Chapter 7: Wei Xun Flees at Night (Part 2)

  Lü Bu, courtesy name Fengxian, from Five Plains in Ping State, had the bravery of a fierce tiger. He was brave but lacked strategy, was stingy with favors and had little sense of justice, was lightly cunning and repeatedly betrayed others, his troops would rebel against him in no time. The first time Qin Xiang saw Lü Bu, he found it hard to reconcile the man before him with the image of Lü Bu he had in mind.

  Having seen the portrait of a certain country's game with a fierce and cruel gaze, a face full of flesh, and a brutal killer, it is hard to believe that this tall and handsome man, wearing a black-edged red robe, with a coronet on his head, and exuding warmth and elegance in every gesture, is the same person who was said by people at the time: "Among men, there is Lü Bu; among horses, there is Red Hare".

  As soon as Lü Bu's words fell, he walked in, but said that for the time being, Wei Xu couldn't do anything. This made the four people in Lü Lingqi's boudoir look at the door in surprise.

  "Husband!" "Father!" "General Lü!" "My lord!"

  Everyone stood up and saluted Lü Bu, whose face was tinged with a hint of worry. He casually waved his hand, but when he looked at Qin Xu, the corner of his eye twitched slightly, seemingly surprised that Qin Xu had appeared here.

  Lü's gaze made Qin Xiang's goosebumps very large, and he had just been lying on someone else's daughter's bed. If it wasn't Yanshi who came in just now but Lü Bu, Qin Xiang didn't dare to think if he could still see tomorrow's sun. Seeing Lü Bu looking at him, Qin Xiang could only pretend to be calm and accept Lü Bu's "inspection".

  "You're Qin Xu! Hmm, not bad!"

  Lü Bu's reaction was strange, he stared at Qin Xu for a while, said something that made Qin Xu scratch his head, and then didn't say anything more, leaving Qin Xu somewhat perplexed.

  Although Qin Xu was a subordinate of Lü Bu, he could call out his name as soon as they met, which seemed that Qin Xu was not quite qualified in terms of identity, official position or status.

  It's all because of the previous Qin Zhonglu's memory being too fragmented and disorganized, which made Qin Xuan rack his brains but still couldn't figure out how he could get a "not bad" comment from the famous Lu Wenhou at this time. Especially when he appeared in Lü Lingji's room, Lü Bu didn't even ask him anything, it doesn't feel right!

  "Father!" Lü Lingqi saw Lü Bu come in and, without thinking, rushed up to him, embracing his arm, and coquettishly said: "Didn't you tell me earlier that today you would marry Diao Chan? How did you end up coming to see me so quickly?"

  Lü Linggui's words helped to relieve Qin Xu, Lü Bu's aura was too strong, although he had a gentle appearance, but some of his previous actions that were not quite in line with reason still made Qin Xu feel tense and hard to control.

  "Ling'er, don't be naughty!" Lü Bu gently stroked the top of Lü Ling's head, a doting smile on his face. "After hearing the housekeeper report what happened in the backyard, how could I possibly put my mind at ease?"

  "Husband!" Yan's eyes were misty as she gazed lovingly at Lü Linggui and said, "Wei Xu is my cousin, but he has brought calamity to our hometown under your name. If not for Ling'er telling me, I wouldn't have known myself. Please don't consider my face, husband, and deal with Wei Xu according to military law."

  "Huh?" Upon hearing Wei Xu's name, a hint of anger flashed across Lü Bu's face, but it immediately dissipated. He asked Lü Lingqi, who was nestled in his arms: "You actually know who humiliated Wei Xu?"

  "This..." Lü Linggui was indeed not a good liar, and when asked by Lü Bu, she subconsciously looked towards Qin Xu. This was no different from telling Lü Bu and Yan Shi, who had been asking about this matter and had just barely been fooled, that this thing was related to Qin Xu. So, the words Cai Yan had previously spoken to Yan Shi were naturally not true either. Then, whether or not Qin Xu really appeared on Lü Linggui's bed remained to be seen.

  Lü Linggui sold out the two of them so readily, Cai Yan looked at Qin Xu's face and also responded with a wry smile. As if to say that she too had not expected Lü Linggui to be such an obedient good girl.

  "Your Excellency, madam, this matter..." Qin Xu stood up with a bitter smile and bowed, while rapidly thinking in his mind how to get through this ordeal.

  But after some thought, Qin Xu came to only one conclusion: "Lü Bu's daughter's bed, is it something anyone can get on? Looks like this time I'm done for!"

  "Lord Qin, there's no need to say more. The matter of Wei Xun has some hidden circumstances. This time, I'm afraid even I won't be able to stir him up!"

  Things are getting stranger and stranger. Lü Bu, who usually favors his own people, didn't ask more questions about Qin Xu's problem, but instead looked at Yan Shi with a gloomy face and said: "Wei Xun has been my general for a long time, and I trust him very much. He is familiar with the virtual and real situations in our army, and it is not easy to move him."

  "Wei Xun is now under house arrest, why bother with a three-foot sword? Why are you making it so difficult for yourself? If it's because of me..." Wei Xun was after all a distant relative of the Yan family, but since he was involved with Lü Bu, the Yan family had also become somewhat lenient. As for Lü Bu's hesitation, the Yan family couldn't understand it."

  "Could it be that Uncle Lü has run away?" Suddenly said Lv Linggui who was in Lü Bu's arms.

  Lü Bu's face also flashed with a hint of embarrassment, and he helplessly pushed Lü Lingqi in his arms away, stood up and walked to the window, saying: "It's hard for Ling'er to still call that guy Uncle. Indeed, Wei Xu escaped by pretending to be injured."

  "What about Nafu Jun..." Mrs. Yan asked.

  "Why not go after him?" Lü Bu's embarrassed expression deepened, and the invincible war god on the battlefield also seemed somewhat depressed, saying: "Wei Xu escaped and hid in Wang Situ's carriage, I have already ordered the guards in the mansion not to make any moves."

  "King Situ? Isn't he the sworn brother of Diao Chan's sister? How is that possible?" Yan Shi's gentle face was filled with confusion, and she asked: "Husband, you took in Diao Chan's sister as a concubine with great ceremony, and King Situ was already your ally before this. This time, they are even closer than family, so how can you still harbor that evil thief Wei Xu?"

  "Alas!"

  I don't know how many times I've heard Lü Bu's sighs today. If Qin Xu from my previous life knew that the majestic and powerful Lü Bu also had such a difficult time, he probably wouldn't believe it even if he was beaten to death.

  "Dong Zhuo is dead!" Qin Xu and Cai Yan, who had been watching the harmonious family of Lv Boss from the side, suddenly sighed in unison.

  "What does this have to do with Dong Zhuo's death?" Lü Bu and Yan Shi looked thoughtful, while only Lü Lingqi in the room was confused and didn't understand the weight of Qin Xu and Cai Yan's words.

  "Qin Xu, what should we do at this moment?" Lü Bu suddenly spoke up and asked Qin Xu.

  "Of course..." Qin Xu stood up subconsciously, patted the shoulders of the people around him twice, and was about to speak, but found that Shen Shi, Cai Yan, and Lü Linggui in the room were all looking at him with a strange expression.

  "What am I doing?! Looking for death!" Along with the three people's gaze, and Lv Bu's eyes of astonishment, Qin Xu suddenly came to his senses, wishing he could chop off his own hand.

  This isn't the afterlife, and Lü Bu isn't some office junior who accidentally developed a habit of patting people on the shoulder while delivering baskets of bok choy to Qin Xu. It seems that this action can't bring him closer to his subordinates, but rather makes it seem like he's trying to get rid of them.

  "It doesn't matter!" Before Qin Xu could apologize, Lü Bu instead helped to ease the situation, saying: "Qin Zhongbo, you don't need to be tense. My age is similar to your father's, so you don't have to worry about it."

  "Huh? Lü Bu is so easy to talk to?" Even if Qin Xu's mind was racing, it was hard to guess how the notoriously difficult-to-serve Lü Wenhou had become like this. However, Qin Xu knew that he must say something now, otherwise Lü Bu wouldn't be needed, and the Shi family had already started suspecting Cai Yan's previous words.

  "What should I say?" Qin Xue began to regret not understanding the Three Kingdoms when he read it before. However, even if he remembered, Qin Xue didn't dare to speak too much, as Cai Yan had almost overturned his view of history, and he couldn't be sure about the accuracy of the Three Kingdoms history he had read before.

  "Let's continue with the marriage! Wei Xun is not worth worrying about. What I'm worried about is... hmm..."

  After much deliberation, it all came down to a split second. Qin Xu decided to trust history once again. This month, not only did Wang Yun and Lü Bu successfully assassinate Dong Zhuo, but also another major event occurred, which Qin Xu had a vague premonition about. Perhaps this was the ultimate solution to resolving the hidden contradictions between Lü Bu and Wang Yun. However, whether the fate of Lü Bu's army would still follow historical records and disperse six years later, Qin Xu couldn't be certain.

  "What kind of method is this? What's going on between Father and Sister Diao Chan's adoptive father?" Lu Lingxue, who had just seen Qin Xu's overbearing behavior and thought he would say something earth-shattering, couldn't help but roll her eyes and said.

  "What's on your mind?" Lü Bu didn't ask as directly as Lü Linggui, but a hint of disappointment still flashed across his face. He said, "Lü has been in the army since he was young, and for over a decade, with this halberd in hand, I have never feared anyone. Qin Xu, speak your mind freely."

  "Qin Zhubu, are you saying that Dong Zhuo's remnants?" Lu Boss and his family thought Qin Xu's words were too empty, only Cai Yan seemed to be thinking deeply, said.

  "What's left of Dong Zhuo's party?" Lu Bu sneered, "Court politics and the discord between civil and military officials are nothing new. Wang Zifu must be well aware of the intricacies involved. Qin Yilu is being overly cautious. Those scattered remnants of troops have been like a pile of loose sand since Dong Zhuo's death. I look at them as no more than pigs and dogs, what's there to fear?"

  "General Lü is naturally the best in the world! But those so-called remnants of Dong Zhuo's army, compared to General Lü's elite soldiers and brave generals, are also incomparable. However, General Lü has also served under Dong Zhuo before, so he must be familiar with the military strength of the Western Liang Iron Cavalry."

  Lü Bu's first impression on Qin Xu was not bad, and since he didn't blame him for his previous rudeness, Qin Xu had a change of heart towards Lü Bu. Understanding the meaning behind Lü Bu's words, Qin Xu's temper was also stirred up, and he said: "Although Dong Zhuo is dead, there are only a few dozen people left from his death. The term 'remnants' might not be quite suitable. If one or two people were to unite the remaining forces of Dong Zhuo, with wise strategists as their wings, and launch a strong attack on Chang'an..."

  Report!

  Just as Qin Xu was about to have the opportunity to speak freely in front of Lü Bu, the unmatched fierce general under the sky, a urgent report came from the backyard.

  On ordinary days, the rear courtyard of General Wu's mansion was a forbidden place for outsiders. Except for Wei Xun's personal bodyguards who served as the mansion's household troops and the original servants, no one had ever dared to rush into the rear courtyard like this.

  "What's going on?" Lü Bu's face had already furrowed his brow while listening to Qin Xu's lengthy speech, and now hearing someone informally entering the backyard where the ladies resided, he was already displeased in his heart. The thick anger in his voice made people tremble with fear.

  The voice of the messenger sounded familiar to Qin Xu, and it wasn't until he saw his face that he realized it was actually Sima Mao, nicknamed "Dead Cat", who had just crossed over and was the first person he saw. He wondered what kind of matter would make this guy, known for being the bravest in the army, dare to venture into the backyard.

  "Dong Zhuo's remaining party, Li Jue and Guo Si, etc., with Jia Xu as their military advisor, Zhang Xiu's nephews as vanguard, under the banner of dissatisfaction with the imperial court's rewards, gathered more than 100,000 Western Liang soldiers, already less than 40 miles from Chang'an! Wang, the Imperial Tutor, requests that you hurry over!"

  The news brought by Sima Mao made everyone present too busy to care about how to punish this careless guy.

  "What?" The three ladies in the room almost exclaimed at the same time, staring at Qin Xu who also had a look of surprise on his face.

  Upon hearing this news, Lü Bu's face became calm instead, and his gaze towards Qin Xu was also filled with inexplicable meaning!