Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 45 Fengxian, why did he change his mind?
On that day, iron cavalry trampled through frost and snow, and dust billowed like a dragon.

Lü Bu led 7,000 Bingzhou wolf cavalry into Jiyin with thunderous force, causing the mountains and rivers to lose their color.

He rampaged through the land with impunity, and none could stop him. He thought that Cao Cao's army was besieged by four warlords and could not defend both ends. He believed that if they divided their forces to defend, they would be weak and short of generals.

Until he met Xun You face to face.

They first feigned a shortage of soldiers and generals, and then, after a short period of defending the city, they pretended to be defeated and the city fell.

In reality, once Lü Bu led his army into the city, 30,000 troops rushed out from all sides, taking advantage of the terrain to completely surround Lü Bu's cavalry.

The fierce general Dian Wei took the lead and used all his strength to block Lü Bu's sharpest halberd tip. Even if he was invincible in the world, he would find it difficult to break through the encirclement due to this obstacle.

He still can't figure it out. Has Cao Cao's army gone mad? Yuan Shao has 120,000, Yuan Shu has 100,000, and Liu Bei has 50,000!

Instead of rushing to stop them, they spared a full 30,000 troops to fight his mere 7,000 men to the death.

[General, if you encounter difficulties on your journey north, you can always look back east; your foundation will be within your grasp.]

Chen Gong's parting words echoed in his ears, like a seductive spell, repeatedly resurfacing in his mind.

Enemies were everywhere. Cao Cao's army, familiar with the terrain, surged in from the alleyways like a tide, and shouts of battle shook the heavens.

Trapped in the city of sorrow, with the firelight illuminating half the sky, Lü Bu managed to repel another wave of Cao Cao's army's attack. Taking advantage of this lull, he urgently summoned everyone to discuss matters.

"When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one will prevail!"

Since we've entered a deadly situation, we must muster the will to fight to the death and break through!
I observe that although Cao Cao's army is numerous, it is entirely composed of infantry. In a battle between infantry and cavalry, they are unstoppable; we can rely on our superior strength to overwhelm them.”

Clad in embroidered robes and golden armor, with eyes as bright as stars, Zhang Liao stepped forward from among the generals, commanding the enemy troops filling the city with a commanding presence. His gaze was clear and resolute as he bowed to Lü Bu, requesting permission to serve:
"The general charges ahead, and we follow him closely. Even if there are tens of thousands of men, we can slay generals and raise flags as if walking on flat ground!"
"General, please give the order to fight Cao Cao to the death! We are all ready to risk our lives; victory or defeat is still uncertain!"

Looking at his high spirits and listening to his impassioned speech, Lü Bu felt a moment of bewilderment.

He seemed to see himself again many years ago, when he was still under Ding Yuan's command, serving as a clerk, calling out "godfather" again and again, and repeatedly requesting to "kill the Hu".

At that time, he really couldn't understand it!

Who is he? The unparalleled Lü Bu!

Even with a million-strong army, they can come and go as they please. How dare these mere barbarians plunder Bingzhou?

As long as his adoptive father allowed him to lead troops into battle, he regarded the barbarian tribes beyond the Great Wall as nothing more than weeds.

But the more I pleaded, the less I was allowed to.

They even transferred him out of the army and made him a civil servant clerk, leaving him to worry about stacks of documents concerning money, grain, salaries, and compensation for the dead and wounded every day.

I could win if I just fought, so why didn't you fight?
Lu Bu didn't understand and just kept sulking.

Ding Yuan simply smiled and handed over more tedious and monotonous local government affairs to him.

Faced with an endless stream of documents that seemed impossible to process, Lü Bu lowered his head impatiently.

At that time, Ding Yuan never saw his face, which was ruthless and ferocious, hidden in the shadows.

Back then, Lü Bu couldn't understand the mixture of relief and helplessness in his adoptive father's eyes as he looked at him.

Now that he had become a lord, looking at Zhang Liao, who was volunteering to fight to the death under his command, Lü Bu suddenly burst into laughter!

He looked at Zhang Liao with the same look Ding Yuan had given him years ago.

A desperate battle, the outcome is still uncertain!

The words before him, the person before him, seemed to be the same spirited Lü Bu of yesteryear, asking him a profound self-examination:

[As long as we fight, we can win! I, Lü Bu, am invincible and undefeated. Why don't you fight?] Because you will die, many people will die.

Many years later, only now has he truly understood Ding Yuan.

Countless corpses litter the fields, yet you, Lü Bu, are the only one who is invincible!
Encouraged by Zhang Liao's words, Lü Bu met their determined gazes and felt his heart grow heavier.

These are old brothers who have followed us since our adoptive father was Ding Yuan, back in Bingzhou.

Over the years, he fought alongside them in battles across the land, seemingly enjoying boundless glory and freedom of movement, but now only these seven thousand men remain.

If we fight Cao Cao's army to the death now, we may be able to win. But what will happen after we win? How many of these seven thousand men will survive?

Chen Gong's whispered words came to mind once again; he had repeatedly emphasized the ingenious plan to escape without firing a single shot.

In youth, one can be full of vigor and ambition; as a general, one can use troops to fight for supremacy.

But when one grows up, one should consider gains and losses; those who serve a lord should weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

When did it start?
He always brought up his past glories, whether it was killing Dong Zhuo or defeating Cao Cao.

Lu Bu, who once looked down upon all the lords of the world as nothing but weeds at Hulao Pass, now only has one sentence left: You are all defeated generals!
That day, we were all like brothers, drinking and getting carried away, but I didn't talk to Xuande about his ambitions or aspirations.

Xuande was also from the border region, and his hometown had suffered greatly from the plundering of the Hu people. I imagine that if they talked about "killing the Hu", they would have a lot in common.
The young man who once considered himself invincible, yearned for military exploits, sought to kill the barbarians to protect his homeland, and dreamed of one day achieving great success and being named Lü Bu, was now dead.

He died on that rainy night when he murdered his father, he died in Ding Yuan's incredulous eyes before his death, and he died from the question, "Why did you change your mind?"

Why did you change your mind?

But people generally change, right? So-called growth is about killing your past self with your own hands.

Having survived, he no longer harbored illusions about the world, witnessed the allure of profit, and understood the benefits of selfishness.

Etiquette? Benevolence? Morality? What in this world can possibly bind Lü Bu, the invincible Lü Bu of his time?

If the benefits are great enough, I'll kill not only my adoptive father, but even the emperor himself!
Zhang Liao bowed but did not rise, and Lü Bu remained silent.

At this critical juncture, Chen Gong's words still echoed in his ears. He looked at Zhang Liao in front of him, and at the past self in his heart, and slowly shook his head.

"There is no need to fight to the death. Gongtai had already anticipated the difficulties we are facing today, and I have my own way of dealing with them."

I'm sorry, Xuande, you're a kind person.

It's just that the world is bustling with activity, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for profit.

There are too few people in this world as kind and righteous as you, and too many petty people like me.

Who told you not to understand the rules of power and profit, or perhaps you clearly understand them but disdain to follow them, choosing instead to be out of step with us petty people and this chaotic world?

Then you can only be a hypocrite, a fraudster!
Because I cannot seize Xuzhou from the benevolent and righteous Lord Xuande, but I can take it back from Liu Bei, the hypocrite who pretends to be benevolent and righteous but actually steals Xuzhou from Tao Qian.

My dear brother, please don't blame me. It's just that the world has always been like this. I will take care of your wife and children.

Wearing a purple-gold crown that bound his hair, a red brocade robe adorned with a hundred flowers, holding a halberd, and riding the Red Hare, he charged out into the fray.

He looked down at the Cao army filling the city with disdain.

"I am Lü Bu from Jiuyuan!"

The commander of Cao's army came out to answer.

　Thank you everyone for the monthly tickets! Thank you for your support and love. I will continue to work hard!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)