24. The Era of Heroes Begins (5)
24. The Era of Heroes Begins (5)
I nudged Cao Cao in the ribs with my elbow and opened my mouth.
"I heard that Cao Cao Mengde has a rare precious sword she wishes to present to Chancellor-nim."
"Cao Cao Mengde... wants to give me a precious sword?"
Dong Zhuo looked surprised at my words.
Soon, Dong Zhuo, Hua Xiong, and even the guards beside them turned their gazes toward Cao Cao. I, too, stared intensely at Cao Cao.
Please, don't ruin the mood here.
I'm putting my life on the line right now to save you. So, suppress that momentary hot-headedness and think with cold rationality.
How you can survive.
And how you can escape this predicament.
"What are you doing? Take it out."
I urged her once more.
Cao Cao looked unsure of what expression to make, but soon, she pulled the Seven-Star Sword from her bosom.
It was a precious sword with a crude design.
Dong Zhuo looked skeptical about whether the sword Cao Cao pulled out was a real precious sword, but he ended up taking the Seven-Star Sword from her.
"Ooh!"
He drew the sword from its scabbard.
Then, a sharpness that seemed capable of piercing even steel emanated from it.
Dong Zhuo must have seen countless precious swords in his life, but the Seven-Star Sword must have been top-tier, as he was so amazed he forgot to maintain his composure.
"In all my life, I've never seen such a precious sword! Truly a magnificent blade...! Where did you obtain such a sword?"
"She said she spent a vast fortune to acquire it for the sake of Chancellor-nim. Ah, that is what Cao Cao Mengde told me."
I cut in to answer Dong Zhuo's question on behalf of Cao Cao, who was about to speak.
I don't know what this woman might say.
As the precious sword she received from Minister of Education Wang Yun fell into Dong Zhuo's hands, Cao Cao bit her lower lip and looked frustrated.
But it couldn't be helped.
If she had attempted the assassination right there, she would have been subdued by the guards before the blade was even drawn.
"To think I would receive such a precious sword from Mengde, I shall accept it with great gratitude. How did you know I especially love precious swords? Hahahaha, today is a very good day!"
Dong Zhuo suggested a drinking party to Cao Cao.
He coaxed Cao Cao, saying he wanted to drink heavily to express his gratitude for the gift of the precious sword.
However, Cao Cao adamantly refused.
Dong Zhuo looked displeased at Cao Cao's attitude in refusing the drinking party, but when he looked at the Seven-Star Sword in his grasp, he smiled brightly.
It seems he really likes the precious sword.
To think that Dong Zhuo would make such a goofy face.
"Please forgive us, Chancellor-nim. Today is Mengde's 'monthly visitor'..."
"Ahem. I didn't know there were such circumstances. I truly lacked sensitivity."
Dong Zhuo cleared his throat at my words.
Cao Cao began to glare at me with sharp eyes for answering on her behalf.
'Monthly visitor' refers to a woman's period.
That means I essentially told Dong Zhuo that Cao Cao is on her period today and is in a very sensitive state.
"I will accept the precious sword with gratitude. Then, let us have a drinking party later. And make sure the General of the Feathered Forest attends the drinking party as well."
"Thank you, Chancellor-nim."
"Hahahaha!"
Dong Zhuo entered the Prime Minister's Office again, escorted by Hua Xiong.
Only now could I breathe a sigh of relief.
I let out a deep breath and wiped away cold sweat. I was so tense that my legs were trembling, to the point where I couldn't even stand up.
I barely escaped a life-or-death crisis.
If I hadn't used my wits... both of us might have been dead.
"Thank you."
Cao Cao said.
I asked back at her unexpected words.
"For what?"
"For saving me."
I thought Cao Cao would complain to me.
'If it weren't for you, I might have succeeded in the assassination,'
'Why did you interfere with me...' I had expected her to launch an offensive against me in that manner.
But Cao Cao was a person who was more rational than anyone else. She acknowledged that her actions were a very rash folly and expressed her gratitude to me for saving her.
"So, what will you do now?"
I asked Cao Cao.
Then Cao Cao replied.
"I'm leaving. For Yan Province."
She said she would abandon her official post and leave.
Although she had become a favorite of Dong Zhuo and became a Xiaoqi Xiaowei, she said she would abandon that and join the warlords of Guandong.
Prefect of Bohai Yuan Shao formed the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition.
Because the warlords of the Guandong region joined, it was commonly called the Guandong Army, and its momentum was truly formidable as the number of troops exceeded 100,000.
"That impudent bitch!"
Dong Zhuo roared loudly.
He overturned the desk in front of him, openly displaying his rage in front of his subjects.
"Who was it that selected those local officials who declared they would kill me!!"
Dong Zhuo shouted at his subjects.
At those words, the subjects' gazes began to turn toward Minister of Education Wang Yun.
I want to defend Wang Yun if I could.
But Dong Zhuo's enraged appearance was so terrifying that I dared not step forward.
Now, the anger will soon fall upon Wang Yun.
The subjects watching him trembled. The chilling atmosphere was so heavy that it didn't even allow one to breathe.
"Zhou Bi, Wu Jing! It is clear that you bastards were colluding with the rebel army of Guandong and targeting me! What are you doing? Drag those traitors out immediately!!"
Dong Zhuo did not punish Wang Yun.
Instead, he called out Zhou Bi and Wu Jing, who were part of Wang Yun's faction, and had them executed.
The two subjects were dragged away.
Even seeing his right-hand men being dragged away, Wang Yun could not stop it at all. He just bowed his head and suppressed his anger.
"Don't think about using your head from now on, Minister of Education."
I only tolerate things once.
Dong Zhuo did not punish Wang Yun. This was because if he punished even Wang Yun, not a single high-ranking official sympathetic to him would remain.
"Chancellor-nim!"
Li Jue arrived at the side chamber.
Wearing armor, he strode up to Dong Zhuo.
"Chancellor-nim, Governor of Henei Wang Kuang has started a rebellion! They say his army has reached Sishui!"
"What!!"
Dong Zhuo shouted in surprise.
If it's Sishui, isn't that right near Luoyang!
The fact that Governor Wang Kuang, who rules Henei Commandery in Sili Province, is leading troops to invade Luoyang was a very uncomfortable situation for Dong Zhuo, who was already facing the Guandong Army.
"Furthermore... behind them, Guo Tai of the Baibo Bandits is leading a great army of 100,000. Chancellor-nim, this is no ordinary matter. If Governor of Henei Wang Kuang has joined hands with the Baibo Bandits..."
A great army of over 100,000 might cross Sishui all at once and attack Luoyang.
Li Jue was worried about exactly that.
Of course, if they fought against the enemy at the pass located in the rugged terrain, they could easily block the enemy's 100,000-strong army, but what Dong Zhuo was concerned about right now was the coalition led by Yuan Shao.
'Are they planning to aim for my throat from the front and back...! These damn things, bugs gathering in swarms and daring to attack me!'
Individually, they are nothing but small fry.
But as those small fry gathered in swarms, Dong Zhuo could not help but feel tense.
"Chancellor-nim, if you entrust the troops to me, I will bring back Wang Kuang's head!"
Li Jue said with conviction.
He revealed strong confidence, saying that if he led the troops with Guo Si to advance, he could unconditionally crush Wang Kuang, who knows nothing about military strategy.
But Dong Zhuo shook his head.
"You must take charge of Guandong. Hua Xiong, Guo Si, and Xu Rong must all rely on the pass and prepare for the traitors coming from Guandong."
"Then who..."
"Where is Lu Bu?"
It's a chance to verify the loyalty of his adopted daughter.
Dong Zhuo needed not just a relationship formed by words, but a military achievement he could see with his own eyes and trust.
He wanted to verify if her skills, called the Flying General in Bing Province, were truly a martial prowess worthy of being called Unrivaled Under Heaven in the future.
"You mean Lu Bu."
Li Ru pondered while pulling at his beard.
Li Ru, who had been thinking deeply, finally opened his mouth.
"Chancellor-nim's insight is correct. Leave Wang Kuang to Lu Bu. If it is her, she will surely be able to bring back news of victory from Henei Commandery."
The Lu Bu army is a separate organization from the Dong Zhuo army.
Although absorbed into the Dong Zhuo army, it was like a private military group that possessed a certain degree of independence.
The number was approximately 8,000.
Originally, the Ding Yuan army was a force exceeding 20,000.
However, the majority of the able-bodied men were swayed by high salaries and high official ranks, becoming the Dong Zhuo army.
The warriors currently remaining in the Lu Bu army were those who stayed, enduring disadvantages solely because they liked Lu Bu.
"But I wonder if they can really pull it off with 8,000..."
Dong Zhuo trailed off.
At those words, Li Ru said with a smirk.
"If she is truly the Flying General of Bing Province, wouldn't she be able to overcome the disparity in troops? To be called a Flying General in our Dong Zhuo army, she should have at least that much contribution."
Dong Zhuo considered Li Ru's words to be correct.
A general must win a war even if it means facing disadvantages. Since it was a matter of future trust, he pressured Lu Bu, saying she must succeed regardless of any disadvantages.
"Call Lu Bu, Li Ru."
"Understood. I will call Li Su and have him summon Lu Bu."
Governor of Henei Wang Kuang was an adjutant who had served under General-in-Chief He Jin, and he was renowned for his sense of justice. As he led the uprising, surrounding influential families gathered to support him.
The troops mobilized for the uprising were as many as tens of thousands.
Even knowing that fact, Li Ru issued a subjugation order to the Lu Bu army, which had only 8,000 troops, saying that they should verify Lu Bu's loyalty.
Cao Cao decided to leave for Yan Province.
She, who was about to mount her beloved horse Jueying, paused for a moment and turned her gaze toward me.
"And you?"
Cao Cao asked me for the last time.
Come with me to Yan Province.
I will raise an army in Yan Province, an army just for me. And I want you to take the position of second-in-command of that army.
Cao Cao had once proposed that to me.
And I remember clearly refusing her proposal.
"There is someone I have to protect by staying here. So, I am grateful for your proposal, young lady, but it's difficult to accept. Should I say I like her, or should I say I love her... It's still hard to sort out my feelings right now, but I think I will definitely regret it if I leave Luoyang. So, I will stay in Luoyang."
I told Cao Cao my inner thoughts.
At those words, she bit her lip firmly as if frustrated.
To the point where the tooth marks were clear,
Cao Cao looked genuinely frustrated.
"You, let's walk for a moment."
She suggested.
Thus, I ended up walking down the street with a beautiful black-haired beauty.
While walking down the street, we encountered numerous commoners.
Because Cao Cao was a very famous figure even in Luoyang, many people knew her face.
It was all thanks to that selfish appearance.
Isn't she one of the top beauties in Luoyang, just like Yuan Shao? Of course, our Lu Bu and Zhang Liao noona were also beauties, but it was Cao Cao who had reigned as a beauty of Luoyang for a long time.
Eventually, walking and walking, we arrived at the East Gate of Luoyang.
"Are you really not going to follow me?"
"You only have one horse, too."
I said, pointing to Cao Cao's beloved horse, Jueying.
At my question, Cao Cao blushed on her snow-white face and opened her lips.
"We, we could ride together. How about it, will you go to Yan Province with me?"
Cao Cao said as if confessing to a member of the opposite sex.
Struggling to endure the shyness,
Enduring the shame that seemed to paralyze her reason, she spoke to me.
A scene where many people were watching,
Because it happened in front of numerous commoners walking on the street, there were even some who stopped their steps to watch.
"Sorry, that would be difficult."
I sent another refusal.
At that, Cao Cao tried to say something to me but stopped, and after opening and closing her lips for a moment, she finally decided to give up on me.
"Can we meet again someday?"
Cao Cao asked.
It must be a question she asked because she knows she won't be able to return easily once she leaves for Yan Province.
She will soon join the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition.
Naturally, she will become an irreconcilable enemy of the Dong Zhuo army, and she will have to go through many hardships and trials to return to Luoyang.
I know.
Because I know,
Cao Cao asked me to join her several times.
"I have been watching you for a year."
She began to talk about me.
She said she first found out about me when I was a Gate Guard Colonel.
She said that at first, she just thought of me as a military officer who worked hard.
Then she said she realized that I had been moving around behind the scenes, keeping General-in-Chief He Jin and the Ten Eunuchs in check, and contacting imperial officials to prevent things that could harm Luoyang.
I indirectly saved countless commoners.
She evaluated that it was very impressive to see a person who was just a Gate Guard Colonel, not even a descendant of a prestigious family, trying to protect the people with all his might.
"Have you been watching me all this time? It's not like you're some obsessed woman... If so, why didn't you at least say hello?"
"I, I just didn't know what to say to greet you!"
Through her innocent answer, I realized that she was a virgin with absolutely no dating experience.
So she's still an old maid.
I wanted to say that, but I didn't want to be cut by the Yitian Sword, so I kept my mouth shut.
"I tried to make you my subordinate. Because I expected that if you cared for the Han Dynasty that much, you would understand my cause."
It seems Cao Cao had higher expectations of me than I thought.
If she thought of me as the number one recruit, setting aside all the talents in Luoyang where countless talents gathered, she must have wanted it very intensely.
But I decided not to follow her.
Because there is someone who needs me more.
Cao Cao will do well enough without me.
But she, who has to fight a life-and-death struggle stained with tragedy, needs my help.
"But since you are trying so hard to kick away a blessing, I will eventually have to swallow a bitter smile."
After wiping away that bitter smile, Cao Cao closed the distance between us in an instant and grabbed me by the collar.
And pulled me without mercy.
Bringing her face close, she gave me a passionate kiss on the lips.
Although it was a bland kiss without inserting her tongue, for Cao Cao, it must have been an act that required a great deal of courage.
"Ooh!"
"My goodness, how bold."
A commotion arose among the commoners.
The sight of Xiaoqi Xiaowei Cao Cao overlapping her lips with an outside man was a sight that would surprise anyone who saw it.
I inserted my tongue into her mouth.
After that, I enjoyed the sweet taste in her mouth, and after exchanging saliva, I ended the kiss.
Silence passed between the two for a moment.
Looking at each other for a moment, to her hesitating, I opened my mouth first.
"Don't look back, just go."
"Y-yeah... I... I understand."
Cao Cao nodded.
Finally choosing to part ways, she nodded and turned her bright red face away.
"Let's meet again later. Definitely."
After finishing her words, Cao Cao mounted Jueying.
After saying goodbye to me for the last time, she pulled the reins and urged the horse. As Jueying ran forward, she exited the East Gate.
To put an end to Dong Zhuo.
Leaving Luoyang, she heads to Yan Province.
September, 189 AD.
Xiaoqi Xiaowei Cao Cao fled to Yan Province.
She arrived straight in Yan Province, raised an army with the help of Prefect of Chenliu Zhang Miao and her relatives, and joined Yuan Shao's coalition, raising the banner of a great cause.
An order came down from the Prime Minister's Office.
Lead 8,000 troops and subjugate Governor of Henei Wang Kuang.
Lu Bu, who received that order, sought out Lee Seong-hwi before any other general.
Wang Kuang's army was as many as tens of thousands.
Generally speaking, there was no way to win. However, Lu Bu was confident that with Lee Seong-hwi's help, she could easily win.
"He just went toward the East Gate? Ah, the Xiaoqi Xiaowei was also beside him. Their faces were serious. It seems something is going on."
Lee Seong-hwi's adjutant said so.
At the news that he was with Cao Cao, that fire-fox-like woman, Lu Bu felt her temper boiling.
She immediately rode Red Hare and went to the East Gate.
Red Hare was faster than any other fine horse, and thanks to that, Lu Bu was able to arrive at the East Gate quickly.
And there, she saw.
Lee Seong-hwi having a passionate time with Cao Cao, sharing a hot kiss on the street.
'What on earth are they doing there! In front of everyone watching... Does that woman not know shame? And what is that guy accepting it for, what's so good about it! Even though he said he liked me!!'
Anger surged.
But this emotion was too hot and too cold to be called just anger.
Jealousy that her reason was stolen.
Yes, this emotion was definitely jealousy, which is scarier than anger. The emotion of jealousy burned Lu Bu's heart pitch black.
Grind.
She gritted her teeth.
People who watched that scene felt fear and terror to the point where they hesitated to approach Lu Bu, and naturally avoided her steps.
'Cao Cao. No, anyone... I won't tolerate anyone taking him away from me. I will kill anyone. Definitely.'
Ironically, it was after understanding the emotion of jealousy that Lu Bu became aware of the emotion of love.
There are people who only know that something was very precious to them after it has been taken away.
Lu Bu belonged to that case.
She, who was very ignorant of the emotion of love between the opposite sex, came to know the emotions of love and jealousy from the moment the fire-fox-like Cao Cao showed movements to take Lee Seong-hwi away.
"Huh?"
Cao Cao mounted her horse.
Then she left without even looking back.
What on earth happened? Lu Bu had thought that Cao Cao would run away with Lee Seong-hwi to set up a life together, but Cao Cao broke that expectation and left Luoyang alone.
Lee Seong-hwi finally turned his head.
And only then did he make eye contact with Lu Bu.
"...U-uh, how much did you see?"
It was a line that a husband caught in the act of cheating would usually say.