The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Lu Bu is good at being filial

Chapter 14

＜ The Spring of Luoyang (8) ＞

Every man sometimes has such thoughts.

Situations where they appear like a hero in a dramatic scene.

Rescuing a child from a fire like a firefighter, or fighting off thugs threatening the woman they like.

Isn’t it too cliché?

There must be a reason why such cliché stories are often used in movies or dramas.

Because it’s cool.

Because it’s romantic.

So, I thought about it once.

A rebellion in the palace.

A situation so urgent that he couldn’t even think of changing the appearance of the carriage, hiding his identity by changing into a servant’s clothes.

A crisis where the pursuers are right behind, swinging sharp blades at the carriage.

-Your Majesty, I, Jeong Geon-yang, have rushed here from Byeongju to save Your Majesty!!

Imagine shouting that.

How thrilling would it be?

Not only Jungwon himself, but the person who saved his life in such a desperate situation would also be moved.

-Oh, Governor Jeongwon of Byeongju! You are truly a loyal subject of this country!!

If the emperor came down from the carriage barefoot and hugged Jungwon, Jungwon might die of a heart attack right there.

But that didn’t happen.

“Please kill me─!!”

Jungwon is now prostrating himself and banging his head on the ground.

“I mistook it for Your Majesty’s carriage! Please forgive this disloyal one!!”

The person he is apologizing to is not the emperor.

“Ha, Halma Mama….”

A small child, looking around ten years old, is tightly holding onto the old woman’s skirt, and the old woman, who called herself Dowager Empress Dong, is patting the child’s back while staring intently at Jungwon.

‘Dowager Empress Dong. Prince Jinryu. Let’s see.’

I search my memory.

‘She was the mother of the deceased former emperor.’

I remember her because she was one of the people who repeatedly told me to remember before coming here.

And as for the King of Jinryu-

‘Who is he?’

It’s the first time I’ve heard of this king.

But since he is referred to as His Highness the Prince, I have a rough idea of who he might be.

– He is called the King of Balhae. He is the half-brother of the current emperor.

If the title has changed, then this boy must be the King of Jinryu.

– He is a truly unfortunate person. He lost his mother, and I heard it was due to poisoning. They say the one behind the poisoning is General Hajin’s sister.

Since it hasn’t been long since the emperor’s death, I momentarily confuse the titles of Empress and Empress Dowager.

‘So, to summarize the most recent events….’

The current emperor. The son of Empress Dowager Ha.

And his half-brother is the King of Jinryu.

Empress Dowager Dong is the grandmother of both the current emperor and the King of Jinryu.

So now, where is the emperor that Jeongwon is so eager to find?

“Jeongwon, the magistrate of Byeongju, rise from your seat.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!!”

At Empress Dowager Dong’s command, Jeongwon immediately stood up and bowed his head.

His swift and disciplined movements were the most rapid and precise I had seen in the many years since I was appointed.

“As we left the palace, the emperor headed west, and we had no choice but to go north.”

“The emperor went west…!”

“Take this token.”

Empress Dowager Dong took out a long jade object from her bosom.

“Oh, this is…!”

“It is my token. Show this token if you encounter the Imperial Guard. From now on, you are loyal soldiers following the orders of the royal family. …Is that clear?”

“Of course, Your Majesty!”

In an instant, she seized control of Jeongwon.

She clearly demonstrated what it means to be a high-ranking official and a senior member of the royal family.

“Jeongwon, the magistrate of Byeongju, save His Majesty the Emperor immediately. Run west and rescue His Majesty from the rebels.”

“Following orders! Listen up, Byungju Army──!”

Jeongwon shouted as he held up the token he received directly from Empress Dowager Dong.

“We are going to rescue His Majesty the Emperor! Follow me──!”

Jeongwon mounted his horse with a lively face.

It seemed like a miraculous recovery often seen in martial arts novels, but Jeongwon looked so full of energy that he seemed out of his mind.

“Cavalry Captain.”

“Yes, General.”

“You will escort the magistrate. Hurry.”

“……Yes. The first unit will go with General Yeo, and the rest of the camp will follow. We will ride with Magistrate Jeong.”

At my words, the cavalry captain quickly divided the troops and followed Jeongwon.

In an instant, Jeongwon spurred his horse and galloped away, leaving me and some of the cavalry captain’s troops near the carriage.

There were about 70 of them, but each one was an elite soldier, comparable to a centurion in other places.

He entrusted me with these elite soldiers.

“…….”

I must protect this place.

I must protect Empress Dowager Dong and Prince Jinryu.

Because that rude man is still holding a weapon.

“Your Majesty.”

With only 70 cavalrymen left with me, did the Byungju Army think they had some leeway?

“Your servant, the Right Army Guard, to Her Majesty….”

“Are you not the insolent one who swung a spear at the carriage?”

At Empress Dowager Dong’s cold words, the man called the Right Army Guard immediately knelt on one knee.

“I apologize! I have committed a grave sin!”

“Why. Are you trying to kill this thorn in your side as well?”

“No, Your Majesty! I was just…!”

“Not worth listening to. You were probably going to say ‘I thought a eunuch was stealing the royal carriage and fleeing.'”

“Th-that is…!”

That man, his reactions are quite exaggerated whenever he is hit on the mark.

It seems he really was going to make that excuse.

“Why. If I had revealed my identity, this wouldn’t have happened. Is that what you were going to say? That’s also laughable. I already know you are Empress Dowager Ha’s man.”

Quickly, I rack my brain.

It was said that Empress Ha became the empress from the concubine of the former emperor.

Empress Dowager Dong is the ‘mother’ of the former emperor.

‘She’s trying to kill her mother-in-law!’

This is a royal-level mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict.

A scene I’ve only seen in movies is unfolding right in front of me.

The one called the Commander of the Right Army is related to the daughter-in-law.

They are probably trying to suppress public opinion by killing the fleeing mother-in-law first and then fitting the pieces together.

‘At first glance, the mother-in-law seems to be a decent person.’

Her appearance is quite unremarkable.

She doesn’t look like an extremely kind old mother, but her stern face doesn’t exude selfishness either.

Above all, isn’t she holding the hand of Prince Jinryu tightly?

“You.”

Empress Dowager Dong looked at me and spoke.

“Lieutenant-“

“Don’t dismount, answer from there.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I adjust my words to be as polite as possible.

But at the same time, I think.

Don’t dismount.

In other words, continue to confront the one called the Commander of the Right Army.

‘Damn.’

I thought I might get involved in central politics, but I never dreamed I would open the floodgates like this.

“Who are you?”

“I am Lu Bu, the assistant magistrate of Bingzhou and concurrently serving as the military officer of Bugok.”

“…….”

Empress Dowager Dong frowned.

At the same time, the one called the Commander of the Right Army twisted his lips into a brief smirk.

‘It must have been against etiquette.’

This is inevitable.

The etiquette used in the imperial court, it wouldn’t be the same.

‘Let’s just go as we are.’

Etiquette can be learned later.

People always expect more from those who are perfect from the start, but they applaud those who start from the bottom even if they climb just one step.

“Is there no name?”

“The name is Bongseon.”

“…I see. Yeobongseon.”

Ah.

That’s it.

Whether one has a name or not subtly, or rather openly, becomes a criterion for judging people.

‘I guess I’ll hear something from Huseong.’

Even while leading the infantry, wouldn’t he be grumbling?

Saying things like how I spoke carelessly using the name even though there was one.

“Alright. Good. Listen, Commander Sunwoo Kyung.”

“!!”

At the words of Empress Dowager Dong, Commander Sunwoo Kyung frowned deeply.

“You.”

Was it such a short moment that he didn’t notice?

“…….”

No.

He knows but doesn’t point it out.

To avoid provoking.

“Go back to those who share your will and tell them. Do not seek the blood of the innocent, but protect the Emperor from the treacherous eunuchs.”

“Treachery, the eunuchs?”

“Yes.”

“……Understood.”

It seems like a very significant political meaning was exchanged in this short conversation.

If I think about it as it comes to mind, is it something like overlooking the current situation because this chaos was caused by the treacherous eunuchs?

“I will leave the message to my deputy. Empress Dowager. Your Highness. We….”

“We will entrust our protection to this person.”

“!!”

Sun Woo Kyung frowned once more, but soon mounted his horse and bowed his head.

“The Deputy Commander of the Right Wing obeys the order.”

Sun Woo Kyung, who showed courtesy to Empress Dowager Dong, stared at me intently.

“In serving Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and His Highness the Crown Prince, there must be no shortcomings.”

“Take care. Lord Woo Kyung.”

“?!?!”

Sun Woo Kyung’s eyes widened in an instant.

His eyes were so wide that it was hard to believe a person’s eyes could get that big, reminiscent of an owl’s surprised eyes.

“…..Woo, Kyung?”

“I addressed you with respect. Lord Woo Kyung.”

“You, you…!!”

“Why so, General Sun?”

“Ugh…!”

A low chuckle was heard from behind.

When I glanced at the edge of the screen, King Jinryu was trembling, and Empress Dowager Dong was biting her lower lip.

“……?”

I looked at the other cavalrymen.

I glanced around to see if I had done something wrong, but the soldiers left by the cavalry commander were staring straight ahead without changing their expressions.

“You, you said your name was Ye Bong Seon.”

“Yes.”

“I, Deputy Commander of the Right Wing Sun Woo Jung Gan, will remember you clearly!”

“…Ah.”

Sun Woo Kyung.

Sun Woo Jung Gan.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“This, unintentionally, I have committed s*xual harassment. I offer my sincere apologies to your father.”

“……You are an incomprehensible person!”

Sun Woo Kyung turned his horse around in annoyance.

“Hiya!”

Sun Woo-kyung rides towards the palace.

All his subordinates turn their horses’ heads and glare at me, but I can only let out a hollow laugh.

“If you had mentioned your name from the beginning, there wouldn’t have been any misunderstanding.”

“…….”

“Why do you speak so ambiguously and confuse people? Tsk.”

* * *

“Oh dear. If you weren’t a eunuch, you should have said so earlier.”

Thud.

“Indeed, why didn’t you speak properly until the end.”

A young man collapses.

He holds his waistband as if trying to take off his pants, but he cannot get up as his heart is pierced by a sword, bleeding profusely.

“Sigh.”

How much time has passed?

Yuan Shao gauges the time as he surveys the palace, where the embers are slowly dying down, and the corpses are growing cold.

It must be well past midnight, and considering the time spent cutting down the eunuchs while entering the palace-

“Soon, the rooster will crow.”

It must be just before dawn breaks.

“Damn….”

Yuan Shao feels anxious.

He has killed all the eunuchs.

Except for Jian Shuo, who has already turned to bone dust, he has hunted down most of the remaining Ten Attendants.

But the opponent was not easy.

He killed all the other Ten Attendants and their minions, but the leader of the Ten Attendants, Zhang Rang, has disappeared.

“Eunuch Dan Kyu, if he hadn’t done such a useless thing…!”

“Don’t be so hasty, Ben Chu.”

Cao Cao approaches, bleeding profusely, and laughs lowly.

“I’ve sent troops, so we’ll catch up soon. With those young ones, along with the Empress Dowager and the palace maids, they couldn’t have gone far.”

“Even though they fled by carriage?”

“The cavalry of the Eight Guards of the Western Garden is faster than a carriage. Ah, are they no longer the Eight Guards of the Western Garden? Hehe.”

Cao Cao approached Yuan Shao and tapped Yuan Shao’s arm with his elbow.

Yuan Shao was disgusted by the blood on his armor and expressed his annoyance, but Cao Cao didn’t care.

“Or will you follow him yourself?”

“…General Lu Zhi said he would go himself, so how can I stop him?”

“As expected. General Lu Zhi was with him. Hehe.”

“Didn’t you know?”

“Whether I knew or not, it doesn’t change anything. After all, I just followed you, trusting in your plan.”

Cao Cao spread his arms wide and laughed heartily.

“How refreshing it is to cut down the trash that is eating away at this country with my own hands. Haha. It’s so refreshing.”

Blood splattered from the eunuchs he had cut down was dripping thickly from his face.

“Mengde. Do you have any regrets?”

“Regrets? What regrets?”

“You…”

“Surely you…”

Cao Cao’s expression vanished in an instant.

“Are you saying that because my grandfather was a eunuch, I regret killing the eunuchs as if I killed my own comrades?”

Yuan Shao felt a chill down his spine at Cao Cao’s expressionless face.

“…How could I say such a thing to you?”

Yuan Shao forced a smile.

“I just thought you might be overly intoxicated by blood today and worried you might be tired by dawn.”

“……Hahaha!”

Cao Cao laughed heartily in an instant.

“This is something. I’ve lived to see Yuan Benchu worry about me! It’s fine, it’s fine. Rather, it’s bittersweet? Because I couldn’t kill Zhang Rang with my own hands.”

“…….”

“Let’s get to the point.”

Cao Cao changed his expression again in an instant.

“Like Jinlin Gong, I said that Grand General He Jin would collapse. I said that if he called the warlords from outside, greater chaos would ensue. But the situation has already occurred, and warlords will soon arrive from all over.”

The change was sometimes hard for Yuan Shao to adapt to, but he had to listen to Cao Cao’s words.

“We must secure His Majesty the Emperor as soon as possible.”

“His Majesty the Emperor, huh.”

Yuan Shao laughs softly.

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“Not the Son of Heaven?”

“……His Majesty the Emperor is indeed the Emperor.”

Cao Cao frowned at Yuan Shao for a moment, but Yuan Shao just shook his head lightly and smiled.

“Still young, Aman.”

“This man again.”

“The Son of Heaven.”

“Again.”

“The Son of Heaven, whether it’s General Lu Zhi or anyone else, we must secure him.”

Despite Yuan Shao’s emphasis, Cao Cao eventually spread his hands wide and let out a hollow laugh, but he didn’t argue further.

“Fine. After we settle the palace, let’s think about how to welcome His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Isn’t rescuing the Son of Heaven the priority?”

“Didn’t you say General Lu Zhi rushed off? No matter how old he is and even though he’s been exiled, he should be able to easily chase off Zhang Yang’s men. I, on the other hand… wait a moment.”

Cao Cao turned to Yuan Shao as if he had just thought of something.

“I heard some strange noises on the way here, that a few carriages had escaped to the Northern Palace. Did you send Sun Yu Jing?”

“Is Sun Yu Jing the kind of person I would send?”

“Didn’t you give him the most dangerous task under the guise of giving him face and credit? For example, a mission perfect for shifting the blame.”

“Mengde. I like how quick-witted you are. Won’t you keep making me like you?”

“……I get chills when you look at people so meaningfully.”

Cao Cao raised his hands.

“Enough. Whatever Sun Yu Jing does, it ultimately won’t be your responsibility.”

“I’d prefer if you refrained from such remarks with hidden meanings.”

“Well, if I don’t say such things, it feels like thorns are growing in my mouth. Haha. But isn’t it nice? We can afford such leisure.”

“Ah.”

Yuan Shao turned his eyes to the east.