Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

Not long after leaving Dong Zhuo's western camp, Liu Bei returned to Lu Zhi's eastern camp with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Lu Zhi's camp was located on the east side of Guangzong County.

It was one-third larger than Dong Zhuo's Western Camp.

The 30,000 troops were divided into three large camps, with Lu Zhi's main camp in the middle.

On the left and right sides were cavalry camps, forming a stable encampment.

Liu Bei, along with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, arrived at the central army camp where Lu Zhi was located.

"Second and third brothers, you wait here. I'll go in and report back to our teacher."

Standing in Lu Zhi's central command tent, Liu Bei spoke to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei behind him.

The two nodded.

Afterwards, Liu Bei handed his warhorse to Zhang Fei and then entered Lu Zhi's central command tent alone.

Lu Zhi's central command tent was decorated very simply.

Apart from the desks that the generals would visit when they needed to consult, there were almost no other furnishings in the tent.

Behind Lu Zhi’s seat hung a huge map.

When Liu Bei entered the tent, Lu Zhi was holding a scroll of bamboo slips and looking down at it.

"teacher."

Upon entering, Liu Bei raised his hand in a gesture of respect to Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi put down the bamboo slip in his hand and nodded.

"Teacher, I have just met with General Dongzhong and have conveyed your invitation to him," Liu Bei said.

"Xuande, please sit down. There is one more thing I need you to do tonight."

Lu Zhi waved to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei lowered his head and knelt respectfully beside the table below Lu Zhi.

"Take a look at this first." Lu Zhi handed a document to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei, who had just sat down, quickly stood up and reached out to receive it with both hands.

"These are the documents and orders I just received from the imperial court this morning. What do you think, Xuande?"

Liu Bei did not answer Lu Zhi's question immediately.

Instead, he looked intently at the documents he had received.

When Liu Bei saw the contents clearly, his eyes widened in surprise.

Lu Zhi stroked his beard, his expression extremely serious.

"The court, citing Dong Zhuo's mistakes in battle, cowardice, and refusal to fight, ordered me to seize Dong Zhuo's military power and then bring him to Luoyang in a prison cart."

"In order to prevent Dong Zhuo from rebelling, I had no choice but to invite Dong Zhuo to a banquet in order to seize control of my troops."

"Then it was sent to Luoyang."

Lu Zhi paused for a moment before saying, "I never expected the court to react this way. I wrote to the court hoping that it would urge Dong Zhuo to cooperate with me in sending troops to quickly attack Guangzong."

"Now the court is asking me to seize their military power."

“This…” Lu Zhi shook his head and said, “This is really not my intention.”

Liu Bei looked at the document in front of him and was somewhat surprised.

Just now, the three brothers were outside talking about how they would seize military power from Dong Zhuo and then attack Guangzong.

Unexpectedly, the imperial court actually issued a document to carry out this matter.

His third brother, Zhang Fei, was right.

"That......"

Liu Bei glanced down at the document in his hand, then looked at Lu Zhi and said, "So, teacher, are you planning to make your move tonight during the banquet with Dong Zhuo?"

Lu Zhi nodded slightly.

"This is the only way," Lu Zhi said. "Dong Zhuo has 20,000 troops under his command. If I forcibly issue an imperial edict, there is a risk of mutiny."

"Xuande has also seen it. The Han Dynasty is in turmoil, with rebels everywhere. If we were to stir up trouble in the army, it would only make matters worse."

"Therefore, we have no other choice but to resort to this last resort."

“Xuande, we’re keeping you here because there’s something we need you to do,” Lu Zhi said, looking at Liu Bei.

Liu Bei's heart skipped a beat.

He had already deduced what Lu Zhi wanted him to do.

Since it was a banquet at Hongmen, the scene of Xiang Zhuang dancing with his sword was indispensable.

Who is that person wielding the sword?

Lu Zhi slowly began to speak, saying, "Dong Zhuo's Liangzhou troops are a powerful army and extremely difficult to deal with."

"To reduce casualties, we have no choice but to act swiftly and decisively."

"Quickly capture Dong Zhuo, and be wary of a counterattack from Dong Zhuo's Liangzhou army."

“Xuande is skilled in battle, and your two sworn brothers are both brave enough to fight ten thousand men. This task can only be entrusted to you.”

"Is Xuande willing?" Lu Zhi asked Liu Bei.

Liu Bei lowered his head, and his eyes trembled slightly.

"If the teacher has a request, the student will naturally do his duty without hesitation, but..." Liu Bei hesitated for a moment before saying, "but..."

"Xuande, please speak freely. There are no outsiders here," Lu Zhi reassured Liu Bei.

"Then the student will speak frankly."

After bowing, Liu Bei looked up at Lu Zhi and said, "Teacher, although there are documents in the court..."

"But the students felt that this was inappropriate."

"Not to mention what would happen if such behavior were to become known in the future."

"If this gets out, it will tarnish the teacher's reputation in the future."

Lu Zhi took a deep breath and then nodded.

Yes.

Lu Zhi understood this as well.

Although it was an official document from the imperial court, his method of inviting Dong Zhuo to the Feast at Hongmen would certainly be criticized as harming a colleague.

But there is no way.

That was the imperial court's order.

If he didn't want to provoke a standoff between the two armies, which could very likely lead to a defection, Lu Zhi had no good choice.

If Dong Zhuo were informed openly and honestly, would he surrender without resistance?

It's hard to say.

The world is in chaos, and people's hearts are in turmoil.

What if Dong Zhuo really intends to betray us?

The 20,000 troops under Dong Zhuo's command were far superior to the Yellow Turban rebels.

If Dong Zhuo were to join forces with the Yellow Turban rebels, the battle situation in Ji Province would likely change instantly.

If that time comes, and countless lives are lost, and war spreads for thousands of miles, then Lu Zhi will be a sinner.

Not only will they have to bear the corresponding criminal responsibility, but they will also likely be punished by the imperial court.

Therefore, although the Feast at Hongmen was a controversial plan, Lu Zhi had no other choice.

Not to mention that, in addition to the official documents from the court, Lu Zhi also received letters from Grand Commandant Yang Ci and Minister of Works Yuan Wei in private.

The two letters conveyed the same meaning.

We must not allow Dong Zhuo to rebel; we must minimize the damage.

"Since the teacher already knows, then..."

Lu Zhi waved his hand to interrupt Liu Bei, saying, "Some things cannot be considered from the perspective of one's own interests."

"What does my reputation, Lu Zhi's reputation, matter compared to the greater good of the nation?"

"I understand Xuande's intentions."

"But now the world cannot afford any more changes. Only this method can minimize the possibility of Dong Zhuo's rebellion, so this is not the time to cherish our reputation."

Liu Bei nodded and said, "Teacher, I understand."

"The teacher's concern for the country and its people shows that the students are short-sighted."

"but......"

"Did the court issue such an order without considering Duan Yu, Dong Zhuo's son-in-law?" Liu Bei asked.

Duan Yu.

Upon hearing this name, Lu Zhi's expression became even more serious.

A tiger general of the world.

Duan Yu.

Lu Zhi had met Duan Yu.

That was last year, when Duan Yu entered Luoyang to receive his title.

When Liu Bei mentioned Duan Yu, Lu Zhi immediately pictured Duan Yu and his many deeds in his mind.

"Teacher, now that Duan Yu, the son-in-law of Dong Zhuo, the General of the Eastern Central Army, is also leading troops to quell the rebellion, will Duan Yu harbor resentment if the court issues such an order?"

"Or perhaps, what if Duan Yu... towards the teacher..."

Liu Bei left half of his sentence unsaid.

Liu Bei had heard of Duan Yu's name for a long time.

Last year, when Liu Bei was still in Youzhou, working under his classmate Gongsun Zan, he heard of Duan Yu's name.

Duan Yu pursued Wang Rou and his brother all the way from Bingzhou to Youzhou.

Then they set fire to Tanhan Mountain.

Liu Bei had already heard about these things before Duan Yu entered Luoyang to receive his title.

Judging from Duan Yu's past behavior, he became famous at a young age and had a fearsome reputation as a tiger general of his time.

Duan Yu's style of doing things has always been extremely domineering.

Within just three months of entering Liang, they had slaughtered 100,000 Western Qiang tribesmen.

Such domineering military generals have not appeared in the Han Dynasty for a long time.

Moreover, Duan Yu's rise to prominence was entirely due to Dong Zhuo's patronage.

Dong Zhuo had done Duan Yu a favor, not only promoting him but also marrying his daughter to him.

Now they want to use this method to capture his father-in-law, Dong Zhuo.

Is it possible that Duan Yu won't do anything outrageous?

If Liu Bei were to say that he had truly angered Duan Yu, the consequences would be far greater than a direct confrontation with Dong Zhuo.

Duan Yu is the governor of Liangzhou.

Furthermore, judging from the methods Duan Yu used to deal with Wang Rou and his brothers, Wang Yun's family, and Liang Hu, this person, though he had never met him, must be extremely difficult to deal with.

Capturing Duan Yu's father-in-law is tantamount to jumping into a fire pit.

To be honest, Liu Bei was really worried.

They were worried about Duan Yu's retaliation.

The high-ranking officials in the imperial court, sitting in Luoyang, were naturally not afraid, but the three brothers held low-ranking positions. If Duan Yu came to Ji Province, who would be unlucky?

The answer is obvious.

Lu Zhi sighed.

Then he shook his head and said, "Xuande, the affairs of Luoyang are the affairs of the world."

"Some things are not as simple as they seem on the surface."

"The emperor's will is the most difficult to fathom. This order, too, is it not a test of Duan Yu's intentions?"

“The governor of Liangzhou is in charge of the military and political affairs of the province. Since ancient times, Liangzhou has been a place of rebellion and disaster. Now that Duan Yu is not in Liangzhou, if something really happens, it is infinitely better than if Duan Yu were in Liangzhou.”

"Do you think the Emperor doesn't know?" Lu Zhi said softly.

Upon hearing these words, Liu Bei was struck dumb.

Duan Yu... isn't he a disciple of the Emperor?

How could I be so suspicious of you?

With Duan Yu leading troops in the field, the threat is infinitely less than if he were in Liangzhou next year...

Liu Bei was surprised; this was something he hadn't expected.

Yes, if Duan Yu were in Liangzhou and were to rebel, the Han Dynasty would likely lose a province in an instant.

The Qiang incursions in Liangzhou had persisted for centuries without being eradicated; if Duan Yu were added to the mix...

This threat is probably much greater than that of the Yellow Turban rebels.

If another rebellion like the Yongchu Qiang uprising were to break out, given the current strength of the Han Dynasty, it would likely bring down the entire edifice.

But if Duan Yu were in the Central Plains, things would be different.

As long as the pass is sealed off and their supplies cut off, even a fierce tiger like Duan Yu would have no chance of escape.

Liu Bei broke out in a cold sweat.

"Xuande, you must understand."

Lu Zhi took a deep breath and said, "The relationship between ruler and subject is one of loyalty and obedience. If the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die."

“I am a subject, Dong Zhuo is a subject, and Duan Yu is also a subject.”

"What the Han Dynasty needs are loyal ministers. Whether a minister is outstanding or not is not the most important thing. The most important thing is loyalty. Only loyal ministers are good ministers."

“Go,” Lu Zhi said, standing up. “We just need to follow orders; as for anything else, that’s not something we should worry about.”

Liu Bei stood up somewhat absentmindedly, bowed to Lu Zhi, and then left the tent.