Chapter 5 "Catching Adultery" in Bed

  In the third year of the Chuping era of the Great Han dynasty, on the sixth day of the fourth month.

  General Fierce Wu, with a fake imperial edict, opened the mansion and held a ceremony similar to that of the Three Departments, warmly welcoming Lv Bu's wife-to-be, Diao Chan, daughter of Grand Minister Wang Yun, as his concubine.

  According to Han Li, both grand ceremonies and banquets for guests were held at dusk.

  Lü Bu having no superior, the Grand Minister of Works Wang Yun personally officiated at the wedding. All high officials from the Imperial Chancellor Ma Midi downwards attended. Emperor Liu Xie also sent an imperial servant to offer congratulations, and the scene was one of great splendor.

  "Your Majesty, the Emperor values you so much, in the future you must work hard for the royal family, assist with all your heart, and absolutely do not have a second thought again, lest you betray the kindness of the monarch and bring shame to your wife, children, and relatives!"

  The banquet had not yet begun, and King Yuen's face was already flushed with pride. The flattery of his former colleagues and the fawning courtesy of the world's number one warrior made Old Wang feel somewhat dizzy. His tone towards Lü Bu also became somewhat like that of an elder lecturing a younger generation, and he used Lü Bu's past mistakes as a warning.

  "Yes! Please rest assured, Uncle! With Xiao Shu here, I will definitely ensure that the kingdom of the Emperor and yours is safe and sound." Lü Bu's face was filled with a thick smile as he bowed in response, showing respect to Wang Yun. However, what Wang Yun did not notice was the flash of cold flames that flickered across Lü Bu's eyes, which were quite ominous.

  "Go and take a look at the cicada! It's about to make its farewell bow. Don't neglect my beloved daughter!" Wang Yun, seeing Lü Bu's flattering appearance, nodded his head in satisfaction. Unaware of Lü Bu's thoughts, and not wanting to make things too difficult for him on this occasion, he gently instructed Lü Bu.

  If it were an ordinary person, this method of giving a sweet date might be very effective, but Lü Bu, the world's number one general, how can he be under others for long? The Son of Heaven said so, that's okay; after all, the Great Han is his Liu family's. But you, Wang Yun, without me, Lü Bu, would probably still be flattering Dong Zhuo and showing loyalty.

  Lü Bu could endure, and if he couldn't endure, he wouldn't have been the chief clerk under Ding Yuan for many years, and made achievements that were very satisfactory to Ding Yuan on this promising post. If it wasn't for Li Su's visit that year, perhaps Lü Bu's reputation as a brave and loyal warrior with both literary and military skills would have become his lifelong label.

  "The auspicious hour has arrived! Please, esteemed guests, proceed to the grand hall for the ceremony!" announced Pang Shu, a renowned scholar and official from Chang'an who had been invited by Wang Yun to preside over the wedding.

  Inside the side hall, two beauties dressed in palace attire were helping Lü Bu adjust his ceremonial robes. They listened as Lü Bu recounted what had just happened. The younger of the two stunning women carefully smoothed out Lü Bu's collar and said gently: "Fengxian, your adoptive father is old and stubborn, unwilling to yield; don't take his joking words to heart."

  "Zhenzhu's sister is absolutely right!" Another woman, about thirty years old with a gentle and elegant appearance, also said: "Husband is indeed the only one in the world, with unparalleled prestige and fame. In this case, he should have the capacity to tolerate everything under heaven! Is Lord Situ the elder of today?"

  "Sister, you're teasing me again!" Diao Chan covered her face with her sleeve and said with a pout.

  "Enough! Enough!" Lü Bu looked at the two harmonious people and smiled: "If I were to cling to such trivial matters, it would seem that I am not as good as you two women. The two ladies, for the sake of husband's face, do not calculate with him in general!"

  "It seems that Cicada sister's face is still bigger!"

  "Sister..."

  The slightly older woman was Lü Bu's original wife, Lady Yan. Lady Yan came from a merchant family and was very kind to others, with a gentle disposition. She had been married to Lü Bu for over ten years, raising their daughter together and treating each other with respect. When Lü Bu took Diao Chan as his concubine, not only did Lady Yan not show any resentment, but she also helped with the arrangements, busy from dawn till dusk. As a result, both Lü Bu and Diao Chan showed great respect for this noble lady.

  "Ling'er?" Lü Bu heard the voice of Pang Shu outside and stood up, asking Yan Shi: "This little girl has been clinging to see her uncle Pang since she arrived in Chang'an, where did she go now?"

  "Ah, this girl!" Yan's mouth corner revealed a doting smile, pretending to scold Lü Bu: "You're not learning from me how to do embroidery and needlework properly, instead you're following your father around every day, practicing knife and spear dances. In the future, when you get married, your husband's family will laugh at you."

  "My daughter, Lady Lü, will either marry a heroic figure who shakes the world or a noble and matchless person. As for those mediocre and ordinary people, how could they possibly enter my, Lü Bu's, eyes? You need not worry, madam."

  "Feng Xian, sister said it's timely. After all, learning martial arts is a man's livelihood, Ling'er is still young, it's better to learn more about women's work." Diao Chan, due to her own reasons, had always felt guilty towards Lü Bu and Yan Furen, and since Yan Furen was easy-going, the two got along quite well. At this time, she also echoed Yan Furen's words to Lü Bu.

  "What a pity that sister didn't quite live up to expectations and didn't give birth to another son for husband. In the future, we'll have to rely on little sister Ling's efforts." Madame Yan smiled and said: "The time is almost here, I'll go take a look at Ling'er. Husband and younger sister, hurry up and get ready to leave, don't miss the auspicious hour."

  "General! I have something to report!"

  "Ah? Come in!"

  Mrs. Yan was just about to leave when a servant from the Lü household rushed to the door of the side hall, looking flustered and reported in a low voice.

  Lü Bu's eyebrows furrowed slightly, wondering what else could happen at this time. He signaled for Yan and Diao Chan to temporarily withdraw, and had the family head summoned in.

  "What's going on?" Lü Bu asked in a low voice, frowning.

  Lü Bu had previously instructed that tonight, in the General's mansion, except for Wei Xu leading the middle and rear courtyards' guards and the soldiers of the Trap Array Camp guarding the main hall, due to the presence of many officials from the imperial court, he also mobilized his elite Imperial Guards. A unit of the original Pingzhou elite cavalry was responsible for the outer perimeter. At this time, either nothing would happen, or it would be a big deal if something did.

  "Yes, it's General Wei Xu! He... " The family general saw Lv Bu's gloomy face and was afraid in his heart. Stammering, he told the story of how Wei Xu had appeared naked in the backyard garden.

  "Wei Xun?" Lü Bu's eyebrows furrowed, asking the household general: "Did you personally see Wei Xun being hung naked in the garden, and also being..."

  "Yes! We, the lower officials, obeyed General Wei's military order and withdrew all the guards from the rear courtyard. Half an hour later, we suddenly heard someone shouting in the rear courtyard. When we rushed over, we found General Wei... Who would have thought that something like this would happen?" The housekeeper replied to Lü Bu's inquiry, not daring to conceal anything.

  "Wei Xu, this scoundrel! He actually disregarded military orders and withdrew the rear guard, he deserves to be killed!" Lü Bu suddenly stood up, his intimidating aura frightening the house guards into sitting on the ground.

  "Ling'er, how are you? Is anything the matter?" Madam Yan, who was behind the curtain, rushed out without waiting for Lü Bu to speak, and didn't even care about her gentle and virtuous demeanor, with a panicked face, repeatedly asking urgently.

  "Miss! When I came to report earlier, I saw you walking in the backyard with a spear, so I thought you weren't frightened!" The housekeeper hastily replied.

  "This Wei Xun! He's not a human son at all!" Yan Shi's gentle face was filled with anger, and after hearing that Lü Linggui was safe, she let out a big sigh of relief while being supported by Diao Chan.

  "Where is Wei Xu now?" Lü Bu asked.

  "Has been humiliated and supported to rest in the middle courtyard warehouse." The family replied anxiously.

  "Now all the officials have arrived, this matter must not be leaked out, Madam, you go and take a look at Ling'er first, I and Chan'er will follow soon!" Lü Bu sent away his family general and said to Yan's wife in a warm tone.

  What happened in the front hall and Lv Bu's reaction were unknown to Qin Xu.

  At this time, Qin Xu was lying on the bed in Lv Linggui's boudoir, entangled in a headache.

  Tsai Ing-wen!

  Historically famous talented woman Cai Wenji, was actually standing in front of her. Moreover, just now she had also carried out a prank against Wei Xun together with her.

  It's too unreasonable. Shouldn't talented women be gentle and elegant, holding a book in their hands, sipping tea, smiling softly, and doing refined things like searching for plum blossoms in the snow?

  Who has ever seen a talented woman who lures with her body, draws a knife and destroys her appearance without frowning once?

  Cai Yan's goal Qin Xu can probably guess.

  Historically, Cai Yong was arrested and imprisoned by Wang Yun on the charge of being a party to Dong Zhuo's crimes. Although he wanted to get rid of him once and for all, he dared not kill him because of Cai Yong's reputation as a great scholar in the world. He could only rely on constant plotting and pressure, finally forcing Cai Yong to commit suicide.

  This matter, Qin Xu still has some impression, but what twists and turns in the middle are completely unknown. Nor did he expect that Lü Bu would be involved in this. Moreover, it seems that Lü Bu's relationship with Cai Yan is not bad, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to take in Cai Yan's only daughter when Wang Yun was at the height of his power.

  What's even more puzzling to Qin Xu is that since Cai Yan and Lü Lingqi have such a good relationship, and Cai Yong and Lü Bu seem to get along pretty well too, why didn't Cai Yan just go ask Lü Bu for help directly? Instead, she went around in circles to find some unknown and unremarkable Wei Xun to seek an opportunity to save her father.

  "Huh? You scoundrel, have you seen Sister Yan before?" Lü Linggui saw Qin Xu staring blankly at Cai Yan's delicate face, muttering some vague words that no one could understand, and yet he still refused to get out of her bed. Lü Linggui's small face scrunched up as she said this in a muffled tone.

  "The renowned Cai Wenji, the talented woman of Luoyang, who doesn't know her!" Qin Xu was entangled in figuring out what connection existed between Lv Bu and Cai Yan, those two people who were as incompatible as fire and water, when he heard Lv Linggui's question, and without realizing it, he also blurted out another "nickname".

  "Is Sister Yan so famous?" Lü Linggui asked Cai Yan with wide eyes full of curiosity.

  "Does the Lord Chancellor seem to be familiar with Yan's past? How come Yan doesn't have any impression of the Lord Chancellor?" Cai Yan's beautiful eyes narrowed, asking Qin Xu in puzzlement.

  "Oh no!" Qin Xu secretly lamented: "It's not easy to fool Cai Da!"

  At this time, the woman's small character and even her name were not known to anyone. Even if Cai Yan was famous in Luoyang a few years ago, it was also a thing of the past. After the fire in Luoyang, Dong Zhuo was cruel, everyone struggled to survive, who could still remember Cai Yan, the talented woman who had already married? Moreover, Qin Xu was just an uncrowned child in other people's eyes, and when Cai Yan became famous, Qin Xu might have been playing with mud.

  "This..."

  "Ling'er! Why is there a man's voice in your room?!"

  Just as Qin Xu was worried about how to explain, Yan's voice came from outside the door, like a lifesaver or a death knell.

  "This is terrible!"

  How to recognize Cai Yan, Qin Xu can still make up a reason to fool her, after all, after leaving Chang'an, it's possible that she will never see Cai Da again. But now Qin Xu is lying on Lü Linggui's small bed, and Lü Linggui's mother, Lü Bu's first wife Yan Shi, has rushed in hastily!