Dong Zhuo and the Xiongnu Prince (2)
Even if it seems quite different from what I thought, in the original history, this man swiftly seized control of the regime in Luoyang.
According to the records, Dong Zhuo took advantage of the chaos in Luoyang to secure Emperor Shao (Liu Yan) and Emperor Xian (Liu Xie) on the night of August 28 or the early morning of August 29.
The eighth month of 189 ended on the 29th, and on that very 29th, Dong Zhuo killed Zhang Yi.
It took Lü Bu’s persuasion and Dong Zhuo’s killing of Zhang Yi less than two days.
The next day, on September 1, Dong Zhuo deposed Emperor Shao.
In other words, it has only been two or three days since the deposition of Emperor Shao.
The death of Empress Dowager He was on September 3.
Up to this point, it has been four or five days.
This is Dong Zhuo’s speed in seizing power.
Among the four traitors represented by Wang Mang, Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, and Sima Yi… the second one, Dong Zhuo.
However, being one of the traitors of the fallen dynasty isn’t just an ignominious meaning of failing to uphold loyalty to the old dynasty.
These four men were either emperors or those who came closest to the throne.
Each had ugly aspects, but if they hadn’t had some advantages, they wouldn’t have gotten this far.
In other words, Dong Zhuo also has the ability to be half-proudly boasting about now.
“……So, the infantry and cavalry combined perfectly.”
Dong Zhuo’s insight is truly remarkable.
As he said, if it weren’t for the Xianbei’s nomadic nature, even after recovering the various commanderies lost in the previous wars—including Gaoliu County—Tanshihuai wouldn’t have withdrawn his army.
The strategy of “attacking Wei to rescue Zhao” hasn’t been experienced by anyone, has it?
Dong Zhuo saw through it without participating.
While keeping Zhang Yi and Zhang Yang’s forces as reserves, he sent Lü Bu’s forces forward to deliver the decisive blow.
Only when the battle was almost over did Dong Zhuo have the Xianbei forces under his direct command retreat northward by feeding arrows to the Xianbei army.
Hozheng laughed as if pleased with Dong Zhuo’s words.
“So it turned out that way. Although they were facing each other evenly, I was anxious about how long they could hold out.”
……This kind of display of prowess, enough to loosen the throats of the Xiongnu army, including Hozheng.
Actually, that prowess was done through Lü Bu without using his own troops.
The Xianbei heavy cavalry suffered almost no losses, and they used them to strike the retreating Xianbei army that had lost its strength, so it wasn’t without ‘merit’.
Since they didn’t recover the entire army’s territory, they couldn’t make a notable achievement, but that itself was an achievement that could be accepted in Luoyang as ‘appropriate judgment’.
If Dong Zhuo calculated all this, he’s truly a terrifying person… and if he did it with animalistic instinct without calculation, that’s even scarier.
Or……
I looked at the sharp-eyed man sitting next to Dong Zhuo.
He looked like a strategist at a glance.
Who could it be?
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, his role is as Dong Zhuo’s advisor, but in the official history, Jia Xu’s contributions were just killing Emperor Shao.
Then……
“Since we’re talking about it,”
Before I could deduce who Dong Zhuo’s strategist was, Dong Zhuo suddenly turned his head toward Lü Bu.
“Lü Bu’s bravery is truly remarkable. How about it? If I recommend you, would you come from Bing Province to Hedong Commandery?”
This is outrageous.
Lü Bu looked surprised.
Lü Bu’s eyes looked toward me.
No way.
Just as Zhang Yi was betrayed in the original history, I wouldn’t be betrayed here a few years later.
No… the real problem is that even if Lü Bu accepts Dong Zhuo’s proposal, he can’t call it a ‘betrayal’.
Lü Bu is my master, not a subordinate of the Xiongnu Khan.
He is not a subject of Yufuluo, the Left Wise King.
He belongs under the Xiongnu Zhonglang Jiang.
His body is bound by Han’s system.
In other words, if Dong Zhuo uses the Han’s recommendation system to say in Luoyang, “Dong Zhuo, the new Inspector of Bing Province, discovered this talent in Bing Province and would like to recommend him to serve under you in some official post,” there is no way to stop it.
As long as Emperor Liu Hong doesn’t say “no” or Lü Bu himself doesn’t reject Dong Zhuo’s proposal now.
Dong Zhuo immediately noticed that Lü Bu’s gaze was toward me.
“Is the Xiongnu prince you took as your disciple troubling you? You can bring the Xiongnu prince too. Grand Chanyu, the Xiongnu prince… so if the descendant of the Grand Chanyu follows me and leaves Bing Province, how about making him study in Luoyang?”
……All the positive evaluations I made today are canceled. This cunning traitor!
I, knowing that he is the descendant of the Chanyu—that is, the grandson of my brother—suggested sending him as a hostage to Luoyang.
In Luoyang, it’s good to take a Xiongnu prince of appropriate status as hostage, and for Hozheng, it’s good to eliminate one royal from his rival brother’s family.
Just as I was about to show my anger to suppress Dong Zhuo.
Lü Bu opened his mouth.
“Lord Inspector, you seem to think that today’s achievement was purely due to my own bravery, but that’s not the case.”
Lü Bu politely but bluntly rejected the words.
“If it weren’t for the scheme my brilliant disciple, the Xiongnu Khan’s son, came up with, such a reckless charge would have been impossible even for any cavalry.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Dong Zhuo looked at me with eyes that seemed to have no special meaning in his words, just that the stories heard here were interesting.
“Even when saving our army at Tanhan Mountain a few years ago, if it weren’t for the scheme my disciple came up with, it would have been difficult. The world talks about Lü Bu and Red Hare, but Lü Bu and Red Hare will stay here in Bing Province with me. The three of us must face the storm together to become the strongest.”
Master…
It was a bit touching.
Dong Zhuo smiled throughout Lü Bu’s words, then burst into laughter “Kuhahaha”.
“Lü Bu, you really like the Hu (nomads).”
“My hometown is Wuwei Commandery, but I also think the Xiongnu is my hometown.”
This remark seemed to impress the Xiongnu people, including Hozheng.
“……I might try to take you as my disciple.”
Uncle Huchuquan is coming up with some strange thoughts again. Well, it doesn’t matter, but then I can call him senior brother.
“I also really like the Western Rong and the Qiang. Can’t we say that we who like integration are similar in this point?”
“Then, may I humbly ask the Inspector one thing. Does the Inspector use the Qiang people for his own gain?”
“If it’s about gain, is it about whether I have the intention to use them to climb the ranks?”
“Yes.”
“Of course! I will use the Qiang people to my heart’s content!”
Dong Zhuo’s immediate answer without any hesitation froze me, Lü Bu, and everyone listening to the conversation.
“Those Qiang who raised rebellions multiple times, whose homes burned, and who were killed! The way for these people to survive is to rely on one of the Han’s officials. That’s why I became such an official. I will use them to climb the ranks, and the more I climb, no one will be able to touch ‘these Qiang of Dong Zhuo’s’, so the Qiang will be safe!”
“Those words are…….”
“Integrating and becoming close personally is of course a good thing! There are also such pleasant banquets, and among the Qiang chieftains, some call each other brothers. But compared to such lukewarm relationships, fighting together on the battlefield and getting the enemy’s blood on us is a much hotter relationship. Isn’t that right?”
Everyone was looking at Dong Zhuo.
Dong Zhuo said while looking at us including me.
“As much as I use the Qiang, the Qiang also used me until the end! Survive using me! Recover the pastures using me! Receive the spoils of war that Dong Zhuo distributes and buy livestock! How is it. What kind of relationship do you think Lü Bu sees between me and the Western Rong?”
At the moment I heard Dong Zhuo’s words,
I thought that even if Lü Bu was shaken, it couldn’t be helped.
Because I was also shaken.
If it’s said that an ideal world where Han and various ethnic groups live together is impossible.
Then, the relationship where they use each other to the extreme like Dong Zhuo… wouldn’t it be a better path if they can’t stop using each other?
Dong Zhuo didn’t wait for Lü Bu’s answer.
He walked forward with his bowl to Hozheng and said this.
“If the Grand Chanyu will carve meat for me, I will never forget the meat I ate today.”
* * *
“Without getting Lü Bu in one go.”
After returning to his military tent with Jia Xu, Dong Zhuo said that, and looked at Jia Xu.
Jia Xu had a satisfied smile.
“Since the goal of ‘achieving an appropriate achievement’ has been achieved, there was no need to be greedy, but you did well to plant the seeds.”
“Feeling good to receive Jia Xu’s praise.”
Dong Zhuo had worked under Zhang Xiu who was killed, under Zhang Yang.
After hearing the news that such a Zhang Xiu was dead, he investigated the circumstances and even heard rumors about Lü Bu.
Since then, Dong Zhuo has coveted Lü Bu.
He accumulated strength by avoiding Liu Hong’s eyes, and at some point, when a great turmoil erupted in the world, he would unleash all his power at once… That was the strategy Dong Zhuo and Jia Xu had built.
Lü Bu was the perfect talent for that strategy.
However, while saying that, Jia Xu tilted his head.
“I don’t know exactly what was done, but if Lü Bu, who only inclined his heart to the young Xiongnu prince and rejected the Inspector’s proposal, is to be investigated regarding that prince as well.”
“Zhang… the Xiongnu royal is Lian Ze, so Lian Ze Biao.”
“If I say this, the Inspector might think it’s strange, but I felt a bit eerie seeing that boy.”
With a ‘Kuhot’, Dong Zhuo laughed.
“No, the world’s Jia Xu?”
“That boy’s eyes were eyes full of caution about who the Inspector is. And in one glance at me… it seemed he realized that the Inspector’s scheme came from my head.”
“Did he realize, or was it Jia Xu’s feeling that it was so?”
“Well… I felt that way.”
“Jia Xu, you can do Han and Rong, but you can’t do Xiongnu.”
“Yes.”
“You couldn’t communicate in words, but you felt it. Yet you sensed that you had to report it to me?”
“Exactly.”
The smile faded from Dong Zhuo’s face.
It meant he was listening to Jia Xu’s advice very seriously.
“I need to examine it in detail. I was thinking of cooking the Xiongnu appropriately… but perhaps I can ‘trade’ with that Lian Ze Biao.”
* * *
Dong Zhuo left southward as he came.
I don’t know why Dong Zhuo suddenly withdrew, but I let out a breath.
Lü Bu didn’t go to Dong Zhuo, and there was no incident of Hozheng sending me as a hostage to Luoyang.
However, the shock Dong Zhuo gave yesterday at the banquet was huge.
The intense words of Dong Zhuo, so intense that I could forget all the words that came before.
And Dong Zhuo’s action of making the ‘guest’ receive the ‘meat carved by the owner’ himself to warm the atmosphere again.
Although it’s a thought from the distant future Gabileng, but… if someone is ‘assassinated’, I thought that meant there was no way to remove them by other means than assassination.
Dong Zhuo seemed like such a human too.
Anyway, as promised, I received Duman City as my territory.
The southern border was the ruins of the collapsed Great Wall, and the eastern border was Yinshan left by the Xianbei army.
The northern and western borders were not yet decided.
I looked at Zhang Liao and smiled wryly.
“Now it’s starting, senior brother. Well then, shall we go to capture Shouxiangcheng?”