My son, how could you be Lü Bu?!

Chapter 111 Lü Bu, the Filial and Incorruptible Official

"Father, could it be that, as always, the cloth wasn't credited at all?"

Lu Bu felt uneasy.

He squeezed out a sentence like toothpaste.

Hearing his adopted son ask a question, Lü Ping raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion.

"I remember Fengxian was always fond of reading, wasn't he?"

"What... you're not planning to go back and study with Cai Yong, Cai Bojie?"

"Bu likes reading..."

Lu Bu was about to nod subconsciously, but then he seemed to remember something and shook his head repeatedly.

"No, Bu doesn't like reading..."

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then stopped himself.

The words swirled in his mouth, but he couldn't bring himself to say them.

Lu Bu looked anxious, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

She was afraid that her father would think she didn't like studying, and she was also afraid that her father would really think she liked studying and throw her back into Cai Yong's tutelage as a disciple.

As for music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he's hopeless; he simply can't learn them all.

Seeing his own adopted son's expression like that.

Lu Ping couldn't help but chuckle. He slowly shook his head and patted Lu Bu on the shoulder.

"Fengxian, there's no need for further words."

"Logically speaking, your contribution is the highest in the entire army, second only to mine!"

"I have already spoken with General Tanaka!"

"That's good!" Upon hearing this, Lü Bu breathed a sigh of relief, his face beaming with joy, and he exclaimed excitedly.

"By the way, Father! What is my official rank?"

"Is he a Marquis of Qujun with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), or a Military Commander with a salary of 1000 shi (another unit of grain)?"

Lü Bu was only sixteen years old. If he became a military commander with a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) in one fell swoop, he would almost certainly be the youngest military commander in the history of the Han Dynasty.

It could even be unprecedented and unparalleled!

He was faced with a curious question from his eldest son, whom he had taken for granted.

Lu Ping glanced at him, his eyes flickering, and shook his head with a faint smile.

"Neither."

Lu Bu was stunned for a moment, then his face showed anxiety, and he asked questions one after another.

"Father!"

"What is that?!"

Lü Ping did not reply to him immediately.

He simply looked up and found a road ahead with few people, suitable for galloping at full speed. He estimated it in his mind for a while, and even slightly tightened his spurs, keeping a little distance from his cheap eldest son.

He was terrified that his eldest son might suddenly punch him. He had just been injured and was very weak; he couldn't withstand a punch from that fierce tiger.

Seeing that the distance was getting farther and farther, she made sure that her eldest son wouldn't catch up immediately after she spoke.

Lü Ping then spoke with a light laugh.

"Fengxian, your contribution is indeed the greatest."

"However... I've offset your credit... I've given it to Gongsun Du!"

"What?!"

Lu Bu was stunned.

"It's been exchanged?! Father! Does that mean I did nothing at all?!"

Seeing his father finish speaking and then spur his horse forward, Lü Bu grew anxious and urged his horse onward to follow.

"Yes, you have done absolutely nothing right now."

Lü Ping nodded, and as he spoke, he spurred his horse, widening the distance between himself and Lü Bu.

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu instinctively wanted to get angry, but his anger dissipated instantly when he realized it was his own father who had done it.

Seeing that he couldn't catch up with his father, Lü Bu became increasingly anxious and shouted loudly.

"Then what did you exchange it for, Father?"

Lu Ping chuckled lightly and said in a low voice.

"I traded you for something with a much brighter future."

"What!" Lu Bu exclaimed anxiously.

"I've exchanged the title of 'Filial and Incorrupt Official' for you this year from Gongsun Yu!"

Lu Ping walked faster and faster, not forgetting to explain to Lu Bu.

"You must understand, these quotas for the title of 'filial piety and incorruptibility' are extremely precious. In places like You and Bing, where the population is sparse, a typical prefecture only gets one such quota per year!"

This statement came out.

Lu Bu's anger dissipated considerably, and he chased after his father, looking completely bewildered.

"Filial piety and integrity? What good are they?!"

"Father! Why don't you just teach me to be a military commander with a salary of one thousand bushels of grain!"

Seeing that his eldest son's temper wasn't as bad as before, and he didn't seem like he wanted to hit him, Lü Ping finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He slowed his horse slightly, allowing Lü Bu to get closer, and patiently explained.

"We come from a poor background, from a border region. In the eyes of Yang and his group of scholars, we are born barbarians, born border generals, and cannot be brought to the table."

"But you are different."

"You are still young and have more choices."

"If you become a military commander with a salary of 1,000 shi, you can only stay in the border region and be a general whose salary is capped at 2,000 shi for the rest of your life."

"With this quota of filial piety and incorruptibility, plus the name of Cai Yong, you can properly embark on an official career, go to Luoyang to serve as a court official, serve by the emperor's side, and thus see a bigger world."

"Go to Luoyang and get to know the most spirited young people in the world, and erase most of the prejudices that the literati of Luoyang have against your background!"

These were all things that Shen Pei had previously discussed with Lü Ping.

Lu Ping was getting old, and in order to rise quickly, he had no choice but to take this path, and he was happy to be treated like a dog by those scholars and officials.

However... it was rare for Gongsun Yu to take the initiative to come to Lu Bu and offer him a spot as a candidate for the civil service examination in exchange for military merit.

Faced with a better choice, how could Lü Ping not teach Lü Bu to make it?

Upon hearing the analysis, to Lü Ping's surprise, Lü Bu, who was expected to be completely bewildered, now had a thoughtful look in his eyes, as if he had something on his mind.

Then, Lü Bu nodded slightly.

Seeing this scene.

Lu Ping was immediately shocked. His face was full of astonishment and disbelief that his eldest son had actually understood his deeper meaning!

Followed by.

There was another moment of silence.

Having finally grasped Lü Ping's deeper meaning, Lü Bu took a deep breath, suddenly looked up, and earnestly addressed Lü Ping.

"Father."

"I didn't know you meant well, that's why you took credit for me."

"The decisions you made were all made with my better development in mind."

Lu Bu paused for a moment, then looked up and met Lu Ping's gaze. He spoke with utmost seriousness.

"But...Father."

"Lian Ge'er had previously told Bu that Bu was about to be crowned, and that he should know, or rather, should do something that he didn't know was right or wrong."

"Next time, Father, could you please inform Bu in advance before making a decision?"

As soon as Lü Bu uttered these words...

Now.

Lu Ping, on the other hand, was stunned and fell silent, remaining speechless for a long time.

Aside from a few feelings of regret.

His heart.

One sentence lingered in my mind: My own eldest son... he's actually become intelligent?!

After remaining silent for a while, Lü Ping finally nodded.

The father and son of the Lü family, one in front and one behind, led a small number of riders and galloped forward.

They had already entered Han territory, and the population was increasing.

Both sides of the official road.

These were the villagers who had received the news in advance and were now filled with anticipation, waiting for their sons, husbands, or fathers to return victorious.

Facing these villagers with their expectant eyes.

Lu Ping glanced at it unconsciously a few times, but panicked and quickly looked away.

For Lü Ping, who knew that the battle had resulted in heavy casualties and that most of the soldiers would not return and would only become nutrients for the soil, this was a different story.

The gazes of these villagers were like needles, piercing his heart and making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

He never felt this panic when leading his troops in a charge in the northern desert.

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