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

As evening approached, Cui Lie's carriage traveled along the official road leading to Chang'an.

The wheels rolled over the sand and soil, and the long-distance carriage made a creaking sound that made Cui Lie, who was already annoyed inside, even more irritated.

The days of travel had taken a toll on this pampered nobleman.

Although horse-drawn carriages were already a luxurious and unattainable dream for ordinary people.

But to be honest, sitting in a horse-drawn carriage all day on an uneven road is unbearable for anyone.

Not to mention Cui Lie, who has never suffered any hardship since childhood.

The Cui family of Anping was a prominent family in ancient times, with generations of officials holding the rank of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure). They rose to prominence during the Xin Dynasty and held two official positions. They passed down the "Jing Shi Yi" (a book on the Book of Changes) as their family tradition.

Cui Lie's grandfather, Cui Yin, was able to understand the Book of Poetry, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals at the age of thirteen. He was learned and talented, and was proficient in the exegesis of ancient and modern times and the words of various schools of thought.

His works, including poems, rhapsodies, inscriptions, eulogies, letters, records, memorials, "Seven Reliances," "Wedding Concluding Remarks," "Declaration of the Purpose," and "Wine Warning," totaling twenty-one pieces, are widely circulated.

Although his father, Cui Pan, was not well-known and was not the eldest son in the family, Cui Lie's uncle, Cui Yuan, rose to the position of Chancellor of Jibei.

Born into the Cui family, Cui Lie was pampered from a young age and devoted himself solely to studying the classics.

As a member of the next generation of the Cui family, Cui Lie aspired to enter the imperial court from a young age and studied diligently for this purpose.

Hard work pays off. Cui Lie was also intelligent and, together with his cousin Cui Shi, was recommended as a candidate for the civil service examination. He later entered the court as a court official.

With the prestige of the Cui clan of Jizhou and the benefits of family connections, Cui Lie rose through the ranks after entering Luoyang.

He even surpassed Cui Shi, who was the eldest son of the Cui family.

Now he holds the high position of one of the Three Dukes, becoming the third member of the Cui family to be promoted to this position.

Regardless of what outsiders say, Cui Lie always believes that he earned all of this through his own abilities.

His name will surely be prominently featured in the future Cui family genealogy.

It can be said that Cui Lie has had a smooth life from childhood to adulthood, and has never suffered any hardship or grievances.

But ever since he bought the position of one of the Three Dukes, Cui Lie found that everything seemed to have changed.

Some people say that he is of poor character and that he only obtained the position of one of the Three Dukes by paying money, and that his virtue does not match his position.

Some people say he is power-hungry.

But what frustrated Cui Lie the most was that it was Empress Dowager Dong who was supposed to grant Duan Yu the title of king and negotiate peace.

The one who gave the advice to Empress Dowager Dong was Jian Shuo, the commander of the Imperial Guards.

But to make him stand up and speak out makes him appear as an unfaithful and disloyal person.

Empress Dowager Dong was worried that she would be insulted if she proposed to grant Duan Yu the title of king, so she sent someone to deliver a message to him, asking him to act as a shield.

Standing in the imperial court that day, he had unspeakable suffering.

Now, he's been sent on a long journey to Duan Yu's den of wolves and tigers.

Not to mention the hardships and bumpy journey, there was even the danger to his life once he reached Duan Yu's den of tigers and wolves.

This position of Minister of Works is truly frustrating.

It would be better to be sent to prison like Zhang Wen.

But Empress Dowager Dong also said that as long as he can complete the mission this time.

They would then bestow upon him a noble title.

To be honest, Cui Lie didn't really care about this title.

However, Empress Dowager Dong also said that if he did not come, his position as one of the Three Dukes would be in jeopardy.

Cui Lie had no other choice.

Sitting in the carriage, Cui Lie became increasingly agitated the more he thought about it.

"How much longer until we reach Hongmen Pavilion?" Cui Lie asked, sticking out his sore, jolted backside.

The deputy envoy immediately spurred his horse forward two steps: "My lord, we're almost there. Hongmen Pavilion is just fifteen li ahead."

Hongmen Pavilion.

As the name suggests, it was named after Hongmen.

After Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, entered Guanzhong, he had a banquet here with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, that was a matter of life and death.

Cui Lie rubbed his sore buttocks in annoyance and sat back down in his seat.

Despite the layers of carpets laid underneath, the bumpy carriage still made Cui Lie feel as if his internal organs had shifted.

Because of worry and the constant travel, Cui Lie couldn't eat every day, and he looked like he had lost a lot of weight.

Just as Cui Lie was rubbing his buttocks, he suddenly heard a commotion coming from ahead.

My mind, which had just calmed down, immediately became agitated again.

However, before Cui Lie could even ask a question, a fast horse was already galloping towards them.

"Oh no! Oh no! The road ahead is blocked! Soldiers are blocking our way!"

Hearing the shouts outside, Cui Lie was startled and quickly stuck half his face out of the car window to look outside.

This sight was quite alarming; it terrified him so much that he nearly lost his mind.

The mounted guards in front of them were suddenly running backward at top speed.

"Stop! Everyone stop! Don't run! Don't run!"

Cui Lie's deputy envoy outside the carriage shouted loudly, but to no avail.

The fleeing guards on their warhorses sped past Cui Lie's carriage, knocking the deputy envoy, who tried to stop them, off his horse. The deputy envoy's cries of pain echoed a few times under the horse's hooves before fading away.

Cui Lie stared wide-eyed, his eyes filled with terror.

"Quick, quick, turn around!" Cui Lie shouted loudly to the driver.

However, as soon as Cui Lie finished speaking, he saw the coachman take off running behind him.

Ahead, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves rang out.

Anxious, Cui Lie pushed open the back door of the carriage and jumped out.

However, it's unclear whether his legs were weak from the bumpy ride in the carriage or if he was simply in poor physical condition to begin with.

Cui Lie jumped off the carriage with a scream, then clutched his ankle in pain.

Rumble!

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer.

When Cui Lie finally managed to lift his head despite the excruciating pain in his foot, he saw a black-armored general on horseback, wielding a massive axe, staring down at him with icy eyes.

"Are you Cui Lie?"

Xu Huang, mounted on his horse, looked down at Cui Lie from his elevated position.

Cui Lie pursed his lips, his eyes filled with fear, and remained silent.

But soon, several members of the delegation were captured and pinned to the ground.

"Is he Cui Lie?" Xu Huang asked, looking at the men who had been brought back.

The servants didn't dare to look up at Cui Lie, but they nodded like chickens pecking at rice.

"you......"

Knowing he could no longer hide the truth, Cui Lie clutched his ankle and looked at Xu Huang on horseback: "You... what are you going to do? I am Situ..."

Xu Huang grinned and swung his large axe down onto Cui Lie's skull.

"I've come to send you on your way!"

puff!

The massive axe cleaved Cui Lie's head in two.

Blood and brain matter sprayed onto the attendants of the delegation, who screamed in terror.

"Kill them all, leave no one alive!" Xu Huang gave the order.

Following Xu Huang's command, hundreds of cavalrymen behind him began a massacre.

Xu Huang looked at the great axe in his hand and smiled, saying, "This weapon is still the best."

Not long after, as dusk was falling, Wu Xi, covered in blood and exuding a fierce aura, arrived from the direction Cui Lie had come from, leading a troop of cavalry.

"Dead?" Wu Xi looked at Xu Huang.

Xu Huang gestured towards Cui Lie, who was already dead on the ground, and said, "Throw him into the woods, and in less than two days, wild wolves will have him gnawed to pieces, leaving not even bones."

"Let's go back and report to the general."

After confirming that there were no more survivors around, the two set all the carriages on fire and drove away.

..............

Two days later, in the study of Duan Yu's residence.

Liu Baitu stood in Duan Yu's study, carrying news of Cui Lie and his group's deaths.

Besides Duan Yu, who was sitting in the main seat, Jia Xu, Li Ru, Cheng Yu, Xun You, and several others were also present.

Duan Yu frowned.

Who killed Cui Lie?