23. The Era of Heroes Begins (4)
23. The Era of Heroes Begins (4)
Lu Bu accepted Dong Zhuo's proposal.
To signify her oath of loyalty, she decided to become Dong Zhuo's adopted daughter. Dong Zhuo was overjoyed, appointing her as a General of the Feathered Forest and granting her a large fief.
"You said we needed to get closer to kill Dong Zhuo, right? If I become his adopted daughter, there'll be plenty more opportunities to strike."
"That's true, but... why have you become so smart? You're not actually Lu Fengxian, are you?"
"Shut your trap, you bastard."
Lu Bu scowled at Lee Seong-hwi's words.
Lee Seong-hwi wore an expression of being thoroughly shocked by Lu Bu, whose intelligence seemed to be increasing by the day.
Our Lu Bu,
Is suddenly getting smart!
And that Lu Bu... the very synonym for simple-mindedness, had started to 'think' on her own!
"Good god."
"I told you to shut up!"
Lu Bu became Dong Zhuo's adopted daughter.
Rumors circulated that just as she killed her adoptive father Ding Yuan, Lu Bu would eventually kill Dong Zhuo too.
A warrior with no trace of loyalty to be found.
The rumors surrounding Lu Bu began to grow more ominous by the day. There was even a malicious rumor that she was a slut with three fathers.
"I'll buy you a big meal later."
"You're going to pay me off with just a meal? Just be my servant for the rest of your life. Repay your debt with that."
"For life? Aren't you undervaluing me a bit too much?"
Lu Bu genuinely intended to work Lee Seong-hwi to the bone for the rest of his life.
She didn't know exactly how she would work him, but she hummed a tune, thinking that by making him owe a huge debt, she had gained a justification to keep him by her side.
The tyranny of Dong Zhuo's army was becoming more severe by the day.
People started dying every other day, and Dong Zhuo's relatives and subordinates sucked the blood of the people by flaunting Dong Zhuo's authority.
They massacred the people horribly.
They killed all the men and cut off their heads, while the subordinates divided the women among themselves like pieces of property. They even went so far as to loot the tombs of the Han Dynasty emperors to steal their treasures.
I can't stand by and watch anymore.
Cao Cao, a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty, planned to kill Dong Zhuo even if it meant sacrificing her own life.
However,
"Die, you traitor!!"
While Dong Zhuo was passing through the palace corridor, a subject who had been bowing his head in submission pulled a small knife from his sleeve and lunged at him.
The subject who carried out the assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo was Yueqi Colonel Wu Bu. Unable to bear the atrocities of Dong Zhuo's army, he swung a sharp dagger to kill Dong Zhuo.
"You bastard!!"
Dong Zhuo shouted in a hurry.
Wu Bu deliberately waited until Dong Zhuo came close before swinging the dagger.
But the dagger did not reach him.
He had aimed the dagger precisely at the heart, but since Dong Zhuo always wore armor under his official robes, the small dagger could not pierce it.
"Chancellor!"
"What are you doing! Arrest Wu Bu immediately!"
Imperial guards poured in from all sides.
Some of them shielded Dong Zhuo, while the others arrested Wu Bu or forced the other subjects in the corridor to kneel, bringing the situation under control.
Wu Bu was brought down as if he were a beast.
After snatching the dagger from his hand, they beat him thoroughly by swinging the shafts of their spears.
'Armor under his official robes...! This cunning bastard!'
Cao Cao gritted her teeth.
She happened to be planning the assassination of Dong Zhuo with Minister of Education Wang Yun at the time.
But Wu Bu had been faster than her.
Yueqi Colonel Wu Bu had boldly attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo, but it ended in failure.
"A stupid fool who cannot understand my benevolence as vast as the sea."
Dong Zhuo wore an indifferent expression.
He spat on the floor while watching Wu Bu being dragged away by the imperial guards.
"Mengde."
"Yes...!"
Suddenly, Dong Zhuo called Cao Cao.
Cao Cao, who had been quietly kneeling, replied while struggling to maintain a poker face.
"You are clever, so you must be different from those ignorant fools. Are you not?"
"Yes, that is correct."
His gaze seemed to pierce through her inner thoughts.
She felt confused, fearing that her secret assassination plot had been discovered.
But she absolutely did not show it.
If she were discovered now, everything would be over. Knowing that not only she, but her entire clan would be wiped out for treason, she handled the situation as calmly as possible.
"Hua Xiong."
"Yes, Chancellor."
"Investigate that fellow Wu Bu thoroughly. Who knows if there are other groups of idiots who don't understand my will? Torture him until he begs to be killed, and find out the names hidden behind him."
"Understood."
Cao Cao had no acquaintance with Yueqi Colonel Wu Bu.
Thanks to that, she was not on the list of suspects.
Furthermore, since Cao Cao was known as a close associate of Dong Zhuo, there were no suspicious glances directed at her.
"Ahem. To think that the Yueqi Colonel was preparing for such a great undertaking."
Minister of Education Wang Yun trembled his fists.
The loyal subject's undertaking had failed.
The traitor who shook the Han Dynasty could have died today, but the assassination failed, blocked by his sinister cunning.
Wang Yun, having heard about the incident from Cao Cao, called her to his mansion and had a private meeting.
"It is difficult to mobilize the General of the Feathered Forest. Dong Zhuo suspects all the surrendered generals of Ding Yuan's army. The same likely goes for Lu Bu, whom he has adopted as a daughter."
Dong Zhuo has a very cunning and meticulous personality.
He is always protected by imperial guards.
Furthermore, the generals leading the imperial guards are Hua Xiong and Xu Rong, known as the fierce generals of Dong Zhuo's army. Penetrating their guard to successfully assassinate him was near impossible.
"But I am fine. I am called a close associate of Dong Zhuo, so the imperial guards do not search my body. Besides, I am... a woman, so Dong Zhuo will likely have his guard down."
I can kill the traitor.
If it's me, it's entirely possible.
Cao Cao showed strong confidence, saying she could kill the traitor of the Han Dynasty in the near future.
"Dong Zhuo always wears armor. I hear he wears it except when he sleeps. He is very thorough in guarding his own person."
Wang Yun brought a small chest.
Inside that chest sat a precious sword, crude but sharp, possessing an edge capable of piercing any armor.
The Seven-Star Sword.
Wang Yun claimed it was a precious sword passed down through his family for generations, and he was confident that this sword could easily pierce Dong Zhuo's armor.
Cao Cao lifted the Seven-Star Sword.
It was the right size for a woman's hand to swing and thrust with ease.
A small and sharp precious sword.
It was clearly a weapon specialized for assassination.
"However, your family..."
"My family and the Xiahou clan are all staying in Yan Province. The Prefect of Chenliu, Zhang Miao, is an old friend of mine, so he will surely look after them."
According to the original plan, she had intended to flee Luoyang and prepare to raise an army in Yan Province.
Join forces with the Prefect of Bohai, Yuan Shao, to strike Dong Zhuo.
She had intended to form an alliance with the numerous Guandong Warlords and punish the great evil that is Dong Zhuo.
But things had become difficult.
The number of troops joining Dong Zhuo was starting to increase.
No one can defeat Dong Zhuo.
Rather than watching countless innocent lives disappear in war, it seemed like a wiser decision to risk her life and punish Dong Zhuo.
"I will not stop you. However, think about it again. You are still young. It is too precious a life to risk."
Whether the assassination fails or succeeds,
It will be impossible to escape the scene safely.
The probability of failure is high, nine times out of ten.
Besides, she is a woman. If she were caught by soldiers, there is no telling what would happen to her. Therefore, Wang Yun expressed deep concern, telling her to think it over again.
"I am the one who killed Jian Shuo's relative. What is there for me to fear that would prevent me from punishing Dong Zhuo?"
I will cut off Dong Zhuo's head with the Seven-Star Sword.
If I cut off that head and throw it on the floor, the great traitor of the Han Dynasty will be removed.
Like Jing Ke, the assassin who targeted the tyrant Qin Shi Huang, I will be able to carve my name into long history as a righteous hero.
Xiahou Dun does not know about this.
If he had known, he would have shouted his absolute opposition and laid down on the floor. Cao Cao apologized to him in her heart, then tucked the Seven-Star Sword into her robes and gathered her thoughts.
Cao Cao headed straight for the Prime Minister's Office.
With the Seven-Star Sword tucked into her robes, she moved forward while receiving salutes from numerous military officials.
Now, there wasn't much left until the Prime Minister's Office.
Having reached the vicinity of the Prime Minister's Office without undergoing any inspections, Cao Cao let out a deep sigh and took a deep breath.
"Where are you going, Miss?"
Lee Seong-hwi, who had been leaning against a wall, asked.
As if he had been waiting for her to come, he approached her as soon as he saw Cao Cao, acting as if he knew her.
Cao Cao's face stiffened.
Lee Seong-hwi is one of the guests staying at Minister of Education Wang Yun's mansion. She thought Wang Yun must have tipped him off.
But Wang Yun had not told anyone.
Because it was a matter requiring maximum confidentiality, he kept it a secret even from Lee Seong-hwi, whom he trusted most among his guests.
The reason Lee Seong-hwi found out was because he had heard from Diaochan that Wang Yun and Cao Cao had a private meeting alone.
"I really, really... am not the type to meddle in other people's business, you know? But, I can't just stand by and watch a beautiful woman jump into a pointless death."
"Pointless death? What are you trying to say?"
"Do you know who's standing guard for Dong Zhuo right now? It's Hua Xiong, Hua Xiong. That monstrous bald guy who can blow a person's head off with his bare hands."
Was Hua Xiong on guard duty today?
Cao Cao nodded silently after hearing Lee Seong-hwi's words.
Dong Zhuo likes alcohol and women.
So Cao Cao had intended to use a honey trap to get Dong Zhuo drunk, and then slit the throat of Dong Zhuo, who would soon fall fast asleep.
"So back off."
"I understand what you are saying. However, I have resolved to die for the Han Dynasty as a woman. Do not block my resolve."
"I'm telling you to avoid it because it'll be a pointless death!"
"Shut up! You are not in a position to say such things to me. You, who tried to stop Dong Zhuo's great army all by yourself, are the very symbol of a pointless death!"
"We're not having a pointless death contest here. Just go if I tell you to go! Why are you so stubborn? You're not some snot-nosed kid. That's why you still haven't gotten married."
"Shut up!"
As Lee Seong-hwi kept hitting a sore spot, Cao Cao turned red and shouted loudly.
Child-like physique.
An old maid who still hasn't married.
He specifically picked and poked at the things Cao Cao was sensitive about.
"If you go any further, the imperial guards are spread out everywhere. This is the last place where I can stop you."
The place where Lee Seong-hwi and Cao Cao were talking was a secluded spot.
A garden where the imperial family grows flowers.
Fortunately, this is the only place in the imperial palace with few people. Thanks to that, they were able to talk openly like this.
"Who are you to me to oppose me? I have already resolved to die, so move aside. If I die... please tell my family that I died fighting valiantly."
"I told you not to die!"
There is no stubbornness like this stubbornness.
She is so stubborn that it makes one click their tongue, despite looking like a small child. She claimed she was prepared to die, while throwing a tantrum for him to move aside immediately.
"What is going on here?"
A voice came from behind them.
Lee Seong-hwi's eyes widened upon hearing the middle-aged man's voice.
It was a voice that should not have been heard.
Knowing who the owner of that voice was, Lee Seong-hwi couldn't even think of turning his head immediately, and his whole body stiffened.
"You are in the presence of the Chancellor. Pay your respects immediately!"
Hua Xiong shouted.
Only after hearing that shout could Lee Seong-hwi turn his head and see the owner of the voice.
The Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo.
He appeared in the garden, escorted by dozens of imperial guards. He didn't know why he had come all the way here, but the obese man being escorted by Hua Xiong was definitely Dong Zhuo.
It's Dong Zhuo.
Dong Zhuo is here.
Cao Cao was just as tense.
She was also nervous, sweating down her back, as she hadn't expected Dong Zhuo to come all the way here either.
'No. There are too many of them. If I rashly put my hand into my robes, I'll be killed by Hua Xiong right there...!'
Cao Cao swallowed dryly.
Her instincts were warning her not to draw her sword here.
There is zero chance of success.
Hua Xiong and the imperial guards. It was impossible to break through them and assassinate Dong Zhuo right here. Rather, she would be caught on the spot.
"I have something I would like to tell the Chancellor."
Lee Seong-hwi opened his mouth.
While kneeling and paying his respects, he looked at Dong Zhuo's face and spoke.