Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 273 Bu Yuan Becomes His Godfather
Having been tricked by Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo naturally wanted to chase after him and kill him; he had no magnanimity to take the blame.

If you encounter a problem that is difficult to solve, then you should deal with the person who caused the problem. Even if you can't solve it, you should at least make your stance clear—make it clear that 'I know you're the one who harmed me, and I'm going to kill you.'

By making it clear that we are enemies, we can avoid internal strife, since in the end it all comes down to life and death, and whoever dies is guilty.

For Dong Zhuo, pursuing Yuan Shao was a necessary step.

Dong Zhuo wasn't stupid; he now understood what Jia Xu meant when he told him to pursue Yuan Shao yesterday.

It's better to catch a thief than to guard against one. Instead of waiting for others to cause trouble, it's better to kill the thief first. Even if you can't kill him, at least make it impossible for the thief to easily harm you.

— It would be best to kill Yuan Shao, but even if we can't, we should still send the whole army out of Luoyang and leave the blame to someone else.

Because whoever nominally controls Luoyang is the prime suspect.

Since Liu Bian died shortly after returning to Luoyang, it would be difficult to clear his name. Even if the officials knew the truth, some would take the opportunity to stir up trouble.

Since you know you're being framed, you should make sure you weren't there in the first place.

At that time, Liu Bian was still alive. Although Liu Bei and Jia Xu guessed Yuan Shao's intentions, they did not know how Yuan Shao would act. They did not know how to prevent it, nor were they sure if they could remedy the situation. Therefore, they should try to avoid it.

Just like when you're driving and you see an old man crawling in the middle of the road, looking like he's trying to scam you—regardless of whether the old man is actually trying to scam you or not, you should immediately switch to a lane away from him and quickly get out of the way. The slower you go, the more likely you are to fall for it.

Only by leading troops in the field can one advance or retreat at will; only by stepping out of the center of the court can one have more options, just like Liu Bei.

However, Dong Zhuo was so focused on staying in Luoyang to control the court last night that he didn't react immediately.

Now that I've realized it, I've missed the best opportunity, but it's not too late, and there's still a chance to make amends.

Dong Min reported early, and at present, the only people who know that Liu Bian is dead are Dong Min and the guards who guard the residences of the hundred counties—both of whom are Dong Zhuo's men.

Besides these, there were only Tang Ji and Liu Bian's servants.

If all these people are taken away, no one in Luoyang will know that Liu Bian is dead for the time being, and Dong Zhuo will be able to leave Luoyang before others discover Liu Bian's death.

As long as Dong Zhuo leaves Luoyang and abandons its defenses, someone will inevitably try to control the central government—whoever has the ambition to control Luoyang will bear the blame.

"Tang Ji, come with me... Don't worry, I won't hurt you. It really wasn't me who harmed Marquis Shi."

Dong Zhuo was decisive. Although he was furious, he still reacted quickly: "Order Niu Fu and Zhang Ji to abandon the city gates and assemble the entire army at the Upper East Gate!"

"Send orders to Zhang Yang, Xia Mou, and the others, instructing them to follow me in pursuit of Yuan Shao... Do not force them; simply tell them that if they do not wish to participate in the battle, they should retreat from Luoyang..."

“Lu Bu forced the Yuan family members to their deaths. If Yuan Shao is not eliminated, Lu Bu will have no chance of survival. Shuying, go and talk to Lu Bu in detail, and ask him to help me pursue Yuan Shao.”

"Send a message to the court, saying that Luoyang is now stable and there are no rebels. Only Yuan Shao has gathered a large following and has overstepped the bounds of propriety, and there is a risk that he may rebel again at any time. I want to catch up with Yuan Shao and order him to disarm and disperse his troops..."

……

Dong Zhuo led his army away from Luoyang and exited through the Shangdong Gate.

Zhang Yang received Dong Min's message, but instead of participating in the pursuit, he led his troops to retreat towards Mengjin, intending to remain neutral.

Xia Mu also retreated south, not wanting to get splattered with blood.

Outside the Xia Gate, Lü Bu met Dong Min.

"General Lü, Yuan Shao's relatives died because of your leading the army to attack the city. Now that Yuan Shao has retreated, he is only pretending to seek fame, which means he has already abandoned you..."

Dong Min put it simply: "Now, whether it's the officials or Yuan Shao, they all hate you to the bone. The Yuan family has held high office for four generations, with countless protégés and former subordinates. If the Yuan family is not wiped out completely, General Lü will surely become the enemy of the world in the future..."

Lu Bu was already somewhat flustered at this moment. With Yuan Shao suddenly abandoning Luoyang and retreating, Lu Bu knew that he was in big trouble. He asked his men, "Where should I go?"

Everyone was silent.

In truth, there was no choice now; everyone knew Lü Bu would face retribution. However, Lü Bu had gained considerable benefits from Yuan Shao, and his subordinates had also benefited significantly as a result…

Seeing that no one responded, Cavalry Commander Li Su advised Lü Bu: "Since things have come to this, we should seek refuge with General Dong. Otherwise, there will be no one in the court to help us... General Dong is a relative of the Empress Dowager and a relative of the future emperor. Only in this way can he protect us."

Li Su and Lü Bu were from the same hometown and were good friends, so they spoke to each other with less restraint.

(Note: Li Su was not Dong Zhuo's subordinate; he was Lü Bu's subordinate from beginning to end.)
"...Just yesterday we pledged allegiance to Lord Shi, and today we've switched allegiance to General Dong... How can General Dong trust us with such inconsistent behavior?"

Gao Shun frowned and whispered.

Zhang Liao nodded slightly, but did not speak.

Lü Bu asked Dong Min, "I served under Lord Shi and aided Yuan Shao, though Yuan Shao abandoned me. If I were to help General Dong attack Yuan Shao now, I fear General Dong would not trust me... How can I make a pact and oath with General Dong?"

That's true. Neither side is really on our side. Although we share common goals, neither side is really on our side.

Dong Min pondered for a moment and said, "Fengxian, my brother lost his son two years ago. If you are willing, why don't you swear a father-son oath with my brother? That way, there will be no doubt."

Lu Bu remained silent, somewhat hesitant.

"Fengxian, do you know how my brother treats his subordinates and comrades?"

Dong Min pointed to the men he had brought, and then to the horses he had brought: “What my brother has obtained, he has distributed to his men. He would rather be poor himself than let his relatives and men be without worry. My brother is now a relative of the Empress Dowager. He will not disgrace Fengxian, nor will he leave Fengxian without support.”

That's very true; Dong Zhuo was indeed very good to his subordinates.

Dong Min's troops were all fine and excellent horses, and the soldiers all wore brocade robes under their armor, making them look quite wealthy.

In fact, most of the people on Lü Bu's side had heard of Dong Zhuo's reputation. After all, Dong Zhuo was previously in Hedong, which was not far from Bingzhou. Most of the soldiers in Bingzhou knew that Dong Zhuo was magnanimous and generous.

"Then... please lead the way, sir, I will go and pay my respects to Lord Dong."

Lü Bu looked at Dong Min: "If we want to help Lord Dong quickly, the fastest way is for us to enter the city and travel through it..."

Dong Min knew that Lü Bu wanted to test his sincerity, so he nodded and ordered the Xia Gate to be opened, allowing Lü Bu to lead his troops into Luoyang.

Since Dong Min was willing to open the city gates, Lü Bu was relieved and did not do anything in Luoyang. Instead, he quickly went to the East Gate and met Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo had already assembled his army and was waiting with a group of cavalry.

Upon seeing Dong Min bring Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo stepped forward and said, "It is a great fortune to have Fengxian's assistance! Fengxian, are you willing to follow me to hunt down and kill the traitor!"

Lü Bu immediately knelt down: "I am a wanderer, and I have always been of lowly status and have never met a wise ruler. If you do not abandon me, I am willing to become your godfather and uphold filial piety and swore an oath of gratitude and righteousness."

"Very well! Hahaha... I have obtained a thousand-mile steed, so I will also give Fengxian a thousand-mile steed!"

Dong Zhuo was overjoyed. He dismounted, helped Lü Bu up, and handed him his horse reins: "Since you have sworn to be my son and to work together with me, I will swear to be your blood relative and to share your joys and sorrows, and never betray you!"

Having said that, he drew his short knife and lightly made a cut on his wrist.

Fresh blood seeped out.

Dong Zhuo reached out his hand.

Lü Bu also cut his wrist with a knife and placed his bleeding wrist against Dong Zhuo's wrist.

This is a blood oath, to show that blood is thicker than water.

With the oath made, Lü Bu did not delay, leaping onto his horse and raising his halberd eastward.

(End of this chapter)