why did Lu Bu force him to stay?

Li Ru raised his hands tremblingly, but hesitated to speak, thinking of a perfect excuse.

Lu Bu didn't care, he pushed the spear away from his hand, stood up, walked over, took Li Ru's hand, and laughed and said, "Brother Li is better than a hundred thousand soldiers. Brother Li, let's hold a candle tonight and have a long talk." !”

Li Ru was anxious and wanted to break away, but he couldn't match Lu Bu's strength. He tried his best to calmly say: "Brother Lu, listen to me, I..."

"Come to my room and talk." Lu Bu said loudly.With a smile on his face, he was a head taller than Li Ru. He pulled him and strode forward.

Li Ru glanced at the gazes of the servants and guards around him, and his heart suddenly became cold, and his whole body was ice-cold.

It was the end of October in the third year of Yonghan.

Peiguo, Xiang County.

Dong Zhuo had a sullen face, pushed the things in front of him to the ground, and roared: "Li Ru, you bullied me too much!"

When Niu Fu saw it, he said with anger on his face: "Father, Li Ru was originally afraid of Wang Yun's disaster and came to surrender, but he didn't mean it sincerely. Now that he has taken refuge with Lu Bu, it shows that he is a villain who sees profit and forgets his righteousness. There is no need for his foster father to do anything for him." angry!"

Hua Xiong persuaded him and said: "Mr. Dong is just an insidious person. It is better to leave now than to harm Mr. Dong in the future. Consider it a blessing. Please don't be angry."

Dong Zhuo couldn't hear it, picked up his sword, and chopped the table in front of him into pieces.

Juzi's anger was hard to dissipate, and he stared at the people in front of him with his eyes like copper bells. He swung his sword and wanted to cut, which made everyone retreat in fear.

Fortunately, he still had sense. He threw away his sword angrily and shouted: "Send someone to send a message to Lu Bu. I want Li Ru's head!"

Niu Fu, Hua Xiong, Guo Si and others could only respond, knowing that this was impossible.

On the other hand, Jia Xu, dressed in white without any stains, was sitting there with a calm face and no emotion at all.

Only occasionally his eyes flashed with a hint of mockery and disdain.

(End of this chapter)