Lü Bu of Horoguan (1)
The coalition meeting had ended, but night had fallen deep, and the lights in Cao Cao's tent still burned. Outside the flaps, the footsteps of patrolling soldiers echoed faintly, while inside, only the crackle of candle flames filled the silence.
Cao Cao sat at the table, idly toying with his wine cup. Before him stood a man with cold, piercing eyes, seated in perfect composure without a hint of disarray—the strategist Jin Gong, who had cast aside his post as magistrate of Zhongmou County like a worn rag to pledge himself to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao set down his cup with a deep sigh. "Jin Gongdai."
"Yes, my lord."
"What do you make of that young general we saw at the meeting... Seowon? The one who beheaded the scourge of the realm, Hua Xiong, and showed up with a fool like Yuan Shu at his back."
Cao Cao's mind was consumed by thoughts of Seowon. That calm expression as he tossed Hua Xiong's head; the immovable poise of a mountain amid the lords' bluster. Above all, those eyes lingered in his memory.
Jin Gong set down his teacup with measured calm and spoke. "You mean the general who slew Hua Xiong. In my view, he is a fierce warrior comparable to... no, surpassing Yan Liang and Wen Chou of Yuan Shao's forces."
"If he were merely a fierce warrior, I wouldn't be like this. Yan Liang and Wen Chou are brave but lack wisdom—mere brutish fools. But this Seowon is different. The feeling... it's utterly strange."
Cao Cao thumped his chest. "My heart is pounding. If I can't make him mine, he'll become the sharpest blade aimed at my throat one day—I sense it."
Jin Gong trusted Cao Cao's instincts. From his sleeve, he drew a small secret report and placed it on the table. "Your insight is as keen as ever, my lord. This is detailed intelligence from our spies on the Battle of Yangdong Plain."
"Oh, already? Let me see."
Cao Cao hurriedly unrolled the missive and scanned it. His narrowed eyes widened gradually, then filled with shock. "This... it can't be..."
He slammed the report down, letting out a gasp. "Is this true? Beating Hua Xiong in single combat was just the start!"
Jin Gong nodded gravely. "Indeed. According to the report, upon arriving at Sun Jian's starving army, Seowon immediately distributed rations—not meat, but porridge first, to protect the soldiers' stomachs. A judgment impossible without profound knowledge of army provisioning and medicine."
"He knew rich meat is poison to the starved."
"That's not all. He had the soldiers cook meat to lure the enemy with the scent—a perfect deception exploiting their greed. When Hua Xiong fell into the trap, he sowed chaos with fire and annihilated them with ambushing reserves."
Cao Cao shivered. This was no mere warrior's ploy. Military tactics, martial skill, leadership—all perfectly honed. A complete talent.
"Gongdai, in your eyes, how do Sun Jian—Sun Wenda—and Seowon compare?"
Jin Gong pondered briefly, then spoke with the decisiveness of a blade through bamboo. "Sun Wenda is Jiangdong's tiger, but we could suppress him if we faced him."
"Why do you think so?"
"He has hot blood but lacks the wisdom to read the full board. Impulsive and straightforward, he'd fall into traps nine times out of ten if lured by schemes."
Jin Gong's eyes gleamed coldly. "But Seowon is different. He wields both civil and military prowess. He sets the board with strategy and completes it with force. Most astonishing is how he has that tricky lord Yuan Shu dancing in his palm."
"Yuan Shu dances to him?"
"Yuan Shu is suspicious and envious by nature. Yet he delegated full authority to Seowon. Even at the meeting, he boasted proudly when Seowon spoke up. Proof that Seowon has mastered even Yuan Shu's psyche."
Cao Cao rubbed his dry face. Greed boiled within. "Yuan Shu's army gains Sun Wenda, and now a new monster... Not under me, Mengde, but that fool. Wasteful! Heaven's gift dumped in the gutter!"
He sprang up, pacing the tent. "Gongdai, we must recruit him. By any means!"
Jin Gong advised coolly. "Not yet. He's rising fast in Yuan Shu's ranks with thick favor. We still don't know if his loyalty is feigned or genuine."
"Then what?"
"Bide our time. In this Horoguan battle, against the invincible Lü Bu, his true worth will show again. Then we aid him, earn his debt—or widen the rift with Yuan Shu."
Jin Gong concluded with conviction. "We'll watch, but his talent is that of a qilin. If you claim him, my lord, the great cause advances a decade ahead."
Cao Cao sat, refilled his cup, and murmured toward Horoguan. "Seowon... I'll be watching. How you'll move before that giant trial, Lü Bu."
At the same hour, in coalition leader Yuan Shao's camp. The mood here was murderously tense, unlike Cao Cao's.
"Grind..." Yuan Shao gnashed his teeth, hurling his cup to the floor. "Insolent bastard! That upstart dares lift his head before me?"
Behind his fuming lord, advisor Feng Ji fanned the flames subtly. "Preserve your health, my lord. To lose composure over some brat Seowon—unbecoming of the Yuan clan head."
"Exactly! If only Yan Liang and Wen Chou were here! They mock me for lacking generals? And that nobody Seowon flips my table?"
Yuan Shao seethed. As the Yuan clan's illegitimate son, he harbored deep inferiority toward legitimate half-brother Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu's feats, his own inaction—it drove him mad.
Feng Ji read his flushed face perfectly. "No cause for rage, my lord—but vigilance. Left unchecked, Yuan Shu could seize coalition leadership."
Yuan Shao's brows twitched. Feng Ji whispered low. "Rear General takes Hua Xiong and grows bold. His insolence toward you, the leader, oversteps. If they take Lü Bu too? The world will hail Rear General Yuan Shu the hero, not you."
"Th-then what? No general ready now!"
Feng Ji's lips curled slyly. "If you can't be the hero, stop others from becoming one."
"How?"
"Many ways. Delay their grain supply by a day or two. Block their retreat under pretext of other lords' formations. Lü Bu is the realm's fiercest; a little rear chaos, and Seowon and Yuan Shu will be busy saving their necks."
Yuan Shao's eyes gleamed. Overthrowing Dong Zhuo paled against his half-brother's success. This was the anti-Dong coalition leader's true face.
"Good. Very good... Watch, Gonglu. If you can laugh before Lü Bu."
Feng Ji smiled triumphantly, folding his fan. His lord's jealousy was ever the easiest weapon.
The next dawn. Yuan Shu's camp. I hurried the march preparations. Morale pierced the heavens, but I tempered that fire calmly. The foe was Lü Bu. Zeal alone couldn't breach that wall.
"General."
My adjutant reported. "As ordered, fifty carts loaded with gold and jewels—the finest from Nanyang's stores."
He swallowed hard. The wealth rivaled a small city's annual budget. Scale only Yuan Shu could match.
Observing, Yuan Shu grumbled regretfully. "Hey, Seowon. Really dump it all? My hard-earned coin..."
Lavish yet greedy, Yuan Shu. I smiled reassuringly. "My lord, not dumping. Planting."
"Planting?"
"Sowing seeds of greed. Lü Bu's men are strong. But Xiliang wolves, starved on barren soil. They chase profit over discipline."
I hefted a gold ingot, gleaming in morning sun. "Toss them this meat, and they'll bite before their master's command. Lü Bu roars, but blind their eyes to duty—done."
I unrolled the map, pointing to terrain before Horoguan. "Expected path for Lü Bu's formation. Place carts 'accidentally' overturned in woods and valleys. Spill ingots visibly."
"Hm... Distract 'em picking?"
"Yes. And loose spies with rumors."
I lowered my voice. "Yuan Shu fled in fear, dumped treasure carts. Lü Bu conspires with Yuan Shu for bribes."
Yuan Shu's eyes bulged like ping-pong balls. No mere disruption—sowing discord between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu.
"Divide and conquer!"
"Precisely. Dong Zhuo's paranoid. Rumors of Lü Bu taking massive bribes from the enemy—can he fully trust him?"
"Hahaha! Ruthless, ruthless! Seowon, eels in that head of yours?"
Yuan Shu roared with laughter. Fear gone, glee at toying with the world's top warrior with mere coin filled him.
"Fine! Hunt Lü Bu with my gold! No regrets. Beat him, enter Luoyang—more treasure awaits!"
Before Horoguan, buffer zone. Fog-shrouded dawn path. Yuan Shu's convoy moved stealthily, planting treasure carts along Lü Bu's route. Not just placed—wheels smashed, carts tipped, spilling contents.
Clank. Rattle. Gold, silver, silk, jade pearls scattered on dirt.
"That's it. Withdraw!"
Soon after Yuan Shu's men vanished, earth trembled. Lü Bu's ten thousand elite Xiliang cavalry burst from Horoguan's gates.
At the fore, Lü Bu on his Red Hare, brandishing his Sky Piercer with majestic flair. "Today I take Yuan Shu's head and trample the coalition! Charge!"
"Waaah!"
Their momentum blanketed mountains. But it faltered quick. Vanguard halted abruptly.
"Huh? What's that?"
"Gold! It's gold!"
Spilled ingots seized their gaze. Treasure beyond dreams.
"Yuan Shu fled and dumped it!"
"Finder's keepers!"
Ranks crumbled. Soldiers dropped spears, dismounted to grab. Those behind flipped at the sight.
"Move! Mine!"
"Bastard! I saw first!"
Chaos reigned. Command paralyzed, greed ruled.
From rear, Lü Bu raged at the sight. "Useless fools! Blinded by gold, breaking formation? Back or die!"
Quietly, he summoned Hou Cheng: gather it all.
Lü Bu whipped as he went, futile. Thousands, tens of thousands mired in greed. Even officers pocketed ingots slyly.
Then rumors spread. "Heard? General Lü Bu already took a huge cut from Yuan Shu."
"What? For real? We bleed, he pockets?"
"Grab ours! Fight unfair?"
Morale shook. Respect for Lü Bu turned suspicion, resentment.
Lü Bu near-mad with fury. "Who spreads this lie? Find him—off with his head!"
His roar drowned in greedy brawls.
Through the turmoil, the anti-Dong coalition emerged. Yuan Shu's banner center, flanked by Gongsun Zan's and Cao Cao's.
At Yuan Shu's vanguard, I overlooked the pandemonium. As planned. Toothless tiger—or bloated swine herd.
"Yuan Shao, Cao Cao—behold money's power."
Yuan Shu cackled.
But Lü Bu was Lü Bu. Amid chaos, he rallied hundreds of guards, charging forward, face crimson with rage.
"Yuan Shu!! Your vile trick! No petty plays—face my piercer!!"
His bellow tore the air. Even rotten, finest warrior. Coalition troops faltered under his aura.
Gongsun Zan charged boldly spear-first, blocked three piercer strikes—helmet flew, fled in terror.
"Mon... monster! Not human!"
Coalition morale plummeted.
Then, from Gongsun Zan's rear, three stepped forth. Big-eared Liu Bei Xuande. Long-bearded Guan Yu Yunzhang. Tiger-whiskered Zhang Fei Yide.
No fanfare. No banners, ragged armor. Amid splendid lords, like lost peasants.
Murmurs rose. Scornful, dismissive stares. History: mocked, chased off.
But not this time. I was here.
I approached Yuan Shu, whispering low but certain. "My lord, see them."
"Eh? Those ragtags?"
"Yes. Others judge by looks, dismiss. To me, peerless warriors. Especially the red and black faces—matchless heroes, one against thousands."
"Ho... that's your eye?"
"Yes. As lords scorn them, step forth, acknowledge, give chance. Win the realm's hearts and strongest blades."
Yuan Shu's lips curved. Superiority of spotting overlooked pearls; above all, screwing over haughty leader Yuan Shao thrilled him.
"Amusing. Very."
He straightened his robes, ready to advance.
Far off, Lü Bu glared arrogantly. Storm's eve. Stage for history's Three Heroes vs. Lü Bu about to rise.
Save this director was me, Seowon.