They Knew Each Other

Hee-hing! Hee-hing!

In the middle of a Luoyang marketplace street, Red Hare was running wild.

"Waaah! Look at Yi Deok! She's flying!"

Zhang Fei, perched atop the horse as it bucked and lunged every which way, was treating the whole thing like an impromptu rodeo. She could have broken the animal in without breaking a sweat — she was clearly just goofing around on purpose.

"All right, Lady Zhang Fei? The horse is going to get a little too excited, so how about you come down now?"

"Fine!"

Zhang Fei hopped off with a clean jump and landed safely. Red Hare, thoroughly offended, glared at her and snorted hard.

"My turn."

Guan Yu stepped forward. Come to think of it, this was a rather loaded moment. After Lü Bu died, Red Hare's next owner would be Guan Yu, wouldn't it?

Whoosh… whoosh…

But the first meeting with its future master was a disaster. Still overstimulated from Zhang Fei's roughhousing, Red Hare was on high alert, determined not to let anyone mount it.

At this rate, even Guan Yu wouldn't be able to climb on easily…

Thud! Hee-hing!!!

My worry was wasted. Guan Yu drove a heavy punch straight into Red Hare's flank.

Huff… huff… While the horse gasped in agony, she sprang up and settled into the saddle.

Hee-hee-hing…

Maybe it had realized it could die. Unlike with Zhang Fei, Red Hare turned into a meek little foal, going wherever Guan Yu steered it.

I had never seen a horse look so pitiful in my life.

"Hmph. Nothing special. All flash and no substance. The horse I rode back in Zhuo County was far better. Might be just right for a half-wit like you, though."

Even while riding, Guan Yu was taking shots at both Red Hare and me. You say that now — just wait until you're the one riding it later. Seriously.

"Ah… now it is my turn. But the horse is so fierce — I am not certain I can ride it well."

"What are you worried about? Lady Guan Yu already turned it into a well-behaved little mutt."

"Hup… what if we did this? It will listen to its master, so if Lord Do Yeop holds the reins and seats me in front of him…!"

"…?"

Why me? Sure, riding with Yu Bi would be nice for both of us — and for my soon-to-be-rested body — but there was absolutely no reason for that.

"What are you talking about? Why would my sister ride with a man like that?"

Guan Yu was furious. Yu Bi, however, had already made up her mind: she stood with her hands clasped, waiting for me to lift her onto the horse like a princess.

"Haa… well, if it's only for a moment…"

Hop!

But before Yu Bi or I could move, an unidentified woman vaulted onto the horse first. I nearly jumped out of my skin and shouted her name.

"Ch-Chosun?!"

It was Chosun. She settled smoothly onto the now-docile Red Hare, stroked its mane, and said:

"We're going back. His Majesty the King of Chenliu is waiting."

"I-Is that so? Then I'll be on my way, Lady Yu Bi."

"What?! But you clearly said you would put me on the horse…"

"What are you doing? Get on already."

"…?"

Yu Bi's request I could brush off easily enough. Chosun's words, though, I could not ignore. Once she was on the horse, wasn't I supposed to be the coachman and lead from the front?

"You want me to ride too?"

"It's your horse. Who else is going to ride it? Get up here."

"Uh… but…"

"Did I not say His Majesty is waiting?"

"…"

No choice. I climbed up behind her at once and took the reins.

The resulting posture — my arms naturally encircling Chosun from behind — was thoroughly improper. Yu Bi's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Ah… Lord Do Yeop, why with Lady Chosun and not with me…"

Yu Bi reeled as if she might faint. Ignoring her, I spurred the horse hard. Hyah! Hyah!

We had galloped maybe a hundred paces when Chosun twisted around and fixed me with a freezing look.

"Stop. I'm getting off."

"What?"

Hee-hing! I reined in as ordered. Chosun leapt down at once; I dismounted after her and asked:

"Weren't we going back to His Majesty?"

"You're the only one going back. I have too much work to do."

"Why did you come out here in the first place? When I'm not around, aren't you supposed to stay at His Majesty's side?"

"Because the moment you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leave the palace, it's obvious you'll only go meet some woman and waste time. If I report this to His Majesty, he will be so very pleased."

"What are you— I ran into them by chance while I was working."

"Chance keeps happening this often? Are you trying to say a red thread of fate is tying you and Yu Bi together?"

"Red thread, my foot… I'm the victim here. Yu Bi showed up and I couldn't even finish what I was doing."

"And what exactly were you trying to do?"

"…"

That I could not say. Planting her inside Dong Zhuo's camp was already risk enough. If I let her meet Lü Bu on top of that, who knew what would happen.

"You can't answer, so it really was just an excuse to leave the palace and fool around with Yu Bi, wasn't it? Why not simply go back to Youzhou with her?"

"Go back? I'm not going anywhere until I've finished everything I came to do."

"Hmph. Return to the palace at once. I'm going to see Father."

Shashak!

And just like that, Chosun vanished like a kunoichi again. Seriously — could my luck get any worse?

Yu Bi following after spotting Red Hare I could accept. But running into Chosun on top of that?

The one silver lining: she hadn't seen me with Lü Bu. Tomorrow I would have to be more careful when I went looking for him.

The next morning, just as I had the day before, I rode Red Hare toward the residence of the Commander of the Imperial Guards. No matter how long I waited, though, Lü Bu showed no sign of coming outside.

Knock, knock…

I had no choice but to knock myself. The only person here who knew my face was Lü Bu, and even he had no idea I had been sent by Dong Zhuo, so there was nothing to worry about.

"Who is it?"

"Is Lord Lü Bu in? I've brought a letter from his wife, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and I have something I must deliver in person."

I pulled out the letter I had prepared just in case. Fortunately, the servant seemed illiterate — or at least couldn't make out what it said.

"What is it?"

Then it happened. A clear, refined woman's voice, and someone stepped into view. Her long hair was tied back; she carried a spear nearly as tall as she was.

"Lady Zhang Gong? This man says he brought a letter from Lord Lü Bu's household."

"Let him in. I will escort him myself."

Zhang Gong… could that be Zhang Liao? Maybe my luck wasn't completely rotten after all — in two days I might meet both of Ding Yuan's top officers.

I followed Zhang Liao into Ding Yuan's residence, snatching glances at her stats along the way.

Just as expected — stats every bit as dazzling as Lü Bu's. Under Ding Yuan, though, she was clearly nerfed; she hadn't been allowed to shine.

Looks were a different story. She was excellent. Dense lashes, clean classical features, a cool and refined beauty — hard to believe this was the same warrior who would one day make Wu's army wet themselves with eight hundred diehards.

"Anything of note in Bingzhou?"

"Same as usual. Gongsun Zan has been thrashing the Wuhuan lately, so everyone's attention is fixed that way. The problem is the Black ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Mountain Bandits running wild."

"If we could just get back to Bingzhou sooner, those scum wouldn't dare… but the Commander has been given such a weighty charge, there's nothing to be done."

She gave the impression of an ordinary soldier loyal to the state, simply swept up in the chaos of the age. Fair enough — limited to Ding Yuan and Cao Cao, she had more or less done her duty as a Han subject.

So how had she ended up following Lü Bu? Nowhere else to go? Or was there some side of her I didn't know?

"Who is that man?"

"Commander!"

Ding Yuan appeared in front of Zhang Liao and me. How did I recognize him so fast?

Because I'd already met him when he came to Chwiwharu!

Whoosh…

I snapped my head away. If Ding Yuan recognized me, everything was finished.

"I was told Fengxian's wife sent a letter from Bingzhou, so I'm taking him in."

"Is that so? I thought you'd gone and brought home some man. Hahaha…"

Thankfully, Ding Yuan didn't recognize me at all. We'd only crossed paths once, and my station had been so low he probably hadn't bothered to remember.

"That aside… you've grown even prettier lately, haven't you?"

And then the atmosphere turned thoroughly uncomfortable. Ding Yuan didn't care that I was standing right there. He stepped right up to Zhang Liao and openly appraised her beauty.

"You flatter me."

"A single blossom, nothing less. Once we cut down Dong Zhuo, the court will grant a great reward. Perhaps even a proper official post for you. In that spirit — will you share a cup with me tonight? In my bedchamber, of course."

Blatant sexual power harassment. At Chwiwharu I'd taken him for a vigorous old hero showing off his prime. Watching this, he was just a greasy department head who couldn't read the room and hit on the new female hire.

"I-I am a poor drinker. It would not be very entertaining."

"Still so shy around me? Can't be helped, then. Ah — when we strike Dong Zhuo, I'll give you the rear guard."

"The rear guard…? Did you not say you would give me the vanguard?"

"It's already been decided for Wei Xu. See you later."

"…"

Ding Yuan walked past with a greasy smile. Zhang Liao's face went beyond despair — it turned deathly pale, and she trembled.

Now I understood what Lü Bu had meant yesterday. Ding Yuan was a man who actively exploited the game of lord and female officer.

Zhang Liao had the looks and the skill to be marked as Lü Bu's replacement, but she refused his bed, so he was thoroughly spiteful.

Giving the vanguard to Wei Xu just now was another twist of the knife to make her more desperate. Ugh… how am I supposed to feel sorry for this?

"Lord Lü, this is the man who brought a letter from your hometown."

Regardless, we reached Lü Bu's room. Lü Bu turned, saw me, and her expression hardened at once.

"Is that so? Leave us."

"What? If it isn't urgent, I have something to say as well."

"Later. Go."

"…"

Zhang Liao drooped and left the room. And in that moment, I noticed something enormous.

It was the way Zhang Liao looked at Lü Bu. Completely different from how she looked at Ding Yuan — a gaze full of the quiet ache of someone gazing at a beloved.

So that was why she refused Ding Yuan's bed — because of Lü Bu? And the reason she had followed that complete scoundrel to the end was the same: there was affection between them as man and woman.

"Why did you come here under false pretenses?"

"I wanted to see you, but I was afraid it would put ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you at a disadvantage."

"Even so, this is improper. Leave at once."

"I'll let you ride Red Hare. Won't you race with me a while and share a little conversation?"

"…"

It was too good an offer to refuse. Lü Bu seemed to hesitate, then nodded and followed me out.

Hyah! Hyah!

We left Luoyang and galloped a long way across the open fields. When I finally climbed a rise, Lü Bu was already there, stroking Red Hare's mane — she had arrived long before me.

"Remarkable. The horse is old, yet not slow in the least. And you yourself are a rider of no small skill — yet you could not keep up with Red Hare at all."

"That's why they call it a treasure horse. Only you are truly worthy of it, my lord."

"What do you mean by that?"

What else? I was about to make an offer she couldn't refuse. I scanned the surroundings carefully and confirmed we were alone.

"I hear that in the fight against Dong Zhuo, Ding Yuan is putting Wei Xu — not you — in the vanguard. How did that come about?"

"It is the Commander's decision. It is not for me to question."

"And before that it was Zhang Liao, I hear. Why should a peerless hero like you be treated as third in line?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I am trying to show you the proper path. A fine bird chooses its tree; a wise vassal chooses a lord worth serving. Ding Yuan is not a vessel large enough to hold you."

"Shut your mouth. Who sent you?"

Only then did Lü Bu realize I was no marketplace idler. I dismounted at once and clasped my fists in salute.

"Lord Dong sent me. From afar, watching you ride, he declared that not a single cavalry warrior of Liangzhou could compare, and he recognized your worth in an instant. He said a frail horse was unfit for one such as you, and entrusted Red Hare to me to deliver."

"You deceived me? A dog of Dong Zhuo dares invade the Commander's house?"

Shing! Lü Bu drew her blade at once. My ass clenched, true enough — but I still had things to say.

"Even if Ding Yuan strikes Lord Dong, what do you gain? The good posts will go to those who share his bed. You will end up riding that old, shabby horse he gave you and returning alone to Bingzhou."

"Will you not shut up?"

"But Lord Dong is different. He has only just arrived from Liangzhou; he has no ties at court. If there is someone willing to throw their life away for him alone, he will use them heavily and repay them without fail. Lord Lü! Make your decision. If you bring him Ding Yuan's head, Lord Dong will treat you as a son."

I had said everything. No exaggeration, no stretch. Only words that struck Lü Bu's private torment head-on.

So answer me. Say you'll go back right now, kill Ding Yuan, and go to Dong Zhuo…

Whoosh!

Instead, Lü Bu answered by leveling her sword at me. Huh? That… was not how my calculation went.

"If you thought I would fall for such cheap words, you were badly mistaken. Regrettable — but your head comes off here."

"…"

You. Traitor. Slave of three surnames. Your hobby is cutting down your own masters!

I handed over Red Hare and spelled out every reason she should kill Ding Yuan — so why was she suddenly playing the incarnation of loyalty?

But there was not a flicker of hesitation in Lü Bu's eyes. She really meant to cut me down and report everything to Ding Yuan. Then what?

She had left the Sky Piercer behind, so the martial gap between us was only four. Enough that I could trade a few blows and still run.

The problem was that I had already given her Red Hare. Moments ago I had struggled just to catch up — with that kind of mobility gap, could I even escape?

"Stop this at once!"

"…?!"

Then, from the rise I had thought empty, another voice rang out. A woman's voice — and one I knew.

Dadadadadak!!!

She had ridden hard for a long stretch before she reached the top of the rise. Sanpaku eyes flashing, she glared at Lü Bu.

None other than Chosun.

What are you doing here? Have you been tailing me this whole time?

And then, from Lü Bu's mouth, came a single line that overturned everything I thought I knew.

"You're… alive?"

"…?"

They knew each other?