Lu Bu: My wife comes from two thousand years later

Most people would not even dare to think about murdering the emperor, but this does not rule out some individuals, such as the powerful minister Liang Ji who dared to poison Emperor Zhi, and Dong Zhuo who dared to depose the young emperor and then poison the deposed emperor.

Ju Su said, "This place is only half a day's journey from Minchi. Cao Gong might as well send someone to bribe Fan Chou and test him. If he has already surrendered to Lü Bu and, along with Zhang Ji, has a heavy ambush ahead, then Lü Bu's goal is to use the emperor to lure you and Cao Gong to their deaths. If Fan Chou has not surrendered to Lü Bu and there are no ambush troops ahead, then he is not trying to lure you to your death, but rather has other motives."

"What could be the purpose?" asked Cao Cao.

"Or perhaps it's to murder the emperor!"

"No, why would he want to murder the emperor?" Yuan Shao was the first to raise the question. "If the emperor went to Bingzhou, Lü Bu would be the next Dong Zhuo. No, he has an advantage over Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo is cruel and merciless, while Lü Bu is deeply loved by the people of Bingzhou and has a very good reputation abroad. With the emperor at his disposal, he can send troops wherever he wants without any excuse. He has no reason to murder the emperor."

Ju Su said, "Having the emperor in your hands is certainly beneficial, but it is not without disadvantages. This matter is just my speculation. I am afraid only Lu Fengxian himself knows the truth."

"No matter whether he plotted to murder the emperor or not, what can we do to him without any evidence? Now the emperor did die accidentally because of us. All the court officials yesterday were witnesses, including many of Wang Situ's former students. Jizhou and Yanzhou cannot escape responsibility for this matter. Instead of worrying about Lu Fengxian's purpose, we might as well think about how to return safely. If Zhang Ji and Fan Chou really intercept us in front and Lu Bu's troops catch up from behind, that will be the time when we die." Xun You said.

"Right! Right, right, right!" Cao Cao suddenly came to his senses. "Gongda, you must go to Minchi to see Fan Chou now. No matter how many benefits you offer, you must bribe him."

"Yes!"

Xun You bowed and took his leave. That night he took two riders and headed straight for Minchi to meet Fan Chou. He arrived before dawn, and was one step faster than Jia Xu.

"What's the important matter, Mr. Xun?" Fan Chou was called out of his sleep, yawning as he looked at Xun You who was standing below.

Xun You surveyed Fan Chou's living room and said with a touch of regret, "Captain Fan, once under Prime Minister Dong's command, now lives in such poverty, without even a decent set of furniture. When I came downstairs, I saw that the once-mighty Western Liang army was now in shabby armor, a sight that betrayed nothing of its former might."

"Sir, are you here to insult me?" Fan Chou said with a cold face.

"No! I'm here to find a way out for the general."

"A way out?"

Fan Chou walked to the main seat and sat down, saying with a smile, "This general is beyond the emperor's control here. I don't have to abide by the law. I make all the decisions myself. I live a very comfortable life. Where can I go from here?"

"General, you are free and easy now, but have you ever thought about the future?"

Fan Chou said, "I heard that Lü Fengxian is doing well in Bingzhou. If I can't make ends meet in the future, I will go to Bingzhou and seek refuge with him. We were both former subordinates of Prime Minister Dong. He should at least give me a county, right?"

He is indeed a barbarian from Xiliang, ignorant and shameless! Xun You couldn't help but despise him in his heart.

"I heard that Hua Xiong, who was the first to follow him and made many contributions, is now just a military commander. General, you still want a county? It's simply a foolish dream!"

Fan Chou was surprised. "Hua Yingwei is just a Sima? Is he going backwards as he gets older?"

"That's right. Lü Fengxian is very stingy and partial. His former subordinates Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Song Xian and Cao Xing all became county lieutenants, but Hua Yingwei is still only a military officer. General, you have no military achievements and you don't have much affection for Lü Fengxian. The most he can give you is a military officer."

"That's not the case!"

"Lü Fengxian commands numerous brave generals, and he himself is a skilled warrior. If you were to join him, he might not be interested in you. Why not come to my Yan Province? Although my lord once opposed Prime Minister Dong, he has repeatedly praised the Prime Minister's Liang Province generals, saying that Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji were all valiant. If we could secure one of them, it would be like adding wings to a tiger."

Hearing Cao Cao praising him so much, Fan Chou couldn't help but feel elated. He had to admit that Cao Mengde had a good eye for people. In the Liangzhou army in the past, except for that bastard Lu Bu, he was the best fighter among the four of them. Niu Fu, Duan Wei, and Dong Yue were all mediocre people. The reason why they held higher positions than them was just because of their connections.

Xun You continued, "General, if you are willing to serve Yanzhou, my lord will grant you a county commandery position, not to mention wealth and beauties. Your life will definitely be a hundred times more comfortable than it is now."

After hearing this, Fan Chou couldn't help but be moved.

The area from Luoyang to Chang'an was destroyed by the former Prime Minister Dong and the war. Many people fled, and the county of Minchi could not collect much tax. He was not as good at business as Duan Wei. He had been quite comfortable in recent years, but his life was really tight. This year was a disaster year, and it was even more tragic.

He had also gone looting with Zhang Ji and accidentally offended the Hongnong Yang clan. They had thousands of armed troops, and officials in various counties were also their people. With a single order from the leader of the Yang clan, tens of thousands of troops could be organized in a short time from each clan and village. Although their combat effectiveness was average, they could not withstand the large number of people. Without the strength of Prime Minister Dong, it would be impossible to defeat them by relying solely on force.

Although he was tempted, Fan Chou didn't agree outright. He asked, "Were you defeated by Lü Fengxian in Huayin and wanted to escape back to Yanzhou but were afraid that we two would stop you, so you came here to win us over, hoping to use us and then get rid of us?"

Xun You said, "To be honest, I'm afraid the general will stop me, but my lord also truly admires your bravery. If you don't believe me, I will remain by your side as a hostage. When I return to Yanzhou, I will first equip your soldiers with new armor and weapons. The soldiers of Liangzhou are brave and skilled in fighting. By then, even if you want to, you won't be able to kill them. Besides, my lord is preparing to attack Xuzhou next, and he needs men now. He will definitely not do something so self-defeating. Xuzhou is rich, and if you can achieve military success, you will be rewarded generously."

Hearing this, Fan Chou stood up without hesitation and said, "Okay! I will pack my things and follow Cao Gong to Yanzhou."

Xun You saluted and praised, "General, you are wise!"

At noon that day, Fan Chou had finished packing, and Yuan Shao and Cao Cao's troops also arrived at Minchi. As they were preparing to set off for Xin'an, they ran into Zhang Ji and Jia Xu who also came to persuade Fan Chou.

Zhang Ji had only more than 4,000 soldiers in total, and Fan Chou had defected to Cao Cao. Zhang Ji was no match for them at all. Seeing this situation, Jia Xu did not let him fight against the stone with an egg, but retreated to Xin'an County and closed the city to defend himself.

Yuan Shao and his companions were in a hurry to escape and had no time to cause trouble for Zhang Ji. They left Hongnong smoothly and returned to Yanzhou via Henan Yin.

Three days later, Lu Bu came to Luoyang carrying Liu Xie's coffin. He first transported Liu Xie to Beimang Mountain for burial, then came back to clean the ancestral temple that had been burned beyond recognition, offered sacrifices to ancestors of all generations, expressed his loyalty to the Han Dynasty, and at the same time vowed to attack Jizhou and kill the traitor Yuan Shao!

The court officials who followed back to bury the emperor were once again ruthlessly rejected by Lu Bu. Except for a few old friends of the Wang family, everyone else had to disperse on the spot.

There was no way to disband. Luoyang had become a ruin, Chang'an was controlled by the two Lis, and Lu Bu didn't want them. They could only go their separate ways and seek their own future.