Chapter 1: Trivial Matters in Xuzhou, A New Beginning!

  Lü Bu was taken to the execution ground by Cao's elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, with the mysterious strategist following behind. Cao gave Lü Bu an honorable death by hanging, preserving his body, and had it transported back to Lü Bu's mansion for his family to mourn. Lü Ru didn't want to disturb them, so he waited until after Lü Bu was buried, seven days later, before visiting Lü Bu's wife, Lady Yan.

  Lü Bu's execution Lü Rui did not go to see, only the people of Cao's camp witnessed Lü Bu's death, no one found that the mysterious strategist's mouth corner revealed a strange smile.

  When Lv Bu was executed, Chen Deng was visiting Qin Yilu in the government office of Xiaopei. Due to Chen Deng's reason, Qin Yilu was not captured by Cao Jun but was placed under house arrest in the government office.

  "Qin Yilu thanked General Chen for saving his life!" Seeing that Lü Bu's generals had all been captured, and he himself was safe and sound, Qin Yilu naturally wanted to thank Chen Deng.

  "General Qin smiled and said, 'How could Chen Deng have such ability to make the general unguarded? This is the kindness of Cao Gong!'"

  "It was Lord Sikong's kindness and virtue, Qin Yilu is deeply grateful and will surely repay Lord Sikong's kindness in the future!"

  "General Qin, following Prime Minister Cao is not like following Lü Bu. The Prime Minister is a great talent with broad strategies. General Qin has a relationship with the Cao family, why didn't you inform Chen Deng?"

  "Please enlighten me, Lord Chen!" Qin Yilu heard this and sensed that there was more to the words. Could it be that Chen Deng had another plan?

  "Chen Deng had gone to Cao's camp some time ago, and heard that Lord Cao asked him about the wife of General Qin, Madame Du. Chen thought, 'Could it be that General Qin's wife and Lord Cao are old acquaintances?' Has the general ever known?"

  "What? Qin certain seems not to have heard madam mention?"

  "General Qin, the great and talented Sir Sima, speaks with only three parts words, leaving seven parts to be inferred. Chen Deng couldn't infer it, thinking that General Qin would understand, so he came to ask specifically. Who knew that General Qin didn't know either!" After finishing speaking, Chen Deng opened his tea bowl with his hand, blew on it, and took a sip of the tea.

  Qin Yilu immediately understood, Cao had taken a liking to his wife. Qin Yilu quickly bowed and said: "Lord Chen, I won't hide it from you, Madam Du has been disobedient in my household, today I was just about to write a divorce letter to send her back to her natal family, unfortunately her natal family no longer exists. Today I heard that Madam Du has an old connection with Lord Si Kong, Qin thought of sending her to the Si Kong manor, I wonder if Lord Chen can help me?"

  "General Qin? Are you trying to get me into trouble?" Chen Deng sighed.

  "Someone has brought a gift!" Later, the servant presented a pile of gifts. "Yuan Long brother, I have decided to divorce Du Shi, but now? If Sir Sikong is familiar with her, and if I send her away, will Sir Sikong punish me? Yuan Long brother, can you please help me?" After finishing speaking, he pushed the gifts in front of Chen Deng with his hand.

  Chen Deng shook his head and said: "I am familiar with General Qin, if I were to decline, Chen Deng would not be a human being. Let me try!"

  "Thank you, Brother Yuanlong!" And so, the two of them decided the fate of the Du family from then on.

  Later, things became simpler. Qin Yilu divorced Du Shi on the grounds that she had no children. Du Shi also saw that Qin Yilu had taken in a new wife, Liu Shi, and harbored resentment in her heart, but did not say much. She then followed Chen Deng to the Xu State Governor's mansion.

  In the Xu Zhou governor's mansion, Chen Deng was vividly describing his experience with Qin Yilu in the Qin mansion. Cao nodded as he listened, thinking to himself that Chen Deng still had some ability!

  Another one who's material for being a pimp, the Cao family has Cao Anmin, Xuzhou has Chen Yuanlong. Looking at Chen Deng's report and Cao Cao's expression. One is a matchmaker, the other steals someone's wife, yet they're so sanctimonious, shameless, truly shameless!

  "Is Lord Sīkōng acquainted with the Du family?" Chen Deng asked with a bow.

  Still pretending, everyone has arrived, what else can you ask? What are you asking? Lü Rui's heart is filled with endless disdain for the two of them.

  "Yes, in the past when Dong Zhuo was in power, our governor once met a woman in Luoyang and fell deeply in love with her at first sight. Later, he heard that she was married to Qin Yi, who is now known as Qin Yilu, one of Lü Bu's subordinates. I wonder if the Du family knows whether the woman our governor met in Luoyang was indeed the same person."

  "Chen Deng has brought Du Shang here, will Your Excellency permit her an audience?"

  "Alright, Yuan Long, let her in!"

  Person's wife Cao met Du in Luoyang? Bullshit! At that time, she must have been busy escaping with her life, how could she indulge in romantic affairs? What is old Cao playing at here?

  "I am Dushi, I have seen Lord Cao!" A yellow-robed woman knelt before Cao, lifted her head, and revealed a face with peach blossoms, her features were exquisite, Lv Rui couldn't find any flaws on her face, she was truly a beauty.

  "Milady, please get up!" Cao saw the beauty and was enchanted, hastily helping Du Shi to her feet.

  "Does the Lord remember the beauty of Luoyang East City?" Du Shi stood up, holding Cao's hand, her voice trembling.

  "It turns out it was really you, madam! Our Xiaozhu thought you had forgotten about Cao!"

  What's going on here? Do you really know each other? No way! Lü Rui took a look at the two of them, and they seemed to be in cahoots. Wait, it was Chen Deng who told Du Shi about it, and Du Shi just happened to mention it casually.

  "Report to Lord Cao: Guan Yu requests an audience." A new soldier came in to report to Cao.

  "How dare you, can't you see that Lord Sikuang has a noble guest? Get out!" Lü Rui scolded the little soldier. What an ignorant master, new recruit, reporting like this? Not even considering the timing?

  "Rui'er?" Cao suppressed Lü Rui and then said: "Let Yun Chang come in!"

  "Uncle?" Lü Rui looked at Cao in surprise, Guan Yu asking for Du's family was witnessed by Lü Rui himself, how could Cao let him come in? Isn't he afraid that Guan Er will stab you with a knife?

  "Rui'er, don't be surprised, just let Yun Chang come in and that's it!" Lü Rui could only retreat to one side and watch what his wife Cao was going to do.

  "Pay respects to Lord Cao!" Guan Yu entered the room and paid his respects to Cao, then caught sight of Du Shi beside him and was taken aback for a moment.

  "Yun Chang, what's the hurry? What important matter brings you to see me?"

  "Lord Cao, before entering the city, Yunchang had asked you for Qin Yilu's wife Du Shi, and you also agreed. I don't know if your words count?" Guan Yu suppressed his anger and questioned Cao.

  Cao stroked his beard and seemed to understand something. He said, "Yunchang, you should go to Qin Yilu's mansion to find Du Shi, why come here?"

  "Reported to Sir Cao, Yun Chang went to Qin Yi Lu's mansion and said that his wife had arrived. This woman is actually Du Shi!"

  "Yun Chang, Du Shi has already been divorced by Qin Yi Lu, Yun Chang is seeking Qin Yi Lu's wife Du Shi, should go find Qin Yi Lu, why come find Miss Du? Miss Du is a divorced person, no husband's family, parents have passed away, if to remarry, should follow Miss Du's will, what is Miss Du's intention?" After finishing, Chen Deng bowed to Du Shi, asking for her opinion.

  "I am an old acquaintance of Lord Siko from Luoyang, and we share a deep affection for each other. I am willing to devote myself to him!"

  "Is it worth it? Since Miss Diao is willing to follow Cao Gong, why force her, Guan Yu? Forcing a woman into marriage, isn't that unbefitting of a gentleman?" Chen Deng reminded Guan Yu from the side, with Dian Wei and Xu Zhu standing by, guarding with their elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Can you two handle it?

  Guan Yu's face turned red, as if blood was about to burst out of his face. He glared at Chen Deng and Du Shi, then cupped his hands and said: "Yunchang bids farewell!" And with that, he stormed out of the governor's mansion.

  So it seems that Du's encounter with Cao was fabricated, Cao came to probe Du and find an excuse for the two to meet. Secondly, in order to deal with Guan Yu, you two are compatible, what can I do? People's wife Cao, indeed people's wife Cao, the strategy of playing with girls is really high, people's wives can't learn, this strategy still needs to be learned! Lü Rui touched his chin on the side, savoring Cao's strategy for playing with girls.

  "Little Master!" Xu Chu blocked Lü Rui.

  "Zhong Kang, I want to see Father Zhong!"

  "Your Lordship, Sir Sikong and Madam Du are in the courtyard, and they have ordered that no one be allowed to enter. Please forgive me, Your Lordship!"

  Alas, Cao's wife, after so many days, still stuck like glue? Be careful not to exhaust yourself! No choice, Cao refused to see me, I had no choice but to go to Lü Bu's mansion, and a large crowd of people are waiting for Lü Rui to handle it!

  Lü Bu's head-seven has passed, and he has been buried. The people in Lü's mansion are all nervous and uneasy, not knowing what their fate will be. Yan Shi led the crowd from Lü Bu's mansion to wait for Lü Ru in the main hall.

  "I, Yan Shi, lead the Lu Manor staff in paying respects to Master Hou!" The crowd of people from the Lu Manor knelt down in unison.

  "Madam, please rise. Since I promised Duke Wen to take care of his family, I, Lü Rui, will take good care of you all!"

  "Thank you, Lord Hou. Please come in!" Hearing Lü Rui's words, the crowd finally felt at ease and their faces revealed long-awaited smiles.

  After entering the side hall, after the main and secondary seats were separated. Yan Shi came to Lü Rui's front and bowed: "I thank my uncle for saving my life!" Yan Shi was still a lady of the house, in front of everyone, Lü Rui was the Marquis, but privately, he was just Lü Bu's cousin.

  "Madam is being polite, since I and Wen Hou are brothers of the same clan, it's only right that we take care of each other!" Alas, having unknowingly become Lü Bu's clansman, there was nothing to do but go along with it.

  "The daughter has seen her father!" A young girl bowed to Lü Rui.

  Lü Rui stumbled, almost dropping the tea bowl in her hand. Is this Lü Bu's daughter? She looks pretty good, about 15 or 16 years old, old enough to get married. But that one word "father" made Lü Rui's skin crawl.

  Lü Ruo Zheng didn't know how to respond when Yan Shi said, "Uncle, since your late husband has adopted his daughter as yours, you can call her An Er!"

  "Ah, An'er is the name given by Lü Bu. Lü Rui looked at his daughter and awkwardly said: "An'er? Please get up... for... for a father to have such a daughter, it's truly... truly delightful!" It was really hard to say this sentence, completely forced!"

  "Thanks, Dad!" Alright, now there's a daughter who is older than herself, what kind of thing is this?

  "I pay my respects to your lordship!"

  This, the woman in front of him stunned Lü Rui. Such beauty? This beauty should only exist in heaven, how can it be seen by human eyes? A woman knelt down in front of Lü Rui. Her skin was as white as snow, her fingers were slender like scallions, her figure was elegant and refined. If there were no flaws on Du's face, this woman would be flawless from head to toe.

  Dressed in simple clothes, she is so beautiful, truly beautiful beyond concealment!

  "What is this?"

  "I was originally a maid of Dong Zhuo, but in Chang'an, I caught the eye of Wen Hou and we became husband and wife. Before he passed away, Wen Hou instructed our young master to give me a new name and promised that he would take good care of me!"

  Is this the concubine that Lü Bu has been taking good care of? Dong Zhuo's maid? Is she the legendary Diao Chan? Lü Bu had an affair with Dong Zhuo's maid, and Dong Zhuo was furious and hit him. It seems to be a case of beauty causing trouble, Dong Zhuo probably discovered the two having an affair, only then did he realize that there was such a beautiful woman in his own household? Then father and son became sworn enemies?

  Pfft, her own imagination was truly too rich, Lü Rui pinched her own forehead, reborn with a new name? Let her start anew? Lü Bu was indeed thoughtful.

  Lü Bu looked at the woman and said, "Alright, I'll give you a name. From now on, you'll be called Diao Chan! Help me train the maids in the mansion."

  "Diao Chan thanks you, Lord Cao!" Alas, having brought an extraordinary beauty into the manor, Lady Cao will definitely not let her off. For Lü Bu's entrustment, handing Diao Chan over to Lady Cao would be unkind. What a headache! (Lü Bu and his family followed Lü Rui, and Diao Chan has appeared on stage too. To whom should Diao Chan be handed over? It's up to your imagination, everyone!)