Volume 1 I Want to Be an Emperor Chapter 34 Lü Bu's Ambition?

  Cao Cao's departure made the atmosphere in the hall somewhat subtle. Wang Yun sat there, with a calm appearance, but if you looked closely, you would notice that this Minister of Works had many small movements, and his eyes kept glancing at the gate of the hall from time to time.

  It's no wonder that he was shocked by Liu Xuan's words, and Wang Yun immediately understood that this was a sign of the Emperor and Dong Zhuo formally turning against each other.

  Dong Zhuo harmed King Hongnong, this matter is not rare. King Hongnong was driven down from the throne and then placed under house arrest in a side hall. After Liu Xuan ascended to the throne, things happened one after another, without a moment's peace.

  In addition, in the imperial court, Dong Zhuo became more and more arrogant, making this Dong Taishi's domineering atmosphere even stronger, and treating King Hongnong's mother and son more harshly - it is said that recently, even meals have been supplied very little.

  Such behavior would naturally provoke the resentment of King Hongnong, and Wang Yun also heard some words about King Hongnong's resentment. It is likely that these words will reach Dong Zhuo's ears and cause his dissatisfaction. As a result, it would not be difficult to harm the lives of King Hongnong and his mother.

  Why is the Emperor so concerned about this?

  Wang Yun regarded Liu Bian as a brother of the emperor and had a good relationship with him.

  But what he didn't know was that Liu Bian's anger wasn't because Dong Zhuo wanted to harm his own brother, but rather because Dong Zhuo had crossed the line and touched his reverse scales.

  This reverse scale is not what is called brotherly love, but rather an affront to Liu Xuan's 'territory'.

  It may not be quite right to describe it this way, but in fact that's how it is. Liu Xuan secretly drew a boundary line in his heart. As long as Dong Zhuo didn't cross that line, no matter how much he stirred up trouble, Liu Xuan could wait for the opportunity to come and then settle accounts with him all at once.

  But Dong Zhuo didn't know what's good for him, and directly crossed that line... Sorry, Mr. Dong Fei, your mission will be terminated ahead of schedule, you can go get the bento that belongs to you.

  Although Liu Xuan had some disagreements with Empress He, to a certain extent, that was an internal matter of the imperial family. If Liu Xuan were to be punished, it would have been done by himself personally, and it wouldn't have been Dong Zhuo's turn to do so.

  Sitting there, Liu Xuan's anger was not concealed at all. Lu Bu looked at him for a while and secretly felt shocked: "This young emperor has an extraordinary aura, which seems to make people think he is a veteran general who has been through hundreds of battles."

  Liu Xuan, as an immortal at that time, had also participated in several wars. The number of lives he had taken was probably more than many so-called famous generals. At this moment, his anger reached its peak, and the killing aura that had been hidden deep within his soul for a long time could not help but seep out a little.

  Although most people in this world do not understand those profound things, they will inevitably have some feelings after being exposed to them for a long time. A general like Lü Bu who has emerged from the battlefield naturally has some perception, but he can't figure out why he feels such an aura on Liu Xuan's body, and sits there with a brain full of fog.

  Liu Xuan's momentum was released and then retracted, Wang Yun only felt a chill on his body, with goosebumps all over him, but soon returned to normal, so he didn't take it seriously. Lü Bu, on the other hand, wondered if he had misfelt something?

  "Was it just an illusion?"

  He hadn't figured it out yet, but on the other side, Liu Xuan asked him a question: "What was the aspiration of Hou Dutian in his lifetime?"

  Dong Zhuo's offense can be set aside for now, anyway, I've already prepared to tear off my face with this Dong Fei gentleman, so let's prepare well for the next thing!

  As for King of Hongnong and his mother... As long as the King of Hongnong is still breathing, he will have a way to save her. And as for Empress He... If nothing happens, then so be it. But if something goes wrong, Liu Xuan won't be magnanimous enough to rescue someone who once wanted to take his life.

  For now, first win over Lü Bu to his side, only in this way can he better deal with Dong Zhuo.

  "Volunteer?"

  Lü Bu was actually quite interesting in Liu Xuan's eyes!

  In the novel, Lü Bu possessed matchless martial prowess and was quite skilled in commanding troops in battle - he excelled at leading cavalry charges on flat plains, his battlefield command abilities were absolutely top-notch at this time. It was precisely these abilities that allowed him to gain great fame in the face of the Xiongnu in Bingzhou, unfortunately, in subsequent battles, there were few opportunities for him to display this ability.

  Judging from this, Lü Bu is absolutely a top-notch general of this era. Yet, such a character seems to have no great ambition.

  Under Ding Yuan's command, Lü Bu served as the chief clerk, a position that was actually a civil officer in charge of administrative affairs. Despite the complexity of his duties, there were no reports of any disturbances on the side of Ping Province, which suggests that Lü Bu not only understood government matters but also performed well.

  But as a top general and battlefield commander, Lü Bu was surprisingly content with his position. After all, the chief administrator's responsibilities were complex but did not directly involve commanding troops, and he had delegated military authority to the officers under his command. Of course, it is also possible that he had some dissatisfaction, but endured it silently.

  Later, Dong Zhuo lured Lü Bu with the Red Hare horse and gold, silver, jewels, and official titles, pulling him under his own command. At this time, it was clear that Lü Bu was also not immune to these things, but what he ultimately wanted was still unclear. This can be seen from later events, where Wang Yun lured him, and he agreed.

  Afterwards, Lü Bu became somewhat dispirited and at that time was only leading his troops wandering around everywhere. At the beginning, he even just wanted to find a place to settle down. If not for running into Chen Gong, it's likely that Lü Bu himself would never have considered contending for dominance over the world.

  "A real man, how can he be without ambition? The name of the Duke of Wei has spread throughout the world, with bravery and unmatched martial arts. Is it that there is not a single goal?" Liu Xuan asked this question, on the one hand to win over Lü Bu, as a prelude to his next words, and also out of curiosity: "What does Lü Bu really want?"

  Generally speaking, those who achieve great things have great aspirations. Take Liu Bei, also known as Liu Xuande, for example. His family was poor and if it weren't for his uncle's financial support, he might not have been able to study under Lu Zhi.

  But Liu Bei had great ambitions and always wanted to make a name for himself. He worked tirelessly towards this goal for decades, eventually becoming the ruler of Shu Han.

  Cao Cao was the same, Cao Cao's dream was to open up territory and expand the Han Dynasty, pacify the four sides - although he did a bit too much in the end, but he always moved towards this goal, and really achieved it.

  It can be seen that these heroes have their own ambitions, and even some ordinary people have their own ambitions, either seeking a wise official to assist or seeking a position where they can exert their talents.

  Only Lü Bu, he seemed to have never revealed these things. As for Lü Bu's ambition, from the information compiled by Liu Xuan, it seems that he is content with just going with the flow... Having someone who appreciates him and lets him live a life of comfort, satisfying his material needs, and allowing him to play to his strengths is enough.

  Incidentally, Lü Bu also attaches great importance to his family. When Liu Xuan initially wanted to marry his sister to Lü Bu, he had considered this point - after all, it's better than marrying those guys who would casually discard or kill their wives as guests.

  "Aspiration..."

  Liu Xuan's sentence really stunned Lü Bu, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

  He was originally in Bianzhou, but felt that his martial arts skills were not being used to their fullest potential and wanted to make a name for himself through his own abilities, so he joined the military. He then fought against the Xiongnu multiple times, gaining great fame, with some people even calling him the "Flying General".

  Such a result has already made Lü Bu very satisfied, although the official position is only a Zhuguo governor's account under a main thin, but he feels that he is living a happy life, so he doesn't care about it either.

  Later, Dong Zhuo came to win him over. What he had in mind was still the Red Hare horse - gold and silver jewels were just a bonus. He felt that if Dong Zhuo could give such a precious horse to himself, then he must be even more valued by him. If he went, he might gain greater development, so he joined his camp.

  Even at this time, Lü Bu still hadn't thought about what he really wanted until that day when the Emperor personally appointed him as the Tiger Guard General in the early morning court session. It wasn't until then, when people bowed to him as he walked through the palace, that he felt some of the comfort of being a high-ranking official.

  "Perhaps... continue climbing up?"

  At this point, he was about to speak up, but Liu Xuan saw that he hadn't spoken for a long time and continued directly: "In life, it's all about fame and profit. Now, the name of Hou is shaking the world, and he is one of the top generals in the world, this name has already reached its peak!"

  Lü Bu heard Liu Xuan say this and couldn't help but feel a little proud, his back unconsciously straightening up.

  But unexpectedly, Liu Xuan's tone changed: "However, the Marquis of Duting humbled himself under Dong Zhuo's command. Dong Zhuo's cruelty and tyranny made everyone in the world angry. He dominated the imperial court, acting arbitrarily and recklessly, and was the number one treacherous minister of the current dynasty. The longer the Marquis of Duting stayed under his command, the more notorious he became. A few hundred years later, I'm afraid he would still be criticized for being an accomplice to tyranny..."

  These words are quite deadly for people at this time, especially those who have already made a name for themselves in history. If they really end up with eternal infamy, what face will they have to meet their ancestors?

  Although Lü Bu did not immediately knock his head and ask for mercy, he was also secretly nervous in his heart. His eyes involuntarily glanced at Liu Xuan, as if hoping that Liu Xuan would continue to speak, at least come up with a solution. Otherwise, how could he respond to this?

  He didn't want to hear Liu Xuan say this, and instead changed the subject: "The Duke of Wen is now in the position of Hu Ben Zhong Lang Jiang, in charge of the Hu Ben Lang of the capital, which can be considered as having great power in his hands. However, this position was decided by me with just one word, who else in the world can give something better than what I have given?" By calling Lü Bu "Duke of Wen" instead of his current title of Duke of Duting, the implication is clear.

  Everyone in the world is only for fame and fortune. Liu Xuan reminded Lü Bu that his reputation had already reached a peak, and there should be many praises in the historical records, but if he continued to stay under Dong Zhuo's command, he might go in another direction.

  "After that, with the temptation of benefits, the words were quite clear, just short of saying it directly: 'What Dong Zhuo can give, I can also give; what Dong Zhuo cannot give, I can also give. Are you going to mix with him or with me?'"

  Of course, it's not possible to win over Lü Bu so easily. Just as Liu Xuan was about to make another effort, he saw Cao Cao covered in blood, carrying the King of Hongnong and rushing into the palace.

  I'm really curious, in terms of the novel, what exactly does Lü Bu want?