Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 461 A Kind Heart for Subordinates, A Favorite General's Wife

Inside the Changyi Prefecture, the courtesans danced gracefully and sang melodiously.

Lü Bu warmly entertained the Tang envoy Xue Xia, with civil and military officials from Yanzhou serving him as ordered. The group ate, drank, chatted, and enjoyed music and dance, creating a joyful atmosphere.

Lu Bu toasted Xue Xia and asked, "Lord Xue, how is the King of Tang doing these days?"

Xue Xia raised his cup in return and said, "Reporting to the General, the King of Tang discusses military and political affairs with the officials every day, and in his spare time he leads his cavalry on hunting trips. Before I left the capital, the King of Tang saw the General Who Conquers the West off as he left the pass."

"Leaving the pass?"

Lu Bu's eyes darted around slightly, and he smiled, "Is the King of Tang planning an eastern expedition and sending Shi Yi as the vanguard?"

"No!"

Xue Xia put down his wine cup and said, "The prefectures of Hexi are in turmoil. Governor Wei Duan has entered the court as a public official. Now, the Tang king wants to pacify Hexi and recover the old territory, so he sent General Zhengxi on a distant expedition."

Lü Bu was deeply moved and said, "The rebels in Liangzhou have risen up repeatedly, and the imperial court has spent billions of coins to quell them, yet they were defeated by the Tang King in a single battle. His military tactics are truly divine. I pride myself on being an unparalleled general and cavalryman, but the Tang King is even better at commanding generals!"

As he spoke, Lü Bu's tone shifted slightly, and he tentatively asked, "Liangzhou is one or two thousand li away from Guanzhong. The Tang King has sent troops westward to conquer Hexi. Does he not intend to take any action against the Central Plains for the time being?"

Xue Xia said, "Your Highness dispatched 6,000 infantry and cavalry to the west. Along the way, the counties of Longyou provided provisions and supplies, and the Qiang and Di tribes served as escorts. Therefore, it will not hinder the Tang King's eastern expedition!"

"When will the King of Tang send out his troops?" Lü Bu asked.

Xue Xia smiled and said, "This concerns important military matters, which are beyond the knowledge of a mere scholar like myself. I have been sent on a mission to Yanzhou to discuss the marriage alliance. If the General wishes to inquire about the deployment of troops, he may write to His Highness to discuss this important matter together."

Lü Bu nodded and smiled, "I wonder how many sons the King of Tang has? And which young master will be the one to propose marriage to my daughter?"

Xue Xia cupped his hands and said, "King Tang has seven sons. The eldest son is already engaged to Lord Liu. The second son is the same age as the general's daughter. King Tang wishes to have the second son and the daughter engaged, and then they can get married when they reach marriageable age."

Chen Gong, who was attending the banquet, suddenly asked, "Is the Second Young Master born of the legitimate wife?"

“Although he was born out of wedlock, his bloodline is noble; his mother was a princess of the Xiongnu.” Xue Xia said.

Chen Gong feigned thought and said with a fake smile, “Lord Lü is a Grand General and has been granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. He has only one daughter, born to his principal wife, whom he adores. Now, the Prince of Tang, a concubine, is offering to marry Lord Lü’s daughter. I fear his intentions are not sincere!”

Xue Xia, a learned and eloquent scholar from Longyou, was not easily swayed by Chen Gong. He laughed and said, "The Tang King controls Hebei, Guanzhong, and also occupies the Han River region. He has many soldiers and abundant provisions, and will become emperor sooner or later. If he succeeds in his great cause and the two princes become kings, then Lord Lü's daughter will have the prospect of becoming a queen. How could she possibly disgrace Lord Lü's reputation?"

Chen Gong laughed a few times and said, "Sir, you are quite bold to say that the King of Tang will surely rule the world."

Upon hearing this, Xue Xia's expression turned serious, and he said sternly, "Yuan Shu's control of Jing and Yu provinces was not due to military force, but rather to his family background and powerful clan. Although the King of Tang was of humble origin, he rose up in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven, much like Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Shizu. His military prowess was unmatched, and he thus controlled one-third of the empire. I ask you, does Yuan Shu have the Mandate of Heaven?"

"If it's destiny?"

Xue Xia retorted firmly, "How could there be any such things as Sun Jian rebelling while occupying Bashu, or Cao Cao raising troops in Huaihe River?"

"This~"

Chen Gong was speechless for a moment, and judging from how things had unfolded, that was indeed the case.

Chen Gong quickly realized what was happening and said, "Have you not seen the story of Sun Jian's defeat and death?"

“I have come here today for the purpose of marriage alliance, not to debate with you about the Tang and Chen dynasties. The rise and fall of the two dynasties will be determined in the future.”

Xue Xia ignored Chen Gong and bowed to Lü Bu, saying, "Although the Second Young Master is a barbarian, His Highness has said that when he comes of age, he will be enfeoffed as the King of Xia, ruling over the land of Shuo Shang, and acting as the emperor to educate the people. Your daughter will then become the Queen, and the Lü family will prosper!"

"Ming Gong!"

Chen Gong called out, but was interrupted by Lü Bu before he could speak.

Lü Bu laughed and said, "Even a son born out of wedlock is still a son of the King of Tang. Why would I care? I am now thinking about when to arrange the marriage and what customs should be followed?"

Xue Xia said, "In ancient times, there were fixed rules for betrothal and marriage according to different ranks. The emperor's marriage lasted one year, the feudal lords' marriages lasted half a year, the high officials' marriages lasted one quarter, and the common people's marriages lasted one month. However, since Qianjin and Gongzi are young and the world is still in turmoil, we may need to make changes accordingly."

"The King of Tang will become emperor sooner or later. What do you think of following the precedent set by the Son of Heaven?" Lü Bu asked.

"No!"

"Follow the etiquette of feudal lords?"

"That won't do either!"

"Zhang Miao of Chenliu blocked the road to the capital. Now that you, General, are arranging a marriage alliance with the Tang King, how can Zhang Miao not obstruct it? Moreover, Yanzhou is a place of constant warfare, and a thousand pieces of gold are bound to be disturbed by war."

Xue Xia said, "In my opinion, we should take advantage of the fact that Zhang Miao is unaware of this and send a thousand gold pieces to Chang'an to live in a separate house. Then we can choose a year to get married. This way, we will be absolutely sure to succeed!"

Lu Bu said with a troubled expression, "My daughter is still young. She has come to Chang'an alone and there is no one to take care of her, so there are many inconveniences!"

Having laid the groundwork, Xue Xia continued, "The Grand General and the Prince of Tang are relatives and fellow townsmen. Now that you have been appointed Grand General, you are both relatives and friends with the Prince of Tang. Moreover, Yanzhou is often in turmoil due to war. Why not send your wife and daughter to Chang'an? When the world is at peace, the Grand General can return to the capital and reunite with them. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Previously, Lü Bu might not have understood Xue Xia's intentions, but now that things have come to this point, how could Lü Bu not understand Xue Xia's purpose? He simply wanted to use the marriage as an excuse to move his family to Chang'an, thereby indirectly controlling him.

Fearing that Lü Bu would agree, Chen Gong hurriedly said, "My lord, this matter is of utmost importance. I'm afraid we need to discuss it with your wife and daughter."

Lu Bu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Please allow us to discuss this further!"

With that, Lü Bu relaxed and laughed, "I've had a wonderful time today, everyone, drink this cup to the brim."

"Drink this cup to the brim."

The group sang, drank, and made merry until they were done and went home.

As he was about to leave, Lü Bu grabbed Xue Xia and whispered, "Lord Xue, you have been sent on a mission. If you succeed this time, I hope that when you return to the Tang King, you will put in a good word for me."

"Of course!" Xue Xia said with a smile, "The Tang King regards Lord Lü as Dou Rong, and the fate of the world rests on this moment. I hope Lord Lü will act in accordance with the situation."

"Easy to say!"

Lu Bu patted his chest and said, "Let me discuss this with my wife!"

While Lü Bu and Xue Xia were arguing, Chen Gong was quite worried. If Lü Bu sent his daughter and wife to Chang'an, then he would have completely sided with Zhang Yu.

If we side with Zhang Yu, we will inevitably become enemies with Yuan Shu!
After considering his own interests, Chen Gong decided to approach Hao Meng after the banquet.

Hao Meng was a native of Hanoi Commandery. Because of his bravery and strength, he was recruited as a knight to join the army. When Dong Zhuo entered Chang'an, Hao Meng served Dong Zhuo. After Lü Bu killed Dong Zhuo, Hao Meng worked for Lü Bu and gradually gained Lü Bu's favor.

After conquering Yanzhou, Hao Meng married a beautiful wife. Seeing her beauty, Lü Bu took advantage of Hao Meng's absence while he was campaigning against bandits and forcibly took her to his bedchamber. Upon returning, Hao Meng's wife tearfully complained to him, enraging him, but fearing Lü Bu's formidable strength, he dared not confront him.

"Lu Bu's martial prowess is astonishing. If we wish to kill him, we will need to contact the other generals and officers!"

Faced with Chen Gong's sudden arrival, Hao Meng looked uneasy, her eyes revealing a hint of coldness.

Chen Gong sneered, "The more secrets are kept, the greater the risk of leaks!"

"Furthermore, if we join forces with others, who would be suitable to be the governor of Yanzhou?"

Hao Meng swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Is what you say true, sir?"

"How could it be fake!"

Chen Gong said solemnly, "If you can kill Lü Bu, I will step forward to appease the generals of Yan Province and recommend you to the Emperor as the Governor of Yan Province, to take command of Lü Bu's army."

As he spoke, Chen Gong emphasized, "General, never forget the grudge of Lü Bu's abuse of his wife!"

How could I forget!

Upon hearing this, Hao Meng made up his mind and said, "If I don't avenge my wife's death, I am not worthy of being a husband!"

With Yuan Shu's endorsement and Chen Gong as an inside agent, Hao Meng made up his mind that one of him and Lü Bu had to die. If he could kill Lü Bu, he could not only avenge the death of his wife, but also become the governor of Yan Province.

Hao Meng didn't care about regicide and betrayal. After all, Lü Bu had killed Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo, so his killing of Lü Bu was an act of justice.

According to the Tang envoy, after killing Lü Bu, he would politely escort Xue Xia out of the prefecture. Then, he could curry favor with Zhang Yu, who would likely forgive his actions. If the Tang army attacked because of his killing of Lü Bu, he would have the support of Yuan Shu's forces; what was there to fear?
"When will we begin our uprising?" Hao Meng asked.

"We can take advantage of Lü Bu's drunkenness to launch an uprising!" Chen Gong said.

"And what about the gentleman?"

"Once the general has captured the prefecture, just send someone to inform me immediately!" Chen Gong said.

"good!"

Although Chen Gong actively plotted a coup and encouraged Hao Meng to launch a rebellion, he knew how to protect himself.

While Hao Meng was mobilizing troops overnight, Lü Bu returned to his residence drunk and discussed with his wife, Lady Wei, sending their daughter to Chang'an.

"Madam, Zhang Yu wishes to send you and Da'e to the capital. What are your thoughts on this?"

After washing up, Lü Bu embraced his wife and lay down on the bed to rest.

"Does the King of Tang truly intend to appoint his two sons as Kings of Xia?" Lady Wei asked coquettishly, revealing her snow-white breasts.

"It must be true!"

“Although those two sons have Hu (non-Han) blood, their mother is a princess of the Xiongnu, making them noble and of high status!” Lü Bu said.

"The King of Tang started his rebellion in the north and now rules over the lands of the Yellow River. He will sooner or later become the Son of Heaven. Now that you have truly made your two sons kings, why should you hesitate, my husband? I am willing to take my daughter to Chang'an," said Lady Wei.

Lu Bu rubbed them vigorously and said, "I can't bear to part with you and Da'e!"

Lady Wei rolled her eyes at Lü Bu and said, "I'm afraid that as soon as I leave, you'll start favoring other women."

"How could that be!" Lü Bu replied sullenly.

"Ah!"

Wei said sarcastically, "You love the wives of your generals. If I go to Chang'an, you should know when to stop and not provoke your subordinates to rebel."

"Who dares to betray me?"

Lu Bu stared wide-eyed, his voice tinged with drunkenness, and said, "I have treated you with great kindness, bestowing upon you no shortage of money and provisions, and granting you official titles without fail. You are but a village woman; how could you possibly know the affairs of a great man?"

Seeing that Lü Bu was getting drunk, Lady Wei dared not say anything more, for fear that if she spoke too much, she would anger Lü Bu and cause him to hit her.

At the same time, Hao Meng, under the pretext of suppressing bandits, mobilized his troops and headed straight for the prefecture where Lü Bu resided.

"kill!"

Soon, a cacophony of shouts and cries of battle erupted in front of the prefectural government, sounding particularly loud in the otherwise quiet prefectural government.

"Charge in and kill Lü Bu!"

Hao Meng brandished his knife and pointed forward, shouting hoarsely as he directed his troops in battle.

With things having come to this point, Hao Meng had no other choice but to kill Lü Bu to survive.

(End of this chapter)