Volume 1: The Three Kingdoms War Chapter 43 Lü Bu Proposes Marriage, Infamous for His Lust.

  And Cai Yan was young and experienced a change in her family, although she was young, she already understood things. Lü Bu repelled the assassins, Cai Yan witnessed it with her own eyes, and entering Beidi, she had heard more about Lü Bu's reputation. Ten riders pulled out a thousand riders' camp, three hundred riders broke through three thousand riders, and subdued the Northern Territory Xianbei Qiang, recently even quelling the rebellion of the Xiongnu Left Virtuous King. Such brave deeds had already captured her small heart. When she heard that Lü Bu had something to discuss with her father, she couldn't help but feel curious, retreated into the inner chamber and stopped in her tracks, pretending to wipe the zither board, but actually perked up her ears to eavesdrop. When she heard Lü Bu mention wanting to marry her, her heart was excited to the point of almost fainting.

  After Lü Bu left, Cai Yong went into the inner hall and told his wife, Lady Cai, about Lü Bu's request. Lady Cai had followed her husband to be imprisoned in the north by Dong Zhuo, and had experienced all sorts of hardships along the way. She had received much kindness from Lü Bu, so she naturally had a good impression of him. Moreover, as a woman, she saw that Lü Bu was no ordinary person, and his status was not low. Now the Cai family was suffering difficulties, so if they could get Lü Bu's help, that would be a good thing, so she did not object either. She said to Cai Yong: "Governor Lü has treated our family with great kindness, and he is in control of the north and the region beyond the passes. If it were not for Governor Lü, we would have long been killed by those assassins. When we arrived at the north, Governor Lü even gave us gifts of silk every three days and gold every five days, so that our family had no worries about food or clothing. Such great kindness, how can our family repay it?"

  Cai Yong said, "I also know the kindness of Lü Bu. It's just that Lü Bu already has a wife from the Yan family. I've heard that Lady Yan is intelligent and skilled with her hands, and she is Lü Bu's inner helper. However, I don't know what's in her heart, and I'm afraid that in the future, she will mistreat Diao Chan."

  At this time, Cai Yan was wiping the strings of her zither beside them. Hearing this, she said to Cai Yong: "Yan'er is not afraid of humiliation, Lord Lü has great kindness towards our family, and I am willing to serve Lord Lü. I only hope that in the future, Father and Mother will no longer suffer."

  Cai Yong was quite surprised to hear Cai Yan's words, and thought that Cai Yan was speaking childishly. He said to Cai Yan: "Marriage is a major event in life. If you are betrothed to Lü Bu, you cannot change your mind later. This is not a trivial matter."

  Cai Yan said: "Lü Bu is a hero, and he's still young. Even after ten years, he'll only be in his thirties. If I were to marry him to my daughter, she would think it's her good fortune."

  Cai Yong said: "Can you see that Lü Bu is brutal and tyrannical? With just one horse, he can take several lives. The Qiang and Hu tribes in the north surrendered to Lü Bu, but it's not because they sincerely submitted to him, rather, many of them were afraid of him. I've heard from my father that Lü Bu has plundered and massacred foreign tribes, leaving no one alive, regardless of age or sex. This is something that ordinary tyrants cannot do."

  Cai Yan said, "Yan'er has also heard that the Lv family's military law is strict and proper. They only use violence against outsiders, but are gentle towards Han people. Moreover, Yan'er's 'Clear Heart Melody' can calm the mind and dispel impurities. If Lord Lü listens to Yan'er play the zither more often, it may be able to reduce Lord Lü's violent temper."

  Cai Yong thought for a moment and said: "That's also true. Lü Bu's intention is that he fears he won't get the sound of Yuanyuan's zither, so he made this request."

  Cai said: "If so, then isn't our family's Yuan'er born to be the wife of Governor Lü? If so, then husband can agree and it will be settled."

  Cai Yong thought for a moment and said: "If it's like this, then this is indeed a heavenly fate."

  Cai Yong and his family discussed it and thought that Lü Bu's proposal was a heavenly fate, so they agreed to Lü Bu's request.

  Lü Bu suddenly proposed to Cai Yan, but he overlooked one person - there was still a Yan Ni at home. Yan Ni was not an ordinary woman, she was from the same era as Lü Bu, how could she accept Lü Bu and Cai Yan's marriage?

  Lü Bu had been thinking about what to do with Yan Ni since he left Cai Yong's house. So after returning to the county government, he spoke kindly to Yan Ni. After a night of intimacy, Lü Bu served Yan Ni gently and held her in his arms, stroking her while harboring evil intentions, saying: "Do you feel any changes in me?"

  Yan Ni has been in a daze since being taken over by Lü Bu. Anyway, the more tyrannical Lü Bu is, the more gentle Yan Ni becomes. The more brutal he gets, the more she can endure. Yan Ni is still immersed in the gentle feelings of the earlier romantic encounter on Mt. Wu. She murmurs: "You're still as overbearing and wicked as ever, what's changed?"

  Lü Bu said: "I'm saying what changes have we undergone since we came into this world compared to before?"

  Yanni lifted her head, kissed Lü Bu's forehead, and lay on his chest. She said softly: "What's changed? I didn't know what kind of person you were before."

  Lü Bu let out a deep sigh and said, "Alas! Today I heard a melody from Cai Yong, it was played by Cai Yan. Listening to it made my spirit suddenly awaken. I feel that I have changed a lot."

  Yan Ni listened to Cai Yan and smiled: "That little girl is so amazing, at such a young age she's proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Especially the way she plays the piano, it makes people feel carefree and joyful when they listen to her. Ask her to come over again tomorrow and play for me. I'm really fond of listening to her play the piano now."

  Lü Bu said with a playful smile: "You like her so much? Then I'll marry her and have her play the zither for you every day, how's that?"

  Yan Ni bit Lu Bu's shoulder and scolded: "You're so despicable. You even think about an eight-year-old little girl."

  Lü Bu said, "Don't you think I've become very brutal? Since killing the real Lü Bu, I've become more and more brutal, only I didn't realize it before. Today, hearing Cai Yan's zither music made me suddenly feel how terrifying I've become. Every time I kill someone, I feel a thrill, and the more I kill, the more thrilling it becomes. Many times, there was no need to kill, but I always had an urge to do so. I'm really worried that one day I'll lose control of myself and become a killing maniac."

  Yan Ni only then discovered that Lü Bu was being very serious, and she propped herself up with her hands to look at him. In her heart, she thought: "Is what you're saying true?"

  Lü Bu said, "It's true. But today I heard Cai Yan's zither music and it woke me up a lot. I feel that Cai Yan's zither is like a clear heart mantra, listening to it makes one relax a lot and not think about killing anymore. Now it's fine, I can often go to Cai Yong's place to listen to the zither. But I'm worried, if in the future Cai Yong leaves or Cai Yan gets married. Then I won't be able to hear it again. So... so today I'll ask Cai Yong..."

  Yanni heard something and asked: "So what?"

  Lü Bu didn't dare look into Yan Ni's eyes, like a child who had done something wrong. He said: "So... I proposed to Cai Yong."

  Yanni was taken aback and cried out in a low voice: "What?"

  Yanni let out a sharp cry, her former gentleness vanishing in an instant. Her hands wildly scratched and hit Lv Bu's body, occasionally biting him as she shouted: "Ah... you pervert, thinking of an 8-year-old girl? You scoundrel, still making excuses and spouting nonsense! Ah, I'll beat you to death! Beat this heartless man to death! Waaahhhh..."

  Lü Bu knew what was going to happen and hugged Yan Ni tightly, explaining: "What I said is true, I really worry that I will become a murderer."

  Yan Ni slapped Lv Bu, shouting softly: "Don't touch me, you're just making excuses, get out, heartless man." As she spoke, Yan Ni got out of bed naked, grabbed something and threw it at Lv Bu. The whole room was filled with a burst of noise.

  Lü Bu hastily said: "I was just proposing a marriage, Cai Yong hasn't agreed yet."

  Yanni cried out: "You rascal, get out of here!"

  "Lü Bu said: 'Look at you, you're so fierce, it's laughable.'"

  Yanni cried out: "What's with the violence, it's all just your excuse for being lustful. Get out, get out of my room." As she spoke, she pushed and hit Lü Bu, trying to force him out of the room. Lü Bu shamelessly hugged Yanni and smiled, saying: "Don't be like this, outsiders will laugh at us. I still love you."

  Yanni pushed and pulled Lv Bu, crying: "What are you laughing at? Are you being lustful or am I wrong? Now it's useless to say anything, get out of here."

  "Hey, don't say I'm talking nonsense, what era is this? If others find out, they'll just say you're not right. Nowadays, a man having three wives and four concubines is normal. You cry and make a fuss, but others will only say you're a shrew."

  Yan Ni was even more furious, but what Lü Bu said seemed to be true. For a moment, she couldn't bear it and started hitting and kicking him while crying: "It's all because of you, you scoundrel! Get out! Go away!"

  Lü Bu had no choice but to hastily put on his clothes and walk out of the room with his bedding.

  Lü Bu had just stepped out of the house, but saw four or five cleaning and cooking aunts and servants in the outer hall staring at him. Li Yu'er was covering her mouth and secretly laughing at him. Lü Bu's clothes were disheveled and his appearance was somewhat wolf-like. He shouted at the servants: "What are you looking at? Go back to sleep."

  The old lady and the servants all went back to sleep. Li Yu'er was also going back to her room, when Lü Bu called out: "Yu'er, go keep your sister company tonight, and try to persuade her."

  Li Yu'er let out an "oh" and walked past Lü Bu's side, not forgetting to cover her mouth and take a peek at Lü Bu, sneaking into his room with a sly smile.

  Cai Yong agreed to Lü Bu's marriage proposal, and Yan Ni made a big fuss. However, under the persuasion of those elderly women, she could only reluctantly accept. But Yan Ni also didn't realize how she would so quickly become obedient.

  Yan Ni stopped making a fuss, so Lü Bu ordered someone to choose a date and send the betrothal gifts, thus formally engaging himself to Cai Yan. He also wanted to invite Cai Yong's whole family to move into the governor's mansion, but Cai Yong refused stubbornly, so Lü Bu had no choice but to give up. However, he would often visit Cai Yong for no particular reason. From then on, Lü Bu's reputation as a lecher became just as well-known as his reputation as a fierce warrior, and was widely spread.