Chapter 115: Undercurrents in Chang'an

"How, how could it come to this..." Li Ru could be cold and ruthless toward anyone, but with Dong Zhuo, besides doing everything a strategist should, he sometimes had to coax and persuade him.

"In short, I do not agree." Dong Zhuo seemed to be stubbornly sulking.

"Grand Tutor, my Lord! If General Lu truly turns against you because of this woman, the ones who will benefit are not just the rats of Guandong, but those stirring in the shadows within Chang'an. They—"

"Bah!" Dong Zhuo interrupted him with a laugh. "She is but a woman; he is merely chasing a fleeting fancy. Lu Bu has served me for a long time, and as his foster father, I know his character well. He is no mere lecher!"

"It is precisely because he is not a lecher that when he is willing to offend you for the sake of a woman, such a woman, and such a Lu Bu, become all the more dangerous."

Li Ru did not voice these words, for he could see that Dong Zhuo would never bestow Diaochan upon Lu Bu.

"As for those stirring in the shadows, Huang'er has already made arrangements. You need not worry, Wenyou."

"Dong Huang? Hah, if I, Li Ru, could not see the intent behind your proposal to the Grand Tutor to make Zhang Yu a marquis, I would have no business staying in Chang'an."

Though his mind was clear as a mirror, Li Ru only sighed softly and fell silent.

"However, I can invite Fengxian to my estate. I was indeed impulsive that day; it is time I made amends to him."

Reflecting on the sword strike that had cut Lu Bu’s chest at Wang Yun’s residence, Dong Zhuo felt a tinge of regret.

At the Lu estate, Lu Bu personally poured the wine and sat under the moonlight, drinking with another general.

"Brother, what brings you here tonight?"

"Is that any way to speak, Fengxian? Can a brother not visit his younger brother without a reason?" Li Su drank the fine wine and laughed heartily.

"I offer this toast to you, brother."

"I heard... that you and the Grand Tutor had a falling out?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Fengxian, I must speak plainly. After all, he is your foster father and our lord; the proper respect must be maintained."

"I am well aware," Lu Bu replied coldly.

"Though the Grand Tutor has changed much—he is not the hero he once was, sometimes failing to reward or punish justly, being overly indulgent toward his troops, and having his vices of lechery—these are but minor flaws. His grand strategy and ambition are things we cannot hope to match. Just fulfill your duties as a subject." Li Su said helplessly, though the mention of "lechery" grated on Lu Bu’s ears.

"I have never asked him for anything," Lu Bu said. "This was the first time, and I nearly lost my life to his blade. Heh."

Sensing the tone of Lu Bu’s words, Li Su felt a chill run through him. He knew the prowess of his fellow townsman well; to see him like this, he was undoubtedly seething with rage.

"What?" Li Su jumped to his feet. "The Grand Tutor actually wanted to kill you?"

"Rrrrip!"

Lu Bu said nothing; he reached up and tore open the robe on his chest, revealing a deep, jagged sword scar across his torso.

Li Su stared in silence for a long time before finally sitting down with a heavy sigh.

"Brother... I value you dearly! But still, you must apologize to the Grand Tutor."

"I will not apologize. I intend to ask my foster father again to bestow Xiu'er upon me."

"Xiu'er... just for a woman?"

Lu Bu did not answer.

"For the sake of a woman, he drew his sword against you? Against his own adoptive son, his greatest general who has achieved countless victories and fought the warlords of Guandong!?" Li Su exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hah."

"My Lord, oh my Lord, you are courting disaster!"

"Brother Ziyan, speak no more of this."

"Speak no more? I am speaking out for you, Fengxian! It is one thing that I have been left unused under his command, but what of you? Since you joined him, your list of achievements is endless. To be honest, without you, Lu Fengxian, he might never have even entered Chang'an! And yet, he draws his sword on you just because you asked for a woman of no consequence... It chills my heart!"

"Enough, say no more." Lu Bu’s expression shifted, dark as a storm. "It is only because my foster father does not know that Xiu'er and I have known each other for a long time. I will explain it to him—"

"You must not!" Li Su stopped him.

"Why not?"

"Do you really think the Grand Tutor will agree?" Li Su retorted. "If he realized his mistake, if he felt even a shred of regret for drawing his sword against you, he would have already sent that girl to your estate! Since he has taken no action, it is clear he still believes you are the one in the wrong. If you bring it up again, I fear his sword will be driven straight into your heart! I, for one, will not allow you to do this!" Li Su said passionately.

"Then what would you have me do!"

*Boom!*

Lu Bu slammed his palm onto the table, and the solid wood split instantly.

"Swallow your pride, Fengxian." Li Su, being a martial man himself with decent skills, was not intimidated by Lu Bu’s outburst. He patted Lu Bu’s shoulder and continued, "If you truly offend the Grand Tutor over this, no matter how great your martial prowess, can you stand against his entire army?"

"Will my foster father kill me?"

"It is not impossible." Li Su looked at Lu Bu gravely. "The Grand Tutor is no longer the man he was when I persuaded you to join him."

"I know, but he has shown me great favor and kindness."

"How does he compare to Ding Jianyang!"

"At the very least, he let me hold my halberd, gifted me the Red Hare, and allowed me to gallop across the world!"

"But now he wants your life."

"Enough, brother. You should return home." Lu Bu stood up and walked toward the inner courtyard, leaving Li Su behind.

"I do not believe it."

...

The night was long, a cool autumn breeze blowing through the summer air.

A small group traveled along the long, paved road, moving further and further away from Mei Fortress. Given the current level of Zhang Yu’s "Wandering Free," there were likely few in the entire Han Empire who could slip away faster than he could. With the protagonist’s halo as a bonus, this divine skill was essential for any weakling’s home life or daring escape.

It was a pity that once he had fought until completely exhausted, and another time he had been cornered in the great hall with no chance to slip away. Otherwise, he could have easily shaken off his pursuers and departed leisurely using "Cao Cao."

Zhang Yu did not wait outside the city. He and Han Long’s group were disguised as guards of Dong Bai. Although the city of Chang'an was under curfew and the gates were barred, the status of the Lady of Weiyang was nearly as effective as an imperial decree.

Watching the distant silhouette of Chang'an, Zhang Yu felt a sense of trance.

When he arrived, he was a brewer who had written a few poems, the son of a lowly merchant.

As he departed, he was the Emperor’s imperial brother, praised by great scholars, and renowned throughout the literary world.

The Han palaces were majestic, and Chang'an was magnificent. This journey to the west would surely become one of the most precious treasures of his life. Here he had known joy and laughter, bitterness and sorrow, and even the reckless, impulsive fury that had brought him to the brink of death.

Too many memories surged forth, finally coalescing into that flickering morning star in the sky.

Just like the wind and sand he had passed through on his way here and now on his way back, after the dust of the northwest settled, Zhang Yu would finally be draped in glory, cloaked in the radiance of the stars, and return home.