Chapter Fifty-One: Heir?

  Li Ru returned to the mansion and saw Dong Zhuo sitting in the main hall, with his generals lined up on both sides. Just as Dong Zhuo was about to speak, Li Ru said: "My lord, the owner of this mansion is named Gong Sun Ce, who is from the same hometown as you. This man is a hero, riding alone out of Xianyang, and has recently captured the city of Pingliang!"

  Dong Zhuo's expression changed, and he hastily asked: "Fellow countryman?"

  Li Ru nodded and continued: "This person is indeed from the same hometown as the master, and his family is a well-known family in Shanren County. He rose to prominence during the Ming dynasty, went through three dynasties, and his family has been producing generals for generations, it's a martial arts family!"

  Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and said: "It seems that our family's westward journey will be successful with the help of this Gong Sun Zan, and it won't be difficult to settle the northwest!"

  As soon as Dong Zhuo heard that Gongsun Zan was from a family of generals and was personally so brave and fierce, he made up his mind to win him over and work together with him to seek wealth and power.

  "But there is one thing, I must say." Li Ru suddenly changed his tone, indicating that this sentence was spoken from a family member's standpoint.

  Dong Zhuo furrowed his brow, gesturing to Li Ru to continue speaking. Li Ru then said: "That Gong Sun Zan has obtained the legacy of Pingyuan, but I don't know how Lord Taishan considers it?"

  Li Ru first spoke of Gongsun Zan's importance, making Dong Zhuo fully aware of it before revealing the information. He knew Dong Zhuo's temperament and that when he was angry, he wouldn't consider anything else. Only by letting Dong Zhuo know of Gongsun Zan's importance first would it be easy to persuade him afterwards.

  Contrary to Li Ru's expectations, Dong Zhuo merely sighed.

  "My son was also deceived by the treacherous, that's why he went astray. I once made a vow in the underworld, this time I returned to the human world, only to exterminate the Taiyuan Wang clan, to relieve my hatred! From now on, there is nothing else!"

  Dong Zhuo's rugged face turned red-eyed, and he shed a few tears: "I treated Wang Yun with kindness, but he drove a wedge between Yuan Shao and me, father and son! Moreover, I was killed and my clan exterminated. My elderly mother, who is ninety years old, suffered the disaster of war. This is indeed Dong Zhuo's great unfiliality!"

  "Brother, my Dong family and the Wang family are irreconcilable! One of us will not survive while the other lives! Younger brother agrees with Li Ru's idea, to put aside past grievances with Yuan Shao and form an alliance with Gongsun Zan is also acceptable! If I don't wipe out the entire Wang clan, I, Dong Zhuo, won't be able to close my eyes in death!" Dong Zhuo was reminded of his painful past, let out a loud wail, and fell to the ground, pounding it with his fists, tears streaming down.

  The memory of that day was etched in their minds with utmost clarity. That morning, Dong Zhuo heard that the Emperor had recovered from his illness and all officials were celebrating at the Weiyang Palace. As the Minister of State, how could he not attend? Unexpectedly, Lü Bu arranged for Li Su, a fellow townsman and cavalry commander, to lead dozens of trusted men to replace the original guards, hiding on both sides of the side gate that Dong Zhuo was about to pass through, waiting for him.

  Dong Zhuo, despite his immense power and influence, still had to follow basic rules. Moreover, at that time, he trusted Lü Bu greatly and would not have brought troops into the Weiyang Palace. When he passed by the side gate of the Weiyang Palace alone, he was ambushed and killed by Li Su and others. Despite his fierce resistance, he was hacked to death by random knives.

  In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dong Zhuo heard that the Emperor was going to abdicate and all officials were in favor of it. Overjoyed and off guard, he was beheaded by Lü Bu.

  For the death of his mother, Dong Jue's feelings were even more profound than Dong Zhuo's. The entire Dong clan was in Mei County, and they were all captured at once. He fought hard but was captured, and he and his mother were beheaded together at the gate of Mei County by the Han army. Also killed were his nephew Dong Huang, a group of Dong Zhuo's children, and Dong Zhuo's granddaughter Dong Bai.

  Dong Jun's ability was not as good as Dong Zhuo, but in that era he was also a first-rate general, and was summoned by General-in-Chief He Jin as his subordinate. It was Yuan Shao's idea to summon Dong Zhuo to the capital, but it was Dong Jun's merit that allowed Dong Zhuo to control Luoyang.

  General-in-Chief He Jin and his brother, Colonel of the Imperial Guard He Miao, led their troops to surround the palace, intending to force their sister, Empress Dowager He, to surrender the eunuchs. However, He Jin was lured into the city alone and killed by the eunuchs. His head was thrown out of the city, causing his troops to become enraged rather than panicked.

  At this time, Dong Zhuo and another of He Jin's officers shouted at Wu Kuang: "The one who killed the Grand General is a eunuch!" "He Miao conspired with the eunuchs!" He Miao's troops were unclear about what was happening. It turned out that He Miao had been very close to the eunuchs all along. As an outsider, he was the heir to the power of the outsiders after He Jin's death. His actions were so despicable that even his subordinates couldn't stand him, and He Miao was killed.

  It is worth mentioning that He Jin only dared to lead troops to besiege the palace, but did not dare to attack. Yuan Shao and his men were unscrupulous, and after the death of the He brothers, they directly led the eight schools of the Western Garden to join forces with He Jin's troops to enter the palace, killing the eunuchs. If Lu Zhi had not arrived in time, Empress Dowager would have almost been killed by the red-eyed soldiers.

  This group of soldiers really killed wildly, at that time not only in the palace but also ran to Luoyang City to kill. Seeing young men with beards drawing their swords and chopping, many young people were forced to take off their pants on the spot to save their lives. There were also those who were slow to react, and they were directly killed. Anyway, it was not a eunuch party, and being a eunuch's accomplice was also a capital offense.

  That night, Dong Zhuo led three thousand flying bear troops to Luoyang. At this time, Luoyang was in chaos. The Western Garden soldiers were exhausted and only then realized the magnitude of their crime. Attacking the imperial palace was a serious treasonous offense, and they fled in droves. The Western Garden army was the main force stationed in Luoyang, and with these troops fleeing, the remaining ones were all old and weak, how could they dare to face the fierce Xiliang border soldiers?

  Then it was the beginning of Dong Zhuo's brilliant life. The first condition for him to rely on the 3,000 Flying Bear Army to calm down the various forces in Luoyang was the death of He Jin and He Miao brothers. The external family force had no leader and became scattered sand. This is the merit of Dong Jue, this merit far surpasses anyone under Dong Zhuo's command!

  Other generals in the hall clenched their fists. Hua Xiong was even more tearful, as he had followed Dong Zhuo for the longest time and was very familiar with Dong's family members, almost like a half-member of the Dong family.

  "My lord, one day we will attack and enter Pingzhou, leaving not a single chicken or dog alive!" Hua Xiong knelt behind Dong Zhuo, prompting a group of fierce Western Liang generals to kneel down in unison, shouting loudly: "Attack Pingzhou! Leave no chicken or dog alive!"

  "I, Dong Zhuo, if I cannot exterminate the Wang family of Taiyuan in this life, may I be like this broken chair!" Dong Zhuo cut off the back of his chair with one sword. The various generals stood up one after another, drew their swords and cut at the chair, making a poisonous oath.

  On the second day, Guo Liang prepared a thick gift and went to Dong Zhuo's mansion to pay his respects. He attached great importance to this action, as Dong Zhuo was accompanied by the fierce general of Xiliang, which could be said to be the strongest military force in Qin at that time. If he could resolve the feud between Dong Zhuo and his own elder brother, it would be beneficial for everyone.

  However, Dong Zhuo's historical reputation made him lack confidence. Records of Dong Zhuo's cruelty and bloodthirstiness, such as his overnight stay in the imperial palace, frequently appeared in the history books that Guo Liang came into contact with.

  Kuang Liang had just arrived to pay his respects, and Li Ru, who was guarding the gate, hastily came out to greet him. He attached great importance to Kuang Liang, and when he saw the gift list presented by Kuang Liang, he was overjoyed in his heart. Because the gift list was none other than fifty sets of top-grade armor!

  These are the hard currency of this era, harder and more robust than gold. At this time, Dong Zhuo's army had been defeated, with only over 500 Flying Bear Sky Troops left, nearly half of whom had weapons but no armor. These fifty sets of armor can be said to have solved Dong Zhuo's urgent need.

  When he saw Guo Liang, Dong Zhuo was also stunned, and immediately had a good impression of this handsome young man. After chatting with Guo Liang for a few sentences, seeing that he was still underage, yet his conversation was extraordinary, he liked him even more in his heart. He couldn't help but think of Li Ru's private suggestion to him last night, and his heart was greatly moved.

  "Li Ru has said it before, Fengxian is Fengxian, and your elder brother is your elder brother. The two cannot be mixed up, it's just that I, the old man, regret that my son Fengxian doesn't want to get involved in this muddy world. I wanted to see him, but was unable to do so." Dong Zhuo sighed.

  Guo Liang's impression of Dong Zhuo, a man in his 40s with an ordinary appearance, underwent a fundamental change. Dong Zhuo was far from the arrogant and cruel person described in history books. Although Dong Zhuo's appearance was indeed similar to that of a TV villain, somewhat intimidating.

  Seeing Dong Zhuo's sorrowful expression, Guo Liang furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before saying: "My elder brother has received the legacy, and Lü Bu has appeared once. When I return, I'll tell my brother to let him pass on a message when Lü Bu appears again."

  "So excellent, so excellent!" Dong Zhuo wanted to say something more, but seemed to find it difficult to get the words out. Beside him, Li Ru knew he had to make his move.

  Li Ru coughed lightly and said slowly, "Do you still remember what Li certain told the young general last night? Li certain wants to give the young general a great wealth and honor!"

  "Also, please don't mention Mr. Ming's words again. If it means letting the young master leave his brother, then there's no need to discuss it further. The big brother has treated me like a close younger brother and this life was entrusted to him long ago!" Guo Liang's pupils contracted, shining with a cold light, his tone no longer as gentle as before, but very firm.

  Dong Zhuo listened and was even more delighted, extremely satisfied. Seeing him smile inexplicably, Guo Liang's right hand had already pressed onto the hilt of his sword.

  "The young general is thinking too much, and let Li Ru speak slowly." Li Ru quickly pressed down on Guo Liang's hand, afraid that this little guy would suddenly draw his sword. Once the sword is drawn, it's hard to put it back, and drawing a sword at the first meeting is not a good omen.

  "My family's Taishan had a son before, but he died of illness at a young age. Later, an old man had a child, but he was not yet an adult when he was killed by the sword. The former's soul was weak and dissipated before reaching the ghost realm, while the latter's soul had not yet condensed and dissipated, let alone being able to revive in this chaotic world." Li Ru said, his tone somewhat sorrowful.

  Li Ru said earnestly, "Yesterday I saw the young general's bravery and my father-in-law has no son. I couldn't help but think of arranging a good marriage, not only would the young general receive the guidance of the Western Liang generals and become a world-renowned general; it would also alleviate my father-in-law's sorrow of missing his child."

  Li Ru's words made Guo Liang feel like he had been struck by lightning, and he was stunned, not knowing what to think. At this moment, Guo Liang's mind was really confused. Dong Zhuo gave him a good impression, and he also had a good feeling towards Li Ru.

  For a modern person, it is very difficult to accept being someone else's heir, especially for someone who has their own thoughts and is extremely confident. It is really hard to accept, and even impossible to identify with this idea.

  "Besides, your elder brother and my father-in-law are from the same hometown, why not strengthen our ties? As long as we join hands, we can completely sweep away all the forces in the northwest. You didn't say that your elder brother is going to Western Regions to welcome his parents, this time cannot be delayed." Li Ru said seeing that Guo Guang's eyes had returned to normal.

  Guo Liang rubbed his brow, seeing the expectation in Dong Zhuo's eyes and the sincerity on Li Ru's face. He felt the sincerity of Dong Zhuo's side, although he had a younger brother who could inherit the family business, but he really didn't want to change his name or surname. Moreover, if he were to follow Gongsun Zan, and later on, conflicts arose between the two sides, where would he stand?

  He was very moved by this opinion, more accurately, he was very moved by the guidance of the Western Liang generals.

  "It can be done, but I must consult with my elder brother first. However, I also have three conditions; if you don't agree, then let's just forget this conversation ever happened."

  "Not to mention three, even ten old men would rely on you!" Dong Zhuo slapped the table, very heroic. As long as Guo Liang passed this place, Gong Sun Ce's place would naturally be easy to talk to. He believed that a person who could single-handedly conquer Pingliang Prefecture was absolutely not just relying on brute strength.

  A brainless fellow can't keep his head in a chaotic world.