Chapter 55: The Beauty and the Beast in Harmony

  Luo Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly shouted: "How dare you, you dare to deceive this general?"

  Wu Yi said in a low voice: "The following words are true, General, don't misunderstand."

  Misunderstanding?

  Lu Zheng smiled and said: "The Guanzhong is now in a state of war and chaos. Are you out of your mind or do you think I'm easy to deceive? I think you're planning to take your whole family with you, wanting to enter Shu and surrender to Liu Yan."

  "This..."

  Wu Yi's face suddenly changed greatly and he could no longer remain calm.

  Lu Zheng understood at a glance, this guy indeed wanted to enter Shu.

  As for going to Guanzhong, it's just an excuse.

  The imperial court is currently under the control of Dong Zhuo, and Liu Yan has also risen up in arms to attack Dong Zhuo, having already torn off his mask. Yet Wu Yi wants to take his whole family to flee to Shu to join Liu Yan, but this was discovered by the Xiliang army, who will not let them have a good outcome.

  Now being exposed by Luo Zheng's single sentence, how could he not be greatly shocked and lose his composure?

  "Ah! You scoundrel! Not thinking of serving the imperial court, you actually want to go to Western Shu and surrender to Liu Yan's rebel forces. This is a great treason that cannot be tolerated by the law of the land. Come on, tie them all up for me. Anyone who resists will be beheaded without discussion."

  "Roger that."

  Xu Chu let out a loud roar and was about to lead hundreds of cavalrymen in a charge forward.

  Wu Yi was shocked and pale, hastily calling out: "General, wait!"

  Xu Chu had no choice but to stop and look at Luo Zheng.

  Luo Zheng waved his hand and said coldly to Wu Yi: "What else do you have to say?"

  Wu Yi's face changed color, and he forced a smile: "General, may I have a word with you?"

  Luo Zheng's mouth corners rose with a hint of a smile, and with a wave of his hand, the guards around him immediately retreated ten steps away.

  "Now anything can be said."

  Luo Zheng looked down at Wu Yi with a superior attitude, thinking about what kind of bribe he would use to win him over.

  Wu Yi's face twitched slightly as he glanced around four times before approaching and pulling out a fist-sized horse carved from Han white jade, offering it with a flattering smile: "This object is worth a thousand gold coins, please accept it, General."

  Luo Zheng took over the horse whip and played with it for a while, couldn't help but secretly praise it, indeed it was a good thing.

  If placed in the 21st century, such a treasure would absolutely be auctioned off at a record-breaking sky-high price.

  Unfortunately, in this chaotic world of late Han Dynasty, something that cannot save one's life is nothing but a plaything no matter how valuable it is.

  "Although treasures are good, they are nothing more than playthings, what's the difference between them and bricks and stones?"

  Luo Zheng didn't hesitate at all and casually threw the warm and delicate soft jade horse back.

  "This..."

  Wu Yi was stunned and somewhat bewildered.

  A thousand pieces of gold cannot move his heart, how can this be good?

  Everyone in the world loves wealth and goods, but Wu Yi is still encountering for the first time someone who can spend thousands of gold like bricks and stones.

  Wealth and rank cannot move his heart, how can he escape this calamity at present?

  Wu Yixin's mind was racing, and her forehead began to sweat slightly.

  Luo Zheng suddenly asked: "I've heard that you have a younger sister, can she be called in to meet me?"

  "This..."

  Wu Yi's face changed color again, and his heart cooled down by half.

  Luo Zheng didn't know that this guy actually had a sister, but he didn't know if she was the same Western Sichuan's number one beauty whom Liu Bei married after entering Shu. He lowered his face and said coldly: "What, you're not willing?"

  Wu Yi reluctantly said: "My sister is still waiting for marriage in the boudoir, it's really very inconvenient, please forgive me, General."

  Waiting for you in the boudoir

  Luo Zheng's mouth corners rose with a cold smile, and he abruptly shouted: "Copy it for this general."

  "Got it."

  Xu Chu loudly acknowledged the order and immediately led several hundred cavalrymen in a rush over there.

  Wu Yi's anger surged, and he could no longer hold back, pointing at Luo Zheng and cursing loudly: "Bandits! You're simply a group of bandits..."

  Lu Zheng's eyes gleamed with a cold light, his gaze swept past, and Wu Yi's heart skipped a beat, her throat seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, the words she was about to say were stuck in her throat, and she hastily avoided eye contact.

  "How dare you scold this general as a bandit?"

  Luo Zheng smiled and said: "Wu Yi, you're quite bold, aren't you? You dare to scold the imperial army as bandits. It seems that the Wu family of Chenliu indeed has a heart of rebellion. Such a traitor, how can he be lightly forgiven? Come, tie him up for me."

  Wu Yi's face suddenly turned deathly pale, his complexion ashen, and cold sweat dripped down his face.

  Just now I was momentarily careless and couldn't help but blurt out the curses that were on my mind.

  Unexpectedly, it was a case of "disaster from the mouth", and he was given the crime of plotting rebellion, now it's really hard to defend himself.

  If this crime is confirmed, according to the Great Han law, it will be a punishment of confiscating property and exterminating the family.

  However, before he could react, two Western Liang soldiers pounced on him like wolves and took him down.

  Before long, Xu Chu led a few close guards and drove over a horse-drawn carriage.

  Luo Zheng pointed at the carriage and asked: "Who is in the carriage?"

  One of his personal guards chuckled and said: "Reporting to General, it's a young lady."

  Oh!

  Luo Zheng nodded slightly and urged his horse forward, using his whip to lift open the carriage curtain.

  As soon as he took a glance, his eyes lit up.

  All that was seen was a carriage with a beautiful young girl sitting inside, about 14 or 15 years old, with features so delicate and refined, as if she were a maiden who had stepped out of a painting, endowed by the painter with the most perfect beauty, surpassing even Cai Yan and Gan Shi.

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  It's a pity that this girl also has a kind of delicate and weak beauty that makes people want to protect her unintentionally.

  The girl in the carriage had a pretty face as white as jade, her eyes were terrified, like a startled little deer.

  Luo Zheng had never seen such a beautiful woman before and couldn't help but stare at her in a daze.

  Dozens of his personal soldiers behind him were also stunned, their eyes wide with shock, unable to come back to their senses.

  Only Xu Chu, this evil Han, did not know what beauty was, staring with tiger eyes and scanning around, very diligent.

  "The beautiful flowers bring joy to the country, and often receive the king's smiling gaze."

  Luo Zheng couldn't help but recite two lines of Li Bai's famous poem, pretending to be a refined person.

  The surrounding military school and loyal soldiers heard a burst of applause, with admiration in their hearts like the endless river flowing eastward.

  Even if it's a big-headed soldier who can't recognize characters, he can still appreciate the literary elegance in this poem.

  I thought General was like me, a rough man, but I didn't expect him to have such literary talent, really misjudged him.

  The girl's eyes in the carriage also lit up, and her fear slightly dissipated.

  Lu Zhengxian wanted to stroke his beard, but unfortunately he had no hair on his upper lip and no whiskers under his chin. He could only pinch his chin thoughtfully for a moment before waving his hand and ordering: "Assign a few people to attend to the young lady, don't be slow about it, and absolutely do not allow her to lose half a catty of weight."

  "Roger that."

  There were already guards responding with a shout, and they drove the horse carriage away.

  Li Meng asked: "General, what about the others, should they..."

  Said here, made a wiping neck gesture.

  "Go, you'll know when someone is chopped."

  Luo Zheng laughed and scolded, thought for a moment, then said: "Temporarily put it aside, wait until returning to Luoyang to deal with it again."

  "Roger that."

  Li Meng responded with a "yes" and urged his horse to leave.

  At this time, Zhao Yun urged his horse forward and said in a low voice: "My lord, the two lines of poetry just now seem to be inappropriate."

  "What's wrong with that?"

  Luo Zheng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood.

  The beautiful flowers bring joy to the country, and often the king smiles at them with pleasure.

  This is a self-comparison to a king, if it gets out, it will be quite troublesome.

  Although I just hummed casually, others heard it differently.

  In this era, speaking the wrong words could be fatal, that's what "disaster comes from the mouth" means. Freedom of speech is a patent of two thousand years later, in this feudal ideology era, those rebellious and treasonous words are absolutely not to be spoken casually, nor can one vent their grievances.

  Luo Zheng said sternly: "Zi Long's reminder is extremely timely, this general has indeed become somewhat arrogant and forgotten his place."

  Zhoa Yun's eyes widened in surprise, and he immediately cupped his hands and said: "My lord is wise."

  Luo Zheng tapped his palm with a horse whip and said: "Order the military officers and personal soldiers, the two lines of poetry that this general just recited are not allowed to be recited or written randomly, nor can they be recited privately. Anyone who disobeys will not be spared."

  "Roger that."

  Xu Chu responded with a "yes" and immediately ran off to carry out the order.

  The Northern Temple of Luoyang, Jia De Hall.

  Dong Zhuo sat comfortably on a soft couch, indulging in the service of his concubines.

  This concubine is not Dong Zhuo's concubine, and Dong Zhuo's woman cannot be called a concubine either.

  These consorts were all imperial consorts of Emperor Ling of Han.

  As early as when the princes of the Guandong region rose in revolt, Dong Zhuo had already slept on the dragon bed and forbidden the palace.

  After the defeat of the Guandong Coalition Army, he became even more unscrupulous and moved into the imperial palace to live, traveling in the imperial carriage, with ceremonies and rituals similar to those of an emperor, and using the Imperial Guard to clear the way, his disloyal intentions were evident.

  As for Emperor Ling of Han's group of concubines, they became playthings for this villain to satisfy his lust.

  Playing with the emperor's concubine, that feeling is exceptionally good.

  As long as he is a man, there is no one who does not have a passionate heart.

  The imperial concubines knelt around Dong Zhuo, some pinching his shoulders, others pounding his legs, and still others burying their heads between his legs, moving up and down without knowing what they were doing. Ten steps away stood a group of eunuchs, carefully attending to him.

  Dong Zhuo half-closed his eyes, humming and muttering to himself, his face twitching constantly.

  Two plump big hands were constantly kneading the fullness in front of the chests of the two imperial concubines on both sides.

  Ah!

  Ah!

  Two cries of pain came from the mouths of two imperial concubines.

  However, Dong Zhuo suddenly exerted his strength and grabbed the two concubines, causing them to cry out in pain.

  Dong Zhuo's eyes swept over the two pale-faced concubines like a wolf, his voice stern as he growled: "What are you doing, daring to ruin my mood? What use are you to me? Take them away and behead them!"

  "Spare his life, Spare his life!"

  The two concubines were so frightened that they fell to the ground, crying out for mercy and weeping bitterly.

  Not far away, several Western Liang soldiers pounced over like wolves and dragged two concubines away.

  The rest of the concubines were frightened pale, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

  Just then, there were footsteps rushing from a distance.

  Li Ru's long sleeves fluttered as he walked unimpeded to Dong Zhuo's side, then cupped his hands and said: "Ru has seen the lord."

  Dong Zhuo waved his hand and chuckled: "Enough, Wen Chou, spare him the courtesy!"

  Li Ru ignored the crowd of concubines and said to Dong Zhuo: "My lord, the great army that went on an expedition to Guandong has returned."

  Dong Zhuo was immediately spirited

  "Hey, is Hu Zhui back?"

  Li Ru said: "The one commanding the troops is not General Hu Zhi, but rather Cavalry Commandant Luo Zheng."

  Dong Zhuo exclaimed: "What's going on? Where is Hu Zhi?"

  Li Ru solemnly said: "I also just received the news that General Hu Zhi was unfortunately killed in battle at Qiao County. The 8,000-strong army is now leaderless, and Hu Mao and Niu Jin are fighting each other for control of the troops..."

  "You dare to be so reckless, you're simply asking for death!"

  Dong Zhuo flew into a rage and cut Li Ru short before he could finish speaking. He slammed his fist on the table in anger and shouted: "These two useless things! They don't think about working together to serve the country with all their might, but instead dare to lead troops against each other. What's the point of keeping them? Quickly bring the two chancellors here and behead them as a warning to the masses!"

  Li Ru sighed and said: "Master, two people are already dead."

  Dong Zhuo furrowed his brow and said: "In short, what's going on? Wenyu, just say it all at once!"

  Li Ru said: "According to the words of Luo Zheng, commander of the vanguard cavalry, Hu Mao and Niu Jin led their troops to attack each other. Although they were blocked by each other, both of them wanted to put the other to death. They fought fiercely, and in the end, both of them died together. Therefore, the main army was taken over by Luo Zheng."

  "Oh, I see!"

  Dong Zhuo stroked his long beard, lost in thought.

  This explanation has many doubts, and everyone can hear them.

  However, Dong Zhuo did not ask further and instead furrowed his brow in contemplation.

  Li Ru looked at Dong Zhuo's face, his lips moved, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't say it.

  As a military advisor, there are some things that he can only consider from the perspective of his lord Dong Zhuo, weighing the pros and cons for the overall situation. If he has any biases, he can only speak from Dong Zhuo's standpoint; once he shows any prejudice, problems will easily arise.

  Especially when it comes to disputes between military generals, it's better to say less.

  This is different from the Xiliang Army and the Bingzhou Army. Lü Bu's Bingzhou Army was not Dong Zhuo's direct lineage after all. Li Ru stood on Dong Zhuo's standpoint to plan for Dong Zhuo and suppress the Bingzhou Army faction, which was his duty and he had to do his best.

  But if it's a matter between old subordinates of Xiliang, this strategist would better keep his mouth shut.